The Psalmist’s questions beg the answer, “No one.” How can we number the glorious actions of our God? He is omnipotent and eternal. Who knows what He has done, is doing, or will do? A list of these miracles would needs be infinite too. And how can we ever praise Him adequately? Our lives are too brief and our lungs too small to worship Him long and loudly enough. Yet, in Jesus’ name, we will have eternity to try.
There is a type of idol that is unseen, but is just as surely built and worshiped in the human heart. This idol of the heart comes between us and God. Those elevated to leadership must recognize their particular vulnerability to this type of idolatry. These idols are not made with wood nor stone, but with a prideful lust for power and position. It causes a kind of religious self-delusion and makes us susceptible to sin. It makes our prayer life ineffective. Remove the thing that has stolen your heart and taken first place ahead of loving God. Repent and make the Lord your first love, so that you might know God’s forgiveness and experience fellowship with Him in prayer!
Self aggrandizement is unwise. If you praise yourself, others will not only remain silent, they will think you immodest. Praise from a friend is good and praise from a stranger better still. An even greater tact is to humble yourself, so that the Lord Himself might lift you up (James 4:10).
The author of Hebrews explained that the basic teachings about Christ had to be covered again with them, because they were not growing in their understanding of God’s Word. There are believers like this in every generation. They receive the Word, but don’t grow in it. Hebrews does not question their belief, but it does accuse them of spiritual dullness and failure to listen to God’s Word. People who don’t grow in God’s Word are subject to every wind of doctrine and false teaching. Like spiritual babes they only want milk and not the meat of Christian teaching. They are encouraged to grow up in their understanding, so that God’s Word affects their discernment of right and wrong.
Jesus is our Great High Priest. He is well acquainted with all of our “weaknesses” because he has experienced them too. Therefore, we can pray with boldness in the Name of Jesus, knowing that he understands and will represent us before the Father. Jesus has opened the way for us, so that we can receive mercy and grace from God. He is our Great Advocate and Perfect Sacrifice because he became like us, yet without sin. We pray knowing that he hears and understands us.
When God gave a word to Ezekiel, he was instructed to apply it to his “own heart first,” before sharing it with other people. This is still the best instruction for those that would answer the call to be preachers and teachers of God’s Word. They should always first apply it to their own hearts and lives before delivering it to others. The preacher or teacher who does this will find their hearts set afire for the task. And will remove much of the risk of seeming hypocritical in application. Let the word “sink deep” in you before telling others!
Receiving Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sins we are made children of God. This faith transaction changes our status in at least three ways: 1) Holiness – Christ took our sin upon Himself offering His righteousness in return. 2) Life – Christ took our death, so we might have eternal life. 3) Adoption – Christ was forsaken by the Father, so that we might be adopted as children of God. Christ died to accomplish this and He arose, so that He might lead us into this salvation. Receiving salvation our status is changed forever. And Jesus is “not ashamed” to call us His own.
The prophet Jeremiah cried out to God for the lost city of Jerusalem, and for his own homelessness and suffering. Yet, in the midst of this sorrowful lament, Jeremiah looked to God for his inheritance. Rather than look to worldly things, he looked to the Lord Himself as his reward. Jeremiah’s hope was in God. We can know this hope. And we can know it with even better understanding because of Christ. We can set our hope fully on Jesus (1 Pet. 1:13).
David understood something about God’s “love and justice.” He had learned both the loving mercy and the holy righteousness of God. Some today would view God with an “either/or” perspective. They “either” focus too much on God’s love, making Him a saccharine sweet, permissive push-over grandparent with a white beard (like Santa). “Or” they see an angry judge who is to blame for every war, disease, terrorist attack and natural disaster that befalls us. However, the Lord’s character is not simply “either/or,” but “both/and.” He is “both” full of love “and” holiness. The two traits are fully and equally His. Certainly the greatest revelation of God’s love and justice is seen in the cross of Christ. It was God’s great love that sent His Son and God’s great holiness that was satisfied by Christ’s sacrifice. At the cross we see God’s love and justice intersect.
Be careful not to judge those who are lost as if you are better than they. Remember that God saved us not according to us, but according to Jesus. We have not earned salvation, nor are we able to work at keeping it. It is the mercy and grace of God which is revealed in Christ Jesus that both saves and keeps us. For we were once lost and dead in our sins too, but now we are washed clean and made alive spiritually because of Christ. So, stop judging others and stop judging yourself too. Rest in Christ’s finished work. Announce to everyone you meet this Good News of God’s grace and mercy that is found in Christ alone.