How to Please God

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Pete

There may be many things we are not certain about when it comes to the will of God and what pleases Him, but there are some things of which we can be absolutely certain. While there are some portions of Scripture that, even after noodling on them for awhile, you’re still not sure you’ve got it . . . there are other truths from God’s word that are laid on the surface, just waiting for harvesters of truth to come along and glean them . . . pick them up, put them in their satchel, and own them. I picked up one of those “there for the taking” truths this morning in Psalm 69 . . .

“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
This will please the LORD more than ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.” (Psalm 69:30-31)

What pleases God? A song of praise. What makes God glad? Thanksgiving concerning His mighty works which brings into view His greatness. Pretty simple, huh . . . not too hard to dig that out of the Word . . . and talk about being doable.

Right here, right now . . . I can offer up a song a praise. As I type I’m listening to a song of praise being sung . . . “Not to us O’ Lord, but to Your Name be the glory” . . . these lyrics streaming out of iTunes become my tunes and my words . . . and I know that it pleases God. He has given us a new song to sing (Psalm 40:3) . . . so let’s do it! ‘Cause it makes God smile.

Has God done great things for me? Yeah . . . while I was yet without power . . . yet a sinner darkened to the things of heavenly light . . . yet an enemy of God determined to exert my will above His . . . in that condition, God showed His love in sending His Son to die on a cross . . . sending His Son to seek and save the lost . . . sending His Son, through the Spirit, to woo me to Himself . . . removing the scales from my eyes . . . taking my heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh . . . taking me from darkness into marvelous light . . . delivering me from the domain of the prince of this world and conveying me into the kingdom of His beloved Son. I can certainly give thanks for that. I can certainly magnify the grace of God by confessing that mighty work in my life. And that’s, quite literally, just the beginning. And that, quit truthfully, pleases God.

The Psalmist says it is the greatest of sacrifices . . . Peterson puts it this way, “For GOD, this is better than oxen on the altar, Far better than blue-ribbon bulls.” Give God a choice of a burnt offering or a praise offering . . . He’ll take the praise offering every time. Offer God bleating sheep or a song sung (even if it’s just a “joyful noise to the Lord”) and, hands down, He’s all about the song. Ask God what He prefers . . . the first fruits of livestock, sliced and diced and placed on the altar . . . or the fruit of lips, the sacrifice or praise (Heb. 13:15), offered by those who have placed themselves on the altar (Rom. 12:1)? He’ll take the praise every time . . . and He does so with joy . . . and gladness . . . it pleases my God!

Some things that are asked of us as followers of Christ, as children of God, though they may be simple, are often not easy. But this “command to obey” . . . this act which brings God such pleasure . . . is both simple . . . and easy.

Whether it be a little child’s voice offering up, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so” . . . or a symphony backed choir of dozens singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” at the top of their harmony woven lungs . . . the song offered to God in praise, pleases Him. Whether it’s relating again the story of our salvation . . . or the reminder of His nearness that He graciously provided me yesterday . . . giving Him thanks magnifies the King of Heaven . . . and pleases Him.

Now there’s a truth available for the taking. To overuse a term, there’s some “low hanging fruit.” Oh, but to take this low hanging fruit and do it has a high and holy impact. The song of praise ascends beyond the confines of this earth and magnifying thanksgiving reaches into heaven itself . . . and they touch the very heart of God. That, my friends, is how to please God. Amen?

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Living Behind the Curtain

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Pete

It was intended to separate the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place. While there were daily duties to be preformed in the area before the curtain, behind the curtain was reserved for the ark . . . for the mercy seat . . . for the glory of God. To go behind the curtain, apart from the once a year appointed time, for the once a year appointed purpose, by the only appointed person, was to invite the wrath of God. The glory dwelt behind the curtain . . . those who were able to draw near to God got only as close as the curtain . . . so what privilege it is this morning to be living behind the curtain?

