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timewithgod.blog-city.com — July 2009
Psalm 119: 1-80 Spiritual Rust
I find myself in awe this morning of what might have been and what is required of us as we attempt to gain back what we lost.I was led to think about what our world would have been like if original sin had never entered the picture. God would b
I find myself in awe this morning of what might have been and what is required of us as we attempt to gain back what we lost.
I was led to think about what our world would have been like if original sin had never entered the picture. God would be walking among us all throughout the day, and we'd be in intimate contact with Him, never failing to hear His voice when we ask for Him. We'd also always trust and never doubt Him, obeying in a heartbeat anything we are told to do.
But original sin did enter the picture, and our spiritual DNA was forever changed. It serves as a lead weight around our necks, constantly trying to pull us away from God.
In these verses, I saw much of what it takes to move us closer to that divine original plan. First, God must quicken the desire within us to know Him. As we learn about Him, we begin to desire His holiness. My commentary speaks of "a curious merging of human desire and divine empowering that takes place as we begin to strive for holiness."
Our renewed nature desire to learn what God's statutes and laws hold for us. About verse 30, my commentary says, "No one drifts into holiness. It requires a deliberate choice..." I thought of it much like a person's desire to diet and exercise. It's not something we relish at first. We hate not getting to eat what we want, when we want it, and the time on the exercise equipment passes all too slowly.
Yet over time, as we witness the benefits, we are more inclined to look forward to the exercises, and we begin to feel good about our eating habits.
Still, we are tempted to cheat just a little, or even to quit. Verse 64 addresses just that: "Lord, keep me teachable by Your Holy Spirit."
I believe there comes a point when we begin to accept and understand God's wisdom, and we seek to know what His plans are for us. He made us with His own hands, and made us a certain way, with specific desires and talents. He uses those desires He planted within us for His purposes. About verse 73, my commentary says, "We should find out His purpose in creating us and fulfill it to the hilt."
Sin is like rust. It constantly attempts to wear away our desire to obey God. And just as we would try to keep a new car shiny, or a new house looking new, we ought to know off this spiritual rust, too. It's not something that should be done occasionally, for deep damage can occur in the meantime. Instead, daily quiet times and prayer help to polish away the invisible veneer that Satan is constantly trying to apply to our spiritual lives.
Father, I know how susceptible I am to letting down my guard. Please keep me daily vigilant in seeking You and fighting off the rust of sin in my life.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 119:81-120:7 Getting More Life Out Of Life
I noticed a lot of references to "life" today:"Give me life by Your love so I can obey Your rules ... I will never forget Your orders, because You have given me life by them ... Lord, give me life by Your word ...Support me as You prom
I noticed a lot of references to "life" today:
"Give me life by Your love so I can obey Your rules ... I will never forget Your orders, because You have given me life by them ... Lord, give me life by Your word ...Support me as You promised so I can live ... Help me understand so I can live... Lord, give me life by Your laws... Lord, give me life by Your love ... Let me live so I can praise You..."
The psalmist asks God to give him life by His love, by His orders, by His word, by His support, by giving him understanding, by His laws, and again by His love.
I found it interesting that His love gives us life so that we can obey His rules. His orders and word and laws GIVE us life. It seems to form a never-ending circle. That makes me think that the more we understand about His word, the more life we'll get out of life.
One verse really caught my attention:
"Don't let any sin control me." To me, that speaks of besetting sins or "pet" sins. They are the toughest to rid ourselves of.
The sidebar today by R.C. Sproul said, "For real sanctification to occur in the Christian life at least three absolute changes are necessary. There must be a change in our consciousness ... in our convictions ... in our conscience." He amplifies that by saying that we must be aware or conscious of God's laws, we must establish convictions in our hearts about their righteousness, and we must use that spiritual depth and intensity of those convictions to influence our conscience so that it will guide us correctly.
Father, I thank You first for giving me life by Your Son -- the Word made flesh. I also thank You that Your word gives me life by showing me a much better way to live. Don't let any sin control me. Give me consciousness and conviction and guide my conscience to help me live day by day, keeping me from both defilement and damage caused by sin.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 121-125 The Converging Of Circumstances
What does God do for those who love Him, trust Him, and obey Him?"My help comes from the Lord ...He will not let you be defeated.He who guards you never sleeps...The Lord guards you.The Lord is the shade that protects you from the sun ...The Lor
What does God do for those who love Him, trust Him, and obey Him?
"My help comes from the Lord ...
He will not let you be defeated.
He who guards you never sleeps...
The Lord guards you.
The Lord is the shade that protects you from the sun ...
The Lord will protect you from all dangers;
He will guard your life.
The Lord will guard you as you come and go, both now and forever....
We depend on the Lord our God;
We wait for Him to show us mercy ...
What if the Lord had not been on our side? ...
Praise the Lord, who did not let them chew us up...
Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth...
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, the Lord surrounds His people now and forever.
The wicked will not rule over those who do right."
My commentary said, "The great Sovereign of the universe is personally involved in the security of the most obscure saint. There is the guarantee that He will protect from every evil influence.... He is alongside as a bodyguard to shield His own from harm day or night ... Nothing can come into the life of a believer apart from God's permissive will. There are no random circumstances, no purposeless accidents, no fatalistic tragedies. Though He is not the author of sickness, suffering, or death, He overrules and harnesses them for the accomplishment of His purposes ... No one is as secure as the person who has received the Lord as his only hope ... The converging of circumstances was so marvelous that it could only be brought about by the hand of God...The Lord Himself forms a protective ring around His children from this time forth and forever. This is the hedge which Satan spoke of as encircling Job. Which means, of course, that nothing can reach the trusting saint except by the permissive will of God ... God saves us not only from outside foes but from the inner self and its tendency to sin..."
Father, I am still amazed at how awesome and mighty and sovereign You are! These words today just serve to prove that out! Thank You for Your hedge of protection around Josh, Joseph, and me. Keep us safe not only from outside dangers, but particularly from our inner selves and our tendencies to sin. Guard us with Your might hand.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 126-130 Smile! It's Monday!
I can't think of a better way to start a Monday morning than this:"Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey Him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with many good things. Your wife will give you many c
I can't think of a better way to start a Monday morning than this:
"Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey Him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with many good things. Your wife will give you many children ... Your children will bring you much good ... This is how the man who respects the Lord will be blessed. May the Lord bless you ... may you enjoy the good things all your life. May you see your grandchildren."
My commentary added:
"The believer who really ENJOYS life to the hilt is the one who acknowledges the Lord in every area of life and who walks in practical obedience to the Word of God ... Faith can spiritualize the material blessings of this song and make them real and present. Better than long life on earth is the life of the Lord Jesus energizing US. No happiness can compare with that of the soul set free. Soul prosperity is the best prosperity.
Father, as I ready for work, I find myself less than enchanted with the piles of paperwork that seem to reproduce themselves on my desk each night. I want instead to be able to feel, every day, the joy and blessings expressed here. Thank You for reminding me that though I cannot control what lands on my desk each day, I can control my attitude about it. Help me to reflect You today.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 131-135 When We Don't Understand
In my commentary, Psalm 131 is titled, "Intellectual Humility". The entire psalm is only three verses:"Lord, my heart is not proud; I don't look down on others. I don't do great things, and I can't do miracles.&
In my commentary, Psalm 131 is titled, "Intellectual Humility". The entire psalm is only three verses:
"Lord, my heart is not proud; I don't look down on others. I don't do great things, and I can't do miracles. But I am calm and quiet, like a baby with its mother. People of Israel, put your HOPE in the Lord now and forever."
