Cut it off!

 Jesus makes it plain what sin is. He challenges people’s misconceptions and self-reasoning that actually they are not really that bad. Jesus shows that sin is not just an outward action, but it starts in the heart and mind first. Just because something is not witnessed by others it does not mean it does not exist or did not happen. Jesus continues to ruthlessly display the level of holiness required through how men and women view each other:

Matthew 5:27–32 (ESV): 

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. 

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 

The Law of God was plain - no sex before marriage, and then no sex with anyone other than your spouse whilst you are married. This is clear and people understand it. Jesus goes onto say that this is not the complete understanding of adultery though for, “everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” If you look at someone with desire, and you are not married to them, then you have sinned. Pretty radical, and some may say harsh. Before any outward action, before any exchange of words, the sin is right there. Sin is birthed in the heart, then the mind, and God knows about it before you actually do anything wrong. 

The level of goodness required by God is not just restraint or self-discipline, but a completely pure heart and mind. One that doesn’t entertain any ungodly thoughts or desires. How on earth can we attain that level of holiness? 

Every person, even those that you admire for their goodness and morality, have sinned. For Jesus explains that sin is birthed not in actions but in thought and desire. Therefore no-one is innocent. For sin begins with a thought or a desire, the problem is right there before any action is performed. A thought is enough to make you unholy. 

Just before these verses Jesus spoke about anger and how just feeling angry with another person or calling them a name leaves you liable to judgement. The level of holiness required to be acceptable to God is extremely high. Some may say it is even unachievable. How can you control your thoughts and feelings to the extent that you never think or feel anything that is sinful? Thankfully that is not the intent of what Jesus is saying. Although Jesus is making it clear what Father God’s expectations are, this is to lead people to repent. If people do not know what they are doing wrong, how can they admit it and fix it? 

The only way to deal with sin is to cut it off. Jesus says if anything causes you to sin, “tear it out and throw it away”. You need to be harsh with sin, it needs to be completely destroyed, cut off, killed, no longer a part pf you. That means that maybe you need to cut off seeing certain people, going to particular places, cut out watching particular content, or cut off unholy thoughts. You know what you need to do to stop sin, but will you? Although these are things we can do to prevent ourselves doing sinful actions again, it does not deal with the root cause or the sin already committed. Jesus had already thought of that too! He did not just tell us all how rotten we are and leave us there, he created a way for you to be sin-free. For Jesus put to death all sin. The spoken, unspoken, seen and unseen sin. Through giving up his perfect, holy life as an atonement for all of it Jesus killed off the sin that you do, and he took the punishment for it all. You do not actually have to tear your eyes out or rip off your limbs, you can so be righteous enough to meet the standard of God requires by accepting that Jesus was perfect and he died in order to cut off sin and throw it away in your life. All you need to do is confess what you have done, decide that you do not want to do it anymore, and accept that Jesus gave his sinless life to forgive you. He did what you couldn’t. Jesus lived the perfect sinless life in thought, desire and action, and he was killed for the sins of the world in order to tear out the power of sin in your life. He did it so that you could be free and learn to live a life of holiness. You can stand before Almighty God as pure and righteous when you accept Jesus.

Are you righteous?

Once Jesus has clarified the role of the disciples - to be salt and light to the world, he then explains what that involves. He covers certain elements that are necessary to demonstrate that those who follow him are indeed following him and honouring God. 

Matthew 5:17–26 (ESV): 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Those who had been hearing Jesus up to this point may have been rejoicing because they had not heard teaching like this before, so they thought that he was usurping the Law. Therefore Jesus makes it clear to his listeners that this is not the case, he is in fact fulfilling the Law and Prophets. Jesus is embodying and bringing to life the very words of God - the Scriptures the Israelite people were trying to learn and follow. As the Son of God, Jesus was there when the Law and Prophets were written so he knows the intent and purpose of the Law and he taught what they really mean and demonstrated this through the life he lived. Jesus followed both the Law of God, and the law of the land, he paid taxes, took part in Jewish celebrations, and went to synagogue. His teaching rather than radically dismissing the Scriptures, radically explained them. Over the centuries that had passed since the Torah had been written the true understanding of what they meant had weakened, rituals and ceremonies had become commonplace to try to put into action what people thought The Law meant. So Jesus clarified and upheld the intended meaning and purpose of the Law which was to showcase a pure and holy God, and to bring His people to Himself. 

Jesus obeyed The Law, he embodied it. He encourages his hearers to be law abiders, not breakers, too. Yet Jesus does not stop there - he also tells those listening that they have to be more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees! These were the religious men who; study, debate, and teach Scripture all day and who do their best to obey and enforce every ritual. Jesus is saying that those who honour God have to be more righteous than them! This would have been shocking for those that heard Jesus say this, it is a high bar to attain as these religious men were the holiest people the Jews knew! 

However, Jesus was saying that even these religious men were not righteous enough and they won’t get into heaven. So what hope is there for the rest of humanity?

The Pharisees and Scribes were well educated and revered men, experts at recounting the Law and Prophets, following rituals and teaching others to do the some. They were not very good at understanding that true righteousness is displayed in the relationships that they have both with God and other people. Jesus was explaining to those around him that righteousness is not about knowledge, rituals, rules, or giving sacrifices. This was incredibly radical news, for this is what the Israelites had heard and lived for generations. They knew as Israelites that they were a set apart by God as favoured people. This meant that God had caused them to live differently to surrounding nations, in order to be kept pure and made right with God through different rules and practices. They had certain celebrations and sacrifices to make to honour God and be made right with Him. The Pharisees oversaw and taught these things. They were the ones trying to teach the people The Law and how to follow it, as Jesus is saying, so how can anyone ese match the level of righteousness required to enter the kingdom of heaven? That is the point. No human on Earth could attain pure righteousness. Except one, and that is Jesus. He was the only one capable of living the perfect life of being more righteous than every religious leader because he is the Son of God.

Even though Jesus was tempted and suffered just like the rest of us do, he never sinned. His righteousness truly outstripped that of the Scribes and Pharisees. He lived and understood The Law in a different way than they did, for Jesus knew the Law writer personally. He was with God, his Father as it was written and given. So Jesus could understand, demonstrate and explain righteousness in a way no-one else could. Jesus made it clear that even ordinary people can be made righteous, you do not have to know it all, have it all or follow all the routines and rituals, but still you can be made right with God. Jesus did not just create the problem of righteousness seeming unattainable, but he gave his life so that righteousness can be accessed to anyone and everyone. Jesus was the perfect fulfilment of The Law. He followed and obeyed it perfectly. This was so that he could generously give up his life to make atonement for your sin. Now you too can be made righteous, more righteous than the most righteous people you know! If you trust and believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for all sin, giving you a new life of purity, and you follow him, you can be made righteous. For when you turn and believe in Jesus, God no longer sees you and your wrongdoings, but he sees His perfect son, Jesus. You get to receive his righteousness. You don't deserve it, you haven't earned it and you haven't kept the rules, but you can be righteous and keep being righteous all because of Jesus! 

Following Jesus is the only way that you can be made right with God and become righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees. There is no other way. You cannot try hard enough, follow enough rules, know enough, or be kind and generous enough to earn your way into heaven. It is only through accepting that you can be made righteous through the love, life, death and resurrection of Jesus that you are made right before God. So, do you desire to be right before God? If so, trust in Jesus. He made the impossible possible for those who believe in him. When you accept him and his forgiveness and learn to follow him, then you become more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees and able to enter the kingdom of heaven!

