LOVING OTHERS

 LOVING OTHERS

Ps. 48:9 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple. NLT

What is a temple? A temple is wherever God dwells. The temple of God can be either the building in which we worship or it can be us. Either way, do we think about God and His love for us as we worship Him? Paul says in Romans 12 that our living is an act of worship. As you live, do you ponder the love of God for you? Do you think about the love of God for those around you? God never fails to love us, even the most unlovable of us.

The next time you encounter someone who makes life miserable for others, or makes you uncomfortable being around him, remember that God loves him as much as He does you. God does not discriminate against those whom He loves. He loves everybody, regardless whether or not they love Him back. He loves unconditionally and sacrificially, and so should we.

How do you treat those whom God loves? What do you think God thinks about the way you treat those whom you find hard to like, let alone love? Do you shun anyone whom God loves? What if God had shunned you when you needed someone to love you? If you love someone, it shows in how you treat them. Just remember, God loves us whether we love Him back or not. If we really have the love of God in us, we will do the same.

Lord, help! You have shown us what loving others really is like. You have not only shown us, but you have commanded us to be vessels of your love. Lord, we fail so miserably at times. It is easy to love those who are easy to love and love us back, but Lord, it is so hard to love those who make it very hard for us to love. Help us, Lord, to be more like you. Help us to be examples and vessels of love to all, no matter how hard it may be. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

BE SILENT, AND KNOW GOD

 BE SILENT, AND KNOW GOD

Ps. 46:10 "Be silent, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the whole world." NLT

Can we know the Lord if we are not silent? We tend to do all the talking. We know what we need and want and we tell the Lord about them with little thought given to being still long enough to listen. When was the last time you really set aside time to just focus on who our God is? God wants to make himself known to us on a deep level. He wants us to grasp just how sufficient He is to meet all of our needs. He wants us to linger in His love and holiness. He wants us to know that He alone is God and beside Him, there is no other.

Being still and silent before the Lord is important because it stops us from interjecting our opinions and imposing our wills on the Lord. We learn best from Him when we simply wait on Him in silence and hear what He has to say. Silence enables us to observe the display of God in creation, life, and our lives. It enables us to experience the awe of who God is.

We cannot be silent unless we are still and we cannot be still until we stop and get off the cycle of life's busyness. Being silent requires us to come before Him with no agenda but to listen to Him. It is a deliberate setting aside of everything that would distract us. It is a deliberate immersing ourselves in the presence of God. It is waiting. It is lingering until we indeed hear from God.

God declares His sovereignty over the world. He makes it very clear that He is God. Even though the world does not recognize or acknowledge Him today, there is coming a day in which every knee shall bow before Him and honor Him as God. Today, the world is too busy running away from God and fulfilling its evil pleasures to acknowledge and honor Him. Those days are numbered. God will not be mocked. He is Lord over all the nations of the world and all will honor Him someday as Lord. Is He your Lord today?

A THIRST FOR GOD

 A THIRST FOR GOD

Ps. 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. NLT

When do deer pant for water? It could be when they are running away from trouble and know they can't safely stop for a drink. It could be when all of the water resources around them are dried up. It could be when they wander away from familiar territory and don't know where to find water. Deer pant for water out of need. They instinctively know that they must have it or they will be in serious trouble.

We need to capture the same urgency for God as the deer deprived of water have. We need to recognize the seriousness of life without the Lord. We need to know that we will never have the stamina to continue to flee from Satan or resist him without the Lord's help. We must understand that it is only the Living Water that can quench our thirst. There may be other types of water supply available to us, but none are safe or satisfying but the Living Water. We must understand that we dare not wander away from where the Living Water is found. Otherwise, we may not be able to find our way back to the only water that can help and sustain us.

It is good for the soul to have a constant thirst for God. We must never let ourselves be satisfied by anything but God in our lives. We must stay away from everything that would entice us to drink from resources other than God. We must always stay close to God. We must desire Him more than anything else in life.

The only way we can maintain a thirst for God is to let the disciplines of faith govern our lives. We must be disciplined to read and meditate on the Word consistently. We must be disciplined to spend time alone with God in prayer. We must discipline ourselves to participate in the fellowship of other believers. We must be disciplined in being witnesses for the Lord whenever we can. We must be disciplined to think Biblically about life. The more disciplined we are in the faith, the more we will thirst for the Lord.

JOY IN THE LORD

 JOY IN THE LORD

Ps. 40:8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your law is written on my heart. NLT

Do you take joy in doing God's will for your life? Do you see what God has given you to do as a blessing or a curse? Does living in Christ thrill your soul like it used to? Are you enjoying your journey of faith? Do you really enjoy serving others?

The Lord wants us to enjoy our life in Him. He wants us to look forward to each new day of life and what it holds for us. He wants us to know the delight of living in close fellowship with Him. He wants us to live in Him out of love and not out of duty.

The only way we will ever be joyful in our walk with the Lord is to stay in His Word. We need to know the Word well. We need to let the Spirit brand deeply on our hearts God's Word. The better we know the Word, the more we know of God's love and faithfulness. We discover just how great our God is and how He is able to help us in our journey of life. God's Word hidden in our hearts reminds us that whatever we may be experiencing in life, there is a home in heaven that awaits us. It reminds us of God's plan of redemption, not only for us, but for the whole world. It reminds us that we are never alone, that God is always with us to enable us to live with confidence life in Christ.

Having the Word in our hearts enables us to not sin against God. It gives us the authority of heaven to resist Satan when we are tempted. It gives us purpose and direction for life. It gives us understanding of why we need Jesus as we live in this world.

If the joy has gone out of your faith walk, get back into the Word. Let it saturate your soul. Hide it in your heart and soon you will once again delight yourself in the Lord.

TURN FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD

 TURN FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD

Ps. 37:27-28a Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever. For the LORD loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. NLT

Want to know the secret to a long life? Here it is. Turn away from sin and do what is good in God's eyes. The promise is that if we do this, we will live forever. But here is the catch; in order for us to do this, we must confess our sins to Christ and turn them over to Him. We sin against Christ so we must ask Him to forgive us. Turning from sin also means we change our attitude towards sin. We purposely try not to sin and purposely try to do what is good in God's eyes. If we don't turn from evil and do good, evil will consume us and God will not be with us.

Doing what is good in God's eyes is what He desires and demands of His children. God declares those who do are just in His eyes. It is the counterpart of evil. It is bringing into the darkness of the world the light of righteousness. The Lord loves it when righteousness prevails. It is His desire that all would be made right with Him.

The promise of God is that He will never abandon the godly. Never means never. God is always with the godly. He is with them in the good and in the bad times of life. He is with them when they are on the go and when they stay put. He is with them all day and all night. God never lets His children fend for themselves. He is always with them to help them in whatever they may need.

God is with His children always, which also means that He knows what we are doing and what we say at all times. There are no hidden secrets with God. He cannot be fooled by who we appear to be. He even knows the thoughts behind our words. Let us live like we know that He is with us at all times and knows what we say, do, and think.

GOD'S DELIGHT

 GOD'S DELIGHT

Ps. 37:23 The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives. NLT

The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. The Lord does not watch over those who are not His own. They do not escape His notice, but they are not taken care of by the Lord. God lets His children know the way they should go. He helps them to stay on course. He is there with them to protect them. He is there to lead them to where they need to go. The Lord goes with His children and teaches them how to travel through life. The godly can relax and enjoy the journey because God is in control. He is always with His children and never abandons them, no matter how confusing or difficult life may be.

The Lord delights in every detail of the life of the godly. It gives God great pleasure when His children live godly lives. He delights in them because He knows that godliness is the only thing that will give His children joy and peace. He knows that it is the godly who love Him as they should. He knows that the godly are less likely to fall into sin. It is the godly who are moved to be light and salt in the world. It is the godly who have a real compassion for others. It is the godly who best serve as ambassadors to the world. It is the godly who are the movers and shakers in the church. It is the godly who are students of the Word and prayer warriors. It is the godly who are humbled before Him and confess their sins when they mess up. It is the godly who have a song to sing and are not afraid to sing it.

Who are the godly? It is those who not only know Jesus as their Savior, they know Him as their Lord as well. It is those who are committed to living life God's way. It is those who give the Lord the best of their love and do not waiver in their devotion to Him. It is those who will not compromise or neglect their salvation. It is those who welcome God's influence on their lives and embrace it. It is those who seek to be a holy people, a people after God's own heart. It is those who will be in heaven with the Lord when they die.

STOP YOUR ANGER!

 STOP YOUR ANGER!

Ps. 37:8 Stop your anger! Turn from your rage! Do not envy others—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land. NLT

Let it go. Whoever or whatever you are angry at, stop it! Letting anger control you does nothing but hurt you. The more you lash out, the more damage it does to your soul. Anger that is not self-controlled can only damage or destroy. Righteous anger moves us to act to right the wrong. Any other anger moves us to do wrong.

Watch out so that you don't envy others. The world is full of people different than you. Many people are better at what you do, have different gifts than you do, are more successful than you are, look different than you do, have better jobs, have it easier than you do, the list goes on and on. It makes no difference at all as to how we differ. Everyone is on equal footing at the Cross. Everyone stands before God equally to account for their living. God treats all people the same. Everyone will be judged on the righteousness of their heart and how they have lived. The only one you will ever hurt by envying others is yourself.

If you are carrying around a spirit of anger or envy today, do something about it before they destroy your spirit. Confess them to the Lord. If you need to, let your emotions drive you in your confession. It's okay, He can handle it. Get it out on the table so that God can help you. Ask Him to help you gain control over your emotions (after all, self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit) so that you don't let anger or envy control you. It is sin to not do it. Don't put it off; do it now.

BE STILL BEFORE GOD

 BE STILL BEFORE GOD

Ps. 37:7 Be still in the presence of the LORD and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. NLT

Be still in the presence of the Lord. For some of us, this may seem nearly impossible to do. We cram our lives so full of stuff that we don't have time to be still. We are on the go all the time and the Lord gets shoved off to the side. Some of us are simply wired in such a way that stillness just doesn't fit well with our make-up. For some, there is a sense of guilt associated with being still. Yet, we are told to be still.

Stillness before God is absolutely necessary if we are going to benefit at all from being in His presence. Stillness quiets the soul so we can hear the heartbeat of God. It changes our focus from ourselves and busyness to the Lord. It enables us to appreciate who our Father is and our relationship to Him. It enables us to worship the Lord instead of using Him. It enables us to appreciate what really matters in life. It makes the concerns of our lives pale in light of His glory and grace.

Wait patiently for Him to act. If you struggle with this, ask the Lord to help you. We have to learn that God doesn't live within our time constraints. He is in no hurry. He acts when it is the right time to act and He will not be pressured to act any sooner.

When we spend quality unhurried time with the Lord, we are not as likely to worry about those who don't share our faith. We understand that whatever they may do or say doesn't really matter. The Lord gives us the strength to overcome. He helps us to keep things in perspective and to realize that when all is well with Him, that is all that we need in life. Whatever happens on earth pales in light of what is going to happen for those who are still in the presence of God and wait patiently for Him to act.

