Continually Seek Him

Psalm 40:9-17

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ I have told the glad news of deliverance^[a]
    in ^(A)the great congregation;
behold, I have not ^(B)restrained my lips,
    ^(C)as you know, O Lord.
¹⁰ I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.

¹¹ As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your ^(D)steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
¹² For evils have ^(E)encompassed me
    beyond number;
my ^(F)iniquities have overtaken me,
    and I cannot ^(G)see;
they are ^(H)more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart ^(I)fails me.

^13 (J)Be pleased, O Lord, to ^(K)deliver me!
    O Lord, ^(L)make haste to help me!
^14 (M)Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be ^(N)turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
¹⁵ Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who ^(O)say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

¹⁶ But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    ^(P)say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
¹⁷ As for me, I am ^(Q)poor and needy,
    but ^(R)the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    do not delay, O my God!

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2040:9%20-%2017&version=ESV)

How many of us are declaring the name of the Lord?  How many of us are telling of His wondrous deeds?  How many of us are telling others of His steadfast love?  I am sure that many of us have not had the opportunity of a king to tell our story of God’s steadfast love to “great congregations”.  That is something that I have always thought that I would like to do!  Even though we don’t have the opportunity to do so we should share with those around us.  We should share of God’s love to those God has placed before us yet so many times we shy away from the opportunity. 

The next set of questions has to do with our iniquities.  Do I dare ask, how many of us have sinned?  The scripture tells us, “All have sinned” (Romans 3:8), so that is a pretty easy question to answer!  But, how many of us are deep in sin?  I am not asking, “How many of us have worse sins than others?” there is no sin greater than another.  Rather,  how many of us are dug so deep into sin we almost don’t recognize it anymore?  David was deep in sin to the point that his iniquities had overtaken him, yet the Lord was with him.  Then David asked the Lord to deliver him and the Lord did so and, the good news is, He will deliver us as well.

I have to wonder if David’s greatness got the best of him and he begin to think that it was okay for him to do as he pleased.  Then he remembered that he wasn’t here to please himself but to honor God.  Have you ever been there?  Maybe we haven’t been famous but sometimes I know that I think the world owes me something but in reality I owe the world to my Father.  Meaning I should not live for this world but should freely give everything that the world has to offer back to the Father who owns it anyway. 

What I should be doing can be found in the last verses.  I should seek Him and then rejoice and be glad in Him, not the world, in Him and Him alone.  So, why is that so hard to do sometimes?  Why do I have to wait?  Maybe we wait because He wants us to continually seek Him rather than to seek the things of this world.  Maybe He is perfecting in us a will and a desire to proclaim His word wherever we are and a continual need to seek Him with all our hearts.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

Sacrifice or Ritual?

Sacrifice or Ritual

Psalm 40:6-8

English Standard Version (ESV)

^6 (A)In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
    but you have given me an open ^(B)ear.^[a]
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
⁷ Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
    in the scroll of the book it is written ^(C)of me:
^8 (D)I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is ^(E)within my heart.”

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2040:%206-8&version=ESV

It is all in the motive.  How many put money in the offering plate as a sense of duty?  When we give God our offering it should be a sign of faith, not duty, yet every Sunday I know it happens.  We may place a check in the offering plate but not be getting along with our brother or sister in Christ.  The Father is saying in these verses that we should not sacrifice out of duty but rather do the Will of the Father because we delight in Him. 

Many people got into the habit of sacrificing because it was a duty rather than it being a means of asking the Father for forgiveness.   If they didn’t raise the animals themselves they had to purchase them for sacrifice. There were certain qualifications that allowed specific animals to be used for specific so many people probably had to purchase them.  This took money so without money your sins couldn’t be forgiven?  Absolutely not, part of the sacrifice was trust.  If we put just the right of budgeted money into the plate and call it our duty as a Christian we are like the ones that appeared to be sacrifice but really weren’t.  We can’t say that we have “earned” our faith, we need to demonstrate it in our daily lives.

