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Bad News Immunity

When You Fear the Lord, You Have Nothing to Fear

There is no such thing as bad news for the God-fearing, commandment-keeping believer. I didn’t say they are immune to bad things, only to bad news. You see, when God is on your side, or perhaps more correctly, when you are on God’s side, no matter what, you win—always! And that’s good news.

Read: Psalm 100 // Focus: Psalm 112:1,7

“Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

You’ve heard it said, “no news is good news.” The psalmist puts a different spin on that old bromide: There is no bad news! You see, for the one who “fears the Lord” and “takes delight in his commands” (Psalm 112:1), good things will happen and even bad things will be turned into blessings (Psalm 112:4). Furthermore, God will not only pour out blessings on the one who fears him, but ensures prosperity to their posterity, according to Psalm 112:2,

“Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.”

When you fear the Lord, you have nothing to fear! (Psalm 112:1,8)

Now I know what you are thinking: “No bad news for the believer—you gotta be kidding!” Yes, there is no such thing as bad news for the God-fearing, commandment-keeping believer. I realize that you could point to any number of faithful people in the Bible—Joseph, David, Daniel, Jeremiah, the disciples, Paul, even Jesus himself—and remind me that they indeed experienced bad news during their respective journeys on earth. And talk about bad news—what about Job? If you were to look up the definition of bad news in the dictionary, you would find Job’s picture there.!

I wholeheartedly agree with your point, but that is not what I am talking about. I didn’t say that the godly are immune to bad things, only to bad news. You see, when God is on your side, or perhaps more correctly, when you are on God’s side, no matter what, you win! And that’s good news. How so? God turns even bad things into good things for you, and while he is at it, he uses them to bring glory to himself as well. That’s what is promised to God-fearing, commandment-keeping believers in his Word. I love how John Newton, the former notorious slave trader who was dramatically and profoundly converted to Christ, put it,

“We serve a gracious Master who knows how to overrule even our mistakes to His glory and our own advantage.”

Wow! No bad news for believers! If you doubt Newton’s theology, take a moment to absorb Roman 8:28,

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

Now please don’t think I am promising a pain-free life. I am not; nor is God. What God is promising is to use all the things that occur in your life for his purposes, and even use them as the very catalyst that will conform you to the image of his Son. From that perspective, what others consider bad news you can embrace as good news. So in a very real sense, you, dear God-fearing believer, are immune to bad news.

Now that’s what I call good news!

Making Life Work:Make a list of all the difficult, unwanted things you are facing right now. Once you’ve done that, pray over each one this prayer: God, thank you for using this to shape me!

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Built-In Reminders

Ponder Anew What The Almighty Can Do

God wants you, on a regular basis, to call up from your memory banks the things that he has done. He wants you to delight in his sovereign acts and stand in awe of the mighty works his hand. God didn’t perform them only to have the written in the history books. They are to be pondered, delighted in, publically extolled.

Read: Psalm 111 // Focus: Psalm 111:2

“Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.”

When was the last time you took some time just to remember what God has done? Psalm 111:4 says, “He has caused his wonders to be remembered.” In other words, built into the mighty acts of God is a reminder to remember the One who performed them.

God wants you, on a regular basis, to call up from your memory banks the things that he has done. He wants you to delight in his sovereign acts and stand in awe of the mighty works his hand. God didn’t perform them only to have the written in the history books and then forgotten. They are to be pondered, delighted in, remembered, and as Psalm 111:10 says, they are to lead his people to offer him eternal praise. (Psalm 111:10)

Now there are reasons God has built these reminders to praise and thank him into his mighty acts. The most important reason is the reminder that he is worthy to be adored, plain and simple. But another very pragmatic reason is that it benefits your own soul. Arthur Pink said, “Happy the soul that has been awed by a view of the majesty of God.” But the downside of failing to recognize what God has done is huge. John Piper powerfully points out,

“If you don’t see the greatness of God then all the things that money can buy become very exciting. If you can’t see the sun you will be impressed with a street light. If you’ve never felt thunder and lightning you’ll be impressed with fireworks. And if you turn your back on the greatness and majesty of God you’ll fall in love with a world of shadows and short-lived pleasures.”

Let me suggest a profound way to engage the greatness and majesty of God: read and reflect on Psalm 111 in its entirety. Then take a moment to speak forth your delight in the great things God has done. The psalmist has even provided a wonderful template of praise just for you. For instance,

• You can reflect on the undeserved compassion that God has extended to you. (Psalm 111:3)

• You probably ought to include a verbal gratitude list for the gracious provision he has made for your daily needs.

