Quick Note – Psalm 63:1-8 – Our Only Desire

Psalm 63:1-8 – O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  ² So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. ³ Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. ⁴ So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. ⁵ My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, ⁶ when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; ⁷ for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. ⁸ My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

A few years ago, I was travelling in Italy, a dream vacation for most.  But unfortunately, it was during a heat wave.  Because the town, I was visiting was along the coastline, not only was it hot because of the temperature, it felt even worse because of the humidity.  What added to the problem was that I decided to walk to an overlook of the town without packing much water.  So by the time, I got three-fourths of the way up, I was cranky, thirsty, and ready to pass out.  I can’t tell you how relieved I was to return to the cruise ship I was staying at afterwards and to drink a nice cold bottle of water.  It was so refreshing!  I’m sure you can relate to this physical feeling of thirst and hunger.  But the question, I want to ask you today is what does your soul long for?  What does your flesh desire?  What are you seeking more than anything else in this world? 

David in Psalm 63 said that what he sought for was God.  He longed for God as much as he would long for water if he was in a desert land.  To David, God was his utmost desire.  And why?  Because David recognized that God was better than anything else that he could ever have.  In vs. 3, he said that God’s love is better than life.  In vs. 4-7, he said that remembering all that God had done for his life would satisfy him more than the best gourmet food.  He said that when he meditated on what God did for him before he would go to bed, when he remembered how God had been his Help throughout his life, when he dwelt in the shadow of God’s protection, it made Him sing for joy.  That is why David clung to God.  That is why David desired God more than anything and earnestly sought Him. 

God is better than anything that we can ever want on this earth.  He is better than any car, any house, any friend, any lover.  He is better than any fame, any recognition, and any power.  He is better than anything that we can dream up.  God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us, so that we could have a relationship with Him.  How can we want anything other than Him?  How can we earnestly seek anything else but Him?  Our souls, our flesh, our whole beings should hunger and thirst for Him.  For He is better than life.  It only takes a few moments to reflect on what God has done for you and to recognize the honor and glory He deserves from us.  Take some time tonight to think on what He has done for you today, just as David meditated on his bed during the watches of the nigh, and you will realize that God should be your only desire. 

Quick Note – Psalm 40:9-10 – The Glad News of Deliverance

Psalm 40:9-10 – I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord.  I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

When something good happens in your life, you often want to share it with everybody around you.  It is especially true when you are miraculously rescued from a bad situation from a hero.  Whether it is a policeman who came and protected you from a robber or mugger or a fireman who saved you from a burning building, we will often praise those who saved us.  But how often do we praise God for the salvation that He has brought into our lives? 

In Psalm 40, David thanks God for rescuing him from destruction.  God pulled him out of a miry bog (a bad situation) and set him upon a rock (solid ground) (vs. 2).  When evils surrounded him, when sin overcame him, God delivered him, and for that deliverance, David praised God.  He said in vs. 9 and 10 that he did not stop his lips from praising God, but he shared God’s faithfulness and salvation to the great congregation.  David told everyone he could about God’s mercy, grace, love, and faithfulness.  He let everyone know what God did for Him. 

God has done so much for us as Christians.  He watches over us and directs our ways.  He gives us an ability to understand His Word through the gift of His Spirit in our hearts.  He provides for us, protects us, and showers His blessings in our lives.  And most importantly, He delivered us from the power and penalty of sin, when He sent His Son to die on the cross for us.  Our lips should not be restrained, instead they should be loosened and ready to share the glad news of deliverance that God has brought into our lives.  We should gladly talk about how God personally saved us from our sins.  Let us not be ashamed.  Let us not hide our testimony.  Let us share the Gospel wholeheartedly, for all that God has done for us. 

Quick Note – Haggai 2:5 – Fear Not, God Is Here!

Haggai 2:5b – “…My Spirit remains in your midst.  Fear not.”

After Israel returned from their seventy years of Babylonian/Persian captivity, they began to rebuild the Temple of the Lord under the orders of Cyrus, King of Persia at the time.  However, due to some obstacles, difficulties, and persecution, they stopped doing so to avoid trouble.  But several years later, when a new king came to power, God sent Haggai the prophet to rebuke the Israelites for abandoning their work on the Temple.  Haggai told them that the reason for lack of food, drink, clothing, and harvest was due to this decision.  So soon after hearing Haggai’s words, the Israelites once again took up the work and rebuilt the Temple.  When God saw their repentance, He as glad and encouraged the people by telling them, “Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt.  My Spirit remains in your midst.  Fear not.”  Likely knowing that they might suffer persecution or trouble once again for choosing to take up the work, God encouraged them by reminding them to not fear because His Spirit was in their midst.  There was no need to be afraid, because He was with them. 

Zephaniah 3:15b says, “The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.” 

Isaiah 41:10 says, “…Fear not, for I am with you…” 

Psalm 118:6 says, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.  What can mad do to me?” 

Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and courageous.  Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you.  He will not leave you or forsake you.” 

Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 

What do all these verses have in common?  They are reminders that we should not be afraid because God is with us.  As Christians, we will certainly encounter trials and persecution for our faith.  We will deal with uncertain futures and unexpected difficulties.  But in the midst of these storms, we must not fear, for we can be confident that our God is always with us.  In Mark 4:35-41, the disciples became afraid of a storm, because they forgot that Jesus the one who could calm the winds and waves down just by speaking was with them.  And we can easily forget that we have a God that is that powerful in our lives as well. 

