2014-04-18
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, we were looking at the various ways mankind has sealed covenants over the years. We saw, in JOB 17 :3, which in one of the versions of the Bible depicts Job asking God to “strike hands” with him, making a pledge –a guarantee that Job doesn’t deserve the suffering he is experiencing-that he is not guilty of sins. We know that in the end, JOB 42: 5-6, 12, even more wealth than he had in the beginning was given to Job. God blessed him. Wealth from God is not always material wealth, and that is what we will examine today. PS 40: 1-3, “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a firm Rock to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.”
What is real wealth, one might ask? Of course it doesn’t hurt to have enough material wealth to pay bills, to put food on one’s table, and to have the basics of our lives. But the kind of wealth that I write about here is so much more than that. PS 42: 1-2, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Throughout my life I have seen and experienced what life without God in it does to people. I lived that way for the first 25 years of my life. It was existing and not living. There is a reason why every society, no matter whether primitive or complex, always has in it the element of a higher power to which worship is given. God has built the need for Him in us, and this is mentioned in RO 1: 19-20. “Since what is know about God is plain to them [mankind] because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” In other words, every person is created by Him with a God- consciousness and the ability to see what God has created. Therefore, there is no excuse for rejecting God’s existence and His superior power and attributes. Trying to replace God with the worship of images or animals or other things is a sin.
One of our God’s greatest attributes is His love for His human creation. That love is shown in the beauty of the natural environment, the provision of our real needs, and God’s willingness to give mankind free agency to decide whether or not to believe in the truth. PS 24: 1- 2, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it, for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” Yes, we and all around us are His! He willingly shares it all with us. Not only does He share the earth, it’s foods, and everything with us, but He also wants us to get to know Him better. That’s what COL 3: 10 is all about! His greatest desire is for us to be perfected [sanctified], so that when His perfect time comes, we can be brought back to Him for a blissful eternal life in heaven [be glorified]. From the moment we came to faith in Him, we were deemed acceptable, just as Abraham was so long ago [justified-GN 15: 6; RO 4: 3; GA 3: 6]. We became His covenant partners from the moment we genuinely professed our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. We were adopted into the family of God [RO 8: 14-16]. We became co-heirs with Jesus to the Kingdom of God [RO 8: 17]. Our Covenant Partner never leaves our side, although there are times when it is in our best eternal interests for Him to delay answering our prayers or to be silent. He never does anything that isn’t in our best eternal interests. Now, Dear Readers, that’s real wealth!
How can we know God better? Our God wants us to spend daily time with Him studying the Scriptures. Even people, like this author, who are impatient in learning new things, can’t get bored with repeatedly studying the same wonderful words. The reason is the supernatural power of God’s word to teach us something new in different contexts each time we hover over a verse or passage. God wants us to know Him better. God always waits as we gradually mature to give us lessons at the times we are ready for them. This has been my own experience. In addition to study, we get to know God through prayer. His desire is that we pray often and listen for Him in every prayer we say. And yes, He loves us enough to listen to every prayer we offer. That is why the Psalmist could utter, in PS 116: 1-2, “I love the Lord , for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.” Our God keeps His promises, and His love for us endures. PS 138: 8, “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of Your hands.” This last phrase is a plea that really doesn’t have to be made. That’s because of PS 9: 9-10, “The Lord is a Refuge for the oppressed; a Stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You; for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.” He never abandons us when we seek Him.
PRAYER: O Lord, You have told us in HE 11: 1, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” When Thomas saw You resurrected, You allowed him to feel the wounds in Your hands and side. Then, You said, in JN 20: 29, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” We have a God Who wants to bless us, and all we have to do is to believe and be faithfully obedient to You! This is real wealth! We meditate over 2 COR 8: 9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, He became poor, so that you, through His poverty, might become rich.” We have every reason to offer You praise and thanks, to pledge our loyalty and honor to You. That is because You bless us with so many things that even go beyond our basic needs. You give us comfort in Your presence, wisdom in Your advice, and help when we need it most. Your compassion goes beyond that of any human being. By Your example we learn forgiveness, generosity, and other fruits of the Holy Spirit [GA 5: 22-23]. We bask in Your grace, and You make us more than merely moving shadows rushing to nothingness. Throughout our lives we see good people going through trials, but You never give a believer a trial that breaks his resolve to be faithful [1 COR 10: 13]. When the chips are down, You are here for us, living among Your people, yet still in heaven. Your mission statement [JN 6: 39-40] conforms to the Father’s will--that as many of those given to You will be glorified, brought to heaven for a blissful eternity with You. We thank and praise You for giving us the hope of the resurrection, following You, Who are known as “the First among many brothers” [RO 8: 29]. We humbly and with great reverence and awe offer up this prayer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m led to write more about the blood of Christ shed for us on the cross for our salvation [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25] and about being a part of a “covenant community.” While we’ve all read lots of writing about this subject, the Holy Spirit wants us to hover over it for awhile, allowing it to convert our hearts, so that we seek our divine Covenant Partner for closeness to Him, greater knowledge of Him, and ability to emulate His wonderful qualities. In the meanwhile, we need to update our own personal assessment of our blessings from Him. This can be quite an eye-opening, heart-opening experience. Let me share a few of my blessings as of February 2014. Most of you know my beloved husband had a very bad fall. It led to him having a cut artery on his forehead stitched up, a stay in the hospital for dangerously low blood sugar, and weeks of recovery complete with home nursing visits that were needed. Our Lord never left our sides. He gave Peter healing and increased his physical strength. He blessed me with peace in my heart, strength to help out, and awareness of His divine presence. He put it on the hearts of our friends to be attentive, to pray for us, and to help with things like driving home our car the day of the fall, grocery store and pharmacy pick-ups, and visits. Each card that arrived reminded us of the power for good the Lord does with people, and our hearts were deeply touched by this. While some of you may get this devotion quite awhile after these things happened, the principle of what this experience exemplifies is still the same. Our Lord loves us enough to be generous with His blessings every day. Praise and thanks be to Him forever!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2014. All Rights Reserved.
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