Stepping in the Light

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.” Psalm 51:1-4

David was a godly man and a good king, but he was still a sinner. In spite of all of the good things that he had done in his life, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband Uriah in an attempt to cover it up. When God sent Nathan the prophet to confront him, David acknowledged his sin and immediately sought for forgiveness. David wrote Psalm 51 during this time in his life. He was dealing with an enormous load of guilt. He said, “My sin is ever before me.” It was something that he thought about all of the time. He could not get it off his mind. In repenting of his sin and asking God for forgiveness, David appealed to God’s mercy and lovingkindness. He asked the Lord to blot out his transgressions, wash away his iniquity, and cleanse him from his sin. He asked the Lord to create a clean heart in him. In other words, he wanted to be able to start over; he wanted to be a new person from the inside out. God is willing to forgive our sin and to cleanse us within, but He is looking for us to have a contrite heart and to display a repentant spirit.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1:18-21

God has placed something on the inside of every person that makes it obvious that He exists and that He cares about them. This passage talks about “invisible things” of God that are “clearly seen.” That sounds impossible at first, but Paul goes on to explain that he is talking about His eternal power and Godhead. God’s power is invisible, but it is impossible to miss the effects of His power. The fact that He is the Creator is obvious because of what He has created. When we look at His creation, it is obvious that He is God. The Bible tells us that everyone will eventually stand before God and be judged. This passage tells us that at that judgment, no one will be able to say that they did not know that God existed. They will be without excuse because of creation itself. “The heavens declare the glory of God,” (Psalm 19:1). When we look at God’s creation, we have to know that He exists.

“And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.” Acts 28:23-24

When Paul finally arrived in Rome, he was allowed to live by himself with a Roman soldier guarding him. This arrangement was probably roughly equivalent to what we would call “house arrest” in our society. Soon after he was settled in his new quarters, Paul called for the leaders of the Jews and invited them to meet with him so that he could share the gospel with them. He spent a full day trying to persuade them that Jesus was the Messiah that they had been waiting for. He showed them many prophecies that Jesus had fulfilled and explained how numerous types of Christ could be found in the Law of Moses. They listened to what Paul had to say, but when the day was done, some believed that Jesus was the Christ and some did not.

Like Paul, we have a responsibility to share the truth of Christ with those around us. It is a great encouragement when people are willing to believe in Jesus and accept Him as Saviour, but some people simply choose not to believe. Paul did not let this fact stop him. He spent the rest of his life sharing the gospel with as many people as possible.

“We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.” Psalm 44:1-3

The psalmist is crying out to God for help. In verses 23-26, as he closes his prayer, he says, “Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.” As the psalmist begins this prayer, he reminds God of the great works that He did for His people in years gone by. He mentions how God delivered them in battle, how He drove the heathen out of the Promised Land before them, and how He planted them firmly in the land that He gave them. We could summarize his prayer by saying, “Dear God, we have heard how you did great things in the past. Could you please do the same kind of great works for us now?” Have you ever come to the place where you feel like all of the great things that have happened are in the past and are not available to you? God doesn’t play favorites. He still wants to do great things for us, but He wants us to be willing to trust Him.

“Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” Psalm 40:5

Because we cannot see God, we must exercise faith in our perception of His actions and attributes. Some people think that God is distant and disconnected from mankind, aloof to his troubles and trials. They believe that God has the ability to do miracles, but He does not because our daily lives do not concern Him. This kind of mentality does little to cultivate a thankful spirit and fails to capture the essence of God that we see revealed in the pages of Scripture. David certainly had a much more personal and connected view of God. David believed that God is constantly engaged in an endless stream of mighty works on the behalf of His people and that He is concerned with the smallest details of our daily lives. He said that God’s wonderful works and His thoughts toward us cannot be numbered. If you were to begin to make a list of the good things that God had done in your life recently, how long would it take you to think of one? How many could you list in one minute? How much of God the Father’s attention do you think is devoted toward you? Do you think He is watching you? Do you think that He is waiting to reward you for the good things that you do? Do you think that He is listening to your prayers? David encouraged us to realize that we have a God Who is thinking about us and constantly working for our good.

