The Prayers Are Ended
In the New International Version of the Holy Bible, Psalm 72:20 reads: "This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse." The Amplified Bible reads like this: "The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended." In the two previous verses David concludes his prayers with these words:
Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen (Psalms 72:18-19 NIV).
There may be no great theological significance to the statement, "The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended"; however, they prompt me to ask: How will I conclude my prayers? I'm not talking about the prayer at the end of the day or the prayer before a meal or the prayer before I write an article or the prayer before I preach a sermon or the prayer at a graveside or the prayer at a bedside. How will conclude my prayers? When it's all over and, as John Ortberg says, "It all goes back in the box," how will I conclude my prayers? (From John Ortberg's When the Game Is Over It All Goes Back in the Box)
Will I be making one more request for some physical need to be met? Will I be asking for one more favor? Will I be pleading my case? Will I be making an excuse for not living the way I should have, or the way I wanted to but didn't? Will I be asking Him a question about why He acted in one way, or why He did not act in another?
I wonder how I will end my prayers.
David had done many wonderful things in his life. He had done some awful things in his life. He had accomplished much. He had seen a lot. He had missed a lot. He had messed up in big and small ways. He had sinned and been forgiven. He had seen God's glory and God's great deeds. So have I.
Yet, when his prayers were concluded (at least those we have recorded for us in Psalms), he did not speak of his deeds, his needs, or make a request to succeed. He concludes with:
Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen (Psalms 72:18-19 NIV).
I hope I will. I don't know when the prayers of Tom Norvell will end, but I hope that the time between now and then will be lived in such a way that my prayers will conclude with these words:
Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen (Psalms 72:18-19 NIV).
I hope you will, too.
Knowing the Father's Presence
Some mornings I wake up not feeling very close to God. It was one of those mornings earlier this week. I read some Scripture and prayed a bit before hopping in the shower. But as I said goodbye to my wife, I admitted that I didn't feel much intimacy with Christ. There were no major problems at home or work. My ministry was going well. Jesus was Lord of my life. And yet there was this spiritual dryness that made me long for another drink of the living water of Jesus. How could I sense that closeness to Him once more? That morning I wrote in my diary:
I long for that Father/son relationship with You, Lord, where I know You are there for me. Where I weep when reading the story of the cross, knowing that my Savior died for me. But today I feel so dry and distant from You. Please show me the way.
I read of one believer who said that when he struggles he's learning to run to You, not away from You. I want to do the same. I'm running to You, Jesus, because I desperately need You. Please reveal Yourself to me in a powerful way and give me faith to trust You even when I don't feel You near me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Later in the week I read these encouraging words from Michael Horton about the work of the Holy Spirit:
So much of contemporary spirituality and piety is focused on self. "How am I doing spiritually? How is my walk? Am I living in victory?" Reformation spirituality lifted people out of a purely introspective, inward-looking piety and directed them outside of themselves to Christ and the cross, from which vista they could now look out across the needy world. ("In the Face of God", Word Publishing, 1996)
What a great reminder to continually come back to the cross and know that my salvation is not based on my feelings, how much I surrender, or how "spiritual" I may be that day. Our standing before God depends entirely upon His mercy displayed to us through the shed blood of Jesus. As we rest in that forgiveness, by faith, the Holy Spirit frees us to love God and love others with vigor and joy. As God promises us:
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 NLT) Not even a bad mood.
Words Of Life
Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. —John 6:68
In his book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, Neil Postman warns us of the danger of a world of information overload. He reminds us of a chilling futuristic vision—Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, which describes a world thoroughly flooded with information. But that data is manipulated so that none of it has any significance.
A glance at the Internet or a magazine rack hints that we are living in just such a culture. We're drowning in a sea of information often marketed by the unscrupulous. We need discernment to choose wisely whom we will listen to.
In John 6, Jesus delivered His "I am the bread of life" message (v.35). It was a sermon so controversial that, at its conclusion, many of His followers went away and stopped following Him (v.66). They chose to stop listening to the voice of Christ. When Jesus challenged His disciples as to whether they would also walk away, Peter wisely responded, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (v.68).
In a world swamped with confusing and contradictory information, we can, like Peter, turn to Christ for wisdom. He cuts through the words of confusion with words of life. There's so much wisdom to be learned,
So many ways for me to grow,
Lord, I would listen like a child,
And learn what You would have me know.
If you want to be wise, listen to Jesus.
