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God Knows What He’s Doing

He Will Perfect That Which Concerns Me

PREVIEW: As we passionately pursue God’s purposes, God has passionately committed himself to fulfilling His purposes in us. No matter what things may look like—horrible circumstances and hateful people notwithstanding, God will never abandon the work that he has lovingly and painstakingly invested in us, and He will ultimately bring that work to perfect completion. No way—you can’t stop God from doing what God does!

God Will Perfect That Which Concerns Me - Ray Noah Blog

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 138:8

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.

“God will perfect everything that concerns you.” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV) I have heard my wife use King David’s phrase many times in her public prayers. I like that thought, don’t you? Nothing will stop God from fulfilling His purpose for my life—nothing!

That was the essence of David’s thinking in this psalm. Nothing could get in the way of what God had in mind—God’s perfect will for his life—not even David’s own fleshly desires. That’s the caveat to this truth: the perfecting is of that which is according to God’s will, which, of course, is what ought to concern us more than anything else in this life.

The New Testament writer Jude captured the essence of this truth in his benedictory prayer when he wrote, “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25) Likewise, the Apostle Paul wrote similar words in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

How comforting and empowering to know that if we are passionately pursuing God’s purposes, God has passionately committed himself to fulfilling His purposes in us. No matter what things may look like—horrible circumstances and hateful people notwithstanding (Psalm 138:7)—God will never abandon the work that He has lovingly and painstakingly invested in us, and He will ultimately bring that work to perfect completion.

What David had discovered was that when we are for God, and when God is for us, we cannot lose! 2 Chronicles 16:9 reminds us of this profound truth,

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Wow! God desires to fulfill his purposes in this world, and he is actually scouring the earth, looking for fully devoted people in order to release his enabling power in their lives. Is your heart fully committed to him? If it is, then God will find you, and sooner or later, you will come into the greatest joy that anyone can ever experience in this life: God fulfilling his purposes for you and through you.

Yes, God will perfect that which concerns you! In other words, There’s no stopping God!

My Offering of WorshipWhat are the obstacles standing in your path to pursuing God? According to Psalm 138:8, God will repurpose those stumbling blocks into building blocks. Try praying a thanksgiving prayer for everything that seems to impede your progress. Then, ask God to empower you to work with him to use those very things to perfect you. Pray this risky prayer: “God, use this to shape me.”

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The Complete Appropriateness of a Downright Nasty Little Prayer

PREVIEW: If you are going to enjoy the Psalms, sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with a psalm like Psalm 137. This is a downright nasty little psalm that calls for the violent destruction of the Babylonian people—akin to the call for a Jewish Jihad against this mighty empire that had leveled Jerusalem, including its temple, and hauled off most of Judah’s inhabitants 1,000 miles to the east. This outburst is what we call an imprecatory psalm—the calling down of a divine curse, a prayer for violent vengeance. But his is not a call to take vengeance into human hands. The psalmist sees God as judge, jury, and executioner and, upon that basis, makes his plea for the proper execution of Divine justice. Moreover, though it isn’t acknowledged within this psalm, other Scripture shows that before the Jews had called down judgment on their captors, they had first thoroughly repented before God for the very things that had brought them under the iron fist of judgment in the first place. So, if you are going to pray this way, make sure you put judgment in God’s hand and make sure your own sin is covered under Christ’s blood.

The Complete Appropriateness of a Downright Nasty Little Prayer - Ray Noah Blog

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 137:7-8

O Lord, remember what the Edomites did on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem. “Destroy it!” they yelled. “Level it to the ground!” O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us.

If you are going to enjoy the Psalms, sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with a psalm like this. This is a downright nasty little psalm that calls for the violent destruction of the Babylonian people—akin to the call for a Jewish Jihad against this mighty empire that had leveled Jerusalem, including its temple, and hauled off most of Judah’s inhabitants 1,000 miles to the east. This outburst is what we call an imprecatory psalm—the calling down of a divine curse, a prayer for violent vengeance.

So, the question is, what place does such an angry psalm have in a loving God’s songbook?

First, this isn’t simply a religious rant. Psalm 137 should not be isolated from the other psalms—or the rest of Scripture, for that matter. It makes sense only in the context of both theological and historical settings. The writer wasn’t just calling down vengeance because he didn’t like someone. The Babylonians had perpetrated great violence against God’s people, so the psalmist was only calling on God to do what God had promised to do.

Second, this is not a call to take vengeance into human hands. The psalmist sees God as judge, jury, and executioner and, upon that basis, makes his plea for the proper execution of Divine justice.

