HE MADE KNOWN HIS WAYS

Bobservations

by Pastor Bob Lawrenz

    We are presented with yet another Psalm of David in today’s Psalm, and I am left wondering when he found time to write. From his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy tending his father’s flock, to the nation’s King (tending God’s flock), David should inspire us all.

    Within the titles of the Psalms, seventy-three (73) of them are ascribed to David. David was inspired to write. That inspiration is reflected in both the number of them, and the emotional intensity of each one. We know that David was gifted in many ways: with his sling, in music (and therefore in writing lyrics), and in fearless leadership of the nation of Israel.

    David most assuredly found time to learn and practice all his gifts while tending sheep. Along while the sheep grazed, he had plenty of time to mull over in his mind and heart the things he had learned at his father’s knee. And though the sheep would know his voice, they hardly conversed with him more than a BAA here or there.

    Conversing with our heavenly Father would have been a natural choice, but think about the prayer closet he used: a wide-open field with all of God’s Creation surrounding him! It’s with that image in mind that we might begin to understand from where David’s inspiration sprang! We have them collated for us in five sections of the Psalms. And, if Psalm 1 was the first one he wrote, what a spectacular introduction to his writings we have!

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” Ps. 1 : 1,2  

  

 With these words, David reveals the priorities in his life. It is then, no wonder that David was as gifted as he was, for he truly had a heart after God!

Lord, help us to follow David’s example. Turn our hearts and minds toward

You and toward Your Word, and lead us to be inspired by what you reveal.

THE SET TIME IS COME

Bobservations

by Pastor Bob Lawrenz

    Skills and abilities are the tools that God instills in people to accomplish most anything. Those things should evoke a thankfulness within that gives glory to God. But then… then there is that less tangible portion of our successes that comes more from Godly wisdom, than it does from Godly knowledge.

    Timing; timing seems to be vital in so many facets of our lives. Without good timing, nothing goes as we planned.

    I was watching a rerun of “The Rifleman” this past week with Lukas McCane, and his young son, Mark. Integral to this episode was the subject of inventions. In his youthful exuberance, Mark got excited about the prospects of machines in the future, and at the end of the show, he said we might see a day when a machine might even replace the horse for work and transportation. His skeptical Dad, Lukas, gave him a grin, and said, “That would never happen.” The Skeptic vs. the Visionary…

    Inventors are usually visionaries who are ahead of their time, yet their ideas helped to forge dreams into future realities for the benefit of all mankind. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were these kinds of men. And though their invention does not bear their names, Chester Carlson and John Dessauer’s invention was furthered under the vision of Joseph C. Wilson, and the process of xerography came to the marketplace. Haloid Photographic Company became Haloid-Xerox Company in 1958, and Xerox Corporation was the result in 1961. Four years later, Xerox revenue was over 500 million dollars.  …Timing…

    The difference between a skeptic and a visionary is usually timing and hope. There is a practical application to both, and God is such a Visionary while mankind is often the skeptic. But there are men and women who are filled with the Holy Spirit who can see ahead, and make plans accordingly. The prophets were sent to give a message to Israel from God, and today there are men and women who retain a boldness to still speak God’s Word to us. God’s Word never changes, and as a consequence, His plans for us never veer off track.  

 

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace,

and not of evil, to give you a future, and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

HOW SHALL WE LIVE?

Bobservations

by Pastor Bob Lawrenz

    Today’s Psalm 101 is yet another song of praise in this grouping of Psalms, but with a poignant difference. Though Psalm 101’s authorship is not listed, Dr. Henry Halley (Halley’s Bible Handbook) believes it is a Psalm of David, as he takes the throne of Israel. If that is the case, then the Psalm quite literally lays out some lofty goals for David’s administration over Israel.

    One might liken these to campaign promises of our government’s leaders. It isn’t long after reciting the Oath of Office that a “State Of The Union” address comes up and the President must explain away the reasons why he has been unable to fulfill the promises he made on the Campaign Trail.

    Taking over powerful government positions usually means that the newly elected politicians were clueless beforehand concerning the intricacies of the job they worked so hard to attain. The harsh reality is that everyone wants a piece of you, and many favors received during a campaign are now due for repayment.

    We are all aware that politics can be a dirty game, and whether it is our current state, or David’s newly installed government, Solomon reminds us that “There is nothing new under the sun.”      

    So, whether we are the man-on-the-street, or the politicos, we plod onward with new determination to do better. For the Christian, that means to live more Godly; to be more Christ-like; to live lives that are set apart for God. Here are those lofty goals again, but each time that we set them, we gain a little more knowledge of the pitfalls, and our live resemble Christ Jesus’ life just a little more closely.

    “Blessed be the name of the Lord!” can be sung more strongly and with greater confidence in His life-changing power. Never give up that hope. Never give up on these lofty goals. Never give up on Jesus!  

    And remember that the Devil is nothing more than a political “muckraker,” Jesus our Advocate has already experienced Satan’s worst, yet He lives. And because He lives, we shall live also!

- Hebrews 4:13 -

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”