I prayed for pastors before going to bed, again the one time I was up, and woke up with them on my heart. The continued theme of my prayers was for all pastors to realize the greatness of our responsibility as pastors to lead our flock in the manner God desires. We must be right with Him before we can lead them this way. Our heart must be pure and blameless before Him. That is why it is so important to seek forgiveness every day for anything that can keep us separated from Him. It is important we love with His love and show people how to live in such a way. We cannot save anyone but we can show them the way to be saved. We cannot do everything people desire of us but we can do everything God desires us to do. We cannot be the person others desire us to be but we can be who God desires of us. This morning He took me to Psalm 93. I read it in different versions and settled into The Passion Translation. It reads:
Look! Yahweh now reigns as King!
He has covered himself with majesty and strength,
wearing them as his splendor-garments.
Regal power surrounds him as he sits securely on his throne.
He’s in charge of it all, the entire world,
and he knows what he’s doing!
2 Lord, you have reigned as King from the very beginning of time.
Eternity is your home.
3–4 Chaos once challenged you.
The raging waves lifted themselves over and over,
high above the ocean’s depths, letting out their mighty roar!
Yet at the sound of your voice they were all stilled by your might.
What a majestic King, filled with power!
5 Nothing could ever change your royal decrees;
they will last forever!
Holiness is the beauty that fills your house;
you are the one who abides forevermore!
Matthew Henry wrote of this Psalm: God's church is His house; it is a holy house, cleansed from sin, and employed in His service. Where there is purity, there shall be peace. Let all carefully look if this kingdom is set up in their hearts. It is our responsibility as pastors to make sure our flock realize the necessity of being right with God. We need to preach boldly so people will realize salvation is not the last step to living for the Lord. We all need to go past salvation to sanctification. We all need to live every day in His presence so we will walk in obedience to His will. As Matthew Henry wrote, when we live a live of purity we will have His peace no matter what our circumstances are in life. Yesterday as I sat at Hunting Island and watched the waves I thought about how great God is as Creator of our world. Life is like the waves. It comes and goes. It cleanses and separates. The shells and rocks brought in with the tide are like people brought into our lives. Some stay for awhile while others stay longer. Some are smooth in their personality while others are jagged and can cause us pain. God desires to use every aspect of life to make us who He desires us to be. I like this quote from Meyer about this Psalm.
He sits as King, higher than the spray is tossed, deeper than the fathomless depths, mightier than the strongest billow. Let Him but say, ‘Peace, be still!’ and the greatest storm that ever swept the waves with wild fury sinks into the tranquil sleep of childhood.
Praise His Holy Name for peace! I am so grateful for the knowledge God is greater than any wave that comes my way in life. I am grateful He is greater than the storms of life. He knew Doc was going to die on September 4, 2020. He continues to love on me in ways many people do not experience because they are not in relationship with Him. He takes my faith deeper every day because I depend upon Him. Woo hoo!
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace! Thank You for giving me exactly what I need! Thank You for friends like Marlene, Sandy, and Will who I enjoyed being at the beach with yesterday! Laughing and talking is great for the soul! Thank You for Matt's ministry through music that blesses me in abundance! Thank You for people who encourage me through texts, calls, etc. Thank You for Ms Savon's words during the night! Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray for You to be heard through the sermon You gave me for today. I pray for people to see/hear You instead of me. I pray for all pastors to realize the importance of living a godly example in their lives. May we all present You boldly not just in our words but as we live out our lives. Lord, I pray I stay focused on You so I can walk in obedience to Your will. Life is so different without Doc by my side. I feel like a part of me is gone but Lord I pray his loss will not be a distraction for me. Take my faith deeper so I can stay focused on You no matter what the waves bring into my life. Empower me just as Paul wrote in II Timothy 1:7. Thank You Jesus for being My Peace! Amen.
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