Psalm 34
The Lord Delivers the Righteous--Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed.
I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. 3 Proclaim with me the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard ⌊him⌋ and saved him from all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him! 9 Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. 10 Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. 11 Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who delights in life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. 14 Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry for help. 16 The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to erase all memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit. 19 Many adversities come to the one who is righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all. 20 He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Evil brings death to the sinner, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. 22 The Lord redeems the life of His servants, and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished.
Is your face radiant with joy? Mark you don't know my circumstances! Is your face radiant with joy? Under the circumstances I think I am doing pretty good! Is your face radiant with joy? GET OUT FROM UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES ENTER THE PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD AND LOOK TO HIM! Is your face radiant with joy?
Do you fear/greatly reverence God? Consider that HE is the creator, sustainer, maker of all things seen and unseen and HE is the one who did not spare HIS OWN Son, but sent HIM for us all...DO YOU RIGHTLY REVERENCE HIM IN THE WAY THAT YOU SPEND YOUR TIME, MONEY, ENERGY? I confess that I have moments where and when I do and there is much time when the currents of this world pull me off course, in the midst of painful circumstances I take my eyes off of Jesus and look to myself...we all knows what happens next...I end up in the ditch.
I love in 2 Kings 6:17 where Elisha's servant is filled with fear because of the army that has come against them. Elisha tells his servant, "Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them." I love this next part, Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. I don't know about you but this takes me to Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church in Eph 1:18, ⌊I pray⌋ that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints,
That brings us to the next question, do you daily TASTE AND SEE that the LORD IS GOOD? NO...DO YOU MOMENT BY MOMENT TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD?
Let's think about our recent readings in Exodus, what was the purpose of everything? All of the detail, all of the minutia, the intricate detail in the Tabernacle...what was it all about? IT WAS ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF GOD DWELLING AMONG HIS PEOPLE. It is also more importantly for us REDEMPTIVE HISTORY UNFOLDING, it is the redemptive story being told...everything is point to Jesus, everything is a foreshadow of things to come in Christ!
I don't know about you but in recent days every time I saw "everyone whose heart stirs him to..." I cried, OH LORD, stir my heart, move my heart, create in me a clean heart to know YOU, to love YOU, to say "here am I, send me." Whatever it is, what ever YOU want stir my heart...like Moses I long for YOU, for YOUR presence...I don't want the gifts with out the gift giver...forget the gifts...I want YOU!
Exod 25:2--“Tell the Israelites to take an offering for Me. You are to take My offering from everyone whose heart stirs him ⌊to give⌋.
Exod 35:5--Take up an offering for the Lord among you. Let everyone whose heart is willing bring this as the Lord’s offering: gold, silver, and bronze;
Exod 35:21--Everyone whose heart was moved and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the Lord to construct the tent of meeting for every use, and ⌊to make⌋ the holy garments.
Exod 35:26--And all the women whose hearts were moved spun the goat hair by virtue of ⌊their⌋ skill.
Exod 35:29--So the Israelites brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts prompted them to bring ⌊something⌋ for all the work that the Lord, through Moses, had commanded to be done.
Exod 36:2--So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the Lord had placed wisdom, everyone whose heart moved him, to come to the work and do it.
Now if God moved in their hearts before Pentecost, what will HE do NOW? Consider John 1:14 The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth...and consider John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit —the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
You and I have "Christ in us the hope of glory," we have the very presence of God dwelling within us, HIS precious Holy Spirit! In 1 Cor. 6:19-21, Paul teaches us, "Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body."
What price? What did it cost God?
Mt 27:38-53
38 Then two criminals were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 Those who passed by were yelling insults at Him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “The One who would demolish the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked Him and said, 42 “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 He has put His trust in God; let God rescue Him now—if He wants Him! For He said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ” 44 In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with Him kept taunting Him.
The Death of Jesus
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land. 46 At about three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah!”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, and offered Him a drink. 49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him!”
50 Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. 51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had gone to their rest were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.
What is it all about? IT is about the Rule and Reign of God (Kingdom of God) in the hearts and minds of HIS people. The veil was ripped from top to bottom, Jesus body was ripped, HIS blood was spilled that we might DELIGHT IN GOD, ENJOYING HIM FOREVER...ONE PASTOR PUTS IT THIS WAY...GOD IS MOST GLORIFIED IN US WHEN WE ARE MOST SATISFIED IN HIM. It is about the presence of God
Father in heaven,
open the eyes of our hearts that we might "taste and see" that YOU are good...Father because YOU have opened the way for us, Your children to know YOU through the blood of YOUR Son, enable us to praise YOU at all times, to boast in YOU and YOU alone, to proclaim YOUR greatness and exalt YOUR name! Holy Spirit teach us to pursue our heavenly Father above all things...TO LOOK TO HIM SO THAT ARE FACES WILL BE RADIANT WITH JOY, THE JOY OF THE LORD! Enable us to fear and reverence our great God, to TASTE AND SEE THAT HE IS GOOD...TO COME TO HIM AND HIM ALONE FOR REFUGE. As adversities come please enable us the grace and wisdom to call on YOU and to look to YOU for deliverance. Deliver me from looking to myself...I long to have eyes for YOU and YOU alone.
love,
m