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.

     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. 

THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD

 

Ps. 24:1-4  The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.  The world and all its people belong to him, for he laid the earth’s foundations on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.  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.

     We must never forget that we are but stewards of what is the Lord’s.  No matter what we may think we own, we have only what the Lord has loaned to us.  The earth was here long before we were and will be here long after we die.  Our worth is not measured by that which is really not ours to begin with.  It is not measured by what God has loaned to us.  It is measured by what God has given to us—eternal life.  Don’t let Satan convince you otherwise.

     The Lord laid the foundation of the earth; it is He who made the seas and oceans as they are.  It is He who set the ocean's boundaries and filled the oceans up with habitable life fit for it.  It is He who established the ecosystem of the waters so that life can be sustained and multiplied.  It is He who made the land, mountains, and all that habitat on it.  It is He alone who is worthy to be praised.  Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord to stand in His holy place?  Only those who have pure hands and hearts may approach God.

     Our only merit that enables us to draw near to God is the purity of our hearts.  Only those who have pure hearts will see God.  Those whom Jesus has forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness will see God.  Our value lies solely in Christ.  "Thank you, Lord, for giving us pure hearts so that we might see God."

THE EARTH AND ITS PEOPLE BELONG TO GOD

THE EARTH AND ITS PEOPLE BELONG TO GOD

Ps. 24:1-2 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it.  The world and all its people belong to him.  For he laid the earth's foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.

     Lest we forget, the earth is the Lord's.  We do not own anything, we are but stewards of what God has loaned to us.  God has entrusted us with that which He has loaned to use.  We need to be careful how we treat God's earth.  When we squander and waste earth's resources we are being disrespectful to God.

     Not only is the earth the Lord's, the people in it are His as well.  Wait a minute; let us think about this for a minute.  The Lord declares ownership of the people in the world.  Therefore, we should take seriously how we treat people.  God cares about all people, whether they care for Him or not.  How do you treat people?

     We usually have no problem treating well the people we like, but what about the people we don't like or are having problems with?  Do we avoid certain people?  Do we look down on some people simply because they don't fit into our comfort zone?  Do we treat some people worse than we do others?  Do we talk down on some people?  Do we harbor bad feelings toward others instead of loving them?  Do we use others for our advantage?  Do we disrespect people by the way we treat them?

     It seems to me that since God declares ownership of the earth and all its people that we ought to take seriously our responsibility as stewards of them.  Let us see things as God sees them.  Let us show our love for God by the way we conduct ourselves in the world.  Let us be treat others with honor and respect as much as possible and be as good stewards as possible of the earth and her resources.  We show our respect for God in the ways that we live.

JESUS UNDERSTANDS YOUR DARKNESS

 

Ps. 22:1 My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me? Why do you remain so distant? Why do you ignore my cries for help?

     If you are honest, you will have to admit that there are times in which you could be the one questioning God about where He is at. Sometimes it seems like God has indeed forsaken us. There are times no matter how hard you try to believe otherwise, God seems to stay away. Prayers seem to go unanswered. You can’t seem to keep on believing and trusting. What do we do when those times come in our lives? Stay the course of faith.

     Sometimes faith demands of us blind trust. We continue to believe and trust in God because He is God. We go back to what we know to be true of Him in the light. God is incapable of changing who He is. He is absolute perfection in His love, goodness, and godliness. He is true to himself and His Word, always, no matter how we may feel about it. Our feelings do not change the facts. What we cannot see and understand God knows. God is for us and is working out good in our lives whether we believe it’s so or not. He never leaves us or forsakes us, even when we are in our darkest nights. He never stops caring for us or stops working to bring us closer to Him. He always has our best interests at heart. Always.

     Jesus understands exactly how we feel when we go through the dark times of life. He uttered these very words as He suffered on the cross for our sins. He went into the darkest three hours of created history. He was all alone as He faced the full fury of Satan’s wrath. He took away from Satan sin’s ultimate victory, eternal separation from God. Only Jesus could go there to do that. He had to go into that darkness alone because of the holiness of God. He couldn’t feel God’s presence or sense Him at all, for the only time in all of eternity.

