Payback

Posted on by korgrocker

“What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? 
I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me. 
I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people. 
O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; 
you have freed me from my chains.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭116:12-14, 16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In our culture we hate being anyone’s debtor. “Neither a borrower or a lender be” is a saying from one of Shakespeare’s plays, and it underpins the proudful independence so respected in British society. But when it comes to God, we’re in a different league. There we were, bumbling along in our sinful worlds, heading like lemmings over the cliff of self-destruction into a lost eternity, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”. And all of a sudden, by a series of circumstances, Jesus found us, and we read in Romans, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” All of a sudden, as we embrace our salvation through the love and blood of Jesus, we find that we owe a debt to God that is unpayable. We can never earn enough to repay God for all he has done for us. In fact, even the whole world would be insufficient to pay the debt. Through God’s grace, our salvation cost Jesus everything but cost us nothing. But none of this stopped the Psalmist from saying, “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?” It’s a trap we can fall into if we try and answer that question by our own efforts. The reality is that there is nothing I can do to earn God’s gift. I can only approach Him with a humble heart, overwhelmed in gratitude for “all His goodness to me“. 

I have heard people plead with God saying things like, “God, if you only heal my mother, then I promise I will go to church every Sunday for the whole of this year.” or, “God, if you help me give up smoking I’ll put the money saved in the offering every week.” I’m sure we have all walked that road at some time in our lives. But nothing we do to tug a concession from God’s heart will ever work. It’s because He knows what we need. He knows what our problems are. And through His grace and mercy, through His goodness and love, he will answer our prayers of faith, simply and effectively.

But that is not to say we should sit back waiting for our new life, basking in God’s grace. He has work for us to do. And we will be obedient, not to earn His salvation of course, but because we love Him. What does He want us to do? The Psalmist writes, “I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me. I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people.” And then in verse 16 he writes, “O Lord, I am your servant”. God has things for us to do. We are His servants and we delight in doing His will. We might ask, “What is God’s will for me?”. If we don’t know we only have to ask Him – He will soon answer.

Sense

Posted on by korgrocker

“You made me; you created me.
 Now give me the sense to follow your commands.”
Psalm 119:73 NLT

This is an important verse from the Psalmist. He is saying that to fully maximise the potential of God’s creation, we need to engage something he called “sense”. But if God created us, why didn’t He put within us the sense-quality to do things His way? Then we wouldn’t have to pray our psalmist’s prayer – we would be sensible intuitively. Imagine a world where every human being knows who God is, knows all about His laws, and has the built-in sense to follow them, not even needing to think that by doing so they are aligning their lives to God’s ways. 

So why didn’t God put within His created beings an organ, companion to the liver and kidneys, called “sense”? An organ that will play up painfully should we violate its designed purposes. An organ that secretes a wonderful enzyme that automatically aligns us to God’s ways, countering the ways of “non-sense”. Is there a bug in the design and build of human beings? Of course not. Our loving Heavenly Father created us with something called “free will”. We have the opportunity to make choices and nothing pleases our Heavenly Dad more than for His children to praise and worship Him and choose to follow His ways. He created within us a God-shaped hole, so that His creation would know Him and fill it with His presence. Now that’s sense. So He didn’t need to create our imaginary “sense” organ. 

Of course there is a dark side, for people without sense. People who have rejected God and don’t give a hoot about following His commands. They fill their God-shaped hole with counterfeit “gods”, of material things, of the trappings of debauchery. And they stagger through life, increasingly lurching down the spiral that leads to a God-less eternity. So let’s get hold of this verse. Repeat it. Meditate upon it. And pray this simple prayer – “Please, God, give me the sense to do things Your way rather than doing things my way. Amen.”

Breakthrough

Posted on by korgrocker

“Lord, if you measured us and marked us with our sins,
    who would ever have their prayers answered?
But your forgiving love is what makes you so wonderful.
    No wonder you are loved and worshiped!
This is why I wait upon you, expecting your breakthrough,
    for your Word brings me hope.”
Psalm 130:3-5 TPT

There will be many people hoping for a breakthrough in this New Year. People who feel as they have been ground down by an incessant tsunami of bad news from the media, who are traumatised from the rigors of the pandemic, successive lockdowns and societal restrictions. And in the UK, rising taxes and energy prices are threatening to increase the cost of living, bringing more worries and concerns, and adding to the misery mix. But it doesn’t matter which era we find ourselves in. Each generation has to face into its own set of problems.

