The first time we looked at Psalm 78, in March, we saw that it is a Psalm of history. We need to realize that history really IS "His story"! Our God knows the end from the beginning, but living out this life is what give US the opportunity to build up rewards in this life that we will realize in Heaven! Reading about the failures of God's people will help US to make wiser choices, IF we pay attention! George Santayana once said: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". We see that happening all around us in this country. Things that were condemned when Hitler did them are being applauded by some of our political figures and others who are either ignorant of history or have a decidedly ungodly agenda! So where does that lead us? Know matter what is happening in whatever place on Earth we believers may live, we are, first and foremost, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven! (Ephesians 2:19) We are Ambassadors for that Kingdom sent to represent Heaven on Earth! (2 Corinthians 5:20) It is our responsibility to find out where God wants us to be and what He wants us to do! Those are the only things that our Heavenly rewards will be based on! Doing the good and Godly things that He wants us to do, and doing them for the right reasons or with the right motives! Everything else will be burnt up and yield nothing. Psalm 78:1:
1 GIVE EAR, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
Spend time daily in the Word of God and in Prayer in order to be in position to receive and hear His instruction! Be obedient to what He says. Then be doers of verses 4-7:
4 We will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonderful works that he has performed. 5 For He established a testimony (an express precept) in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, commanding our fathers that they should make [the great facts of god's dealings with Israel!] known to their children, 6 That the generation to come might know them, that the children still to be born might arise and recount them to their children, 7 That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but might keep His commandments.
Make spending time in the Word of God YOUR top priority and you will deal wisely in ALL areas! (Joshua 1:8)
Hebrews 12:1:
1 THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us
I have heard it taught that we have a Heavenly cheering section with all of these mighty men and women of faith in the grandstands cheering us on in our "race" here on Earth. That MAY be true, but that is NOT what THIS verse is saying! This verse is telling us that we are surrounded with the real life testimonies of all of these "witnesses", the Hebrew word, "martus", which means: one who can or does aver what he has seen or heard or knows. The word "aver" means to verify or prove to be true! We have the verification of all of those who have gone before us that the Word of God is true, that faith works and that we WILL win if don't quit! These were not perfect people by any means! What they DID have going for them was that they dared to believe God and not quit! Any time you are tempted to quit and give up, check back here in this "Hall of Faith" and let them be your example! Then look at verses 2-4:
2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. 4 You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood.
Nothing that we could ever face will be as hard as what Jesus was faced with, on our behalf! Stop looking at the problem and begin to REALLY believe that "with God, all things are possible"! (Mark 10:27)
2 Kings 18-19 is all about King Hezekiah! 18: 3 says this about him:
3 Hezekiah did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his [forefather] had done.
Verse 5-7a:
5 Hezekiah trusted in, leaned on, and was confident in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that neither after him nor before him was any one of all the kings of Judah like him. 6 For he clung and held fast to the Lord and ceased not to follow Him, but kept His commandments, as the Lord commanded Moses. 7 And the Lord was with Hezekiah; he prospered wherever he went.
Have you ever heard the saying, "It doesn't cost to serve God, it pays"? Well that IS true. When you look back, after having paid the price, you realize that it really didn't cost anything that you would rather have back in exchange for all that God has blessed you with! But at the start it WILL cost you something! You and I will have to set some things (good things) aside for a time in order to get ourselves in position to know and understand the promises in God's Word and our authority as believers under a new and better Covenant with the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! Let's really be those that it will be said of in the future: "They did right in the sight of the Lord and He was able to prosper them wherever they went and work through them for His Glory"! AMEN!
Shalom in Him!
