Faith Joy & Coffee

The Word Says:

“Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.”

Verse Thoughts:

Here David expresses his confidence that the Lord will come to his assistance. He will not allow David’s foes to triumph over him and thereby disgrace him. David also includes all who hope in the Lord and await the fulfillment of His promises as being protected from disgrace by the Lord. To the contrary, the Lord will put to shame all those who treacherously oppose the righteous without provocation.

In all periods of history believers may trust the Lord to vindicate them and upset the treacherous plans of their opponents. The story of Job demonstrates this truth. The Devil schemed to destroy Job’s faith by hurling all kinds of trials at him, including the ordeal of Job’s wife suggesting that he curse God and die. But ultimately God vindicated Job. He rebuked Job’s so-called friends for judging him, and he called Job “his servant”, and blessed “the latter days of Job more than his beginning”.

Even those who do not live to see their vindication have confidence that God is in control and working all things for a good end.

The Word Says:

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

Verse Thoughts:

Of all the gifts and graces that are poured out in great abundance into the lives of believers, there are three that out-shine and out-last all others. When prophecy is complete, languages cease, signs are silenced and miracles of health, healing, provision, and protection are no longer needed. We are told that these three, spiritual fruit of God’s amazing grace will continue and will remain and abide into the eternal state – faith, hope, and love.

In this earthly life, faith must remain a high priority. Faith is vital, for we live by faith and not by sight, and the blessed hope we have in Christ, and His soon return, does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to all who trust in Christ for salvation. While faith and hope will certainly continue throughout the eternal ages, for our faith and hope will always be in our heavenly Father, it is love that will increase and multiply when we see Jesus face to face – for we see Him as He is and we shall be like Him.

The eternal God is perfect love and the perfect love of God has been eternally poured into our hearts, through faith in Christ, for we have been made His children, through faith. But in this present world, we are taking our first steps on the pathway of love, a journey of love that will only increase through time and into eternity, as we bathe in His presence and gaze into His lovely face. 

Both faith and hope are a beautiful manifestation of the love of God in the life of a believer, because we live by faith and not by sight; and we live in hope of our promised, eternal state, for we live in incorruptible bodies. But love is the greatest of all, for it will not only remain but it will enlarge and expand. It will increase, and then it will grow even more not only in this present age but in the eternal ages to come.

When heaven is reached, the faith and hope we exercised in this life will be brought to a beautiful completion. Their respective purposes will be rewarded with sight. Yet we will always maintain faith in our God and hope in our heavenly Father, Who will continue to sustain us into the eternity of eternities, for He upholds everything by the might of His majestic hand.

But love is a gift of God, and love is the primary a fruit of the Spirit that will continue to grow and expand, beyond our wildest imaginings. The eternal love of God that has been poured into our hearts will continue to increase and multiply, for the love of God is eternal. The love of God is broader than the measure of our mind. The loving heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.

In the earthly realm, both faith and hope will last, for without faith it is impossible to please God and without hope, we could not endure, as seeing Him, Who is invisible. But love is the loveliest grace of all, for during our sojourn on earth we are being conformed into the lovely image and likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus Christ, Who is incarnate love. And it is by reflecting His love that we are to resemble the Lord. For God is Love and the love of God is broader than the span of our greatest imaginations, and the fondness of our Father towards us goes beyond our wildest dreams.

But this life is the first step into an eternity of love with God; the love of God and our love for God, and these three graces of faith, hope and love must of necessity all continue beyond this mortal sphere, for the attributes of God are incomparable in their beauty, His perfections are unlimited in their number, His excellence is everlasting in its duration and splendour is absolute in its span.

We, who have been saved by grace are to enter into the glories of the celestial sphere and our understanding and knowledge of God must continue throughout the ages to come. Our faith in Him will stand fast forever, and our hope in Him will be forever realised. But it is the love of God that He has for us that will move us ever closer to the love that we have for Him, as we abide in Him and He in us, through time and into eternity.