COMMIT EVERYTHING TO THE LORD

 COMMIT EVERYTHING TO THE LORD

Ps. 37:5-6 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. NLT

It's hard, isn't it, to commit everything to the Lord? When was the last time you committed everything in your day to the Lord? And if you actually do it, how much of what you commit to Him actually honors Him? Is He pleased with your work ethic, the way you treat your family, the way you treat others, what you do for entertainment, what you eat and drink, the amount of time you waste on trivial things, what you spend your money on?

Why bother to commit what we do to the Lord if we don't actually try to honor and please Him in it? Yet, at the very heart of a workable relationship with the Lord is this very thing. Until we start doing a better job of representing well our Lord in all we do, we will continue to struggle and have a negative impact for Him in our lives.

We cannot compartmentalize our faith. Every part of our lives is affected by Christ's presence. We will either honor Him or dishonor Him. We

can't please God by honoring Christ in our lives without His help. We need to put our trust in Him. When we do, God will affirm our innocence before Him. The more we are engaged in Christ, the more it will be evident to all who see and know us. If others cannot see that you are honoring Christ, you need to get alone with Him, wait before Him, and let Him fix whatever needs to be fixed so that they can.

Committing everything to the Lord will not happen overnight, easily, or without a lot of persevering work. You will never reach perfection with it this side of heaven, but striving to do it is the only way you will make it to heaven. Committing everything to the Lord begins with one thing at a time and there will never be a better time to begin the process than right now.   

TAKE DELIGHT IN THE LORD

 TAKE DELIGHT IN THE LORD

Ps. 37:3-4 Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desire. NLT

If you are really trusting in the Lord, what you are doing will be good. You cannot be right with the Lord and not do good. Don't doubt the good that you are doing. Whether you recognize it or not, goodness is a natural by-product of the life that lives in trust in the Lord. The Lord promises safety for those who trust in Him. Satan cannot snatch anyone away from God who are trusting in Him.

The key to the Lord giving you what your heart desires is to delight yourself in Him. It sounds easy enough, but is it? If it is, then why then do so many desires go unfulfilled? Could it be that we aren't actually delighting in Him? What does it mean to delight ourselves in the Lord?

A simple answer would be that we align ourselves up with the heart of God and desire what He desires for us. It is agreeing with Him that what comes our way is, including the bad times of life, good and that our Father knows best in all things. It is taking pleasure in what God is doing in, through, for, and to us. We cannot delight in the Lord until we first understand and accept the fact that it is not about us or our comfort, it's all about the Lord and His will for our lives.

We cannot know how to delight in the Lord unless we are regularly spending time in the Word of God and in our prayer closets. Only as we linger in the Lord's presence do we understand God's heart and will for us.

When we delight in the Lord, we will want what He gives to give us and take pleasure in it. We will not waste our desires on that which the Lord withholds from us. When we find ourselves longing for something that is bad for our souls, we will turn to the Lord and let Him change our desires. We will make the Lord the priority of our lives.

The secret to victorious living is to always delight yourself in the Lord.

SIN IS BLIND

 SIN IS BLIND

Ps. 36:1-2 Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God to restrain them. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are. NLT

Have you ever noticed how subtle Satan really is? He entices us to sin in a very quiet way. He plants seeds of temptation in our minds ever so gently; sometimes he is so quiet that we scarcely even notice that we are being suckered in. We listen the best in the quiet and he knows it. Satan probes deep into the soul and plants the seeds of desire. Before we even realize it, we are caught up into sin.

The wicked have no fear of God. They don't know Him and certainly have no respect for Him. They are blinded by their sin and cannot see just how bad off they really are. They indulge in sin and think nothing of it. They easily dismiss the thought that there is God to answer to for their sin. If they do acknowledge that God is, they think nothing of Him. They do not fear His holiness and make light of the reality of hell. If they even acknowledge hell exists, they deem it as being one big happy sin party.

The wicked cannot even see themselves as God sees them. They compare themselves to others and deem themselves good. They measure themselves by human standards and do not acknowledge that they are even wicked. Holiness is a strange concept for them and they don't even consider it. They see themselves as self-sufficient; they don't need God to be good. They take pride in their goodness and won't listen to those who say their goodness won't get them into heaven.

Satan is the source of all such thinking. He is the master deceiver and without Christ, we are all prone to believe his lies. It is only as we examine ourselves in light of the Word of God that we see ourselves as we really are, a people desperately in need of a Savior. Only in Christ do we understand that we can never be good enough for God to accept us. Only in Christ do we find the help we need to make it to heaven.

LET THE GODLY SING

 LET THE GODLY SING

Ps. 33:1 Let the godly sing with joy to the LORD, for it is fitting to praise him. NLT

Do you have a song in your heart today? Does your soul sing forth His praises? If not, you need to take a few moments and examine your heart and see why not. It is the natural thing to do for the godly. Christ in us gives us much cause to sing with joy to the Lord.

If you have no song to sing, perhaps it's because you have wandered away from His love. Perhaps you have neglected to do those things which keep your salvation fresh and alive. Perhaps you have taken your eyes off of the Lord and have let others fill your mind with thoughts that are not true. Perhaps you have become too engrossed with the things of the world and have failed to keep the Lord the priority of your life. Perhaps you have listened to Satan's lies that God is not faithful and true because of your circumstances of life. Perhaps you have gotten too comfortable in your salvation and no longer pursue growth and a greater understanding of God's Word. Perhaps your prayer life has become stale and more of going through the motions rather than actually communing with God. Perhaps you have not diligently protected your soul and you have let sin in. There are many reasons why the godly no longer feel like singing with joy unto the Lord.

