Psalm 27: Strong Verbs

From my teaching at The Lights of Christmas 2009, Calvary Chapel Marysville

Psalm 27:4

One thing I have desired of the Lord, that I will seek;
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in His temple.

Jaimey has been working through a DVD Writing Workshop and in it they tell the kids to use STRONG VERBS while writing. They are banned from using words like go or went. So, when I looked at this list below I thought, Wow! Strong verbs. Desire, Seek, Dwell, Behold, Inquire. Let's just start at the top.

DESIRE: a longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment

How often does our desire (our craving for something that brings satisfaction) lead to dwelling on things other than God?

A desire to understand or be understood can have us dwelling on the past, our parents or our husbands.
A desire for revenge can lead us to dwell on our enemies, getting even, making them pay for hurting us.
A desire for comfort can have us dwelling on money (how to spend it or that we don't have enough),
A desire to be independent leads us to dwell on self-fulfillment.
A desire to please man can cause us to dwell on negative thoughts about ourselves.

Galatians 5:19-21 sums it up this way.The Living Bible translation: When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin...

But we are to desire the Lord. So how do we do that? We....

SEEK: go after it. Implies action. When we played Hide and Seek as kids we didn't expect the one who was hiding to come out for us. No, we had to go looking. It took action on our part. So we musk seek God.

Dueteronomy 4:29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Psalm 63:1-5 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

Amos 5:4 Seek Me and live;

When we actively seek God we find Him and what do we do when we find Him. We need to learn to dwell.

DWELL: to abide. to continue permanently, take up residence for life.

My desire is to dwell with the Lord ALL THE DAYS of my life. Not just on Sunday or Wednesday. But everyday. Having a daily "quiet time" does not necessarily cause us to dwell. Devotions can become rituals or rules or a quick pit stop. Are we dwelling or just stopping by for a short stay? Are we "taking up residence" when we seek to dwell in the house of the Lord? When we packed today we only brought enough for a short stay. We aren't planning to take up residence here. But do we do this with our God too? Do we only plan to make a brief appearance in the house of the Lord or do we plan to move in.

Van shared a word picture a couple weeks ago in reference to the Kingdom of God. I think it applies here too. The Kingdom and in this case, the House of the Lord is like a hot tub at the N. Pole. It would appear a wonderful respite from the cold harsh weather but what do we do? We sit at the edge of the hot tub with our feet in the water and our bottoms in the snow. We need to get in, ALL THE WAY IN. We need to take up residence w/ the Lord. Again, we must learn to dwell.

I just started reading Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a 17th Century monk who was relegated to the kitchen duties of a French monastery for over 50 years.Tony Jones writes in the notes of the book: He (Brother Lawrence) transcended the traditional conception that prayer was something that a person engage in at specific times of the day. Instead , he continually focused on God and therefore lived in God's presence. Here is what Brother Lawrence himself writes in a letter: I occupy myself solely with keeping myself in God's holy presence. I do this simply by keeping my attention on God and by being generally and lovingly aware of Him. This could be called practicing the Presence of God moment by moment or. to put it better, a silent, secret, and nearly unbroken conversation of the soul with God.

An excerpt from his eulogy.
"So filled as I was with the grandeur of this infinite Being, I went to enclose myself in the place that obedience had marked out for me-which was the kitchen. There, alone, after having made provision for everything connected with my duties, I spent all my remaining time in prayer, both before and after work. At the beginning of my duties, I said to God with a son-like trust, 'My God, since You are with me, and since it is Your will that I should apply mu mind to these outward things, I pray that You will give me the grace to remain with You and keep company with You. But so that my work may be better, Lord, work with me; receive my work and possess all my affections.' Finally, during my work, I continued to speak to Him in a familiar way, offering Him my little services, and asking Him for His grace. At the end of my work, I examined how I had done it, and if I found any good in it, I thanked God. If I noticed errors, I asked His forgiveness for them, and without becoming discouraged, I resolved to change and began anew to remain with God as if I had never strayed. So, by picking myself up after my falls, and by doing many little acts of faith and love, I came to a state in which it would be as difficult for me not to think of God as it had been difficult to accustom myself to thinking of Him at the beginning."

So, we find ourselves in the house of the Lord. Now what? Do we begin the long laundry list. "God, I need.........". "God, can you fix......?", "God will you...?" OR do we BEHOLD him?

BEHOLD: To see, to look upon, to gaze

When we enter His temple, do we gaze on His beauty? His attributes? Do we admire Him as our God full of compassion, and graciousness? Long-suffering, and abundant in mercy and truth toward us? Do we thank Him and praise Him? Again, Brother Lawrence writes: So make it a habit little by little to worship Him in this way. Ask Him for His grace and offer Him your heart from time to time during the day in the midst of your work- at every moment if you are able. Do not constrain yourself by rules or private devotions., Offer him your heart in faith, with love and humility.

