This morning, at our worship service, we are going to talk about what freedom means to us. It will be very casual and informal. We are free in Christ. Galatians says that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. What does that mean? We'll talk about that this morning.
My God,
You have helped me to see,
that whatever good be in honor and rejoicing, how good is he who gives them, and can withdraw them;
that blessedness does not lie so much in receiving good from and in you,
but in holding forth your glory and virtue;
that it is an amazing thing to see Deity
in a creature, speaking, acting,
filling, shining through it;
that nothing is good but you,
that I am near good when I am near you,
that to be like you is a glorious thing;
This is my magnet, my attraction.
You are all my good in times of peace,
my only support in days of trouble,
my one sufficiency when life shall end.
Help me to see how good your will is in all,
and even when it crosses mine
teach me to be pleased with it.
Grant me to feel you in fire, and food and every providence,
and to see that your many gifts and creatures
are but your hands and fingers taking hold of me.
You bottomless fountain of all good,
I give myself to you out of love,
for all I have or own is yours,
my goods, family, church, self,
to do with as you will,
to honor yourself by me, and by all mine.
If it be consistent with your eternal counsels,
the purpose of your grace,
and the great ends of your glory,
then bestow upon me the blessings of your comforts;
If not, let me resign myself to your wiser determinations.
I am near good when I am near God, because God is the only "good." In the words of Jesus, "No one is good except God alone." (Mark 10:18;Luke 18:19)
It is also very important to pray that we would be pleased with God's will even when it crosses our own. Because when God's will crosses ours, it is ours that is wrong, and, as in the last line of the prayer, we should resign ourselves to his wiser determination.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. 3 When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah 4 You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5 I consider the days of old, the years long ago. 6 I said,"Let me remember my song in the night;
The author wonders, "Why is it that one's troubles seem so much worse at night?" Sometimes it does seem that way, doesn't it? We toss and turn, sleep evades us. We even feel forsaken by our Father because he seems silent.
What is the right thing to do in that case? I think Asaph got it right. He vented his feelings to God. We can never go wrong when we do that. God will not "vent back." He will listen. He will hear our frustration. And then, eventually, he will calm those fears and ease that pain and frustration. We learn to wait patiently for the Lord. "...honesty precedes spirituality, and...lament almost always precedes praise."
But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
"All our knowledge of God begins on his part; we know him because we are known of him. Though our religion forbids idolatry, yet many practice spiritual idolatry in their hearts. For what a man loves most, and cares most for, that is his god: some have their riches for their god, some their pleasures and some their lusts. And many ignorantly worship a god of their own making; a god made all of mercy and no justice. For they persuade themselves that there is mercy for them with God, though they repent not, but go on in their sins."
I recently saw, on a popular TV show, one character say to another, "God doesn't punish; God forgives!" Hollywood's ignorant misrepresentations of God are not making our job any easier, are they? Unfortunately, we have "preachers" joining in across the nation, proclaiming mercy with no justice. Let me be clear about this, just as the Bible is clear. There can be NO mercy without justice! The scales must be balanced. And they were balanced by Jesus. And that is why, when man rejects Jesus, man is punished by God. Universalism is creeping into the evangelical camp, because evangelical preachers are so zealous to see "all men" saved that they alter their theology to make it so. Unfortunately, "altered theology" does not change truth. And the truth is that not all men will be saved.
I praise you, Father, that we can "vent" to you and not worry about you getting your feelings hurt and running away. You are the toughest of the tough. You will stand take our venting; our frustrations. You will listen; you will hear. And you will respond, at some point, with kindness and compassion. You will let us know, gently, where we are mistaken; where we misunderstand. And you will remind us that you will always be there, our rock, our refuge, our fortress.
Remind me, as well, that when I am near you, I am near good, the only true Good. I am not good. The only "good" that can be found within me is the part of you that dwells within me. I acknowledge that with humility and awe. Let me alter my will so that it lines up with yours. When your will crosses mine, let me resign myself to your wiser determinations.
PRAY FOR THESE NATIONAL LEADERS IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK:
John Pistole, Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
Eric Cantor, U. S. House of Representatives, Virginia.
Judge Sandra L. Lynch, Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Lt. Gen. John R. Allen, United States Marine Corps, Deputy Commander CENTCOM.
Grace and peace, friends.