Awe and Gratitude
Our concept of God and our attitude toward him will determine whether or not we make the right decisions in life. Regardless of the trials of life, all God requires is that we keep a heart of awe and gratitude. We need to dwell in the Lord’s presence to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” In his presence, we allow him to speak. Only in his presence can we hear his “still small voice.” Time in prayer alone with God dwelling in the presence of our Heavenly Father is where we come to know and understand his peace, his mercy, his grace, and his blessing. Then when the crisis comes and courage is required, we who have waited upon the Lord will have such confidence in him that we will be his reliable ones.
The wisdom of God is antithetical to the wisdom of men. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. He who thinks he is wise becomes a fool. The ultimate freedom is the ultimate captivity…Ye are slaves to whom ye obey. Therefore, make me a captive Lord, and then I shall be free. The church in Corinth dealt with issues that are common to all men. Paul’s letters to the Corinthian church are epistles of “reproof and correction.” Reproof is for conviction. Correction is for restoration to an upright position.
In the first three chapters of 1 Corinthians, the early church was divided in whom they followed. Some said “I am of Paul.” Others said, “I am of Apollos, or of Peter, or of Christ.” The antidote to division is to reconcile our hearts through Jesus Christ at the foot of the cross. For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “consider your calling.” Receiving the Word of God starts with humility…for in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. Unless we “humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God,” we cannot receive the truth of the Word of God. Paul said, there are not many mighty and not many noble who are called. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise. Jesus said, “you haven’t chosen me, rather I have chosen you.” We who are chosen are the result of God’s election.
Jonathan Edwards, who was considered the greatest preacher in America, changed the lives of thousands. In meekness and humility, he would lay on the floor in front of his fireplace until he was convicted that the words he would speak were God’s words and not his own words. He understood that his calling was to give glory to God.
God calls the foolish things of this world to shame the wise and the weak things of the world to show his strength. The world will think we’re foolish for following the truth of the Word… And for following our Lord Jesus Christ, the word made flesh. Jesus, before his crucifixion, wept over the city of Jerusalem. God had called the people of the city to worship him, but they rejected God’s word of truth and the gospel… his son, Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God.
Philippians 3 says “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.” He willingly laid aside his credentials as the promised Messiah and became a bondservant to serve God’s people in love. Jesus by his example taught his followers how to be servant-leaders. For the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, and patient, in meekness serving those who oppose themselves.
Pete prayed, “I can’t love my wife the way she deserves to be loved. If I make myself available you, Lord, then allow me to love her the way you love her.” Pete’s prayer was like David’s prayer of repentance is in Psalm 51:7-10: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
Like Paul said, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this dead body?” Pete prayed, “I know I’m not the man you want me to be. Lord please make me that man.”
Suzan wrote Pete a card that said, “Thank you for modeling the love of Christ. You show me every day what it means to be loved by a man of God…a man of humility, and gentleness who loves me like Christ loves the church and gave himself for her.”
It’s by God’s provision and by his mercy and grace that we can walk according to the good pleasure of his will. For in Christ, he has made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Our strength and wisdom is in Him alone. We become more like Jesus as we follow in his footsteps. God will put in our hearts to make our desire his desire. As Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight thyself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” When our heart’s desire is God’s desire, when his will is our will, then our hearts are aligned with God’s heart….then it is God who worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure.
God has chosen us, appointed us and invited us to walk in fellowship with him. His calling is to sanctification and holiness…to set us apart according to his purpose…that we should be to the praise of the glory of his grace.
For what are you thankful? When we’re thankful for our Lord Jesus Christ we can rejoice as Paul did…in everything give thanks. All God requires is that we keep a heart of awe and gratitude. For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations.
May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael