When Memory Loss is the Ultimate Loss

Psalm 106:12-14, 24-26: "They (the Israelites) believed His (God's) promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test. . . . Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD. So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert."

If there is one episode that is referenced time and again in the Scriptures, it is the account of the children of Israel leaving Egypt for the promised land. Immediately following God's incredible display of power at the parting of the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to escape Pharaoh and his mighty army, the Israelites were celebrating in dance and song. As they beat their tambourines, they gave praise to the LORD as the One highly exalted (literally "risen risenly").

But it was not long before these Israelites forgot who God was and His promises to them (in fact it was only three days until they started their grumbling for not having water in the desert). They permitted their circumstances to gain a foothold upon them, leading to their despondency. It was then that the true disposition of their hearts was revealed; they were a people more consumed with their own desires above being faithful to the One True Lord of Hosts.

In becoming angry with God and His servant Moses, they determined not to wait on the Lord to work His purposes through them; rather, they resolved within themselves to do what they believed to be expedient for themselves. This consumption with "self" eventually led to their craving of their own wanton lusts in direct defiance to the commands of the Lord. They became so enamored with their self-ladened debauchery that they would actually come to a point that they would "despise" the very Promised Land of blessing that the Lord had offered to them, provided that they would be surrendered to Him and obedient to His calling.

In the end, the LORD would remove his offering of the rich, fertile land of Palestine to them, since they did not want it. The LORD swore that He would have His people die in the wilderness, never being the beneficiaries of the very best that God wanted for them.

This is a tremendous word for us today. We must remember that life is not a continuous, spiritual euphoria; rather, it is one filled with wilderness travels that will test our faith. What we must remember is that our faith is strengthened through trial and tribulation. If we remain anchored by faith to the LORD in the midst of our difficulties, we will not follow a similar path of despondency that the Israelites traversed. Sadly, if we forsake the Lord, we will forsake His best for our lives (and eternity in His blessed Promised Land [i.e. Heaven]). We will follow our own selfish desires to the detriment of our calling . . . which is to be yielded to God as our Master and Savior. And we will find ourselves dying in the wilderness.

Let's be a people who trust in the Lord no matter the circumstance. Let's condescend our wills to His glorious will for our lives. And let's joyously await His very best for us . . . both now and for all eternity.

Celebrate, Petition, Share

Psalm 105:1-4: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."


Here is the Biblical formula for the Christian:


First, thank the Lord! How often do we reflect upon the good things that the LORD has given to us? We all struggle with different burdens in life; but still, we can all find things for which we can be thankful, if we look hard enough. God is a giver of good things to His people. What we need to do is as the song rightfully suggests, "count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the LORD has done." Making a conscious decision to reorient our thinking to being grateful will help us break free from the bitterness and negativity that can creep into our lives, if we dwell upon the misfortunes that come our way.


We are also called to "call upon the name of the Lord (as we) look to the LORD and His strength." God has made us as dependent creatures. In no way can we live life as beings independent of the Lord's help and His deliverance. How often have we missed the blessings of the LORD simply because we failed to petition Him? Certainly, James tells us that we "do not have, because (we) do not ask" (James 4:2). Calling upon the Lord intimates that a person is not able in and of himself to solve all of life's situations. By approaching the throne of God, we acknowledge that we are desperately in need of His Sovereign involvement in every facet of our lives. Our petitions also remind us of our need ever to walk in a spirit of humility and awe in the One who holds everything together (Colossians 1:17). It is God alone who sustains all things, and He is to be worshipped exclusively and affectionately. To have a true reverence for the Lord, we must agree with the words found in Job: "The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life . . . . If it were His intention and he withdrew His Spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust" (Job 33:4; 34:14-15). Without the LORD, we are dust.


When we are able to appreciate and celebrate the LORD with thanksgiving for His mighty works in our lives and when we recognize our utter dependence upon Him, then we are ready to share these truths with others. Evangelism is not come concocted coercion that we do because we feel obligated to appease the Lord; rather, true evangelism is shared from the overabundance of joy, thanksgiving, and marvel at our glorious Lord for who He is and what He has done for us. When we have been truly transformed by the Lord, we cannot help but share with others . . . it just seems to burst forth from us. We are not unlike the stones that if given the opportunity, would cry out, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (see Luke 19:37-40).

For those of us who have surrendered ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, let us faithfully follow the Lord in a spirit of thanksgiving, joy, and praise. Let us put our complete faith in His provision for us in all areas of our lives. And let the transforming power of the Holy Spirit burst forth from us so that others will take note. This is the way for the true believer in Christ to live.

Don't Forget the Lord's Benefits

Psalm 103:1-5: "Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."


