“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16
A few weeks ago, almost four thousand people lost their lives in an earthquake in Venezuela. In the same week, my friend’s beautiful, gifted son was beaten to death by men he tried to have peace with and walk away from. It is in these moments, the question may come to mind, “Why? Why, Lord?” Especially when we are persecuted, even the strongest Christian may ask God as Job did, “Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?” In other words, “Why me?”
I Corinthians 2:16 asks “…who has understood the mind of the Lord…” and the answer is “no one.” We want a God who is vastly higher than we are, yet our greedy minds want to know everything He knows. We become demanding and desire a God we can fully comprehend with our very limited minds. We want a man-sized God, but He refuses to diminish Himself. He remains God-sized. His ways are so vastly above our ways, and He will not lower His standards to satisfy our petulant complaints and demands. He remains sovereign. He remains omniscient, omnipresent, and extravagantly, unrelatably limitless. He remains God.
Why does God allow us to live our lives in a world marked by death, disease, war, brutal acts against our fellow man, and our own sin that we abhor? Oh, what short memories we have. God did not bring sin into the world. We did. God gave us Paradise, and we introduced sin into it. You may blame Adam and Eve for it, but would you have done any better? Have you ever remained sinless, even with your best intentions after a time of repentance? No. Nor did they. Only one person has and that is God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. And that one act of gifting us with His atoning blood covers all our sin and gives us full birthrights to Heaven and a relationship with the Father. We are the reason for the horrors that sin and cruelty bring into the world, and Jesus is the only means of escape and triumph over all of it.
God even uses our fallen experiences to build our testimonies to say to nonbelievers, “You do not have to be clean before you come to Him. You only have to believe! He accepted me. He will surely accept you!”
That is why when you read a Psalm like the twenty-third one that is so comforting, full of faith, and trusting, you will always find, just before, another where David says something like,
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.” Psalm 22:1-2
Psalm 23 has probably been the chapter that has comforted more grieving, anxious, and heartbroken people than any other, but David could not have written those words had He not experienced the despair of Psalm 22. You can’t explain what God’s magnificent redemption is if you have never been redeemed from something big. If you yourself had not been redeemed from the pit of sin.
And you cannot convey the proper estimation of God that Job gained if you haven’t witnessed His overcoming power firsthand. Job originally says to God, “How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?” Job 7:19
But God takes him verbally by the scruff of the neck and says, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” Job 38:4 God’s response in chapters 38-41 to Job’s questioning gives this suffering servant just an inkling of God’s power, enough for Job to change his tune in 42:5-6:
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
Proverbs 9:10 says that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” It seems we are destined to need these God-sized wakeup calls to make us understand that every outcome in our lives is dependent on the hand and will of God. Until we grasp that proper estimation of God, we may find ourselves learning through loss and grief all that the Lord wants us to know about His sovereignty. Our faith is tested, strengthened, and refined by our suffering. Through these experiences, God reveals our faith, not just to others but to our own surprised and delighted hearts.
Our tragedies and pain may be our equipping to bless others with what we have learned. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Are you not experiencing firsthand great joy and victory through God’s hand? Are you lacking in the power of the Holy Spirit that Acts 1:8 states affirmatively that you can and will receive?
Living a victorious life depends on our being dependent on the only One who determines victory or failure, life or death, peace or turmoil, and sadness or joy. Yield to Him today. Acknowledge that He is God and is sovereign over everything in your life today and everything that will ever unfold in your future, here on earth and beyond.
Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? Job 11:7
We can be absolutely sure of God’s sovereignty and His unfailing “rightness,” but still have those moments when we wonder why something happens the way it does. We know that only God can see the end from the beginning, and His “end” is eternity and not just what happens to us in this life. Still, when the worst happens, will we still call God good? Will we trust in His character when we cannot see His hand in our lives? Will we say with David, “I believe that I shall lookupon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!”
God gave me a remarkable lesson today in calling God good in the most difficult of circumstances. He knew I needed it. He took me by my hand and led me through a day that revealed His goodness and mercy to teach me what I badly needed to learn. He showed me how a Godly woman should walk through tragedy and hard, hard circumstances. As He often does, He used what is dear to me to teach me. I am a mother, so He showed me two mothers who have walked through more difficult circumstances than most mothers ever will.