Are you blessed?

Matthew 5:1–12 (ESV): 

5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 

The Beatitudes

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Jesus had something particular that he wanted the disciples to know, so he drew them close to him, making sure that they could see and hear him. Through this teaching, Jesus helped to reframe their thinking by showing them that God sees, cares about, and honours different things than what the average human does. 

God cares about not just the poor in a financial sense, but the poor in spirit. Those who recognise their need of God and live in humility before him - they are blessed. Those who mourn, grieve, are sad for a time (mourning should not last forever), are promised comfort. A sad demeanour should not be constant for anyone. The promise is that ‘they shall be comforted’. God will bring comfort, and when He does, accept it. 

The meek - gentle, humble and submissive, ‘shall inherit the earth’! Those who will not put themselves forward, who recognise their limits, who allow others to go first and treat them with kindness, these are the ones who get everything. Meekness is not admired, fostered or appreciated by the majority of the world, but God admires it. It is a quality that is rare, but is valued when it is seen. Can you develop meekness in your own life? 

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness promises satisfaction. There are many things you can hunger and thirst for; food, money, possessions, promotion, a particular standard of life. These things do not offer satisfaction, only hungering and thirsting for God does. If you want to be really fulfilled, seek God. he provides all you need, and more. 

The merciful shall receive mercy - that makes sense. We like to feel that you get what you deserve. This promise is that you do by not treating others as they deserve! When you show forgiveness and leniency to those who have wronged you, you too are dealt with leniently and can know forgiveness as you are afforded mercy by God. 

‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’ - being sincere and living with integrity means that you shall see God - how incredible! Are your motives and thoughts pure? Are you concerned about material matters or spiritual ones? Only one kingdom will last forever, so make sure you are aligning your thoughts, motives and behaviour with what God desires, then you shall see Him.

The peacemakers, those who strive to bring peaceful resolution and not riots, fall-outs, complications or arguments, are living like sons of God. It is easy to argue with someone, or cause strife between people, harder to get different people with different opinions, perspectives, and desires working together. Yet, is that not exactly what God does? He calls everyone to be part of His family, from every class, situation and nation. So, by drawing others into unity of purpose, you can demonstrate that you are indeed acting like God’s child. 

These are the things Jesus taught his disciples as he went up the mountain. These lessons were for the disciples, those closest to him, those he had called to himself. Yet others would have heard as it mentions that there were crowds. The real cost of discipleship is not what job you have, where you live, how much you do or give, but it is developing the character that displays the Kingdom of God. I am sure you admire and appreciate people who demonstrate these attributes, but do you also have them? 

Brood of vipers!

John has been baptising people in water, they are flocking to him to see the strange prophet in the wilderness, and to hear what he has to say. No wonder the religious leaders were curious and thought they would check out what this man is preaching. He is leading people to God and telling them to repent from their sins. It is no wonder that the Pharisees and Sadducees wanted to see what he was up to, as it was their job to teach about God and how to follow Him. Yet they do not get a very warm reception from John….

Matthew 3:7–12 (ESV): 

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 

What a greeting, ‘you brood of vipers!’ John referred to the religious leaders of his time as venomous snakes, implying that they were poisonous, evil and deceitful. Jesus later refers to them in like manner (Matthew 12:34, ‘You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.’). John saw what many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were like, they were not interested in people honestly following God, they were more concerned about what they could get out of their service to the people. John realises that these men do not believe in what he is saying, they are pretending to be godly, and making a good show of it, but they are not bearing good fruit. Therefore there is only one destination for them - being thrown into the fire. John uses two different examples which emphasise the same thing; the unfruitful and the wicked will be cut down and ‘burn with unquenchable fire’. There is one destination for those who do not follow and honour God with their lives, wrath and eternal fire. Are you heading there?

Listening to and understanding God’s Word is not enough, nor is being baptised with water. John makes this clear. An outward symbol and internal knowledge are not the markers of a transformed or godly life. Repentance, fleeing from sin, is what God requires and this leads to fruitfulness. A changed life, one without scheming or deceit, demonstrating the fruitfulness of living in right relationship with God, this is what is required. Everyday people can achieve it, from the young to the old, rich to the poor, it is possible for all. However it seems that it is harder for religious people. 

John saw the religious men approach, and he saw their desire - they wanted to make an outward show of being made right with God, they had no intention of doing anything about sin, wrongdoing or changing their lives. They just wanted to do the minimum to ‘flee from the wrath to come’.  Everyone else was going out to be baptised by John, maybe they could do it too. It was not through a genuine interest in becoming more godly or repenting of sin that they came. Maybe they were curious as to what the fuss was about. They were probably losing attendees in the synagogue because the people were coming to hear John instead, so they were checking out their competition. Plus they were responsible for the religious direction of Israel so they want to ensure that the people are not being taught something unbiblical. It makes sense that they would go to hear John and consider his teaching. So it can seem harsh John’s response to call them vipers. However, we know that John was empowered by the Holy Spirit, and Jesus made the same judgement upon them, so he clearly saw something about the heart and purpose of these men, and it was not ‘in keeping with repentance’. 

The way to become more righteous is not through attendance of meetings, routines or gaining knowledge. It is through understanding the words of God, and allowing them to impact and transform your life. Righteousness begins with recognising that you are not righteous, but desire to be. Repentance is a turning away from sin and temptation, letting that be washed away through baptism. It means your heart and mind need changing through recognising who God is and what that means for the rest of your life. There are no short-cuts. John led and supported people in knowing how and why they should change their sinful lives so that they could escape the burning hell that is the destiny of the sinful. 

Some people hear the message of repentance and the kingdom of God, and can even teach it, but do nothing about it in their own lives. Yet they can mistakenly think that because they know, they will be welcomed into heaven. Jesus and John teach that this is false. That was the position of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Do not be like them, they are heading for a place of, 'unquenchable fire'. Instead, recognise your unrighteousness, repent, accept God's forgiveness, and learn to live a different life. Then you will be like wheat gathered into the safety of a barn (v12) for living a righteous and fruitful life for the kingdom of God. God wants you in His kingdom, he invites and welcomes you. Listen to His words and let them change your life. 

Are you righteous?

 Psalm 143:1–12 (ESV):  

1  Hear my prayer, O Lord; 

give ear to my pleas for mercy! 

In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! 

 2  Enter not into judgment with your servant, 

for no one living is righteous before you. 

 3  For the enemy has pursued my soul; 

he has crushed my life to the ground; 

he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. 

 4  Therefore my spirit faints within me; 

my heart within me is appalled. 

 5  I remember the days of old; 

I meditate on all that you have done; 

I ponder the work of your hands. 

 6  I stretch out my hands to you; 

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 

 7  Answer me quickly, O Lord! 

My spirit fails! 

  Hide not your face from me, 

lest I be like those who go down to the pit. 

 8  Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, 

for in you I trust. 

  Make me know the way I should go, 

for to you I lift up my soul. 

 9  Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! 

I have fled to you for refuge. 

 10  Teach me to do your will, 

for you are my God! 

  Let your good Spirit lead me 

on level ground! 

 11  For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! 

In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! 

 12  And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, 

and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, 

for I am your servant. 

‘in your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! Enter not into judgement with your servant for no one living is righteous before you’. No-one is good, righteous or perfect when compared to God. Even the best, most just, kind, loving, well behaved person you know is; wicked, corrupt and flawed when compared to God. Even if you try to be good, follow the rules, you are never going to be good enough to reach the standard of being pure and holy. If your actions don’t let you down, your inactions, words or thoughts will. You are not perfect and you will never be completely righteous. Only one person that ever lived was, and his name is Jesus. 

The standard of righteousness that God has is impossible for you to reach, without accepting the love and sacrifice that Jesus made for you. He did live a perfect, holy life. Even though tempted, he never sinned. He too underwent peer pressure, had family expectations, encountered difficulties, had desires, wanted to do his own thing, but not once did he sin. The only way that you can be made righteous, like Jesus, is to accept that because he lived a perfect life and died a sinners death, all of your unrighteousness died with him. 

Unlike the writer of this psalm, David, you can know that you are made righteous. You are not going to be judged by God for all your sin, because when you accept Jesus life, death and resurrection and choose to live your life in submission to him, God sees only His perfect son, Jesus. He attributes to you the perfect ways, decisions, words and actions that Jesus did. If you accept that your life is in him, then you are pure, holy and righteous as Jesus is. You can know freedom from feeling less than good. You do not have to fear the final judgement when you have put your life into God’s hands through Jesus. Jesus put to death sin and judgement, so that you do not have to live in guilt and shame any more. Have you accepted this freedom? 

For ‘no one living is righteous’. In your own will and power you cannot reach the standards of goodness and purity that the Law of God requires. There is only one way. That is through dying to yourself and letting Jesus take charge of your life by accepting his sacrifice for you, and choosing to put God first for the rest of your life. Then, when God looks at you, He does not see that you are corrupt, evil or wicked. Thankfully, He sees the perfectly holy and good reflection of His son, Jesus! You cannot attain that standard by yourself no matter how hard you try.

David who wrote this psalm lived in the time before Jesus came, so he did not know that he could be made righteous, he knew that he tried but could never reach the standard of perfection required. He pleaded for mercy, he felt crushed and concerned about the weight of ungodliness in him and around him. He says, 'my spirit faints within me’ and ‘In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble’. You now live in a time when you can be free from that! Are you? Have you accepted that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus has made you holy? Are you living with your life dead to self and dedicated to following him? Jesus has done the work that David longed for. David pleads, ‘bring my soul out of trouble!’ God has done that through Jesus. Your soul no longer needs to be conflicted or in despair, you can have hope and joy again when you give your life to God because of all Jesus has done and modelled. You can be made new, given new life, hope and righteousness. Have you accepted it?

Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked

 Psalm 140:1–13 (ESV):  

1  Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; 

preserve me from violent men, 

 2  who plan evil things in their heart 

and stir up wars continually. 

 3  They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s, 

and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah 

 4  Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; 

preserve me from violent men, 

who have planned to trip up my feet. 

 5  The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, 

and with cords they have spread a net; 

beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah 

 6  I say to the Lord, You are my God; 

give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord! 

 7  O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, 

you have covered my head in the day of battle. 

 8  Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; 

do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah 

 9  As for the head of those who surround me, 

let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them! 

 10  Let burning coals fall upon them! 

Let them be cast into fire, 

into miry pits, no more to rise! 

 11  Let not the slanderer be established in the land; 

let evil hunt down the violent man speedily! 

 12  I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, 

and will execute justice for the needy. 

 13  Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; 

the upright shall dwell in your presence. 

Evil people plan your demise. They may not seem wicked, in fact they may be friends walking right next to you, planning to trip you up, hiding traps, snares and nets for you to get entangled in. For how can someone you don’t know be so well acquainted with your paths and ways? Some of the people you are living life with may turn out to be arrogant, violent and wicked. Yet do not concern yourself, or get worried or overwhelmed by this. For you have The Lord your God on your side. Look at David, Isaiah, Elijah, John the Baptist, Jesus and Stephen as examples - they were well known for being men of God. Through their lives they suffered and were persecuted, often by people they knew. Yet that did not stop them! Instead of giving into fear and turning away from what God had called them to, they turned to God in their discomfort and desperation. 

In this psalm David recounts his concerns about the ways the wicked are trying to get him. He calls out to God saying, ‘You are my God….my Lord, the strength of my salvation….Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked’. When you see wickedness, when you hear of the plots of evil and see unholiness, recognise it for what it is, do not be afraid to name it and appeal to God to stop it. Righteousness and wickedness hate each other. This means men and women will battle against the will of God, even unknowingly, because it causes them discomfort in their wicked ways, and so they seek to end it. When you see this, do as David did and implore God to not let evil prevail. Then remember that He is ‘the strength of my salvation’. You can depend upon God to bring salvation to His people, to end evil and to be your strength. You will suffer, yet, you can also be assured that God has a purpose and salvation in mind through what is happening.

Followed by David’s outpouring of fury and pain, he concludes his prayer in confidence saying ‘Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name’ because God ‘will execute justice’. When you know who God is and what His character is like, you can rest in confidence even when surrounded by enemies, persecuted, trapped and hunted. In the end, God’s people will have reason to worship as God ‘will execute justice’. There will be nothing anyone can do about it, God will not be held back, He WILL have His way. So you can be confident that anything and anyone that comes against Him will be dealt with. So, bring your concerns and fears to God, your emotional response to whatever is going on, and remember just who God is. learn to depend upon His mercy, strength and judgement. Be sure to acknowledge that God is in charge even when wickedness seems to be winning. God is your salvation, your hope, the bringer of justice, He will ‘maintain the cause of the afflicted’, and He will prove, once again, that He is worthy of praise. The day will come when the suffering stops, evil exists no more, and wickedness wanes. You can guarantee that because God reigns. 

The Lord is righteous!

Psalm 129:1–8 (ESV):  

1  “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”— 

let Israel now say— 

 2  “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, 

yet they have not prevailed against me. 

 3  The plowers plowed upon my back; 

they made long their furrows.” 

 4  The Lord is righteous; 

he has cut the cords of the wicked. 

 5  May all who hate Zion 

be put to shame and turned backward! 

 6  Let them be like the grass on the housetops, 

which withers before it grows up, 

 7  with which the reaper does not fill his hand 

nor the binder of sheaves his arms, 

 8  nor do those who pass by say, 

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you! 

We bless you in the name of the Lord!” 

It is not unusual for the people of God to suffer. Israel, even from the conception of the nation can rightly say, ‘Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth’. Israel has always had enemies. As the favoured people of God, ungodly people have railed against them. Consider all that this nation has gone through. They have wandered, been to war, exiled more than once, been ransacked, derided, and invaded. They have known what it is like to be; refugees and captives, winners and losers, in the favour, and displeasure of God. So they are right to say that through every generation, they have been greatly afflicted. Even to the point that, ‘the plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows’. What a piece of imagery of the pain and persecution that Israel have undergone. Even though they have experienced this level of intense suffering from the hands of enemies, Israel can say ‘they have not prevailed against me’. That is powerful. The whole nation of Israel can honestly say that they have been persecuted and experienced excruciating physical, spiritual and emotional pain, yet the enemy has never won. Why? Because ‘The Lord is righteous’! 

The people of God once only the people of Israel, now known as the church, will experience great suffering, pain and persecution. Nothing has changed, the people of God have ungodly enemies so they will suffer. Yet they can also say, although we have been greatly afflicted the enemy has not and will not prevail! Why? Because the Lord is still righteous! 

