Why I Love the Lord!

 I love the LORD, because He has heard

My voice and my supplications.

Because He has inclined His ear to me,

Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.—Ps 116:1-2

Then I called upon the name of the LORD:

“O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;

Yes, our God is merciful.

The LORD preserves the simple;

I was brought low, and He saved me.

Return to your rest, O my soul,

For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

For You have delivered my soul from death,

My eyes from tears,

And my feet from falling.

I will walk before the LORD

In the land of the living.—Psalm 116:4-9

Often when I read the psalms, I feel so grateful for their honesty.  Why do I love the Lord?  Color me shallow along with David...I love Him because He hears my prayers and answers them.  I love Him because He first loved me.  I love Him because He saved ME and wants a personal relationship with ME!  My love toward God is, in a way, a self-centered one. When I accepted His free gift of salvation, I brought nothing to the relationship but me and my ever present need.  God on the other hand brings it all and does it all.  So why, I asked myself, does this relationship even work?  Why don’t I become inured to His goodness and His steadfast love toward me which never ceases?  Why don’t I feel resentment toward Him because I owe Him big time and could never repay Him for what He has done?  Why don’t I take Him for granted and esteem Him lightly?  Why?  Because He has filled me with..

GRATITUDE!

Because He has replaced my heart  of stone with a new heart of flesh and has put a new song in my mouth.  I was brought low and He saved me. When God picked me up out of the pit and the miry clay I was helpless, desperate, and very much alone.  My sins had gone over my head...there was, in my mind, no remedy.  NO WAY HOME.   NO WAY BACK INTO HIS GOOD GRACES.  NO DO-OVERS.  “THIS MESS WAS SO BIG AND SO DEEP AND SO TALL. I COULD NOT PICK IT UP.  THERE WAS NO WAY AT ALL.”

BUT GOD...

who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved ME,

even when I was dead in trespasses, made ME alive together with Christ

What shall I render to the LORD

For all His benefits toward me?

I will take up the cup of salvation,

And call upon the name of the LORD.—Ps 116:13-14

“Thou hast loosed my bonds,"— “freedom from bondage binds me to thy service. He who is loosed from the bonds of sin, death, and hell should rejoice to wear the easy yoke of the great Deliverer.”

“I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving."

I will bring to my God the thanksgiving of my heart. My innermost being shall worship Him in gratitude.  I will make His footsteps MY pathway.  I will give myself to Him and then by His will to others in order that they might see the light that God shines in my heart to give others the light of the knowledge of Him in the face of Jesus Christ.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.—Romans 12:1

Beloved…Do your own reading through Psalm 116 and highlight each and every reason you have to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. The result will be an overwhelming gratitude and an increased desire to walk as the prophet Micah exhorts…

With what shall I come before the LORD,

And bow myself before the High God?

Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,

With calves a year old?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,

Ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,

The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has shown you, O man, what is good;

And what does the LORD require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?

Spurgeon on Revival…

"Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD,

"When the plowman shall overtake the one who gathers the harvest,

And the one who treads the grapes [shall overtake] him who sows the seed [for the harvest continues until planting time];

When the mountains will drip sweet wine

And all the hills shall melt [that is, everything that was once barren will overflow with streams of blessing].

"Also I shall bring back the exiles of My people Israel,

And they will rebuild the deserted and ruined cities and inhabit them:

They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine,

And make gardens and eat their fruit.

"I will also plant them on their land,

And they shall never again be uprooted from their land

Which I have given them,"

Says the LORD your God.—Amos 9:13-15

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.” 

What is the doctrinal lesson taught in this text, and what does it teach us about revival? I think it is this—that God is absolute monarch over the hearts of people. God does not say here if people are willing, but he gives an absolute promise of a blessing. As much as to say, “I have the key of men’s hearts; I can induce the plowman to overtake the reaper; I am Master of the soil—however hard and rocky it may be, I can break it, and I can make it fruitful.” 