The euphoria of true praise and worship is found in the overwhelming awareness of the immeasurable benefits that have been afforded to us through our great and gracious LORD, Jesus Christ.


In the above passage, the psalmist King David proclaims to his readers that the entirety of his inmost being is enthralled with worshipping the Lord; David cannot help but burst forth in celebrative applause and praise, as he becomes evermore aware of the amazing love of God that is lavished upon those who would surrender to Him as LORD.


Lest one would wonder that this euphoric demonstration of David is possibly a manipulated, emotional experience . . . where one works himself into an expressive encounter without substantive reasoning, David presents the explanation for his exuberance:


The LORD forgives my sins!

The LORD heals my diseases!

The LORD redeems life from the pit!

The LORD crowns with love and compassion!

The LORD satisfies our desires with good things! . . .

so that our youth is renewed like the eagle's.


When we begin to fathom the magnanimity of the Lord's forgiving our sins (accomplished solely through His own sacrifice on the cross coupled with His victory over sin and death through the resurrection), then we will not be able to help but burst forth with joyous praise. Because of sin, we are all due the fullest measure of God's retributive judgment for our cosmic treason against His holiness and rightful Lordship. God's sacrificing of Himself in the most cruel way (i.e. crucifixion) in order to protect us from His Divine wrath is so amazing. We simply must renounce any claims of our own lordship in favor of Him as our LORD and recognize His death and resurrection as the sufficient debt payment for our sins. His sacrifice is love at its finest!


The Lord heals our diseases! We know that infirmity and disability plague many in our world; and as many of us age, the prevalence of such diseases only increases. It truly is painful to watch a loved one struggle with such debilitating maladies as cancer, paralysis, or blindness. And to be sure, those who traverse these paths themselves often struggle with the chronic pain and limitation that come with such illnesses. Whereas we know that not all diseases may necessarily be healed in this lifetime, we know that our LORD will right all wrongs that have existed in this world. God is the Victor who reigns triumphantly over all things, and He can deliver those who have been burdened in this life. Because we have not experienced the fullness of eternity, we understandably are a bit myopic to this reality. We tend to struggle more with the realities of the few decades that we have to live in this fallen world, and we lose sight of the perfected, eternal life experience that God has prepared for those who surrender to Him as LORD. For the ones struggling with the limitations of this life, which are very real and very painful, their hope is to be found in the deliverance that is offered by our loving LORD. Truly this is reason to celebrate!


The LORD spares our lives from the pit. Scripture tells us much about the reality of hell, as being a place of torment, judgment, darkness, and most importantly . . . the absence of the LORD. It is a place to which no one wants to go; in fact, the Scriptures tell us that the angels will have to force the reprobate through its perilous gates (see Matthew 13:41-42). That God would spare us this fate, because of our sins against Him, again is the cause to celebrate. His mercies are beyond measure and are everlasting (Psalm 100:5 [KJV]).


The LORD crowns our lives with love and compassion. Not only does the LORD spare the redeemed from the despicable condition of hell, but He showers us with His love and compassion. One of the greatest evidences of this will be found in eternity. It is not as if the LORD will grant us permission to enter Heaven, but relegate us to some obscure corner of paradise, to be shunned as ones who don't deserve His eternal blessings. Rather, God has promised to adopt us as sons and daughters . . . in effect granting us the full privileges of being part of the royal family (see Ephesians 1:5). It is because of His grace that we are reckoned with such a place of eternal honor; it will be an experience to die for . . . at least it was an experience so incredible that God was willing to die for it. And though we may struggle with our mortality, we will find that when we walk into the blessedness of eternity with our LORD, death will be seen a glorious fate, giving us entrance into the grandest expression of life.

The LORD will satisfy our desires with good things. God is infinitely wise. He knows best what will bless our souls, and He regularly showers us with good things in life, even though there may be times that we don't recognize such blessings. And again, God is waiting to pour our upon us the VERY BEST things, when we come before His throne in a spirit of humility and obedience.

We may find ourselves struggling with the bitter winters found in this life's experience, but we know that we will encounter the greatest renaissance (re-birth) through His redemption. The fullest vigor of life, even beyond anything that we have encountered in this life, will be poured out upon us so that we will be renewed like the eagle. We know that the eagle can become tired, but his strength is restored as he floats upon the uplifting winds that carry him great distances with virtually no effort. This imagery was used by the prophet Isaiah in his Divinely-inspired Words 300 years after the psalmist, "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:31). What is fascinating with these passages is the similarity of the Hebrew word for "Holy Spirit" and "wind." It is the Holy Spirit, our Sustainer and Comforter, that supports us through this life and provides us with much needed rest while we await His raising our bodies into glorious perfection (Romans 8:11) . . . what beautiful paralleled imagery to the wind that carries the eagle effortlessly through the skies, giving it opportunity to enjoy the freedom of rest, while it soars in the highest heights.


