“On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old.”
                   –Amos 9:11 (NKJV)
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I was reading over the weekend an article by Greg A. Lane which caught my attention.  Ponder the following verses for a few moments:  “Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” (Psalm 113:5-6, NKJV)  Don’t leave that verse yet, read it one more time.  Far too often we think of God as just a mighty man, a super superman, but that cannot even compare to His power.  Lane brought to my attention the fact that when God deals with us puny, finite men, that He has to temper His strength.  
     Now think, when we pray “Lord, touch me,” we don’t realize what we are saying.  If He did not temper His touch He would crush us with it.  Or when we sing and pray, “Lord, breathe on me,” we forget that it was the breath of God that parted the Red Sea.  Imagine what that would do to us.  I have said this often before, do we realize what we are saying when we sing, “Lord, show us Your glory,” but if He did we would all die.  How about the miracle of the feeding of the 5000?  This was done from five loaves and two fish.  Perhaps we should be careful when we say we want the Lord to embrace us–oh, my, what would happen to us, this world if He did not temper His power?  (Greg A. Lane)
     One of God’s attributes is that He is omnipotent–all powerful.  Omnipotence means, “all powerful; able in every way and for every work.”  He has unlimited ability.  Stephen Charnock wrote, “The power of God is that ability and strength whereby He can bring to pass whatsoever He pleases, whatsoever His infinite wisdom may direct, and whatsoever the infinite purity of His will may resolve.”  In Psalm 62:11, we read, “God has spoken once, twice I have heard this:  that power belongs to God.” (NKJV)  God can do all and perform all that He resolves to be good.  Charnock continues, “Without power His mercy would be but feeble pity, His promises an empty sound, His threatenings a mere scarecrow.  God’s power is like Himself:  infinite, eternal, incomprehensible; it can neither be checked, restrained, nor frustrated by the creature.”
     Now, don’t go getting foolish on me and use the notions that I heard back in philosophy and psychology classes.  “Can God make a rock that He cannot lift?”  Sheer stupidity.  God will not, cannot do anything that is against His holy character.  He has nothing to prove, therefore He “cannot make a square circle, for the notion of a square circle is self-contradictory, nor can He cease to be God.  But all that He wills and promises He can and will do.”  (J.I. Packer)
     From whence does He get His power?  God.  His power is not acquired, nor does it depend upon any recognition by any other authority.  It belongs to Him, inherently.  In fact, one of His names is power.  All three of the synoptic gospel writers speak of the Son of man sitting on the “right hand of power.”  “God’s power is like Himself, self-existent, self-sustained…  He is Himself the great central source and Originator of all power.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)  He is under the control of no other power and there is no power that can direct Him, manipulate Him, or command Him.  This should give us great comfort.  “Seeing that He is clothed with omnipotence, no prayer is too hard for Him to answer, no need too great for Him to supply, no passion too strong for Him to subdue; no temptation too powerful for Him to deliver from, no misery too deep for Him to relieve.”  (Arthur W. Pink)
     His presence then gives stability.  “I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” (Psalm 16:8, NKJV)  The world around us, the culture in which we live, may change but God remains constant.  When we are weak and insecure, God is there.  When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with us (Psalm 23:4)  Because He is God–He is power–we have protection in times of crisis and difficulty.  His power is an encouragement to prayer; His power encourages courage within us.  “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NKJV)  Remember, as you journey through this life in this evil world that God is there–God is the power.  “For there is power, power, wonder working power…”  (L.E. Jones)

                    –Louis L’Amour  (To Tame a Land)

       “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!”

                    –Jeremiah 8:20(NKJV)
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Grace is so much more than we can imagine.  It is “wonderful” going back to the literal meaning of that word–awesome, beyond understanding, mysterious and unique.  Grace is more than salvation; it is more than imputed righteousness.  The old theologian, J.C. Ryles says that, “Grace is stronger than circumstances.”  Psalm 116, gives us an idea of the grace that God bestows upon us.

          1 — I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.
          2 — Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
          3 — The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow.
          4 — Then I called upon the name of the LORD:  “O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
          5 — Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful.
          6 — The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.
          7 — Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
          8 — For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
          9 — I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.  (NKJV)

     I enjoy the story told by George O. Wood.  He spoke of a little girl who asked her Sunday School teacher why Jesus first told His disciple to “watch and pray,” but the last time He told them to “sleep on, and take your rest.”  The teacher did not respond, trying to come up with some wise answer for the child.  The little girl spoke again, “I think I know.  It was because Jesus had seen the face of His Father and He didn’t need their help anymore.”
     Remember the words of Jesus when He spoke, “for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NKJV).  We can do nothing without Him.  Now this is mostly regarding spiritual, eternal things, but think again.  Without Him we could not breathe, or walk, or think, for He is the sustainer.  Yes, it is His grace that sustains us.  I am reminded of the song by Mylon Lefevre,

               “Without Him, I could do nothing; Without Him, I’d surely fail;
               Without Him, I would be drifting, like a ship without a sail…
               Without Him, I would be dying; Without Him, I’d be enslaved;
                Without Him, life would be hopeless but with Jesus, thank God, I’m saved.”

