2006-02-10
Good Morning Cherished of God,
In dealing with the lessons from the Lord's Prayer [MT 6: 9-13], we must take another look at its parts with an even deeper understanding and appreciation for its content. In the matter of worship . Christ is teaching us to acknowledge God's right to praise and honor. COL 3: 13b supports this with its reminder that God has forgiven our sins and implies that we owe it to Him to return the favor with both forgiveness for others and acknowledgement of His right to our praise. And we can't forget PS 86: 12-13, which reminds us of our need to praise God because of His love for us and our deliverance from the grave. The same can be said of PS 68: 19-20, praise for God for bearing our burdens and giving us escape from [spiritual] death. Entire psalms, like PS 27 and PS 145, were written in praise of God, giving the person living in the age of the NT an OT Scriptural background of remembering to praise God for both His attributes and His accomplishments [Who He is and what He does]. The matter of allegiance comes in the recognition that God's Kingdom will supplant all humans ones, despite human agendas to the contrary. In this we can trust. One of the clearest examples of this comes in Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's giant statue dream in DN 2. DN 2: 34-35, "While you were looking at it, a great Stone broke loose from a cliff without anyone touching it, struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, and shattered them. At once the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold crumbled and became like the dust on a threshing place in summer. The wind carried it all away, leaving not a trace. But the Stone [the capital here is not a typo] grew to be a mountain that covered the whole earth." This is not the only place where such a reference is made, especially when one reads the book of Revelation is this brought home.
The issue of submission is a recurring theme in many places in the Scriptures. Any place that speaks of God's omnipotence and/or omniscience certainly implies one's need to submit to His superior authority and wisdom. I can't help but think of PS 139: 23-24, "Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts. Find out if there is any evil in me and guide me in the everlasting way." Who but a superior Being could do this? We must remember that earlier in (2), the Psalmist writes, "You know everything I do; from far away You understand all my thoughts and in (14), "I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." These are not descriptions that would fit an ordinary man. If salvation is our desire, then we must submit to our supreme and Sovereign Lord. The very notion of petition is an acknowledgement that all things come from God. His ownership of us, the earth, and everything on it must be understood [EPH 1: 13-14]. Christ makes this clear to the true believer. Confession is an acknowledgement of our own imperfection and need to let God know that we are aware of it. It is also a reminder to God that His forgiveness of our sins really matters to us. I think it's the reason that Christ included MT 5: 3 in the beatitudes. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them." In confessing our sins to Him, we are also acknowledging our acceptance of His perfect justice [RO 10: 9-10].
Having said all of this, it is logical that Christ would teach us that the Father is the only Source of real deliverance . In the right and logical sequence of the God-pleasing prayer, there should be recognition that God has the power to protect and provide for us. It is He Who can give us the strength we need to resist temptation and Who can deliver us from the devil and his dirty work. PS 32: 7 reflects this concept. "You are my Hiding Place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." What great understanding of this we find in PS 17: 8, "Protect me as You would Your very eyes. Hide me in the shadow of Your wings. Think of how it is stated in PS 37: 11, "But all who humble themselves before the Lord shall be given every blessing, and shall have wonderful peace." Just think about the protection that God afforded Moses when He told Him to nestle in the "cleft of a Rock" in EX 33: 22 until His dazzling glory passes by. The alternative would have been death. [The capital R in that sentence is not a typo]. And at last, Christ's Lord's Prayer concludes with a return to worship by no accident. It's for emphasis on just how important worship is to Him. God truly does deserve all the glory for everything good that is on this earth. PS 115: 1 sets the tone for this. "To You alone, O Lord, to you alone, and not to us, must the glory be given because of Your constant love and faithfulness."
I have purposely chosen most of the supporting Scriptures given here from the OT. That is to demonstrate the consistency of God's teaching and to dissolve the notion that the OT is unnecessarily harsh. God's love for His creation has been there from the very beginning. It's the reason why Lucifer, once His beloved angel in charge of worship in heaven, has been such a bitter disappointment to Him. This need to cast Lucifer down to earth along with one third of the heavenly hosts [the angels who became evil as Lucifer did] gave the Father no pleasure at all [IS 14: 11-15; EZK 28: 11-19; REV 12: 9]. Instead it made it necessary for Christ to suffer and give His life on the cross, as a way for God to deliver us from slavery to sin and have everlasting life in heaven with Him [GN 3: 1-6; JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25].
PRAYER: O Lord, You are to be praised for Who You are and what You do. It was You Who created angels, heaven, the earth, and everything on it. When You created us, You did so in Your own image [GN 1: 27]. Your love for us has encompassed patience, compassion, and sacrifice of Your Only Son. We acknowledge Your ownership of us and right to be praised and thanked forever. Everyone on earth who has true faith also knows that one day Your Kingdom will take the place of all human kingdoms, and that Your Son will rule with us as joint heirs [RO 8: 17]. We look forward to that day, knowing that Your presence and our allegiance to You will lead to blissful eternal life. We accept that we are imperfect and in need of Your guidance daily. We know that we can't live righteous lives without Your leadership of them. Our congregations can't do Your work effectively unless they are Christ-led and not human-led. PR 3: 5-6 reminds us not to lean on our own understanding, but instead, to lean on Yours. It is with joy that we offer ourselves to You to serve and worship You always. Nothing worthwhile comes from other sources than You. So, Dear Lord, when we ask You for things, we will separate wants from needs, and we will remember the amazing promise You made through Christ in JN 15: 7. "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it." Our confession of imperfection is a necessary part of our prayers. That is so You will know that we are aware of our faults, will seek You out, and willing to correct what is wrong. You are our great Deliverer, and we love You for Your compassion and righteous use of Your power. No other god or man deserves the glory for what You are and what You do. We stand in awe of You and in eternal gratitude. We praise You forever and ever. In Christ's name, amen.
The index sentences we will use haven't been forgotten, just postponed until the Holy Spirit directs me to write about them. In the meanwhile, next week I'm led to write about some respected writers' comments about the Lord's Prayer. If space permits, I'll write about prayers of intercession-which have become a giant part of my own life. Often I feel like asking: Do I have the right to write about such an important topic as the Lord's Prayer? The Holy Spirit directs what I write, so He must want me to do this. I'm awed by this topic and all its implications. It is my hope that each of you will take the time to review each citation that I give here, because I believe it adds to the richness of our understanding of what an unparalleled Teacher our Lord Jesus really is and the lessons He has for us. Repeatedly, I've mentioned what blessed people true believers are. This is no "filler sentence." We who believe in Jesus Christ are given so many blessings and gifts, things we don't deserve. Not the least of these is His grace. If any of us ever feels unappreciated or unloved, we tell ourselves a lie. We have the greatest and deepest love ever given, the love of our God and His Son. What more appropriate way to close this devotion than with the words of PS 145: 14, 17-19? "The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all those who bow down. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made; the Lord is near to all who call on Him. He fulfills the desires of all who have reverence for Him; He hears their cry and saves them."
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn