Singing with the King (30) – The Whole Earth

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (Psalm 98:3b)

God could have done a quiet work of salvation, He did after all, chose a small, even insignificant, people, in a remote part of the planet. They had many huge and notable empires nearby: Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, etc. But there was tiny Israel, always with another conqueror breezing through, and making them a (remote and inconsequential) part of an “intergalactic” empire. But one of the reasons God chose a small people was to ensure that they would never (try though they must) get the credit for their salvation. This salvation was very much a God-thing, and must not be confused for anything else. So when All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God, they were seeing the salvation of our God.

Now the question needs to be asked: Why? If this was an “Israel only” to-do, why should all the earth see it.

Well, Israel may have been God’s Chosen people, but all earth’s peoples were made by Him—all had His image stamped upon them.

There were those who were aliens who would recognize that the God of Israel was indeed the Lord of all. In the context of this Psalm, it was because they had seen the salvation of our God.

The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. ( Lev 19:34)

So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19)

God had spoken to Israel on many occasions, reminding them they too were aliens; Perhaps the greatest thing about the New Covenant—all of us aliens can now draw close to the Lord God through the shed blood of Jesus.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

After all, We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

Singing with the King – Intentional Prayer (1)

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I was crying to the Lord with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. – Psalm 3:4

This isn’t so much a psalm as it is an invite. Starting February 1st, you will be able to join me in a Facebook event on Prayer called: 28 Days to More Intentional Prayer. And as you might guess, it is running through the month of February.

You an find it at: www.theintentionallife.com/facebook. And click on EVENT

Singing withthe King (29) – Peaceful Sleep

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In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

Sleep Safely

When the kids were little, we used to do a lot of camping. Nothing fancy, just a little dome tent and sleeping bags. We were camping in a park in Texas in the early fall, and as was often the case, we got there late and set up in the dark. Sometime in the middle of the night, the wind started the blow, the limbs were creaking, and small branches were falling to the ground. I got up to consider our situation, whether or not to put the kids in the car. By then the wind was really bending the trees.

As I crawled back into the tent, I saw how peacefully our kids were sleeping, and that’s when I remembered the above verse. So I followed their example, prayed a quick thank you, and went back to sleep.

This particular Psalm does not provide a whole lot of insight into David’s condition, although there is mention of those who seek to ruin his reputation. But in the previous Psalm, David’s situation is much more perilous: I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. (Psalm 3:5-6)

Are you willing to be so vulnerable, as to sleep in the Lord’s care, while surrounded by enemies? Can you trust Him that much? That’s a pretty big ask, so you may want to start small, like: “Give us this day our daily bread”. But as you learn to lean on Him and trust Him, you will discover with the Psalm writer: He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:3, 4) He’s watching over you. So go ahead—sleep; rest. You’re safe.

Singing with the King (28) – One Thing: (4) Practice

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One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD. (Psalm 27:4)

praying on knees5 One thing. This is a very unifying approach to life, to faith—to whatever. The Hebrew text could actually say: One one I have asked. It may sound redundant, but think about it. Life is filled with one things that we must do, that need our attention. But what is the one One? Or should I say, Who is the only One. Four areas of your life will be changed forever by making the Lord, The One: Priority, Perspective, Purpose, and Practice.

Practice:

To love the LORD with all your Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength radically changes your words and your works.

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. (Psalm 5:3)

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:1-2)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually. (1 Chronicles 16:10-11)

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:17)

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart. (1 Peter 1:22)

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. (1 John 3:18)

Your practice must be all-inclusive, all-encompassing, and completely and utterly permeated by and transformed by the Truth. How you pray, how you worship, how you serve, how you work, how you live, and how you love, must be done with a whole heart, and with all your mind, soul and strength. Your practice must reflect Him, and glorify Him. There must be no doubt to Whom you belong; for your actions should be crying out: All that I am belongs to Christ! All that I do, I do because of Christ! For our hearts, our minds, and our works, He is the One one-thing.

Singing with the King (27) – One Thing: (3) Purpose

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One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD. (Psalm 27:4)

Men greeting sun One thing. This is a very unifying approach to life, to faith—to whatever. The Hebrew text could actually say: One one I have asked. It may sound redundant, but think about it. Life is filled with one things that we must do, that need our attention. But what is the one One? Or should I say, Who is the only One. Four areas of your life will be changed forever by making the Lord, The One: Priority, Perspective, Purpose, and Practice.

Purpose:

To Love , Obey and Glorify; and unto Salvation…

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? (Deuteronomy 10:12)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-5)

For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

By the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. (2 Timothy 1:8-9)

We have been given a new purpose. We are no longer to look unto our own things, rather we are to look to Jesus. The Sovereign Lord and Creator of the universe has called us to obedience and good works; to fear, glorify and worship Him only. To become like Christ is possible because we have the mind of Christ, and we have His Spirit dwelling within. Indeed, we have for the first time life, not just existence. And with that new life comes new purpose.

Singing with the King (26) – One Thing: (2) Perspective

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One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD. (Psalm 27:4)

One thing. This is a very unifying approach to life, to faith—to whatever. The Hebrew text could actually say: One one I have asked. It may sound redundant, but think about it. Life is filled with one things that we must do, that need our attention. But what is the one One? Or should I say, Who is the only One. Four areas of your life will be changed forever by making the Lord, The One: Priority, Perspective, Purpose, and Practice.

