Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Lord will work out His plans for Me

The LORD will work out his plans for my life. Psalm 138:8 NLT

 The confidence the psalmist expresses here was most certainly a divine confidence. He did not say, “I have grace enough to work out my life . . . my faith is so steady that it will never stumble . . . my love is so warm it will never grow cold . . . my resolution is so firm that nothing can move it.” No, his dependence was solely on the Lord. If we indulge any confidence that is not grounded on the Rock of Ages, that confidence is worse than a dream—it will fall back on us and cover us with its ruins, to our confusion and sorrow. Everything nature weaves, time will unravel, to the eternal perplexity of those who trusted the material. The psalmist was wise, resting as he did on nothing short of the Lord’s work. It is the Lord who has begun a good work in us; it is He who continues it; and if He were not to finish, it would never be complete. If we try to insert a single stitch in our heavenly garments of righteousness, we are lost. But this is our confidence: the Lord who began will complete. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done or resolved to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do. Unbelief whispers to us, “You will never be able to stand. Look at the evil in your heart—you can never conquer sin. Remember the sinful pleasures and temptations of the world that torment you—you will certainly be lured and led astray by them.” Oh, yes, if left to our own strength we would undoubtedly perish. If we had to navigate our frail boats alone over such a rough a sea, we might as well give up the voyage in despair. But thanks be to God, He will work out his plans for our lives, and bring us to the desired harbor. There is no concern that we can’t take to God. And we can never be too confident when we trust in Him. - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening 

I read this this morning, while enjoying my coffee, and couldn't help but remember the words of a song by Sanctus Real. "Confidence".

We certainly are all like sheep that have gone astray.  Each doing what is right in our own eyes.  Including success and failure that we perceive as such. 

"Confidence"

I'm not a warrior
I'm too afraid to lose
I feel unqualified for what you're calling me to
But Lord with your strength
I've got no excuse
'Cause broken people are exactly who you use
So give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense
So I can face my giants with confidence
You took a shepherd boy
And made him a King
So I'm gonna trust you and give you everything
I'll be a conquerer
'Cause you fight for me
I'll be a champion claiming your victory
So give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense
So I can face my giants with confidence
I'm gonna sing and shout and shake the walls
I won't stop until I see 'em fall
Gonna stand up, step out when you call
Jesus, Jesus
I'm gonna sing and shout and shake the walls
I won't stop until I see 'em fall
Gonna stand up, step out when you call
Jesus
So give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense
So I can face my giants with confidence, yeah
Give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense
So I can face my giants with confidence
I'll face my giants with confidence

If it's one certainty in our lives, be it as a believer or not, your sin nature will always rear its ugly head at the most inopportune time.  That moment when you are the most at peace. That moment when you are the most distressed. Everywhere in between. 

The believer has the advantage that those who do not have Christ don't have. The Holy Spirit.  Once Christ comes to live within us, the Holy Spirit begins the war on our sin nature.  Begins the house cleaning of our hearts and minds. Begins everything to make us more Christ-like. 

But the other part of this is our willingness to be changed.  When we hold on to our anger issues. When our thoughts prevail when talking to Jesus, when our desires are more important than His, that process is hindered. 

We have to acknowledge the enemy of God.  We have to acknowledge his desires are contrary to everything the Spirit is doing in our lives.  He will indeed twist every thought and desire and need to bring about sin. Including through the appearance of everything from patriotism to the global economy.  Bringing new or even old twists to what has worked against our ancestors for centuries. Perhaps you have been reading about them online or watched in newspapers or videos.  It's not hard to see, examine all you read or see by the Ten Commandments or by other parts of Scripture where God calls something an abomination. It is those things that the world is trying to force acceptance of.  

Our confidence is in Christ.  At least is is supposed to be.  There are differences between standing up for what is right and standing up for selfish desires.  Even the definition of what is right depends on the world's view or God's view. 

Our confidence, as believers, is indeed to be in our obedience to God and His Word.

We may never understand the things we go through in life, Job didn't.  Daniel and his friends, it took much prayer to gain understanding.  The people Jesus healed, quite a few had been in a horrible state since before Jesus came to be born in the manger. Many today, many billions today, seek man's answers for man.  The only answer is Jesus.  

Only Jesus took my place and your place on the cross to die for the sin we couldn't take care of.  We can't cover the penalty of sin on our own.  A single sin cancelled out a lifetime of 'good works".  One.  Everyone ever born has that problem.  

Our confidence is in what Jesus did. He lived a perfect life, to become the perfect sacrifice, the perfect atonement for sin. 

There's a reason why we should set our minds on things above and not the things of this world. Remembering who's we are in Christ gets us through the day.  When sin starts dancing around in victory, we can remind it that it lost at the cross.  We can let ut know we are forgiven. We can approach the Throne of God right in front of our sin and ask for forgiveness.  

Think today on where your mind is set. Is it on things above or on what's down here?

Are you a believer but not walking the walk? Today is the day to get back to it.

Are you as yet unbelieving? Time to really consider why not.  You know in your heart that life is too much for you.  You need a Savior.  You need Jesus and the confidence of what He has promised. 


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