I started my day with a deep sadness in my heart. A young man who had been a friend of my son when they were little boys had died under tragic circumstances. He had been homeless for some time, and the tragedy rocked me because I have never known a child with more potential. The group of boys that were friends from preschool through the primary grades were all gifted and, to be honest, rambunctious, including mine. But John dazzled. He was so bright and quick and charming, even at a very young age. He was a beautiful child and grew up to be a beautiful man. God withheld no gifts from him.
Even though we had not seen John in almost thirty years, the news of his death threw me into a deep sadness I was having a hard time shaking. I decided to go do a bit of thrifting before I started my writing for the day, thinking that the walking and distraction would help me shake off the heaviness and get my mind off this great loss to the world and to John’s wonderful Christian family.
I dropped into Goodwill, and immediately heard someone literally whooping it up. At first, I could not see where the joyous but very loud sounds were coming from. From time to time, I would also hear this happy bellowing, something between laughter and a shout. Suddenly, I was almost run over by a shopping cart, and it was being pushed at top speed by a young man of about twenty-five who was zooming down the aisle saying, “Mama, mama, mama, mama, mama!” He was thrilled beyond measure to show his adored mother what he had found. It was a pair of khaki pants, and his face was effused with a huge smile when she said he could have them. He may have had developmental issues with his Intelligence Quotient, but his Joy Quotient was fully developed and seemed to have no limits. Pushing a shopping cart seemed to be as fun to him as a Disney ride, and she allowed him to roam the store and bring back things to show her. With each find he made, he would begin calling her with the same urgent, “Mama, mama, mama, mama, mama,” and he would not stop calling her name until he found her.
Apparently, this scene was a frequent one at this Goodwill because all of the employees knew the boy, whose name was Christian, so appropriate for someone so joy-filled. He beamed when he showed his khaki pants to employees and customers alike, and his eyes gleamed with pride over his treasure.
On one of his forays to the other side of the store, I said to his mother, “He has the sweetest spirit.” She smiled and said, “He does. Sometimes it is difficult when he is this excited, but he brings me so much joy. When he was born, I didn’t know what I was going to do, but God used him to bring peace into my life. He taught me peace, and at that point in my life, I didn’t have any.” The serenity and peace on her face were real.
I walked out of there thinking that this was the lesson God was trying to teach me. When Christian was born to a very young woman who had no peace in her heart, God knew exactly what He was doing. God knew the end from the beginning. What appeared not to be a blessing at all has been the greatest blessing of her life.
I began to think about John, my son, and the group of friends that played sports and did play dates and attended church activities together when they were just little guys.
There was Clarke whom I love tenderly to this day, but who had a vivid imagination. In the second grade, he pulled the fire alarm at school just to see what would happen. When confronted by the very intimidating principal and asked why he did it, he said, “I have a guardian angel who usually keeps me from doing things like this, but the angel was sick today and had to stay home.” It was the first and only time any of us ever saw the principal at a loss for words.
My son Houston and Clarke were in the same 4K class. The patient and experienced teacher had a system of paper bears on the board. If you talked too much or did not stay on your cushion on the floor, you got your bear moved. Our boys had a problem with both of those things. Sitting still was almost impossible for them. After a week of setting records for having their bears moved so many times, the teacher had a very understanding but informative talk with Clarke’s mom and me. I remember standing in the driveway with Clarke’s mom and saying the unthinkable out loud, “Do you think this could be something that could lead to being a juvenile delinquent?” At that point, her husband drove up and we shared our grave concerns. He started with the words, “They’re just boys!” and proceeded to dismiss all our silly fears and threw cold water on the drama we were brewing. It was not the last time that dear man had to have talks with both his wife and me, and we were better for it.
Since I had a very rambunctious boy myself, I was thrilled when we met Drew and his two boisterous brothers. Up until that time, we had been surrounded by quiet, demure girls. Our cul de sac had been full of them. All the grandchildren in my family were girls- nice, quiet, well-behaved little girls. My dad had been a military officer, and all my siblings were girls, so I had no experience or context for bringing up a boy who went wide open with energy all the time. When we met Drew, his brothers, and the other guys, I knew we had found our people.
