NEW WINE, NEW WINESKINS

INTRODUCTION

How did 2014 fare for me? Last year was marred by sadness, not just for me but for many people as well, I presume. Last year was marred by three plane crashes, quite a number of people had to bid farewell to their Mom, Dad, brothers, and sisters, an increase in a number of dengue cases, accidents, natural disaster like flood, thunderstorm, and hurricane, the increasing number of people fallen ill and sick, the country experiencing racial and religious tension, education not getting better, economics is at a breaking point, and of course, I lost my wife to cancer.

Yes, last year was marred by a trail of sadness and sad events BUT I am not depressed to the point of despair, the circumstances should never break us or causes us to flee – instead, it should cause us to stop and ponder, stop and reflect – run to the Lord. As I was thinking along this line soon I began to see a light on the other side of the tunnel. The only next direction if everything keeps going down would be to go up. There will come a point where we will begin to move upwards again.

We have a choice to make – we can either continue to feel sad; moan and groan and feel sorry for this nation OR we can rise up from the ash heap of despair like Job and start believing God for a move upward for this year! I believe God wants to pour the new wine of His Spirit upon us, our families, and the church. We need to first believe.

We need to allow God to pour the new wine of his Spirit of power, love and a sound mind –

-        We need the new wine of the Spirit to empower us to demonstrate His power to live a holy and righteous life, the unction of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate his power of redemption to the fallen world.

-        We need the new wine of the Spirit to love God with everything that is within us, to love one another with an authentic love relationship, and to love the lost humanity – show kindness, love mercy and walk humbly before the Lord.

-        We need the new wine of the Spirit to have a new mind of Christ, a renewed mind to understand and know God, his ways, and his missions.  

BUT WHAT DID JESUS SAID ABOUT THE NEW WINE AND NEW WINESKIN? –

Matthew 9:17 - "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved."

Mark 2:22 - And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins."

Luke 5:37-38 - And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

If we try to put new wine into old wineskins Jesus says we’re doomed to failure because “the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins” (Matthew 9:17).

Quote from one of the devotional that I read: “For you to become the person God wants you to be, you will have to abandon the old wineskins in your life so that God can pour himself into the wineskin of your new life-in-Christ. This may mean, for instance, that we cannot try to pour the new wine of “honesty at work” into an old wineskin of “cutting corners.” Otherwise, “both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined.” We will have to change in order to be the person God wants you to be.”

Are we ready to make the changes? Do we feel the excitement of knowing God is right there with us, not just helping us change, but leading us to the change? What are some of the old wineskins we will need to discard as we face the New Year?

Can I suggest the following OLD WINESKINS that we need to discard as we face this New Year?

GREED

When More Is Not Enough

No matter what we gain out of greedy motives, we will never know true peace and joy in our achievements. Peace and joy come directly from the heart of God through the Holy Spirit. Peace and joy are the fruit of the pure and holy heart. When we plant holy seeds, we get holy fruit. Greed has no place here.

Example: Ahab’s greed - lusting after Naboth’s vineyard. Once he had the vineyard, he was still unhappy. His greed caused him to murder. He finally destroyed himself and his family.

Greed is a warped desire

The greedy person wants to have it all. The greedy person craves possessions and more possessions just for possessions’ sake. Desire is a gift from God. Life without desire is a dull and futile life. Without desire, life stops. Greed is a warped desire; refuses to be denied the thing it wants to possess. Godly desire is not troubled by the lack of that thing.

Greed cause irritability

The fundamental problem behind this irritation is greed -

1.      Grumbled when asked for help

2.      Feel imposed upon

3.      Argue about who pays the most to care for aging parents.

Conquering Greed

2 Corinthians 6:4-10

1.      Verses 4-5 - endurance in all sorts of distresses and discomfort

2.      Verses 6-7 - alongside discomfort the manifestation of right attitude and motivation

3.      Verses 8, 10 - holding up of a right attitude in the midst of discomfort, injustice and distresses. NOTE Verse 10 - “...as having nothing, yet possessing all things...”

Philippians 4:11-13 - Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

LAZINESS (SLOTH)

Hebrews 6:12 - “Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Today I want us to discard laziness (slothfulness) with regard to spiritual things – the transformational dynamic, relational dynamic and vocational dynamic of our Christian spirituality. And with faith and patience inherit our promises – “to give the nations as our inheritance….”

