3 Simple Truths

Psalms 117:1-3 “Praise the Lord, all nations;Laud Him, all peoples! For His loving kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!

Three simple verses, yet the truth they communicate is powerful, yet in our world filled with a cacophony of noise and confusion that prevents many people including those who say they are Christians to miss it.

First all people should praise the Lord! In our churches, our homes and our private times we should focus on praising Him. We are always in a hurry at church we zip through worship, rush the preacher so we can get back to our lives, or our homes have everything else going on but no time for praise. Heaven takes time to praise the Lord, creation takes time to praise the Lord and we should too. Slow down, tell your Heavenly Father thank you for all He has already done in and through your life. Be grateful and take the time to actually say it and in some cases sing it!

Secondly, the Psalmist says God’s loving kindness is always focused on His people. Everything God does in our lives including discipline is because He loves us and wants us to be what He has designed and destined us to be. If we haven’t been born again, we will never see that happen, again His love and kindness sent Christ to die on the Cross for us that we might find life and find it abundantly. Our culture can’t distinguish between discipline and punishment. When I was a child and my dad would spank me, (I can see the eye rolls now, you were spanked? Yes I was and looking back I am glad he did.) That being said, as a child I thought I was being punished for whatever rule or expectation I had broken, but looking back I can see he was steering me for my adult life to make better decisions. When I have gotten off the path God has set for me, He sometimes gently other times not, helps get me on the right path. Why does He do this? It’s because He loves me and wants nothing but the best for me here and in eternity. He just loves me and here’s something you need to understand, He loves you too!!!

Lastly the psalmist lays a BIG stone in the foundation of life, God’s truth never changes. In a world where right and wrong are now being redefined and what used to be black is now white and vice versa, we need a sure start to guide our lives by and God’s truth is that star. The enemy has done all he can to get us to redefine words to take the sting out of sin. He did this in the garden and even tried it on Jesus in the wilderness, and he is having a field day with it now. The Bible’s view on so many topics will never change despite what society says or thinks, He loves those held in the bondage of sin, but hates the sin that has marred their lives. Since God’s truth never changes we must focus on them and let them guide our decisions, our lives and the lives of those around us. Proverbs 12:3 tells us the wicked has no firm foundation, but the righteous have firm foundations. That foundation for the believer is Jesus Christ the Word of God made flesh, who gave us the Holy Spirit to keep us on the right track.

So what are we to do? The answer is simple, praise Him, and stand on His truth. The world may rage and get mad, but in the end God is still the victor and we are still more than conquerors. Grace and Peace be multiplied to you. Shalom

Eric