The Only Name That Matters

“Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory [is] above the earth and heaven.” (Ps 148:13 AV)

His name is not one name among many that are excellent.  His name is the only excellent name.  I don’t think we truly realize just how holy God is.  We find a disturbing trend among professing Christians today. God is something we fit into a schedule.  He is a religion.  He is a thing we do.  He is part of our lives equal to some other parts.  We have lost the true meaning of the holiness of God.

It used to be families would order their week around God.  Not the other way around.  Years ago, I served in a small country church whose members were avid baseball players.  Their children were heavily involved in spring and summer baseball.  Sometimes, these games were on Sunday evenings.  I remember the men of the church asking the pastor to move the Sunday evening service to accommodate baseball games.  Then there are those municipalities whose professional football teams often play in the Superbowl.  Sunday evening services are moved or cancelled.  There are the college basketball teams whose fans are more avid game watchers than God worshipers.  There are family events, shopping events, or simply taking the day of rest to mean rest from God.  Whatever the case, worship seems to be something we participate in as part of a schedule, but not a relationship.

There was also a time when we treated the house of God as a special place.  A place treated like no other.  Our behavior, demeanor, and even appearance all reflected the specialness of the place.  There were no entertainment venues offered in the sanctuary.  The preaching was more expository than anecdotal.  People came to hear the word of God expounded with truth and passion.  Not some emotional story of years gone past to stir the heart to reminiscence.  In short, the name of the LORD is no longer the lone excellent name.  It has become common and ordinary!

The Prayer of Every Saint

“Teach me to do thy will; for thou [art] my God: thy spirit [is] good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I [am] thy servant.” (Ps 143:10-12 AV)

This should be the prayer of the saint every morning!  This is what we are.  We are not co-equals with the LORD.  We are not a child who will eventually grow up beyond our parent’s need to parent us.  We will not mature to a place where we are charged with taking care of God.  No matter how old and experienced we get, in comparison to the LORD, we are still small children.  Children whose responsibility is to obey the will of the Father.  We are still the servants of the most High.  We are the namesake of a holy and righteous God and our responsibility is to live up to that namesake.

In all my years as a child of a father, I cannot remember once asking my father to teach me to walk in obedience.  I may have asked him exactly what he expected in a specific set of circumstances.  Not for the sake of pleasing him.  But rather, I knew that if I didn’t do as expected, there were consequences and that I would have to do it his way anyway.  In all my years as a parent, I cannot remember a single time when one of my children asked me to teach him how to always please me by obeying my word.  There may have been a time.  But I cannot think of one.

It is not in our nature to think this way.  It goes contrary to the old man.  We strive for independence and maturity.  We want to be our own person.  This is a good thing – when it comes to other people.  We should desire to outgrow those who were our mentors so that we can be mentors ourselves.  But when it comes to God, we will never outgrow Him!  This prayer should always be on our lips!  Always!

The Unceasing Mind of God

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” (Ps 139:17-18 AV)

Don’t ever doubt God’s concern for His children.  A God with an infinite mind can have infinite thoughts.  When we begin to think that God may not be concerned with what we are facing, or what the future might hold, or the potential threats that lay before us, we need to remember His thoughts and concern towards us are so vast, it would be impossible to count or comprehend.

I think about my sons, their wives, and my grandchildren all the time.  I wonder how they are doing.  How the LORD is using them for His glory. I think of my little granddaughter and two grandsons.  They are awesome!  I miss them terribly.  However, I am limited in how much I can think at any one time.  I cannot dwell on more than one person at a time.  At least deeply I cannot.  My thought might go from the ministry of one to the trials of a mother taking care of my grandkids.  Then the thoughts might go to what each grandchild has learned recently to recent health issues of another.  We cannot think more than one specific thought at any one time.  But God is not like that. He can think all thoughts simultaneously.

Not only the number of thoughts is important here.  The quality of thoughts is as well.  The writer calls them precious!  They are special.  They are emotional.  They are shrouded in love and concern.  When I worked at the Boy Scout camp, we would be away from our comes for about seven to eight weeks.  Even though we tried to get home on the weekends, it was almost nigh to impossible.  Mail call was the most precious time of the day.  As camp clerk one year, it was my responsibility to get the mail and distribute it to our staff.  When they got a letter from someone they loved, it was a precious time.  God is always sending us mail.  Through His word, the still small voice of the Spirit, and His hand on our lives.  These things are more precious than all the riches of the world!  Take comfort that God will never, ever forget you!  No matter how far off you feel!

Reflection Deception

“They that make them are like unto them: [so is] every one that trusteth in them.” (Ps 135:18 AV)

I lived in an area of the country where folk art was rather prevalent.  There are little shops scattered throughout the countryside selling the wares of a particular artist.  Generally, these are part-time artist.  Maybe a housewife who quilts, a husband who welds, a woman who creates wonders with yarn, or a man who turns wood like a professional.  These pieces are as unique as the people who create them.  One of my favorite craftsman is called the Wizard of Clay.  He has unique pieces that are world renown.  I have a couple of his Bristol coffee mugs and I wish I could have a cupboard full of them.  Even his shop is unique.  Octagon huts like something out of the Hobbit.  This passage has to do with false gods and idols.  Not to say these artist, whom I admire, are creating idols.  They are not.  They are truly pieces of art.  But what the writer of the psalm is trying to point out is that we reflect that which we trust the most.  It is usually something within ourselves which is our strength, joy, and trust.  What we produce or reflect the most is often that which is the dearest to us.