How did David do that?  He opened up the Word of God and found the Words of the Lord.  The most important thing to our Lord is our Faith in Him.  David emphasizes the importance of opening the Bible and reading!  We cannot know His ways if we aren’t guided by His Words.  Our faith would become a faith of rituals taught by those who came before us.  He wants us to seek Him and to know Him by allowing Him to speak to us through His word, not out of duty but out of a strong desire to now Him more intimately.  As you seek Him and find Him may you realize that you find Him by reading His word and meditating on the both day and night.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

The Magnitude of Our Father

Psalm 40:4-5

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴ Blessed is the man who ^(A)makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who ^(B)go astray after a lie!
⁵ You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your ^(C)wondrous deeds and your ^(D)thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are ^(E)more than can be told.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2040:%204%20-%205&version=ESV

As I  read this passage a hymn came to my mind, the first verse goes like this:

I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.  I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true; it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do. 

Refrain:  I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

(http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh156.sht) 

Unlike the author of this song David knew that the wonders of the Lord went far beyond anything that He could tell.  He didn’t repeat the same story over and over, He told of the wondrous acts the Father had bestowed upon His people, even though, they were more numerous than he could tell.  He had seen God in all His glory, He had seen God in His anger and He wanted everyone to know of His glorious works and of is Mighty Hand. 

None of us can fathom the size of our God.  How God could listen and care for all of His people is beyond our comprehension.  Yesterday we sang in Sunday School, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” yet how can we really understand the magnitude of His size and the magnitude of His wonders?

I can’t understand it all but this one thing I do know, He is my Lord and Savior and it is my desire that I know Him more deeply.  It is my desire too that you know Him more deeply and that together we will seek Him and we will find Him when we seek Him with all our hearts.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

His Love Endures Forever

Psalm 40:1-3

English Standard Version (ESV)

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

40 I ^(A)waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and ^(B)heard my cry.
² He drew me up from ^(C)the pit of destruction,
    out of ^(D)the miry bog,
and ^(E)set my feet upon a rock,
    ^(F)making my steps secure.
³ He put ^(G)a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will ^(H)see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2040:1-3&version=ESV)

Patiently?  Sometimes I think I am very impatient as I wait on the Lord and part of my indication of that is the fact that I cry and pout while I wait.  Yet in this passage David says the Lord heard his cries.  He says that he was in the “pit of destruction” and in the “miry bog”, that doesn’t sound like being patient to me.  That is where I have felt I have been the past several days, weeks, months, well years.  I have felt that I have not waited patiently enough on the Lord but once again I am drawn to David’s beginning statement, “I waited patiently”.   One thing that has always remained with me and with David as well, a faith that God is in control.  I know why I am here day after day, it is to bring Him praise. 

The other day I got up and decided that I was going to have a good day.  Said to myself that I would choose to be happy and it didn’t go so well for me!  I think I cried more that day than I had in the days past!  The Lord wants His power to shine through, not mine.  I can’t do this life without Him and His guidance and I do not need to be the radiant one He should be the radiant ONE.  If people look at me and see someone who is happy all the time, they will see Sheila putting on a front but if someone sees Christ radiance through me I have accomplished the will of the Father.  When someone can see that pain overtook me and then God lifted me up out of it, they will see the miraculous wonders of the Lord.

Just the other day I heard a speaker that talked about being in the pit and how the love of her family and the tenderness of other people helped her through her despair.  There is no question that human touch and knowing that you are loved is an important aspect of the healing process.  However, she failed to mention where that love came from.  She failed to mention that God had control of her life, because of that I had to question her entire story of a miraculous healing.  There is no way that she could have survived any of her ordeals without the intervening hand of the Father.  He is the creator of love, 1 John 4:19

English Standard Version (ESV)  ^19 (A)We love because he first loved us.

Dear friends, don’t be fooled by people who say they can do it on their own.  Don’t be fooled by people that say there can be true love without the Father.  God puts people into our lives to help us through difficult times but it is never those people that heal us from our despair.  He was the first one to recognize that Adam needed a helpmate, not Adam.  He was the one that created another human being for Adam to be able to relate to.  God is the creator of the desire for human companionship and thus I believe He gives us the ability to help one another through difficult time BUT if we lean so much on the human being and do not recognize the ONE who makes it all possible, there will be a time in our lives that we will feel all alone and we will be alone.  Humans are here and gone but God’s love endures forever. 

