Category: Spiritual

Every believer should have a deep longing for celebration in God’s presence. Due to COVID-19 protocol of social-distancing, we have experienced time away from God’s house like the psalmist. Psalm 84 is a prayer in which the psalmist longed to be in the house of God and especially to be in the presence of the living God. 

The psalmist began by addressing God as “Lord of hosts,” acknowledging that He was sovereign over all powers in the universe.  He emphatically expressed that God’s dwelling place (plural in KJV) was lovely – “How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts” (v.1)! Even though they were made by the hands of man, they belonged to God. The psalmist declared, “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord” (v.2a). He was saying that he had an intense longing for God. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). He was homesick and longed for the courts of the Lord so much so that he fainted. He wanted God more than anything else in his life. The psalmist went on to say “…my heart and my flesh cries out for the living God” (v.2b). With his whole being he cried out for the living God; he missed worshipping and communing with Him. Just as the hart depends upon water to quench his physical thirst, the believer depends upon God to quench his spiritual thirst for everlasting life. “Even the sparrow has found a home , and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God (v.3). Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You. Selah” (v.4).

If by instinct and nature, the sparrow and the swallow can find their way to dwell in the courts of God, what about us? The psalmist declared that those who dwell in the house of God are “blessed,” literally happy, and are always praising Him. Like the psalmist there in the presence of God, we can celebrate the living God away from outside distractions of the world. Give God glory!   

Amos 5:1-6a

In this chapter Amos began his message of prophesy with the command from God for the house of Israel to “hear this word which I take up against you” (v.1). This message was a lamentation – “a song or hymn usually composed for funerals or fallen leaders, but often used sarcastically by the OT prophets to lament or to ironically predict the death of a nation” (see note Ezekiel 19:1, NIV). Here the prophet mourned the coming destruction God had brought against His chosen people. They disobeyed Him and fell prey to sin. Amos exposed how wealthy Israelites had become corrupt and oppressed the poor (chap. 2). They refused to repent and turn back to God after repeated warnings and calls. They loved the form of religious rituals but not God’s goodness, mercy, kindness, justice, and etc. When we stubbornly reject God and His grace, it will eventually result in His wrath.

He personified Israel as “the virgin of Israel,” who has fallen and won’t rise again. She has been forsaken in her land by the false gods in which she trusted. They cannot hold us up; they always fail. Israel doesn’t have any help to raise her up (v.2); she’s left alone because God brought judgment on all her neighbors. False gods are lifeless and couldn’t save Israel. The Lord said that 90 percent of Israel   would be destroyed. Their neighbors couldn’t save them; their false gods could save them, and neither will they save us.

The Lord commanded Israel to seek Him (v.4) not Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba. These had become their centers of idolatry and would certainly go into exile (v.5). He said to “seek the Lord, and you will live” (v.6a). What a gracious invitation to avoid destruction! God commanded His people to love Him unconditionally then and now. He told His covenant people at Mt. Sinai that He was a jealous God; therefore, for the sake of our souls, we must believe Him. Will you seek the Lord today and live?

1 Samuel 16:14-23, CEV

First Samuel 16:14 begins with Saul being in a very serious condition – “The Spirit of the Lord had left him, and an evil spirit from the Lord was terrifying him.” Saul was in trouble, and so are we when God withdraws His sweet Spirit, His hedge of protection from us. Those serving Saul in an official capacity told him that an evil spirit from God was frightening him (v. 15). They requested that their Majesty let them go and look for someone who was good at playing the harp. He could play for him whenever the evil spirit from God bothered him, and he’d feel better (v.16). Saul was so tormented by the evil spirit from God that he readily accepted the advice of those officials. He told them to “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me” (v.17, NKJV). One of Saul’s officials highly recommended David, a son of Jesse who lived in Bethlehem. He could play the harp, was a brave warrior, good-looking, could speak well, and the Lord was with him (V.18). All of these attributes are useful for various reasons, but “…the Lord was with him” is most important. In order to do the work of God, we must have surrendered ourselves to “walk worthy of the vocation to which we have been called.”  