It is fitting to sing praises unto the Lord. It is the right thing to do and the natural thing to do when we are living godly lives. Christ in us is worth singing about! Oh the joy of knowing that Christ lives in us! Oh, the joy of knowing our sins are forgiven and all is well between God and us! Oh, the joy of knowing that Christ is at work within us to make us new creations in Him! Oh, the joy of knowing the work of the Spirit within us as we grow into becoming a holy people before God! Oh, the joy of knowing that if you were to die within the next few moments you would be welcomed into the Kingdom of God with open arms!

Oh, the wondrous joys of our salvation! Let us sing for joy unto the Lord today and every step we take on our way home. Oh, praise the wondrous name of Jesus!  

ON LIFE'S BEST PATHWAY

 ON LIFE'S BEST PATHWAY

Ps. 32:8 The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." NLT

There are many pathways one can travel on in life, some are good, some are better, some are bad, but there is only one pathway that leads to God and that is the way of the Cross. It is the pathway that is walked humbly. It requires much diligence, faithfulness, perseverance, and trust.

The way of the Cross has many difficulties along the way. We are constantly being bombarded along the way with the fiery darts of Satan. We face much opposition from those not walking with us, and even sometimes from those walking with us. We are often not understood and criticized. We do not always see where we are going or why we must go that way. We are prone to wander off the path and must resist the urge to do so. We often stumble and fall along the way and must resolve to get up and keep on going. We will encounter many people endeavoring to walk with us who do not belong on the road. We will be enticed to doubt what the Lord says and believe other things. We will not always get things right and must be willing to continue to learn and grow. We must be willing to change as the Lord prompts us to change along the way. We must strive to always walk in step with the Lord and not lag behind Him or try to run ahead of Him. We must be willing to admit it when we sin and confess them before Christ so we can be kept pure before God. We must love others who are walking with us in the same way that Christ loves us. In other words, all who walk the way of the Cross must imitate Christ in all they do and say to the best of their abilities. We must strive to be holy, even as He is holy.

The promise of God is that He will advise us and watch over us on Calvary's road. He will teach us the things we need to know. He will tell us how to best follow in His footsteps. He will give us specific things we need to know on our journey. Not everyone walks the same way or at the same speed so His advice will vary amongst us. But, if we are listening, we will receive what we need from the Lord for our particular journey of faith. He will as well watch over us to protect us so that we will reach our destination safe and sound. The Lord is at the other end of our journey waiting for us. Blessed are those who walk on Calvary's road. Great is their reward in heaven.

THE GODLY WHO SIN

 THE GODLY WHO SIN

Ps. 32:6 Therefore, let all the godly confess their rebellion to you while there is time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. NLT

Here the godly are being singled out. Yes, the godly do sin. What happens when the godly do not confess their sins and die? They will face God with sin in their hearts. How will God handle that? Only God knows that for sure. He knows the heart motives of man and will judge fairly and rightly each of us. He knows whether or not we are truly righteous in heart. All I can tell you for sure is that no sin will be in heaven.

Today's verse tells us that the godly will drown in the floodwaters of judgment if they don't confess their sins. God's judgments are like a floodwater. It sweeps away everything in its path. It is consuming power and no one can stop it. It cannot be contained and will keep flowing until it accomplishes its purpose. Anyone caught in floodwaters will more than likely drown.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way for the godly. If we will quit hiding behind our perceived righteousness and confess our sins, we will be saved. If we quit resisting God's ways and live life by God's Word, we will be saved. If we quit pretending that we are better than we are, we will be saved. If we are living in Christ's righteousness and not our own, we will be saved.

In reality, the godly are not as godly as we might think we are. We are all guilty of sin, no matter how long we have been in the faith. We all have a need for confession. We all need to carefully monitor our souls and submit to God's rightful authority over us. We all need to acknowledge our need for Jesus to be our Savior and Lord. What sin do you need to confess to the Lord today?

UNCONFESSED SIN

 UNCONFESSED SIN

Ps. 32:3-5 When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD”. And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. NLT

Have you ever refused to confess sin? I know I have. I have rationalized it away and denied that what was sin was actually sin. It is so easy to do. Instead of admitting sin, I tried to bury it and pretend that it wasn’t there. But, the Lord would not put up with that nonsense. He refused to let me get away with it and kept bringing it up until I finally came to my senses.

It isn’t the most pleasant time of life. Unconfessed sin comes between God and us and we can have no peace or joy in our life with Him as long as it is there. It haunts us and makes life miserable for us because deep down we know we are guilty. When we come to our senses and admit our sin and seek the Lord’s forgiveness, we find it. He takes the heavy load off our souls and restores us to a healthy relationship with Him.

Let’s be honest. We know when we have sinned. We may try to hide or bury it so that others can’t know about it, but we and God know. If we know the right thing to do and don’t do it, it is sin. If we know the wrong thing to do and do it, it is sin. We may call it something else or try to excuse it, but we know it is still sin.

If you are carrying around with you sin that you have refused to confess, don’t let it weigh you down any longer. Let the Lord forgive you and give you peace of heart. You will be glad you did.

REFUSING TO CONFESS

 REFUSING TO CONFESS

Ps. 32:3-4 When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. NLT

Carrying around sin in your soul is a miserable way to live. If you care at all about the condition of your soul and your relationship with God, you will be troubled by sin. You will not be at peace with God or yourself. You will have a sense of guilt over your sin. You will wonder if anyone else knows what you have done, said, or thought, and what they may think about it. You will be bothered by the repercussions of your sin. It will concern you the harm that has been done. You will be miserable and helpless to fix it on your own.

Refusing to confess sin is rebellion against God. It is telling God that He no longer matters to you. It is denying the importance of the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross for our sins. It is in essence telling God you would rather live on your own. It is a refusal to live in the holiness of God. It is in essence saying that you no longer need forgiveness or want it.