A quick list of things we can praise God for:
his splendor and majesty
giving us salvation
bearing our burdens
hearing our prayers
giving us strength
his marvelous deeds
his guidance
his compassion
his righteousness
his enduring love
his enduring faithfulness
his comfort
his wisdom
his spiritual blessings
forgiving our sins

And finally~

INQUIRE: According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) found on The Blue Letter Bible website, "To inquire (baqar) in his temple" (palace) means to find out all that constant fellowship or unbroken intercourse with God can teach."

When we inquire of the Lord in prayer do we ask for guidance and wisdom for our lives or do we just ask for things to turn out the way we want them to? How often do we say "be with me in this, Lord."? But is what I'm asking for really His will? Do I offer Him, "Your will be done" in every situation? I find myself too often going along with my day and my agenda asking God to tag along and bless my endeavors........but what if I started asking God if I could tag along with Him, go where He was going, and to do what He was doing? "Lord, Where are we headed today?" In this mindset, I believe, it would be easier to be thinking of God continually rather than my way which is to run out ahead of the Lord and then turn back and say, "Are You coming, Lord? I've got things to do!" Let's be mindful that we are following AFTER the Lord not running on ahead of Him.

Psalm 27:11 Teach me YOUR way, O Lord.

So, let's desire and seek the Lord. Let's dwell in His presence all our days, throughout our day, by beholding His beauty and inquiring in His temple.

************************
Let me recommend some wonderfully challenging and life-changing books.
Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence
Practicing His Presence, Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach
The Calvary Road, Roy Hession
Making Jesus Lord, Loren Cunningham

Simplicity

I wish I could remember where I first read this...but I found it going through some old files on my computer recently. May it remind us of where our focus needs to be...and how simple life can be. God bless.

In the Search for Simplicity

• Simply believe…
• Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life…do you believe this? John 11:25
• Simply forgive…
• Forgive and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37
• Simply pray…
• ”Close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” Matthew 6:6
• Simply seek…
• “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
• Simply listen…
• ”My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
• Simply abide…
• ”Abide in me, and I in you.” John 15:4
• Simply trust…
• ”do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in god; trust also in Me.” John 14:1
• Simply love…
• “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12

SIMPLY THE SAVIOR

Simplify

I long for simplicity and have written of it before and how it seems to be always just outside my grasp. But yet, I know God is calling me to Simplify and He spoke it again today through a new friend.

Mary and I had made several attempts to plan a time when she could help me organize a small area of my house. Just a small area, maybe a desk or my office space. We are new friends, after all, and it is a bit scary asking a new friend into one's private chaos but I took the risk and she graciously obliged.

Mary got straight to work and gently asked me why I needed FOUR calendars. (one in the office, two day timers, and the kitchen calendar) When I didn't have a ready answer she said, "Kari, just think simplify!"

Simplify: to make less complex or complicated; make plainer or easier

I've tried to simplify before but it really just becomes another failed attempt at organizing. That's how today began. My expectation was that she would help me cram all my junk into some bins and we'd call it good. We'd make piles for give away, throw away, and put away. We'd recycle and shred and toss. The space would appear neat and tidy (for a little while) and I'd have a sense of accomplishment.

But, organizing one's over-abundance of stuff is not the same as simplifying your life. Simplifying means doing and dealing with less so that one can be available for people and relationships.

At the end of Luke 10 we have the story of sisters, Mary and Martha, inviting Jesus inside their home. We know Martha was up and about "serving" becoming disgruntled for having to "do it all" while Mary just sat at Jesus' feet. But Jesus' words convict and comfort me within my Martha-like tendencies.

The text says "Martha was distracted with much serving...", I say, "Kari is distracted with much organizing..." Jesus tells Martha and me, "you are worried and troubled about many things." And He goes on to say, "...one thing is needed..."

Does that sound like Jesus is telling us to simplify? We get distracted by many things when only one thing is needed. I see this in a very literal sense when it comes to the amount of stuff I seem to accumulate and then try to organize.

What is the heart application?

Just what is the one thing we need?

JESUS.

And He comes with a promise. "...Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

Our time spent at the feet of Jesus in worship will not be taken away from us. Let's learn the Beauty of Simplicity.

Where does our strength come from?

He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Psalm 107:29
Boy, do we ever need to hold on to this promise right now!

The turmoil over the rape charges brought against the principal of my sons school, his subsequent firing, and the backlash against the Board is weighing heavy on my heart. My mind bounces from the young victim, the wife and newborn baby of the accused, the shocked students and their parents, to the Board, the accused himself and his family, to teachers and staff.

So many victims here. So many shattered lives. So much anger, hurt, confusion.

What a storm!!

But Christ is with us in this time of testing. We must cling to Him as our life preserver. When the waves are crashing all around us, we mustn't fight against it (or each other) but rather allow God to be the lifter of our heads. He is still on the throne, He has not left our side. He mourns along with us. He will preserve us.

"The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace."

"Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage.
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!"


"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon the earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

During this time, we must not turn against one another (as witnessed in the KING5 blog) with pointed fingers and harsh words of blame but rather, turn our eyes toward heaven in humility. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

The world is watching...will they see us rip each other to shreds or will they see us standing united in love and truth?

The Lord's reputation and the future integrity of Highland Christian School hangs in the balance.

