Loyal
Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 2:52 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “I Will Lift My Eyes.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 145 (Select vv. ESV).
He is Merciful (vv. 8-9)
When God shows us his mercy, oftentimes he comes to our rescue to deliver us out of something, or he is patient towards us and he does not discipline us immediately as our sins deserve. The Bible says that He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, and so he waits for us to accept his invitation to his great salvation, yet he will not wait forever, so don’t delay in putting your faith in him. Tomorrow may not come.
His mercy to us is based in his lovingkindness and in his compassion towards us. God demonstrates his mercy to us just by the mere fact that he desires a relationship with us, when we are so undeserving of his love and grace. He loved us and he died for us while we were yet dead in our sins, not because we were so righteous, which we weren’t, but because he is love and he is merciful. He provided deliverance to us out of slavery to sin so that we could become servants of his righteousness. He, as well, shows his mercy and grace to us by his faithfulness to us, even when we are not faithful to him.
Yet, God’s mercy can also be shown to us in his divine discipline and correction in our lives, for he says that those he loves he disciplines for our good (for our benefit) that we may share in his holiness. Those who have been trained by his discipline should, thus, yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness (See: Heb. 12:1-11). In other words, sometimes his mercy to us is to allow us to go through hardships, pain and suffering, because it is for our good, to draw us closer to God, that we may learn to rely on God, and not on ourselves, and that we may be purified, made holy, and conformed to the image of Christ, God’s Son.
He is Compassionate (vv. 14-16)
Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to earth, took on human flesh, suffered as we suffer, and was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. He did this in order that he might be our compassionate and merciful high priest in giving himself as the sacrificial Lamb for our sins so that we might be reunited with God in pure fellowship, and have our sins forgiven (See: Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16). But, also that he might feel what we feel, i.e. that he might sympathize with us, and so he might help us when we are going through tough stuff, or when we are being tempted to sin.
It is certainly enough that Jesus Christ loved us so much that he was willing to leave his home in heaven, to come to earth, to become flesh, to make his dwelling among us, and to take upon himself the sins of the entire world when he died on the cross so we could be delivered from slavery to sin. Yet, it brings much comfort to me that he knows what I go through because he went through something similar himself, and that he cares when I hurt. He feels what I feel, and he is there to give comfort, healing, direction, compassion, hugs (emotional) and counsel. He will never leave me nor forsake me. And, he will provide all that I need to endure, to persevere, and to keep doing what he has called me to do, even against great odds.
He is Righteous (v. 17)
Our Lord is pure, moral, honest, honorable, upright, and blameless in all that he does. He is absolutely perfect. He is also just, i.e. he is fair, correct, and good. We may not feel like he is sometimes, because we don’t understand what is truly in our best interest, i.e. what is for our benefit; or because we don’t truly comprehend that he is God, and not some doting grandfather in the sky there to grant our every request, and to do what pleases us.
So many people today have an entitlement mindset to where they think God owes them whatever, and so they get angry with God when he doesn’t do things the way they would like, or the way they think he ought to, but God isn’t like us. He doesn’t operate like we do. He does not exist just to make us happy all the time. Yes, he is a God of love, but he is also a God of justice, and mercy, which means he will do what is best for us, but not necessarily what will make us feel good all the time.
He is Near (vv. 18-20)
Along with God’s promises to us are his stipulations or conditions. A lot of people like to preach that God does it all and that nothing is required of us at all, but that is not what scripture teaches. It isn’t that God does part and we do part, as though we are equal partners in our salvation, though. It is by his grace, through faith, which is the gift of God, and not of works lest any of us should boast, that we are saved from our sins (See: Eph. 2:8-10). Yet, we do have a part. We have to believe on him, but even the ability or desire to have faith in Jesus Christ comes from God, yet we must willingly appropriate this faith to our lives through our submission to Christ and via our cooperation with God’s work of grace in our lives.
