A Prayer of David - Psalm 17

1 Hear a just cause, O LORD,
Attend to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.
3 You have tested my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tried me and have found nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
4 Concerning the works of men,
By the word of Your lips,
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
5 Uphold my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip.
6 I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
9 From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They have closed up their fat hearts;
With their mouths they speak proudly.
11 They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,
12 As a lion is eager to tear his prey,
And like a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, O LORD,
Confront him, cast him down;
Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,
14 With Your hand from men, O LORD,
From men of the world who have their portion in this life,
And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.
They are satisfied with children,
And leave the rest of their possession for their s.
15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

The Excellency of Christ

When the saints shall see Christ’s glory and exaltation in heaven, it will indeed possess their hearts with the greater admiration and adoring respect, but it will not awe them into any separation, but will serve only to heighten their surprise and joy, when they find Christ condescending to admit them to such intimate access, and so freely and fully communicating himself to them. So that if we choose Christ for our friend and portion, we shall hereafter be so received to him, that there shall be nothing to hinder the fullest enjoyment of him, to the satisfying the utmost cravings of our souls. We may take our full swing at gratifying our spiritual appetite after these holy pleasures. Christ will then say, as in Song 5:1 “Eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly O beloved.” And this shall be our entertainment to all eternity! There shall never be any end of this happiness, or anything to interrupt our enjoyment of it, or in the least to molest us in it!
—Jonathan Edwards, 1736, “The Excellency of Christ”

Love Your Enemies and Lead Them To the Truth

Who is Jesus Christ? All authority on earth has been given to him. One of the things that I love about Jesus Christ ironically is that he makes demands of us. Demands that we inevitably fall short of achieving in total, but they are demands nonetheless. Where we fall short, we look to His abundant gracy and mercy. Yet our spiritual walk is not one of drudgery, but one born out of love for God, and our fellow man, and a desire to serve Him. The highest freedom is the freedom from the bondage of sin, which comes through faith in Jesus Christ, and His meritous sacrifice.

Anyway, in a world of sin, there is bound to be conflict and strife among people born out of resentment, personal grudges, jealousy, or just plain rudeness and selfish insensitivity. Christ himself bore a life of persecution, and yet he prayed and blessed those who persecuted him. It doesn't seem natural not to be angry at a bitter antagonist, but Christ commands us to show love for those who hurt us and wrong us. John Piper writes:

Jesus' demand that we love our enemies, be merciful, make peace, and forgive assumes that there are people who are hard to love. The demand is expressed in different ways because people are hard to love in different ways. Jesus calls some people our "enemies," which means they are against us. They want to see us fail. Love them, Jesus says (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27,35). Others may be our personal enemies in this way, but simply people whose character or personality or condition makes them unattractive or even repulsive. Be merciful to them, Jesus says (Matt. 5:7; 18:33; Luke 10:37). Don't base your treatment of them on what they atrract or deserve, but on mercy. Others may be our relatives or friends who have taken offense at something we have done—rightly or wrongly—and the relationship is cold or non-existent. Strive to be reconciled to them, Jesus says (Matt. 5:23-26). Others may or may not have anything against you, but you do against them. Forgive them, Jesus says (Matt. 6:14-15). Don't let laziness or pride or anger keep you from the humble work of forgiving, peacemaking, and reconciliation.

The Apostle Paul reminds us:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave itto the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
—Romans 12:14-21

Related Articles:
Bless Those Who Persecute You

For the Believer the Sin Debt is Paid in Full

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

—Romans 13:8 (NIV)

Christ paid the full account of a debt, we sinners owe God the Father. The debt is paid in full, and Christ has made atonement, and that atonement is counted as righteousness for all those of faith in Christ Jesus. We believers show our love for Christ and His church by expressing our gratitude, love and forgiveness. We do so in part because it's the right thing to do. And we do so out of respect for what Christ has done for us.

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
—Romans 12:19-21

In his epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul is really driving home a crucial theme, and it thoroughly resonates from the teachings of Christ himself. We are to turn the other cheek, in the face of persecution and wrong committed against us, and trust the judge God of Heavens to justly judge the infractions of the evils perpetrated against us by the wicked and immoral. The Lord is the one true just judge. Every knee will bow and confess in His name, and we will give an account of our lives before Him one day. Abusive political authorities will be brought to account. Unruly husbands will be brought to account. Likewise, criminals will answer for their sins.

It is really in the millstone of affliction that one begins to fathom the grace, honor and glory of blessing and praying for an antagonist, particularly a bitter and unruly foe who greets us with mockery and scorn. It is an exercise of faith that we give place to wrath and trust the just God of Heaven to repay men for the iniquities they perpetrate against us.

We live by faith, not by sight.

