Down an Unfamiliar Road

AN OATH TO REMEMBER –

After seeing how corrupt and dishonest King Saul was at the close of his reign, when David took over as King of Israel he wanted people to know that he would not follow in the same footsteps that led to Saul’s humiliating defeat and suicide. He would not consult unbelievers when looking for guidance; he would not order people maliciously attacked just because they opposed him; he would not turn on friends and be soft on enemies. David wanted to let everyone hear from him how he planned to govern God’s people. He didn’t need a speech writer, because this oath came from his own heart.

“My theme song will be about a promise of love and justice; O LORD Eternal, that will be my hymn to You. I commit myself to be sincere and truthful, no matter how long it takes. I will start with myself when it comes to integrity; I will pay no attention to suggestions of being dishonest; I will have nothing to do with crooked deals—which I despise; I will reject any fraudulent transactions; I will not give in to mischievous people; I will have nothing to do with those who slander their neighbors behind their backs; I will not tolerate backbiters and egotists; I will keep a sharp lookout for reliable and trustworthy workers to assist me; I will only employ those who make transparency the center point of their conduct; those who lie and scheme will not be part of my administration; those who tell lies will not be tolerated. Each morning I will dismiss those caught taking bribes; yes, those dealing in corruption will be immediately eliminated from our nation’s capital.” [So help me God.] Psalm 101:1-8

Reflection: At age 24, Benjamin Franklin decided to jot down some guidelines for conduct. So he wrote out the following virtues on separate pages in his little book: Temperance – not to overeat or drink. Silence – speak only when it benefits others. Order – prioritize each day’s needs, not wants. Resolution – do not make false promises, but do what is promised. Frugality – do not waste or spend unwisely. Industry –wise time management of useful projects. Sincerity – do not be hypocritical or act with prejudice. Justice – avoid hurting others, or keep from others what they have earned. Moderation – avoid unnecessary extremes. Cleanliness – practice person hygiene without excuses. Tranquility – accept the things that happen that cannot be avoided. Chastity – do not practice immorality. Humility – imitate Jesus and Socrates. He carried this book with him for 50 years, and began each day checking these moral qualities to see how much progress he made in living up to his expectations. Furthermore, each Monday he selected one of these virtues as a point of special focus and gave particular attention to this trait for the next seven days, trying to improve each day. At the end of his life he admitted that he never reached perfection. We don’t know if Franklin got his inspiration from this psalm of David or not. But ask yourself, do people respect you and say they want to be more like you? Or don’t you adhere to a moral code worthy of being emulated by others? But think about this: King David and Benjamin Franklin stand today as two of the most admired, influential figures in history. Remember, David said the standards in his vow started with him, before he expected it of others.

WHY YOUR WORSHIP COUNTS –

The compilers of the Psalter now start putting together a collection of psalms that call God’s children to worship Him and be thankful that He is their God. After Hezekiah became king of Judah at age 29, in the first month of his reign he repaired the doors to the temple. He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple; there he told them to prepare themselves to lead the worship services that would soon begin. After the people arrived he had them all kneel down and begin praising God while the musicians sang. 2 Chronicles 29:30 doesn’t tell us exactly which song of David or Asaph they chose, but they couldn’t have done much better than this one.

“Let praises rise to the LORD Eternal from all over the world! And as you assemble for worship in the presence of the LORD Eternal, do so with cheerfulness and shouts of joy. Magnify Him as the Eternal LORD, your One True God. After all, He made us what we are, and now shepherds us as His own flock. Enter the doors of the sanctuary and into the place of worship with thankfulness and praise. Yes, worship Him by bestowing honor on Him for who He is. For the LORD Eternal is compassionate, and His undying love will never end; He will be faithful to generation after generation.” Psalm 100:1-5