Third, though it isn’t acknowledged within this psalm, other Scripture shows that before the Jews had called down judgment on their captors, they had first thoroughly repented before God for the very things that had brought them under the iron fist of Babylon in the first place. (Daniel 9:1-19) As Jesus later called us to do, they had taken the beam out of their own eye before they bothered with judgment for their tormentors. (Matthew 7:1-5)

Finally, this prayer, and others like it, is aligned with God’s prophetic indictment of Israel’s enemies. The writer is praying what the Scripture has already declared, calling into fulfillment God’s judgment against some extremely evil people.

Now, for the most part, our prayers should be along the lines that Jesus taught: “Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” (Luke 6:27-28 NLT) But when evil goes beyond the pale, it is certainly appropriate to pray for what is at the core of God’s being: Justice.

However, I need to offer a caveat: If you are going to unleash an imprecatory prayer, just remember that Divine justice is blind; it cuts both ways. So, make sure your own evil has been covered by the blood of Christ, which comes by grace through faith through the acknowledgment and repentance of sin.

My Offering of Worship: Perhaps you are brokenhearted over the systemic evil in this world—the abuse of children, the poverty of nations ruled by corrupt strongmen, the terrors of war visited upon innocent civilians, the disgusting filth that visits our children through digital media platforms, and on the list of wickedness goes. It’s ok to pray for God’s justice to come, swiftly and surely, against what sin and Satan have visited upon God’s planet.

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Enduring Love

It Never Runs Out and Never Gets Old

PREVIEW: One of the critiques of modern worship choruses is that they are too simple and overly repetitive. On the other hand, the great hymns of the church are deeply theological and majestic both in lyric and music. But there is room for both—the modern worship the Holy Spirit has birthed in the contemporary church, as well as the hymns of our historic faith. So, if you’re cranky over your music pastor’s typical song selection, do what Psalm 136 calls you to do: Focus on God’s goodness throughout the history of the world and throughout your personal history as well. God has been faithful in all he has done, and merciful, too. He is the loving Creator and Redeemer—he always has been, he is right now, and when you wake up tomorrow or the next day, and every day after that, he still will be. “O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever!”

Enduring Love - Ray Noah Blog

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 134:2

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.

One of the critiques of modern worship choruses is that they are too simple and overly repetitive. The great hymns of the church, on the other hand, are deeply theological and majestic both in lyric and music. I truly love both—the modern worship the Holy Spirit has birthed in the contemporary church as well as the hymns of our historic faith. Both move me to joyful worship of Almighty God.

Psalm 136 is akin to a modern worship chorus. In each of the twenty-six verses that comprise the psalm, you will notice simple, soundbite phrases that recall the goodness of God as both creator and redeemer, followed by the same line thirty-six times: “His love endures forever!”

So, if you are one of those who, frankly, just dislikes modern worship, think about this psalm the next time you are tempted to get a little cranky about your church’s worship. If you want to be critical of your worship leader for his song selection, you might as well line up this psalmist right beside him and take your shot at both!

Or you could do what this psalm calls you to do: Focus on the goodness of God throughout the history of the world, and throughout your personal history as well. God has been faithful in all he has done, and merciful, too. He is the loving Creator and Redeemer—he always has been, he is right now, and when you wake up tomorrow or the next day, and every day after that, he still will be.

O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever!

Now—don’t you feel much better?

My Offering of Worship: Perhaps a good exercise in praise and thanksgiving would be to write your own Psalm 136. For what are you thankful? List it and keep adding to it until you run out of space or your fingers start cramping. Then go back and beside each point of gratitude, write “For his love endures forever.” One more thing: the next time you’re feeling down about something, remember that God’s faithful love is with you in your unpleasant moment.

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God Will Get What God Wants

You Can Trust Him

PREVIEW: God is always good, always kind, always perfect, and always has his eyes upon us. Therefore, we can trust him. But the way we fret and fear betrays our lack of trust in God. That’s understandable—we’re only human. Rarely do we see what God is doing or understand how he is working out his plan. Circumstances distract us from keeping a steady gaze upon his goodness and greatness. But even though our human frailty keeps us from seeing and understanding his ways, God still asks us to trust him. And when we do, our trust becomes a precious gift to him. So, where are you doubting today; what circumstances are distracting you? Reject fear and anxiety, then offer your trust to God—and add your gratefulness as a way of giving thanks in advance. Do that, and before you know it, God’s goodness and greatness will be vindicated once again, and you will see his compassionate love.

God Will Get What God Wants - Ray Noah Blog

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 135:3,5,6,14

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession. I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. Your name, Lord, endures forever, your renown, Lord, through all generations….For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

What is the psalmist saying here, and what does that mean for the people—you and me—that God calls his own? Let’s start with what he is saying:

  • God is all-powerful. He does what he pleases. He blesses; he punishes. He sets up; he tears down. He rewards; he judges.
  • He is the great God, the Creator and Sustainer of all, and he will accomplish his purposes through and for all that he has created.
  • No one stands in his way. Just ask Pharaoh, or Nebuchadnezzar, or Pilate, or Caesar, or Satan!
  • No president or judge or politician; not the wealthy or powerful or famous can thwart his will. God will accomplish his purposes.
  • No one will get their way—including you and me. God will get what God wants!
  • What does that mean for God’s people?

