Psalm 27 – In this world……

My father and mother walked out and left me, but GOD took me in.

Humanitarian work comes naturally in the world for some reason. NGOs are everywhere you look, doing something for somebody. The biggest aid agency in the world belongs to the Muslims. Somehow, deep down, there exists something in the world that reminds it to take care of itself. Orphans, AIDs sufferers, woman  and children. Supply of water and health services. The UN organises aid to be sent around the world and western countries throw billions of dollars into it. Support groups for every addiction, abuse or depression.

In this world you will have tribulations and on the surface it would seem like the world would help you when you do. True? I think not! Despite all the money, despite all the effort, despite all the agencies in this world you are all alone. You get to the point where there is no one really to help. You need to fend for yourself, Make your own decisions. Find your own peace.

There is no man you can rely on! In this world you are an orphan. A sojourner wandering along trying to make the best of your journey that can.

Or

In the world but not of it. Not reliant on it or it’s systems. God came to the orphanage and signed adoption papers in His own blood. The world might not have wanted you but He did. The world might have tried to eat you up and spit you out but rescued you. He redeemed you from the pound where you were about to be put down and took into His own house. Gave you a place of honour instead of a place of disgrace. Called you His own, His child. Put His own name on you and dressed you in His own robe.

In this world you were alone but in Him you are seated eternally together with Him on the throne from where you rule and reign over the world that would have killed you. The world stood on you but He has lifted you up. The world despised you but He loves you. The world rejected you but you are exactly who He wants.

There is a God you can rely on. Your eternal heavenly Father. Providing your daily bread, your strength, your guide, your life. Bringing you joy and peace.

The humanitarian workers can offer some form of temporary relief. The world will offer some short term solution.

God will give you LIFE

Psalm 27 – One thing, everything.

I’m asking God for one thing,

only one thing:

To live with him in his house

my whole life long.

I suppose it is true that all religions have an offer to supply you with a god, or at least they offer you a way to access a form of god. The problem though is that behind most religions there is not a real god to be found. Some do claim it is the same god as God but seeing as they all have their foundation after God had rested from His creation work, they would unwittingly present a very confused god who changes its mind and ways as it goes along.

Then of course religion makes its laws and rules which have to be adhered to in order to gain access to its god. Cleverly it makes the laws too hard to fully keep so the reason you never actually meet this god is always your own fault. Therefor you can never see that it does not actually exist.

But God, the only true living God, has long before already made the offer to be our God and for us to be His people. He has shown Himself over and over. His power is well documented and so is His love and grace. There are no rules to access Him, only a way that He has made for us so that we can enter freely. That way says “come unto me. and I will give you’

We are needy. We need provision of food and shelter and security. We need health. We need comfort and strength. We need wisdom and guidance. We need and we need.

Generally man tries to meet all his own needs. Often this leads to sinful activities and or failure and disaster. The truth though is that no matter how tall you stand, how powerful you are in this world, how tough or how resiliant, there are times when you need and you don’t have. Times when you need and you ask a higher being for help.

God in His great grace has told us that as our God we can ask anything. Jesus has given us permission, not appointed us to make use of His name as we ask for anything. God has put His mark on us giving us authority and power. So we never need to need.

So we do our best as much as we can and when we get stuck we ask.

Oh dear reader you can have direct access to the almighty creator of the heavens and the earth. The one who has not the fruits of our best efforts but the perfect provision of the Kingdom in His hands. Should you not be asking for everything, every small and every large thing that you could always have only the best.

David goes the whole way and says he asks for only one thing.  To be permanently in God’s presence. Hanging out at God’s place. Having his being in God.

He responds to God’s offer and says ” I want to be your people”

In Christ you have the Kingdom in you. Have this and all things will be added to you

Psalm 25 – Truth! Which truth?

Take me by the hand; Lead me down the path of truth. You are my Savior, aren’t you?

So you realise your way was no way and you have turned to God. Jesus warned that when we clean a house and leave it empty, the strongman will return with his whole gang and take it over again. So you need to very quickly fill it again. You have rejected the lie and now you need to fill it with truth.

Serious believers are constantly looking for more revelation of the truth. At the same time the church makes a fool of itself as so many different “truths’ are preached that it is confusing. The most mature Christians, the ones claiming superior revelation over all others, are often the first in line to grab the newest revelation. They are normally people who have not believed what they currently believe since they got saved but will be people who believed something else and have since changed their minds, maybe more than once. How then does the average Christian find and know the truth?

David asks the Lord to take him by the hand. If you want to know the truth you have to allow the Lord to teach you. It means trusting Him. It means change. It means Him holding you as truth challenges your life and belief systems. No more backing away from truth because that is not the way we always were. No more “I don’t know about that” because your church never taught it before. The fact that Jesus needs to hold your hand in the context of learning the truth means you are surely going to step out of your comfort zone.

Lord holding my hand lead me down the path of truth. So its a path, not just an lump sum. There is a direction, a purpose, a destination and getting there will be a journey. A journey God will guide you through, strengthening and encouraging you through tough patches of challenge and change, holding you in times of fear and carrying you through times of weakness. But all the way it is through the confines of truth. The Bible says He does this by His Word. His word lights the way for our feet and is the path we walk on. The super – spiritual Christian quotes verses all day, pretends to have all the knowledge as if they were born that way. The seeker searches the scriptures, reading, studying, meditating on them. Allowing each word to be a smooth paving stone upon which to tread.

You are my Saviour! It needs to be Jesus that does the leading. No man has the title or office or even ministry of saviour. It is Jesus alone who saved you and therefore He alone who has the truth. Prophets are as common as flies today. Apostles are on every corner. Preachers on every TV. Each one claiming freshest revelation in town. So today he preaches a piece of truth and tomorrow everybody is following him, quoting him and believing every word he says. Pulling their hand out of the  hand of Jesus and returning to being followers of men.

Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, the life” “if you keep my words you will know the truth” and gave us His Spirit to lead us in that truth.

Trust Him, follow Him, listen to His voice. You won’t go wrong