Who am I?

    “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: ‘Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord GOD; and You have also spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord GOD know Your servant. For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart,You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them.” (II Samuel 7:18-21, NKJV)

    Have you ever sat down like David before the Lord and asked this question? Have you taken the time to look back on your life and see the many times He has been there for you and blessed you by his provision of a job, a spouse, children, a close friend, grandchildren, or any other blessing that you know He has provided? It can be a very humbling experience but one that will help remind you how much you have been blessed by the Creator of the universe who was willing to die on a cross for our sins and then adopt us as his child. 

   I guess it helps a little bit if you are 74 years old like I am because I actually have some spare time to think about these things, but it is also something my Lord led me to do many times in the last 30 years of my life. Each time I was able to take a few minutes to reflect on how God has guided my wife and I on this fantastic journey called life by reflecting on how God has met our needs an carried us through each of the trials we have faced, and allowed us to thank the “author and finisher of our faith”(Heb. 12:2) of all the blessings in our lives. 

   Just like the Hebrews under the command of Joshua set up a stone monument to celebrate the crossing of the Jordan River on dry land by the nation, as it began its conquest of  the land of Canaan, we also need to write down the times our Lord has intervened in our lives. Joshua told the people that it would be a reminder to them of what God had done for them so that they could tell their children and their children's children for generations to come of the faithfulness of God.(Joshua 4:1-9)

   Yes, God is the faithful one even when we are not always so faithful. He has said many things that show us that we can depend upon Him during the good times and the bad, the joyous and the sad, the prosperous and the times of need. 

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”(Hebrews 13; 5b)

“ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread I give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (John 6:47,51)

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand!” (Isaiah 41:10)

“Through the LORDS’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His  compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Reflect today on God’s faithfulness to you and your family. Write it down so you can go back and remember His great mercy and faithfulness to you today, and many times in the past. 

PRAY

1. Lord, thank you for bringing to my memory the many times I was at a crossroad in my life and You showed me the way to go. 

2. Help me to keep my eyes on You today and not to look to the right or to the left but only to You who I can depend upon to guide me correctly.

3. Thank you for always being my “Strong Tower", my "Shield," and my "Deliverer!”

    

The Blessings poured out

And David said with longing, ‘Oh that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!’” (2 Samuel 23:15, NKJV)

    We are not told in the Scriptures exactly when this event took place during David’s time as the King of Israel, but it does tell us that He and his army had come down from the stronghold of Abdullam and that a troop of Philistines had a garrison in Bethlehem (his home town). As he looked down from the high ground nearby he made this statement of desire out loud and the men around him heard it. Perhaps you have made statements like this in the past also; You longed to be married, to have a particular job, to write a book, to have a child, to move to a new neighborhood or town, or maybe even, to do something “for the Lord.” These are not bad things, these are good things that you desire. But here is what happened in David’s situation:

    “So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD. And he said, ‘Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?’  Therefore he would not drink it….”(2 Samuel 23:16-17)

   I have read this Scripture passage, and its mirror image in 1 Chronicles 11:17-19, numeroius times in the last 25 years. I confess, I have never really understood why David would not honor the bravery of his men by drinking the water, while at the same time, admonishing them not to be so foolish as to risk their lives for a drink of water ever again.

  Of course, every time I read these verses I also had the commentary of Oswald Chambers next to it to help me understand better, but I never saw it clearly, until today! Mr Chambers says this: 

      “I can never sanctify to God that with which I long to satisfy myself. If I am going to satisfy myself with the blessings of God, they will corrupt me. I have to sacrifice them, pour them out, do with them what any common sense man would say is an absurd waste. Take it in the case of friendship, or of blessing, or of spiritual  experiences; as soon as I long to hold any of these for myself I cannot sanctify them to the Lord. David had the right idea when he poured out the water before the Lord. 

