Posts Tagged ‘ a simple man of God ’
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8 ESV
Christ’s love literally covers our sins.
We can love others enough to see past their sins and see the image of God within them.
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19, ESV
Everything we do should come out of the knowledge that God loves us, as so beautifully and horribly demonstrated through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Our desire should be to live that way because He did and does.
We continue looking at hymns and songs that impacted my spiritual life – with yet another reminder to check out the other blog I contribute to, ProverbialThought.com, and the daily thoughts on the Bible (specifically Proverbs) – with another song (that flows out of last week’s hymns.)
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou artWhen through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
(Repeat Refrain.)And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
(Repeat Refrain.)When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
(Repeat Refrain.)
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul!”Refrain:
It is well with my soul!
It is well, it is well with my soul!Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Repeat refrain)My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought—
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to His Cross, and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Repeat refrain)For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live;
If dark hours about me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
(Repeat refrain)
On April 1, 2014, of all days (April Fools’ Day), my mom was diagnosed with terminal Stage-4 Lung Cancer (she succumbed a mere four months and eleven days later). I got the call while driving from work to class at the seminary. The first student to preach in class that day also happened to offer the opening prayer for class with a singing of the hymn “How Great Thou Art”.
It was exactly what I needed. To worship the One in control who took my mom home to be with Him. It is this knowledge – that God is all-powerful, sovereign, loving, and saved us through His Son – that frees me to then turn around in any circumstance, including seeing my mom die of cancer, and sing “It is well with my soul.”
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Luke 6:27-28, ESV
Vengeance belongs to the Lord. Also, it is easier to share the gospel with others when they see us loving those who mistreat us.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3, ESV
We are called to be peacemakers, disciples if Christ, and brothers and sisters … who love each other!
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7, ESV
We struggle sometimes (or, for some, all the time) in this life. Let the One who created and then died for you bear that burden.
It may not go away, but it just might feel lighter to you as He lifts it onto His shoulders and walks with you.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5 ESV
Christian believer: we are not all called to be Prophets, as Jeremiah, but God set up from eternity that we should go to the world and declare the Gospel for our Great Prophet and saving Lord Jesus.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6, ESV
Right and wrong.
Respect.
Making a great sandwich.
All of these are included in training up a child, and more.
The most important: to seek and love God.
(And remember, proverbs are guidelines and summarized truths, not hard and fast laws.)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8, ESV
It is so easy to get distracted by and focused on the bad things in life and this world.
Ask God to help you see the good, beautiful, just, true things in each moment. (It helps a lot with stress and cynicism!)
We continue looking at hymns and songs that impacted my spiritual life – and with another reminder to check out the other blog I contribute to, ProverbialThought.com, and the daily thoughts on the Bible (specifically Proverbs) – with another song (No direct relation to last week’s hymns.)
Come, Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send Thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
(Romans 3:11-12, ESV)
We are all – every single human who has ever or will ever live (save for Jesus) – sinners. We all have refused God in some way, and none of us have wanted to seek out God … without His help.
Even me.
But Jesus came – God took on a body of flesh – and lived a sinless life so that He could be the perfect, spotless, stainless sacrifice for our sins. After His death and resurrection, He ascended to the Father’s right hand, and they sent the Holy Spirit to draw us to in, save us, and sanctify us. (Big words, but you can look them up!)
If we truly understood how big this act is, how much grace God has and is showing us, we would be unable to stand under the weight of it. Instead, we would not be able to do anything but fall to our knees in gratitude and sing His praises for seeking out and saving lost sinners.
Like us.
a simple man of God 