A SONG OF REMEMBRANCE

^"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.  For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?  God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.  He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places."

 - 2 Samuel 22:31-34

David was one of the greatest men in the Bible.  Although his early life was highlighted by victory and achievement, he later made foolish mistakes that brought tragedy to the very people he loved most.  Despite his many mistakes, David ended his life victoriously.  The Scripture I post above are the words of David as he reflected on the great victories God brought through his leadership.  As a typical musician would, David put his feelings in a song. 

Looking again at the above text, I hope that you'll join Israel's great king in praising our glorious Lord.  I want you to notice three things that David states about the Lord:

1.  GOD IS PERFECT

First of all, David declares that God is perfect:  "As for God, his way is perfect..." We tend to use the word, "perfect," very loosely.  There is a difference between excellence and perfection, but the difference has been fused together in the minds of many.  The fact is that only God is perfect.  Perfection describes something or someone as flawless.  Obviously, we are all flawed.  Everything that we see here on earth is flawed, because everything has been influenced by the curse of sin.  But God is not flawed.  No form of imperfection can be discovered in His character.  No form of error taints his actions and words.  God is perfect.

David wrote that God's, "... way is perfect..."  The way God works and leads is always perfect.  When all is said and done, we will look back at the way the Lord has led us, and in the moment, we will give Him praise because we'll realize that His way was perfect.

2.  GOD IS PRECIOUS

Secondly, we learn that God is precious.  Look again at our text:  "... the word of

the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him."  The word, "buckler," refers to a shield.  The Lord is a shield for His children, protecting those who trust in Him.  He is precious to us!

The Lord was precious to David.  Notice the two questions that David asks:  "For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?"  The obvious answer to these rhetorical questions is simple: there is no one like the Lord. 

God is precious.

3.  GOD IS POWERFUL

Third, we learn that God is powerful.  David wrote, "God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.  He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places." 

Notice a few things that David states.  First of all, David shares this strength and power came from God.  David was a mighty warrior, but his mighty strength came from within.  God is powerful & only through His power can a man become powerful.

Furthermore, David knew that God had ordained His life.  God chose David from among his brethren.  God used David to bring victory to Israel.  God blessed David to be a mighty king over God's people.  In many ways, David was the greatest king Israel had ever known.

Finally, David credited God with his blessings.  Like other Old Testament saints, David illustrated the blessed life as being like a deer that reaches high peaks.  Have you ever watched a deer?  Deer can dart upon a rugged mountain with ease.  David wrote that God blessed him to advance to higher levels of spiritual blessing, giving him feet like a deer & enabling him to reach new heights.  This reminds me of the old song,

"I'm pressing on the upward way,

New heights I'm gaining every day;

Still praying as I'm onward bound,

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,

By faith on heaven's tableland;

A higher plane than I have found,

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

May that be our prayer today!   God is perfect.  God is precious.  God is powerful.  Like David, we should praise God for His accomplishments.  You & I have been through many battles, persevered through great struggles and enjoyed glorious victories.  Yet have we praised God for these things?  As we reflect upon the things God has brought us through, we will have ample reasons to glorify the Lord.

As we reflect upon God's blessings, our faith should be strengthened.  We can trust the Lord with the challenges we'll face today --- and the future ahead. 

THE LORD AND HIS PEOPLE

"For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people." - 1 Samuel 12:22

Every person wants to know that he or she is special.  When we are young, we seek such affirmation from our parents.  At school, we long for teachers and peers to show us that they care.  As adults, we find it very difficult to find others who will befriend us and show genuine concern. 

It is glorious to discover that the One who loves us most has been there for us all along.  He showed mercy to us when we ignored Him.  He was patient with us when we treated Him badly.  He was kind to us when we were so unkind to Him.  When we finally admitted our offenses and sought His forgiveness, He accepted us. 

What a precious God we serve!

In 1 Samuel chapter 12, Israel asked for a king.  They wanted to "be like other countries" and have a ruling king.  Samuel rebuked the people, telling them that their request symbolized a rejection of God's rule.  Despite their rebellion, Samuel still conveyed a message of grace to a sinful nation. 

Look at the words that Samuel shared:  "For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people." 