Just a cursory glance over the book of Proverbs and you will quickly see that the preacher has a lot to say about laziness. We pick up at least six characteristics of one who is lazy, complacent, and satisfied with self.

1.      Procrastination – his tomorrow never comes. (6:9-11) - How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. There are people who would make lots of promises about getting things done tomorrow but tomorrow never comes.

2.      Restlessness – he craves but gets nothing. (13:4) - His problem has nothing to do with desire but getting it done! In Proverbs 21:25-26 the wise preacher said that “the desire of the sluggard puts him to death, for his hands refuse to work; all day long he is craving, while the righteous gives and does not hold back.” The “craving” goes on “all day long” but little gets accomplished.

3.      Destroy motivation and drive - takes a costly toll on others. (18:9) - A complacent person can destroy the spirit and the will to win in a game, and can destroy excitement and passion to win souls in a church! He is also contagious. If we spend enough time with complacent people we would soon become like them; while away as if the world is at standstill.

4.      Usually defensive. (26:16) - The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a discreet answer. The favorite thing he does is to rationalize comments, cover-ups for slack, and will try to explain everything away. There is always an answer, an explanation. He lives in self-denial. He thinks the world moves around him; wise in his own eyes and can even try to explain away his fault and his lack and laziness!

5.      A quitter. (12:27) – A slothful man does roast his prey, but the precious possession of a man is diligence. There is an absence of thoroughness; do things without completing it; slip-short, and shoddy. It’s like the saying “he likes to fish but not to clean them.” He loves to eat but don’t expect him to help with the dishes. He can add a room onto the house but get it painted is another story. He’d rather sleep than work; he’d rather focus on why something can’t be helped - then blamed the government for not caring blah…blah…blah!

6.      Lives by excuses. (22:13) – The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside; I shall be slain in the streets!” The lions in the street are nothing more than a fertile imagination gone to seed. He can just come up with anything to try to get away and to give excuses for his lack, his inactivity, and his laziness. So there is a vast difference between contentment and complacency; it is not a case of throwing up our hands or fold up our arms and do nothing – a ‘don’t know, don’t care” attitude.

AIMLESSNESS

Psalm 101:1-4 - I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life—when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

David’s Philosophy of Life – Statement of Faith. He chose not to live a life without purpose. Here we see him making FOUR RESOLUTIONS, four convictions. Conviction gives beliefs a backbone. David was not interested in some theological beliefs but concrete convictions. He is saying: “I am committed to this purpose…”

1.      Consistency. Verse 1 - I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. “Love and Justice” – times of blessings and prosperity, and times of adversity, difficulty, and problems. For both of these experiences, David praised his God. He resolved in his heart he would be CONSISTENT in his praise no matter what his circumstances.

2.      Integrity. Verse 2 - I will be careful to lead a blameless life—when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. Public integrity – “lead a blameless life”, private integrity – “conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart,” Another translation said: “- walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.”

3.      Humility. Verse 3 - I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. David resolves to remove everything that might catch the affection of his heart and turn his gaze off the Lord. David resolves to avoid every unworthy aim and ambition. Pride is a senseless sin

4.      Purity. Verse 4 - The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil. David resolves to be a man of purity – knowing no evil. Proverbs 11:19-21 - A pure life is actually a spiritual investment – the dividends being enjoyed by your children.

Is aimlessness one of the things that you can’t seem to shake? See if you can figure out why. Uncertain about your future? Disturbed over some mistakes? Select a person in history you admire because of his or her accomplishments. Check out the person’s biography, taking special notes of how the individual focused on his/her energy and direction. Make a few notes of your own. We are often stimulated, motivated by the person we admire. Strong leaders are usually readers of biographies.

(NOTE: The sections on Laziness & Aimlessness are adapted from Chuck Swindoll - Living Beyond the Daily Grind)

CONCLUSION

It is because I firmly believe that we are living in the last days and the work of God is still far from being over that we need to press on, to move forward – perhaps our younger generation in Malaysia might be the last generation of God’s Army that is needed to tenaciously form a beach-head for the power of God to be released in this land. Things are heating up, circumstances are not always favorable, evil and violence are on the rise in our nation, sin and degradation is alarming that if there is going to be any hope for this land it would have to be the power of the Spirit of God sweeping through this land to reform, transform, and set the people free. The Holy Spirit is seeking out young people whose hearts are willing in the day of His visitation (Psalm 110). Are you willing? Would you answer the call?

