Pastor Johnnie's Devotional Archives
February 2006
February 3, 2006
Psalm 3:8 reveals a glorious truth [From the Lord comes
deliverance] and offers a brief but powerful corresponding prayer [May
your blessing be on your people.]
I am somewhat ashamed to identify myself with some of
the alternatives we Christians have used to replace "waiting for
deliverance from the Lord": aggression (angrily taking things into
our own hands), knowledge (I know how to handle this; I studied about
it once back in College!), lack of faith (Where IS God when you need Him?!),
independent spirit (I'll handle this. I've been on my own since I was
a kid, anyway; I depend on no one!), and idolatry (My friends have always
stuck by me; they think it's ok for me to not wait any longer!), just
to name a few.
What if Joseph had decided midstream to not wait any longer
for deliverance, for God to reveal His purposes for the unbelievably frustrating
circumstances Joseph went through so many years for the eventual good
of the Lord's people? (See Genesis 50:19-20) What if the five missionaries,
who discovered the glories of heaven and the presence of Jesus at the
end of a spear in 1956, had refused to accept God's kind offer of such
'deliverance' from the tangles of earth? What if the many martyrs down
through the centuries of Christendom, with whose mixture of blood and
ashes the church has been 'constructed', had said: This definitely does
not look good; so, not Your will but mine be done!?
Merciful Father, may Your blessing be on Your people
in such a way that we accept the mysteries of Your timing as well as the
oft uniqueness of Your means for 'deliverance'. For Your glory and for
the continuing spread of the gospel we humbly pray. Amen.
February 6, 2006
Psalm 136:23 (Give thanks to the Lord)...to the One who
remembered us in our low estate; His love endures forever.
It has probably never been easy for any human being to
admit the true lowness of their estate: "I am needy", "I
am afflicted!", "I am weak" (Psalm 72:12-13); and to undisguisedly
admit such either to others OR to the Lord Himself. To our independent
way of thinking, that might suggest that we are dealing with life from
a point of 'weakness' instead of strength; and "What would other
people think if their (mistaken) perception of us were that we are emotionally,
spiritually, and physically whole and healthy; that we have it all together
and are totally in tact?"
Even if we were to confess, "I am oppressed!"
(Psalm 72:14) or "I am poor!" (Psalm 113:7); that is, dangling
by a thread, and getting weaker, we would most likely be made to feel
as though we did something 'wrong' by a society that looks down on such
weakness, inferiority, and helplessness.
Or, if we were to admit that we are being "pursued
by those with evil intent" (Psalm 142:6), we might be considered
to be wimpy and complaining, unable to handle our own affairs with the
dignity expected of a human carrying his/her own weight.
Certainly we would hesitate being so honest as to admit
to an intolerant, criticizing world by which we are surrounded that, "I
am simple hearted!" (Psalm 116:6); that is silly; seducible; or maybe
even prone to silliness and foolishness.)
All of this UNLESS, of course, we have come to believe
and put our absolute trust in the glorious mercy and faithfulness of our
gracious Lord! He has not been - nor will He ever be! - surprised one
bit by our "low estate", nor by the honest confession of the
genuine position of helplessness and neediness by which we are justifiably
identified. For such an abiding 'low estate', we must continually be reminded:
His love endures forever! Be at rest, O my soul, for the Lord has been
good to you! (Psalm 116:7)
Thank You, Father, for Your abiding love! Amen.
February 10, 2006
Psalm 130:7 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is
unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
I love the descriptive adjectives the Psalmist uses here when describing
the Lord's love and redemption for His people. It is not just a 'love
that works' when it unexpectedly goes one person's way and they ride an
emotional wave of ecstasy for a few hours. 'Unfailing' refers to abundance
and plenty. It speaks of thoroughness. It extends to include the idea
of exceeding the confined limits which we humans might be tempted to place
on His love because of our pervasive proneness to self-centeredness. And,
this is not merely a 'redemption that works' for a few. It is, rather
a 'full' redemption: its boundaries extend to howsoever many there may
be.
Charles Wesley refers to the Lord's unfailing love and full redemption
in the hymn "Depth of Mercy! Can There Be" which he wrote in
1740: Depth of mercy! Can there be mercy still reserved for me? Can my
God His wrath forbear, me, the chief of sinners, spare? I have long withstood
His grace, long provoked Him to His face, would not hearken to His calls,
grieved Him by a thousand falls. Lord, incline me to repent; let me now
my sins lament; now my foul revolt deplore, weep, believe, and sin no
more. Still for me the Savior stands, holding forth His wounded hands;
God is love! I know, I feel, Jesus weeps and loves me still!