Reflection: On Easter Sunday, March 24, 1799, the citizens of Feldkirch, a city near Austria’s border with Switzerland, didn’t know what to do. A 15,000 strong French army stood on the hilltops above the city, ready to attack. The city councilmen hastily met to decide whether to try and defend the town or raise the white flag of surrender. As the people gathered in church for worship, the pastor rose and said, “Friends, we counted on our own self-defense, but that will not be enough. This being the day of our Lord’s resurrection, let us ring the bells as usual, conduct our services as always, and leave the matter in His hands. We’ve relied only on our weakness, and not the power of God to defend us.” The council accepted his plan and the church bells begin to ring. The enemy, hearing the sudden peal of the bells, concluded that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to defend the citizens. So before the service ended the enemy broke camp and left, thereby saving the town. The psalmist, and these inhabitants of Feldkirch, learned that the enemy finds our praise to God as a sign that a superior force stands nearby. Satan does not like to hear God’s children adoring their LORD Eternal with all their hearts. Unfortunately for some, the day of thanksgiving occurs only once a year, and that mostly involves stuffing themselves without a mention of gratitude to God. What joy it brings to God’s heart when His children stop and take time to thank Him again and again. So let the bells of joy ring out, and openly declare our appreciation for Him and everything He’s done for us. Not only will it please our Heavenly Father; bring great joy to our hearts, but the devil will have no interest in hanging around.

HEAVEN’S GOT TALENT –

The compilers of the Psalter continue their collection of Psalms that give glory and honor to God for who He is and what He has done. Moses and Aaron, Samuel and his fellow priests had all come and gone, but God was still the same God they worshipped and served. Therefore, why would the people become careless in their respect and reverence for Him? How could they go about their daily business without taking time to praise Him and thank Him for all He had done? Why did they go to the temple out of habit and obligation instead of going with joy in their hearts to pour out praise to Him. Had they forgotten that He is awesome; that He is holy; there is none other like Him in the entire universe!

“The LORD Eternal reigns on high, surrounded by angels as the supreme Ruler of the universe, which should make everyone on earth shutter in awe. For they will one day worship Him for who He is: He is Awesome; He is esteemed; He is holy! Yes, He is a Mighty King, who loves to deal honestly with people; that’s why He established the laws of justice and equality among His people. So join me in magnifying the LORD Eternal, our One True God, as we bow down at His feet, for He is Holy! After all, didn’t Moses and Aaron along with Samuel and the priests and those who recognized Him for who He is, cry out to the LORD Eternal in prayer and He answered them? Didn’t He speak to them from columns of Shekinah glory and tell them to obey what He said and live by the rules He gave them? Absolutely, the LORD Eternal our One True God answered them; because He was their Sovereign God who forgave them, even after He scolded them for their misconduct. So again I say, let us magnify the LORD Eternal, our One True God; let us bow down before Him in His presence; for He, the LORD Eternal, our One True God, is holy!” Psalm 99:1-9

Reflection: Johnson Oatman, Jr., a business man, who also served as an ordained minister, wrote over 5,000 gospel songs, many of which became classics, such as: “Count Your Blessings,” “Higher Ground.” But he wanted to express his joy over being able to praise God in a special way, so he sat down and wrote these lyrics as they flooded his mind. This song never became as popular as the others, but oh how expressive and beautiful was the song’s message: “There is singing up in heaven such as we have never known, where angels sing the praises of the Lamb upon the throne; their sweet harps are ever tuneful, and their voices always clear, O that we might be more like them while we serve the Master here! Holy, holy, is what the angels sing and I expect to help them make the courts of heaven ring; but when I sing redemption’s story, they will fold their wings, for angels never felt the joy that our salvation brings!” For the psalmist, this One True God deserves all the honor, praise, adoration, and jubilant worship mankind can muster. We can sense his enthusiasm and anticipation for the day to arrive when the echoes of millions and millions of worshipers will reverberate around the world, regardless of time zone. No coronation or inauguration has ever occurred, nor will ever take place, equal to that of the returning Messiah. But one need not wait until that takes place. Be like the Psalmist and Mr. Oatman, start celebrating now! Loosen up your voice in practice for that great day. Don’t hesitate to glorify Him wherever and whenever possible. For He is truly awesome and holy!