Sons and daughters of God – set your heart in order for the greatest move of the Lord where you can be a part of. Do not stay on the sideline. Do not be side-lined! I went to watch Hobbit recently and I saw something that was disturbing but true. In the midst of a great war - devastation, ruin, and death by the thousands there are still people clinging on to gold and possession!

It’s time for us to let go and let God! After 29 years of serving the Lord this scripture still prove true – “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body” (2 Cor. 4:8-10).

God is about to release His new wine of the Spirit BUT He needs new wineskins to contain it because old wineskins will break. Let us discard the extra baggage in our lives; put off the old man and put on the new man, lay aside the works of the flesh and desire instead the Word of God, leave Egypt (the world) enter into our promise land, come out of darkness of greed, slothfulness, and aimlessness and enjoy the marvelous light of God’s grace, truth and glory.

THE MANDATE FOR FATHERS

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 13 - “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. There are FOUR THOUGHTS that I want to leave with you today -

Fathers, you must teach your children to LISTEN ATTENTIVELY to your firm convictions of God’s Truth

Deuteronomy 6:4 - “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (ESV).  Fathers need to listen to God and teach his children how to hear from God. There are Truths that need to be transmitted to our children. It is not enough to send them to Sunday school though it is important but not enough.

1. Hearing God’s Truth: As fathers, we should not get caught up in our work and play and just give a token of our time to spiritual discipline. We would not be able to lead our family well unless we keep our ears open and learn to hear from God. Hearing the voice of God for ourselves and our families is vitally important. Here Moses instructed the people to listen carefully and attentively – there is only one God and one Lord. That’s the very foundation for any successful nation, community and home to survive – there is only one God. Your sons and daughter need to hear that and know that and have that embedded in the very foundation of their worldview since day one!

We must pass to them the FAITH in the one true God. We know that there are many ideologies – many views being presented in the world today – if we are not careful – they will swallow our children. Like the children of Israel about to go into Canaan land, Moses knows that they are many enemies of the soul –deceptions, wrong ideologies, and paganism.

2. Transmitting God’s Truth: If you don’t take up the responsibility of imparting truths to your children the world is ever ready to feed them with every wrong ideas and view from the very pit of hell. They are many voices today seeking our children’s attention. Do not let the world teach and educate our children. Do not let TV, Movies, Internet, and Music teach our children about life. They are worldly, rebellious, and immoral and will lead our children astray. What is that one thing you want to hear from your children when they grow up?

Fathers, you must teach your children to LOVE UNRESERVEDLY through your life examples.

Deut 6:5 - You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

1. Fathers need to model LOVE in their personal life

(a) Love God with everything that is within us. We need to model loving God for our children. We need to have a passion for God and not for worldly things or they will follow us. We show our children our faith by the measure of our love for God. If we love other things we become idolatrous. The scripture says that where our treasure is there will our heart be also. It means that if we treasure our career, money and possession, our pleasure, and whatever our passion we would pour all our time and effort into it. Our children will learn that from us. We need to model our love for God – we need to show them that loving God is a top priority - the most important thing in life. Let us transfer godly values to our children by showing them that loving God with all our heart, soul and mind is more important than what money, fame, and pleasure can give us.

(b) Love the Word of God – the way to true living! Psalm 119:9-11 - How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

(c) Love others. When we show love to others it can be seen. Such kindness, generosity, and attitude of love it would be like putting a handle in the hands of our children – they will grow up to love others too - in fact very easily and very spontaneously.

2. Fathers need to model FAITHFULNESS in their marriage. Advice to fathers: None of us can claim that our marriage is always so wonderful. There were times when we struggle with our relationships. But no matter how tough it may be we should never succumb to any temptation to walk out of it, to be unfaithful, or to fall into sin. In a world of so much brokenness, there is a need for us believers to model a stable marriage, a stable family by working out our differences and allowing God to be the center of our lives and marriage.

3. Fathers need to model INTEGRITY in their workplace.

Proverbs 11:3 - The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. In all our dealings, our work, and career development INTEGRITY is the most important commodity to have. The crookedness of our dealings and behaviors will ultimately destroy us. Fathers need to bear in mind that when we let integrity leads us and guides us we will do well and will walk securely.

Proverbs 10:9 tells us that “whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.”

Fathers, you must teach your children to LEARN CREATIVELY through loving relationships.

Deut 6:6-9 - And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

1. Mentoring & Coaching: Fathers must learn to use creativity in their mentoring and coaching. Fathers – we are told to repeat the word of God to our children. The Bible tells us to talk to them when we are at home. And even when we are away from home we still need to leave behind godly instructions for them to remember. Spend time lying down next to them before they go to bed and talk to them about God and pray for them. And early in the morning speak the word of God to them. Don’t spend time scolding and reprimanding. Don’t strut like a big boss waiting to be served. Show them what it means to be godly and to remember all the goodness of God. Encourage our children to do well in education and to do well in serving God. We must be the source of encouragement, the source of security and the source of strength for our children. Learning is more than just cognitive teaching. There must be life application. Our children learn through mentoring, coaching and, apprenticeship. There must develop a father and son (daughter) relationship.

There are several ways of learning I found useful over the years –

a. Friendship is important. This is where fathers learn to listen to them and to their fears, their struggles, and maybe their concerns. Friendship is also seen in learning to do things together especially things we like to do – playing football, watching world cup together and engage in meaningful conversation. 

b. Have Family Altar - gather together to read the bible with some explanation. Then pray for one another and also for needs that we know of – church needs, people who are sick and going through difficulties. Pray consistently for missionaries too.

c. Take our children through history lessons – history about our family. They will appreciative of how we grew up – the kind of stuff that we do when we were young. Take them to the place where we grew up and from there tell stories. At special occasions gather the family together and remind them of our past and how God has been so good.

d. Be transparent - sharing of fears, struggles, passion, calling and victories. In our Asian context, most fathers would not like to let down our guard and let our children see our weakness. Let’s face it – even if we try to hide it our children know our weaknesses and failures. There’s no point trying to hide – let us be honest and transparent to our children.  They will appreciate us even more.

2. Spiritual Training & Education: Spiritual Training and Education is a vital part of our children’s learning process. It is honorable to hold the thought of giving our children the finest education. Our instinct tells us that the secular education for our children will be their survival in the future. This is typically true for Malaysians due mainly to our political landscape and racial polarization. We are so afraid that our children will lose out so we work very hard to give them a good education. I think that is acceptable and reasonable. As Christians, we need to have that perspective – one that looks out for their children. But I have an ax to grind with parents who stress secular education as a top priority for their children. They have a warped view of the role of education and Christian discipleship. They do not see education as preparing their children for life but instead, it’s just survival. Education should be holistic and not just to pass with flying colors in examinations. Education for our children should include Christian education and not just secular subjects alone.

The failure of parents to see discipleship and spiritual nurturing as more important than secular education may be the main cause of their children doing well in colleges and universities in terms of education but become lukewarm in their life of faith. What is the point of producing doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc when more and more of them are bent towards the world than to God? What is the point of our children succeeding in the world according to the world’s standard but failed miserably in upholding Christian values and maintaining upright moral behavior? What sort of legacy do we want to leave for our children? Do we want to leave them with the knowledge that we have provided them with the finest education but no spiritual heritage for them to hold onto when they face the harsh reality of an unkind and cruel world? Do we want to just leave them with the knowledge of the world without the knowledge of God and a vital relationship with Him?

I believe that we need to encourage our children to study hard and to study smart. I believe that we need to expect our children to know the value of education. But I believe we need to teach them lessons of faith; faithfulness to God, faithfulness in serving Him, and faithfulness of uprightness. I believe that we need to educate our children “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).”

What is the Life Application then? I believe it is the duty and responsibility of parents in the following areas –

a. Modeling to our children what it means to love the Lord with all our lives and one another as Jesus loves us.

b. Encouraging them to be involved in the Lord’s work (we need to be involved too!).

c. Challenging them to take time to study God’s word – discipleship courses and/or Bible study courses.

d. Motivating them to participate in short-term mission work.

e. Insisting that they put God first and learn to trust Him as they put their heart and mind into their studies. 

Fathers, you must teach your children to LIVE FAITHFULLY by walking in the fear of the Lord.

Deut 6:13: It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.

1. Fathers should live faithfully by walking in the fear of the Lord – absolute trust, simple faith, unshakable convictions, and unpretentious expression of love for God and his works.

2. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is not enough to know firmly that God is only one God and the only one way to eternal life BUT it is important to instill the fear of the Lord in our children.

