The God Who Sings

I must confess that I am not a very good singer. In fact, my singing is quite bad. It is not that I do not like to sing; on the contrary I find great delight in it. The problem is that those who hear me find absolutely no delight in it. Yet singing is something that the Bible says we are to do in response to the person and work of God in our lives. Moses and the Israelites sang “to the Lord” after He led them through the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-19). King David was a mighty warrior, but an even mightier composer of songs to and about God (2 Samuel 22:1-51). The book of Psalms is a divine hymnal of praise to God for His mighty works. In the Old Testament singing was a part of great and historic events, such as the restoration of the temple (Ezra 3:11), while in the New Testament singing is a source of instruction for others (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). And as the book of Revelation gives us a glimpse into heaven we see singing there as well as the saints and the host of angels are gathered around the throne of God praising Him in song (Revelation 5:8-10, 14:3, 15:3-4).

The Old Testament book of Zephaniah speaks of singing as well. The majority of the book is taken up with the theme of the coming day of the Lord when He will judge the peoples of the earth for their rebellion against Him. God through Zephaniah describes that day as “a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness” as the peoples of the earth come face-to-face with the righteousness and justice of God (Zephaniah 1:15). But after two-and-a-half chapters about God’s coming judgment God says, “Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!” (3:14). Sing? Up to this point in the book there has not really been a lot to sing and rejoice about!

But then God gives the reason for their singing, “The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more” (3:15). Their singing is not based upon wishful thinking, nor does its foundation rest upon their ignoring the circumstances around them. Their singing flows from the truth that God’s judgment has been taken away from His people, their enemies have been triumphed over by God Himself, and God’s very presence is with His people. Now that is a reason to sing!

For those who have a personal saving relationship with Jesus we too can praise God for those very same things. The judgment of God has been removed from us because Jesus has taken away and paid for our sins and rescued us from the wrath of God (Romans 5:8, 8:1, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Thessalonians 1:10). Our enemies have been triumphed over through the finished work of Jesus (Romans 8:37, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57). And now, through Jesus, God is always present with His people to care for them and to bless them (Romans 8:31-39, Hebrews 13:5-6).

But the most shocking thing about this passage from Zephaniah is not that God is calling His people to sing, but the fact that God Himself is singing! God says, “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (3:17). As God is in the midst of His people that He has saved He is rejoicing and singing over them.

If you are like me this seems too good to be true. At first glance it does not even really make sense. I mean think about it: there is nothing in me that is worthy of rejoicing. There is nothing about my life that is song worthy. So how can God rejoice over me with singing? The answer is found in the fact that “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:10-12). He sings over me because of the triumphant and sin removing grace of God that has been demonstrated in my life through Jesus Christ.

No matter what your musical ability, “break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises” (Psalm 98:4). Whether you are a baritone, a bass, or something in between, “sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises” (Psalm 47:6). And as you sing know that in Jesus Christ God is rejoicing and singing over you as well!

Free!

If I live to be one hundred,
I will never understand;
The grace that freely flows,
From Your forgiving hand.
I could not buy nor earn it,
Though many times I've tried;
Your only Son You sent to earth,
For me He gladly died.
May I never take for granted,
The blood He shed for me;
I owe my life to Jesus Christ,
The Son has set me free!

Being an Armchair __________

I like football. I mean I really like football.
And I can be quite the critical football fan. When my team is down or when they lose a game it is quite easy for me to sit in my home and confidently proclaim what they could have done to ride to victory. From my living room I can clearly see where the coaches called a bad play, how the quarterback did not see what I saw from my lazy-boy, or what was a clear path to imminent victory.
To put it mildly, I am an armchair quarterback.
But my armchair quarterbacking does not end with sports. I am also extremely good at raising other people's kids. As I watch other people's children and their interactions with them I know exactly what they need to do to get their children on the right track to obedience. I know what "I" would do if "I" were them.
In addition, I am surprisingly good at pastoring other people's churches. I know the direction that they need to go and the ministries that they need to implement in order to be all that God desires their church to be.
As a matter of fact, I generally excel in knowing exactly what others need to do to succeed in life, family, business, and nearly every other facet of their existence.
And I think that the reason that I am so good at these things is because I am not actually in their shoes. I do not walk where they walk. This means that I do not know all of the situations and facts and extenuating circumstances that make up their life and shape their decisions. This kind of armchair living breeds a hyper-critical spirit and judgmentalism that lacks grace and that is surely not pleasing to the Lord.
This revelation in my life (I hope) will cause me to be more charitable to others. To dispense "the benefit of the doubt" when I can. To try and see things from other angles and other vantage points and not rush to judgment. And I hope it will cause me to be more forgiving and more loving toward others.
More than anything it drives me to the grace of God in Jesus Christ where I experience forgiveness and where that forgiveness can serve as God's standard for me to dispense to others (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).
And besides, everybody knows that armchair quarterbacks could not ever truly be quarterbacks anyway!

Now What Are You Going To Do About It?