• While you are thinking about that, thank him for staying true to his character and his promises. (Psalm 111:5)

• You might want to bask in the Divine power that has led to victories in your life. (Psalm 111:6)

• You could add your appreciation for his fair and just rule, too. (Psalm 111:7-8)

• And best of all, why not let the reality of your redemption cause you to be undone with love all over again. (Psalm 111:9)

If you allow yourself some time to ponder anew the past acts of God on behalf of his people, and on your behalf, too, I am sure that nothing but good things will come from it. I can’t think of a downside to a session of praiseful pondering, can you?

Making Life Work: Take a few minutes to listen the hymn, Praise To The Lord, The Almighty, the offer your own heartfelt praise to the Lord, the Almighty! Here is a good link to this beautiful hymn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNq0WtMSmIY

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The Turbulent End To Gentle Persuasion

Now Is The Time To Make Jesus King Of Your Life!

Here’s the deal: the day is coming when God will call a halt to this current time of gentle persuasion and Jesus will literally return to earth to rule over it in power and glory. And to those who have refused his rule—his words, not mine—he will crush them as with a rod of iron. Today’s a good time to get on the right side.

Read: Psalm 110 // Focus: Psalm 110:1

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

Psalm 110 is arguably the most thoroughly messianic of all the psalms. The Holy Spirit inspired King David to write of a future time when the Messiah, his Lord—he who was superior to David and to whom the king of Israel was submissive—would rule the earth as both king and priest (Psalm 110:4), and would rule in wrath and judgment over those who refused his authority (Psalm 110:5-6).

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you.
He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.
He will punish the nations
and fill their lands with corpses;
he will shatter heads over the whole earth.

That is what the future holds—for Jesus, for you and me who have willingly submitted to his righteous rule, and for a world that has grown tone deaf despite his ceaseless invitation to bring them under his loving and rightful authority. In this present moment, God is preparing Christ’s enemies for destruction (Psalm 110:1), Christ is representing the needs and concerns of believers in heaven before the Father as our high priest (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 7:24-26), and the Holy Spirit is calling to world to God through Christ by the preaching of the gospel through the witness of the church (II Corinthians 5:18-22).

But the day is coming when God will call a halt to this current time of gentle persuasion and Jesus will literally and physically return to earth to rule over it in power and glory, and to those who have refused his rule, he will crush them as with a rod of iron. This time of rule is what we refer to as the millennial reign of Christ—the thousand-year period commences with the Second Coming and lasts until the Great White Throne judgment. It will be a time where the Kingdom of God will thoroughly cover the earth from one end to the other.

That time is coming, my friend, and it is coming soon! I urge you then, in light of God’s unbreakable promise, to lovingly and willingly submit to his thorough rule as Messiah, King and High Priest of your body, mind, and heart today.

The Puritan preacher Thomas Brooks wrote, “Christ is a jewel more worth than a thousand worlds, as all know who have Him. Get Him, and get all; miss Him and miss all.” Christ’s full and complete rule over you is only right and fitting! Jesus must be Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.

Making Life Work: Have you lovingly and willingly submitted to Christ’s thorough rule as Messiah, King and High Priest of your body, mind, and heart today? There is no time like the present!

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It’s Lonely At The Top

How To Endure In Your Position of Influence

If you are a leader—in your home, or at school, in your business, in the community or at the church—live for God’s smile, and you will be a great and enduring leader. At least God will think so, and he is really the only one who ultimately counts.

Read: Psalm 109 // Focus: Psalm 109:28

“My accusers may curse me if they like, but you will bless me! When they attack me, they will be disgraced! But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!”

Can you imagine what it’s like being the president? At any given time, about half the country admires you and thinks you are doing a decent job while the other half can’t wait for you to just go away. And that’s on a good day! It is often much worse than that for the person in the Oval Office. Think about it—it is not uncommon for a sitting president to have sixty to seventy percent of the citizens treat him as if he were Satan’s spawn.

It is hard to imagine why anyone would want that job. And yet, every four years, a herd of politicians line up for their chance to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. That can only means one of two things: They are either crazy or they are called. (Actually, there are several other motives we could talk about—but we’ll save that for another time.)

I’m not sure who said it, but there were right: it’s lonely at the top. Leadership at any level is a tough job. In fact, it is not only tough, it can be a lonely, sometimes thankless, even downright painful job. It certainly was for King David.