3. The best way of instilling the fear of the Lord in our children is by having the FEAR OF THE LORD in our own life – living faithfully as seen in our godly conduct, our excellent attitude and our graceful communication – words seasoned with salt, words that impart grace!

“…the just shall live by faith…” In the original Hebrews, it can be read as “the just shall live by faith and faithfulness.”

CONCLUSION

Let us teach our children to LISTEN ATTENTIVELY, LOVE UNRESERVEDLY, LEARN CREATIVELY, and  LIVE FAITHFULLY.

THE WASHING OF GOD’S WORD

INTRODUCTION

In the Tabernacle, the first piece of furniture is the Brazen Altar. It is an altar where sin and trespass offerings were offered to God for the sins, trespasses, and iniquities of individuals as well as the nation. This was but a shadow of the real, as told by the author of Hebrews. So the real was fulfilled in Christ Jesus when he gave his life as a sacrifice on the Cross for the sin of mankind.

And the second furniture is the Laver; the priest washes their hands and their feet before they enter the holy place. The Laver in the Tabernacle of the Old Testament is the type of Jesus Christ the WORD (logos) washing us so that we have clean hands and a pure heart before we approach the presence of God.  

In Ephesians 5:25-26 Paul wrote that Christ sanctifies us by the washing of God’s Word. The Word of God washes us and makes us whole, holy and pure before the Father. The WORD (Jesus) now lives in us and the WORD (the sacred Scriptures) which is God-breathed and inspired by the Holy Spirit is ever before us and in our hands. We need to live by the written Word through faith in the Word, Jesus Christ.

Psalm 119:9-16 - 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! 13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

SEVEN ACTION VERBS

In Psalms 119:9-16 we will study SEVEN action verbs in relation to the Word of God -

GUARDING    : in order NOT to be defiled by sinful desires

“...by guarding it according to your word...”

Let the Word of God guard our mind against the philosophy & ideas of the world. Instead, we need a biblical worldview on the purpose of life - work, leisure and beauty. There are many ideas floating around today and they are conspicuously trying to influence our way of thinking. We need God’s Word daily to help us sort through the truth of God from the pernicious lies of Satan. The most basic of the biblical view is to know succinctly the four major grid that holds the God’s grand Story - the creation narrative, the fall of man to sin, the redemption of man through Christ Jesus and the summation of this world with the second coming of Christ to establish a new heaven and a new earth.

Some of the common mantras or philosophies of the world are – (1) Possession satisfy, supply yourself (Materialism); (2) life is a ball, enjoy yourself (Hedonism); (3) humanity is glorious, exalt yourself (Humanism); (4) the game is fixed, resign yourself (Fatalism).

Let the Word of God guard our heart and soul against the lure and temptation of worldly desires. Instead, we need a biblical worldview on right behaviors – our conduct, attitude, and communication. There are always the three “gods of temptation” – gold, glory, and girls. We need to be mindful of our attitude, our conduct, and our communication.

We need to use the Word of God to counteract the effect of temptations of the evil one – the fiery darts of the devil by having these ever before us; be careful of the lure to have a “Me Attitude,” instead we need to exercise “Be Attitude” of Matthew 5; be careful of the lure to grasp all we can through self-centeredness, instead we need to give out of a generous heart that is other-centered. In fact Ephesians 4:28 exhorts us to work hard with our hands so that we have enough to give away; be careful of the lure to utter impurity, to coarse jesting, and hurting words, instead we need to impart grace to the hearers in our conversation – speaking blessings and not curses, speaking encouragement and not condemnation, and speaking affirmation instead of judgment!

Let the Word of God guard our will against independence, rebellion, and rejection. There is such a strong pull towards independence in our lives. If we are not careful, if we do not let the Word of God guard us, we might end up running our own lives, doing our own things, and still expecting God to bless us, to lead us and guide us. There is a need for us to have a long obedience in the same direction. We need to watch out for rebelliousness in our heart. We need to watch out for the propensity or the bend towards rebellion against God’s precepts. We must also be careful to allow rejection to set into our hearts - hurt over every implications and assumption.