Saul sent a message to Jesse: “Tell your son David to leave your sheep and come here to me” (v.19). Jesse readily complied with the king’s order, and sent David to Saul with a gift. Recall that David had already been anointed king of Israel without Saul’s knowledge. Scripture declares that whosoever God blesses, no man can curse. David became a part of Saul’s court and found favor with him, who made David his armor bearer. Shortly afterward, Saul sent another message to Jesse, expressing his favor in David and requested that Jesse let David stay with him. Whenever the evil spirit from God bothered Saul, David played the harp for him. This relaxed Saul and made him feel better, and the evil spirit would go away. Music can stir us to worship, and it can calm us when we are distressed and troubled. Take time today and listen to or belt out one of your favorite hymns or songs. Close your eyes and receive the blessed effect it has on you.

When the Israelite exiles heard the commanding invitation for everyone who was thirsty to come to the waters, and those who were broke to come, buy and eat, I can imagine that they were all ears. Wow, there is no charge for wine or milk (v.1)! How awesome is it to get such an invitation?

“First and most importantly seek His kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33a, AMP). We are to set our mind and keep focused habitually on heavenly things, not on the earthly things (Colossians 3:2, paraphrased). These exiles were experiencing the consequences of disobedience and separation from God as the result. Here the prophet offered the blessed assurance of a rich, everlasting life of restoration. The offer is to those only who are hungry and thirsty for all the nourishment God has prepared for them and will repent and obey Him.

Through verses 3-4 Isaiah wanted these exiles to know that the God of David was still their God because he had been promised a steadfast covenant of love that endures forever. In verse 3 the prophet told the exiles that God’s message to them was to listen attentively and come to Him. He told them to hear, and their soul will live; and He will make an everlasting covenant with them – the sure mercies of David. It’s important that we listen attentively to what God has to say; His word is of value and has life-saving benefits. His promise of an everlasting covenant with David would manifest through Jesus Christ. He continued in verse 4 to acknowledge that God gave David as a witness, a leader, and commander for the people. The gracious invitation to abundant life for the thirsty was and is for all people. Verse 5 prophesied of Christ, who the Holy One of Israel has given and glorified not only for the restoration of the Israelite exiles but for the redemption of believing Gentiles. Christ will call nations, and they will run to him in response because the Holy One of Israel will have stirred their hearts. Come accept the free gift of mercy.

Isaiah 55:1-2, NKJV

Isaiah 55:1 begins with Isaiah shouting “Ho,” a startling cry to get the people’s attention. God graciously extends a worldwide invitation to everyone who is thirsty to “come to the waters,” and those who don’t have money, come, buy and eat.
Come; buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Even though this invitation is worldwide, only those who are thirsty can come. This thirst is not physical; it is spiritual. Our soul must have a longing for spiritual refreshment, which is a free gift of eternal life from God through faith in Christ Jesus. “Come to the waters” is a symbolic invitation for thirsty souls to come to Jesus and drink of the water he gives, and the promise is that we will never again be thirsty. The water that Jesus gives will be in him who drinks a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life (John 4:14, paraphrased). We are invited to “come, buy and eat; yes, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” You see, in the spiritual realm we don’t need money to buy anything. Through faith in Christ Jesus, we have access to all the spiritual blessings, with which God our Father has blessed us in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3, paraphrased). 

The prophet poses two questions in v.2 – Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and why do you spend money for what does not satisfy? The money you earn is spent for things of this world that are not bread. Even the bread (food) we eat, which is a necessity for physical nourishment, “goes into the belly and is cast out into the draught” (Matthew 15:17b). Far too often, we focus more time on material gain than spiritual gain. That’s why we can’t get “no” satisfaction. Material things are not only costly, but they are temporal and don’t give us satisfaction. There’s no harm in having material wealth as long as we don’t misuse it and put it before the only true and living God. Remember that He gives us power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). Instead of buying and accumulating things that can’t satisfy us, the prophet tells us, “listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance” (v.2). The table is spread with all of God’s spiritual blessings in heavenly places; come and join the feast. “The meek will eat and be satisfied” (Psalm 22:26a). Are you thirsty? If so, accept God’s gracious invitation to abundant life today.