–Louis L’Amour  (The Shadow Riders)

       “I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.  I hate all crooked dealings; I will have nothing to do with them.  I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.”

                         –Psalm 101:3-4 (NLT)
———————————–
Integrity–where has it gone?!!  Ethics is all relative, gone are the virtues, values that come from God’s Word.  What are you going about it in your own life?  It starts with each one of us.  Do we go along with the crowd?  Do we accept woke and progressive ethics and values?  No!  The need is for personal holiness and integrity.  “Believers must be different if they are to make a difference.” (Steven Lawson)  Psalm 101 is a psalm of commitment.

          1 — I will sing of mercy and justice; to You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
          2 — I will behave wisely in a perfect way.  Oh, when will You come to me?  I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
          3 — I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.
          4 — A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.
          5 — Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.
          6 — My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
          7 — He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
          8 — Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.  (NKJV)

Before we can come to the aid of others we must first be willing to live the life ourselves.  Before we can judge others we must first judge ourselves.
       George Wood once said, “When you live rightly, you have inner freedom.”  We don’t often have the right view of freedom.  It is to do what we want to do, it is to do what we ought to do.  Notice the “I will” of the psalm.  There is purpose, there is commitment, there is dedication to doing what is right.  God’s truth must be fully integrated into every area of life.  Remember when I wrote quoting Francis Schaeffer, “True spirituality covers all reality”?  
       Faithful we are to be to God and His Word.  We are to have nothing to do with wickedness, we are to keep our heart and determine that we will be faithful.  The unfaithfulness and wickedness of others must not pull us down.  Our hearts are to be pure, not perverse like those of the world.  Evil is destructive, not only to society but to the individual soul.
       As we read the last three verses we must keep in mind that David was the king.  He had to make hard decisions, decisions that would affect others.  But in a manner, each of us is a king, we are kings and priests of the Lord.  We must make decisions in light of who we are in Him.  Who is it that influences your life?  Who is it that you allow to sit at your table?  Who is it that would attempt to bring evil and wickedness into your home?  We must have a sensitive heart to discern those things that would harm us, those things that would hurt our fellowship with the Lord.  David says that “early” or “every morning” or “my daily task” will be to silence the wicked.  No, it may not be a person, but it may the influence of a person, or a thought, or a temptation.
       Be a person of integrity; one who totally integrates all of one’s life into a consistent whole.  That whole being must be a life dedicated to our Lord.  The Word of God will be integrated into every aspect of our lives.  Dedicate yourself, like David, to a total commitment of life; to an honest, holy way.

               “Sing, pray, and swerve not from His ways,
               But do thine own part faithfully;
               Trust His rich promises of grace,
               So shall they be fulfilled in thee;
               God never yet forsook a need
               The soul that trusted Him indeed.”
                         –Georg Neumark

                         –Luke 1:79 (NKJV)
————————————–
What is it that makes a campfire so comforting?  Perhaps in cold weather it’s the warmth, but mostly it is the light that is produced.  We are drawn to it, no matter the distance.  At night, on a hillside, a fire is easy to see.  Of course, in the camp our eyes have trouble not gazing into it.
       If you have ever watched Rawhide on television, you may have noticed that on the end of the wagon is a lantern.  It was kept lit at night helping the night guards find the camp, especially in inclement weather.  It was there for safety, to draw attention, and as a beacon.  Remember, in the wilderness the children of Israel had the pillar of fire at night.  It not only gave comfort and safety, but the people could recognize that God was there with them.  One of the major symbols of the Holy Spirit is that of fire–a light to guide our way, heat to warm our souls, comfort to assure us of His presence.
       Red Steagall wrote a very good poem regarding the “Lantern on the Wagon.”  How it is a welcome sight to help guide back to camp.  But think of it as the light of the Holy Spirit guiding us to the camp of God.  The first part of the poem, tells of the storm, the trouble, and how the cowboy saw the lantern, but I want to focus on the last two stanzas:

               “Your life has no direction when you think you’ve lost your way
               I had a friend who helped me, all I had to do was pray
               He’s the one whose love is constant you don’t have to ride alone
               All you need to do is ask him and he’ll lead you safely home.

               Like the lantern on the wagon He will lead thru the storm
               A beacon shining brightly when your lost and all alone
               As you wonder thru the darkness He’s a warm and friendly sight
               His light of love will lead you safely thru the darkest night
               Yes His light of love will lead you safely thru the darkest night.”

The light, the fire–they comfort us, they help us find our way.  The Psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (119:105, NKJV)  When we have the light of God’s holy Word and we combine it with the fire of the Holy Spirit we will surely not lose our way.
       I doubt that I will ever lay in front of a campfire again.  Oh, we might make one in the backyard when the weather cools some, but I do have the memories of many camps along the way.  Some are pleasant, others not so.  I can remember one night camping in Texas of a fire in the springtime.  It was cold that night and I had to keep turning as I tried to sleep.  I would roast on one side, while the other felt like it was in an icebox.  After a few minutes, I would roll over, defrost the cold side and begin to fry the other.  But through it all, I knew I would survive; I would be kept safe and the warmth of the fire comforted me.  Imagine what it would have been like without that campfire?
       The words of an old song have been going through my mind this week.  I tried to find the composer, but all I could come up with was one person’s name who I know didn’t compose the words, as they are older than he is.  I remember my Aunt had a record by Red Foley and this song was on it.  Let me close with the chorus:

               “There’s a light guiding me, I can see Heaven’s glory,
               And it holds me steadfast to His way and His love.
               It’s guiding me through temptations and evil.
               There’s a light guiding me to that Heaven above.”