The daily feeding of fresh bread of the Word of God will help us to focus on the Living Bread and find our sustenance through Hm. If not, we will lean towards independence, rebellion, and rejection. All of these three negatives listed will come a calling at all times. We need God’s Word to help us make sense of His love, His ways, and His plans for us. We need so much of God’s Word in our daily lives to help us make right decisions, to help us cope with hurts and insults (the fiery darts of the devil), and to cope with the propensity to retaliate, to make judgments, and to condemn others.

SEEKING        : in order NOT to wander away from God’s commandments

“...with my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments...”

Let us seek God DEVOTIONALLY so that we will walk in the ways of God in intimacy. I reckon that to be reflective thinking on Scriptures, meditating on the text and drawing spiritual lessons out of it. Intimacy with Christ comes from being devoted to Him and His Word. Devotion carries with it, affection, care, and dedication. So, to seek God devotionally is to be dedicated, to be affectionate towards Him. What better place to be in than to meditate on God’s Word devotionally so that we can walk in intimacy, in deeper understanding, in greater confidence, and in a closer relationship with Christ.

The profundity of the experiential grace of God is ever-present in the banality of our existential living. This grace is truly available in a daily walk with Christ; in His presence, in His love, under His watchful embrace. The mystery of the working of grace in all its complexity and intensity is seen in our mundane everyday living. What might be passed off as trivial and petty may actually be the working of the grace of God in our lives? The grace of God is not the glossing over of our sins, failure, and bad decisions by God but a gracious and compassionate heart of God that is big enough to pick us up and to brush off the “dirt” off us and to bandage up the “wounds” we have inflicted upon ourselves. It is like a father who said to his child who runs and fell and hurt himself just minutes after a firm instruction not to run around in a particularly dangerous area: “It’s okay. Let me clean you up. There, you’re alright. Get going but remember not to run there again!” This happens to those who are constantly seeking intimacy with the Father in their daily devotion to obedience and submission.

This grace of God can also be seen in the quiet confidence within us as we come face to face with situations in our daily lives – a kind of calmness and peace that defies understanding as we put our trust in Him. We may not always see the results we expected but certainly, we still sense that quiet confidence of restfulness in His presence. In walking in intimacy and right relationship with the Trinity, my personal experience was the fact that out of the ash heap of calamity came the voice of God assuring my heart that He is here with my family as He always has been. That’s the power of the grace of God. It was not some kind of supernatural, heaven-open, earth-shattering divine manifestation that zapped away my calamity. Strangely, it was the quiet confidence that came over me as I rested in His presence and listened closely to His soothing voice: “I am here with you, by you, and for you!” That, to me, is the profundity of the experiential grace of God manifested in the banality, the ordinariness, of everyday life on this earth!

Let us seek God DEEPLY so that we will walk in the ways of God in uprightness. We cannot seek God deeply unless we are also prepared to give enough time to study and to understand all of the ways of God. The goal is so that we can walk in integrity, in honesty, and in uprightness. There are many who wants to know God deeply, to understand the ways of God fully but unwilling to spend time studying the Scriptures, spending time thinking through the tough questions regarding God, His Word, and His work. There is no substitute for spending time studying – plowing through the Word of God and drawing out spiritual truths. We need to know what the Bible has to say about life and living, about how we conduct our affairs on earth, and also who God is and what He is about concerning His world, His creation, and His kingdom. We are called to adorn the doctrine of God. We are called to exhibit the principle of life in Christ by our living. And if we do not know the doctrine of God we cannot walk in it, we cannot exhibit it. If we do not have the conviction of heart about the truths of God for a right living we cannot walk uprightly and honestly with integrity. 

Let us seek God DIRECTIONALLY so that we will walk in the ways of God with purposefulness. Our life has meaning when it hinges on the life of Christ. Our life has a purpose when it is attached to the purposes of God for us. We have a personal and a purposeful calling from God. We need to seek God directionally – with the goal of knowing the will of God and to follow it through to the end. Those who come to God on their own terms will not last for the long haul. Those who come to Him with a sense of destiny will come away with an eternal purpose and fulfillment. God has called each one of us to seek Him diligently so that we will with certainty find Him. So seeking God must have a purpose, a direction, a focus, and a movement towards a particular goal.

STORING       : in order NOT to sin against God

“...I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you...”

The storing of the Word of God in our lives is like this: Our heart and mind is the storehouse where God can fill with His Word – His wisdom, His truths, His thoughts, and His plans. We allow Him to store within us all of His Word by our careful, intentional, and disciplined study of His Word. The most pivotal point of such spiritual exercise is the erection of a wall of defense against the fiery darts of the enemies. It is to guard us from sinning against God.