We could go on and on with the benefits of the LORD. But at this point, we can know that there are many blessings from the LORD and they are absolutely incredible! Let us reflect upon these benefits often; for when we do, we will find ourselves erupting in celebrative praise for our LORD, who is worthy of our worship. He is a great God . . . and most assuredly He is good to us beyond measure!

Be Excited About Your Worship

Psalm 98:2-6: "The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn-shout for joy before the LORD, the King."

If there is any group of people who should be utterly ecstatic in their faith, it would be the true followers of Jesus Christ. When this people truly come to realize the true benefits that have been lavished upon them from the Sovereign Lord, they will not be able to help but rise up in celebration to praise the Lord of Hosts. It is a necessary consequence of those who have experienced the redemption of the Lord and who grasp the magnanimity of such grace.

These followers of Christ also recognize that the Lord is the One True King, who is worthy of worship. They will rise to the occasion to honor the Savior, because He is majestic in His holiness and is due our shouts of praise (though we are not worthy in and of ourselves to offer worship to the LORD . . . to be given the opportunity to worship the LORD is a privilege granted to us from the Almighty)!

Now, how often have we seen attendees in churches participating in a formality of worship without demonstrating their sincerest appreciation for the love and redemption of the Lord? Whereas we know that people have differing personality dispositions, still we should expect that a redeemed people rise to the occasion to celebrate the Lord. If one sees personal and corporate worship as an obtrusive inconvenience and drudgery to be quickly shuffled off in order to move on to more important matters, then that person does not appreciate the full significance of God's position as Lord and King as well as the amazing grace that He has offered to us.

If we find ourselves in a state of spiritual lethargy, let us not forget the words of the Psalmist in chapter 100: "Shout for joy to the LORD . . . worship with gladness and come before Him with joyful songs." Why? "For the Lord is God who made us and own us." "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; giving thanks to Him and praising His name." Why? "For the LORD is good, His mercy and love is everlasting, and His faithfulness continues through all generations."

Never forget the greatness of God and His goodness to us. Rise up in a spirit of awe, joy, and celebration to praise the LORD!

Wandering from the Promised Land

Jeremiah 50:6-7,34: "My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wondered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place. Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, 'We are not guilty, for they sinned against the LORD, their true pasture, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.' . . . . Yet their Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their case so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon."

The story of the people of Israel in the book of Jeremiah is one one of wayward rebellion against the LORD and consequent judgment for their wickedness. To be sure, God sent a number of prophets to warn His chosen people of their sinful ways and to call them to repentance; sadly, these descendants of Abraham would not heed the warnings. True to His promises, the LORD would bring invading nations (e.g. the Assyrians and the Babylonians) to capture the land promised to the Jewish people and take many of its inhabitants captive.

This land of Palestine was designed by the LORD as a resting place for His people. Were they to trust in the LORD by faith and live obediently to the Lord in the land, then they were guaranteed the Lord's blessing and protection. Never would they have had to endure the judgment of the Lord if only they would follow the Lord exclusively.

The prophet Jeremiah, speaking the words of the Lord, used the imagery of the Jewish people wandering over mountains and hills away from their land of promise into foreign lands. One only has to remember the Israelites of Jeremiah's day fleeing to Egypt and taking up worship of the pagan goddess "Queen of Heaven" (see Jeremiah 44:17). This was not an isolated incident, but a repeated pattern of cosmic treason against the One True Lord of Hosts!

Later, in the 51st chapter of Jeremiah, we find the Lord's declaration of His rightful Sovereignty . . . decreed through His prophet when Jeremiah said, "He (God) made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses" (Jeremiah 51:15-16). From this declaration, the Lord interjected the utter futility of those who would put anything as an object of worship before Him: "Every man is senseless and without knowledge . . . . images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish." (51:17-18).

Still, in the midst of Israel's calamity, the Lord would not forget His people. He would restore a remnant because He as the only Redeemer is "strong . . . defending their cause so that he may bring rest to their land" (50:34). God Almighty would initiate His people's reclamation of their land, promised through the Abrahamic covenant (see Genesis 12:7).

This is a good word for us today. We must never forget that God is the Sovereign Ruler and Redeemer who alone is to be worshipped and obeyed. No other person or thing has the right or authority to challenge the Lord's rightful reign in the world and in our lives. We must not permit our personal wills or desires to supersede our calling to surrender to the Lord as our Master. To do so is to wander away from the blessed place of rest that He has promised to us . . . and to experience His consequent judgment for our rebellion.

Let's never forget that our foundational purpose in life is to glorify the Lord through our faithful obedience to Him; and when we faithfully follow the Lord, we will find ourselves in His blessed resting place.

