Tag: Motives

Rejoicing in Obedience…

Psalm 119:14 (NIV)

I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

I have pondered over our Verse of the Day; and I have asked myself if my heart feels the same way as the Psalmist expressed. Do I REJOICE in following the statues and commands of God?  If someone were to just give you a billion dollars, would the excitement of receiving those “great riches” compare to how you should feel inside for obeying God? What a provocative metaphor the Psalmist has used to exhort our view of and response to scripture … the Word of God.

Psalm 119:9-16 (NIV)
9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

As we read this particular section of Psalm 119, notice the joy, the exuberance, and the delight of the inspired writer as he considers his inner desire to follow the laws, statutes, precepts, decrees, and commands found in the Word of God.  He holds nothing back!  But do we?  Do we whole heartedly approach obedience with this level of zeal? Or do we begrudge having to exert our own wills to resist disobedience? I think believers certainly endeavor to obey the will of God, but have we ever thought that our attitude should be one of rejoicing like someone who won the Mega Millions Lottery? The question that comes to mind is: “Do we rejoice when we obey God and His Word?  Does obedience bring joy to our lives?

I am reminded of this passage from Paul found in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 which reads: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Could it be, perhaps, that the way out is to “rejoice” in obedience? Think about it for a moment. The last time you were tempted, did you delight in His statutes and decrees? Do you meditate on the Word of God and hide it within your heart so that you might not sin against Him? Maybe we need to consider the joy that obedience will bring more than we entertain any thoughts of disobedience … which will only lead to guilt and shame. I think that if we would attain an attitude of delight in following after God, we would be less likely to inhibit fellowship with Him because of sin.

This meditation has challenged me to examine the attitude of my heart. I think the issue here is not so much what I might accomplish by following His statutes – although there are blessings for sure; rather, the focus should really be about my motivation to follow His commands. Do I approach obedience with a cheerful and glad heart? Is obedience something that I wholly and heartily pursue as I would the pursuit of “great riches”? To me the Psalmist is saying, “Obedience is not an afterthought; rather, following the commands of God should be a forethought … a planned strategy that one should take delight in … knowing God will be pleased with every act of obedience. Obedience is not something to begrudge; rather, we should view His perfect law … His royal law … as a source of joy and delight! If we want to experience more joy in our lives, obedience to the Word of God is a great path for us to attain it.

Again, a simple verse with tremendous impact. It has changed my perspective on the inner motivation of my heart and how I should view the will of God. I am reminded of Psalm 1:2 which affirms: “Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law both day and night. And King David wrote: “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in His commands. (Cf. Psalm 112:1) Indeed, it is one thing to obey God out of a sense of moral duty, obligation, or respect. It is another to rejoice and delight in following His commands. It’s all about the motivation of our hearts. And I remember that Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep my commands.” (Cf. John 14:15) To me, that is the greatest reason to “rejoice” in following His statutes because I always want Jesus to know that I love Him….

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. ~ Isaiah 61:10

Look At The Heart…

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Our Verse of the Day captures an observation of human nature that each of us has been guilty of doing: looking at the outward appearance of others.  It reminds that any of us can fall into this kind of behavior. We are human. We have natural biases that are filtered through our own life experiences and upbringing. We make assumptions. Draw conclusions. And yet, too often, we do so without full information or facts. It happened to holy men of God like the Prophet Samuel; and it happens to each one of us….

If you have time, I encourage you to read 1 Samuel Chapters 15-16. It records how Saul, the first King of Israel and a person of handsome appearance and stature, was disobedient to God. His rebellion resulted in the rejection of his authority over God’s people; and Saul suffered the loss of his anointing (Cf. 1 Samuel 16:14) The one who appeared “fit” to be king was found lacking in meekness and in his devotion to God. And though he was a man of smaller stature, David – a shepherd boy, would show himself to be a man after God’s own heart as he battled not only the enemies of Israel but his own sinful, human nature.

Samuel had been charged by the Lord to begin the search for a replacement for King Saul. God had rejected Saul because of his disobedience. So, God directed Samuel to the Bethlehem to anoint the new king. We find the story here:

1 Samuel 16:1-13 (NIV)

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.” Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?” Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So, he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So, he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

As Samuel learned, we should hesitate to make decisions based on outward appearances … based on our own imperfect assessments or generalizations of people … not knowing their inner thoughts and beings. And the lesson here is that God sees people and situations differently than we are able to see them sometimes. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. We would be wise to follow His methodology before we assess and judge and act on flawed determinations.

It is my prayer that each of us will check our hearts … our prejudices … our judgments of others based on their outward appearances. For there is an inner person … an inner being … a soul that God created … that lies within the person in front of you. He or she is unique, valued, and loved by God whether we see it for ourselves or not. Just as we received the merciful love of God, so our Father wants all people to repent and come to a knowledge of the truth. (Cf. 1 Timothy 2:4) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Cf. Romans 3:23) The people we tend to judge and condemn based on appearances are the very people many of us were ourselves at one time. Paul addressed this very issue:

Ephesians 2:1-5 (NIV)

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

My friends, we need to remember WHO made us clean … WHO sanctified us … WHO justified us with His own blood of atonement. Jesus did not look on our outward appearance and reject us; rather, He loved us and gave Himself for us. He cleansed our inner hearts and healed our inmost beings! That is how God looks at people! That is how we are supposed to look at people! We need to look beyond the appearances of people and see the inner brokenness that needs to be healed through an authentic, life changing encounter with Jesus! I think that is the lesson the Spirit wants to teach us today….

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. ~ Matthew 23:27-28