The Lord is MY...

Psalms 18:1-3 NIV For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, O LORD, my strength. (2) The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (3) I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

Ok, time for grammar lessons (that I picked up from the web).  What is the word “My”?  It is called a possessive pronoun.  They are the pronouns that help us show possession or ownership in a sentence.

Have you noticed how this is what David proclaims in vs. 1-2 of Psalm 18?

“O, Lord, MY strength”.

“The Lord is MY rock, MY fortress, MY deliverer”

“MY God is MY rock”

“He is MY shield…MY salvation, MY stronghold”.

These were not just general understandings about God being passed on to us.  David did not write “O, Lord, OUR strength”, or “OUR rock” or “OUR fortress”.  God was his strength, his rock, his fortress.  It was personal.  He had personal possession of his knowledge of who God was, as this was revealed to Him by God Himself.

This psalm of David, and all the other psalms and prayers in the Bible, were personal songs, prayers, expressions of worship and trust, that the writers wrote.  They were expressing their personal faith, belief and knowledge of who God is.  

This is why David knew that he could call to the Lord, and be saved from his enemies.  Because he knew who his God was to him.  Not just “who his God was”, theologically, but who his God was to him.

This is why we cannot just read the psalms, or prayers, of David, memorize them, recite them or claim them, without a personal conviction and belief in who God is.

It is true that Christians, generally, share the same faith and belief concerning our God and Jesus Christ our Savior, but how important is it for us to be able to personally believe and proclaim who our God is.

This is not something for us to recite or memorize.  It is something for us to believe.

We need to ask ourselves if we can claim the same belief that David did.  Has God graciously revealed Himself to us, that we take personal possession or ownership of who God is in our heart?  Is this belief in who God is an honest to goodness personal belief in our hearts…or is He just one of the many beliefs we have?

 Take a look again at David’s psalm, and check if we can claim the same by asking ourselves:

• Is God MY strength?  We find strength in so many people and things.  When we say God is MY strength, He isn’t just one of the sources of strength, but THE source of strength.
• Is God MY rock?  Is he the firm, stable and strong One that we hold on to, and that brings stability to our life?  Many times I have heard statements, read posts, of people proudly proclaim that their loved one was their rock, who kept them strong.
• Is God MY fortress?  A place we feel safe, secure, that protects us.  Proverbs 18:11 says “The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.”.  It could be wealth, or anything else.
• Is God MY deliverer, MY shield?  For David God was literally a deliverer and protector from his enemies.  David trusted God to deliver him during times of warfare.  For us today, it may be deliverance from trouble or evil.  Do we believe this for ourselves?

How important is it for our hearts to be able to proclaim that God is “MY” strength, rock, fortress, deliverer…and everything else in our life.

When we say “my”, we express our personal belief in who He is, and hold on to it.  And no one can change it.  This is what we believe, from the very bottom of our hearts.  And that’s why we call upon Him.

 This is what differentiates someone who just memorizes, repeats or recites a statement about God and His attributes, from someone who truly believes, in his/her heart, about who God is.

 And this can only come when God Himself reveals who He is to our hearts.

John 9:35-38 NIV Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" (36) Who is he, sir? the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." (37) Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." (38) Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

 John 20:28 NIV Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

 May God graciously reveal who He is to our hearts, through His Word, so that we can proclaim, just like the blind man, and like Thomas, that "I believe" and know that He is “My Lord and My God”.

THE TEST OF TRUE WORSHIP

The book of Job is one of those books in the Bible that one is not necessarily excited to read (except maybe the last chapter when God restores his family and possessions to Job).  But we know it is there, and we are aware of the lesson it teaches.  Yet, it is a lesson that all of us have a difficult time swallowing.

There will always be a time when we will question God’s “wisdom” in allowing unfortunate events to come upon us, our family, and even ourselves.  Even if we know that God is sovereign, when things like these happen to us we still find ourselves questioning God, even for just a little while, until we rest in his sovereignty over our lives.  Questions like – “Why, Lord…why did this happen to me?”.  Or “Why me, Lord?”. 

Let’s take a quick look at the events that happened to Job.

 Job 1:6-12 NIV One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. (7) The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." (8) Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." (9) Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied. (10) Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. (11) But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." (12) The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

 First, we see God sovereign over Satan.  That’s an important truth to see here.  Satan is not free to just do what he wants on earth, or to anyone.  He still answers to our Great God.

Second, we see God asking Satan to consider Job!  God knew His servant Job.  Look at how God describes Job – “there is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil”.  I don’t think there is any of us reading this who would not want God to say the same thing about us.  And yet, God was saying this when He was asking Satan to consider Job.

Then comes the accusation of Satan. 

(9) Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied. (10) Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. (11) But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

Satan’s claim was that Job feared God and shunned evil because God was blessing him.  But take away the blessing, and Job will stop worshiping you.  A very simple accusation.

So God answers:

(12) The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

In just a few moments apart from each other, look what happened to Job:

    The Sabeans stole all his oxen and donkeys.