If we want to experience the nearness of the Lord with us and in us, we must call on him, but we must call on him in truth. If we want him to fulfill our desires, we must walk in the fear (honor, respect, & reverence) of the Lord. Then, our desires will be his desires. If we want to have his salvation, we must fear (honor, respect & reverence) him via turning from sin and turning to walk in obedience to him and to his commands (See: Rom. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; Lu. 9:23-25; Eph. 4:17-24), and by not taking his grace for granted (See: Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15; 1 Jn. 1:6). If we want to be preserved for eternal life, or to have his watch and care over us, we have to be in relationship with him. To know him is to love him, and to love him is to obey him (See: Jn. 14:23-24; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).
We can do nothing to earn or to deserve our own salvation. We can never be good enough to gain God’s divine approval of us. Only by God’s grace to us, through faith, can we be saved from our sins. Yet, belief in Jesus Christ is not just an emotional experience, or an intellectual assent to what Jesus did for us in dying for us our sins. We must understand here that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. Coming to Christ means we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ in newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. True faith in Jesus Christ means we cooperate with God’s work of grace in our lives, not that we do nothing. So, call on him in truth (sincerity), fear (honor) him, and love (obey) him.
Praise Him (v. 21)
Last of all, or perhaps first of all, praise him. Praise him for what he has done, and for what he is yet going to do. Praise him for who he is. Praise him in good times and in bad times. Praise him in the storms of life, and when things are going well. And, praise him by sharing with others the message of salvation from sin so that they, too, can be saved. Amen!
I Will Lift My Eyes / An Original Work / December 12, 2012
Based off Psalms 121-125
I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.
My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.
He will not let your foot slip, and He who watches will not sleep.
Our Lord watches over you, and your life He will keep.
(Repeat 1st 2 lines)
I give thanks to Him.
I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.
I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n.
Because of His great love for us, He made us alive with Christ.
Through the kindness of our Savior, He gave us new life.
(Repeat 1st 2 lines)
My home, now in heav’n.
Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.
Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.
Those who trust will ne’er be shaken. God will supply all we need.
Our Lord has done great things for us. He’s our friend, indeed!
(Repeat 1st 2 lines)
I can count on Him.
He is Merciful (vv. 8-9)
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
When God shows us his mercy, oftentimes he comes to our rescue to deliver us out of something, or he is patient towards us and he does not discipline us immediately as our sins deserve. The Bible says that He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, and so he waits for us to accept his invitation to his great salvation, yet he will not wait forever, so don’t delay in putting your faith in him. Tomorrow may not come.
His mercy to us is based in his lovingkindness and in his compassion towards us. God demonstrates his mercy to us just by the mere fact that he desires a relationship with us, when we are so undeserving of his love and grace. He loved us and he died for us while we were yet dead in our sins, not because we were so righteous, which we weren’t, but because he is love and he is merciful. He provided deliverance to us out of slavery to sin so that we could become servants of his righteousness. He, as well, shows his mercy and grace to us by his faithfulness to us, even when we are not faithful to him.
Yet, God’s mercy can also be shown to us in his divine discipline and correction in our lives, for he says that those he loves he disciplines for our good (for our benefit) that we may share in his holiness. Those who have been trained by his discipline should, thus, yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness (See: Heb. 12:1-11). In other words, sometimes his mercy to us is to allow us to go through hardships, pain and suffering, because it is for our good, to draw us closer to God, that we may learn to rely on God, and not on ourselves, and that we may be purified, made holy, and conformed to the image of Christ, God’s Son.
He is Compassionate (vv. 14-16)
The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to earth, took on human flesh, suffered as we suffer, and was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. He did this in order that he might be our compassionate and merciful high priest in giving himself as the sacrificial Lamb for our sins so that we might be reunited with God in pure fellowship, and have our sins forgiven (See: Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16). But, also that he might feel what we feel, i.e. that he might sympathize with us, and so he might help us when we are going through tough stuff, or when we are being tempted to sin.
