A Law To Themselves

Many think that they have the ability  to become a Christian  whenever they want.     They might say when they get a bit older, they will turn their life over to Christ.     Or, they might decide it’s about time they turned over a new leaf  right now  and start doing  all the things  Christians do,  like attending church,  giving offerings,  praying,  taking part in church activities, etc.

As changed as they try to appear,  all this Christian stuff is a real burden.     It’s a duty with the pressures of trying to do everything rightly, in order to be a good Christian.          What’s wrong?     After all,  they became a Christian,  and they’re trying their very best.

The problem is  that they are depending  on their own efforts.     They imagine  that they have the power  to turn their lives  over to God  whenever they choose.     They feel that everyone has a free will  to choose  to believe in God.     But, God’s word shows us a deeper depravity  in our natures.     In Romans 2:14-16,  Paul describes all unbelievers  (Gentiles),

For when Gentiles  who do not have the Law  do instinctively  the things  of the Law,  these,  not having the Law,  are a law to themselves,  in that they show the work  of the Law written  in their hearts,  their conscience bearing witness,  and their thoughts alternately accusing  or else defending them…

We all have a conscience that guides us,  so we instinctively know  what is good and bad.     We can all be a law to ourselves  and make ourselves  do what is right.     That can include  going to church  and singing in the choir.     But, obeying the law outwardly  has nothing to do  with having a saving faith  in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.     Even heathens know how to be good.     But that won’t get them to heaven.     Paul tells us in Romans 8:7,

The mind set on the flesh  is hostile toward God;  for it does not subject itself  to the law of God,  for it is  not even able  to do so.

We are all of the  “flesh“  and have that feeling of wanting  to be independent  and able to make up  our own minds.     So, when it comes to honestly turning our lives  over to God,  we find that we are  “not even able to do so.”     Try as we might, deep down inside,  we don’t really want to  spiritually subject ourselves  to God.     We cannot convert ourselves.     We are dead in our sinful natures,  even though we can talk about God  and  do good works.

So, how can we become  a true Christian  in God’s eyes?     Romans 10:17  says,

So faith comes  from hearing,  and hearing  by the word of Christ.

And then,  in Galatians 3:2,  Paul asks,

This is the only thing I want to find out from you:  did you receive the Spirit  by the works  of the Law,  or by hearing with faith?

Considering many such passages we learn that faith comes from hearing “the word of Christ” — and that we will receive the Spirit “by hearing with faith“.     So, should we just determine by our wills to start reading God’s word and believing it?     We can’t do it.     It just doesn’t work that way.     In Ephesians 2:8-9,  Paul says,

For by grace  you have been saved  through faith;  and that not of yourselves,  it is the gift of God;  not as a result  of works,  that no one should boast.

From beginning to end,  a real faith is  “the gift of God“.     We have a worldly free will to reject God’s word.     But, we do not have an honest free will to determine when we will accept God’s word by faith.     As we hear God’s word,  God Himself will work in our hearts  “the gift of faith“.     We are helpless and dead in sin,  but God can make us spiritually alive with faith, as we hear His word.     Romans 11:36 declares,

For from Him  and through Him  and to Him  are all things.     To Him be the glory  forever.     Amen.

As we hear God’s word,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  create in us clean hearts  and right spirits  to Your glory.”

Love,
Margaret

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Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

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… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

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The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

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The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

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Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

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How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

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Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

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O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

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Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

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He Commanded and They Were Created

In spite of all the sin and sorrow  in this world,  we have innumerable things  to praise the LORD for.     Tucked in with our challenges,  we all have blessings  that we should be  giving praise  and thanksgiving for.     Each of our blessings  meets personal needs  because God knows us  inside and out — and He cares for us.

In our gladness for many personal blessings,  we need to also think of a part of the bigger picture.     The Almighty who tends to our daily needs is also the Creator of all the big things.     There is so much in all of this creation that we should be praising God for.     Psalm 148:1-6  brings out just a few things in creation that should praise the LORD.     It sings,

Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD  from the heavens;
Praise Him  in the heights!
Praise Him,  all His angels;
Praise Him,  all His hosts!
Praise Him,  all stars of light!
Praise Him,  highest heavens,
And the waters that are above the heavens!
Let them praise  the name of the LORD,
For He commanded  and they were created.
He has also  established them forever and ever;
He has made  a decree  which will not pass away.

“He commanded  and they were created.”     The LORD  did not sweat it out  as He created all things.     He simply commanded them into being.     The LORD God is not weak or helpless or without knowledge and wisdom.     Every single thing He created with His command is something that works in harmony with all the rest of creation.

Many more things are listed in the rest of this Psalm, but the point is the power,  wisdom,  and might of the LORD God Almighty.     We are not to praise some puny, forgetful being.     God’s wisdom  in making all things work together  to bless us  and give us life  is profound  beyond our wildest imagination.

This wise,  almighty God knows  how to lead us  through this world of sin,  with all our personal problems and  trials.     Our Savior knows  how to mold us  with life situations  that create the faith,  hope and love  that we need  to serve in His ultimate purposes  in eternal life.     It’s all a marvelous power that strengthens and keeps us — even though we’re going through sufferings — and will cause us to praise the LORD  when we understand  all that He has worked  in our lives.

But, we should not wait until heaven  to praise the LORD  for His love and salvation.     We should praise Him each day of our lives  right now,  because He deserves  all of our praise.

As we think about  how all of creation  praises the LORD  as each created thing  serves God’s purpose,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     O LORD,  all glory,  power,  and dominion surely is to Your holy Name forever!”

Love,
Margaret

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Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

.

… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

**************

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.

.

The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

.

The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

.

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

.

How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

.

O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

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The Quality Of Each Man’s Work

All those  who do any sort of service  for God’s kingdom  are in some way or another  supposed to be  building up  the church of God.     There are pastors,  teachers,  musicians,  councilmen,  and regular lay people,  who witness in their everyday lives.     Just being a Christian at heart  includes living for Christ and serving our Savior in some way.

The Bible is our blueprint.     It has laid the firm foundation  of Jesus Christ  as the one and only Savior.     We are saved by grace through faith.     Amongst all those who surely believe in Jesus  are those who add their own opinions and feelings  to their faith  in Jesus.     They might feel that Christians should  not eat or drink certain things — or that certain Old Testament traditions must be kept to honor God — or that a person must speak in tongues  — or worship in a certain manner — or dress a certain way.     The list of personal opinions is long and varied.

All of these Christians  have faith in Jesus,  so we know they are saved.     But,  they are not helping other people to become strong  in the true faith,  with the firm foundation  of Christ Jesus alone.     All their well-intentioned opinions  are not really resting  in the salvation we have  in Jesus.     These Christians are sincere,  but all the hard work  they are doing  to promote their personal opinions  are not God-pleasing.

The early Christian church faced the same situation.     Paul and Jesus’ disciples preached the solid gospel of salvation  by grace  through faith in Jesus.     Many were saved  and also started sharing this gospel.     That was good.     However, amongst those who shared their faith  were those  who added their own opinions,  desired traditions,  and personal rules for living.     They meant well — but their work of preaching  was not  as good as it should have been  because they went beyond  the gospel of Jesus.

As Paul describes this scenario in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15,   we should consider our own witness.     What is the quality  of our work  in this building of God’s kingdom?

According to the grace  of God  which was given to me,  as a wise master builder  I laid the foundation,  and another is building upon it.     But  let each man be careful  how he builds  upon it.     For no man  can lay a foundation  other than the one which is laid,  which is Jesus Christ.

Now  if any man builds upon the foundation  with gold,  silver,  precious stones,  wood,  hay,  straw,  each man’s work  will become evident;  for the day will show it,  because it is to be revealed  with fire;  and the fire itself  will test the quality  of each man’s work.    

If any man’s work  which he has built upon it  remains,  he shall receive a reward.    

If any man’s work  is burned up,  he shall suffer loss;  but he himself  shall be saved,  yet so as through fire.

In this scenario, Jesus is the foundation.     We are building upon Jesus  by the way we witness and live.     If we witness with things of  “gold,  silver,  precious stones”,  we are sticking to the teachings and doctrines of God’s word only.     So, we would be showing how Jesus is the true Savior  based on how His life is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies — we would be guided by the doctrines  in the Bible,  instead of the traditions of men — we would glorify God’s grace  in our attitudes  of humbly wanting  God’s will to be done  in our every life situation.

If we are witnessing to Jesus  with  “wood,  hay,  straw”,  our lives are emphasizing things like  staunchly promoting our opinions  on proper worship,  defining and stressing good works,  desiring to rank people in the church, etc.     None of these things are a good witness of Jesus — even though a Christian feels they are important.

On Judgment Day,  all believers will be saved.     Those who witnessed only according to sound doctrine will  “receive a reward”.     Those who witnessed  with their own opinions  will  “suffer loss”.     They will be saved because of their faith,  but the opinions emphasized  will not survive the  “fire“.     There will be no reward  because human reasoning was used.

As we seek  to let God teach us  in His word,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  thank You for teaching us as we abide in Your word.”

Love,
Margaret

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Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

.

… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

**************

.

.

.

The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

.

The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

.

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

.

How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

.

O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

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Not That We Are Adequate In Ourselves

People vary greatly in their confidence or lack of confidence.     Some seem to think they are the world’s gift to mankind, capable of doing most anything — all by themselves.     They take great pride in their accomplishments  and full credit for all of their successes.     Then,  there are those, who are so lacking in confidence,  that they are afraid to do anything.     Consequently, they don’t even try to do what they should be doing.

Neither of these are thinking  of their life situations  rightly.

The apostle Paul,  a great preacher  in the early church, had been educated  by the best Jewish teachers  and proudly knew the Old Testament very well.     Consequently,  when he became a Christian,  he was able to see  and thoroughly understand  how the Old Testament  verified that Jesus truly was  the promised Savior.     His bank of knowledge  not only gave him  a very strong faith — it also made him a good teacher,  preacher, and writer of much in the New Testament.

But,  Paul didn’t let any of that go to his head,  because he realized another great truth in God’s word.     In writing  about his preaching and teaching, Paul noted in 2 Corinthians 3:4-6,

And such confidence  we have through Christ toward God.     Not that we are adequate  in ourselves  to consider anything  as coming  from ourselves,  but our adequacy  is from God,  who also made us adequate  as servants  of a new covenant,  not of the letter,  but of the Spirit;  for the letter kills,  but the Spirit  gives life.

Paul did not claim  any  talents or adequacy as his own.     God alone is the one who made Paul adequate for the job.     God had worked through all of Paul’s life, so that he would be thoroughly trained for the job of preaching and teaching about the  “new covenant“.     When Paul was a zealous Jew  learning all the laws of the Old Testament — God was preparing him to be a good teacher.     When Paul  strictly disciplined himself, trying to keep all the Old Testament laws,  and felt his imperfection — God was quietly showing him the impossibility of our being perfect.

Paul needed to feel how  “the letter kills“,  i.e.,  how trying to keep the law perfectly  is so totally impossible,  it just makes a person want to give up.     And then,  Paul needed to experience how  “the Spirit gives life“.     When Paul put his faith in Jesus’ perfection,  he realized he had a whole new life  through the Spirit of God.     It was awesome to be free from the law.

Paul saw how God had been working in his whole life preparing him for preaching.     He couldn’t take any credit for what God had done.     It was God who was adequate in preparing Paul and helping him be all he could be.

Those with no self-confidence also need to see that their adequacy comes from God alone — not from themselves.      Instead of thinking only of themselves,  they need to be looking to God and depending on Him to carry them through what they should be doing.     God is adequate to care for us throughout our whole lives.     Therefore, we willingly praise God for His ability in helping us serve Him  in whatever situation  God has put us in.

It’s good to know  that God is lovingly guiding us  through this life,  so we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  Your ways are so far beyond our imaginations.     Thank You for being so close  and making all things work out  to Your glory  in the end.”

Love,
Margaret

.

Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

.

… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

**************

.

.

.

The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

.

The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

.

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

.

How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

.

O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

.

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Plain And Precious Word Of God

There are those who claim  that many plain and precious things  have been taken out  of the word of God.     That claim plants seeds of doubt  in the minds of many,  as they imagine  that people need to find  all that has been taken out  of the Bible,  so that they can know  what God really wants  to teach us.

Is God Almighty that weak?     Is the Creator and Redeemer  unable  to keep His word intact  for us down through the ages?     It is nothing short of blasphemy  to claim  that God has not kept all of His word  safe and sound  for us  down through the ages.    How can we be so sure?     The Bible  (God Himself ) assures us.

As the one and only  eternal God,  our Lord  assures us,

Deuteronomy 4:35
To you  it was shown  that you might know  that the LORD,  He is God;  there is no other besides Him.

Isaiah 44:6
Thus says the LORD,  the King of Israel
And his Redeemer,  the LORD of hosts;
I am the first  and I am the last,
And there is no God  besides Me.

This eternal,  one and only LORD  assures us  that His word  is eternal,

1 Peter 1:25
But  the word  of the LORD  abides forever.     And this is the word  which was preached to you.

So,  all of God’s word  that has been preached  through the prophets  of the Old Testament  and the disciples  of the New Testament  is the word that  “abides forever“.     False preachers will twist it into false doctrines, but if we stick to the Bible,  we can be assured  that we have the  “word of the LORD“  that  “abides forever“.     We simply don’t  have to look  for some other word  from God.

God’s word  is not dead or helpless,  old or outdated.     Because it is a “living” word,  it stands forever firm and we can trust it.     As Hebrews 4:12 describes it,

For the word of God is  living  and active  and sharper  than any two-edged sword,  and piercing  as far as the division  of soul and spirit,  of both joints  and marrow,  and able to judge the thoughts  and intentions  of the heart.

As the  “living“  word,  we can be sure that it will not be lost,  so that people will be confused about the surety of their free salvation  through faith  alone  in Christ Jesus.     And,  we are assured  in John 20:31,  about what is  in the Bible,

These have been written  that you may believe  that Jesus  is the Christ,  the Son of God;  and that believing  you may have life  in His name.

If one is still doubtful about having  all of the word of God necessary  for salvation,  we can remember  the description  of the victorious Jesus  in Revelation 19:13,

And He is clothed  with a robe dipped  in blood;  and His name is called  The Word of God.

Jesus is our LORD and God.     He is eternal.     And, His name is  “The Word of God“.     God is totally capable of keeping all of His  plain and precious promises  for us,  so that we may have  eternal life.     All we have to do  is open up our Bible  and start having fellowship  with the Author.     He is “living and active“.

In the joy and assurance  of God’s precious truths,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  let Your living and active word  come into our hearts,  so that we  may be assured  of Your truths — and be free  from the influences  of this world.”

Love,
Margaret

.

Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

.

… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

**************

.

.

.

The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

.

The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

.

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

.

How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

.

O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

.

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Oh  That My Ways  May Be Established

Good is good — bad is bad.     We know the difference.     It is written in our hearts,  in our conscience.     When we do what is good and loving,  we have a positive affirmation and joy  in our hearts  that that  was the right thing to do  in that circumstance.

But, if we purposely do what is evil,  we also know that  in our hearts.     We are not happy.     Instead,  there is a defiant feeling of rebellion  and a stubbornness  that wants  to take pleasure in evil.     The stubborn intent  to do what is bad  does not make us feel good — it just makes one feel  that they have at least temporary power  over someone else,  or even over God Almighty.     The sort of freedom  that they think  they are struggling for  is nothing but a tighter chain to their slavery to evil.     It is frustrating,  and an endless feeling of anger.

There is a great and awesome blessedness  in realizing all the goodness  of God’s ways in our lives.     Acknowledging the LORD as our Creator,  Redeemer,  and Judge  gives us the freedom  to live in the love and goodness  of God’s desire  for His creation.     That is why the psalmist writes  in Psalm 119:1-6,

How blessed  are those  whose way is blameless,
Who walk  in the law  of the LORD.
How blessed  are those  who observe His testimonies,
Who seek Him  with all their heart.
They also do no unrighteousness;
They walk  in His ways.
Thou hast ordained  Thy precepts,
That we should keep them diligently.
Oh  that my ways  may be established
To keep  Thy statutes!
Then I shall not be ashamed
When I look upon all Thy commandments.

The conscience God has given us shows the difference between good and bad.     It is called the  “law of the LORD”,  but really,  it is the road to freedom  in all love and goodness.     That’s why all those  who  “walk in His ways”  are so blessed.     They are desiring to imitate the love God has given us in Christ Jesus.     They may not be rich,  famous,  or powerful — but they have that great and joyful  assurance  that all of God’s ways really are  good and right — and that,  come Judgment Day,  they will have nothing to be ashamed of,  because they have lived  for their Redeemer  by faith,  hope,  and love.

Through faith in Christ,  we can all be forgiven our past  and begin walking  “in His ways“.     Jesus alone can make our way  “blameless” — and He alone can make our ways  “established”  to keep His statutes.     All we need to do is go to Him in prayer,  get grounded in His word to us,  and believe  in the love He has given us.