     So the next time you enter into life’s darkness, remember that the Lord has not forsaken you. He is not far away from you. He is always near to those who call on Him. Do not doubt in the dark what you know to be true in the light. Keep on trusting Him. Keep on calling on Him. He will lead you through the darkness into His marvelous light and all will be well once again with your soul.

THOUGHTS MATTER

 

Ps. 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

     It is good for us to think this way. What do you say that you know is not pleasing to the Lord? Maybe it’s not so much what you say as to how you say it. Do your words build others up or tear them down? Are you more of an encourager or a discourager? Do you make others feel good about themselves or do your words hurt and damage their self-esteem?

     What about your thought life? We are reminded in Philippians 4:8 that we are to take control of our thoughts and dwell upon those things which are good and helpful to us and others. We are to not dwell on those things which are sinful. Thinking ill thoughts about someone is damaging to our souls and they prevent us from having a loving relationship with them. Harboring bad thoughts about someone poisons our souls.

     What we think about eventually comes out of us. Our living is affected by our thinking. If our thoughts are worldly thoughts, then we will not live lives that are pleasing to the Lord. How much we let our thoughts be influenced by sin has a direct bearing on our ability to live righteous lives before God.

    Never forget that the Lord knows our thoughts. He knows what is behind our words. He knows the heart of man and is not fooled by our words. Sometimes we say things and don’t really mean them. The Lord knows what we mean to say. Good or bad, the Lord knows and will hold us accountable for it.

     The only way to make sure that we don’t get caught by our words or thoughts is to make sure we keep our souls right with God. We need regular soul tune-ups. We need to regularly examine ourselves through God’s Word and make sure we are right before Him. We must stay in tune with the Spirit and listen when He speaks to us about sinful thoughts and deeds. We need to agree with Him and confess sin that is revealed to us. If we do these things, then we can be confident that our thoughts and words will please the Lord.

SINNING IS A CHOICE

 

Ps. 19:13 Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.

     Is this your constant prayer? It should be. We do sin; it’s a fact of life we can’t deny or escape from it. We can minimize some of our sinning, by not deliberately doing it. We can stop the process before we act on our desires. We can say no to tempting thoughts and deeds. We don’t have to participate in sinful activities. The Lord gives us His Spirit to empower us so that we can resist Satan’s temptations. We have the Word to ward off Satan’s assaults. We have a great cloud of witnesses who have gone on before us and surround us who have not done what we desire to do. We can control our desires to sin if we draw from the resources of God. We deliberately sin because we want to, not because we have to. We do it because we value the momentary pleasure more and give no regard to the eternal consequences.

When we live in victory over willful sinning, we have peace with God. We are not plagued with the guilt and shame of knowing we have sinned against Him. There is no condemnation for those who live in Christ because they desire to do what pleases Him rather than themselves. They do not want to sin because they know how much it hurts Him. They love Him too much to purposely spurn and spite Him by defying His commandments to live righteously before Him.

Do you love the Lord enough today to pray this prayer? “Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.”?  May it be so. May it be so.

“Lord, I pray for all who read this devotional today that they will pray this prayer from their heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

LURKING SINS IN THE HEART?

 

Ps. 19:12  How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?  Cleanse me from these hidden sins!

     Do you have any sins lurking in your heart?  Before you answer, take a few moments and let the Lord examine it.  It doesn't matter what you think about yourself; it matters what God knows about you.  In light of God's Word, can you honestly say that there is no sin issues that plague you?  Have you confessed and sought forgiveness from the Lord for your sins lately? 

     In order to know that you have sinned, you need to be knowledgeable about what God calls sin.  Are you staying in the Word on a consistent basis so that you can see yourself as God sees you?  God talks a lot about our behavior, attitudes and thought lives.  He talks a lot about why we do what we do.  We can do what is right before God with the wrong motives and God calls it sin.  God talks a lot about our priorities in life and how He must be at the top of the list.  He talks about specific things that are sinful that the world does not acknowledge as being sin.  He talks a lot about how we treat others. 

