Wait Patiently

Posted on by korgrocker

“Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:13-14 NLT

We will have a last look at Psalm 27 before we move on. In the last verse of this Psalm, David advised the singers and readers to “wait patiently”. God’s timing is not always as we would wish but it is always perfect, so David included with “patience” the necessity to “be brave and courageous”. There are many times in life when we believers have to be so. 

There is always a tendency to get ahead of the Lord. King Saul and his men were facing into a Philistine army of impressive proportions. Many of the Israelite soldiers were running away. We pick up the story in 1 Samuel 13:6-7, “The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead. Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear“. Samuel was going to join Saul at Gilgal, to offer the usual sacrifices, but Saul failed to “wait patiently” and took it upon himself to sacrifice the burnt offering, a sin of huge implications because that was a priest’s responsibility. But, “Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him” (1 Samuel 13:10). Saul made loads of excuses for making the sacrifice instead of Samuel, but had to suffer the consequences of his impetuous behaviour, ““How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command”” (1 Samuel 13:13-14). 

In another Psalm, David wrote, “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7). Certainly David had to wait many years between his anointing as king-elect and his coronation as King, a time involving a lot of patience, but also a need to be “brave and courageous”, as Saul attempted to have him killed. There is a poignant start to Psalm 40, which reads, “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord”(Psalm 40:1-3). David certainly knew all about the virtue of being patient in his life. There was a time in David’s pre-king days when he was in the wilderness accompanied by a small army of men who had defected from a life under King Saul. He was living in a city called Ziklag but while he and his men were away, the Amalekites attacked his city and destroyed it, taking all of value away with them, including the women and children. But instead of rushing off after the raiders, we find that he waited even though the situation was difficult. 1 Samuel 30:6, “David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God“. Before he took any further action David asked the Lord about what he should do, and by waiting until he had a green light he succeeded in recovering all the wives, children and property that had been stolen. A fascinating story that started with a conversation between David and his Lord.

Patience is one of the examples of the fruit of the Spirit, as Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Nine flavours of a fruit that grows within us as we journey through life. Patience develops in believers as they learn to trust the Lord in their daily lives. They don’t rush on impetuously, or respond without thinking, because they learn, often the hard way, to stop and think and wait. And that involves patience. The writer to the Hebrews followed the great chapter about faith with this, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Other translations use the words perseverance and endurance instead of patience, all building a picture of waiting and seeking the Lord before making any significant decisions, no matter how big or small. James started his epistle with, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow“. We pilgrims believe in the Lord who supplies all that we need, when we need it. In life there are many adverse situations that develop around us, but we wait patiently for the Lord to act in them, obediently deciding against choosing a wrong path.

How do we learn the patience we need? Through prayer and power. Colossians 1:11, “We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. …”. James wrote to the believers “scattered abroad”, “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near” (James 5:7-8). And that, in the end, is why we’re patient. In the context of eternity our natural lives are but a moment; surely we can learn patience just for such a brief time. Can’t we?

Dear Lord Jesus, we pray for more power and patience in our lives, as we look forward to Your return to this planet. There will be many situations to be patient though in our lives, but we know that You will help us in each one of them. Thank You. Amen.

The Land of the Living

Posted on by korgrocker

“Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:13-14 NLT

How confident are we pilgrims about seeing God’s goodness? David expressed a confidence that he would see the Lord’s goodness in his natural life, “the land of the living”. Promises were declared over David, not the least being that day when he was anointed as the future king of Israel in front of his father and his brothers. But he spent many years being chased by Saul, in fear of his life, forced to live as an outcast in places where he would rather not be. Did he find the Lord’s goodness in those difficult years? Looking again at verse 13 in our text today, David said “I will”, implying that the Lord’s goodness was to come at some time in the future, while he was still alive and well. So perhaps his glimpse of the future came at a time when he was under attack from his enemies and feeling pretty desperate and depressed about what was happening to him. David was confident, though, that whatever his circumstances, God would come through for him before he died. 

Back to our question though. What about us pilgrims and our confidence in God? In our natural lives there is much that we are confident in. It could be simple things, so small as to be almost laughable, like making a cup of tea, or taking a shower. Perhaps we are confident enough to do a weekly shop or sign up for a package holiday to warmer places. But these are all things that human beings do in the 21st Century, and they are unremarkable in their scope. But confidence in God? What does that look like? As believers we have a relationship with the Lord, and day by day we live our lives His way, receiving encouragement through prayer and reading the Bible. We mix with God’s people and fellowship with them, all the while sharing our experiences about our journeys through life. Do we share David’s confidence in the Lord’s goodness, applied to both our natural and spiritual lives?

Being confident in God however, has some caveats. We have to work at it because it involves faith instead of our human efforts. Philippians 3:3, “For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort”. Because Jesus died for us at Calvary, in propitiation for our sins, we are confident of what will come. Early in His ministry, Jesus said why He had left the comforts of Heaven and had come to Planet Earth as a human being. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And by faith we pilgrims believe that one day we will pass from this life into life everlasting, at last in the presence of the Lord. Our bodies may die, but our souls will live forever, demonstrating God’s goodness to His children, believers everywhere.

But what about experiencing God’s goodness in this life? That involves faith as well, with an expectation and hope that God will do us good. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope”. That verse wasn’t directed at a future life after death, but instead to a people who were in distress, a people exiled to Babylon. If we pilgrims look back on our lives, can we see times and occasions when God’s goodness was manifested, and not just in times of distress? I can. Many times. And I’m sure many of those who are reading this can say the same. Yes, some will disregard God’s goodness by claiming a coincidence or some other reason for something good happening to them. But in faith we know otherwise. 

David experienced God’s goodness at other times in his life, and Psalm 16:5-6 reads, “Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!” Our lives too can form a psalm of similar sentiments, as we reveal how the Lord has blessed us. The trouble is that we get familiar with what we have or have been given, and forget that it is often God who has blessed us. God brought me together with a wonderful woman who has been my wife for many years. He blessed me with two wonderful children. Such things as these are examples of God’s goodness. And that is just a start.

Of course, bad things can happen to good people because we live in a world riddled by sin, evil and wickedness. So we pilgrims will get sick from time to time. We may be involved in an accident of some kind. A loved one may be in distress, sickness or even death. In other parts of the world, believers are being persecuted for their faith. But in it all we are confident that God’s goodness will prevail. Why? Because He loves us. A couple of verses from Paul, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Paul wasn’t just confident in God when he wrote this. He was convinced. An ultimate confidence. But we can’t leave this assurance of God’s goodness without reading the last verse of Psalm 23, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever“. David wrote that God’s goodness has pursued him all his days. Not just followed him, but God in His love pursued him and if we stop to think for a moment, that is our faith experience as well. Can we feel His goodness just behind us this morning? Well, it’s there – reach out for it and enjoy it. We won’t be disappointed.

Dear Lord, You have been so good to us and continue to show us favour and mercy in this season of grace. You love us and we respond in expressing our love for You. We worship and thank You today and every day while we have breath. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“Teach Me Lord”

Posted on by korgrocker

“Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence.”
Psalm 27:11-12 NLT

David is back worrying about his enemies again. But he has made a strange association between the Lord’s teaching and relief from attack. He wants the Lord to lead him along the “right paths” and we can see why. To avoid being the brunt of verbal attacks, false accusations and violent assaults, he needs to weave a path that avoids political intrigue, contact with the wrong people and unwise decision-making. Proverbs 3:5-6 is highlighted in my Bible, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take“. Verse 5 emphasises the tendency that human beings have to “do whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The writer of the Proverbs was also aware of this – Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, But its end is the way of death“. Even we pilgrims make bad decisions or take the wrong paths some times, but at least David knew his weakness and was aware of where true wisdom could be found. Do we also? But did David follow that advice? Do we, come to that? David was always praying for guidance, almost as a routine. For example Psalm 25:4-5, “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you“. 

One way that we can avoid taking the wrong path can be found in another Proverb, 11:5, “The righteousness of the blameless will smooth their way and keep it straight, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness“. What is the source of this righteousness? The only true and dependable source is God Himself. Only He can see the end from the beginning, and we can only gain His insight by living a life where we can hear Him. But even that is not enough. Paul wrote, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through Jesus we find the righteousness we need to keep our paths straight and smooth. We also have to be obedient to what He says. We used to sing a chorus in Sunday School, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way”. But the first verse of the hymn shows the insight of its Victorian composer, John Sammis, 
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
The phrase, “The light of His Word” nails it. The place where we will find insight to God’s righteousness and direction is found in His teaching from the Bible. When we read it we do indeed find the Light, because regardless of when and where we live, there will always be some wisdom that will apply. The Bible is a complete manual of how to live life God’s way, and when we do that we will find the teaching and wisdom we need to take the “right paths”. 

