Fear Him

Psalm 34:11-18

English Standard Version (ESV)

^11 (A)Come, O children, listen to me;
    ^(B)I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
^12 (C)What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may ^(D)see good?
^13 (E)Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from ^(F)speaking deceit.
^14 (G)Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and ^(H)pursue it.

^15 (I)The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    ^(J)and his ears toward their cry.
^16 (K)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to ^(L)cut off the memory of them from the earth.
^17 (M)When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to ^(N)the brokenhearted
    and saves ^(O)the crushed in spirit.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034:11%20-18&version=ESV

 

 

1 Peter 3:10-17

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁰ For

^(A)“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
¹¹ let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

¹³ Now ^(B)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ^14 (C)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. ^(D)Have no fear of them, ^(E)nor be troubled,¹⁵ but ^(F)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, ^(G)always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and ^(H)respect,^16 (I)having a good conscience, so that, ^(J)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷ For ^(K)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20Peter%203:%2010%20-%2017&version=ESV

Paul quotes this scripture in I Peter which tells us how we as Christians should live our lives.  The point that stood out to me was the fear of the Lord that we should all have.  Sometimes in our society today I think that we are becoming less and less fearful of God.  We are becoming more and more a people that think the most important thing in life is to please us.  In many ways we are walking around with a two year old mentality where we think the worlds revolves around us.  We need to be realizing who causes the world to revolve and His greatness.

Here are some questions to ponder:

1.       When things don’t go the way we think they should, do we cry to the Lord and tell Him how it should be or do we cry to the Lord and ask for His guidance to help us stay faithful to Him?

2.      When we sin do we just chalk it up as another way to obtain grace or are we remorseful to our God whom we have sinned against?

3.      Do we find ourselves complaining to God or do we find ourselves crying to God?

4.      Are we truly living lives to please God or are we living our lives to please ourselves or those around us?

5.      We when fall or fail in any situation do we complain about it or do we ask the Lord to teach us how to not fall or fail again? 

6.      When we think about who God is do we see Him first as the Maker of the Universe or do we think of Him as the One that supplies grace?

7.      Do we view God as a friend we can dump on or a God we realize is in control?

The questions could go on and on but I hope you have gotten the point.  Although Christ is our friend, He is also the creator of the universe.  When I was a principal I always wanted my employees to feel that I cared about them.  I always wanted them to feel like I was their friend and that they could talk to me but there was also a line that could not be crossed.  They needed to realize that I was also their superior, not something I lorded over them but something that was a known fact. If for some reason they were disappointed in my actions, they had the right to tell me but I expected them to trust me and respect my decisions.  Insubordination was not something to take lightly and could not to occur under my watch care.  I didn’t take much to whining.

Now that makes sense in the business world and it should make sense as a follower of Christ.  Christ wants to be our friend and He wants to voice our concerns to Him.  Yet many times we find ourselves complaining to Him, it is like saying, “you can’t do it as well as I can”.  In the workforce my pet peeve is having someone tell me how I should do my job (unless it is my boss), it is like they think they could do it so much better than I can yet they may not have the education or experience that I have had or they simply may only be hearing one side of the scenario.  Now, put that in the context of speaking to our Father in Heaven.  He is the creator of this universe and yet we tell Him how it should be?  He can see the future, He knows what is best for us, yet we continue to try to tell Him how it should be.

The secret of success is found in the fear the Lord.   When we fear Him we will trust Him and if we trust Him, He will guide us, and if He guides us, we find our actions and our words reflect Him.  When our lives reflect Him, we have found success.  Attitudes fixed on Him rather than this life will change the way we view our place in this world.

Seek Him and His ways and stop seeking your desires, your hopes, and your dreams unless they lead to the path of righteousness in Christ Jesus.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Taste

Psalm 34:8-10

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁸ Oh, ^(A)taste and see that ^(B)the Lord is good!
    ^(C)Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
⁹ Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
^10 (D)The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who ^(E)seek the Lord lack no good thing.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034:8-10&version=ESV)

Have you had the experience of salvation?  If you have, you have tasted the Lord and found that He is good!  Have you ever been in a bad situation, maybe you lost someone you loved and everything should have been gloom yet there was a peace about you in that situation?  If you have, you have tasted the Lord and found that He is good!  The scenarios can go on and on of the ways that the Lord is good.  Usually it is in the bad times that we really see all of His goodness.  So, these verses aren’t saying that everything that happens in this life is good but rather that God is good.