    The fire of God burned all his sheep and servants.

    The Chaldeans stole all his camels and put to death the servants tending them.

    A mighty wind swept from the desert, all four walls of their house fell, and killed all his children.

 This wasn’t just one problem or trial.  These were multiple trials, happening in one moment in Job’s life.

With all this happening, how did Job respond?

Job 1:20-22 NIV At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship (21) and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." (22) In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

 He fell to the ground and worshiped.

Job did not charge God with wrongdoing.

 But it doesn’t stop there.  On another day, we don’t know exactly when, but Satan brings the same accusation.

Job 2:1-10 NIV On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. (2) And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." (3) Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." (4) Skin for skin! Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. (5) But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face." (6) The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."

 At first, Satan accused Job for worshiping God because of what God had blessed him with.  Now that all of that was taken away, and Job still worshiped God, there was one more target – Job’s body.

(4) Skin for skin! Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. (5) But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."

 And so, God allows Satan to bring torment to Job’s body.  But Satan is not allowed to take his life – that is solely in God’s hand.

Again, how did Job respond?

 (7) So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. (8) Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. (9) His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" (10) He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

 Even with his wife prompting him to curse God for what He was doing, Job did not sin against God with His words.

Again, Job worshiped, recognizing the sovereignty of God over his life – “shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”.

 

Why does a sovereign God over our life allow trouble or hardship to come upon our life, even our own bodies?  Even for someone like Job – blameless, upright, feared God and shunned evil, he was not exempted from this.

In Job’s case there seems to be only one reason - to show that what God saw in Job's heart was true - he feared God, worshiped Him, recognized His sovereignty over his life.

 The Christian life is not about enjoying the material things and the healthy, long life, that God blesses us with.  It’s about WORSHIP.  This is what it all boils down to – our hearts fearing God and worshiping Him.

In all that God does.  In all that He doesn’t do.  In all He gives, and withholds.  In everything that He sovereignly allows to happen in our life.  These are all meant to test, and reveal, if we truly worship Him, recognize Him as who He is, revere Him and trust Him.

 

I am writing this with my heart bowed down to God, praying that I even have just an iota of Job’s faith and trust in His sovereign God.  By faith I trust that just as God caused me to be born again, opening my eyes to see Him and know Him, He will work in my heart and give me the same faith and trust that Job had.  That I may just worship Him.

 1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (7) These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

DILIGENTLY WATCHING OVER OUR HEART

Proverbs 4:23 (NASB)

[23] Watch over your heart with all diligence, 

For from it flow the springs of life.

Diligence is a character, an attitude, that is essential in this world.  In school we are told to be diligent students.  When we graduate and work, or we put up our own business, we are to be diligent.  In our homes, or with our families, diligence is expected.  What about the Christian life?

What does it mean to be diligent?

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary to be diligent means - “characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort : PAINSTAKING”

Shouldn’t this be what describes our Christian life or walk with God?  And yet the “default” attitude of our hearts is to be lax, or relaxed, in our Christianity.  It’s a result of our sinful nature really, for our nature is to please ourselves and our flesh, and not God.  This is why the underlying teaching of God’s Word is really for His people to diligently seek Him and walk after Him.

The proverb above tells us to diligently watch over our heart.  The NIV translates it “guard our heart”.  We are to watch over or guard our hearts diligently. 

How do we diligently guard our hearts?  Let me share a few verses of Scripture to show us how we are to diligently guard or watch our hearts:

Psalms 119:11 (NIV)

[11] I have hidden your word in my heart 

that I might not sin against you.

When we steadily, earnestly and energetically hide God’s Word in our hearts we have a treasure trove of truth, wisdom and guidance that we can easily run to when we face the many challenges of life.  

How much of God’s Word are we hiding in our hearts?  Are our hearts so filled with God’s word that they automatically contradict what the world teaches or tells us?

Colossians 3:1-2 (NASB)

[1] Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 

Here in this passage the heart and the mind seem to be working hand in hand.  We are to KEEP SEEKING THE THINGS ABOVE, not on earthly things.

How we fail in this area, right?  Most of us have set our hearts and minds on the things of the earth.  And why not, because we are people of the earth.  But this is why we are to be diligent to seek the things above, rather than the things of the earth.

We take pride of spending a few minutes and hours in our “prayer time”, and yet the remaining hours of the day are spent with the news, social media, soap operas, love stories, gossip, etc.

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

[19] “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We guard our hearts through the treasure that is stored within.  We need to eventually decide what we consider treasure in our hearts - the things of the earth, or the “things” of heaven.  As our Lord tells us - where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also.

So, if in our hearts our treasure is still money, material things, position, enjoyment, etc., then our hearts will be running after these things also.

But when we store treasures in heaven, our hearts are guarded from the lures and temptations of this world, and seek the will of God and the things that glorify His name.

