Psalm 119:38

Normally I do not even have any electronics on while doing my devotions. But today is different. I had to stop where I was, turn on the computer, and proclaim my thoughts to all! They are too amazing to stay contained in my finite brain!

Confirm to Your servant Your promise, that You may be feared.

Such a short, sweet verse. It has profound thoughts in between the lines!

Confirm ~ to prove and establish. David is asking God to prove His words to be true again and again. If David can ask, I can too. I am finite and need constant confirmation that God is who He says He is.

Your Servant ~ the occupation we should all hold most dear and do our utmost best at. I thank God I am even allowed to be called His servant!

Your Promise ~ God's Word, the Bible. Everything that is contained in the Bible is straight from the heart of God. It is full of promises to those who love Him AND to those who do not love Him.

Feared ~ awe, reverence, and obedience. He is PERFECT in His goodness, righteousness, and justice. He WILL follow through with His every promise. That alone commands reverence and obedience because no one else can perform such a task!

Here is what is more amazing to me. I sat there looking at a book. It has pages and a binding with lots and lots of words. It is just a thing. Just another history book. All the stories in it are just stories we have to believe happened like all the rest of history. But there is ONE difference. The Author made some promises, and He keeps them to prove that He is God of the Universe! What other history book has one author who makes some promises throughout the stories he records and then is able to keep the promises? Human authors die. You can not keep promises when you're in the grave. That is exactly why the Bible is the Living Word. It is alive and active, being proven every day through creation, justice, and righteousness! We glean how to live a life of sanctification from it. What can we glean from other history books except stories and what NOT to do politically? Sure, all history is important. But the only history book we should master mentally and spiritually is God's Word. It is the only one that will change the course of our own personal history.

And another thing. Who am I to tell God "Confirm to Your servant Your promise"?? He is God. I am a sinful human. But that's just it. He doesn't mind at ALL proving Himself. When He proves Himself, it brings us to our knees in praise and glory of Him. He is our Friend, and friends prove their loyalty and love without even being asked -- that's part of what friendship is.

So keep going, Lord! Keep on confirming...and because You keep Your promises, I can promise YOU that someday, someday I will not need confirmation anymore...

Because I will see Your face.

Ecclesiastes 8:17

Then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.

Solomon, the wisest man that has ever lived. Wisdom straight from the Throne. And yet he writes, "...though a wise man attempts to know [God's work], he will not be able to find it." From ancient times until sin is abolished, we will NEVER understand how much praise, honor, glory, and awe God deserves. We will never understand just...

how BIG He is

how VAST His POWER

how DEEP His LOVE

how PERFECT His JUSTICE

how PURE His HOLINESS

how UNENDING His GRACE

...even how long this list could be! His ways are not our own, which saves us from the silliest mistake to an eternity in hell. An old hymn says:

Could we with ink the oceans fill and were the skies of parchment made. Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade. To write the love of God above would drain the oceans dry, Nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky.

Not to mention our hands would fall off before we were even done with the first page of describing Him!

Sadly, though He is wondrously unexplainable in all of His attributes, we still do not trust Him wholly, love Him fully, and follow Him completely. He holds the universe in one hand, and we can't even trust Him with tomorrow's schedule.

This just shows how MUCH sin has separated us from Him, how sick and blind our flesh is. We should be desperately scrambling to have even one moment with Him. We are so self-centered we think our devotions are for our own benefit. We feel obedient, refreshed, and accomplished. But we really should be meeting with Him daily for HIM...to give HIM glory and praise.

A peasant does not approach his King as an equal intending to have a simple conversation. He enters the throne room on his knees, head bowed, silent praise on his lips. He understands the vast gap between his poor, ragged self and the king's rich majesty. Just even being given a moment in the King's presence makes him give even more glory to the King. But when he leaves the throne room, does he...

~Live like he never visited the King?
~Boast to others about his privilege?
~Long for the day when he can see the King again and tries to tell others they can come too?

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of our King! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of our King? And who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to Him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory forever. Amen.

~Romans 11:33~

Remember that old children's prayer?

God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him...

...because He even lets us.

