Author: hillturnfs

Sometimes I just like to sit at my desk during the early morning hours, close my eyes, and dwell on the magnitude of God in order to strengthen my faith in the Lord and recharge my spiritual batteries. We’ll only be able to know and understand a small part of who God is. Our minds couldn’t begin to cope with the whole magnitude of God so the Lord protects us by limiting our knowledge of him. When we do take the time to stop and actually think about God (meditate) in terms of what we do know about the Lord it will humble us. It has to be that way when we compare ourselves to Almighty God. How could it be any other way if we’re totally honest with ourselves? Thinking about God often will also help us to maintain our “fear” of the Lord. Biblically speaking, fearing God means to look upon him with awe, deep respect and reverence.

James 4:10 – Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

1 Peter 5:6-7 – Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Romans 1:20 – For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

Because of the sin nature we all inherited from Adam’s fall from grace in the Garden of Eden we’re all born in a fallen state and we’re all on a trajectory straight to hell. A gracious and merciful God has provided us a way out of this impending eternal death through the blood of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. To receive our salvation we must first come before the throne of grace in prayer and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When praying to Almighty God it’s important we self-monitor ourselves closely to ensure our humility before God and to make sure our fear of God is strong. This is true when we come before the throne of grace in prayer for any reason. There’s no better way for us to remain humble before God while at the same time stoking our fear of the Lord than to dwell often on the magnificent attributes of God. As we read our Bibles daily and meditate about God we will have accomplished both of these goals. It says we will in God’s Word.

Deuteronomy 17:19 – And it (God’s law/the Bible) shall be with him (the believer), and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes.

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 – Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

Luke 18:14 – (Jesus speaking) – For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

If you expect God to answer your prayers you cannot appear before the throne of grace in prayer without having both humility and fear. God hates arrogant men and those full of pride and any such person who offers a prayer to God; those prayers are an abomination to the Lord. They would be better off not offering any prayers to God. The sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross purchased the right for all believers to have 24/7 access to God the Father through prayer. What a wonderful privilege we have been given! Access to God is still conditional on us approaching God in the right way; which is humbly and in fear. God is the sovereign King of the universe and there’s a heavenly protocol to follow when we speak to God in prayer by first acknowledging who God is and then offering praise, honor and worship with our lips. We can do that by using one or more of God’s many attributes or names when praying to God. Nonbelievers who pray to God in times of great stress may or may not be heard by the Lord. They have no guarantee of being heard like believers do.

Proverbs 28:9 – One who turns away his ear from hearing the law (the Bible), even his prayer is an abomination.

Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Matthew 7:17-18 – (Jesus speaking) – Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

Hebrews 13:15 – Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

God has many attributes, the vast majority of which we’ll never know or fully understand this side of heaven. All we can know about the attributes of God is what he reveals to us in his word. I keep my personal list of the attributes of God on a 4″ X 6″ index card on my desk so I can review them often. My list only has 38 entries so far but I know God’s word contains many more attributes of God than those on my list. When you meditate on God pick out one attribute that pertains to the Lord and ask yourself how God shows that attribute in the Bible and how it pertains to your life. Let me repeat myself (repetition is good). As we come before the Lord in prayer we must always be humble because a prideful person is an abomination to God and so are his prayers. We must also “fear” God, which means we are to look upon the Lord with awe, deep respect and reverence. Nothing will keep you humble and fearful before the Lord in prayer quite like meditating on the attributes and names of Almighty God, King of the universe. My list is the following:

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD:

1. Self-existent – God exists and is not dependent on anyone or anything.
2. Self-sufficient – God has no need not provided by himself.
3. Eternal – God is free from the constraints of time. God has always existed.
4. Infinite – God has no limitations and is bounded only by his nature and will.
5. Omnipresent – God’s essence equally fills all the universe.
6. Omniscient – God knows all things past, present, future, as well as all possibilities.
7. Omnipotent – God can do anything not against his nature.
8. Immutable – God’s divine character remains constant. God does not change.
9. Sovereign – God is the King and absolute ruler of the universe.
10. Incomprehensible – No one can truly know God.
11. Inscrutable – God is mysterious and inexplicable.
12. Holy – God is absolute purity and goodness. God is spiritually and morally perfect.
13. Righteous – God has moral equity. God is just and fair to everyone in all his actions.
14. True – God is factual about all things. God cannot lie.
15. Faithful – God keeps his covenants (promises). What God says will come true.
16. Light – God is the source of all illumination in our universe and in heaven.
17. Good – God is kind, gentle, sympathetic and friendly.
18. Merciful – God wants to forgive our sins and save us from an eternity in hell.
19. Gracious – God wants to give us his unmerited favor.
20. Love – God seeks our highest good and shows an unselfish concern for us.
21. Wise – God has perfect knowledge and wisdom which he uses to our best end.

