A FORGOTTEN PRAYER

Proverbs 30:7-9 (NIV)[7] “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.

A forgotten prayer, in the midst of a world that bases satisfaction and success with riches, material things and fame. Many Christians are blinded by what the world shows us, which is why this prayer in Proverbs 30 is so important for us to have in our hearts.

God reminded the Israelites when they left Egypt that “man does not live on bread alone but on every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Deu 8:3), and were to be content with manna from God. Our Lord Jesus taught us to pray “give us this day our daily bread” (Mat 6:11). The apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy, told him that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6). It’s all over God’s Word.

And yet we run after them - money, riches, material gain and fame. And we lie and deceive to get them. We seek our satisfaction, peace and joy in these things. We even ask God to provide for these things that take His place in our hearts.

A man who is truly satisfied with God and His Word does not have it in his heart to disown God or dishonor His name just to have the things of this world. We are moved by God, just like the author in Proverbs 30, to seek just what we need.

May God’s grace keep us content, and satisfied in Him.

THE PEOPLE SAID NOTHING

1 Kings 18:21  Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing.

The people said nothing.

What a sad statement.  The Israelites had compromised so much, though they had religion, they did not know who their God was.  Their king, Ahab, had promoted the worship of Baal, set up an altar in the temple and even had Asherah poles everywhere so they could worship him.  They were supposed to be a people of Jehovah, but worshiped another god.

They were a people wavering between two opinions.  

The question was simple - If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.

They had no answer.  The people said nothing.

The apostle Paul, on the other hand, was not wavering between two opinions.

2 Timothy 1:11-12  And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.  (12)  That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

I know whom I have believed, and am convinced.

This conviction, in turn, brought the apostle Paul, and many other Christians, to witness about their Christ, the gospel and His teachings…even to the point of death.

God had worked in their hearts to believe, to be convinced – the Lord is God…I follow Him.

The world presents so many “gods” today, and many follow them.

Other religions, philosophies, beliefs.

But not just "religious" gods.

You have the god of Money

The god of Fame

The god of Materialism

The god of Enjoyment

The god of Self

Are we still wavering between two opinions?

Or do we know Whom we have believed?  Are we convinced?  The Lord is God...I follow Him.

I pray we may not be a people who say nothing.

DECLARATION AND SUBMISSION

Psalms 19:1-14  For the director of music. A psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  (2)  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  (3)  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  (4)  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,  (5)  which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.  (6)  It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.  (7)  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.  (9)  The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.  (10)  They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.  (11)  By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.  (12)  Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.  (13)  Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.  (14)  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Those who claim a belief in God will many times point everyone to nature, to the earth and it’s wonders, to the skies and its vast unexplored wonder, and tell everyone that it is impossible that there is no God.  The earth and the universe didn’t just evolve from a big bang.  It was created by God. 

This is what the first part of Psalm 19 partly shows us.

(1)  The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  (2)  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  (3)  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  (4)  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,  (5)  which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.  (6)  It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

In this first portion of David’s psalm he says that the heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of His hands!  Day after day, night after night, if the heavens and the earth had a voice it would be going to all the earth, rising from one end to the other proclaiming their Creator.

But it’s not just about God as Creator.  Look again at what verse 1 says:

(1)  The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands

But this is where many fall short of.  They may look at creation and claim that there is a God, but they may not see the GLORY of this God.

The heavens do not just proclaim that there is a God, and that He created it, but it proclaims the glory of this God who created the heavens and the earth.

This is not just a knowledge of God, or a belief in God – but it is a declaration of His glory – His holiness, His greatness, His sovereignty over what He has created.

It is a glory that causes all to bow down, and revere the One who created.

This is why the second half of this psalm is very important.  Because someone who recognizes and bows down to the glory of the God proclaimed by the heavens, will also recognize the rule and law of this Creator.

 (7)  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.  (9)  The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.  (10)  They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

We are not just to recognize that there is a Creator, but we are to take heed of the proclamation of the heavens – the God who expresses His glory by His law, His statutes, His precepts, His commands.

Someone who recognizes the glory of God now submits to His laws, His commands. 

He recognizes it’s value:

It is perfect, reviving the soul.

They are trustworthy, making wise the simple

They are right, giving joy to the heart.

