“INCLINE YOUR EAR!”

 Isaiah 55:3-4                       (ESV)

    “[3] “INCLINE YOUR EAR”, and come to ME;

        hear, that your soul may live;

    and I WILL MAKE WITH YOU AN EVERLASTING COVENANT,

        MY steadfast, sure love for David. 

     [4] Behold, I MADE HIM A WITNESS TO THE PEOPLES,

        a leader and commander for the peoples.”

Could it “possibly” be that GOD’s PLAN is to make some of us a WITNESS TO THE PEOPLES, not for our glorification, but FOR HIS GLORY???  

The enemy doesn’t need to have us being at the forefront of the battle!  He just needs us to be listening to his agenda rather than what THE ALMIGHTY is directing us to do!

FATHER GOD, cause me to “INCLINE YOUR EAR”, and come to ME; hear, that your soul may live, and I WILL MAKE WITH YOU AN EVERLASTING COVENANT!!!

“WHEN MY HEART IS FAINT!”

 Psalm 61:1-3                         (ESV)

Lead Me to the Rock

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.

    “[1] Hear my cry, O GOD,

        LISTEN TO MY PRAYER; 

    [2] from the end of the earth I call to YOU

        “WHEN MY HEART IS FAINT”.

    Lead me to the ROCK

        that is higher than I, 

    [3] for YOU have been my refuge,

        a strong tower against the enemy.”

According to 1 Samuel 13:14, King David was a man after GOD’s OWN HEART.  In my humanity I have the tendency to place King David in a realm FAR ABOVE myself, almost like royalty!  Of course, he was a King……..and I am not!  

From time to time I get in a “pit”, whether physically or Spiritually.  Today my physical health isn’t the best and I don’t “feel” that well.  But GOD sent HIS SON at PRECISELY the correct time (Galatians 4:4-5) specifically to REDEEM we who had NO HOPE of being with HIM in Heaven!  JESUS the CHRIST was sent to provide SALVATION for me because I needed a PERFECT SACRIFICE!!!

When I am “feeling down”, in need of a SAVIOR, “WHEN MY HEART IS FAINT”, I have to call upon the LORD for deliverance!  HE is our only HOPE!  HE IS THE ANSWER!!!

“IN MY NAME!”

 John 14:12-14                       (ESV)

“[12] “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the FATHER. [13] Whatever you ask “IN MY NAME”, this I will do, THAT THE FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED IN THE SON. [14] If you ask ME anything “IN MY NAME”, I WILL DO IT.”

As I was growing up the message of “Verily, verily” was introduced to me.  Modern dictionaries have given an easy way to defining verily-In truth; in fact or with confidence; assuredly!  To me, verily, verily meant that what followed should be taken seriously!  The English Standard Version of Scripture uses the words truly, truly in place of verily, verily.  However, today my focus is on “IN MY NAME”!!!

When the WORDS “IN MY NAME” are spoken, the weight of what is being said must be examined by the ONE saying them!  JESUS said in John 10:30 “I and the FATHER are ONE”!  When the WORDS “IN MY NAME” are  used in this context, SEEING WHO is causing these words to be heard needs to be accessed.  In the first chapter of Genesis there are many instances of “And GOD said”.  JESUS is GOD IN THE FLESH, EMMANUEL (GOD IS WITH US)!!!  Unless we give HIM the respect and adoration deserving of the ONE WHO literally SPOKE us into existence, we are speaking as those whose EYES have yet to be OPENED!!!

Verbalizing what our CREATOR has done in our hearts isn’t a simple task.  Ezekiel 35:22-38 plainly says that GOD GIVES US a heart of flesh, replacing our hearts of stone, as a WITNESS of what HE is able to do with we who are CHOSEN!  It’s NOT because we are worthy, but so that “THAT THE FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED IN THE SON. If you ask ME anything “IN MY NAME”, I WILL DO IT”!!!

Psalm 51:9

 Psalm 51:9                                (ESV)

    “[9] Hide YOUR face from my sins,

        and blot out all my iniquities.”

“WALK BY THE SPIRIT!”

 Galatians 5:16-18                       (ESV)

Keep in Step with the SPIRIT

“[16] But I say, “WALK BY THE SPIRIT”, and YOU WILL NOT GRATIFY THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH. [17] For the desires of the flesh are against the SPIRIT, and the desires of the SPIRIT are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. [18] But if you are led by the SPIRIT, you are not under the law.”

How badly do I want to “WALK BY THE SPIRIT”?  This passage of Scripture plainly says that YOU WILL NOT GRATIFY THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH if we “WALK BY THE SPIRIT”!  

LORD cause my broken person to “WALK BY THE SPIRIT” and TRUST in YOU for the results!!!

“GOD, WHO HAS MERCY!”

