Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for the good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

One of the greatest joys I have discovered in retirement is the free time I now have to read.  I always had a Bible and great devotionals in my office that in free moments I could pick up and read for daily inspiration; but to find time in my busy schedule to just sat down and enjoy reading was almost impossible.  But now not only do I have time to read, I also have time to go to the Goodwill store to discover great books.  One of the great discoveries I found was a book written by Dr. Lee Roberson titled The Gold Mine.  I was blessed to have spent seven wonderful years at Tennessee Temple University and had meet Dr. Lee Roberson several times.  If fact I was even an example in one of his sermons as a student who showed the peace of God in their life in time of difficulties.  So of course I had to get this book and add it to my library. 

The main purpose of this book was to give illustration to wedge into the daily thinking of a man and to drive home some great and important, vital Bible truth.  These illustrations were to help in the preaching of the gospel to drive home the main point which was to point men and women to Christ.  Now after nearly fifty years since left the campus of Tennessee Temple University I look back and see how much of my life was shaped by this man of God.  My love for God’s Word (the Bible) has been a strong influence on my daily life and has given me a closeness that only God and I know.  This closeness has made me aware of how the greatness of my Lord which I can’t even grasp a glimpse of the vastness; that the Lord that can control the events in this universe, would even have a personal relationship with me that is completely mine, as well as a personal relationship to any who invites him into their life.  As I wrote yesterday about Psalms twenty three that each and every one who works with the Lord and tell stories of how he has always been there for them.

As I opened this book I saw the on page three an insert with his life verse.

And we know that all things work together for the good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

Lee Robinson

I am blessed to have his life verse in my Bible with his signature given me at the time I was serving in his chapel ministry for the Highland Park Baptist church,  This Bible is falling apart now, but the closeness it has brought to me with my Lord over the last fifty years has been wonderful.  The peace that passes understanding, knowing that when he that has the son has life and he that has not the son has not life.  And I have Christ so I can have as my life verse PHILIPPIANS 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain”.  You might gain the whole world and might make it your goal to change the world to be a better place, you may have all your earthly desires fulfill, but if you don’t have the son at death you don’t have life.  Jesus is the only way.

Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. 

Reading the A Year with C.S. Lewis this morning he writes about the essential vice.  This vise is pride.  After a lengthy discuss on the subject of pride he summarizes pride as a spiritual cancer that will eat up the very possibility of love or contentment, or even common sense.  This is the pride that Paul is writing about here in Romans chapter one.  God invisible attributes, his eternal power, and divine nature has been clearly seen and understood through his creation.  So since God has revealed himself clearly man is without excuse to honor or give thanks to Him.  But instead they profess themselves to be wise and exchange the glory of God to meet their lusts.  This is the pride that Satan exhibits. 

In his book Holiness by Henry Blackaby He gives six examples of demons knowing the truth in their head about Jesus.  They know he died for the sins of the world, he was the sinless son of God, he was raised again, he has given this power to everyone that believes, he is interceding for believers, and he is coming back again.  These are the same truths that those who reject Christ also know, but reject him as savior.  Why!  Because they profess themselves wise.

In Luke chapter eighteen verse ten through fourteen Christ gives us a great example of what Paul is writing about in Romans chapter one.  The parable is about a Pharisee and a tax collector.  The Pharisee saw himself as righteous (self-righteousness) whereas the tax collector saw himself as a sinner in need of mercy.  Because the tax collector saw his true nature and the need for mercy he was forgiven and justified, however the Pharisee lifted himself up like Satin not seeing the need to be forgiven or to seek mercy.  This pride is the foolish that those that reject the preaching of the cross that Paul writes about in both Romans chapter one and I Corinthians chapter one. 

Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

These words took on a new meaning to me this morning as I was reading My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  In his devotion to he writes “God saves a man and endues him with the Holy Spirit, and then says in effect – Now work it out, be loyal to me whilst the nature of things round about you make you disloyal.”  Christ did His part on the cross, and when we believe in Him we have salvation; however, now the hard part of the believer’s walk is just getting started.  Are we going to walk in the spirit or in the flesh? 

Salvation is the free gift of John 3:16 that God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son to believe in Him to receive eternal life.  Just as the gift of life is given to a newborn child as he comes into this world salvation is given to anyone that has believe in Christ, However, the growth process must start immediately.  This is the hard part of the believer’s walk.  Are we going to be guided by the Holy Spirit or by the ways of the flesh?  Paul was writing to warn the Galatians not to go down the path of another gospel (works verses faith).  Salvation by works is guide by a walk according to the deeds of the flesh; but salvation by faith believes in the work done by Christ on the cross that gives us salvation and then living a life by walking in the spirit.   

In Galatians 6:8 Paul gives the Galatians this warning “For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.”  However, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is honorable, whatsoever is right, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is lovely, whatsoever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and if anything, worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.  So, as we take the journey of our time on earth and once, we have receive the free gift of salvation by our faith in Christ, let us take the bold step of not walking in the ways of the world and it understanding but instead walk in the Spirit by focusing on His Word and letting the Holy Spirit guide us in our daily walk with Him. 

Revelation 3:20 “Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me.”

This is one of those verses that I love to write about. For those who hear the voice of Jesus and opens the door to the Lord has given His desire to enjoy His fellowship.  This verse reminds me of a song I learned many, many years ago in my youth.  The song There is Something Mighty Sweet about the Lord is a song about a person’s daily walk with the Lord.  The words in this song, “it really does not matter what the people said there something mighty sweet about the Lord’, reflects how simple, yet so wonderfully fulfilling our daily walk with the Lord is in the life of those that know Him as Savior.   

These words from Revelation chapter three were written to the church of Laodicea, which I consider is a reflection of the church today.  To this church Christ pictures himself as standing outside the church knocking on the door to have fellowship with anyone who will open the door.  In Philippians 3:8 Paul writes, “More than that I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ”.  In this verse Paul reveals the wonderful joy we have when we open the door of our heart and let Christ in.  This is the true purpose of a believer’s life, to open the door to Christ and turn over everything to Him.

I have a note in my Bible in the margin of this psalm to read Matthew chapter four where Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil as I study this psalm. It is amazing how much I have discovered the way Christ led his life here on this earth by my daily reading of the Psalms. As one reads Psalm ninety-one the reader could refer both to the believer who is trusting completely in God or Christ himself when he dwelt on this earth. Note also in Matthew 4:11 “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” are the same angels found here in this psalm in verses eleven and twelve.

These were the verses that the devil tried to misinterpret in Matthew 4:6. However, as I look at the Lord’s answers in Matthew chapter four they come from the book of Deuteronomy (8:3, 6:16, and 6:13). We see that just as Satan twisted the words of the Lord in the Garden to Eve he used the same to Christ as he also does today against us.  This is why we must heed the words of Paul to Timothy “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 3:15)

As we go about on journey on this earth the key to this journey is found in verse fourteen. Because I love God, God will rescue and protect me and because of my love I will acknowledge God before others. The love of God is much greater than that of a father or mother toward her their own child. And the love of the believer picture here is much greater than the love a son or daughter can have for their own parent. Just as the devil tried to misinterpret these verses to Christ in the desert; the sinful nature that is found in the world around us also tries to blind us to these verses that reveals to us the truth about how close a relationship we can have with God.

The opening statement of this psalm ” he who dwells in the shelter of the Most High” sets the stage for all believers. One of the most precious teachings of Christianity is that of the priesthood of the believer. As Peter writes in his first epistle, we are not only priest, but a people of God’s own possession for the purpose to show forth the excellencies of God who call us out of darkness into his marvelous light. When we make God our refuge, our hiding place we place ourselves in his care and our faith grows. As this relationship of trusting in the Lord grew, we learn to love him more. We come to the realized of how important the first law of the Ten Commandments in our relationship with God. Having no other Gods before him truly means dwelling in his presence. This relationship with God is very important. By resting in the Lord, we become as a young chick who stays near the wings of the caring hen. We will not fear what will happen to us as we perform the daily routines that are in our lives and careers. For in the moment of danger we know we have protection under the mother’s wings. As I was studying Matthew chapter twenty-three last night this example of a hen and her chicks was used by Christ in his lament over Jerusalem’s rejection of him.  Matthew 23:37b “how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!”  The secret to living this type of life is giving up the pride we have in being able to do things my way instead of God’s way.  A surrendering to God’s shelter provides will provide the peace of God that will be upon you with the long satisfy life he gives those who walk in his way.

Verse fourteen states “Because he loves me, says the Lord” is the focus point of our relationship with God.  My relationship with God is not based upon the way I live my life, but with whom I chose to have fellowship and companionship. I might not force God on others; however, I will not deny him as my God because I will acknowledge him to all who inquiries into my faith.

As I studied Luke 2:41-52 this morning I realized that this is the only glimpse of the boyhood of Christ in the scripture. We can see from these verses that there was a purpose that Jesus had in his life and that was to be about his Father’s business. As I read this psalm, I can picture Christ in his early age as a boy, just as David was a boy that spent his time mediating on God’s Word. In this Psalm I can picture Christ reading this psalm and seeing David as the subject of this Psalm placing himself as a lamb under the care of his shepherd. It is not how great and powerful the shepherd makes the lamb, but how the shepherd protects him. David realized that God was in control no matter had difficult the situation seems to be around him. This psalm instructs us on how living a life of faith in God just as the example that Christ’s life points to the secret of living a blameless life.  And that secret is a simple trust in the Most High. In Luke chapter two verse fifty-two the simple statement “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man”, is an example of how we a believer must grow in our life. So instead of focusing on the glorification of self as Satan wanted Christ to do in Matthew chapter four, we need to be focusing on dwelling in the shelter of the Most High and growing in our love for Him.

Luke 24:25-27 “Then he said upon them, O fools and so slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded unto them in all scriptures the things concerning himself.

One of my Old Testament teachers told us that if he could ever be at any event in the past this walk with these two disciples and the Lord would be this event.  To hear the Lord expound upon all the scriptures relating to him from the writings of Moses and all the prophets would also make his heart burn within him as it would reveal all the scriptures about the Lord.  In Luke twenty-four verse forty-four the Lord again reinforces the scriptures by stating these are the words that I spoke unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which was written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.  In second Peter chapter one verses fifteen through twenty-one Peter explains that even with his eyewitnesses of the Lord’s ministry and even his experience he shared with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration, we have the more sure word of prophecy to place our faith on the Lord.  These verses show how important it is to hide God’s Word in your heart to be the light unto my feet and a lamp unto my path as I go on our journey on this earth. 

With this knowledge of how important the writings of the Old Testament were in revealing the Lord to the world on His first coming how much more such we look to the scriptures for understanding His second coming.  Peter writes in his second epistle chapter three how he write these words to stir up your pure minds concerning the writings of the prophets as well as the commandment given to the apostles of the Lord concerning His second coming.  He warns us as believers that in the last days there will be a rejection of the return of the Lord.  But this is not the case for the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens and earth will pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. 

Just as the scriptures were not really understood concerning the Lord’s first coming by the Jewish nation until their fulfillment by the Lord’s ministry, death, and resurrection; so are the scriptures concerning His second coming by the world today.  We need therefore to heed the warning of the Lord found in Matthew chapter twenty-four verse forty-four of being ready for His return, for we don’t know the hour of His return but it could come at any moment.

Vav

⁴¹ Let thy steadfast love come to me, O LORD, thy salvation according to thy promise.

⁴² then shall I have an answer for those who taunt me, for I trust in thy word.

⁴³ And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in thy ordinances.

⁴⁴ I will keep thy law continually, for ever and ever.

⁴⁵ and I shall walk at liberty, for I have sought thy precepts.

⁴⁶ I will also speak of thy testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame.

⁴⁷ for I find my delight in thy commandments, which I love.

⁴⁸ I revere thy commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on thy statutes.

As I reflect upon these verses this morning I am reminded of the Lord’s reminder to us in Matthew chapter six verses twenty-five and twenty-six. “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, what you will wear.  Is life not more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not more valuable than they are? As I look at these verses in relationship to verse forty-three of this psalm I am reminded of the song Standing on the Promises of Christ My King.

The words of this song reflects the truth of the words that Paul wrote about in Romans chapter eight verse thirty-eight and thirty-nine of the true relationship that a Christian can experiences with Christ in their life.  “For I am convinced that neither death or life, neither angels or demons, neither the present or the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.    

Psalm 112

1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that fears the Lord, that delights greatly in his commandments.

2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

5 A good man sheweth favor and lends: he will guide his affairs with discretion.

6 Surely he shall not be moved forever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.

7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.

9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn shall be exalted with honor.

10 The wicked shall see it and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish. (KJV)

When considering the phrase “blessed is the one who fears the Lord” one must reflect on the importance of Psalm one. The key in understanding this phrase is found in the word blessed. In Psalm 1, we are told, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night.” The fear of the Lord is an understanding of God and his way. To grasp an understanding of this verse we must understand the definition of fear. Fear can be defined as a feeling of anxiety (restlessness caused by uncertainties) that marks a state of guard apprehension and uneasiness that forces one to make decisions. This blessing comes from a trust and obeys relationship with the Lord.

Studying this Psalm, one cannot help to be drawn back to the teaching of Psalm one. God has given us the way to walk in; however, humankind seems to want more. The truth of this Psalm is we are to trust and obey the God.

The difference in the life of the man who fears the LORD and the life of the man who does not is the caretaker. As I work in my backyard or on my land, I realize how much the design reflects the desire and purpose of me the caretaker. The same is with the one that looks to the Lord as the one that directs his life. This is the type of relationship that Christ spoke of in John chapter fifteen:

¹ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

² Every branch in me that bears not fruit, he takes it away: and every branch that bears fruit, he cleanses it, that it may bear more fruit.

³ Already ye are clean because of the word, which I have spoken unto you.

⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so, neither can ye, except ye abide in me.

⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.

⁶ If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

The wicked, the one that does not have the fear of God in their life does not have the Lord as the caretaker in their life. May my life (the work of God’s hand in the life of an old saint) reflect the same joy in God that I have when I set in the designer’s chair, look out, and delight in the beauty that my secret garden gives me?