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Lord Have Mercy!

Jesus Was Afflicted So You Could Be Acquitted

PREVIEW: Before you could even receive God’s amazing grace, he first had to unleash his righteous wrath upon Christ as he hung on the cross, bearing the just and deserved punishment for your sins. Jesus was afflicted so you could be acquitted. Mercy—not getting what you rightly deserve—was made possible only through Christ’s death. What that means for you is that every single day, every minute of every day, each second of every minute, each breath you take, and heartbeat by heartbeat of which you are unaware, it is all a gift of God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. And for that, you ought to be continually and eternally overflowing with gratitude!

Lord Have Mercy! - Ray Noah Blog

Moments with God // Psalm 123:2

As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.

I don’t know how much thought you give to God’s mercy, but frankly, without it, you wouldn’t even be reading this devotional blog today. And you are not alone—apart from Divine mercy, I wouldn’t have written it.

No one captured our utter dependence on God’s mercy better than the prophet Jeremiah, who wrote in Lamentations 3:21-23 (NKJV),

This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.

What is Divine mercy? Simply this: Not getting what you rightly deserve. Grace, the other side of your utter dependence on God, is getting what you don’t deserve. Out of God’s great love (mercy is sometimes translated lovingkindness) and compassion, he has extended his grace through salvation, by which he lavished upon you all heaven’s riches at Christ’s expense. Keep in mind that neither mercy nor grace was, is, or ever will be due to your own merit.

Yet before you could even receive his grace, God first had to unleash his righteous wrath upon Christ as he hung on the cross, bearing the just and deserved punishment for your sins. Jesus was afflicted so you could be acquitted. Mercy—not getting what you rightly deserve—was made possible only through Christ’s death.

What that means for you is that every single day, every minute of every day, each second of every minute, each breath you take, and each heartbeat that you are not even aware of is a gift of God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. And for that, you ought to be continually and eternally overflowing with gratitude!

Yet not only are God’s grace and mercy undeserved, unmerited gifts to you, but they are also your privilege once you become his child through faith in Christ. That is why, as the psalmist has done here, you can appeal to God for a specific extension of his mercy in your time of need. And that, my friend, is a very good thing indeed since coming to the Father by virtue of his mercy requires you to remember the very reason for your righteous standing before a holy God: Christ’s atoning death. As the writer of Hebrews 4:16 exhorts us,

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

When you remember, understand, and make your appeal to Divine mercy, your being exudes love, gratitude and humility, and that becomes a sweet smelling and irresistible fragrance to your merciful and gracious God.

Take a Moment: Perhaps today you should write your own verse of love, gratitude, and humble entreaty for more mercy.

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O Jerusalem

It Was, Is, and Shall Be the City of the Great King

PREVIEW: Why should I pray for the peace and prosperity of a city that is not even in my country? My goodness, I have enough to worry about in my own community, much less one that’s clear across the ocean! But Jerusalem remains a special place in God’s heart. It’s special because he chose it as the physical place that would house his uncontainable presence, to be the city where his temple would be constructed, and the sanctuary of that temple would serve as the central location for God’s people to worship him. And even though there is no longer a temple, it is very clear from scripture that Jerusalem has a prominent place in God’s grand plan for the eternal ages, where once again, Jerusalem will be the central place in the entire universe, in all creation, where redeemed beings will gather to worship Almighty God.

O Jerusalem - Ray Noah Blog

Moments with God // Psalm 122:6-7

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”

Why should I pray for the peace and prosperity of a city that is not even in my country? My goodness, I have enough to worry about in my own community, much less one that’s clear across the ocean! And why should Jerusalem get singled out for special attention? What about London or Moscow or Pretoria or Sao Paolo? Aren’t those cities important to God?

Well, yes, those cities are important to God—all cities are! But Jerusalem is special. It’s special because God chose it as the physical place that would house his uncontainable presence. He selected the land of Canaan as the place where his people would live, Jerusalem to be the city where his temple would be constructed, and the sanctuary of that temple would serve as the central location for his people to worship him.

Even though there is no longer a temple, it is very clear from scripture that Jerusalem has a prominent place in God’s grand plan for the eternal ages. Once again, Jerusalem will be the central place in the entire universe, in all creation, where redeemed beings will gather to worship Almighty God.

I think that is reason enough to love Jerusalem. That is plenty of motivation to pray for the city above all others. Since Jerusalem factors significantly with the people and purpose of God, I will go out of my way to be protective of it. (Psalm 122:8) And since it once housed the Great House of God, and one day will again, I will do what I can to contribute to its prosperity. (Psalm 122:9)

Perhaps you have never been to Jerusalem, and maybe you don’t give the city much thought. I want to challenge you to rethink that—on both levels. Do what you can to go there—make plans to go there at least once in your life. And in the meantime, consciously pay more attention to its goings on, keep your eye out for news about it, attend functions in support of it, and most of all, pray for it!