The Word Says:

“More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ.”

Verse Thoughts:

I wonder what value you put in certain things. Your home, your family, your relationships, your job, your reputation, your achievements, your talents, your education, your safety, your bank balance? Well, the apostle Paul considered these things and everything else that life and living has to offer, as worth nothing by comparison with the surpassing value, joy, wonder, worth, and glory of knowing Christ Jesus.

Paul lost or lacked all these things and more besides, for the infinite excellency of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. In Paul’s estimation, knowing the Lord Jesus in an increasingly intimate and personal way was of far greater value that all that this world could offer, and yet right up until the end of his life, Paul’s passion and greatest desire was to lean more of his Master and Lord, to KNOW Christ.

Before his conversion, Paul had all that this world could offer but, like Moses before him, he refused to be enticed by the benefits and advantages that this life had to offer, recognising that by comparison, knowing Christ Jesus was of paramount importance. And so, like Moses before him, Paul was prepared to suffer the loss of all things and to regard them as utter garbage, in order that he might gain Christ.

Let us take Paul’s example to heart and recognise the immense worth and surpassing value, joy, wonder, and glory of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. May we be able to say with Paul: “I count all things to be loss, in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ.”

The Word Says:

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Verse Thoughts:

With what frequency and urgency did the Lord Jesus entreat us to ‘abide’ in Him and to remain under the shadow of His wing? With what resolution and insistence did the apostle Paul reiterate the importance of remaining ‘in Christ’ – of maintaining moment-by-moment fellowship with our heavenly Father and taking care not to step outside His protective covering?

Both the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul were acutely aware of the delight, the strength, the grace, and the peace, that flows from this blessed communion with our Saviour, when we rest and abide in Christ and He in us. Both were also profoundly mindful of the dangers that ensue when fellowship with the Father is broken, knowing that the enemy has a deep-rooted hatred of God’s blood-bought children and that he seeks to ship-wreck their loving trust in their Lord by many subtle means.

Jude also shows an understanding of the devil’s tactics to shipwreck the faith of Christians, through legalism, apostate teaching, worldly carnality, false religiosity, or a ‘works-related’ Christian life, which is why the apostle instructs us to, “build yourselves up in our most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit,” and to, “keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.”

The book of Jude may not be a lengthy epistle, but it certainly is challenging, and in a few short verses we are given some important instructions to help protect ourselves from the assaults of the enemy who, like a roaring lion, prowls around seeking who he can devour.

Not only are we called at the beginning of Jude to, “earnestly contend for the faith,” but as he brings it to a close, we are further instructed to, “build yourselves up in our most holy faith,” through spiritual development as we yield to the Lord. And we are also urged to, “pray in the spirit,” as we die to our own desires and resolutely cry out, ‘Thy will, not mine be done’.

Jude’s challenge continues in verse 21 with the command to, “keep yourselves in the love of God and eagerly await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” We must endeavour to remain within the protective sphere of God’s never-ending love as we abide in Christ and He in us. We are to be clothed daily and securely protected by the armour of God. We are to be covered completely in Christ’s own perfect righteousness and peace, and as we live for His glory and wait in hope and expectancy for His soon return – Whom to know is life eternal.

How important therefore to build up our faith on a sound foundation. To fight the good fight of faith and keep ourselves in the love of God. How vital to maintain ongoing communion with the Father, by acknowledging our sins, confessing our spiritual poverty, and admitting our need of His guidance and grace.

How crucial to immerse ourselves in the Word of God and live godly in Christ Jesus our Lord. How needful to pray in spirit and in truth, for this will nurture our faith, feed our souls, maintain fellowship with our Father, and enable us to face the fiery trials that pursue our way.

The Word Says:

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”

Verse Thoughts:

It is no surprise that David was called a man after God’s own heart, for he recognised that God alone was His righteousness, and that God alone could be depended upon to relieve his distress, provide for his needs, defeat his enemies and enlarge his blessings.

