God’s Word, My Meditation

“⁹⁷Oh how I love your law!

It is my meditation all the day.”

— Psalm 119:97 (ESV)

And there you have it. I choose God’s Word to be my meditation all day every day.

I admit that God’s Word has not been my meditation or my “delight” as James MacDonald puts it. His Word has been more of a “desire” for me. I have bypassed the “discipline” step and am firmly planted in “desire”. I want to be in God’s Word, but find myself distracted by the things of this world. Work, providing, getting along, all of which are distracting from my devotion to God’s Word.

Now, that last sentence above is not all bad. I should be concerned with work, providing and getting along. The thing is where am I placing those in the hierarchy of my focus. Am I placing them above the Word of God. That is where the “delight” in God’s Word comes in. Placing God’s Word at the top of my hierarchy is the priority. Not for me but for God.

It is what God wants of me and not what I want of me. It is getting to the place where I am taking things on in this world as God has planned for me. I should be doing that what God wants of me and not looking in the mirror to see what I want. As I look in the mirror I should be searching for the picture of Jesus as He stands with me pointing me the direction I should go.

By delighting in God’s Word, I will find myself seeking His direction at every turn. When it comes to work, it is His Word that directs me. When it comes to providing, it is He who provides for me to provide for my family. As for getting along, oh how much easier when God is guiding me. My delight in God’s Word gives all that I could want and therefor I am able to move forward regardless of circumstance.

Where are you as pertains to God’s Word? Are you still looking in the mirror and seeing yourself? What if you were to see God there with you as you move forward and knowing that He is getting you where you are supposed to be?

My Authority, God’s Word

God’s Word is not just a book we pick up from time to time to read a few passages to get us through. It is and should be the ultimate authority in our life. We should be looking to and living out the instructions found in God’s Word in all situations.

It is easy to pick and choose different passages when we “need” them or to “justify” some action that we have taken or are considering. But, if we are cherry picking passages we are not really obeying God’s Word as the authority it is. We are simply using God’s Word and not living it.

God’s Word is more than a collection of actions we can take to relieve some ailing we have. It is not just a collection of positive reinforcement actions to keep us moving in the right direction. God’s Word is a way of going through life at all times.

I am over 50 years old and see the value of God’s Word for my daily life. I study or am led in God’s Word seven days a week. I look for how His Word can lead me in life. I look for how I can apply His teachings daily. I know that God’s Word can do all things in my life. His Word accomplished all things and will accomplish all things. By full faith in His Word there is nothing that cannot be done.

“⁸But the centurion replied, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.’” – Matthew 8:8 (ESV)

The centurion from the passage above knew that Jesus only need to speak healing to happen. He knew that Jesus was the authority and that as God, His Word would do as spoken. The centurion understood the authority that was God’s Word.

“¹²For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

I have to have the faith that God’s Word will do all things. It is not just there for me to pick up when “needed”. God’s Word should be in my bones and leading my every move. I have to lean on the authority of God’s Word to point me and guide me and lead me and protect me as I move along in this world.

What is your relationship to God’s Word? Are you using it to pick and choose how it can help you? What if you were to lean on God’s Word for all things and used it as your authority to point you, guide you, lead you, and protect you as you go along?

You Choose Whom You Serve

It is pretty clear in this world and life that we are the masters of our choices, as we have grown to understand them that is. As a small child we are not in understanding and therefor rely on our parents to decide for us. But now that we are not small children, we are in control of our choices and decisions.

The title of my writing this morning is the same as my study passage from James MacDonald. We are indeed in charge of our choices and the object of our service is certainly in that realm of choice. We like to think that we are the product of our circumstances and that things are left to chance and where it appears that way, it is not true. Yes, things happen and we are left to work through that which follows, but we can either be the victims or lean in and serve the one really in charge as we work through them. God allows things to happen and we have the choice to serve Him or abandon them in favor of ourselves or some other entity.

“¹⁵And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15 (ESV)

The Israelite people had the choice to serve the LORD or serve the idols of their ancestors or serve themselves. Joshua pointed out their choice and was clear where he and his family landed. And he made it clear that once the decision was made, the commitment would be held to account. God would remember and the outcome would not be of the people’s liking.

“¹⁹But Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. ²⁰If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.’” – Joshua 24:19-20 (ESV)

It is not just of words that we commit to serve. It is in action. We can say that we will serve, but not until the action is taken does the service come to being. Lori and I are members of a church plant, although we are now going on 5 years now. As a part of our membership, we committed to volunteer our service. But, just saying we would volunteer does not make it so, it is in our action of service that we are demonstrating our service. And for the 5 years of the Bridge Fellowship, we have served.