    

     What has been like the water from the well of Bethlehem to you recently? Love, friendship, spiritual blessing? Then at the peril of your soul, you take it to satisfy yourself. If you do, you cannot pour out before the Lord. How am I to pour out spiritual gifts, or natural friendship, or love? In one way only—-in the determination of my mind, and that takes about two seconds. If if I hold spiritual blessings or friendship for myself they will corrupt me, no matter how beautiful they are. I have to pour them out before the Lord, give them to Him in my mind, though it looks as if I am wasting them; even as when David poured out the water on the sand to be instantly sucked up.” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost Devotional Bible, Reading 146)

    Have you been blessed by God? If you are a born again believer you have to answer with a loud resounding YES! If you have a family that you love dearly and that loves you then you must again say YES! If the Lord has given you a ministry or a desire in your heart to do something to help proclaim the gospel to a lost and dying world then you must answer YES AND YES again! So If you have said yes to any of these things then take heed to words from this passage of Scripture and the admonition of Mr. Chambers, Give them back to the Lord for His glory and for your sanctification!

PRAY

1. Thank you Lord Jesus for the many blessings You have brought into my life. I know that all of them came from You because You tell us in the book of James that “Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and comes from the Father of lights,” (James 1:17a)

2. Help me today to look back over my life and to see the many times You have been so good to me and to dedicate today all my relationships and abilities to You and for Your glory.

3. Fill me with Your Spirit and guide me today to look closely around me to see where You are working and to join You as a willing and able servant. 

Are You Listening?

 

   “And the LORD called to Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you did call me.’ Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak LORD, for Your servant hears. ‘So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel answered, Speak, for Your servant hears.’”(1 Samuel 3:8-10, NKJV)

   In the Scripture above we have a part of the story of how God was teaching the young boy Samuel to be a man that was attentive to the voice of God and would be listening when God wanted to tell him something. It could be something for himself or those around him but he needed to learn to listen to what the prophet Elijah called; the “still small voice.’ (“And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." (1 Kings 19:11-12, NKJV) 

     When we go into our prayer time we more often than not have a list of things to pray for and things that are on our minds to petition our Lord for that may be personal or for the benefit of other people that God has put on our hearts. All this is good, He has told us to do this. (See John 16:24 and Matthew 21:22) But there is another part to your time in prayer and it is the time when you listen. God wants to speak to your heart also. Are you listening also? 

   So after you have spent some time alone talking to your “Daddy” then take some time to listen. But don’t forget to tell Him that whatever He tells you you will also obey! Of course,He knows if you will obey or not but make up your mind before hand that you will obey and then you can listen with apprehension and joy knowing that He will be pleased with you as you show Him how much you love Him. 

  Bob Sorge has these words of wisdom about the importance of hearing what our Lord is trying to tell you when you listen. “I realized that everything in the kingdom depends upon hearing His voice. When we hear, the greatest treasures of the kingdom open to us. This is the wellspring of eternal life; this is the fountainhead of kingdom power and authority; this is the  source  of wisdom, understanding, and counsel. Nothing can replace the confidence and authority that comes from hearing God. Things find their right alignment when we hear from God and act upon His word. Hearing God’s voice has become the singular quest of my life. Nothing else can satisfy the deep longings of my heart…..Talking to God is delightful, but it’s even more thrilling when He talks to us. I’m realizing He has more important things to say than I. Things don’t change when I talk to God; things change when God talks to me. When I talk, nothing happens; when God talks, universes come into existence. The power of prayer is not in convincing God of my agenda but in waiting for Him to reveal His agenda.”(Bob Sorge, Secrets Of the Secret Place, p.19)

  Are you ready for some time alone with your Father today? Go to your “Secret Place” and get ready to listen; He is already there waiting for you.

PRAYER

1. Lord, thank you that You are always ready to meet with me when I come to talk to you; to bear my soul, to cry out to You, or just to spend time in Your Word and listen to what You have to tell me.

2. Forgive me for the times when I have heard You speak to me and I did not listen properly. I did not hear or I heard and did not obey. 

