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Bad News Immunity

Bad Things Are Not The Same As Bad News

SYNOPSIS: 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.

Bad News Immunity - Ray Noah

Moments With God // Psalm 112:6-8

Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

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! Let’s take a look at what he said:

  • This applies to the one who reverences God and relishes his law: “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.” (Psalm 112:1)
  • For that one, good things will happen, and even bad things will be turned into blessings: “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.” (Psalm 112:4).
  • Furthermore, God will not only pour blessings on the one who fears him but he ensures prosperity to their posterity: “Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.… They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. (Psalm 112:2,9)
  • When you fear the Lord, you have nothing to fear: “Heart ready, trusting in God, Spirit firm, unperturbed, Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies (Psalm 112:8 MSG)

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 read Romans 8:28.

Now, again, please don’t think I am promising a pain-free life. I am not; nor is God. What God promises 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!

Take A Moment: If you are experiencing bad things, adjust your thinking so that you will be able to distinguish between bad things and bad news. The good news is that God will see you through and bring you out on the other side, looking more like Jesus and much more useful to him.

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Praiseful Pondering

Ponder Anew

SYNOPSIS: 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 of his hand. God didn’t perform them only to have them written in the history books and then to be forgotten. They are to be remembered, pondered, delighted in, and to lead his people to offer him eternal praise. I’m sure if you allow yourself some time to ponder anew the past acts of God on behalf of his people and on your behalf, too, nothing but good things will come from it. I can’t think of a downside to a session of praiseful pondering, can you?

Praiseful Pondering — Ray Noah Blog

Moments With God // Psalm 111:1-3

Hallelujah! I want to express publicly before his people my heartfelt thanks to God for his mighty miracles. All who are thankful should ponder them with me. For his miracles demonstrate his honor, majesty, and eternal goodness.

When was the last time you took some time to remember what God has done? Psalm 111:4 says, “He has caused his wonders to be remembered.” In other words, built into God’s mighty acts 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 of his hand. God didn’t perform them only to have them written in the history books and then to be forgotten. They are to be remembered, pondered, delighted in, and, as Psalm 111:10 says, to lead his people to offer him eternal praise:

Praise him forever!

Before you leave this time of reflection on Psalm 111, perhaps you should 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: “How gracious and merciful is our Lord!” (Psalm 111:4)
  • You probably ought to include a verbal gratitude list for the gracious provision he has made for your daily needs: “He gives food to those who fear him.” (Psalm 111:5)
  • While you are thinking about that, thank him for staying true to his character and his promises: “He always remembers his covenant.” (Psalm 111:5)
  • You might want to bask in the Divine power that has led to victories in your life: “He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations.” (Psalm 111:6)
  • You could add your appreciation for his fair and just rule, too: “All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.”(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: “He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!” (Psalm 111:9)

I love Joachim Neander’s 17th Century hymn, Praise To the Lord the Almighty, especially the words of the third verse:

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

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

Take A Moment: Take a moment to listen to the Hymn, Praise To The Lord, The Almighty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNq0WtMSmIY&t=8s. Then offer your own verbal praise to the Amighty, the King of Creation.

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The Final, Full, and Forcible Reign of Jesus

The Day is Coming When Christ Will Rule the Earth

SYNOPSIS: The day is coming when God will call a halt to this current season of gentle persuasion, and Jesus will literally, physically, and forcefully 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 between the Second Coming and the Great White Throne judgment, 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. Do it today!

The Final, Full, and Forcible Reign of Jesus - Ray Noah

Moments With God // 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, not only his descendant but, more importantly, his Lord—he who was superior to David and to whom the king would submit both his life and kingly authority—would rule the earth as both king and priest:

The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”( Psalm 110:4),

Moreover, this Lord, King, and Priest would rule in wrath and judgment over those who refused his authority

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. (Psalm 110:5-6)

What we need to remember as we read this psalm is that this 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 to his loving invitation to submit to his 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, cf. Hebrews 7:24-26), and the Holy Spirit is calling the world to God through Christ through the witness of the church (2 Corinthians 5:18-22).

Now, as much as anything, here is what this psalm should cause us to think about: The day is coming when God will call a halt to this current season 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 between the Second Coming and the Great White Throne judgment, 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.

Christ’s full and complete rule over you is only right and fitting!

Take A Moment: Does Jesus have complete rule over your life? If not, perhaps today is a good day to have a conversation with him about that.