Perspective:

New Heart, New Eyes, New Perspective

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ (John 16:13-15)

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:10-16)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7)

For too long we’ve adopted an incorrect perspective; looking at life from the underside with earthly eyes, rather than from the topside with spiritual eyes. We have been given the mind of Christ, and we need to see us as He sees us. And we need to see the world as He sees the world. Unfortunately, our thinking dwells upon too much on the wrong things and not enough on the One Thing. Follow David’s lead. Change your your perspective. You’re seated with Him in the heavenly places–right now.

Singing with the King (25) – One Thing: (1) Priority

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One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD. (Psalm 27:4)

At the Cross Out of all the myriad of choices that one can make, there really is only one. When all of our excuses, questions, posings, musings, debates, and complaints are exhausted, we are left with one inescapable truth: there is none other to whom we can turn; none other who can deliver and protect us; none other who can love and care for us; for You alone are God. (Nehemiah 9:6) And to deny this places our eternal soul in peril, and places us in opposition to God, rather than in His care.

David understood this; that is why his desire was to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD.

One thing. This is a very unifying approach to life, to faith—to whatever. The Hebrew text could actually say: One one I have asked. It may sound redundant, but think about it. Life is filled with one things that we must do, that need our attention. But what is the one One? Or should I say, Who is the one One. Four areas of your life will be changed forever by making the Lord, The One: Priority, Perspective, Purpose, and Practice.

Priority:

Not only Putting God First, but Only

You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3)

The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all it contains, You have founded them. (Psalm 89:11)

I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God. (Isaiah 45:5)

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

“The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ (Mark 12:29-30)

We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. (Hebrews 12:2)

Here’s where it all starts. There is no doubt Who our priority must be. He must be the One one-thing. To have God as our priority places our life within the proper context—we are where we were made to be. To have God as our priority puts Him where He is to be: Alpha and Omega, both in nature and in relationship.

Singing with the King (24) – The Ways of the Lord

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For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. (Psalm 18:21)

Walking On Road For us to keep the word of the Lord requires commitment, it requires the heart as well as the mind; is that not the nature of obedience? Two verses to put this into the proper context:

Jesus answered, “the foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God is one LORD, and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and all your mind, and all your strength.’” (Mark 12:29-30)

If you love Me, you’ll keep My commandments. (John 14:15)

After reading that previous verse, it should be obvious what it is we are to keep, if we do indeed love the Lord. And in this Psalm, David kept the ways of the LORD.

Some of the definitions of the way, are path, journey, direction, manner, habit, course of life, and moral character. Do you see how this is so much more than simple obedience? Indeed, keeping or walking in His way defines us: how we think, what we think, what we do, our attitudes, our perception, our character, our ambition; indeed our very lives. Why is that? Consider the radical change that has taken place within us:

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions. (Colossians 2:13)

For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light. (Ephesians 5:8)

You have been radically transformed from death to life, from darkness to light. Go out there and live Christ, and light up the lives around you!

Singing with the King (23) – Ends of the Earth

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All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. ( Psalm 98:3b)

You are Here

God could have done a quiet work of salvation, for He chose a small, even insignificant, people, in a remote part of the planet. They had many huge and notable empires nearby: Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, etc. But there was tiny Israel, always with another conqueror breezing through, and making them a (remote and inconsequential) part of an “intergalactic” empire. But one of the reasons God chose a small people was to ensure that they would never (try though they must) get the credit for their salvation. This was very much a God-thing, and could not be confused for anything else. So when All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God, they were seeing the salvation of our God.

Now the question needs to be asked: Why? If this was an “Israel only” to-do, why should all the earth see it.

Well, Israel may have been God’s Chosen people, but all earth’s peoples were made by Him—all had His image stamped upon them.

There were those who were aliens who would recognize that the God of Israel was indeed the Lord of all. In the context of this Psalm, it was because they had seen the salvation of our God.

The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. ( Leviticus 19:34)

So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19)

God had spoken to Israel on many occasions, reminding them they were aliens; Perhaps the greatest thing about the New Covenant—all of us aliens can now draw close to the Lord God through the shed blood of Jesus.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

After all, We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

Singing with the King (22) – Too Wonderful

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Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it. (Psalm 139:6)

mountain sun2

So, what knowledge is too wonderful for David; so high that he cannot attain it? Well, everything he said in the first five verses:

The LORD has searched and known; He understands, He scrutinizes and is intimately acquainted; He surrounds him, and has laid His hand upon him.

All these actions of the LORD have to do with David’s character, his everyday actions, his thoughts, his directions, his life, his words, and his relationship with the Lord.

If we even had a glimpse of what it means to understand—or rather not understand—all this, how would we respond? Would we not cry out as David, it is too wonderful, it is too high, I cannot attain it?

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and the Gentiles foolishness. (1 Corinthians 1:22-23) What are you searching for? Are you searching for wisdom and understanding? Those are indeed good things, but they are only a means to an end. If they are your goal, then you have stopped short.

Searching for wisdom and understanding is not just a Greek thing, it is a Western thing. We want to understand the genome and the cosmos; the brain and the mind; the beginning of things and the end of things. But David has looked beyond that, or maybe behind that, and has found The One Who is beyond measurement, beyond our understanding, and yet has called us to know Him.

We have been called to pursue The One is too wonderful and too high. Is that a task which will lead to frustration and failure? No, rather it puts life into context; His context. Life is big, the universe is huge, creation is awesome; but the God who created all this and sustains all this is way beyond even that. This is no fool’s errand; rather, it is the pursuit and the privilege of a lifetime, of an eternity, of which we will barely scratch the surface, but we will know enough that we are loved beyond measure, by a God who is beyond measure.