Tag: Life

Where Can I Go?

Psalm 139:7

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

The question is provocative…. The question is poignant…. Yet, the question is rhetorical….  The answer should be self-evident….

I love the depths of thought that King David poses in Psalm 139. Let’s read a portion:

1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How amazing are your thoughts concerning me, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

What beautiful words depicting the eternal presence, knowledge, and sovereignty of our Creator … our Father in Heaven! Indeed, too often, we are not mindful of the unceasing presence of God in and over our lives. So, David, a man who pursued after the heart of God, captures what I believe should be the contemplative mindset of our beings – to continually acknowledge and be surrendered to the presence of God. Afterall, where can you or I go to be away from His Spirit or His Presence? But, perhaps, the more pertinent question might be: If we could separate ourselves from the Presence of God, why would we even want to do so?   

I am reminded of a similar question Peter asked when Jesus declared: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) Let’s review the narrative recorded for us:

John 6:59-69 (NKJV)

59 These things Jesus said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. 60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a difficult saying; who can understand it?” 61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples grumbled about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” 66 From that time many of His disciples departed and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”

Only by the Holy Spirit, active through the Word of God, will our hearts ever be drawn to Jesus and to the redemption, salvation, and eternal life promised to us through Him.  Yes, we must be born-again of the Spirit … not of perishable seed but imperishable; through the living and enduring Word of God. (1 Peter 1:23) Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Is this question any different than the one that David had asked?

A Final Thought:

Put the Bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times. (Exodus 25:30)

 Have a Blessed Day!

Your True Life

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Have you surrendered your sinful nature and nailed it to the cross? If so, with your repentance and confession of faith in Christ Jesus, you have become a new creation in Him! “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) And, “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

Yes, we are born-again … changed … predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. (Romans 8:29) And so, what does this mean for us? Well, it means that we have new lives in Christ. We have been sanctified (set apart) through Him. He has called us out of the world, and our lives are no longer our own anymore. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Let us consider what Paul has instructed with regard to our new lives in Christ:

Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Did you see his declaration: Christ who IS your life? Jesus IS our life right now! “It is no longer I that lives but Christ who lives in me!” Do you understand the totality of that truth?  Is that the passion of your heart … to be totally and completely living in Christ? To be clear, Jesus is not and cannot merely be a part of your life; rather, He is the very life of your being! Jesus becomes everything when you have put your entire faith in Him!

Let’s keep reading!

Colossians 3:5-4 (ESV)

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Dear reader, it is my prayer that you will believe what the Spirit has written for our encouragement today. “In Him is life, and that life is the light of men. (John 1:4) Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Indeed, true life is only possible when you abide in Christ Jesus and He abides in you. (John 15:4-5)

A Final Thought:

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.  (John 5:39-40)

 Have a Blessed Day!

Verse of the Day – 02/06/19

Proverbs 21:21

Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

I woke up earlier than usual this morning … prompted to pray for a friend who is undergoing brain surgery to remove a tumor.  I ask you all to join me in prayer for his life; his wife and children; and his family; as they surrender and trust in our Lord Jesus for a successful outcome and full healing.  Pray there will be no complications…. Pray there will be no infections…. Pray that all thanks and glory for complete healing is offered to the glory of our God and Savior….  This is how we love another as Christ has loved us – Pray!

Our verse today continues to focus on our conduct … how we interrelate with other people … how we love one another. But here we find another aspect … the benefits we receive for ourselves as we endeavor to demonstrate our love to God through love for others.  Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.  There you go!  When our hearts are turned toward righteousness in our conduct … when we love our neighbor as we would ourselves … there is great reward God has promised those who make it their aim to live with these qualities in heart.

Life:          Jesus said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Cf. Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24) When you and I pursue righteousness and love, we will lose our lives for the sake of Christ Jesus … only to find true life … eternal life in Him. (Cf. 1 John 5:20)

Prosperity          We need to be careful with our thoughts here.  Prosperity is defined as “a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition.”  This could be, and is often applied to financial success or good fortune; however, the Apostle John afforded us some perspective here when he wrote: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” (2 John 1:2) When you and I pursue righteousness and love in and through our lives, we will find ourselves flourishing and thriving in body and soul….

Honor          The word honor here is used as a noun.  It means to have high respect; great esteem.  So as we pursue righteousness, mercy, and love in our relationships with others, we will find and receive honor.  King Solomon commented on this issue a great deal in his proverbs:

The fear (reverence) of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility. (Proverbs 15:33)

By humility and the fear (reverence) of the Lord are riches and honor and life. (Proverbs 22:4)

A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. (Proverbs 29:23)

I want to look at a few other translations of our verse to see the variation of words used:

He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor. (NKJV)

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. (ESV)

Whoever tries to live right and be loyal finds life, success, and honor. (NCV)

He who earnestly seeks righteousness and loyalty finds life, righteousness, and honor. (AMP)

Here is what I believe Jesus wants us to discover in this verse:

John 12:25-26 (NKJV)

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Do we want to find life, righteousness, and honor for our lives?  These are gifts that we receive from God when we pursue righteousness, mercy, and love for one another.  These are the benefits we receive when we serve Jesus and follow His command to “love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) Jesus affirms that our responses to Him … our decisions to follow Him … will result in imputed righteousness … will result in eternal life …  and will result in honor that the Father will bestow.  Can you imagine?  God will honor us? The One who created all things will have high respect and great esteem for us? For sinners that He saved through His own mercy and grace? Yes!  If we pursue the fullness of Christ Jesus in our lives through the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit … we will receive His righteousness when we stand before God; we will receive eternal life in Him; and we will receive honor from God the Father.

So Now You Know….  

Have a Blessed Day!