“And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.” Acts 26:31:32

Paul had a tremendous burden for the Jewish people. In his missionary journeys, he always went to the synagogue first when he arrived in a new city so that he could preach the gospel to the Jews first. It troubled Paul that so many of the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and he wanted to do whatever he could to change that. Because of this great burden, Paul had determined to go back to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost so that he could witness for Christ while many Jews from around the world were gathered there. Paul continued toward his chosen destination in spite of warnings from other believers and the calling that he had received from the Lord to go to the Gentiles (Acts 22:17-21). The Lord said to Paul, “As thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome,” (Acts 23:11). God was directing Paul’s path. When Agrippa heard Paul’s case, he determined that Paul could have been set free, and he would have been, except for the fact that he had already appealed to Caesar. Paul’s unusual circumstance shows us that sometimes what we would assume to be the most desirable outcome in a given situation is actually not desirable at all. God is able to use adverse circumstances and even our own mistakes to guide us toward His purpose.

“Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.” Psalm 36:5-7

Nothing seems quite as helpless and defenseless as a baby bird. The baby bird cannot fly, it cannot leave the nest, it cannot feed itself, and it cannot protect itself. It is completely dependent upon the mother for shelter, protection, and sustenance. The psalmist uses this bond between the helpless baby bird and its mother to picture our relationship with God. He not only offers us protection; He meets our needs, He provides for us, He shelters us, He guides us, He teaches us, He corrects us, and uses us for His glory. As a baby bird grows, he eventually begins to flap his wings and wants to fly on his own. David, who wrote this psalm, was a king, but in the title above the psalm identifies himself as the servant of the Lord. In spite of his exalted rank, David wasn’t trying to exert his independence, but rather to increase his dependence upon God. The stronger we become and the more responsibility we have, the more we need to depend on the Lord. We need His guidance, protection, and care. The difference is in our mindset. How do you see yourself? Are you able to take care of yourself without outside help, or are you depending upon the Lord? We need to learn to trust in the shadow of His wings.

“And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” Acts 24:24-25 

Paul had been taken from Jerusalem to Caesarea to stand before Felix. A few days after hearing Paul’s initial defense, Felix called for Paul and talked with him about faith in Christ. As Felix listened to Paul, he fell under great conviction. Trembling, he sent Paul away saying, “When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” As far as we know, that day never came. Felix passed up his best opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as Saviour. The Bible doesn’t say exactly why Felix put it off, but it was the worst decision of his life. II Corinthians 6:2 says, “Behold, now is the accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation.” The only time that we know for certain that we have is now. We are only one heartbeat away from eternity, so the decision to receive Christ must not be delayed. Felix was like many other people, in that he thought he had plenty of time. He thought there would be another, better day. If you have never trusted Christ, please accept Him today! If you have a friend or family member who is unsaved, plead with them to come to Christ. We must learn a lesson from the life of Felix and learn to properly distinguish between what is convenient and what is necessary.

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Psalm 32:1-2, 5-7

It is easy to think that the people in the Bible were not plagued with weaknesses and flaws like we are. They seem larger than life to us when we consider the great feats they accomplished and the miraculous things that God did in their lives. But even David, who was chosen and anointed by God as the king of Israel, had to deal with sin. As New Testament Christians who are the beneficiaries of Christ’s atoning sacrifice on Calvary, we can begin to let the tremendous burden of sin that we felt before salvation fade in our memories. We cling to God’s promise that if we confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us (I John 1:9). We have a tendency to either take God’s forgiveness for granted or shamelessly take advantage of its availability. David did not take forgiveness for granted. He viewed it as a singular blessing from God. How long has it been since you thanked God for His forgiveness?

“Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” Psalm 29:1-2

How can we give glory to the Lord? He alone possesses glory; we do not. We can give God glory by recognizing His glory and putting that realization into words. We can speak of His glory, write of His glory, and sing of His glory. When God becomes the object of our praise, we draw attention to His glory. God wants us to recognize His glory on a personal level. This will affect the time that we spend in prayer. We will tell Him from our hearts how great He is. God also wants us to proclaim His glory to others. If they are believers, they will be encouraged to join in praising the Lord. If they are unbelievers, they will be confronted with the truth of His greatness and the reality of their need of God in their own lives. Giving glory to God is part of the act of worshipping Him.

This psalm also teaches us that we are to worship the Lord “in the beauty of holiness.” Holiness is one of the attributes of God. God describes Himself as being holy, and He expects us to be holy as well. Holiness is a compelling characteristic. We are drawn to holiness, therefore we can say it is beautiful. We are to worship God for His holiness, to revel in the beauty of His holiness. We are to strive to be holy as He has commanded us. Even if we think that we are inadequate to give God the praise that He deserves, our worship is a beautiful thing to Him.