Not Just External, But Internal

“¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”

— Psalm 19:14 (ESV)

How often have we been “in” a conversation, speaking and hearing, but not really there at all as we are distracted by other goings on. I know that I have and I will admit, that in my prayers and calls on God I am not always there. When I look back, I find that I may have said the right things, but in my head and heart I am distracted and not really in the conversation with God at all. I am reminded this morning that it is not just with our mouth we are to be in commune with God, but our hearts are to me fully engaged as well.

I know that I am “cherry picking” one verse this morning, and I have spoken against that in the past, but hear me out. The title of the passage in my ESV bible this morning is, “The Law of the LORD is Perfect”. That being so, why would we allow ourselves to be distracted away from Him. I know that in sports I long to see things that are identified as “perfect”, the perfect game pitched in baseball, the perfect shot in golf, the perfect pass, or the perfect routine in gymnastics. I am mesmerized in those instances and my focus in fully on the moment. I have to ask myself, if those things are identified as perfect and I am fully engaged, why would I be distracted from the one true perfect one in our LORD.

It is up to me to devote myself to the LORD and what better way to start my days than to fully engage with Him in my prayer. From my mouth to my heart, I am to be mesmerized by Him and His perfection. I am to be all in with Him and allow the LORD to be the captivator of my entire self. I should be with Him both externally and internally.

How is your prayer with the LORD? Are you going through the motions eternally while being distracted internally? What if you were to fully engage in the perfection of the LORD and devote yourself to Him with your words and your heart and allow Him to captivate you?

In Your Heart Know There is God

Notice how I phrase the title, “There is God”, not “there is a God”.

“¹The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

there is none who does good.”

— Psalm 14:1

The verse above speaks of the “fool” keeping in his heart that “There is no God”. I found it interesting that the Hebrew word “fool” here means, according to my ESV commentary, “someone who stubbornly rejects wisdom”. It does not mean, as we would generally think, someone who is just not that bright. The writer is referring to people who consciously reject God’s existence in holding people to account for their actions. As such, they feel free to act in whatever manner they like without consequence.

This is not a “luxury” that I afford as a follower of Christ. I know in my heart that there is God and He will deal with me and my actions. I have escaped the wrath of God thanks to my salvation, but I am not immune to consequences of my actions. I still have to obey or be subject to accountability.

The LORD is looking down on me to watch over me. I can only imagine how, when I fail Him, He sneers knowing that He will have to hold me to account. But, He loves me too much to let me slide on those things. He ensures that I am aware of my faults so that I can work to avoid them in the future and carry on teaching others about Him.

Love is an emotional and actionable thing. The emotional part overlooks all accountability, where the actionable leans on accountability. I hold love for the LORD in my heart as He holds love in His heart. Both of us emotionally love one another as well as actionable. The actionable love I have for the LORD is in that He is to hold me accountable to my actions. The LORD’s actionable love for me is to hold me accountable for my actions. We are aligned here and should always be. But that alignment cannot be if I do not know in my heart that there is God.

How do you know there is God? Are you like the “fool” who chooses to reject his existence for accountability? What if you know on you heart that there is God and love him emotionally and actionable?

Shield Yourself with God

I am a sinner and as so am subject to this world. I am bound to make mistakes and sin against God and do wrong by those around me. I am worthy of His wrath and accountable to the evil that I have committed.

But God. He will surround me with his protection. He will guide me in my pursuits.

“¹⁰My shield is with God,

who saves the upright in heart.”

— Psalm 7:10 (ESV)

I may be a sinner and may continue to do wrong, but God still loves me and will shield me. I am His and He is mine. It is up to me to devote myself to Him and take Him up as my shield. I have to understand my place and ask the LORD to judge me and remove the evil from me. I have to pray to Him continually and take refuge in Him.

“⁸The Lord judges the peoples;

judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness

and according to the integrity that is in me.

⁹Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,

and may you establish the righteous—

you who test the minds and hearts,

O righteous God!”

