by David Scott Robertson
When the circumstances around you
Don't look so super great --
Just bear in mind, my Christian friend,
ROMANS 8 AND 28.
When you mess up one more time,
And fear your sin will prevent your entrance to heaven --
Remember that God's grace is sufficient in
FIRST JOHN 1 AND 7.
When your pathway seems so rocky,
And appears crooked as can be --
Remember who your Shepherd is in
PSALM 37 AND 23.
When you're tired and you're weary,
And your burden is too heavy a weight --
Just rest in the peaceful comfort of
MATTHEW 11 AND 28.
When you sense your enemy closing in,
And fear your protection is all but gone --
Don't worry, you're not helpless,
Declare all of PSALM 91.
Just look up to the Lord,
And know that He's always right on time -
Be strong and brave and daring
Directs JOSHUA 1 AND 9.
For if you trust in Jesus,
Whose grace and mercy are plenty -
That blessed day is coming soon
When we realize REVELATION 22 AND 20.
DSR
12/27/04
Monday, December 27, 2004
Monday, December 20, 2004
Are We There Yet?
by David Scott Robertson
* * *
"Are we there yet?" Any parent will tell you this familiar question from their child rates right up there with "What did you bring me?" or "Can I go, please, please, please?" Children are famous for their impatience. For them, instant gratification takes too long. Unfortunately, many children grow up to become adults who say the same things to God, albeit in more sophisticated language.
"How long, Lord, how long, before you come through on my prayer? I've done my part, now please do yours (ending the prayer "in Jesus' name," of course).
"Father, you know this is the desire of my heart; can't you make it happen?"
"Lord, I want your will in the matter but please, please, please let your will be that I can go!"
Adults are famous for their impatience. For many, instant gratification takes too long. We see it in biblical times and we see it in our time.
Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus
John 11:32 (NLT)
When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell down at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
Mary basically is saying, "Jesus, you're a day late and a dollar short! If you had come when you were sent for we wouldn't be in this mess!"
JAIRUS, THE SYNOGOGUE RULER
Mark 5:35 (NLT)
While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus's home with the message, "Your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the Teacher now."
The messengers basically were saying, "It's too late, now, Jairus. Your daughter has passed away. There's absolutely no use for Jesus to come to house now."
KING SAUL
1 Samuel 13:10-12 (NLT)
Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, [11] but Samuel said, "What is this you have done?"
Saul replied, "I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn't arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. [12] So I said, 'The Philistines are ready to march against us, and I haven't even asked for the Lord's help!' So I felt obliged to offer the burnt offering myself before you came."
King Saul was basically saying to Samuel, the prophet of God: "Listen, Samuel, you're late! Since you didn't keep your word and show up when you said you would I felt 'led of the Spirit' to go ahead and offer up the burnt offering to encourage my soldiers. My army is down to about 600 men as it is!"
Two out of three of these stories had a happy ending. Jesus raised Mary's brother, Lazarus, from the dead as well as Jairus' daughter. King Saul, however, lost the kingdom through his impatience and disobedience.
The moral of this story is that whenever you are tempted to accuse God of dragging his feet, don't. Resist it. Take a thought like that captive. It is a lustful, carnal thought that does not come from God but from the evil one.
God is never late, ever. He knows exactly what He is doing and when is the best time to do it. God is not into "instant gratification" because it rarely benefits His children.
Psalm 84:11 (NLT)
For the Lord God is our light and protector.
He gives us grace and glory.
No good thing will the Lord withhold
from those who do what is right.
The Lord is not going to withhold anything from you that is good for you, including lessons, testing, and discipline.
Are you there yet? Have you come to the place in your walk with Christ that you trust Him enough to leave the timing issues in your life to Him without griping about it?
DSR
12/20/04
* * *
"Are we there yet?" Any parent will tell you this familiar question from their child rates right up there with "What did you bring me?" or "Can I go, please, please, please?" Children are famous for their impatience. For them, instant gratification takes too long. Unfortunately, many children grow up to become adults who say the same things to God, albeit in more sophisticated language.
"How long, Lord, how long, before you come through on my prayer? I've done my part, now please do yours (ending the prayer "in Jesus' name," of course).
"Father, you know this is the desire of my heart; can't you make it happen?"
"Lord, I want your will in the matter but please, please, please let your will be that I can go!"
Adults are famous for their impatience. For many, instant gratification takes too long. We see it in biblical times and we see it in our time.
Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus
John 11:32 (NLT)
When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell down at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
Mary basically is saying, "Jesus, you're a day late and a dollar short! If you had come when you were sent for we wouldn't be in this mess!"
JAIRUS, THE SYNOGOGUE RULER
Mark 5:35 (NLT)
While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus's home with the message, "Your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the Teacher now."
The messengers basically were saying, "It's too late, now, Jairus. Your daughter has passed away. There's absolutely no use for Jesus to come to house now."