As we seek the LORD with our whole hearts,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  Your ways are so beautifully  wondrous and good.     It is a marvelous blessing  to live in Your love.”

Love,
Margaret

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Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

.

… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

**************

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The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

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The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

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Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

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How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

.

O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

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Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

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Do You Not Know?     Have You Not Heard?

Sometimes we need to come to our senses.     We can get so self-absorbed  into our challenges in life  that we forget about  God Almighty  and the actuality  of His love for us.     Troubles can hurt deeply — to the point  where that is all we think about.     We are so distracted  with our efforts  to solve our problems  all by ourselves  that we forget  to look to our Lord  for the help and strength we need.

Isaiah wants to have a word with us  when we get into these sorts of tight spots.     Isaiah 40:28-31  wants to wake us up  to the truths about our lives,

Do you not know?     Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God,  the LORD,  the creator of the ends  of the earth
Does not become weary  or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
He gives strength  to the weary,
And to him  who lacks might  He increases power.
Though youths grow weary  and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet  those who wait  for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run  and not get tired,
They will walk  and not become weary.

Because we are all obviously so weak,  we need to learn  to always turn  to the LORD  for the help we so desperately need.     We have to learn to  “wait for the LORD”.     His timing  and wisdom in giving us what we really need  is always so much better  than anything our strugglings can produce.     Only those who  humbly  “wait for the LORD“  will gain the strength they need.

We trust Him because He is almighty — and He cares.     We’ve heard this time and again.     We’ve known it because we’ve been taught.     But, we still tend to get discombobulated  and fearful  with every problem  that comes our way.     That’s why we need to settle down  and take time to consider Isaiah’s words to us.     They are a part of God’s eternal promises to us.

With hearts that look to the Everlasting God,  our Creator and Redeemer,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  thank You  for always  being near  and caring for us.     We do know  and we have heard.     Help us to remember  and rest in You.”

Love,
Margaret

.

Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

.

… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

**************

.

.

.

The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

.

The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

.

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

.

How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

.

O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

.

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Work Out Your Salvation  With Fear And Trembling

Some people are of the opinion  that they can lead a rather  “free-styled”  life,  and that God will forgive them if they just pipe up a quick and flippant,  “Sorry!”     But, the problem is  that such an attitude  does not show love,  faith,  or respect  for our Creator and Redeemer.     If we are honestly sorry for our sins,  it will show in our hearts,  actions and tone of voice.     Honesty,  in the core of our being,  is the key.     We need to face the facts.     Our salvation is not just some fairy tale  or myth.

It is because Jesus suffered and died for our sins — and because Jesus is right now  highly exalted  by all  who are in heaven,  that we,  too,  need to be highly exalting Him  in sincerity and truth.     What Jesus did for us  is  what is impossible  for us,  no matter how hard we try.     We don’t stand a chance  of entering heaven   by our own efforts.

That is why  Jesus  more than deserves  our deepest respect and honor — at all times — not just when we have another problem to solve.     Because of the tremendous love and power  Jesus has shown  on our behalf,  we should all  humbly bow before Him — knowing that without Him,  we are eternally lost and doomed.     That is a serious reality.     We can’t live  in la-la land  forever.

The truth is that we need to realize — at all times — just how filthy and lost we are,  and how almighty  God’s love and salvation are  on our behalf.     Without Jesus,  we are dead.     With Jesus as our Savior we have eternal life.     That deserves humble respect.    Therefore,  Paul instructed in Philippians 2:12,

Work out  your salvation  with fear and trembling.

Absolutely nobody can work their way to heaven.     But,  we can examine our lives every day  to see if we are showing God  the respect and honor  that is due  to His holy name.     As we keep an honest eye on our attitude and action,  we will be working out our salvation  “with fear and trembling” — with a deep respect and truth.

Rejoicing in God’s faithful love,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     LORD,  all honor,  power,  and dominion surely belong to You.”

Love,
Margaret

.

Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

.

… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

**************

.

.

.

The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

.

The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

.

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

.

How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

.

O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

.

**************

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Our Citizenship Is In Heaven

We can get so carried away with all the stuff that is happening these days.     There is corruption in every country’s politics,  the use of drugs is becoming more rampant,  it’s dog-eat-dog in the corporate setting,  people are losing their homes and jobs,  thievery is commonplace…….     All that isn’t even the beginning  of things that just aren’t right.