A difficult position though is found when we are the focus of false accusations, as David seemed to be. People in certain professions are particularly vulnerable, foster parents, teachers, social workers, policemen and women, in fact anyone who is in regular contact with children or vulnerable adults. We live in an evil and wicked world and being able to navigate through life unscathed is rare. We need to constantly pray for protection and wisdom from the Righteous One. And if we find ourselves ensnared, as David was at times, we continue to trust in the Lord. We may find ourselves in the middle of a minefield but God knows the path to safety.

The Lord is the best Teacher because He knows exactly the course that we need. He sees right into our hearts and His course of teaching is custom made just for each one of us. His precepts and commandments will keep us on the straight and narrow path, and His presence will lead and guide us. His teaching will not be a three-year university course because it will take a lifetime for it to be completed. But He will never refuse the plea from one of His children – “Teach me Lord”. The challenge for all believers is will they will stay the course.

Dear Father God. Your are the Mighty Teacher, the Saviour of mankind. We praise You today. Amen.

Rejection

Posted on by korgrocker

“Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Saviour. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.”
Psalm 27:9-10 NIVUK

Being rejected is a terrible thing to happen to a person, especially if the rejection comes from loved ones such as one’s parents. David asked the Lord not to hide His face from him. The NLT’s version reads, “Do not turn Your back on me”, but the Bible translations all provide a record of an appeal from David against his perception that he was being rejected. As we read on, David sets an order of priorities, with the acceptance by the Lord being even more important than acceptance by his parents. But why would the Lord turn David “away in anger”? Perhaps David was having a wobbly moment, when he wondered about his status in God. He knew he was a sinner. He knew that he was imperfect and prone to do things that would displease the Lord. Things that might have been so bad that he feared the Lord would be angry with him. But in spite of his status as King of Israel he came before God as a servant, reminding Him that in the past He has been his Helper. 

It is a fact today, as it has always been when human beings have been around, that God gets angry with His created peoples. This is not because He is a petulant Being, taking the huff when rejected. God is omnipotent of course, and not reliant on human behaviour. God is perfection, in terms of love, grace, holiness, righteousness, justice, and so on, and He will become angry with anything that violates His character. In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read, ““My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts”“. Paul wrote about why God could get angry. Romans 1:18, “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness”. We therefore get an insight into what David was so concerned about. Perhaps he had done something that was so bad that he feared that God was angry with him. Of course, we know about the affair with Bathsheba, where David broke three commandments at the same time. Did that make God angry with him? As Isaiah wrote, it is difficult for human beings to understand what God is thinking about them, and that made David rather anxious and fearful about God’s response to him. So he did the only thing he knew how – he came to the Lord with a servant heart. After Bathsheba David wrote another Psalm, which starts, “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins” (Psalm 51:1). David prayed for God not to ” … banish [him] from [His] presence …” (Psalm 51:11), for forgiveness (verse 14) and for restoration (verse 12). But the focus in this Psalm was in the way David came before the Lord – Psalm 51:16-17, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise“. 

In the Old Testament days, time and again the Jews rebelled against God and He became angry with them. They were warned, as we read in Deuteronomy 11:16-17, “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods. If you do, the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the Lord is giving you“. We know what happened to the Jews, with punishments such as being exiled and there were others, individually and for the nation as a whole. In those days, the human propensity to commit sin and rebel against God prevailed. But God was merciful to them and His love always prevailed. 

Fast forward to the New Testament and we read in John the Baptist’s introduction to Jesus about yet another example of God’s love, this time through His Son, Jesus. “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:36). A stark choice for humanity, and we see the love that Jesus had for mankind manifested in human form as He walked the paths of this world. As I have written many times before, we live in a season of grace, where God is holding back the consequences of His anger with evil and wickedness until the time comes to proclaim judgement. John 3:16 is a verse that seals the fate of unbelievers everywhere and at anytime across the ages because it determines which path a person takes after death. 

David knew in his spirit that God’s anger would be a terrible thing to face into, and he feared God’s rejection above all else. He needed God in his life above all else and he prayed that God would not leave him, forsake him or reject him. And at the end of Psalm 27:10 he received the assurance he was looking for – “the Lord will receive me”. What a relief! Blessed assurance! Are we pilgrims unsure about God’s feelings for us? We needn’t worry at all because of Jesus. Paul wrote, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:1-2). And in Romans 8:10, “And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God”. God hasn’t rejected us. In fact He provided a way back to Him through Jesus, regardless of how far we have fallen into sin. What a wonderful and loving God we serve.

Dear Heavenly Father. We know You are always there and You never reject us. Please forgive us for the times when we have rejected You, and we pray that You “renew a right spirit” with us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Come and Talk

Posted on by korgrocker

“Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.””
Psalm 27:7-8 NLT

Have we ever heard God talk to us in the way that David claimed?  A clear question from a voice within, that seems to be outside of ourselves somehow? David was praying for mercy and he asked the Lord to hear his prayers, and give him an answer. And he then experienced that voice within “Come and talk with me”. Other translations say, “seek My face”, perhaps alternative words that are not quite so clear, but still an invitation into the presence of God. 

God is always available to communicate with His children but, if we’re honest, we are not always quite so keen. “I’m busy” is a common excuse. Our work-a day lives seem to have little room for a response to God’s invitation. How do we focus on driving or working or anything else we’re doing, and at the same time have a conversation with God? God understands all of that of course, but there is a way to live a balanced life. We start the day focused on God, in our “Quiet Times”, when we pray and read His Word. We bring into His presence our supplications and intercessions. We praise and worship Him, with prayers of thanksgiving. We confess our sins. And we ask God to lead and guide us in the day ahead. We season our prayers with the Heavenly language God has provided, aware of Romans 8:26-27, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will“. Paul also wrote, “Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). During our day we pause on occasion, just popping up a quick prayer, involving God in our day to get His perspective on something we’re facing.

Sadly, there are many people in our societies who believe there is a God, but who don’t have a relationship with Him. He has little relevance to them and they blunder on through their lives, making one wrong choice or decision after another. They walk past churches and wayside pulpits without noticing them. They see a bus advert “Try Praying” but wonder what all that is about. They take His name in vain not really understanding what they are saying. Then in a moment of sheer panic and distress – perhaps in a car accident, or after a loved one suddenly dies – they call out to God. He hears them of course, but can they hear Him when He answers? And in the silent distress subsequently experienced they once again reject the God who saves, embittered because they feel so alone. Sadly for them, it takes practice and faith to hear God, that “still, small voice”, that comes from within.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). There’s that invitation again, “Come”. Without the “coming” there can be no rest. To the believers in Laodicea Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20). A tragedy that Jesus had to ask that question of those who claim they knew Him, but before we disassociate ourselves from this scenario, denying that we would be like them, we must ask ourselves if we too have closed the door in His face? Perhaps not all the time of course, but how often do we exclude Jesus from the decisions and plans we make? 

Jeremiah wrote, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Familiar verses but note the association between seeking God in prayer and His answers. Yes, God can do what we ask or need even if we don’t bring the request to Him in prayer – that’s His love and grace covering over our weaknesses. But far better to have that faith-building conversation with the Lord.

We too today echo David’s response to the Lord’s invitation. Yes Lord, our hearts respond with a personal “I am coming”. Today in Your presence we call upon Your name, and bring to You all that is within our hearts, good and bad. Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Do we feel a lack of peace today? Then we must get on our knees and talk to God. He’s ready and waiting to listen to our prayers and he will answer us. Always.

Dear Father God. Please forgive us for our waywardness, our laziness and our selfish ways. We confess and repent today and thank You for Your grace and love. And we pray for Your peace to flow around us today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The House of God

Posted on by korgrocker

“The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.”
Psalm 27:4-6 NLT

What would we pilgrims most desire in our lives? Not an easy question to answer, because our desires would be focused on the issue or challenge that we are currently having to deal with. If we’re hungry, we would want to be fed. If we were homeless, it would be a home. If we’re unemployed, it would be a job. Or perhaps the car has just broken down for the nth time, and we would really like to replace it. But David had a different focus – he wanted “to live in the house of the Lord all the days of [his] life“. Where was David when he wrote this? The commentaries assume that he was still in his pre-king days, being chased around the wilderness by King Saul. In his weariness though, his utmost desire was to be in the Lord’s presence. There he fantasised he would find a place of safety, a place of communion with his precious Lord, the place where he wouldn’t have to continually look over his shoulder in case a spear was coming his way. More, he would find a place where he was untouchable by his enemies. And once there David imagined he would be free to offer the sacrifices required “with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music”. His imagination also ran forward to the time when there would be a Temple fit for God, and in which the Lord would live.

But back to our question. Would we pilgrims, faced with all the issues in our lives, primarily express the same desire that David did, to spend time in God’s house? Would we push aside the immediate, answering the emails and texts, painting the kitchen, doing the shopping, washing the car and so on, just so that we could spend time meditating on the things of God? John Wesley is credited with getting up at 4am every day to pray because he wouldn’t consider starting his day without prayer. A sobering thought for us sleepy heads who struggle to cast off the duvet and end up dashing out of the door, briefcase in one hand and a slice of toast in the other, hoping we wouldn’t be late for work.

We read in the Book of Acts about the early disciples, who ” … worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—” (Acts 2:46). We may not have that opportunity today, but the sentiment behind this verse provides a picture of the early believers sharing the same excitement about the Lord and His house that David did. Isaiah too, in a time of a national crisis (a potential time of political instability), decided to go to the Temple – Isaiah 6:1, “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple“. Here’s the thing. If Isaiah hadn’t gone to the Lord’s house that day he would never have had a vision of the Lord, and would never have been ordained into the prophetic ministry that underpinned the rest of his life. After the vision Isaiah wrote, “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me”” (Isaiah 6:8). As we imagine being there with Isaiah in the Temple, did we too feel that lift in our spirits, a personal “send me”, as the Lord asked us the same question?

We pilgrims may be one of the Isaiah’s of our generation, but we will never know until we spend time with God. It is only in His presence that we will find our purpose and calling. The problem for many believers today is that they are looking for an instant solution. I once knew somebody who had an inkling to be a worship leader. So they found a guitar and learned a few chords and a couple of songs and then went to the pastor with the request that they be allowed to lead worship on the next Sunday. No prayer. No submission to the Lord. No Isaiah-in-the-Temple moment, that would have endorsed their ministry. And a huffy response when their request was refused. David, first and foremost, spent time in the Lord’s presence, learning how to play music and worship Him during those long hours looking after the sheep. With the necessary skills he was one day going to be engaged to play in King Saul’s presence . We read in 1 Samuel 16:18, “One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him””. 

But we pilgrims are people who love the Lord, and of course we spend time in His presence every day. We too join with God’s people whenever we can, spending time with them and with the Lord. We worship and pray together, and the Lord blesses us with words of prophecy, with answers to our prayers, and with the resources we need to face the day. And we pray for others too so that they may discover what we have found. I heard recently of a young man who met an old friend with whom he had lost touch, a friend who was previously a self-declared atheist, but who subsequently in his own journey had discovered the Lord. This friend invited the young man to church, the friendship renewed and another soul was saved for the Kingdom. Things happen when we go to church. 

Where is our “Temple”? Where do we meet with God, in a place where He can speak to us and commission us? And where we will receive a vision of the Lord, “high and lifted up”. There is no better place than with our brothers and sisters in Christ, so at the next opportunity let’s expect something to happen. Perhaps God will show up in a vision. Perhaps we will receive a prophetic word from someone. All we have to do is go to church with an expectant heart. We won’t be disappointed.

Dear loving Heavenly Father, please help us to have expectant and willing hearts, looking out for Your presence today, and every day. We repent of the way of life we adopt which has no room for You. Please help us, we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Confidence in God

Posted on by korgrocker

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.”
Psalm 27:1-3 NLT

In these three verses that start Psalm 27, David made a confident statement that, regardless of what was coming against him, he would be ok. He had a confidence that seemed unshakeable, building a picture of God being his fortress, and any attacks from his enemies coming to nothing. But more than just being confident in God’s salvation, he also stated that he would not be afraid. Is that faith in God, over-confidence or what? In the context of this Psalm, David was thinking about physical attacks and dangers from evil people, and so he was apparently sure of his ground, but how could he have reached that state of certainty? 

We can get a glimpse of David’s relationship with, and dependence on, God if we look at the Goliath episode. Goliath appears on the scene in 1 Samuel 17:23, and David heard at first hand what was happening. “As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel“. Goliath was a giant over 9 feet tall and he wore an impressive suit of armour that would have been too heavy for a normal man of that time. In fact, his armour was such that there was only one place where it could be breached and that was in the place we know about, just above his eyes. Along with his armour bearer who carried his shield, Goliath was an impressive war machine, perhaps a Biblical forerunner of the modern army tank. Goliath taunted the Israelites with the challenge that Israel supply a soldier to fight him, with the outcome of that one to one combat deciding the overall fate of the Philistine/Israelite battle. As we can imagine, the impact of this giant warrior was devastating and the Israelites all ran away, even though there were impressive rewards available for the man who took him on. But then along came David. He asked a question, “ … What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”” (1 Samuel 17:26). A faith question and one that has echoed through the times and generations since, a faith question that is so logical in its content because, after all, Goliath’s challenge wasn’t just against the Israelite army, it was against God Himself. 

So, David volunteered to fight Goliath. As we know, David had already been faced with battles of a different kind, against wild animals that had tried to take away sheep from the flock in his care. We read, “ … I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”” (1 Samuel 17:34-37). 

Of course, we know the outcome. This was no natural fight. In the natural, how could a shepherd boy, unarmed with nothing but a sling, ever overcome a man of war, armed offensively and defensively as Goliath was? This was a God moment and one that fuelled David’s unwavering faith in God. If God had come through for him once, He would do likewise again. So David wrote, “The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger”. Of course God was all of these things to David and his faith in God was strong and an example to us all. But how did David’s faith get to this impressive state? A little bit at a time. He saw God come through for him in small things and he stretched his faith into bigger and bigger exploits for God, as the Lord worked with him day by day. 

The Apostle John wrote, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world” (1 John 4:4). This is a verse often quoted in our churches and fellowships, and it sounds good. But do we really believe it when we come up against our own Goliath moments? Jesus too encouraged His disciples. He said to them, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father” (John 14:12-13).

So where, dear pilgrims, is our faith level today? What are we believing God for in the day ahead? Faith for our lives, physical and spiritual, is essential to every pilgrim today and every day. The writer to the Hebrews wrote, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). God looks on at His children in their daily struggles, and sees our often feeble faith attempts. And He smiles. He’s pleased. I will soon be out for my morning prayer walk, and I’m believing God for the opportunity to share the faith God has given me with someone who needs to hear His message of hope. A faith step I take every day. But we’re all different and as we head into our day, we will find that God is listening to our faith-prayers and He works with us to see them answered. A need for healing? Believe God for a remedy. A need for finances? Believe God for the funds. The small things we pray for will help us build our faith muscles and we will find three outcomes, all blessings. We will be blessed. Others with be blessed. And, above all, God will be blessed as well. And if we find that our faith-prayers are not answered in the way we would like, then we persevere. God is listening and one day we will receive His reward for being a faithful man and woman of God, either in this life or the life to come.

David was confident in God, but he was a man like you and me. We may not be facing into a giant or an army, but we can declare with him that the Lord is our fortress, now and forever. Amen?

Dear Father God. Please help us to build;d up our faith in You, this day and every day. Amen.

The Salvation of the Lord

Posted on by korgrocker

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.”
Psalm 27:1-3 NLT

Once again David wrote about the salvation of the Lord. To him it was something he returned to time and time again, because his life in the present and his ultimate future in the Lord were important to him and always foremost in his mind. Yes he had his wobbly times but throughout his life the salvation he was sure of in God was never in doubt. In those Old Testament days, salvation to the Jews meant deliverance from sin and suffering. It was a dual blessing, both for protection and safety for their bodies, and the same for their souls. But David wasn’t the only Old Testament saint who was aware of the “salvation of the Lord”. In Isaiah 12:2 we read, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation”. He was prophesying about a day to come when “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). If we read the previous chapter we can see who the Source of this salvation will be. In another example, Moses reassured the Israelite slaves, terrified of the pursuing Egyptian army drawing ever closer. “And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever” (Exodus 14:13). Spiritual and natural salvation; the Lord supplies all that we need, body, soul and spirit.

In the New Testament there is the story of Paul and Silas, whipped, imprisoned but not suppressed and downcast. There they were, feet locked in the stocks, in a damp, cold, and stinking Philippian jail. But they weren’t moaning about their lot in life and their sore backs. We read what they were doing in Acts 16:25. “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them“. After the miraculous unlocking of all the cell doors, the jailer asked Paul how he could be saved, and Paul’s answer was, “ … Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31). Salvation comes in many forms and with many introductions, but it all can be traced back to Jesus. He said in John 14:6, “ … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me“. In Acts 4:12 we read what Peter and John said to the Sanhedrin about the risen Jesus, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved“. And that is it really. Salvation is universally available through Jesus, and always has been, from the foundation of the world.

So we pilgrims don’t need to look back, satisfying though that is sometimes. We are a people who look forward to see the fruits of our salvation, in the Kingdom of which we are now a part. We are like the man Jesus told a parable about, who discovered a cache of treasure in the middle of a field. Matthew 13:44, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field”. Or the merchant who discovered a pearl of great value, and who sold all that he had so that he could purchase it. Although in monetary terms, our salvation is a free gift from God (“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God” (Ephesians 2:8)), we are aware that it has cost us our old, sinful way of life. We are now new creations, as we used to sing many years ago. But the Treasure we have found has to be shared with others, because that is what Jesus has asked us to do.

Peter wrote, “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9). We do indeed love God with a gratitude that will last forever as we trust Him with our lives for all eternity.

Dear Lord Jesus. Our salvation is all about our faith in You, because You came to this world to save us. Please forgive us for our doubts and lapses back into the old kingdom, and please help us, we pray, and keep us safe on the remainder of our journey in this life. In Your precious Name. Amen.

The Light of the Lord

Posted on by korgrocker

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.”
Psalm 27:1-3 NLT

A confident statement from David starts this Psalm. An unequivocal declaration about what the Lord means to him. At this point in his life David had no doubts, that the Lord was his “light and salvation”. Psalm 27 was another Psalm written by David and the contents and the sentiments expressed repeat once again a stage in his life where he was in danger. There were two occasions at least where David’s life was under threat – when he was being chased around the highways and byways of Palestine by King Saul, and when he had to flee from his son Absolom’s rebellion. At both times there was little else that took up his thoughts and prayers. He wrote about his “enemies and foes”, “mighty armies”, “evil people”, and being attacked, but his confidence in God was unshaken.

David started with “The Lord is my light”. What did he mean by that? In those days, “light” was a spiritual word meaning knowledge, truth and goodness. This sort of meaning is still around today. We talk about “seeing the light” or having a “light bulb moment“, meaning that all of a sudden we understand something that previously eluded us. Perhaps we were having a conversation with someone who was being rather vague with his language or description. It may have been a teacher, helping us with a difficult maths problem but who was not wanting to give us the answer. So a series of hints gradually led to us to “see the light”. “I get it now” was the usual response. 

There was a day just after the disciples had found the empty tomb that first Easter Sunday morning, when two disciples were walking away from Jerusalem towards a small town called Emmaus. Jesus caught up with them and asked them what their problem was, because “sadness [was] written across their faces” a graphic description of their emotional state at the time. They explained their misery to Jesus, who was kept from being recognised, and He then ” …  took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). When the two disciples were nearly at their destination we read that they begged Jesus to stay with them, which He did. At the subsequent meal ” …He took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!” (Luke 24:30-31). Suddenly the two disciples realised who had been walking along the road with them. It was a “light bulb” moment that made them return to Jerusalem. “They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”” (Luke 24:32). Those two disciples suddenly “saw the light” and received the understanding about what truly went on in Jerusalem that first Easter weekend.

We pilgrims suddenly saw the “light” the day we were saved. All of a sudden we transitioned from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. Paul wrote, “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). Our previously monochrome existence was all of a sudden transformed into glorious technicolour, exposing a world of which we previously had no idea even existed. John wrote, “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7). We also read about Paul’s conversion on the Damascus Road, “As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him” (Acts 9:3). The Light that Paul saw was so bright that he was blinded and his conversion was so complete that ” …immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”” We pilgrims may not have had such a dramatic experience of “seeing the light” in the way that Paul did, but nevertheless we now understand that the lives we are living are being illuminated by the Lord of all, Jesus Himself.

One of Jesus’ “I am” statements can be found in John 8:12, “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life”“. It was a direct and very clear statement that exposed the dichotomy in the Jewish religious society when Jesus walked on this world. The Pharisees were upset with His claim because it gave them an uncomfortable choice. If they believed in Jesus and His claim of being the Light of the world, then they had to discard their whole philosophy and spiritual way of life, and instead become a disciple of the Master Himself, following Him and His teaching. However if they didn’t then they were being accused of stumbling around in darkness, with the implication that they were heading for a spiritual death. Paul defined his previous life before he met Jesus as his being a “Pharisee of Pharisees” so his conversion was dramatic in the extreme. No wonder that he fell over when Jesus met him that day.

This is the message of hope that we propagate to those around us, those living in a spiritually dark and hopeless world. They are in the same camp as the Pharisees, stumbling around, like sheep without a shepherd, and heading for a lost eternity. We have a message of light and salvation that we administer with the same confidence that David had. Jesus is the Light of the world. There is no other invention or claim of man that comes even anywhere close to our amazing God and His Kingdom.

Dear Heavenly Father of Lights. We praise and worship You today. We honour You and exalt Your Holy Name. Only You are the Light of the world. Amen.