KING SAUL
1 Samuel 13:10-12 (NLT)
Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, [11] but Samuel said, "What is this you have done?"
Saul replied, "I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn't arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. [12] So I said, 'The Philistines are ready to march against us, and I haven't even asked for the Lord's help!' So I felt obliged to offer the burnt offering myself before you came."
King Saul was basically saying to Samuel, the prophet of God: "Listen, Samuel, you're late! Since you didn't keep your word and show up when you said you would I felt 'led of the Spirit' to go ahead and offer up the burnt offering to encourage my soldiers. My army is down to about 600 men as it is!"
Two out of three of these stories had a happy ending. Jesus raised Mary's brother, Lazarus, from the dead as well as Jairus' daughter. King Saul, however, lost the kingdom through his impatience and disobedience.
The moral of this story is that whenever you are tempted to accuse God of dragging his feet, don't. Resist it. Take a thought like that captive. It is a lustful, carnal thought that does not come from God but from the evil one.
God is never late, ever. He knows exactly what He is doing and when is the best time to do it. God is not into "instant gratification" because it rarely benefits His children.
Psalm 84:11 (NLT)
For the Lord God is our light and protector.
He gives us grace and glory.
No good thing will the Lord withhold
from those who do what is right.
The Lord is not going to withhold anything from you that is good for you, including lessons, testing, and discipline.
Are you there yet? Have you come to the place in your walk with Christ that you trust Him enough to leave the timing issues in your life to Him without griping about it?
DSR
12/20/04
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Lying Prostrate Before the Lord
by David Scott Robertson
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35).
* * *
As is my custom, I begin each day with prayer. The time may vary but the habit has been firmly established - the "first fruits" of each day belong to God.
On this particular morning, I was "lying prostrate before the Lord." No, I wasn't engaged in heartfelt prayer in the posture of being on my face (some call it "sucking carpet.") No, I was lying "prostrate before the Lord." That's code for "I was praying and fell asleep!"
Jesus had the right idea in that He "got up" and "left the house" and "went off" somewhere to pray. He knew the human limitations of a tired body and He also knew the incredible power of daily fellowship with His Father. So wisely, His custom was to get up, get out, and get going in communication with God first thing.
Have you ever prayed a sleepy prayer? I believe that sleepy prayers are better than no prayers at all, most especially if you pray in the Spirit! I can identify with the disciples who kept falling asleep while trying to pray and Jesus caught them cat-napping and said:
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" (Mat 26:41).
Whenever I find myself "lying prostrate before the Lord," I resist the temptation to feel guilty and self-condemning. I no longer feel like I've failed God. I used to think that way but I got over it.
Prayer is not a "pass/fail" proposition. Its quality cannot be measured in terms of quantity. What it all boils down to is that God knows our hearts. He knows our bodies too. He designed them (on purpose) with limited time, strength, and energy. Most important of all, He knows our spiritual hunger for more of Him.
He understands, more than anybody, that when we seek Him with our whole hearts that we will find Him. So even if I run the risk of "lying prostrate before the Lord" as I endeavor to follow in the footsteps of Jesus who apparently was an early riser, I am committed to rely on God's mercy rather than on my own expectations and performance.
I would think that God's "grading policy," if we can call it that at all, accentuates our effort, desire, and motives even more so than results.
Having said that, tomorrow morning, when my two alarms go off (one next to my bed and one way across the room), I'll drag my weary body out of bed and give it another shot. It may be tough but it's definitely worth it once I "break through" into the presence of God!
So my prayer to the Lord to end this thought is a slightly modified version of King David's found in Psalm 19 verse 14:
"May the words [or snores] of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."
DSR
12/12/04
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35).
* * *
As is my custom, I begin each day with prayer. The time may vary but the habit has been firmly established - the "first fruits" of each day belong to God.
On this particular morning, I was "lying prostrate before the Lord." No, I wasn't engaged in heartfelt prayer in the posture of being on my face (some call it "sucking carpet.") No, I was lying "prostrate before the Lord." That's code for "I was praying and fell asleep!"
Jesus had the right idea in that He "got up" and "left the house" and "went off" somewhere to pray. He knew the human limitations of a tired body and He also knew the incredible power of daily fellowship with His Father. So wisely, His custom was to get up, get out, and get going in communication with God first thing.
Have you ever prayed a sleepy prayer? I believe that sleepy prayers are better than no prayers at all, most especially if you pray in the Spirit! I can identify with the disciples who kept falling asleep while trying to pray and Jesus caught them cat-napping and said:
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" (Mat 26:41).
Whenever I find myself "lying prostrate before the Lord," I resist the temptation to feel guilty and self-condemning. I no longer feel like I've failed God. I used to think that way but I got over it.
Prayer is not a "pass/fail" proposition. Its quality cannot be measured in terms of quantity. What it all boils down to is that God knows our hearts. He knows our bodies too. He designed them (on purpose) with limited time, strength, and energy. Most important of all, He knows our spiritual hunger for more of Him.
