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The Lord Jesus led me to read Psalm 95 (vv. 1-7a NIV).
Do you ever feel saddened by circumstances or by how people respond to you? You know what God has called you to do. You know the words of encouragement he has whispered in your heart. You heard him clearly. There is no doubt about it. So, you stepped out in faith, even at your own personal risk of being rejected, and you did what you knew he said to do.
But, then, you got attacked for it. Wham! You got told that you weren’t listening to God’s voice, or that your motives were all wrong, or that what you said or did was not in line with scripture, although it clearly was. And, the opposition did not come from just one source, but from several or from many, with little to no words of support or encouragement.
So, maybe you began to question if you heard God right, and if you truly did what he said to do. So, you went back to the source. You went back to what you know God said, and you prayed it through, and then he assured you that you did the right thing. He assured you through his Word, and through his Spirit speaking gentle words of reassurance to your heart. And, then he said, “Don’t be afraid of the people, but say, ‘Here is your God!’”
Satan does not want us to extol God. He doesn’t want us joyful and singing about our Lord. He wants us discouraged, doubting ourselves and doubting God. So, when we step out in faith, and we obey our Lord, and we give praise and glory to God for what he has done in and through our lives, Satan is going to throw his fiery darts our way to try to get us down, to try to get us to fail, and he will attempt to convince us to just give up altogether.
But, no one ever said that following Jesus Christ (God) was going to be easy. No one said that if we obey the Lord Jesus in saying what he tells us to say that everyone is going to be happy with us, or that what we do will meet with their approval. In fact, Jesus said, that if we follow him, we can expect to be mistreated, misjudged and persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
Yet, none of this takes God by surprise. He knew this was going to happen. So, we need to submit to his sovereignty over our lives, rest in him, listen to him speak, obey him, and keep on giving him our praise and thanksgiving.
I love that song that Veggie Tales sings, God is Bigger Than the Boogie Man (1). Sometimes children’s sermons or children’s songs touch my heart in a much greater way than do those intended for adults. Perhaps it is because they are so simplistic, down to earth, and often so practical, too. This song, and another like it from Patch the Pirate, My Very Best Friend (2), have often encouraged my heart to know and to believe with all my heart that my God is above all gods, so I never have to be afraid!
There will always be people who won’t like what we do, and who won’t approve of us or the ministry God has given us. But, if we want to be servants of Christ, then we need to be those who are pleasers of God instead of being people pleasers. We need to give God our worship and our praise. And, the worship that he approves is that of us giving our lives to him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from sin and to walking in his righteousness and holiness.
If he is truly our God, and we are the sheep of his pasture, under his care, then we should be following him and what he says, and not be swayed back and forth by the opinions and judgments of men (or women). Yet, we should always be open to have what we say examined biblically to see if it agrees (is in line) with the teachings of God’s Word, like Paul did. And we, as well, should examine whatever we hear from other people against the Word of God to make certain we are not buying into lies, and that we are not being led astray.
But, we will have people who will judge us falsely, just as Jesus did, and as Paul often experienced, yet we have to stand on the Word of Truth and keep obeying our Lord, even if humans disapprove of us based on their own perceptions of our actions. But, if we are assured that we are acting in good faith, and that we are in line with the Word of God, then we should stay the course. We should not let humans be our gods, in other words, for our Lord is to be our ONLY God, and he alone deserves our worship and our praise.
Here is Your God!
An Original Work / July 18, 2012
Based off Isaiah 40:9-31 NIV
You who bring good tidings to Zion,
Lift up your voice; raise with a shout,
And do not be afraid of the people.
Say, “Here is your God!”
See how the Lord God comes now with power.
His arm rules for Him; His reward with Him.
He tends His flock just like a shepherd,
His lambs in His arms.
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from beginning?
Our Lord sits enthroned above all things.
None to Him compare.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.
Who made all of these? Who calls them by name?
Because of His great power and strength,
All accounted for.
Why do you say, “My way is hidden
From the Lord, and my cause forgotten”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord, He is your God.
He will not weary. He gives us power.
Those who trust in Him will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings just like eagles;
Walk and do faint not.
Sunday, November 19, 2017, 8:13 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for bringing this song to recall this evening, and for the words you spoke to my heart today through your Word. I praise you, and I thank you!