So, what does this mean for you and me? Well, how the psalmist describes God might be a little frightening—and it should promote the fear of the Lord in our hearts—but keep in mind the first line of this selected psalm: God is good.

He will never do anything that’s not saturated in his love for mankind and his perfect plan for the eternal ages. No matter what, whether he is blessing or punishing, setting up or tearing down, rewarding or judging, God is always good, and therefore we can trust him.

As someone once rightly said,

God is too wise to make a mistake,
Too kind to be cruel,
But too wise to explain himself.

We may not always understand what God is doing, or why he is doing it, or how good can come out of difficult and hurtful experiences but based on the Word of God and the track record of God’s goodness, we can trust him.

Yes, God is good—all the time!

My Offering of Worship: The way we fret and fear betrays our lack of trust in God. That’s understandable—we’re only human. Rarely do we see what God is doing or understand how he is working out his plan. Circumstances distract us from keeping a steady gaze upon his goodness and greatness. But even though our human frailty keeps us from seeing and understanding his ways, God still asks us to trust him. And when we do, our trust becomes a precious gift to him. So, where are you doubting today; what circumstances are distracting you? Reject fear and anxiety, then offer your trust to God—and add your gratefulness as a way of giving thanks in advance. Do that, and before you know it, God’s goodness and greatness will be vindicated once again, and you will see his compassionate love.

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Reach For the Sky

Worship with Heart, Mind, and Body

PREVIEW: The Father wants worshipers who worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) In other words, God-pleasing worship is balanced. It honors God with heart (Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God”). It engages God with the mind (Matthew 22:37 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”). And it reaches out to God with the body (1 Corinthians 6:20 – “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies”). That is why you will find various physical expressions of praise throughout Scripture: Singing, shouting, clapping, kneeling, prostrating oneself, dancing, and, yes, quite frequently the raising of hands.

Reach for the Sky - Ray Noah Blog

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 134:2

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.

Raising your hands in worship is not a pre-requisite for God-pleasing praise—not necessarily! There is no rule that says, “Thou shalt lift thy hands in worship.” The Father wants worshipers who worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) In other words, God-pleasing worship must come from the heart and in a way that is congruent with Scripture—authentically.

Yet true worship requires all of us—spirit, mind, and body. Obviously, our heart must reach out to God when we worship him; otherwise, our worship would be nothing more than a heartless ritual (and there is already far too much of that among his people today). God wants not just formulaic expressions of worship; he wants worship to come from the overflow of a loving and grateful heart.

Our mind should be engaged in worship as well. If we park our brains in neutral when we praise, our worship is incomplete—and open to all kinds of weird and wild expressions that sometimes occur among certain groups of believers. To worship in truth means to worship with theological knowledge of the One being worshipped, which is most pleasing to him.

Yet, can we truly worship in spirit and in truth if we don’t engage our entire being? Authentic “spirit and truth” praise must even include physical engagement. Balanced worship honors God with heart (Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God”), mind (Matthew 22:37 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”), and body (1 Corinthians 6:20 – “You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies”). That is why you will find various physical expressions of praise throughout Scripture: Singing, shouting, clapping, kneeling, prostrating oneself, dancing, and, yes, quite frequently the raising of hands.

Perhaps you came to Christ in a tradition that expressed worship without physical demonstration. I would encourage you to challenge that assumption. The next time you gather with the body of Christ and the singing starts, try lifting your hands to the Lord. The Apostle Paul, while speaking directly to men but I believe in general should be applied to all believers in the church, wrote, “In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy” (1 Timothy 2:8). So, raise your hands to God in worship. I think you will find it quite freeing. In fact, you may want to practice first in your own private worship time just to get used to the action.

When my children were small, they would often come to me and lift their hands, hoping I would pick them up. Of course, I would. In that moment, they would have yet another indication that I loved them. And, of course, I was delighted to know they loved me, too—with their whole being.

Don’t you think that is true of your Heavenly Father as well?

My Offering of Worship: As you worship God this week, both in private and public, be conscious of worshiping with your whole being—heart, mind, and body. As Paul would say, considering who God is and what he has done for you, this is not only “holy and pleasing to God,” but it is simply “your true and proper worship.”

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It’s All Good

Nothing Is More Bless-able Than Unity

PREVIEW: Unity is a very big deal to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When you have unity between people—at work, at school, at home, and at church—there you will find that life is pleasant. And that’s how God meant for life to be—especially for his people. For where God finds unity, there God commands his blessing. In other words, you will not need to ask God for his blessings—which is not a bad thing to do—he will insist on blessing you.

