QTVOTD: Who am I that He would think of me?

(Day 39) “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Psalms 8:3-4

Psalm 8 has to be one of the greatest Psalms!! When we look at what the Lord has made and even think of the things that we have not seen that He has made, who are we that He should even think of us? Not only think of us but to specifically build a place for us in His Kingdom (Isaiah 45:18 and 51:16). Not only is God mindful of us but He takes care of us….He sees to it that our needs are met. It is really hard for me to wrap my brain around these truths but I meditate on them -> believing that God’s word is the complete inerrant word of the Lord Most High; I try to imagine myself in His throne room and what a place that must be both scary and awesome at the same time. Just read the depiction of it in Revelation 4.

QTVOTD: Pastor/Elder Devotion

(Day38) Jeremiah 15:19-21 – Today (Yesterday) was my prep for my Devotion that I will give to the Pastors and Elders at the monthly elders meeting on Monday (No pressure!). I think that this devotion is very appropriate (timewise) for where we are at today as a church -> in the middle of a pandemic, an aggressive ungodly culture who is actively targeting the church, and a time where there are many false teachers confusing the truth-seeker. I will share my notes on this devotional as soon as I have delivered them. UPDATE: Here it is! :-p

Pastor/Elder Devotion – Delivered November 9, 2020

SETUP:

The verses directly preceding this passage are a lament from Jeremiah where he finishes his thought with an accusatory sentiment -> “Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?  Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?” Jeremiah 15:18  Jeremiah has been faithful to what God has called him to do but you can see that he has had a heart of distrust and waning spirit.  Now we see God’s response.

[ESV]

Therefore thus says the LORD:
“If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them.
And I will make you to this people
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
to save you and deliver you,
declares the LORD.
I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” Jeremiah 15:19-21

Verse 19:

  • “If you repent, I WILL restore you” (ESV)
    • Repenting is entirely on us.
    • Repenting is a precursor to God’s restoration.
    • …and for what purpose??
      • “That you shall stand before me” (ESV)
      • “That you may serve Me.” (NIV)
      • “..be My minister” (AMP)
  • “If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless, you SHALL be as My mouth” (ESV)
    • I can see 2 applications for this:
      • Speak only meaningful words: words not backed by human intuition and intelligence but from the word of God; then we will be a voice of God representing the absolute authority of his word.
      • We need to trust in God’s promises and we need to cleanse our own hearts of unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness.  This is something that can creep up on us; especially in times where it seems to us that nothing is going in a godly way — we should anticipate this.  I for one, believe the time of our Lord is drawing near and I can only predict it will get worse before He comes.
  • “Let this people turn to you, but you MUST NOT turn to them” (NIV)
    • Do not yield to those who have deviated from the word and heart of God; either through false teaching [the false prophets in Jeremiah’s day] or their own inability to see the truth.
    • For us this is a super important message!  We are only a short time away from an unbiblical cultural/social challenge from a group looking to push an agenda against our church.  We can not move in any way to toward this ungodly culture of identity first mentality.  We are to retain and affirm a Christ first mentality.

Verse 20:

We have been set aside and as long as our hearts (motives) are pure before the King, He promises the following:

  • “And I WILL MAKE you, to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you.”
    • God essentially tells Jeremiah that people will come press against him, using a battering-ram even, but they will not be able to shake God’s message through him.
    • It also gives the premise that they are caged in by Jeremiah; that they will not escape God’s message through him.
    • Again for us this is a clear message of support from our one and only King.  We support and commit ‘making more and better disciples’ and He will ensure that through us His goals are achieved.
  • “for I am with you, to save you, and deliver you, declares the Lord” (ESV)
    • This all builds – so lets take everything above:
      • Repentance begets Restoration
      • Worthy words produce a Almighty God backed ministry
      • We must have a willingness to serve and stand before the throne
      • Never yielding to a sinful listener or culture counter the TRUTH we know given to us in the complete/inerrant word of God
      • Patiently waiting for those who are against us, to come to us
      • God is always with us
      • … God will save us and deliver us from the persecution of this world
        • Could be through His strength in our hearts
        • Through His coming
        • Through actual deliverance of the situation

**We must be careful not to let our definition of deliverance rule our thought; we must cling to God’s promises**

Verse 21:

  • “I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless” (ESV)
    • I believe there are tremendous challenges coming to our church.  This fallen world is beginning a direct attack on our Faith in Christ and His Word we hold so firmly to here at Canyon Hills.