My commentary said, "There are some problems in life that defy explanation .... David didn't profess to know all the answers .... He recognized his limitations and was not ashamed to say, "I don't know." He was content to know what he could know and leave the mysteries with God. Why occupy himself with things that were too great and too profound for him? No, he gave God credit for understanding things that he could never understand. This attitude of trust in the wisdom, love, and power of God brought peace and quietness to his soul ... We can work ourselves into a dither of frustration, trying to understand things that are too high for us. But as soon as we leave the unanswerable questions with God, our souls are loosed from tension. A.W. Tozer said, "Never forget that it is a privilege to wonder, to stand in delighted silence before the Supreme Mystery and whisper, "O Lord God, Thou knowest."
Father, I'm thankful that You give me this rest and this peace when the world throws unexpected curveballs at me. I pray that in every situation where I'm at a loss as to what to do, You will grant me Your peace and allow me to let You be God and not worry about what the future holds.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 136-138 There's A REASON It Repeats!
Every other line of Psalm 136 contains the phrase "His love endures forever" or in the NCV, "His love continues forever".I can remember reading it for the first time and thinking that I needed to somehow blot out all 26 of those l
Every other line of Psalm 136 contains the phrase "His love endures forever" or in the NCV, "His love continues forever".
I can remember reading it for the first time and thinking that I needed to somehow blot out all 26 of those lines, so that I could see the forest for the trees, for there are 26 lines of other material in there as well, and the repetition can put my mind into neutral at times.
Amid those other lines were praises for God's awesomeness, Hiss power and might, His creative ability, His wisdom, His watchcare, His graciousness and righteousness, His mercy, and many other attributes of His character.
As I read it this time, a few lines caught my attention: "He killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians...The kind of Egypt and his army drowned in the Red Sea ... He defeated great kings ... He killed powerful kings ... He gave their land as a gift to His servants, the Israelites.."
I know there are several who will quickly jump up and say, "Well that certainly doesn't sound like a God of love to me!"
But as I stared at that page of my Bible, with each of those "His love continues forever" phrases highlighted, I could see this overwhelming river of love flowing from our God -- through Creation, through history, through both the good and the bad of human existence. Despite the worst that we can do or become, God's love continues in spite of us. We rebelled against Him and sinned, and that only caused that great flood of love to flow all the MORE as He brought His Son into the world in His greatest outpouring of love to die for us.
Yes, firstborn sons died, and so did kings. Yet it's vitally important to remember that they were the ones who refused to embrace that river of love, and instead fought against it, yet still didn't win.
Father, I could see my OWN life in between those precious lines today, from before I was created through this very morning. I saw my rebellion and my sin, yet one thing never changed -- Your love continues forever. I don't know how You could love me so, but I am so glad you do! I love You!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 139 -- A Look From The Other Side
I wondered what an atheist or an unsaved person would think as he or she read this chapter today. What brought me to that point were verses 9-12, where David agreed with God that people who were not seeking God's will were in fact enemies o
I wondered what an atheist or an unsaved person would think as he or she read this chapter today. What brought me to that point were verses 9-12, where David agreed with God that people who were not seeking God's will were in fact enemies of God. So what might an enemy of God think, reading this?
Lord, You have examined me and know all about me .... You know thoroughly everything I do.
"You're spying on me, looking for things I'm doing wrong so you can punish me."
Where can I go to get away from Your Spirit?
"I can't stand You or Your presence. I want away from You. Leave me alone!
You made my whole being; You formed me ... What You have done is wonderful.
"You didn't make me. It was biology and evolution -- pure dumb luck. And if everything about me is so wonderful, then why am I so mad?"
All the days planned for me were written in Your book before I was one day old.
"So You're already planning to kill me? Then I'd better get busy living it up!"
God, Your thoughts are precious to me.
"I don't want to know what You're thinking! You're just wanting to keep me from having fun!"
God, examine me and know my heart; test me and know my nervous thoughts. See if there is any bad thing in me.
"Don't look at me! Leave me alone! No one can be as Good as You want, so WHY TRY?"
Now, here are verse 11 & 12:
Lord, I hate those who hate You; I hate those who rise up against You. I feel only hate for them; they are my enemies.
With hypocritical sarcasm, they'd say, "Hey! That's not too Christian of you! I thought God was love!"
