Never could get the knack of lying, even those innocent lies that everyone uses. He didn’t think any lies were innocent.”
–C.J. Petit (The Debt)
“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
–John 8:44 (NLT)
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I trust that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Speaking of that, Psalm 9 speaks of how we should be thankful unto the Lord. It is a psalm of thanksgiving, of justice, and of celebration. Today, the first ten verses from the HCSB:
1 I will thank the LORD with all my heart; I will declare all Your wonderful works.
2 I will rejoice and boast about You; I will sing about Your name, Most High.
3 When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before You.
4 For You have upheld my just cause; You are seated on Your throne as a righteous judge.
5 You have rebuked the nations; You have destroyed the wicked; You have erased their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy has come to eternal ruin; You have uprooted the cities, and the very memory of them has perished.
7 But the LORD sits enthroned forever; He has established His throne for judgment.
8 He judges the world with righteousness; He executes judgment on the peoples with fairness.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know Your name trust in You because You have not abandoned those who seek You, LORD.
People often boast that they know such and such a person, or have met someone whom the world might call a celebrity (what is that anyway?). Some will boast about their careers or about the possessions they own, or about the trips and cruises they have taken. David says that he will boast about the Lord. That is something that Paul echoes in 1 Corinthians when he says, that if we boast is should only be about the Lord (1:31).
How can a person boast about the Lord if they do not know Him? Whenever I’m at a church and am asked to teach a class I try to start, if allowed, with lessons about the Lord; Who He is and His moral and natural attributes. You cannot boast about a person unless you know them. The better you know them the truth comes out and it is more than just boasting. Knowing the Lord is more than just saying a little prayer, hoping it will be answered by “someone” out there. Daniel says that “the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (11:32, KJV).
We get frustrated at times, at least I do, when I think the Lord should be judging as He did in the Old Testament. Then I ponder what might have happened to me, except for grace. However, do not think that the Lord is slack concerning judgment. He is the righteous Judge. He never stops judging. We look at nations and wonder how God can allow them to do the things they do. Makes me think of the last time I heard a sermon or teaching on the “judgment of nations.” There will come a time when the “sheep” shall be separated from the “goats.” Those nations that are judged by God will be in dire straights and there will be no remembrance of them in the New Jerusalem.
In this holiday season, grasp hold of the promises of God. Look at the promises of His Son that were fulfilled, then look at those that are waiting to be fulfilled. Develop a profound trust in the Lord. There is a hope that awaits those that wait for Him and trust in Him. That trust is developed as a person comes to know Him. George O. Wood said, “When we lost sight of the upperside, sometimes life becomes intolerable.” Without trust life can be miserable and hope can be lost.
People are most miserable when they blame God for things that happen in life. They wonder instead of trusting. Become a person of trust in this Christmas season.