     You may have hidden sins in your heart, things you have said or done that you have not known them to be sinful.  Anything that falls short of God's perfection is sin and we fall short of that all the time.  Our concern should be that of the Psalmist and we should ask the Lord to cleanse us from those sins.  We will never reach soul perfection this side of heaven so we must consistently seek the Lord's forgiveness for sin if we want to stay close to the heart of God.

     Now, I know that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, that in Him we are made righteous and holy before God.  I know that grace covers all of our sin and we don't have a need to spend every waking moment repenting of our sins.  But, it is also true that we have a responsibility to want to live in purity of heart.  We must want to make sure that there is no sin lurking in our hearts.  And, the only way we can be sure that we are pure in heart is to confess our sins, both that which is known and that which is hidden, to Christ as the Spirit prompts us to pray for them. 

     It is good for the soul to regularly have a check-up, confess our sins, and keep our hearts pure before God.

GOD'S LAWS ARE TRUE AND FAIR

 

Ps. 19:9b-11  The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair.  They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.  They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.  They are a warning to those who hear them; there is great reward for those who obey them.

     Let's think about this for a moment.  The Psalmist is declaring that the laws of the Lord are fair, which would suggest that he personally found them to be so.  As we discover all the laws God gave to His people, it would seem to be too much.  There were so many of them and many of them required a lot from His people.  Yet, the Psalmist is suggesting that none of them are unreasonable and unnecessary.  God is not unreasonable or too demanding.  It is possible to obey the Lord in all things.  It's just a matter of whether or not we have the heart to do it.

     It is believed that King David wrote most of the Psalms.  Remember, David was caught in the act of adultery and murder.  He had personally disobeyed God's laws.  He knew the guilt and shame of his behavior.  Yet, he was able to declare that God's laws are true, fair, and more desirable than anything else on earth.  Our personal behavior doesn't invalidate the truth of God's Word.

     The laws of the Lord are more desirable than the finest gold on earth; they are sweeter than the best honey found on earth.  Instead of looking at God's Word as cumbersome and restrictive, we need to look at it as a wondrous gift from God.  We need to be thankful that God loves us and has given us the way in which we can have fellowship with Him and find our way home to Him.  The Word of God is given for our benefit and it is the best thing we will ever find on earth for our souls.

     The laws of the Lord are a warning to us.  They make it very clear what we must do in order to be found pleasing and acceptable to God and what it is like for us when we aren't.  God does not leave us confused about this.  There is a huge price to pay when we ignore His Word and choose not to obey Him.  We have no one to blame but ourselves when we suffer the consequences of our sins. 

     There is a great reward for those who choose to obey God.  We are rewarded here with joy and peace that can only be found in Christ.  We are rewarded with a clear understanding of who we are in Christ.  We are rewarded with the knowledge that God is with us and will help us through whatever we face in life.  And, the greatest reward of all is that we will be rewarded with eternal life with Him when we die. 

TIME FOR GOD AND HIS WORD

 

Ps. 19:9-11  Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever.  The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair.  They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.  They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.  They are a warning to those who hear them; there is great reward for those who obey them.

     Recognizing, knowing, and acknowledging God for who He is, is reverence.  He is God alone, the indescribable and incomparable great I AM, ruler of all things and coming King.  Those who revere Him will worship Him forever and ever.

     The laws of the Lord are true and fair, for they come from Him.  Each one of them serves God’s purposes and are meant to help us know Him on a personal level.  God’s Word is more desirable than all the finest gold on earth.

     Wait a minute.  Let us pause right here for a moment.  Do you consider God’s Word more valuable than anything else on earth?  Are you pursuing its treasures more than you are the treasures of earth?  Think about it.  How much time do you spend seeking to know and understand the mind of God as revealed in His Word compared to how much time you spend on other things in life?  Obviously, we can’t spend as much time in God’s Word as we do doing those things we need to do to survive in the world.  We must spend time on our jobs, with our families, and in other relationships.  We must have time to relax and keep things in balance in life.  I get it.  But, how much time do you spend in God’s Word compared to what you do on the non-essential things of your life?  Do you linger in the Word long enough to be fed and learn things you haven’t learned before from God?  When was the last time you can say you had an “aha moment” with God, when God revealed something to you that helped you to grow in your knowledge and faith? 