Yesterday, our pastor encouraged us to stay near the cross as a means of preventing the root of bitterness from taking seed and growing within us. Preaching from Ephesians, he exhorted us with the words of Paul to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 5:32 ESV). By staying near the cross, by considering afresh the lengths to which our God went in order to extend forgiveness to us, we develop a capacity to show compassion, mercy, and forgiveness to those who have wronged or offended us. And so this mornings, as I read in Matthew 27, I drew near to the cross . . .

Leading up to the cross they scourged Him . . . stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on him . . . knelt before Him and mocked Him . . . spit on Him . . . struck Him on the head . . . and then led Him away to crucify Him (27:26-31). And as he hung on that cruel cross . . . the soldiers gambled for the garments they had taken off Him . . . those who passed by wagged their heads at Him and derided Him . . . the religious leaders poked fun at Him, sarcastically calling on Him to show some Son of God miracles . . . and even the robbers, who hung there with Him, joined in and reviled Him. But as much as all that makes me cringe, the worst had to have been when the Father forsook Him. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (27:46)

And then it happened . . . Jesus cried out with a loud voice . . . yielded up His spirit (no man taking it from Him) . . . “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (27:50-51).

From top to bottom it was torn . . . God’s doing . . . the wall of separation removed . . . the way into the Most Holy place opened up . . . the glory of God made accessible . . . living behind the curtain now available.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:19-22 ESV)

Confidence to enter the Holy of Holies . . . that’s living behind the curtain. Beholding the glory of God in the face of the Son of God through the indwelling Spirit of God . . . that’s living behind the curtain. Drawing near with absolute certainty concerning the things we believe . . . that’s living behind the curtain. Confidently drawing near to the throne of grace to find help in time of need (Heb. 4:16) . . . that’s living behind the curtain. A new and living way . . . all behind the curtain.

Oh, to be, this morning, on most holy ground because of the cross! To behold the glory of His grace . . . to abide in His presence through the Spirit . . . to anticipate a time when faith will give way to sight . . . O glorious life behind the curtain.

Thank you Father for the cross . . .

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Almost There!

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Pete

“Are we there yet?” Who can’t remember asking that question as a kid in the backseat of a car on what seems to be a “take forever” trip? Which parent hasn’t heard that question asked, often over and over again, from the backseat . . . they too being just as anxious to get to the destination as are their impatient passengers. “Almost there,” we’d say to our kids, “We’ll be there soon . . . just a little while longer.”

“Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light . . . put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:11-12, 14 ESV)

So, if someone asked me, “List some of the attributes of salvation” . . . how might I respond? Salvation is a gift . . . it is free . . . it is by grace . . . it is through faith . . . it is forever . . . those might be some of the things that come to mind immediately (they just did). But I don’t think I’d be as quick to answer, “Salvation is nearer now than when I first believed.”

We’re getting nearer . . . we’re almost there . . . won’t be long now. It’s closer now than on the day I first believed . . . closer now than on that night I yielded . . . closer now than when “my calling” seemed to become clearer . . . closer now than it was yesterday. And so? So, time to keep my head in the game . . . time to resist the urge to snooze . . . time to refresh the holy determination to put on Christ. It’s time to get ready . . . time to reset . . . time to renew . . . time to revive . . . for my salvation is nearer now than it was then . . . for the day is at hand.

The day is at hand . . . the day of His return? . . . that day of shining glory in heaven? Yes to both!!! . . . the day is at hand. The culmination of my salvation is as close now as it has ever been. The past is gone . . . the present soon will be too . . . but the future only gets nearer. And oh, what a glorious future it is for the believer . . . I need to keep it ever before me.

The Scriptures remind me, again and again, that it’s so much about perspective . . . that thinking about the right stuff will motivate me to faithfully desire to act with the right behaviors. I am to think about things that are true and honorable and just and pure and lovely and commendable and excellent and worthy of praise (Php. 4:8) . . . I am to set my mind on things above and not on things of the earth (Col. 3:2) . . . I am to lift up my eyes to the hills from where my help comes from and see the LORD who made heaven and earth (Ps. 121:1) . . . and I am to remember that my salvation is nearer now . . . and that the day is at hand.