The survival of God’s people and their growth has very little to do with the people themselves. It has everything to do with the favour and righteousness of God. God will always do what is right and ‘he has cut the cords of the wicked’. Evil has no ultimate power as Jesus put sin to death, therefore ‘the cords of the wicked’ have been severed. There is an end to the pain and suffering for God’s people,  so you can carry the hope of the promise that all wickedness shall cease, because ‘The Lord is righteous’. He will make sure that good will reign. 

The evil that seeks to undo the people of God will wither like grass on the rooftop (v6). It has no real influence, power, or longevity, even when evil plows deep furrows into your back in an attempt to break you. The enemy is seeking to prevail, but He has already been cut off and is withering! The people of God throughout all history have been persecuted, yet the enemy has not yet prevailed! Instead, the church has spread far and wide and the gospel has been demonstrated and declared in many places across the globe. The people of God have increased, not decreased despite the plans of the wicked, why? Because ‘The Lord is righteous’!

Mountain of God

 Psalm 125:1–5 (ESV):  

1  Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, 

which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 

 2  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, 

so the Lord surrounds his people, 

from this time forth and forevermore. 

 3  For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest 

on the land allotted to the righteous, 

  lest the righteous stretch out 

their hands to do wrong. 

 4  Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, 

and to those who are upright in their hearts! 

 5  But those who turn aside to their crooked ways 

the Lord will lead away with evildoers! 

Peace be upon Israel! 

Those who believe in God are like a mountain - formidable, unmovable, and constant. God’s people have constancy and permanence, reassurance and companionship, because together they cannot be moved and they are going to withstand, forever! When you gather with other believers, you are joining something abiding and immoveable, constant and eternal. If you need permanence and reassurance in your life, surely this gives you inspiration and hope. God's people, His church are like a mountain, secure and everlasting. Since the beginning, there have been God' people on the Earth, and no matter the problems, persecution and temptations that come, there is always a faithful remnant that remain as solid, faithful and constant as a mountain. Are you one such believer?

Not only are the people of God a magnificent mountain, but they also have the certainty and protection of God supporting and surrounding them too, as God is described in this psalm as a range of mountains (v1-2). God enhances His people’s solidarity as He provides security by His presence. He is bigger, greater and all encompassing, now and forever! God constantly and reliably surrounds His people for their security, safety and protection. This psalm provides an assurance of God’s continuous presence with His people. So, if you ever feel unsure or unsettled, recall to your mind that God’s people are ‘like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved', surrounded by the love and faithfulness of God 'forevermore'. 

Another guarantee in this psalm is that ‘the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous’. There will be wickedness in existence, that is sure, but it does not have permission to become permanent in the places given to God’s people. Righteous people have an awareness of, and come across wickedness in their lives, yet they are not surrounded by it, for they are already surrounded - by the constant, protective, eternal Almighty God! Sometimes as God’s people, we forget that. It can be easy to see evil practices and wickedness, as it is different and unacceptable to the way of God, so it stands out like a stain on a garment. Yet, it is only a blot, and although noticeable does not effect the function of the garment. The stain can be removed, it is not permanent and does not need to effect the rest of the clothing. Sometimes we see wickedness as obviously as a stain, and focus on this, rather than looking at the stability and faithfulness of the godly believers. Those who are surrounded by the love, care and protection of the best stain remover there is! The reality, as described in this psalm, is that sin and wickedness are not permanent features in the 'land allotted to the righteous'. So do not get distracted by the influence of evil or the impact of sin. Do not get sidetracked yourself by doing what you know you shouldn't, but if you do, thank God that through Jesus every blot and stain can be removed from your life. It has no permanence for God has dealt with it all through Jesus' life, death and resurrection. Temptation is difficult to combat, but the New Testament promises us that when you ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ (James 4:7). Evil cannot remain amongst God’s people, although this psalm recognises that some will be ‘lead away with evildoers’. don’t let that be you - remain on the mountain, resist the devil, and remain faithful to God. It is up to you whether you remain within the mountain of believers, surrounded by the security of God's love, constancy and forgiveness, or ‘turn aside’ to the influences of evil around you. Righteousness leads to becoming a mountain with fellow believers. Going astray leads to instability and unrest. Where do you choose to dwell? Are you settling your life onto the mountain of believers, surrounded by the love, power and constancy of God? 

What do you do when you're worried?

 Psalm 119:145–152 (ESV): 

Qoph

 145  With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord! 

I will keep your statutes. 

 146  I call to you; save me, 

that I may observe your testimonies. 

 147  I rise before dawn and cry for help; 

I hope in your words. 

 148  My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, 

that I may meditate on your promise. 

 149  Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; 

O Lord, according to your justice give me life. 

 150  They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; 

they are far from your law. 

 151  But you are near, O Lord, 

and all your commandments are true. 

 152  Long have I known from your testimonies 

that you have founded them forever.

When you have sleepless nights because you are enduring a time of distress, what do you do? Do you spend the time as this psalmist does and meditate on God’s Word?! Or do you allow the worries and stress to overcome your mind, filling it with more stress and worry? 

The inclination to worry has not changed throughout the World’s history, from ancient times to current days people get sick due to stress and worry. Therefore you need to know how to handle it. This author had figured out a God-honouring way to deal with it, and in the New Testament, Paul gives us a practical way to handle any concerns. For he instructs us to ‘take every thought captive to obey Christ’! (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is how you effectively handle distress and concerns. 

When you are experiencing stress, what do you focus on? Is it worse case scenario, with fears deepening, or are your thoughts obedient to Jesus? Both the writer of this psalm and Paul show that thinking about God and reading His Word are solutions to times of concern. Reading Scripture, and pondering on the nature of God and all that Jesus has done whilst ensuring that you remain obedient will help you. Meditate on God’s promises (v148), keep reminding yourself of the truth so that whenever the worries and fears attempt to sneak back in you can fight back. Retrain your brain to think of God first not fear first - take every thought captive. Taking something captive is forceful and intentional. It does not happen by chance, and you need to keep working at it. 

In the book of Corinthians, Paul goes onto say that by taking your thoughts captive, ‘we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God’. Do you want to destroy what the enemy is trying to build? You have the power to do that by adjusting your mindset. Take charge of what you think about, you can help what your mind focuses on. You can take your thoughts captive to obey Christ. Instead of spending time pacing around or allowing your mind to whirl during sleepless hours, read God’s Word, listen to Scripture, recall His promises, meditate on His promises, and consider Christ. Do the hard work of retraining your brain, to transform your thoughts from those of worry to those of God-honouring confidence and peace. 

Psalm 119:153–160 (ESV): 

Resh

 153  Look on my affliction and deliver me, 

for I do not forget your law. 

 154  Plead my cause and redeem me; 

give me life according to your promise! 

 155  Salvation is far from the wicked, 

for they do not seek your statutes. 

 156  Great is your mercy, O Lord; 

give me life according to your rules. 

 157  Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, 

but I do not swerve from your testimonies. 

 158  I look at the faithless with disgust, 

because they do not keep your commands. 

 159  Consider how I love your precepts! 

Give me life according to your steadfast love. 

 160  The sum of your word is truth, 

and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. 

Do you know that you have one who pleads your cause and redeems you? The same One also gives you life! in 1 John 2:1, John confirms this, ‘My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ So, no matter what the situation, whether it is a matter of oppression, persecution, the wrongdoing of others, or even your own sinful behaviour, you have every right to plead your cause for redemption! 

Jesus is your advocate, and he will always advocate for you no matter if the situation or pain you are in is your own fault or not. You have the right and permission to ask for forgiveness and freedom. For Jesus Christ the righteous died for every sin, so that he could show you how great the mercy of God is! Therefore never be afraid to approach your Father in heaven to plead your cause and redeem you (v154).

Your persecutors and adversaries may be many, but think about how big God is, how many are His heavenly hosts and how He has delivered and redeemed His people before. Find out the stories in the Bible that can strengthen you, and trust that God is the same now as He was then. God can turn your life around - are you trusting that He will? Approach God today and plead your cause, even if you feel like you are the one who has messed up, or even if you have asked hundreds of times before. God is listening, God is forgiving, and God is redeeming. 

You don’t need to be afraid, you don’t need to live disgusted or disappointed with yourself for Jesus, your advocate, has stepped in for you. He has put to death all that separates you from God. Therefore you can ask God to, ‘Give me life according to your steadfast love’. You can know forgiveness and appreciate a relationship with God, for great is His mercy (v156). This is only possible because you have an advocate through Jesus Christ the righteous - don’t forget it!

What are you desperate for?

 Psalm 119:129–136 (ESV): 

Pe

 129  Your testimonies are wonderful; 

therefore my soul keeps them. 

 130  The unfolding of your words gives light; 

it imparts understanding to the simple. 

 131  I open my mouth and pant, 

because I long for your commandments. 

 132  Turn to me and be gracious to me, 

as is your way with those who love your name. 

 133  Keep steady my steps according to your promise, 

and let no iniquity get dominion over me. 

 134  Redeem me from man’s oppression, 

that I may keep your precepts. 

 135  Make your face shine upon your servant, 

and teach me your statutes. 

 136  My eyes shed streams of tears, 

because people do not keep your law. 

This writer yearns to know more of God’s Word. They pant for it (131) because they want to hear from God and they recognise their need of Him. Without God’s Word this psalmist is parched and desperate, they need His word for survival. Have you ever felt that desperate to hear from God? Do you recognise your own need of Him.

This author is a skilled and intelligent person, we can tell that from the way that Psalm 119 is constructed. Every set of 8 verses starts with the same Hebrew letter. That takes consideration, creativity and intelligent design, especially as each part flows and it all builds to glorify God and His Word. Yet, even though they are a gifted individual with intelligence and capability, they still long for God and thirst for more understanding and godly wisdom. Even though we can see that this person is smart, they still say, ‘The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.’ Maybe at one point in thier life, they felt as if they were simple, or maybe they recognise that God's Word is accessible and relevant to all people. Without God’s Word people live in darkness and have no understanding. For God is the one that provides both. An intelligent writer gifted with words, or a simple person can read the Bible and be inspired, receive instruction, guidance and life. What a wonderful gift God has given His children through His written Word - all have access to it and can get life and light from it! Are you longing to know and understand more of Him through Scripture? Are you allowing your life to be inspired by the Word of God?

Psalm 119:137–144 (ESV): 

Tsadhe

 137  Righteous are you, O Lord, 

and right are your rules. 

 138  You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness 

and in all faithfulness. 

 139  My zeal consumes me, 

because my foes forget your words. 

 140  Your promise is well tried, 

and your servant loves it. 

 141  I am small and despised, 

yet I do not forget your precepts. 

 142  Your righteousness is righteous forever, 

and your law is true. 

 143  Trouble and anguish have found me out, 

but your commandments are my delight. 

 144  Your testimonies are righteous forever; 

give me understanding that I may live. 

As you read the Word of God, you will see how righteous the Lord God is. His righteousness has reigned from the beginning and it continues to reign today. God is ultimately holy, pure and good. Everything He does, says and commands is right and good. So whatever is going on in life for you right now, that is something steadfast and strong that you can hold onto! You may feel ‘small and despised’ but when you know and rely on The Word of God you have The One who is mighty, powerful, majestic, good, righteous and everlasting standing with you! His words and promises are ‘well tried’, so are you loving and depending on them? 

Even if you feel that, ‘Trouble and anguish have found me out' you can have hope and take delight for His ‘testimonies are righteous forever’! You have nothing to fear when you know the truth that God is with you and for you. He is the ultimate, never-ending authority and ensures that His Word is always kept.So, instead of asking for escape from your circumstances, why not ask for understanding? Learn to trust in nothing else, other than The Word of God, for it benefits the; rich, poor, lonely, surrounded, simple and wise, and God's promises to you will always be fulfilled. 

Do you fear the Lord?

Psalm 112:1–10 (ESV): 

1 Praise the Lord! 

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, 

who greatly delights in his commandments! 

 2  His offspring will be mighty in the land; 

the generation of the upright will be blessed. 

 3  Wealth and riches are in his house, 

and his righteousness endures forever. 

 4  Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; 

he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. 

 5  It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; 

who conducts his affairs with justice. 

 6  For the righteous will never be moved; 

he will be remembered forever. 

 7  He is not afraid of bad news; 

his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. 

 8  His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, 

until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. 

 9  He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; 

his righteousness endures forever; 

his horn is exalted in honour. 

 10  The wicked man sees it and is angry; 

he gnashes his teeth and melts away; 

the desire of the wicked will perish! 

‘Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!’ What does it really mean to live as one who fears the Lord and delights in His commandments? A person who fears the Lord is not just a good, happy person who says that they know there is a God. The person who ‘fears the Lord’ is someone who is in awe of God and faithfully obeys Him, in the big and that small matters. Are you such a person? 

It is important to consider this as the psalm states, ‘blessed is the man who fears the Lord’. There is an automatic, guaranteed favour upon those who fear God. This includes a blessing upon their children - they will be mighty, plus their generation will be blessed! All because a person fears the Lord. So if you want to make an impact in the world, want your children to be mighty, and you want to have a positive influence in your generation - learn how to fear the Lord! Helpfully, this psalm gives some indicators as to what someone who fears God looks like, so that you can be someone who is blessed of God who influences generations.

One of the first elements that is expressed of such a person is, ‘Light dawns in the darkness for the upright’. Oh dear, that doesn’t sound much fun does it?! There will be darkness for the one who fears God. At times it will feel scary, confusing and difficult for there will be dark times. Yet when the upright one demonsrtates grace, mercy and righteousness, light will dawn (v4). This is not saying the light will obliterate the pain and difficulty of the dark times, but that one who fears God will come to notice a measure of light. A direction, help and hope which will, in time, transform the darkness just like the dawn does. For the dawn doesn’t remain a glimmer, but it is the beginning of the assurance that a new day is arriving. For the righteous person, when they remain gracious, merciful and righteous throughout the difficult dark times, they demonstrate their faith and fear of the Lord God through conducting themselves in a right manner. Their faith and godly conduct brings an undeniable hope and assurance that is set not on what is around them, but who they know is above them. The person who fears God is someone who is seen as faithful and good throughout the good and the bad seasons. This reminds me that the New Testament says, ‘by their fruits you shall know them’ (Matthew 7:16). This means that you can tell what type of person someone is, not for what they say, but by the results of their words and actions. For when someone produces good fruit, it is because they are healthy and good on the inside. Their faith is genuine and their fear of God real. This psalm expresses the same thing. You can tell if a person lives the faith they profess if they continue to pursue righteousness, grace and mercy throughout the tough times. When you are under pressure, and see that you are in the darkness, do you maintain your integrity? Do you steadfastly believe and trust in God, remaining righteous, gracious and merciful to those around you, ready to forgive and love? This is the way of the one who fears the Lord.