     It takes time and effort to learn from God.  You will never consider it to be more valuable than the riches of earth if you don’t spend adequate time in it.  Don’t kid yourself and don’t make excuses.  You do have the time.  You have the time for whatever your heart desires.  If you don’t have the time, you don’t have a healthy relationship with God.  Period.

LIVING BY GOD'S COMMANDMENTS

 

Ps. 19:8  The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart.  The commands of the LORD are clear; giving insight to life.

     There is nothing wrong with God's commandments.  They are perfectly suited for our needs.  They help us to live right both with God and man.  They are not unreasonable in any way.  They are for our good.  Those who embrace them discover freedom for their souls.  Those who reject them are held in bondage by their sins.

     The commandments of the Lord bring joy to the heart.  They help us make faith a vital part of our living.  They help us keep in good standing with God.  There is great joy in knowing that all is well between us and God.  Living God's way takes the doubts about our salvation out of the equation.

     The commandments of the Lord are clear.  God does not leave us in the dark.  He wants us to know how to please Him.  He wants us to know how not to sin against Him.  He wants us to make it to heaven.  He gives His commandments to us in terms we can understand so that no one has an excuse for not doing them when they are made known to them.

     The commandments of the Lord give insight to life.  Wise is he who takes what God says seriously.  He who does not strive to live out God's Word will not make it to heaven, nor will life make much sense to him.  There is no way but God's way to heaven.  Those who obey God know a peace and joy in living that no one else in the world can ever know.

     If you want to be right with God, you must live under the authority of His Word.  If you want to know joy in your heart, you must live underneath its authority, and if you want understanding about life and how you fit in, you must live underneath its authority.

GOD'S PERFECT WORD

 

Ps. 19:7  The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.  The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

     There is nothing lacking whatsoever in God’s law.  It is perfect for every need we have.  It addresses our life issues.  It has the authority of God behind it so it is permanent and unalterable.  God says exactly what He means and means exactly what He says.  If there is confusion as to what it means, guess where the problem lies.  What we can't understand we accept by faith because God is the author of it.

     No one perfectly understands all of God’s Word.  We are not capable of it.  The more we invest our time and minds into it, the more we are able to understand.  And, we understand things in different ways at different times as our needs change. No one can give us right understanding except the Spirit of Christ.  As we open our hearts and minds to God, He guides us into the truth.  It does not come easily.  We must study it, meditate upon it, and endeavor to live it in order to show ourselves approved unto God.  God helps us and revives our souls through His Word, but not without our cooperation.  

     All that God says is trustworthy and makes the simple wise.  You can trust everything that God says.  It is absolutely true from beginning to end.  God is absolute truth and whatever comes from Him is truth.  No matter how simple-minded a person may be, knowing God’s Word and living by it makes him wise.  We ignore God’s Word in our lives at our own peril.  There can be no peace and joy in living without it.

THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD

 

Ps. 19:1-4  The heavens tell of the glory of God.  The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.  Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.  They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is silent in the skies; yet their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to all the world.

     What do they say?  What does creation declare about God?  The mysteries of creation overwhelm us.  Consider the magnitude of creation, its design, its interdependency, its variety, its order, its beauty, its functionality, its dependability and all we can do is stand in amazement in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene who made it all and holds it all together.  God is seen through His creation and He is everywhere to be seen.  There is nowhere on earth that you can go without finding the evidence of God there. 

     The same things we observe in the heavens were seen in the days of Adam.  The same laws of nature that were in force then are in force today and will continue to be in force until the Lord suspends them.  The Lord spoke it all into existence and holds it together by the power of His spoken word.

     The heavens declare the glory of God, from the rising of the sun to its setting and beyond.  God has created all that there is and it is good.  Praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow!

THE SOUL'S LIGHT

 

Ps. 18:28  LORD, you have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness.

     Without Christ the soul resides in darkness.  This darkness resists the Light.  It does everything it can to keep the Light out.  It will not entertain the thought that Light exists.  It will refuse to consider that the darkness is danger-filled and leads to certain destruction.  It will rebel against those who want to bring Light into the darkness.  It will squelch the thought that there are consequences for actions committed.  It will keep the door shut to the Light with the thought there will always be time to open the door someday.  It muddles the truth so that confusion reigns.  It causes the soul to believe Satan's lie that there is no absolute truth.  This darkness causes the soul to fall over and over again.  Chaos prevails in it and people constantly get hurt.

     Only God can penetrate the darkness.  He alone has the ability to cut through all of the effects darkness has on the soul.  The Holy Spirit enters into the darkness and overwhelms the darkness.  He sheds light on the darkness so that the soul can see Jesus, the Light.  When God comes in, the darkness must leave.  He brings to light all the sin and its causes so they can be dealt with.  He opens the eyes of the soul so it can clearly see its way to Calvary. 

     Praise the Lord for not leaving us in the dark!  Praise Him for loving us and reaching deep into our darkness to pull us out.  Praise Him for stripping away from us all those things which hinder us from enjoying to the fullest the light.  Praise Him for His work amongst us to shed light on our souls!  Praise Him for this light which can never go out!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

THE KEY TO GOD'S BLESSINGS

 

Ps. 18:20-24  The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he compensated me because of my innocence.  For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.  For all his laws are constantly before me; I have never abandoned his principles. I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.  The LORD rewarded me for doing right, because of the innocence of my hands in his sight.

     If you want God's blessings, you must keep the ways of the Lord.  You must strive to know God's ways and follow them.  You must not make excuses when you fail.  You must be submissive to the Lord and let Him be your guide through life.

     God's blessings aren't always what we think they are.  There are those things which God knows we need in order for us to be who we need to be in relationship with Him.  God's blessings may be physical or spiritual in nature.  Our Father knows best how to bless us.

     God blesses those who do not turn from God to follow evil.  We cannot follow the Lord and still dabble in sin.  There is no wiggle room on this.  God's children who think they can engage in some kind of sinful activity and still be okay with God are playing with fire.  God never approves of sinful practices and always judges man for his sin.  Being in Christ does not keep God from holding man accountable for his sins. 

    In order to stay on the path of God's blessings we must always keep the Word before us.  We must be into the Word and let the Word be into us.  We must be guided and influenced by the Word in all that we do.  We must determine in our hearts that we will not abandon the Word in any way. 

    Great is the reward of those who do what is right before God.  He blesses His children now, and even greater blessings await them in heaven.  God's blessings do not come automatically to those who profess Jesus as Savior.  We must live like we are children of God, we must think like His children, and we must talk like we are His children.  If God is withholding His blessings from you, then you need to get your heart right with God today.

STAYING BLAMELESS BEFORE GOD

 

Ps. 18:20-24  The Lord rewarded me for doing right, he compensated me because of my innocence.  For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.  For all his laws are constantly before me; I have never abandoned his principles.  I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.  The LORD rewarded me for doing right, because of the innocence of my hands in his sight.

     Can you say this from your heart?  Can you honestly say that you have kept yourself pure and have diligently lived by God’s Word?  Can you say that you are blameless before God and know that it is true?  It is not impossible to do so.  We can know in our hearts that we are pure before God.  The key is diligently living according to God’s Word.  We must get into it, meditate on it, and find ways to apply it to our living.  When we take seriously what God has to say, we then can stay away from sin and live pure lives.  We can look forward to the rewards God has in store for us and we will never have to fear the day in which we stand before Him.

     We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to enjoy the rewards of living faithfully before the Lord.  There are great spiritual blessings here for those who are living in Christ.  He involves himself in our daily lives and meets our every need.  We find in Christ grace, peace, joy, love, comfort, purpose and hope as we walk with Him.

     You will never get to really know God apart from His Word.

DETERMINED NOT TO SIN

 

Ps. 17:3-6  You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.  You have scrutinized me and found nothing amiss, for I am determined not to sin in what I say.  I have followed your commands, which have kept me from going along with cruel and evil people.  My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you.

     Every time I read this and similar passages, I pause and consider my own willingness to let the Lord examine my thoughts and heart.  Whenever we come under the scrutiny of the Lord we are confronted with our sinfulness.  Words spoken in haste, things done impulsively, thoughts that linger in our minds, all tend to lead us into sin.

     The Psalmist says he came underneath the scrutiny of the Lord and was confident that the Lord did not find anything amiss.  How in the world could he say such a thing?  He was determined to do all he could to not sin.  He took charge of his soul and did what he could to protect it.  He refused to hang with people who would lead him astray.  He was determined to obey the Lord in all things and not to let his mouth betray him.

     At the end of the day when everything was said and done, the Psalmist could say all was well with his soul.  Can we say the same thing at the close of our day?  Do we dare ask the Lord to examine our thoughts?  How dare we do anything but that?  There can be no peaceful rest until we know that all is well with our soul. 

     May our prayer always be for the Lord to help us stay on the path of righteousness.  May the desire of our hearts always be to remain steady in our faith, to not waver in our love, devotion, and obedience to Him.

GOD'S EXAMINATION

 

Ps. 17:3  You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.  You have scrutinized me and found nothing amiss, for I am determined not to sin in what I say.

     What a testimony!  The Lord tested David's thought life and found nothing amiss.  I wonder how many of us can say the same thing.  No one can see what we think about, but we and God know.  We tend to forget the fact that it does matter what we dwell on.  Whenever we think about things that are unholy or lead us into sin, we need to take it seriously.  We are admonished to dwell on good and righteous things, those things that build up our godliness instead of tearing it down.  Are you as confident as David was that when God tests your mind that He finds nothing there amiss?

     The Lord examined David's heart at night and found nothing amiss.  It is normally at night, when everything is quiet and dark, that Satan comes out and plays in our hearts.  It is then that we are exposed to his accusations.  It is then that he plants all kinds of sinful thoughts within us.  Normally we are alert and aware of what he is doing during the daytime, but at night we tend to let down our guard.  Do you have confidence that at the ending of day that you have lived in Christ in such a way that when the Lord examines your heart that nothing is amiss?  Are you strong enough to resist Satan's attacks on your heart and mind in the night?  If are not comfortable with what God knows about your thought life, you need to let the Lord change the way you think.

     David was confident of his standing before God because he was determined to not sin in what he said.  In order to accomplish that, we must be right with God in our heart, for out of the heart the mouth speaks.  In order for us to say and do the right things, we must live rightly in Christ.  We must keep our souls in good shape.  We must not allow Satan access to it.  It takes determination to ward off Satan.  Are you careful about what comes out of your mouth?  Think about what you say before you say it.  Consider carefully whether your conversation is good or bad.  If you know God is not pleased with what you say, then you need to get your heart right with God.

THE LORD GUIDES US

 

Ps. 16:7-8  I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I know the LORD is always with me.  I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

     He whom the Lord guides never gets lost in the dark.  He never loses his sense of direction.  He never lacks directions on how to get to where he is going.  He never has to be concerned about where he is going, because the Lord himself is already there.  He is our confidence that everything is going to be alright in all our tomorrows.  Not only is He where I will be, but He is with me right now with each step I take.  I do not need to fear to take my next step of faith.  I can boldly and confidently move because the Lord is with me.

     There is no greater peace and joy than to know that the Lord is with us all the time.  Just knowing that the Lord is with us keeps us strong and immovable in the midst of the storms of life.  There is confidence in knowing that we are not just wandering aimlessly through life, the Lord is guiding us to where we are going and need to be.  No wonder the heart swells up in praise and thanksgiving!  We do have a song to sing and must sing it every day.  Great is the Lord our God!  Praise His holy name!  Bless the Lord, oh my soul, bless His holy name. 

WORSHIP AND HONESTY

 

Ps. 15:1, 5  Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD?  Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?  Those who do not charge interest on the money they lend, and who refuse to accept bribes to testify against the innocent.  Such people will stand firm forever.

     Worship that God accepts comes from honest hearts.  We must be honest with our dealings with others, ourselves, and God.

     You cannot cheat others, treat them badly, or take advantage of them and expect God to be okay with you.  What we do matters to God.  We are to love others and if you love others you will not treat them in an unloving way.

