Protected!

Protected!

“[11] Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11 AMPC

We do not know who the author of this psalm is, but there is no mistaking the message in the entire chapter. This is the longest chapter in the Bible, and it is full of tributes to the power of the Word of God. We have always presented the view that the Word of God is a Person, as well as the Personality of God Himself. We know the Word was with God in the beginning, and by the Word were all things in heaven and on earth created. We also know that all things are still being sustained to this day by the power of that same Word. Heaven does not have any doubt or contention about who is in charge. The Lord's prayer says that "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven". The Word of God has been established and proven through all the generations to be the instrument by which lives are impacted and changed. 

The start point for any inner change then, is to accept and embrace this truth about the Word of God. What you do not believe in will not work for you. Others will have personal and specific evidence of the dealings of God with them, whilst you may just have stories from the past. The writer of this psalm had a very personal encounter with the Word of God, which led to the words of the verse above. He knew the source, and so had no issue with submission to the Word. God has always ahown Himself to be trustworthy and it is His consistency that provides the comfort we need to hold on to Him. Another critical message is the word 'laid up'. You do not get there overnight or by mistake; it is the product of a careful and conscious decision to store it up. 

For this writer, the reason why he chose to lay it up was so that he may not sin against God. Reflect on the natural flow of the natural man: he is prone to sin, and in order to defeat sin, he needs help from the One who has already conquered sin. What is prescribed for victory over sin is the Word of God. As far as God is concerned, nothinhg else can give you that victory outside of His Word. If He defeated the devil using the Word, that is the template He has laid down for the victory we seek and need. Recall that the devil also said "It is written", though with ulterior motives. It is not enough to just cram it in and then pour out; you have to spend time with the Word so that its lessons and benefits can be personalised. It is not a magic wand to be waved only in emergencies. May the Lord help me to make a personal relationship with His Word. God's time of favour is here.

Right Heart!

Right Heart!

“Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].” Philippians 2:3 AMPC

Just as Paul and Timothy were writing to all of God's consecrated people in Philippi, along with their bishops and deacons, so is God also speaking to us today as His church, wherever we may find ourselves. Whatever it was that led to the words of the verse above, we can agree that nothing much has changed. Just as we read of factions in the church in Corinth, where men followed Apollos or Peter or Paul, so do we find the same issue here at Philippi. I must be fully conscious of what the call of God upon my life entails; it is a noble calling that asks me to think of not just my own interests, but how Christ can be glorified in and through me. Too many times, we want to hold on to our 'dignity'; leading to the full manifestations of all that should have been dealt with when we gave our lives to Christ. 

For Paul and Timothy to counsel the people not to do anything through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, for unworthy ends, or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance, it means these issues were concerns for the church. Let us never get to the point where we become very confident in our superiority over the work of the flesh, that we lose our dependence on God. No mortal man, however powerful, can conquer flesh. That is man's natural flow state. I need the help of the One who has defeated the flesh permanently to be able to overcome the same flesh. No amount of education, earnings or elocution can provide that safety. Am I truly under the full control of the Spirit of God, or do I need to make a full surrender to Him today?

As the verse above makes clear, i must regard other people as better than and superior to myself. Let it be clear that this is not possible by reason of strength alone. It is only a man who has learnt true humility that can be comfortable in that position. Who ever lays down, or pushes another person over and above himself, unless s/he has been broken and is totally surrendered to God? This is the place where God wants all His children to be. This is the place where He is glorified in the lives of those who bear His name. I have to always remember that God does not force Himself on anyone. He will help, support and strengthen all who come to Him. Would you trust Him with your life? God's time of favour is here. 

Timeless!

Timeless!

“[1] IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.” John 1:1 AMPC

As we read yesterday, different perspectives exist on the source and inspiration behind the words laid out in the Bible. Of course, the same will also apply to the origin of creation and how all we see today came to be. We have heard of the big bang theory, or the theory of evolution. A lot of positions have  been shared on this account, but let us take a moment to appreciate the beauty and order of creation. Reflect on all that you see, and you should come to the realisation that only an authority of great power and wisdom could be behind such beauty and order. Even if a big bang occcured and such beauty came to be, pause for a moment and think of the brains behind the scenes, ensuring that all we see now came out the way they are today. Reflect also on the scale of the operation that ensures that all of creation continues to go on like clockwork. 

