Psalm 139:17 - April 24, 2010

Ps 139:17 "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" NIV

Do you value the thoughts of God? David understood the nature of inspired thought. Except for those moments in his life when he lost focus and his eyes turned to earthly things David lived before God in a consistent life of worship. Moved by the Spirit of God, he wrote this amazing collection of Psalms that not only contain the memoirs of a rich life of worship, they equally contain a consistent flow of inspired, prophetic statements that point both to the coming Messiah and a diversity of end-time events that have shaped Christian thought and insight for thousands of years.

As a worshipper, David displays a clear understanding of the difference between his own human thought and those times when he is living in a God directed flow of revelatory thinking. He knew God’s searching hand. He knew divine direction. He understood what it was to be chastised by the Spirit of God and he embraced the correction and instruction of the prophetic vessels that God had placed strategically around him. He knew the ways of God as revealed in the Torah, the book of God’s laws and ways. And throughout his life He demonstrated a commitment to living by those words as an expression of God’s thoughts concerning Him. He not only accepted them as principle, but as personal! He embraced the word of the Lord as God’s thoughts concerning HIM!

In 2 Sam 7:20-22 he confesses to the Lord, "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant. 22 "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD!” And when tempted by his followers to kill King Saul and take the throne prematurely it is David’s love for the word that holds him steady before God as he accepts the season of waiting and refining that shaped him into who he is to become.

David lives his life cherishing the thoughts of God! This is the power of his life. The fact that David lets the word of God be his guide is reflected in the fruit of what he passes on to his son Solomon who wrote in Prov 6:23 “…these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life.” Throughout his life it was consistently recorded of David that he “inquired of the Lord.” He didn’t want to live out of his own wisdom or his own will. He understood that his life was an extension of God’s greater purposes in the earth and for the most part he consistently demonstrated a submission to the thoughts of God in his pursuit of personal and national direction.

May the Lord give each one of us this same revelation of our connectedness to God’s greater purpose and His desire to have relationship with us. As we esteem His thoughts, seeking them earnestly as David did, we can be confident that He will draw near and open our understanding to receive what has already been freely given. The scriptures declare in Col 2:2-3 that in Christ are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Paul also continues elsewhere in 1 Cor 2:16 by saying to us “…we have the mind of Christ.” These things are already ours and are available to those who will let the thoughts of God become their precious treasure! Esteem the thoughts of God as the essential ingredient to a successful and satisfied life and you will find that He is already waiting for you!

Mark 6:32-34 - April 23, 2010

Mark 6:32-34 “So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” NIV

Do you know how to respond to unpredictable or undesirable circumstances? Jesus had a goal of providing a few moments of rest for his disciples. He has loaded them up on a boat to take them away to a solitary place so that they can recover a bit from their first efforts as advance teams who would go before Jesus into the towns and villages. They had returned with great success but weary from the work. As a result Jesus is taking them away to a quiet place, or so He intended!

Even the most well meaning plans sometimes find resistance from reality! Jesus’ goal of some quiet time for his team is not to be fulfilled. The closest thing to a few minutes of rest that they get is their time in the boat! (Or could this have been the quiet place that Jesus was referring to!) The crowds who observe Jesus and His team leaving on the boat not only watch what they are doing as they leave on the boat, they are so desperate to be with Him that they go ahead of the boat and are waiting with an even larger crowd at the spot of the landing! Jesus’ plans for rest are now interrupted by an even greater sense of need.

Many people would be offended at an unannounced interruption of their plans for a time of rest and quietness. Jesus’ reaction to this interruption is a picture of the compassion of God. Jesus is never demonstrates any frustration nor sense of inconvenience as He reviews this growing crowd of desperate people. They are all looking for the miraculous in Him. They are all searching for the wisdom in His words! And His heart is moved with compassion. Recognizing their condition Jesus’ heart is deeply moved with compassion. He sees them as “sheep without a shepherd” and as a result responds with a shepherd’s heart!

After considering the situation Jesus wastes little time in making the most of this unplanned opportunity. It is inspiring to observe that He not only takes the opportunity to teach the crowd many things. His response to this invasion of His privacy is also a lesson for His disciples. This is leadership training 101! How to recognize an opportunity even when you aren’t wanting one! Jesus demonstrates flexibility, responsiveness, compassion and more as He turns an intrusion into not just a token teaching time before returning to the boat and leaving them behind, verse 34 says that He began teaching them many things! Can you see past your inconvenience to the opportunities that are coming your way!