— Psalm 7:8-9 (ESV)

And then, once I have asked and He delivers, I have to give thanks for His shielding of little old me the sinner. Not for His making of me bigger, but for His shielding and glory. I thank Him for His righteousness and lift Him up on high.

“¹⁷I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,

and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.”

— Psalm 7:17 (ESV)

What is your approach to God? Are you going about expecting Him to be there? What if you were to consciously ask for His shielding and then thanking and praising Him for shielding you, the sinner?

Agree with the LORD in your Heart

Recently I had a conversation about how our team of three at the office may disagree on actions, yet once we decide to take an action, we are behind it fully. Where I carry out the actions fully in expectation of success, I admit to having doubts and look for moments when I can come back and indicate that I thought there was another way when thing do not go as planned.

“²¹Agree with God, and be at peace;

thereby good will come to you.

²²Receive instruction from his mouth,

and lay up his words in your heart.”

— Job 22:21-22 (ESV)

When it comes to the LORD, our agreement cannot be on the surface. We may go along with God’s required actions of us, but there is no room for us to doubt. It is imperative that we lay His words on our heart and not just on our minds.

“²⁷You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you,

and you will pay your vows.

²⁸You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,

and light will shine on your ways.”

— Job 22:27-28 (ESV)

Expecting success is different than knowing of success. With the LORD, we can know of success and not just expect it. When we have His words on our heart, He will hear when we call. He will make success happen. No, maybe not the way we wanted things to go, but He will make success. It is in our trust of Him from our Heart that makes it so.

With the LORD, there is no room for doubt. When we are looking for the way out, we will surely find the way to failure. Maybe not in the moment, but in the end. I have to remember to be all in with the LORD. I have to hear His words. I have to agree with Him. I have to take His words and place them on my heart to ensure that I am fully on board with Him. Here I will know that success is imminent. I cannot fail with the LORD. I will not look back and have those what if thoughts. I must agree and will succeed.

How do you agree with the Word of God? Are you expecting success but holding out for the what if? “What if” you were agree with the LORD and place His words on your heart to know He will lead to success?

The LORD Will Come and Stay

What does it take for the LORD to come?

“¹³When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, ¹⁴if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (ESV)

We have to earnestly “pray and seek” Him and His Face and “turn from their wicked ways” and then the LORD will come. So it is on us to get the LORD here. It is up to me and my full dependence on Him regardless of the circumstances. I am in charge of turning to the LORD and away from that which is evil. The LORD is always within earshot of me, and will come when I need Him, I only need to call on Him.

I think that we understand that part. Call on the LORD and He will come. But what is it that gets Him to stay with us. Well, it is the humbling of ourselves and surrendering to Him.I can and should call on Him when I need Him, yet it is up to me to reach out to Him and surrender to His glory for Him to come and stay.

“¹⁵Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. ¹⁶For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time” – 2 Chronicles 7:15-16 (ESV)

When I have devoted myself to the LORD, He will come and stay with me. Not just in earshot, but will be there walking with me for my entire journey in this world. I will have Him there to fend off the evil. He will comfort me and guide me and carry me and provide for me and bless me and fully ensure that I am taken care of in this world. It is up to me to turn to Him and away from evil and surrender to Him and he will come and stay with me.

What are you doing to get the LORD to come and stay? Are you keeping Him just within earshot? What if you were to surrender to Him so that He comes and walks with you, comforting you, guiding you, carrying you, providing for you, and blessing you?

Let Known to Serve the LORD with Your Heart

This morning I was reminded of a pretty big deal, let others know to serve the LORD with the whole heart. The context came from “David’s Charge to Solomon” (title of the passage in my ESV Bible).

“⁹And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. ¹⁰Be careful now for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.” – 1 Chronicles 28:9-10 (ESV)

Here we see David speaking to Solomon in front of all the officials of Israel. He had been announcing to them that a house for the LORD was to be built, but not by him but that Solomon had been chosen by God to do so. And here David is charging Solomon to that which the LORD has chosen him to do. Yet, he is also charging Solomon to do so with full service to the LORD from the heart.