3. Help me today to listen and respond to You quickly, as I know that whatever You tell me to do is not only the best response for my own good, it is the only response deserving of the love You have shown me.

    

Holy Prayer

 

 

    “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. (Psalm 15:1-2)

    "but He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1;15-16)

 

   Have you ever had a problem with the fact that we are all called to be holy? It doesn’t mean that we are sinless because we never will be. It does mean that we have been set apart by God because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and we are now His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and His royal priests (1 Peter 2:9) here on this earth. Not because of anything we have done but for all that He did on the cross!

 

    In Bob Sorge’s book Secrets of the Secret Place, he does a great job of explaining “The secret of holiness.”

 

   “Holiness isn’t latent or inherent to us. It’s derived, it’s something we take on. Only God is holy of Himself; every other creature around His throne is holy only because they’ve gotten close enough that His holiness had gotten on them.

     Holiness is proximity to the throne.

     Get in His presence, He’ll make you holy, too. Not because of who you are, but because of who He is. Not because of who you are, but because of where you are. You minister to the Holy One and now He’s making you holy. I used to define holiness by what we didn’t do, but now I see it derives from what we do do. Holiness isn’t found merely by not doing the works of the world; it’s found in drawing near to the holy flame on the throne. In His presence, anything unholy is burned away and all that’s left is holy, fiery love for the Son of God.

     For the LORD God is a sun (Psalm 84:11). As my Sun, the Lord is my light, my warmth, and the One around whom my life revolves. His nearness brings forth fruit from the garden of my heart. His Spirit waters, His word nourishes, and His countenance warms in a way that causes the fruit of my life to grow. Like a planet around the sun, I want everything in my life to revolve around Christ. I don’t want to be a comet that swings by every 300 years only to return to darkness. And I don’t want to be Pluto, hanging on the furthest fringe. I want to be a Mercury—blazing with the same holy fire that radiates from His face.

   Holiness isn’t clean living. Holiness is a life lived before the throne of God. Holy people cause kings to fear. That’s because they’re not just pure; they’re a living flame that stands at the throne of God.

     If prayer is gasoline, holiness is the spark. When a holy man or woman prays, explosive things happen. Those who burn with a holy love for Jesus are influential in the courts of heaven. Like Elijah, they change things on earth by praying effective prayers that avail much (James 5:16)” (Bob Sorge Secrets pp. 140-143)

 

    What an awesome summary of what it means to be holy and to be used by God to pray for the advancement of His kingdom! I highly recommend Bob Sorge’s book for anyone wishing to improve their prayer life in the “Secret Place”. Now, what has God placed on your heart to pray about? Get to it now!

 

PRAYER

 

1.     Oh, Lord, how I long to know You more intimately and to know that You are my loving Father and precious Savior.

2.     Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may be ignited by Your fire to pray earnestly for those people You have put in my life.

3.     Forgive me for my laziness and lack of desire to be about Your business in the home, workplace, and community where You have placed me. 

4.     Yes Lord, I want to be holy just as You are holy, and I know I can only do it if I draw near to You and completely abandon my selfish desires to pursue You, and Your kingdom today.

The Apple of His eye

“Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of your wings.” (Psalms 17:8)

Several times in Scripture we read the term “apple of Your eye,” but what does that mean? It means that God has a special place in His heart for His children. Just as an earthly father or mother looks after the needs of their children, so much more, does our God look after all the needs of His children. He cares about the little things and the big things as well.

    A few years back my wife Miriam was going through a period of  time where she didn’t feel as close to God as she wanted to. She was in the kitchen on a Sunday morning and looked into her cabinet and saw 4 bottles of vanilla that she had bought on a mission trip to Ecuador  6 months prior with the intention of giving to people as gifts, but had not done so yet. Casually she said to herself: “I wish I knew someone who needed vanilla so I can get rid of these bottles of vanilla. I don’t ever bake enough to use them.”