If you have any desire at all for God in your life, you will never have peace with Him when you harbor sin in your soul. We need to regularly come before our Father and deal with our sin. We need to be honest with ourselves, admit our sin, confess it, accept His forgiveness, thank the Lord for it, and then live in His forgiveness. We need to strive to always live in holiness of life. God will not let you get away with sin. He will not have fellowship with you when you live in or harbor sin in your soul. There can be no victory in Jesus when sin is not confessed and gotten rid of.

Are you spiritually weak and miserable? Have you agonized over the guilt and shame that comes with the sin you have done? Does peace elude you? It doesn't have to be this way. Humble yourself before Jesus and confess your sin to Him and He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. He will wash away your sin and they will forever be cast into the sea of His forgetfulness. He will make your soul whiter than a fresh fallen snow. Right now Jesus can set your soul free. Won't you let Him?

OH, WHAT JOY!

 OH, WHAT JOY!

Ps. 32:1-2 Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! NLT

Feast on the riches of God's grace and rejoice! God forgives those who rebel against Him when they turn from their rebellion and turn to Him. He does not turn away anyone who is willing to quit resisting Him and start walking with Him. He forgives us for our rebelliousness because He loves us and desires to have a relationship with us.

God puts our sin out of His sight. I don't know how He is able to do that. We can put our sin behind us and live in His forgiveness, but we still remember what we have done. Sometimes our past sins haunt us. We struggle with letting them go and forgiving ourselves for them. But it's not that way with God. He washes our sins away with the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary, and they are no more. God does not see our past; He sees the righteousness of Christ in us. We have no history with God; it's always the present. All that matters to Him is Christ in us. As long as we stay in the shelter of His righteousness, we have no condemnation from God. God clears the record of the redeemed. He washes our souls and they become whiter than snow.

There is joy in the soul of those who live in complete honesty. What a blessing it is to be guided and influenced by the integrity of one's heart. There is a desire within the redeemed to do what is right before God always. The intent of the heart is to always be true to the revealed character of God within us. The soul's delight is living to please God, to do what honors Him. There is joy in those whose character matters to them, for Christ is actively at work in them to make them holy.

Is your heart full of joy today? Do you know your sins are forgiven? Can you honestly say that the slate is clean, that there is nothing amiss between you and God? In Christ, there is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Hallelujah, what a Savior!  

GOD'S UNFAILING LOVE

 GOD'S UNFAILING LOVE

Ps. 31:21a Praise the LORD, for he has shown me his unfailing love. NLT

Have you seen it? Have you felt it? Do you know God’s unfailing love in your life? God’s love is always the same; it never fails. God is incapable of doing anything but love, for He is love. We may not always recognize it or believe it is so, but it is. No matter what life may be like for us, we must know that it is true. God loves us. Period. He does not promise to spare us from life’s difficulties, but He does promise to help us through them. He doesn’t leave us alone. He doesn’t let us wander around in darkness. He doesn’t make us earn our way into heaven. He doesn’t hold us accountable for sins forgiven. He doesn’t even remember them. He doesn’t leave us defenseless against Satan. He doesn’t let that which He has created fall apart in disarray. He doesn’t let us live without a sure hope. He doesn’t keep the door to God’s throne shut to us. He doesn’t do any of these things, because He loves us.

Praise the Lord for His unfailing love! The Lord will always treat us in a loving way. Trust Him. He will never stop loving you. He will never stop working in your life for your good and His glory. God loves you! Give Him praise today for His love for you never fails and will never fail you. No matter how you may feel, God loves you! He will always love you because He is love, perfect and holy love.

Because God loves you, He will not let you get away with sin. Sin is an abomination to God and worthy of condemnation and it sends the soul to hell because God is equally holy and no sin can ever be in His presence. It is impossible for us to make our sin problem go away, and we are all guilty of it, but God did what we could not do. He provided for us Jesus who died for our sins and who alone can make us acceptable to God. His holiness demands sin to be punished, His love makes it possible so that we don’t have to be punished.

God will never fail to spare us from hell if we submit to His love given to us through Jesus Christ. He never forces His love on us though because He loves us and gives us the freedom to chose whether or not we will return His love for us.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow for His unfailing love for us!     

SING TO THE LORD!

 SING TO THE LORD!

Ps. 30:4-5 Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. His anger lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning. NLT

Do you have a song in your heart that you find hard to contain? As a pastor of over 40 years who has absolutely zero musical ability within me, I have found it difficult to be quiet when singing God's praises. I try to be sensitive to those around me, but it's hard. My wife, who has lots of music within her, has to now and then let me know when I get too loud. One of the great things I look forward to in heaven is that there it won't matter. There will be no restraints and I will be able to sing our Lord's praises to all of my heart's content.

Dear child of God, praise the holy name of Jesus. Praise Him for your salvation, for His faithfulness, goodness, kindness, love, grace, and mercy. Praise the Lord for your eternal life with Him. Praise Him for the fellowship of believers. Praise Him for His revelations to us through His Word and through His created world. Praise Him for we shall be with Him forever and ever. It will indeed be joy unspeakable and full of glory!

Sing to the Lord, dear friend, for His anger lasts only for a moment. Our God is a merciful and gracious loving Father. Yes, He can and does get angry when we sin, but His anger does not last when He sees the righteousness of Christ in us. Praise Him, for there is now no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus.

In this life we may go through seasons of weeping. It may seem like the days of weeping will never end, but end they will. No matter what your life may be like now, it shall pass and then comes the morning, our eternal day with the Lord, when there will be no weeping or sorrow. On that day there will be eternal joy and praise will be a continuous song ascending unto the throne of our God.