Those who do not fear the Lord do not handle bad situations the same as those who do fear Him.  If you have been in a bad situation and blamed it all on the Lord, even to the point of cussing Him, you don’t fear Him. Those who tend to blame God don’t really fear Him.  They may tell God to just go away during their frustration.  But for those who cry out to Him, He will hear and He will comfort.  Nothing will lack for those who seek Him because He is all they need.

As you go through trials of life, may you seek Him with your whole heart and find that He is the One that is worthy of praise and glory.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

What is Our Life Reflecting?

Psalm 34:4-7

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴ I ^(A)sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are ^(B)radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
^6 (C)This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and ^(D)saved him out of all his troubles.
^7 (E)The angel of the Lord ^(F)encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034:4%20-%207&version=ESV)

This entire blog began because I was in distress and began seeking the Lord’s wisdom and direction.  It was not because I had it all together and felt like I needed to share with everyone the great wisdom bestowed upon me.  I had remembered that when I cried out to the Lord in the past and sought Him out, situations did not change but my attitude did.  When I began this journey it was my desire to include others in it so that they too would be reading God’s word and seeking Him and that they too would be changed as they sought Him.  It is my hope that I am not the only one that benefited from this blog but that others too have grown in their love for the Lord and have found their confidence in Him.  It is also my hope that attitudes may have changed throughout this blog.  Situations do not always change as fast as we would like or they may not change at all but if we are seeking God in the process,  our attitudes will reflect peace and contentment rather than strife and distress.

Many people seem to think that once you know the Lord you will have no more troubles but this Psalm proves otherwise.  David knew the Lord, there is no doubt of that.  From a young boy who about to slay a giant, he knew that it was not by his own power but by the power of the Lord.  He knew that he would one day be king and that it was only through the power of the Lord that this would happen but he had troubles along the way.  There were times that he tried to do things on his own strength only to find out that when he did, troubles ensued.  That is not any different for us.  Sometimes when we think we have it under control that is when we slip up and things go all wrong.  It is only when we are confident that God is in control that we realize that we can be at peace in any situation.  The problem is we say He is in control and when things don’t go the way we want we think we need to take over and do it ourselves, MISTAKE!!!!!  We become downcast, disgruntled, grumbly, and really hard to live with.

The contrast of that kind of life is to be humble, trusting of our Savior, willing to do anything for His glory, and always seeking His wisdom.  Sometimes I think the Lord allows us to go down roads that we really shouldn’t go down just to lead us back to Him.  Yet, if we continually seek His face our face will reflect His.  Think about it, if we are looking upon Him, our faces will be radiant because we will reflect His glory.  No, it is not our glory that will shine and be radiant it is His.  Even in the midst of troubles, He is there, He is watching down over us, and He knows our pain.  If we but simply look upon His face, our situation may or may not change but our outlook on the situation will.

Seek Him so that you may shine for Him.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

Give God the Praise

Psalm 34:1-3

English Standard Version (ESV)

 ^[a] Of David, when he ^(A)changed his behavior before ^(B)Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34 I will bless the Lord ^(C)at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul ^(D)makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and ^(E)be glad.
³ Oh, ^(F)magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034:%201%20-3&version=ESV)

As I looked at the references to the occasion that David is writing about, my Bible reference suggested that it came from I Samuel 21:13.  If this is true, it does not show us how wonderful and holy David is but how gracious and forgiving our Father is.

I Samuel 21:13 refers to a time when David found himself amongst the Philistines and became very nervous.  Rather than trusting the Lord he took it upon himself to become a fake.  He acted like a mad-man in order to be thrown out of the city by the King.  He was no longer seen as the strong man that he really was.  In essence, he lied.  Lying is something that we are told by God not to do.  Yet, God had the grace and the love to forgive David for not trusting him.  So often we make the mistake when we look at our Bible heroes to praise them rather than praising God.  It was God that prompted the king to send him on his way.  The king could have very easily said that he was unworthy of life and had him killed.  Yet God prompted him to let him go.

Ephesians 4:25

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you ^(A)speak the truth with his neighbor, for ^(B)we are members one of another.

This verse encourages us to not be false, don’t fake it, there is absolutely nothing to fake,  if indeed you can say like the Psalmist,  34 “I will bless the Lord ^(C)at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”  Take note, this is not asking God to bless David but proclaiming that God is the One that deserves the blessing. 

