greatness

Prioritizing 

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Psalm 132:4-5
“I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, Until I find a place for the Lord, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

This psalm is referring to a time when King David took a spiritual inventory of his life. His days of fleeing from Saul and living in caves were no more than a memory; he now dwelt within the palace. The Philistines, who had plagued the nation for so long, had been conquered, and Israel was at peace with the surrounding nations. As David began to muse over his life, he saw an area of inconsistency; while he dwelt in a palace, the ark of God still resided in a tent.

Immediately, David was filled with a desire to give God center stage in his life, and within the nation. The first step in this process, was to bring the Ark of the Covenant out of storage, and into the capital city, so all might see that God was at the center of the nation. David’s first attempt to bring the Ark back was a monstrous failure. He tried to do the things of God with the methods of man.

Later, after careful inquiry into the Word of God, David was able to safely bring the Ark to its resting place in Jerusalem. National revival broke out as a result of the King giving the Lord center stage. One day, as David was residing within the palace, he was struck by how God had blessed him; the forgotten son of Jesse, who was often ridiculed by his older brothers, was now king. As he reflected on the blessings of God, he was reminded that while the Ark resided in the city, it remained within a tent.

To David, the tent seemed a proper habitation for the Ark when the people were nomadic, but now that their borders had been secured, it was time to build a proper Temple. One that would reflect the way the nation honored their God, and would serve as a magnet to draw people to worship. This project would ultimately be completed by Solomon, after the death of David, but it was birthed in his heart, with a desire to always keep God first.

The application is simple. What place does God have in your life today? When is the last time you took spiritual inventory and sought to give more of your time, talents and treasures to the Lord? Today would be a great time to look back at all that God has done for you and elevate His place in your life.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Psalm 132

  1. In verses2-5, David is troubled that the ark did not have its place. Do you ever feel restless, wondering; what’s Gods will for your life?
  2. According to verse 9, describe the priests and the saints.
  3. In verses 11-12, what will keep the descendants of David on the throne?
  4. According to verse 17, who is the horn of David, and who is the psalmist referring to as “My Anointed”?

 

You Should Know Better

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Psalm 100:3  
“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “you should have known better?”  We use it when we view evidence so compelling that a particular conclusion is obvious. “I didn’t know that would happen!” This statement, a response to throwing a firecracker into the barbecue pit, or bringing a handgun through airport security, is an unreasonable response, “You should know better.” It seems equally as surprising to me, that the Psalmist would need to remind us that man is a creative work of God  and did not spring into being as a result of his own innate ability. As surprising, and even preposterous as it may be, we hear all of the time, how highly intelligent and well-educated people will choose to believe that man is not a byproduct of an intelligent and loving Creator, but the consequence of random chance.

How good it is to be reminded, that God created us, and did so with a devine purpose in mind. He created us to know Him. We live up to the height of that relationship when we walk in step with His Word. Each day, as you read your Bible and seek to put it into practice in your life, you are working towards the purpose for which you were created. On the other hand, each time you choose to ignore His word and do things your own way, you are one step farther from His design for your life. It is possible to step so far away, and be so removed from His presence in your daily life, as to begin to doubt His presence and even existence. Let’s take steps toward Him today, and everyday, until our faith becomes sight, and we reap the great reward of trusting Him.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Psalm 100

  1. This psalm is entitled a Psalm of Thanksgiving.  Go through the psalm and identify all of the different ways that we are to express our thankfulness.
  2. Notice especially the truths in verse 3.  We did not invent God, He made us.  How does this view differ from that of the world today?
  3. Although we cannot make God, we do make gods, things that we worship.  These are called idols.  What are some of the gods of the men of this age?
  4. In verse 5, we are told three very important things about God.  What are they?

 

 

Greatness 

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Psalm 75:6-7
“For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.”

Things in the kingdom of God run very differently than they do in the kingdoms of men. This is particularly true of exaltation. The word exalted means “to raise in rank or power, to be elevated or lifted above.” What exaltation is, and how to achieve it, are different in God’s Kingdom.

Jesus declared, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave” Matthew 20:25-27

The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the one who serves. That does not mean if we serve we will be exalted to a place above serving, but when we serve, we are in the highest place. Servanthood is not a means to greatness, it is greatness. Paul wrote to the Philippians that we should, “do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but with lowliness of mind we should esteem others higher than ourselves” (Philippians 2:3). One of the driving factors behind selfish ambition is a failure to recognize that exaltation comes from the Lord. We see others push their way to the front and we think the only way to get ahead is to push and push hard.

Jacob was a man who struggled to understand that exaltation comes from the Lord. At birth, he was given promises that he would be exalted, and would inherit the promises of his father Abraham. Instead of walking in the ways of the Lord, and trusting in the promises of God, Jacob spent his life pushing to the front. It was not until he surrendered to the ways of God that he benefitted from the promises.

Instead of striving, pushing, manipulating, and worrying, why not sit quietly before the Lord, laying your needs before Him. When we learn to humble ourselves, then we will find true exaltation.

Pastor Jim