The Way to Better Memory

“I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law. This I had, because I kept thy precepts.” (Ps 119:55-56 AV)

Compliance to the law of God results in a memory that does not forget God.  A God who cannot be seen or heard is a God that is often forgotten.  Maybe we do not forget Him completely.  After all, we read our bibles, go to church, and listen to songs of praise.  We may surround ourselves with things about God, but how much to we retain Him in our minds?  How much of our day-to-day activities includes the presence of God?  The nighttime is an especially hard time to remember God.  When we fall off to sleep, how many of our thoughts are heavenward?  Are our minds occupied by the events of the day or the next day’s duties?  Does our mind entertain fears and anxieties?  Do will fill our minds with fantasy or complaint?  What, or who, do we remember in the stillness of the night?  That which is more real to us is what occupies the mind.  The Psalmist says that he possesses the memory of God in the night because he has lived his word in the day.  Being in the word, especially living in the law and promises therein, is what makes God real to us.

Recently, my wife and I traveled to a foreign country.  The experience was surreal.  People are the same no matter where they live.  Being five-thousand miles from home did not change human nature.  People are still people.  There are more similarities than differences.  However, culture and laws are different.  What is amazing to me is the assumption we make that the laws from where we come are identical to the laws to where we went.  I imagine the same is true no matter where someone is from and where they are going.  I remember being told to shoot the moles who made my front yard as personal trenching ground.  There were tunnels all over the place.  It looked like my lawn had a severe case of varicose veins.  My church member told me to take my .22 and stalk those ground rats very early in the morning.  I thought he was kidding.  The state from which I came would never permit it.  When my wife and I went to a different country, we lived as though we were in the United States.  We expected the laws to be identical.  Most were similar.  Some were not.  Living by the laws of our home country kept in memory our origins and our love for country.  It was hard to forget home when we lived as though we were there.

Forgetting God is something we face every day.  Not retaining God in our minds is part of our human condition.  Sometimes, it is deliberate.  Other times we fail to retain God because the events of life make it so.  One key of memory is found above.  It is not enough to study the Bible as a textbook.  It is not enough to use the Bible merely in a devotional sense.  If God is to be remembered, His word must be lived.  This may sound simple.  Paul tells us there is a simplicity in Christ.  If life has become so complicated that we begin to doubt God’s existence, it is not because God made it so.  We have.  Believer, if you are struggling, slow your learning about the Bible and increase living in the Bible.  Let your walk catch up to your thoughts.  If your thoughts get ahead of your walk, then your walk becomes undisciplined.  Do you want to remember God?  Then live in His word.

The Song of all Songs

“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous [are] thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints.” (Re 15:3 AV)

It is easy to forget just how great our God is.  It is interesting that both with Moses and the group singing above, they do so immediately following deliverance.  Moses sang this song upon deliverance from Egypt.  As the Red Sea closed upon their enemy and the eerie quiet of peace fell upon them, a song rang out of joy and gladness that their enemy had finally and fully been destroyed.  Even to this day, Egypt has never been the force it once was thousands of years ago.  Above, we hear the song of the saints delivered from Satan’s grasp.  The tribulation is in full swing.  The last three and a half years have begun.  The two witnesses have been raptures.  The 144,000 witnesses have been martyred.  The remnant of saved Israel is safe in the wilderness.  One has to believe that at this point, anyone who has trusted Christ is safe from Satan’s wrath.  The last half of the tribulation is the greatest outpouring of the wrath of God on those who hate Him since the time of Noah’s flood.  The righteous have been delivered.  The fight is over.  They rest in the might and power of their God to praise Him for all that He has done! 

We are no different.  We have every reason to praise God in the same way.  We have been delivered from sin!  The old man will one day perish, and we will be delivered from temptation, failure, guilt, shame, and estrangement.  We have been delivered from loneliness.  God is always at our side.  Even if we spend our twilight years with no one to talk to, God is still there.  We have been delivered from fear.  We have been delivered from a purposeless life.  Now that Christ is our Savior, we have a future.  We have been delivered from ignorance.  As the Bible becomes more precious to us, so do the wisdom and truth it shares.  We have been delivered from Satan and the world.  They have only as much influence as we allow.  We have been delivered from much.  But it is easy to forget from whence we came.