Solid Ground

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners. Don’t condemn me along with murderers. Their hands are dirty with evil schemes, and they constantly take bribes. But I am not like that; I live with integrity. So redeem me and show me mercy. Now I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise the Lord.”
Psalm 26:9-12 NLT

David was sure of his footing in God when he wrote the final verse to Psalm 26. Of course, he was referring to his spiritual standing, but I’m sure he felt it extended into his natural world as well. David was going through an euphoric state of mind at that time and all was lovely. His glasses, if he had any in those days, would have been tinted with a wonderful shade of rose. He felt so good about things that he wrote that he would “publicly praise the Lord”. David wrote other Psalms, and the first two verses of one of them read, “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along” (Psalm 40:1-2). Another time, another place, perhaps, but another occasion when God came through for him. God was always there for David, regardless of his circumstances, and his relationship with the Lord was strong and vibrant, every minute of his days. 

Solid ground is something we humans take for granted. There is no obvious first hand experience of hurtling around a star we call the sun, other than the periods of light and darkness, sunrise and sunset. We build our houses on ground that we assume will be solid and immovable for the years ahead. We compare old photos with those taken today and the same landscape features are still in place. We walk in places with rocks and packed earth and our senses tell us that we are in the presence of “solid ground”. But that is all in line with our local natural world. Things get a bit wobblier, however, when we consider the state of the world and news reports of wars and famines, earthquakes and fires. In these circumstances we become a bit less sure. There is a tendency to stick our heads in the sand and hope things will blow over, and that is a human trait also present in the Old Testament times. In the days of Amos, one of the Minor Prophets, the Israelites were ignoring the political situation of the world immediately around them. Amos 6: 1, 3, 7, “What sorrow awaits you who lounge in luxury in Jerusalem, and you who feel secure in Samaria! You are famous and popular in Israel, and people go to you for help. … You push away every thought of coming disaster, but your actions only bring the day of judgment closer. … Therefore, you will be the first to be led away as captives. Suddenly, all your parties will end“. The people in Israel denied anything bad was going to happen and continued to behave in the sinful and evil way that was their norm. Yes, the ground wasn’t literally shaking but their society was, and soon after Amos’ prophetic messages, God allowed them to be led away into exile. 

Jesus told the parable of a rich and successful businessman farmer, who had enjoyed a bumper crop that year and had to build new barns to hold it all. His conclusion was that this gave him “solid ground” for his retirement and he was going to spend it all partying. He said to himself, “ … My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!” (Luke 12:19). Unfortunately for him, though, something was about to happen that would disrupt his plans. The next verse in Jesus’ story is, “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’” The “solid ground” underpinning his retirement plans suddenly imploded and he found himself in a place in Sheol where he could not access the fruits of his labours. 

In our natural world we know statistically that the ground we assume is solid is most likely going to still be solid tomorrow and the next day. Yes, there may be an impact from an asteroid, or something else may fall from the sky disrupting our assumptions, but these are unlikely events, not to be considered by even the most paranoid amongst us. We have enough to worry about in our daily lives. What we should be concerned about, though, is the ground we are standing on in the spiritual world we live in. Regardless of what will happen to this planet, our souls will survive and go on living for all eternity. So we need to ensure that we are standing on the ground God has supplied for us. The Bible talks about God being our Rock. David wrote, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety” (Psalm 18:2). He repeats this theme in Psalm 62:2, “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken“, referring of course to the Lord, His God. 

Jesus also taught about having a solid foundation to our faith. Matthew 7:24-25, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock“. We pilgrims are believers with a faith founded on Jesus’ teaching, a faith that will survive everything and anything that comes against us. There is plenty of troubles in human lives but through God and His promises we will survive all of them. Regardless of what we are going through, God is there with us, step by step. Sharing our pain. Feeling our sorrows. Empathising with our needs. We are like the Israelite slaves, fearing the pursuing Egyptian army, but listening to Moses as he said, “ .. Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again” (Exodus 14:13). Paul referred to Moses and the Israelites’ miraculous journey through the wilderness when he wrote, “All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that travelled with them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:3-4).

The Lord is our Rock because we can trust in Him. He is also our strength (Ephesians 6:10), and we who believe in Him find a place of safety in Him, just as David did all those years ago. Can I ask a question, dear fellow pilgrims? What ground are you standing on today? Let us not be complacent and instead continue our journey in fear of the Lord, trusting in Him and His promises.

Dear Father God. Only You are the Rock worth standing on. All other ground is nothing more than quicksand. Thank You for Your strength and presence. Amen.