Hitch was the loudest. Tall and athletic, he had a voice that just boomed all the time.
But even in this group of athletic, bright, engaging boys, John stood out as a leader. You could just see the great and shining potential in this gifted young man.
I remember having them all over for a birthday party when they were seven. It was the first time my parents had been around the group in a social setting and not on a ball field where all that energy had an outlet. It seemed like chaos to them, but honestly, they were pretty good that day. It’s just that the noise level was decibels above my parents’ comfort level, and the arm punches and crawling over each other to get to the food did not resemble the gatherings of little girls they were used to. It was just so loud. I remember looking over and seeing my parents’ ashen faces, and it looked like their hair was blown straight back. I wondered if they were in shock, but there was no bloodshed or potty talk, so I was actually feeling pretty grateful.
I remember John helping me that day get the other guys to come into some kind of order to get their food. He was a natural born leader and much admired. He was kind to me and used his influence to help corral the other guys. And he always had a ready smile that would escape from time to time, lighting up his entire face. John had a tender heart.
I recently saw an Instagram clip of John from a few weeks before he died. His homeless lifestyle had taken its toll, but he was still very handsome, and still had that smile that was irrepressible. He had wandered into Ponce City Market and had spontaneously begun to play an unguarded piano beautifully. A woman with a marvelous voice wandered up and began to sing along. That’s when that ready smile of John’s escaped, and his face lit up. He was kind to her and loved the collaboration. He was bringing joy to everyone in the place, and it seemed in that moment he was feeling joy, too. I have found comfort in that.
I began to think about those music lessons his Godly, loving parents had provided for him as they cared for him so tenderly in his youth. Those lessons were never fully forgotten, and that was clear as the music poured forth from his fingers and his heart. And then the Lord reminded me that these parents had also taught him the Word of God, taken him to church, and prayed for him from the time he was born. All that was not forgotten either. His nickname on the street was John the Baptist, because he quoted Scripture to his homeless friends all the time. God brought to mind Isaiah 55:11:
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
I pray that in his final hours, that all the Scriptures planted in John’s heart in his young life came back to him as his music did and that He was comforted. I pray that they were like songs in the night.
And I pray with confidence that our sweet Lord, our inexplicable but always loving God, will comfort his parents. I know that John’s mom has for many years comforted other moms whose children have strayed far from home. She is the epitome of “comforting others as she herself has been comforted.” (2 Corinthians 1:4.)
As these dear, loving parents wait on the Lord, my prayer is that they will be able to say with David:
“I believe that I shall lookupon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:13-14
Lesson One: The Wonder and Mystery of Jesus Christ
The wonder and mystery of Jesus Christ is so beautiful and so full of marvels beyond our imaginations that I can hardly write about it, but I want to. I want to share this conversation with you, dear believers, because I know you feel as I do that dwelling on the unfathomable ways of our Lord and His perfect and brilliant interventions in our universe and our lives is a must. We should not always keep our thoughts earthbound. Christ loves and deserves that we meditate on His extraordinary self, His sovereignty, and His ways that are so far above our ways.
Let’s start with some Scriptures that celebrate and shed light on the fact that Christ and the Gospel are a wonderful, captivating mystery that fascinates and draws us in over and over.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. –Isaiah 55:8
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, -Romans 16:25
He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him -Ephesians 1:9
Below, Paul writes about this mystery to the Ephesians. His words underscore the privilege it is to have the Gospel revealed to us:
Ephesians 3:1-6 – For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is[a] that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Telling the Good News of the mystery of Jesus Christ was a favorite topic of Paul’s. Here he shares with the Colossians and the Corinthians.
Colossians 1:27 – to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
1 Corinthians 2:7- but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
Knowing Christ means that you know that He will accomplish His perfect will in ways we would not anticipate. He let the Israelites take a detour for forty years where they were strengthened, the young men learned to war, and they all learned more about His ways. He let Lazarus die, and through that, the magnificent power He has to raise the dead became a reality for believers like you and me, centuries later. Jesus had the power of God to defeat all of Rome’s army, yet He allowed them to crucify Him, and He died an excruciating death. His laying down His life for you and me became a love letter to generations as He proved once and for all how precious we are to Him and that He would literally do ANYTHING to ransom us from our sin and shame. We are His. We know it now, thanks to the cross. We never would have thought of Christ’s death as a way to prove His love, and yet it is an indelible and irrefutable statement of that love for us that is recognized throughout the world. What a powerful declaration of extravagant love.