 

Psalm 136:23

English Standard Version (ESV)

²³ It is he who ^(A)remembered us in our low estate,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;

When troubles pass your way and heartache beats at your door, remember to cry to Him, seek Him with all your heartache and wait patiently for Him and He will answer in His time.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Discipline or Direction?

Psalm 39

English Standard Version (ESV)

To the choirmaster: to ^(A)Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, “I will ^(B)guard my ways,
    that I ^(C)may not sin with my tongue;
I will ^(D)guard my mouth with a muzzle,
    so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
² I was ^(E)mute and silent;
    I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
³     My ^(F)heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴ “O Lord, ^(G)make me know my end
    and what is the measure of my days;
    let me know how fleeting I am!
⁵ Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
    and ^(H)my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely ^(I)all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
⁶     Surely a man ^(J)goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing^[a] they are in turmoil;
    man ^(K)heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

⁷ “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
    ^(L)My hope is in you.
⁸ Deliver me from all my transgressions.
    ^(M)Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
^9 (N)I am mute; I do not open my mouth,
    ^(O)for it is you who have done it.
^10 (P)Remove your stroke from me;
    I am spent by the hostility of your hand.
¹¹ When you discipline a man
    with ^(Q)rebukes for sin,
you ^(R)consume like a ^(S)moth what is dear to him;
    ^(T)surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah

^12 (U)“Hear my prayer, O Lord,
    and give ear to my cry;
    hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am ^(V)a sojourner with you,
    ^(W)a guest, like all my fathers.
^13 (X)Look away from me, that I may smile again,
    ^(Y)before I depart and ^(Z)am no more!”

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2039&version=ESV)

I was once in a Bible study where we watched a video regarding how we might behave if we only had a few weeks to live.  I don’t remember the name of it but the entire study regarded living a life for the Lord.  In reality, most of us would probably live our life much the same way whether we knew or not.

Think about it, if we knew we were going to die we would probably be asking the Lord “Why?” and be lamenting over our destiny.  We would probably be so caught up in our own sorrows that we would forget that others in this world have sorrows of their own.  We may stop and call someone that we had not communicated with for a while but on the other hand we might be so caught up in our own situation that we would not want to talk at all.  I don’t know how I would react but I hope it would bring glory to God whether I would live one day or 50 more years.  I hope my life is lived for the One who created it and that I live and die in the same manner.

David comes to the realization in this passage that God is in control.  Nothing happens in this life without the direction from the Lord.  He believes God is punishing Him for his sins and ask that the discipline stop so that he may smile once again before He dies.  Much like getting a spanking, you just want it to stop! 

Often times I find myself feeling like David.  I think that for some reason I have not obeyed the Lord or I have displeased Him in some manner to the point that He is disciplining me and I want it to stop.  However, sometimes I wonder if the displeasure in me comes more from my attitude and my lack of hope in the Lord.  If He is in control of all of my life then I should rest in His direction for my life but sometimes I am confused at that direction and I begin to get frustrated, disoriented, and confused.  This certainly would displease the Lord yet the discipline is to teach me that I need to be happy in Him and not in the situation at hand.  Do I sometimes just want my way and do not take heed to the Lord’s calling?  I certainly don’t have the answer but I will continue to seek the Lord so that I may know His ways.  I trust that you will be doing the same.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila  

Sin

Psalm 38

English Standard Version (ESV)

A Psalm of David, ^(A)for the memorial offering.

38 O Lord, ^(B)rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath!
² For your ^(C)arrows have sunk into me,
    and your hand ^(D)has come down on me.

³ There is ^(E)no soundness in my flesh
    because of your indignation;
there is no health in my ^(F)bones
    because of my sin.
⁴ For my ^(G)iniquities have gone over my head;
    like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

⁵ My wounds stink and fester
    because of my foolishness,
⁶ I am ^(H)utterly bowed down and ^(I)prostrate;
    all the day I ^(J)go about mourning.
⁷ For my sides are filled with burning,
    and there is ^(K)no soundness in my flesh.
⁸ I am feeble and crushed;
    I ^(L)groan because of the tumult of my heart.

⁹ O Lord, all my longing is before you;
    my ^(M)sighing is not hidden from you.
¹⁰ My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
    and ^(N)the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
¹¹ My ^(O)friends and companions ^(P)stand aloof from my ^(Q)plague,
    and my nearest kin ^(R)stand far off.