An athlete may display his trophies, a musician his platinum albums, the educated his degrees, or the successful homemaker the photos of the family. There is nothing wrong with that.  According to Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes, we have every right to be pleased with what we have accomplished, especially for the LORD’s sake.  These things are a pleasure to us and a comfort that our life meant something.  The spiritual reality comes is that which we trust.

The athlete will lose his strength; the musician his ear; the educated his memory; and the homemaker’s family will grow up and move away.  These things change.  But the dearest which should be our dearest, never changes.  That is the LORD!  He is always there!  He should be our glory!  He should be the one whom we reflect the most.  Not what we have done for Him, but rather, what He has done with us!  We either trust the work of our own hands, or we trust the work of Someone else’s hands!

Fill the Seed Bag - You're Going To Need It

“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves [with him].” (Ps 126:6 AV)

Most sermons I have heard from this passage are usually soul-winning passages.  It certainly can be seen that way.  Weeping for the lost who desperately need the LORD.  Bearing the precious seed of the Word of God that one spreads abroad.  The hope of a harvest of souls as a result.  It all fits nicely.  However, the context is actually the captivity of Israel into Babylon.  The going forth is going forth into captivity.  It is into captivity which they bear the precious seed.  They will come again out of captivity with the fruit which the precious seed has produced.  There is great hope in this verse.

There are dark and hard times with the saint.  Whether it be a trial of faith or an experience of chastisement, these times are hard.  What makes the times of hardness productive is the precious seeds of hope we bring with us.  When Israel brought that seed from Canaan, they brought it for obvious reasons.  They still had to eat.  They had to make some sort of living while under the servitude of a hard taskmaster.  When Israel went into captivity to the Egyptians, hundreds of years earlier, they brought with them the flocks that would become herds.  All the scripture verses we have laid in our heart, all the memories of God’s past faithfulness, all the fellowship we can share even though we are having a hard time; they are all the precious seed which we bear.  There is, and often must be, weeping.  But that doesn’t mean we are absent of all hope.  There is precious seed to be carried.  Stored in a bag to be sown in the hard times of life.

To bear something also means to carry a burden.  This weight is not a bad weight.  It is a good weight.  It is the source of all sustaining comfort and the foundation of all future fruit.  Many are not bearing the burden.  They avoid reading and memorizing the scriptures.  They avoid the lessons of life that teach us of God’s faithfulness.  They refuse to cultivate relationships among God’s people.  When the hard times come, their seed bag is small or under filled.  There is weeping.  Yes.  But the fruit one can have will be very small!

Pressuring Peers

“I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.” (Ps 119:46 AV)

Why is it the most difficult people we have a time with sharing our faith are our peers?  David is a king.  David is a powerful king.  No doubt, he would have interaction with neighboring kings.  He makes a vow here that he will testify of the LORD to his peers and not be ashamed when he does so.  Our peers are the most difficult of all to speak to.

As adults, we don’t have a problem dealing with children.  They are commanded to respect age and wisdom. Therefore, we have an audience who will consider respectfully our witness.  There are older, more educated, or more prominent who we will speak to.  The humility is all ours and they respect that.  I remember witnessing to a Jewish lawyer.  I was a janitor at the time.  One of the greatest privileges of all my experiences.  He was dumbfounded that a simple janitor would have a grasp on the scriptures as the LORD gave me.  As long as I respected his education and standing in the community and served him as his janitor, he was more than willing to ask questions and listen.  The ones we have a hard time with are those in our own circles. Our own familiar friends, so to speak.  Those of our own education level, career level, and experience.  Our neighbors and friends are the hardest ones to approach.  And there is no good reason why. 

I think the reason might be that among our peers, we have the most to lose.  When dealing with someone above our station in life, humility cannot be lost.  Only gained.  When speaking to those below our station in life, respect is expected and continued.  But among our peers, we have to work for that position among others and risk losing it if they reject.  To reject the gospel is to reject us.  However, we are to preach the gospel to every creature.  Even those most like us!

Simple Pleasures of Obedience

“I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as [much as] in all riches.” (Ps 119:14 AV)

Have a few questions.  What would be more pleasurable; working voluntary overtime on Sunday or going to church?  Would it be more joy to give to a missionary or buying something one desires but really doesn’t need?  Would it be more joy to buy four or five really nice Bibles to give to new converts or to buy the newest tool for our shop?  Would it be more joyful to sell an item for its actual worth or try to take someone for as much as you can?  Would it be more pleasurable to spend non-working hours in service to the LORD or a hobby or other leisure activity?

David felt obedience to the word was more of a personal pleasure than all the riches the world could give him.  To always tell the truth and not bear false witness was far more fulfilling than a brand-new car.  Honoring one’s wife was for better than getting a new one.  Walking in integrity allows one to sleep at night whereas personal gain may not.

David uses the phrase “…in all riches” for a reason.  He never will have all riches.  Therefore, obedience to the Word of God is the greatest joy he could ever have.  It may take a life-time to realize this truth, but it is absolute.  The older I get and the more stuff I accrue, the more I agree with David.  My wife and I are down-sizing.  We are soon to be true empty nesters and we came to realize just how much stuff we have which we really do not need (or even want).  We are not rich by any means.  Compared to most, we are on the low end of middle class.  Almost everything we have was giving to us.  Most, second hand.  But we have filled up the dumpster three times over throwing away what we no longer want or need.  What we cannot throw away are all the mistakes we have made because of disobedience.  Even though God has forgiven them all, they still happened.  And there have been consequences.  Life teaches you what is precious and what will eventually become landfill.  Too bad we cannot learn this sooner than later.