God Weeps Over the Unresponsiveness of His People

Luke 19:41: "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.'"


Jesus had just entered Jerusalem with a triumphal entry to the cries of "Hosanna, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" These throngs of people were still euphoric over Jesus' raising Lazarus from the dead and for the numerous healings that He had performed in their midst. Sadly, they celebrated Jesus for what they were able to get from Him, rather than for who He was (and IS) as the Sovereign Lord of Hosts.



As Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem (which means 'peace'), He wept over it, knowing that true Peace was before them (namely the Messiah), yet they did not recognize nor surrender to Him. Jesus knew that the Jewish people had been chosen by God from among all the peoples of the earth to be the nation to whom the special revelation of God's truth through the Scriptures would be revealed (see Romans 3:1-2), and they would be the nation through whom the Messiah would come to make possible the salvation of all peoples (Galatians 3:13-14). Sadly, these people would not recognize the tremendous privilege bestowed to them, and they would forsake the very One for whom God had consecrated them to be a unique people, called out to prepare the way of the Lord.


Whereas the Jews in Jerusalem wanted Jesus to assume some type of political position to lead the Israelites in rebellion against the Romans, Jesus came to sacrifice Himself on a cross to make the solely sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the world. As can be seen from the remainder of the Passion Week, these very people who were waiving palm branches before Jesus and throwing their cloaks before the colt upon which He was riding would quickly turn against Jesus and demand His crucifixion a week later. When the Israelites determined that Jesus would not serve their interests, they wanted to destroy Him.


Jesus knew these events would occur as He looked over the city prior to His entry; and for these responses of rejection by His chosen people, Jesus grieved bitterly. He knew that the hardheartedness of the people caused their eyes to be hidden from the truth of His divine purposes. Jesus also knew that the rebellion of these people would bring divine judgment through the besieging of the city. Many Christian historians believe that this prophecy was fulfilled when the Roman military leader, Titus, invaded Jerusalem in AD 64 utterly destroying the city. Jesus explained the reason for this judgment . . . it was "because (they) did not recognize the time of God's coming to (them)" (Luke 19:44).

This is a good word for us today. We are so blessed to have the special revelation of Jesus Christ through His Holy Scriptures, which introduces to us His loving sacrifice for us through His death on the cross. We also receive through His Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit the calling to surrender our lives to Him as Lord. If we harden our hearts and refuse to yield ourselves to Jesus as Master and Savior, then we can expect the same divine judgment to befall us. And not unlike the military siege that brought swift destruction to the city of Jerusalem, so too the Lord Almighty will one day come with His mighty angels to separate the redeemed from the reprobate. He will then pronounce eternal condemnation for those who refused to surrender to Him as Lord (see Matthew 25:31f).

Let us not find ourselves in such a position of hopelessness; rather, let us commit ourselves to Jesus Christ as Lord today, while His offering of salvation is still available to us.

Trusting in Self Brings Judgment

Jeremiah 48:7, 42: "Since you (Moab) trust in your deeds and riches, you will be taken captive . . . . Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the LORD."


The Moabites were a pagan people who detested the LORD and His chosen people's (i.e. the Israelites) right to live in the Promised Land. These descendants of Lot's incestuous relationship with his eldest daughter, after the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah (see Genesis 19), were determined to destroy the Israelites. One can remember King Balak of Moab desiring the prophet Balaam curse the Israelites in order that he might defeat them in battle (Numbers 22), or the Moabites of later years battling against King David (2 Samuel 8). They were a constant thorn in the side of the Jewish people.


When Jeremiah proclaimed a judgment oracle against the people of Moab, he explained why the LORD would destroy these people. Specifically, the prophet proclaimed that these people trusted in their deeds and riches (48:7) and had become arrogant in their affluence (48:29 [see also Isaiah 16:6]). This pride from accumulated wealth brought a disdain for the LORD (48:26), and they sought to thwart His divine plans of redemption through the Israelites (48:27). They loved to worship their own crafted deities (48:35), which in fact were no deities at all but inanimate objects to which they could ascribe their own wills and desires and justify their actions as something "divinely approved." The LORD would compare the Moabites to a washbasin, because they were a filthy, useless people who would arrogantly believe that they could challenge the Sovereign rule of the One True God (Psalm 60:8). In the end, these people would suffer the judgments of the LORD; He would bring utter destruction to these people for their abject rebellion.


This is a good word for us to hear. We must remember not to defy the Lord, in favor of our own wills; neither should we trust in our riches as evidence of some acquired superiority. If the Lord blesses us, we must not permit that blessing to swell us with pride, believing that we have acquired our material blessings through our own efforts. Instead, we must surrender ourselves to the Lord as our King, and faithfully follow His decrees; it is then, that we will find the blessings of the LORD.