The one who fears God also considers carefully how they handle money. ‘It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.’ Being a good steward of the resources you have is important to God, and so it should be to you too. Do you deal fairly with money? Are you honest about the taxes you pay, the way you lend or borrow? Do you pay people back, and are you generous with what you have? If someone were to look at your bank account today, how would you feel, and what would they see? Your bank account reveals what you value as you spend money on the things that you deem necessary and important. So, does the way you handle money reflect the values of God? He wants to give His righteous ones ‘wealth and riches’, could God trust you with handling such favour well, for the glory of His kingdom?

Next, how do you respond to bad news? Whether that is national, international, or personal bad news. What is your reaction?  Some people become full of fear and grief and these emotions dictate their response. Although it is natural to have emotional responses to the things that occur, is your faith affected? ‘For the righteous will never be moved’. No matter what hits the one who fears the Lord, their trust in God, faith and faithfulness will not falter. They will get emotionally and physically impacted, but they do not let their emotions overcome them. Instead their emotions are overcome by faith. Their hearts are firm not because of circumstance, not because they do not feel anything, or that they do not experience difficulties, but because they trust in God more than anything else. So what directs your responses when tragic news comes? You can be overwhelmed, hurt and disappointed, but do those emotions direct your actions, or does faith in God? Even when it does not make sense to you, even when you are in deep pain, what is the guiding factor in your responses - are feelings or faith in control? You can have a heart that is steady and free from fear (v8) when the only One you fear is the Lord God as then you will never be moved.

The one who fears the Lord will also demonstrate concern and support for others, namely the poor. Do you notice those people and show care to them? This psalm simply says that the one who fears God, ‘has given freely to the poor’. They pay attention to those less well off than themselves, and give to them without expecting anything in return. Throughout scripture we can see that God highly values the poor. He has deep regard and consideration for them, and so as one who fears Him, your response should reflect His. God has been generous, loving and giving to each of us, and so by taking care of others who need it, we have the great privilege of demonstrating a small part of who God is by generously sharing what He given you. 

In all of your affairs, as someone who fears the Lord, conduct them in righteousness, and generosity. Do what is right. There are no elements of life that are excluded from God’s expectation that you behave in a righteous manner. He expects those who fear Him to live lives of integrity, no matter the twists and turns they experience. When a man or woman of God lives in this way, they show that they are moved only by Almighty God. People can try and catch them out, but only righteousness, generosity, grace and mercy are revealed. No wonder their generation and future generations are blessed! ‘Blessed is the man who fears the Lord’! - will that be your story?

Resilient love

 Psalm 106:1–48 (ESV): 

Praise the Lord! 

  Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, 

for his steadfast love endures forever! 

 2  Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, 

or declare all his praise? 

 3  Blessed are they who observe justice, 

who do righteousness at all times! 

 4  Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; 

help me when you save them, 

 5  that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, 

that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, 

that I may glory with your inheritance. 

 6  Both we and our fathers have sinned; 

we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. 

 7  Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, 

did not consider your wondrous works; 

  they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, 

but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. 

 8  Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, 

that he might make known his mighty power. 

 9  He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, 

and he led them through the deep as through a desert. 

 10  So he saved them from the hand of the foe 

and redeemed them from the power of the enemy. 

 11  And the waters covered their adversaries; 

not one of them was left. 

 12  Then they believed his words; 

they sang his praise. 

 13  But they soon forgot his works; 

they did not wait for his counsel. 

 14  But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, 

and put God to the test in the desert; 

 15  he gave them what they asked, 

but sent a wasting disease among them. 

 16  When men in the camp were jealous of Moses 

and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord, 

 17  the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, 

and covered the company of Abiram. 

 18  Fire also broke out in their company; 

the flame burned up the wicked. 

 19  They made a calf in Horeb 

and worshiped a metal image. 

 20  They exchanged the glory of God 

for the image of an ox that eats grass. 

 21  They forgot God, their Savior, 

who had done great things in Egypt, 

 22  wondrous works in the land of Ham, 

and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. 

 23  Therefore he said he would destroy them— 

had not Moses, his chosen one, 

  stood in the breach before him, 

to turn away his wrath from destroying them. 

 24  Then they despised the pleasant land, 

having no faith in his promise. 

 25  They murmured in their tents, 

and did not obey the voice of the Lord. 

 26  Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them 

that he would make them fall in the wilderness, 

 27  and would make their offspring fall among the nations, 

scattering them among the lands. 

 28  Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, 

and ate sacrifices offered to the dead; 

 29  they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds, 

and a plague broke out among them. 

 30  Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, 

and the plague was stayed. 

 31  And that was counted to him as righteousness 

from generation to generation forever. 

 32  They angered him at the waters of Meribah, 

and it went ill with Moses on their account, 

 33  for they made his spirit bitter, 

and he spoke rashly with his lips. 

 34  They did not destroy the peoples, 

as the Lord commanded them, 

 35  but they mixed with the nations 

and learned to do as they did. 

 36  They served their idols, 

which became a snare to them. 

 37  They sacrificed their sons 

and their daughters to the demons; 

 38  they poured out innocent blood, 

the blood of their sons and daughters, 

  whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, 

and the land was polluted with blood. 

 39  Thus they became unclean by their acts, 

and played the whore in their deeds. 

 40  Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, 

and he abhorred his heritage; 

 41  he gave them into the hand of the nations, 

so that those who hated them ruled over them. 

 42  Their enemies oppressed them, 

and they were brought into subjection under their power. 

 43  Many times he delivered them, 

but they were rebellious in their purposes 

and were brought low through their iniquity. 

 44  Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, 

when he heard their cry. 

 45  For their sake he remembered his covenant, 

and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 

 46  He caused them to be pitied 

by all those who held them captive. 

 47  Save us, O Lord our God, 

and gather us from among the nations, 

  that we may give thanks to your holy name 

and glory in your praise. 

 48  Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, 

from everlasting to everlasting! 

  And let all the people say, “Amen!” 

Praise the Lord! 

People are rebellious. They find reasons to follow one another rather than God all the time. The temptation to want to fit in, to be like others is powerful and can wreck your life. 

The Israelites kept looking around at the lives of others and they were jealous. Jealous of the way other nations could live, the allowances others had in different religions, and they were jealous of each other. This, every time, lead to sin, rebellion, and death. The pattern repeats in different circumstances and during different generations, it is historical and generational. The human propensity is to sin and rebel. Yet this is not the way of the true God-follower. 

The true followers of God, as depicted here in Psalm 106, like Moses and Aaron keep focussed on remembering who God is. They speak of God's deeds and character, they speak to Him and humble themselves before Him. Even when a multitude is against them. They also continually pray for those who seek their harm for their salvation. They keep focused on who they know God to be and act in response to His holiness and steadfastness. Even in the face of rebellion, harm, confusion and disaster, these two keep humbling themselves before God, and so they are known as obedient, godly men. They demonstrate something of the resilient love and forgiveness of God as they seek God to save the people time and again. Moses and Aaron are committed, loyal, loving and obedient examples of how to follow God, it wasn't easy for them. People are too eager to give up God to go the way of others, like the rest of Israel, to try to become powerful, in control of their own lives, or live as others do. Each and every time in ends up as a huge mess and God has to intervene because God continues His steadfast love and demonstrates His forgiveness and power to all, even when people have disregarded and abandoned Him. He forgives and He deals with sin. Again and again He has to deliver the nation of Israel, even just in the lifetime of Moses, and He continues to do so for all who repent.  