They are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

They are pure, enduring forever.

They are sure, altogether righteous

They are precious, more than pure gold

They are sweeter than honey.

The result:  Submission.

(11)  By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.  (12)  Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.  (13)  Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 

Someone who recognizes the declaration of the heavens of the glory of God also recognizes the laws and commands of this God.  And someone who recognizes it bows down in submission to this glorious God.

He is warned by them.

He recognizes the reward in keeping them.

He recognizes his need for forgiveness for breaking His commands.

He recognizes the need for it’s rule over his life, that he may be blameless.

And someone who recognizes the glory of his God, and the beauty of His commands, now has a desire to please his God – thus, his prayer:

(14)  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

This God, whose glory is proclaimed by the heavens, and who expresses this glory and holiness in His laws and commands, has now become his Rock and Redeemer.

It is not enough that we look at the heavens and believe God.

God’s desire is that we see His glory.  And as our hearts bow down in view of that glory, we recognize His laws and commands that glorify Him, and in result we live in submission to this God whom the heavens have revealed to us.

Only God can open our eyes to see this glory.

Only God can open our eyes to recognize His laws and commands, and move us to submit to them and obey them.

All this has been accomplished through Jesus Christ, who has taken away the hindrance of our sin that has blinded us to this glory, and reconciled us to our Creator.

Colossians 1:15-20  He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  (16)  For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  (17)  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  (18)  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.  (19)  For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,  (20)  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Our Creator is our Savior.  And He saved us that we may be reconciled to Him, recognize His glory, His commands, and submit to Him as our Rock and our Redeemer.

A PERSONAL CONVICTION OF GOD'S WORD

1 Kings 13:15-22  So the prophet said to him, "Come home with me and eat."  (16)  The man of God said, "I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.  (17)  I have been told by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.' "  (18)  The old prophet answered, "I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.' " (But he was lying to him.)  (19)  So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.  (20)  While they were sitting at the table, the word of the LORD came to the old prophet who had brought him back.  (21)  He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: 'You have defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you.  (22)  You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.' "

The prophet in this story had a clear word from the Lord:

(17)  I have been told by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.' "

But somehow he was led astray by an old prophet’s desire to feed him.

(18)  The old prophet answered, "I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.' " (But he was lying to him.)

The old prophet’s motive was good – all he wanted was to bless the other prophet, to feed him, take care of him.  But it seems he was acting out of emotion.

The real story is with the first prophet.  He had a clear word from the Lord not to eat bread or drink water, or return by the way he came.  And yet, when offered to eat by a fellow prophet, he disobeyed God’s word.  He should have listened to the word of the Lord in his heart, rather than to a fellow prophet.

How important is it for us to have a personal conviction of God’s word in our hearts?  Without this personal conviction, it is possible, just like the prophet, for us to be swayed from the truth of God’s Word through another persons prodding, no matter how pure his motives may be.

Who is it that brings this understanding and conviction to our hearts?  Is it a pastor, or another Christian?  It should be the Holy Spirit Himself teaching us.

John 14:25-26  All this I have spoken while still with you.  (26)  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 16:12-14  I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.  (13)  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  (14)  He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

A true believer in Christ is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  Not only is He a seal, assuring us of our eternity, and a source of power and strength that we may live as witnesses of Christ, but He is also there to teach us, to reveal God’s truth to us.

1Co 2:9-10  However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" --

10  but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

Think of that gracious privilege we have, brethren, of being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and having God Himself teach us, remind us, and reveal to us the truth of Scripture!  And the Holy Spirit speaks to us in many ways – our personal prayer and study of God’s Word, the preaching every Sunday, fellowship with other believers, reading books or watching videos of other pastors and teachers.  But the very foundation of learning is found in our personal desire to seek Him, His truth, and it’s application in our hearts, knowing that it is the Holy Spirit who is teaching us, revealing His truth in us.

This personal seeking of God’s truth, through the working of the Holy Spirit, becomes the basis of our conviction.

 

There are some Christians today base their convictions SOLELY on the preaching or teaching of their pastor, elders, or even other believers, without personally praying and studying God’s Word, asking the Holy Spirit to teach them.  Whatever the teaching is of their local church on a certain issue, they stand on it, without personally seeking God and studying His Word.