Rejoice in the Lord always and give Him thanks. When you do, your tears will melt away and joy will flood your soul. Fix your eyes upon Jesus and let Him lead you to the mountaintop of His grace. Feast on the riches of His love and grace all the days of your life and let Him carry you in His arms safely home.

Sing to the Lord all you who are godly! Praise His holy name! 

GIVE HONOR TO THE LORD FOR HE IS HOLY

 GIVE HONOR TO THE LORD FOR HE IS HOLY

Ps. 29:1,2 Give honor to the LORD, you angels, give honor to the LORD for his glory and strength. Give honor to the LORD for the glory of his name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. NLT

What does it mean to give honor to the Lord? I believe it means we show respect for Him by acknowledging Him for who He is. It means that we give way to Him because of who He is. It means we submit to His rightful place as Lord over all our lives.

It's interesting to note that the Psalmist is addressing the angels of heaven here. We have limited knowledge about the angels, but one thing we do know is that they are kept very busy worshiping and serving the Lord. They are constantly in the presence of God and they have no problem honoring God.

We, on the other hand, struggle with honoring the Lord. We tend to take God for granted. We tend to be lax on how we worship Him. We are lax on how we use His name. We are lax on how we represent Him in the world. We are lax on how we think about Him.

The heavenly hosts are keenly aware of God's holiness. I wonder how many of us are aware of God's holiness. Does the fact that God is holy do anything at all for you? Does it bother you to think about His intolerance towards sin? Does it bother you that you struggle with sin as much as you do? Do you even think about it? Does the fact that God is holy affect the way you approach Him? It should. God declares that without holiness no one shall see Him. He commands us to be holy, even as He is holy.

We give honor most to those whom we know and respect the most. And, you can't really know God without knowing Him in His holiness. So, how holy of a life are you living? Can you honestly say that you are striving to be holy, even as God is holy? Only by letting Jesus be Lord of your life can you be holy before God.

THIS ONE THING I DO

 THIS ONE THING I DO

Ps. 27:4 The one thing I ask of the LORD--the thing I seek most--is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD's perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in the sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. NLT

When was the last time you asked the Lord to keep you in His presence so that you wouldn't sin against Him? It is good for us to long to linger in God's presence.

Our heart passion ought to be to delight in the Lord's perfections. Have you ever paused to appreciate our perfect God? God is perfect in all that is good: perfect love, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and peace. Because He is perfect, He is perfectly trustworthy and perfectly able to help us with whatever we lack in our life in Him. Also, He is perfect in knowledge and understanding so He knows exactly what we need and how to help us in our times of need.

We ought to consider it pure joy to linger in the presence of God's holiness. Instead of seeing holiness as a negative thing, we should see it as a positive thing. When we delight in God's holiness we are able to resist the temptations of sin. We will have the desire to not sin against God.

Our heart passion ought to be to meditate on God and His Word. Whenever you draw near to God, you should be in no hurry to leave His presence. We should think often on who God is. We should meditate on the Word and let its truths sink deep into our souls.

When we dwell in the presence of God, we are kept safe. The Lord protects those who are in His presence. We need to always keep the Lord before us. We need to always stay close to the Lord, never moving out of the reach of His protection. We need to always be mindful of God so that we will have the will to not sin against Him.

Keeping God on our minds doesn't just happen. We must work hard at keeping our focus on Him. Life is full of distractions. The soul has a natural tendency to be distracted. We must make our connection to God the priority of our lives. We must take responsibility for our souls by doing the things we must do to keep our eyes fixed on Him. We must never let our passion for God dim or grow cold.  

WHY SHOULD I BE AFRAID?

 WHY SHOULD I BE AFRAID?

Ps. 27:1 The LORD is my light and salvation---so why should I be afraid? The LORD protects me from danger---so why should I tremble? NLT

We fear the unknown. When we don't know what to expect and there is a sense that it might cause us harm, we begin to get afraid. Fear can cripple us to the point that we don't do anything. It can also protect us so that we don't do something that would harm or endanger us.

We learn to respect that which we fear, we understand the danger to us if we don't, and we become cautious. We stay alert so we don't put ourselves in harm's way. We do all we can do to keep ourselves as safe as possible. Fear protects us by keeping us alert and ready for whatever may be before us.

A healthy relationship with God instills in us a fear of Him. To fear the Lord involves a reverence and respect for Him. We acknowledge who God is and humble ourselves before Him. We don't take lightly God's holiness and justice. We don't take lightly our need to present ourselves to Him with pure hearts. We don't take lightly the fact that God holds us accountable for our sins. We don't minimize our constant need for Him.

In Christ, we are no longer afraid of our standing with God because He is our light and salvation. We no longer fear God's wrath because we know we can trust Christ to protect us as we draw near to God. We understand that there is great danger to our souls away from Him so we stay as close to Him as we possibly can.

If fear grips your soul, turn to Jesus and wait before Him. Abide in Him. Let Him light your path and protect you. Perfect love, Christ's love, casts out every fear.  

STAYING PURE BEFORE GOD

 STAYING PURE BEFORE GOD

Ps. 26:4-5 I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites. I hate the gatherings of those who do evil, and I refuse to join in with the wicked. NLT

The Psalmist shows us a surefire way to keep our souls out of trouble with God. We stay away from those who would lead us into sin. When we choose carefully those whom we spend most of our time with, we can avoid many of the pitfalls of sin.

It is a waste of time to hang around with those who are liars. You cannot trust those who do not have the integrity of heart to tell the truth. You can be easily deceived by them. Listen to them and you will find it difficult to distinguish that which is true from that which is false.

