We Are Without Excuse!
Reading: Psalm 19
My Verse: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaim his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).
This a such a beautiful Psalm! But, it is also a reprimand as it shows how You, LORD God, are everywhere and in everything in this world we inhabit. You, LORD God are before us constantly - day and night!
"Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (19:2-4).
How arrogant we are. We think we do all that we do on our own power. We become so great and puffed up with our accomplishments. Our arrogance and pride do not allow us to see or even truly enjoy all that You do for us and want to do for us! Everything is muddled.
Francis Schaeffer wrote a wonderful book called "The God Who Is There." He goes back through time, recounting our history through philosophy and the arts. He shows how the great thinkers and doers were struggling desperately to make sense of their world - but they were doing so leaving God out and so they mostly ended up in great despair. He quoted Dylan Thomas's "Elegy" written near the end of his life. One need only read it to feel the man's true despair.
Schaeffer goes on to point out how as Christians we worship a God who is truly there in space and time. You, LORD God are Truth - objective truth. All of the reality around us points to this unalterable fact of You! Even our deepest emotions and feelings point to You!
Schaeffer in speaking of the great thinkers of the past, of their struggles, he admits admiration for their passion and honesty in their struggle. They knew there was more to life than what they were experiencing and yet, they fell short and most died in their despair. They could not get past their own ego, that need to put the blame elsewhere. It is so hard for us to admit we are in need, we need rescuing from our very selves.
My husband and I were discussing why it is that people you love get extremely angry when you try to point out what they are doing may not be the best thing. Even though you have never done anything in the past to cause them hurt they immediately accuse you of having sinister motives. He, my husband, felt this was because we hold our egos too close to the service. Our ego discolors/distorts our perception.
You tell us LORD God that we can only come to You by putting aside our self. "And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
C.S. Lewis put it succinctly when he said, "The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self--all your wishes and precautions--to Christ."
Yes, "the heavens declare the glory of God!" Sadly, our selfish ego blocks out that glory!
LORD God, help me today to keep my eyes focused on you that I might truly see Truth, that I might be enabled to truly appreciate all that You do for me for all that is around me cries out that You are there! I have no excuse to deny Your existence, Your great love for me!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Reading: Psalm 19
My Verse: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaim his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).
This a such a beautiful Psalm! But, it is also a reprimand as it shows how You, LORD God, are everywhere and in everything in this world we inhabit. You, LORD God are before us constantly - day and night!
"Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (19:2-4).
How arrogant we are. We think we do all that we do on our own power. We become so great and puffed up with our accomplishments. Our arrogance and pride do not allow us to see or even truly enjoy all that You do for us and want to do for us! Everything is muddled.
Francis Schaeffer wrote a wonderful book called "The God Who Is There." He goes back through time, recounting our history through philosophy and the arts. He shows how the great thinkers and doers were struggling desperately to make sense of their world - but they were doing so leaving God out and so they mostly ended up in great despair. He quoted Dylan Thomas's "Elegy" written near the end of his life. One need only read it to feel the man's true despair.
Schaeffer goes on to point out how as Christians we worship a God who is truly there in space and time. You, LORD God are Truth - objective truth. All of the reality around us points to this unalterable fact of You! Even our deepest emotions and feelings point to You!
Schaeffer in speaking of the great thinkers of the past, of their struggles, he admits admiration for their passion and honesty in their struggle. They knew there was more to life than what they were experiencing and yet, they fell short and most died in their despair. They could not get past their own ego, that need to put the blame elsewhere. It is so hard for us to admit we are in need, we need rescuing from our very selves.
My husband and I were discussing why it is that people you love get extremely angry when you try to point out what they are doing may not be the best thing. Even though you have never done anything in the past to cause them hurt they immediately accuse you of having sinister motives. He, my husband, felt this was because we hold our egos too close to the service. Our ego discolors/distorts our perception.
You tell us LORD God that we can only come to You by putting aside our self. "And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
C.S. Lewis put it succinctly when he said, "The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self--all your wishes and precautions--to Christ."
Yes, "the heavens declare the glory of God!" Sadly, our selfish ego blocks out that glory!
LORD God, help me today to keep my eyes focused on you that I might truly see Truth, that I might be enabled to truly appreciate all that You do for me for all that is around me cries out that You are there! I have no excuse to deny Your existence, Your great love for me!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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