Christ is mysterious. It is a mystery why He has this great love for us. When you look at us and our failures and our sin-spotted selves, you have to wonder, “What’s to love here?” But He does, He really does.
Christ does not reveal everything about why and how He is doing things, and that lends to His mysterious ways. Sometimes we realize it was good we did not know what was coming in our circumstances. Sometimes we are kept in the dark about something because God is moving us out of our comfort zone to a place to be blessed and grow spiritually. He knows we would not go willingly, so He executes a plan in our lives that moves us out of spiritual lethargy and into a place we are energized for His purposes. After all, we are here to enjoy Him and to bear fruit for Him. Through difficult circumstances, He increases our capacity to enjoy Him more and bear fruit more abundantly.
The wondrous gift Christ gave us was Himself. Most gifts give their greatest joy when they are new. This gift, our privilege of walking daily with our Savior, gets richer and more joyous and more fulfilling every year. Forrest Frank writes about this in his song with JVKE, “Never Get Used to This.” I will end today with this young man’s lyrics and a link if you want to sing along. Although there is probably a fifty year gap between our ages, I feel just like Forrest. I will never get used to the fact that I am His, that He chose me, that I have the privilege of walking with Him every day, that He calls me friend, not servant, and that His joy will only increase as I grow. That joy will be inexpressible one day when He walks me into Heaven. Praise God! I’ll never get used to this!
NEVER GET USED TO THIS Lyrics
(Oh) Mm, yeah, haha, ay! (Oh)
I was stuck inside that grave a long time (Long time) Didn’t think I’d make it through those long nights (Long nights) But You never late, You’re always on time Remember when You got me out that? (Oh) You got me out that
And now I see Your blessings, see Your blessings every day Thankful that Your kingdom’s on the way Angels all around me, hear them sing like “Oh”
I’ll never get used to this (Oh) I’ll never get used to this (Oh) This is how I want to live (Oh) Forever we’ll be singing like, “Oh” (Oh)
Walk up out the grave, yeah, I’m alive now Told the devil, “Boy you out of time now” (Whoa) The spirit won’t leave me on my fire now I know it won’t ever die out, won’t ever die out
And now I see Your blessings, see Your blessings every day Thankful that Your kingdom’s on the way Angels all around me, hear them sing like “Oh”
I’ll never get used to this (Oh) I’ll never get used to this (Oh) This is how I want to live (Oh) Forever we’ll be singing like, “Oh” (Oh) I’ll never get used to this
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey) Mm, yeah From the mornin’ to the evenin’ I could sing Your praise all day From the prison to the garden You’re the God who’s breakin’ chains When I look back (When I look back) on my whole life (On my whole life) There’s a silver lining on graves I can’t wait to thank You, Jesus, oh
I’ll never get used to this (Oh) I’ll never get used to this (Oh) This is how I want to live (Oh) Forever we’ll be singing like, “Oh” “(Oh)
I’ll never get used to this, hey, hey (Oh) I’ll never get used to this, I’ll never get used to this (Oh) This is how I wanna live, this is how I wanna live (Oh) Forever we’ll be singing like, “Oh”, hey, hey (Oh) I’ll never get used to this
NEVER GET USED TO THIS LYRICS – Forrest Frank
This is the final week of the daily blogs. We will return to sporadic blogs now that Bible studies are starting back and there is no need for daily lessons. This week I just let my mind wander to wherever the Lord wanted to take me, and it first landed on the lesson above, the wonder and mystery of Jesus Christ. Next, we will look at The Grandeur of God.
Lesson Two: The Grandeur of God
To set about writing about God is an impossible task but I am filled with joy as I attempt it. I know that my insufficient words will be used by Him to perhaps trigger your own rapturous thoughts about God. For the God we serve is so extraordinary, infinite, powerful, and magnificent that He has planted in each of us thoughts and glimpses of Who He is to excite us about meeting Him one day.
