Asaph

Asaph was David's choir director, band director, song writer--he even played a mean set of cymbals. I love his first hymn--psalm--that he wrote for David's musicians. It's found in I Chronicles 16:8-36. It's totally dedicated to the majesty of God. My favorite line--and it's difficult to choose just one--is "Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day." I would encourage you to take a few minutes today and read Asaph's song of praise. It will lift your spirit. I wonder where I can find a CD? It's been so long ago, I'll probably have to look for it on vinyl.

A Double Dose of Peace

When someone places their faith in the finished work of Calvary and becomes a child of God, he or she is removed from the camp of God's enemies and taken captive into the kingdom of His Dear Son. Peace with God. By faith His children are delivered from condemnation and from the wrath of God. It is a frightening, sobering thought to be in the camp of God's enemies--as someone has said; "The God of Angel Armies." He is calling all men to repentance because He has set a day when He will judge all men--and the judge will be the Savior. "At the name of Jesus every knee will bow."
In addition, when someone becomes a child of God, he or she is given access to the peace of God. "My peace I give to you; not as the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in the Father, believe also in Me. In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." He also promises--yes, promises--that the world will hate His children as intensely as they hated Him. Our weapon against such hate is the power of His patient, forgiving, caring love. And our access to that peace is, of course, prayer. We present to Him our requests, we intercede for His other children, and we thank and praise Him for His faithful answer to all our prayers. The peace of God. When the Spirit empowers us to see things as He sees them--we find peace. When the Spirit empowers us to trust His work in our lives even when we can't see the good He is accomplishing--we experience the peace of God. When we learn to be content with what we have knowing it is all we need--we experience the peace of God. And what do you suppose could ever "rob" God of His peace? That is the peace He desires to lavish on His praying, trusting, believing children.
Peace with God--eternally yours. Peace of God--yours every moment of every day with every whispered prayer. " 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word.".

Yes

Yes, He cares.

Yes, He ever lives to make intercession for us.  Ever.  For us.  For you.

Yes, He is the God who pardons, who delights in loyal love.

Yes, He turns our ashes into the beautiful, our tears into laughter, our mourning into the dance of joy.  And in that final Jesus only moment He will wipe all tears from our eyes.  All.  Forever.

Yes, He is seated at the right hand of the Father.  His redemptive work is complete--finished.  You are His redemptive work.

Yes, He empowers those who believe that He is the Christ, God come in the flesh, to overcome the world, to be more than conquerors through His love.

Casting

You cast your cares on Him through prayer. He responds by fortifying your heart and mind with His incomprehensible peace. Peace that whispers into the depth of your soul "All will be well. All will be well. Fear not. I am the Faithful God whose lovingkindness is everlasting."

Captain's Orders

Be strong and very courageous:

You'll need a servant's heart.
You'll need to saturate yourself with His Word.
You'll need to obey.
You'll need confidence in His abiding presence.
You'll need to trust Him with your family.
You'll need to learn to wait on Him--to rest in Him.
You'll need to fear the Lord--not the enemy.

The Captain's orders: Be strong and very courageous.

The Need for Gentleness

The world is in need of gentleness--of those who are in loving pursuit of the needy and the hurting. They pursue with the truth spoken in love those sheep who are not yet part of His flock. They pursue with lovingkindness--with loyal love--those of His flock who have wandered away--grateful for the grace in their own life experiences. Spontaneously they stoop down to lift up the fallen--walking by someone in need never crosses their mind. Having discovered that He is as He promises the God of All Comfort, they readily share in word and action the Spirit's care for His own. Compassion is not a word to them but actions enriched by love. They bind the broken-hearted with the love that has bound up their wounds in times of sorrow and loss and disappointment, and yes, even failure. Like their Good Shepherd they are indefatigable in the pursuit of the one. They will carry them gently as long as it takes to renew their strength. The journey Home is a long arduous one and gentleness is essential to the unity of the body that empowers victorious living. Gentleness--loving pursuit, loyal love, stooping down, living compassion, binding of wounds, sharing the Spirit's caring heart and strength. How the world desperately needs the gentle saint.

And the enemy of a gentle spirit is the heart of a Pharisee.

Know

Stillness.

Quietness.

I have found that it is in those times that the Spirit is most active in my heart. And speaks the "loudest." Even if it is a whisper.

Be still.

And know.

