Ever since I was a young boy I used to marvel at the moon. I would think about how amazing it was that the moon I was gazing at was the exact same moon that was in the old movies I used to watch. In my limited thinking, a 40 year old moon was pretty cool.
This was long before I was a born again believer in Christ Jesus. But still I knew there was something special about the moon, aside from it’s history in cinema.
Today when I look at the moon, I still marvel at it. This morning as I was driving in to work our beautiful, full moon hung over downtown San Diego, shining brightly against the crisp, clear sky. The exact same moon that I marveled at as a young man, the exact same moon that is captured for all time in those old movies I watched. But now as a believer and follower of Christ, it means even more.
The moon has been hanging in the sky since time began.
“And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:14-18 ESV)
The moon we see in the sky today is the exact same moon that lit the night in the Garden of Eden as Adam and Eve walked the earth. The same moon that lit the lonely waters as Noah and the Ark drifted on the seas in search of a new world. The same moon that led the Jews out of Egypt. The same moon that hung over Bethlehem when Jesus was born.
The Garden of Eden is gone. The earth’s landscape has changed. Temples have fallen. But the moon remains the same.
We don’t need a team of scientists and archaeologists to create a model of what they believe Adam’s moon looked like. We don’t have to visit a museum to see a fragment of our ancient moon displayed behind thick security glass for us to imagine what it must have been like.
Aside from some old car parts and a few flags left there by the space program, it remains unblemished and unchanged from the day God created it.
And for me that is what I was reminded of this morning. God is always there for us. He is unchanging. I can count on Him to always be there from the beginning of time to the end of time. I have assurance that He will fill my darkness with His light.
Back when we were dating, at the end of each day I would call Marissa to say goodnight. On the nights like last night when the moon was full, we would both go outside and find the moon in the sky. “Our moon is beautiful tonight” I would tell her, and at that moment we felt a special connection. Even though we were not physically together, we were connected by the knowledge of knowing we were both looking at the same moon at that moment. To this day, my first instinct when I see a full moon is to share it with Marissa.
The moon has a special place in my heart. It is a revelation of God’s glory and omnipresence in my life. It is a symbol of the blessings He has bestowed up me. It is yet another tangible reminder in my life that God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Sunrises And Sunsets
Part of my morning ritual during the week is to climb into my truck, start the engine and then as the motor warms up dedicate the time of solitude to prayer. At this time of year, dawn is beginning to break. I love how after my prayer time, when I open my eyes it’s slightly brighter outside. By my communion with God in prayer, I literally feel like He has shown His light upon me!
This morning after I opened my eyes, I noticed in the eastern part of the sky some deep oranges and reds beginning to emerge as the sun was drawing closer to the horizon. I’ve spoken before about general revelation, and how God reveals Himself to us in nature. For me, sunrises and sunsets are one of my favorite times to see God reflected in nature’s beauty. The magnificent displays of color in the skies is often breathtaking, and I will always find time out of my morning or evening to pause and admire this blessed gift God has given us.
This morning as I was driving to work, I began to think about sunrises and sunsets, and I was preparing in my head a message about how the colors we see in the sky are actually a product of pollution in the air, but God still uses that filth and has grace on man’s abuse of resources to still present something beautiful for us. I was going to talk about how we don’t deserve sunsets, yada yada yada.
But then I decided to do a little research before I began writing, and guess what? The colors we see in sunrises and sunsets are not caused by pollution in the air. It’s an urban myth!
According to Steven Ackerman, professor of meteorology at UW-Madison, the colors of the sunset result from a phenomenon called scattering, when molecules and small particles in the atmosphere change the direction of light rays, causing them to scatter. Scattering affects the color of light coming from the sky, but the details are determined by the wavelength of the light and the size of the particle. The short-wavelength blue and violet are scattered by molecules in the air much more than other colors of the spectrum. This is why blue and violet light reaches our eyes from all directions on a clear day. But because we can't see violet very well, the sky appears blue.