It is not a good idea to spend time with those who profess one thing and live another. One can easily fall into the trap of justifying one's own sinful behavior by believing that if it's okay for someone who professes to have faith to do it, it's okay for him to do it. It is never okay to do what you know God says not to do just because someone else is doing it. Sin is sin and will always be sin even if the whole world does it.

We can keep our souls pure before God by not hanging around where sinners hang around. We should despise being in places where we know people are sinning openly. It ought to shame us to be where sin is displayed and promoted. When we hang around in the cesspool of sin, we will more than likely fall into it.

A pure heart takes charge of his soul. He refuses to compromise the truth. He refuses to expose his soul to the ways of the wicked. He surrounds himself with people who can help him stay pure instead of hindering him. He just says "no" to sin and means it.

EXAMINE ME, O GOD

 EXAMINE ME, O GOD

Ps. 26:2-3 Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and affections. For I am constantly aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth. NLT

Dare you do it? Do you have the guts to ask the Lord to cross-examine you? If not, what are you afraid of? No sin escapes His notice. He knows your thoughts and deeds. It is better to welcome His examinations than it is to fear or resist them. If you don't deal with sin now, you will deal with them later, and later may be too late to do anything about them.

What motivates you? The only motivation a child of God should have is to honor Christ always. We should determine in our hearts to please Him. We should never let self be our motivation. Life is about promoting and exalting Christ for as long as we live in this world.

Are your affections in the right place? If you are longing for and loving the things in this world, your affections are in the wrong place. The Lord, our God, must always be our first love. To love anyone or anything more than God is spiritual adultery. If you love Him, it will be evident in your priorities, how you live and how you speak of Him.

We should always keep our minds on how much God loves us. Everything God does is an act of love. Because He loves us He gives us standards to live by and we must do them. We must determine in our hearts that we will always be governed by His revealed truth.

If you can't honestly say that you are living according to the truth and that you fear facing God's cross-examination of your heart, you need to get alone with God and let Him change you. You need to confess all of your sins before Him and vow in your heart that you will obey Him. You need to stay there alone with God until you know that your heart has been restored to a right relationship with Him. You need to stay there until you know that it is God who moves you and it is God whom you love first and foremost.  

INNOCENCE AND INTEGRITY

 INNOCENCE AND INTEGRITY

Ps. 26:1 Declare me innocent, O LORD, for I have acted with integrity. I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. NLT

The Lord does not condemn those living in Christ who act with integrity of heart. We may not always get it right, but if we do what we do wanting to do what is right, God understands and honors our heart's intent. He knows we are not perfect and does not hold that against us.

Now if we deliberately don't do what is right, that's another story altogether. There is accountability for those sins we deliberately sin against God. We are held responsible for willful sin. If you are a child of God and deliberately sin, are you not being spiteful towards Christ? It is defiance and should God let you get away with it? Of course not.

There is no condemnation for those who have an unwavering trust in the Lord. This means that we don't fall into the trap of relying on our own wisdom or understanding or that of others. We turn to the Lord and listen to what He says. We acknowledge Him in all we do. We seek to obey Him because we love Him.

When our hearts are firmly set on the Lord, we know all is well with our souls and there is a peace that governs our lives that holds us steady and makes us strong. Satan may try to cast doubt on our souls but we stand firm because God declares us innocent. It matters not what Satan thinks or what people think, it only matters what God thinks about us.

Live with integrity of heart, trust in the Lord without wavering, and all things will be well with your soul both now and forever.

UNFAILING LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS

 UNFAILING LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS

Ps. 25:10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees. NLT

The Lord does not lead everybody. He doesn't get involved in the lives of those who have nothing to do with Him. In order for us to have God be our guide through life, we must do our part by keeping His covenant and obeying Him. We must deliberately choose to engage ourselves in a relationship with Him. We must act like God is our Father. We must strive to live holy lives. There is no wiggle room on this. In order for the Lord to be in our lives, we must partner with Him and obey Him.

The Lord leads with unfailing love. Be assured, everything God does in us is done out of His love. We don't always see it or understand it, but it is. God has only our best interests at heart. He knows what is best for us and does what is necessary for us to achieve it. His love compels Him to discipline us when we need it. It compels Him to convict us of sin as we need it. It compels Him to correct our thinking and actions when necessary. It compels Him to keep us from getting too comfortable and complacent in our life in Him.

The Lord leads us with unfailing faithfulness. In all things, at all times, you can count on God to be true to His character and nature. He never ceases to be anything less than perfect in all He does. He is faithful in His love. He is faithful to His Word. He is faithful to fulfilling His plans for our lives. He is faithful in ministering to our every need. He is faithful in helping us make it home to heaven to be with Him for all eternity.

The Lord is faithful to lead and love all who live submissively to Him and obey Him. However, if you are unfaithful to Him and fail to love Him back, you are on your own. It takes two participating parties to keep a covenant in place.

Blessed are those being led by the Master's unfailing love and faithfulness.

THE LORD IS GOOD

 THE LORD IS GOOD

Ps. 25:8 The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. NLT

Some get it and some don’t. The Lord is good. He always has been, is now, and forever will be. The Lord cannot be or do anything less than good. If it appears like He is less than good, then we need to re-examine our definition of what good is. The problem is not that God is not good, it is that we don’t understand properly what God’s goodness is.

God is absolute perfection. He is incapable of doing anything wrong. He always does that which is good. We can relax and rest in Him because we know that He will always do what is good for us. We may not always recognize it as good, but it is good because God is the one watching over us and directing our paths

God cannot do wrong. If He could do wrong, He would not be God or worthy to be worshiped and have faith in. We must always know that whatever God does is good, whether we understand it or not. Give thanks to the Lord for whatever He brings your way because He knows you best and what is best for you whether you think so or not.