Do all that, and sooner or later, you will fall in love, like I have, with a city. There’s no place like it!

Take a Moment: Take a moment to watch this moving video set to song that offers a prayer for the peace of Jerusalem, the city of the Great King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_GUwI6zQzE

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Somebody’s Watching

God Makes No Mistakes

SYNOPSIS: When we are in Christ, we are kept from all harm. But doesn’t that seem like a huge overstatement? It does to me! I mean, you and I and most of the people we know have experienced harm—car wrecks, lost jobs, disease, divorce, death of loved ones, and… well, pick your poison. Ah, but is it really harm, child of God? It might hurt, and hurt a lot, but don’t we know by now that our Heavenly Father turns what is meant for evil into that which is good?

Somebody’s Watching - Ray Noah Blog

Moments with God // Psalm 121:1-8

Shall I look to the mountain gods for help? No! My help is from Yahweh, who made the mountains! And the heavens, too! He will never let me stumble, slip, or fall. For he is always watching, never sleeping. Jehovah himself is caring for you! He is your defender. He protects you day and night. He keeps you from all evil and preserves your life. He keeps his eye upon you as you come and go and always guards you.

According to this psalm, along with many other scriptures, when I am in Christ, I am kept from all harm. But doesn’t that seem like a huge overstatement to you? It does to me! I mean, you and I and most of the people we know have experienced harm—car wrecks, lost jobs, disease, divorce, death of loved ones, and… well, pick your poison.

Ah, but is it really harm, child of God? It might hurt and hurt a lot, but don’t we know by now that our Heavenly Father turns what is meant for evil into that which is good? As Joseph proclaims in Genesis 50:20,

God turned into good what you meant for evil.

Doesn’t our Lord take all things—even really bad things—and turn them into things that reveal his glory in our lives? The Apostle Paul Romans 8:28 and then again in Romans 8:38-39,

We know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans. …For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.

Then there is what the prophet Jeremiah said to encourage the Jewish exiles, longing for a return from slavery to the freedom of their homeland, which, though written two thousand years ago,  I have no problem applying to all Christians everywhere in every age,

Though you will be in captivity for decades, I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised and bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:10-11)

So, if we base our lives on God’s immutable Word, we know that all that happens to us is working for us, provided that we love God and fit into his plans.

Hasn’t he promised never to leave us nor forsake us? (Joshua 1:5) Will he not be true to his Word and walk with us even through the valley of the shadow of death? (Psalm 23:4) And when we die, didn’t Jesus himself promise that we really wouldn’t die? (John 11:25-26) He most certainly did.

It sounds to me like that no matter what, we win! Nothing can come to us that first doesn’t have to pass through the One who constantly watches over our comings and our goings. And to get to you and me, evil and harm first must pass the Divine Purpose Test: If it can’t be used for God’s glory in my life, God prohibits it from harming me. I like that, don’t you? He is watching over us and the people we care about. So, we can quit worrying and relax in the safety of his hands.

The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was held in a Nazi concentration camp in the 1940s and finally martyred by hanging, wrote from his prison cell, “Much that worries us beforehand can, quite unexpectedly, have a happy and simple solution… Things really are in a better hand than ours.”

The Lord is watching over you like a Heavenly Hawk, and nothing will escape his loving eye—not even one little detail. So be assured today that everything coming your way—good and not so good—will be used in his great transformation project to turn you into the image of his dear Son. (Romans 8:28-29)

Yeah, I like that!

Take a Moment: This week, memorize, then reflect on Genesis 50:20, Jeremiah 29:11, and Romans 88:28-29.

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A Stark Contrast and a Precious Reminder

One Day Soon, We will Be Going Home

SYNOPSIS: Like the ancients to whom the Bible was written, we, too, live in a culture that stands in stark contrast to the culture of God. Hostility and deceit are simply a way of life. Our godless culture forces its way into our lives each day through the airways and, of course, through the people with whom you must interact. Like me, you are probably sick and tired of having to endure a culture God never intended for mankind. But remember this: One day soon, you will no longer have to endure such hostility and dishonesty. One day, perhaps sooner than you think, the Son of God will break through the clouds and call you to your eternal home where truth and peace are as close as the air you will breathe. And what a day that will be!

A Stark Contrast and a Precious Reminder - Ray Noah Blog

Moments with God // Psalm 120:6-7

I am tired of living among people who hate peace. I search for peace; but when I speak of peace, they want war!

Perhaps you scratched your head when you read this psalm, as I did, unable to pull out much application from it other than the psalmist’s upset with the deceitful, hostile people he was forced to endure. But digging into the title of the psalm sheds some much-needed light on the rest of the psalm.

This is what is called a psalm of assent. There were fifteen of them, and they were songs to be sung by pilgrims on their way up to Jerusalem (the city had a relatively high elevation for the Promised Land, sitting at 2,700 feet above sea level). These psalms were written in a time when Israel had only one central location for corporate worship—the sanctuary of the Tabernacle/temple in Jerusalem—and they were required to go there three times each year for one of the religious festivals prescribed in the law of Moses.

As they journeyed, they were to worship—not a bad idea for you and me as we make our way to weekly worship at our church. In this particular psalm of assent, these pilgrims had to make a long journey since they lived in Meshech, way to the north in Asia Minor, and Kedar, which was in Ishmaelite territory in Arabia. (Psalm 120:5) Both places were known for violence, and in each godless location, deceit was an acceptable way of life. (Psalm 120:2-3)

So now we see how this psalm of assent is a little more applicable to our lives. We, too, live in a culture that stands in stark contrast to the culture of God. Hostility and deceit are simply a way of life, even if you don’t live all that far from the church where you worship. That godless culture forces its way into your life every day through the television, radio, or through your computer, and, of course, through the people with whom you must interact. And, like me, you are probably sick and tired of having to endure a culture God never intended for mankind.

One day, we will no longer have to endure such hostility and dishonesty. One day, perhaps sooner than we think, the Son of God will break through the clouds and call the people of God to their eternal home where truth and peace are as close as the air we will breathe. And what a day that will be!

But in the meantime, God has given us a place to which we can run and find truth and peace—the sanctuary of our church. There, God’s Truth is proclaimed, and there, through our worship, the peace of God transcends the chaos from without and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) And best of all, you aren’t limited to three times a year; you can go at least once each weekend to get your defense shields recharged as you gather with the rest of God’s children to offer your worship and receive his grace.

Now that the psalmist has reminded you of this stark contrast between culture and church, perhaps you should sing a song of assent on your way to worship this coming weekend.

Take a Moment: One of the things living in this present evil world can do for you is to remind you that you are a stranger here, a foreigner living in a country not your own, a pilgrim headed to your true home. If you are weighed down by the evils of our nations, take a moment to meditate on the joys that will be yours when you enter your true home in eternity. It is an exercise that, as a Christian, you are meant to do.

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Your Divine GPS

Follow It and You Will End Up in God’s Peace

SYNOPSIS: The wise counsel that comes to us when we live “according to” God’s Word lifts us far above our limited, shortsighted, earth-bound perspective and provides a heavenly view of life as we journey through it. God’s Word becomes, as Timothy Dwight described, “a window in this prison-world through which we may look into eternity.” It is, as Henry Ward Beecher wrote, “God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbour is, and how to reach it without running on rocks and sand bars.” That’s why we must invest the first and best part of our day (Psalm 119:147) to reading, studying, meditating, and applying God’s Word.

Your Divine GPS - Ray Noah Blog

Moments with God // Psalm 119:24</strong

Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

As you read through all 174 verses of Psalm 119—the longest chapter in the Bible—you will notice the repetition of the phrase “according to.” In fact, it’s found twenty times—that is once every eight or nine verses. Obviously, it is an important phrase to the writer since he repeats it so often.

But what is of import is that the phrase is describing the one whose life is lived “according to” the Word of God. And to the one who so orders their life, the rest of the psalm is mostly a detail of the various benefits that follow. And, of all those wonderful benefits, perhaps the greatest is that these holy statutes serve as a personal counselor—a Divine Guidance System, if you will—your divine GPS!

What a comfort! The counsel that comes to us when we live “according to” God’s Word lifts us far above our limited, shortsighted, earth-bound perspective and provides a heavenly view of life as we journey through it. The Word of God becomes, as Timothy Dwight described, “a window in this prison-world through which we may look into eternity.” It is, as Henry Ward Beecher wrote, “God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbour is, and how to reach it without running on rocks and [sand] bars.”

That’s why we must invest the first and best part of our day (Psalm 119:147) to reading, studying, meditating, and applying God’s Word. Psalm 119:130 reminds us that “the unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” As you can see, not giving full devotion and the highest place to the Word of the Lord would be nothing less than foolish.

If you have chosen to read God’s Word each day, whether through this blog or in some other form, I congratulate you. There is no better investment. Psalm 119:89 says the Word of the Lord is eternal—nothing else in this world can lay claim to that distinction—so while all else around you is being shaken, because you have delighted in his laws, you won’t be!

As Psalm 119:165 promises, “Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” That’s what you get when you follow your Divine Guidance System.

Take a Moment: If you are not consistently devoting the first and best part of your day to reading, meditating on, and applying God’s Word. Then I would challenge you to begin to do just that … first thing tomorrow!

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Don’t Miss the Central Point

God is at the Center of it All!

SYNOPSIS: The literal and exact center of the Bible is Psalm 118:8, which reminds us that by miles, it is far better to put our trust in God than to depend on flawed, inconsistent, undependable human beings. God has a track record of indefatigable goodness, boundless faithfulness, perfect timing (although not our timing), undefeatable strength, and unmatched authority, and he is more than willing and always able to unleash his move and might on behalf of his children. You may be tempted to day to lean on the arm of flesh in whatever difficult circumstance in which you find yourself, but don’t! Open your Bible to its literal, exact center and let the eternal word of God remind you that far better than any human option is to lean on his everlasting arms. While I can’t predict what you will have to endure, I will assuredly predict that you will come out on the other side with the everlasting God holding you securely in his loving, protecting arms.

Don't Miss the Central Point - Ray Noah Blog

Moments with God // Psalm 118:8

It is better to find refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

This isn’t original with me, but I thought you might find it interesting nonetheless:

The shortest chapter in the Bible is the previous chapter in the Book of Psalms, Psalms 117. The longest chapter is Psalm 119. Tucked between these two chapters is Psalm 118, the literal center of the Bible.

There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118, and there are 594 chapters after Psalms 118. If you add these numbers up, you get 1188.

What is the center verse in the Bible? None other than Psalms 118:8 (Msg), which tells us,

Far better to take refuge in God than trust in people; Far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities.

Does this verse say something significant about God’s perfect will? Obviously, it does! So, the next time someone says they would like to find God’s plan for their life and that they want to be in the center of his will, just send them to the exact middle of His Word, and there they can read the central point of God’s purpose for mankind:

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in human beings. (NKJV)

Now, isn’t it odd how this worked out, or was God at the center of it?

Take a Moment: If you are facing a difficult challenge and you are wondering where or to whom to turn, go first to God. Before you do anything else, lift up your thanks-in-advance offering to the One who holds you in his everlasting arms. The final verse of Psalm 188 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:29) Do that, then expectantly await for a manifestation of his faithful love.

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Indeed, Dynamite Does Comes in Small Packages

The Bible’s Shortest Chapter is its Most Profound

SYNOPSIS: The Bible tells us that we will never be declared righteous in God’s sight by our best efforts to be righteous. In fact, all of humanity is in the same boat: we all sin and fall way short of God’s standards for righteousness. Yet scripture also tells us that God proves his love for us in that while we were still in sin, God sent his son Jesus to die so that his death would pay the legal debit for our legal adjudication of innocence. In other words, God has stubbornly persisted in loving us. And what can diminish his love for us? Nothing—not even our best efforts to drive him away. No wonder the authors of these psalms would often exclaim after writing of God’s great love and enduring faithfulness, “Praise the Lord!” What else is there to say?

Indeed, Dynamite Does Comes in Small Packages - Ray Noah

MOMENTS WITH GOD // Psalm 117:1-2

Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.

They say that dynamite comes in small packages, as does one of the most powerful truths in all of Scripture. Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible, with only two verses, but how profound they are. The entire message that God has graciously communicated to mankind through his Word be summed up right here:

God’s love toward us is great, and his faithfulness is unending.

Love and faithfulness—that is our God in a nutshell. He loves us unconditionally. We did nothing to deserve or earn his love. We can never earn his love through our best efforts to be righteous and to do righteous things. In fact, we have gone out of our way to repulse his love for us. Consider these declarations from scripture:

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. (Isaiah 4:6)

Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law, we become conscious of our sin. …[Saving] righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:22-23)

Yet Romans 5:8 adds, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In other words, even at our worst, God has stubbornly persisted in loving us. And what can diminish his love for us? Nothing—not even our best efforts to drive him away:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Praise God. He is faithful morning after morning, with each new day, to extend mercy, cover us with grace, shower us with goodness, and embrace us with everlasting love. His love endures forever.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is God’s faithfulness.

No wonder the authors of these psalms would often exclaim after writing of God’s great love and enduring faithfulness, “Praise the Lord!” What else is there to say but …

Praise the Lord!

I would encourage you to listen to this song—How Deep the Father’s Love—then let it inspire you to lift up a prayer of gratitude to your loving, merciful, gracious Heavenly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2mn86HdQFY&feature=related

Take a Moment: Join me today—at this very moment, wherever you are—and give a heartfelt “praise the Lord” shout-out to our loving and faithful God!