     This is the central theme of Psalm 116–the all sufficient grace of God.  This helps us in our weakness, and oh, we are weak, no doubt about it.  Even when we think we are strong in reality, compared to Christ, we are weak.  God hears our prayers, He sees our needs, and He provides grace when and where and how much is needed.  We need to be like the Psalmist, “I will pray as long as I have breath!”. (vs 2, NLT)
     If you have ever done much fishing, you have probably encountered and fouled up line, all tangled and knotted.  This is the picture of verse 3, the NIV states, “The cords of death entangled me…”  Sometimes we get so tangled up in our problems that there seems to be no solution, frustration sets in and like the angered fisherman we want to simply cut the line and start over.  Ah, but then the grace of God is there.  He sees the problem and begins to work.  At times it may be instantaneous, a miracle so to speak; at other times He works by untangling and untying the knots one at a time.  Death may even have been the culprit, but God in His mercy and grace took charge.
     Look at the rest of this portion of the Psalm.  The Lord is gracious to His own and will do what is right.  His compassion is there, and the NLT renders it, “How kind the LORD is!  How good he is!  So merciful, this God of ours!” (vs 5)  He guards our steps, and saves us in our need.  Because He is there, and we can trust Him, we can be at rest.  Because of the Lord’s goodness we can rest in peace and security.  He rescues us when He sees that we are on a slippery slope or a rocky course.  Now, what is the result?  What are we to do?  We are to walk in His presence with uprightness.  The Psalmist purposes that he will walk before the Lord; that means in obedience, a life that would honor God.

               “I love the Lord; he bowed his ear,
               And chased my grief away!
               O let my heart no more despair,
               While I have breath to pray.”
                        –Isaac Watts

                         –Matthew 12:35(NKJV)
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               “This ain’t the same old range,
               Everything seems to change.”
                         –Bob Nolan

I had several thoughts stringing through my mind this morning.  Perhaps I should I wrote the Eddy Arnold song, “Did it rain, did it rain, at your house last night?”….  My mercy, we have had the rain.  Someone said we’ve had sixteen inches since Sunday.  Glad we’re on high ground, but we did spend several hours without electricity.  Thought I was going to have to get out the cookstove.  That is another topic–we are very dependent upon electricity.  Everything in our home is electric and when the phone goes dead…  Well, you see what I mean?
     Sure is a lot of nonsense going on at some of the universities.  The right to protest, hmmm, I don’t read that in the Constitution.  I do see the right of a peaceful assembly, and of freedom of speech.  These things are good to an extent, but as we saw a few years back, it does not give the right to harm others or their property.  It is does not give a person the right to break the law.  
     Then there is the issue of the forgiveness of student debts.  Why?  And I’ll say it again, why?  A debt is a debt and it should be repaid.  Who is going to pay for this debt?  Ha, you and I, the good old American taxpayer.  Jesus speaks in Luke 14 regarding “counting the cost.”  He uses it for building and war, but it can be taken to all areas of life.  Count the cost for any endeavor.  Far too many people live in a world of fantasy and illusion.  A college degree doesn’t prove you can do the job.  That comes from character and reneging on a loan/debt is bad character.  We see in Romans that we are to pay what we owe.  To paraphrase, taxes to whom taxes are due, loans to whom loans are due.  (13:7)  To continue on in verse 8, “Owe no one anything except to love one another…”.
     Now, how does one go about paying off a debt?  Work!  We live in a “give me” society.  A woke culture that thinks everything is owed to them.  Reparations for things that happened over a century ago.  Murmuring over life, and the lack of work skills.  I like what Mike Rowe said, “We’re churning out a generation of poorly educated people with no skill, no ambition, no guidance, and no realistic expectations of what it means to go to work.”  Those students protesting against Israel don’t have a clue.  In fact, they are more mindful of the “rebel rousers” that the socialists used to send into the workforce.  Paid to infiltrate then stir up problems.
     We are living in times that some may see as similar to those in the past, but in reality they are more sinister.  They are not just chipping away at the moral fabric of our nation, they are wanting to take a jack hammer to it.  Listen, you’d better heed the words that Paul wrote to Titus, [Be a] “lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, but sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.  For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers…”. (Titus 1:8-10, NKJV)
     I want also to mention one more thing regarding Isaac.  He is mentioned in the 11th chapter of Hebrews.  “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.” (11:20, NKJV).  Isaac was the child of promise.  We know he was a godly man, but as with most of us, he had faults.  God seeks a man who is steady, reliable, and persevering.  Not everyone is called to be an “Abraham” or “Moses.”  Some simply could not handle the job.  God knows, and calls those who will accept the calling.  Each of us has a place in the kingdom of God and we are to fulfill that duty and obligation.  But we must also do it in the light of God’s Word.  Abraham built altars and therefore built a relationship with God.  Isaac, as far as we know he was not an “altar-builder.”  Both Esau and Jacob were blessed by Isaac, and both went away from the will of God.  Esau compromised by marrying foreign wives, Jacob was a conniver, a trickster, and he paid the price.  He suffered, in fact was crippled for life, until he finally surrendered to the will of God.
     For sure this ain’t the same old range, but we are to hold to the ancient paths.  We are to stand upon the Word of God.  Culture may change around us but the Word of the Lord is forever–amen!