I was reminded strongly that it is important to physically tell others to love and serve the LORD from the heart and not just expect that they will pick it up on their own somewhere. As a parent, when we want something accomplished a certain way or in a certain time, it is important to speak it plainly so there is no questions as to what to do. This is also important with service and love of the LORD. We should be speaking it plainly. Love the LORD with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.

David announced to Solomon that he should proceed with the building of the Temple from his heart. He should work to serve the LORD and not his own agenda. And, David is speaking this command in front of many witnesses. He is not shying away from speaking it, he is deliberate and pointed in the delivery to ensure that Solomon is aware and understands the assignment.

I may have missed the mark on this. Where I was not young when I became a father, and I had been a follower of Christ for a good number of years, I was not mature in Christ by any means. I may have not spoken to my boys as David does to Solomon here.

But, I did have brothers in Christ who were examples of David in this sense and over the past 15 years I have grown in my Christlike maturity to more of an example. I still have a long way to go, but I am more bold today and heed the actions of David with Solomon and lead more deliberately and vocally to ensure that others (including but not limited to my sons) should know and love and serve the LORD with all their heart.

What are you speaking out about loving and serving the LORD? Are you expecting others to learn on their own somehow? What if you were to speak plainly with others as David does with Solomon to love and serve the LORD with all their heart?

It is Not To Late to Turn Back to God

It is not to late to repent and turn to the LORD. This morning I was reminded of this as I read how Josiah returned to the LORD when his predecessors had drifted away.

“¹³Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” – 2 Kings 22:13 (ESV)

“³And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.” – 2 Kings 23:3 (ESV)

Josiah found his moment to return to the LORD and he did not take it lightly. He boldly stated the drift and then just as boldly committed to the LORD in front of all to see.

But Josiah did not just make statements, he took action as well. He torn down alters and burned bones to remove the remnants of the turning away. He was not like the politicians that say one thing then do another. He was true to his word and returned fully to the LORD.

The drift away from the LORD is slow and almost unnoticeable. It happens with little things that we compromise on and then drift into the larger things that begin leading us. But there is time to turn it all around despite the time it took to get there and those who were involved. We have to just commit ourselves to the LORD and then carry out His Word in our daily actions dedicated to bringing Him glory.

What is your thoughts on the drift and coming back to the LORD? Are you of the belief that we may be too far gone to turn back to Him? What if you took the LORD into your heart and devoted to Him and again put your trust in Him and took action to bring Him glory?

The LORD Chooses Based on the Heart

I have a coach friend who confided in me that he does indeed have favorite players. He told me one time that his favorite players are those who give every thing they have at all times. Now, he admits that these players may not be the most talented and may not get a lot of playing time, because their heart may not translate into talent, but they are indeed his favorites.

“⁶When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.’ ⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” – 1 Samuel 16:6-7 (ESV)

Samuel had gone to Bethlehem to find and anoint the new king. Jesse was the father of the men God sent Samuel to and of course he paraded his sons one by one before Samuel. Where Samuel was impressed by the first and then the second all through the line of sons, the LORD made it clear that they were not His choice. Until David was brought forward. He was a good looking very young man (or boy actually). This is the choice of God.

Who would choose a boy to be the next king, God would. David was chosen not because he had a beautiful appearance, but because he had a beautiful heart. David was exactly what God wanted the world to see. He was a hard worker, and gave everything he had in whatever the task. We learn in just the next chapter of 1 Samuel that David was willing to go to war against giants (and he won). Not because he was a skilled warrior, but because he knew to give everything for the LORD and the LORD would give him victory.

I have to remember that my appearance is not what the LORD is looking for. He chose me to receive his gift of salvation, not because I am powerful and striking, but because I have a heart that receives him. I am no David, but I do love the LORD. He knows my heart and will lead me where He knows I will battle for Him. I may not be the visible figure that people will see as a leader in His Church, but I am here to do the work for the LORD and will give Him all. The LORD does have favorites and those are the ones that give it all for Him.

