Today’s passage: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalms%2017,%2035,%2054,%2063&version=NIV
Psalm 17:15 “And I—in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.”
Once again, our psalms in today’s passage are written by David during a time of persecution. He’s been chased, attacked, slandered, dishonored, and forced into hiding. Through it all, David manages to keep his eyes on the prize. Psalm 17:14 says of the men who are attacking him, that their reward is in this life. Their treasure will not follow them to eternity – they leave it all behind to their children. It is a temporary reward. But David, who is made righteous in faith (Gen 15:6 - Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.), looks forward to an everlasting fellowship with God. David definitely had his focus in the right direction. He had his eyes on the prize…the ultimate reward of an eternity with our Lord.
It’s so easy to get distracted by vain ambitions that lead to temporary worldly rewards. It’s especially easy to get distracted when we are going through a situation where it seems that those who persecute us are being rewarded and we are not. As children of God, we can rejoice in the success of building His eternal Kingdom rather than building a kingdom for ourselves here on earth. If we keep our eyes on the prize, we can rest in the knowledge that the ultimate reward is yet to come; the ultimate reward is an everlasting reward – an eternity of knowing Jesus Christ, our Lord.
I love Paul’s perspective in Philippians 3:7-10:
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Where does your reward lie? On what do you place the highest value? Is knowing Christ Jesus your greatest treasure? Are you busy building up your own glory, chasing vain ambitions and fulfilling worldly desires? Or do you focus on glorifying God and building up his eternal Kingdom? Do your works provide evidence of your faith? Are you spending time building a relationship with God and obediently carrying out your purpose? Take inventory of your life and ask God to show you how to keep your eyes on the prize…an eternity with Him awaits.
Today’s post submitted by Kelly Coxe
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Just as Psalm 22 gives us insight into the thought life of Jesus while He hung upon the cross, these Psalms cuuld easily give us insight of His thoughts as He stood before PIlate and Herod.
ReplyDelete"Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, To my cause, my God and my Lord. Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness;And let them not rejoice over me."
Kelly-->I always enjoy your postings very much.
ReplyDelete**I like your question-->"Do your works provide evidence of your faith?"
The truth for myself is that the answer is sadly sometimes yes, and sometimes no.
I say anybody who says otherwise of themselves needs to pray for a dose of reality recognition, simply because men(and women) cannot control their words-->Read James.
I love these kinds of questions because they deal with accountability, a subject that is so cutting, so serious, and so easily discarded. However, a lack of accountability is what will get me into trouble. I think I've shared before that Dr. Deloach says rejecting the solution(Jesus) is often not in such a direct form as flat-out rejection;instead, it is also in the form of neglect. Tell that to those who simply show up to church, with a smile, and then do nothing to expand the Kingdom of God.
**I say that only to remind myself that "faith without works is dead", and that witnessing for my Daddy is what it's all about.
**Hebrews 10:36--->There is a need for endurance, for after we have done the will of God we will receive the promise.
**Thank God for Paul and James!!
Peace and love!!!