Delighted in You…

Psalm 149:4 (NIV)

For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory.

What an incredible thought for us this morning! The Lord takes delight in His people! He crowns the humble with His salvation!

Sometimes I find it difficult to believe that God would take delight in me. It seems too improbable … knowing that I fail Him more often than I dare to confess. But maybe His delight is something that I should consider. Perhaps, God delights in His people even when their performance falls short, yet there is willingness to receive correction and discipline. King Solomon wrote: “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.” (Cf. Proverbs 3:11-12) And I am reminded that God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Cf. Romans 5:8) So, maybe it should not surprise us that the love of God moves Him to delight in those He has called to salvation….

I did a word search for “delight” in the Bible, and I found the following Scriptures that share how God delights in His people. To be sure, there were plenty of verses that discuss how believers should delight themselves in the Lord, but I am more interested in what moves God to delight in us … to find great pleasure in us. Look at these passages and see if you find a common theme:

Deuteronomy 30:1-10 (NIV)

¹ When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, ²and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, ³then the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where He scattered you. ⁴Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. ⁵He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. ⁶The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. ⁷The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. ⁸You will again obey the Lord and follow all His commands I am giving you today. ⁹Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as He delighted in your ancestors, ¹⁰if you obey the Lord your God and keep His commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

1 Samuel 15:21-23 (NIV)

⁸And He (God) sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ ¹⁹Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” ²⁰“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. ²¹The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” ²²But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. ²³For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.”

Psalm 51:15-17 (NIV)

¹⁵Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. ¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. ¹⁷My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Psalm 147:10-11 (NIV)

¹⁰His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of the warrior; ¹¹the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.

Proverbs 11:19-21 (NIV)

¹⁹Truly the righteous attain life, but whoever pursues evil finds death. ²⁰The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse, but He delights in those whose ways are blameless. ²¹Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.

Proverbs 12:22 (NIV)

The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.

We see in these passages that God delights in those who obey Him and keep His commands. God does not take pleasure in sacrifices as much as He delights in obedience. And when we approach God with a broken spirit, with humility and contrition, it demonstrates to Him our acknowledgment of His holiness, righteousness, and justice as the Sovereign Creator. Yes, the Lord delights in those who fear Him – those who reverence and worship Him. He delights in those who desire to walk blameless before Him; and that is why atonement through the blood of Jesus Christ is required for salvation. We are not blameless. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Cf. Romans 3:23-24) Even Moses affirmed that God will circumcise our hearts so that we may love Him with all our hearts and with all our souls! Indeed, it is His workmanship in us, created within our hearts, that bring us to covenant relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. And, yes, our love for His Son, is His greatest pleasure and delight!

One final thought is the wisdom that Moses shared with the people of God found in Deuteronomy 30 regarding their response to his prophetic word. And upon reading it, I was reminded that the Apostle Paul quoted this passage as well in Romans 10. The message is straightforward, and I think we should look at it:

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NIV)

¹¹Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. ¹²It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” ¹³Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” ¹⁴No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

Romans 10:1-13 (NIV)

¹Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. ²For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. ³Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. ⁴Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. ⁵Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” (Quoting Leviticus 18:5) ⁶But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷“or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” (Quoting Deuteronomy 30:12-14) that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” (Quoting Isaiah 28:16) ¹²For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses (takes delight in) all who call on Him, ¹³for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Quoting Joel 2:32)

So does God delight in those who believe Him? I think so because we have declared with our mouths that “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. This profession of faith produces a righteousness that comes from God alone. It is His work from beginning to end … and it is the culmination of obedience to His commandments. Paul refers to this as the “obedience that comes from faith.” (Cf. Romans 1:5; 16:26) Indeed, it is not too difficult or beyond the reach of anyone. His Word is very near … in our mouths and in our hearts. And this is the message we are to share with others:

Romans 10:14-17 (NIV)

¹⁴How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Quoting Isaiah 52:7) ¹⁶But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” (Quoting Isaiah 53:1) ¹⁷Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Lord Jesus, how awesome it is to know that you take delight in your people … that you find great pleasure in those who love you and place their faith in you. So we delight ourselves in you! We take great pleasure in your Word … in your promises … in your passionate love for us! May our hearts be circumcised so that we may love you with all our hearts and with all our souls! May our hearts desire the obedience that comes from faith. For we put our hope in your unfailing love! Thank you Lord for all you have done to bring us to you and to the Father! We love you and praise you forevermore. In your name we pray. Amen….

So Now You Know….

Have a Blessed Day!

A Life Preserver…

Psalm 119:93 (NIV)

I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.

We fight this battle all the time … the struggle with doubt … the sin of unbelief. We question if there is absolute truth … truth that we can fully trust. And it is easy to succumb to the influence and demonic lies of the enemy … especially when we observe a world in chaos and where the suffering of people abounds. We might ask, “Where are you, God?” “Where are you when we need your help?” And if we neglect to consult the Word of God for answers to these questions, we will reach wrong conclusions and continue to wander in anxiety and fear.