David is another man whose leadership we tend to romanticize. But if we were able to catch David in a brutally honest moment, I think he would tell us just how unromantic his job was. If we just go by what he says in the psalms, David lived with persistent criticism for a goodly portion of his reign. It might even seem from reading these psalms, which in a way, was nothing more than David’s spiritual journal, that he was a little paranoid. But that was only because people were out to get him.

I think what made David a great leader was how he endured under the pressure. It wasn’t just his amazing victories, his ever-expanding kingdom, his winsome personality or his musical skill, it was his dogged determination to please God. David took his cues from the Chief Justice of the Universe rather than what would make him a more popular leader at the moment.

As you read the entirety of Psalm 109, you will notice yet again that David bookends (verses 1-2 and 30-31) this detailed account of his detractors vicious accusations with his dependence on God:

O God, whom I praise, don’t stand silent and aloof while the wicked slander me and tell lies about me.

But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord, praising him to everyone. For he stands beside the needy, ready to save them from those who condemn them.

Above all, David wanted God’s blessing more than anything—high approval ratings, more power, a larger palace. He simply lived for God’s smile, and that’s what made him great, that’s what fueled his endurance under pressure, that’s what enabled him to run strong and finish well.

If you are a leader—in your home, or at school, in your business, in the community or at the church—live for God’s smile, and you, too, will be a great and enduring leader. At least God will think so, and he is really the only one who ultimately counts.

Making Life Work: Give your president a break. Here is a good rule of thumb: Pray for him or her twice as much as you criticize. Do that, and I’ll bet you dollars to doughnuts that you will quit criticizing the leader of the free world at all.

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Confidence!

When You Know The Outcome Before The End

Pray with confidence! God has helped you in the past, given you victory at each turn, supplied your every need and seen you through when there was no way through. After all that, you’re still standing. You will be tomorrow, too. So stand firm today!

Read: Psalm 108 // Focus: Psalm 108:1

“My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.”

A few years ago, since I was unable to watch it live, I recorded a pro football game on television in which my favorite team was playing. I’m not normally a big fan of recording anything because I like the sense of watching something “live.” I like knowing the outcome has yet to be determined.

So I broke my own rules and watched a game that had already been played. But also I broke a second rule: I had purposely found out who won the game before I watched it. I didn’t want to waste my time and get all bummed out if my team was going to loose. I know—I’m a fair weather fan! But I’ll tell you what: I watched my team play with a lot more confidence, because I knew they were going to crush the other team.

In a sense, that is what David is doing in this psalm. He is asking God for help in giving him victory over his enemies, but he is doing so confidently, knowing that the outcome has been predetermined. He has viewed the end of the contest in advance, and now he is going back to play the game.

You see, the words of David’s psalm are taken from two previous psalms in which he had cried out to the Lord for help, and in both cases, the Lord heard David and gave him victory. The first of these psalms is Psalm 57:7-11, where David fled into the cave to escape from King Saul. And you know the outcome of that contest: David ultimately triumphed over the murderous efforts of the unhinged Saul. God took care of Saul by taking him out of the picture, and God took care of David, taking all the way to the throne by making him King over all Israel in place of Saul. The second is from Psalm 60:5-12 where God gave David an overwhelming victory against an extremely large Edomite army.

There is something about a past victory that gives you present confidence going into a new battle. When God has helped you in the past, given you victory over the Enemy, supernaturally supplied your need, provided a spiritual breakthrough, seen you through when there seemed to be no way through, you pray a little different in the next crisis. You go to him with greater assurance, firmer expectation, and deeper peace than you might otherwise.

What are you facing this week? Has God helped you in the past? Why wouldn’t he help you again?

As you pray over this situation, call to mind the mighty acts of God from your past—and let the Holy Spirit birth confidence within you for the present. What God has done for you yesterday, because he is the unchanging and dependable God, and because he loves you with an everlasting love, he will do for you today, then again tomorrow and the next day after that!

The outcome has been predetermined. You win! Now, get in there and play the game of your life.

Making Life Work: As you pray over whatever is currently threatening your peace of mind, health, family relationship, financial stability or walk with the Lord, call to mind the mighty acts of God from your past—and let the Holy Spirit birth confidence within you for the present. Consider what God has done for you yesterday—and declare it aloud in your prayer. Then lean into this: because he is the unchanging and dependable God, and because he loves you with an everlasting love, he will do for you today, then again tomorrow and the next day after that!
Making Life Work

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God’s Love Never Runs Out

God is Good—All the Time! All the Time—God is Good!

The truth is, you and I depend upon God’s mercy every single moment just to draw in the next breath, since the holy and righteous God has had innumerable reasons and every right to annihilate us from the planet because of our sinfulness. But thank God—he’s so good! His love never runs out!