    As we walked into the church that morning we had not gone very far when Carol, a casual friend, touched her on the shoulder and quickly asked: “Hi Miriam, do you have any vanilla? I’m baking a bunch of cakes for my husband's work and I don’t have enough.” Immediately Miriam turned to me and said: “Patrick, quick run home and get all the vanilla that we have in the kitchen cabinet!” We lived only 5 minutes away so I was able to quickly go home, retrieve the vanilla, return and give it to Carol. She was very happy but I believe Miriam was happier!

    Yes, our God does take care of big things in our lives that we often take for granted, like good health, safety for ourselves and our loved ones and I suppose if you sat down and thought about it enough you would be able to remember many occasions when He has come through for you. But, you know what? He is also interested in the small things you are involved with daily! Miriam says that she was suddenly aware that day that our Lord was interested in even the small things, like how to use a few bottles of vanilla!

    Do you know why our Lord is interested in the little things in your life? Because you are the “apple of His eye!” He lives inside you with the presence of His Holy Spirit! Yes, you can talk to Him at any time of the day or night about any subject that is on your heart or mind. So what are you waiting for? What do you need to talk to your Daddy about today? Is it about your job, your children, the loss of a loved one, your spouse, a relative, a situation in your church, or just a desire that is in your heart that is unfulfilled. 

    He has time for you right now! Stop what you are doing, get on your knees, walk outside, or sit on the couch and tell Him what is bothering you. He cares. He is listening, and don’t be surprised when He answers your prayer and don’t be mad if in some cases he says no. You are still the “apple of His eye” even when He doesn’t answer right away like He did for Miriam that day. He will answer, you are His precious child, and you are the “apple of His eye’!

   “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand on me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me: It is high, I cannot attain it. (Psalms 139:1-6)

PRAY

1. Lord thank You for being such a loving God that You always keep me as the “apple of Your eye” even when I don’t deserve it. You are the faithful One who is always waiting for me when I come to You.

2. Fill me with Your Spirit today so that I can see this day through Your eyes and react to the challenges I face with the right attitude and spirit. 

3. Thank You Lord that I can read such powerful words from the Bible such as those in Psalms 139 that remind me that You know everything about me, and know my needs and are providing for them before I even ask!

    

God's Shadow

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalms 91:1)

   I was paddling my kayak the other day on the lake near where I live. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining, a nice comfortable 80 degree temperature, and a gentle breeze blowing across the water. After about an hour of paddling and enjoying the solitude, only interrupted by an occasional heron or song bird fly by, I was starting to feel a little too warm. I paddled into the shade of a cove I like to visit, and as the kayak glided into the shadow of the trees near the shore, the verse at the top of the page suddenly came to my mind. 

   In our modern day life, we don’t spend so much time thinking about how great shade is until we are out in the sun for a while in the summertime. But oh, what a great feeling of relief came over me as I paddled into the tree’s shadow and felt the sudden cooling from the shade on my body. That is such a great example of what it means to be under the shadow of our Almighty God! But our Lord is so much more than shade from the sun! If we read on in the Psalm we get many more great word pictures of what our Savior has for us:

  “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him will I trust.’ (verse 2)

    When I lived in Germany many years ago I was able to visit many castles and fortresses from the Middle Ages. My son was even married in the Habsburg castle in Habsburg, Switzerland. If you have seen a castle or other type of fortress, you have seen a good picture of the strength and power of what our God can do for you. You can trust Him because He is the “trustworthy One!”

  “He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.” (verse 4)

   Just like a mother hen protects her chicks, so does our Lord protect His children. We can take refuge under His wings and depend upon Him at all hours of the day or night! He is always on duty.! His truth, the Word of God that we find in His Bible, is our shield and protector. It is our solid rock that we can depend upon! 

  “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor the arrow that flys by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor the destruction that lays waste at noonday.” (verses 5-6)

   In other words you just don’t need to worry about anything if God is on your side! So whatever trial or difficulty you are facing you can count on the Lord to get you through the challenges you are facing! That is Good News! 

