A verse often quoted concerning our forgetting what we have gone through in the past and working forward toward what lies ahead is Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. When it comes to the working of God in our salvation, it is important for us to forget what lies behind - our past lives, our disobedience, our reliance in ourselves, and strive forward to what God has prepared for us with regards to our salvation and sanctification.
But there is one thing, rather, many things, that lie behind that we must not forget...the faithfulness of our God.
Psalm 77:7-9 Will the Lord reject forever? And will He never be favorable again? (8) Has His lovingkindness ceased forever? Has His promise come to an end forever? (9) Has God forgotten to be gracious, Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion?
Have you ever felt like Asaph, the writer of Psalm 77? Are you in a situation where you feel like the Lord has rejected you, that He may never be favorable towards us again, that His lovingkindness has ceased, and that His promises will never be fulfilled in our life?
Well, don't feel alone. At least you have Asaph to share your feeling with. But rest assured that there are many of us who have felt that way before. The good news is that Asaph, and the rest of us, did not remain in that feeling of separation from God. Look how he continues his psalm:
Psalm 77:11-15 I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. (12) I will meditate on all Your work And muse on Your deeds. (13) Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? (14) You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your strength among the peoples. (15) You have by Your power redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph.
Asaph remembered the deeds of the Lord. He remembered what lay behind...the faithfulness of his God! How important it is for us to continually set monuments of God's grace and faithfulness in our lives through the years, so that in times when we feel He is far we will be assured that His faithfulness has always been there for us, and for sure He will see us through.
Remember what lies behind with regards to how God has seen you through all these years that you have walked with Him. Remember His grace, His faithfulness, His love.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
How Long, Lord?
Psalm 6:1-3 A psalm of David. LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath. (2) Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am
faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony. (3) My soul is in
deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long?
It’s nice to know that there was someone in the Bible who was just like us. You know – someone who questioned God’s timing. David was so afraid to speak out what was in his heart that he asked the Lord not to be angry or discipline him. He was faint, in agony and in deep anguish. He ends this portion of the psalm by saying “how long, Lord, how long?”.
I’m sure there are many times when we wondered where God was, why He was taking so long before answering our prayer. And we’re afraid to share it with others lest they question our faith and trust in the Lord. So we put up a spiritual look, claiming to trust God. But deep inside we are wondering “How long, Lord, how long?”.
When I feel this way I’ve learned not to keep it from God. Whether or not I say it He sees my heart and knows what I feel. That’s why I believe it’s always best to just say it, let it out of our chest. This was what David was doing.
David, though, did not end his prayer with his impatience and doubt. He ended it with faith:
Psalm 6:8-10 Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. (9) The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. (10) All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
The Lord has heard. The Lord accepts my prayer. Even though it may seem that God is delayed in answering our prayers, in our hearts we must believe that He has heard, that He has accepted our prayers. And eventually our hearts submit to the wisdom and timing of our Sovereign God, and trust in His faithfulness.
It’s nice to know that there was someone in the Bible who was just like us. You know – someone who questioned God’s timing. David was so afraid to speak out what was in his heart that he asked the Lord not to be angry or discipline him. He was faint, in agony and in deep anguish. He ends this portion of the psalm by saying “how long, Lord, how long?”.
I’m sure there are many times when we wondered where God was, why He was taking so long before answering our prayer. And we’re afraid to share it with others lest they question our faith and trust in the Lord. So we put up a spiritual look, claiming to trust God. But deep inside we are wondering “How long, Lord, how long?”.
When I feel this way I’ve learned not to keep it from God. Whether or not I say it He sees my heart and knows what I feel. That’s why I believe it’s always best to just say it, let it out of our chest. This was what David was doing.
David, though, did not end his prayer with his impatience and doubt. He ended it with faith:
Psalm 6:8-10 Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. (9) The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. (10) All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
The Lord has heard. The Lord accepts my prayer. Even though it may seem that God is delayed in answering our prayers, in our hearts we must believe that He has heard, that He has accepted our prayers. And eventually our hearts submit to the wisdom and timing of our Sovereign God, and trust in His faithfulness.
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