Today the source of truth and conviction is extended to social media.  Whatever a pastor or preacher says on YouTube, or whatever quote is posted in facebook or twitter, that is what we believe – without prayerfully seeking God in His word personally.  The conviction in our hearts of God’s will must come through the working of the Holy Spirit teaching us not just through other people alone – it must be together with our personal study also.

We may listen to God’s word in a preaching or teaching, but we must have hearts that read, meditate and study His Word, dependent on the Holy Spirit for understanding and wisdom.  This is why while listening to a pastor preach God’s Word it is important for us to be reading God’s word at the same time, and not just totally dependent on what a pastor is saying.  It is important for us to have the Holy Spirit Himself illuminating God’s Word as we read it.

We can be discussing Bible truths and teachings with other believers, which is good, but our conviction must come a heart dependent on the Holy Spirit, in prayerful meditation and study of God’s Word as we study it together.

This is why a personal desire to grow in God and His Word, expressed through our time of reading, meditating and study of God’s Word, fully dependent on the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s truth and will, is of utmost importance.  This is not an option.  God wants each one of us personally, prayerfully, seeking God’s truth and application in our life, together with other avenues that God uses within the church.

Yes, we need the preaching of God’s Word every Sunday from a pastor of a local church that we have committed to.  Yes, we need fellowship with other believers, faithfully studying and discussing God’s Word.  And yes, it is also important for us to be listening to sound teachings of other pastors, Christian writers.  But we understand that the Holy Spirit is using all these avenues in the church, coupled with our own personal desire to grow in God’s Word, to bring a conviction of God’s will and truth in our hearts.

Let’s not be “social media Christians” (my personal term) who depend ONLY on beautifully designed quotes of Scripture, or video clips of famous pastors (dead or alive), for their personal stand.  Let’s have a heart that personally seeks the conviction of the Holy Spirit teaching us His Word, that we may have a personal conviction concerning His truths, even as He uses pastors, authors and other believers to teach us.

Colossians 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

WHY HAVE YOU REJECTED ME?

Psalms 43:2-5  You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?  (3)  Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.  (4)  Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.  (5)  Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

There are many times when our emotion gets the best of us, hits us hard, and makes us feel depressed, downcast.  Most of the time, if not all the time, we try to hide it from other Christians.

That’s why it’s nice to know that a psalmist could write a song and be open about his feelings concerning the Lord.

Can you imagine yourself echoing the words of this psalm?

“You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”

Some of us, I think, can identify with this.  We may not have told anyone, because it is “taboo” for a Christian to say that he/she has questioned God.  But there are some of us who, at one time or another, because of a wave of emotion, in a certain circumstance, have asked God “why have you rejected me”.

There are many circumstances that lead even the strongest and most mature Christian to, even for a moment, question God’s faithfulness.  We can be in the midst of a painful trial, a financial crisis, a broken relationship, failure in work or business, and even failure in ministry. It can even be physiological, something about hormones or old age.

It’s nice to know that the Bible records believers who have been affected by these things, and so can we.

But it’s important to note that the psalmist in Psalm 43 was not raising his hand out of anger or bitterness.  He was just expressing what his emotion was leading him to feel.  Notice that it did not change what he believed about his God:

“YOU ARE GOD MY STRONGHOLD”.  He still knew who his God was.  His emotion was just having its way.

It was this understanding of who his God was, his Stronghold, that lead him out of his emotion, and back to a trust mode:

3)  Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

In the midst of a dark moment, that momentarily affected his emotions, he runs back to his stronghold and prays – SEND FORTH YOUR LIGHT AND TRUTH, LET THEM GUIDE ME.

For in the midst of a down moment, how important is it that God’s light and truth lead us back to where we should be – TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU DWELL.

Notice that the psalmist was not praying that he get out of the situation, or that God changes his circumstance.  He prayed that he go back to the protection of his Stronghold – to the place where his God dwelt.

And he will go back to a place that will overcome the emotion that overwhelms him, and lead him back to praise:

(4)  Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. 

Our joy and delight is in God our stronghold, in His presence.  And it is there where our praise returns, and overcomes our emotion.

It is not the change of circumstance that brings back the joy and delight.  It is our being once again in the presence of the Lord that brings back the praise.  