Scattering also explains the colors of the sunrise and sunset. Because the sun is low on the horizon, sunlight passes through more air at sunset and sunrise than during the day, when the sun is higher in the sky. More atmosphere means more molecules to scatter the violet and blue light away from your eyes. If the path is long enough, all of the blue and violet light scatters out of your line of sight. The other colors continue on their way to your eyes. This is why sunsets are often yellow, orange, and red. And because red has the longest wavelength of any visible light, the sun is red when it’s on the horizon, where its extremely long path through the atmosphere blocks all other colors.
Pollution in the air does contribute to this phenomenon, but it is not the cause.
Fascinating as this bit of knowledge is, there is a greater lesson to be learned. What this series of events reminded me of is that we must never take information we hear or read as truth just because someone tells us it’s true, or because large groups of people think that way. How many times have you forwarded an email or some other bit of trivia only to find out later through snopes.com or some other source that it was false? An urban legend?
The Bible tells us of a group of people in Greece that had great discernment and were skilled at dispelling falsehoods.
“The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:10-11 ESV)
The Berean people were hungry for God’s Word, but they also had great discernment. They had a reputation for checking everything they heard against God’s holy word as revealed to them in scripture.
As Christian believers, we have that same responsibility. We must always check what we hear, or what we are taught against what God says. This is how false teachers gain dominion over so many followers. False teachers will stand before you disguised as men of God preaching a message of lies and deceit because they know their followers aren’t going to do their own research. They prey on people that follow blindly without discernment.
Any time you receive information presented to you as fact, it is your responsibility to check it’s validity. Be your own myth buster! Don’t be lead through live by lies and misrepresentations. With today’s technology, you can dispel any myth in mere moments. It took me about 2 minutes to discover the truth about sunsets! But don’t just go with the first answer. Be like the Bereans. Do a thorough search and check a few different reputable sources.
Demand truth in your life. Don’t let others make those decisions for you.
I pray that you now look at sunrises and sunsets in a new way. I will never look at them again with a twinge of guilt that the beauty I am beholding was a byproduct of the industrialization of mankind. Now I am free to accept those awesome displays of radiance and beauty as a gift from God; a tangible display the glory of God as reflected in nature. I will also be reminded to seek the truth in all matters and not trust everything I hear. Makes them even more special now, doesn’t it?
This morning after I opened my eyes, I noticed in the eastern part of the sky some deep oranges and reds beginning to emerge as the sun was drawing closer to the horizon. I’ve spoken before about general revelation, and how God reveals Himself to us in nature. For me, sunrises and sunsets are one of my favorite times to see God reflected in nature’s beauty. The magnificent displays of color in the skies is often breathtaking, and I will always find time out of my morning or evening to pause and admire this blessed gift God has given us.
This morning as I was driving to work, I began to think about sunrises and sunsets, and I was preparing in my head a message about how the colors we see in the sky are actually a product of pollution in the air, but God still uses that filth and has grace on man’s abuse of resources to still present something beautiful for us. I was going to talk about how we don’t deserve sunsets, yada yada yada.
But then I decided to do a little research before I began writing, and guess what? The colors we see in sunrises and sunsets are not caused by pollution in the air. It’s an urban myth!
According to Steven Ackerman, professor of meteorology at UW-Madison, the colors of the sunset result from a phenomenon called scattering, when molecules and small particles in the atmosphere change the direction of light rays, causing them to scatter. Scattering affects the color of light coming from the sky, but the details are determined by the wavelength of the light and the size of the particle. The short-wavelength blue and violet are scattered by molecules in the air much more than other colors of the spectrum. This is why blue and violet light reaches our eyes from all directions on a clear day. But because we can't see violet very well, the sky appears blue.
Scattering also explains the colors of the sunrise and sunset. Because the sun is low on the horizon, sunlight passes through more air at sunset and sunrise than during the day, when the sun is higher in the sky. More atmosphere means more molecules to scatter the violet and blue light away from your eyes. If the path is long enough, all of the blue and violet light scatters out of your line of sight. The other colors continue on their way to your eyes. This is why sunsets are often yellow, orange, and red. And because red has the longest wavelength of any visible light, the sun is red when it’s on the horizon, where its extremely long path through the atmosphere blocks all other colors.