Our verse today affirms that the Word of God is the source of all truth … truth that is able to sustain and preserve our lives. We are advised to read it often … to memorize it … to implant it in our minds and hearts. For when we know and embrace its certainty, we will not be swayed or distracted by the uncertainty that we experience in this world. As Jesus affirmed, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Cf. Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3) So, where is God now in our time of trouble? David declared this truth: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Cf. Psalm 46:1) Yes, God is ever-present! He has said, “Never, will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Cf. Hebrews 13:5; Joshua 1:5) I am reminded of what Paul wrote concerning the love of Christ as the anchor for our faith:

Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)

³⁵Who (or what) shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Think about what Paul is saying here. We are to expect challenges and hardships to occur in our lives. They are inevitable as long as we live in this fallen world. But none of the things that God allows under His sovereign will diminishes His love for us. They are used to develop and strengthen our faith in Him. I think above all things, we need to trust the love of God! If we ever doubt His love, we make ourselves vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. We will not always understand how God works in our lives or in the circumstances that He allows, but I believe we can be assured that whatever happens is in accordance with His perfect love. And that is why we need to know the Word of God … to know His will for us … to receive the salvation He has provided through His Son, Jesus. In Jesus, our lives are preserved for eternity! Indeed, Jesus is the ever-present help in time of trouble. We simply need to cry out to Him. As David wrote: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” (Cf. Psalm 34:17)

One Final Thought:

How God delivers us from our troubles may not always be how we think He should do it. It is not up to us to make God’s decisions for Him nor should we even desire to do so. We do not have His knowledge or the ability to know eventual outcomes. Remember, only He knows the end from the beginning. And so we have to trust that whatever happens is in accordance with His loving will for us who love Him. That is what faith is all about. That is why it is important to know His Word … for by it our lives are preserved.

So Now You Know….

Have a Blessed Day!

The Powerful Word of God…

Romans 1:16 (NIV)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

When I read this familiar passage, so many thoughts come to mind about the importance of sharing the Gospel … the Good News about Jesus Christ … to whosoever will listen and believe. Why is this so important? Well, Paul answers that question: “Because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” There are two key points here regarding the Gospel: Power of God and Salvation! The power of God is His Word. He spoke creation into existence! (Cf. Genesis 1) And so, in order for a person to come to faith and receive salvation, the Word of God (the message about Jesus) must be heard and understood. I think of salvation in this context: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Cf. Ephesians 2:10) So, this is how are we created in Christ Jesus – it is through the Word of God … spoken through the prophets and in these last days through His Son. (Cf. Hebrews 1:1-3)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.(John 1:14)

For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. (John 3:34)

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life. (John 6:63)

Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death. (John 8:51)

There are a multitude of Scriptures that emphasize the creative power of the Word of God; but we can begin to see with just these few I have shared that true life is received in Christ Jesus. Life … eternal life is formed in us as we hear His words, listen to them, and apply them to our hearts. And I love this pronouncement from God through the Prophet Isaiah: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Cf. Isaiah 55:11) Indeed, God has ordained that His Word … His Son … shall bring forth salvation. As Jesus affirmed: “I know that His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me say.” (Cf. John 12:50) So the issue is believing and trusting the Word of God … coming to a knowledge of the truth … and placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And faith comes from hearing the message as Paul shares in Romans 10:

Romans 10:9-17 (NIV)

⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in Him (Jesus) will never be put to shame.” (Quoting Isaiah 28:16) ¹²For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, ¹³for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Quoting Joel 2:32) ¹⁴How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Quoting Isaiah 52:7) ¹⁶But not all the Israelites accepted the Good News. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” (Quoting Isaiah 53:1) ¹⁷Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Oh, I hope that I am carefully articulating this train of thought for someone here who has been trying to connect the dots. I pray a veil is being lifted right now for you to comprehend that it is the Word of God that creates you in Christ Jesus. “For you will be born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.” (Cf. 1 Peter 1:23) You become a new creation in Him! The old has gone and the new is come! (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17) This is how Jesus will encounter you and reveal Himself to you because you believe the Gospel and come to Him in faith! Oh, I pray that you will believe this report … that you will experience His light piercing through the veil so that you “see Jesus” … that you experience His zealous love for you … that an intimate relationship is forged! Yes, and know that today a multitude of prayers are being offered up for you … that intercession is being made for you. And I decree these words over you: “The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Cf. Zephaniah 3:17) Even so, Amen!

Lord Jesus, you have the words of eternal life. (John 6:68) You are the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through you. (John 14:6) So, I pray your Word will go forth and accomplish the thing for which you have sent it. I pray that your Word will speak new life into the one here who is diligently seeking you with their heart. Reveal yourself to them. Encounter them as only You can do, and set them free. Let doubt and desperation turn into peace and joy. Let your presence and your love overwhelm them. Let them hear you singing over them. Let your Spirit bring assurance to their heart. Let them know that they are saved! In Your Mighty Name, I pray. Amen….

So Now You Know….

Have a Blessed Day!

The Love of Christ

Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

We have studied this Verse of the Day in recent weeks; so I will just put a larger portion of the passage out there for our consideration. It really becomes a beautiful prayer of Paul for the Ephesian believers; and I like the deep messages it conveys regarding God’s purposes and Christ’s love.

Ephesians 3:7-21 (NIV)

⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power. ⁸Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to His eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In Him (Jesus) and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ¹³I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ²⁰Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, ²¹to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Indeed, each of us is a servant of the Gospel by the gift of God’s grace … through the working of His power. We may not feel qualified, but His grace indeed qualifies each of us. Through the CHURCH, God intends for His wisdom to be made known – to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. You see, your life of faith in the Body of Christ impacts the heavenly realms as much as it does here on earth. What God has accomplished IN Christ Jesus our Lord is what we have been called by His grace to declare … with our mouths, but more importantly, with our lives. And so Paul prays for believers to be strengthen with power through His Spirit in our inner beings. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (Cf. 2 Timothy 1:7) It is through the power of His Spirit that we know the deep love of Christ … a love that surpasses knowledge … a love that imparts the fullness of God to those who believe in Him!

Yes, to know the love of God through Christ Jesus is the greatest grace of all! It is available! It is receivable! It changes the hearts of those encountered! God is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine. Yes, we are more than adequately equipped through His grace to be servants of the Gospel! Christ Jesus dwelling in our hearts is more than sufficient! So, I pray we will let the intent of His great love empower us for service….