Colossians 3:22-24 (NIV)

[22] Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. [23] Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, [24] since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 

In everything that we do, whether it is in our worldly work (as referred to by Paul in verse 22), or in ministry, we are to work at it WITH ALL OUR HEART.

When we work realizing that what we are doing we are doing for the Lord and not for men, it will set the right attitude and hope, knowing that it is God who is glorified.  It is the Lord Christ we are serving, not man.

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 acknowledge him, 

and he will make your paths straight.

We are to watch our hearts daily, every moment of the day, that our trust does not veer to other men, or ourselves, but will be wholly in the Lord.  We are to acknowledge Him in all that we do.

The world subtly brings our heart away from the Lord and to other people or things.  When trouble, sickness, and other things come our way, our hearts are shaken and we fix our trust on other things aside from the Lord.

This is why we are to keep watch over our hearts always, that we remain in His grace and faithfulness everyday.

How essential it is for us to be diligently watching over our hearts.  Or, as the NIV version says:

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

[23] Above all else, guard your heart, 

for it is the wellspring of life.

Above all else, above everything else, we are to diligently guard, watch over our hearts, that the life of the Lord may overflow into our lives.

ARE WE EARNESTLY SEEKING GOD?

Psalms 63:1-11 NIV A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (2) I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. (3) Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. (4) I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. (5) My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. (6) On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. (7) Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. (8) My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

There are many today who claim that they are seeking God.  What does it really mean to seek God earnestly?  

Why was David was in the desert of Judah?  It wasn't  for a vacation, nor was he just passing through. 

Look how the psalm ends:

(9) They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth.  (10) They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. (11) But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

There were people seeking his life.  He was running from them, which led him to the desert.  Imagine being pursued by people who wanted to kill him.  You can imagine the anxiety, the fear.  But in this time of fear and anxiety, what did David long for?  Was it to for God to take him away from the desert, to deliver him from his enemies?

Notice, in his psalm, what David longed for.  While in a desert, lacking water and food, fleeing from his enemies, what was it that David sought for.

(1)  O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

In a dry and weary land where there was no water, David wasn't thinking of water or food.  His soul earnestly sought for God, thirsted for God.  His body longed for God.  In a dry and weary land where there was no water he earnestly sought for the Lord to satisfy his soul.  He wasn’t crying out for water or food.  It was what his soul longed for that was of utmost priority to David.

In a difficult situation David longed for spiritual satisfaction.  It wasn’t the Lord bringing him out of the desert that he was longing for.  He was simply longing for God.

Was he seeking God to take him out of the desert, or to give him water and food while in the desert?

(2) I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. (3) Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. (4) I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

David proclaimed "because YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE".  Really?  For David the love of God, being assured of His love, was better than life.  More important than what he was going through and experiencing was the knowledge and assurance of God's love.  That's what he was earnestly seeking for.

Think about this for a while, meditate upon it.  Can we say the same thing?  That knowing God’s love, His unfailing love, is better than life?  In other words, it doesn’t matter what I have or don’t have in this life, as long as I am assured of the love of God.

If we're honest enough, that's not how we think.  Sadly, we usually equate God’s love with what He gives, or what He does in our life.  When times are bad, we want God to show us His love by turning it into good.  In a sense we're saying "our life is better than Your Love".

 (5) My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. (6) On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. (7) Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. (8) My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

With this assurance of God’s love, David proclaimed that his SOUL WILL BE SATISFIED AS WITH THE RICHEST OF FOODS.  It was his soul that was satisifed, not his body.  It didn't matter if this thirst and hunger weren't satisfied.  What was important was that his soul had it's fill - as with the richest of foods!  And that's where our praise comes from.

Many times the praise that come from our mouth is when God satisfies our stomachs with the richest of foods.  But for David it didn’t matter if he was hungry and lacking food.  What was more important was that his soul was satisfied, filled, as if he had just had a heavy meal.

When David was in the desert, it was his soul that needed satisfaction, assurance, not his body.

Have you noticed that when we are in our own “desert”, the first thing we seek is for God to take us out of the desert, or for him to meet our needs while in the desert – to satisfy the thirst of our bodies, the hunger of our stomachs.  We want our stomachs to be satisfied with the richest of foods.  What we experience or have in life seems to be more important than His love.

We don’t seek the satisfaction of our souls.  It seems to be the last priority.

This is why there are so many Christians who are discontent, frustrated and still longing for things in life – the first thing we want satisfied is our bodies, and not our soul.

But for a true believer, we know that true satisfaction, real satisfaction, is found in our soul.  And only God can satisfy the soul.  Not water or food, not money or material things, not fame or fortune.  Only God.

This is why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins – to bring us back to the Only One who can really satisfy our souls.

What satisfaction does our soul need?  The mistake that many make with God is that we think He satisfies our soul with the life of this world, with material things or earthly satisfactions.  That’s why we look for answer to prayer, the “blessed” life, to satisfy us.

