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3.14.2008

Psalm Friday

Dancing with Foolishness?
"Psalm of the Day"
Psalm 14

* Pray. Ask God to give you an open heart and mind to learn new truths from His Word. Read Psalm 14 through three times. Record any thoughts or questions you have in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, write it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.

Mankind, by himself, cannot seek after God because man is corrupt, evil, and full of sin. This Psalm is a picture of a people who have turned their backs on their Creator and are running as hard as they can away from Him. The joy of Psalm 14 is that God loves all peoples, desires to know them personally, and has provided a way to be re-united with His people.

As I read this Psalm, I couldn’t help but remember the many times in my life that I ran in the opposite direction of my Creator. Times when I was foolish and chose to do things my way. There have been times when I have lived like there was no God. And the sad thing is, these times didn’t just affect me, they affected all those around me. The Lord brought one particular occasion to mind as I’ve studied through this Psalm.

I was somewhere I should not have been doing something I should not have been doing. There was a girl there I had never in my life met before; I knew nothing about her; didn’t even know her name. But, she knew me. She knew my name and she knew that I claimed to be a child of God. She had an expectation in her mind as to how I was supposed to be acting or not acting. Sadly, I must admit to you that I was not at all representing a Holy God that night. I was dancing with foolishness. I remember her coming up to me and saying something to me that for as long as I live I will never forget- this is what she said, “You’re that preacher’s daughter, aren’t you? You believe in God and go to church, right? You’re gonna have to go to church on Sunday and repent of what you’re doing tonight, huh!?!” To this day I couldn’t tell you who she was, but I will never forget what she said to me; her words will be with me forever and I will always regret the impression I made on her. I might have been the only Jesus this girl ever saw. My foolishness could have cost her her eternity with God. The fact that I had chosen to turn my back on God and do what was right in my own eyes brought great shame to God that night. This girl was a precious child of God with whom He desired to have a personal relationship. Instead of being used by God to help bring this precious one closer to Him, my actions probably pushed her farther away. Total foolishness. Absolute selfishness. Complete arrogance.

Praise the Lord, God delivered me from my foolishness and has allowed me to serve Him. There is nowhere else in this world I would rather be than where I am right now. God has rescued me from a deep pit of sin and shame and has set my feet upon a rock and I will praise Him for the rest of my days. He has broken the chains of the enemy and I am no longer held captive to sin.

God desires with all His heart to have a personal relationship with you. He so wants to free you from the grip the enemy has on you. The New Testament tells us that Jesus Christ provided the way for you and I to have a relationship with God. Because of the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, God enables sinners to turn back to Him. Let me lay it out for you this way:

You and I were created for a meaningful, personal relationship with God; a relationship of peace. "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. Matthew 22:36-38

But there was and still is a problem...sin.

*All of us are sinners and our sin separates us from God. Sin is anything that is contrary to God’s Word. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

*The punishment for sin is death. This death is not a physical death but a spiritual one that separates us from God. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

*God's solution is Jesus...God sent Jesus to earth to be the atonement for our sins. "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1, 14

*Jesus died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins & He rose again. "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." 1 Peter 3:18

Because of what Jesus did...

*God offers eternal life as a free gift—it is not earned or deserved. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

*You can receive eternal life by believing in Jesus alone. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

*How can you have life as God intended? Understanding that Jesus is God and deserves control of your life and recognizing that He died in your place so that you could be forgiven, you must trust in Jesus Christ as your only hope of heaven. "Most assuredly I say to you, whoever believes in Me has everlasting life." John 6:47

Questions to Answer- Thoughts to Ponder
Are you dancing with foolishness? Are you living your life as if there is no God? Does the enemy still have a tight grip on you?

Christ paved the way for you to have a personal relationship with a Holy God. Will you accept His gift for you today or are you going to continue to live according to your own plan? Take it from me, your plan is nothing compared to what He has waiting for you. God has blessings beyond measure awaiting His precious children.

Is the way you are living your life drawing others to God or pushing them away from Him?
How you live your life today affects all those around you; even the people you don’t know who know you!

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7

**If you accepted the free gift God has for you today, I would love to hear about it and rejoice with you. I’m praying for all of you. Much love!

2 Lovely Thoughts Shared:

Cheri said...

This was so great. I too am learning that though total obedience to God isn't always easy, it does make life a little easier. You don't have to wonder..you just know and have peace.

How is your friend in the hospital?

Amy Wyatt said...

I love this Psalm Friday! I will definitely try to participate. Thanks for doing TSMS too. I think it is fun. Loved the song you picked.