He is the God of the alps—sheer rock faces a thousand miles high and breathtaking. He is the God of mammoth icebergs and the plants and animals He equipped to live in their climates. He scooped out the depths of the ocean, depths we are only beginning to realize the scope of, depths no man has ever reached. He is the God of wildly colorful green and orange and yellow tropical birds, blue green waters, light rain and downpours, exotic animals all around the world, and people of every design, color, and shape. He is the God who created the Grand Canyon, the Aurora Borealis, spewing volcanoes, and powerful tsunamis. All of these are His magnificent design, as well as sunrises, blazing sunsets, the night sky with the Big Dipper, Orion, and Venus, planets with rings of red color, and twinkling stars on a backdrop of velvet black.
Man is constantly discovering things like the water on the moon or the ruins of Ninevah or new species or stars. As humans, we are constantly having to say, “Hmmm. I didn’t know that.” God never does. Nothing takes Him by surprise because He is all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-powerful.
God is all about wonder and mystery—do not get comfortable with His grandeur, majesty, and supernatural powers. Have you ever thought of this? There is a reason God did not start the Bible with the Ten Commandments; He started it with a mystery, the mystery of the Triune God- the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He talks about the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the earth in verse 2 and He says this in verse 26:
26 Then God said, “Let us make man[h] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
The “us” He is talking about is the triune God, the inexplicable mystery of the Trinity that has fascinated Biblical scholars for years.
He started with the wildly creative and awe-inspiring story of Creation. The entire first chapter of the Bible is mysterious and beautiful. Read it again with the knowledge that we have a God who is comfortable with mystery and Who wants us to be. It is His will that we can enjoy the mysterious ways He works in our world every day:
Genesis 1:1-26
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse[a] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”7 And God made[b] the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.8 And God called the expanse Heaven.[c] And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.10 God called the dry land Earth,[d] and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants[e] yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons,[f] and for days and years,15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds[g] fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man[h] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Lesson Three: Seeing God for Who He Is
From a young age, David saw God for Who He is. He got that God was all-powerful, all-seeing, and all knowing. David made a lot of mistakes and definitely had character flaws that led to sin, but God loved David with a special love. I believe it is because David really saw God. In his moments of repentance, David also saw himself as the flawed and sinful man he was, but he was not consistent throughout his life with that. The one area where David was consistent was in seeing God. He saw Him as sovereign over everything, even the most daunting foes. He saw God as powerful enough to take away his fear of giants and bears and armies that outnumbered his armies. He really saw God.
I believe we are made in God’s image. We love people who really see us and know us. The intimate relationship between God and David was, in part, because David saw God for Who He is and never wavered in that. He always trusted in God’s true nature and character, even when he was coming out sin and was confessing. David trusted he could come back to God and that God’s Grace was so all-encompassing that He could forgive David’s most egregious sins. Would that we all would rest in that every day.
David saw God when He wrote Psalm 71. For David, every glimpse of God and His glory demands praise. Please read this with your magnificent Lord in mind and close at your side:
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! 2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! 3 Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. 5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. 6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
7 I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. 10 For my enemies speak concerning me; those who watch for my life consult together 11 and say, “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him.”
12 O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! 13 May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt. 14 But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. 15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. 16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. 18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. 19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? 20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. 21 You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. 24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.
Lesson Four: Christ is Precious! Part One
Below is an article by James Smith who was a great influence in the life of Charles Spurgeon. He was Spurgeon’s predecessor as pastor at New Park Street Church from 1841-1850.
“Unto you therefore who believe–He is precious!” 1 Peter 2:7
To the spiritual mind, there is a charm in the very name of Jesus; and when graciously assisted by the presence of the Holy Comforter, we immediately conceive of something sweet, glorious and delightful, when the name of Jesus is but mentioned. It is a name that never wearies, because it is associated with all that is important, valuable, and delightful in the estimation of the believing soul. Many a saint has complained when Jesus has not been sufficiently honored–but never one that he has been exalted too highly. Our best moments are spent in contemplating his person, rejoicing in his work, spreading his fame, and enjoying fellowship with him. The spiritual perception of his glories–fills the soul with admiration and holy love; the application of his promises–softens and elevates the heart; and a sense of a saving interest in his salvation and grace–makes happy beyond description.