Today

The faithful follower has a heart filled with joy--a song of joy to the Rock of his salvation. He or she has a heart of gratitude--a heart of thankful praise. They readily, humbly submit to the will of their Creator-King. Their life is daily an act of worship to their great God. They daily give themselves as a living sacrifice anxious to be used by Him. As one of His sheep, he or she is totally dependent on their Shepherd--eager to respond, obey, and follow His voice. Today. Joyful. Thankful. Submissive. Worshipful. Useful. Totally Dependent. Listening. Attentive. Hearing. Obedient.

The disobedient have a hard heart--a heart that in the midst of testing doubts the goodness and love of God. They arrogantly "forget" the past evidence of His goodness and love--even the wondrous love of the wonder of the cross. They are willingly blind and indifferent to His work in the lives of others--work they have seen with their own eyes. Unteachable, they live lives of restless searching following themselves through the wilderness of their own making. Today. Hard-hearted. Arrogant. Blind. Indifferent. Unteachable. Self-worshiping. Restless. Wandering.

Choose. Today,

Selah

David--a man after God's own heart reminds us:

He is my Shield about me.
He is my King.
He is my Refuge.
He is my Rock.
He is my Strength.
He is my Fortress.
He is my Deliverer.
He is my Light and my Salvation.
He is my Stronghold.
He is my Stay.
He is my Shepherd.
He is my Redeemer.
He is my Helper.
He is my Song.

He is my God.

"Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;
Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;
That my soul may sing praises to Thee, and not be silent.
O Lord, my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever."

Important

Is there anything more important than kindness?

A soft answer
A tender heart
A listening ear
A caring touch
A ready smile
An empathetic prayer
A waiting silence
A simple question: "Are you okay?"
A generous tip
A heart felt "Thank you"

Be kind.

Judgment

God judged His people and sent them into 70 years of captivity for some simple reasons:

1. They responded to His commandments haphazardly--obeyed the one's they liked; ignored the others. And claimed to be spiritual, of course. Obedient, even.
2. Idolatry--oh, they worshiped Jehovah; did all the ritual stuff; it was just Jehovah and . . . "Ands" are always idols. Every one of them.
3. Oppressed the poor--not doing anything to help the poor and needy is oppression by omission.
4. Abused God's creation.

Anxious for His return to judge the world? God always judges His people first.

The question here is not "How is the church doing?"

The question is "How am I doing?"

Transformation

The transforming work of the Holy Spirit is designed to make our life an act of worship in all that we do and say and think. It is gradual, persistent, almost imperceptible--the maturing believer often has no idea how he or she has been changed. And it is internal--a renewing of the mind that fears any inkling of conformity with the world, any attraction to the world's loves, any persuasion by the world's lies, any craving to hide the light under a basket more appealing to the world than Christ-likeness. Immersion in God's Word, commitment to prayer, a deep desire for obedience, and a sacrificial stuff love are essential to transformation and a life of daily worship. Am i being transformed or conformed? Those are the only two options. Study, pray, obey, love in deed. Be transformed daily.

Remember

From the memorials of the Old Testament to our Lord's command to remember His death until He returns, the Christian life rests on remembering. That's why we need to sit under the Word every week, be in our Bibles every day.

Some truths for you to remember as you walk with Him tomorrow:

He died for you.
His love for you is inescapable.
He hears and answers your every prayer.
He and the father hold you in His hands.
Underneath are the everlasting arms.
He is on His throne.
Your weakness is the fountain of His all sufficient grace.
You are never alone.
You are never unwanted.
All things work together for good. The good is coming.
Our last breath ushers us into His presence and the fullness of joy.
This world is not our home.
He is coming again in power and great glory.
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.
He is the Resurrection and the Life, anyone who believes in Him shall never die. Never.
When we see Him, we will be like Him.
One day we will be eternally free from the very presence of sin.
The Jesus only moment is coming. He shall wipe all tears from our eyes.

I Want

When your "I wants" are greater than your joy, gratitude, and contentment with your "I haves," you have become an idolater. An idolater who will do anything to anyone to get their "I wants." But there is no power in an idol to bring peace and joy and contentment.

Precious Faith

The characteristics of a precious in His sight, diligent, fruitful faith:

Moral virtue
An ever growing experiential knowledge that His precious and magnificent promises are true in one's daily walk
Self-control--a daily denying of one's "I wants"
Perseverance--a daily obedience in all things
Godliness--a reverential fear of Him that controls all of my decisions
Brotherly kindness--a tender-hearted eagerness to forgive all things
Love.

Any other "faith" is a short-sighted blindness to the truth that while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me. It is an arrogant denial of how wonderful is His lavish grace on every step of my journey day by day.

"I need Thee, O I need Thee; every hour I need Thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee!"