The words of praise above are perfect.  God is Almighty.  There is nothing He cannot do.  All things are under His control.  There is nothing hid from His sight.  He is the King of saints.  His sovereignty is not limited to His law.  He is King of the saints by protection and provision.  Our God is a benevolent and loving King who loves His children with everlasting love.  Today is Thanksgiving.  Today is a day to remember the blessings bestowed from a wonderful God.  Today is a day of gratitude and reflection.  Today is a day to remember that above all else, we are children of the Most High.  He loves us.  He gave His life for us.  And one day we will sing the ultimate song of deliverance.

Fighting a Defeated Foe

“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Re 12:10-11 AV)

We have to be reminded of two things.  First, we are not defeated.  If satanic forces are making our lives miserable, they are only doing so by the permissive will of God.  Just like the Devil’s attack on Job, God restrains satanic activity to our breaking point.  There is nothing they can do that God cannot contain.  When Job went through his trial, God was with him even though he could not sense it.  When Job faced his trial, God would not permit the Devil to take his life.  This would suggest the Devil could have if permitted to do so.  Being refused the ability of death, God was making a statement that Job would survive and even thrive.  God is always in control.  We also must remember the means by which we overcome.  The blood of Christ covers all our sins.  Those that we have committed and those yet to be committed.  There is nothing we have done or will do that the grace and mercy of God will not absolve.  The Devil may accuse all he wants.  But the sins are gone!  Hallelujah!  The manner in which we hold that faith is also important.  The testimony of our relationship with God is a major factor.  Our profession of faith matters.  Others take the word of testimony to mean the Word of God.  That works too.  Christ used the scriptures to defeat Satan in Matthew and Luke chapters four.  The evidence of victory is not loving our lives unto death.  In other words, if Satan is defeated, we don’t care if we live or die because we know we have a place in heaven, which he can never take away!  Glory!

As Satan gets an advantage, faith becomes our strongest ally.  Although the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin, we must believe this.  Active faith cannot undo faith exercised in the past.  If we have repented and trusted Christ in the past, no amount of faithlessness in the present can undo that choice.  We are saved!  Living in that truth by faith seriously hinders the Devil’s influence over us.  Consistent testimony that we are children of God, or disciplined meditation in the word of God around relevant passages of scripture, seriously does the Devil’s desires some damage.  We do these two things in and by faith.  We testify we are children of God because of the word of God.  We read the Bible as the very voice of God, who speaks to us through the words contained therein.  Believing Satan has no power over us takes his power completely away.  What is the evidence?  Our eyes and desire are on the heavenly and not the earthly.

To love one’s life unto death means to esteem highly and be completely content with one’s life.  Or, more specifically, the attempt to attain such a state.  Those who love their lives unto death strive to attain the perfect life wherein nothing can bring a state of disappointment or discontentment.  That pretty much summarizes the entire world.  Even the carnal saint desires the same thing.  Those who love not their life unto death accept adversity, trials, and correction as part of life.  They may even accept them and welcome them as a necessary part of growing in Christlikeness.  They may even welcome them as God’s perfect will and the means by which they may glorify God.  Jesus tells us that a state of liberty from Satan is possible.  In fact, it is guaranteed.  The Devil has no power other than what the LORD permits.  He gives us the means by which we can overcome.  The result is eyes pointed toward eternity, knowing our struggles are only temporary.

Now, Stay There

“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” (Ps 119:133 AV)

This passage is one of those timeless truths that seems to require revisiting.  We are fallen creatures struggling to live holy lives.  We are more successful since salvation came, but not nearly as much as we wish to be.  The writer is not telling God what to do.  Rather, he is surrendering his will to the hand of God because he is sick and tired of sin being his god.  He sees sin as a terrifying threat to him.  He wasn’t deliverance from himself.  He knows the only way to do this is to let God be God.

The word ‘order’ has more implications than what might first appear.  The definition goes beyond mere organization and structure.  It has a stricter meaning than simply laying down a plan with purpose in mind.  The word ‘order’ here means to fix solidly.  Imagine fixing your feet in concrete.  That is what the word has in mind.  The voice is imperative.  This suggests the only way deliverance from dominating sin can happen is if our lives are fixed in a concrete block of God’s word.  Our writer goes beyond the rod of the Shephard.  He goes beyond chastening.  What he is asking is that the LORD would permanently fix his soul in the law of the word of God.

Have you ever seen this scenario?  A father is trying to accomplish something or have a conversation with another adult, and his toddler is running around like a wild animal.  Perhaps he is trying to keep his whole family safe, and he has one child who is out of control.  Maybe he is strapping an infant into a car seat, yet his toddler is endangering himself by running around.  He picks his toddler up by the arms and plants him firmly in place.  He tells him, “Now, don’t move!”  The toddler is startled.  He is shocked into compliance.  One minute he was a free spirit.  The next; he was standing at attention.  One minute he had all the freedom in the world.  The next; he was forced to stand and not move.  This is the picture above.

We have a wicked and wild spirit within.  The old man wants to please the flesh.  He wants what he wants and does not care about the consequences.  The old man runs wild and needs some shock that will bring him unto subjection.  Our writer is asking the LORD to pick him up by the armpits, plant his feet solidly in the law of God, telling him, “Now, stay there!”

No Such Thing as Ignorance

“If thou forbear to deliver [them that are] drawn unto death, and [those that are] ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider [it]? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth [not] he know [it]? and shall [not] he render to [every] man according to his works?” (Pr 24:11-12 AV)

The degree of help needed should dictate our reaction to it.  Note that Solomon uses an extreme example of deliverance needed.  Those who are drawn into death or are ready to be slain are pretty extreme.  He is not speaking of someone who needs a few dollars for a hamburger.  Solomon is not referring to someone who needs a prepaid card to activate a cell phone.  Those to whom Solomon is referring are in a life and death situation.  Pleading ignorance is no excuse.  To put the above example in contemporary context, assume you are a doctor who knows much.  You walk the ICU and never look at one case.  Most of those laying in a bed are patients whom you could treat.  Perhaps you could save lives.  Yet, you stroll through.  When news comes of a patient who died, you simply say, “I had no idea”.  This is to what Solomon is referring.  We would think a person like that is morally bankrupt.  How could someone who solves life and death problems ignore what he knows exists?  Yet, as believers, we do this every day.

The excuse is ineffective because it is not the truth.  Willful ignorance is not possible here.  The vast majority of people we meet are drawn to death of ready to be slain.  Assuming the lost nature of a human soul is more probable than assuming salvation in Christ.  And the numbers are not even close.  It is far more likely, by a wide margin, that every person whom we speak to is drawn to death or ready to be slain.  Our problem is a perception problem.  We forget what it means to be lost and how perilous this condition truly is.  We preach Christ because we want to build churches.  We want the life and activity that come from results.  What we do not do is share the gospel as though someone’s life lays in the balance.  It is more serious than the loss of life.  Unless that lost soul turns to Christ, there will be a soul that is lost to eternal damnation.

Ezekiel has chapters dedicated to the watchman.  More than once the prophet warns those who can attempt the rescue of those in need.  In particular, the watchman sees pending danger as he stands atop the wall.  If he does not warn those within the city that an invasion is pending, then he is guilty in his neglect.  More specifically, Ezekiel warns the watchman to warn those in sin.  The warning is not limited to the pending curse.  Rather, the cause of the curse is voiced as well.  The phrase “his blood be upon thee” places blame for a lost soul on the prophet.  The sinner should have known better.  But the prophet who has the words of salvation is culpable.  Being disengaged is not an option.  This is how most of us avoid the responsibility of sharing the gospel.  If we live a solitary life, then there is no knowledge of a soul that will perish.  Not good enough.  Knowing there is a battle and avoid personal knowledge of it is still no excuse.  Let’s face it.  We are not doing the work of the evangelist if we ignore the individual soul doomed to eternal torment.

Hold And Hope

“But that which ye have [already] hold fast till I come.” (Re 2:25 AV)

“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (Re 3:3 AV)

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” (Re 3:11 AV)

“For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” (Pr 23:18 AV)

The Savior instructed two different churches to hold fast.  The church at Thyatira was told to hold fast because of its faithfulness.  They did all they could do and were successful.  Therefore, the LORD was not going to burden them with anything more than they could handle.  Therefore, they were to hold fast.  Smyrna was a church that was failing.  They were allowing their trials and persecutions to get the better of them.  They were told to hold fast what remained lest they lose what they had.  Both churches were told to hold fast as a measure of defense.  The one because of success.  The other because of active failure.  Holding fast was the last stand.  At their last stand, they were to drive the stake deep into the earth and, come what may, they would not move.  The adversary could do as he wished, but they were not moving.  It was their mountain to die on if need be.  Why the promise of Proverbs 23:18?  Because that is the answer to it all.  There is an end, and the hope in which we place will not fail.  There will be an end to all discord. 

Job is an incredible person.  To endure all that he did and not go down into a pit of despair from which there is no exit, I am sure, took all that he had.  He would not deny God’s existence.  He would not deny that God has a plan.  He would not deny the benevolent nature of God.  In fact, his circumstances; as horrible as they were; never changed the essence of who Job was.  He was confused.  He could not find a rationale for the events of life.  He could not answer the question ‘why’.  All that he faced and Job never allowed his circumstances to rob him of what he knew to be true.  If anyone is a personification of ‘hold fast’, it has to be Job.  He lost all his sons.  He lost all his wealth.  He lost all his ability to increase wealth or meet the needs of his family.  Job lost his health.  It was so bad he could not find one person to nurse him back to health.  He sat among the ashes and scraped off the boils that infested his body.  Job was as low as a human being could go.  But what did he do?  He held fast.  If anything, Job was stubborn.  He was not going to let the circumstances of life or the devil defeat him.  Listen to his words. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” (Job 13:15 AV)

Which brings us to the hope of Proverbs 23.  Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, knew trouble was only temporary.  He knew that the trials of life or the circumstances of sin are not eternal.  There is an end.  The word expected is a precious one.  That word points to purpose.  An expected and does not mean merely as ceasing of the current situation.  What it means is the situation will cease because the purpose for it has been met.  The expected end is the end goal of the events we now face.  So, we are to hold fast because there is an expected end.  To the churches mentioned above, it is the return of Jesus Christ.  We will meet Him by life or by death.  There is an expected end.  In the meantime, the process of sanctification does have expected ends.  They vary and are numerous.  We have our own course to run.  We have different hurdles to jump.  But the nature of the race is still the same.  There is a tape stretched across the finish line.  There is a crown to be won.  If the devil sticks his foot out to trip us along the way, hold fast.  He can do nothing against a resisting saint!

Accepting the Love Of God

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (1Jo 4:16 AV)

Perhaps the LORD is following up from yesterday.  Yesterday, we discovered that it is ok to live in the reality that we are little children.  We always will be.  Our Father is so great that we will never be anything more.  We learned that it is ok to be comfortable with the child/father relationship we have with our Creator.  We were challenged to abide in Him as a child would abide in the security and affirmation of his or her parent.  Now we see a follow-up truth.  One cannot dwell with God unless he also dwells in His love.  To disbelieve that God loves us unconditionally also means we cannot dwell with Him.  The fault is not His.  The fault is ours.  If we are not living in the love of God, it is not because He has removed it.  If we do not dwell in His love, it is because we refuse to live there.  We know there is a doctrinal aspect to this verse.  John is speaking of simple salvation.  If we accept the love of God as manifested by Calvary’s cross, then we dwell in love.  As far as salvation goes, anyway.  What we fail to see is the practical.  John does not limit this truth to salvation alone.  Rather, this truth also extends to extra-salvatory love. 

In a child’s life, there are stages of separation from the love of their parents that are part of the process of growing.  As a toddler, the child will pull away the shoulder and exercise independence as a way to define who and what they will be.  They pull away.  But not very far.  When threatened, needy, or insecure, they run to Mom and Dad for comfort and affirmation.  Then, there are the adolescent years.  When a child hits his or her teens, parents become a bit of embarrassment.  The child distances himself because he is too afraid of what others would think.  This distance is rather far.  It often takes time and life to draw the child back to his parents.  One pleasure of weddings is seeing estranged parents and children reconcile over a major event of life.  Grandchildren come, and the child and parent become closer than ever before.  The parent has never moved.  He or she remains the steady rock that they have always been.  It is the maturity process of the child that strains and repairs this relationship.  A parent's love is never severed.  It is up to the child to come as avail themselves of that love.

With the saints, faith is the major issue.  God never leaves nor forsakes.  He never removes his love.  It may be manifested differently.  Circumstances of life dictate how God loves us.  But the fact that we have everlasting love cannot be denied.  I have noticed that the lack of faith in the love of God is becoming a widespread problem.  We simply have a hard time trusting that God could love someone such as us.  There is a problem with that.  Mainly, if we do not accept and dwell in the love of God, then we do not dwell with God.  To accept the love of God is to accept God’s presence.  When we do not accept God’s love, we are behaving like that adolescent who has deep doubts regarding His parent’s love.  The solution is very simple.  We must accept the fact of God’s everlasting love.  We much choose to dwell there.  We cannot run from it.  We cannot allow our self-hatred to drive us from it.  God loves us no matter what.  When we come to that conclusion and learn to trust it, then and only then do we truly begin to dwell with God in a fulness that can come no other way.