My Ways are Watched and Pondered

What would you do if you knew every move you made, every step you took, every path you walked, and every thought was watched? That is kind of scary to think about.

I was reading in Proverbs this morning and God's Omniscience pierced me. Now, I was taught from childhood that God is all-knowing (Omniscient) but this morning it struck me in a new way. When I was growing up I viewed God as all-knowing and therefore was ready to paddle me when I did wrong. Unfortunately that view of God is more common than the factual view of God. One of my favorite lines from Bruce Almighty is when Bruce is feeling God hates him and he yells up to the sky "Smite me Almighty Smiter!" Beyond the humor is the perception of many in our world today that God is the Almighty Smiter. The beautiful thing for all of us is that this perception is not reality.

In all actuality, God is not an Almighty Smiter. He is the Lover of Our Souls! What does that mean? Well, in Proverbs 5 it tells us that He knows us and the decisions we make:

For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all His paths. Proverbs 5:21

Now, the context of this verse is Solomon speaking against the snare that is adultery and sexual immorality. So, it would seem that this is a word of warning to immoral people. That is true; it does serve that purpose. However, as I was reading this I was thinking about God's love for His people. God not only knows my ways and choices but Proverbs says that He ponders them. He is not just making checks for error or checks for good deeds; but rather, He is pondering my ways. There is thought and consideration as He views my life. As a Christian, saved by grace alone and faith alone, the Lord is active in my life and He is forming me to be more like Christ.

The point I am trying to make is that God knows what we do when we do it. Still, it is not to smite us when we screw up. If you are one of His children (saved by grace) and Jesus is Lord of your life take heart that He ponders your ways. So, live for His glory and allow Him to bring glory to Himself through you. If you are not a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ then know that God knows and ponders your ways as well. God is slow to anger and quick to show mercy, but as you read the rest of Proverbs 5 you will find that your sin will ensnare you if you continue. Our behavior is under constant scrutiny by a Holy God.

Nathan
Soli Deo Gloria!

The Consuming Fire

I am in awe of what is going on in California. I heard today that there has been 700 homes lost to the wildfires; 800 buildings lost so far. That blows my mind. As I heard the reports on the radio my heart sank. I feel helpless here in Arkansas and I can't imagine how the victims feel.

Then, two thoughts struck me. First, what an incredible act of God it would be if He just dumped a whole bunch of rain on Southern California; a place that rarely sees rain and needs it now more than ever. God could do that! So, I began praying in my car that He would just open up the sky and dump unforeseen rain on those fires. I am positive that I am not the only one praying that prayer either. Now, it is His choice on whether He answers those prayers. He may stop the fires in another way or He may choose to allow them to continue. That is His sovereign choice to make. Still, it is something that we can do to help...pray for His intervention.

The second thought was how those flames were engulfing the desert of Southern California. As those flames spread over the state they leave their impression in their wake. Fire does not come and go without making an impact. Well, the Bible tells us that God is a "Consuming Fire" (Deuteronomy 4:24, Exodus 24:17).

For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Deuteronomy 4:24

How incredible is our God! He is a Consuming Fire and when you come into contact with the Creator that is a Consuming Fire you will never be the same!!

Please pray for the countless victims of these wildfires.

In Christ,

Nathan

Praying the Psalms

I am praying through the Psalms. It is a really neat idea that I was taught at a seminar by Donald Whitney, author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. He was teaching on how to pray scripture. The part that stuck out to me most was praying through Psalms for several reasons. First, they are full of a wide range of emotions. Also, they are truth from the heart of the writer to the Lord.

The method for choosing the Psalm for the day is simple. Take the day of the month and add 30 to it until you have 5 Psalms to read. For instance, October 10 would mean you would pray through one of these five Psalms: Psalm 10, 40, 70, 100, or 130. This way you cover every Psalm over the course of a month (150 Psalms divided by 30 days=five/day!).

So, as I have re-acquainted myself to this prayer method as of late, I figured I would blog what they were speaking to me. I am not teaching...it is more sharing how I relate to the objective truths of scripture and the Unchanging Holy God. Here we go...

Psalm 70

v. 1-3
One thing I find interesting about the Psalms is the way the Psalmist (many times it is David) is fleeing for his life or feels oppressed by his enemies. As far as I know, I am not being hunted. So, to relate to this I think about spiritual oppression; spiritual warfare. I KNOW I am being hunted there!
In reading these three verses and using that context for myself, I can relate to these verses better.

"1 O God, hasten to deliver me; O Lord, hasten to my help!"

See the exclamation point. I didn't add that myself...it is written that way in the NASB translation. Also, there is urgency in the word "hasten." The Psalmist is pleading to the Lord to act quickly. Why is that interesting to me?? Well, because it shows that he was real with God. He cries out to God in a moment of desperation and pleas with the Lord for deliverance from the oppression.

v. 4
David then pauses from his pleas for a moment to praise God.

"Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'Let God be magnified.'"

We need to give God glory even in affliction. God points us to Himself during those times. Rejoice, be glad, love God's salvation and let Him be magnified. This is not always easy; however, it is always the best route.

v.5
We wrap up with one last plea. Notice David refers to God with four different names in this verse...God, Lord, Help, Deliverer. Each name carries a different meaning; yet, they all fit the moment. Remember when you are speaking to God in prayer to refer to Him by His attributes depending on your moment...Deliverer, Redeemer, Lion of Judah, I Am, Jehovah, Prince of Peace, (the list goes on).

I hope you find this encouraging.

Nathan