When God promises to bless his church and to save sinners, he does not add, “If the sinners are willing to be saved.” No, God leads free will in sweet captivity, and his free grace is all-triumphant. Sure, people do have a free will, and God does not violate it; but the free will is sweetly bound with chains of the divine love until it becomes freer than it ever was before. The Lord, when he means to save sinners, does not stop to ask them whether they want to be saved—but like a rushing mighty wind, the divine influence sweeps away every obstacle; the unwilling heart bends before the forceful gust of grace, and sinners who would not yield are made to yield by God!

Bow Down Thine Ear…

Psalm 86 reminds me that the Lord my God is my strength, my song, my help and my comfort.  I was blessed yesterday morning as I read through it, and even more so later in the day, as I prayed through it.  Such a perfect prayer to our God of mercy who is ALWAYS ready to forgive. Such needful supplications. Such glorious praises.  Here I am, Father.  I bring my empty hands to you and plead for mercy.  Be my Help and my Comforter! You, who have already delivered my soul from the lowest hell, teach me Your statutes.  Unite my heart to fear Your name!  Attend to my prayer because I have placed my trust in You.  Oh, You, who know my heart and understand all my ways, lead me in the way everlasting. 

Beloved…Copy this Psalm to a place where you can turn to it often during the day and pray through it.  As you do, feel your need and utter insufficiency for this life wash over you. Hear the whisper of His Spirit reminding you that His grace is sufficient. When you are weak, He is strong. Hear your God bid you to come. In Him and in Him alone, will you find rest for your soul. Truly, the Eternal God is your refuge and underneath are His everlasting arms.

I liked the KJV but have also copied the NKJV here as well. 

Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me:

for I am poor and needy.

Preserve my soul; for I am holy:

O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.

Be merciful unto me, O Lord:

for I cry unto thee daily.

Rejoice the soul of thy servant:

for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive;

and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer;

and attend to the voice of my supplications.

In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee:

for thou wilt answer me.

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord;

neither are there any works like unto thy works.

All nations whom thou hast made shall come

and worship before thee, O Lord;

and shall glorify thy name.

For thou art great, and doest wondrous things:

thou art God alone.

Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth:

unite my heart to fear thy name.

I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart:

and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

For great is thy mercy toward me:

and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

O God, the proud are risen against me,

and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul;

and have not set thee before them.

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,

longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me;

give thy strength unto thy servant,

and save the son of thine handmaid.

Shew me a token for good;

that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed:

because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.—Psalm 86 KJV

Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me;

For I am poor and needy.

Preserve my life, for I am holy;

You are my God;

Save Your servant who trusts in You!

Be merciful to me, O Lord,

For I cry to You all day long.

Rejoice the soul of Your servant,

For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,

And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;

And attend to the voice of my supplications.

In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,

For You will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;

Nor are there any works like Your works.

All nations whom You have made

Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,

And shall glorify Your name.

For You are great, and do wondrous things;

You alone are God.

Teach me Your way, O LORD;

I will walk in Your truth;

Unite my heart to fear Your name.

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,

And I will glorify Your name forevermore.

For great is Your mercy toward me,

And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

O God, the proud have risen against me,

And a mob of violent men have sought my life,

And have not set You before them.

But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,

Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!

Give Your strength to Your servant,

And save the son of Your maidservant.

Show me a sign for good,

That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,

Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.—Psalm 86 NKJV 

Spurgeon on Communion With Christ…

 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” —Amos 3:3

The expression “walk together” is often used in Scripture as a figure for communion. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Gen. 5:24). 

Communion, if it is thorough and entire, implies activity. It is not merely contemplation; it is action and, therefore, inasmuch as walking is an active exercise, and walking with a man is communion with him, we see how walking comes to be the picture of true communion with Christ. An old Puritan said, “It does not say that Enoch returned to God and then left him, but he ‘walked with God.’” All his journey through, he had God for his companion and lived in perpetual fellowship with his Maker.

Another idea is contained in the idea of “walking together.” It is not only activity but continuance. So true communion with Christ is not a mere spasm—not just an excitement of ecstasy—but if it is the work of the Holy Spirit and if it is enjoyed by the healthy soul, it will be a continual thing.