Pollution in the air does contribute to this phenomenon, but it is not the cause.
Fascinating as this bit of knowledge is, there is a greater lesson to be learned. What this series of events reminded me of is that we must never take information we hear or read as truth just because someone tells us it’s true, or because large groups of people think that way. How many times have you forwarded an email or some other bit of trivia only to find out later through snopes.com or some other source that it was false? An urban legend?
The Bible tells us of a group of people in Greece that had great discernment and were skilled at dispelling falsehoods.
“The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:10-11 ESV)
The Berean people were hungry for God’s Word, but they also had great discernment. They had a reputation for checking everything they heard against God’s holy word as revealed to them in scripture.
As Christian believers, we have that same responsibility. We must always check what we hear, or what we are taught against what God says. This is how false teachers gain dominion over so many followers. False teachers will stand before you disguised as men of God preaching a message of lies and deceit because they know their followers aren’t going to do their own research. They prey on people that follow blindly without discernment.
Any time you receive information presented to you as fact, it is your responsibility to check it’s validity. Be your own myth buster! Don’t be lead through live by lies and misrepresentations. With today’s technology, you can dispel any myth in mere moments. It took me about 2 minutes to discover the truth about sunsets! But don’t just go with the first answer. Be like the Bereans. Do a thorough search and check a few different reputable sources.
Demand truth in your life. Don’t let others make those decisions for you.
I pray that you now look at sunrises and sunsets in a new way. I will never look at them again with a twinge of guilt that the beauty I am beholding was a byproduct of the industrialization of mankind. Now I am free to accept those awesome displays of radiance and beauty as a gift from God; a tangible display the glory of God as reflected in nature. I will also be reminded to seek the truth in all matters and not trust everything I hear. Makes them even more special now, doesn’t it?
Psalm 26 ~ Are You Ready To Be Tested?
Psalm 26 kind of called me out this morning. King David begins his prayer with:
"Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness."
David is so confident of his faith and obedience to God, that he invites God to look into his heart and judge him. In English, to vindicate means to clear one's name, but here the original Greek word is "shaphat" which means to judge, govern or punish. David goes on to ask the LORD to test his heart. The word test here refers to a process similar to that used in purifying metals. David is literally asking God to put his feet to the fire, to purify him and to weed out his impurities.
Are you that confident in your walk with Christ? Are you so sure of your faith and obedience to God that you can say to Him that you are prepared to endure His testing and scrutiny? I don't know about you, but I've still got a few issues to work out before I could be that bold.
I'm not sure though, that this is the message God wants’ us to take away from this Psalm. I think it is more of an assurance that no matter where we are in our walk, we should always be willing to ask God to examine our hearts, and for Him to reveal to us where we are falling short. God knows we aren't going to be perfect, and if we wait for that time in our lives when we feel like we've got all our sins under control and are walking like Christ, then we're missing out on what I believe is the true blessing of this Psalm.
God doesn't expect perfection from us, but He does expect accountability. He wants us to keep short accounts with Him. As believers we are forgiven of our sins, so we need not fear His judgment. We've already been justified (reconciled or made right before God) and as believers we take heart in knowing that our salvation can not be taken away. As believers we should also have a desire to perfect our lives with the standard of Christ as our goal.
So with this in mind I resolve to invite God to prove me, try me and to test my heart and mind because I do desire to walk in His faithfulness. I invite God to show me the holes in my armor and to keep me vigilant not complacent in my battle against sin. I know I can not do this alone but only through the steadfast love, wisdom and strength of God. Are you ready to be tested?
"Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness.
I do not sit with men of falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
I hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.
I wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, O LORD,
proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.
O LORD, I love the habitation of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.
But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
My foot stands on level ground;
in the great assembly I will bless the LORD."
(Psalm 26 ESV)
"Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness."
David is so confident of his faith and obedience to God, that he invites God to look into his heart and judge him. In English, to vindicate means to clear one's name, but here the original Greek word is "shaphat" which means to judge, govern or punish. David goes on to ask the LORD to test his heart. The word test here refers to a process similar to that used in purifying metals. David is literally asking God to put his feet to the fire, to purify him and to weed out his impurities.