As we live our lives we need to be cognizant of who our Savior is.  Once we have a clearer picture of Him we will no longer have to think that this world revolves around us and see that He is the One in whom our lives should revolve around.

As you seek Him today may you find that He is truly in control and that He deserves our continual faithfulness and adoration.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

He is Watching

Psalm 33:13-22

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹³ The Lord ^(A)looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
¹⁴ from ^(B)where he sits enthroned he ^(C)looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
¹⁵ he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
^16 (D)The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
^17 (E)The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.

¹⁸ Behold, ^(F)the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    ^(G)on those who hope in his steadfast love,
¹⁹ that he may ^(H)deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in ^(I)famine.

²⁰ Our soul ^(J)waits for the Lord;
    he is our ^(K)help and ^(L)our shield.
²¹ For our heart is ^(M)glad in him,
    because we ^(N)trust in his holy name.
²² Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2033:%2013-22&version=ESV)

When loved ones die in this world you often hear, “They are watching down over you”, that is something that I am really not sure of.  But one thing I know, my God is watching down on me and that is all that really matters.  He knows our every move and so we best be on our best behavior. Nothing slips by Him.  Yet, He is a God who forgives and  receives us even when we don’t trust. 

When affliction comes our way, He knows because He is watching.  What a comforting thought but also remember when we sin against Him, He is watching too.  Why is it that we doubt and we lose heart when we have a God who is guiding us?  Why is it that we continually sin even though we know it will make Him sad.

As you seek Him today, ask Him to guide you through this obstacle called life.  He knows exactly where you are in that maze and He will see that you make it safely through.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

Trust = Blessings

Psalm 33:10-12

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁰ The Lord ^(A)brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
^11 (B)The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
^12 (C)Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has ^(D)chosen as his heritage!

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2033:10%20-%2012&version=ESV

How many of you are planners?  I certainly am and when my plans get off- kilter I begin to fret.  I get a little irritable and I begin to grumble.  My husband would probably question the “a little” in the previous sentence!  Anyway, that is not the correct response to plans that go awry.  For my plans are not really my plans but rather the plans of the Father.  Let’s just think about that for a bit, His plans, not my/your plans.  The creator of this world, the One who is and was and is to come, they are His plans!!!!  Why is it that I should fret when the creator of this universe is in control?  Why is it that I think I know best for me when the Lord is my counsel?  Often times His plans and my plans seem to have a collision, is it because I am not trusting?  Is it because I am not seeking His counsel prior to making those plans?  Is it simply because I just don’t always know what I want or what is best for me so He decides?  I seem to have more questions than answers but I believe verse 12 gives us our answer.

We are truly blessed when we put our full trust in Him.  “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”, David might have thought he was speaking of the nation of Israel, God’s chosen nation, His chosen people.  Yet David did not know the plans of the Lord.  He chose David’s line to bring the Savior of all nations, of all people, into this world.  Whether the nation in which we live proclaims their trust in the One True God or whether it is merely a group of individuals within that nation that trust, God will bless His people.  His people who are scattered all over this world will be blessed when they put their trust in Him. He has chosen many to be His heritage.  If you are one of those, be thankful in whatever circumstance you may find yourself because, for some reason, God is working His plan out in you.  That is one lesson that I am continually repeating each and every day.

Seek Him and be blessed by Him when you put your complete trust in Him.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila   

Worship and Praise Him

Psalm 33:1-9

English Standard Version (ESV)

33 ^(A)Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    ^(B)Praise befits the upright.
² Give thanks to the Lord with the ^(C)lyre;
    make melody to him with ^(D)the harp of ^(E)ten strings!
³ Sing to him ^(F)a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

⁴ For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all his work is done in ^(G)faithfulness.
⁵ He ^(H)loves righteousness and justice;
    ^(I)the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

⁶ By ^(J)the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    and by ^(K)the breath of his mouth all ^(L)their host.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea as ^(M)a heap;
    he ^(N)puts the deeps in storehouses.

⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
⁹ For ^(O)he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2033:%201%20-%209&version=ESV)

The age old debate, “What kind of instruments belong in the church?”   From what I understand this is not a new debate but one that spans over many generations.  Even the piano and the organ were once taboo in the churches (and still is in some), they were bar instruments, not meant to be used in the holy place. I don’t know of many churches that use harps and lyres today like is mentioned in this scripture.  But that really isn’t the point.   David did play the harp skillfully and that is what he used to praise the Lord.   