However, there is one thing that never changes, regardless of the era in which we live, or have lived. And that is the goodness and grace of God. In the current age of Black Friday, Boxing Day Sales and other good deals, there is one deal that is unbeatable. Trust me – it really is! Can you believe it? God sent His Son, Jesus, to this world, to be born and live as a human being. To teach wonderful truths about His Kingdom, to heal the sick, to raise the dead, and in the process challenging the religious stereotypes of His day to the extent that the authorities crucified Him as a terrorist and thief. Sinless, He died a common criminal’s death, but in the process He took upon Himself all the sins of the world. And if we believe in Him and repent of our sins then – now here’s the deal – He will take on board all our sins and instead give to us His sinless righteousness. It won’t cost us a cent, or a penny, even. What a deal! What a breakthrough! And the only thing in the way of claiming our breakthrough this New Year is our unconfessed sins. Wearing Jesus’ cloak of righteousness we can stand before God as though we had never sinned. The breakthrough we experience will last for both this life, and our lives in eternity.

Looking at our verses today, the Psalmist spells it out. God forgives us our sins and answers our prayers. He dispenses His forgiving love to all who come to Him in repentance. And if we spend time in His presence, soaking in His Word, we will be infused with hope and can expect a breakthrough. Folks, it doesn’t get better than that. We have no need to spend time in misery because we are loved and forgiven by our wonderful Heavenly Father. Let’s make a commitment this New Year to move from misery to a new life in God, the breakthrough we have yearned for. Hang on a minute, I hear you say, “What about the misery mix I’m experiencing?” Don’t forget, as the Psalmist says, God answers our prayers.

A New Year

Posted on by korgrocker

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT

Strictly speaking these are not Scripture verses specifically about the New Year but they are appropriate none the less. The old year, 2021, has gone. We will never have another year like it (thank goodness I hear you say!). We are today at the start of a New Year, 2022. So what are we going to do with it? Traditionally, people set “New Year’s Resolutions”; a list of good intentions that seem to dissolve into thin air within a few days. But instead do we continue to bumble along in the same old way, tired and weary, trapped in a merry-go-round of drudgery, wishing that some light would penetrate our gloomy lives?

Today’s verses bring the light that we yearn for. For those who don’t know Jesus in a personal way, they highlight the opportunity we have to begin a new life. For those who are Christians, and perhaps have been for a long time, they provide the opportunity to hit the reset button. You see, becoming the “new person” highlighted in verse 17 isn’t a one off occasion that has passed into dimming memories. It is a daily opportunity. Notice the exclamation mark at the end of verse 17. It highlights and emphasises the momentous possibilities that we have when we start a new life in Christ. 

But back to our question – what are we going to do with this New Year? More specifically, what am I going to do with it? I have a few ideas, but are they God-ideas? The amazing thing about this new life in Christ, is that He will help us all as we commit our ways to Him. A life of service to Him is an exciting place to be. The opportunities are endless. Here’s a radical suggestion, which I am going to follow this morning. I’m going to ask Jesus to show me what He wants me to do with this year, 2022. I think I might be surprised at His answer. Try it. He might surprise you as well. But be prepared – God always answers our questioning prayers.

Speaking to Kings

Posted on by korgrocker

“I will speak to kings about Your laws,
    and I will not be ashamed.”
Psalm 119:46 NLT

When was the last time any of us had the chance to speak to a king? You know, the head of state in a monarchist nation. The guy who sits on a throne pontificating about national matters, and perhaps dispensing justice when appropriate. Here in the West, monarchies are rare, though we have democratically elected leaders who behave as though they are kings or queens in all but name. Sometimes I see the mess our leaders make or the shenanigans they get up to, and wish that a good old fashioned benign but Godly monarchy was re-established in our lands. But before I get slated by social media republican trolls, let me ask the question – if we had the chance to speak to a king, what would we say to them? The Psalmist was clear. No pleasantries here. No wasting time discussing what repeat was shown on television last night. No, the Psalmist went straight to the point, speaking to the king about God’s laws. But why would he be ashamed? I think he would have been ashamed if he hadn’t put God at the front of any royal conversation. Or wasted an opportunity to remind the king of God’s laws. In some times in history, putting God above the monarch was a capital offence. We read about such an event in Daniel 3, when the three Jewish lads refused to bow down to a gold idol erected by King Nebuchadnezzar. Reminding the king about the greater King and His laws might be something to be careful about. But perhaps the Psalmist had access to a local king, and had the desire to remind him about the importance of setting laws in line with God’s Law. 

So what relevance does this verse have to our modern day pilgrim in his or her life-journey? One response would be to ignore it, on the grounds that getting in front of royalty was never going to happen. Not in our lives. But we should remember that on occasion we call our leaders “law makers”. So let me substitute “leader” for “king”. Now that is more achievable, because our law-making leaders are much more accessible. We can at any opportunity write to them, ring their office, or even meet them face to face in one of their democratic surgeries. And we therefore have the opportunity to speak to them about God’s laws. Here in the UK there is an increasing tendency for our secular law makers to bring in legislation that is distinctly at odds with God’s laws. What do we do – put our heads in the sand, hoping that the problem won’t affect us? Or do we use our democratic right and “speak to kings about [God’s] laws“? A challenge to think about as we lurch from the Covid-ridden 2021 into a New Year?