Are you that confident in your walk with Christ? Are you so sure of your faith and obedience to God that you can say to Him that you are prepared to endure His testing and scrutiny? I don't know about you, but I've still got a few issues to work out before I could be that bold.
I'm not sure though, that this is the message God wants’ us to take away from this Psalm. I think it is more of an assurance that no matter where we are in our walk, we should always be willing to ask God to examine our hearts, and for Him to reveal to us where we are falling short. God knows we aren't going to be perfect, and if we wait for that time in our lives when we feel like we've got all our sins under control and are walking like Christ, then we're missing out on what I believe is the true blessing of this Psalm.
God doesn't expect perfection from us, but He does expect accountability. He wants us to keep short accounts with Him. As believers we are forgiven of our sins, so we need not fear His judgment. We've already been justified (reconciled or made right before God) and as believers we take heart in knowing that our salvation can not be taken away. As believers we should also have a desire to perfect our lives with the standard of Christ as our goal.
So with this in mind I resolve to invite God to prove me, try me and to test my heart and mind because I do desire to walk in His faithfulness. I invite God to show me the holes in my armor and to keep me vigilant not complacent in my battle against sin. I know I can not do this alone but only through the steadfast love, wisdom and strength of God. Are you ready to be tested?
"Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness.
I do not sit with men of falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
I hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.
I wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, O LORD,
proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.
O LORD, I love the habitation of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.
But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
My foot stands on level ground;
in the great assembly I will bless the LORD."
(Psalm 26 ESV)
Psalm 19 ~ Comfort And Assurance
I have been reading my way through the Book of Psalms and am continually blessed by the comfort and assurance these passages bring me. Psalm 19 begins with an illustration of General Revelation, or how God is revealed to us through nature.
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
(Psalm 19:1-6 ESV)
We see evidence of God in the daytime sky in the power of the Sun and at night in the comforting glow of the moon and the stars. The LORD proclaims His handiwork to every living soul on earth every day and every night. His voice can be heard in every corner of the world … if you are listening.
Every man, woman and child on Earth has living proof that God exists if their heart is open to that knowledge. Verses 4 and 5 caught my attention this morning because they reminded me of our personal relationship with God as believers.
“In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber”
In our hearts he (God) has set a tent (dwelling place) for the sun (God’s Sovereignty), which comes out like a bridegroom (Jesus) leaving his chamber (Jesus was sent to Earth by God). For me, these verses confirm the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in my heart. I love the analogy of God being the sun as my heart is warmed and comforted by the knowledge of knowing He is here by my side.
Verse 6 reminds me that “nothing is hidden from it’s heat”. God searches my heart and there is nothing I can hide from him. He knows us better than we know ourselves.
In verses 12 and 13 the psalmist David writes:
“Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.”
Our hidden faults are sins we either forget and file away, suppress, or sins we may not be aware of. Presumptuous sins are committed out of arrogance and are the sins we commit even though we know they are wrong.
God sees all of these sins. Like the sun, His heat will penetrate and His light will illuminate all of our faults. Through confession and repentance we ask God to forgive us of these sins and to protect us so that sin does not have dominion (control) over us. No amount of good deeds can ever erase the sins we commit. Faith alone in Jesus and the grace of God is the only way we can be considered “blameless and innocent of great transgression”.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
"The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."
(Psalm 19 ESV)
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
(Psalm 19:1-6 ESV)
We see evidence of God in the daytime sky in the power of the Sun and at night in the comforting glow of the moon and the stars. The LORD proclaims His handiwork to every living soul on earth every day and every night. His voice can be heard in every corner of the world … if you are listening.
Every man, woman and child on Earth has living proof that God exists if their heart is open to that knowledge. Verses 4 and 5 caught my attention this morning because they reminded me of our personal relationship with God as believers.