Holiness never appears so lovely–as when beheld in his adorable person and meritorious work! Sin never appears so detestable and loathsome–as when seen in his agony, cross and death! Grace is then most glorious–when we view it in his humiliation, sacrifice, and triumphs! And mercy has peculiar attractions–when beheld in his tears, tender expressions, and ardent prayers.
Jesus is indeed precious, when faith views him as descending from the glorious high throne, and becoming a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief–stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted–wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and making peace for us by the blood of his cross. To see the object of Jehovah’s delight and angelic adoration–exposed to the rage of devils, the contempt of men, and the fierce, unsparing wrath of God, in order to purchase my freedom from bondage, to secure my deliverance from eternal woe, and procure a title for me to unfading blessedness and glory–this renders Jesus precious, and causes the soul to exclaim: his love to me is astonishing, his grace surpassing thought, and his mercy is inconceivable! The mind struggles for suitable emotions–the soul longs for a lofty song, and labors for befitting expressions to tell out her ideas of Jesus.
His tenderness, as manifested in his kind expressions, sweet invitations, and loving promises–endears him to us–and how unspeakably precious he appears! To hear the Father vouch for him, “A bruised reed–he shall not break; and the smoking flax–he shall not quench–he shall feed his flock like a shepherd–he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom,”–this fills us with admiration and pleasure.
To listen to his gracious promises, “I will see you again–I will not leave you comfortless–I will manifest myself to you, I will come and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also”–this fills us with gratitude and humility.
To find him informing us of the Father’s mind and will, to relieve us from cares, and banish our fears, saying, “Fear not, little flock; it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom–whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it you–for this is the will of him that sent me, that every one that discerns the Son, and believes on him, may have eternal life, and I will raise him up again at the last day,”–this consecrates us entirely to him, and leads us to devote ourselves and our all to his praise. But when we behold him confirming his word, removing our sins, bearing our curse, and making reconciliation for our iniquity by his vicarious sufferings and death, love can hold no longer–but cries out,
If I loved my Lord before, I would love him ten times more!
The sympathy of Jesus also renders him precious to the believer. He possesses my nature, and has felt as I feel–his heart has throbbed in unison with mine, he has feared, hungered, thirsted, wearied and suffered in every part of his person, and in every way–therefore he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows the power and influence of temptation upon the mind, and in all our afflictions he is afflicted, and the messengers of his presence surround us.
Not a sigh escapes unnoticed–not a groan is neglected, nor a tear forgotten! He is ever with us, feels for us, and directs everything to work for the good of the soul that sincerely believes on him.
He is always Jesus, the fountain of love, mercy, pity, compassion, and grace. He is ever our kind, tender, and faithful brother, born for adversity, and present when needed to support, comfort or deliver. He says, “Even to hoary hairs I am he–I have borne you, and I will carry you–I will make all your bed in your sickness–I will never leave you, I will never, no never forsake you; but I will deliver you in six troubles, and in seven shall no evil touch you.”
Let this but be received into the mind by faith, and Jesus must be precious! Every name he bears, every office he fills, every relation he sustains, every promise he has given, every doctrine he has taught, every precept he has enforced–rightly viewed–endears him to the spiritual mind, and renders him precious to the soul.
If these lines should be read by any one who has never felt Jesus to be precious–more precious than riches, honors, reputation, health–yes, than life itself, I would say to that person, “You are in a pitiable situation! The god of this world has hitherto blinded your mind–he now leads you captive at his will–you are a stranger to real holiness, gospel peace, and true happiness!”
Jesus is the charm of life, the essence of joy, the spring of everything worthy the name of comfort. An interest in, and fellowship with, a precious Christ, illumines the dark hours of affliction–warms the heart in the cold embraces of death–and perfumes the otherwise scentless grave.
Everything is lacking, where Jesus is not known; and Jesus is not scripturally known, unless he his precious to the soul. My friend, never expect to be happy, or dream of peace, holiness, or heaven–unless Jesus is your all in all!
Lesson Five: Christ is Precious, Part 2
Below is another article by James Smith about how precious Jesus Christ is to believers like you and me. You may want to save it for next week when there is no blog because it is long, but well worth it.