In answer to that, my commentary noted, "God's hatred ... proceeded from no evil emotion, but rather from the earnest and thoroughly sincere desire that the purposes of God MUST STAND and that wickedness must perish... The love of God has probably been emphasized all out of proportion to His holiness and righteousness. It is true that God is love, but it is not ALL the truth. That is only one of His attributes. And His love can never be exercised at the expense of any other attribute."
I think sometimes we forget what a heart not intimately connected to God looks like. We forget that divine presence comes across as pressure to a heart not beating for Him ... And having now remembered that, how utterly precious to us should be the words:
"Lord, You have examined me and know all about me ... You know thoroughly everything I do ... Where can I go to get away from Your Spirit? Where can I run from You? ... You MADE my whole being; You formed me in my mother's body. I praise You because You made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What You have done is wonderful. I know this very well...All the days planned for me were written in Your book before I was one day old.... God, Your thoughts are precious to me. They are so many! ... God, examine me and know my heart; test me and know my nervous thoughts. See if there is any bad thing in me. Lead me on the road to everlasting life."
A heart that beats for God -- that has felt the forgiveness of sin that only comes from seeing and acknowledging the incredible love of God in sacrificing His own Son for us, then raising Him to life and promising the same for us if we'll just believe -- no longer resists. It relishes.
Father, at one time, I too felt like that. I understand what it's like. But You won me over with Your love. I'm sorry that I ever doubted You. My heart beats for You now, and I want it to be joined by others who, like I once did, have yet to discover the truth.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 140-144 Ready For The Battle
God seemed to impress upon me today just how much we do truly need His protection in our ordinary, everyday lives. David prayed:"Lord, rescue me ... protect me ... guard me ... protect me ... You protect me ... Hear my prayer; listen to my
God seemed to impress upon me today just how much we do truly need His protection in our ordinary, everyday lives. David prayed:
"Lord, rescue me ... protect me ... guard me ... protect me ... You protect me ... Hear my prayer; listen to my cry for mercy. Answer me... don't turn away from me ... save me ... teach me ...He protects me ... and He loves me. He is my defender and my Savior, my shield and my protection ... Lord, tear open the sky and come down ... Reach down from above. Save me and rescue me ..."
That's a lot of petition for protection over 5 chapters! Buried within it all, I found four truths:
First, if I am aware that certain people are wicked and cruel, then I have an obligation to look out for them and not be caught by them. I can't simply walk into known traps.
Secondly, I have to be careful that I don't cause my own endangerment: "Lord, help me control my tongue; help me be careful about what I say. Take away my desire to do evil or to join others in doing wrong.
Thirdly, I can go to God for help before the trap is encountered: "Praise the Lord, my Rock, who trains me for war, who trains me for battle." Just as a nation wouldn't send untrained soldiers to the battle front, so we shouldn't be facing Satan's attacks without proper spiritual training.
Lastly, my commentary said that "linking our continued preservation with the glory of God ("For Your name's sake" in 143:11) employs one of the strongest levers to move the hand and heart of Omnipotence."
We aren't simply sheep ripe for the slaughter in this world. Yes, we are targets, but we don't have to stand there as the arrows are released! We have an awesome source of protection not available to the unbeliever. And it's not simply about crying out in our distress, but also about being ready for that distress before it hits.
Father, thank You for being my shield and my protection. Thank You for also helping me to become battle-ready. Take away my desire to do evil, so that I won't walk headlong into Satan's traps. When I am afraid, You, Lord, know the way out.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Psalm 145-150 The Rocks Will Do It For Us If We Don't
Genesis makes it quite clear that all creation was changed because of man's choice to sin. The ground no longer brought forth food in abundance. Instead, man would be forced to toil for food by the sweat of his brow. Thorns, thi
Genesis makes it quite clear that all creation was changed because of man's choice to sin. The ground no longer brought forth food in abundance. Instead, man would be forced to toil for food by the sweat of his brow. Thorns, thistle, stickers, and hundreds of other water-stealing, sunshine-robbing, and unessential plant varieties began to compete with those first created by God for food.