In chapter 53 of his Guide for the Perplexed, Jewish wise man Moses Maimonides uses this illustration to show how we often ascribe to God different characteristics and attributes, when in fact He is one essence. For instance, says Maimonides, fire can melt somethings while other things fire can make hard; fire can boil while at the same time it can burn; fire can bleach one object and make another black. Therefore if we describe fire as a bleaching, blackening, burning, boiling, hardening and melting element, we show our ignorance of the nature of fire. We would be ascribing to fire six competing elements or attributes. One by which it melts, a second by with it hardens, a third by which it boils, a fourth by which it burns, a fifth by which it bleaches and a sixth by with is blackens. These are actions that actually work against one another. However, one who comprehends the nature of fire therefore also knows it is by one attribute that fire can do all these things, and that is heat. At this point we might suggest, that the one element or attribute by which God performs all things is Love. That’s what the Scriptures say (1 John 4:8). But Maimonides offers a different take on this. He concludes that God can do all the things He does, not because of one or a variable number of attributes, but simply because God, is God. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

She was born on March 18, 1789 in Clapham, England. Her grandfather was a pastor in Huddersfield. She was a bright young girl, inquisitive and self-motivated. Her interests led to her becoming a well-known portrait artist in the days when photography was not yet invented. She also had a great love for poetry and music, while dabbling in writing some poems. She was regarded as a brilliant and vivacious woman with a great future ahead of her, because of her strong imagination and well-cultured intellect. But then she began to suffer from some illness that started to rack her body with symptoms we know today as Muscular Dystrophy. As she became more feeble and unable to take care of herself and pursue her interests, she became more and more depressed. And with her depression she had less and less time for the God she thought had failed her. As she got older and less involved outside the home, not only did she deal with depression, but also the feeling that she was no longer worth anything to anyone. Her brother had become a pastor, and in 1834 when Charlotte was 45 years old, living now in Westfield Lodge, Brighton, England, he shared a plan he had conceived of building a school designed to give at nominal cost, a higher education to the daughters of poor clergymen, and call it St. Mary’s Hall. Everyone in Westfield Lodge was all excited about this project, and they all became involved morning and night in preparation for a large bazaar to raise money for this effort. That is, everyone except Charlotte. As a family friend would tell it, the night before the bazaar she was kept awake by distressing thoughts of her apparent uselessness, which transitioned easily into spiritual conflict until she questioned the reality of her whole spiritual life, and wondered whether it was anything but an illusion of the emotions, a fantasy ready to be sorrowfully dispelled. The next day Charlotte was feeling unusually depressed and alone. The other members of her family had gone off to the bazaar while she, an invalid and bedridden, remained at home sulking in self-pity. Later at a dinner party, a pastor from Geneva, Dr. Caesar Malan was there as a guest. As they talked, Dr. Malan noticed that Charlotte did not have much good to say about her Christian faith and her walk with God. As a matter of fact, she felt that because of her illness she had drifted away from her faith and relationship with God to the point of no return. Sensing the enormous burden weighing on her conscience, Dr. Malan said very compassionately, “Charlotte, go to God just as you are.” Charlotte looked at him somewhat incredulously and said, “Don’t I have to do better, make more progress, and improve more before I believe in the Lord Jesus?” Dr. Malan simply repeated this priceless phrase: “You must come to Him just as you are.” Later that night in her bedroom, she kept thinking of what Dr. Malan said, and decided to put her thoughts into words. Later she showed a friend what she had written, and he felt it was good enough to put into print.