With God and service to Him, it is not something we can say and then get away with avoidance. He is watching and keeping account. As noted in verses 19 and 20 above, if we have committed and then turn away, we will be dealt with and held to account. Even as we were once doing as we committed. The choice is for now and forever.

I want to be careful to point out that our choice to serve is not a condition of our salvation. When we choose the LORD for our salvation (in our heart, mind, and body), that choice is made. We are saved. And then comes the next choice, to serve Him. We are still sinners and will be swayed easily by the evil one. We will still be subjected to the ways of the world. So, just because we have accepted salvation through the grace, mercy, and love of God, our job is not done. Service to Him comes next.

“⁵Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, ⁶not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,” – Ephesians 6:5-7 (ESV)

We do choose whom we serve. We are to make it clear and then act on that choice. The words have meaning to tell others of our choice, but it is the actions we take that demonstrates that choice. As Paul notes in his letter to the Ephesians to do “the will of God from the heart,…as to the LORD and not to man”. Actions speak louder than words and it is our actions that demonstrate our choice of just who we serve.

What actions are you taking to demonstrate your service? Have you said the words of choice and now leave it to chance as to how it plays out? What if you demonstrate your service to the LORD through your actions “from the heart,…as to the LORD and not to man”?

I Suck, God is Awesome

The title of my writing this morning is from a friend of mine, Jared Carter. During our discipleship study, with three other friends, Jared Campbell, Nelson Pereira, and Rob Whitehead we broke down our relationship with God and His with us. One of the themes that came up time and time again is that God’s mercy and grace and love are not what we should be getting, but, that is the thing with God, He is bigger and better than we.

This morning the question in my study by James MacDonald that hit me the hardest is this, when we die and are standing before God and He asks, “Why should I let you into heaven?” How will I answer? How will I plead my case for entrance. The answer from MacDonald shocked me a bit, but is true, “You Shouldn’t. Lord, I can’t believe I’m even here.”

This is so true. I don’t deserve the mercy and grace and love of God. I am a sinner who fails time and time again. I sin consciously and unconsciously. I cannot escape sin in this world. Yet, even in all of that He loves me and provides for me and has pardoned all of it so that I can enter His kingdom and rule with Him.

“⁵he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,” – Titus 3:5 (ESV)

“⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” – Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)

As sinful as we are, we are not able to get to Heaven on our own. We need help. There is nothing we can do to get there. No actions we can take. No tasks that check the right box. We cannot reach God and lay down a list of items completed to reach the pinnacle of favor with Him. We need His mercy, grace, and love. We need what He has already provided and offered to us, salvation. God gave His Son Jesus to die. He died for me. He took my sin upon Himself so that I would not have to die for them myself.

When I stand before God, and He asks why He should let me into Heaven, my answer will be something like this. I gave myself to you. I have believed that you gave Jesus to die for my sins. You shouldn’t let me in because I don’t deserve it. But I know you and love you and trust you and you mercy, grace, and love. GOD, I suck and YOU ARE AWESOME!!! I choose you.

What is you choice? Are you choosing to keep trying to measure up? What if you choose to surrender to Him and His mercy, grace, and love and recognize that we suck and God is Awesome?

The Way Out has Been Paid

Our way out of the consequences of sin has been paid. Yes, prepaid. We no longer have the payment for sin due. We only need accept the payment has been made and be grateful.

Notice what I wrote above, accept and be grateful. There is no repayment that can be made. I cannot make up the debt. God provided the payment for our sin and there is nothing we can do but accept that the payment has been made and be grateful for it.

“¹⁰In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” – 1 John 4:10 (ESV)

“²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” – Romans 3:23 (ESV)

I am a sinner and will always be a sinner in this world. But, the escape from the consequences has been provided. Christ came to this world to walk as I do and take on the sin that I commit and then He died so I do not have to. Not that I will not die, but Christ died in my place as the consequence for my sin.

“²³For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23 (ESV)

I was destined to die for my sin, and Jesus came, or rather was sent, to die in my place. It is the only way out and it was made so by God. God’s grace (getting what we don’t deserve) and mercy (not getting what we do deserve) is demonstrated in His offering of forgiveness for the sin that we are born with and will always have in this world. This offering of forgiveness is made possible only by payment and that payment was made by Jesus’ death.

