He Who Offers Praise Glorifies Me…

Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;

And to him who orders his conduct aright

I will show the salvation of God."—Psalm 50:23 NKJV

Psalm 50:23 says, “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” 

There is a little girl in my life that makes me a birthday card each and every year.  These are not just any birthday cards.  These cards are her way of showing me that she appreciates my presence in her life. The obvious time and effort she takes and the love she puts into creating them makes her gift more valuable to me and has often moved me to tears. I cannot help but want to display the precious gift of her heart for all to see.  (This year’s card is already framed.) 

Beloved our God is the same…if I in my fallen state respond to a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise this way, how much more will God respond when I offer Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

When things are hard, when the way is difficult, when you feel that God has deserted you, or your mind is so immersed in fear and anxiety that you can’t see two feet in front of you…that, beloved…is the perfect time to offer a sacrifice of thanks to your God.  

This kind of gratitude is not of this world.  It is supernatural and is produced as we surrender to the Spirit of God who dwells in us.  It does not make any earthly sense and brings our pride low.  Here is the thing though.  As we push through our screaming flesh and present our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God for His blessings, we honor Him and our gratitude is glorified.  As we do this God’s word promises that we are preparing the way for Him to show us His salvation and shower us with grace upon grace. Blessed is the man who trusts Him!

Thank Him because…

He is sovereign and all that He does is good

He works all in your life together for your good and His glory

His will for you comes from His heart of love

His love endures forever

He is on your side

He did not spare His only beloved Son but delivered Him up for us all

Nothing can separate us from His love

He is where our help comes from

His grace is sufficient

He is our great consolation

His word comforts us in our affliction

In our weakness His strength is made perfect

He never leaves us nor forsakes us

He has prepared a place for us

Absent from the body is present with Him in heaven

He hears our prayers

He brings beauty from ashes

He gives the oil of joy for mourning

He gives the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness

In Him there is no darkness at all

He preserves us through this life

He thinks on us and considers our affliction

He gives us other worldly rest and peace

He keeps His promises

His benefits are great

He is your portion

He commands His loving kindness in the daytime and at night His song shall be with you.

He undertakes for us

He delivers us

Underneath us are His everlasting arms

We are not alone in our fears, trials and troubles

We stand in His grace…His everlasting favor. 

He is compassionate and gracious

In Him is wisdom

He never changes…He is the same yesterday, today and forever

He is gracious, full of compassion and righteous

As our great high priest, He can sympathize with us in our weakness

We can come boldly to His throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need

Quit Ye Like Men…

 “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NKJV

In the King James, the injunction "be brave," is translated, "quit you like men." Here Paul is linking the qualities of power (quit ye like men!) and love (that combination being rather counter-intuitive today). As he closes his epistle to the Corinthians, he urges them towards very soldierly virtues: watchfulness, steadfastness, bravery, and strength. Yet at the same time, he also exhorts them to align everything they do - including watching, being steadfast, being brave, and being strong - with the priorities of love. Our example is, as always, Christ Himself. On the cross He demonstrated both the heart of a warrior (quit ye like men!) and the heart of love. He acquitted Himself as a soldier in that He submitted Himself totally to His Father's will; endured well to the end the ordeal that was laid upon Him; trusted the Lord completely for all that He needed; faced the battles He fought without faintness or cowardliness; He protected those under Him; He completed His mission. He acquitted Himself in love in that His whole reason for going to the cross was His love for His Father, and His great love for us; when He opened His mouth, He was caring for His mother, speaking salvation to the thief next to Him, speaking the truth, or reaching out to those who were abusing Him; He again protected those under Him; He healed one of those who came to take Him into custody; and so much more. Jesus is the perfect example, the epitome of these two verses. To be like Him, we do as He did - depend totally on the Lord and let His Spirit do the work rather than striving to accomplish it ourselves. Our strength is pitiful. It has to be God's if we are to answer Paul's exhortations. Through His Spirit in us, the love and the strength of Jesus (quit ye like men!) are also ours. May we live them both out in the world.

by Rebecca...

Encouragement Toward Humility…

From Spurgeon…

GRACE FOR THE HUMBLE 

He giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6) 

Humble hearts seek grace, and therefore they get it. Humble hearts yield to the sweet influences of grace, and so it is bestowed on them more and more largely. Humble hearts lie in the valleys where streams of grace are flowing, and hence they drink of them, Humble hearts are grateful for grace and give the Lord the glory of it, and hence it is consistent with His honor to give it to them. 