One of the spiritual truths of the Bible is a tree will only produce fruit after its own kind. This truth of God pertains to angels, men, demons and God himself. Only man has the free will to choose what our kind will be, whether good or bad (sinful/evil). The purpose of our life on this planet is to make the free will choice between God and Satan. We have a seventy year life span, if we’re lucky, to decide whether we’ll produce good fruit or bad fruit. We are what we consistently say and what we continually do. The attributes of God are a reflection of what God does and what God says. If we want to know who God is then we need to take a look at his attributes, both individually and collectively, and then we’ll have a pretty clear picture of the mind and heart of God. Scripture tells us the fruit of God’s Spirit includes goodness, faithfulness and love, which we see in the list above. Other fruits or attributes of God listed in Scripture include the following:

22. Gentleness – God deals with man with more gentleness than we deserve.

23. Kindness – God deals with man kindly because he knows our limitations and frailty.

24. Longsuffering – God has patience in the face of repeated provocations on our part.

25. Self-control – Man continually provokes God to anger yet God has not destroyed us.

26. Peace – We have peace with God and he gives us his peace; the only true peace.

27. Joy – True joy in our life is like true peace, both can only come from the Lord.

As we go through the stories in the Bible we learn about our great God’s awesome power and fearsome wrath. An angry God scares the heck out of us with good reason. Only God can send someone to hell because he is the righteous judge of our earthly conduct. Luckily for us God is good, fair and just. The Bible gives us a peek into the heart of God and we get to see God’s character on display, which should give us all comfort knowing that we have such a good and great God. As believers we’re so lucky to be chosen as children of God; blessed more than we’ll ever know. When I look at the additional attributes of God listed below it makes me love the Lord even more; if that’s possible:

28. Just – God is fair to everyone and each person gets exactly what he deserves.

29. Jealous – God requires that we believe in him and worship no other gods but him.

30. Generous – God is generous to a fault and will give more than we could ever hope for.

31. Caring – God cares deeply about each one of us and only wants what’s best for us.

32. Tender-hearted – God is a soft touch for those who love him and he wants to give to us.

33. Protective – God assigns guardian angels to protect all believers from harm.

34. Mournful – God made us all and he mourns the loss of every spirit that goes to hell.

35. Grievous – When we sin against God it causes great sorrow to our maker.

36. Hopeful – God is always hopeful that we’ll find salvation and return home to him.

37. Great – Scripture says God is great; encompassing a multitude of godly attributes.

38. Righteous – God is morally good and virtuous. God always does the right thing.

Praying to God is something we all have to learn to do in such a way that is both respectful to God yet personal to each of us. God doesn’t want canned prayers. God wants you to speak to him from your heart; whatever is on your mind. Nothing is too trivial for God to hear about if it’s important to you. I learned a long time ago you can’t go wrong by praying Scripture back to God and aligning our wishes with God’s promises. The Bible says we can have what we ask for so give some thought to what comes out of your mouth. When I look at the attributes of God they tend to fall into one of two categories. Eighteen attributes of God fall into a category I call “great” which tends to show God’s magnitude and power and which elicits deep respect and awe on our part. God has the attribute of omnipotence, for example, which is one of the attributes that make God great. The Bible says God is great, which is a generic attribute on my list. When I pray and I say God is great I’m agreeing with God’s word but I’m also referring to the other seventeen great attributes of God on my list.

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 – For I proclaim the name of the Lord: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.

Psalm 106:1 – Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

John 9:31 – Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him.

James 5:16 – The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

The remaining twenty attributes of God on my list I call “good” which tends to show us the heart and character side of God. Holiness is an example of a “good” attribute of God. Many times in the Bible God is called good, which is a generic attribute. All of the attributes on my “good” list engender deep respect just like the great attributes I’ve already mentioned but they also cause us to love and admire God. We refer to this as reverence. The Bible spends much more time focusing on God’s good attributes than on his great attributes because they are more important to us. See if you can divide up the 38 attributes of God I have listed above into your own groups of good and great attributes. Pick out one of the attributes of God that is important to you and meditate on it. You’ll be amazed how much it strengthens your faith in God. When I pray to God I often tell him that, “God is good, God is great.” I may praise God for a more specific attribute from time to time but good and great are also attributes of God on my list and by mentioning these two specific attributes of God I’m also including, by reference, all the other attributes of God. The Bible often uses the word prayer and supplication interchangeably. The definition of supplication is, “to humbly ask for something.” That tells us all prayers to God should be made humbly.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

