Psalm 19:12-14 KJV
12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Let me start off that we do not have the ability to make ourselves pure before God. Only Jesus Christ can do that. But that should not diminish our desire to be pure before God.
Verse 12 clearly shows that on our own we cannot discern the impurities in our lives. We just can't figure out how much sin we may have. A prayer where we ask God to forgive us where we might have sinned doesn't quite help us in repenting - how do we turn away from something we are unaware of. Psalm 139:23-24 addresses this. Ask God to search your heart and thoughts to find what iniquity might be hiding there. But rely on Him.
Verse 13 is the cry for help in areas that we are aware that we are not strong in. If only we could cry out like this in all areas of our life. But I think you know what areas I mean: the place you go when you are frightened, tired, angry or hurt instead of going to the Father. The activities, thoughts and actions that you know sin against the Father. The things you justify to yourself and others, but know in your heart are not pleasing to God. Be like the psalmist and just give them over to God and seek Him for protection (Ps 46:1).
And finally in Verse 14 just ask God to help guard your heart and your mouth. The desire here is to let all your thoughts and words be pleasing to the Lord.
Yes, it is a tall order for us, but we know that with God all things are possible. And if we rely on Him and His strength, a pure and righteous life is possible.
Showing posts with label desire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label desire. Show all posts
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
My Rock and Salvation / The Right Source
My Rock and Salvation
Psalm 18:1-3
1 I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
More and more I desire for this to be my attitude. I just want to say that the Lord is my rock and my salvation.
The Right Source
Matthew 21:18-19
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
It's funny that this particular illustration involves a fig tree. Where was the fig tree first mentioned in the Bible? Well, it wasn't actually the tree, but the leaves. Adam and Eve used fig tree leaves to cover their nakedness due to their sin. We know these coverings were insufficient, because the Lord provided animal skins for coverings for Adam and Eve.
I guess this passage reminds me that Jesus is the only way that our sins can be covered. Everything we do to clean ourselves up is insufficient. And like the fig tree that Jesus cursed, those efforts are fruitless and will just wither away. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ and the work He did in His life and on the cross and now in our lives.
Psalm 18:1-3
1 I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
More and more I desire for this to be my attitude. I just want to say that the Lord is my rock and my salvation.
The Right Source
Matthew 21:18-19
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
It's funny that this particular illustration involves a fig tree. Where was the fig tree first mentioned in the Bible? Well, it wasn't actually the tree, but the leaves. Adam and Eve used fig tree leaves to cover their nakedness due to their sin. We know these coverings were insufficient, because the Lord provided animal skins for coverings for Adam and Eve.
I guess this passage reminds me that Jesus is the only way that our sins can be covered. Everything we do to clean ourselves up is insufficient. And like the fig tree that Jesus cursed, those efforts are fruitless and will just wither away. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ and the work He did in His life and on the cross and now in our lives.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Proper Love
Matthew 20:1-16
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Many times we see this passage talking about folks that accepted Jesus late in life as opposed to those that have spent a good bit of their lives following the Lord. So, it comes down that the ones following the Lord for the longer time don't find it fair because the "newer" Christians got to enjoy life longer before they had to submit to rules and regulations.
There is a flaw in that thinking though - it’s as though the thought is that the world has more to offer for the here and now than Jesus does. It also takes grace out of the picture. Plain and simple, if an "older" Christian is envious of a "new" Christian who was able to spend his life in debauchery, the "older" Christian pretty much has a love of the world and has let that love of the world hinder the fulfillment of the love of Christ.
1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Don't get blinded by what the world system tells us what is desirable and fun, but look to the Lord for your fulfillment and joy.
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Many times we see this passage talking about folks that accepted Jesus late in life as opposed to those that have spent a good bit of their lives following the Lord. So, it comes down that the ones following the Lord for the longer time don't find it fair because the "newer" Christians got to enjoy life longer before they had to submit to rules and regulations.
There is a flaw in that thinking though - it’s as though the thought is that the world has more to offer for the here and now than Jesus does. It also takes grace out of the picture. Plain and simple, if an "older" Christian is envious of a "new" Christian who was able to spend his life in debauchery, the "older" Christian pretty much has a love of the world and has let that love of the world hinder the fulfillment of the love of Christ.
1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Don't get blinded by what the world system tells us what is desirable and fun, but look to the Lord for your fulfillment and joy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