‘Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.  44  Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.’ God never gives up on His people. Although they disappoint Him, run after other things, disobey, rebel, sin, and end up in disastrous situations, God still looks upon their distress. Still He hears when they cry. God’s steadfast, resilient love endures forever. He will never stop caring about His people. His love and forgiveness never run out. 

You can come to Him today and repent, and be confident that again God will forgive you, even if He has done so already a million times already. His love for you is enough to cover everything you have ever done and will do. You can know the joy of His forgiveness and restoration, if that is what you choose. This does not mean that you should sin just so that you can feel that love and forgiveness, for, ‘blessed are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times’. It was better for Moses and Aaron because they loved God faithfully. They were set apart and favoured throughout the nations journey to the Promised Land due to their faithfulness, resilient love and humility before God. They did not suffer plague, being consumed by fire or being swallowed by the ground. They were at no risk of that because they were obedient. In fact, instead, when the nation rebelled, they were used by God to bring about the restoration of God to others, they were the vessels through which God chose to demonstrate His judgement, grace and mercy because they kept faithful to Him. Surely, better to continue as a righteous one than suffer the poverty and depravity and judgement of the rebellious. 

Today consider;

• Is your love for God resilient? 
• Are you struggling to continue the way of the righteous? If so, be warned that if you go another way, you will provoke the anger of God. 
• Have you sinned and rebelled and want to return to God? Then humble yourself and pray, for God loves to demonstrate His steadfast love and forgive. 

Remember God's deeds, His character and His resilient love and choose today what you will follow; your own sinful desires, the others around you, or those who follow Christ and enjoy living in the resilient love of God.

the Lord our God is holy

 Psalm 99:1–9 (ESV): 

1 The Lord reigns: let the peoples tremble!

He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 

 2  The Lord is great in Zion; 

he is exalted over all the peoples. 

 3  Let them praise your great and awesome name! 

Holy is he! 

 4  The King in his might loves justice. 

You have established equity; 

  you have executed justice 

and righteousness in Jacob. 

 5  Exalt the Lord our God; 

worship at his footstool! 

Holy is he! 

 6  Moses and Aaron were among his priests, 

Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. 

They called to the Lord, and he answered them. 

 7  In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; 

they kept his testimonies 

and the statute that he gave them. 

 8  O Lord our God, you answered them; 

you were a forgiving God to them, 

but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 

 9  Exalt the Lord our God, 

and worship at his holy mountain; 

for the Lord our God is holy! 

How do you know God is holy?

1) Firstly, consider where He resides and rules (v1-3). Cherubim, the creatures of heaven, sit around His throne. They attend to God, to be near Him signifying His power, authority and goodness. When you read the Bible and see the cherubim described they sound like fantastic beasts, so how incredible must be the one who is enthroned 'upon the cherubim'! God is in heaven in authority, yet He is also exalted over, 'all the peoples'. His jurisdiction is seen and known in heaven and on earth. He influences both realms - it takes an incredible ability to do that, something significantly different, powerful, yet relatable to rule both realms well. God is set apart as He is significantly different. He does not have the responsibility and authority to rule because of wise and persuasive words or physical might, but because of His goodness, love and purity - His holiness. There is no-one like Him because He is completely good.

2) God is The King - the One King that all others are under. God is not just a king who has been endowed with authority and influence, but He is The King who ‘loves justice’, has ‘established equity’ and is righteous. This surely sets God above any other ruler! He rules with justice in mind at every step, meaning that He is fair. Plus He also treats people with equity. This is a term now becoming common in society, it is not about treating people equally, but ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access to the same things. Providing support, equipment, training etc so that a person has the potential to achieve. God didn’t need any training to tell Him to do that. He created the notion that we should all be treated as the individual’s we are so that everyone has what they need. God establishes equity, justice and righteousness. God knows what is good and right inherently. He doesn't need teaching to do the right things, He was never taught about equity or equality, justice or righteousness because He is those things. He created these facets, and He models them due to His holiness. 

4) You will find nothing wrong in Him. No sneaky motive, selfish ambition or wrongdoing. He will not fail to be good, righteous, kind, loving, establish equity or justice. You can look, but you will never find anything wrong in Him - read the Bible from beginning to end and you will see His love, purity and holiness all the way through. He is pure in all of His desires and His actions, He is completely good. God does what He says He will in a fair, honest and right way each and every time. You can trust Him in that. Surely such a One is holy!

5) The psalmist mentions 3 patriarchs of the Jewish faith; Moses, Aaron and Samuel. Men known to have heard God and followed Him. They actively sought Him and lived their lives doing God's will to the best of their ability. Men credited with instilling faith to the nation of Israel during their lifetimes. They were so set apart that they had private conversations with this Almighty King and Holy God. In their private audiences with Him, He gave them direction and confidence for what they needed to do and say. They were so special that God favoured them because they were obedient, and faithful. Yet they were just men. Even though some may even say they were great men, and they must have been pretty special for their life stories are still read and admired thousands of years later, but they were still just men, and they still needed forgiving. Moses, Aaron and Samuel got things wrong even though they were great leaders, so they needed forgiveness. God had to be ’an avenger of their wrongdoing’. Only one who has done no wrong can forgive. Only God has the character and the will to provide forgiveness for the least and the greatest of us because He is the only one who has never erred. He never makes a mistake or sins, this is why He can forgive all people, the great men and women of faith like Moses, Aaron and Samuel, down to the prostitute at the feet of Jesus. God can forgive because He is holy. He alone is ultimately good, righteous, faithful and holy. Even the best person alive today who demonstrates faithfulness to God, like these patriarchs, they still get it wrong. When they do, where do they go, who can forgive them when they still get things wrong and fall short of the holiness, righteousness and justice? All men and women, no matter the signs and wonders, the pillars of cloud or fire that follow or precede them, they all need God’s forgiveness and vengeance of their sin. Therefore, in order to forgive them and make recompense for their wrongs, God has to be greater. Greater in His ability to forgive due to His holiness and greater in His desire to forgive. There is no-one and no sin that He will not forgive. His desire for equity, justice and righteousness extends to all people, no matter what. That is why, in God's great holiness and love, He sacrificed His Son so that we could all know forgiveness. So that we can all be restored to the standard God models; perfection and holiness. For Jesus is God, and human, and He lived the perfect, righteous, just, holy life which he gave up so that His life was exchanged for all sin. So you now, and anyone who chooses to turn and believe in him can be forgiven and can be made holy. This is only made possible through God's kindness, justice, authority and holiness.

Only God is holy.

In God’s holiness He deals with wrongdoing, avenging your sin. He reigns in righteousness and equity, displaying authority, power, love and justice because He is holy. 

Would you want to follow or worship something that wasn’t holy? If you wanted someone to rule over you, wouldn't you want them to do the right things, make just decisions and be able to fairly exercise their power and influence? Surely a holy God is the kind of king you want to follow!

God is near

 Psalm 75:1–10 (ESV):  

1  We give thanks to you, O God; 

we give thanks, for your name is near. 

We recount your wondrous deeds. 

2  “At the set time that I appoint 

I will judge with equity. 

3  When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, 

it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah 

4  I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ 

and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; 

5  do not lift up your horn on high, 

or speak with haughty neck.’ ” 

6  For not from the east or from the west 

and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 

7  but it is God who executes judgment, 

putting down one and lifting up another. 

8  For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup 

with foaming wine, well mixed, 

and he pours out from it, 

and all the wicked of the earth 

shall drain it down to the dregs. 

9  But I will declare it forever; 

I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 

10  All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, 

but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up. 

