Psalm 46:
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
(verses 6-7, 10)
Can any more be said? We watch the nations rage on a daily basis. It is the Lord of hosts who melts the earth, who puts nations in their rightful places. Psalm 2 tells us that He laughs at their ragings, and will "terrify them in his fury". He governs all, is sovereign over all. Nothing is outside of His realm.
So we can be still. He is God. He will be exalted. Rest this day in that truth.
As I've been reading through Isaiah this month, I am so struck by the names of God: the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer, the Lord who made you, the Creator of Israel, your King, the Savior, I am the Lord who . . . .
This encourages me in so many ways, not the least of which is that He is the one true God who created the world and me, and who acts in history; He, in fact, is history, sovereign over all things. And this sovereign God loves us; it radiates from the entire book of Isaiah. What a comfort. What a Savior.
What are you hearing from the Lord lately? How is your time in the Word encouraging you? Please share and let us be encouraged as well.
And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:19)
Have you ever had the Lord bring the same passage of Scripture before your eyes multiple times in the same week? I'm sure you have.
For me this week, it was Isaiah 43:1-3; first in the songs in church, second in a devotion I read daily, today in my appointed (or should I say anointed?) reading. I do well to pay attention to it.
Here He tells me to fear not. Why? Because He has redeemed me, He has called me by name, I am His. What better reason could there be? He will be with me, I will not be overwhelmed by my circumstances, I will not be consumed by them. Why? For He is the Lord my God, the Holy One of Israel, my Savior.
How do I know? How can I be sure? Because He has acted in history on my behalf; He came down and rescued me from His own wrath. This is true, recorded, believable. These are not mere words; remember the Red Sea? Remember the resurrection? God's words are never mere words; He acts on them always. Unlike us, He is who He says He is. In fact, pay attention to when He names Himself in Scripture; it is often followed by what He has done: Thus says the Lord who made you (Isaiah 44:2); Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea (Isaiah 43:18); I am the Lord you God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (Deuteronomy 5:6).
So, by His grace, I will fear not. I will pay attention to these words of the Holy One of Israel, our Savior. He really does mean what He says.
Don't you just love the colors of summer? The blue sky through the green leaves, the golden irises and black-eyed Susans, the white, green and purple hydrangeas, the hummingbirds? God is surely a master Artist.
In fact, He does all things well. I found this in Isaiah 26: O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. The Amplified has this for verse 12: Lord, you will ordain peace [God's favor and blessings, temporal and spiritual] for us, for you have also wrought in us and for us all our works.
Does this mean we have no responsibility to do the works ourselves? It means we can do nothing apart from Him, our Lord and Maker. Every breath comes from Him; the good things we do are a result of His power at work in us (Philippians 2:12, 13).
Paul admonished Titus to teach those who have "believed in God [to be] careful to devote themselves to good works". Do those works save? Only God saves. Our works are a result of grateful hearts. But try for one day to do nothing but good, and you'll soon see that you cannot. We must lean on the One who did do all things perfectly on this earth, Jesus Christ. His strength and wisdom and love and faithfulness are available to each of us.
Ephesians 2:10 says that we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. We walk in the good works already prepared.
So, the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. He has indeed done for us all our works.
Live by faith in Him. Cry out to Him for power to walk well. Repent when you do not, and trust in His mercy and love to keep moving forward. And don't forget to look up at the beauty of the world He has made. They declare Him and His glory to you.
I must talk about the heat. I keep the weather for various cities throughout the US on my laptop's desktop (I have to know if my kids are warm or cold or wet or dry) and do you know that we have been the hottest spot on the planet for weeks now? Alright, I'm exaggerating, but not by much. Good thing we visited the south this month to escape it.
Paul preached this Sunday on Psalm 121, which mentions the Lord being the shade on our right hand. We melt not because of Him. Have you ever noticed how many "keeps" there are in that Psalm? Look, and you will be amazed at the Lord's keeping of you.
This morning I read of His shade again in Isaiah 25:4: For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, like heat in a dry place.
Are you experiencing "heat" in any area of your life besides the outdoors? Are the ruthless "breathing" on you? Is the enemy having a blast at your expense?
Step into the shade of Christ, who made heaven and earth, who keeps you, who never slumbers, who is your stronghold and your deliverer, who keeps you in perfect peace as you trust in Him. He is the shade at your right hand. Learn of Him, and be at rest.
Two little buddies sharing supper time . . . isn't that the sweetest thing? Dining together. Unfortunately, one (I won't mention any names, but he's not the brown one) doesn't really like the other, so this is a rare moment.
Isn't that what hospitality is? Sharing a meal, or dessert, or just time in one's home with a cup of tea. Francis and Edith Schaeffer unknowingly started a worldwide ministry by the simple practice of opening their home to strangers. As they shared simple meals and conversations, many had their deepest questions answered and gave their lives to Christ.
Romans 12, in a grand passage on what love looks like, says this: Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
A friend and I were talking this morning about the importance of hospitality. Is there any better way to evangelize, encourage, teach, mentor, challenge, make friends, than in the context of one's home? Don't you love being invited over to another's home, sitting in her presence, enjoying the fellowship? My friend and I concurred that there is nothing like being in one another's homes, sharing conversation, babies, treats, laughter, even tears.
Another friend offered to pray with me in one of our homes soon; she desires to be an encouragement, and that's what she came up with.
When was the last time you had a non-family member over? I challenge you to do it soon, and often, and cheerfully, and lavishly. You might find that you love it.