So, whatever your circumstances of life today, remember right now that
to have hope means to focus on the great sovereign, almighty God whose
promises of unfailing love and full redemption never fail.
My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine! Now
hear me while I pray; take all my guilt away; O, let me from this day
be wholly Thine! Amen.
February 13, 2006
Psalm 142:1 "I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord
for mercy."
While fleeing jealous, mean spirited Saul, David escaped to the cave of
Adullam, which was like a very dark cavern, probably not a great place
to be if one has any claustrophobic tendencies! From there he cried aloud
to the Lord for deliverance. The wording used here implies a sort of shrieking
from anguish or from an overwhelming sense of danger. The same wording
was used to loudly make an announcement, like a herald does. The whole
sense of David's prayer was one of deep supplication; and imploring that
the living God interpose Himself - quickly! - and bring the deliverance
only He could bring in such an emotionally turbulent circumstance. There
is no demanding voice here which suggests "Lord, you OWE me on this
one!" Rather, there is the cry for mercy and divine favor.
Is there some circumstance of life that has you feeling trapped and helpless?
Is it driving you to the Lord in prayer, or are you attempting to handle
things yourself? Are you in any way minimizing the circumstance so that
your prayer might be compared to what some call a "ho-hum prayer"
instead of a prayer motivated by a profound sense of need for the immediate,
merciful intervention of the Lord on your behalf? Prayerfully trust in
the Lord with all your heart so that your prayer might be like sweet smelling,
acceptable incense to the nostrils of God! (Psalm 141:1 Malachi 1:11)
Father, teach us the difference between the complaining whimper of
lack of faith and the bold cry of confidence and absolute trust in Your
glorious power! Amen.
February 22, 2006
Psalm 142:3 says: When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who
know my way.
It is a common human experience to occasionally lose all hope; to be so
emotionally overwhelmed as to feel like we are absolutely alone, shrouded
in total darkness; to feel as though the heart has become like wax, melting
away within us as we go through difficult times (Psalm 22:14). Our spirit
grows faint within us; the heart is stunned; we feel ripped apart, devastated
almost to the point of extinction (Psalm 143:4). We feel so deeply wounded
that to carry out an ordinary task such as eating can even be easily forgotten
(Psalm 102:4).
Such experiences leave the weakened, embattled Christian with one of two
choices: (1) to give up, choosing to descend further into the abyss of
hopelessness; or, (2) to look up out of the darkness and see the Light
of life, in Whom is no darkness at all (I John 1:5).
So, beleaguered Christian, don't give up! With whatever meager amount
of strength you feel remains within you, embrace the Lord Who is your
light and your salvation (Psalm 27:1). Remember that it is in His light
in which we see light (Psalm 36:9). He knows your way, from beginning
to end. Focus on Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask
or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) and you will discover that the path of the
righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till
the full light of day (Proverbs 4:18).
In the weakness of our fainting heart we cry out to You, gracious
Father. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lead us
to the rock that is higher than we are, for the glory of God (Psalm 61:2).
Amen.
February 27, 2006
Psalm 126:2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs
of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great
things for them."
When the Lord graciously and mercifully provides deliverance for His people,
regardless of the size or the perceived significance of the victory (they're
all from Him; so they're all huge and notable victories!), it brings joy
and gladness to the heart of every discerning child of His (see, for example:
Psalm 14:7; 53:6; 106:47; Isaiah 35:10). And, as we justifiably respond
in joy and delight, the message to those around us will be obvious and
clear: (a) Whoa! Look what their God has done! Numbers 23:23 (b) Wow!
They are definitely people to be reckoned with! Joshua 2:9-11 (c) Hey,
I have to tell you: the fame of your God is widely known [through or because
of you or how He has obviously worked on your behalf] Joshua 9:9-10 (d)
Chuleta! Who are we compared to your God?! Nehemiah 6:16 (e) We need someone
like your God! Zechariah 8:22-23
Father, may we be more honest, faithful, and accessible for dialogue with
others in responding to Your many, many miraculous deliverances in our
lives so that those around us will clearly see that it's all about YOU,
not us; and they will, therefore, give credit where credit is truly due:
to You, the LORD of glory! (Matthew 5:16) Amen.
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