He understands, more than anybody, that when we seek Him with our whole hearts that we will find Him. So even if I run the risk of "lying prostrate before the Lord" as I endeavor to follow in the footsteps of Jesus who apparently was an early riser, I am committed to rely on God's mercy rather than on my own expectations and performance.
I would think that God's "grading policy," if we can call it that at all, accentuates our effort, desire, and motives even more so than results.
Having said that, tomorrow morning, when my two alarms go off (one next to my bed and one way across the room), I'll drag my weary body out of bed and give it another shot. It may be tough but it's definitely worth it once I "break through" into the presence of God!
So my prayer to the Lord to end this thought is a slightly modified version of King David's found in Psalm 19 verse 14:
"May the words [or snores] of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."
DSR
12/12/04
Sunday, December 5, 2004
Lord, Help!
by David Scott Robertson
The next time you find yourself in a sticky situation, I want to encourage you to pray this two-word prayer: "Lord, help!" Never underestimate the power of this prayer. Psalm 107 describes four scenarios in which great distress was turned into great deliverance because the people cried out, "Lord, help!"
* * *
Scenario #1: The Israelites were wandering in the desert, lost and homeless, hungry and thirsty, and they nearly died (v. 4-5).
"'Lord, help!' they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress" (v. 6).
Results of this two-word prayer: He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live (v. 7)! He satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things (v. 9)!
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them (v. 8)!
* * *
Scenario #2: Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, miserable prisoners in chains (v. 10). They were rebels scorning counsel the counsel of God (v. 11). That's why God broke them with hard labor, and they were falling under the heavy burden with none to rescue them (v. 12).
"'Lord, help!' they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress" (v. 13).
Results of this two-word prayer: God snapped their chains and led them out of darkness and deepest gloom (v. 14)! He broke down their prison gates of bronze and cut apart their bars of iron (v. 16)!
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them (v. 15)!
* * *
Scenario #3: Some were fools in their rebellion suffering from their sins (v. 17). Their appetites were gone and they were on the brink of death (v. 18).
"'Lord, help!' they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress" (v. 19).
Results of this two-word prayer: God spoke and they were healed, snatched from the very door of death (v. 20)!
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them (v. 21)!
* * *
Scenario #4: Sailors caught in a tempest, a hurricane so serious that these experienced seamen were cringing in terror, reeling and staggering like drunkards (v. 27).
"'Lord, help!' they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress" (v. 28).
Results of this two-word prayer: God calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves (v. 29)! He brought them safely into harbor (v. 30)!
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them (v. 31)!
* * *
These are not bad results for a two-word prayer, wouldn't you say? To my understanding, it's not WHAT you pray but TO WHOM you are praying that is important.
"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21).
If you'll allow it to, today's thought will encourage you to pray "Lord, help!" in your time of need and you can expect fantastic results.
DSR
12/5/04
The next time you find yourself in a sticky situation, I want to encourage you to pray this two-word prayer: "Lord, help!" Never underestimate the power of this prayer. Psalm 107 describes four scenarios in which great distress was turned into great deliverance because the people cried out, "Lord, help!"
* * *
Scenario #1: The Israelites were wandering in the desert, lost and homeless, hungry and thirsty, and they nearly died (v. 4-5).
"'Lord, help!' they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress" (v. 6).
Results of this two-word prayer: He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live (v. 7)! He satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things (v. 9)!
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them (v. 8)!
* * *
Scenario #2: Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, miserable prisoners in chains (v. 10). They were rebels scorning counsel the counsel of God (v. 11). That's why God broke them with hard labor, and they were falling under the heavy burden with none to rescue them (v. 12).
"'Lord, help!' they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress" (v. 13).
Results of this two-word prayer: God snapped their chains and led them out of darkness and deepest gloom (v. 14)! He broke down their prison gates of bronze and cut apart their bars of iron (v. 16)!
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them (v. 15)!
* * *
Scenario #3: Some were fools in their rebellion suffering from their sins (v. 17). Their appetites were gone and they were on the brink of death (v. 18).
"'Lord, help!' they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress" (v. 19).
Results of this two-word prayer: God spoke and they were healed, snatched from the very door of death (v. 20)!
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them (v. 21)!
* * *
Scenario #4: Sailors caught in a tempest, a hurricane so serious that these experienced seamen were cringing in terror, reeling and staggering like drunkards (v. 27).
"'Lord, help!' they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress" (v. 28).
Results of this two-word prayer: God calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves (v. 29)! He brought them safely into harbor (v. 30)!
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them (v. 31)!
* * *
These are not bad results for a two-word prayer, wouldn't you say? To my understanding, it's not WHAT you pray but TO WHOM you are praying that is important.
"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21).
If you'll allow it to, today's thought will encourage you to pray "Lord, help!" in your time of need and you can expect fantastic results.
DSR
12/5/04
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