A few quick facts:
*There are only 100,000 missionaries in the world and only 3% of them are working among unreached peoples
*Over one-third of the world's population is considered unreached with the Gospel
*There are over 16,000 people groups in the world and over 6,000 of them are unreached
*Two-thirds of the world's population lives in Asia and 70% of them have never even heard of Jesus
*One-half of the world's population lives on less than $2 per day
*30,000 people starve to death every day
*There are 13 million orphans worldwide
*In the past hour 1,625 children were forced to live on the streets
*In the past hour 1,667 children died from malnutrition or disease
*In the past hour 257 children were orphaned due to AIDS
*If Jesus has saved you by His grace then He expects you to do something about these things

"Having seen all this you can choose to look the other way, but you can never say again, 'I did not know'" - William Wilberforce

"This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." - JESUS

"But now..."

If you were to read the first two-and-a-half chapters of the book of Romans in the New Testament you would not walk away feeling all warm and fuzzy about yourself and your standing before God. The Apostle Paul, the author of Romans, makes his point quite clearly: God is holy, we are not holy, and that is a big problem for us.
And nobody gets off the hook. Paul continually uses words like "all" and "everyone" and "none of them" to describe the universal nature of sin. Sin affects everyone who has every lived and even our best efforts at God-pleasing righteousness fall dreadfully short. With vivid clarity he describes mankind, the pinnacle of God's creation, in total rebellion against his Creator. Romans 3:20 says, "No one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what His law commands. For the more we know God's law, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying it." That is why I am eternally grateful that the book of Romans does not end there.
Then hope turns on the hinge of God's truth with the words: "But now..." For weary and downtrodden sinners hope emerges through the sacrifice of the Son of God. While no sinner is deserving of salvation or can earn their salvation, the offended God offers the rebels a free gift of grace through the sacrifice of His Son. A purchase price for mankind's sins is paid as Jesus, the sinless payment, dies upon the cross in the place of sinners. God provided, He "set forth," the only one who can reconcile a holy God to unholy mankind: the God-man Jesus Christ.
Sin brings nothing but destruction. Nothing but problems. And nothing but separation from God. "But now" there is hope because of Jesus.

Year's End Prayer

Over the years I have enjoyed a book entitled "The Valley of Vision" which is a collection of Puritan prayers that have been topically arranged. These prayers are soul-stirring petitions to God with theological depth and heart examining clarity. The following is an except from the prayer called "Year's End":

O Love Beyond Compare,
You are good when you give,
when you take away,
when the sun shines upon me,
when night gathers over me.
You have loved me before the foundation of the world,
and in love you redeemed my soul;
You love me still,
in spite of my hard heart, ingratitude, distrust.
Your goodness has been with me during another year,
leading me through a twisting wilderness,
in retreat helping me to advance,
when beaten back making sure headway.
Your goodness will be with me in the year ahead.
I hoist my sail and draw up anchor,
With you as the blessed Pilot of my future as of my past.
I bless you that you have veiled my eyes to the waters ahead.
If you have appointed storms of tribulation,
you will be with me in them;
If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation,
I shall not drown;
If I am to die,
I shall see your face sooner;
If a painful end is to be my lot,
grant me grace that my faith not fail;
If I am to be cast aside from the service I love,
I can make no stipulation;
Only glorify yourself in me whether in comfort or in trial,
as a chosen vessel fit always for your use.

(The Valley of Vision)

Finding Contentment in Jesus

There is little doubt that our society suffers from a lack of contentment. Many families bury themselves in debt as they seek to keep pace with the proverbial Joneses. Many individuals move from job to job and career to career in search of more pay, better benefits, and the brass ring that always seems just out of reach. Marital discontentment causes many to hope for greener grass in another relationship. And rampant materialism permeates nearly every facet of American life. All the while the virtue of contentment is nowhere to be found.
Thankfully God's Word addresses these pressing issues with illuminating clarity. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 says, "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
A few verses later the text continues by saying, "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life" (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
When considering these verses, along with the rest of what the New Testament teaches on the subject, it seems that the key to contentment is not my finding contentment in money, possessions, or things, but in my finding contentment in Jesus. Contentment comes as I am able to live knowing that in Jesus I have a treasure that is worthy of giving all for (Matthew 13:44). True contentment comes when I value Jesus above any and everything else and then live like I value Jesus in that way. Contentment is essentially living like Jesus and Jesus alone is more than sufficient to satisfy every longing and desire of my life. This treasuring of Jesus loosens the grip of materialism over my life and frees me so that I can truly experience the all-satisfying pleasure of knowing Jesus Christ.
Consider these eleven questions that may help you determine your level of contentment. These questions are aimed at the heart so as you read and think about them be sensitive to what God may be saying to you:
1) Am I content with what I have and the circumstances of my life or am I striving for more and more?
2) If everything in my life was taken away, all of my material possessions, and I had nothing but Jesus Christ would I still be content?
3) Am I living as if I am taking nothing with me when I die?
4) In my life does Jesus look like an all-satisfying treasure?
5) Can I rightly distinguish between my needs and my wants?
6) What is tempting me to treasure it more than I treasure Jesus?
7) Am I discontent with the things of this world, yet content with where I am in my relationship with Jesus?
8) Do I live like I trust and hope in things or like I trust and hope in God?
9) Am I generous, ready to give and willing to share?
10) Am I living and giving in a way that shows it is more blessed to give than to receive?
11) Does Jesus have all of my life?
Contentment is not primarily about money and things. It is primarily about being satisfied with Jesus and treasuring Him above all else.