Trust in the Lord and you will never be disappointed. He will always show you the proper path to get on if you wander away from Him. He will not let you get away. He will always find you and lead you back to the way you should go, because God is good all the time. He is good and is always working out what is good for you. Remember always, He sees and knows what you don’t. He sees the bigger picture and is working to get you to where you need to be in your relationship with Him.  

ALL DAY LONG TRUST IN GOD

 ALL DAY LONG TRUST IN GOD

Ps. 25:5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. NLT

Do you? Do you put your trust in God all day long? Or, do you trust Him only when you think about it or when you need something? Trust is the fruit of an endearing relationship. We can only trust those whom we really know well. The better we know someone, the more confidence we have that they will not let us down. If you don't know God well, you will waver in your trust of Him. If He is able to save you, He is able to keep you and help you with each step you take.

Trust is an attitude we live by every moment of every day. It is giving ourselves over to the Lord and letting Him take responsibility for our lives. It is not fighting Him for control. It is letting Him guide us. It is accepting His words as truth and learning from Him how to live by them. It is letting go and letting God govern our steps. We cannot pick and choose when we will trust the Lord. It is the way we live all the time.

Do you trust the Lord enough to learn anything from Him? There are so many things He wants to teach us along the way, but we must be willing to be taught. Are you a student of the Word and the ways of God? Are you eager to learn more? Do you long to know more about this great salvation that is ours in Christ? I pray that it is so. I pray that it is so.

In God we trust is far more than words we say, it is a commitment to trust God no matter how we feel, think, or the circumstances of life. It is believing in God’s character and living like we do. It is our only anchor in the storms of life and our sure hope in the uncertainties of life. “Lead me by your truth and teach me” is the desire of all those who would make it to heaven someday.   

POINT OUT THE RIGHT ROAD FOR ME

 POINT OUT THE RIGHT ROAD FOR ME

Ps. 25:4-5 Show me the path where I should walk, O LORD, point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. NLT

This is a prayer that the Lord will answer every time. The Lord wants us to know the way to Him. He wants us to stay on the path to Him. He wants what is best for us and for us to be on the path that gets us there. He wants us to clearly know the truth. He wants us to learn the things we need to know in order to live holy lives.

The path that leads to the Lord is a rugged path because it is not worn down by many travelers. It is rugged because we are constantly battling Satan along the way to stay on it. It is rugged because it requires much determination, commitment, and work on our part. It is rugged because it's the only way we will ever develop our spiritual muscles to sustain us in life. It is rugged because sometimes it's a very lonely road since most do not travel on it. If the road you are traveling on is crowded, get off the road and regroup for it is not the road to heaven.

We must be careful that we don't get on the wrong road. Only one road leads us to Christ and it is the road of Mount Calvary. We have to ask the Lord to help us because it's so easy to get off track and start traveling on the wrong path. One thing to look out for is if everything is easy with no struggles along the way, you are traveling on the wrong road. On Calvary's road, we must pick up our cross and carry it along with us daily.

As we travel this journey of life we must always be led by God's Word if we want to see Jesus. We must make it a priority in our lives to learn God's truth and live it. We must never be satisfied with what we know, or think we know. We must always remain teachable. We must never get out from underneath God's teachings.

Only the Lord our God can save us. He alone is the only hope we have for making it to heaven. Let us stay the course and always follow in the footprints of Jesus, the author and finisher of our salvation.

DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

 DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

Ps. 24:3-6 Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the LORD’s blessing and have right standing with God their savior. They alone may enter God’s presence and worship the God of Israel. NLT

Who may climb to the mountain where God is? Who dares to approach God, whose holiness demands sin be punished with death wherever it is found? And, if one would dare to approach God, who would dare to stand still in His presence? Who is worthy to draw near to God?

Only those whose hands and hearts are pure can draw near to God. Only those whose actions and motives are pure in God’s eyes are able to stand before Him. In other words, only those who are living in Christ can stand before Him without fear. They do not have other objects of worship. They are honest in their hearts. They are a people blessed by God with salvation and a righteousness that allows them to draw near to God.

All are invited to approach God, but only those who have pure hearts can linger. All are given an opportunity to have pure hearts before God, but only a few actually seize the opportunity. Blessed are those who let Christ be their Savior, for they then can draw near and feast on the riches of God’s grace.

True worship, worship that is acceptable and pleasing to God, comes from those who are made pure by the shed blood of Christ. Are you comfortable being in the presence of God? Can you say with complete and sincere honesty that Jesus is your righteousness and holiness before God? If not, today you can be. All you have to do is let Jesus be your Savior and Lord.

CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD

 CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD

Ps. 24:3-4 Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. NLT

A mountain is a very tough thing to climb. In order to get to the top, one must persevere. Depending on one's physical condition, there is a great price to pay. It takes a lot of time and effort. A mountain is full of very difficult terrain. There are a lot of known and unknown dangers. Only those who have the will to get to the top will make it. The way to the Lord is just like a mountain climb.

There is great exhilaration for those who make it to the top and stand. There is nothing quite like persevering and winning. Reaching the top is a job well done. To have a goal in mind and achieve it is good for the soul. The ultimate goal of every believer should be holiness of heart.

Holiness can only be achieved by those who have pure hearts. There has to be a desire to not sin. There has to be effort put into not sinning. There has to be effort put into staying spiritually fit. There has to be effort put into obeying the Word of God. There has to be more than talk; there has to be a walk as well, often a long and vigorous walk.

God is not inaccessible. He is found by all who sincerely seek Him. The road can be very rough at times and only those who persevere will make it. There will be much stumbling along the way and perhaps much pain and suffering. In order to reach God, we must keep our eyes focused on Jesus and never leave His protective care. Press on dear friend, a mountain top experience awaits you.