“In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber”
In our hearts he (God) has set a tent (dwelling place) for the sun (God’s Sovereignty), which comes out like a bridegroom (Jesus) leaving his chamber (Jesus was sent to Earth by God). For me, these verses confirm the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in my heart. I love the analogy of God being the sun as my heart is warmed and comforted by the knowledge of knowing He is here by my side.
Verse 6 reminds me that “nothing is hidden from it’s heat”. God searches my heart and there is nothing I can hide from him. He knows us better than we know ourselves.
In verses 12 and 13 the psalmist David writes:
“Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.”
Our hidden faults are sins we either forget and file away, suppress, or sins we may not be aware of. Presumptuous sins are committed out of arrogance and are the sins we commit even though we know they are wrong.
God sees all of these sins. Like the sun, His heat will penetrate and His light will illuminate all of our faults. Through confession and repentance we ask God to forgive us of these sins and to protect us so that sin does not have dominion (control) over us. No amount of good deeds can ever erase the sins we commit. Faith alone in Jesus and the grace of God is the only way we can be considered “blameless and innocent of great transgression”.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
"The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."
(Psalm 19 ESV)
Psalm 10 ~ Never Doubt Your Faith
I was reading Psalm 10 this morning and was reminded how Satan will use doubt to attack our faith. There will be times where the wicked appear to prosper. Evil men appear to receive blessings in the form of wealth and prosperity in the world.
In times like these, Satan will seize these opportunities to cause us to doubt God. Satan will open our eyes to the fact that despite being openly against God, evil people still “succeed”, while attempting to close our hearts to the knowledge that our God is sovereign and just. Satan loves doubt.
When we pray to God to deliver us from evil or trials, we may not get an immediate response. Sometimes we feel frustrated and abandoned by God, and this plants a seed of doubt that He isn’t hearing us, or worse, doesn’t care for us or our situation.
The Apostle Paul prayed to God three times to remove the “thorn in my flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul literally pleaded with God to take that sin away from him, but God did not remove the thorn. Instead, God spoke to Paul and reminded him that “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Did Paul ever doubt God? No. Did he ever waiver in his faith? No.
We must never waiver in our faith in God. We must never doubt that God’s Will be done. Don’t mistake your doubt for perplexity. Just because we don’t understand God’s Will doesn’t make Him any less Sovereign or deserving of our doubt.
God hears our prayers and God answers our prayers. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes our prayers are answered in His timing, not ours.
Sometimes we need to examine our prayers and ask God for wisdom to discern what we are praying for. Paul prayed for God to remove the thorn, but instead God showed him that He was using that thorn for a purpose.
Frequently I use Cinnabuns as a metaphor for sin issues in my life. So bear with me as I use this metaphor to share a personal experience with you.
I love Cinnabuns, but I know that they are not healthy for my diet. If my life is filled with too many Cinnabuns, my health will suffer and will eventually lead to illness and perhaps even death.
I prayed to God and asked him to deliver me from these cravings. I knew that it wasn’t practical for God to remove Cinnabuns from existence, so instead I prayed that he take away my desire to eat them.
God did not take away my desire. No matter how much I prayed, every time I walked by the Cinnabun store my senses were enticed by the smell as I drew closer. My eyes were captured by the sight of those hot, gooey, sweet pastry delights sitting behind that protective glass and no matter how much I tried, I still wanted that Cinnabun.
So I continued to pray and I have to admit that I was beginning to doubt if God was hearing me. I was questioning why God would permit this craving for Cinnabuns to continue in my life. Finally the Holy Spirit dwelling within me finally got my attention and I came to realize that I was praying for the wrong thing. Cinnabuns are not evil, but my obsession with them was. What I needed to pray for was self control. I prayed that God would grant me the ability to choose not to indulge in Cinnabuns.
God answered my prayer. He didn’t take away my desire for Cinnabuns, but he helped me to see that I have the power to say no. To not allow the smell or sight of a Cinnabun to take control of me and lead me into over-indulgence. He gave me the wisdom and discernment to make better choices.