It is certainly enough that Jesus Christ loved us so much that he was willing to leave his home in heaven, to come to earth, to become flesh, to make his dwelling among us, and to take upon himself the sins of the entire world when he died on the cross so we could be delivered from slavery to sin. Yet, it brings much comfort to me that he knows what I go through because he went through something similar himself, and that he cares when I hurt. He feels what I feel, and he is there to give comfort, healing, direction, compassion, hugs (emotional) and counsel. He will never leave me nor forsake me. And, he will provide all that I need to endure, to persevere, and to keep doing what he has called me to do, even against great odds.
He is Righteous (v. 17)
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
and kind in all his works.
Our Lord is pure, moral, honest, honorable, upright, and blameless in all that he does. He is absolutely perfect. He is also just, i.e. he is fair, correct, and good. We may not feel like he is sometimes, because we don’t understand what is truly in our best interest, i.e. what is for our benefit; or because we don’t truly comprehend that he is God, and not some doting grandfather in the sky there to grant our every request, and to do what pleases us.
So many people today have an entitlement mindset to where they think God owes them whatever, and so they get angry with God when he doesn’t do things the way they would like, or the way they think he ought to, but God isn’t like us. He doesn’t operate like we do. He does not exist just to make us happy all the time. Yes, he is a God of love, but he is also a God of justice, and mercy, which means he will do what is best for us, but not necessarily what will make us feel good all the time.
He is Near (vv. 18-20)
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
Along with God’s promises to us are his stipulations or conditions. A lot of people like to preach that God does it all and that nothing is required of us at all, but that is not what scripture teaches. It isn’t that God does part and we do part, as though we are equal partners in our salvation, though. It is by his grace, through faith, which is the gift of God, and not of works lest any of us should boast, that we are saved from our sins (See: Eph. 2:8-10). Yet, we do have a part. We have to believe on him, but even the ability or desire to have faith in Jesus Christ comes from God, yet we must willingly appropriate this faith to our lives through our submission to Christ and via our cooperation with God’s work of grace in our lives.
If we want to experience the nearness of the Lord with us and in us, we must call on him, but we must call on him in truth. If we want him to fulfill our desires, we must walk in the fear (honor, respect, & reverence) of the Lord. Then, our desires will be his desires. If we want to have his salvation, we must fear (honor, respect & reverence) him via turning from sin and turning to walk in obedience to him and to his commands (See: Rom. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; Lu. 9:23-25; Eph. 4:17-24), and by not taking his grace for granted (See: Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15; 1 Jn. 1:6). If we want to be preserved for eternal life, or to have his watch and care over us, we have to be in relationship with him. To know him is to love him, and to love him is to obey him (See: Jn. 14:23-24; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).
We can do nothing to earn or to deserve our own salvation. We can never be good enough to gain God’s divine approval of us. Only by God’s grace to us, through faith, can we be saved from our sins. Yet, belief in Jesus Christ is not just an emotional experience, or an intellectual assent to what Jesus did for us in dying for us our sins. We must understand here that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. Coming to Christ means we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ in newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. True faith in Jesus Christ means we cooperate with God’s work of grace in our lives, not that we do nothing. So, call on him in truth (sincerity), fear (honor) him, and love (obey) him.
Praise Him (v. 21)
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Last of all, or perhaps first of all, praise him. Praise him for what he has done, and for what he is yet going to do. Praise him for who he is. Praise him in good times and in bad times. Praise him in the storms of life, and when things are going well. And, praise him by sharing with others the message of salvation from sin so that they, too, can be saved. Amen!
I Will Lift My Eyes / An Original Work / December 12, 2012
Based off Psalms 121-125
I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.
My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.
He will not let your foot slip, and He who watches will not sleep.
Our Lord watches over you, and your life He will keep.
(Repeat 1st 2 lines)
I give thanks to Him.
I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.
I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n.
Because of His great love for us, He made us alive with Christ.
Through the kindness of our Savior, He gave us new life.
(Repeat 1st 2 lines)
My home, now in heav’n.
Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.
Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.
Those who trust will ne’er be shaken. God will supply all we need.
Our Lord has done great things for us. He’s our friend, indeed!
(Repeat 1st 2 lines)
I can count on Him.