Monday, July 16,
2018
I listen
carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful
people. But let them not return to their
foolish ways. Surely his salvation is
near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory. Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! Truth springs up from the earth, and
righteousness smiles down from heaven. Yes,
the Lord pours down his blessings. Our
land will yield its bountiful harvest. Righteousness
goes as a herald before him, preparing the way for his steps. Psalm 85:8-13(NLT)
The Psalmist tells us there
is a seedling of truth that springs up from the Creator whenever righteousness
and peace intersect with a kiss. And in
that seedling is the blessing and bounty of a proud parent as the smile of
God’s character beams-down from heaven.
This very poetic image from
the Psalmist is better than any Norman Rockwell painting of better times. Consider what God says is the result when leaders
of nations choose truth and integrity over popularity and personal gain: the land yields bountifully! In other words, the citizens of nations who
back up their leaders in the cause of truth are bound to enjoy peace and
bounty. That is who God is; it is also
the model for Christian people, citizens of heaven.
The generator for this
process is a ball that always lands firmly in human laps. Note that the Psalmist says that he listens
carefully to what God the Lord is saying. When we listen carefully, it isn’t just so we
can hear what God is saying, and then do what we please. That is always a possibility for humans because
of free will. But that would not be
serving God with integrity; it amounts to lip service!
A few examples:
·
God rejects murder of the unborn; our Supreme Court didn’t think so…
·
God requires sexuality to be hetero, not homo…our Supreme Court didn’t
think so…
And so, God is speaking
through the Psalmist to faithful people who are committed to peace. To listen carefully implies receiving
information AND acting in obedience to God’s will. The idea is to gain truth and put that truth in
relationship with righteousness; we are to allow the kiss of truth (understanding
what is right) and righteousness (which is doing right). This is the kind of integrity our leaders and
citizens must have to be right with God.
The point is simple: it doesn’t matter what a majority of humans
think; God requires obedience. When we
forget that, or forsake that, we court war with heaven.
For You Today
There are all kinds of decisions
made about right and wrong, about what’s best for our country, police forces,
the law, family, and culture. There are
cultural worldviews that clash like World War 3. It may not be possible to figure out what is
best from the arguments that are constantly presented in the news or media, but
Scripture, God’s Holy Word doesn’t leave us in doubt.
Letting truth and righteousness
have that kiss, because you will listen to God, and then DO things God’s way,
will always land you on the right side of history; it’s a perfect kiss!
Go to VIDEO
[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com
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