God patiently waited for me to realize what He already knew was best for me. Never doubt that God always has our best interests at heart and knows what is best for us before we do. Never allow Satan to cause our faith to waiver or to cause us to be double-minded. In our prayers and in our lives we must always be all-in, 100% committed to trusting in God to sanctify us and lead us to eventual glory. God is good. All the time. God is good.
"Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
you have been the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.
The LORD is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more."
(Psalm 10:1-16; Psalm 10:17-18 ESV)
In times like these, Satan will seize these opportunities to cause us to doubt God. Satan will open our eyes to the fact that despite being openly against God, evil people still “succeed”, while attempting to close our hearts to the knowledge that our God is sovereign and just. Satan loves doubt.
When we pray to God to deliver us from evil or trials, we may not get an immediate response. Sometimes we feel frustrated and abandoned by God, and this plants a seed of doubt that He isn’t hearing us, or worse, doesn’t care for us or our situation.
The Apostle Paul prayed to God three times to remove the “thorn in my flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul literally pleaded with God to take that sin away from him, but God did not remove the thorn. Instead, God spoke to Paul and reminded him that “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Did Paul ever doubt God? No. Did he ever waiver in his faith? No.
We must never waiver in our faith in God. We must never doubt that God’s Will be done. Don’t mistake your doubt for perplexity. Just because we don’t understand God’s Will doesn’t make Him any less Sovereign or deserving of our doubt.
God hears our prayers and God answers our prayers. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes our prayers are answered in His timing, not ours.
Sometimes we need to examine our prayers and ask God for wisdom to discern what we are praying for. Paul prayed for God to remove the thorn, but instead God showed him that He was using that thorn for a purpose.
Frequently I use Cinnabuns as a metaphor for sin issues in my life. So bear with me as I use this metaphor to share a personal experience with you.
I love Cinnabuns, but I know that they are not healthy for my diet. If my life is filled with too many Cinnabuns, my health will suffer and will eventually lead to illness and perhaps even death.
I prayed to God and asked him to deliver me from these cravings. I knew that it wasn’t practical for God to remove Cinnabuns from existence, so instead I prayed that he take away my desire to eat them.
God did not take away my desire. No matter how much I prayed, every time I walked by the Cinnabun store my senses were enticed by the smell as I drew closer. My eyes were captured by the sight of those hot, gooey, sweet pastry delights sitting behind that protective glass and no matter how much I tried, I still wanted that Cinnabun.
So I continued to pray and I have to admit that I was beginning to doubt if God was hearing me. I was questioning why God would permit this craving for Cinnabuns to continue in my life. Finally the Holy Spirit dwelling within me finally got my attention and I came to realize that I was praying for the wrong thing. Cinnabuns are not evil, but my obsession with them was. What I needed to pray for was self control. I prayed that God would grant me the ability to choose not to indulge in Cinnabuns.
God answered my prayer. He didn’t take away my desire for Cinnabuns, but he helped me to see that I have the power to say no. To not allow the smell or sight of a Cinnabun to take control of me and lead me into over-indulgence. He gave me the wisdom and discernment to make better choices.
God patiently waited for me to realize what He already knew was best for me. Never doubt that God always has our best interests at heart and knows what is best for us before we do. Never allow Satan to cause our faith to waiver or to cause us to be double-minded. In our prayers and in our lives we must always be all-in, 100% committed to trusting in God to sanctify us and lead us to eventual glory. God is good. All the time. God is good.
"Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
you have been the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.
The LORD is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more."
(Psalm 10:1-16; Psalm 10:17-18 ESV)
Psalm 7 ~ If You Feed It, It Will Grow
“Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.” (Psalm 7:14 ESV)
As David describes so vividly in this Psalm, evil enters into man and plants it’s seed. Like any living thing if you feed it, it will grow. So wicked man continues to feed this evil inside him.
Like a pregnant mother nourishes her baby with what she takes into her body, a wicked man nourishes the sin growing inside him by feeding it with more sin.
Soon the wicked man gives birth to the sin inside him by his outward actions. Lies, cheating, deceit are now part of him. Sin isn’t something we do, it’s something we are. If we kill, we are a murderer. If we steal, we are a thief.