Come, dear reader, take a lowly place. Be little in thine own esteem, that the Lord may make much of thee. Perhaps the sigh breaks out, "I fear I am not humble." It may be that this is the language of true humility. Some are proud of being humble, and this is one of the very worst sorts of pride. We are needy, helpless, undeserving, hell-deserving creatures, and if we are not humble we ought to be. Let us humble ourselves because of our sins against humility, and then the Lord will give us to taste of His favor. It is grace which makes us humble, and grace which finds in this humility an opportunity for pouring in more grace. Let us go down that we may rise. Let us be poor in spirit that God may make us rich. Let us be humble that we may not need to be humbled but may be exalted by the grace of God.—Spurgeon

Paul was who he was by the grace of his God…

For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.—1 Corinthians 15:9-11

David knew from whence came his help and yearned for God in the midst of distresses…

As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

My tears have been my food day and night,

While they continually say to me,

"Where is your God?"

When I remember these things,

I pour out my soul within me.

For I used to go with the multitude;

I went with them to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and praise,

With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

For the help of His countenance.

O my God, my soul is cast down within me;

Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,

And from the heights of Hermon,

From the Hill Mizar.

Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;

All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And in the night His song shall be with me—

A prayer to the God of my life.

I will say to God my Rock,

"Why have You forgotten me?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"

As with a breaking of my bones,

My enemies reproach me,

While they say to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.—Psalm 42

Gideon affirms the Kingship of God…

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian."

But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you."—Judges 8:23-24

There are so many examples of humility in the Scriptures…I pulled these particular ones just from my thru the Bible in a year readings this morning.  I will add one more example from Philippians.  This one is the greatest of all..

The humility and exaltation of Jesus Christ…

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.—Philippians 2

The Lord Will Give Grace and Glory…

 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

The LORD will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.—Psalm 84:11

As a believer, having been justified by Christ, I stand continually in His unmerited, undeserved and unearned grace.  Grace is God’s unmerited favor and kindness.  It is the evidence of His good-will toward us and His good work in us.  Glory is the honor He bestows in adopting us as His children and also that which He has prepared for us as joint heirs with Christ in heaven. Grace is the down payment of glory and glory has been called perfected grace. The gift of God’s grace in this world prepares us for glory in the next.

Yesterday I went for an early morning hike in the woods, and as I walked I meditated on this.  The sunlight warming my face and lighting my way reminded that as a believer I walk in in the light of His favor.  His grace goes before me and His goodness and mercy follow hard after me.  He is my sun to warm me and my shield to shade and protect me.  My life in Christ begins with grace and ends in glory. All that is required for my safe and comfortable passage through this world, He will give me.  

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace—John 1:16

Beloved…what a comprehensive, comforting promise!  Hide this one in your heart. (Call it your comprehensive comfort). As you walk thru your day remember that the LORD will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. His steadfast love will surround you and His grace will be sufficient to meet your every need. Oh, how blessed is the man who trusts in You! 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.—James 1:17

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.—2 Corinthians 3:18

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;—Philippians 1:6

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.—Romans 8:16-17

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,—Romans 8:18

Valley of Baca…

 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and dwell in them;plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.... For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.--Jeremiah 29:4-7,11

To My Beloved Daughters...

This one is so important!  What do you do when you find yourself in a very unpleasant and distressful situation.  A situation that brings on feelings of fear, uncertainty, discontentment, grief, or a longing for the past and how things used to be?  A situation that may or may not be permanent.  What do you do? How do you react?  

Now I hate not to have things go the way I want them to or the way I think that they should.  I just hate it!  I complain and kick against the goad...sometimes for a very long time.  I even think I might be surrendering to the situation, but..you know...really I am not.  Focusing on what you are not getting and  what you don't have will ALWAYS make you miserable.  You will be miserable to be around and you yourself will be miserable because you will be thinking of yourself rather than the Lord and those around you. Complaining is sin...you are telling the Lord that the situation He has lovingly prepared for your good is not good.

Do you see what God told His people to do in the very distressing situation they found themselves in...He tells them to accept it and move ahead.  He tells them to adjust, pray and keep moving.  Wait Lord...accept it...but I haven't finished complaining about it yet. Give me some time.  I just want to sit here and be miserable.

Don't allow your life to grind to a halt because you find yourself in a situation in which you never expected and never wanted. Life, more often than not, brings terrible tragedy.  Job loss, betrayals, family problems, marriage issues, sickness, chronic illness, debilitating pain, and death. We do grieve...but we do not grieve as those who have no hope.  If you are a believer whatever situation you find yourself in is from Him.  He will use it for good in your life. This is what we want...we want His plan for our lives.  His plan for us is from His heart of love.  It is always for His glory and our good.  Don't miss out on any of the blessings by complaining about what He has decided was not in your best interest.  Surrender to Him.  Do those works that He has put in front of you today.  Adjust and keep moving.  Plant seeds...follow His leading. Stay close to Him and above all immerse yourself in His word.  Let sitting at His feet and worshiping Him be your highest priority...give Him all the pre-eminence.

