Another Scary Verse

Is 57:21 “There is no peace,”
Says my God, “for the wicked."

I came across this verse in my reading for yesterday. In this chapter God talks about the way He is dealing with Israel. God talks about the sinner whom He will restore and care for. But the chapter ends with the verse above. There is NO peace for the wicked.

No Peace. No peace with God. No peace of God. No peace at all.

Yesterday had begun to be a good day. My son and I were headed home from his audition at a conservatory. We were talking, had a good lunch at Arby's and had one more stop before we headed for home. I needed to stop and get our monthly groceries at Walmart. 

It was 3:00 in the afternoon. We got all of our shopping done in 50 minutes. I was excited! We would make it home in time for dinner. Everything was going as planned until the check-out lane. My Visa card was declined - TWICE! I had just used it for lunch. There was no reason this should happen. I panicked. I used a different card, but was confused, frustrated, hurt, embarrassed. This should not have happened.

So we needed gas - same thing again. WHAT IS GOING ON? But instead of turning to the LORD and resting in Him, my anger started, and kept on building. By the time I got home I was furious with the bank. HOW DARE THEY! I hadn't planned on telling on my husband until later because he was speaking and I didn't want to trouble him. But I had gotten so worked up that it was the first thing that poured out of my mouth when I saw him. 

I called the bank to find out the problem and they said they couldn't talk to me until I told them my phone password. For the life of me I can't even remember setting up a phone password. They told me my card had fraudulent activity on it. But they could disclose no more details without the password. So I hung up on them, angry and more frustrated than before. 

What does all this have to do with the verse "There is no peace for the wicked." Am I saying I am wicked? Is that why all this happened to me?

Whether we like it or not, peace is important to us. Turmoil brings confusion, panic, wrong choices. Peace means I can go through a situation and it doesn't matter what happens, I can rest in it. I am not at battle with the world around me. But this peace starts with being at peace with God.

Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace."

By trusting the LORD Jesus as my Saviour, I can have peace. But it has to start there. Nothing on my own can bring peace into my life. I can never be strong enough, or smart enough to have peace in everything. Only in Jesus Christ can I know true peace.

That's where being at peace with God starts. But having the peace of God - well that's letting Him RULE in my heart. 

I'm very good at have a daily quiet time - spending time with God, reading His Word, reading devotional books. BUT my tendency is to do these all on a daily basis, but then go on my own way. To walk with Him moment by moment - that's a different story. When the clerk told me it had been refused for the second time. I didn't call out to God. I didn't even think of Him. My only thoughts were, "HOW EMBARRASSING! The clerk knows it's been declined and so does the person behind me as well as my own son!" My thoughts were NOT, "God has allowed this into my life for a reason and I must trust Him!" 

Am I a wicked person? Yes, I am. And it comes through at times that I would rather it not. The thing is I forget that I am. BUT I have been redeemed. I don't have to live that way. But it's learning to live moment by moment, second by second, relying on the LORD and His strength, not my own. 

When I first started writing today, I thought this was going to be about the wicked of the earth, those without Christ. But as I wrote, God showed me that my walking without Him, means there is no peace for me. I need to walk with Him moment by moment. That's the only way I can have true peace continuously.

Control

Last night and this morning, I have been struggling with my body, getting very frustrated. Let's be honest here. I'm overweight. I don't follow the exercises my chiropractor has given me for my back. I struggle to exercise on a daily basis so as to keep healthy. And my body is giving me problems that I think I shouldn't be having.

So my first thought this morning was, "I need to get in control!" And then it hit me - nope! To take charge would be the obvious answer. That's the wrong answer. I need to give up control.

        But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all 
        these hings shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

The LORD is so gracious and though I couldn't put my finger on it, this was the idea He was hinting at to me. I need to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. When Matthew wrote these words, he was talking about being not concerned with what you eat, or your body what you will put on. (Matt 6:25) But I believe the principle still applies.

Now I know there's some things I cannot control with my FM. BUT there are ways that I can keep my self from adding to it - diet and stress. These are big factors with my FM and I know that I think I can keep these in control. My problem is I don't talk to God about these factors. I figure I can manage these. WRONG!

As I was contemplating writing this, I opened my emails and there was my devotional from Jim & Elizabeth George. The title of this devotional is: Finding Strength in Weakness. (Who says things are coincidences? Not me.) She talked about the passage in 2 Corinthians 12 where Paul had been given a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble. He prayed 3 times for God to take it away, but God's answer was no. His grace was sufficient for Paul. When Paul realized this, he could then write, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:9-10 emphasis mine).

It is all for His sake and glory that I go through my life. Do I bring things on myself? Of course, but He allows this to happen so that I might bring Him glory.

        And we know that all things work together for good to those who love
        God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom 
        He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His 
        Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 
        (Romans 8:28-29)

He wants us to be conformed to the image of His Son so that we might bring Him glory. Do I believe it? Absolutely! Do I remember it and act accordingly? Very rarely.