God first satisfies our soul, renews His love for us, by giving us eternal life. Sin separated us from God, and made us focus on our self, and the world.  This is the reason we don’t seek for God is because sin has separated us from God and has made us blind to who He is, and the spiritual satisfaction He gives.  And so we seek satisfaction in our bodies, in our self, our lives.

We are restored to eternal life, to His life, through Jesus Christ.  His death was a sacrifice offered for us, in our stead, so that we could be reconciled to God.

John 1:4 NIV In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

And when one is reconciled to God, and we are given the gift of eternal life, there is no earthly life, or earthly thing, that can satisfy our soul compared to this.

God places us in a “desert” situation to make us realize that the things of this world do not satisfy us.  Only God can refresh our soul, as with the richest of food.  We can have little, and still be blessed.  We can by hungry, and yet our souls are filled.

John 4:13-14 NIV Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, (14) but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

John 6:35 NIV Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

HE RESTORES MY SOUL

 Psalm 23:1-3  A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

 I love Psalm 23.  This psalm reminds me that the Lord is my shepherd, and that I should not be in a state of want.  In other words, because He is the One leading and guiding me, going before me and walking behind me, I want nothing, I need nothing.  This psalm assures us that our Shepherd will always be there to take care of us.

Part of this assurance is that the Lord, as our Shepherd, will lead us to green pastures and quiet waters.  We usually relate “green pastures” to provisions in our life, just as the pastures were where the sheep ate and had their fill.  The “quiet waters” where our Shepherd leads us is also where our thirst is quenched.  So, in other words, just as the physical needs of the sheep are met, so are ours.  That is how faithful our Shepherd is.

And then verse 3 says “He restores my soul”.

So, not only does the Lord take care of our green pastures and quiet waters, He also makes sure that our souls are restored.

But I would like to share with you another view of verses 2 to 3.

A number of versions (ESV and NASB) have a period after each statement:

          He makes me lie down in green pastures.

          He leads me beside quiet waters.

          He restores my soul.

So, each statement is a separate declaration of the faithfulness of our Shepherd.

The NIV 1984 version prints it this way:

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

 It’s one statement, with a comma separating each statement.  In other words they’re connected.  The green pastures and quiet waters are meant to restore our soul.

What this means to me is this – when our Shepherd makes us lie down in green pastures, and leads us to quiet waters, it’s for the satisfaction of our soul, and not the physical satisfaction of our life.

 So, if we follow this structure of the sentence, the green pastures and quiet waters, where our Shepherd leads us, are not necessarily the physical and material needs that our bodies are looking for.  As I mentioned a while back, we usually think of green pastures and quiet waters as that which will feed us, provide for us.

But the green pastures and quiet waters where the Lord leads us are meant to restore our souls.

Physical and material needs do not restore our souls – they restore our physical bodies.

Only spiritual things satisfy our soul.

And so, if only spiritual things can satisfy our soul, then the green pastures and quiet waters where our Shepherd leads us to are not the earthly, material things that we look for. 

There are green pastures and quiet waters that satisfy our soul.  And they have nothing to do with physical or material things.

Take a look at what these passages of Scripture tell us:

Psalms 16:11 NIV  You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

 Psalms 4:7 NIV  You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.

 Psalms 19:7-8 NIV  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  (8)  The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

 Ephesians 1:3 NIV  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

 These are green pastures and quiet waters where the Lord leads us to – a source of joy, giving a light to our eyes that this world cannot give, a blessed life that this found in Christ.

 What an important aspect of God’s work as a Shepherd we need to take to heart.  We usually seek a restoration from the Lord  through His leading us to earthly or worldly pastures and waters, physical and material needs.  We wait for the Lord’s working in our life, His blessings, His answer to prayers, meeting our desires, for us to be restored.  But these things satisfy us physically, and temporarily.  Physical and material things do not restore our soul.  Only spiritual things restore our soul.

I’m not saying that our Shepherd will not take care of our physical and material needs – because He does!  But these are not  the “green pastures and quiet waters” that the Lord leads us to for our soul to be restored.

 Is this where we are following our Shepherd to – the green pastures and quiet waters that satisfy our soul?  Or are we still waiting for Him to lead us to the pastures and waters that will just satisfy us physically, and that will eventually wear out?

It is our soul that needs restoration.  Follow your Shepherd there.

 

FEELING FORSAKEN

Psalms 22:1-5 (NIV)

¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

²O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.

³Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.

⁴In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

⁵They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

This psalm is one of the reasons why the book of Psalms should be a regular “diet” of Christian believers. The psalms were songs, just like our songs today.  They basically were expressions of what the psalmists were experiencing, both personally and as the nation Israel.

Psalm 22 is one of those truthful expressions of the heart.  I say truthful because it expresses what every heart feels in certain circumstances, but we are ashamed to admit - feeling alone, forsaken by the Lord.  We think that it makes us less of a Christian to have this kind of feeling.  Many times, when asked how we are doing, we fake our feelings of trust and faith, when in actuality we feel forsaken.  It’s almost as if we are saying that Christians are not human.