So the next time fear begins to creep into your heart, remember that God is with you, and fear not!

Quick Note – Mark 2:1-12 – Their Faith

Mark 2:1-12 – And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

There are many interesting details and lessons about how the paralyzed man in Mark 2 was healed.  There is the lesson about how Jesus is God and has the authority to forgive sins.  There is the lesson about how Jesus knows the thoughts and hearts of all including the Pharisees who were inwardly mocking Him.  And there is the lesson about faith and how the paralyzed man trusted Jesus’ words enough to stand up, pick up his bed, and walk after Jesus told him to.  But one of the most interesting details that I noticed today was about the faith and action of this paralyzed man’s four friends.  Their faith and their action were two huge reasons as to why the paralyzed man was healed. 

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, He was surrounded by people.  The crowds were so big that there was no longer room in the house He was in and not even outside.  So there was no way for a paralyzed man to get to Him.  However, rather than giving up, the four men in vs. 3 carried their paralyzed friend to the roof of the house, made an opening, and lowered the man to Jesus.  They did not allow the obstacle of crowds to discourage them from reaching Him.  They did not allow the obstacle of the roof to prevent them from bringing their friend to Him.  They did everything they could to get their friend to the point where he could meet Jesus.  That is likely the reason why, in vs. 5 when Jesus saw the paralyzed man after he was lowered from the roof to Him, He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  Vs. 5 specifically says that when He saw their faith not just his faith.  It used the plural not the singular, meaning that Christ noticed the faith of the friends as well – the faith that caused them to carry their friend to the house, the faith that caused them to climb the roof, the faith that drove to them cutting an opening on the roof, and the faith that led them to lower the friend to Jesus.  Their faith helped bring Christ into their paralyzed friend’s life, which led to his healing. 

We as Christians should take every opportunity we have to bring the friends and people we love to Christ.  We should not allow any obstacle to stand in our way, whether it seems impossible or simply inconvenient.  Like these four friends, we should do whatever we can to lead our unbelieving friends and family to Christ.  We must have the faith that when that person reaches Christ, Jesus can do anything with his or her life.  Our job is simply to bring them to Jesus and leave the miracle of salvation to Him. 

How often do we doubt that God can save our unbelieving friends?  We think to ourselves that their hearts are too hard, that they wouldn’t want us to push, that it is too much of a hassle to get them there; but look at these four men.  They didn’t let anything stop them, whether the crowd, the roof, or the potential shame they might receive for breaking the roof.  They just did whatever they could to bring their friend to Jesus Christ.  Who knows whether even the paralyzed man himself tried to stop them by telling them to just give up already or to not inconvenience Jesus?  But they didn’t give up.  They kept going. 

No matter how difficult it may be, let us do everything we can to bring others to Christ.  Paul said that he became a Jew, in order to win Jews, that he became as one under the law, to win those who were under the law, and that he became weak to win the weak.  He became all things to all people, that by all means he might save some (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).  He did whatever he could for the sake of the Gospel.  His faith that God would work in the hearts of the people, led to many churches being founded. 

Let us never give up or allow obstacles in our lives keep us from bringing those we love to Christ.  For if we have the faith to bring them to Him, He can work a miracle in their hardened hearts.  Obviously, they must still personally place their trust in Him themselves as the paralyzed man showed his trust in Christ when he obeyed the command to stand up and walk.  But that could have never happened without the faith of those four men to bring him to Jesus.  So don’t give up; keep trusting God to work in the lives of unbelievers; continue bringing them as close as you can to Him.  Then, leave the rest of the work to God.  He might just work a miracle. 

Quick Note – 1 Peter 3:14-16 – Defending with Love

1 Peter 3:14-16 – 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Last week, the Paris Olympics started with an opening ceremony that received a lot of backlash from the Christian community.  There was a scene in which drag queens were sitting at a table that seemed to depict Da Vinci’s The Lord’s Supper painting.  Although the Olympic committee said it was unintentional and that it was actually depicting another painting about Greek gods, it definitely looked like the Lord’s Supper and that they were mocking it.  Being a Christian, I was certainly offended. 

Now, I know that there are many media outlets saying that Christians are being too sensitive and that they are taking it out of context, and sure, maybe in this case we are, but I don’t think that it is wrong for Christians to stand up and defend our faith.  We should do so!  However, I think that we have begun to use the world’s attacks on us as a reason to be spiteful and hateful.  We have begun to bash and to destroy others who do not hold our beliefs and using our faith as a “just” reason to do so.  However, that is not how we are told to defend our faith. 

In our passage today, Peter makes it clear that as Christians we should be prepared to make a defense for what we believe in, but to do so with gentleness and respect.  We can respond.  We can speak up.  We can be bold and should make the truth known, but we should do so with gentleness, love, and respect.  We should not be using inflammatory rhetoric or derogatory words, but we should clearly make known why we believe what we do in love.  And more than that, we should live our lives in a way that proves that love and that faith.  We must live pure and holy lives, having a good conscience, so that they can do nothing but slander us (speak untruthfully), because our lives prove that we are living righteously. 

So be proud of your faith, my dear Christian.  Defend it with all your heart.  But do not do so in a way that defames the name of Christ.  Do so in love and in grace.  It is true that Jesus sat with the tax collectors and sinners, but He also rebuked them for that sin.  He did not allow that to continue.  However, when He rebuked, He did it with grace.  He called them out, but He did so with love.  Let us stand against sin, but let us do so with love.