Christ Precious!
by James Smith, 1861
“Unto you therefore who believe — He is precious!” 1 Peter 2:7
FAITH in Christ is all important. It is both the gift of God’s grace — and yet the exercise of man’s heart. It is going to Christ, trusting in Christ, committing the soul to Christ, and relying alone on Christ. Wherever there is faith, there is also unbelief, and these two opposite principles will so contend in the believer’s bosom, that he is at times unable to conclude whether he believes or not. At such times, we should repair to God’s word, and seeking the teaching of the Holy Spirit, search out the proofs of faith therein contained. Many such proofs are scattered through the word, and they are simple and satisfactory; but I want to confine your attention to one, and a very sweet one, “Unto you therefore who believe — He is precious!”
Consider the FACT: Jesus is precious to all believers. He is prized by them, they set a very high value upon him. He is enjoyed by them, yes, there is nothing they enjoy so much. He is an honor to them, and believing on him is an honor to them.
Every believer VALUES Christ. Let others think of him as they may, all who are taught of God, think highly of him. They can never honor him as they wish, or enjoy him to their full satisfaction.
Every believer feels their NEED of him. No weary traveler ever felt his need of rest, no hungry laborer ever felt his need of food, no drowning mariner ever felt his need of a life-boat — as the believer has felt his need of Christ.
They need to be saved — and only Christ can save them.
They need to be happy — and only Jesus can make them happy.
They need his blood to cleanse them from sin, and procure their pardon.
They need his righteousness to clothe their souls, and justify them before God.
They need his Spirit to sanctify their nature, and make them fit for Heaven.
They need his intercession to secure them from evil, and procure for them good things.
They need his fullness of grace to supply all their needs from earth to Heaven.
Every believer discovers the exact SUITABILITY of Christ to them. He is just what they need — He has all that they need.
They are foolish — He has wisdom.
They are unrighteous — and He has righteousness.
They are unholy — and He has holiness.
They are weak — and He has strength.
They are in bondage — and He has redemption.
They are lost — and He has salvation.
In a word, they are led to see that God has stored up everything in Jesus, and that possessing Him — they have all things!
Every Christian believes on Him to the saving of the soul. They trust Him to procure their pardon, peace with God, and everlasting life.
Their heart goes out to Him, they repose confidence in Him, they commit their souls to Him, they build on Him — as God’s foundation; they hide in Him — as the sinner’s refuge; and they trust themselves with Him — as the almighty Savior.
This is faith, and to all who have this faith — Jesus is precious. But He is only precious to believers. Others do not feel their need of him, do not see his adaptation to them, and do not depend on him for pardon, peace with God, and everlasting life.
The apostle gives certain reasons WHY Christ is precious to believers; let us look at:
The REASONS why Christ is precious. God has laid him for a FOUNDATION. He is the one foundation of the church, on which the whole building rests, and from which it derives safety. He is the only foundation of a sinner’s hope. On him we must build for eternity — and on him alone. He is the foundation of every believer’s hope. Only by building on Jesus — will hope spring up in the soul, cheering and comforting the heart.
He is the CHOSEN of God. Chosen to be the Savior. Chosen to be the center of attraction, the source of supply, and the author of eternal salvation — unto all those who obey him. He was chosen to be the storehouse of blessings, out of which all who believe in his name shall be supplied. “For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell.”
He is the CORNERSTONE. That which unites all believers together as one living temple, and keeps them together to be a habitation of God through the Spirit. The union, the strength, and the beauty of God’s church, arises from Christ being the cornerstone. He unites all the parts together, and the whole church to God. He preserves all who believe on him from apostasy, shame, and danger. “He who believes on him shall not be confounded.” Every believer shall be bold in the judgment, confident in God, and safe — let whatever will come on the earth. Now, as God’s foundation of our hope; as God’s elect, or chosen one; as the glorious uniting cornerstone of the whole church; and as the Savior from confusion, shame, and danger — He is precious to every believer.
These are some SEASONS in which Christ is especially precious:
Christ is especially precious when the soul is first converted. When it emerges from darkness to light. When it sees Jesus as the only and all-sufficient Savior. When venturing on him — it enjoys peace, liberty, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It sees that all flows from Jesus, and deeply feels its obligation to Jesus. But for Jesus, all it could look for would be condemnation, death, and Hell! Through Jesus it enjoys justification, eternal life, and a good hope of Heaven. O how precious does this render the Savior!