So, it is time. Time to wake up . . . time to get my head in the game . . . time to engage with the high and holy calling with which he has called me . . . time to put off that which is darkness and put on the armor of light . . . to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, that by His grace and through His power I would live in the light of His imminent return . . . live in the anticipation that this could be day I find myself facedown at His feet . . .

Are we there yet? Almost . . .

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Getting Warmer?

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Pete

You hit Romans 12 and the focus of Paul’s letter changes dramatically. From doctrine to doing . . . from right teaching to right living . . . from the wonders of the mercies of God to the call to present our bodies as living sacrifices in view of those mercies. I look down at my Bible and count over 20 times were I have underlined a “command to obey” in chapter 12 alone . . . there’s more to come . . . and this in a letter concerned with righteousness by faith and the gospel of grace. And one of those commands has jumped off the page this morning . . . the command to “get warmer.”

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” (Romans 12:11 ESV)

Be fervent in spirit . . . that’s what caught my attention this morning. Fervent’s not a word I hear a lot . . . not a word I use in “normal conversation” a lot. The NIV says to “keep your spiritual fervor” . . . the NLT says to serve “enthusiastically” . . . Peterson says “keep yourselves fueled and aflame” in the Message. The Amplified Bible expands it this way: “Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.”

The original word for “be fervent” is the Greek verb zeo . . . “to be hot.” Be hot . . . be like boiling water . . . be glowing like fired metals . . . figuratively, be earnest . . . be passionate . . . be zealous . . . be on fire . . . get warmer!

By default, I probably tend to think of being passionate as something that is “hot-wired” into a person’s DNA . . . an inherited characteristic. But if I’m reading Paul’s exhortation here correctly, we’re not “born hot” but we are to “be hot” . . . an objective to pursue . . . a trait to cultivate. Don’t be slothful in zeal . . . don’t lag in diligence . . . don’t be lazy . . . but be hot. Passion is to be pursued . . .

And it’s not really clear as to whether we are to be “fervent in spirit” or be “fervent in the Spirit” . . . not sure it makes a lot of difference . . . because we are not going to self-manufacture zeal. A soul on fire for Christ is a soul infused by the Spirit living within it. Mine, I think, is to recognize the command and then, by His grace and through the Spirit’s power, to seek to obey it.

I need to reject being half-hearted in the things of the kingdom of heaven . . . being lukewarm should be as distasteful to me as it is to the Lord. By the way, that’s the other place where this word is found . . . in it’s adjective form (I think that’s right) . . . the Greek word zestos . . . aka “hot” . . .

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Jesus, Revelation 3:15-16 ESV)

Paul says, “Be hot” . . . Jesus says He wants us “hot” . . . so, shouldn’t we pursue hot-ness . . . shouldn’t we seek to get warmer?

How? I’m thinking it starts first with desire . . . wanting to get in the game and break a sweat. Expressing, then, that desire through prayer . . . “Father, cultivate within me a passion for You and the things of Your kingdom!” And then pursuing . . . starts with the Word of God, I think . . . and the renewing of our minds which lead to the transforming of our lives. And then, it’s about caring less about what this world thinks and seeking to please only our “Audience of One”.

I recall a conversation I had with my brother many, many, many years ago. I had been saved barely a year . . . he had just come to Jesus only a few months prior . . . and I recall him saying to me, with passion in his voice and a glint in his eyes, “Pete, I don’t want to be a spark for Jesus . . . I want to be a flame!”

Oh, that I would seek to obey Paul’s command . . . that I would be fervent in spirit . . . that I would be boiling hot in THE SPIRIT . . . serving the Lord . . . for the glory of God. Oh, that I might be getting warmer . . .

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Purified for His Praise

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Pete

There’s something about knowing people, or knowing about people, who have been “been there, done that, got the t-shirt.” You know, those folks who have been where you’re now walking. Those who have experienced what you’re experiencing and now have some perspective as they look back. Those who have gone through a wringer that sounds a lot like the wringer you’re going through and, having come out the other side in tact, have drawn some conclusions and gained some wisdom. I think that’s part of what makes the Psalms so attractive . . . why they can resonate so deeply . . . there’s a certain level of identification . . . and by that association, a certain amount of encouragement. Check out how David describes the wringer Israel went through . . .

