Jesus

Psalm 27:13

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“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” -Psalm 27:13

I remember when I was young we would visit my aunt’s family in the neighboring county. It was only about a 45 minute drive, but it felt like forever. Car rides seemed so long back then. I don’t think my sister or I ever said “Are we there yet?” out loud, but I definitely thought it. Sometimes we are tempted to get impatient with the Lord’s timing, “why hasn’t He returned yet?” Perhaps we get restless with the monotonous landscape of our lives, or we just want quick relief from all the heaviness life throws at us. Are we almost Home yet? How much further until we get there?

David took comfort in the Lord’s future graces, learning to wait on the Lord’s plans, not his. By taking the long view he was able to serve God wholeheartedly in the present. His life, like all of us, is but a candle, easily snuffed out at the Lord’s command. While God had the shepherd king on earth, he was used by Him. The believer is an instrument of righteousness in God’s armory. He will sustain and keep His beloved children in their faith until it is made sight.

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Throughout this psalm, David’s confidence rests in God’s character and promises. He knows what God can and will do for him. In this verse, the king’s confidence extends even further by obtaining an eternal perspective. Will God always be good to him? Yes. Even when the narrative seems otherwise. Hardship and danger do not cancel out God’s goodness to us but provide a channel of trust in His sovereignty. The end result is always the Lord’s faithfulness. No matter our circumstances, an eternal view for the Christian is peace and freedom to live boldly now. We know how the Story ends. The interim is but a means to that end. When we close our eyes in death it isn’t the end, but the beginning of our forever with the Lord. The purpose of our lives is to be used as holy instruments in the Lord’s hands while He gives us time here on earth.

The land of the living that David refers to is our destination, our true Heavenly Home. While we pilgrim on earth, the children of God live among the children of the world. Wheat and tares must grow together until the harvest (Matthew 13:24-30). Then every eye will see the Lord’s glory and bow down. Yet it is only God’s children who will see the fullness of His goodness. It is a promise meant just for us. As if redeeming our dead souls from eternal Hell wasn’t enough, our gracious Father shares His love without end. Think of how much you love your children, grandchildren or spouse. God loves you exponentially more than the love we have in those earthly relationships. His fellowship will be sweeter because we won’t be burdened by spiritual warfare anymore. To be free from sin and a broken world is relief. To enjoy unbroken fellowship with the King of Glory is supreme.

The land of the living has no more night, death or sorrow. Those troubles are banished to Hell. King Jesus lavishes His grace upon grace over the redeemed, as God has promised in Scripture. Christ fulfilled this promise by laying down His life in the place of every Christian. The fullness of God’s promise will be brought to completion at the end of Time when Christ returns. Only believers forever taste and see that God is good. This world is not the end, but a gateway into either Heaven or Hell, depending on what or Who you are trusting to save you. Are you confident in where you will be for eternity? God will rescue all who belong to Him. Then one day, our eyes will close in earthly death and open in the land of the living. You are Home.

Grace upon grace,

April

“The earth is the land of the dying.” -Matthew Henry

Growing deeper: Revelation 21

I heard this song for the first time last Easter at my church and loved it. It’s a beautiful reminder of what the Christian has to look forward to. May it bless you too.

Psalm 27:11-12

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“Teach me Your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.” -Psalm 27:11-12

God loves justice. One day, He will dispense perfect justice for all mankind and every wrong will be made right. For the Christian, this incomprehensible work was done for us at the cross. All our injustices toward God and others was laid on Jesus’ body. The price to pay for the Christian’s crimes was the life of the sinless and innocent Christ. This is the best news. The worst news is justice given to every unrepentant soul. God’s mercy is no more once their short lives end. It is then too late.

As David cries out for help against present enemies, he commits his life and circumstances to the omnipotent God. Throughout his life experiences, David is aware of God’s sovereignty over events and people. Therefore, his prayer is a plea and a confession of trust. When you know God is for you it doesn’t matter what lies ahead or who is against you. There is no one like God to trust so fully, His covenant of love over you securely. Keeping an eternal perspective when the dark waters rise is crucial. When the disciples were beginning to drown in the storm, Jesus challenged them over their lack of faith (Mark 4:35-41). Faith that the Lord is sovereign, good and victorious is the framework for peace filled Christians. If the Lord allows people or circumstances to slay us, it is only for a moment. This was Job’s cry when his livelihood, family, servants and health were taken from him (Job 13:15) because he knew this life is temporary.