                    –Emerson Hough  (54-40 or Fight)

       “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

                    –Psalm 46:1 (NKJV)
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               “God!  God!  God!  Best defined when undefined; a Fire that may not be touched; a Life too great for shape of image; a Love for which there is no equal name.  Who is He?  God!  What is He?  God!  Of whom begotten?  God!  He is at once the question and the answer, the self-balance, the All.”
                              –Joseph Parker

I have through the years heard and read accounts of disaster and turmoil and loss and in the aftermath of those people have asked, “Where was God when I needed Him?”  Let me answer that simply–He was there.  Perhaps that is too simple an answer for it is a profound, incomprehensible statement regarding God.  He was there, He is there, He will be there for He is omnipresent.  Francis Schaeffer referred to Him as the “God who is there.”
       Nonbelievers either do not want to believe that or refuse to accept it.  Sure, and why not, for they do not have the knowledge of God, the understanding of His words when He said, “I will certainly be with you.” (Exodus 3:12).  However, it is one of those things I do not quite understand when believers act and question God.  When the storms come, those personal battles that rage within and around, they ask where is God?  He is there.  Seek Him.  See, one of the great problems with humanity is that we rely far too often upon our feelings.  We think we have to “feel” God.  Pause for a moment–what does that mean, “feel God”?  We live in a feel-good society, but often God is the most active when we don’t “feel” Him.  God is Spirit, and therefore, “God is present in all places; we should not think of Him, however, as filling spaces, for He has no physical dimensions.  It is as pure spirit that He pervades all things”. (J.I. Packer)
       Why do believers refuse to accept His presence?  After all, are we not His temple?  Does not the Holy Spirit reside in us?  Oh that we could even partially grasp the words of David when he wrote, “Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.  If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall behold me.”  (Psalm 139:7-10, NKJV).  
       Since He is the God who is there it should calm our fears about tomorrow.  There should be no worries for He is there already.  It should calm our worries about decisions for God He already sees the results of your decisions.  He is here, now, this moment; yet He is also already in tomorrow.  We cannot comprehend that concept with our feeble minds, but know that God is not bound by time–He created time.  And that is a question I’ll just throw out here, but is a subject for another time–What is time to God?
       Take heart, my friends, God is in the universe, everywhere present, at the same time.  Job states, “Is not God in the height of heaven?” (22:12) and Isaiah proclaims the words of God, “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:  ‘I dwell in the high and holy place…'”. (57:15, NKJV)  God is not limited by time or by space!  God asked Job some questions, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?  Tell me, if you understand who marked off its dimensions?  Surely you know!  Who stretched a measuring line across it?  On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone?” (38:4-6, NIV)  Take heart then, if God is the high and lofty One, and if He is everywhere at once, knowing the beginning from the end why are we afraid?  Why do we fret about tomorrow?  He is the strength of our lives. (Psalm 27:1)
       Where was/is God?  Where was He when a family member was at death’s doorstep.  He was there either to comfort or to welcome His child home.  Where was He when a life was taken so suddenly?  He was there watching, knowing that it was this person’s time to come before their Creator.  There are three things to remember:  1) God cannot lie.  That is not consistent with His character and He will always do what is consistent with His nature, character, and purpose.  2)  God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone else to do evil.  James writes, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.'” (1:13, NKJV)  3)  God cannot deny Himself.  He is always faithful to His Word.  He is always faithful to His children.  Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (NKJV)
       So where is God?  Do you feel Him?  Do you see Him?  Do you smell Him?  He is far removed from our natural senses.  Yet, He is and always will be there.  He is not in time for He is above time.  He is at the beginning of creation and He is already at the White Throne.  He is everywhere and everywhere at once.  My mercy!  Don’t that make you want just either jump up and shout or bow low in adoration.  He is–the God who is there!  Think of that!  Because He is omnipresent means that He is able to give His entire attention to millions of individuals at the same time (Packer).  “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13, NKJV)