Read: Psalm 107 // Focus: Psalm 107:1-2

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say this!” — Psalm 107:1-2

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say this!

I like the way The Message version of the Bible renders the psalmist’s call to gratitude: “Oh, thank God—he’s so good! His love never runs out. All of you set free by God, tell the world!”

God is good—all the time! All the time—God is good! That truly is the testimony of my life—and I have a feeling it is true of your life as well. Certainly, I ought to be proclaiming God’s goodness to anyone who will listen, and even to those who won’t, much more than I do. Add to that the fact that I am, on my best day, not so good, and on my worst day, frankly, pretty bad, only adds to the brilliance of God’s overwhelming goodness to me.

The New King James’ translation of the psalmist’s words are even more meaningful to me: “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Mercy—I can really relate to that. Now don’t misunderstand what I’m saying: I’ll take either enduring love or enduring mercy—I can’t live without either one. Love and mercy are simply different facets of the same diamond we understand as the goodness of God.

But God’s mercy really speaks to me, and I’ll bet if you thought about, it, you would say the same. Someone said that mercy is not getting what you deserve. The truth is, you and I depend upon God’s mercy every single moment just to draw in the next breath, since the holy and righteous God has had innumerable reasons and every right to annihilate us from the planet because of our sinfulness. Jeremiah said it well in Lamentations 3:22-23,

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

The entirety of Psalm 107 is simply giving one example after another of how God in his faithful love and enduring mercy has freed his people from what they deserve. And at the end of each example, the psalmist expresses the call to gratitude: Oh, thank God, he is so good! He love never runs out!

I’ll bet you could write your own Psalm 107. In fact, that might be a good assignment for you and me this week. And then, like the psalmist suggested, we should go tell the world. Now that’s a pretty tall order, so how about starting the part of the world in which you live? Write your psalm and share it with your spouse, your family, your friends, and then your co-workers.

I am not sure how they will feel about it, but you will certainly feel pretty good. That’s what heartfelt gratitude to God for his faithful love and enduring mercy does.

Making Life Work: Write your own psalm of gratitude for God’s mercy in your life. Cite specific examples. Then share it with your spouse, your family, your friends and your co-workers.

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Be Careful What You Ask For

Don’t Fail the Test of Trust, Contentment & Gratitude

Sometimes God gives us exactly what we asked for—but be warned: along with it, we may just end up with an empty heart. You see, what we desperately want may not be what we desperately need.

Read: Psalm 106 // Focus: Psalm 106:13-15

“But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test. So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease among them.” — Psalm 106:13-15

The psalmist begins, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1). So here’s an important question: Do you give only theological assent to that belief, or do you truly believe it in the real world of your everyday life? The acid test that theological belief is congruent with practical belief is the daily manifestation of trust, contentment and gratitude.

Quite often, when the Israelites’ collective belief was put to the test, it failed. In this psalm, the writer details Israel’s sad history of unbelief as God led them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Along the way, God performed some of the mightiest miracles of all time—the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night, water from the rock, manna to eat every single morning for forty years—just to name a few. At every step, God’s miraculous and more-than-enough provision sustained his people.

Yet Israel was still dissatisfied. The people griped, they complained, they lusted for other things—they tested God, and their leader Moses, at every turn in the bend. So God decided to put them to the test as well, to see what was truly in their hearts. And here’s how he tested them: He gave them what they incessantly insisted on!

And when the children of Israel got what they wanted, they lustily, greedily, indulgently consumed it until it made them deathly sick—literally! God gave them what their hearts craved until their hearts caved under the weight of their own foolish desires. The Message translation of this text puts a more spiritual twist to it:

“He gave them exactly what they asked for—but along with it they got an empty heart.”

That should stand forever as a sobering reminder that what we desperately want may not be what we desperately need. They are often two different things, and we would be wise to recognize the difference. When we persistently refuse God’s provision, fail to exercise trust in his abundant care, forget to practice contentment in his goodness, neglect gratitude for his love, and greedily insist on what we want, there comes a point when God will say, “fine, have it your way.”

What a sad and scary thing—that we might actually get what we want!

In all honesty, I hope I never get what I want. I don’t trust my own heart, and the desires it conjures up. What I pray for, however, is to get what God wants me to have—all of it—and along with it, contentment in the good and wise provision of the One who lovingly and continually watches over me.

Trust, contentment and gratitude—that’s the acid test of a faith that is not only theological, but practical!

Making Life Work:Try praying this prayer every day: “God, not my will, but your will done in my life.”

“All our discontents about