"I Have No Good Apart From You"

     Last night I was reading through Psalm 16.  I think this one is becoming a favorite.  I love the verses, and as I read God brings to mind other verses.  It's really cool how there is SO much life in each individual verse in Scripture and yet it all fits together like one big puzzle!

Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge.I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;    I have no good apart from You.”  Psalm 16:1-2  ESV

     I can go to so many other things to try and take refuge from the storms of life.  But only God is a true refuge in times of trouble.  Praying verse one really helps me to remember to go only to Him.  There are so many other verses in Psalms that correspond with this one.  Psalm 27:1 and 118:6 are favorites (you should take a minute to grab your Bible and read them, even though you're probably familiar with them).  I also like meditating through Psalm 18.
     "LORD" when in all caps in the English Bible means "YHWH," often pronounced, "Yahweh."  The proper translation is "He is" (third person).  I love it whenever I read this because "He is" holds so much meaning.  You could say, "He is . . . what?  He is love?  He is forgiving?  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever?  He is forever-present?"  Well, yes . . . but He is so much MORE than that!  He . . . is.  He just is.  He is more than my words will ever say.  ♥
     Last of all, "I have no good apart from You" is a really strong statement.  Often my Christian life doesn't reflect this.  There are things in this world I can feel like I can't live without.  But the truth is that apart from Christ I have nothing good!  This also acknowledges that I cannot bring myself good.  I do not . . . cannot bring good bring good to anyone, including myself.  I am not good.  There is nothing good in me.  This brings to mind a passage from John 15:

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  John 15:4-5

     Perhaps the God's spiritual giants never become less weak or less dependent on God.  Perhaps spiritual giants are those who are most aware of their own weakness and dependency on God.  For God's power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

"My Soul is in the Midst of Lions"

     In the Psalms David always poured out his heart before the LORD (Psalm 62:8).  Whatever situations David was in, whether good or bad, he always turned to praise God.  The truth is that God is always good, always love, always perfect and holy, always patient, always just, always sovereign, always faithful, and always here with me.  Even if my circumstances aren't great God is still worthy to be praised.  So when I'm found in a desert place spiritually may my heart still sing, "Blessed be the name of the Lord!"

Psalm 57  Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

I will cry unto God Most High; unto God that performeth all things for me.

He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and his truth.

My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Thy glory be above all the earth.

They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto Thee among the nations.

For Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and Thy truth unto the clouds.

Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let Thy glory be above all the earth.

(underline mine, KJV)

 

Satisfied

 . . . My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, saith the LORD.  Jeremiah 31:14 ESV

Cross references: Psalm 119:68; 107:9 

     Last night I was reading a few verses from Jeremiah 31, and the verse above especially stood out to me.  I love to meditate on the goodness of the Lord!  There's something about the Lord's goodness that is just so pure, so wonderful, and so satisfying.

     These past few weeks God has been really challenging me in the area of trust.  Proverbs 3:5 says to trust in the Lord with all my heart.  Keyword: All.  It is so easy to just trust in the Lord partially, still holding worry and doubts.  Yet God has challenged me, "I promise that I am working all things for good in your life (Rom. 8:28), and whether you trust Me or not, I will accomplish My purpose (Isaiah 14:24; 2 Tim. 2:13).  But will you do as I have commanded, and trust in Me with all of your heart (Prov. 3:5), or will you continue to live a life of worry and doubt (James 1:6, 8)?"

     I've chosen trust.  Yet even so, being the sinful creature that I am I do not have the ability to trust in God fully.  ". . .For without Me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).  Nothing.  Apart from Jesus I can do nothing.  That's a pretty strong statement and yet it's true.  Only Christ can enable me to trust in God with ALL of my heart.

     It's been really interesting these past few weeks.  I mean it's been a good kind of interesting.  Not good because of circumstances, but good because God is good.  ♥
     God is good.
     Oh, I love that truth!
     No matter what my circumstances are, He is good .
     He is my Solid Rock, with no variation, or shadow due to change.

     These past few weeks have been challenging in ways I'm not used to (serious, last-minute things coming up).  In other ways life has been "normal" but I've found myself wanting to doubt His faithfulness in the tiniest areas of my life.  Even when I am faithless He remains faithful (2 Tim. 2:13).  Praise Him for that!

     As I have been abiding in Christ, I have seen amazing fruit.  I have been able to take my eyes off my forever-changing circumstances and instead fix them on my never-changing God (Js. 1:17; Heb. 13:8).  At times when it would have been so easy for me to worry or be nervous due to unforeseen circumstances, I was at peace.  I could just rejoice because I am content, or in another word, satisfied with God's goodness.

For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm 107:9  ESV