Seasons continue to come and go with precision; you can make a plan for the changes in seasons. Day and night, cold and heat continue to happen as laid out in the Bible; men are born and they die. There has not been any successful attempt to stop death altogether; you may enjoy life with good healthcare, but when the time is up, there is nothing mortal that can do to stop the work of the immortal. This finality is the loudest proof that there is a God of authority, power and might that governs all that we see today. If no man, no matter how powerful, is able to stop the day of his death, should that not make you pause and consider if there is a God to be met and worshipped? Another version presents the verse above in this way: "The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one." 

I have a choice to make here: contest or consciously accept. There is no other source that can counter this truth. A relationship with this God fills your heart with a peace that no other forcw on earth can tamper with. Right in the beginning, before all that we see today ever existed, God was setting the scene for all we see today. We also see that Jesus, being God, was with the Father at the beginning. We read that the Spirit of God was brooding over the waters at creation. That is the perfect proof of the Trinity. He has revealed Himself to us, and He has given us the power to choose Him. Whatever my decision is, I must remember that nothing I do changes who God is or what He can do. I can accept and submit to His power, or I can hold on to the lies and deceit of men. As always, man lives or dies by the decisions he makes. Is God truly Lord of my life? Is He God over all that concerns me? God's time of favour is here. 

Inspired!

Inspired!

“[16] Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action).” 2 Timothy 3:16 AMPC

There are people who claim that there are contradictions in the accounts of events laid out in the Bible. There has to be some amazing power behind the bible that even with different versions that have been produced through the centuries, the truths of the Word of God have not been changed or successfully challenged. That is consistency. That is power of a kind that the world cannot explain. The verse above starts with this very incontrovertible fact: all Scripture, even the parts that make you uncomfortable, is God-breathed. It is God who ordered the total destruction of a nation, and He also is the One who showed mercy to another nation simply because it showed mercy to His people. 

The verse above also makes it clear that the words we read in the Bible are given by God's inspiration. Mortal men, with their limitations and weaknesses, were moved by an amazing and extraordinary God to put down the words we read today. These mortal men are like us, not spirits. They were not perfect all at once, but God used them as and when He pleased, to lay out His perfect plan for all mankind. The perfect God is the only One who can use the imperfect to bring perfection to all who put their trust in God. Reflect on the truth that right from the place of man's first sin was the place of God's redemption plan. The mind of God is revealed by what He has laid down. It will be very profitable for me to know God's mind and live by what He shows me.

That is the value of the latter part of the verse above. All that God says has an assignment to work out in my life. There will be times when what I need is instruction for daily living. There will be times when reproof and conviction of sin is what I need at a specific time, as correction of error and discipline in obedience. There will also be times when I need training in righteousness, to know how to live in holiness and in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action. What area of life does God not cover? What challenge does God not have a solution for? What life question can exist that the word of God does not have an answer for? The eternal God has made His will known; He waits for us. How do you respond? God's time of favour is here. 

Helped!

Helped!

“[23] Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!”

Psalm 139:23 AMPC

David, the man God testified to as a man after His own heart, is credited with writing this song. The first two verses tell you what you need to know about both David and God. The writer admitted to the truth that God indeed knows him the way no other person can. He knew that there was no surprises when it came to God. Even the thoughts of David were known to God even before David thought of them. That is power on a level that the mortal mind is unable to fully comprehend. As you read the entire chapter, you see the power of this God and the weakness of man in full display. The One who made man has already established his days in His book, even before any of these days come to pass. Reflect on the story of creation and see the wisdom and power of God in full display.

It is in this light that the verse above is to be reviewed. If David already admitted that God had already searched him thoroughly and had known him, why this prayer? How do you ask an already Omniscient God to search you thoroughly? Is there anything about the created that can be hidden from the view of the Creator? The message here is total allegiance. There is a difference between knowledge and action. There are men who know that God is powerful, but they will never bring themselves under His authority. Even the devil knowa that God is powerful, but his eternal damnation has already been sealed. To ask this God to search me is to accept His power and authority over me, and that I will accept His view. 