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It’s Lonely At The Top

Leadership at any Level is a Tough Job

SYNOPSIS: What made David a great leader was how he endured under pressure. It wasn’t just his amazing victories, his ever-expanding kingdom, his winsome personality, and his musical skill, but 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. More than anything, David wanted God’s blessing more than everything else—high approval ratings, more power, a larger palace, increased fame, and a stellar legacy. 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, 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.

It’s Lonely At The Top - Ray Noah Blog

Moments With God // Psalm 109:28

Help me, O Lord my God! Save me because of your unfailing love. Let [my accusers] see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, Lord. Then let them 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! May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may their humiliation cover them like a cloak. 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.

Can you imagine what it’s like being the president? At any given time, half the country, give or take, 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 can be much worse than that for a president. 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 mean 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 they were right: It’s lonely at the top. Leadership at any level is a tough job—president, pastor, principal, or parent. In fact, it is not only tough, but it can also be lonely, sometimes thankless, and even downright painful. It certainly was for King David.

David is another man whose leadership we tend to romanticize. But if we could 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 much 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.

What made David a great leader was how he endured under pressure. It wasn’t just his amazing victories, his ever-expanding kingdom, his winsome personality, and his musical skill, but 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.

If you read this entire psalm, you will notice yet again that David bookends this detailed account of his detractor’s 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. (Psalm 109:1-2)

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. (Psalm 109:30-31)

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

If you are a leader—in your home, 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.

Oh, by the way, before I go, I want to encourage you to give your president a break. Here is a good rule of thumb: Pray for him twice as much as you criticize him. Do that, and I’ll bet you dollars to doughnuts that you’ll quit criticizing him.

Take A Moment: Pray for your leaders today—at every level. It is God’s will that you do just that!

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Confidence!

The Outcome Is Predetermined

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

Confidence - Ray Noah Blog

Moments With God // Psalm 108:1-4

My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart! Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

A few years ago, since I was unable to watch it live, I recorded a pro football game on television in which God’s favorite team—and mine—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 rule 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 lose. 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 would 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 returning 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 Saul’s murderous intent. God took care of Saul by taking him out of the picture, and God took care of David, taking him all the way to the throne by making him King over all of Israel.

The second is from Psalm 60:5-12 where God gave David an overwhelming victory against an extremely large Edomite army. The title of this particular psalm tells the story

For the choir director: A psalm of David useful for teaching, regarding the time David fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. To be sung to the tune “Lily of the Testimony.”

There is something about a past victory that gives you confidence going into a new battle today. When God has helped you in the past, given you victory over the Enemy, supernaturally supplied your need, provided a spiritual breakthrough, and seen you through when there seemed to be no way through, you pray a little differently 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, and again tomorrow.

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

Take A Moment: Whatever concern you are praying over at the moment, do what the psalmist did: He recalled God’s past help, and by faith, he imagined that same help in the present.

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God’s Love Never Runs Out

That Is Something Worth Singing About

SYNOPSIS: The entirety of Psalm 107 simply gives 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! His love never runs out! All of you set free by God, tell the world!” I bet you could compose your own Psalm 107 of his love and mercy in your life. In fact, that might be a good assignment for you and me this week. And then, as 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.

God's Love Never Runs Out - Psalm 107

Moments With God // 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 how 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! 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. Adding to that, the fact that I am, on my best day, not so good, and on my worst day, frankly, pretty bad, only brings out the brilliance of God’s overwhelming goodness even more.

The New King James translation of the psalmist’s words is 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 leave 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 every reason and 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 simply gives one example after another of how God, in his faithful love and enduring mercy, has freed his people from what they deserve. At the end of each example, the psalmist expresses the call to gratitude: Oh, thank God, he is so good! His love never runs out!

I bet you could compose your own Psalm 107. In fact, that might be a good assignment for you and me this week. And then, as 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 don’t know 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.

Take A Moment: Using Psalm 107 as your template, write a song of God’s faithful love and enduring mercy in your life. After each example, make sure to write your thanks to him. Then, share your psalm with the people in your world.

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Be Careful What You Ask For

What You Want May Not Be What You Need

SYNOPSIS: Psalm 106 says that “God gave the Israelites 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!

Moments with God // Psalm 106:13-15

But the Israelites soon forgot what God 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.

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 that God is indeed good in the real world of your everyday life? The acid test that theological belief is congruence with practical belief in the daily manifestation of trust, contentment, and gratitude.

Quite often, when the ancient 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, as well as 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!

Take A Moment: Today (and every day), get in the habit of praying this simple but powerful pray that Florence Nightingale prayed: “The will of god, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.”