Mark 6:30-31 - April 22, 2010

Mark 6:30-31 “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." NIV

Do you place a value on rest!? The Apostles have tasted of ministry on their own. They have now returned from having been sent out by the Lord into the region to preach the gospel in the towns and villages where Jesus would soon visit and they are full of excitement. In their zeal they all share with Jesus the great things that the Lord has done through them. And what is the Lord’s response? “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest!”

What a powerful invitation from the Lord! Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place. Jesus sees the work that these men have done and the weariness that hangs over them and invites them to come away. The Lord’s wisdom and compassion are visible in this little passage of scripture. Jesus knows that the greatest gift He can give to His disciples after this intense season of ministry is a time of rest, a time of quietness.

It is thought provoking to see that He does not get into hype or cheerleading at this seemingly opportune moment. The typical sports coach might see this time of great victory as an opportunity to fan the flames of excitement. He might seize upon their fresh victory to stir them to even greater heights. “Come on boys, let’s take the next hill!” But no, Jesus does not lead them down a path of running on pure emotion that goes beyond their natural strength. What is evident here is that Jesus understands the nature of working for the long haul instead of the short term. Jesus is seeking to build something that lasts for years to come not something that will burst with excitement for a season and then burn out.

The human body has a unique capacity to run on its adrenaline even when the body itself is fatigued and failing. It is insightful to recognize that Jesus does not take advantage of this for His own gain. He tells His men “it’s time to come away.” No speeches, no cheerleading, only a call to rest and quietness. Jesus values those who work for Him. This should be a message to every servant of the Lord and every leader of others. Make room for rest. Taking care of yourself and those who serve you should be esteemed as a priority in our walk with God. Yes there are times in our walks with God that we find it necessary to press through and get the job done or respond to the pressing needs of the moment. But those times should not go on indefinitely. Yes, it is clear that in this case with Jesus their goal of some rest is interrupted by the pressing of the crowds and Jesus’ compassion on them, but His intention was clear… steward yourself and your workers by making time for quietness and rest.

Mark 6:26-29 - April 21, 2010

Mark 6:26-29 “The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.” NIV

When sin finally catches up to us most people are not ready to pay! King Herod was no different in this passage. Here he is…he is on display. He has dinner guests. He has provided entertainment in the form of exotic dancing and everyone is impressed so now the king makes a thoughtless promise in front of all of his dinner guests to the woman who has danced for him. It is this promise that becomes a snare to him.

Herod is obviously trying to impress his dinner guests. And now this pride becomes the open door for his previous sins to take advantage of him. Pride is often the snare that entraps us. Herod is not thinking about the possible requests that this woman may make of him. His attention is fully turned towards continuing the show by displaying his own generosity to his guests by the promise that he makes. This pride, however, becomes the opportunity that sin has been waiting for.

This same snare has captured many victims over the years. The words of our own mouths, spoken in pride become a trap that our own pride prevents us from escaping. Herod is now on the spot! He cannot refuse whatever this girl asks of him now that he has spoken so arrogantly and publicly. The cost of refusal would now be as great as the cost of fulfilling his promise. But that cost proves to be very great!

Herod has sought to preserve John because of this strange mixture that has developed in his life. Herod has enjoyed listening to John but not obeying what he has been teaching. He has enough fear of God not to have John killed but not to surrender his life to the truth that John is speaking. But at the same time John’s words have awakened the hatred of the woman with whom Herod is sinning. This woman happens to be the mother of the young dancer who has found favor with Herod. Once again, sin is using the back door to exact its costly toll! The wicked deed that the woman Herodias cannot manage to accomplish directly is now within her grasp through the favor that has fallen upon her daughter.

Herod is trapped. The daughter of Herodias asks for John’s head on a platter, a gift that Herod is loathe to give, but his oath in front of his dinner guests now means either public humiliation because he does not keep his word or else he must fulfill this request. Sin always leaves us with only bad options to choose from if we are unwilling to humble ourselves and repent! Eventually everyone must pay!

Psalm 90:17 - April 20, 2010

Ps 90:17 "May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us — yes, establish the work of our hands." NIV

Sometimes little prayers have a big impact and this passage is one of those times! This verse revolves around two simple principles of intercession and prayer. The psalmist understands the need for the favor of God to rest on a person’s life! The ministries of Samuel in II Sa. 2:26 and both Jesus and John the Baptist in the gospels were marked by the favor of God and in each case their lives displayed both the revelation of God and the impact of His attention and favor upon the power of their public ministries. Each ministry was marked by a clear word of revelation from heaven and each ministry carried a deep place of impact upon the hearts of men as they spoke an authoritative word that flowed out of a place of hearing and intimacy not theoretical principles.

Throughout the pages of scripture a few of the distinctions of the favor of God being upon a life would include: the Lord teaching us His ways, the Lord’s presence accompanying His servants, the favor of people coming by the hand of God, and the voice of the Lord speaking into the life of the Lord’s servants. Psalm 5:12 even describes the favor of the Lord as being as though the Lord has surrounded us with a shield. Many passages throughout the Old Testament record the people of God crying out to Him for His favor to be upon them. It seems that in today’s church there is a need for a fresh understanding of the benefit of asking the Lord for His favor to rest upon us.

The second prayer point found in verse 17 of psalm 90 is concerning the works of our hands. The psalmist understands that it is God who makes us successful. Have you ever labored at something intensely only to see it bear little or no fruit, or even to have it cost you in the end rather than to bring blessing. It is the Lord who establishes and causes to flourish. Sometimes we as His people take for granted the assumption that we will be blessed and forget our responsibility to labor with God through asking for His power and wisdom to establish our works. Every venture that we undertake for the Lord should be bathed in prayer not clothed in presumption! It is God’s desire to bless and to increase us through our God directed labors but His word also clearly says that we have not because we ask not and when we do ask we are asking with selfish motives. God invites us to partner with Him through a life of prayer and obedience to His commands and two of the simplest and yet most profoundly impacting prayers that we can pray are for God’s favor to be upon us and for Him to establish our works! Do it today!

Mark 6:21-25 - April 19, 2010

Mark 6:21-25 “Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." 23 And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom." 24 She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?""The head of John the Baptist," she answered. 25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter." NIV

Be certain that the consequences of sin will catch up to you eventually! This passage is dynamic proof that sin is patiently seeking an opportunity against you. When we hold sinful behaviorsclose in our hearts we may think that we are in control. We may feel like we are not in danger. But this passage shows the opportunistic nature of sin. In Gen 4:7 the Lord is teaching Cain about the power and cunning of sin. He says to Him “…if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Consider such straightforward advice. “Sin desires to have you!”

Sin is persistent in its deceptive ways. The Lord tells Cain that sin desires to have him. It is working to tear down the life of every person who will give it opportunity. Herod thinks that he is in control of his adulterous relationship. What he doesn’t know is that behind the scenes this evil woman is conspiring to have her way. Herod has been living in a very double-minded manner as he continues in sin and yet protects John the Baptist and even enjoys listening to him. However, Herodias the wife of his own brother that he has taken for himself hates John. When her daughter finds favor with the king for dancing before his guests she uses that favor that he has given publicly to ensnare him.

Herod has his guard down and exposes an open door of opportunity that allows this woman to manipulate the circumstances to get what she wants. This is the nature of sin. It hovers around the edges of our lives, probing for any door that we have left open. Seldom does it attack us directly. It waits until our guard is down and then seeks opportunity through those areas of our lives that we have not stewarded properly. Herod is now caught in a trap of his own making. He has tried to have his life both ways, partitioning his life into the openly sinful and the reverent part that still values the voice of the prophet, but it is only a matter of time before the sin that he makes room for finally destroys the voice of godliness that has been speaking to him.

Each one of us must beware the danger of holding the door open to sin. We may say that we love the Lord. We may make time to listen to his voice even. But if on the other side of our life’s values we are reserving a place for continued sin then it is just a matter of time before sin presses out the love for God through the pain of compromise. Jesus said that “no man can serve two masters,” and this is a powerful truth. Eventually we will love one and hate the other and if we have chosen to make room for sin willingly in our lives the voice of God will soon be overpowered by that mixture that we leave in our hearts.