What is your view of who God chooses? Do you believe that God’s choice is those who are seen as lovely by the world? What if you saw the real choice of God to be those who will devote themselves to Him and give Him all from the heart?

Follow the Word of the LORD Fully

Guys, I know that we are prone to looking at the pictures found in instructions as opposed to reading the instructions themselves (Haha, just kidding, but not really). Where this is adequate for getting things started, there may be things that are missed or that we do not fully complete in the process of working through those things. Well, Saul was one of us in that he did not fully follow the instructions given to him.

The bible passage I was led to this morning is titled, “Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice” in my ESV Bible. You see, Saul’s son, Jonathan had defeated a garrison of the Philistines and they regrouped and were preparing a fight. Saul was looking for direction and protection from the LORD. He was instructed to wait seven days for Samuel to come and lead the interaction with the LORD. And this is where Saul skips to the end and missed a piece of the instructions. He waited seven days, and then took things into his own hands, only as he was wrapping up, Samuel arrived. You cannot unburn a sacrifice and therefore Samuel would not be able to fully lead the interaction with the LORD.

“¹³And Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.’” – 1 Samuel 13:13-14 (ESV)

This was the beginning of the end of Saul’s reign as king. He did not follow the LORD fully and missed out. Saul was impatient and thought that he knew the way. He was going to get what was his and did not want to miss out because Samuel did not make it on time (at least what he thought was on time). He moved to the end of the instructions, skipping the important part of following the Word of the LORD as given to him by Samuel.

I have learned in my over 50 years that you better follow the instructions to the letter. I have learned that having the right tool for the job is important. I have learned not to cut corners as there is a reason for the way things are done. I have learned to follow the LORD fully, even when it may not make sense or seems to be taking too long.

God knows the full story and we just know what is right now. Yes, we are to concern ourselves with the now as the past cannot be fixed and the future is not known, but, we also have to understand that there are things we do not and will not know until the LORD reveals them. God’s instructions to us may seem incomplete, but are they. Maybe, just maybe, we should read His Word and follow Him fully to make sure that we do not miss anything and get to the result that He has for this instance and for us.

What is you view of instructions? Are you a rush to the end kind of person that feels as they know what the outcome is supposed to be? What if you followed the LORD fully and allowed Him to reveal the truth and outcome as it is and not as we want it to be?

Keep the LORD on Your Heart

When in the work, it is easier to keep the work in focus and we will remain on task. But, when the work is “done” we will find ourselves drifting away from the work and onto/into things that are not of a productive nature.

“⁴And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. ⁵Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” – Joshua 22:4-5 (ESV)

Joshua is advising those that have come to be with and help out their fellow Israelite people that their work is done and they are free to return to their homes and live out their lives. Joshua is indeed thanking the people for their help and advising them that they have done that which God had asked of them. Now they can return home and get back to their own, caring for themselves.

But, Joshua also charges them to keep the LORD on their heart. They are to return home and get back to life, and they are not to forget what they have done and how they have done it. The LORD had given them victory as they had obeyed Him and now they should remain in the LORD and continue to receive victory.

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, it is easy to remain on task while doing the work, but when the work slows, we tend to wander off task. Joshua is warning the people of this as he sends them home. He wants them to know that they are free to return home, only not to forget the LORD who provided for them and the victory they achieved.

I have to remember to keep the LORD on my heart at all time. I have to not give in to the distractions of the world. I have to love and serve the LORD, “with all your heart and with all your soul”. It is okay and encouraged to get back to the life that I have been given by the LORD, only I have to remember that He gave it to me. I have to remember Him in all that I am and do.

Where is the LORD in your life? Once you have completed the work, have you drifted off, away from the LORD? What if you were to stay on task with the LORD, remembering Him on your heart as you traverse this life in this world regardless of where you are?