If the wicked man does not repent and ask God to forgive him of his sins, then he is powerless against sin. Sin overcomes and takes control of the man and fills his heart, mind and soul with evil.
Guess what? You and I are born as wicked men. If we are not filled with the Holy Spirit then we are slaves to sin and are bound by Satan and his minions. The good news is Christ saves us from that. Christ died on the cross so that we would have the ability to choose not to sin. Sin still enters our lives, and temptations to sin will always be there, but as believers in Christ we have the ability to choose not to get pregnant with sin. If we do not feed the sin that enters into our bodies by what we see and hear, then it we won’t reflect sin in what we say and do.
Garbage in, garbage out. Jesus in, Jesus out. Choose wisely my friend.
"O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,
rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.
O LORD my God, if I have done this,
if there is wrong in my hands,
if I have repaid my friend with evil
or plundered my enemy without cause,
let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,
and let him trample my life to the ground
and lay my glory in the dust. Selah
Arise, O LORD, in your anger;
lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.
Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you;
over it return on high.
The LORD judges the peoples;
judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness
and according to the integrity that is in me.
Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
and may you establish the righteous—
you who test the minds and hearts,
O righteous God!
My shield is with God,
who saves the upright in heart.
God is a righteous judge,
and a God who feels indignation every day.
If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword;
he has bent and readied his bow;
he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,
making his arrows fiery shafts.
Behold, the wicked man conceives evil
and is pregnant with mischief
and gives birth to lies.
He makes a pit, digging it out,
and falls into the hole that he has made.
His mischief returns upon his own head,
and on his own skull his violence descends.
I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High."
(Psalm 7 ESV)
As David describes so vividly in this Psalm, evil enters into man and plants it’s seed. Like any living thing if you feed it, it will grow. So wicked man continues to feed this evil inside him.
Like a pregnant mother nourishes her baby with what she takes into her body, a wicked man nourishes the sin growing inside him by feeding it with more sin.
Soon the wicked man gives birth to the sin inside him by his outward actions. Lies, cheating, deceit are now part of him. Sin isn’t something we do, it’s something we are. If we kill, we are a murderer. If we steal, we are a thief.
If the wicked man does not repent and ask God to forgive him of his sins, then he is powerless against sin. Sin overcomes and takes control of the man and fills his heart, mind and soul with evil.
Guess what? You and I are born as wicked men. If we are not filled with the Holy Spirit then we are slaves to sin and are bound by Satan and his minions. The good news is Christ saves us from that. Christ died on the cross so that we would have the ability to choose not to sin. Sin still enters our lives, and temptations to sin will always be there, but as believers in Christ we have the ability to choose not to get pregnant with sin. If we do not feed the sin that enters into our bodies by what we see and hear, then it we won’t reflect sin in what we say and do.
Garbage in, garbage out. Jesus in, Jesus out. Choose wisely my friend.
"O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,
rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.
O LORD my God, if I have done this,
if there is wrong in my hands,
if I have repaid my friend with evil
or plundered my enemy without cause,
let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,
and let him trample my life to the ground
and lay my glory in the dust. Selah
Arise, O LORD, in your anger;
lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.
Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you;
over it return on high.
The LORD judges the peoples;
judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness
and according to the integrity that is in me.
Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
and may you establish the righteous—
you who test the minds and hearts,
O righteous God!
My shield is with God,
who saves the upright in heart.
God is a righteous judge,
and a God who feels indignation every day.
If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword;
he has bent and readied his bow;
he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,
making his arrows fiery shafts.
Behold, the wicked man conceives evil
and is pregnant with mischief
and gives birth to lies.
He makes a pit, digging it out,
and falls into the hole that he has made.
His mischief returns upon his own head,
and on his own skull his violence descends.
I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High."
(Psalm 7 ESV)
Psalm 5 ~ Beware of False Teaching
I was reading Psalm 5 this morning in my quest to study one Psalm a day. King David is praying to God to cast His judgment upon the evildoers in David’s life. In verse 9 he is speaking of how these evil people lie and deceive when he writes THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE. How’s that for a word picture? These people are so evil and filled with so much filth that when they open their mouths what... comes out is like the stench of dead bodies, rotting in an open grave. Here’s the full verse in context:
"For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue."
