Well, it's time for the West family to finish packing for our move to Arkansas. Last Sunday, June 6, was my last Sunday as a pastor. Of course, I will always be God's servant, ready to proclaim His truth to whoever whenever God gives opportunity. These devotionals will continue shortly after our arrival in AR on the 13th. Until then, stay faithful, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Beholding God's Glory

Moses sang, Exodus 15:11. Such is the sentiment in the second section of this psalm, Psalm 65:5-13. The first part of the psalm, Psalm 65:1-4, speaks of the blessings of being God’s child, and now that is reinforced with examples of God’s greatness and goodness. “By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness” (“working wonders”). Such deeds are not only evident to us, His children, but also to “they who dwell in the ends of the earth.” Even unbelievers “stand in awe of Your signs.” Sadly, though, they do not give God the glory. Yet, there is no denying the great power and benevolent goodness expressed by God throughout His creation. One day all men, even unbelievers, will bow before the throne giving God the praise and adoration He deserves from His creatures (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10-11). The unbeliever will be condemned by such a confession, for by then redemption is too late. For believers this will be a time long awaited when we receive not condemnation, but commendation, and that only because of God’s gracious work for and in us through Christ. So, believer, when your soul is troubled by what you see around you, take a deeper look, and discern God’s “awesome deeds” for His glory and your good.

Heavenly Glory for You!

Our passage today is from Psalm 65:1-4. When we come before God, both in the future, coming before His throne, as well as in the present, coming before Him and spirit, we do so in reverent awe, but also with praise to His name. When we became followers of Christ, we committed ourselves to His cause, and in so doing we seek to live our lives for that purpose. But we are often weak and frail, and we sometimes find ourselves falling short our calling, even sinning against our wonderful and majestic God. When we fail, Satan rejoices and rails accusations against us. Pay no heed, Christian, to the powerless purposes of the devil. For, in Christ we forgiveness and restoration. We need never fear losing our position before our heavenly Father. We who are His are so blessed to have chosen to dwell in His presence, and that for eternity. In Christ we can know true satisfaction that far surpasses anything this world has to offer. And, oh, the ultimate joy that awaits us when we see Christ face to face in all His glory, seated next to our glorious Father, beholding the beauty of it all, even as we too are fitted with glory befitting our position as His children.

The Most Feared Weapon

Today's blessing is from Psalm 64:1-10. There are many powerful weapons of war devised by nations to use against their enemies, powerful weapons to be feared. On a much smaller scale there are those who seek our harm, and they too might use weapons that can maim or kill. In many cases the weapon of choice used against us is not one we would typically associate with battle weaponry. David mentions “secret council,” “tongue,” and “speech;” weapons that can cause tremendous harm by a crafty wordsmith, or even a careless gossip. James wrote graphically of the dangers of the tongue, James 3:5-8. God, however, often traps such offenders with their own methods, which is what Psalm 64:7 indicates, when we look back at what was stated in Psalm 64:3. No one gets away with harming God’s child, so the enemies of God and His children are forewarned. Christians should never use this powerful weapon of the tongue in a destructive or hurtful manner, except to expose and destroy Satan’s lies. Otherwise, our words should be a blessing, even toward the unbeliever, and even, as much as is possible, blessing toward our enemies.

Clinging to God's Truth

Today we glory in Psalm 63:6-11.

Sometimes we have trouble falling asleep at night because we remember the troubles of the day, or are haunted by the thoughts of the past, or, and especially, we feel threatened by what tomorrow might bring. King David, that mighty warrior of old who possessed a fair amount of wealth, but especially possessed high position and reputation, had his own similar troubles. He was confronted with many enemies - kings of foreign nations, as well as those hungry for power in his own nation. David, like many of us, had plenty to keep him awake at night with a troubled soul. Notice how he dealt with such circumstances, he “remembered” his God and "meditated" on Him during those troubling times. David "clung" to God, that is He clung to God’s every word. David remembered God's promises, and he remembered truths about God's character, of His greatness and goodness, and he found solace in such truth. He replaced the lie of fantasy with the truth of God’s reality. Soon he found sleep and peace of soul. Christian, stop believing the lives of the world and of your own imagination by focusing on God's unshakeable truth.