Summary:

  • Big Points:
    • Jeremiah did not choose his prophetic task…God Chose Him.
    • God brings comfort to Jeremiah’s laments, not by solving the problems, but by renewing his call, assuring Jeremiah of His presence, and preserving his life.
    • We are not prophets but we are no less called/chosen by God.
    • As over-seers, we must follow the word of God to be His shepherds as defined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1
    • We have so much more than what Jeremiah did!
      • We have the complete justification of our souls through the perfect sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ – Jeremiah had forbearance.
      • We have the presence of the ‘Helper’ in the Holy Spirit as our in-dwelling guide and counsel.
      • Jeremiah didn’t have a Risen Savior at that point who had experienced all of the persecution, betrayal, and pain he did.  We Do – Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father right now interceding on our behalf!
      • Jeremiah was alone but we have each other.

So,  as we move forward together into this season of the life of our church and God’s will and purpose for it; lets keep what we are doing here [experiencing togetherness and brotherly love] moving forward…a relational support structure where, as God intended, have each other to lean on and persevere.  As we move into prayer time before this meeting, let’s bring any unworthy and warranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness before Him.  Let our first action of this meeting of all of us together be the clearing of any veils of unbelief, worry, and sin.  Let’s lean into the fact that Jesus, our Risen Savior, is standing beside the Father, knowing precisely what it feels like to be right where we are.

QTVOTD: Your heart and mindset matter…

(Day 37) “The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.  Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous— you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!  My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.  God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” Psalms 7:8-11 [ESV]

Good day Gents!  I just wanted to tell you again how much I love your posts everyday.  I don’t know about you but I am not only getting into a groove, I sense the leading of the Holy Spirit in my heart and mind both during my reading and a closeness throughout the day.  There is a clarity of mind that I have received through this; a patient heart and mind that looks at challenges with a spiritually appropriate heart and mindset.  In my reading in  Psalms 7 today I am again taken-aback by David looping himself in when asking God to judge.  He does not make this request from a lofty place; in fact he makes from a lowly place.  He says ‘let the evil come to an end’….including his own, that God might establish HIS righteousness.  God tests our hearts and minds — our good and honorable actions mean nothing without a heart and mind tuned to the grace and forgiveness of a Holy God.  I LOVE the Psalms!!

QTVOTD: Oath of Innocence…

(Day 36) “O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, If I have paid back with evil him who was at peace with me or without cause have robbed him who was my enemy, Let the enemy pursue my life and take it; yes, let him trample my life to the ground and lay my honor in the dust.” Psalms 7:3-5

I am convicted by today’s Psalm.  Just before this David secures himself in the refuge that is the Lord and asks God to save him from his adversaries who seek to ‘tear his life from his body like a lion’…but then he follows up with this ‘Oath of Innocence’.  David says this, remember, from his refuge in the Lord.  There is a conviction in integrity that that he has not performed the three dishonorable acts he mentions.  Do I have this same conviction?  Can I make these same statements without fear of bringing upon myself what David suggests above?  Today, I take stock of my ‘above reproach-ness’ (yep, just made a new word) and pray that the Lord would reveal anything to me that could fall into these categories.

QTVOTD: My prayer being in line with God’s will…

(Day 35) “Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.  The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord receives my prayer.  Let all my enemies be ashamed and sorely troubled; let them turn back and be put to shame suddenly.” Psalms 6:8-10

I love the confidence David has here in his resolve that the Lord has his back in his situation. I think the ‘be put to shame suddenly’ is more about the swiftness of Gods vindication versus the suddenness that something might happen (like being surprised by it). I have been riveted to my TV up here in our bedroom with all the ladies downstairs but I have peace and comfort in my heart that the Lord is in control. No matter what happens, it will be His will. It is God Himself who puts kings, leaders, and rulers in place. Whoever becomes president will be deliberately put in place to perform what the Lord has already predetermined. It will only play a part in producing a coming on our Lord Jesus Christ!!!

QTVOTD: Being righteous…

(Day 34) “For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” Psalms 5:12

Finished chapter 5 today. This verse was such an encouragement to me as I desire to be seen by my God as righteous…so what is righteous?  Being righteous is so reveling in my security IN Christ that I entirely surrender all that I do and every achievement to be defined by God’s purpose in my life and the ministry He has called me to. I have so far to go in my sanctification and I am so thankful for the grace and mercy that God provides me every morning when I have failed so bitterly the day before.

QTVOTD: My way made straight through God’s love and righteousness…

(Day 33) “But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.  Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.” Psalms 5:7-8

Verse 4 says “evil may not dwell with you” so it is only through an abundance of steadfast love that I am able to enter God’s house.  It is only because of Christ and my justification through His purchase that this is possible.  David calling on God to lead him because of the vigilance of David’s enemies really helped me see the plight that is before us Christians today as well – we have a vigilant enemy in our adversaries.  We need the leading of God’s hands to be successful in negotiating our way to safety.  I love how the sentiment here is recalled in Proverbs 3:6, Proverbs 4:25, and Isaiah 42:16.