Try as we might,  we cannot change the world.     The hearts of the people are hard as steel and as brazen as prostitutes.     They laugh and take pleasure in their outlandishness — always trying to out-do another in their boldness to shock everyone.     In their loneliness,  they cry for attention.     In their greed, they don’t care  who they hurt  to get what they want.     In their seething hatred,  they despise everything  good and gentle.     They are lost and refuse to admit it,  covering up their confusion with more lies.

As the world turns…….     As the stomach churns…….     These people have no rest or peace.

They spend all their time and energy  fighting against their Maker and Savior — and have no clue  where they will end up.     But,  God’s children are different.     We can know  where we are headed.     We didn’t bring anything  into this world,  and we won’t take anything out  when we die.     This world is not our home.     We are just on our way  to our home  in heaven.     As Paul testifies  in Philippians 3:20,

Our citizenship  is in heaven,  from which also  we eagerly wait  for a Savior,  the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is nothing in this world  that is more valuable  than knowing our Savior — abiding in Him  and His word — and taking up our cross and following Him.     Our travels here are relatively short  compared to eternity in heaven.

May we always look to our Lord Jesus Christ  for help along our way,  and say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  thank You for making a home for us in heaven.”

Love,
Margaret

.

Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

.

… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

**************

.

.

.

The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

.

The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

.

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

.

How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

.

O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

.

**************

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Forgetting What Lies Behind  And Reaching Forward…

One can get really down  when all they can think of  are the negatives  in their past.     With thoughts like:  “I failed at that…  and that… and that…  and that.”  —  ”I’ll never be good enough at that.”  —  “Nothing ever works out for me.”  —  “I’m just no good.”  —  “I doubt if God could ever love me,”  etc.,  a person lets themselves get burdened with their past.

The more down they feel,  the less energy they have  for the future.     They cause themselves  to lose hope  because they dwell on the negatives  of their past — and refuse to reach forward  to a life of forgiveness,  faith,  hope,  and love in Christ Jesus.

The apostle Paul  had a lot to be ashamed of.     He had been so self-righteous  and proud  of his education,  zeal,  and persecution  of the early Christians.     And,  he was so confident  of his perfection  in keeping every Jewish law.     He had no clue how awful and condemning his self-righteousness was in God’s eyes.     Then he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.   ( Acts 9:1-30 )     He found out what a sinner he was  and how all of his efforts  had actually been against God — not for God.     He hadn’t really understood  any of the scriptures,  in spite of  all his education.

So, he was a total failure.     None of his past efforts were worthy  of anything.     His life had been a waste.     He wasn’t the least bit righteous,  like he had proudly imagined.     Paul could have become so ashamed that he might have just crawled in a hole and stayed there.

But, he didn’t.     The past was the past.     God gave him a future — as He does for all of us.     So, Paul wrote in Philippians 3:12,  about coming to know  the power  of Jesus’ resurrection.     He says,

Not that I have already obtained it,  or have already become perfect,  but I press on  in order that  I may lay hold of that  for which also  I was laid hold of  by Christ Jesus.

Brethren,  I do not regard myself  as having laid hold  of it yet;  but one thing I do:   forgetting what lies behind  and reaching forward  to what lies ahead,  I press on  toward the goal  for the prize  of the upward call of God  in Christ Jesus.

We don’t fully know the power of Jesus’ resurrection in our lives either.     But,  that is no reason to give up  in despair.     We have God’s promises,  just like Paul did.     We,  too,  need to forget all our blunders and stumblings  in the past — and start  “reaching forward  to what lies ahead.”    

We all have that  “upward call of God  in Christ Jesus.”

God wants us  to realize our opportunity  for salvation,  just as He wanted Paul  to realize  that our salvation is only through God’s grace,  by faith in Christ Jesus.     God is willing to take us as we are,  and keep molding us into something precious in His sight.

Let’s  let Him  mold us  as we open up His word  and allow Him  to teach us.     He is the Master Teacher  and our Savior.     Then, we’ll say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  You have called us.     Now create in us clean hearts  and right spirits  through the resurrection power  of Christ Jesus.”

Love,
Margaret

.

Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

.

… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

**************

.

.

.

The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

.

The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

.

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

.

How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

.

O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

.

**************

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