(1)
(2)
Do you ever feel saddened by circumstances or by how people respond to you? You know what God has called you to do. You know the words of encouragement he has whispered in your heart. You heard him clearly. There is no doubt about it. So, you stepped out in faith, even at your own personal risk of being rejected, and you did what you knew he said to do.
But, then, you got attacked for it. Wham! You got told that you weren’t listening to God’s voice, or that your motives were all wrong, or that what you said or did was not in line with scripture, although it clearly was. And, the opposition did not come from just one source, but from several or from many, with little to no words of support or encouragement.
So, maybe you began to question if you heard God right, and if you truly did what he said to do. So, you went back to the source. You went back to what you know God said, and you prayed it through, and then he assured you that you did the right thing. He assured you through his Word, and through his Spirit speaking gentle words of reassurance to your heart. And, then he said, “Don’t be afraid of the people, but say, ‘Here is your God!’”
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
Satan does not want us to extol God. He doesn’t want us joyful and singing about our Lord. He wants us discouraged, doubting ourselves and doubting God. So, when we step out in faith, and we obey our Lord, and we give praise and glory to God for what he has done in and through our lives, Satan is going to throw his fiery darts our way to try to get us down, to try to get us to fail, and he will attempt to convince us to just give up altogether.
But, no one ever said that following Jesus Christ (God) was going to be easy. No one said that if we obey the Lord Jesus in saying what he tells us to say that everyone is going to be happy with us, or that what we do will meet with their approval. In fact, Jesus said, that if we follow him, we can expect to be mistreated, misjudged and persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
Yet, none of this takes God by surprise. He knew this was going to happen. So, we need to submit to his sovereignty over our lives, rest in him, listen to him speak, obey him, and keep on giving him our praise and thanksgiving.
For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
I love that song that Veggie Tales sings, God is Bigger Than the Boogie Man (1). Sometimes children’s sermons or children’s songs touch my heart in a much greater way than do those intended for adults. Perhaps it is because they are so simplistic, down to earth, and often so practical, too. This song, and another like it from Patch the Pirate, My Very Best Friend (2), have often encouraged my heart to know and to believe with all my heart that my God is above all gods, so I never have to be afraid!
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
There will always be people who won’t like what we do, and who won’t approve of us or the ministry God has given us. But, if we want to be servants of Christ, then we need to be those who are pleasers of God instead of being people pleasers. We need to give God our worship and our praise. And, the worship that he approves is that of us giving our lives to him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from sin and to walking in his righteousness and holiness.
If he is truly our God, and we are the sheep of his pasture, under his care, then we should be following him and what he says, and not be swayed back and forth by the opinions and judgments of men (or women). Yet, we should always be open to have what we say examined biblically to see if it agrees (is in line) with the teachings of God’s Word, like Paul did. And we, as well, should examine whatever we hear from other people against the Word of God to make certain we are not buying into lies, and that we are not being led astray.
But, we will have people who will judge us falsely, just as Jesus did, and as Paul often experienced, yet we have to stand on the Word of Truth and keep obeying our Lord, even if humans disapprove of us based on their own perceptions of our actions. But, if we are assured that we are acting in good faith, and that we are in line with the Word of God, then we should stay the course. We should not let humans be our gods, in other words, for our Lord is to be our ONLY God, and he alone deserves our worship and our praise.
Here is Your God!
An Original Work / July 18, 2012
Based off Isaiah 40:9-31 NIV
You who bring good tidings to Zion,
Lift up your voice; raise with a shout,
And do not be afraid of the people.
Say, “Here is your God!”
See how the Lord God comes now with power.
His arm rules for Him; His reward with Him.
He tends His flock just like a shepherd,
His lambs in His arms.
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from beginning?
Our Lord sits enthroned above all things.
None to Him compare.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.
Who made all of these? Who calls them by name?
Because of His great power and strength,
All accounted for.
Why do you say, “My way is hidden
From the Lord, and my cause forgotten”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord, He is your God.
He will not weary. He gives us power.
Those who trust in Him will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings just like eagles;
Walk and do faint not.
Sunday, November 19, 2017, 8:13 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for bringing this song to recall this evening, and for the words you spoke to my heart today through your Word. I praise you, and I thank you!
(1)
(2)