But the issue is not the humanity of a Christian, but the reality of our God.  A Christian is as human as every person in the world, and we face the same challenges and circumstances as every one in the world.  The only difference a Christian brings to this battle is God.  And not just a belief in God, but the reality of God - the reality of who He is.  This is not about theory, or in a knowledge of doctrine...it’s about the reality of God in our heart, what we know about God.  It is theology, but it is a theology of the heart, and not of a classroom or a book.  It is theology that comes from God in His Word, and one that we experience in our life.

Look how the psalm begins:

¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

²O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.

We don’t know exactly what David was going through, but it was bad enough to make him feel as if the Lord had forgotten all about him.  He felt that the Lord didn’t hear him, and that his salvation was far from coming to him. 

I don’t know how many of us have felt exactly this way, but it will be good to know that this was what Jesus uttered when He was nailed to the cross dying for our sins (Matthew 27:46).  Our Lord Himself experienced it.

But notice how quickly David’s thoughts shift from his circumstance to his God.

³Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.

⁴In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

⁵They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

He remembered who his God was, and how faithful He was to his ancestors.  Despite his circumstances, God was still the Holy One, the praise of Israel.  He does not change.  And in the past He has been faithful to hear the cry of his forefathers who trusted Him and were not disappointed.

This knowledge doesn’t come by chance, or “last minute”.  This was a belief that David carried in his heart, something He knew deep inside.  This was how he was able to go against the thoughts he had about his situation.

But then, again, he goes back to his emotion:

Psalms 22:6-8 (NIV)

⁶But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

⁷All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

⁸“He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

From his circumstance he focuses on himself. He feels like a worm, useless.  He is mocked, despised, and insulted.  Even his trust in the Lord is questioned.  Actually, it’s the Lord who is questioned, not David.

But, again, his thoughts quickly return to who his God is.

Psalms 22:9-11 (NIV)

⁹Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.

¹⁰From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.

This wasn’t something that David remembered from experience, because I don’t think he had memory of when he was an infant.  This was something that he knew about his God.  From the moment he was born, God was taking care of him.  He was cast upon God from birth, and even while an infant God showed His faithfulness by providing for him through the milk from his mother.

This wasn’t just a theory.  It was something that David knew in his heart.  And he dug deep into his heart, taking the treasures of his faith, and held on to it.

And so he cries out:  ¹¹Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

None of us are exempted from circumstances that bring deep depression, feelings of being alone, forgotten even by God.  But the thoughts of our heart, the knowledge we have about God, will counter those feelings, and bring us back to a heart that trusts and depends on our living and faithful God.

But we need to understand that these truths, these understandings of God, don’t just come all of a sudden, or in the last minute.  It comes from a lifetime of growing and learning about our God through His Word, through which He has revealed who He is, and experiencing God, actually seeing Him work in every aspect and area of our life.

There is much talk today about Christians being depressed because of the pandemic, and the quarantine restrictions of having to stay home.  The mixture of fear of catching the virus, anxiety because of financial woes, the change of routine, having to stay home most of the time - has made many feel down and depressed.  I will not be surprised if some have had the same thought struggles as David - feeling forsaken by God, wondering when He will bring an end to this.  

This is what I call a “heart check”.  For in circumstances like this our knowledge of who our God is, partnered with our seeing Him work in our life, is being tested.  It is that knowledge and understanding in our heart that will pull us through.  Yes feelings of depression or being forsaken will haunt our thoughts.  But our heart’s knowledge and understanding of who our God is, as revealed by God in His Word, will keep us anchored on Him.

And this is something that just doesn’t come overnight.  This is where I believe many Christians are being tested today.  Before the pandemic it is possible that some of us did not take our knowledge of God through Scripture seriously.  We did not spend much time enjoying Him, His presence, His Word, and actually experiencing the grace that opens our eyes to see Him in all circumstances.  If there is one thing that we need to commit ourselves to, no matter what the circumstances are, is to grow in Him, in His Word, in our understanding of who our God is as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.

Many base their understanding of God according to circumstances.  If what we’re experiencing is good, then God is good.  But when things go bad, we question where our God is. It’s about time that we go back to Scripture and know who our God is as He has revealed Himself to be.  Our belief should not be based on anything less than God’s Word.

Circumstances do not change who our God is.  He is unchangeable.  But the question is - do we know Him enough to keep our hearts anchored on Him?

2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Psalms 34:8 (NIV)

⁸Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

THE SIN OF PRIDE

Proverbs 21:4 (NIV)

[4] Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!

Someone who is haughty is arrogant and full of pride. When you're haughty, you have a big attitude and act like you're better than other people.  A haughty person acts superior and looks down on others.  (Taken from vocabulary.com)

Pride is the lamp of the wicked. It’s the light that shines on the world when they look at life and at others. It’s the very foundation of their heart, what fuels their motives and desires.