What a great way to open a psalm, or even your prayers - to acknowledge and appreciate that God is near. You can utter His name and know His presence. What an incredible reassurance it is to recognise and appreciate God’s proximity. God is near. He is close to you right now, how wonderful! As you realise God’s closeness, can you like Asaph begin to recount God's 'wondrous deeds’? God has done some fantastic things, do you ever stop to consider them and appreciate Him for them? Recounting God’s fantastic works should be easy as there are so many but are you good at crediting God for the great and marvellous things He has done? Asaph says, ‘we recount your wondrous deeds’, there is a communal aspect to sharing what God has done (we). No matter how big or small the issue, do you share your stories of God’s magnificence in your life? Can you imagine the testimony that would be, not only to the church, but the community if we all did that? Surely you have a wonderful story of wonder to that tells about God's goodness - have you shared it with anyone recently?

God is worthy of gratitude no matter what. He has still done incredible things even when life is tough and, ‘the earth totters and all its inhabitants’. God is still just as close and magnificent in those times. Plus He is more solid, secure and trustworthy than those around you and even the solid ground that you stand on! For, ‘when the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars’. God is the strength and power that keeps things going and holds it all together. The Earth and your life will have times when it looks like they are shaky and falling apart, yet you can be assured that God is in control and will hold it all together. When the Earth shudders and disasters happen you can feel shaken, however you can also be sure that God is holding steady.

So, consider; what are you relying on in your life? What do you trust in and lean on to give you strength? It is only God that remains strong and secure throughout all circumstances and generations. He is the One who has already endured all things, do not build your life on or rely on anything lesser than Him. Those who live dishonouring God or in ignorance of His presence are living without His power, love, majesty and strength, are you?

Those who choose to live without God do not have Him holding things steady and do not get to enjoy His wondrous deeds or His glorious presence. Instead they are consumed with themselves and become arrogant, filled up with pride, boastful and drunk (v4-8). Living without God means living without stability, love and peace. So people try to live for something else and make themselves seem important. They try to outdo one another and be better because they are trying to impress themselves and other people. At times it works and they seem to be ‘lifted up’ having gained respect, honour and praise from people. Yet their favour can quickly change and those admired one moment can be despised the next. A life like that does not know stability, unconditional love or peace. Whose approval are you living for? Are you living to impress those around you, vying for acceptance, or are you living a life honouring God and concerned about what He thinks of you?

Not only will the ‘wicked’ who live without God become proud, boastful, resentful and intoxicated, but the promise in this psalm is that they will also be ‘cut off’. This is not without God trying to help them and intervene, verses 4-5 show that God calls to those disregarding Him and acting wickedly - He invites them to live different, but they refuse. One day it will be too late for them to do any different as God ‘executes judgement’. He promises that, ‘the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.’ All people will be judged, the wicked and the righteous (those that live following God). One set will be ‘lifted up’, the others ‘cut down’. Which fate will you receive? For God is close and He is worthy of great gratitude and love, are you living your life acknowledging and appreciating His presence in the World and your life?

Who are you fighting for?

Today, we are going to begin to look at Psalm 68, it is quite long so we will look at it in 3 parts, here is the first section:

 Psalm 68:1–18 (ESV):  

1  God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; 

and those who hate him shall flee before him! 

2  As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; 

as wax melts before fire, 

so the wicked shall perish before God! 

3  But the righteous shall be glad; 

they shall exult before God; 

they shall be jubilant with joy! 

4  Sing to God, sing praises to his name; 

lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; 

his name is the Lord; 

exult before him! 

5  Father of the fatherless and protector of widows 

is God in his holy habitation. 

6  God settles the solitary in a home; 

he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, 

but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 

7  O God, when you went out before your people, 

when you marched through the wilderness, Selah 

8  the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain, 

before God, the One of Sinai, 

before God, the God of Israel. 

9  Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad; 

you restored your inheritance as it languished; 

10  your flock found a dwelling in it; 

in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 

11  The Lord gives the word; 

the women who announce the news are a great host: 

12  “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!” 

The women at home divide the spoil— 

13  though you men lie among the sheepfolds— 

the wings of a dove covered with silver, 

its pinions with shimmering gold. 

14  When the Almighty scatters kings there, 

let snow fall on Zalmon. 

15  O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan; 

O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan! 

16  Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, 

at the mount that God desired for his abode, 

yes, where the Lord will dwell forever? 

17  The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, 

thousands upon thousands; 

the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary. 

18  You ascended on high, 

leading a host of captives in your train 

and receiving gifts among men, 

even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there. 

In case you are in any doubt, verse 1 tells us that God will win against the enemy. He will cause the wicked to flee, be driven away, melt, and perish (v1-2). So if you are in a battle right now, and you know you are walking and fighting with God, you can know that, ‘as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God’! They will melt, fade away, become useless before God. You just need to be sure - are you fighting with God or against Him? 

If you are with Him, this psalm offers great encouragement - you will succeed as God always triumphs. If you are not fighting with God, but fighting for what you want, or for things God stands against - be warned. For you will know; destruction, running away and defeat. So, when you are struggling for something you need to ask yourself why you are fighting. Is it for your own glory, satisfaction, to redeem yourself? Or are you led into the battle by God? You don't always need to fight, even for good things or for what is right. Exodus 14:4 says, 'The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.' God will ensure that His righteousness is revealed and that His people triumph for He promises that, ‘the righteous shall be glad’. Sometimes, you need to step out of the way so that God can do the fighting instead of you. He wants to make the righteous glad -  These are the ones who are in right standing before God - do you get int he way on occasion by trying to right a wrong or fight a battle God has not asked you to? God will battle for those who live their lives in obedience to Him, and that includes getting involved in the situations He wants them to, not just doing what they think is right or what they want to do or are passionate about. If you want to be glad, ask yourself; Are you fighting battles that God would have you fight?

Think about your motivation and mindset to make sure that your desires and efforts are engaged where God wants them to be. Consider, in your life, what are the things God wants you to fight for and what does He want you to let go? This doesn't mean you assess your own feelings and go by what you feel, God's will is much higher than yours, and our emotions are poor leaders, He is not. Some things may really upset, frustrate and anger you, and there are probably situations you would love to have overturned, uprooted and demolished, but is God leading you into that fight? Ask God to show you how to respond in order for you to for you to see Him succeed, as sometimes you need to gird up and fight, but other times, 'you need only to be still'. Often that is much harder! To do nothing can be really painful as it means putting aside your own desires and emotions to do things God’s way, but no matter how uncomfortable or hard it is, if you are strong enough to do it, 'The Lord will fight for you', and surely you know that is going to bring the best outcome! 

Verse 11 starts, ‘The Lord gives the word’. The women in this verse wait for God to speak, then they act. Are you like that? Do you wait for God’s direction before you do something that greatly impacts yourself or others? These women waited for God’s timing, we do not know why certain things should be done at certain times, often we are impatient to get things going. Yet there is benefit in waiting for God to say ‘go’ - these women had good news to share, even so they waited until God wanted it known. Are you one who waits? Or do you rush into things without waiting for instruction or guidance? Again, knowing your role, what God has called you to, awaiting for Him to give 'the word' will ensure you are entering into the things He has for you rather than whatever you think you can just get on with and do. Ultimately, God wants to see His people glad and 'jubilant with joy', are you allowing yourself to be glad and joyful by stepping into the things God wants you to be in and stepping away from the things He doesn't? For the, 'chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands'. How big is your army?!