Hearing God’s Voice

 

READ Psalm 36–40

Yesterday, I woke up tired and sad, but praised God anyway and He gave me joy. This morning, after a good sleep, that joy remains and as I read these psalms that describe the extremes of the psalmist’s experience and emotions, I see the faithfulness of God running through the descriptions. No matter what the writer is going through, good or bad, happy or in distress, he knows the grace of God and the wonder of being in a right relationship with Him.

Copying these verses here does not duplicate the experience of being convicted of sin, nor does it produce His presence or the joy He puts in my heart when bring my cares to the Lord. I can say it is there, feel intensely, yet know that anyone reading those verses or what I write about them may not experience the same result. Only the Spirit of God can speak to the human heart. Only God can speak through this book of praise and fill the reader with conviction and/or delight. And in some ways, that is sad, however it should not be. I am not God. I do not know what is needed in the lives of others. Most of the time, I’m not too certain what I need!

But God knows. He picks out verses to touch my mind, to wake up His joy in me. He reminds me of truths that I so easily forget and gives me songs to sing the rest of the day. All I can say to that is that everyone should read this book of books for themselves and discover that it is alive. By that, I mean God is able to take the parts, or the verses and thoughts that each reader needs to hear and lift that person above their current situation, meeting the need of what to think about, of what to confess, or learn, or relearn and remember.

For me and for this day, God speaks to me through these songs. In Psalm 36, the people without fear of God are said to plot trouble while in their beds. I’ve done that, confessed it and am glad that the rest of the psalm assures me of God’s steadfast love and how He rescues His people from all sorts of things, including the foolishness of trying to rule my world without Him or His wisdom.

Psalm 37 begins with:

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:1–4)

While some think this means He will give me whatever I want, I’ve learned that is simply not true. Like a daddy whose child keeps asking for too much candy, God knows what is best for me. What a hard lesson for this spoiled brat to learn that my heavenly Father loves me too much to let me rule my own life, wanting or seeking things not good for me.

Instead, these verses mean that when I delight in the Lord and obey Him, the desires that fill my heart are from Him, not from worldly or sinful eye candy. He lovingly enables me to want His best for me instead of some vain substitutes — that wind up being sad regrets, never mind a waste of time and energy. The next verses pack a punch also:

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. (37:5–11)

There is much more in the remaining chapters that urge me to guard my ways and forsake all sin, reminding me of the fate of those who ignore God. The last two verses are a prayer and David’s words are my prayer too:

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! (40:16–17)

Feeling poor and needy is not fun, but it is far better than being appalled because of sin and shame! For this and for God’s voice I am deeply grateful!

 

God’s timeliness

 

READ 2 Corinthians 1–4

Last night’s dream made me feel ashamed when I woke up. It was only a dream but God put my thinking right by a prayer I read right away — it was about how Jesus bore my shame. These ‘coincidences’ happen often. I might be upset one day and the Bible reading that day comforts me. We hear good news and God tells me to rejoice with those who rejoice. Because He touches me where I am, I know that the words He gave Paul for this second letter to the church in Corinth was touching their needs.

Obviously, they were suffering because the first section speaks of “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction” and then tells them to use that comfort to comfort others so they will realize even affliction has purpose that God’s blessing can be shared. (2 Corinthians 1:3–7) That also is a comfort.

Paul’s example is his own experience of comfort in suffering. He told of being “utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself” and “felt that we had received the sentence of death” yet God showed him that this “was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” Then he asked them to comfort him and his fellow workers by praying for them.” (2 Corinthians 1:8–11)

Later on, he talked about forgiveness; this must have been a problem for them. The timely warning told them if they remained that way they would be “outwitted by Satan” for this was one of his schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:10–11)

These believers may have been discouraged over something or overjoyed about a victory too, but either way they needed to remember to thank God “who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” As they lived for Him, they would be the “aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life” but they could not do this themselves! (2 Corinthians 2:14–16) Later, this lesson was restated:

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:5–6)

This was their recurring problem, and mine. I cannot live in the power of the flesh (my old nature) nor by the letter of the law. Only the Spirit of God can enable me to live for Christ.

Paul reminded them of the OT saints who had the same problem. They could not see their need for grace either. It is “only through Christ” that blindness is taken away. Even as Christians, we know we cannot keep the laws of God and must keep our eyes on Jesus. This is because . . .

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:14–18)

I see spiritual blindness in those who do not believe and realize it is “the god of this world” that keeps them “from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” I also know that it was God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness” and who shone in my hearts to give me the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But I have this treasure in a jar of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to me. (2 Corinthians 4:3–7) When I get full of myself, God reminds me who I am and who He is!

For this reason, I must die to self for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in me. As Paul said to this church, I’m not to lose heart. My outer self grows old and wastes away, but my inner self is being renewed day by day. For this “light momentary affliction is preparing for me an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as I look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18)

Thank You, Jesus. You changed the first thoughts of my day into this gracious reminder of one day I’ll not have bad dreams or be upset with myself. Instead, I’ll be totally transformed to be like You.