God will not be mocked, therefore He will not allow His children to be mistreated in eternity. We do not lose even when all signs appear otherwise. Perfect justice will be executed by the God of Heaven and earth in His perfect time and way. David looks to God each time he is in distress. Yahweh is his protector, provider and teacher. The shepherd king does not rely on his own understanding, but looks to God for instruction (Proverbs 3:5-7). David’s humility to be teachable produces wisdom and spiritual maturity over his lifetime. When God leads our day to day, we are safe and victorious over anxious thoughts, fear and pride.

The Lord’s battle plans might look different than what we would expect, but believers who remember this will not grow easily discouraged. Keeping an eternal perspective is the key to live in the present with peace and joy. If your soul is kept in Heaven by God and your enemies will meet their Maker one day, what do you have to lose? We do not have to fear even death, because that too, is temporary. Death is only the beginning. Dearly beloved Christian, be confident in Who you serve, the time you’ve been given to faithfully live for the Lord without reservation, with a pure and holy passion.

Grace upon grace,

April

Psalm 27:9-10

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“Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my Helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.” – Psalm 27:9-10

Does it ever feel like God is hiding from you? As if God is absent? The Bible says He is always actively at work for His children (Philippians 1:6). He also promises in Scripture to never leave you, but always be with you (Hebrews 13:5). The believer’s help comes from the Lord. He says we belong to Him, sinful though we are. Sanctifying faith wrestles with our feelings on a daily basis! The temptation to despair and throw in the towel is a spiritual fight straight from Hell. The Lord will not let you go if you belong to Him. He has received you. This is the greatest news a soul can hear. You, dearly beloved Christian, are accepted by God, loved by Him and sustained in your faith by Jesus. He prays for you, interceding on your behalf to the Father’s ear because the Perfect Sacrifice is also your Great High Priest.

Even if all others turn away from you because your pursuit of God in practical holiness seems too zealous, too self-righteous for some, trust that God knows your sincerity. Sincerity is vulnerability of worship and this God will not despise. When we come to our Father in humble transparency, He will honor this posture of worship. We bring nothing to the Father but our sin and need. As the old hymn says, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling.” The Lord receives the contrite heart (Psalm 51:16-17). Even if all others reject you or disappoint, God will not. He has been our faithful helper and will continue to be as we serve Him. God gives enough grace for this small day to put our hand to the plow. Perhaps the work you do isn’t considered “spiritual”? It all matters to God. All work done for His glory is worship and “spiritual”. Whether you change another diaper, write code for computer software, wait on tables, plant a garden, or drive a loved one to another doctor appointment- the attitude we have determines whether it is pleasing to God or not.

The Lord will never turn His face away from His own, but how are we living faithfully in return? If God is not ashamed to call helpless rebels His adopted children, do we shame His Name by our grumbling and thanklessness? Let us not grieve the Spirit with callous hearts. This is the day that the Lord has made. He commands us to rejoice in it, to enjoy Him and His blessings (Psalm 118:24). Even when life is bleak and gray so that putting one foot in front of another is a challenge know this: the Sovereign Lord who sent His Son to die for you will never cast you off even when it feels that way (John 6:35-40). God always proves Himself faithful as a constant friend and helper, even if all others fall away. Remember what Christ endured for you so that these truths could become your reality.

Jesus bore the Father’s wrath and rejection so you never have to. “The LORD will receive me” is a precious promise for the Christian pilgrim to carry. You are His, but do not grieve Him with shallow faith and an anxious heart. Grow deeper, by His grace, and drink deeply from the cup which never runs dry. His mercies are new everyday. Truth and grace are freely given to the one who asks. His storehouse is abundant, His vow to you unbroken and constant.

Faith over feelings will sharpen your spiritual vision, helping you patiently endure God’s will for your life. One day when you look back on it all, the loneliness and hardship of following Christ will be worth it (Romans 8:28-29). Becoming more like Jesus is costly, but it is a priceless treasure which will never run out or wear out when we are Home.

Grace upon grace,

April

O MY LORD AND SAVIOUR,

Thou hast also appointed a cross for me to take up and carry,

a cross before Thou givest me a crown.

Thou hast appointed it to be my portion,

but self-love hates it,

carnal reason is unreconciled to it;

without the grace of patience I cannot bear it,

walk with it, profit by it.

O blessed cross, what mercies dost Thou bring

with Thee!

Thou art only esteemed hateful by my rebel will,

heavy because I shirk Thy load.

Teach me, gracious Lord and Saviour,

that with my cross Thou sendest promised grace

so that I may bear it patiently,

that my cross is Thy yoke which is easy,

and Thy burden which is light.

‘The Grace of the Cross’ -Valley of Vision

Psalm 27:7-8

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“Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of You, “Seek His face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.” -Psalm 27:7-8

Does the Lord hear us when we pray? Is He ever too busy to listen? Are some of our cries not important enough? We may doubt whether God hears our prayers sometimes, and that is why it is crucial to answer our questions Biblically. God in Heaven will always bend an ear to hear His people’s cries and act according to His wisdom. This is God’s nature. The Creator ministers to the created without reservation. When David pleads for God to be merciful to him and answer his prayers, he is asking the Lord to be Himself. God is already merciful. This may mean at times that God does not act as we expect, but He is never wrong in His decisions. It is we who must adjust our expectations, trusting in His Sovereignty.

King David asks for the Lord to see his plight and act on his behalf. He doesn’t yet know the outcome of his prayer request, but David still responds to the Lord with worship. This is an example every Christian can pattern. No matter how God chooses to answer our pleas, the consistent character of worship should be the makeup of our hearts. We seek His face regardless of circumstances because Yahweh is the best refuge for any situation. Even when we don’t like how He answers a prayer- perhaps ‘wait’ or ‘no’ was given? How does the believer respond? What does that do to your faith? Shaken but not shattered.

When our faith is sifted through trials, we can have confidence that Jesus intercedes for us. He prays for our faith to stand firm, just like He did for Peter (Luke 22:31-32). When the dust settles and the shock wears off, the Christian can choose to grow bitter and jaded, or take their broken hearts back to the throne room of grace, crying for more mercy. More trust in His providence, more love to rest secure, more of God to find strength for another day. Perseverance of the saints is grace and mercy at work. The Spirit will bless the believing heart with this lion lamblike quality of humility, trust and boldness after the living God.

Bending to the will of God produces spiritual maturity. God is after a harvest in our hearts, using whatever means necessary for abundant growth. Pray and pursue. Trust and obey. These commands are woven throughout the entire Bible because it is for our good and God’s glory. Believer, you have the privilege of living before the face of the One who made you and saved you. He hears our heart cries. The Lord is most merciful.

Grace upon grace,

April

Growing deeper: Romans 8:18-34; Psalm 34:15-18

Psalm 27:5-6

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“For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at His tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.” -Psalm 27:5-6

God is the God of deliverance, in the grand picture and in the everyday. King David boasts in what the Lord will do for him because the shepherd king belongs to the Shepherd King. He is hidden in the Lord, safe for all eternity and nothing can separate God from His beloved children. God is too powerful, too loving and fatherly to not protect and provide. He has protected every elect sinner from eternal Hell, by providing a way of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. The beasts of Hell will not prevail, seen and unseen, God’s enemies cannot win. Their doom is sure because it is promised in Scripture (Romans 16:20).

The Lord has won every believing soul for His glory and our eternal good. None will be lost who belong to Him. The God of grace and mercy has delivered Christians from certain, endless death, into the freedom of forgiveness and fellowship with Him forever. There isn’t anything greater than that last sentence. The kingdom of darkness will make gains here on earth, but it cannot have you, dear Christian, who belong to something better and true. You are part of a royal priesthood, a holy nation in which God has promised to be your Refuge now, until we go Home.

God is actively at work delivering His people until that time, sanctifying each one for when we go to the Land of the Living. He has delivered our souls from death, continuing to keep our feet from slipping so that we do not destroy the faith He has given us, as Satan would have it. The trials we are allowed to endure are opportunities to humble and grow the Christian in faith. The Lord rescues us at just the right time, but not a minute before. He is never late, never off duty, never asleep or apathetic toward His own. And why? God Almighty is zealous for His Name, His Glory. He must be exalted because Yahweh is the Creator of everything. The Lord is not vain, vindictive or a wimp, and He will not be mocked.

Deliverance for His chosen people will come because God has ordained it so, just as He has ordained all of your days on earth. Every soul that is His will be kept by the Lord of the living. Trouble, enemies, even sin cannot thwart God’s plan. His providence rules as He orchestrates man’s will alongside it. This mystery is the believer’s confidence that we serve a sovereign, sinless God who is also our defense, deliverer and Father. King David declares future promises of God in the middle of present danger. The believer can also look ahead out of the current circumstances and fix their eyes on King Jesus. Keeping an eternal perspective while enjoying temporal blessings or enduring the storms of life is the key to navigating the pilgrim way. God will be glorified and we will praise Him for it.

Grace upon grace,

April

Growing deeper: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18; Ephesians 6:10-18;

God of the Promise

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He made a promise,

a holy vow

to stay with me always,

His faithfulness past, future and now.

There is no one like God

to trust so fully,

His covenant of grace

over me securely.

Even when I stray

in unbelief and weariness,

Jehovah’s strong arm guides me

back to Him with tenderness.

I am nothing

without this King, Father and Friend;

my Savior until eternity’s

End.

Remind me this day

of Your present goodness

past faithfulness and

future graces.

God of the Promise

over Time

and Space,

govern my earthly life

until I see

Your precious Face.

On That Day

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It is such a short time

that we live on

this blessed earth,

when we move and breathe.

God ordains down to the year

and day we enter

Chaos

and when we leave it.

It is all in His Hands,

the wonder and heartache,

beauty and ashes.

What will you and I

leave behind?

What have we built

our lives upon?

Christ the Redeemer

turned everything

upside down,

showing us

the Kingdom Way.

A legacy of faith

by God’s grace,

is the crown jewel

which will one day

overtake the saints

with everlasting joy

and gladness.

On that day

sorrow and sighing

will flee away

banished into eternal

darkness.

Dear Christian,

persevere with joy

in the reality

of your eternal future.

The not yet

will soon

be declared,

“fulfilled.”

Surely the people are grass

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In the spring we grow

because the rain falls

heavily on us.

By summer we flourish

in the fields

bearing fruit.

In autumn we reap

what has been sown

for the harvest feast.

By winter we rest

from a life well lived

in faith, toil and blessing.

And this is God’s

good design

To show us our purpose

and mortality.

Strength and weakness

mingled together to co-labor

with our Faithful Creator.

What an outrageous plan!

And yet this is His inscrutable

Way.

Man is a flash in the pan

used for God’s divine

plan.

We are here today

and gone tomorrow

because the Curse

is strong but not impenetrable.

His Servant crushed

the Serpent of lies

with a promise to end

all sin and sadness.

It has come true and

will be truer in time.

God’s mercy and grace receives

a faithless people.

Redemption is sure,

peace made for the dust eaters

to live again.

It is His will

that no mortal can overcome.

Power and compassion.

Willing and able

to make the dead rise.

Winter has come

but there is an eternal spring

for the redeemed of the Lord.

Surely the people are like grass.

The Lord Jesus is my Shepherd

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The Lord Jesus is my Shepherd

He takes me to rest

in the pastures of His Promise,

leading my weary soul

to Living Water.

I am revived, restored, redeemed.

He has made it so

because of His righteousness.

Christ my Guide

on the mountaintops

and in the valleys.

I am not shaken

because my Savior and Friend

walks with me always.

He vindicates His beloved

before my enemies with

justice,

honoring His precious sheep

with a feast

of grace and mercy

over and over.

Each day God’s goodness

is displayed on earthen soil

to all who have eyes to see.

And when my Father takes me

Home,

the place I was made to be,

His love will continue to

delight over me.

Consider His lovingkindness

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Consider the lovingkindness of the Lord today.

What has God’s strong arm accomplished for you? Eternal salvation. Praise Him!

Who is at God’s right hand interceding on your behalf? Jesus Christ. Praise Him!

How is God at work in your life this moment? Daily sanctification. Praise Him!

When will you behold the face of God, faith becoming sight? In earthly death. Praise Him!

Where is the Holy Spirit? In my heart forevermore. Praise Him!

Not by our merit, but of His great mercy.

Even if God were to strip away every temporal blessing He has given you and me, like Job, we would still have the Lord. The Lord is my Shepherd, He is all I’ll ever need.

The Lord “watches over the way of His saints.” -Proverbs 2:8

Grace upon grace,

April