To ask God to try me and know my thoughts is to embrace His processing. I admit that sometimes I do not always get it; I may think I am the best at whatever I do, but I must leave room for God to deal with me the way He wants to, not the way I think He should. I must choose to be open with the God before whom I will stand for judgment anyway. I know that I may not always see my own faults, motives, or blind spots,  but I trust that God's dealings are not to hurt or harm me but to help me. If God could put His breath in me, it means that He is invested in my success. My best gift to God is total submission to His process. He is the One who can hold me to the end and bring me into safe harbour. He will not force Himself on anyone. Would you submit? God's time of favour is here. 

Delivered!

Delivered!

“[13] [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,”

Colossians 1:13 AMPC

Paul and Timothy who wrote this letter to the saints of God in Colosse would know the value of what the verse above presents. Both men did not have what you would call a very attractive start in the faith. Paul was a man who was fresh from supporting murder, to being a willing traveller to go and do more. Timothy's birth circumstances would have made him quite unqualified for the roles he played, if not for the guided assistance of Paul. Both men had a past from which the death of Jesus played the fundamental role: changing the eventual outcome from eternal death and securing eternal life. It does not matter what the past or even the present looks like: all of us need to encounter the power that was made available at the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

Reflect on what the sacrifice of Jesus means: He who knew no sin became sin for us. He came in my place, stood in my place, paid the price I obviously could not pay, and offered me a way out from under the control and influence of sin. I could not save myself; in fact, at the time that Jesus died, I was not even born, so it was not like I even knew I needed His help. The Omniscient God knew what was ahead, and He provided a way of escape for me, even before I knew whatever trouble was ahead. That is a love that does not make human sense; that is a love that is not conditional upon my acceptance or rejection of Him. There is nothing I can do that will lessen the weight, height, depth or scope of the love Jesus has for me. This is the definition of love that the world needs to know and experience. 

I note that the impact of this love also means that He has not left me in a vacuum. He did not just save me from sin; He also brought me into a different kingdom. He did not leave me as an orphan to fend for myself; He secured earthy relevance and eternal security for me. Let it be clear that the best of us, without Christ, is under the control and dominion of darkness. Education, earnings, expensive jewelry and elocution do not save a man. None of these things can be of value at the judgement seat. What counts is the finished work of Christ. He has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son. That is new ownership; new vision, pursuits and priorities. That inner change must now drive outer focus. As someone who understands what has been given, it is now a daily submission and embrace of all that has been given. Do you know who and whose you are? God's time of favour is here.

Pray!

Pray!

“Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people).” 

Ephesians 6:18 AMPC

Paul was concluding this letter to the church in Ephesus and he was speaking to different classes of people: slaves, masters, children and parents. For each group, there was a right way to engage so that the message of Christ will be attractive to others. No matter my station in life, or what I have or lack now, the call of God upon my life requires me to be careful and intentional about how I conduct myself. The understanding of who and where I am will help me stay strong and focused on what God desires from and for me. Do you know who and whose you are? Are you clear on God's expectations from you? As we always say: God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. 

The introduction to the part where the verse above is taken from reads: “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].” It is only IN Him that I can draw the strength that is referred to here. It is only in union with Him that my output can reflect His inner presence. It is my association with Him that will drive my presentation. One way to get the strength that is in focus here is to pray the way the verse above lays it out: IN the Spirit. It is a focus on the One who knows the mind of God and can help me focus on what really matters. I do not know how to pray as I ought, but the Spirit of God is able to direct ny heart and thoughts appropriately. The Spirit of God is the enabler, strengthener and support. 

It is not a one-off; it is a stready engagement. You do not do it only when it feels good, but at all times. It is not a formular for always getting what you want; it is a process of submission whereby God is able to work on and in me to be what He wants me to be. 

There is also the need to balance prayer with watching in alertness. You pray, and then you observe. You keep at it. The heart is always in a state of alertness to what God is saying, so that the knees and lips can respomd the right way. There may be a change in direction as instructed when God has my heart and full attention. I must also pray for God's people too. The change that God wants to do in my world will be led by broken and yielded vessels. Am I one? Can God count on me to also raise one? God's time of favour is here.