The Pharisee in Me

By Jill Briscoe

(transcribed by me from a radio broadcast)

One day I found within my heart

Someone who’d been there from the start

A prudish person, self-appointed

Self-sufficient, self-anointed

Though I a true disciple be

I’ve met the Pharisee in me

He passes people everyday

Who’ve lost their innocence some way

He says a prayer for those poor fools

For breaking his religious rules

“No time for mercy now,” says he

“At bible study I must be”

I know the Lord rebukes my guest

In scathing words at God’s behest

He tells me heed His words of strife

And realize He saps your life

He hates to share my heart, you see,

With him, the Pharisee in me

And why should He the God of Grace

Be forced to live here face to face

With him who hung Him up to die,

Against an angry anguished sky-

Who pierced His feet and crowned His head

Who laughed and left him very dead?

Forgive me Lord, I beg of thee

Deal with the Pharisee in me

I was driving in the car today and heard Jill Briscoe on the radio teaching on the Good Samaritan. She said we need to get off our "evangelical donkey and get in the ditch". Ouch! That stung... but it's the truth. I was challenged by her teaching regarding how I react to others in need. I can be a Pharisee (by judging their situation) or I can be a Levite (too busy "doing church" to see the need or expecting someone else to handle it.)
Jill says "compassion puts the man on his own donkey and walks to the inn."... Compassion doesn't say will I get appreciated... Compassion gets in the ditch...Come where they are. Lift them out. Pay for their recovery and follow-through."

I need God's help to "get in the ditch" and become a Samaritan.

If you'd like to listen to the full teaching you can find it at https://www.tellingthetruth.org/listen/series?name=hidden-treasures&sid=94b26f28-7350-44b8-a13e-a0cd1ece05fc
Look for Message Helping the Hurting in the Hidden Treasures series

Are we preparing our hearts for ministry?

I've started a new study in the book of Luke and I've been examining John the Baptist's life and ministry. Here are some things I've found.
1. Even before his birth, God had a ministry plan for John. (Luke 1:13-17)
2. He prepared himself for ministry in private. The Word of the Lord came to him in the wilderness. He must have known the scriptures because he describes himself as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord" as the prophet Isaiah said. (John 1:23)
3. John's ministry objectives were to a) go before the Lord to prepare the way, b) to give knowledge of salvation by remission of sins, c) to give light to those in darkness and shadow of death, d) guide their feet into the way of peace.
4. John knew his ministry pointed to another "Greater" than himself. (luke 3:16)
5.There was an appointed time for John's public ministry; it had a beginning and an end; it was done in the power of the Holy Spirit. John's ministry was complete when all the people were baptized. Jesus came on the scene at that time and we don't hear anymore of John.
6. He stayed faithful until death. We know that he was thrown into prison and eventually beheaded by Herod.

John's ministry is teaching me that his public ministry had a predetermined time frame. He was to make way for another greater than himself. He did not seek glory for himself. He gave his life for the ministry that he was called to. He spoke boldly of repentance. That is how I must prepare my heart for ministry as well.

With humility~ Keep in mind, it is not about us but to lead others to relationship with Christ. When Christ comes to do a work in a life, we need to be willing to step aside or give up our ministry so that His can continue. Don't hold on with tight fists but with open hands. Be clear about your personal ministry~ don't run over other people's calling.

Be wary of those in ministry who want the spotlight to be on them and their particular talents or ministry. Our gifts, talents, and ministry should ALWAYS, ultimately, be an arrow pointing away from ourselves and toward Christ.

Lord, forgive me for the times I wanted the spotlight in ministry; when I've wanted to take the glory for what only belongs to You. Remind me that everything done in my own strength will be burned like chaff. I want to be content with ministering in private until such time as I'm called to public ministry. Public ministry seems to have "seasons" so help me to be like John the Baptist who was willing to step aside so Your work can succeed. Show me by your Holy Spirit when I am to take on public ministry and help me to continue in private preparation. What I learn through study, prayer and by Holy Spirit guidance will prepare my heart when you decide to use me. I want to be obedient in private. Give me strength in ministry at home with family, friends, and those I meet each day~ May all that I do and say bring glory to your Name and point people to YOU.

My Grammy

JoHannah~

It's where I get my middle name, Jo. I have her hips and slender body.
She reminded me often that I was the only grandchild to know her first husband. Somehow, that made me feel special. She loved me and wasn't afraid to show it. There was no question, no doubt of her love for me.

And now she's gone. She passed away on March 10th of this year. She was in her late 80's.

The last time I saw her was at my younger brother's wedding. She had become fragile, her speech very limited, and she was now confined to a wheelchair and yet it showed on her face that she was happy to be at the wedding and around all the family. I had a chance to sit with her for awhile at the reception and she just kept looking into my eyes. Deep, deep, deep, as if she was looking into my soul. She stroked my face with both hands and said
I love you. I believed her. It's my last memory of her and I cherish that special time we shared together.

Now, whenever I think of love... Jesus' love... I always see my Grammy's face.
Of all the ways I'm like her, I pray that I would have her capacity to LOVE the most.

I miss you, Grammy~