For You, O God, have tested us; You have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; You laid a crushing burden on our backs; You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet You have brought us out to a place of abundance. (Psalm 66:10-12 ESV)

“I’ll take lesser known acts of God for 500, Alex.” “Okay then . . . the purpose for God in trapping His people in a net . . . in laying a back-breaking burden upon their shoulders . . . in letting men ride over their heads . . . in allowing them to go through the hottest flames . . . in permitting them to almost drown in a sea of oppression . . . in pushing them to their very limits.” “Uh . . . what is the manner by which God tests His people and purifies them like silver?” “Correct-amundo!”

We don’t often talk of God having cast people in a net . . . or of laying crushing burdens on their backs . . . or of letting men ride over their heads . . . but that God’s purposes were at play during those 400 years of Egyptian slavery is clear. Generation upon generation of continual testing and trying and purifying where all part of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would be blessed . . . and be a blessing to all nations. The desperation and increasing hopelessness was all part of readying a people for deliverance into a place of abundance.

And what amazes me about these not-so-much-talked about “acts of God” is that fact that they are embedded in a glorious Psalm of praise. A psalm which directs “all the earth” to praise God (66:1-4) . . . which calls upon His people to make the sound of praise heard (66:8) . . . and then gets immensely personal as the psalmist determines to offer his burnt offerings and cry unto God with “high praise” under his tongue (66:13,17).

David commands the earth to worship . . . David exhorts His people to praise . . . because he knows what it is to personally to be tested . . . tried . . . and purified . . .

“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for my soul.” (Psalm 66:17 ESV)

David knew what is was to go through the wringer . . . he knew what it was to hunted by a jealous king . . . he knew what it was to be deposed and run out of town by his own son . . . he knew what it was to be crushed by the burden of guilt and sin . . . but, “Come here and listen”, he says, “and let me tell you what God has done for me and within me.” Though David knew what it was to call out in desperate prayer, this tried as silver saint also knew what it was to cry out in glorious praise. Exalted praise . . . high praise . . . not just on his tongue, but under his tongue . . . embedded deep within his soul . . . that soul that God had put through the wringer . . . the soul that God had purified for His glory.

“Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!” (66:20 ESV).

My trials may be different . . . but they are my trials . . . and for God’s purposes. That I too might say, “Been there . . . done that . . . purified for His praise . . . “

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"Able" Words

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Pete

I came across some “able” words in one of my readings this morning. Not “able” as in having sufficient power, skill, or resources to do something. But “able” as in the four letters a-b-l-e found at the end of three words in the ESV version of the latter portion of Romans 11 . . .”able” as in insufficient power, skill, or resources to grasp the glory and greatness of my God. “Able” words that leave me without words . . . “able” words that leave me unable to adequately express the awe enveloping my heart.

IRREVOCABLE . . . UNSEARCHABLE . . . INSCRUTABLE . . . . oh, praise God . . . unbelievable!

As Paul wraps up this part of his letter (ch. 9-11) which reveals his heart, and God’s plans, for his kinsmen, Israel, he says that the blood descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are living under a “partial hardening”. In large, they have missed the Messiah, though even now, as in the days of Elijah, there is a remnant (11:1-6) . . . God not having rejected his people, but allowing them this “partial hardening until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (11:25). As regards the gospel they are misaligned . . . “But,” says Paul, “as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (11:28-29).

Irrevocable . . . without regret . . . without repentance . . . a promise that will be kept. What God has planned, He will deliver . . . what God has started, He will finish. There may be seasons and circumstance which indicate otherwise, but let it be known, people of God, that His gifts and calling are irrevocable! Isn’t that what I’m counting on . . . that His call and His grace are without retracting. If it was dependent upon me to conform myself into the image of His Son then I would be, of all men, in a most hopeless situation. But it’s His call on my life . . . it’s His unmerited favor that has declared me righteous through faith in the work of the cross and begun a work of forming within me the divine nature.