What Should I Do?
The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. —Proverbs 2:6
My friend Krista is struggling with a decision: Should she keep her old car with its continual maintenance problems or buy a newer model? She wants to be a good steward of her finances, and she desires to make a wise decision. And most of all, she wants to honor God.
Financial decisions can be tough to make. Billy Graham even says, "If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life."
Here are a few ideas to consider about wisdom in money matters:
Do a checkup to be sure you're following God's priorities. Are you giving to Him and to others? (1 Cor. 16:2). Taking care of family needs? (1 Tim. 5:8). Not letting money control you? (Luke 16:13).
Research the topic. Consider all the options and the pros and cons of each one.
Ask God for wisdom. Pray, pray, and pray some more. He will direct you (Prov. 2:6).
Trust God and make the decision. Use the knowledge and wisdom you've gained, and commit your decision to Him.
Obedience to God nurtures a growing love-and-trust relationship with Him. What's most important is that we see each decision as an opportunity to draw closer to Him. When you're facing a decision
And it seems a daunting task,
Trust the Lord for true discernment—
He'll give wisdom if you ask.
The closer we walk with God, the clearer we see His guidance.
Right Place
A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. —Proverbs 16:9
They were in the right place, on the wrong day. Or so it would seem.
The Dayspring Chorale, a traveling high school singing group, arrived at a nursing home for a Thursday concert. However, the folks at the home were expecting them on Friday. But they said if the group could get set up fast, they could sing for 20 minutes. Then they'd have to stop for a memorial service for one of the residents.
The chorale hurriedly got ready and sang, and as they did, the son of the man who had died heard them. When they were done, he asked if they could sing at his dad's service. They gladly agreed and ministered hope and truth to all who attended. God used these young people in a special way—all because of a secretarial error. But was it a mistake?
We carefully make schedules so we can be where we think we should be. But we always need to keep in mind the words of Solomon, "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Prov. 16:9).
Do we seek ministry in life's unplanned schedule changes? Do we turn detours into guided tours of what He wants to do through us? If we're doing God's will, we'll be in the right place. Then, wherever we are, we can point people to Him.Sometimes our plan does not unfold
The way we thought it would;
But God is always in control
To use it for our good.
Unexpected changes are opportunities in disguise.
Michael Cardinal
Look at the birds of the air . . . . —Matthew 6:26
Twig by twig a cardinal constructed a bowl-shaped home in the bush outside my office window. Soon she laid an egg and kept it warm until it hatched. I named the little bird Michael. Although he was tiny, he had a huge appetite. His parents worked hard to keep him fed and safe. In a few months, Michael was ready to leave, and I was there to witness the amazing event.
When Michael left, so did mom and dad. The nest remained empty until the next spring. When mama cardinal returned, I was happy to see her but also sad. We had sold our house and I was concerned that the new owners might chop down the bush. But my concern soon turned to amazement. As I dismantled my office, mama cardinal dismantled her nest. By the time we left, so had the cardinal family. Mama cardinal's God-given instincts had told her to move.
This brought to mind another nature lesson. Using birds and lilies as examples, Jesus urged people not to worry. Since God takes care of birds, surely He will take care of His people (Matt. 6:26-30).
When concern for our own well-being leads to anxious thoughts, we can look at the birds and be assured of our value to God and of His care for us. I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
We need not fear the perils around us because the eye of the Lord is always upon us.
In The Driver's Seat
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. —Matthew 5:16
I love the story of the stressed-out woman who was tailgating a man as they drove on a busy boulevard. When he slowed to a stop at a yellow light, the woman hit the horn, cussing and screaming in frustration and gesturing angrily. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a police officer who ordered her to exit the car with her hands up. He took her to the police station and placed her in a holding cell.
An hour later, the officer returned and said, "I'm sorry, Ma'am. This has been a big mistake. When I pulled up behind you, I noticed your 'What Would Jesus Do?' license plate holder and your 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker. I assumed the car was stolen!"
Satan doesn't care so much if you're a Christian as long as you don't act like one. If he can get you to live by his signals, he can damage and disarm you every time and dishonor the name of Christ in the process.
Instead, Jesus calls believers to be "salt" and to "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).
With Jesus in the driver's seat of our lives, we can show off the love and glory of God.Called to be salt and light in this world,
Called to preserve and to shine,
Called to reflect the glory of God—
Oh, what a calling is mine!
Don't let Satan manage the details of your life.
