Posts
timewithgod.blog-city.com — June 2009
Psalm 27-30 Thanks For Closing My Mind
There was so much praising going on here that I really wanted to join in during my journaling, but I felt stuck on 28:5, where David is talking about unbelievers:"They don't understand what the Lord has done or what He has made."I remem
There was so much praising going on here that I really wanted to join in during my journaling, but I felt stuck on 28:5, where David is talking about unbelievers:
"They don't understand what the Lord has done or what He has made."
I remember a few years after I'd gotten out of college that a friend who was still in college asked me to drive a long distance with him to a summer Bible camp for college-age kids. It was right after college that I'd let that hubris that many college professors exhibit regarding their own wisdom infect my spirit. As a result, I'd really started putting down a lot of what I'd been taught in church over the years.
During the camp Bible studies, I kept hearing terms like "Since we are in Him" or "The Holy Spirit within us" and honestly, it was like someone was speaking a foreign language, or reading from a technical manual about how to reassemble a jet engine. I firmly believe that God had closed my mind to Him in order to show me how ignorant of His ways I really had become.
I look back on that time and I'm appalled that I though so much of myself and so little of God. Circumstances and acquaintances had been used by Satan to test my faith, and I'd failed miserably.
But one important thing came out of it that God still uses today. Because I know what it's like to hear and not understand, and I know what it is like to not see God at the heart of all the details, God helps me to explain things about Him in ways that make it possible for unbelievers, or even young Christians, to understand. I want to make sure that no one has to endure the ignorance that I was blessed with for a time. I know that even Christians can have problems understanding things like grace versus mercy, so my experiences cause me to try all the more to firmly anchor these concepts in the minds and hearts of those I am allowed to teach.
Father, I look back and hate that time in my life for how I so stupidly rejected You. Thank You for bringing me back and helping me to realize what I'd become. Yet now I can thank You even for that, because You are using my new understanding of what it's like to not understand so that I can help others grow closer to You. Please continue to bring "those who do not understand" to me. I want to help.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 31-33 Etched On My Heart
Chapter 31 begins with "Lord, I trust You." Those are easy words to say, but until they've taken root in our hearts, they are difficult words to believe. Something happened to me over time that etched them permanently on my
Chapter 31 begins with "Lord, I trust You." Those are easy words to say, but until they've taken root in our hearts, they are difficult words to believe. Something happened to me over time that etched them permanently on my heart. I can remember being pretty unsure of it some eleven years ago when my best friend told me he was moving six hours away. But the seeds of trust were planted, I think, during that time of adversity for me.
Almost like adding root stimulator every two months, God added more tests rather than letting me "ramp down." My mother got a cancer diagnosis. Then my dad had what at first looked like a stroke, but which turned out to be Bell's Palsy, which quickly vanished.
God had taught me the incredible value of prayer over those five months, and He caused me to need to hold onto Him for all I was worth.
The months between my trip to Russia and Josh's adoption were a never-ending exercise of that trust, as were the first three weeks after we returned home. God watered that trust in Him over the intervening years, and it developed deep roots. Those roots were anchored in the Rock and they have certainly changed the way I view my world and the circumstances that surround me. I found that I've got a bigger God than I'd ever imagined -- One who is actively involved in every aspect of my life and never surprised by anything that comes up.
So I find myself agreeing with what I read today:
"Lord, I trust in You .... lead me and guide me.... I give You my life .... I trust only in the Lord ... Lord, I trust You .... You are my God. My life is in Your hands ... You are my hiding place. You protect me from my troubles and fill me with songs of salvation.... The Lord's love surrounds those who trust Him ... God's word is true, and everything He does is right and fair ... So our hope is in the Lord. He is our help, our shield to protect us. We rejoice in Him, because we trust His holy name."
Enough said. Father, thank You for planting that trust, for watering it, feeding it, and tending it so that it would grow and so that I can say from heart, "I trust You, Lord!"
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 34-36 Aliens On Earth
David takes the first 4 verses of chapter 36 and gives us a very good understanding of wicked people:"Sin speaks to the wicked in their hearts. They have no fear of God. They think too much of themselves so they don't see their s
David takes the first 4 verses of chapter 36 and gives us a very good understanding of wicked people:
"Sin speaks to the wicked in their hearts. They have no fear of God. They think too much of themselves so they don't see their sin and hate it. Their words are wicked lies; they are no longer wise or good. At night they make evil plans; what they do leads to nothing good. They don't refuse things that are evil."
I had to stop and realize that, unfortunately, Christians can fall into this trap just as nonbelievers can. I did that once myself.
