Glorious – Sovereign Grace Music
Tag: God
God Remembers that we are Dust
God is interested in doing more than merely punishing people. … God desires for us to have a relationship with him.
I was reading this morning and Psalm 103 and I was struck by a section of the passage. It began in verse 10.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgression from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. … 17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s generation, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
Psalm 103:10-14, 17-18 ESV
What I found interesting about this passage is the way in which the author relates God’s dealing with us is the reason for the way he deals with us. In verse 10 he says, “he does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” What I find interesting is that too often in the church we believe that God is punishing us because of our sin. And to some degree that’s correct, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. There is something else at work that the psalmist is trying to teach us.
God is interested in doing more than merely punishing people. A good father disciplines his children. We see that in Scripture. But there is something else that God is after as it relates to our relationship with him. And what is that? God desires for us to have a relationship with him.
God doesn’t deal with us according to our sins or iniquities because, according to verse 14, “he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust.” God is not blind nor is he ignorant to who we are or what we are. This should not only give us comfort but it should remind us that there is something beyond our failures that God is interested in. What is that? It is our relationship with him. I want to repeat this point because I think it’s too often misunderstood or left unsaid.
One of the implications of this passage is that if we do not relate to God as he desires then there is a sense in which our sin and our iniquities and our frame and the fact that we are dust will have consequences on our lives. But if we relate to God as he desires, if we understand what is at stake and what it is that we’re supposed to be doing, then it becomes easier for us to not fear God in terror but to fear God in reverence.
Several times in the passage we see what it is that God is looking for, as a way of knowing that we understand what he is looking for.
In verse 11 we see him say that his steadfast love toward us is “toward those who fear him.”
In verse 13 it says that the Lord shows compassion “to those who fear him.”
In verse 17 the “steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him.”
And then in verse 18, we see that this everlasting love is “to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.”
What can we learn from this? I think we can learn that we tend to put expectations upon ourselves about what God desires from us and for us that may not be consistent with who he is what he has said.
I think this is a healthy reminder as we begin the new year.
Lent 2020 | Day 8: “Teacher”
The focus of today is on the idea of a “teacher.”
Over the course of my life, I have realized that my parents were a lot wiser and smarter than I gave them credit for. One of the realities that dawned on me when I became a parent was when I saw how many of the lessons that I had learned. Whether I acknowledge them or not, a lot of what I had been taught had become a part of who I was as an adult, and now as a father.
What I realized was that we don’t really know how well we have learned the lessons until we have to actually apply them. We might have the best teacher, and Jesus is the best teacher of all things that God requires of us, but until we begin to apply those lessons, until we see those lessons as necessary for how we live our lives, we will struggle to determine if we can trust this teacher.
I don’t know when it happened, but I do know that the moment I began to accept that my parents knew more than I did about how to live in this world, the easier it became for me to accept what they were teaching. And I think the same is true of our faith. The faster we can get to the place where we trust what the Scripture teaches us, when we trust what God has revealed in and through Jesus, and when we allow the Holy Spirit to take those lessons and implant them in our hearts and in our minds, we will find ourselves able to live out that which we find throughout Scripture.
We have the world’s greatest teacher. The question is, how well are we at being students?
The Beauty of a Singing God
God not only is the reason for our worship, but he rejoices in and with our worship by adding his own glory to the moment.
The following words of the prophet Zephaniah came to me the other morning as I watched a clip of music fans singing the songs of their favorite artists. First the words of the prophet and then the clip.
14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:14-17 ESV
Now the clip.
Now, you may be wondering what these two things have in common. It took me a little while to get it as well. So, let me share with you what came to mind.
In this world, we all desire to be acknowledged by those we deem our mentors or admire. The reality is that not everyone get the opportunity shown in this clip. Not everyone get a chance to stand before they one they esteem and show them what they are made of. This is not normal.
However, and this is what I want to illustrate, if we are truly children of God. If we have truly entered into that blessed relationship with God, when we gather for worship we are able to sing before God. We are able to offer to him something he genuinely wants to see and hear.
What makes this interaction even more beautiful is that God joins in the chorus with us. God not only is the reason for our worship, but he rejoices in and with our worship by adding his own glory to the moment.
This may be why some never really enjoy the worship time in their fellowships, they are waiting to be entertained, rather than entering into that time with longing to sing with God the wonderful things he has done.
We have to learn and grow to enjoy the admiration of God more than these fans enjoyed the recognition of their idols.
Lent 2019 | First Sunday of Lent : “God Above (My Rescue)”
I can across this video several years ago, but every time I hear it, I’m moved by the simple and powerful message. I hope it blesses you as well.
God’s Testimony about His Son
I was reading through 1 John this morning and a few verses caught my attention in a way they never had before. They are found in chapter 5, verses 9-11. Let’s look at them before I elaborate.
9 If we accept human testimony, God’s testimony is greater, because it is God’s testimony that he has given about his Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
After I read this, I paused and asked myself this question: Where do we find God’s testimony regarding His Son in the Scripture? It was a question I had never really considered.