One other verse that came to mind this morning is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

        Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit Who
        is in you, Whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you 
        were both at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your
        spirit which are God's. 

I do not own this body; it is NOT mine. It is the temple of God and as such He has granted me permission to care for it. If I truly seek Him and His glory, there will be problems, but they won't be uncontrollable because He will be the One controlling. If I can get a grip on all of this, most of the battle will be won.

Scary

This morning I was reading in Hosea, the last four chapters. I came across this verse:

        Ephraim provoked Him to anger most bitterly;
        Therefore his LORD will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him,
        And return his reproach upon him.

(emphasis mine) What a terrifying statement. "His LORD will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him."

I struggle as I write this because I'm not sure what I'm trying to get at, I know I'm forgiven because of the grace and mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ because of His dying on the cross and taking my place. Yet I need to see God wholly, for Who He is.

Israel had been chosen by God to be His special people. BUT Israel had chosen to turn away from Him and worship false gods. As I look closer at the verse, I notice the first part now. God was provoked to anger. Why? Because He had been replaced with a golden calf. Jeroboam decided to have it built because he didn't want the people who were following him to go back to Jerusalem to worship because then they might follow Rehoboam.

God had promised Jeroboam that if he followed God, God would bless him - God would be with him, and He would build him a sure house (they would be kings from then on) and God would give him Israel! But Jeroboam couldn't risk it. Even after seeing all the ways that God had blessed Solomon, he couldn't trust Him. So he built his own god and the people he led, followed after him.

When we choose to take the Real God out of our lives, the choices we make reflect it. So do the consequences. Israel wanted to do their own "thing." It led them to do everything that was against God.  God let them; but they would suffer for it. Their consequence: For God to leave the guilt upon them... wow!

Guilt is a thing that can kill. It torments and eats at us. We cannot run away from it because it comes from within. There's ways of trying to mask it, but it is still always there.

"Confession is good for the soul." AMEN!!! It surely is! To get right with God and confess that whatever I did that was against God was wrong and to ask His forgiveness through the LORD Jesus, is the only way to be rid of the sin and that guilt.

I am thankful that God has forgiven me through the blood of Jesus Christ. But I am reminded this morning that I serve a Holy God. It cost Him a great deal for my forgiveness. And even though I am forgiven, sometimes the guilt of what I've done takes longer to go away. Thankfully, He does take it away because of His Son and not because of anything I do. I am so thankful He has not left the guilt on me.

Wanting

This morning my reading has taken me to Isaiah 2. Two verses popped out at me because they are basically the same, verses 11 and 17. Verse 11 reads:

        The lofty looks of man shall be humbled. The haughtiness of man 
        shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

Verse 17:

        The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of
        of man shall be brought low; The LORD alone will be exalted in that
        day.

The first part of the chapter talks about the LORD's return and ruling on the earth. The next part describes the wickedness of Jacob. The last part is a cry for returning to the LORD for He will judge the earth.

As I read through this chapter, my heart was again pierced by my own sinfulness.

On Thursdays I meet with a dear older friend and we spend time reading the Word and praying. We are also in Isaiah. Our reading for that day was Isaiah 43. We were reminded that He had redeemed us and called us by name (verse 1) and that He "blots out [my] transgressions for [His] own sake; and [He] will not remember [my] sins." (verse 25)

I am so thankful for these verses in Isaiah 43. But daily I wish I wouldn't sin. That is one of my wants. I want to be sinless. I don't want to struggle with it any more. But my main reason for not wanting to do this anymore is I don't want to hurt Him anymore. I long for the day when I can worship Him with a pure and completely thankful heart. When I won't feel the sadness that my sin brings, not only to me, but to Him. I want to glorify Him in everything with no thought of me.

There are many things to look forward to on this earth even though it is damaged by sin. Family, friends, a new grandchild (yes, I'm expecting my first!), being alone with my husband. But more than all of these, I would have to say I truly long for the day when the LORD will rule this earth. To be in His presence is what I want most of all. To see Him as He is. To have Him be the Only One exalted in that day!

Even so come, LORD Jesus, come! Maranatha!

Idols

It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord ties things together.

A couple of days ago my youngest son came to me and asked me if I had heard about what happened to one of actors from the sitcom "Glee". I told him I only heard bits and pieces. He said he died of an overdose. He then went on to ask me which country had the highest suicide rate. I told him the US. He said I was right. He then asked,"Which country is the most affluent?" I said, "The US." We then went on to talk about the idolatry of North America.

I'm reading through chronologically Kings and Chronicles as well as the prophets in my Quiet Time. Each year as I read through these portions, I find myself shocked by the way Israel and Judah turn to worship what the nations around them are worshipping. In fact one king conquered another, took his idols and began to worship them. How crazy is that? He had conquered this kingdom and began to worship THEIR idols? I don't understand.