It also implies progress, for in walking together, we do not lift up our feet and put them down in the same place, but we proceed nearer to our journey’s end. And whoever has true communion with Christ is making progress. Christ can go no further toward excellence, for he has already attained perfection. But the nearer we get to that perfection, the more fellowship we have with Jesus. Unless we progress, unless we seek to be more childlike in faith, more instructed in knowledge, and more diligent in service—unless we seek to have more zeal and fervency, we shall find that, in standing still, we lose the presence of the Master, for it is only by following the Lord that we continue to walk with him. It will, therefore, strike us on how walking with a person is an excellent figure for communion with him and how the expression “walking with God” is the best expression for fellowship with God. Hence, our text implies by its form that two cannot walk together unless they are agreed. And it teaches us, therefore, that unless we are agreed with Christ, we cannot attain to the sweet state of communion with him.

Joel 2:32 -Spurgeon

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”—Joel 2:32

In the worst times that can ever happen, there is still salvation for people. When day turns to night and life becomes death, when the staff of life is broken and the hope of all has fled, there still remains in God, in the person of his dear Son, deliverance to all those who will call on the name of the Lord.

We must call on the true God, not on an idol or an image or an impression of our minds. We must call on the living God—call on him who reveals himself in the Bible—call on him who reveals himself in the person of his dear Son. For whosoever will call on this God will be saved.

This way of salvation—calling on the name of the Lord—glorifies God. He asks nothing of us but that we ask everything of him. We are the beggars and he is the benefactor. We are in trouble and he is our deliverer. All we have to do is trust him and beg of him. This is easy enough. This puts the matter into the hands of the Lord and takes it out of our hands.—Spurgeon

The Wonderful Hand of God…

“And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.—Joel 2:26

The nation of Israel had grievously gone astray, and therefore they were visited by a remarkable chastisement. An unusual plague of locusts devoured all the fruit of the field, and the people were vexed with a severe famine. The day of the Lord was terrible, and none of them could endure it. The prophet Joel was commissioned to exhort them to repentance; and if, indeed, they listened to his earnest entreaties, their later history was bright with mercy. By God’s good hand on them, they were brought to repentance; they wept and cried to God. And then the same God, who with his left hand had been wonderful in chastisement, was, with his right hand, equally wonderful in blessing and enriching them. He loaded their floors with wheat, made their baskets overflow with wine and oil, and restored to them the years the locust had eaten so that they ate in plenty and were satisfied and praised the name of the Lord, who had dealt wondrously with them. He dealt with them by way of wonders when he struck them and by way of wonders when he returned to them in his mercy.—Spurgeon

Imitators of God as Dear Children…

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.—Ephesians 5:1-2

Meditation is a happy, holy, profitable engagement; and it will instruct us, strengthen us, comfort us, inspire our hearts, and make our souls steadfast. But we may not stop at meditation. We must go on to imitation of the character of God. We must let our spiritual life not only bud and blossom in devout thought, but let it bring forth fruit in holy action. We must not be satisfied with feeding the soul by meditation but rise up from the banquet and use the strength we have gained. Sitting at the feet of Jesus must be succeeded by following in the footsteps of Jesus.—Spurgeon

Restoring to You the Years the Locust Have Eaten…

“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” —Joel 2:25

The locust year was particularly a year of great disappointment. The people looked for a harvest. In fact, they seemed to see it spring up, and then it was devoured before their eyes. Even so, the ungodly person—the one who has no faith in Christ—is often charmed with the prospect of a happiness that he never reaches. A little more and he will be content. He gets a little more. And this increases his thirst for yet another drink from the golden cup. Run as we may, when the heart shoots with its far-reaching bow, still the arrows are beyond us. The student must know a little more. The ambitious must climb a little higher up the ladder of honor, and then he will be at ease. He learns, he reaches the honor, but the ease is still as distant as ever—perhaps it is even further off.

Lost years can never be restored literally. Time once past is gone forever. Let no one make any mistake about this or trifle with the present moment under any notion that the flying hour will ever wing its way back to him.

So the meaning of the restoration of the years must be the restoration of those fruits and of those harvests the locusts consumed. We cannot have back our time. But in a strange and wonderful way, God can give back to us the wasted blessings, the unripe fruits of years where we mourned. It is a pity that they should have been eaten by our folly and negligence. But if they have been so, we should not be hopeless concerning them. Jesus said to the man with the demon-possessed son, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). There is a power that is beyond all things and can work great marvels.

Who can make the all-devouring locust restore his prey? No one, by wisdom or power, can recover what has been utterly destroyed. God alone can do for you what seems impossible. And here is the promise of his grace: 

“I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.” 

By giving to his repentant people larger harvests than the land could naturally yield, God could give back to them, as it were, all they would have had if the locusts had never come. And God can restore our lives that have up to now been blighted and eaten up with the locust and sin, by giving us divine grace in the present and in the future. He can yet make it complete and blessed and useful to his praise and glory. It is a great wonder, but Jehovah is a God of wonders; and in the kingdom of his grace, miracles are common.—Charles Spurgeon

On Preparing Our Heart to Seek the Lord…

 11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah. 12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. 13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab. 14 And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. 15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.—2Kings 3:11-15

3:15 “when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.” 

Elisha had noticed that the Spirit of God acted on him most freely when his mind was restful and subdued. He found himself best prepared for the heavenly voice when the noise within his soul was hushed and every disturbing emotion was quieted. Having ascertained this fact by observation, he acted on it. He could not create the wind of the Spirit, but he could set his sail to receive it, and he did so. At the particular time alluded to in the text, Elisha had been greatly irritated by the sight of Jehoram, the king of Israel, the son of Ahab and Jezebel. In the true spirit of his old master, Elijah, the prophet let Jehoram know what he thought of him; and having delivered his soul, he naturally felt agitated, distressed, and unfit to be the mouthpiece for the Spirit of God. He knew that the hand of the Lord would not rest on him while he was in that state; and, therefore, he said, “Bring me a musician.”—Spurgeon

On Drenching Yourself in Truth…

 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.—Genesis 3:1-7

Understanding this passage is key to understanding what the rest of the Bible is about. If the fall of man did not occur, then we don’t need a Savior.  There is literally no reason for the rest of the Bible...which is about the war between good and evil...God vs Satan...sin vs righteousness.  It’s words plead over and over in many many different ways for sinners (us) to turn from our sin and trust God.  

There is much in this portion of Scripture to study and understand regarding the wiles of the ruler of this world who disguises himself as an angel of light and deceives those who are not rooted and grounded in truth.  I am not going to go there.  Instead I will encourage you to take the antidote which is to drench yourself in the truth.   

Beloved, Satan wants to deceive our minds.  

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.—2 Corinthians 11:3

Guard yourself from the lie by filling your mind with the truth found in the word of God.   His truth is our shield and our buckler.  Use the weapons that our God has so graciously provided to defeat the lies of the enemy of our souls. 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—Ephesians 6:10-18

And from Second Corinthians 10:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Imitate Jesus, who when He was tempted answered Satan’s lies with the truth saying each time, “It is written.”

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

He shall give His angels charge over you,'

and,

'In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"

8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."

10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.—Matt 4:1-11

Evidence of Things Not Seen…

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.--Genesis 21:19a  

Praying for eyes to see the goodness and grace of my God today! 

The one who has believed has “the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). He is like Moses who “by faith . . . for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27). Faith is like new eyes—eyes with a far wider range of vision than natural eyes ever have—eyes that see the truths of God, which natural eyes often do not—eyes that do not grow dim but that, as age increases, grow yet more bright and see farther. Blessed is the one who has the eyesight of faith.—Spurgeon

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.--Numbers 22:31

And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.--2nd Kings 6:17

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then the lame shall leap like a deer,

And the tongue of the dumb sing.

For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,

And streams in the desert.--Isaiah 35:5-6

But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

And He said to them, “What things?”

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.--Luke 24:16-31