Our role in all of this is to believe and choose the gift of salvation provided thanks to the payment for our sin. That payment was extreme and I will say, Thank you God for providing and Thank you Jesus for paying and Thank you Holy Spirit for walking with me daily. I believe and choose to escape the consequence of my sin through acceptance and gratefulness in you and your grace and mercy.

What is your understanding of the consequence for sin? Are you able to get out of it on you own? What if you accept that the payment has already been made and you should believe and choose to accept and be grateful for the grace and mercy of God?

The LORD Will Deliver

This morning and over the past few months, I am thinking of the deliverance that comes from the LORD. I am in Psalm 6 and the title in my ESV Bible is “O LORD, Deliver My Life”. As I read David’s plea for deliverance, I see that he is not taking any physical action. He is asking for deliverance with his words that come from his heart. David is asking the LORD to deliver him for he needs it.

“¹O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,

nor discipline me in your wrath.

²Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;

heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.

³My soul also is greatly troubled.

But you, O Lord—how long?

⁴Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;

save me for the sake of your steadfast love.”

— Psalm 6:1-4 (ESV)

In my discipleship group for the past few months we also dive into the grace and mercy of God. Mercy being God not giving us what we deserve and grace is Him giving us what we don’t deserve. David above is asking for mercy and we should be as well. The payment for mercy has already been paid through the shed blood of Christ Jesus and yet, for us to receive, all we have to do is ask. I don’t have to take any additional action, I need only to ask for the mercy of the LORD.

This is the deliverance that we should be seeking. It is from His wrath that we need deliverance. I have to accept that my sinfulness is that which separates me from the LORD and that I am in need of mercy to fill the chasm between us. I cannot do anything, physical action wise, to close the gap between the LORD and me. I can only seek His deliverance and give myself to Him knowing that He will save me through His mercy and grace.

“⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

I am in need of saving and only the LORD can deliver. I need only ask with my words from my heart and He will deliver me.

What are you thoughts on deliverance? Are you looking to take action to be delivered? What if you understood that you need only ask from your heart to be delivered and accept the mercy through grace that only the LORD can provide to be saved?

Jesus Desires Mercy

This morning I realized that I am continuing to expand the desire of the LORD for my heart. I am reading in Matthew of Jesus’ calling of Matthew and His subsequent meeting with Him and other tax collectors. Here Jesus’ actions are questioned and His response is magnificent.

“¹¹And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ ¹²But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” – Matthew 9:11-13 (ESV)

Jesus declares to the Pharisees and the crowd that had gathered, that He is here for sinners, and in order to gain them, it is mercy we give to them as opposed to sacrifice. We do not change who we are to “get in good” with the group we are working to gain, we simply understand them and let them know that we love them and allow them the opportunity to hear.

What Jesus desires from us is our full obedience. Our heart for Him and our mercy for those in need of Him. It is easy to walk away from those not like us as we are looking out for our reputation. It is easy to seek out work that is easy like only interacting with those who are like us. But as I have read on a number of occasions and again this morning from Jesus, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Our actions should be to spread the gospel and not just talk about it with others, and that will mean working with those who are out of touch with the LORD and need to hear from and about Him.

I want to be the example of Christ for others to witness. This means that I have to work with those in need, those are those in need of mercy. I have to demonstrate love for all and not just those who are like me. I have to provide for those seeking and not just those who have found.

What is your take on interacting with others? Do you find yourself working only with those like you? What if you were to provide mercy as Jesus did to give that which He desires of us?

Mercy Leads to Promised Reward

“³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” — 1 Peter 1:3-5 (ESV)

And there you have it. God provided mercy for me and as a result I have a living hope, an inheritance that is imperishable, and a salvation to come.

I have to continue to living as the example that Jesus provided for me. I have to provide mercy for those around me. I have to grant them the same opportunity for a living hope, an inheritance that is imperishable, and a salvation to come.

I am here to give opportunity for others. I am sure that most have heard the saying that goes something like this, give a man a fish and you have fed him for the day, teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime. Now there are a lot of discussions as to the origin of this saying, yet it does not change the impact it has. It is about giving opportunity as I see it as well as other meanings, although that opportunity is how it applies here to my study. I have to provide the opportunity to gain something additional and sustaining. It is through mercy that I am able to accomplish that.

I am not responsible for how this opportunity is used. I am here to serve up the mercy so that the opportunity is presented for a future and the reward that comes with it. God will take over once I have provided the mercy and the opportunity. No, I am not done, it is just that God is the only one who can finish the work, I am here only to plant the seeds and continue to follow His direction in the work He has for me. Yes, in some cases that may be to stick it out with the individual, although I will not know that until I arrive in the moment and follow Him.