It’s All Good - Ray Noah Blog

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 133:1, 3

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! … For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Unity! I’m not always sure what it is, but I sure know when it ain’t!

And I know when it is. For where you have unity between people—at work, in school, in home, and at church—there you will find that life is pleasant. And that’s how God meant for life to be—especially for his people.

So how can we achieve and maintain unity?

First, unity requires us to understand how important it is to God. In his final prayer before the cross, knowing what awaited him in the hours ahead, Jesus prayed for the unity of his followers in John 17:20-23,

I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

What a person prays for in their final prayer reveals what is of utmost importance to them. For Jesus, that was our unity. The next time we have opportunity for disunity, we ought to stop and think about that.

Second, achieving and maintaining unity requires humility. For unity to occur, I must subjugate my desires and needs to what is good and best for others. Speaking of unity, the Apostle Paul exhorted us to follow Christ’s example in Philippians 2:1-4,

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others…[an attitude] that was the same as that of Christ Jesus.

Third, unity will be achieved when we submit ourselves to the spiritual leaders God has placed over us, whose primary task is to equip us to carry out God’s purposes on Planet Earth. And those purposes include the body of Christ being built up and coming to the full unity of the Spirit. Paul taught about this in Ephesians 4:12-13,

[Spiritual leaders are called] to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Fourth, unity will have its best chance when each of us makes unity our personal responsibility. How do I go about that? Once again, Paul hits the nail on the head in Romans 12:9-21. Take a moment to read his checklist for unity, but verse 18 encapsulates it well:

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Yes, it may be difficult to define unity, but when you and I do our part to achieve it in the body of Christ, look out! Good things will happen: “For there God commands his blessing, even life evermore.”

Like the great preacher Vance Havner once said, “Snowflakes are frail, but if enough of them get together, they can stop traffic.”

What do you say we stop some traffic this week!

My Offering of Worship: As you reflect on these unity verses, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how you can be an instrument for the unity of your church.

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Taking Care of God’s House

A Passion for God’s Dwelling

PREVIEW: Of both David (Psalm 69:9) and Jesus (John 2:17), the Word of God says, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” So how about you? I’m not suggesting that you dance so wildly that you embarrass your spouse like David or that you take a whip to worship with you next weekend like Jesus, but what I do hope for is that the same zeal for God’s house that consumed David, and the Son of David will consume you. Me, too!

Taking Care of God’s House - Ray Noah Blog

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 132:3-5

I will not enter my house or go to my bed—I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.

David had a passion for the house of God. He couldn’t tolerate the thought that as king, he would be able to build himself an unbelievably opulent palace while God’s dwelling was just a humble tent, the tabernacle, that had been used since the exodus.

Then there was the time David publicly danced with delight as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem to its resting place at the Tabernacle (2 Samuel 6:14). The king’s public display of affection for the Divine was so extreme that his watching wife despised David for it. But he didn’t care because his exuberance for the house of God exceeded his capacity to contain it.

David had a passion for the house of God.

David wanted desperately to build God a permanent structure—a temple. He knew God deserved the best. So, he located property for the building, but rather than throwing his royal weight around to get a good deal for it, he insisted on paying full price. He said, “I won’t offer the Lord something that has cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24).

David had a passion for the house of God.

God had other plans, however, and told David that it would be his son, Solomon, who would build the temple. So, what did David do? He set about to make all the preparations for its construction in order for Solomon to have a good head start when he was inaugurated as Israel’s king (2 Chronicles 22:5).

David had a passion for the house of God.

The Son of David, Jesus, was passionate about God’s house, too. Although he predicted that not one stone of it would be left upon another because of God’s judgment against the corrupted worship that took place there (Matthew 24:2), he did his best to bring purity to it. He drove the moneychangers from the temple—and not with gentle persuasion either. He made a whip—and used it. He overturned the tables they used to carry out their shady commerce. With an illustrated sermon that no one would ever forget, Jesus cleansed the temple. (John 2:13-16)

The Son of David had a passion for the house of God!

Of both David (Psalm 69:9) and Jesus (John 2:17), the Word of God says, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

So how about you? I’m not suggesting you dance so wildly that you embarrass your spouse or take a whip to worship with you next weekend, but what I do hope for is that the same zeal for God’s house that consumed David and the Son of David will consume you. Me, too!

May it be said of you, “Zeal for your house consumes me!”

My Offering of Worship: What is your attitude to the physical place where you worship? Because God’s people gather there and the Word of God is preached there, God has sanctified it. Do you treat it as common or holy? This next weekend, when you gather with others in your place of worship, approach it as a place that is near and dear to God’s heart.