(5)  Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

And so it ends with the psalmist “speaking” to his own soul – WHY ARE YOU DOWNCAST…WHY SO DISTURBED WITHIN ME.

It is only when the Lord’s light and truth leads us back to the presence of our stronghold, and back to worship, that we can speak this to our soul, and finally conclude – PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD, FOR I WILL YET PRAISE HIM.

Then, true hope returns.  We may be in the same circumstance, but God’s light and truth brings us back to His presence, and back to the altar where we can once again know the joy and delight that He brings.  It is here that we praise, and where hope once again keeps us going.

OUR "DEATHBED" CHARGE TO OUR CHILDREN

1 Kings 2:1-4  When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.  (2)  I am about to go the way of all the earth, he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man,  (3)  and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go,  (4)  and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

It was now time for Solomon to take his place as king of Israel.  And David, when the time drew near for him to die, gave Solomon a charge.  Other versions, like the ESV, translate this Hebrew word as a “command”.  A charge was not advice, or a suggestion.  This was something that David commanded Solomon to do, now that he was going to take over his reign as the king of Israel.

 (1)  When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.  (2)  I am about to go the way of all the earth, he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man…

Be strong, show yourself a man.  As we’re reading this, I’m sure there are a lot of thoughts entering our minds of how we should be showing ourselves to be “men”, and women, of this world.

But look at David’s charge:

(2)  I am about to go the way of all the earth, he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man,  (3)  and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go…

David’s understanding of what it is to be a strong king, to show himself a man while reigning over Israel?  Simple.

Observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go

I know this is what we want for our children – for them to prosper in all that they do.

That’s what David desired for Solomon – if he was to reign over Israel, make the right decisions and judgments, and show himself a man, he just had to observe what the Lord his God required.

David didn’t point Solomon to his experiences, his exploits, his accomplishments and successes.  It wasn’t in what David did, but in who David trusted and obeyed.  This trust and obedience in God was the very foundation that he wanted Solomon to have.

He did not point Solomon to other worldly wisdom or guidance, as we see in the book of Proverbs, what Solomon was now passing on to his sons.  He pointed Solomon to God and His Word, his love for God and observance of His Word.  This was to be the very foundation and life of Solomon, as he now reigned as king of a nation.

It wasn’t just what David desired…it’s what he believed, and lived, as a “man after God’s own heart”.

If we think about it, and we are honest with ourselves, this may be farthest from what many of us would charge or command our children to do in our deathbeds.

If we follow God’s story, from Genesis to Revelation, you will notice that He consistently told His creation – love me, obey me, and you will be the men and women I want you to be.  You will see the success and life that I have prepared for you.

But sin destroyed that, brought us to focus on our self, and be dependent on our self.  We have rebelled and are now trusting in our self, in our education and accomplishments, to show ourselves men and women in this world who have brought success in our own way.

It is even disguised in the saying “God helps those who help themselves”, a saying that sadly many Christians adhere to, and even pass on, not realizing how unbiblical it is.  

We tell our children – “Study hard, work hard, don’t let anyone fool you or take advantage of you, make lots of money, and you will be a successful man and woman in this world.  And then we add ‘oh, by the way, don’t forget God’”.  Sadly, God becomes a footnote in the charge that we give our children for life and success, rather than the very foundation.

Completely opposite of what God tells us is the very foundation, and philosophy of life that we are to follow, summarized in David’s own words - Observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go

This was the same thing God told Joshua, and what He passes on to all.  Just follow the story of David.  When he walked in obedience to God and His Word, he was successful.  When he disobeyed, that’s when trouble came upon his life.

It’s the same thing we read in Solomon’s life.  When he walked in God's wisdom he had success.  When he followed his flesh, it brought his downfall.

What David believed, and lived, he passed on to his son.  As a man after God’s own heart, he wanted his son to be the same.  To be strong, and show himself a man, and be successful as king.  And all he had to do was observe what the Lord his God required.

When we are about to die, and we are to give a charge, or command, to our children – I wonder, what will we leave them?

Actually, we don’t have to wait until we die.  Are we living and teaching this to our children today?  Is this what our life is showing them?

(2)  I am about to go the way of all the earth, he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man,  (3)  and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go…