"The LORD has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. With trumpets and the sound of the horn Shout joyfully before the King, the LORD. Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with equity."
(Psalms 98:2, 6, 9 NAS95S)
"In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness; My soul refused to be comforted. I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, And my spirit ponders:
I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old."
(Psalms 77:2, 6, 11 NAS95S)
Observation: There is power in remembrance. The is hope to be found in recollection. The words of Delirious' song What is This Thing Called Love come to mind:
Looking back into yesterday and all the dreams that heaven sent
Maybe love will come our way.
And when I stood upon the land I threw the dreams into the sea
Maybe they will rise again
And maybe, maybe love will come our way
And maybe, maybe hope will come to us again
What is this thing called love?
I know I've found it, it's in Your eyes.
The memories of yesterday and the dreams that gripped us are ultimately memories of the love of God. When I was younger, I longed to be used of God. Now that I'm old I still long... But in a different way... I long to be in-dwelt and then used. I find myself praying the prayer of Moses:
"Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. "For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?"" (Exodus 33:15-16 NAS95S)
It is not the accomplishment of my goals that shall distinguish my life, it is the presence of God. It is not what I preach or say or do, it is the presence of God. All this stuff, all my accomplishments, all my cuteness or lack thereof, only has meaning as He has me. He must increase and I must decrease. Christ in me, the hope of Glory! That is what matters. As Rich Mullins penned:
My One Thing
Everybody I know says they need just one thing
And what they really mean is that they need just one thing more
And everybody seems to think they've got it coming
Well I know that I don't deserve You
Still I want to love and serve You more and more
You're my one thing
Save me from those things that might distract me
Please take them away and purify my heart
I don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing
'Cause what will I have when the world is gone
If it isn't for the love that goes on and on with
My one thing
You're my one thing
And the pure in heart shall see God
You're my one thing
You're my one thing
And the pure in heart shall see God
Who have I in Heaven but You Jesus?
And what better could I hope to find down here on earth?
I could cross the most distant reaches
Of this world, but I'd just be wasting my time
'Cause I'm certain already, I'm sure I'd find
You're my one thing (one thing)
You're my one thing (one thing)
And the pure in heart shall see God
You're my one thing (one thing)
You're my one thing (one thing)
And the pure in heart shall see God
Every night and every day
You hold on tight
Or you drift away
And you're left to live
With the choices you make
Oh Lord please give me the strength
To watch and work and love and sing and pray
'Cause who have I in Heaven but You Jesus?
And what better could I hope to find down here on earth?
Well I could cross the most distant reaches
Of this world, but I'd just be wasting my time
'Cause I'm certain already I'm sure I'd find
You're my one thing (one thing)
You're my one thing (one thing)
And the pure in heart shall see God
You're my one thing (one thing)
You're my one thing (one thing)
And the pure in heart shall see God
Application: Remember Jesus. Remember the cross. This is the Lord's message to my heart this morning. Remember that there is no good thing in me but for the presence of God. Remember that I am His servant. Remember that He must increase and I must decrease. Remember that I am not defined by what I do, but by what He has done. I'm not defined by my successes or failures but by the proclamation of His word over my life: "You are my beloved son in who I'm well pleased!"
Yes, today, this morning, God is speaking to my heart: I chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before me in love. REMEMBER THAT! HOLD ONTO MY WORD!
Prayer: O the thrill of being loved by You. The joy of Your abiding presence! There is no other need than cherish Your love; no other need than to pass it on. For in bestowing I find it growing in me. In giving it away I find an ever increasing supply of Your gracious goodness and love. Make me a conduit Lord Jesus. Love me as You love through me. Amen.
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