A Gracefull Place

I read this yesterday, from Ron Auch’s book, The Heart of the King.  This is a devotional on Psalm 119, with one page per verse.   This particular quote is from verse 153.

 

153.  Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law.

In this verse, David is seeking deliverance.  He is using his remembrance (practice) of God’s law as his premise for asking for deliverance. Obedience is a symbol of love.  Our love for God is directly related to our obedience to Him.  If a person declares his love to God but does not follow God’s law, his declaration of love is considered false by God.  We read of this in Ezekiel 33:31, "My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they DO NOT PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE.  With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain."  Devotion is measured by our obedience to God, not by our statement of love.  It is one thing to tell God how much we love Him; it is quite another thing to live in obedience to Him.  Obedience is the measure of love.

In Psalm 34:4 we read, "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."  Deliverance comes through seeking God, not necessarily from seeking deliverance.  We find God in our obedience to Him.  Therefore, if we are truly seeking God, we will live in obedience.  David is praying, "Deliver me on the basis of my obedience, which signifies my love for You."  The presence of God is our deliverance.

The New Testament puts it this way, "God is love" (I John 4:8).  Later in that same chapter John says, "But perfect love drives out fear" (I John 4:18).  Perfect love (God) is what delivers us.  it is our love relationship with God that delivers us from fear as well as from suffering.  If we live in fear, it’s because our love relationsip with God is not what it should be.  We are not spending adequate time in His presence.

 

This is quite powerful!   "He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me:  and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him."  John 14:21

 

We need to be measuring our love by HIS standards, and not just what we say or think!  

 

Isn’t it that way with everything about our relationship with Him?

 

A few days ago I read verse 151–"Yet You are near, O Lord, and all Your commands are true."

 

Just a few thoughts from that page:

 

When the wicked seem to be overwhelming us, the presence of God becomes all that much more powerful……We can put our trust in God’s plan. 

 

A command is an uttered expression of God’s will, which is to be obeyed.  When we obey His commands, we no longer have to live any fear of the wicked.  Some may ask, "Why does God demand so much obedience?"  The answer is He wants to protect us from the schemes of the wicked…. Obedience to Him works to our benefit. It becomes our protection.  All the promises of God are coinditionally based on our obedience to God.  When we come to the full revelation that God’s commands are true, we need never live in envy of the successes of the wicked. 

"You are near, O Lord."  David knew the true fountain of life came in the form of God’s presence.  The presence of God is experienced through following the commands of God.  Whether or not we obey God is determined by our love of His presence.  Are you content with the presence of God, or must you have more?  When you MUST have more, you are in danger of falling into the schemes of the wicked.

Are you seeing a pattern here?  This book was written in 1995, yet it is totally appropriate in all we are facing in our world today.

 

Are you fearful with all you read and hear? 

 

"And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. 

And He said, Come.  And when Peter was come down out of the ship,he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

But when he saw the wind boisterous; he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me."    Matthew 14:28-30

 

It is very tempting to get our eyes off Him and onto the turbulent waves and wind around us, but when we do, then, like Peter walking on the water–we’ll sink!

 

And even when we do sink, isn’t it comforting to know He still will catch us and help pull us back up?!

 

"And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

 

And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased."   Matthew  14: 31-32

 

Have you let Jesus into your ship?  Only then will the wind cease!

 

Are you keeping your eyes upon Him?

 

 

2 Chronicles 20:12  "O our God, wilt Thou not judge them?  for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do:  but our eyes are upon Thee."

 

We MUST keep our eyes on Jesus!!!!

Only then will we be able to walk on the turbulent waves around us!

 

I have actually fasted from the news and radio for awhile.  I will catch a bit here and there, but I decided I needed to be spending far more time in God’s Word and in communion with Him than reading all that’s wrong and all that we should have been doing and should do now as if it all depended on us.  I am NOT saying don’t call your congressmen and women or write letters or sign petitions.  BUT–if your hope and trust is in all you can "do", and not in getting on your knees and becoming more like Him….if you think getting back to the Constitution will save us yet you aren’t spending time in His presence…well, quite frankly, I think that is what is wrong with America today.  And the world.   Christians have lost their savor, and if the salt have lost its savor, by what shall it be salted?  "It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."

 

To regain our savor, spend time with the Savior!

We can be fearful (which is not of God–see 1 John 4:18), or we can be faithful (which must come from God–again–spend time in His presence!)

 

The way we become like Him is not in our striving, but in our resting in Him–beholding His face in His presence!

 

Lovers spend a lot of time looking into each others’ eyes.

 

When’s the last time you just spent time gazing into His eyes?  Not come with your shopping list of needs or complaints or panic-striken cries?   Just to gaze upon Him Who is altogether lovely?

Here are some verses to meditate upon:

 

Psalm 16:11  "Thou wilt shew me the path of life, in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

 

Psalm 17:15  "As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness:  I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness." 

 

1 Chronicles 22:19  "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord"   (in your heart!)

 

Song of Solomon 2:14  "O My dove, that art in the cleft of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let Me see thy countenance, let Me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely."

 

He longs to see us!  To hear our voice!  Just as a bridegroom rejoices to see his beautiful bride and to hear her voice! 

 

Isaiah 62:5  "…and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee."

 

Zephaniah 3:17  "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;  He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy;  He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing."

 

 

Oh, do come into His presence!  Spend time there, just soaking Him in!  In these turbulent times, it’s tempting to fear, to be angry, to feel helpless….spend some time meditating on Psalm 37.   Note verses 4 and 5 are in the midst of commands such as, "fret not" and "cease from anger"!   Those verses say:  "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."  (which have become His desires because you have spent time in His presence, hearing His heartbeat!).  "Commit thy way utno the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass."  HE will do it.  Not you.  What are you to do?  Rest in Him.  Trust in Him.  Commit to Him.  Delight in Him!

When all around makes you want to despair–heed His voice!  He says to "come away" with Him!  Song of Solomon 2:10  "My Beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up,My love, My fair one, and come away."  and again in verse 13–"Arise, My love, My fair one, and come away."

 

I leave you with Hannah Hurnard’s beautiful poetic rendition of Song 1:1-6.

 

"The Song of Songs,"  the loveliest song,

     The song of Love the King,

No joy on earth compares with His,

     But seems a broken thing.

His Name as ointment is poured forth,

    And all His lovers sing.

Draw me–I will run after Thee,

     Thou art my heart’s one choice,

Oh, bring me to Thy royal house,

     To dwell there and rejoice.

There in Thy presence, O my King,

     To feast and hear Thy voice.

Look not upon me with contempt,

     though soiled and marred I be,

The King found me–and outcast thing–

    And set His love on me.

I shall be perfected by Love,

     Made fair as day to see.

 

 

Is He your heart’s one choice?  Will you heed His call– to come away with Him to a quiet place, so He can impart His loveliness to you, and His strength?   So you can rest in Him and let Him do the work, while you rest content to be His handmaiden or servant?

 

Will you keep your eyes on HIM?   For then you can walk on those waves around you!!!

 

May you blessed and refreshed by His presence today! 

 

 

 

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 at 9:16 pm and is filed under In His Presence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.