Christ is especially precious to believers — when the emptiness of the world is discovered. The soul having tried the world, has found it . . . false and fickle, an empty cistern, a dry well, a cloud without water, only vanity and vexation of spirit!
The Christian has experienced that . . . the world’s pleasures — end in pain, its honors — end in disgrace, and its wealth — ends in absolute poverty.
Now turning from the world, to Jesus — it finds . . . solid happiness, substantial pleasure, full supplies.
It obtains . . . a deep and lasting peace which passes all understanding, unsearchable riches in Christ, and honors which will never pass away.
O how precious is Jesus, when this world appears to be a valley of tears! Almost everything earthly is at times calculated to . . . cause sorrow, fill us with sadness, and draw forth tears.
Losses, crosses, disappointments, and bereavements — all conspire to make us sad. Earth is to us a Valley of Achor — the place of trouble and sorrow.
Now turning to Jesus, we find a friend who loves at all times, and a brother born for adversity.
He makes up for every loss, He sanctifies every disappointment, and He fills for us every relation.
His presence is . . . like a flowing spring — in a dreary desert, like a cheering fire — on a piercing winter’s night, and like a happy home — to the exhausted traveler.
O how precious is Jesus now!
Christ is especially precious at the throne of grace. What could we do without Jesus there? What could we plead? Realizing this, and perceiving the infinite worth and worthiness of Jesus, and his glorious sacrifice, and believing that he stands between us and his Father’s justice, how precious Jesus is! We dare not go to the throne without him, nor expect the least blessing but through him, and for his sake; but with him, and through him, we may expect the greatest, the richest, the best blessings, which God can bestow!
Christ is especially precious in seasons of sickness. When shut out from the world, and obliged to be much alone. When exercised with strong pain, or extreme weakness. Then, to lie on the sick pillow and meditate on . . . what he is, what he has done, what he is doing, and what he has promised to do — is indeed sweet.
One promise dropped by him into the heart, will raise us above pain and fear, and fill us with patience, fortitude, and courage.
Christ is especially precious when Satan comes to harass us, and reflections on the sins and infirmities of our past lives, are calculated to deject and cast us down.
Christ is especially precious in the hour of death. However much we may need Christ in life — we shall need him more in death. He is the only antidote of death. He alone can give us victory over it. He alone can make us triumph in it.
How precious have multitudes found Jesus to be in the dying hour! They have been able to defy its power, smile at its pains, and court its final stroke! Through him they have cried, and cried in tones of triumph, “O death, where is your sting! O grave, where is your victory!” Yes, when earth appears to be receding, and eternity drawing very near to us. When every earthly prop gives way. When clear light shows us that our very best works are but splendid sins. O how precious is Jesus then!
His blood and obedience, his word and his grace, his faithfulness and sympathy, are unutterably precious!
Beloved, do you have this faith, which, renders Christ so precious? If so, admire the sovereign and distinguishing grace of God, which has conferred so great a blessing upon you — for not all are given saving faith.
Honor the Holy Spirit, by whose operation this faith was produced in you.
Realize the importance of this faith, which renders Christ so precious.
It is the eye — which sees the beauty of Christ.
It is the foot — which travels to Christ.
It is the hand — which lays hold of Christ.
It is the mouth — which tastes the sweetness of Christ.
It is the inward principle — which clings and cleaves to Christ.
Avoid therefore whatever weakens faith, or interrupts its exercise; and prize whatever strengthens it, and makes it vigorous!
If you do not have this faith, or if you doubt whether you have or not — cry mightily to God, to send the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of faith to produce, or increase it, in you.
If you do not have high and honorable thoughts of Christ, if you do not prize him as the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely, if you do not depend entirely on his precious blood and finished work, for your salvation — whatever ‘faith’ you may have — is not that faith which distinguishes God’s elect, which is of the operation of God, and to which the promise of salvation is made. Look well to it, therefore, that you have this faith, that you believe on the Son of God, that you believe that Jesus is the Christ, and trust in him, and love him accordingly, for, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God.”
Adventures in Christianity 