Digging Their Own Pit

Psalms 57:5-6 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me; into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah

Proverbs 26:27 says, "He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him." We have a great example of this in Esther 7:9. Haman was hanged on the same gallows he prepared for Mordecai. In life we will encounter those who desire to do us harm. It may be because of our faith, or might be because we are in their way as they try to "climb the ladder of success". Whatever the reason, our best protection is to turn to the Lord in prayer, and trust Him to not only take care of us, but also exact whatever vengeance He deems appropriate. King David found himself running for his life, from Saul. On this occasion, in his pursuit of David, Saul did not realize that he pursued him (David) right into a cave that could have turned into his own grave, if David had not had a heart after God. The Lord is still in the business of taking care of His children. In my own life, I have experienced this up close and personal. False accusations were brought against me by a subordinate who was upset about being held accountable for their work hours. Another took that opportunity to jump on the bandwagon to claim that I failed to do my job. The leaders of the company then took that opportunity to launch a false investigation in order to get rid of me, because I would not go along with some dishonest things they wanted me to be a part of, at a higher level. In the end, even though I had documented evidence that all of the accusations were lies, they chose to get rid of me. I was at a crossroad. Do I sue them, and go after the main character in that sham of an investigation, or do I pray and leave it in the Lord's hands? I know that some thought I was foolish to leave it in God's hands; but in the end the Lord led me to a better, higher paying job, and the ringleader of the false investigation, who knew I was a follower of Jesus, was terminated in the same fashion he got rid of me. When it was all said and done, he was forced to take a job that was a demotion and cut in pay. I share this because there may come times when we will have to choose to exalt ourselves, by seeking revenge, and "showing them a thing or two", or simply pray and ask God to exalt Himself by coming to our defense. The one who dug the pit for me to fall into, tumbled into it himself. In all their planning and scheming they left one thing out of the equation...my God.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Just Keep Trusting the Lord

Psalms 56:8-9 You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me.

The occasion for the sad words of this Psalm was when David was forced to flee from Saul to Gath, and found himself having to pretend to be a madman before Achish, the Philistine king. Many of the Psalms were written as a result of suffering, betrayal, loss, pain, and disappointment, just to name a few. However, even in expressing sorrow, there is always an expression of faith and trust in the Lord. There is praise and thanksgiving for who the Lord is, and the deliverance of His people. We are reminded, in this Psalm, in verse 4, that we need not fear, if we are trusting the Lord. However, we are also reminded in today's verses that there will be times in our lives when we will shed tears of sorrow. None of us can escape painful moments in this life; and we are being truly unrealistic if we think that God will never allow us to suffer. We will suffer because of the sinful actions of others, and we will suffer because of our own wrong and sinful choices. God does not allow suffering because He is mean or does not love us. On the contrary, it is because He loves us that He sometimes allows pain. For it is in the midst of pain and suffering that He is able to put His great love, mercy, and grace on display. It is through times of suffering that we find God's comfort, and learn to trust Him more. David says something here that should encourage us, because we see the same thing said by the Apostle Paul in Romans. David said, "This I know, because God is for me." Romans 8:31 says, "What then shall say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" God is fully aware of our pain and suffering. He does not forget, and will one day vindicate the righteous in Christ. Until then, let us be like David, and continue to offer up the praises that God deserves; because regardless of our circumstances, He is always fair and just. When He is for us, those who are against us will eventually get what is coming to them. Just keep trusting the Lord.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

He Will Never Betray Us

Psalms 55:12-14 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng.

The words of King David in this Psalm are words of great distress. They are words filled with pain, and a longing for peace and rest from the treachery of men. In this case, not just anyone, but one who was near and dear to his heart, betrayed him. The fact of the matter is that in this life we will face betrayal. Not only will we face betrayal, but we might find ourselves in the place of the betrayer. There is not one of us who is exempt from finding ourselves on either side of this coin. How often do we betray God? The One who gave Himself for us; yet, every day we betray Him with our words, actions, and deeds. I have said this before, but today is a good day to be reminded that we live in a fallen world, filled with imperfect, sinful, people. Yes, even those who are family, and our closest friend, are imperfect, and capable of betrayal. King David, in his lifetime, mourned the betrayal of a son, and a people, who turned against him. Where do we turn when such treachery reaches our doorsteps? Well, we turn to the One who never betrays us, the One who never leaves us nor forsakes us...Jesus. The truth is that life can wear us down. We can grow weary from all of life's challenges; but in the end, it is best to seek refuge in God. It is best to seek peace and rest, rather than vengeance. He is the only One who can heal us from the pain, and disappointment, of being betrayed. While we are here on earth, God's peace is the only peace that will help us to endure, and continue to serve Him in a fallen world. When all is said and done, we are looking ahead to a time when all of this will pass, and we will finally be with Jesus; for He will either come back and get us, or we will close our eyes in peaceful rest. Either way it happens, we will finally find rest from all the betrayal, treachery, and sinfulness, of this fallen place. Let us keep our eyes on Him, leaving those who turn against us in His hands, and trusting Him to be our Refuge, Strength, and Comfort, during those painful and mournful times of life.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

We Have God; So Why Fear?

Psalms 54:4-5 Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is with those who uphold my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth.