Pride resides in all of our hearts.  It’s the very essence of “self”.  We are all told to love ourselves.  It is true that there are some who are more haughty than others, who show it and express it.  But all of us have pride.  And for many of us we try to hide it in our eyes, but it resides in our heart.

A haughty person is someone who shows it, who reveals it, through his words, his life, his attitude.  But pride can be secret.  There are many of us who secretly look down at others.  In fact, we look down at people who look down at us.  All of us are proud.  For some it is more evident in their haughtiness.

What this proverb reveals is that it is SIN.  Pride is sin against God.  Why?  Because it exalts self above God.  We take this for granted, don’t we?  How natural it is for us to be full of self, to defend our self, to love our self, that we don’t see it as SIN.  But it is.  

There are so many who will not admit they are “sinners” because they are “good”. They will tell you that they haven’t killed anyone, murdered anyone, stolen from anyone.  But none of us can escape this sin of pride.  

There are a number of ways to describe how Adam sinned against God.  One of them is pride.  They thought of themselves.  He did what they felt was good for himself, what they believed was beneficial for him, above what God had commanded him.  And so he disobeyed.

That’s how pride became sin.  This is how pride is sin in our hearts.  We are sinners basically because we have put our self above God.  This is why we need a Savior.  Because sin cannot exist with God, here on earth or in eternity.

Proverbs 16:5 (NIV)

[5] The LORD detests all the proud of heart.  Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

The wages of sin is death.  Our living for ourselves, and not for God, is sin, and its penalty is death.  Jesus’ death on the cross paid that price for us.  He died instead of us.  But this is not automatically applied to all.  You have to believe.  You have to believe that He came exactly for that reason - to die in stead of you, that your sin may be paid for, atoned for.

And when you believe, His life is given to you, His righteousness.  We are now enabled to live the life He wants us to live.  We are given a righteousness that comes from God, and a righteousness that lives for God, and glorifies Him.  This is the life that destroys pride.

This is why a major dealing in the heart of Christians is with our pride.  Because it is not our self that is to be exalted, but God.  This is what true humility is.  Humility is simply turning away from our self and turning to God - for everything.  And just like pride is in our eyes and in our heart - we are to be humble with our eyes, how we see life and others;  and we are to be humble in heart, a heart where God is continually humbling us, turning our hearts to Him and away from self.  Humility becomes the lamp of the righteous in Christ.

Have we come to Christ as our Savior, trusting in Him to save us from our sins, from our self?

As believers of Christ, are we submitting to the working of God in our hearts to live for Him, His ways, and not according to self?  Is Humility the lamp of our life?  Do we have humble eyes?  Is God working humility in our hearts?

Or is pride still the lamp that shines in us? 

GOD FULFILLING HIS PURPOSE IN OUR LIFE

Psalms 138:8 (ESV) [8] The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

 It is important to note - “the Lord will fulfill HIS PURPOSE for me”. It is His purpose in our life that matters, not our purposes. This is what the Lord asked us to pray - “your kingdom come, your will be done”.

 The challenge of a Christian is now is to seek, and submit to, that purpose of the Lord for us.  This is why we pray.  This is why we meditate and ponder on God’s Word daily.  This is why we continually worship and submit to a God who is higher than us, higher than anyone or anything in this world.

 When God created man, He placed him in His garden, in His world.  Man was a steward in the world that God had created.  Man was created for God and His purposes.

Of course we all know that man rebelled, and chose to disobey God.

 Look how man was tempted:

Genesis 3:5-6 NIV  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.  (6)  When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

 The serpent told Eve:

·         You will be like God, knowing good and evil.  Good and evil was meant for a holy God, not for a created being.  Their trust was supposed to be in their Creator.

·        They saw the fruit of the tree was GOOD and PLEASING, and DESIRABLE FOR GAINING WISDOM.  Instead of focusing on God, they focused on their “self”.

 Isn’t that how we live today?

We see and desire what we think is good, pleasing for us and desirable for gaining wisdom on our own.  God and His will, His sovereignty over our lives as Creator, is nowhere to be found.  We live for ourselves.

The same deception used to tempt Adam and Eve is working in the heart of man, in each of our hearts.

We, Christians, aren’t exempted.  That’s why there is still a part of our heart that believes that God exists to meet our desires, our purposes, our plans.

 From the time of Adam man has been rebelling against God and His will.  The good news is from the time of Adam God has been redeeming man from this sinful rebellious heart, bringing man back to Himself.  And all those who responded to this gracious work of God of redemption was brought back to a right relationship with Him.  Today that redemption is found as we put our faith in Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sinfulness and rebellion, and through His death set us free and reconciled us back to Him.

 But what about Romans 8?  Doesn’t this tell us that God is for us?

Romans 8:31 NIV  What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

 What did the apostle Paul mean when he said “if God is for us”?  Immediately we think that God is on our side, and anything that we plan or desire God will meet.