 Romans 9:6-16                         (ESV)

“[6] But it is not as though the WORD OF GOD has failed. For NOT ALL WHO ARE DESCENDED from Israel belong to Israel, [7] and NOT ALL are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” [8] This means that it is NOT THE CHILDREN OF THE FLESH who are the children of GOD, but the children of THE PROMISE are counted as offspring. [9] For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” [10] And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, [11] though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that GOD’s PURPOSE OF ELECTION might continue, not because of works but because of HIM WHO calls—[12] she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” [13] As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

[14] What shall we say then? Is there injustice on GOD’s part? By no means! [15] For HE says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, and I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” [16] So then it depends NOT on human will or exertion, but on “GOD, WHO HAS MERCY!”.”

Why did ALMIGHTY GOD “choose” me, a BROKEN man who has failed at more than he has ever accomplished?  For example, I would argue with the Apostle Paul who wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15 (KJV) “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that CHRIST JESUS came into the world to save sinners; OF WHOM I AM CHIEF.”  The Apostle Paul knew his sins better than anyone else, but I know mine just as well!!!

The FACT that GOD has CHOSEN some to be used for HIS GLORY doesn’t always indicate that the person will enjoy the process of the journey!  The Apostle Paul was perhaps one of the most “famous” Believers in THE CHRIST, yet he spent a tremendous amount of time IMPRISONED for his Belief, and was ultimately beheaded by the Romans in around 62 and 67 AD.  That doesn’t seem to be very “glorious” to me??  But he KNEW WHO was in control and Glorifying JESUS was his only reason for existence!

We typically want to hear about others successes and overlook their failures.  The WORD OF GOD explicitly informs us that “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, and I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”  We can’t “judge” someone’s life for GOD, nor can we determine their punishment.  

Rusty Goodman wrote a song entitled “Who am I” in the early 1960’s.   The story of the lyrics of this song SPEAK to me very plainly and quickly!  “WHO am I that a KING would bleed and die for“?  The CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES submitted HIMSELF to total humiliation just because HE LOVED ME!!  “GOD, WHO HAS MERCY” performed this for me knowing that my obedience would never qualify me for HIS REWARD!!!

“YOUR NAME!”

 Psalm 61

Lead Me to the ROCK

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.

    [1] Hear my cry, O GOD,

        listen to my prayer; 

    [2] from the end of the earth I call to YOU

        when my heart is faint.

    Lead me to the ROCK

        that is higher than I, 

    [3] for YOU have been my refuge,

        A STRONG TOWER AGAINST THE ENEMY.

    [4] Let me dwell in YOUR tent forever!

        Let me take refuge under the shelter of YOUR wings! Selah 

    [5] For YOU, O GOD, have heard my vows;

        YOU have given me the heritage of those who fear “YOUR NAME”.

    [6] Prolong the life of the king;

        may his years endure to all generations! 

    [7] May he be enthroned forever before GOD;

        appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

    [8] So will I ever sing praises to “YOUR NAME”,

        as I perform my vows day after day.”

Refuge from the storms of life can be sought in many places, but TRUE PEACE can only be found in “YOUR NAME”!!!

“HE WOULD WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY!”

 Luke 5:15-16                        (ESV)

“[15] But now even more the report about HIM went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear HIM and to be healed of their infirmities. [16] But “HE WOULD WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY”.”

JESUS CHRIST is/was GOD IN THE FLESH, the most self sufficient individual that ever lived, for HE is/was THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES (Colossians 1:16)!  Yet even “HE WOULD WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY” because HE KNEW HE needed GOD THE FATHER assisting HIM with THE PLAN for HIS life!  The term DESOLATE PLACES has been translated “where he could be alone” or “wilderness” by other translations of Scripture, maybe indicating that I need to spend more time ALONE with GOD???

What is it inside our feeble minds that could possibly cause us to think we are exempt from “HE WOULD WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY” when that is PRECISELY what THE ONE WHO CREATED us did so frequently?  Since JESUS submitted HIMSELF to THE FATHER, what would ever make us believe that we can make it on our own?  JESUS KNEW WHO HE was, and HE KNEW WHO THE FATHER is, yet “HE WOULD WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY”.  HE could OFTEN do so following a time of great success, when most of us humans would be wallowing in the glory being being heaped upon us.  

JESUS KNEW WHO deserved GLORY for everything, including the breath we breathe (Isaiah 42:5)!  HE and the FATHER ARE ONE (John 10:30) and HE KNEW that HE required DIVINE INTERVENTION to fulfill THE PLAN for HIS LIFE!  

From “past experience”, it has been revealed to me that “HE WOULD WITHDRAW TO DESOLATE PLACES AND PRAY” is something that we ALL would benefit from in our lives.  If JESUS CHRIST needed to “seek assistance”, how much more does the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15 KJV) need help getting through “this world”???