The Love of Money

Posted on by korgrocker

“Give me an eagerness for your laws 
rather than a love for money! 
Turn my eyes from worthless things, 
and give me life through your word.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:36-37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Aah! The love of money. It is only a matter of time before it emerges from the dark recesses within a person’s heart. I suppose there is a spectrum, from the money-dominated Scrooge, gloating over his piles of cash, through to a money-denying monk living a life of austerity in a bare cell. But we are all on that spectrum somewhere. Money has its uses of course – it lubricates the wheels of life in our secular and materialistic societies, and we need it to survive – but it can dominate our thinking. If we let it.

The Psalmist sees the danger of a life with a pecuniary focus. He sees the importance of dwelling in a place of eternal currency rather than in a world populated by “worthless things“. It is interesting that the Revelation picture of the new Jerusalem includes so many precious jewels, pearls and gold. What is considered of value in today’s world will be considered building materials in the world to come. Ubiquitous items of little value when compared to our Almighty God. 

But for the pilgrim working his way through this life, what is the correct balance between money and God? Jesus could see the dangers of getting this wrong, and taught that the service of both at the same time was impossible. He said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” The key is in the use of the word He used to describe how we see and use money – “enslaved”. The Psalmist was trying to get to a place of the correct balance, where money would be used but not worshipped. A place where the value of money would be eclipsed by our great and glorious God and His Word. 

The pilgrim of course needs money to make his way through this life. But he must not succumb to the temptation to acquire more and more glittering temporal objects, call it “stuff” if you like, at the expense of the eternal jewels in God’s Word. The one will be left behind when we pass the Great Divide. The other will be waiting for us on the other side. Let us join the Psalmist in declaring our eagerness to mine those precious jewels and nuggets from His Word so that we can accumulate them in our hearts and lives. A last word today from Jesus. “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Lying

Posted on by korgrocker

“Keep me from lying to myself; 
give me the privilege of knowing Your instructions.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We’re considering lying today. A bit out of context in this Psalm I know, but an important consideration none the less. The Psalmist had made an important discovery – he had a tendency to lie. About himself in this verse, but perhaps to others as well.

Telling lies is a sad human trait, which we adopt when in trouble or at a time when we think it will be more palatable than the truth. But we always need to tell the truth, no matter how painful it may be to us, because that is what God requires. Remember when we looked at Psalm 51? David knew the need for truth at the deepest level – verse 6 says, “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom.” (Psalm 51:6 AMP). 

But how do we lie to ourselves? One way is that we try and rationalise our actions. We think about what we have done, or are about to do, and dream up ways of how we can reconcile a wrong thought or action with a conscience that is starting to stir and make us feel uncomfortable. And our enemy, the devil, who Jesus referred to as the “father of lies” (John 8:44), will do what he can to add to our delusions. Jeremiah 17:9 (AMP) reads, “The heart is deceitful above all things. And it is extremely sick; who can understand it fully and know its secret motives?” Who indeed. The problem is that our thinking on its own can be, and often is, just plain wrong. And without some way of checking it out, we will end up in a fog of self-delusion. The second part of the verse we read today gives us the answer to our dilemma – we need the help of truths contained within the Bible. We need “the privilege of knowing [God’s] instructions”. Another good Scripture to drop in at this point is from Proverbs 3, “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take”. We find God’s will for us through His Word, the Bible, through prayer, from Holy Spirit revelation, and through the counsel of Godly people. As we echo the anguished cry of the Psalmist for help from God, our prayer will not go unanswered by our loving Heavenly Father.

Purity

Posted on by korgrocker

“How can a young person stay pure? 
By obeying your word. 
I have hidden your word in my heart, 
that I might not sin against you. 
Open my eyes to see 
the wonderful truths in your instructions.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:9, 11, 18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Now here’s a young person desiring to live a life without fault in God’s eyes. He wasn’t just saying that – you can tell he was really serious in his question. And the next line shows that he knows the answer – by obeying God’s Word. So that’s it – problem solved and life sorted. But hang on a minute! God’s Word starts with Genesis and ends with Revelation – how can I ever get my mind around all that, what it means, and how to apply it in my thoughts and actions, so that my life is sinless and pure. An impossible ask, I think you will agree. It’s a relief to know that God doesn’t expect that of us. Through Jesus, He shows us a better way. 