Do I fully understand exactly how it works . . . not so much . . . do I fully believe the dynamic is in play in my life . . . absolutely! How come . . . cause His gifts and calling are irrevocable.

But enough about me . . . for now . . . Paul here is talking about the yet-to-be-finished work with Israel. I read of some that this morning in my Deuteronomy reading. Moses recounting God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt, though they grumbled (Deut. 9:7) . . . reminding them of their failure at Mt. Sinai (Deut. 9:10-21) . . . encouraging them to circumcise their hearts and cut away their stubbornness (Deut. 10:!4) . . . commanding them to obey and be blessed. And it amazes me that thousands of years later, Paul would be writing to these Romans of God’s abiding care over this same people. And I’m in awe that even today, His hand is upon this “hardened Israel” awaiting the time when He will open their eyes to see the Messiah and “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob; and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26-27 ESV). The calling and grace put in play so long ago are still in play today . . . cue the other “able” words . . .

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! (Romans 11:33 ESV)

Beyond fully discovering . . . beyond fully comprehending . . . that’s my God . . . that’s the nature of His ways . . . so much bigger than my little mind . . . so beyond my feeble imagination. And though I may not be able to grasp the full implications of these “able” words . . . He is able . . . with a grace irrevocable . . . judgments unsearchable . . . and, ways inscrutable.

The awe that evokes within me? . . . Indescribable!

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The Response of Righteousness

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Pete

“Righteousness for us” . . . those words jumped off the page. Now, I’ve been reading a lot about righteousness over the past several mornings as I’ve journeyed through the book of Romans . . . but that’s not where I encountered this phrase this morning. In Romans I’ve read of a righteousness by faith . . . a truth that evokes awe and results in joy unspeakable. But the righteousness I read of this morning caused me to react with dread and a foreshadowing feeling of failure.

And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.” (Deuteronomy 6:24-25 ESV)

In the past, when I’ve read Deuteronomy 6 I have focused on the “Shema” . . . the “Hear O Israel” . . . the greatest of all commandments . . . “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:4-5). Amen! He is the LORD our God . . . He is One . . . He is to be loved with all heart, soul, mind and strength. There’s not a higher or more holy calling than to love God unreservedly. But I realize that I embrace it through grace . . . that I aspire to it because it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. But what if my righteous standing before God depended on the degree to which I obeyed the Shema? What if that were the “price of admission” into the most holy of holies and communion with the Father? . . . dread . . . foreshadowing feeling of failure.

Isn’t that Deuteronomy 6:24-25 is saying? As the children of Israel are about to enter the promised land, Moses undertakes a final “pep talk” to prepare the people of God for being the people of God. He reminds them of the commandments given on the holy mount and exhorts them to “be careful to do them” (6:3). “Fear God,” he says, “do ALL these statues . . . and it will be righteousness for us . . . if we are careful to do ALL this commandment before the LORD.” Obedience to the law would be their basis for righteousness.

And I read that and it causes a shudder to run down my back. My righteousness dependent upon my ability to keep ALL the commandments of God? Talk about your no-win situation. Cue the sacrifices . . . bring on the sea of blood flowing from the jugulars of animal offerings to atone for failure. A righteousness resting fully upon my will and discipline to obey the law of God? Ugh!

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22 ESV)

There it is! A righteousness apart from the law. A righteousness, the need for which was made clear through the law (Gal. 3:19-24), but which is realized by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. My righteousness this morning is not dependent on my ability to power up myself to keep all His commandments. But my righteousness is through faith in the Son of God who loved me, gave Himself for me, and now lives inside of me.

And so, I seek not to love God in order that I might find favor with God . . . but I desire to love Him will all my heart, soul, mind and strength as a response to the unmerited favor I have already know in His Son. Far from the Shema being the requirement for righteousness, it is the response of righteousness — the righteousness I possess in Christ . . . amen?