¹² Those who seek my life ^(S)lay their snares;
    those who seek my hurt ^(T)speak of ruin
    and meditate ^(U)treachery all day long.

¹³ But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,
    like ^(V)a mute man who does not open his mouth.
¹⁴ I have become like a man who does not hear,
    and in whose mouth are no ^(W)rebukes.

¹⁵ But for ^(X)you, O Lord, do I wait;
    it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
¹⁶ For I said, “Only ^(Y)let them not rejoice over me,
    who ^(Z)boast against me when my ^(AA)foot slips!”

¹⁷ For I am ^(AB)ready to fall,
    and my pain is ever before me.
¹⁸ I ^(AC)confess my iniquity;
    I am ^(AD)sorry for my sin.
¹⁹ But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,
    and many are those who hate me^(AE)wrongfully.
²⁰ Those who ^(AF)render me evil for good
    ^(AG)accuse me because I ^(AH)follow after good.

²¹ Do not forsake me, O Lord!
    O my God, be not ^(AI)far from me!
^22 (AJ)Make haste to help me,
    O Lord, my ^(AK)salvation!

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Sam%2016:7-2Sam%2016:8&version=ESV

Do you see any similarities in the passage above and the following passage?

Matthew 27:45-56

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour^[a] there was darkness over all the land^[b] until the ninth hour.^[c] 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus ^(A)cried out with a loud voice, saying, ^(B)“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ⁴⁷ And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸ And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with ^(C)sour wine, and put it on a reed and ^(D)gave it to him to drink. ⁴⁹ But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” ⁵⁰ And Jesus ^(E)cried out again with a loud voice and ^(F)yielded up his spirit.

⁵¹ And behold, ^(G)the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And^(H)the earth shook, and the rocks were split. ⁵² The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of ^(I)the saints ^(J)who had fallen asleep were raised, ⁵³ and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into ^(K)the holy city and appeared to many.^54 (L)When the centurion and those who were with him, ^(M)keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ^(N)“Truly this was the Son^[d] of God!”

⁵⁵ There were also ^(O)many women there, looking on ^(P)from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ^(Q)ministering to him, ⁵⁶ among whom were ^(R)Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and ^(S)the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2027:45-56&version=ESV)

The similarity is this, SIN.  The first one is David’s sin and the second one is our sin.  David was not perfect and was bound to sin.  When others knew about his sin they turned from him. It didn’t matter what all good things he did prior to the sin, he sinned and the consequences of his sin came upon him.  He felt as though God has turned his back on him and that no one loved or cared about him anymore.  Have you ever felt that way?   

The second passage is the crucifixion of Jesus.  As you read this passage you will note that Jesus had much the same feelings as David with one major difference, David was guilty and Jesus was not! 

Jesus suffered on the cross and felt rejected by God and his closest friends because He bore our sins on that cross.  All that He went through was the result of sin but not His sin, OURS!  When I think of that I realize I am the one that should be rejected by God, I am the one whose friends should turn their back on me, it is my sin that went to that cross and Jesus bore it all instead of me in order for His Father to be glorified.  Yes, Christ went to the cross for our sins but He did it in order that the Father could be glorified. 

Sin can still have the same results today. Christ did not take away the consequence of sin but made a path for us to get to the Father.  When we sin we can feel a separation from God but He is where He has always been, we are the ones that drift.  Sin can cause us to lose friendships and to feel alone.  As a result of sin there will be murmurings about us some true and some not.  Sin will make you sick to your bones,  but only if you recognize it as David did.  He recognize the One he had sinned against was God and that made David a righteous man, a man after God’s own heart.  Many a criminal will go to jail blaming someone else for the crime (sin) that they have committed.   Consider the two criminals at the side of Christ, one recognized Christ and the other one mocked Him.  It still happens today, many a sinner has gone to their grave not realizing there was a Father who would forgive them of their sin and those who are forgiven are with Christ in paradise. 

As you seek Him today, if you are in the midst of sin and know that it is wrong, then stop it!  Jesus bore our sins on the cross, now we need to honor Him with be like David, recognizing our sin and confessing it to our Father.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila