DELIGHT IN THE LORD
Isaiah 61:10-11 10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations
As we approach Holy Week, I pause to reflect on all God teaches us through His Word. When I read this part of Isaiah, I am reminded that Jesus read from Isaiah 61 during His first teaching in the temple. And I see that there is much joy in the Lord because He has given us salvation and clothed us in righteousness.
I believe one of the greatest gifts we have received because of our salvation is our ability to have joy even during suffering. Joy is like a well spring that bubbles up to the surface whenever I speak of the goodness of God. Joy sustains me and lifts me above the place of doubt and fear. Joy is my dearest companion as I walk what used to be called “the pilgrim pathway.”
May we allow the joy within us to grow and share it with others as we prepare to celebrate the sacrifice only God could make so that we, sinful man, could be reconciled to a Holy God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lean not into your own understanding
Prov 7 (ESV) 1 My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
2 keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Years ago I was given the best compliment of my life. I was told I was teachable.
Being teachable means being flexible, being aware that we don’t have all of the answers. Beyond that, staying in the Word of God shows people who we are, for we do not rely on our own understanding. We depend upon, have confidence in and have ultimate trust in Jesus, John 1:14 (NIV) 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Who are we? Despite our inadequacies we are called children of the King. How great is that? We are kingdom people! We are those who contend for the faith! We may grow weary, but we do not faint. We speak words of life because words matter, faith matters, and the promises of God matter.
May we today and every day look to God our Father to praise Him for Who He is, to the Son to thank Him for our salvation, and to the Holy Spirit to ask Him to fill us continually to overflowing. And, may we speak the name of Jesus, sharing Him with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Like a Tree Planted by the Water
Jeremiah 17:7-8 But blessed is
That the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
Psalms 1:1-3 1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
I love the image these scriptures invoke. A tree is planted just the right distance from the fresh, running water so that the roots are fed the proper nutrients and the results are that the tree bears the exact fruit God intended the tree to bear. How does this apply to us today?
God has a plan and praise His name we are not big enough to change His plans. He gives us all we need to complete His purposes, but we can make things difficult when we wander off of the pathway of holiness. We are not to walk side by side with sinners. Why? Being in the company of sinners for too long tends to get us comfortable with the places where sinners dwell. Soon we are sitting with them and enjoying things never intended for us. Ultimately if we stay too long, we will exchange blessings for curses.
You see, God’s nature never changes. He is a covenant making and a covenant keeping God. Pastor Mark Evans, the senior pastor at “The Church at Rock Creek” taught a comprehensive series on the covenants of God called “No Take Backs,” which began 10/1/23. I encourage you to take the time to watch this series located under the “Media” section of the website. It will be time well spent as you soak up the nutrients of God’s promises and come to understand the importance of God’s covenants.
May we learn each day what God is doing for us and that His promises never change.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
https:// https://churchatrockcreek.com/media/churchatrockcreek.com/media/
Grow in Salvation
1 Peter 2:2-5 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4 As you come to him, the living Stone —rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
After one week of being unable to see, my vision, though still blurry, is returning. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
When I read today’s scriptures, I am initially reminded of trying to find a baby formula that my son would tolerate. Although it has been 48 years in May, I recall being a new mother, trying to care for a newborn while Larry brought home one formula after another. Living from paycheck to paycheck, we could not afford to dispose of these costly items only to replace them with more questionable products. Yet, we went through what seemed like countless formularies before finding one that worked.
Just as newborns must progress from one form of nutrition to another in order to grow strong and healthy, we as Christ followers begin as spiritual babies growing in our knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is and who we are in Him.
I grew up thinking salvation was a one-time experience, but I came to realize that the grace that delivered us from our sin state must grow from justifying us into sanctifying us. And sanctification, that marvelous grace that sets us apart from the world, is a daily process that is perfected only when we have completed our earthly existence.
May we partake of the scriptures daily where we are built up in our most high faith, commune with God without ceasing where we find our spiritual food, and may we never become satisfied with where we are today.
- Higher Ground
- I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
- My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground. - I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground. - I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
Psalms 23 (KJV) A PSALM OF DAVID.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Although David was a king when he wrote these words, he remembered well his days as a young boy shepherding his father’s sheep. He knew that just as he had led the flock away from dry, parched land up to green pastures, his father in heaven would lead him away from fields of want and into pastures of plenty.
The sheep, timid and fearful, would turn away from brooks of fresh water and choose instead to drink from bug infested stagnant water. Likewise, we sometimes settle for areas in life where we know we should move on, but unless the shepherd leads us our fear paralyzes us.
So perhaps today we could begin a new habit, one that starts with thanking God for another day as soon as we open our eyes. After we are really awake, let us reach for our Bible and purposefully read a scripture that will inspire and encourage us to live according to His good will. Then after interceding on behalf of others, go forth in the name of Jesus!
May we never forget that we are not alone.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 