If we refuse to keep ourselves on a "spiritual diet of the mind:, we will find ourselves letting sin speak to our hearts. Instead of immediately cutting off sinful thoughts, we may allow ourselves just a taste of them, for old times sake. Unfortunately, that's an indulgence we cannot afford, because once born, sin does not give us easily.
If we allow our hearts to wander far from God, soon we lose our fear of Him. In fact, in our denial of our own sin, we can even begin to deny that He exists, or that He concerns Himself with our lives. I think God was revealing a truth about humans in verse 2. We can be incredibly self-centered, if not downright narcissistic, loving ourselves so much that we refuse to deny ourselves anything.
A key difference between believers and nonbelievers is revealed here -- "They don't see their sin and hate it." With the Holy Spirit within us, our consciences are pricked by our sin, whereas nonbelievers don't feel that pang of conscience (or if they do, it is more for remorse for possible consequences than guilt). And therein lies the difference between Christians and the rest of the world. The Spirit convicts us of the guilt of our sins, and uses the resulting sadness to draw us back to God. For the rest of the world, there is no feeling of true remorse for their actions.
Father, help us to realize that the world thinks differently than we do. They don't react as we do or see things the way we see them. We truly are aliens on earth. Our home is in heaven.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 37 -- Perfect Timing For A Court Date
Father, You could not have picked a better quiet time for today! I sit here in Austin, awaiting a bankruptcy hearing of a totally unrighteous man with unrighteous attorneys. They tell nothing but lies and do so with impunity.Yet here'
Father, You could not have picked a better quiet time for today! I sit here in Austin, awaiting a bankruptcy hearing of a totally unrighteous man with unrighteous attorneys. They tell nothing but lies and do so with impunity.
Yet here's what You say today:
"Don't be upset because of evil people....Trust the Lord...feed on truth. Enjoy serving the Lord, and He will give you what you want. Depend on the Lord; trust Him, and He will take care of you ... Wait and trust the Lord ... Don't be upset... don't get angry ... it only leads to trouble ... Those who trust the Lord -- people who are not proud -- will inherit the land and will enjoy complete peace ... The wicked make evil plans against good people .. But the Lord laughs at the wicked, because He sees that their day is coming.... Their swords will stab their own hearts.... The power of the wicked will be broken ... the Lord supports those who do right. The Lord watches over the lives of the innocent, and their reward will last forever.... when a person's steps follow the Lord, God is pleased with his ways. If he stumbles, he will not fall, because the Lord holds his hand .... The Lord loves justice and will not leave those who worship Him. He will always protect them ... A good person speaks with wisdom and he says what is fair. The teachings of his God are in his heart, so he does not fail to keep them .... The Lord will not take away His protection or let good people be judged guilty. Wait for the Lord's help and follow Him. He will honor you and give you the land, and you will see the wicked sent away."
My commentary talks about the believer having a deep, abiding reliance on God, not some unfounded, breezy optimism. It says to "commit the entire matter to the Lord. Roll the whole weight of it onto Him. Let Him act on your behalf. He will protect your character .... the Christian should not become emotionally disturbed or build up anger, resentment, malice, and hatred. It is good for us when we can look upon our foes with that same detached nonchalance... When the wicked need them the most, their weapons will fail.... God plans and orders the pathways of the man who lives in fellowship with him... But Jehovah will neither abandon the innocent to the power of the foe nor allow him to be declared guilty if a case against him comes to a trial. God is the Guardian and Advocate of all His own people."
Father, we have the best lawyer, for we have You as our Advocate!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 38-41 The Missing Piece
My commentary homed me in on 40:4, which says, "Happy is the person who trusts the Lord, who doesn't turn to those who are proud or to those who worship false gods."It said, "True happiness and fulfillment in life come only through
My commentary homed me in on 40:4, which says, "Happy is the person who trusts the Lord, who doesn't turn to those who are proud or to those who worship false gods."
It said, "True happiness and fulfillment in life come only through faith in God. It could not be otherwise. We have been created in such a way that we can realize our destiny only when we acknowledge God as our Lord and Master. Pascal said it well: "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the human heart!" And Augustine put it this way: "Thou hast made us, O Lord, for Thyself, and our heart shall find no rest till it rest in Thee!" " It hit me for the first time that Augustine was probably not just talking about the eternal rest of being with God, but also about the wonderful condition of living an earthly life totally dependent on God and trusting Him.
My commentary continues: "The blessed man not only turns to God but he turns away from proud men and followers of false gods. He is not tricked by two of the greatest delusions of life -- the idea that the honor of proud man is important and the concept that the false gods of materialism, pleasure, and sexual indulgence can SATISFY the human heart."
Father, Augustine's words were among the first to grab at my own heart. Thank You for showing me that the rest it speaks of actually can be happening now on earth as we align our hearts with Yours. Please help my heart to be in lock-step with Yours, and guide my path. Keep me from ever again believing Satan's lies about what will satisfy my heart, for only You can, Father God.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 42-44 I Don't Want To GO There
Yesterday, we sang "As The Deer" in morning worship, and even for myself, I know that as I sing that song, my thoughts are of how sweet and wonderful worship of God is, and I imagine that we all probably have an image of a deer beside
Yesterday, we sang "As The Deer" in morning worship, and even for myself, I know that as I sing that song, my thoughts are of how sweet and wonderful worship of God is, and I imagine that we all probably have an image of a deer beside a cold mountain stream, rested and taking in the cold water in perfect peace. That's quite the opposite of what was happening in this chapter.
The writer appears to have lost the ability to worship. There are words of unfulfillment, confusion, sadness, being lost, regret, anxiety, abandonment, attack, and insult.
The writer can't even get to worship and is even having trouble remembering the times he could get there. Instead of feeling at the heart of the Promised Land, he finds himself right outside the border.
I'd written some notes beside these verses. "God wants to bring you back to the place of worshiping Him far more than we want to get there. He's pulling on this problem from the other direction."
God doesn't need our worship, for as God He doesn't need anything. But He desires it from us, and His love for us knows no bounds in bringing us back to Him.
What is the solution He gives us here? "I should put my hope in God and keep praising Him, my Savior and my God."
The sidebar in my Bible speaks of persevering, and when we don't feel like worshiping, it's absolutely vital that we persevere until we do feel like it. It said, "If we don't persevere, we will not succeed in any sense. NOT persevering GUARANTEES we will fail."
Father, if I find myself at a time in life when I don't seem to be able to find You, please point me back to this chapter. I don't want to go there, Father, but if I ever do, I sure want to know the way back.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 45-48 They Just Don't KNOW It
In chapter 47, it says, "...because the leaders of the earth belong to God." We might be tempted to doubt that right now. Perhaps the best case in point would be the leader of North Korea, who has been pressing everyone's bu
In chapter 47, it says, "...because the leaders of the earth belong to God." We might be tempted to doubt that right now. Perhaps the best case in point would be the leader of North Korea, who has been pressing everyone's buttons with his refusal to stop making nuclear materials and his tests of rockets capable of launching nuclear weapons upon our allies.
So is the Bible wrong? No. Is this verse pertaining to some future period? Perhaps. But God says something in 46:10 that verifies His omnipotence in every time:
"Be still, and KNOW that I am God. I will be supreme over all the nations. I will be supreme on the earth." Back again in chapter 47, it says, "God IS King of all the earth.... God IS King over the nations." And right after the part I first quoted above, three words say it all, "He IS supreme."
Whether they know it or not, the leaders of the earth are God's to do with as He pleases. If they obey and respect Him, if they KNOW Him, then He will guide them with His Holy Spirit.
If instead, they choose to ignore Him, then they will be led around with hooks in their noses. Other nations will eventually control their destiny.
It reminds me of something my oldest son's first principal in elementary school said after my son had been through a few days where he seemed to be testing what he could get away with. That principal smiled at me and said, "Gary, don't worry about it. We're the BIG people, and WE'RE gonna WIN!"
That's how Christians should react as well, I think. Our attitude towards the world should echo a bumper sticker I once had: "I know the future -- God wins!"
Father, thank You for being supreme over all the earth. Thank You for being so powerful that You weave together the worst that leaders may do into an advantage for Your children. Please be supreme in my life as well.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 49-51 A Heartfelt Way Of Asking Forgiveness Of God
David's heart-cry for forgiveness in chapter 51 is incredible. My commentary seemed to bring it out all the more: "Lord, I am no good.... I am sinful in my very nature. But You hate sin and You love faithfulness in a man
David's heart-cry for forgiveness in chapter 51 is incredible. My commentary seemed to bring it out all the more: "Lord, I am no good.... I am sinful in my very nature. But You hate sin and You love faithfulness in a man's inward being, so now I am coming to You and asking You to teach me wisdom deep in my heart .... Lord, I take the place of a moral leper. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. When I sinned, I lost my song. It has been so long since I have known what real joy and gladness are. Let me hear the music of rejoicing once again ... Oh, my God, I beg You to turn away Your face from looking on my sins in judgment and punishment. Blot out the last vestige of my enormous iniquities. How they stab me every time I think of them! Looking back, I realize that the trouble all started in my mind. My thought-life was polluted. I entertained evil thoughts until at last I committed the sins. So now I ask that You create in me a clean mind. I know that if the fountain is clean, the stream flowing from it will be clean as well. Yes, Lord, renew my entire inner self so it will be steadfast in guarding against future outbreaks of sin. Don't give up on me, Lord, or banish me from Your presence. I can't stand the thought of being away from You ... As I said before, I have lost my song. Not my soul, but my song. Not Your salvation, but the joy of Your salvation ... I want Your Spirit to make me willing to obey You and to please You in all things ... Wipe the slate clean and I'll praise You forever ... And so I come to You with a broken heart -- that is the sacrifice You require. You will not despise this shattered and contrite heart that I bring to You ... My sins have doubtless hindered the progress of Your work. I have brought reproach upon Your name. Now may Your cause move forward without hindrance."