Then, the next question, “Do we sing hymns or praise songs?”  Funny, I thought hymns were praise songs!!!!  The first definition in the Bing  Wikipedia dictionary is this, “ A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure orpersonification. The word hymn derives from Greek ὕμνος (hymnos), which means "a song of praise". Collections of hymns are known as hymnals or hymnbooks.”

I would certainly consider a “praise song” a hymn!!!!  Some may debate by “new song” we should change styles of music but I personally don’t think that is what this is saying.  I think the psalmist is telling us that the new song should be more in our attitude of praise.  Realizing what the Lord has done for us should be the bases for our praise not what type of song we are singing. 

So often when we are in worship service we get stuck on how we are singing rather to whom we are singing.  We get stuck on how loud the music is or how often we repeat a phrase, or that we can’t hear ourselves sing, and the list goes on.  At that point we are not singing a new song in our heart or if we are it certainly isn’t the song our Savior wants us to sing! 

When we praise the Lord we need to meditate on who we are singing to.  We need to realize that we are praising the One who made this world, the One who commands all things into being.  We need to focus on being in awe of Him not on the style of music, not on whether we should stand or sit, raise our hands, clap, and not on whether the person next to us is singing in tune or not but rather we should focus on the Lord!  When we do that, the music will bring glory to Him, there will be loud shouts of praise and adoration that has nothing to do with the song being sung!  There will be joy in the hearts of everyone.

Next time you have the opportunity, seek the Lord during your praise to Him and you will find Him in the midst of all that brings Glory to Him, whether from the hymnbook or the notebook.  If you don’t like the song being sung, then sing your own song to Him in your heart, He will hear it!  My dad never sings out loud at church even though he can sing, but I believe he worships even in his silence.  So, if you don’t like the song, don’t sing it, it won’t bring praise to the One you are to be praising.  Praise time should focus on the One worthy of praise, so be silent and focus on Him not your surroundings. If you are too tired to stand, then sit, but whatever you do, don’t focus on this world and its inhabitants, focus on the Lord and His glory and praise time will be a time of joy no matter what or how it is being sung! 

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Run to Him

Psalm 32:6-11

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶ Therefore let everyone who is ^(A)godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you ^(B)may be found;
surely in the rush of ^(C)great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
⁷ You are a ^(D)hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from ^(E)trouble;
    you surround me with ^(F)shouts of deliverance. Selah

⁸ I will ^(G)instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will ^(H)counsel you with my eye upon you.
^9 (I)Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with ^(J)bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

^10 (K)Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who ^(L)trusts in the Lord.
^11 (M)Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and ^(N)shout for joy, all you ^(O)upright in heart!

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2032:%206%20-11&version=ESV)

Yesterday we looked at the importance of repentance and today we look at the result of repentance.  When we pray we find that we have a hiding place in the Lord our Savior.  We find that the only way to find refuge in the troubled time is to go to that hiding place.  In interviews I have been asked what I do to relieve stress and my answer is, “I pray”.  I have wondered if that is what I should say in an interview but it is my belief that if they don’t want to hire me because I pray then it is not the place for me to work.  I follow that up with a statement that I believe in a higher power than myself and I believe that God is in control and will guide and direct me, so, I pray.  We can go for a walk, exercise, run, play the piano, read a book, watch TV, drink alcohol, sleep, eat lots of chocolate, . . . but the reality is that the only place we can find comfort and the best results is in the arms of our Lord and Savior.

God is not a God that is going to force us to come to Him but He is One that will reward us when we do.  We need to stay near to Him in the good times and the bad.  If, in an interview, they were to ask me how I celebrate, I could just as easily tell them that I pray and thank God for His goodness.  It doesn’t matter if the times are good or bad, we need to be near our Father.  If we do not understand that He is ultimately the one in control we will begin to second guess ourselves.  This is something I do quite often.  In my heart, I know that He is in control but in my head thoughts that I am being punished come to my mind.  There are days I live in regret of ever stepping outside of my comfort zone and beginning a new career.  It seems like if I would have just been satisfied with where I was, I wouldn’t be starting over.  I feel the lesson I am to learn is to always put my trust in Him and be satisfied, yet I still haven’t learned that lesson.  Then, I read these verses that tell me that God is the One guiding me and I need not worry but trust in Him.  I do understand that He is in control so I need to understand that He will see this journey to completion and He is giving me opportunities like I have never had before.  When we follow Him, He will guide us home safely.

As you seek Him, run to Him when you are troubled and run to Him when life is at its best, the key is to always run to Him.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila