Why Humanity Should Serve God by Wayne Jackson, M.A.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=230

Why Humanity Should Serve God

by	Wayne Jackson, M.A.

I have no reason to doubt that her question was entirely sincere—however misguided it was. “Suppose you could prove to me that there is a God. So what! Would that necessarily mean that I would be obligated to serve him?,” the young lady asked. “Your God must be on a super ‘ego trip’ if He expects everyone in the Universe to worship Him.” What response should be made to this flippant comment from an intelligent but confused college student?
First, the issue of whether humans should yield their lives to the Creator has nothing to do with the divine ego. God, by definition, is infinite in all of His attributes. He cannot be more powerful than He is. He cannot be wiser than He is. The Lord cannot be any more glorious than He is. Consequently, His “ego” never could be enhanced by human servitude. This is implied logically in the language of Christ’s prayer shortly before His crucifixion. Jesus petitioned that He might be glorified with the glory that He shared with the Father “before the world was” (John 17:5). If it were the case that God’s glory had been inflated by virtue of human devotion across the centuries, the Lord’s prayer surely would have reflected a desire for the current glory of the Father, rather than that possessed before the world was created (cf. Fuller, 1963, p. 23). God’s requirement that we serve Him, therefore, obviously is not for His benefit; rather, it is for ours. Because God is love (1 John 4:8), He wants the best for us. Our true contentment will be found only in living for Him, and that is why He bids us thus to do.
But let us expand this thought with supplemental reasons as to why we, as rational human beings, should be obedient to the Creator of our very being.

THE NATURE OF GOD

A primary reason for bowing before Jehovah has to do with the nature or essence of this Being. God is worthy of human service simply because of Who He is! Exactly what does this suggest?
There are two sources of information regarding the Supreme Being. First, there is the abstract revelation of nature, which argues for the wisdom and power of Deity (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20). Jehovah’s power is seen in the vastness of the Universe; His wisdom is reflected in its intricate design. The evidence is so clear that those who survey these data, and yet fail to conclude that “He is,” are “without excuse” (Romans 1:20; Hebrews 11:6). In addition to the abstract revelation of divinity in the book of nature, there is the concrete revelation of Holy Scripture, which affirms the moral attributes of the Lord. These two “volumes” of testimony complement one another wonderfully.
The Bible teaches that God is the eternal Spirit Who is the Architect and Creator of the Universe. When did Jehovah Himself originate? He didn’t. God always has existed; He is the eternal “I Am” (Exodus 6:3; cf. Genesis 21:33; Psalm 90:2). Logic demands such. A venerable argument—that remains unanswered to this day—is this: If something is, then something always was. But something is; therefore, something always was. That eternal “something” must be either matter or mind. But it is not matter, for science demonstrates that matter is not eternal. Thus, the eternal “something” is mind. The Scriptures identify this Mind as God.
As to His essence, God is spirit and not flesh (John 4:24; Luke 24:39; Matthew 16:17). He is the Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Revelation 1:8), whose purposes cannot be restrained (Job 42:2). God is infinitely wise (Romans 11:33-36), and His loving, benevolent disposition is breathtaking (1 John 4:8; Ephesians 2:4; James 1:17). The gift of His Son to accommodate the redemption of rebellious humanity provides ample motive for surrendering one’s life to Him.
One of the most profound documents of the Old Testament is the book of Job. An interesting aspect of that narrative has to do with the worthiness of God as an object of human adoration. In a mysterious convocation at which Satan was present, the Lord introduced Job, the patriarch of Uz, as a trophy of human character—a spiritually mature, upright man who was unique among his contemporaries. Satan agreed, but suggested that Job’s righteous demeanor was the result of bribery! In other words, God had blessed Job so abundantly that the sage of Uz would have been foolish not to serve him. In a word, Job knew who buttered his bread!
The subtle and diabolical implication in this charge was this: “You, God, are not worthy of human devotion on the basis of your character; rather, men serve you only because you make it to their advantage to do so. Let us use Job as a test case. Take away his ‘goodies’ and he will abandon you.” And so, for our benefit (not for His own), the Lord accepted the challenge. Thus, Job was deprived of his wealth, his family, his health, his friends, and his prestige. He lost everything. And yet, the devout dignitary never forsook his faith in God. Though he lashed out in anguish at times—because he did not understand what was happening to him—he nonetheless proclaimed triumphantly: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him” (Job 13:15). The noble patriarch thus demonstrated this proposition: God is worthy of human service on the basis of His own nature—apart from the generous blessings He bestows. As the psalmist expressed it: “I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised” (Psalm 18:3). We ought to praise God simply on account of Who He is!

THE RELATIONSHIP WE SUSTAIN TO OUR MAKER

Certain associations carry with them intrinsic responsibilities. One of those is that of the Creator/creature relationship. The “created” thing sustains a subordinate status to that which created it. Paul argued this very point in his letter to the Romans. “Or hath not a potter a right over the clay?,” he asked rhetorically (Romans 9:21). In the Greek text, the query implies an affirmative answer, as suggested by the particle ouk (cf. Matthew 13:55). The term rendered “right” in our common versions is the Greek exousia, literally “authority.” The potter, by virtue of his status, has authority over the vessel he has fashioned.
The historical facts are these. “Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7; cf. 3:19). The inspired writers of both testaments affirmed that the Lord is our “Creator” (Ecclesiastes 12:1; Isaiah 40:28; Romans 1:25), or our “Maker” (Psalm 95:6; Proverbs 14:31; Isaiah 17:7; Hosea 8:14). Hence, by virtue of this Creator/creature relationship, Jehovah has a right to commission human loyalty.
But there always has been a propensity in man to repudiate the Creator/creature relationship in order to justify human self-centeredness. More than anything else, some people want to be their own “God.” Seven centuries before the birth of Christ, Isaiah wrote regarding the rebels of his day: “Ye turn things upside down! Shall the potter be esteemed as clay; that the thing made should say of him that made it, He made me not; or the thing formed say of him that formed it, He hath no understanding?” (Isaiah 29:16). Of this arrogant claim: “He made me not,” Edward J. Young rightly observed: “Words more wrong, more foolish, more soul-destroying have never been uttered by human lips” (1969, 2:325). May we be chastened by the inspired writer: “Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves” (Psalm 100:3, NASV).
This haughty and independent attitude, of course, is the motive behind the theory of evolution. Foolish man wishes to cut loose from the moral and religious ties that bind him to a sovereign Creator. Hence, he has fashioned gods of his own design—Mother Nature and Father Time—to whom he owes no responsibility. As the late George G. Simpson, the renowned paleontologist and evolutionist of Harvard University, once expressed it: “Man stands alone in the universe, a unique product of a long, unconscious, impersonal material process with unique understanding and potentialities. These he owes to no one but himself, and it is to himself that he is responsible. He is not the creature of uncontrollable and undeterminable forces, but is his own master. He can and must decide and manage his own destiny” (1953, p. 155).
Despite such infidelic protestations, the theory of naturalistic origins is void of proof that man is the “product of a long, unconscious, impersonal material process.” Rather, the evidence suggests that human beings are the result of an Intelligent Cause Who specially designed them (see Jackson, 1993; Thompson & Jackson, 1996). As creatures of divine planning, we have a responsibility to submit to God—and He has the right to require it!

THE HUMAN CONDITION

Another valid reason for serving Jehovah has to do with the “status quo” of the human family. As an old, country philosopher put it: “That’s Latin for ‘the mess we’re in.’ ” Nothing could be further from the truth than the old cliché: “Every day, in every way, we’re getting better and better.” The fact is, as Paul once wrote: “Evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).
The presence of evil is apparent universally, and has been acknowledged from time immemorial. The Roman philosopher Seneca said: “We have all sinned, some more, and some less.” A Chinese proverb states: “There are two good men: one is dead and the other is not yet born.” Paul wrote: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And John bluntly noted: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
How is this deplorable condition to be remedied? Man never has been able to concoct a solution. When it was alleged that “education” could provide the answer, we discovered that education, without spiritual values, makes only more skillful criminals. Those who touted “psychology” as the panacea for human woes have lived to see one theory after another disappear into complete obscurity. Ours is now a world of escapists—alcoholics, drug-abusers, and dream-world mystics. [See related article, “I'm Not Guilty, I'm Just Sick.”] A recent news feature suggested that by the end of the next decade, the third leading cause of work disability will be clinical depression. We have more material security than any generation that has gone before us, but generally speaking we are a miserable lot. Is there no help for the human family?
Someone is bound to claim that religion surely is not the answer, for it has been around for centuries, and yet, here we are, in this sordid predicament. Yes, “religion” has been around alright, but it rarely has been tried on a massive scale in its pristine form. If the teaching of Jesus Christ were to be adopted sincerely and pursued rigorously by a significant segment of society, changes so dramatic would occur as to produce utter amazement. There is absolutely no remedy to human distress apart from the divine plan as implemented through the atoning work of Jesus of Nazareth. The Lord declared emphatically: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one comes unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). This declaration carries validity because of the solid historical evidence that undergirds Christ’s authoritative claim of being the Son of God.
The truth is, there is no abiding contentment in a world without God. Out of a background of materialism and hedonism, Solomon, an inspired penman, proclaimed: “[T]he way of the transgressor is hard” (Proverbs 13:15). “Fear [reverence] God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
On the other hand, it is a lie which suggests that serving the Creator is all pain and tears. Moses was willing to forsake the temporal “pleasures of sin,” which are but for a season, to identify with the people of God. Why? He did so because he knew that the reproaches of Christ are vastly superior to the treasures of any land (Hebrews 11:24-26). For troubled souls in a world of confusion, the Scriptures offer hope: “And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus announced: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). This passage has long perplexed multitudes. It cannot be a prophecy that finds its fulfillment in events following the return of Christ (as some allege), for there will be no Earth at that point (Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10ff.). Rather, it is a promise for those who yield to God—here and now! Barclay has shown that the “meek” person is the one who has been mastered by God (1974, pp. 240-242). The passage suggests this: As children of Him Who is the God of Heaven and Earth, those who yield to Christ will enjoy this planet’s blessings more than all others. The point is: People ought to serve the Lord for the sheer joy that it brings—not only in eternity, but right now, here on the Earth.

ALL ACCOUNTS NOT SETTLED IN THIS LIFE

Some years ago there was published an edition of Charles Darwin’s revolutionary volume, The Origin of Species. On the back dust jacket were these words: “This book has made a joke of ‘the Day of Judgment.’ ” If there is a joke in this, Jehovah will have the last laugh: “He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh: The Lord will have them in derision” (Psalm 2:4). The laughable thing is that man labors under the illusion that he can thwart the will of the Almighty. If there is no ultimate Judgment—where all wrongs are made right and where justice ultimately prevails—then life is indeed a meaningless riddle.
Consider the plight of Asaph who, according to the superscription, penned the seventy-third psalm. The poet had assumed that if one enjoyed a right relationship with God, his well-being always would be secure. Conversely, it is implied that rebellion against the Creator would bring only woe. That concept is suggested subtly in the opening verse of the narrative. However, as he considered the circumstances of his environment, Asaph was baffled by life’s inequities (73:2-9). In this state of bewilderment, his “steps had well nigh slipped,” i.e., he almost had lost his faith in Heaven’s providential government of earthly affairs. He surveyed the “prosperity of the wicked” and was confused. Though evil men wear pride like a chain around their neck, and their eyes bulge with opulence, they finally seem to die in peace. The godless live as though the Judge of the Earth has no knowledge of what is transpiring on His planet (10). Asaph wondered, therefore, whether his religious exercises had been for naught. He had attempted to serve his Maker, yet he suffered hardship consistently (13-14). What is the answer to this enigma? The writer says that he entered “into the sanctuary of God”—i.e., the place where divine truth was revealed. Delitzsch observed that he became privy to the “holy plans and ways of God” (1978, 5:318). He discovered that the “latter end” of the wicked would be destruction (17-18). He learned this truth: All accounts are not settled in this life! If there is no final Judgment, then it makes no difference at all as to how men live upon this globe. The life of Jesus Christ amounts to no more than that of Adolf Hitler. But who can live with such a senseless philosophy? No one who is rational can do so.
Orin Gifford wrote: “You may juggle human laws, you may fool with human courts, but there is a judgment to come, and from it there is no appeal” (Mead, 1965, p. 259). Men need to serve God because they possess an immortal soul that eventually will give account to the Creator.

CONCLUSION

There are multiplied thousands of people who are willing to give intellectual assent to the fact that a Supreme Being exists, but who do not see that such an idea bears any relationship to their daily personal lives. Technically, these people are designated as “deists.” They are theoretical theists, but practical atheists. Such people have made a tragic mistake. There are powerful and valid reasons for totally surrendering to the will of God, as such ultimately is made known in the revelation of the New Testament. May we urge our contemporaries to give due attention to such matters.

REFERENCES

Barclay, William (1974), New Testament Words (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster).
Delitzsch, Franz (1978 Reprint), “Psalms,” Commentary on the Old Testament, C.F. Keil & F. Delitzsch (Grand Rapid, MI: Eerdmans).
Fuller, Daniel P. (1963), “God’s Sovereignty in Creation,” Things Most Surely Believed, ed. Clarence S. Roddy (Westwood, NJ: Revell).
Jackson, Wayne (1993), The Human Body: Accident or Design? (Stockton, CA: Courier Publications).
Mead, Frank S. (1965), The Encyclopedia of Religious Quotations (Westwood, NJ: Revell).
Simpson, George G. (1953), Life of the Past (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press).
Thompson, Bert and Wayne Jackson (1996), The Case for the Existence of God (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).
Young, Edward J. (1969), The Book of Isaiah (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

Acts 24 “Not Today!” by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=163

Acts 24  “Not Today!”

Have you ever thought about doing something, maybe something you really wanted or something you really needed to do, but then you put it off never getting around to doing it at all? We call that procrastination.  And today as we look at Acts chapter 24, we see a man who does just that.

A Little Background:
After Paul returned to Jerusalem and was arrested in Chapter 23 we read about the plot of some 40 radical Jews who plan to kill Paul. After learning about this plot the Roman commander there in Jerusalem puts together a small army of men to protect and escort Paul out of Jerusalem to Caesarea and into the hand of Governor Felix.   

In chapter 24, we read that the Jews come down to Caesarea and lobby their charges against Paul before Felix. And after they lobby their charges, Paul has an opportunity to give his defense. Felix then told them that he was going to put off his decision until the Commander Lysias  arrived.

But what I find interesting in this story is the fact that Felix, who was said to be well acquainted with the Way, (that is familiar with Christianity) decides to meet with Paul on another occasion.

Read Acts 24:24-26 “Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” ²⁶At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. ²⁷ When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.”

Have you ever had an experience that left you a bit shaken? Like losing a loved one? Or being involved in or seeing a terrible accident? How about when someone close to you has been diagnosed with a life threatening illness? — all of these experiences can shake us up.

How about when God’s word shakes you up, like when He uses His word to speak to us directly. In Isaiah 55:11 God spoke thru Isaiah saying, “So will My word which goes forth from My mouth;  It will not return to Me empty,  Without accomplishing what I desire,  And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (NAS)

God’s word is powerful and always has a purpose, and as a result, we can be left shaken (or convicted) .    Hebrews 4:12-13 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

God’s word is powerful. Never underestimate it effect.

Many times in the Bible God, used those “Shaking Experiences” to get someone’s attention, and as a result lives were changed. For example: The Apostle Paul himself. His life was changed after he was shaken up on the road to Damascus, when he saw the light of God flash around him and when he heard the Lord speak to him.  Paul was shaken up, and we read that after he was led blind into Damascus blind, he did not eat or drink for 3 days. If that isn’t being shook up I don’t know what is. As a result, he was saved (Acts 9).

The Philippian jailer was left shaken after the jailhouse was rocked by an earthquake (Acts 16) We read that Paul and his companions were in his jail; and knowing Paul he was probably sharing the good news about Jesus and singing songs of praise to Him. After the earthquake and all the prison doors open, the jailor having been shook up fell at Paul’s feet and asked what he needed to do to be saved.

In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, we read that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were poured out on the believers and they started doing miraculous things like prophesying and speaking in different languages, and more. When the Jews came to inquire as to what was going on, Peter told them that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. He also told them that they had murdered the One who was to come, their Messiah, Jesus. When they heard this they were shaken to the core and asked Peter they needed to do. God’s word stirred and convicted their hearts.

However, not all the life shaking experiences in the Bible led to salvation, for example, Felix , who we will look at today. He was shaken, but not saved!

Who is Felix? – He was a cruel ruler whose name brought terror to his people. Historians tell us that his cruelty knew no bounds, crucifying 100’s of Jews accusing them of being thieves. the Roman goverment even took away his job as governor and brought his back to Rome and charged him with excessive cruelty on his subjects.  He was also known for taking bribes which led to the downfall of morality in Jerusalem.

Drusilla became his wife having left her husband for Felix when she was 16. She was about 22 years of age when she came with her husband Felix to hear Paul. I have no doubt she was somewhat acquainted with the teachings of Christ. Her father was king Herod Agrippa I, who killed the apostle James in Acts 12. Her great-uncle, Herod Antipas, had killed John the Baptist at the request of his wife’s daughter. Her great-grandfather, Herod the Great, killed many innocent children of Bethlehem in his unsuccessful attempt to destroy the baby Jesus.

Felix and Drusilla would do anything to gain power and maintain their lifestyle. They were unjust, irreligious, and immoral—unafraid of God and man.

Why did Felix want to meet with Paul? No one knows for sure…                                                              

1. It may have been out of curiosity. Vs 22 indicates that he knew of the gospel. Many people in our day visit a Bible based church out of curiosity. They see the life of one of its members; they notice a change in the life of a family member or old friend. They want to know what’s going on.

2. It may have been out of boredom (to get the latest news about the Christian movement).

3. It may have been for material gain. Verse 26 seems to indicate this possibility. He was looking for                   a bribe.  Felix may have thought the early church would pay to get Paul released.

4. Or was it because of a hungry heart? They may have longed in their soul for a better way of life, they may have been burdened for the way they were living their life and had thoughts of God, eternity, and judgment.

Some people search for the answers. They know that there is something more than this life.

Paul’s Message
Here is Paul, who is innocent coming before the man who had the power to release him. Paul could have easily been tempted to argue or plea for his release, but he wasted no time at all. As a matter of fact, I think Paul chose to stay there so that he could talk more with Felix.  At every opportunity he preached Christ. The latter part of verse 24 says that he spoke about faith in Christ.

And in Verse 25 it says that he talked about righteousness, self control, and the judgment to come.

Felix must have been affected by what Paul told him, because the text goes on to tell us that he was afraid. The original Greek word mean: ‘thrown into fear, terrified.’ What Paul told him shook this hard man to the core.

As I see it, Felix had two choices just like the rest of us when we hear the truth of the Gospel, either accept it and change, or reject it.

Felix didn’t do either, rather he just put it off. He didn’t do anything,                                                                          – he procrastinated.  

He didn’t deny what Paul preached, neither did he outright reject it. He did not laugh, he didnot sneer, he didn’t cry. He trembled and he trembled with conviction.

Felix knew that everything Paul was saying was true. Here was a man, who was married to another man’s wife, whose very name means pleasure. He was living his life with the attitude of eat, drink and be merry. He was a lost sinner who had the opportunity to listen to Paul preach and the effect of God’s word made him tremble.

Felix did not deny Gods word or outwardly reject it. All he did was put the decision off until later. Why did he put it off? No reason is given in the text. This was a bad move. It’s like ignoring the oil light when it comes on in your car.  Ignored that light too long and it cost you a new engine. If you ignore the warning light of Jesus Christ it will cost you your soul and an eternity in hell.

Someone once said, “A vast majority of the time the things that God wants to do with us and in us will come at the most inconvenient times of life.

(He goes on to say) A high charge, a noble calling, a holy resolution visits us. It stands at the door and knocks. But we reason, this is going to wreck my schedule, this will disturb my comfort, this will be a great hindrance to my selfishness.    Procrastination is the mother of failure.”

So we dismiss the convicting pull of the Spirit to turn from a sinful practice and convert, to grow spiritually, to nurture our relationship with God . . .to a more convenient time.

We think, or say:   • Tomorrow, I will pray.   • Tomorrow, I will stop doing this or that , and fast.  • Tomorrow, I will find a talent to devote to God.    • Tomorrow, I will allow God to use my life in the way that He wants.     • Tomorrow I will tell so and so aboutJesus   • Tomorrow, when I am older and more mature, I will find time for God. • Tomorrow, Tomorrow…

We hear a sermon that convict us to pray, or to lift the burdens of others, or to hunger and thirst for God, and desire for spiritual maturity. . . . but we we put those things off because it just isn’t a convenient time in our life to peruse those things. Or we put off a brother or sisters advice, or push aside a scripture verse that speaks to us.

How many spiritual blessings have been lost and or silenced because it just wasn’t a convenient time in our life? My encouragement this morning is not to become like Felix. Don’t procrastinate when it comes to spiritual things; when that warning light comes on in your heart!

In closing I would like to share with you a story that reminded me of Felix.
The Danger Of Delay

A German farmer settled in Guatemala and became very prosperous. After a while he decided he would go back to visit his family in Germany. So he saved his money and got on a ship. After a few days at sea he noticed he had an infection in his toe and realized that a small tropical flea was under the nail and had laid its eggs. This caused him terrible itching and inflammation. The cure was to take a needle and bore through the nail and remove it.

The German farmer decided to do that. So he got a needle and sat down. Then he thought, “My uncle and his family in Hamburg have never seen one of these tropical flees.” So he decided to leave it under the nail and after he had shown them he would remove it.

By the time he reached Hamburg his toe was swollen and his foot was hurting terribly. He showed it to his Uncle Otto who looked and said, “Aw, the whole family would like to see this.” So he left it in until all the family could see it. But the difficulty was that the infection got out of control and got into the blood and he died.. (Adapted from The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Charles Swindoll, p. 471)

The German farmer procrastinated and lost his life. Jesus taught parables about not putting off what you should do today till tomorrow, because you don’t know if tomorrow will come.
What about you?

God’s Plan of Salvation Will Never Fail by Alfred Shannon Jr.

God’s Plan of Salvation Will Never Fail

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/03/page/3/


The best laid plans of mice and men may fail, but God’s plan of Salvation will never fail. Secured in heaven, delivered by the Holy Spirit, and preached by the apostles, the gospel of Christ will save your soul from the depths of hell. The same gospel that saved them, will save us, and all those after us who obey it. Put your trust in the plan that will never fail you, or forsake you, the Gospel of Christ.

1Cor 15:1-4; Rom 10:17; Rom 10:10; Acts 2:38; Rev 2:10; Heb 13:5

My soul waits for the Lord by Roy Davison

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/wait.html

My soul waits for the Lord

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning -- Yes, more than those who watch for the morning" (Psalm 130:5, 6).

What does it mean to wait for the Lord?

To wait means to be alert to something expected or anticipated. To wait for a bus means that we have decided not to walk, but to use public transportation. We must wait, because the bus has not yet arrived. We wait patiently because we have looked at the timetable and believe that the bus will come. We also know that when the bus does arrive, we must be waiting at the right stop.

Sometimes we become impatient. We think, "That bus is not coming!" So we leave the bus stop and start walking. Suddenly the bus zooms by. It does not stop, of course, because there is no bus stop there. Through impatience, we missed our chance.

To wait for the Lord means to continually look to Him for assistance and salvation, to be satisfied that God will work everything out.

If you were lost in a forest at night, you would be waiting, even longing for the morning light. Our souls should be waiting and longing for the help that only God can give.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning -- Yes, more than those who watch for the morning" (Psalm 130:5, 6).

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1, 2).

"For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him" (Isaiah 64:4).

We wait for God continually: "To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day" (Psalm 25:1-5).

We have courage to face the difficulties of live because we look to God for the help He has promised: "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" (Psalm 27:13, 14).

"Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You" (Psalm 33:20-22).

Because we wait on God for justice and judgment, we do not allow ourselves to become excessively agitated about evil people: "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret -- it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth" (Psalm 37:7-9).

"Do not say, 'I will recompense evil'; wait for the Lord, and He will save you" (Proverbs 20:22).

"Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it" (Psalm 37:34).

Even in the greatest of difficulties, we may wait for God's help: "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps" (Psalm 40:1, 2).

Here David is probably speaking of difficulties resulting from sin. For our salvation we wait for God. Who else can help us? "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved" (Psalm 62:5,6).

We wait on God for salvation from death: "He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day: 'Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation" (Isaiah 25:8, 9).

If we are not waiting for God, then He is waiting for us! He is waiting for use to repent so we can wait for Him: "Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 30:18).

Do not keep God waiting! If you are not yet a Christian, repent, turn to God, believe in His Son Jesus Christ, whom God sent as Savior. Confess your faith and be baptized into His body, the church, that your sins can be forgiven. If you are a Christian who does not sufficiently wait for the Lord, and that applies to us all, look to Him for sustenance and salvation from day to day and forever.

"He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:29-31).

Let us wait for the Lord.

Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Just another turtle, or something more? by Gary Rose

This is a picture of a "fireworks turtle". One very beautiful creature! I couldn't help but think how marvelous this world is, how vast and varied is God's creation! 

From the smallest creature that swims in the sea to the most massive whale there ever was- God made it! Consider that there suns that thousands of times bigger than our own and myriads of myriads of entire galaxies that we are just now discovering.

If we could see the entire electromagnetic spectrum with our own eyes, we could not even begin to see the scope of what God has done. He created EVERYTHING- just let that one thought sink in for a moment; EVERYTHING!!!

If I do only one thing today; if I just read that first chapter of the Bible and understand some of its magnificent scope- I will have had a wonderful day.

Read on for yourself and see...

Genesis, Chapter 1 (World English Bible)

¹ In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
  ² The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. 

  ³God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
  ⁴ God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
  ⁵ God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day. 

  ⁶God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
  ⁷ God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
  ⁸ God called the expanse “sky”. There was evening and there was morning, a second day. 

  ⁹God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;” and it was so.
  ¹⁰ God called the dry land “earth”, and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”. God saw that it was good.
  ¹¹ God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth;” and it was so.
  ¹² The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
  ¹³ There was evening and there was morning, a third day. 

  ¹⁴God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years;
  ¹⁵ and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth;” and it was so.
  ¹⁶ God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars.
  ¹⁷ God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth,
  ¹⁸ and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
  ¹⁹ There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. 

  ²⁰God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
  ²¹ God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.
  ²² God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
  ²³ There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. 

  ²⁴God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;” and it was so.
  ²⁵ God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good. 

  ²⁶God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
  ²⁷ God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.
  ²⁸ God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
  ²⁹ God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.
  ³⁰ To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so. 

  ³¹God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. (emphasis added) There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

 Every single time I read Genesis 1:31 I marvel. Everything was VERY GOOD; just think about it!!! Perhaps the world will seem more beautiful to me from now on? One this is sure; I have begun to really appreciate turtles!