David is grieved at the profane acts and futile vanity of the sons of men who dishonour God and blaspheme His holy name. But, he also rejoices that the Lord has set apart for Himself those that are godly, those who honour His name, obey His Word, and trust in His unfailing faithfulness.

No matter what difficulty he is facing, and despite the depths of despair to which David so often falls, we always find that he confesses his dependence on the Lord and acknowledges the sovereignty of the Lord his God. No wonder that David is remembered as a man after God’s own heart.

David found the secret of true joy and lasting happiness, for his delight was in the Giver and not in His gift. He rejoiced in the One that blessed in preference to counting his blessings. His reward was the Lord Himself, and David’s heart-desire was that the pure light of God’s radiant countenance would fall upon him so that in peace he would both lie down in safety and sleep securely. He was confident of that fact that the Lord encamps around about those that reverence and trust Him. He was confident that the Lord would cause him to dwell in safety.

Do we love the Giver even more that the gracious gifts that He has poured in abundance to us? Do we seek the Lord Himself in preference to the multiplied blessings and precious promises that are ours, by grace through faith in Christ?

Do we unreservedly confess our dependence upon the Lord and unconditionally acknowledge Him to be sovereign in our life? Do we cast all our cares on Him? Do we, like David, lie down in peace and sleep secure in the knowledge that He is in control?

The Word Says:

“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.”

Verse Thoughts:

There are so many reasons why our God is so great. If we list all of it one by one, we won’t be able to list them all. God has many attributes that made Him so wonderful that we cannot even fathom. It is even hard for us to fathom the fact that God has given us His Son to save us. Just by that, we can say that the love of God is indeed unfathomable and great. Now, with our verse today, we are also introduced to another attribute of God that we can really say that He is great and loving. 

Our psalm today declares and claims that our God is great, powerful, and magnificent. Through this verse, we know that God will not let our foot slip and that He who watches over us will not slumber. We are really in good hands and that can confidently say that our God is not a God who lets His people be put to harm, but instead, He is a God who always watches over us. Just how amazing it is to know two things from our verse today. 

Let’s first focus on the part where the psalmist highlighted that God will not let our foot slip. As we can remember from the story about Jesus being tempted, the devil quoted a verse from Psalm 91, and also as we also read it, it is almost just the same as this verse. The bottom point is that God will never let us be harmed. He will always guide us and He will protect us. Our God is not just focused on protecting our physical welfare, but He is also making sure that on a spiritual aspect, we are saved too.  To ensure our spiritual welfare, God has given us Christ. Thus, we know that we are indeed in good hands. 

Furthermore, one thing we must really put in our minds is that God is always for us. As He promised not to let our foot slip, it means that we are always protected by Him. Our coming and our going are protected by God. He watches over us and will always ensure our safety because He loves us and He cares for us. Although many times we have been so blind about this. We don’t see God’s protection because all we could see is ourselves and our selfish agendas. However, we must understand that we are safe and we are saved because of the grace of God. 

The last point or the second point we should focus on is that the psalmist carefully and wonderfully declared that our God does not sleep. He does not sleep because He is always watching over us and protecting us. Again, He does not let our feet slip so He does not slumber nor sleep. He is always there to help us and to protect us when we need Him. As feeble, and as needy as we are, we always need God’s work. Therefore, it is the reason why He is always there for us to protect us and to guide us. Now, we must realize that everything is because of God’s grace. All glory and honor still belong to Him alone.

The Word Says:
“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

Verse Thoughts:
The Lord has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, no matter what life may throw at us. We are redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been bought with a price, we belong to the Father, and His favour is upon all His children. He has promised to cover us with His gentle calm and protect us by His perfect peace, when our hearts rest in Him.