Careful study of God’s Word is the pathway to understanding the Holy One of Israel. To store up the Word of God in our lives requires careful study of God’s Word. And a careful study of God’s Word requires diligent, requires circumspection in our studying – line upon line, precept upon precept. It also requires honesty in our attitude towards His Word – obedience, and submission.

Intentional study of God’s Word is the foundation of holy living. Intentional study of God’s Word requires understanding and proficiency in the systematic theology of God, of Christ, of the Holy Spirit, of the church, salvation, man, and the last days. We have to be intentional in order to establish a firm foundation. We need to build right – right beliefs, right theology, and right principles for living in Christ.

Disciplined study of God’s Word is the beach-head for the defense of Christian faith. Studying of God’s Word is a disciplined exercise. We cannot achieve an understanding of God’s Word by rushing through in our reading of God’s Word, by just some devotional reading exercise, or by reading commentaries or Christian books. We need to discipline our lives in studying the Word of God – giving our time, effort, and right heart attitude.

LEARNING     : in order NOT to be ignorant of the truth

“O Lord; teach me your statutes...”

Learning the Truth is needed for the development of godly wisdom. We can make our own choice who to marry, who we will go into business with, or how we want to live our lives. We can make our own choice what to believe, what to accept, who to trust, etc. These are personal choices we can make because we are free moral beings with a free will given by the Lord. The question is not about whether there is freedom in our choice but whether there is seen in it godly wisdom. When we choose to learn the truth from the very Truth, Jesus Christ who is the Living Word we enter into godly wisdom and not earthly wisdom which is sensual and from below. Jesus declared that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man can come to the Father except through Him. We need the Word of God, the Word of Truth so that we will develop wisdom from above – wisdom that is peaceable, virtuous, and godly!

Learning the Truth is needed for spiritual freedom. In John 8:32 Jesus said that “...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So, knowing the truth will set us free, will give us spiritual freedom. There are so many people living in blindness, in utter darkness, and in absolute ignorance that there is freedom of heart, soul, and spirit in Christ Jesus. He has come to set us free from the curse of the Law, from the curse of sin and death. Where do we go to find the truth? We go to Jesus the very Truth and to His Word that He has left with us. In the Word of God, we will find the treasure trove of truth for a right living – a guide to living without condemnation, shame and guilt. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who believe in Christ Jesus. That’s what Paul said in Romans 8. These very words set us free from ever again coming under the yoke of the evil one. We can now walk in freedom – walk in love, walk in truth, walk in the fear of the Lord, and walk circumspectly as wise people and not as fools.

DECLARING  : in order NOT to be trapped in corrupt communication

“With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.

First: knowing the Word of God aids us in declaring our testimony to the unbelieving world. In Romans 10:14-15 Paul said that for the good news of the Gospel to be declared there needs to be people who are willing to go and preach it. But we cannot preach unless we are also sent by the Lord. We are well aware of the fact that we are all called to share the gospel with every man from here to the ends of the earth. The question that pops up would be this: do you think we need to be prepared in order to be able to share. And the preparation is not just any preparation but training in how to handle the Word of God – the Word of life. We need to know the Word of God in order to declare the message of the Kingdom! We must be ready to give an answer of the hope we have in Christ. We need to be able to share our faith in a reasonable fashion to appeal to the seeking heart.

Second, knowing the Word of God prepares us in declaring God’s grace to the poor and the needy. It is in understanding the Word of God and its commandments that we will find enough grace to do all that is required of the Lord. What does the Lord require of us? Micah said that God requires us “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). It is in understanding the Word of God that we understand the demands of God.

Third, knowing the Word of God assists us in declaring God’s truth faithfully and reasonably. It is through the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, the teachings of Paul in his letters, and ministry of the other apostles that we can formulate, systematize, and laid out a faithful and reasonable defense of our faith in Christ. We are not beating in the air with our much speaking and rattling out speculations and philosophies of man but we can engage with the heathen with the reasonableness of why we believe what we believe and able to declare the truth of God to them. We have the truth but we need to know the Word of God by studying, meditating, and applying it in our lives. We can live out the truth of God in our daily life. 

MEDITATING            : in order NOT to be distracted by the things of the world

“...I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways...”

