So That All May Know

One of the joys of following Jesus is the sense of adventure that each day brings.  All conversations present opportunities to share the love of Christ. 

All interactions give us the chance to point others to Jesus.  Our lives are "on mission" for the glory of God!  

As I was reading through Psalm 145 recently, I was struck by a phrase that occurs near the middle of the psalm: so that all people may know (v.12).  The context of this phrase is praise.  We praise and worship God because He alone is worthy of our praise, but as a byproduct of our worship (offering our bodies and lives to Christ as "living sacrifices") other people get to hear and see how great our God is.

There is an evangelism component to our worship.  King David put it this way: 

Your faithful people extol you.  They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.  (Psalm 145:10-12)     

I believe Psalm 145 offers us three "check-up" questions we can ask ourselves on a regular basis in order to help us live out the mission "so that all may know."  These questions will help us keep our focus on praising the Lord and living out His mission in the world.

Question #1: What is my daily plan to worship God and spend time alone in His presence? 

Do you have an intentional plan to spend time daily in God's Word and hear from Him?  

Psalm 145:2 says, "Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever."  

Notice that David had established a daily rhythm in his worship life.  He was disciplined in cultivating a heart for God.  When we neglect God's Word, we experience a powerless spiritual life and a decreased passion for God.  Without the Word, we lose our witness. 

Just as football players have been going through strict training to prepare for the upcoming season, so disciples of Jesus should be daily trained in God's game plan by meditating on scripture.  

Question #2: How am I commending God's works to another generation?   

Psalm 145:3-4 says, "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.  One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts."  We need to be intentional about training the younger generation in the ways of the Lord.  In the Old Testament, the people of Israel were instructed to "impress" God's commandments on the hearts of their children.  They were to "talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up" (see Deut. 6:4-7).  

Parents, are we living in such a way that our children can see our love for the Lord?  Are we taking advantage of the time we have with them by repeatedly talking to them about the greatness of Jesus and the privilege of serving him?  Grandparents, are you making intentional spiritual investments in the lives of your grandchildren?  

Question #3: What aspect of God's character do I especially need to trust in TODAY"so that all may know"?      

Psalm 145 lists many aspects of God's character.  Take a look at this list!

The Lord is....

gracious

compassionate

slow to anger

rich in love

good to all

mighty

provider

always "on time"

righteous in all His ways

near to those who call on Him

attentive to our cries

Savior

Judge

holy

Maybe you are going through a time in your life that is making it difficult for you to see one of these aspects of God's character.  Perhaps you are beginning to doubt that God will truly provide for the needs of your family.  Or, maybe you don't feel like the Lord has been attentive to your cries.  Let me encourage you to take a few minutes to read Psalm 145 in its entirety and then offer up this simple prayer: 

"Lord, help me to trust that You are ___________________" 

(fill in the aspect of God's character you are having the most difficulty trusting)

As your trust in God's complete character is increased and strengthened, you will be able to confidently proclaim the greatness of God to those around you....so that all may know! 

The Depths

Sometimes we go through difficult situations in life to the extent that we feel as if we are drowning; the circumstances seem overwhelming, like powerful waves taking us under the water.  What are we to do in such moments?  

The Psalmist writes, "Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord hear my voice" (Psalm 130:1).  Although we may experience "the depths" in life in relation to physical sickness or emotional struggles, the context of Psalm 130 is acknowledgement of the depths of our sinful condition.  As the people of Israel were making their pilgrimage to worship at the temple, they were anticipating the sacrifices that would be made for their sins.  The thought of worshiping a holy God in Jerusalem brought about an intense awareness on the part of the pilgrims, a recognition that, because of sin and rebellion, they were unworthy to be in the presence of the Lord.  

Yet, there is good news.  The Psalmist goes on to write, "But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you" (v. 4).  The Gospel is centered on the truth of God's loving nature as demonstrated in the way Christ died for us while we were still sinners (see Romans 5:8).  When we cry out to God from the depths of our being, we are truly heard; God's ears welcome cries for mercy.      

Ernest Hemingway started one of his short stories entitled "The Capital of the World" with the following lines:

Madrid is full of boys named Paco, which is diminutive of the name Francisco, and there is a Madrid joke about a father who came to Madrid and inserted an advertisement in the personal columns of El Liberal which said: 

PACO, MEET ME AT HOTEL MONTANA NOON TUESDAY.  

ALL IS FORGIVEN.  

~PAPA

and how a squadron of Guardia Civil had to be called out to disperse the eight hundred young men who answered the advertisement.  

While Hemingway's humor is geared toward the popularity of the name "Paco" in Spain, the story also illustrates the desire people have to be forgiven.  Our God is the God of "prodigal Pacos," children who have been on the run but desperately desire reconciliation.  Our heavenly Father longs for us to experience His forgiveness and mercy and He has advertised the extent of his love through the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the "once and for all" sacrifice for our sins, thus providing the means of redemption.  

If you feel like a prodigal Paco today, take heart.  There is always hope with Christ.  The Psalmist ended Psalm 130 with a message of hope as well:

Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.  He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.  (vv. 7-8)

In order to reinforce the truth of God's forgiveness, read these verses again but insert your name in place of Israel.  For example, in my case....

Mark, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.  He himself will redeem Mark from all his sins.

Pretty powerful, isn't it?  Good news for prodigal Pacos! 

Mighty Fortress

Ten years ago the residents of Central Florida were in the thick of a hyperactive hurricane season.  The storms were lined up one after the other and presented a merciless onslaught of wind and rain.  During one of the storms, I huddled with the rest of my family in one of our bedroom closets.  While we listened to the intense wind battering the house, we also prayed and sang some worship songs to the Lord--the One who has the power to still the most treacherous storms and provide protection in the midst of danger. 

When Martin Luther penned his well-known hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, he eloquently captured the Biblical truth that because God is more powerful than any storm or evil force, He can be completely trusted.  God alone is a fortress and refuge that will never fail.  While my house remained standing during the hurricanes, it did sustain some minor roof damage and, if the hurricanes would have taken a slightly different path, the outcome would have probably been much worse.  The force of the storms could have easily overwhelmed my house.  What a joy to know the fortress-like character of God!  The opening line of Luther's hymn says, "A Mighty Fortress is our God.  A bulwark never failing."   A bulwark is a wall built to provide strong defense, a protective barrier against danger.  Luther wrote what the Bible teaches: God, our fortress, refuge, and defender, never fails.

Psalm 91 is a powerful testimony to God's ability to protect His people at all times.  The Psalmist begins by writing:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."  (vv. 1-2)  

Then, a few verses later, the Psalmist reveals an important outcome of trusting in God's protection: The removal of fear.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  (vv. 5-6)

We are often tempted to fear the most at night, especially when the lights are turned off and we start to think that every little sound in the house is a dangerous intruder.  One night, I was abruptly awakened from my sleep by a noise in the kitchen.  I immediately jumped out of bed (with my heart beating a hundred times a minute!) and ran to the kitchen only to discover that the "intruder" was the ice maker on the refrigerator.  

What are the fears that fill your mind in the night?  

What keeps you awake?  

What terrors keep you rolling and tossing?  

Remember, your God is a mighty fortress.  By placing your trust in Him you will experience an amazing peace in your life, even at night.

The Presence of the Lord

Pastor and author, A.W. Tozer, wrote, "It is God's great pleasure for us to fully rest in His presence, moment by moment....Nothing in or of this world measures up to the simple pleasure of experiencing the presence of God."  

Psalm 84 is a passionate prayer that captures the essence of Tozer's quote and communicates the great expectancy with which the people of Israel made their journey to worship at the temple, a place where God's presence was enjoyed:

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!  My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (Ps. 84:1-2) 

For the Psalmist, worship was not a casual, routinized practice.  Rather, it was an experience that was highly anticipated and valued, encompassing every aspect of life (soul, heart, flesh).  Knowing and experiencing the presence of the Lord was the psalmist's consuming passion in life: Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked (v. 10).  

In the presence of the Lord there is tremendous blessing.  Three times in Psalm 84 the word "blessed" is used, a repetition intended to reinforce the truth that God desires to shower his people with blessings:

Blessed are those who dwell in your house...(v. 4)

Blessed are those whose strength is in you...(v. 5)

Blessed is the one who trusts in you...(v. 12)

When we dwell in God's presence, God strengthens us, even if we are walking through incredibly difficult times in our lives.  In the middle of Psalm 84, there is a reference to worshippers walking through the Valley of Baka on their way to the temple.  Most likely, Baka means "tears;" in other words, it was a location of great sorrow due to the hot temperature and dry climate.  It was a desert place.  Yet, in the middle of this tearful valley of suffering, the psalmist writes that the people "go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion."  When the worshippers were unsure whether they had the stamina to keep walking through the desolate valley, it was God who strengthened them.

The presence of the Lord sustained them and enabled them to take the next step...and then the next step...and then the next, until they arrived in Jerusalem.  

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity of experiencing God's presence each moment of each day through the indwelling presence of God's Spirit.  Instead of traveling to a temple to experience God, we are able to experience God wherever we are.  

In addition, we are able to experience the empowering strength and grace of God in our desert experiences and, with the Apostle Paul, we are able to hear the reassuring words of Christ as we walk through the Valley of Baka: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9).  Strength to strength, grace to grace...all possible through the presence of a risen Savior--our God who has promised to never withdraw His presence from our surrendered lives.