Ecclesiastes 8:11

Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

We are blind without Christ. We sin; and when there are no consequences, pride sets in (yet another sin). We think ourselves invincible, in control of all that pertains to our lives...we are "happy" because we get and do what we want. The longer consequences are not sown, the more we will continue to sin and even more so.

But God is just and righteous. He will judge all of us for our actions whether we receive judgment in life or death (or both). Verse 12 says, "...it will be well with those who fear God..." Obedience brings about freedom from punishment; and coupled with faith in Him, freedom from death to hell.

This verse is not specifically speaking about this next topic, but it is certainly an applicable principle for today. Parents would do well in correcting a child's disobedience. Children must learn early on what is right and what is wrong. They need to know that obedience is saving them from future pitfalls, everything from offending others in social settings to dying by way of a moving car in the street.

Proverbs 13:24 ~ He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

Proverbs 22:15 ~ Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.

Just as parents encourage children to learn their colors and numbers quickly, so should children learn right and wrong quickly. A rod is much quicker than simply saying "no" over and over again. However, the rod does not just involve physical correction. "Rod" should be defined as correction physically, teaching spiritually, and reconnecting lovingly. Physical correction must be fused with God's Word and parental love so the child understands it is not just the behavior that needs to be modified. A child is not truly corrected unless the heart is changed -- without the heart change, it is only behavior modification which leads to hypocrisy, resentment, and an eventual shift back to wrong behavior.

II Timothy 3:16-17 ~ All Scripture is profitable...for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Swift correction is not only beneficial for children, but also for us as their parents. It is a good reminder to parents of God's chastening love for us. It reminds us of how He had to be against His own Son. He did not delight in seeing His Son bear the sin of the world just as we do not delight in correcting our own children. Correction of our children should increase our love for the Father as we remember we are HIS children always in need of correction -- and yet His love never falters because it is perfect. We should thank Him for correction because it (should) produce holiness in us as we become more like His Son.

Swift correction also benefits parents by producing a well-behaved child. As our children become more behaved, we will be able to rest from always correcting them.

Proverbs 22:6 ~ Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 29:17 ~ Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul.

John MacArthur has several notes that sum it up perfectly...

Notes on Proverbs 13:24 ~ Early childhood teaching requires both parental discipline, including corporal punishment, and balanced kindness and love. There is great hope that the use of the "divine ordinance" of the rod will produce godly virtue and parental joy. Such discipline must have the right motivation and appropriate severity. One who has genuine affection for his child, but withholds corporal punishment, will produce the same kind of child as a parent who hates his offspring.

Notes on Proverbs 22:6 ~ There is only one right way, God's way, the way of life. That way is specified in great detail in Proverbs. Since it is axiomatic that early training secures lifelong habits, parents must insist upon this way, teaching God's Word and enforcing it with loving discipline consistently throughout the child's upbringing.

Lest my readers think I am heavy on the behavior modification side, that is only because words can not even contain how much more important it is for children to first and foremost come to know Christ as their Savior. Yes, we parents can force improved behavior; but only Christ can save them from their disobedient hearts. Only He can provide a heart that will permanently and righteously alter their behavior. I pray earnestly that my children will follow His way.

I want them to know that my way IS His way.

Encouragement

I had a hard day last week. Hard emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Judah was fussy and tired. I was fussy and tired. The sun wasn't shining. And I was desperate for some encouragement.

I got it from reading in Psalms. In one of my Bibles, I have highlighted in yellow verses that are uplifting to me. That way I can flip through and read all of them at a glance when I am desperate for a drink of Water.

I happened upon one verse that was near a highlighted one.

I will set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. -Psalm 16:8

How many days to I set Him continually before me? The key word for me is CONTINUALLY. If He really is my First Love, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Friend...should I not be always thinking of Him. Should He not be the motivation behind every word, thought, and deed?

If I am at His feet every day learning of Him and from Him, how often would I have shaken days?

If my mind is continually stayed on the eternal, how often would I be irratable and frustrated with people and situations? With myself?

I am still working on memorizing Psalm 119:33-40, but this passage will be next for sure! Don't you wish you could know everything all at once? Praise the Lord that heaven is coming!

I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

~Psalm 16:7-11