- araratchurch
- Mar 27, 2022
- 2 min read
“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
Psalms 9:10 NKJV
For many years of my life I have had aquariums. I enjoyed having that window into an aquatic world. However, one mistake, I too often made, was overfeeding the fish. Food that the fish don’t eat before it drops to the bottom, will go uneaten (unless you have scavengers). Unfortunately, this messes up the water balance. I knew I should only feed them a small amount; but there was an intervening variable (something else was going on, affecting the outcome). The problem was that when the fish would see me go by the aquarium (recognizing me by what I would wear around the house), they would go to the surface and begin doing their mouths like little birds wanting to be fed! It was very, very, difficult to just pass them by. You see, I didn’t want to disappoint their expectation.
And then there’s the matter of my “granddog. When she was first acquired as a family member, her “parents” would bring her over to our house when they would come for dinner (this was before human grandchildren who now require all the attention). Well, this sweet little dog would stand in the kitchen while I was preparing the food or when I was putting the food away. She would literally stand between my feet—or on my feet—looking up at me with her big brown eyes, expecting something. Needless to say, I rarely disappointed her, either.
OK, I’m a “feeder.” I like to feed people and animals, particularly when they are entreating me to do so.
From what Jesus said, it sounds like our Father is not that much different from me in terms of consistently responding to an expectant, persistent, seeker.
“So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking [persistently], finds; and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened.”
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
Here, the Lord was specifically speaking of God’s faithfulness in giving His Holy Spirit to those who persistently seek Him; but it is a general principle of how the Lord operates.
In our opening portion from Psalms today we see that David is expressing confidence in God’s faithfulness to those who seek Him. As we have said, David fervently sought after the heart of God; and he found it!
I particularly love this proclamation from David about seeking God:
“When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.””
Psalms 27:8 NKJV
Basically, we can stand aloof from the Lord (either because we are busy seeking everything else or because we have decided that He doesn’t care about us anyway), and we will pretty much get what we expect: nothing. But, if we are always at His feet, looking up with expectation, won’t He respond by filling our need?
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
The Lord will not ignore those who seek Him.
- araratchurch
- Mar 26, 2022
- 2 min read
“I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”
Psalms 9:2 NKJV
Basically, any one person in a crowd, is just part of that crowd, until and unless you know their name. Something about knowing a person’s name sets them out as a direct point of reference. Think of the difference between saying something like, “A man, 6 feet tall with a light complexion and blue eyes, came in and robbed the bank,” and “Mike Anyperson, came and robbed the bank.” In the first instance, you’re describing some unknown perpetrator; in the second instance you are referencing a particular person, Mike Anyperson.
Personhood is inextricably connected to the name by which you are known. Given the mention of the name of a person you know well, all of their attributes, all of their character, all of your experience with them, comes to mind.
“I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Israel) as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by My name, Lord, I did not make Myself known to them [in acts and great miracles].”
Exodus 6:3 AMP
In speaking to Moses, chosen by God to deliver His people out of Egypt, the Lord explained to him that although the patriarchs knew Him as the Almighty God, they did not know Him as THE LORD (YAHWEH), the One Who would fulfill Covenant with them. He is saying that He is now extending Himself in a more personal way by bringing to pass that which had been promised.
We have talked many times before about the wonderful fact that the Lord knows our individual names; but, let us now consider what a wonderful thing it is that He allows us to know His personal name: THE LORD. Everything He is, is in His Name, and His Name is Everything.
My words fail to describe and convey what I feel about the Name of the Lord. I can do nothing but praise His Name!
In our portion from Psalms today we see that David also was brought to praise the Name of the Lord, just at the very thought or mention of His Name!
In another place, David says this:
“Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name Yah, And rejoice before Him.”
Psalms 68:4 NKJV
For the one who loves the Lord, for the one who has known Him by experience, the mere mention of the Name of the Lord brings the deepest response of admiration.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
The Name of the Lord is worthy to be praised!
- araratchurch
- Mar 26, 2022
- 3 min read
“I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.”
Psalms 9:1 NKJV
“Torn Between Two Lovers,” was a song that hit the top of the charts in 1977. The basic premise of the song is that a woman is explaining to one lover (her first lover), why she has taken on another lover. She doesn’t want to lose lover number one, but is unwilling to give up lover number two. Here are the lyrics to one verse and the chorus of this song:
“Let me hold you close, and say these words as gently as I can, there's been another man that I've needed and I've loved but that doesn't mean I love you less. And he knows he can't possess me, and he knows he never will; there's just this empty place inside of me that only he can fill.
Torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool; loving both of you is breaking all the rules.”
I will have to say that the words to this song basically describe the heart set of many Christians. In “part” of their heart they say they love the Lord; yet, with other “parts” of their heart they long after and seek the things of this world.
At the “battle of the gods” on Mt. Carmel, the prophet Elijah, issued this declaration:
“And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.”
I Kings 18:21 NKJV
There are numerous references throughout the Bible concerning the evil of seeking the Lord “half-heartedly.”
Samuel, spoke these words:
“Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.””
I Samuel 7:3 NKJV
James, in speaking of things from which we need to be cleansed, says this:
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
James 4:8 NKJV
Jesus, sums up the issue of seeking the Lord half-heartedly, with these words:
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Matthew 6:24 NKJV
Here, although the Lord is referencing the love of money, the principle would apply to anything that has the focus of our heart rather than the Lord.
I really believe that we are living in a time when the Lord—as never before—is making a distinction between those who are truly His, and those who are not. Those who are truly His, must be seeking after Him with their whole heart.
Now, you might be able to “pivot” between the Lord and some other “god” in your life for a while; but there will come a time you will have to choose. Sadly, that time is often precipitated in the midst of a crisis or tragedy.
In our portion from Psalms today, we see that David begins by expressing that he is worshiping the Lord with his WHOLE heart. He had such a fervent love toward the Lord, that it captivated his heart toward His beloved Shepherd.
We can also see times when David would ask the Lord to make sure that his heart was undivided towards Him.
“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.”
Psalms 86:11 NKJV
Allowing our affections to be alienated from the Lord by other desires, will eventually lead us into temptation. Let us make sure that we approach the Lord with our whole heart, our soul loving only Him. Otherwise, We might find ourselves not only feeling like a fool, but being one.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
The Lord wants your whole heart.