We have an assurance that the promises of God’s protection and His help are available for all who trust in His name. The children of Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry land and yet the same waters submerged the enemies of the Lord. The flames that were heated seven times hotter did not singe a single thread on the garments of Daniel’s three companions, and yet they consumed those that would throw them into the flames.

The children of Israel faced a physical enemy, and God protected them. We face a spiritual enemy, but His protection and help is equally sure and steadfast for all who are called by His name. Let us trust God at His Word. Let us believe what God has said and rest in the knowledge that it is the God of the universe Who says to each one of us: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” 

The truth of God’s Word has been tried and tested by a myriad of saints down through the centuries, who not only trusted Him for their salvation but continued to trust Him through all the circumstances of life, for He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Let us trust in the God of our salvation in all things too.

The Word Says:

“Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.”
“Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.”

Verse Thoughts:

There are two things that David wants God to “remember” in these verses: God’s character, and David himself. The one thing David asks God to “remember not” is his sin. Let’s look at each of these separately before drawing our conclusion.

First, David asks God to remember “thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses.” These two attributes are “from of old.” A better translation might be “from eternity.” God’s mercy and love are eternal attributes. Sometimes, when we are going through trials or difficult times of life, we begin to feel as if God doesn’t care about us. When David’s soul cries out for God to remember His steadfast love and mercy, he is really reminding himself of these eternal attributes of God. No matter how dark the trial may seem, God has always been merciful and loving, and He will always be merciful and loving!

Second, David asks God to “remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions.” It is this phrase that has led scholars to believe that David wrote this Psalm in his older age, it would be strange for a youth to talk about his youth in the past tense. Apparently, some of his previous sins still weigh heavily on his heart. As sin often does, it has come back to David’s memory, and he is ashamed of his past.

The good news, that David would likely hear many years later, is that Jesus Christ has died in our place, and forgiven us of our sin! God has separated our sin as far from us as the east is from the west, and He remembers it no more. We may be ashamed of our past, but God has already covered it in forgiveness! Why has He done this? Because of His eternal mercy and steadfast love!

Finally, David asks God to “remember me.” God will not remember our sin, because He has completely forgiven us, but will He remember us personally? Of course He will! When the day is darkest, it feels like God has forsaken us, so our plea is for Him to remember us. But, once the sun has risen on our darkness, we can see that He has never left us in the first place. He was there all along!

Why would God remember me and not remember my sin? “For the sake of Your goodness, O Lord!” God’s nature is glorified in our salvation! He loves you and has saved you, not because there was something so special about you, but because there is something special about Him. Only a truly great God could love and forgive sinners like us.

Let us praise Him for all that He is!

The Word Says:
“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

Verse Thoughts:
And so Jesus said:

I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.

On the subject of prayer, Jesus is saying: “Ask, Seek, Knock.”

James tells us that we have not, because we ask not. And that is so often true. People come and they pour out their tale of woe. “I don’t know what I am going to do. Oh, I just don’t know what I am going to do.” “Well, have you prayed?” “No.” “Well, you have not, because you ask not.”

It is also possible according to James, to ask, but ask amiss because my desire is to fulfill my will. It’s prayer according to my will. I am trying to do something to fulfill my own desires. You ask amiss that you might consume it upon your own desires. So prayer is asking, it is seeking, it is knocking, and the promise is, that if you ask, you will receive.

You may not always receive what you asked for. Sometimes God has something better. And so there are many times that I have asked God for something, and He didn’t give me what I asked for, but He gave me something so much better. And many times His answers of “No” were much better than His answers of “Yes” would have been, as I learned later. And though I moaned and complained because of the “No” answer, there always came that day when I said, “Oh, thank you, God, you’re so awesome, and I am so glad that You didn’t answer that prayer that I asked You for awhile back. Oh, thank you, Father.” I realize the mess that I could have gotten into had God answered that prayer. Well, He did answer it, but He answered it, “No.”

If you ask you will receive; if you seek you will find; if you knock it shall be opened!