We live by faith, not by sight.
—2 Corinthians 5:7

Hold fast to that which is good

Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.
—1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

Examine everything carefully and hold fast to the good! This is a summons to re-examine the life of the believer in Christ, and seek the Gospel of grace again and again! We're called to righteousness, but we all inevitably fall short of the Lord's perfect righteous standard. If we preach to ourselves the message of hope in Christ Jesus, then we can take heart, and know that God is always with us in spirit and truth, and we can come boldly before the throne of grace mindful of His promises for this life and the greater life to come. Soli Deo Gloria!

I am a sinner, and I look to the tender mercies of my Lord Jesus Christ. If you're reading this, then pray for me! I covet prayer!

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
—Revelation 3:20

This verse is one of the most frequently misquoted verses in the Bible. It's a summons to repentance for those already of faith, not an evangelism verse per se. And in context, it was addressed to the lukewarm church of Laodicea. Every Christian at one time or another in their life will have an interlude of Laodicean spirituality—that is lackluster worship, lacking any true heartfelt humility, and possessed of a subtle hypocrisy. The Gospel call is a call for God's elect to be petinent and continiuously seek out God, as He seeks us out. If we are lukewarm, we should be mindful that Christ awaits at the door, and seeks fellowship with us. We must yield to the Holy Spirit's working in our life.

The Gospel in 6 Minutes - John Piper

The Gospel in 6 Minutes

God-Inspired Love

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need.
—Romans 12:9-12

My sincere hope and prayer is that in spite of my afflictions, hardships, and trials, that I would grow in faith, progress in sanctification, and develop a deeper abiding love for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
—1 Corinthians 13:4-7

April 7: Faith Checkbook - Without Fear of Man

Without Fear of Man
by C.H. Spurgeon

And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.
—Deuteronomy 28:10

Then we can have no reason to be afraid of them. This would show a mean spirit and be a token of unbelief rather than of faith. God can make us so like Himself that men shall be forced to see that we rightly bear His name and truly belong to the holy Jehovah. Oh, that we may obtain this grace which the Lord waits to bestow!

Be assured that ungodly men have a fear of true saints. They hate them, but they also fear them. Haman trembled because of Mordecai, even when he sought the good man's destruction. In fact, their hate often arises out of a dread which they are too proud to confess. Let us pursue the path of truth and uprightness without the slightest tremor. Fear is not for us but for those who do ill and fight against the Lord of hosts. If indeed the name of the eternal God is named upon us, we are secure; for, as of old, a Roman had but to say Romanus sum, I am a Roman, and he could claim the protection of all the legions of the vast empire; so every one who is a man of God has omnipotence as his guardian, and God will sooner empty heaven of angels than leave a saint without defense. Be braver than lions for the right, for God is with you.

To Him That Overcomes

I N F I N I T E S U P P L Y

April 3, 2007

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Today's meditation is taken from:

TO HIM THAT OVERCOMES
by Chip Brogden

http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/overcomes.html

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"And they overcame [the dragon] by the blood of the Lamb, by the word
of their Testimony, having loved not their own lives unto the death"
—Revelation 12:11

How many Christians would like to be described as overcomers? Here we see that there are three main characteristics of the one who overcomes. To overcome is the normal Christian life, and not for a select few to enjoy. It is a fact that few Christians live as overcomers; nevertheless, the Christian life is characterized by victory, not by defeat. If this is not our experience then we have much yet to learn. We should not accept things the way they are, but we should press into God and ask Him to show us the Truth. It is helpful to identify the three enemies that present themselves to us, then the above verse will make even more sense. The overcomer must learn how to defeat each one. So what are they? First, there is the enemy of Sin. Second, the enemy of Self. Third, the enemy of Satan. All contrary things, whether they be of spiritual, natural, or human origin, find their root in one of these three sources.

The glorious thing of course is that God's provision meets all three enemies and defeats them in order to demonstrate the preeminence of Christ. This, in essence, is what it means to overcome. It is to demonstrate the preeminence of Christ over all things.

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April 1: Faith Checkbook - The King's Highway

The King's Highway
by C.H. Spurgeon

"The wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein"
—Isaiah 35:8

The way of holiness is so straight and plain that the simplest minds cannot go astray if they constantly follow it. The worldly wise have many twists and turns, and yet they make terrible blunders and generally miss their end. Worldly policy is a poor, shortsighted thing, and when men choose it as their road, it leads them over dark mountains. Gracious minds know no better than to do as the LORD bids them; but this keeps them in the King's highway and under royal protection.

Let the reader never for a moment attempt to help himself out of a difficulty by a falsehood or by a questionable act; but let him keep in the middle of the high road of truth and integrity, and he will be following the best possible course. In our lives we must never practice circular sailing nor dream of shuffling. Be just and fear not, Follow Jesus and heed no evil consequences. If the worst of ills could be avoided by wrongdoing, we should, in the very attempt, have fallen into an evil worse than any other ill could be. God's way must be the very best way. Follow it though men think you a fool, and you will be truly wise.

LORD, lead Thy servants in a plain path because of their enemies.