“The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven. His eyes behold; His eyelids test and prove the children of men.”(Ps. 11:4)
“You have not [simply] lied to men [playing false and showing yourself utterly deceitful] but to God.”(Acts 5:4b)
There is no play acting with God. God is developing character within me by his faithfulness but I often find myself trying fool others into believing that I’m something I’m not. A famous preacher once said , “Did you know that you live with 3 people? The person you think that you are, the person others think that you are and the person God knows that you are.” I’d rather live a life where all three of those people are lined up with who God says I really am in Christ.
“BETTER IS a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his speech and is a [self-confident] fool.” (Prov. 19:1)
“Better is the poor man who walks in his integrity than he who willfully goes in double and wrong ways, though he is rich.”(Prov. 28:6)
This scripture below has continually come to my mind lately. I see myself in it and wonder how on earth I could go on in willful and rebellious ways even as the children of egypt did when God wrote this just for me that I might learn from their unbelief (disobedience).
“We have sinned, as did also our fathers; we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt understood not nor appreciated Your miracles; they did not [earnestly] remember the multitude of Your mercies nor imprint Your loving-kindness [on their hearts], but they were rebellious and provoked the Lord at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake [to prove the righteousness of the divine character], that He might make His mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; so He led them through the depths as through a pastureland. And He saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the [Egyptian] enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then [Israel] believed His words [trusting in, relying on them]; they sang His praise. But they hastily forgot His works; they did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] regarding them, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted and tried to restrain God [with their insistent desires] in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls and [thinned their numbers by] disease and death.”(Ps 106:6-15)
For the past three days i have noticed something in me that I have never noticed with such clearness. I’ve seen it in my in the past and just kind of disregaurded it as coming from the enemy. I praise God now that He showed this, but even as I think of it it truly scares me. Blatant hatred for God. Even a false and accusing spirit, a sort of finger pointing at Him for all the evil that has ever bombarded my life. But you say, ” God is Love.” Yeah, I know, and it is solid truth but as I prayed last night I found it hard to believe in His truthfullness His purity and His absolute goodness. I was at a loss for words. So all I did was pray what I knew was true proclaiming His goodness, His truth and His absolute purity. As I did, to my remembrance came a scripture that I had read about a week before.
“Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. I sat not in the assembly of those who make merry, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because Your [powerful] hand was upon me, for You had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain? Therefore thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece. [But do not yield to them.] Let them return to you–not you to [the people].”(Jer. 15:16-19)
As He says this I can just see The Lord sitting back saying ths also.
“And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!”(Is.30:18)
Perfect and true
Pure in all Your ways
Oh, Lord there is none else like You
No one like You
And all these things
Keep me in awe of You
And i’m overwhelmed that You would call me friend.
I know that God is faithful. This is not a cliche’. He is. I’m just asking that the prayers keep coming as the sifting takes place in my life. God bless you saints.
-V