PRAY

1. Lord You are “my hiding place”and the only one I can turn to in time or trouble or distress. Thank You that I can always hide under “the shadow of the Almighty” at any time night or day. 

2. Fill me with Your Spirit today and help me to be attentive to Your “still small voice” when you speak to me and guide me on this day’s journey.

3. Help me today, to spend more time in Your presence with prayer so that I will be receptive to Your leading and that I will be quick to obey whatever You tell me I should do to support Your Kingdom.

  

Marriage, part II

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” (Ephesians 5:27)

    Like most couples, when Miriam and I were married many years ago we did not have a real clue about what we were doing and what marriage meant. We knew that we loved being together and we had a desire to have each other as our life long partners but we had received no training or mentoring about how we should do it. I mentioned in the last post that we were married in two different churches on the same day. The Catholic service was in Spanish and I understood most of what was said but did not recite any vows. The Prototestant service was in English and although we had rehearsed our vows a couple of times, Miriam was so nervous that when it was her turn to speak she just said: “Babada badas ba ba!” The pastor smiled and I smiled back and he then pronounced us “Man and wife.” The great part was at the reception her mom was so proud of her. She said:  “I didn’t know you could speak English!”

    In Paul Tripp’s Book Marriage, He has some great advice for us, and although laundry lists aren't always the best, the one he has in chapter 17 is outstanding! Here is what he has to say:

   “If you believe that God is wise and true, then you will take seriously what He says, and you will willingly do the things He says are good and because you trust God, you are willing to give yourself to the toil of a good marriage. A marriage of unity; understanding, and love takes a daily commitment to work. 

     Perhaps one of the principal sins of a bad marriage is the sin of laziness. Being committed to the hard work that makes marriage beautiful means to you will:

–Be willing to lose sleep so an important conversation can be completed.

–Listen and consider when you have communicated a concern.

–Care about your spouse’s true needs and gladly work to meet them.

–Work to communicate with your spouse in a way that is patient and kind.

–Look for concrete ways to support and encourage your spouse.

–Do the daily work of forgiveness and reconciliation so that you and your spouse can live in peace. 

–Deal with your marital differences in a way that communicates appreciation and respect. 

–Make time to enjoy your physical intimacy and friendship.

–Look for ways to help your spouse bear the burden of the responsibilities that he or she carries.

–Partner with your spouse in the daily work of maintaining your physical surroundings.

–Never stop pursuing your spouse romantically.

–Do not let the sun go down on a moment of hurt, misunderstanding, or anger.

–Look for ways to encourage and develop your spiritual communion.

–Daily commit to overlooking minor offenses.

–Studiously avoid conflict over things that are not important.

–Speak in a way that gives your spouse grace.

–Encourage and support your spouse in areas of interest that you do not share.

–Be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to keep your marriage a priority.

–Daily search for verbal and nonverval ways to communicate your love. 

–Do not leave a conversation until you have reached unity and understanding.

–Never demand  of your spouse what you are unwilling to give.

–Continually remind your spouse that he or she is not alone in the marriage.

–Do things you wouldn’t normally do simply because they make your spouse happy.

–Fight the business that would get in the way of giving your marriage attention.

–Be willing to sacrifice personal activities  and leisure for the sake of your marriage.

–Work so your spouse has the downtime, rest, and retreat he or she needs.

-Work to build relationships of love and respect with your family.

–Do not stop working until your marriage is all God intended it to be. 

(Paul David Tripp, Marriage, pp. 314-316)

PRAY

1. Oh, Lord, how magnificent You are and gracious to provide marriage for us that allows us to have a partner and a helper to go through the joys and rigors of this world you have created for us.

2. Thank you for the precious person You have provided for me to be my partner for life. Thank you for her/his differences that help me to see You, and life with different eyes and different perspectives. Help me to love her/him the way You love me!

3. I praise You Lord for being such a loving and long-suffering God that is always patient with me and always ready to meet with me and to forgive me of my sin and my stubbornness in allowing You to transform me into someone more like You.