Saturday, January 21, 2023

 OUR FATHER WHO SETS US FREE

From Psalm 142 

I pour out my heart

I cry aloud to You

I lift my voice for mercy Lord

For what I'm going through


When my spirit grows faint within me

It's you who guards my way

You set me free from my prison Lord

That I may praise your name




Friday, January 20, 2023

 OUR FATHER WHO REMAINS THE SAME

( From Psalm 102 )

You release the captives and those condemed

And so be praised by people not yet created

You remain the same, Your years will never end 

Forever You'll be worshipped in Jerusalem


You Lord are enthroned forever

Your name will be feared by all nations

The kings of the earth Your glory will revere

You will be renown for all generations




Thursday, January 19, 2023

OUR FATHER WHO INVITES THE RIGHTEOUS TO DWELL NEAR HIM

Psalm chapter 15 verses 1 - 5 ( 9 - 11) says this;

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?

The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

In the 15th Psalm, the psalmist asks the Lord who would be the people who would be residents in His household and who would have homes located on the Lord's holy mountain, Mount Zion. 

The psalmist continues on to list the attributes of those who would be welcomed into heaven to reside in the household of God and dwell on His holy mountain.

They will be those who do what is right and who are honest. These are the people who guard their tongues and do no wrong to those around them.

They avoid those who engage in depravity but give honor to those who submit to God. If they make a vow, they keep it even if upholding the vow hurts them. They refuse to rescind the vow.

They lend money to the poor at no interest and they do not take a bribe to tip the scales against the innocent.

Those who are brought by the Lord to be His close neighbours in heaven are those who cultivate honesty, fairness, generosity, integrity in their lives.

Amen.



Wednesday, January 18, 2023

OUR FATHER WHO MADE AN ETERNAL SACRIFICE ONCE AND FOR ALL

Hebrews chapter 9 verse 14 says this;

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! 

This verse describes the efficacy and the excellency of the blood of Christ. The unblemished sacrifice, offered to God by Christ through the eternal Spirit, has the power to cleanse our consciences so that the guilt of our sins in the flesh which lead to death, is washed away and we are able to serve God.

The verse also shows how the once-and-for-all sacrifice far exceeds the sacrifice of goats and bulls and heifers that were prescribed under the old covenant which had to be repeated over and over and even then, only cleansed externally.

The perfection of the sacrifice that Christ made of Himself, in the greater and more perfect eternal tabernacle in heaven, obtained for us eternal redemption.

Christ, having died as a ransom to set free those who committed infractions of the laws enumerated under the old covenant, is the mediator of a new covenant which promises an eternal inheritance to those who are called.

Those cleansed from sins that lead to death, are made alive in Christ so that by their living, they may serve the living God.

Amen.



Tuesday, January 17, 2023

OUR FATHER WHO HEARD HIS SON'S CALL FOR HELP

Psalm 71 verses 11 - 13 says this;

They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”

Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me.

May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.

This passage, in a parallel narrative to the one David was recording in his Psalm, tells of the travails that our Lord Jesus underwent as agents of darkness conspired against Him.

They scorned the Lord declaring that He had been abandoned by God and they were free to seize Him because there was no one to rescue Him.

The Lord Jesus Christ cried out to His God to help Him quickly as He fell into the hands of His enemies.

The spirits of darkness who presented accusations against Him and planned to injure Him, were judged such that they would be covered with the scorn and disgrace that they tried to heap on the Lord and they were condemned to perish in the same way they attempted to make the Lord Jesus perish.

The Lord prevailed against His enemies.

Amen.


Monday, January 16, 2023

OUR FATHER WHO EXPECTS OATHS AND COVENANTS TO BE HONORED

The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar,  had invaded Israel and overthrown Jerusalem. He took all the captured leaders of the land back to Babylon.  

Nebuchadnezzar then signed a treaty with an Israelite king whom he installed in Jerusalem to oversee the conquered kingdom of Israel on his behalf.

While Nebudchanezzar was away, the vassal king of Israel decided to break the treaty he had made with him. He plotted to rebel against the Babylonians and throw them off with the help of the Egyptians.

Because of this breaking of a formal treaty, the Lord was against the Israelite king for his actions. The Lord regarded the treaty signed between Babylon and Israel as an oath and covenant between Himself and Babylon and so when Israel broke the covenant, He declared in  Ezekiel chapter 17 verse 19;

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant. 

The Lord expected Israel to keep its treaty with Babylon because His own name was associated with Israel and He judged Israel severely for failing to keep the signed covenant.

Amen.

Sunday, January 15, 2023

OUR FATHER IN WHOM WE HOPE

Psalm 131  ( x verse 4 ) says this;

My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother;  like a weaned child I am content.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.

The psalmist describes four postures that we should adopt when we approach the Lord.

Firstly, we humble our hearts before the Lord and  we do not look with haughty eyes. The Lord is Himself humble and lowly of heart so it is wise to approach Him with humility.

Secondly, we should not come before the Lord with lofty intellectual notions too great for us but rather we should be simply cogniscent of how great the gift of salvation the Lord undertook to gain for us through the giving of His life on a cross. Simple gratitude before the Lord is fitting.

Thirdly,  we should be calm and content before the Lord. We should be confident in our security  in the Lord and trust in Him such that anxiety and worry do not take root in us.

Forthly, we must permanently hope in the Lord so that all our expectations and all our concerns are laid on Him and we are not led elsewhere seeking fulfillment but rather, always seeing the Lord as our only source and aspiration.

Amen.