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A Song Sung in the Shadow

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Pete

That Psalm 63 is a psalm of praise is unmistakable. All I have to do is sit back and see the number of verses I have underlined with my brown colored pencil. Underline in brown . . . that’s my color code for “worship & praise.” “Because Your steadfast love is better than life,” pens the psalmist, “my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands” (Ps. 63:3-4 ESV). The king rejoices in His God . . . he glories in the One in whom he trusts. But what grabs me this morning is that this psalm is written by David when he was in the wilderness . . . it is a song sung in the shadow.

There’s something about the worship that comes out of trial . . . something unique about the passion of praise which results from the pressure of going through the ringer. Pretense is removed . . . self-sufficient pride is gone . . . all that’s left is the sufferer and the Sovereign . . . and from the shadow, there is a song to be sung.

David is on the run from those “who seek to destroy my life” (63:9) . . . he is in “a dry and weary land where there is no water” (63:1b). And what does he do in such a desperate situation? “O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You . . . So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding Your power and glory” (63:1-2). Seeking . . . thirsting . . . fainting . . . beholding . . . there’s something about the wilderness that strips away all the clutter and helps the child of God to focus on that which is most needful. When you’re hungry, you look for food . . . when you’re thirsty, you try to find something to wet your lips . . . when you’re lost, you look for some direction . . . when you’re down, you tend to look up . . . look way up. And how often, in those times does God invite us into His holy presence to behold afresh His power and glory? And it is from that place that some of the most heartfelt, heaven penetrating, worship is offered . . .

“For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.” (Psalm 63:7 ESV)

The shadow of the wilderness gives way to the shadow of His wings . . . the scorching heat of the desert is dissipated as we seek refuge in the shade of the God of heaven . . . and from there a song of joy emanates.

That trials will come . . . that deserts will be entered . . . that enemies will arise . . . all are certain. But that there is a place of protection . . . that there is a rock to stand firm upon . . . a promise to hold fast to . . . and a wing under which we can find rest . . . is equally certain. And from that shadow there is not only rest, but through His all-sufficient grace there is rejoicing.

Think about it, how much closer can you get to the God than to be under His wing? How much nearer . . . how much more intimate? When you’re that close it’s not just a morsel of food that’s given to satisfy the hunger, but a banquet to feast upon. Not just a drip of water upon the tongue to satisfy the thirst, but a gushing well of living water reviving the very soul. Not just a Google map to help you navigate the way, but the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, God Himself, indwelling you and leading you in paths of righteousness. Isn’t that why, so often, some of the sweetest praise comes from the toughest times. I’m thinkin’!

Praise God for the shadow . . . not for the darkness of the depths of suffering . . . but for the shaded, cool protective covering of Jehovah. For there is a song sung in the shadow which ascends to heaven as a sweet and acceptable offering. A song written on hearts that realize a peace that passes understanding and a praise fueled solely by the God who draws near to us when we draw near to Him (James 4:8).

Sing saint! Sing for joy! Lift your hands! Seek Him . . . thirst for Him . . . faint for Him . . . and then, behold Him in the sanctuary . . . full of power and glory! And then sing the song from the shadow . . . for His glory . . . amen!

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God Alone

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Pete

That David knew the “storms of life” is a bit of an understatement. It seems that, for more seasons than not in his life, his life was turned upside down by something. Whether it was hiding from Saul who was trying to save his throne by taking out the young upstart shepherd, or running from Philistine enemies who wanted him dead or alive (preferably dead), or eventually fleeing from his own son who wanted daddy’s kingdom for himself, David and tumult seemed to find each other. And beyond the external wars he waged, he too found himself battling inner demons as he dealt with the guilt that comes from killing a friend and stealing his wife and thus, sinning against the God he adored. A lot of storms in David’s life . . . so where did stability come from . . . where could calm be found . . . ?

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. (Psalm 61:1-2, 5-6 ESV)

You can’t help but take notice of things that are repeated in Scripture. Repetition is emphasis. And so, in asking the questions what can quiet the soul amidst the storms of life? . . . what can restore balance to an unbalanced world? . . . what can silence the raging winds? . . . the answer is twice given so that I might not miss it. God alone.