                    –John 3:19 (NKJV)
————————————–
I was sitting by the window looking out at the woods doing my devotions last Sunday morning when out of the blue came the chorus of an old song; it must have been a hundred years ago since I heard it last.  Well, really not out of the blue, more from the grey matter in my head, and perhaps not a hundred years ago, but plenty of years.  Why it happened, I don’t know, just one of those special things that the Holy Spirit throws my way once in a while.

                    “In that city where the Lamb is the light,
                    The city where there cometh no night;
                    I’ve a mansion over there,
                    And when free from toil and care,
                    I am going where the Lamb is the light.”
                              –Herbert Buffum

This is another one of those grand mysteries.  The city where the Lamb is the light.  John writes in Revelation, “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.” (21:23, NKJV).  There are several Scriptures in the Holy Writ that indicate that Jesus is the Light–the Light of the world, the Light of heaven, the Light of that city.

          “There’s a country far beyond the starry sky,
          There’s a city where there never comes a night;
          If we’re faithful we shall go there by and by,
          ‘Tis the city where the Lamb is the light.”

But how do we get to that city?  How can we find our way?  Jesus gives us directions, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'” (John 8:12)  We have the light if we look for Him.  He will guide us through the darkest nights here on earth.  He will help us see in the caves of our depression and guilt,   If you open your eyes, and see the Light.
       Many people are afraid of the dark, especially young children.  They need/want a light on to help calm their fears and anxieties.  Sin has also brought upon this earth darkness, and people fear because of that darkness.  The darkness of evil pervades, but there is a Light.  “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16, NKJV)

          “Here we have our disappointments all the while,
          And our fondest hopes but meet with bitter blight;
          Tho’ by night we weep, the morning brings a smile,
          In that city where the Lamb is the light.”

Sometimes the gloom sets in, and we have trouble finding our way.  Sometimes we look around and cannot see where we are going.  That’s why the Light came–to show us the way.  The sad thing is that many do not see the light, nor do they even bother looking for the light.  They would rather grope and stumble along.  The Light may be right in front of them, but they have been in the dark too long.  “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
(John 1:3-4, NKJV)

          “Then let the sunlight fade, let twilight bring its gloom,
          Not a shadow can my blissful soul affright;
          For I know that up in heaven there is room,
          In that city where the Lamb is the light.”

We walk through this world, not in darkness but in Light.  As in the Old Testament, we know that God’s Word is a “lamp to our feet, and a light to our path” (Psalm 119:105, NKJV) and that God, Himself, is our “Light and our salvation” (Psalm 27:1, NKJV)  Only when we are in darkness is there reason to stumble.  Only when we allow the dark clouds to lower and hinder our walk do we falter.  Remember, as Paul writes, “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5, NKJV).  So here’s a little homework assignment.  I didn’t use all the verses to Buffum’s hymn, look them up.  Also, try doing a little study that refers to God as the Light.

                    –1 Corinthians 2:9 (Living Bible)
———————————-
               “I know not why God’s wondrous grace
               To me He hath made known,
               Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
               Redeemed me for His own.”
                        –Daniel W. Whittle

It’s a mystery for sure.  Now, I can grasp the idea of sin–crime, wrongdoing–needs to be judged and punished.  I also can see that God in His love wanted to save man, yet His holiness, justice, and wrath demanded that there be justice and punishment.  Because of that, He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to become the perfect sacrifice to pay for the sins of man–to be the substitute.  I see that, but I don’t understand it all.  It is a mystery to me.
       There is so much that is hidden from us, one reason being that we couldn’t understand it.  Alistair Begg said, “The providences of God are seldom self-interpreting.  We have to learn to say, ‘I do not know, but I do know that God knows.'”  Mysteries are the things of the supernatural.  At times we are given glimpses into the great unknown of the spirit world, and more and more we are seeing some of the mysteries of providence unfold, but not yet, not completely.
       Paul wrote to Timothy regarding the mystery, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:  God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16, NKJV)  He also wrote to the Corinthians that “now we see in a mirror dimly…” (1 Corinthians 13:12, NKJV)  John writes, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2, NKJV)  One day–but not now.  The mystery is still there.
       Think of the prophets of the Old Testament.  They saw only a glimpse.  Even the pseudo-prophet Balaam saw Him is a mystery, “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel…” (Numbers 24:17, NKJV)  Job declared, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth.” (Job 19:25, NKJV)
       We are given only a glimpse of the mysteries of the spirit realm.  There is a rapture that will take place–explain it completely to me,  We use terms, such as we’ll be given a new body, body… what does that mean?   How can the dead be raised from the dead?  Sure in the power of the Holy Spirit, but it cannot be explained in human terms.  How can we understand the mystery of those operations of hidden forces that “either retard or accelerate the Kingdom of Heaven”? (Vine)  Explain to me “grace.”  I know what it is, but I want it explained.  And we dare not venture into the mystery of God, Himself.  Tell me, as Whittle wrote, why God revealed His wondrous grace to me?
       Yes, one day soon, the mystery will be uncovered.  One day soon, I shall see Him as He is.  One day soon, the mystery will be revealed–but not now.  In the meantime, until I see Him face to face I will trust in Him.  Then the mystery of His grace, they mystery of salvation, the mystery of the spirit world will be revealed:  
   
               “But ‘I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able
               To keep that which I’ve committed
               Unto Him against that day.'”
                        –Daniel W. Whittle