There are multiple references in the Bible to a creation stifled from praising God by our sin. Jesus even said it in Luke 19 when He was warned by the Pharisees to make His followers stop shouting praises to Him. He replied, "I tell you, if my followers didn't say these things, then the stones would cry out." Praise has been stifled in creation because we chose to sin. We should therefore be careful not to be like those Pharisees in trying to stop any person from praising God.
Instead, perhaps we should see ourselves as my commentary describes from Psalm 146:5. "...rely on the God of Jacob, that is the God of the undeserving," for that's who we are.
Max Lucado provides the sidebar in my Bible this morning, from his book, In The Eye Of The Storm.
"They praised the God of Israel." I wonder how they did that? I feel more certain of what they didn't do than of what they did do. I feel confident that they didn't form a praise committee... that they didn't make any robes ... that they didn't sit in rows and stare at the back of each others' heads ... I can't picture them getting into an argument over technicalities. I doubt if they felt it had to be done indoors. And I know they didn't wait until the Sabbath to do it ... I can imagine throngs of people pushing and shoving. Wanting to get close. Not to request anything or demand anything, but just to say 'thank you' ... Worship is the "thank you" that refuses to be silenced. We have tried to make a science out of worship. We can't do that ... Worship is a voluntary act of gratitude offered by the saved to the Savior, by the healed to the Healer, and by the delivered to the Deliverer."
That last verse of that last psalm shouldn't be seen so much as a command as it is an imperative -- something we've just got to do -- "Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."
We aren't just to praise him "for His exceeding greatness -- also according to His exceeding greatness," my commentary says. It continues: "It is a sin to be unenthusiastic in rehearsing the excellencies of our Creator and Redeemer." AMEN.
Father, You are so worthy of praise, and if we fail to do so, the stones themselves will do our jobs for us in praising You. Help me never to forget what You did for me on the cross, and let that be the basis for all my praises to You."
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Numbers 1-2 It's In There For A Reason
Two chapters of census-taking plus a layout of the camp wouldn't seem to make such a great quiet time. But this morning God reminded me of something similar in my own life.I'd been "numbering my family tree" years ago, and I&#
Two chapters of census-taking plus a layout of the camp wouldn't seem to make such a great quiet time. But this morning God reminded me of something similar in my own life.
I'd been "numbering my family tree" years ago, and I'd found out that my great-grandparents, the Johnsons, had spent a lot of time traveling to other cities singing in churches. That really thrilled me, because I'd traveled in the same way, playing keyboards for different groups.
But I'd always wondered about their son -- my favorite granddad. The only times I'd ever seen him in church were for my graduation (held in our church because the auditorium had burned down) and my sister's wedding, I think. I had no recollection of him ever attending a church service. I'd asked my mother, but she didn't seem to know much either.
Back in today's chapters, I'd almost skipped over the names of the men God appointed to handle the census. But I remembered that they were important enough to God that He wanted us to know who they were.
My friend Dirk had asked me about who might have the records of the Neinda Baptist Church. He was also looking for ancestors. Mrs. Codington, now 92, had all the records from the now-closed church since her husband had been the last pastor there. As I'd searched through the records for Dirk, I learned the importance of those scribes and census-takers whom God appoints. In those records, some unnamed modern scribe had diligently recorded the fact that Earl Johnson, my granddad, had received Christ during a revival in July, one hundred three years ago. In 1906, at the same age as my oldest son, my granddad had become a Christian.
Because someone was faithful to do the "menial work", I now know that I will someday get to see "Bappy" again in heaven and get to introduce him to his two great-grandsons. They were never privileged to meet him.
I hope that someday my great-grandsons will be able to look back up the family tree and know without a doubt that I am Yours, Father. I want to leave a mark so that each of my descendants will be able to see how You chose me to be Your child and trained me up in the way that I should go. Let me never discount the value to You of anyone You choose to list in Your word.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
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