Today we are faced with these same evildoers. They are the false teachers in our midst. At first glance they give the appearance of Christians. They come disguised as angels of light teaching the word of God. They use Scripture as a tool to lure followers into Hell with promises of health, wealth and prosperity. They encourage followers to live their “best life now” rather than store their treasures in Heaven. They proclaim salvation via a life of works. They redirect your focus to the teacher rather than to God’s Word. Their teaching omits the true Gospel of salvation by faith alone. They tickle your ears with false messages that twist and pervert the Word of God.
Do not be deceived into believing that you are in control of your life. We are all sheep in need of a shepherd. There are only two shepherds. There is Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and Satan, the False Shepherd. If we are not in daily communion with our Good Shepherd, the False Shepherd is always ready with his wolves to come down the hill and devour us. If we do not consciously make an effort to keep ourselves in the green pastures of Jesus we may fall victim to the worldly influences around us, which are controlled by the False Shepherd.
"Give ear to my words, O LORD;
consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in the fear of you.
Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
you cover him with favor as with a shield."
(Psalm 5 ESV)
"For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue."
Today we are faced with these same evildoers. They are the false teachers in our midst. At first glance they give the appearance of Christians. They come disguised as angels of light teaching the word of God. They use Scripture as a tool to lure followers into Hell with promises of health, wealth and prosperity. They encourage followers to live their “best life now” rather than store their treasures in Heaven. They proclaim salvation via a life of works. They redirect your focus to the teacher rather than to God’s Word. Their teaching omits the true Gospel of salvation by faith alone. They tickle your ears with false messages that twist and pervert the Word of God.
Do not be deceived into believing that you are in control of your life. We are all sheep in need of a shepherd. There are only two shepherds. There is Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and Satan, the False Shepherd. If we are not in daily communion with our Good Shepherd, the False Shepherd is always ready with his wolves to come down the hill and devour us. If we do not consciously make an effort to keep ourselves in the green pastures of Jesus we may fall victim to the worldly influences around us, which are controlled by the False Shepherd.
"Give ear to my words, O LORD;
consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in the fear of you.
Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
you cover him with favor as with a shield."
(Psalm 5 ESV)
More of Christ and Less of Me
This new year I pray for more of Christ in my life and less of me. Last night I was rinsing out the coffee pot and I poured out a cup's worth or so of dirty water into a bowl that was in the sink. As I let the water from the faucet run to rinse out the pot I noticed that the same amount of clean water added to the dirty water did not make it clean. It takes a lot more clean water to purify a dirty vessel than it takes of dirty water to pollute a clean vessel.
Our hearts are vessels that we fill daily. We allow sin into our hearts every day, and our hearts become filled with filth.
Galatians 5:9 teaches us that a little leaven spoils the whole lump. For every spec of sin that enters into our hearts, we must pour in volumes and volumes of Christ's Word and teachings to purge it from our souls.
By my own power, I can do nothing to keep sin from entering into my heart. But with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit I can restore my heart to the clean vessel it was intended to be. A heart that is full of love, peace and understanding. If I can keep my heart full of these things, there remains less room for sin to enter. I must quench my thirsty soul with Christ at every opportunity I get. I want my heart to not only be filled with His living water, but to overflow.
"Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)
Our hearts are vessels that we fill daily. We allow sin into our hearts every day, and our hearts become filled with filth.
Galatians 5:9 teaches us that a little leaven spoils the whole lump. For every spec of sin that enters into our hearts, we must pour in volumes and volumes of Christ's Word and teachings to purge it from our souls.
By my own power, I can do nothing to keep sin from entering into my heart. But with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit I can restore my heart to the clean vessel it was intended to be. A heart that is full of love, peace and understanding. If I can keep my heart full of these things, there remains less room for sin to enter. I must quench my thirsty soul with Christ at every opportunity I get. I want my heart to not only be filled with His living water, but to overflow.
"Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)
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