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

When New England composer, William B. Bradbury saw the poem, he was inspired to write a musical score to these words. Before she died at the age of 82, Charlotte received thousands of letters from all over the world telling her how moved and blessed they were by these words. Had she not been sick or suffered for years as an invalid, Charlotte would have never written this poem that has been sung in thousands and thousands of churches and during evangelistic services, such as those of Billy Graham. The Holy Spirit would not have had these moving words to stir hearts and souls just as they are to fall at Jesus’ feet and accepting Him as their Lord and Savior. So the next time something gets you down, let it lift you up instead, as you remember that God can use you just as you are.

WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE –

The compilers of the Psalter continue collecting psalms that glorify God as the ruler of heaven and earth. They speak about a restoration of God’s power and presence in the midst of His people, giving them plenty to shout about and praise Him. Such a restoration took place when the exiles returned from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and renovate the broken-down temple. After all, God was their reason for existing and their reason for being who they were. The prophet Haggai tells us that Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and Joshua the high priest, were told how God planned to restore His glory. That was enough inspiration for one of the temple musicians to write this psalm of thanksgiving and praise.

“Sing a brand new song to the LORD Eternal as we celebrate the miracles and victories He has given us through His power! The LORD Eternal has proven Himself to be a mighty Deliverer, especially when unbelievers were watching to see if He stands up for those falsely accused. His undying love and blessed assurance for His children was at stake, because He wanted the world to see what a One True God He is. So let all believers around the world burst forth with joyful praise to the LORD Eternal. Yes, let us all sing hymns of praise to the LORD Eternal, as the music plays. Then let the cornets and trumpets announce the coming in the King, the LORD Eternal. Also let nature join in with the saints as they applaud the arrival of the LORD Eternal, when He comes to rule the earth. Yes, He is coming to rule and reign the whole world with fairness and justice.” Psalm 98:1-8

Reflection: In the 1980 Winter Olympics games at Lake Placid, N.Y., nobody gave the rag-tag group of U.S. amateur hockey players any chance of winning a gold medal. But through grit and determination they got to the finals against the mighty semi-professional Russian team. With the cold war at its peak, it gave the match a special meaning. The Americans fell behind the Russians early, but in the last period the U.S. captain scored the go-ahead goal. With the final second’s ticking off, all Americans saw the impossible become possible. People cheered in the streets, on sidewalks, in malls; jumping up and down in their homes, honking their car horns, and waving flags in celebration when the American team won in an unbelievable upset. If such a passing earthly event can bring this much joy, how much more will the coming of the King of Heaven to restore peace and justice throughout the world bring people to their feet, with hands raised and clapping to welcome Him! As exiles from heaven living in this world, we sometimes wonder if it will ever take place, but we have His promise that it will happen when the Messiah returns to rule and reign a thousand years. But we need not wait till that day arrives, we can start celebrating now the soon return of our coming King of Glory. One more thing to keep in mind: as recipients of the blessing for this event and beneficiaries of His arrival we must be citizens of His kingdom. Please make sure that your name is on the list in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

THE WILL TO DO HIS WILL –

After the new Tabernacle was erected in the wilderness, and all of the holy vessels were made as designed by the LORD, including the altars, oil lamps, Ark of the Covenant, and the Holy of Holies, Moses and Aaron went in to initiate worship services so the children of Israel could see and feel the presence of God Almighty. And when they emerged, the glory of the LORD appeared; fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering on the altar. When the people saw this they shouted for joy and fell face-down before the Tabernacle. It seems that Moses was so awestruck by what he witnessed, that with Miriam’s help he composed this psalm for future generations to sing about the day when the whole world will see the glory of the LORD.