Father, I hate feeling this way when I sin, but David nailed it. All I can do is admit to You what I've done, coming to You not sorry that I've been caught, but instead sorry that I've so disappointed You and distanced myself from You by my sin. In those times, remind me that You desire a broken and contrite heart as the sacrifice. When You see that I truly mean it, forgive me and restore the joy of Your salvation!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 52-56 Being BEYOND Fear
Several passages from various chapters keep echoing in my mind today:"I trust God's love forever and ever. God, I will thank You forever for what You have done. With those who worship You, I will trust You because You are good.&q
Several passages from various chapters keep echoing in my mind today:
"I trust God's love forever and ever. God, I will thank You forever for what You have done. With those who worship You, I will trust You because You are good."
"See, God will help me; the Lord will support me."
"But I will call to God for help, and the Lord will save me. Morning, noon, and night I am troubled and upset, but He will listen to me. Many are against me, but He keeps me safe in battle."
"Give your worries to the Lord, and He will take care of You. He will never let good people down ... I will trust in You."
"When I am afraid, I will trust You. I praise God for His word. I trust God, so I am not afraid. What can human beings do to me?"
"I now that God is on my side. I praise God for His word to me; I praise the Lord for His word. I trust in God. I will not be afraid."
My commentary spoke about the fool mentioned in 53:1, who does not believe: "He does not face the evidence as to the person, power, and providence of God. He is willfully ignorant ... meaning malicious refusal to acknowledge the truth."
I thought about those who came to church last Sunday morning who might not yet have understood the truth about God -- that He does indeed involve Himself personally in our lives, that He plans out our lives and works to carry out those plans, and even that Satan exists and chooses to do us harm and tries to thwart God's plans. God used the circumstances of the adoption of my sons to prove to those attending that all of this is truth. Now that it has been revealed, they have become accountable for that knowledge. They face the choice to believe or to remain willfully ignorant. If they choose the latter, they are indeed practicing malicious refusal to acknowledge the truth.
My commentary also mentioned something great about 56:9 -- "The man who is sure of God is beyond fear."
Father, I pray that, as You reveal to me new truths that You have for me, I will accept them wholeheartedly and in taking them to heart, I will adjust my life to Your will. Please strengthen my resolve to do whatever You ask, knowing that it will ultimately be for my own good, and that, if I am sure of You, then I have nothing to fear.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 57-60 Help In Defeating My Enemies
David was facing "two ever-present realities" according to my commentary -- "The gracious God and the formidable foe ... faith in the former is greater than fear of the latter," it said.David doesn't "demand deliverance,
David was facing "two ever-present realities" according to my commentary -- "The gracious God and the formidable foe ... faith in the former is greater than fear of the latter," it said.
David doesn't "demand deliverance, as if he had a right to expect it. He asks if as a mercy from God, an undeserved blessing stemming from His kindness."
My commentary closes chapter 60 with this thought: "The believer's enemies are the word, the flesh, and the devil. In himself, he is powerless to conquer them. And the help of other men is insufficient, no matter how well-meaning they might be. But there is victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who trust in Him for deliverance will never be disappointed."
In chapter 59, I read, "God, my strength, I am looking to You because God is my defender. My God loves me, and He goes in front of me. He will help me defeat my enemies."
Father, I agree with everything said here this morning. My enemies are not so much the people on the other side of this court case I'm in Austin to attend today. My enemies are the world, my own flesh, and the devil, and the devil will use the others to try to cause me to fall. Father, I do sin, and I hate it so much when the devil has enticed my by whatever means. But Your word today says that You go in front of me. You know the traps ahead before I can even see them. Strengthen me with Your great love for me, and have mercy on me when I fail. I know that my God loves me, and You will help me to defeat my enemies.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
No comments:
Post a Comment