Stepping in the Light

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” I Corinthians 11:1

Every person has influence, and with that influence comes responsibility. If we lead someone down the wrong path, we are partly to blame for the error in their lives. All of us have been disappointed at some point in our lives by someone that we perceived to be a spiritual leader. Whether that person was widely-known or serving in obscurity, the spiritual effects of these kinds of disappointments can be disillusioning. Sometimes Christians respond by dropping out of church and refusing to have anything to do with organized religion. They become disenchanted and decide that since one person let them down, they can never rely on anyone again. They isolate themselves from all spiritual leadership. This kind of response is both unnecessary and unscriptural. Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth that they should follow him, but he added a qualifier that changes the dynamics substantially for anyone who is leery of following a spiritual leader because of past disappointments. Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” The test of any Christian leader is whether they are following after Christ, and the power of any Christian leader’s example is found in how closely the leader’s example matches the one that Christ left us. We should all be following Christ’s example, and we should be willing to follow our spiritual leaders who base their leadership on personally following Christ.

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31

There have always been controversies regarding the things that Christians should and should not do. In the days of the early church, idol worship was common among the Gentiles; and the religious traditions attendant with the worship of these false gods were often intermingled with the mundane routines of everyday life. The meat taken from the animals that were sacrificed to the idols was sold in the marketplace. Some Christians felt that it was a sin to eat the meat offered to idols, while others contended that the fact that the animal had been offered before an idol had no significance. To them it was just a piece of meat, no matter where the animal was killed. Paul made it clear that he understood both sides of the argument, but rather than taking sides, he encouraged them to follow their consciences and to be careful not to offend the conscience of someone else. In conclusion, he told the Christians at Corinth that they should do everything to the glory of God. We may think that only our most important and most visible actions are significant to our spiritual lives, but this verse makes it clear that God is concerned with everything that we do. All of our actions have an effect on the people around us. Even our most obscure and routine actions can make a difference in the impact that we have for the Lord Jesus Christ. We should make it our mission to see that God receives the glory for everything that we say and do.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” I Corinthians 10:13

In the preceding verses, Paul recites the trials and temptations of the Israelites as they journeyed in the wilderness. It seems that they failed more often than they succeeded, but Paul warns us not to think that we are better than they were. He warns us against thinking that we are above making mistakes or somehow too mature as Christians to fall into sin. We know the difference between right and wrong, and we are often tempted to do things that we shouldn’t do. These temptations are simply part of the human existence, and they aren’t going away. But this verse promises that God will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we could possibly handle. When we look to our past, this thought condemns us. Any sin that we have ever committed could have been avoided. We could have done the right thing instead. But when we look to the future, this thought is encouraging. We do not have to give in to sin. God knows how much we can handle, and He has promised never to allow us to experience a temptation greater than we can endure. He also promises that when we are tempted, God will always make a way for us to escape. Jesus avoided temptation by quoting scripture. We need to acquaint ourselves with the Word of God so that we can always find the way of escape.

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” Psalm 121:1-8

Every human being needs security. Some of us are more keenly aware of our need for security than others, but as soon as some sort of trouble comes, we immediately seek cover. This psalm shows us that God provides all the security we will ever need. We begin by lifting up our eyes to see God’s help. He is high above us and can see trouble coming before it ever reaches us. He is the Creator, so there is no problem that can arise that will take Him by surprise or bankrupt His resources. With God’s help, we can continue to stand, no matter how bleak our circumstances or how great our difficulties. He is always watching and alert, so He is always able to answer when we call. He is the One Who keeps us. He protects us from things that would do us harm, like a shade protects an object from the scorching sun. He preserves our lives and gives us the ability to continue to serve Him. No matter what comes your way, you can depend on God to be your keeper.

“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Psalm 119:165

Have you ever been offended? Unfortunately, most of us have been. Getting offended can hinder us from doing what we ought to do. It can become a stumbling block in our Christian lives. When we are offended, we have a tendency to hurt others; sometimes unintentionally. People can offend us with their words, their actions, and with the omission of words or actions that we expect from them. We can be offended if we perceive certain attitudes, even if the words or actions themselves would have been acceptable if they had been said or done in a different spirit. If we had the opportunity, most of us would choose never to be offended again; but we have no control over what other people say and do. However, the verse above gives us a formula by which we can work toward never being offended. The verse says that we will have great peace if we love God’s law. Our peace can be so great that it would become impossible to offend us. How can this be? The primary message of the Bible is the love of God. God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins. When we think about God’s love for us, it causes us to love Him back. “We love him, because he first loved us,” (I John 4:19). If we can come to the place that we can bask in the love of God so deeply that we can remain focused on the goodness of God no matter what happens to us, we will never be offended; and that would certainly be a life of great peace.

