gladitudes

In my Bible study for the past couple weeks, we’ve been studying our identity in Christ–the things that the Scriptures say are true of those who have been redeemed by Christ’s blood. It’s been really refreshing for my soul, so I think I’m going to write a few posts reflecting on some of my favorite verses on the subject.

In the mean time, I want to share something else. This morning on the way to work, I was listening to Lecrae. Nothing quite pumps me up both emotionally and spiritually like Lecrae. This song came on and I was just really blessed to hear this truth. In a world that is constantly trying to define us, almost always, in opposition to the truth, a healthy dose of the truth about who we are is much needed.

Check it out this excerpt:

How do I gauge success, Why do I say I’m blessed,
Huh, Is it the car that I drive or the place that I rest or the way that I dress,
Now, Is the cause of my pride,
The stage and the set or my face in the press,
Now, ’cause the applause it dies
When the praise is less if my face is depressed,
Then it’s cause my value and worth is in the volume of the work I produce in the booth
It’s a prize and a curse if defined by the perks when the truth is through
Man I’m goin’ feel like I don’t want to live no more, no more, no more
Cause they don’t like me like they did in 04,04,04
So, I swallow my pride empowered by God,
I’m complete in Him
He’s got peace God’s priest I’m in In
His presence weak-His strength
Meet His kin We His brethren Read this list
Me forgiven
He’s dismissed guilt and my sin and
I find my worth cause I’m Jesus’ friend

I’m not the shoes I wear, I’m not the clothes I buy
I’m am not the house I live in, I’m not the car I drive
I’m not the job I work, You can’t define my worth
By nothing on God’s green earth, my identity is found in Christ.

Take a listen:

Verse of the Day:

Psalm 89:14-18 ESV

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
¹⁵Blessed are the people who know the festal shout*,
who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face,
¹⁶who exult in your name all the day
and in your righteousness are exalted.
¹⁷For you are the glory of their strength;
by your favor our horn is exalted.
¹⁸For our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.

(*Note: “Festal shout” basically means joyful sound.)

Here are my thoughts that have been encouraging today:

1. Verse 14 says that the foundations of God’s throne are righteousness and justice. That is so comforting to me. There is so much in the world that is corrupt, broken, dishonest, and that really concerns and even scares me. I can trust that in God there is no corruption, but only righteousness and justice. Furthermore, the next part of that verse says that steadfast love and faithfulness go before Him. God’s love will always be steadfast toward me and He will always be faithful. This, too, gives me so much comfort when it seems the things to worry about are mounting up. I don’t have to fear that God will let me down. He won’t.

2. Verses 15 and 16 say that people who walk in the light of the face of the Lord and people who exult in His name all day are blessed. This is the part of this verse that really impacted me this morning. I was struck with how often I totally fail to recognize that I get to know the Almighty God! He, who created the heavens and the Earth, who spoke all things into being, has chosen to allow me (a totally unremarkable, ordinary guy) to know Him! That’s amazing! I don’t deserve it at all, but I have access to the Most High God!

If I only thought about that more and let it affect how I see my circumstances, my life, and even myself, how much would my attitude in life change?! I think I want to make this a new goal of mine, to just recognize a.) what an honor it is that I can know God and b.) how mighty He is always. It’s crazy to me in a good way.

The other verses are really good, too, but I’ll let you think about them on your own.

That’s all for today. Surely, if we know the Lord, we are truly blessed. Think about that today.

Andrew

I read this verse this morning and was really blessed by it. Check it out.

John 15:1-5

¹I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ²Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

A few brief reflections:

• vv. 1-2: God is the vinedresser, not us. In a garden (or vinyard) the plant’s job is to just grow; the gardener is responsible to feed, water, and ensure the plants get light and nutrients. Plants have some ability to seek their own needs (put a plant by a window and watch it grow toward the light…), but ultimately they are at the mercy of the gardener. So it is with us. We have some ability to seek out good light, food, etc.—and we should be doing it—but ultimately God’s the one who will cause us to grow. We will grow most quickly if we just yield to Him, trust Him, and love Him. He is the True Gardener.
• vv. 4-5: This is sort of the same idea as before, but with a slight twist. If we want to accomplish anything as Christians, that too comes by God and yielding to Him. We don’t get saved by God’s grace and mercy then by our own strength and fortitude serve Him. No, we get saved by grace and by grace we live for God. To experience this we abide in God. To abide all we must do is believe God is near, trust Him, obey Him, think about Him, dwell on His word, and do our best to love Him. It seems (to me at times) to be sort of esoteric to abide, but it’s not really—you just do your best to be near God in your heart, mind, and actions.

That’s all for today.

Yesterday was a tough day for me. I am struggling to really hand my burdens over to the Lord. I have heavy things on my heart, but I am striving to trust that God is able to help people understand and see the love He has for them even when I am unable to communicate it. These verses comfort me that God is totally able to accomplish what He needs to because He is the True Gardener.

Walk in blessing and love today!

Here are some verses that I am going to be thinking about today. They are all verses about the way God feels/acts toward us, His people.

It’s so easy for me to take my human perceptions of authority and project them onto God. In doing so, I begin to expect selfishness and evil from God, but He is not like that; He’s not like man and doesn’t have any of the problems and sin man has. These verses are a good way for me to focus on God’s true nature.

Psalm 9:10

And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 145:18

The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

Deuteronomy 4:31

For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

Psalm 5:3-4

O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning [I direct my prayer to you]* and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.

*This is taken from the alternative translation from the ESV bible in the foot note.