The presence of God alone could awe the storm-tossed soul of the psalmist into quietude. To turn his eyes from the insanity around him to the God before him could calm the anxiety within him. Rather than take inventory of how poorly the battle was going, David instead brings every thought into captivity to consider again that salvation comes from God . . . that God alone is his stability . . . and salvation . . . and refuge . . . and so, if God be all these things, then, says the psalmist, “I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Easier said than done . . . to shift our attention away from the stuff that’s creaming us and toward the God who has promised to never leave us or forsake us . . . but when, by His grace and through the Spirit within us, we determine to look to God alone . . . then soul, know blessed assurance . . . experience the rest of those secure in the hand of Gods . . . drink deep from the waters of submission . . . feast on the fruit of faith.

And it is when the soul is silent that the heart can best cry out . . .

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah (Psalm 62:8 ESV)

As believers we have been granted access into the most holy place and invited to confidently draw near to His throne of grace, “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). And, as we act upon that invitation . . . and enter, by faith, the inner sanctuary where God dwells, and behold afresh His glory and majesty . . . it is then that our souls are silenced . . . and our hearts are primed . . . and communion becomes active. It is there that we are reminded that He is God and we are not . . . that in God alone we can find refuge . . . that in God alone lies our hope . . . that for God alone, O my soul, wait in silence.

“O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus . . . look full in His wonderful face . . .
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim . . .
in the light of His glory and grace.” (Helen H. Lemmel)

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The Glory to be Revealed

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Pete

I wish it were my line, but it isn’t . . . it’s someone else’s . . . but it’s good . . . “Nature’s music is in the minor key” (William MacDonald). Okay, so doesn’t that present a picture . . . or at least a sound? The wonder of God’s creation is singing . . . the beauty of a melody is present . . . but, in comparison to what it will one day be, it is more of a dirge or a lament than it is a triumphant symphony of celebration. As breathtaking as creation can be, I read this morning that “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Rom. 8:22). It’s a good song today . . . but compared to what’s coming, it’s a sad song. And one day, all creation will raise it’s collective voice in thunderous praise and joy and sing a glad song. That day? It’s the day that the glory will be revealed to us.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. (Romans 8:18-19 ESV)

That there are “sufferings of this present time” is undeniable. Sure, the sufferings are not the same for everyone . . . some suffer more than others . . . the weight borne in different parts of the world is greater than here . . . and, even in our own part of the world, the load varies widely. So too in my immediate world . . . I have friends and dear brothers and sisters in Christ who are carrying grief that I can barely imagine . . . but each of us knows what it is to suffer.

But Paul calls believers to lift their heads . . . to straighten their backs for a moment . . . and compare their present sufferings to “the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Both the NIV and NKJV translate it “the glory to be revealed in us.” Both accurate I think.

I’m captured by that thought . . . “the glory to be revealed.” What will that glory be like? . . . I can only imagine . . . Revelation 21 and 22 fueling my imagination. It is the glory of God . . . revealed in a new heavens and earth . . . seen like the radiance of the most rare of jewels (Rev 21:11). A glory which envelopes a heavenly city without need of a temple “for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” . . . a city with no need for a sun or moon to shine on it, “for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:22-23). And it will be the glory of no more “music in the minor key” . . . no more sad songs . . . “and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:3b-4). Oh, I can’t wait for the glory to be revealed!

And it’s not just me who can’t wait . . . but all of creation, too! As good as it might look on some days, since the fall, creation too has been subjected to futility, bondage, and corruption (Rom. 8:20-21). As beautiful as it might be, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet! What will it be like to fully experience the fullness of God’s creative hand when it too is delivered from the cloud of sin that now hovers over it and is seeded throughout it? We can only imagine that too . . . but for now, the whole creation “groans inwardly” as it awaits also for the glory to be revealed.

And so, “we wait eagerly” for the adoption process to be fully completed . . . when we are taken home to be with our Abba Father . . . when our bodies are redeemed . . . and we are delivered not just from the penalty of sin, and the power of sin, but, praise God, we are delivered from the very presence of sin. “For in this hope we are saved” (Rom. 8:23b, 24).

No more minor keys . . . no more groaning . . .

And so, I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Even so, Lord Jesus come!

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