Verse 4 of this Psalm reminded me of Hebrews 13:6, "The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" King David penned the words of this Psalm in response to being betrayed, not once, but twice, by the Ziphites, who obviously sought favor with King Saul. In both instances God did not allow David to be delivered into Saul's hand. In 1 Samuel 23:14, in respect to Saul's attempt to capture David the Word says, "But God did not deliver him (David) into his hand." Later, in 1 Samuel 26, when the Ziphites made their second attempt to betray David, the tables were turned and Saul found himself in a position where, once again, David could have killed him. Because of his loyalty to God, David did not dare bring harm to Saul, God's anointed, he chose instead to prove his loyalty to the king, and took Saul's spear and jug of water, while Saul slept, surrounded by his own army. Amazingly, the small detail of Saul's deep sleep came as a result of God bringing that sleep upon him. Our God knows how to protect us against our enemies. He has every detail, even the smallest detail, worked out. Far too often, we stress about those who come against us because of what we believe, and for our choice to live a right life before God. However, no matter what those who oppose us do, if we stand on our integrity, and choose what is right, we must trust that God will come to our defense. On both occasions, David chose to put himself in a dangerous position, trusting the Lord, but knowing he was doing right before God. When we choose what is right, even if it puts us in the enemy's crosshairs, we can trust that God will deliver us. But...even if God chooses not to, let us trust Him anyway, and be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who chose not to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's idolatrous statue, even if God chose not to deliver them. In the end, they were rescued right inside the fiery furnace by the Lord Himself. If we trust the Lord, and we know that He is our Helper, what have we to fear from man? 

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Just As Lost As the Fool

Psalms 53:1-3 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.

The fool, the foolish, the stupid person, has said in his heart, "There is no God." However, before we get too critical, let us be reminded that the description given fits who we were before coming to know Jesus. We fit into the category of, "There is none who does good." We were once lost, turned aside, corrupt, and on the road to eternal condemnation. Praise be to Jesus that today, by His grace, we are no longer on a path to perdition. However, we still need to ask ourselves, "Does my life look any different than the fool's?" Yes, I am saved. Yes, I know Jesus as my Savior and Lord. But what does my life say? What does my attitude, my actions, and overall service to Jesus look like? Do we proclaim Jesus with our lips, but deny Him by who we are toward Him and others? What does our "secret" life, the life we live behind closed doors, prove? Does it prove that we are His, or does it look no different than the fool's? Do we respond to our sinful ways as if "there is no God", or are we immediately mournful and broken? I am grateful today that when our Heavenly Father looks down upon us, those of us who are truly born again, He sees the righteousness of Jesus, and not ours. The bottom line is that without Jesus, we are just as lost as the fool.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Why, Why, Why?

Psalms 52:6-8 The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying, “Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness.” But I am  like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

Why, why, why, do we chase after material things and earthly riches? What exactly are we gaining? We have said it before, and we will say it again, that the wicked love evil more than good. They love to oppress others, and have no interest in God or the things of God. They trust in their riches, and will do whatever it takes to gain more, without a care for who they hurt in the process. The Bible tells us that God laughs at the wicked who plot against the just, because He sees that the day of their judgment is coming (Psalms 37:12-13). Today's verses clearly state that we will some day laugh at them as well. So why would we want to follow in their footsteps? Why would we become slaves to riches that are fleeting, at best? Proverbs 23:4-5 warns, "Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly like an eagle toward heaven." 1 Timothy 6 tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain. It also warns that we can take nothing with us when we die, and those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare. Because they are not satisfied with having food, clothing, and shelter, which God can readily provide, they fall into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. In the end, the love of money, greed, ends in great sorrow. So why, why, why, would we want to model our lives after the wicked? We can only serve one master, and the one we choose will make the difference between a life wasted and a life that was profitable for the glory of God. So if we are going to choose a master to serve, let that Master be Jesus.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

A People After God's Own Heart

Psalms 51:3-4 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.

Carrying unconfessed sin is a very weighty matter. If we desire to have a close intimate walk with Jesus, the one thing we need to make sure of is that we repent of, and confess, all our sins. King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and in order to cover it up, rather than confess it, plotted and committed murder by putting Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, in a position to be killed in battle. Eventually, God sent Nathan to confront David, who had become complacent about his sin. Upon realizing that God was calling him out, David repented, confessed, and penned the words of this Psalm. Oh how much we need to be this honest about the sins we commit. We need to not only mourn our sinfulness, but admit to God that our sins are against Him, and only Him. Yes, when we sin against others, the offense is against them; but at the root of our sinful actions, God is the One we are truly offending. The bottom line is that if we seek true intimacy with the Lord, and desire that our prayers not be hindered, we need to come clean, not make excuses, and go before the Lord acknowledging that we have sinned against Him, and only Him. We are living in times when we cannot afford to be far from God. We need to ask Him every single day to examine our hearts and show us what is there, so that we can get right with Him, through the forgiveness we have in Christ Jesus. Stop right this moment, and take care of any unresolved, and unconfessed sin. Do not let another moment pass; for you might put it out of sight, but God will not allow His children to go on without bringing it back to our attention, as He did with David. The king's repentant response, and mournful confession, is what made King David a man after God's own heart. Let us do all we can to be a people after God's own heart.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).