Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
I love verse 3. I understand just what David is saying....The saints who are on the earth....they truly are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. Those who have been born again...renewed by God's grace are precious in my sight. They are God's gifts to me for the journey. The saints on this earth have surrounded me with God's love, care, concern, encouragement and kindness for the last 16 years. Watching them walk with our Lord and seeing their kindness to me and to my family in Christ Jesus encourages my faith and helps me to endure. Paul says this in Romans 1:12 "that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me."
John 5: 1-2 says "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments." To love God, girls, is to love his people. We are His delight, His beloved, His excellent ones, His jewels and His nobility here on the earth. The saints of the earth bear His image and are His servants and His friends. Galatians 6:10 says that we (the saints on the earth) are to do good to all but especially to those who are of the household of faith. This is not to say that our kindness should be limited to believers but that our kindness toward believers should be especially evident. 1 John 3:17 "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
Jesus tells us this in Matthew 12:50: "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."
Israel would not have Him, so He turns to those who will. Blood relationships were superseded by spiritual relationship. Our true family here on this earth girls, are the saints. There is a depth and dimension of relationship with them that cannot be found or forged with a non-believer. Make no mistake, however, God uses us in each others lives as sandpaper and as iron sharpening iron. The precious of God on this earth, girls, will most definitely encourage you, but they WILL also offend you. The church, especially if it is not well taught, can become a war zone with victims strewn everywhere. When you find yourself offended...do as it says in Psalm 4. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD. Do what is right because it is not about you it is about His light shining through you to others. If you get in the way with your own offense you cast shadows over His goodness. Focus on your own sin, NOT on the sins of those around you. No planking and specking allowed! Yours is the only heart you can surrender to Him to do with as seems good in His sight. Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
If your relationship is right with the Lord, your relationship will be right with the saints He surrounds you with. If you surrender to Him and refuse to make anything about you, the Lord will work mightily in your heart and in the lives of those around you. You will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
I found the following quote in the Believer's Bible Commentary. It really speaks my heart in my feelings towards the people of the family of God.
"From the first day I set off until the present hour, I have been as highly favored as a mortal and sinful being can well be. My fellowship has been with the excellent of the earth, and every one of them striving to the utmost of his power to show me kindness for the Lord's sake.
Paul says this in Philippians 1 about the saints that surrounded him.
"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ."
Love
Mom who is also including Galatians 6:1-10 below. A truly beautiful passage.