Meditation on God’s Word will give us STRENGTH in times of weariness. I cannot remember how many times the strengthening and comforting Word of God come to me in my times of depression, despair, and perplexity. It is at these troubling times that the Word that resides in me through much meditation of it begins to wells up from within giving me the strength and the comfort. Jesus is the Rock in the weary land. When our heart is overwhelmed lead us to the Rock who is higher and bigger than us. It is the Word of God that we have constantly and consistently meditate upon that will find a deep lodging place in our hearts. At the time of need God, the Holy Spirit will help us recall the Word from within us and we will find rest in Him.

Meditation on God’s Word will give us FOCUS on the love of the Godhead. God’s Word reveals the love of the Father, the compassion of Christ, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Taking time to meditate on His Word helps us focus on who God is and what He is about. We must take time to come away with Him in His sanctuary and meditate on His goodness and mercy. It is in the very presence of God that we experience the love of the Father – His drawing presence, His drawing power of love!

Psalm 1:2 - But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Blessed are those who meditate on the Word of God day and night for they will be able to focus on the right thing – the love of God. He will be able to draw all the spiritual goodness from the very source of life – God Himself.

Meditation on God’s Word will give us DISCERNMENT of the will of God. It is in giving time to meditate on God’s word that we discover the will of God for our lives, the purpose and plan of God for the days ahead of us, and the strength to carry it out. Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Paul said that we need to renew our mind so that we may come into the acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives. The way to renew our mind is to meditate on God’s word. Start today!

Meditation on God’s Word will give us SUBMISSION to the leading of the Holy Spirit. For the word of God [is] living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Here the author of the book of Hebrews suggested that the word of God is living, powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is the Word of God that will cut through all our pretenses, hypocrisy and play-acting and confronts us with the truth bringing us into submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God can expose every fiber of our being; every thought of the mind and every intention of the heart. The Word of God is needed in our lives in order for us to walk in submission to the will of the Father who has every intention of good – one who has our best interest in His heart.

DELIGHTING : in order NOT to forget God’s word

“...I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”

Delighting in God’s Word is akin to REMEMBERING the goodness of God. Eph. 2:11 – “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands...” We were once Gentiles – in darkness, receive no mercies, and not a people of God (1 Pet. 2:10) but because of the goodness of God we are now sons of God – accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:5-6). It is “the goodness of God leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). Delighting in God’s Word is akin to remembering the goodness of God; His salvation, His forgiveness, and His acceptance!

Delighting in God’s Word is akin to WORSHIPPING His Majesty. I delight myself in His Word because in it are treasures forevermore. The Word of God contains the very description of the beauty of God, the great worth of the Father, and the unconditional love of the Son, and the patient endurance of the Spirit of God. When we gaze into the face of Jesus, the Living Word we are forever changed. When we gaze into the written Word of God which is inspired by the Holy Spirit and God-breathed we gaze as into the mirror and it shows unto us the image of the child of God and we are forever grateful and forever change!

See how the Word of God encourages us in our worship of His majesty! Let us be like King Solomon who found his delight in the love of God: “Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love (Prov. 7:18). And again in his love songs to the Lord he sang on behalf of the Shulamite girl of her love for her beloved: “Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so [is] my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit [was] sweet to my taste (Songs 2:3).

Delighting in God’s Word is akin to cherishing the Word, the works, and the ways of God. To cherish is to attach importance to, to take pleasure in (delighting), to treasure, to value, to esteem greatly, and to relish in it. We need to cherish the Word of God. We need to take pleasure in the works of God in our lives. We need to attach the importance of the ways of God. We can do all that by delighting in God’s Word. Jesus said that “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” We need so much to know Him through the revelations of His Word to us. From there on, we cherish what God has spoken in these last days – spoken explicitly through His Son Jesus Christ.

SUMMARY

1.      We need to GUARD the Word of God in order NOT to be defiled by sinful desires.

2.      We need to SEEK the Word of God in order NOT to wander away from God’s commandments.

3.      We need to STORE the Word of God in order NOT to sin against God.

4.      We need to LEARN the Word of God in order NOT to be ignorance of the truth.

5.      We need to DECLARE the Word of God in order NOT to be trapped in corrupt communication.

6.      We need to MEDITATE the Word of God in order NOT to be distracted by the things of the world.

7.      We need to DELIGHT in the Word of God in order NOT to forget God’s word.