The Lord allows us to be in very hard places sometimes because He wants to accomplish His will in us and through us.  Our Lord is faithful, girls. He never leaves us nor forsakes us.  He is always there....if you don't think so it is because you have drawn back and moved away from Him.  Abide and surrender.  The Lord will be your rear guard...The Lord will hedge you behind and before and will keep His hand on you.  He will provide you a way of escape...seek Him...He IS your way of escape, your strong tower and your refuge.  Revel in His goodness.  Don't look back...press on toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Be blessed and comforted in His love, grace and kindness toward you in His Son. 

Psalm 84:6-7 says this: As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools.  They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion. 

Girls...this is what I want as I go through my Valley of Tears here on my earthly pilgrimage.  I want to make it a spring...I want to surrender to His Spirit inside and trust the All Sufficient One in my time of trouble. I want my journey to encourage others in their own walk with the Lord. We all need times of barrenness and trouble to grow strong in Him. Strengthen your inner man by spending time with God and you will begin to see your adversity as an opportunity from Him to experience His faithfulness even more.  Sing in your time of sorrow.  Triumph in tragedy. Look for the rainbows.   Our Lord will bear you up on wings like eagles.   Immerse yourself in the water of His word, girls, and go from strength to strength on your own journey to Zion.

He is Our Boast and He is Our Praise…

1 We have heard with our ears, O God,

Our fathers have told us,

The deeds You did in their days,

In days of old:

2 You drove out the nations with Your hand,

But them You planted;

You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.

3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,

Nor did their own arm save them;

But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,

Because You favored them.

4 You are my King, O God;

Command victories for Jacob.

5 Through You we will push down our enemies;

Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.

6 For I will not trust in my bow,

Nor shall my sword save me.

7 But You have saved us from our enemies,

And have put to shame those who hated us.

8 In God we boast all day long,

And praise Your name forever.

Selah

9 But You have cast us off and put us to shame,

And You do not go out with our armies.

10 You make us turn back from the enemy,

And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.

11 You have given us up like sheep intended for food,

And have scattered us among the nations.

12 You sell Your people for next to nothing,

And are not enriched by selling them.

13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors,

A scorn and a derision to those all around us.

14 You make us a byword among the nations,

A shaking of the head among the peoples.

15 My dishonor is continually before me,

And the shame of my face has covered me,

16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,

Because of the enemy and the avenger.

17 All this has come upon us;

But we have not forgotten You,

Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant.

18 Our heart has not turned back,

Nor have our steps departed from Your way;

19 But You have severely broken us in the place of jackals,

And covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,

Or stretched out our hands to a foreign god,

21 Would not God search this out?

For He knows the secrets of the heart.

22 Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?

Arise! Do not cast us off forever.

24 Why do You hide Your face,

And forget our affliction and our oppression?

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;

Our body clings to the ground.

26 Arise for our help,

And redeem us for Your mercies' sake.—Psalm 44:1-26

Israel in Psalm 44 seems to be in the midst of calamity and defeat. David looks back in verses 1-3 and remembers what God had done for them in the time of Joshua...how God had fought for them and driven out the pagan nations from the Promised Land.  When I do as David does here, my heart is encouraged and my spirit revives.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked came against me

To eat up my flesh,

My enemies and foes,

They stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident.—Psalm 27:1-3

In Verse 3, David remembers the why of their victory. It was God who gave the land to the children of Israel. It was NOT their own arm that saved them.  It was His right hand...His arm that did it, because He favored them. Jesus did the same for each of us at the cross over 2000 years ago. 

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly... But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.—Romans 5:6;8

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.—Ephesians 2:4-9

I love the next few verses.  

4 You are my King, O God;

Command victories for Jacob.

5 Through You we will push down our enemies;

Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.

6 For I will not trust in my bow,

Nor shall my sword save me.

7 But You have saved us from our enemies,

And have put to shame those who hated us.

8 In God we boast all day long,

And praise Your name forever.

Selah—Psalm 44:4-8

Beloved...only God is trustworthy. Through Him, we will do valiantly. He is our boast, and He is our praise!  He will never let us down.  

Last night, I couldn’t sleep because of discomfort and pain.  Anxiety, taking advantage of my weakness and lack of sleep, crept in and did its best to gain a foothold by highlighting the many things in life that are beyond my control. 

Scripture that I had memorized became my refuge — specifically Isaiah 26:3-4.  Focusing on this passage reminded my heart of the time when God was not my refuge.  When, in my youth and arrogance, I thought I was the captain of my ship and the master of my faith...a time when anxiety didn’t assail me.  

Here is the thing.  Back then I DID have reason to fear.  Whether I acknowledged it or not, I was not in control. The end could have come at any moment, and His everlasting arms would not have been underneath to catch me. Today, no matter what happens, the eternal God is my refuge, and underneath me are His everlasting arms.  That truth brought His peace to my heart. My pain lessened, and I slept.

In verses 22-26 David cries out to God to His people for His mercies sake. As His children, we can do the same.  His banner over us is love.  Once we are His, we are His forever.  His left hand is under our head, and His right hand embraces us.  There is nothing that can separate us from His love. 

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.—Romans 8:37-39