I am also reading the book The Explicit Gospel, This is what Matt Chandler and Jared Wilson say:
        ...we were meant to worship, meant to give glory to something greater
        than ourselves. So we interact with the earth in such a way that our heart
        and minds should always be being stirred up to how good, beautiful, and
        gracious God is to us in what He's given, from His creativity in crafting
        flavors, to His beneficence in dispensing the warmth of the sun. The
        Scriptural testimony is consistently this: God's chief concern is for His
        own glory... the main part of the Bible is God's glorious self-regard. There-
        fore, the main point of human life ought to be regard of God's glory.

Then in my reading from Let's Take a Walk Together:
        As we consider the Holy and the Just One, perhaps we will more readily
        tremble at the thought of sin in our own lives. Perhaps we will think just a
        moment longer and resolve to be pure and holy rather than allowing our-
        selves to just react or to given in to "this one little thing". And perhaps a
        reawakening of holiness in our lives will be a stimulus unto the same in the
        lives of those around us.

Looking at the Israelites, I don't believe most of them said, "Today I am going to choose to worship a false god." No I believe it began with small things. Like forgetting that God is the Holy and Just One and choosing to give in to a "little thing". We forget to give thanks to God for being so gracious to us in everything that He gives us from the delicious flavours of food to the wonderful warmth of the sunlight. And slowly but surely I replace Him with things.

Unfortunately, it's not hard to do because the biggest idol that I struggle with is myself. I want to be in control. I want to be happy. I want to do things my way. I am not saying that God is a kill-joy or anything like that. It's just that I don't take the time to put Him where He belongs, First Place. I am reminded of Colossians 1 beginning at verse 16.

        For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are 
        on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
        principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and
        for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
        And He is the Head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning,
       the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the 
       preeminence.

Idols are all around me and it's very easy to follow them. What I must remember is that He must have the preeminence in my life.

Bitterness

This morning I was reading through one of Max Lucado's devotionals. It was on bitterness. This is what he said,
   
          Bitterness is its own prison... Step in and look at the prisoners. Victims are
          chained to the walls. Victims of betrayal. Victims of abuse.

It is true that there are those who have had serious offenses against them: abuse and betrayal. To work through these ordeals can only be done by the grace of God. And I am so thankful that He is more than willing to love and work for those who have been hurt so badly.

But for a lot of us, thinking of me in particular, we have not experienced these kinds of things. Yet we have bitterness. We are offended over some trivial thing and we won't let it go. The bitterness starts, the foundation. Then the lies start to come in - "They really meant this!" Soon the bitterness has built a wall of lies and there is NO WAY we would deal with that person again. "I mean really - they did that before! Imagine what they are capable of!" The scary thing is we would never say those things, but we would think them. We would believe them. The walls have come up and then we believe them - we become chained to them.

Sometimes we become so bitter and have built the walls of lies so high that we can't even remember why it started, what the foundation for it all is.

Scripture says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) The LORD challenged me this morning. How can I be bitter against anyone when I have sinned against the God of the universe and He has FORGIVEN me ALL?!?!?!?!? The truth is I shouldn't, but I sometimes still do. But He, in His grace, has reminded me that I am forgiven of every thought and deed that is against Him, The Almighty, Omnipotent, All-Powerful One, through the blood of Jesus Christ. Can I not forgive something so trivial? I can and I pray that I will.

"I Will Be Exalted Among the Nations"

This morning a portion of my reading is from Psalm 46. It's a favourite of mine and as I read through the last portion, a part of it really struck me. Verse 10 starts out, "Be still and know that I am God;" . It's a good reminder to me that I need to be still before God. Rest in Who He is. Not run around - not try and fix things - to wait on Him. I love that reminder; I am constantly quoting it to myself. My mind usually stops digesting there.

But this morning I was listening, for a change. The verse actually says, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." There is a specific reason for me to be still before my God: so that He will be exalted.

When I wait on God, when I am being still and knowing that He is God, He is exalted. That is mind boggling. I am having trouble getting my mind around that. How can God be exalted by my being still before Him? Shouldn't I be up and doing things (ties in with yesterday)? Be still and know that He is God so that He will be exalted.

My ideas have always been that if I am still before Him, I can rest in Him. I get to know Him better. These are both true. I get an assurance of Who He is, a peace of heart and soul by sitting before Him. But Him being exalted by this?

Why? Why would God be exalted by this? Because He can work the way He wants and I won't get in the way. OUCH! I can actually get in the way of God. Do I thwart His plans? Do I change eternity? Yes, I can. Does He allow for that? Yes, He does, but if I am being still and knowing that He is God, He is lifted up. The world can see Him and see what He does. They don't see me any longer; they see Him.

May I be still and know that He is God so that He "will be exalted among the nations."