The easy answer is to say that it is found throughout the entirety of the Bible. That would be a quick and simple solution. But, as I pondered this, I was struck by the way that John seems to be thinking of something specific. Something that all of his readers would have also known and been able to point to as well.
There are a couple of thoughts that really have been rolling around in my mind after reading this. First, God has given personal, first-hand testimony of who and what His Son is. This is both undeniable and verifiable according to the witness of the Scriptures.
Second, the testimony that God has given is unequivocal in what it declares. There is no life apart from the Son. If we do not have Jesus, we cannot claim any true confidence in our eternal destiny. Without the Son there is nothing resembling hope for what awaits us on the other side of death’s door.
So, what is the testimony that God has given? Is it recorded for us to know? I believe it is. And it is something that I had never associated with what John wrote, until today. It is found in each of the Synoptic Gospels and referenced by the Apostle Peter as well.
Matthew 17:5 (CSB)
5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!”Mark 9:7 (CSB)
7 A cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him!”Luke 9:35 (CSB)
35 Then a voice came from the cloud, saying: “This is my Son, the Chosen One; listen to him!”2 Peter 1:17 (CSB)
17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!”
What is the testimony that God has given about His Son? That we should listen to Him because Jesus is His Son!
From the words Jesus spoke to the life He lived, all of it is a reflection of the One who sent Him into the world. God, with his own mouth, has given witness to us that His Son deserves to be listened to… and obeyed.
Holy Week 2018 | Monday of Holy Week: Salvation
God, as a manifestation of who he is, sought a way to save that which deserved damnation.
God’s glorious grace is seen in the Cross of Calvary. On that instrument of suffering and death, the Son of God purchased the salvation of all who would believe. In a moment of pure love, the blood of Christ dripped and redeemed that which was thought lost for all time.
The remarkable mystery of salvation is that any of us is saved at all. God was not obligated to save. But he was compelled to do it. There is a difference. And obligation is imposed upon us by an outside force. But that is not what God did. God is good. He is gracious. He is loving. In all that he does, he is just. What this means is that God, as a manifestation of who he is, sought a way to save that which deserved damnation. That is a paradox. These two seemingly contradictory realities find their resolution in Jesus.
As we look forward to Resurrection Sunday, I am stunned yet again at the wonderful grace of God. God is so much better than we could ever fathom. He is more glorious than we could ever describe. He is kinder than we could ever deserve. But, I am so thankful that he is who he is in spite of who I am.
Lent 2018 | Day #7: Promise
There are many things to love and appreciate about God. Among them all, there is one attribute that rises to the top for me. It is that God does not change.
There are many things to love and appreciate about God. Among them all, there is one attribute that rises to the top for me. It is that God does not change (Malachi 3:6). Just think about that. God is able to stay true to his nature and never forgets who he is, no matter what happens in the world he created.
He is constant in his character and in the way that he treats the world and the people found in this world. He is constant in his justice and does not arbitrarily decide that some don’t have to pay for their sin. God is constant. It is both a terrifying reality and a comforting one.
It is terrifying because it means that we can never get one over on God. God cannot be fooled and he will not be fooled. God cannot be deceived and he will not be deceived. God sees all and knows all and can do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. There is no escaping his watchful eye or hiding from his penetrating gaze. This is a sobering truth.
But, God’s constant nature and character is also a comfort. It means that God will never abuse us or take advantage of us because he is good. God will never falsely accuse us or punish us for someone else’s transgression. God will be just in all of his ways toward us.
Not only can we trust God do what is right there is a second area in which God’s constant and unchanging nature brings me great joy. God will never leave a promise unfulfilled!
Every word God has ever spoken will come to pass. God will make sure that every promise he has ever made will be accomplished. This is good for those of us who have accepted the call of the Gospel. Who have acknowledged our sin and our need for the forgiveness offered through Jesus’s death on the cross? Every promise that pertains to those called a son or daughter of God I can claim, on this side of my surrender and God’s glorious salvation of my soul.
This is one of the great truths of God’s nature: He is a promise keeper, not just a promise maker. Glory be to the one and true God!
Video Spotlight | “God Himself” by Matthew Smith
The promise of God’s comfort is so wonderful that it really is beyond description.
I found this song simple and beautiful. Take a few minutes and meditate on the message.
The promise of God’s comfort is so wonderful that it really is beyond description. I love the way this song points to it without trying to explain it.
Lyrics:
In the day when silent sorrow
Seems to shake me to the core
Then I hear the heavenly comfort,
“You will weep no more.”
God Himself will dry your tears
God Himself will soothe your fears
In the day when earthly weakness
Weighs your weary spirit down
All around you seems a burden
All above you seems a frown
God Himself will dry your tears
God Himself will soothe your fears
In the day when sin oppresses
And the battle rages strong
When the victory seems doubtful
Or triumphant seems the wrong
God Himself will dry your tears
God Himself will soothe your fears
God Himself will dry your tears
God Himself will soothe your fears
Oh I hear the heavenly comfort,
“You will weep no more.”