From this verse, I want you to notice four precious things:

1.  THE LORD'S PROMISE

First of all, note the Lord's promise:  "For the LORD will not forsake his people..."  What a glorious truth!  These words were spoken to a stiff-necked, sinful, rebellious nation. 

For God's people today, we have a similar promise:  "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  We may fail to keep our promises, but God always keeps His promises.  We may disappoint Him, but He will never disappoint us.  We may do Him wrong, but He never does us wrong.  The Lord's people find comfort in His promise, "... I am with you always..." 

Friends may forsake us.  Loved ones may die.  But God ever remains with us.  He is with us all the way --- even through the experience of death.  David wrote, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." 

2.  THE LORD'S PURPOSE

Secondly, note the Lord's purpose.  The Lord will never forsake His people, "... for his great name's sake."  There could be no higher purpose than this.  When it comes to keeping His promise, God's honor is at stake.

Everything God does is accomplished for His glory.  God is glorified when He keeps His promises.  It is sad that we tend to bask in God's blessings without rendering praise to Him.  It is a greater thing to bask in the radiance of God's glory than to only enjoy His blessings. 

3.  THE LORD'S PLEASURE

Next, we learn about God's pleasure:  "... because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people."  Israel was the apple of God's eye.  He found great pleasure in blessing His people.

It pleasures a father to do something good for his children.  When a good father gives his child a special gift, he stands back with pleasure as he watches his child enjoy the gift.  Jesus said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:11).  Meditate on these words and be blessed!

4.  THE LORD'S PEOPLE

Finally, we learn about the Lord's people:  "... it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people."  Some think that they made a decision to be a child of God --- and thus it was so.  However, the Bible makes it clear that His children are chosen of the Lord.  He looked through all the junkyard of this sinful world and saw you and me.  He wanted us long before we wanted Him.  He sought us before we began to seek Him.  He loved us before we loved Him.

Furthermore, when we became His children, we became His possession.  Think about it.  You were once living in the cesspool of sin.  Yet the clean, pure hand of Jesus reached down into the sewage of sin and pulled you out.  He made you His prized possession.  He washed you.  He made you new.  You didn't do this, He did.  You belong to Him.  He loves you with an everlasting love. 

The world may think you are worthless.  Family members may treat you with scorn.  But to the Lord, you are precious.  You are His.  You are His child. 

The verse we have looked at was spoken to Israel.  However, the basic principles are true for the child of God today.  We have a heavenly Father who loves us ... and we don't deserve it.  He loved us so much that He willingly gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us.  On that cross, Jesus purchased us with His blood.  Because of Calvary, we belong to Him. 

Yes, He loves us ... and we don't deserve it.  Let us love Him with shameless affection and devotion!

RUTH'S REWARD

"The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust." - Ruth 2:12

The book of Ruth is a small, but important book of the Bible.  The book unfolds with great sorrow.  A famine leads a whole family to relocate in the land of Moab.  If that isn't bad enough, tragedy struck.  Elimelech and his two sons died, leaving Naomi and her daughters-in-law, Ruth & Orpah, as widows.

Naomi addressed her daughters-in-law and advised them to return to their homeland.  Since they were young, Naomi believed that, if they returned home, Ruth & Orpah would have little trouble finding a husband and begin a family of their own.  Orpah heeded the advice, but Ruth refused to leave Naomi. 

There are several things we learn about Ruth.  First, Ruth had loyalty.  Ruth refused to leave Naomi alone.  Being a widow in Old Testament days was a challenging situation.  Government assistance wasn't available.  Social Security wasn't an option.  Naomi would need help.  Ruth refused to leave her.

Secondly, Ruth had humility.  Ruth was willing to work and provide for Naomi and herself.  A distant relative, Boaz, was wealthy & had a vast field.  The Old Testament law required that the fringe part of the field be left for the poor and disadvantaged people.  Ruth took it on herself to reap from this fringe part of the field.  She did not consider herself to be too big or important to come as a poor person and work in this area of the field.

Finally, Ruth had dignity.  Throughout the book of Ruth, Ruth is portrayed as a woman of honor.  She did not stoop to the level of compromise to make ends meet.  She remained faithful to her vow before Naomi and God (Ruth 1:16-17).  Later, when her relationship with Boaz became serious, Ruth maintained her purity and integrity. 

When Boaz heard of Ruth's plight and saw her working hard to provide for Naomi and herself, Boaz commended her highly.  Boaz said to Ruth, "The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust."

The words of Boaz seemed prophetic in nature.  Indeed, the Lord was about to do a mighty work in and through the life of this humble lady, Ruth. 

Look at Boaz's statement again:  "The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust."

Notice that Boaz believed that Ruth's work would be rewarded:  "The LORD recompense thy work."  Several things are true about Ruth's reward.  First, God saw her deeds.  God knew about her love, loyalty and hard work.  God knows about our works.  He recognizes even the smallest of deeds. 

Next, Ruth's reward would be a full reward:  "... and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel."  It is one thing to receive a reward, but it is far better to receive a full reward.  A full reward is reserved for those who are most faithful.

Finally, Ruth's reward would come from the One she trusted in:  "... a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust."  Our Lord rewards faithfulness.  Faithfulness is a product of our trust in the Lord.  Genuine faith leads to faithfulness and not the other way around. 

Boaz was right.  Ruth would be rewarded.  She would later become his wife.  Her story would be enshrined in the canon of Scripture as a testimony of her faithfulness.  Furthermore, from her marriage to Boaz a wonderful lineage was produced, including King David --- and ultimately, the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Ruth was a godly woman with a rich heritage.  She is one of only two women to have a book of the Bible named after her.  Her life and memory should motivate believers to remain faithful with the expectation of a future reward.

Young women today model themselves after singers and actresses.  How refreshing it would be to have young ladies pattern their lives after Ruth.

Ruth was rewarded.  Will you be?  

PERILOUS TIMES

"... every man did that which was right in his own eyes." - Judges 21:25

The book of Judges is a sad book of the Bible.  The book of Judges is sandwiched between two victorious books, Joshua and Ruth.  Although there are glorious highlights in the book of Judges, much of the book documents Israel's spiritual apathy, idolatry and disgrace during that era.

The above text is the final verse of the book of Judges and it summarizes the spiritual climate of Israel.  I feel that our nation presently mirrors the shame Israel exhibited during the time of the judges. 

There are two things I found that was true of Israel in that period that is true of America today.

1.  SIN AND REBELLION.  First of all, Israel was an unholy mess.  Sin and rebellion describes the years covered by the book of Judges.  The people of Israel rebelled against God.  They forsook the only true God and pursued idols.  Instead of being a nation of righteousness, Israel had compromised morally and spiritually.  A nation that was set apart by God was now embracing the beliefs and practices of pagan nations.  Our text states it best, "... every man did that which was right in his own eyes."  Notice the text does not say that every man did what was right in God's eyes.  Rejecting God's standards, each man set his own standard. 

Doesn't that sound like America today?  Today, we're told that there is no right or wrong.  Today, every man is doing what is right in his own sight --- and any attempt to preach against sin is deemed as intolerant.  Soon, I believe that the straightforward preaching against sin will be declared a hate crime.  Twice the book of Proverbs states:  "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. " (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25)

2.  SEASONS OF REFRESHING.  During the unholy mess of that era, there were seasons of refreshing.  Every time Israel sunk to the depths of disgrace, they faced terrifying consequences that drove them to God.  Desperation replaced disgrace as Israel sought God.  In response, God sent judges to bring deliverance. 

I believe that America needs a season of refreshing, don't you?  Yet, like Israel, America will never experience seasons of refreshing without seeking God in desperation and repentance.  Better days were ahead for Israel.  Ultimately, a great king, David, would lead Israel to the zenith of her glory.  Yet David's glorious reign would be just a shadow of the future reign of the King of Kings who will reign over the house of David forever. 

These are sad times in our nation.  Yet the book of Judges gives me hope that revival is still possible in our land.  Right now, every man is doing what is right in his own sight.  We need a spiritual awakening so that every man will do what is right in God's sight. 

God will visit American either in revival or judgment.  Join with me in praying that God will have mercy on us and bring the spiritual awakening we need!