But is it really that Paul was saying?

Romans 8:28-30 NIV  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  (29)  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  (30)  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

 The ESV sounds better -  Rom 8:28  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

 Imagine – all things work together for good!  It sounds like God is saying that He will work all things for our good.  And, yes, that is what He is saying, but in what context?

God works all things for whose good?

·         First, to THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.  Not to those who love themselves, or their own lives.  It’s for those who love God.

·         Second, for those WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.  

 God saves us from our rebellion, through Jesus Christ, bringing us back so He can work His purposes in our life.

 What is God’s purpose for those He has saved?

Romans 8:29-31 ESV-r  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  (30)  And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.  (31)  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

 We are being conformed to the image of His Son.  That’s His purpose.  This is what classifies as "good" for those who love Him and for those called according to His purpose.

And if this means it happens through blessing, through trials, through suffering, through riches or poverty, through health or sickness, what is important is we understand that God is working in our life for His purposes.

 And this becomes what we live for - God's will, God's purposes, God's working, knowing that He loves us, and that we have been saved from our rebellion and brought back to the life He desires for us to live.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV  (14)  For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  (15)  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

A LIFE OF TRUTH AND CONTENTMENT

Proverbs 30:7-9 NIV  Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die:  (8)  Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  (9)  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

 How relevant is this proverb today?  The author of this proverb asked for two things from the Lord before he died - a life of being truthful, and a life of contentment.

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me".  What’s the difference between falsehood and lying?

Falsehood is a state of heart.  It is a state of being untrue.  And it is usually seen in the life of a person.  The way he dresses up, the way he talks, the way he deals with others, the way he handles his business.  He portrays himself in a way that is not true.  His whole life is a deception.

This state of heart always leads to lying.  This is why the proverb groups both of them together – falsehood and lies, deception and lies.

We live in a world where falsehood and lies dominate the heart of people.  We do not know anymore if someone is being sincere and honest with us.  As Billy Joel sang “honesty is such a lonely word, everyone is so untrue”.  It’s a world where falsehood and lies is a norm.  We see it in government, in the corporate world, in business, in relationships.  It is hard to trust in anyone today.

 But for a Christian we should live lives where no one will ever doubt our sincerity, our honesty.  The New Testament writings use a number of words to describe this life God desires us to live - blameless, integrity, truthful.

But let’s be honest – it is tempting, because in this world falsehood and lies usually leads to gain and profit.  To get what we want we deceive, we hide the truth.  We lie to gain a sale, profit, or even for pride and position.  This is why have the second part of this proverb:

(8)  …give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

Neither poverty nor riches.  Just our daily bread.  Jesus used this same phrase when He taught us how to pray in Matthew 6:11 NIV  Give us today our daily bread.  It's interesting how many recite this, pray this verbatim, but don't really understand it.  We don't actually pray for it.

God gave this same lesson to the Israelites during their forty year trek through the wilderness.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 NIV  Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.  (3)  He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Imagine - manna, coming from the ground, every day for forty years, the same food day after day.  And they could only get what they needed.  If they got too much it would rot.

God was teaching them to trust in Him.  If He said that He would take care of them, they were to trust Him. If He said that this manna was what they needed, they were to trust Him.

They were to be content with Him and His words.  So far from the state of our hearts, right?  Be honest.

Contentment is not just absent in the heart of men in this world, we, Christians, struggle with it too.  

But it is very obvious in this world.  Our hearts are all wired to desire more.  We are never satisfied.

It's the life of the world.  It's a struggle for the Christian heart.  Notice how difficult it is for us to even think of praying this, more so to actually make this our life - a life of neither poverty nor riches, only our daily bread.

 Why is it almost natural for us to live a life of falsehood and lying?  Why is contentment such an alien attitude of heart?  It’s because of our sinful nature.

When Adam and Eve sinned they were tempted to think of themselves first.  The satisfaction of self, the priority of our lusts and desires, go against God and the life He wants us to live. It was rebellion against what God had prepared for them.  And each one of us were born with this sinful nature.

This is why we need a Savior.  This is why Jesus came, to be the sacrifice acceptable to God to pay the price, the ransom, that will release us from this hold of sin in our hearts.

But even for those of us who are saved, and who walk with God, this is a struggle.  Again, this is why this proverb is so relevant.

(8)  Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 

 Why should a Christian pray for this?  Because when a heart is born again, we are given just one desire - to live for God, to live according to His ways, to glorify Him.

(9)  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

If we have too much, we may DISOWN HIM.  If we have too little we may lie and steal, and DISHONOR HIM.

The desire of a Christian’s heart is simple – we do not want to disown or dishonor our God.  God becomes our utmost desire.  He alone satisfies us.  His will becomes our desire.  And we will not allow anything or anyone to take this away.  This is why we live sincere and honest lives.  This is why we just pray for our "daily bread", for what God desires for us to have.  So that God remains who He is in our hearts.

