“To do your will, O my God, is my desire; Your law is within my heart,” (Psalms 40:8)
One senses as they read Psalms 40 that David had come to the realization that only God sustains his servants. Can you visualize David with-out stretched arms in worship and praise before the Lord saying “He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.” James said “consider it all joy when you are going through the valley”.
It is at these times when we learn that God is our sustainer. Notice in verse one, (40:1) Isaiah gives us the key to relationship with the Lord, “I waited patiently for the Lord.” We want, what we want, when we want it, but often God’s timing is not our forte.
As I look back on my more productive days, I remember times when I ask God for things that I later understood would have been detrimental to me.
Peter referred to those who were committed to be ‘living sacrifices’ for the Lord as ‘living stones’. “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ,” (I Peter 2:5).
It means we must die to self and put God first in all we do and say. John wrote “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains by itself alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to eternal life.” (John 12:24-25).
Most recognize the familiar words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthians “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
So dear people: Keep in mind, a ‘living sacrifice’ is to have the same commitment Isaiah had when God was looking for someone to stand in the gap, “Here am I Lord, send me.” That is a scary commitment to those who lack the faith to trust that all things will be better under God’s control than when we lean “ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING!”
Blessings
Gramps
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