“When the LORD Eternal comes to reign; every believer everywhere will give Him a ringing shout of praise! He will come carried by awesome clouds; honesty and justice will be His key principles of authority; surrounded by a consuming fire His enemies will surrender on all sides; bolts of lightning from His presence will light up the sky; the world will step back in awe at the sight of Him; mountains will melt like wax at the appearance of the LORD Eternal, our Heavenly Master; the sky will be illuminated by His majesty, and every nation will see His splendor. All those who worship images and pride themselves in their idols, will be humbled as all their deities fall over in front of Him. O LORD Eternal, believers everywhere will shout for joy because You did what You said You would do. That’s because, O LORD Eternal, you are the One True God of the universe; You stand above all other deities. Those who love the LORD Eternal hate evil; that’s why He guards their lives and will rescue them from the dominion of the evil-minded of this world. He gives understanding to whose wanting to live right, and joy to those with decent hearts. So rejoice in the LORD Eternal all of you who live by His Word; yes, give grateful praise at the mere mention of His name.” Psalm 97:1-12

Reflection: In northern Canada, Europe and Asia lives a small mammal called the ermine. Known for its wintry snow-white fur, it instinctively protects its white coat against anything that might soil it. Instead of setting traps, fur hunters take advantage of this unusual trait to catch it by finding its home, then smearing the entrance and interior with dirty grime. Once they let the dogs loose to chase the ermine down, it naturally flees toward its home, but refuses to enter because of the filth. Rather than soil its white coat it gets cornered and captured. In so doing, the ermine considers its purity more precious than life. What a wonderful illustration for believers who oft times when ridiculed and persecuted because of their holy way of living, to remain true to their convictions instead of choosing momentary protection by getting involved in some word or deed they otherwise would consider filthy and unclean, just to stop the hounding by unbelievers. We see this same principle in a prayer written many centuries ago that reads: “Lord, please make me an instrument of Your attributes. Let me share Your Divine Power by having great faith in You so that You can manifest Your Glory. Let me share Your Divine Wisdom, so that I may know You, so that I may live to do Your Divine Will and to serve You with great understanding of my brothers and sisters. Let me share Your Divine Love, so that I can truly love You as You deserve…Let me be a true reflection of Your attributes in everything that I think, speak and do. Let me see with Your eyes, let me speak with Your mouth, let me hear always Your Divine Word, let me work with Your hands, let me walk with Your feet so that I may live in Your Glorious Presence spreading joyfully Your Love everywhere I go physically and spiritually. Let me share Your Divine Spirit until I become one with You. Just remember, each time you are tempted to compromise, utter these words, “He’s coming soon!”

O FOR A THOUSAND TONGUES TO SING –

Many of the ideas expressed in this psalm can be found in the song Moses and Miriam wrote to honor God as Victor and Champion of Israel after crossing the Red Sea and being freed from Pharaoh and his army. Free to worship God without fear; free to express themselves in praise and adoration to the One True God. It has been observed that those who worship the LORD with the greatest enthusiasm and joy are those who have just been set free, whether for the first time or once again. But it can also serve as an anthem for believers everywhere to sing hymns to God as their Savior and Redeemer for their continued freedom. It also signals that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is King of Kings, and LORD of Lords.

“Everyone, everywhere, let’s sing a new song to the LORD Eternal! Shower praises on Him with hymns, and spread the good news of His salvation day after day! Tell how great He is and about all His miracles, especially to unbelievers. For the LORD Eternal is the greatest, and should be celebrated with enthusiasm; He is awesome; there is no other god like Him. Many nations are filled with worthless idols, but it was the LORD Eternal who created this universe. The power of His presence in His sanctuary is full of holiness and splendor, and it is demonstrated with strength and glory. So let every tribe and nation attribute to Him all the praise and glory He deserves with all your hearts! Yes, offer up to Him all the honor He is due because of who He is, in an offering of thanksgiving and praise! Get on your knees before the LORD Eternal since you stand on holy ground; yes, let everyone be in awe before Him as you tremble in His presence. Then go out and spread the word to every nation, ‘The LORD Eternal reigns!’ Indeed, what He has established cannot be altered, that’s why He will be impartial when He judges the nations. That’s enough to make the heavens rejoice and the earth be elated just thinking about it; even inhabitants of the islands of the sea will be ecstatic; so let everyone who lives in the countryside and everything around them be jubilant; and let the forest reverberate with joy when the LORD Eternal arrives. For He is coming! Yes, He is coming to rule the earth. And He will rule the earth and all its inhabitants with transparent honesty and sincerity.” Psalm 96:1-13

Reflection: Historians tell us that Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, once captured a Babylonian prince and his family. As they stood before him, the monarch asked the prisoner: “What will you give me if I release you?” “The half of all my wealth,” the prisoner replied. “And what will I get if I release your children?” asked Cyrus. “Everything I possess,” responded the prince. “And if I release your wife, asked the Persian King? “I will give you my life,” replied the captive. Cyrus was so deeply moved that he freed the prisoner and his whole family. Once they returned home, the prince said to his wife, “Isn’t King Cyrus a very handsome fellow?” With a look of deep love on her face, she said to him, “I didn’t notice. I could not take my eyes off of you—the one willing to give himself for me.” We see the same admiration for our Lord Jesus Christ who was willing to give Himself for our freedom expressed in Charles Wesley’s song; written on Wednesday, May 21, 1738, on the first anniversary of his being born again, “O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace!” This same sentiment was repeated 245 years later when David Binion felt inspired to write a new song to the same God for the same reason: “Glory to the Lamb, whose throne shall ever reign; God in the highest, worthy to merit our praise. O for a thousand tongues to sing praises unto Thee; O for a thousand hands to raise in honor to the King.” Both Wesley and Binion shared Moses’ enthusiasm over God’s greatness; His power, His mercy, His grace, and His forgiveness. It ought to make all of us want to sing a new song in honor of our Redeemer and soon coming King, each day as we stand in awe awaiting His arrival.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyzyo6HLKRI

HEARING, IS NOT ALWAYS LISTENING –

After leading the children of Israel through the wilderness for forty-years, Moses felt the need to write the Book of Deuteronomy so he could provide a synopsis of all the laws and commandments God had given in order for them to make it safely into the Promised Land. Some believe that he wrote this Psalm as an introduction when he presented the last book of the Torah for their study and compliance. As has been the case over the centuries, sometimes God’s people need to be reminded of what God said and what He has in store for all those who obey Him, and for those who do not.

“Come on everybody, let’s rise and give the LORD Eternal a standing ovation! Join me in giving a jubilant shout of praise to our Protector and Deliverer. Let us greet Him with thankful praise; yes, let us shout to Him in song! There’s no one like the LORD Eternal or greater than Him, for He is sovereign over all powers. From the deepest canyons to the highest mountains, all submit to His power. The sea and plains; He owns them all because He made them all. So let us come together and kneel before the LORD Eternal our Creator; for He is our One True God and we are the flock under His care. If people would just listen to what He says today: ‘Don’t become stubborn like some have done in the past, acting contentious and obnoxious; even though they witnessed the many miracles I did on their behalf. This went on for a long time until I got fed up with their hardheadedness, and concluded they wanted nothing to do with My way of doing things. That’s when I told them straight to their faces, they would never find contentment in this life acting that way’.” Psalm 95:1-11

Reflection: Josef Stalin, infamous dictator of Russia under communism, lay dying; plagued with terrifying hallucinations. Suddenly he sat halfway up in bed, clenched his fist toward the heavens as a sign of angry submission, fell back upon his pillow and died. His daughter, Svetlana Stalin, later explained the incredible irony of this scene at the end of Stalin’s life; that it stemmed from the fact that at one time he studied as a seminary student preparing for the ministry. But he became the product of the Age of Reason, which was the prevalent philosophy at that time, and cast aside his belief in God. As a result he developed a lethal hatred for all religion. It was on this basis that Vladimir Lenin chose Stalin and gave him a position of authority, which eventually led to Stalin’s rise to power. Stalin, which means “steel,” was not his real name. He was born Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvilli, but his contemporaries, who became subject to his unrelenting insistence in having things his way, gave him that symbolic name. Just imagine if Stalin had given the same steel-resolve to God, rather than to communism; what a fantastic and beneficial outcome the world might have seen. Instead of subjecting all the Jews and Christians, as well as fellow Russians who disagreed with him, to suffer torture, starvation, imprisonment and death, we might read how God used him to launch a great reformation. But here’s the irony, look at all the countries that once struggled under communism that brought such horrible persecution to millions, that are now turning back to God. On the other hand, many nations once known as bastions of Christianity and guaranteed religious freedom during that same era are now showing signs of falling for Stalin’s folly by rejecting God as sovereign. Will they be like the rebellious crowd who opposed Moses in the wilderness? Will they also forfeit their right to enter the heavenly Promised Land when they die? It behooves all of us not to harden our hearts, but to remain open and obedient to God’s will and purpose for our lives if we want to find the eternal contentment He promised to all who obey and are faithful until the end.

LET THE WINDS KEEP BLOWING –

There were many times and many reasons for Moses to become exasperated and fed up with how Pharaoh and the Egyptians were treating the children of Israel, to whom God had sent him to lead out of bondage and slavery from Egypt. Perhaps nothing hit him any harder and made his head spin any faster than when he saw how they scoffed at the signs and wonders God gave him to convince these heathens that he was the servant of the Most High God. That’s why Moses came to God out of desperation, seeking His guidance and strength. The one thing Moses wanted more than anything was to let God know that he believed deliverance would come just as He promised.

“O Sovereign God, our LORD Eternal, isn’t it time for You, our Heavenly Judge, to do something now to pay back these arrogant people what they deserve? Who knows how long they will keep celebrating and bragging with exaggerated claims of how they insulted and demoted Your children, O LORD Eternal, as well as terrorizing the widows, the visitors, and the orphans, then teasing everyone by saying, ‘Your LORD, the One True God of Jacob, can’t figure out what’s going on.’ But I ask these hooligans and mindless idiots, ‘Let’s see if you can figure this out, or maybe you’re just too dumb to see what’s really happening? Can the same God who created the eye and the ear not see and hear this? Do you really believe that the One who teaches what’s right and holds the scales of justice in His hand will not administer punishment for such foolishness?’ Believe me, the LORD Eternal understands what you’re up to, and that it is pointless and of no value. So LORD let everyone count their blessings if You are the One who governs their conscience; the One who teaches them through His Word so they will have peace of mind during times of stress, while waiting for the evil-minded to get caught at what they are doing. For the LORD Eternal will never forsake His people; no, He will never abandon those who depend on Him. He will see to it that the rules of honesty are enforced, and that all those who are decent in heart will live by them.” Psalm 94:1-15

Reflection: A well-known British hymn writer was traveling through Somerset County in southwest England when he arrived at Mendip Hills, through which ran the famous Cheddar Gorge. The rocky sides of the gorge rise some 370 feet on both sides, creating a deep ravine that’s hard to negotiate even on a good day. On this particular occasion a violent rain storm hit just as song writer Augustus Toplady was trying to pass through the gorge, so he quickly ran for cover under an overhanging rock. As he stood there waiting for the storm to subside, he felt inspired to write some words about what he was seeing and how he felt. So he pulled out a playing card and wrote the following words on the margin: “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; saved from wrath and make me pure.” While God did not keep the storm away just because He saw it might make Mr. Toplady’s journey difficult, He did offer him a place of safety until the storm passed by. It sounds as if Moses sought God for the same reason, and I believe he would not hesitate to join Mr. Toplady in singing these moving words. Perhaps they both can help us see that even though we ask God to quiet the storm and still the waves so it doesn’t rock our ship, the tempest might still go on. However, rather than get angry with God for allowing it to happen, we accept the care and place of protection He provides as a constant companion to those who remain faithful to Him.