The apostle John warns and encourages us:

1 John 2:16-17 NIV  For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.  (17)  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Let's make sure that the Proverbs 30 prayer becomes the very foundation of how we live before God and before others.

Let's live a life of sincerity and honesty, and with contentment, trusting in the Lord with all of our hearts.

IS PRAYER JUST A PANIC BUTTON?

2 Chronicles 20:1-4 NIV  (1)  After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat.  (2)  Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi).  (3)  Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.  (4)  The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

 Jehoshaphat had a big problem – three nations had joined forces to make war against him.  It was a vast army.  In fact, Jehoshaphat was alarmed.  Other versions say Jehoshaphat was afraid.  Part of his prayer reveals what he was feeling at the time:

2 Chronicles 20:12 NASB  (12)  "O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You."

He was powerless.  He did not know what to do.  So he prayed.  In a time when he was afraid, and helpless, he cried out to God.

Don’t we all pray during those times?  Isn't prayer the "panic button" that we are to press when we are in dire straits, in difficult situations.

It is common for anyone, even someone who claims to be an atheist, who is afraid and helpless to call upon God.  it is a natural response of a heart that is faced with a big problem that overwhelms us.

But is this all that prayer is?  Is it just a panic button?

It is important that we don’t just look at this event in Jehoshaphat’s life to look see his “prayer life”.

2 Chronicles 17:3-4 NIV  (3)  The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because in his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed. He did not consult the Baals  (4)  but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel.

 2 Chronicles 18:3-4 NIV  (3)  Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war."  (4)  But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD."

We are given a glimpse of the heart of Jehoshaphat.  Jehoshaphat walked in the ways of his father David.  He sought God, inquired of Him, sought His counsel, not just during difficult times.  It was a state of heart, a way of life, a habit.

Many times prayer is just a “fire alarm” that we pull when we are in difficult situations.  As natural a response it is to our hearts, prayer is more than just a panic button that we press when we feel helpless or overwhelmed by a problem or situation.

But PRAYER IS A STATE OF HEART.  A true Christian is always praying, always seeking God, always inquiring of Him for anything and everything, in good times or bad, in easy times of hard times.

This state of heart can only come from a work of transformation from God.  You see, each one of us are “wired” to trust in our self, trust in man, in things.  That’s the sinful heart…God is just in the sidelines, someone we run to during hard times.  He is a “spare tire” that we just run to when we have a flat.

But when God transforms a heart, he reveals who He is and makes us realize that there is no one else we can trust  but Him.  We repent of the sin of trusting in our self, recognize who He is, therefore we seek Him, call upon Him, at all times.

Because of this prayer becomes a way of life.  Seeking His counsel becomes a state of heart, something that we do always.

The true test of a heart that truly seeks God, prays to Him, is when life is good, our circumstances are fine, and we are not worried or bothered about anything.  During these times – do we still pray?  Do we still seek God and His counsel?

Are our hearts always in a state of prayer...or is it just a panic button that we press?

 Psalms 62:8 NIV  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah

NO GREATER SACRIFICE

 2 Chronicles 15:7-12 NIV  (7)  But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."  (8)  When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple.  (9)  Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.  (10)  They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.  (11)  At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back.  (12)  They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.

 Israel was living in rebellion against God.  Even the kings did evil in the sight of God.  But once in a while the Lord would raise up a godly king who would restore worship and righteousness unto Him.  One of these kings was Asa.

He removed detestable idols, he repaired the altar, and he assembled the people for worship.  This was a time of restoration and of worship.

 I cannot help being in awe at the number of cattle and sheep and goats that Asa, king of Israel, offered to the Lord - 700 head of cattle, 7,000 sheep and goats!  Imagine all of these sacrifices, all the blood that was shed, all of them expressions of repentance and worship of their God.

What a way to come back to God.  For sure this was an expression of worship that was acceptable.

 But I also cannot help but compare it to how we Christians were given access to God today, and what expression of worship and sacrifice is acceptable to God, and makes us acceptable to Him today.

Hebrews 9:26-28 NIV  Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.  (27)  Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,  (28)  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 10:10 NIV  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:14 NIV  because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

One sacrifice.  Our Lord Jesus Christ’s  sacrifice on the cross, His suffering and death, is worth so much more than 700 heads of cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats.  So much more than any sacrifice that many still think we need to do to make us acceptable to God and to express our worship.

The Messiah has come, the Lamb of God has been sacrificed for our sins.  There is no other sacrifice today that is acceptable to God except Jesus Christ's death on the cross.  And there is no other sacrifice that can be offered that makes us acceptable to God, except Jesus' sacrifice that is offered through our faith in Him.  It is our faith in who He is, and what He has done for us, that reconciles us to God, and what makes our worship and life today acceptable.  It's not our singing, not our good works, not our ministry - only Christ and what He has done for us.

Through Christ's sacrifice, and our faith in Him, we now enjoy this life of worship and righteousness.

All Glory to Him Alone.