2021-11-19
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Those who are obediently faithful to God dedicate themselves to their worship of Him. PS 119: 29-33 is in the dalet section of this longest of all Psalms. In PS 119, there are twenty-two sections, one for each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Dalet is the fourth letter. Each section represents one number, one letter, and one concept. Now to the English translation of the above passage: “Keep me from deceitful ways, be gracious to me through Your laws. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws. I hold fast to Your statutes, O Lord, do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of Your commands; for You have set my heart free. Teach me, O Lord, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.”
Deception is an ugly habit, one in which a person appears to think and act righteously, but actually does not. Surely righteousness (acting as God would desire) is what He wants of us. Deception leads to a mean spirit, lying (prevarication), sneakiness, and all manner of evil. Being gracious to us through God’s laws results in avoidance of horrific troubles. For example, not drinking alcohol to excess helps us avoid the bad behavior that results from drunkenness. Setting one’s heart on God’s laws certainly means having studied them and the rest of His word. Once they are understood, then they must be put into practice. There is social shame that comes upon a person who makes a habit of breaking God’s laws. Going back to the previous example of drunkenness, people found in dark alleys passed out from over-imbibing bring shame on themselves. Those who follow God’s law never has this shame. Real freedom comes from following beliefs and a lifestyle that is a life of godly habits. This faithfully obedient person doesn’t have to worry about his lies, deception, lack of self-disciplined study of God’s word, trouble from not taking responsibility for his behavior, or any of the other evils of unrighteousness. His heart looks for its blessings, appreciates what our loving Lord is to us, and can enjoy basking in the Lord’s light. Our greatest Teacher is the Lord! We learn through studying His word, practicing wise choices, coming ever closer to Him, both private and corporate worship, taking family responsibilities, sweet friendships, and a host of other opportunities He gives us over our lifetime. The principles God teaches us are eternal (apply yesterday, today, and forever - HE 13:8).
God has one or more purpose(s) for our lives. Some of us recognize what they are early in our lives; others later in them. People like the opera singer, Beverly Sills, the violinist, Israk Pearlman, Dr. Ben Carson, Albert Einstein etc. know from the time they are young children. Others like Rev. Billy Graham, architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, anthropologist, Margaret Mead, or actor/director/mayor, Clint Eastwood made this discovery in their younger adult years. And still others, like painter of primitives, Grandma Moses don’t find out until late in their lives. I didn’t know until I was age 39!
There are two kinds of purposes: earthly and cosmic. One’s earthly purpose is closely tied with the skill set God gives an individual and is what God intends for him to do during his adult lifetime. This is mentioned in RO 12: 6-7—faithfulness; prophesy; serving; teaching; encouraging; leadership. Of course, these are not the only appropriate ways to express skill sets. In the MasterLife course’s book on service to one’s church (one of this course’s four books, covered over a one-year period), a diagram of a discipleship cross is labeled as follows: teaching; preaching; ministry, prophesying; prayer; worship; leadership; music, study; church administration; counseling, evangelism, etc. MasterLife is a course written by Avery T. Willis, Jr., the former chair of missionary service for the Southern Baptist Church. The remaining three books deal with general principles, faith, and missionary work. This course prepares a person to assist the pastor of a church in his service to the Lord. One’s cosmic purpose has to do with the legacy he leaves behind once God has called him to heaven (glorified him). If we follow God’s will for us throughout our earthly lives, we will live out what is found in RO 12: 8-20, a section of this important book of the Bible, which makes God’s will for us clear. To explain further, my own father was a physician and wanted his children to learn to revere education, to practice almsgiving, and to be hospitable, especially to those in need. These principles are still passed on from generation to generation in our family, even though it’s long after my father’s passing. I would like to be remembered for having been a good teacher, who gave wise counseling, who was faithfully obedient to the Lord, and a loving family member/friend, ie. a person who lived her faith. I know you would too!
PRAYER: O Lord, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have opened the depths of Your supreme wisdom to us. In doing so, “You have disclosed the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now given to the subset of true believers. This glorious mystery is Christ in us, the hope of glory” [COL 1: 26-27]. The truth of the Gospel of Him gives us the hope we carry, the hope that we will one day live for eternity in heaven with You and enjoy the benefits of such a blessed and spiritually rich life. Living such a righteous earthly and cosmic life will please You and lead us to bearing fruit in every good work on earth and in heaven. We offer You praise and thanks for opening the truth and the hope to us, even though we don’t deserve such grace. We are brought out of the dominion of darkness into Your wonderful light. Humility, self-control, redemption, forgiveness, and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are showered upon us and make any righteous powers we can exhibit. You are the Firstborn over all creation, the visible image of our invisible Lord [COL 1: 15]. You have given us the faith we have. To You be the glory, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m commanded by the Holy Spirit to continue this segment of “The Spirit Speaks” messages on agape love. Next week, He instructs me to write about how agape always protects. Protection is a rather difficult subject for me because my parents weren’t strong in this area of parenting. The lack of emotional protection in my childhood made me realize that I needed to correct this problem in my own life as a parent. This doesn’t mean that my parents didn’t love me; it means that they didn’t know how, as this was missing in their own childhoods. My mother’s father was distant, a brilliant introvert, who was an inventor. Her mother was a gregarious housewife, who spent a third of every year raising me. I adored my maternal grandmother and miss her to this very day! My paternal grandfather was a printer, who was intelligent and a self-centered introvert. He was also an immigrant from Moldovia (a portion of Russia). My paternal grandmother was a Hungarian immigrant, who was outgoing, a food-pusher, and held the power in her household. She also could sing some coarse songs and was a seamstress. Any talent I have for sewing, knitting, and crochet can be attributed to members of both sides of my family. My parents and grandparents were raised in highly ghettoized cities. Today’s emphasis on diversity is a blessing to me, one for which I offer the Lord eternal thanks and praise!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2021. All Rights Reserved.
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