     If you want to connect with God, you must be honest with yourself.  You must accept yourself as you are, a broken vessel before God.  You do not have it altogether.  You are not perfect.  You do stupid things.  You say stupid things.  You sin against God.  You fail to obey God always in the things He directs you to do.  You often are driven more by selfishness than godliness.  You don't understand as much as you let on you know.  You have doubts.  You get confused about things.  You sometimes question God.  You don't always like what God is doing.  You don't always love people in a godly way.  You don't like it when God doesn't answer your prayers the way you think He should.  You don't like God's delays.  You get spiritually lazy and don't always pray and read the Word like you should.  You get upset and angry at others.  You sometimes stir up trouble when you shouldn't.  In other words, you are a sinner in need of a Savior just like everyone else. 

     If you want to connect with God you must be honest with Him.  It's okay to not always be okay with God.  Sometimes we have questions and doubts.  Sometimes we don't understand why things are the way they are.  Sometimes we would just as soon God would leave us alone.  God knows exactly how you feel about Him and wants you to be honest about it.  Tell Him how you feel, what you are thinking, He can handle it.

     In other words, in order to stand firm before God and connect with Him, we must be a people who do not hide behind our spirituality.  Sometimes faith is pretty raw.  It is not always sweet and nice.  We must be honest with God before God can really help us.  He gives us free access to His presence and expects us to spill our guts out before Him.  He will not be shocked or turn us away.  There is wondrous healing and help for all who worship Him in the honesty of their hearts.

WORSHIP AND TRUTH

 

Ps. 15:1,4c  Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD?  Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?  …..and who keep their promises even when it hurts.

     It’s not always easy to keep your word is it?  We sometimes make promises with good intentions, but something happens that make keeping our promises difficult.  It’s easy to keep our word when things are easy for us, but it is far more difficult when keeping our word puts us into difficult or awkward situations.

     How we keep our word reflects on the condition of our heart.   A person of integrity will not let circumstances dictate how they live.  If we are right with God we will strive to do always what is right to God at all times.  God is Truth and commands us to be a people of truth as well.  Doing what we say should be a natural part of who we are.  We should always strive to keep our promises to both God and man.  Our failure to do so prevents us from drawing close to God.

    Consider this today: How many times have you made a promise to either God or man and failed to keep it?  What is the usual reason for failures?  Does it concern you at all when you fail?

    Ask the Lord to forgive you where you have failed Him in this area of your life and ask the Lord to help you do a better job of keeping your word.  It will certainly help you in your walk with Him.

WORSHIP AND HONORING THE FAITHFUL

Ps. 15:1,4b  Who may worship in your sanctuary LORD?  Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?  …..and honor the faithful followers of the LORD.

     Do you honor those who faithfully honor the Lord?  Do you speak well of them and seek goodness in their lives?  Do you honor those who preach and teach the Word by listening to their instruction and seeking to live by it?  Do you think well of them and shut out those who don’t? 

     It is so easy to find fault with those who are faithfully following the Lord.  We expect them to live by high standards and when they stumble and fall, we are quick to drag them down into the mud.  Instead of showing them honor by being gracious to them, we expose and exploit their faults. 

     There are times in which fellow Christians fail miserably in their walk with the Lord and require the body of Christ to hold them accountable for their actions.  We can do that in a way that honors them.  Our goal should always be to restore into fellowship those who fall, not drive them away from the Lord and our fellowship. 

     We show honor to those who are following the Lord by ministering to their needs when it is needed.  We don’t turn a deaf ear to their cry for help, but do what we can as the Lord enables us to do so.  Honor the faithful followers of the Lord and he will draw near to you as you draw near to Him.

WORSHIP AND DESPISING PERSISTENT SINNERS

 

Psalm 15:1,4a Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who despise persistent sinners……

     How do you feel about those who blatantly sin against the Lord and don’t seem to care?  Do they bother you at all? We are told to love the sinner and hate the sin. The Psalmist doesn’t take that approach. He suggests that we should despise those who persistently sin. Why? I believe that one of the reasons is that sin is an abomination and insult to God. It is everything that God isn’t and it’s the reason why hell exists. God loves us and doesn’t want any of us to go to hell, but He knows we must and will if we insist on living in sin. It grieves His heart. It is why He had to go to the cross. We should, no, we must, have a hatred for sin wherever it is found. We must not tolerate it in our lives or in the lives of others.

     Food for thought: When was the last time you watched someone on TV say or do things that were obviously sinful in nature and stopped to pray for them?  They are people in need of a Savior.  Instead of lavishing praise on them, we should instead lavish prayer on them.  We tend to glorify sin and the sinner, instead of beseeching the Lord on their behalf.

     Those who would worship the Lord must honor the faithful followers of the Lord. Instead of being critical and judgmental of other believers, we must uphold them and embrace them in love. We must treat each other in a godly way and not allow sin to destroy or hinder our fellowship. How can we rightfully expect to worship the Lord alongside of someone whom we have issues with? It is why the Lord instructs us to first go and make things right with our brothers and then come and offer our offerings before him. You cannot live rightly with God if you are not living rightly with your brother.

WORSHIP AND TREATING OTHERS WELL

 

Ps. 15:1, 3 Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who refuse to slander others or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.

     Sometimes it’s easier said than done. We don’t usually set out to slander or harm others, but we do it anyhow. We may not be getting along with someone like we should and we let it fester in our souls. In an effort to prove each other wrong, words are spoken. Sometimes the words are very hurtful. They call into question the character and integrity of the other person. They are spoken in an attempt to make ourselves feel better and the other person worse. Such words are always damaging and never good. Instead of being encouragers and edifiers, we become destroyers. We excuse ourselves because of the damage and hurts the other person has caused us. We don’t give much thought to the fact that the Lord is the one who is to mete out justice. He is the one who makes things right. We are to leave things in His hands and not take them into our own hands.

     When we slander or hurt others, we disqualify ourselves from being able to draw near to God. No one who slanders, harms, or speaks evil of his neighbor can enter into the presence of God, It is a battle that we must fight and win. Be honest, how many times have you gone through the motions of worship with ill feelings or thoughts in you towards someone?  Did you find satisfaction for your soul in the presence of the Lord?  Did God seem so far away, detached from you?  The Lord will not draw near to the soul filled with ill feelings for someone else.

     Ask the Lord to help you treat others in a godly way. Ask Him to help you be an encourager and edifier to all, to turn the other cheek no matter how others may treat you.  Ask Him to help you love others with no strings attached.  You may not appreciate the way others live or treat you, but that does not dismiss your responsibility before God to love them unconditionally.  

ENTERING INTO GOD'S PRESENCE

 

Ps. 15:1, 2  Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD?  Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?  Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

     Wanting to know who may approach the Lord in worship and be found acceptable to Him is perhaps the most important issue known to man.  Not all who approach God have an audience with Him.  Only the righteous in heart have access to God’s presence.  The Psalmist in this psalm gives us some guidelines to go by if we want to know that we are in the presence of God.

     Only those who lead blameless lives and do what is right can enter into God’s presence.  Who amongst us can say that we are blameless before God?  When we see ourselves as we are without Christ, none of us can make the claim we are blameless and do what is right before God.  When we see ourselves as we are in Christ, we find then we can be found to be blameless before God.  In Christ our sins are washed away and we take on His righteousness and holiness.  When we do what is right by the standards of Christ, we are acceptable to God.  There is no condemnation for those who are striving to live lives that are reflective of Christ in them.  

    Doing what is right entails not only how we live, but also how we deal with sin.  Are we aware of our sins when we sin and deal with them before Christ?  Do we strive to resist sin when we are confronted with temptations?  Do we consider what Jesus would do if He were in our shoes?  Do we have a sensitivity to the blatant sins of this world?  In other words, do we take sin seriously and consider it an enemy of our souls?

    Also, those who speak the truth from sincere hearts can approach God.  Many who speak the truth do not do so from sincere hearts.  It is one thing to tell the truth; it’s another thing to mean what you say because you know it is true.  We must take ownership of what we proclaim to believe.  It must be evidenced in the way we live and present ourselves to others.  No phonies will ever make it into the presence of God. 

    Not all who go through the motions of worship are accepted by God.  Just because you are surrounded by other worshipers doesn’t qualify you as a worshiper of God.  Only those who are found to be blameless before God are true worshipers of Him.