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:11

This verse models an activity coupled with a motive. The psalmist said that he would hide God’s Word in his heart so that he would not sin. He wanted to know more about God so that he could do more of what God wanted him to do. Do you have a desire to please God? Think for a moment about the following questions. How well do you know the Bible? How much of the Bible do you have memorized? How often do you think about the Bible? Do you regularly weigh your decisions and actions against the teachings of scripture? If you want to please God, the best way to begin is by reading the Bible. If you have questions about God, you will find answers in His Word. If you want to feel God’s presence in your life, you need to make His thoughts a part of your thoughts. If you want to please God with your actions, you must regularly make decisions based on the truths found in the Bible.

First we need to know God’s Word. This would include reading, studying, understanding, and memorizing. Second, we need to make the Bible a part of our thoughts. This means we need to consider what it means, we need to make application of its truths to our personal lives, and we need to purposefully include biblical principles in our regular thought processes. As we begin to think about the Bible more often, it will strengthen our faith and encourage us to make good choices.

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

This verse sets forth two declarations: God made this day, and we will rejoice in it. God’s greatness facilitates the former, and His goodness requires the latter. Without the power and benevolence of God, we would not have the opportunity to enjoy this day. He created the universe in which our solar system resides. He placed the earth just the right distance from our sun so that we would have the light and warmth that we need. He created the atmosphere and filled it with the amount of oxygen we need to breathe. He provided enough water to not only fill the oceans, but also to supply the lakes, rivers, and streams from which we take water to drink. God created the plants and animals and everything that we enjoy here on this earth. He gives us the very life and the faculties of observation that are required to perceive this microcosm on the seemingly endless thread of time and to participate in its passing moments. God made the planetary systems that define the parameters of the day, and it is His grace and power that allow it to proceed in the same way as the millions of days before it. In the light of what we can see of God’s greatness in making the day, we most assuredly ought to be delighted that He has allowed us to see it and to live in it. Many people seem content to remain oblivious to the marvelous things that God has done. The psalmist’s words nearly leap from the page; “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Are you rejoicing today? In the light of all that God has done for us, we certainly should be.

“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised.” Psalm 113:3

When was the last time you said, “Praise the Lord,” in a casual conversation? How many times each day do you stop to praise God for His goodness in your life? Most of us have a great number of things that occupy our thoughts in a day’s time. Life is filled with many different responsibilities, and the busier our lives become, the less time we have to stop and think about the things that are really important to us. David wrote in Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” In Psalm 70:4, he wrote, “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.” It would be practically impossible to say, “Let God be magnified,” constantly throughout the day. In the first place, it would be necessary to stop once in a while to eat, to drink, and to rest. In the second place, constantly repeating this sentence would interfere with many other needful activities. While we may not be able to spend every second of the day speaking words of praise to God, we can certainly find times throughout the day to praise Him. We can begin our day with praising Him in private for Who He is and what He has done for us. We can look for opportunities to give Him praise in the company of our families, friends, and coworkers periodically throughout the day. Perhaps most importantly, we can endeavor to always be in an attitude of praise to God all day long.

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.” Psalm 110:1-2

At the close of Matthew 22, Jesus asked the Pharisees a question that they could not answer. In His question, Jesus was referring to Psalm 110, a psalm written by King David. In the portion of this psalm that appears above, David paints a picture of God the Father saying to God the Son, “Sit at my right had until I conquer your enemies for you.” Jesus asked the Pharisees whose son Christ (the promised Messiah) would be. They answered that Christ would be the son of David. Then Jesus asked them if that were true, why David would call Him Lord. It would make sense for the people who would live at the same time as the Messiah to call Him Lord, but why would His ancestor David refer to him that way? The Pharisees had no answer because of their incomplete understanding of Who the Messiah was to be. They saw the Messiah only as a political leader. However, as we understand from the New Testament, the Messiah was much more than a political leader. He came as a spiritual leader. David spoke of Him in that sense in verse 4, “Thou art a priest forever….” In Acts 7:55-56, as Stephen was dying, he saw Jesus at the right hand of the Father. Romans 8:34 tells us that Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand, making intercession for us. In this Psalm, David prophesied about something that Jesus would be doing for us today.

“O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.” Psalm 107:1-3

Redemption was a familiar concept to the Israelites. They had grown from an itinerant family into a whole nation within the confines of the land of Egypt. After hundreds of years of bondage in Egypt, God told Moses to speak to the Israelites and tell them that He was going to redeem them. He was going to buy them back out of slavery. Through the ten plagues that He sent upon the Egyptians and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, God did pay the price to free His people. The Lord commanded Moses to institute the Passover so that His people would be reminded how He had brought them out of slavery. This psalm begins with two reasons to give thanks to God; He is good, and His mercy endures forever. The writer then invites all those who had experienced redemption, those who had been brought back to the land of Israel from the four corners of the globe, to join in testifying of the goodness and mercy of God. In this New Testament age, we have experienced a far greater redemption. God the Father has purchased us by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on Calvary. Through faith in Jesus, we have received the gift of eternal life. How much more should we be willing to join in praising God for His goodness and mercy? Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!