Scripture: Psalms 4 v 3 - 8: "But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety."
This portion of scripture was given to me this morning as I was seeking from the Lord His Word for us today. I stand in awe at His ability to inspire and to bring assurance to us in these difficult times.
If we are godly - which means living in obedience to God's commands, from a principle of love to Him and reverence of His character and precepts. For such a person God comes first.
A godly person lives a pure and innocent life, he or she is hard working, honest and reliable. They will step up to help when disasters affect our community. They have great perseverance, are disciplined and meet challenges with courage, absorbing the lessons Jesus is teaching.
In these godly people we find fellowship, forgiveness, comfort and generosity. They are filled with love, peace and joy. They are kind and patient. They have been set apart to God as true believers.
These are the characteristics of those who endure under pressure and to whom God listens to every prayer. It is not that we need to have an extreme makeover, it is what we receive when Jesus is in our heart and our old nature has died under the water of baptism.
When we are set apart that is when we are called saints. It actually means sinless, so it's important to endeavour not to sin. It's a status we never want to lose. Remember how clean our hearts felt when all our sins were forgiven and we were born again? We were washed in the Blood of Jesus and became pure like Him.
I recall the amazing testimony of a Hezbollah terrorist called Khalil who was imprisoned in Malaysia for having multiple passports. His father was an Imam, and he grew up hating Jews and Christians. In jail he suddenly became deathly ill. He knew he was dying but was unable to summon help. He heard a voice saying, 'call on Jesus'. He said "Jesus" and instantly his illness disappeared!
Khalid was very confused wondering why Allah had not helped him. He spent the next two weeks studying every word of the Koran. He fasted and prayed for Allah to make himself real. Nothing happened. He was so angry he threw his Koran away and gave up his religion.
The moment he did this there was a presence in his cell, so strong and comforting, plus there was a hand on his head. He asked, who are you? A voice said I am Jesus, your sins are forgiven, follow Me. At that moment every sin left him, he felt a peace he had never known and made a full commitment of his life to Jesus. He wished he had a Bible. Two days later one of the wardens handed him one!
Testimonies like these bring me to tears because God's love is so strong for every human being no matter how evil their lives have been. We may write off certain people as being beyond the Lord's ability to save, but He surprises us with bringing some of them into His Kingdom. God sees something in the hearts of some extremely sinful people that needs an extraordinary miracle to change them.
If we are walking the strait and narrow path that leads to life, we have the comfort of His protection and help at all times. It's up to each one of us to keep going in the right direction.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for our salvation. We are grateful for Your love for us and for those who have fallen. Help us to see the needs in those around us, and show us how to reach them for You. In Jesus' name. Amen.