His Whisperings – Page 64 – Inspired by His Word

Psalm 25:1-10 Lift up your soul to the One who is faithful.

Posted on February 11, 2008 by Janice D. GreenFebruary 11, 2008

1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
     2 in you I trust, O my God.
     Do not let me be put to shame,
     nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one whose hope is in you
     will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
     who are treacherous without excuse.

4 Show me your ways, O LORD,
     teach me your paths;
5 guide me in your truth and teach me,
     for you are God my Savior,
     and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
     for they are from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth
     and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
     for you are good, O LORD.

8 Good and upright is the LORD;
     therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
     and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
     for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
Psalm 25:1-10 (NIV)

This is one of many of the Psalms that causes me to want to burst into song when I read it. That is because I first learned this Psalm as a song. And isn’t that so appropriate, since the book of Psalms has been a book of songs from the very beginning.

Singing this Psalm is a beautiful way to remind oneself of God’s faithfulness. I can lift up my soul to him and put my trust in him. I cannot be put to shame if I am living wholeheartedly for him– because by doing so I would not allow myself to do something to be ashamed of. As I sing this Psalm to God I am asking him to guide my steps because he is my Savior in whom I have hope.

I can only smile to myself as I read verse 7 (the song ended before this verse.) What a blessing that the “sins of my youth and my rebellious ways” can be put behind us because of Jesus’ great sacrifice made in my behalf.

Verse 9 tells us “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” Lord give me a humble heart. Strip away the pride that wants to get in the way, that I may have a teachable spirit and may walk more faithfully in your way. Thank you that I can trust you to humble me because all your ways are loving and faithful for those who walk in your ways.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Psalm 1:1-6 Blessings for those who delight in God’s law

Posted on February 10, 2008 by Janice D. GreenFebruary 10, 2008

1 Blessed is the man
     who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
      or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
     and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
     which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
     Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
     They are like chaff
     that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
     nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
     but the way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 1:1-6 (NIV) God knows our hearts.  It is very important to God, that we put him first, even ahead of ourselves. When we delight in God and in his law/commandments we please him, and he in turn blesses us. Delighting in the Lord will keep us strong and refreshed. Those who are contemptuous of God and his laws and commands will not stand forever. Some will be blessed in this life, while others will receive even greater blessings in heaven. What a blessing to know that God is watching over us and caring for us out of his infinite love and wisdom.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Acts 26:19-23 The Apostle Paul’s message of repentance

Posted on February 9, 2008 by Janice D. GreenFebruary 9, 2008

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen– 23 that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” Acts 26:19-23 (NIV)

Prior to these verses, the Apostle Paul had held been in prison under trumped up charges. He was now pleading his case with King Herod Agrippa and had just finished telling about his experience on the road to Damascus where he was converted to Christianity and was called by God to take the Christian message to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people).

Paul declared to King Agrippa that his first message was to preach to all people that they should repent and turn to God. Paul didn’t choose to gloss over this key message of the Christian faith. All people needed to repent of all their sins, and in addition, all those who did repent should prove the sincerity of their repentance by how they lived their lives. It was this message that enraged the Jews who had put Paul in prison.

Paul further defended his confidence in his message by declaring that everything that had happened to Jesus was prophesied many years earlier by Moses and the prophets, as he re-stated the facts “that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” (verse 23)

Each of the scripture passages this week have echoed the same theme, the need for all people to repent. Let us pray with the Psalmist, “Create in me a pure heat, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Luke 13:6-9 The Parable of the Fig Tree

Posted on February 7, 2008 by Janice D. GreenFebruary 7, 2008

6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'” Luke 13:6-9 (NIV)

We have two fig trees in our yard that sound like the one in this parable. Every year we see 2-6 figs growing on the tree, but before they begin to ripen they just disappear. We haven’t cut them down yet, though I understand how the man who owned the fig tree felt. But the gardener has more patience in this parable than the owner and he wanted to work with the tree yet one more year.

Isn’t it wonderful that God, like the gardener, is patient with us. Yes, he wants to see fruit, but he is patient. But there comes a point when his patience gives out in the same way as was the gardener’s willingness to work with the tree one more year, after which he would cut it down.

God has given us his plan of grace or salvation. But we weren’t placed in the family of God just to look pretty–like the fruitless fig tree. We are in the family to bear fruit.

Since this parable comes immediately after the urgent command to repent that Jesus spoke, it seems appropriate to assume that this fruit is connected to our repentance. Without repentance we cannot bear fruit. Without repentance people are trying to do the work on their own strength–they are telling God they don’t need his help. Therefore, they shouldn’t be surprised when his help doesn’t come when they find themselves in want. Lord, help me to have a repentant spirit. Don’t let me sweep my sins under the rug and pretend you don’t notice, but help me to come to you with open hands and an open heart that I may bear fruit for you.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Luke 13:1-5 Repent or perish

Posted on February 5, 2008 by Janice D. GreenFebruary 5, 2008

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them–do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:1-5 (NIV)

When the people shared with Jesus the news of the tragic and insulting death of the Galileans, Jesus asked them the question which was probably already in the backs of their minds. Did these men suffer in this way because they were worse sinners than other men?

No, came Jesus’ answer. But he challenged them to repent or they too would perish. Was Jesus talking about an earthly calamity that would end in death? Not hardly. He was warning them of the eternal consequences of rebellion against God, of failing to repent.

Does God punish people through calamities today? People argue this point on both sides. This passage makes it appear that he does not. But there were many examples throughout scripture when God did use calamities to punish people for blatant sins. Noah’s flood was one of the earliest such instances. And in the New Testament Ananias and Sapphira lost their lives because they lied to the Holy Spirit. Acts 5

I don’t pretend to know the answer to whether or not any particular disaster of our day and time was the result of the sins of the people who died. I know we live in a fallen world in which sin abounds. People suffer for their own sins as well as for the sins of others. God sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous alike.

Having said that, I must add that it doesn’t really matter what you or I think about the answer to this question. The decision isn’t ours to make–God is the only one who gets the last word. If God chooses to punish a single person or a group of people for their sins, he is powerful enough to do it with or without our acknowledgement.

Whether or not God is still using disasters to punish in this life, we must still take seriously Jesus’ warning to repent or perish. We will each come face to face with God at the end of our lives on earth, and if we have never repented and believed in Christ we will perish apart from God and his blessings.

Lord, help us to repent of our sins and walk in newness of life with you. Give us a compassion for those who still live in rebellion against God that we may extend a life line to them through Jesus Christ.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.