Sunflower Faith

Today’s Life Journal Reading is from:

Psalm 15 

Scripture

 ¹ LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
         Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
         
 ² He who walks uprightly,
         And works righteousness,
         And speaks the truth in his heart;
 ³ He who does not backbite with his tongue,
         Nor does evil to his neighbor,
         Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
 ⁴ In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
         But he honors those who fear the LORD;
         He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
 ⁵ He who does not put out his money at usury,
         Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
         
         He who does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15, New King James Version) 

Observation:

Reading Psalm 15 as part of my life journal reading, it was like a reminder of how we as followers of Christ, should, well follow Him. 

The things that our Father shares to us through Psalm 15 are things that we should often do as a follower of Christ, but to be truthful, how many times in our lives, do we sometimes succumb to doing just the opposite of what He calls us to do. 

That’s where our Father steps in but it’s not a license for us to be complacent in our walk either.No one is perfect nor does our Father call for legalism but He does call for willingness to obey His Word and to follow Him, defined not by what is convenient or culturally acceptted but what He reaches out for us to make it a habit, a goal, a desire in our lives to be and to follow. 

From the MHC (Matthew Henry Commentary): 

The way to heaven, if we would be happy, we must be holy. We are encouraged to walk in that way.

Here is a very serious question concerning the character of a citizen of Zion. It is the happiness of glorified saints, that they dwell in the holy hill; they are at home there, they shall be for ever there. It concerns us to make it sure to ourselves that we have a place among them. A very plain and particular answer is here given. Those who desire to know their duty, will find the Scripture a very faithful director, and conscience a faithful monitor. 

 A citizen of Zion is sincere in his religion. He is really what he professes to be, and endeavours to stand complete in all the will of God. He is just both to God and man; and, in speaking to both, speaks the truth in his heart. He scorns and abhors wrong and fraud; he cannot reckon that a good bargain, nor a saving one, which is made with a lie; and knows that he who wrongs his neighbour will prove, in the end, to have most injured himself. He is very careful to do hurt to no man. 

How often when we follow our Father, we tend to worry less about what He has to think but probrably more about what the world has to think or maybe in the process of following Him, losing sight of the big picture and get to focus on the smaller pictures. 

Maybe it’s legalism, maybe it’s just getting too busy we forget about following Him and that priority starts dropping low on our list, or maybe, it’s in the form of idolism or worse yet, focusing on us too much that we don’t see Him anymore and worry about how it makes US look. 

He speaks evil of no man, makes not others’ faults the matter of his common talk; he makes the best of every body, and the worst of nobody. If an ill-natured story be told him, he will disprove it if he can; if not, it goes no further. He values men by their virtue and piety. Wicked people are vile people, worthless, and good for nothing; so the word signifies. He thinks the worse of no man’s piety for his poverty and mean condition. He reckons that serious piety puts honour upon a man, more than wealth, or a great name. He  honours such, desires their conversation and an interest in their prayers, is glad to show them respect, or do them a kindness. By this we may judge of ourselves in some measure. Even wise and good men may swear to their own hurt: but see how strong the obligation is, a man must rather suffer loss to himself and his family, than wrong his neighbour. He will not increase his estate by extortion, or by bribery. He will not, for any gain, or hope of it to himself, do any thing to hurt a righteous cause. 

Remember the story of the rich man who asks Jesus how to get into heaven and Jesus told him to give up everything to follow him. 

Would you? 

Could you? 

That’s hard to answer isn’t it and the honest truth that its more than going to Africa or Asia or any foriegn country but starting with our heart first. What are we willing to do without, live without, to follow Him. 

It’s not saying, give up your home and live in a tent, but it’s also not saying, covet your home over following Him either. It’s about willing to make the sacrifices that our Father, not society, church or anyone else, but our Father, Himself, lays on your heart to follow Him. 

Sometimes it can be as simple as looking at the way with interact with each other, with our fellow believers and with our fellow non-believers. When people look at you, can they see Him, not you, without you even having to say a word, but letting your life, your actions speak for yourself. 

Twitter, Facebook, Emails, cellphones, blogs, are great and they are fun and can be a blessing, but when people come to visit, it is a question that I even lay on my heart. Who do they see? Do they see me? Or do they see our Father in Heaven? 

I know, I pray and hope with each post, and each time I share or converse with anyone, that it’s not about me, or that I am the one who people see, but it’s our Heavenly Father first and foremost. 

Truthfully, we all would love to be noticed, but honestly, this is not about us or to us; It’s all about Him and that’s where the true focus and glory should be. 

Every true living member of the church, like the church itself, is built upon a Rock. He that doeth these things shall not be moved for ever. The grace of God shall always be sufficient for him. The union of these tempers and this conduct, can only spring from repentance for sin, faith in the Saviour, and love to him. In these respects let us examine and prove our own selves 

When I go to church, I’m pretty self-conscious and not so much about myself but about others. I honestly keep an eye out for an unfamiliar face, or someone who might look lost. Why? 

Because, we are not in this alone; We are a body-a family in Christ and we are to help lift up and encourage each other-not to win a popularity contest. 

I feel that this is a reminder and a notice that we have to be careful we don’t get so comfortable that we exclude others unwittingly or purposely. Yes, it’s great to have that close group of friends, but our true service and fellowship for our Heavenly Father, is outside our circle, not within. That’s where true service is. 

No one may know my name or remember me, but that’s fine. That’s the goal; The real goal is that they remember and look and see always our Heavenly Father and it’s my responsibilty, your responsibilty, all of our responsibilty to each other, to those we know, but especially to those we don’t know. 

Application:

Psalm 15 is a challenge to myself, to all of us, to rethink how we are living the Christian faith and what light are we shining to others. When people see us, do they see Him, or do they see us. Do they seek us to know Him better or do they seek us to know us better.

Prayer:

Father, I thank You for being the awesome God that You are and I lift Your name up in praise for all You do and have done in my life and in the others life. I pray and hope that those who do know You and particularly those who don’t know You will seek You and find You and come to know You Heavenly Father and I pray You will continually humble this broken servant of Yours and use me as YOU see willing not as I see willing Lord.

Give me the strength, the courage, the words, to speak for You and about You Lord that eyes will look up to You, not me.

You know me better than I know myself and I am not fit to share Your Glory and Love and just am thankful when You lay what You lay on my heart and pray my heart can just speak out to the four corners of the world, of Your Glory, Your Grace, Your Love.

Lord, Thank You Father, Thank You! Amen.

****Purpose of this post**** 

Gentle Readers, There are days that I will read a verse or passage and just feel pulled to share here, but there are days when I will read something and just feel, I need to spend the day, in personal contemplation of what is being convey and may just post via Twitter, what passages I have read that day and post nothing on here. 

That is what bible reading is about; It’s not about having to write something down everyday; There maybe days when you are reading say, Numbers and it’s just lineages, but other days, you may find yourself dealing with a “powerhouse verse” of the moment and have to just go “WOW” and seek God in personal time and prayer to understand what He is sharing. 

I will try to post daily, but particularly on weekends, if I’m sick or I’m just completely in awe of what I’m reading or maybe I am trying to understand what I am reading, I may not post here, I may just write in my Life Journal (hardcopy), because I will find myself having to seek His Word and/or the Commentary and just seek in prayer to understand what our Father in Heaven is seeking to reveal. 

Either way. 

Reading His Word, is about getting to know Him better and developing your Christian growth and maturity. Do what is right and good for you. 

If you do use the Life Journal and participate in the daily readings, I would like to hear from you and your perspective on each day’s reading, when I do have a post up, or feel free to comment on a previous “Daily Bible Reading post” or send me a quick email. 

Please feel free to join in the linky that I post below, so others too, who uses the Life Journal/or SOAP method to read the bible can participate. 

Don’t feel obligate to have to blog about each passage to be read, but if anything, feel free to share those passages that have the most impact on you that day. 

There maybe some days that you may read your daily reading and find nothing to jot down in your journal or on your blog and that’s okay, but there maybe other days, that you will find yourself inspire. 

This is about you being encouraged to have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, and spending each day with Him, You and Him. 

It is my prayer and hope that this will be an encouragement to establish a personal daily reading as well. 

To find out more about using the S.O.A.P. method, here’s a link to an ehow article and here’s the link to the Life Journal to find out more what it is, and how you can use it for your own daily bible readings. If you don’t want to order the journal or if it’s not available through your local church, another method is simply, buy a journal or notebook or even blog about your life journal readings. 

Disclaimer: I am not personally affiliated with the church that the link goes to, but merely share it as a resource of what the Life Journal is, how to order it.

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