God has promised rewards for His people. Noah, and his escape from the flooding of the earth. The Israelite people freed from Pharaoh. In each of those and in my life, the reward came as a result of the mercy God provided allowing for the opportunity for that reward to be manifest later. I have to provide mercy to others to allow those opportunities in their lives.

What are you out there providing for people? Are you out there giving that which others want in the now? What if you gave them an opportunity for the future reward by giving them mercy?

Mercy Not Judgment

I have increasingly witnessed in this world a lean toward special privilege for certain people. Whether it is for the rich, the physically disadvantaged, or the socially constructed. There seems to be a leaning to giving preferential treatment to grant them certain things that others may not be granted. Is this not judgment or showing partiality? I believe it is just that, judging them based on a characteristic that others may not be privy and being partial to that characteristic.

James speaks to this judgment and partiality in the first passage found in chapter two of his letter. He make the case against by simply speaking to the idea of granting a seat in an assemble to one wearing “fine clothing” and asking the one in “shabby clothing” to stand against the wall. This is judging or showing partiality based on status and not treating everyone equally.

“¹³For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” — James 2:13 (ESV)

He then speaks to this judgment in relation to providing mercy. Here James makes the case for simply providing mercy to all and that provides the equality that is warranted in the situation.

I have to remember that it is not about forcing things to create equality. In fact, by forcing things, I am showing partiality to the one over the other in a reverse situation. By granting the seat to the one in “shabby clothing” over the one in “fine clothing” I am creating the judgment and partiality on the reverse basis. I have to conscious of simply providing the seat to the one who is there and directing the other to the wall to stand. I am to provide mercy regardless of who and only in regard to the circumstance.

Mercy: a fortunate circumstance. Merriam-Webster Online

The above is one of the defined meanings of mercy. The fortunate circumstance James was referring to is who arrived first to get the seat in the assembly. That is the person to receive the seat and not based on what or how they are dressed. Yes, there is certainly more to the definition of mercy, yet it seems to me that this one gets overlooked in favor of the others. I believe we should be holding to the full and complete definition and not simply picking and choosing.

James indicates that we are to lean on the side of mercy and leave the judgment to God. When I am doing so, equality is realized as we err on the side of the immediate situation and not something that was generated due to someone’s station in life.

When have you judged as opposed to providing mercy? Have you every looked at the situation and granted someone something based on who they were and not on the situation itself? What if you were to look at and provide equal treatment of all through mercy in all situations as opposed to judging the individual?

Mercy = Access to God

This morning’s passage of scripture to study as relates to “mercy” is in Hebrews and I must say took a minute to resonate with me. I was focused on the “mercy seat” referenced and not the passage and it’s significance.

“⁵Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.” — Hebrews 9:5 (ESV)

My focus on the “mercy seat” and the time it took for me to understand was warranted and well worth it in that I did just that, understand. Again, there is more to it all than just the verse itself. I have to remember that just selecting a verse and looking to apply it is not the intention of God’s Word. Those singular verses can and are often misapplied.

The writer of Hebrews here is describing the Tabernacle and the significance of it and the rooms contained. It is not until I read the entire passage and understand that I see that access to God was provided thanks to His mercy. In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle was divided into multiple “rooms” and those rooms were restricted to those who were counted as worthy, priests and high priests. The people were not “allowed” to enter and therefor did not have direct access to God. The mercy seat, is more aptly understood to be the dwelling place of God and by it proximity in the tabernacle, was not available to the people.

“⁸By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing” – Hebrews 9:8 (ESV)

God then demonstrated His mercy. Jesus came and was sacrificed on the cross for our sins. He was presented by God as the sacrifice, taking the place of the people, me included, so I did not have to experience the agony and death attributed to sin. And thanks to God’s mercy through the death of Jesus, the people have direct access to Him.

“⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.” — Luke 23:44-46 (ESV)

God’s mercy provided access to His dwelling place. Now you and I have the chance to come directly to Him at any and all times. Where as the mercy seat or dwelling place of God was restricted before, thanks to His mercy, there is now unrestricted access to Him. There is no longer a wall between He and I. I do not have to wait for the time of atonement. I can engage with God now and forever by simply calling on Him. His mercy equals access to Him.

What was/is your thoughts on access to God? Did you believe it was something that you had to earn, and that somehow He was too great for you? What if you just embrace the idea that before Jesus, there was restricted access to Him and thanks to His mercy, we are now have the unrestricted access to Him forever?