So I Said, ‘What Shall I Do, Lord?’

 "Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'

"And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

"Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'—Acts 22:6-16 (emphasis mine)

I attended my church’s Wednesday night bible study last night and was, as always, blessed by not only the verse by verse teaching but also by its application. We studied Acts 22 where Paul, after being arrested (and protected from the Jewish mob by the Roman authorities) gains the opportunity to speak to them from atop the steps of the Roman garrison. It is from here that he evangelizes, defends and preaches to the still angry mob of his conversion experience and God’s subsequent working in His life. 

With that said the application in Paul’s message for me consisted of the words underlined in the passage of Scripture above. 

 So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?  -  Always a good prayer. 

Father…keep my eyes on You…I don’t know what to do.  Make my way clear before my face. Guide me with Your counsel, surround me with Your grace, follow me with Your goodness and cover all my missteps with mercy. 

And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. - Hand in hand with the Lord is always the best way to travel. 

Father…Give me a heart that desires to be led by You and You alone.  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Thank you that You lead us through this life by placing our hand in Yours.  You are the same yesterday, today and forever. As you did for Paul, You do also for each of us.  With You there is no partiality. Step by step you guide us in the works You have prepared for us before the foundation of the world. 

Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 

Like Paul we are chosen for God’s purposes. He desires us to KNOW His will, to SEE Him, and to HEAR the voice of His mouth. He wants us, like Paul, to be His witnesses as we walk through this life. 

It must have seemed at times to Paul, in gauging the violent reactions of the crowds he preached to, that he was doing it all wrong. But You in Your mercy say this to Paul in the very next chapter. 

On the following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Be brave; for as you have solemnly and faithfully witnessed about Me at Jerusalem, so you must also testify at Rome."—Acts 23:11 

Paraphrasing…You did good, Paul.  You stood for me. Here is the next step. You are going to be my witness in Rome as well. 

Father…I want to be led by You…I want to always be in the very center of Your will. May Your word be more important to my heart than my necessary food. May my life also be one of continual prayer, worship and thanksgiving.  

And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' - Best practice after the Lord speaks…obey immediately. 

Oh Father!  Help us to be faithful…to be brave and strong. Let all that we do be done in love.  Lead us by Your Spirit!  May we,also be Your faithful witnesses. Shepherd our hearts and teach us Your statutes.  Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us and escort us through this life one precious moment at a time.  Grant us according to our heart’s desire and fulfill all Your purpose.  Hear our prayers and fulfill our petitions. Thank you that the great and precious promises Peter speaks of in 2 Peter are ours as well. 

Leaving a portion of 2 Peter from the Amplified Bible here…

Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received and possess [by God's will] a precious faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 

Grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be multiplied to you in the [true, intimate] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature. 

For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort] in [exercising] your faith to, develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding), and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection, [develop Christian] love [that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit]. For as these qualities are yours and are increasing [in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity], they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is blind—shortsighted [closing his spiritual eyes to the truth], having become oblivious to the fact that he was cleansed from his old sins. 

Therefore, believers, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you [be sure that your behavior reflects and confirms your relationship with God]; for by doing these things [actively developing these virtues], you will never stumble [in your spiritual growth and will live a life that leads others away from sin]; for in this way entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided to you.—2 Peter 1:1-11 AMP

How Great is Our God!

So much of what I read this morning and last night brought not only a spirit of conviction, but a spirit of thanksgiving as well.  Our God is faithful. There is forgiveness with Him!  

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.—Psalm 103

Not only that but His heart toward us is kind!  He is tender-hearted toward His children and stoops to help them. Beloved…God grieves over our sin…He sees what they cost us.  He knows what we forfeit through our own pride and foolishness. He does not condemn us but admonishes us as a father. His heart is for us. He loves us and His love seeks our highest good.  He desires that we depend on Him in everything and for everything.  He wants us to pray hugely…to expect great things from Him. Beloved…the Lord wants us to open our mouth wide because He wants to fill it with good things. 

Oh Father!  May my heart be forever broken and humble before You…

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise. 

Forgive me for those times when I go my own way…when I don’t listen to Your voice.  When I forget what You have done, and I step on Your mercy.  Oh Lord, You have redeemed my life from destruction. You have lavished me with lovingkindness and filled my mouth with good things. Thank you that in Your Son, there is no condemnation. Thank you that with You there is forgiveness. As a father pities His children so You pity those who fear You.  Thank you that You will never leave me or forsake me. You are my precious Emanuel…my God who is with me. Thank you that Your will for me is good and comes from Your heart of love. 

Oh, help me by Your Spirit to put off me and put on You. Help me to love others not with my own human love but with Your perfect sacrificial love. Help me to love them rightly by seeking YOUR highest good for them. Lord, enlarge my prayers!  Place Your desires on my heart and as I pray may You do exceedingly abundantly above all that I could even ask or think!  Be the abundance of my heart and out of that abundance may my lips show forth Your praise continually.

Below are some of the Scriptures that I read today as part of my through the bible in a year plan.  

"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!

O Israel, if you will listen to Me!

There shall be no foreign god among you;

Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

I am the LORD your God,

Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

"But My people would not heed My voice,

And Israel would have none of Me.

So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,

To walk in their own counsels.

"Oh, that My people would listen to Me,

That Israel would walk in My ways!

I would soon subdue their enemies,

And turn My hand against their adversaries.—Psalm 81:8-16

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"—Matthew 23:37-39

But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"

Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."—Matthew 22:34-40

Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,

Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions,

And my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I sinned,

And done this evil in Your sight—

That You may be found just when You speak,

And blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,

And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear joy and gladness,

That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins,

And blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners shall be converted to You.

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

The God of my salvation,

And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips,

And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart—

These, O God, You will not despise.

Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;

Build the walls of Jerusalem.

Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,

With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;

Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.—Psalm 51

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The LORD executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the children of Israel.

The LORD is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father pities his children,

So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children's children,

To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

The LORD has established His throne in heaven,

And His kingdom rules over all.

Bless the LORD, you His angels,

Who excel in strength, who do His word,

Heeding the voice of His word.

Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,

You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

Bless the LORD, all His works,

In all places of His dominion.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

WILDERNESS COMMUNION

 I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. (Hosea 2:14) 

The goodness of God sees us allured by sin, and it resolves to try upon us the more powerful allurements of love. Do we not remember when the Lover of our souls first cast a spell upon us and charmed us away from the fascinations of the world! He will do this again and again whenever He sees us likely to be ensnared by evil. 

He promises to draw us apart, for there He can best deal with us, and this separated place is not to be a paradise, but a wilderness, since in such a place there will be nothing to take of our attention from our God. In the deserts of affliction the presence of the Lord becomes everything to us, and we prize His company beyond any value which we set upon it when we sat under our own vine and fig tree in the society of our fellows. Solitude and affliction bring more to themselves and to their heavenly Father than any other means. 

When thus allured and secluded the Lord has choice things to say to us for our comfort. He "speaks to our heart," as the original has it. Oh, that at this we may have this promise explained in our experience! Allured by love, separated by trial, and comforted by the Spirit of truth, may we know the Lord and sing for joy!—Charles Spurgeon - Faith’s Checkbook. 

Because They Trust in Him…

 For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me," says the LORD.'"—Jeremiah 39:18

And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him.—1 Chronicles 5:20

And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;

He shall deliver them from the wicked,

And save them,

Because they trust in Him.—Psalm 37:40

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

And whose hope is the LORD.

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

And will not fear when heat comes;

But its leaf will be green,

And will not be anxious in the year of drought,

Nor will cease from yielding fruit.—Jeremiah 17:7-8

When are we most protected?  When are we in the very center of the will of God? The answer is when we walk through this world depending on and trusting Him.

The verses above as I read them this morning caused my heart to look back and see the people, circumstances and situations over the course of my life that I, by His mercy, had no choice but to give to Him in complete surrender.

Today I see the evidence of things I couldn’t see then. 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.—Hebrews 11:1

Today, I know that none of the good I see in my life is of me but is completely and utterly of Him. In Him is where my fruit is not only found but abounds as well. The only thing I did was the only thing I COULD do…cling to my God.  Truly, I had no other choice. As it turns out, it was also the only thing that was necessary. Oh how gracious and kind is our God to make the only thing necessary be the only choice that I had.

Beloved…He is your way of escape. Bring your broken heart to Him and rest in His love and His care. There is a beautiful and protecting power that accompanies trust in God because it is when we trust Him that…

He can do exceedingly abundantly in our lives.

He brings beauty from ashes…

He turns our sorrow to joy…

And our mourning to dancing…

He gives us the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness

It is when we trust Him that His comforts and consolations will multiply and abound.  

His goal…

That “we” may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

None of us…all of Him

Truly, there is a sweetness beyond compare in simply asking your Father in heaven to undertakefor you. And who better to trust than Your Creator. No one has ever or ever will trust Him in vain. They who look to Him are radiant and their faces unashamed. God's care for those that are His is sure. Spurgeon says that He, Himself, is the guardian of the gracious and that under His sacred wing there is safety even when every danger is abroad.  

One of my own favorite prayers in this regard is very short and originates in Scripture.

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; undertake for me!

Beloved…Believe God. Take hold of this promise and watch Him deliver again and again and again.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.—Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself also in the LORD,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.

He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,

And your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Do not fret—it only causes harm—Psalm 37:3-8

But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

He is their strength in the time of trouble.

And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;

He shall deliver them from the wicked,

And save them,

Because they trust in Him.—Psalm 37:39-40

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.—Psalm 4:8

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;

Let those also who love Your name

Be joyful in You.

For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;

With favor You will surround him as with a shield.—Psalm 5:11-12

My Heart is Overflowing with A Good Theme…

 Intro to Psalm 45 by John Courson…

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.

“Shoshannim means “lilies,” which seems to indicate this was a springtime psalm dealing with the Passover season. It’s a beautiful love song about a mighty king and his passionate love for a queen. Many commentators believe it was a psalm written by Solomon concerning a queen he took as his bride, Pharaoh’s daughter from Egypt. Others say it is connected to Psalms 44 and 46 through 48, and, therefore, deals with Hezekiah, who also took for himself a bride (2 Kings 21:1). While we don’t know the exact setting or author, this we do know: Ultimately, the psalm before us speaks of the King of kings, Jesus Christ, and us as His bride.”

With that said…

I LOVE this Psalm…it always gives me pause. I am the Bride of Christ. He is my King, my Husband and my God. Today, I want to think on Him so that my own heart, like the writer’s here, bubbles over with the glories of the Son of God.  In verses 1-9 the psalmist writes of the grace, beauty and majesty of our King Jesus. 

My heart is overflowing with a good theme;

I recite my composition concerning the King;

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

You are fairer than the sons of men;

Grace is poured upon Your lips;

Therefore God has blessed You forever.

Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,

With Your glory and Your majesty.

And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;

And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.

Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies;

The peoples fall under You.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;

A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You

With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,

Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.

Kings' daughters are among Your honorable women;

At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.—Psalm 45:1-9

In the next verses we now see the queen, the Bride of Christ. You and me as believers!  Listen to the advice the psalmist gives us as we wait in the palace chambers to be brought to our King. 

Listen, O daughter,

Consider and incline your ear;

Forget your own people also, and your father's house;

So the King will greatly desire your beauty;

Because He is your Lord, worship Him.—Psalm 45:10-11

Those are some very strong words.  I love them more for that reason. They are definite.  They leave no room for equivocation. Jesus says this in Luke

“If any man come after Me, he must hate his mother, father, brother, and sister or he cannot be My disciple”

Seek Him first!  Our love for Jesus our King should far surpass and eclipse any and all of our earthly relationships.  We are, as His Bride, to give Him all the honor and the pre-eminence. He is to whom all our worship and adoration belong. As we enter this relationship, we are to forget our past, submit to Him as our Husband and our King and seek to please Him in all things. As we love Jesus more and more, we will begin to love those around us in His greater and more perfect way. 

Beloved…Our God LOVES us. He SEES our beauty and desires us!  The word for desire here means “longs for” or is “enthralled with”!  Jesus WANTS to spend time with us. He WANTS “ME” to come into His chambers and rest in His Presence.  One commentator points out that the Lord doesn’t rest in our love for Him but in His own love for us.

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.—Zephaniah 3:17

The Amplified says it this way…

The LORD your God is in your midst,

A Warrior who saves.

He will rejoice over you with joy;

He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins],

He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

Stealing from John the Apostle…I am not the woman who loved Jesus; I am the woman whom Jesus loved.(s)  He chose me before the foundation of the world, clothed me in His righteousness and sacrificed His very life so that I could live with Him forever in the place He has lovingly prepared for me.  There He will rejoice over me with joy and joy over me with singing. Because He has done this…Because He has chosen me to be His Bride…I will give Him all glory, all honor and all thanksgiving forever and ever.

We love, because He first loved us.—John 4:19

as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.—1 Peter 3:6

Addendum…as I meditated on on the first 9 verses of this psalm, the aspect of Christ that came to mind as dearest to my own heart and the one that also makes me most thankful as I walk through this world is this one:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,—Romans 8:1a