But verse 11 is key. We need to read the Bible regularly. Because then the life-words will spring out of the pages straight into our hearts, and there they will reside waiting for the Holy Spirit to bring them to our remembrance when we need them. But transitioning from an impure to pure life-state is not an instant process. If only it was. It takes a lifetime and more besides. God’s grace is amazing though. Like a parent with a toddler, God takes our hands and leads us step by step. Hear the gentle whispers, “Not that way” or “This way is better”. Remember the words read from the Scriptures, bringing us wisdom, keeping us on the right paths. Yes, we will from time to time stumble over the boulders and hurdles in our way, leaving us sprawling in the mud of our sins. But our loving Heavenly Father won’t leave us there. He picks us up, dusts us off, wipes away the tears of hurt and frustration, and that gentle whisper again – “My way is better”. If we listen to Him and let Him. So we pray with the Psalmist, “Open our eyes to see”. Amen.

The Spirit-filled Life

Posted on by korgrocker

“Oh, that my actions would consistently 
reflect Your decrees! 
Then I will not be ashamed 
when I compare my life with Your commands.”
Psalms‬ ‭119:5-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In our pilgrimage through life why is that we inevitably do things that we shouldn’t? Intuitively we have a good idea of what we should be doing. Much of the time we know what the Bible says about the way we should or shouldn’t live. At other times we receive a disturbing nudge from our consciences. But come what may, we still end up frustrated with ourselves because we did wrong. The Bible calls this dilemma sin. I’m sure we’ve all been in this place, and we will come up against it again in tomorrow’s part of our journey, but that is of small comfort. As I said earlier – we inevitably do things we shouldn’t. The Psalmist in today’s verses was equally frustrated. We don’t know what he’d done to cause his cry of exasperation, but it was something that didn’t line up with God’s ways. And it was something he was ashamed of, so perhaps there was a public element about his actions.

The Apostle Paul expressed a similar degree of annoyance with himself. He said in Romans 7:21, “I have discovered this principle of life – that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.” Sound familiar? He goes on to say, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” 

Thankfully Paul’s journey didn’t end in verse 24 of Romans 7. We read in the next chapter, “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.”

At this time of year we remember the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Son of God was born into this world, where He experienced all the problems and temptations that we do. And because of that He understands our issues of life. He understands our constant battles with sin. He was here Himself, but he didn’t sin. In fact, at Calvary He took on all our sins Himself to free us to live in line with the Holy Spirit life to which we have been called.

The Psalmist felt and expressed that heart cry – how can I live God’s way without polluting it with my sin? And in answer he tried to line his life with God’s decrees. A form of legalism? But sadly, it’s a trap we too can fall into. We try and live by our own efforts to avoid having to come as a repentant sinner into God’s presence. By setting ourselves rules and regulations that we can keep, and that makes us feel holy and righteous. But there is no alternative to living under God’s grace, living the Spirit-filled life. So instead of living by rules, we live our lives infused with the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to lead and guide us, allowing Him to bring to the surface all our sins and allowing us to repent of them. Living a life walking close to God, not through our efforts trying to live by His rules. Jesus said, “… I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). That’s the only way to live.

Peace

Posted on by korgrocker

“I am tired of living among people who hate peace. 
I search for peace; but when I speak of peace, 
they want war!”
Psalms‬ ‭120:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Pick up a newspaper or switch on the News at 10 and I can guarantee two things – most of what we see or read will be bad news, with very little good news, and there will be news reports about wars, bloodshed and strife between nations. The Psalmist was fed up with negatives. Most of us, I’m sure, have been around negative people. Ever been involved in a conversation like this?

Me: “It’s nice seeing some sunshine today.”
You: “Ah, but I think it will rain later”.

Perhaps the Psalmist was involved in a conversation like this.

Psalmist: “Both those nations have a claim on that piece of land but it’s far better to negotiate a
peaceful settlement.“
People: “That’s rubbish – we don’t care what they say or claim – if they don’t back off we’ll go to war.”

If that was the situation, then the Psalmist must have been despairing. I can relate to where the Psalmist is coming from when he talks about being “tired of living among people who hate peace.” 

Jesus taught about peace. In Matthew 5:9 we read, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Perhaps one interpretation of this verse is about the responsibility God’s people have in promoting peace. Conflict is never far away from us, in our families, amongst our friends, in our communities and nations, so perhaps we need to be pourers of oil on troubled waters, helping to put things right, helping to restore relationships. 

But there is another peaceful place to be and that is in our relationship with God. James 4:4 highlights the issue of how we war against God. It says, “Don’t you realise that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God”. He goes on to say in verse 8, “Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world”. 

It might be appropriate to consider God saying our verse from Psalm 120 today. God’s love for us is such that he yearns for us to be at peace with Him, but when we go off into preferring a sinful world to our relationship with Him, we are effectively declaring war on God Himself. A scary place to be, folks! 

At this time of year, we consider the Prince of Peace, Jesus Himself. The Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 shines like a beacon of peace in the warring verses around it. And the following verse gives us hope, “His government and its peace will never end…”. We have read the last chapter in the book – peace wins in the end.