The Bible is food to those who bear His Name. His Word is real spiritual nourishment. It’s promises encourage and bring joy, filling our heart’s with delight. It’s admonitions convict us and move us to yield to the Spirit’s correction and empowering. Jeremiah didn’t just hear God’s Word, he internalized it. In spite of those who persecuted him for believing and proclaiming the Word, his heart rejoiced in knowing it. Those who carry the Name, rejoice in the Book.
The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that when they shared the gospel with them, they also shared their lives. This was the practice of Jesus, who was accused of eating and drinking with sinners. As Christ-followers we are called not only to share the gospel, but to share our very lives, loving others with the love of Christ. Gospel-sharing and life-sharing go hand in hand.
The psalmist spoke of how God chose a young shepherd boy named David to be king over Israel. What was God looking for in a leader that He would choose such a one as David? God was looking for someone with “integrity” of heart. The dictionary gives several synonyms for the word Integrity: “honest, moral, decent, righteous, undivided, good, ethical, having good character.” This was God’s criteria for a leader. And in David, God found one with both character and competency (“skillfulness”). Yet, even David was only a foreshadowing of the true King, who will one day rule all of creation with such integrity and skill that His kingdom will endure throughout the ages.
Paul said that we are to let the peace of God “rule.” The Greek word for rule is βραβευέτω, brabeuetō. It literally means to “umpire, arbitrate, to let make the call.” When our circumstances appear to overwhelm us, we are to let the peace, the shalom, of Christ act as our umpire, determining what’s in or out of bounds. Letting the peace of Christ umpire our hearts, we don’t let circumstances, nor fleshly emotion rule, we let Christ rule.
There are many times as a pastor that I feel as if no one is listening to the Word of God. That my preaching is in vain. That the message of Christ is falling on deaf ears. Yet, every time we give out the Word, someone responds. People respond to God’s Word when we faithfully proclaim it. We may feel that the soil is hard in our day and time, but none of us have been given the call of Jeremiah, who was told to preach with full knowledge that his people would not listen. However, it occurs to me that all preachers have this in common, we are to preach the Word whether people obey or not. Our success is not in how many listen, but in whether we were faithful in proclaiming the Word as it was given to us.
When do you seek the Lord? The psalmist spoke of a day when he “sought the Lord” as a “day of my trouble.” He described his trouble sleeping and the state of his soul which seemed beyond comfort and encouragement. On such a day, he “cried out to God” (v.1). Most of us have experienced such a day. But have you yet learned to seek God on a good day?
Paul wrote to the church at Colossae describing their change of spiritual citizenship. Because they had confessed their faith in Christ, the Father transferred them from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son. God is still accepting new kingdom citizens today. His Son has already paid the price for our redemption. Yet, just as a new American citizen must take an oath of allegiance to the US constitution, so the one desiring kingdom citizenship must confess faith in Christ.
The apostle Paul described the secret to a life of contentment to the believers at Philippi, namely, Christ. This verse, although a favorite on posters with captions of athletic prowess depicted, was descriptive not of success against overwhelming odds, but contentment under all circumstances. Paul taught that the secret to true joy and contentment is not based on the ever-changing circumstances of life, but in our dependence on the unchanging presence of Christ in us.
Paul listed the personal achievements that he had attained before following Christ and then described them as “loss” in comparison. Paul had quite an impressive resume, if anyone had reason to boast, he did. Yet, he chose to count it as nothing compared to knowing and following Jesus. He understood that following Jesus meant leaving your former life behind. What have you left to follow Jesus? What have you “counted loss for Christ?”
Do you “draw near to God” every morning? Do you take a moment to lift your eyes above your circumstances to contemplate His holiness, to read His Word, to seek His direction, and to receive a fresh filling of His Spirit? Drawing near to God, we put our “trust” in Him and we fill our mouths with His praise, so that we “declare” His works all day long. Or do you attempt to live life on your own, depending on your own strength and wisdom? Why not join the psalmist and every believer throughout the ages who has discovered this secret of living: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).