Good morning,
When we become complacent or
lazy we fail to grow. Someone said that a good acronym for G. O. D. is
Grow Or Die. And we all know that we must be consistent on our journey
of faith or we will die spiritually, and be found hanging on the vine
instead of abiding. Most of us have found ourselves in a spiritual rut
when we are not running toward the God-goal, regardless of all of the
things that are thrown at us. David found himself in a spiritual slump
and it led to sin in his life. He wasn't as sharp as he needed to be nor
as passionate as he once was for God, which caused him to follow the
course of his flesh and an unrenewed mind. Psalm 51:1-9; "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have
crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity." David's
lapse in being passionate about God led him to commit adultery with
Bathsheba and murder her husband. I like this whole account, because we
read where God said that David was a man after His own heart, who will
fulfill My will. (Acts 13:22) It
surely wasn't the adultery and the murder that made David a man after
God's own heart. We know that God knows all things, so it was no
surprise to see what was in David's heart. We can see that David
remained humble at all times, which shows that David was easy to repent
and remained teachable. He didn't harden his heart when Nathan the
prophet came and let him know that God knew his sin and that there
would be consequences for his choices. His heart was always pliable to
god and His Word. That is why he said, "You are right in your verdict and justified when You judge." Most of us would be mad at God for passing any verdict on us even when
we know we have done wrong. Remember what God said about the humble man;
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (James 4:10) " …That
is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but
gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to
receive it)." (James 4:6) David was humble enough to receive God's grace at all times.
lazy we fail to grow. Someone said that a good acronym for G. O. D. is
Grow Or Die. And we all know that we must be consistent on our journey
of faith or we will die spiritually, and be found hanging on the vine
instead of abiding. Most of us have found ourselves in a spiritual rut
when we are not running toward the God-goal, regardless of all of the
things that are thrown at us. David found himself in a spiritual slump
and it led to sin in his life. He wasn't as sharp as he needed to be nor
as passionate as he once was for God, which caused him to follow the
course of his flesh and an unrenewed mind. Psalm 51:1-9; "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have
crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity." David's
lapse in being passionate about God led him to commit adultery with
Bathsheba and murder her husband. I like this whole account, because we
read where God said that David was a man after His own heart, who will
fulfill My will. (Acts 13:22) It
surely wasn't the adultery and the murder that made David a man after
God's own heart. We know that God knows all things, so it was no
surprise to see what was in David's heart. We can see that David
remained humble at all times, which shows that David was easy to repent
and remained teachable. He didn't harden his heart when Nathan the
prophet came and let him know that God knew his sin and that there
would be consequences for his choices. His heart was always pliable to
god and His Word. That is why he said, "You are right in your verdict and justified when You judge." Most of us would be mad at God for passing any verdict on us even when
we know we have done wrong. Remember what God said about the humble man;
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (James 4:10) " …That
is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but
gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to
receive it)." (James 4:6) David was humble enough to receive God's grace at all times.
Once David repented, he was back chasing after God. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. (Ps. 51:10-11) Right means to be firm, stable, to be established; to be securely determined; to be steadfast and settled. David
knew that he needed to be stable and determined in his pursuit of more
of God, he didn't want to go back to the place of sin. We don't have to
drift so far off and away into the sin of adultery or murder, but when
we are no longer on fire for God as we were when we first accepted Him
as our Lord and Savior, or when we are not keeping His Word making it
first place in our lives, then we have committed sins too. You know,
a little leaven leavens the whole lump, we must keep our relationship with God pure. Let's read more; "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then I will teach transgressors thy
ways; and sinners shall be converted to thee." (Ps. 51:12-13) Restore
is to return; to turn back; to come back; to refresh; to repair; to
give back something that was lost or stolen; to renew. David asked for restoration of his love walk with God. Joy
of salvation; joy is gladness; exultation rejoicing; pleasurable
feelings caused by well-being, success, or good fortune; to delight in
our salvation [which is our deliverance,
rescue, our safety, our welfare, our victory, our prosperity]. In order to restore the joy of our salvation we must do the works that we did at the first, before we got to a spiritual lull. "But
I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left
(abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your
first love]. Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent [change the inner man to meet God's will] and do the works you did
previously (when first you knew the Lord) or else I will visit you and
remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and
repent." (Rev. 2:4-5) So, let's remember and recall to our mind and keep growing in our joy of our salvation! Let's do it again.
knew that he needed to be stable and determined in his pursuit of more
of God, he didn't want to go back to the place of sin. We don't have to
drift so far off and away into the sin of adultery or murder, but when
we are no longer on fire for God as we were when we first accepted Him
as our Lord and Savior, or when we are not keeping His Word making it
first place in our lives, then we have committed sins too. You know,
a little leaven leavens the whole lump, we must keep our relationship with God pure. Let's read more; "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then I will teach transgressors thy
ways; and sinners shall be converted to thee." (Ps. 51:12-13) Restore
is to return; to turn back; to come back; to refresh; to repair; to
give back something that was lost or stolen; to renew. David asked for restoration of his love walk with God. Joy
of salvation; joy is gladness; exultation rejoicing; pleasurable
feelings caused by well-being, success, or good fortune; to delight in
our salvation [which is our deliverance,
rescue, our safety, our welfare, our victory, our prosperity]. In order to restore the joy of our salvation we must do the works that we did at the first, before we got to a spiritual lull. "But
I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left
(abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your
first love]. Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent [change the inner man to meet God's will] and do the works you did
previously (when first you knew the Lord) or else I will visit you and
remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and
repent." (Rev. 2:4-5) So, let's remember and recall to our mind and keep growing in our joy of our salvation! Let's do it again.
Love,
Pastor D.
Daughters of Z 