1 Timothy 2:8 – I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

Colossians 4:2 – Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

Psalm 6:9 – The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

We praise God by acknowledging his attributes in prayer. We worship our God when we mention the goodness and greatness of God with our lips in prayer. We honor and glorify God when we call him by his name in prayer. The Lord is his name. Jehovah is his name. God has many names and attributes and we can personalize our prayers by choosing one or more of them when we address God. Prayers usually have a beginning, middle and end. At the beginning of your prayer offer praise and worship to God. The middle part of your prayer is where you say what you came before God to ask for or say. The end of your prayer is where you thank God for not only hearing your prayer, but also for answering your prayer, even if it hasn’t happened yet. You close your prayer with, “in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Ephesians 4:30 – And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

The instant we were saved God forgave all our past sins and our eternal destiny was irrevocably changed from hell to heaven. That doesn’t mean we can no longer sin or we won’t continue to sin, because we still have to live on this sin-filled earth which is under the sway of the wicked one. We don’t have a blank check from God so we can continue to sin without consequence. After our salvation we will all still sin before God and we all still need to have our sins forgiven, preferably on a daily basis. This is why we need to pray to God daily for forgiveness of our sins. The sins of believers won’t keep us out of heaven but unforgiven sin grieves the Holy Spirit of God and will affect our rewards in heaven. Those believers who continue to sin, and sin grievously, run the risk of God taking them home early. God promises to forgive our sins if we ask him so why not give our sins to God in prayer? Everyone’s prayers are different, personal and just as effective as anyone else’s prayers, if they are heartfelt. The most important thing about prayer is to just pray what you feel, any way you can, and as often as you can. God judges the heart and understands.

1 Peter 1:3-5 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Every single person in heaven wishes they had prayed more while they were still on earth. We all need to greatly increase our prayer time. Follow the general format of the Lord’s prayer provided by Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13. The Holy Spirit of God that dwells within all believers is tasked with helping us with our prayers to God the Father. Prayers to God are not designed to be one and done. You don’t pray for something one time and quit. Keep praying until you get what you ask for. God is not a slot machine that pays out every time you want something and just when you want it. Prayer doesn’t work that way. God’s timetable for answering prayers is different from ours so be patient. God will not give you something you’re not ready to receive yet or if your request is not in your best interest, just because you asked for it. God will protect you from yourself. God knows perfectly well what you need so trust in God’s judgment and praise him continually for his blessings in your life.

Mark 11:24 – (Jesus speaking) – Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask for when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Hebrews 4:16 – Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 – He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Holiness is the most prominent attribute of God and the holiness of God is mentioned hundreds of time in the Bible. God is Spirit and he is holy, hence God is also known as the “Holy Spirit.” God commands us to be holy because he is holy. The dictionary defines holy as, “morally and spiritually excellent.” That definition may work for us but when using holy in reference to God we mean, “morally and spiritually perfect.” I usually start off my prayers to the Lord by addressing him as, “Holy God” , because holiness is God’s number one attribute and I want to acknowledge it. I also like to talk to God using a personal title. I often refer to God as, “Lord of heaven and earth.” Why? Because I like it and it’s factual. Jesus also referred to God the Father by that title and if it’s good enough for Jesus it’s good enough for me. Jesus is the firstborn Son of God and as believers we’re also equally the children of God and we may freely use the above title when we talk to him. We are also free to talk to God using any title, name or attribute of God we choose as long as it’s respectful and biblical. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide when talking with God in prayer. He will if you ask him. One of the duties of the Holy Spirit is to help us with our prayers to God so use him whenever you can.

1 John 3:1 – Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

Romans 8:14 – For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Mark 16:15 – (Jesus speaking) – Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

My favorite attribute of God is “longsuffering.” Patience is one thing but longsuffering is harder. Longsuffering is patience on steroids. Longsuffering is being patient in the face of repeated and continual provocation over a long period of time. Longsuffering is like me poking God in the eye with a sharp stick over and over, because of my sins, for over fifty years yet God remains calm, never gets angry with me or abandons me. That is one truly amazing God! God planned for my life and knew everything about me before he laid the foundation of the world. God waited on me patiently for over 6000 years so he could give me my eternal spirit at conception in my mother’s womb. God waited patiently for me to be born, grow up to the age of decision, and then find him and accept the gift of salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, at the age of twelve. I was then a backslider for over forty years yet God did not abandon me. God waited patiently for me to return to him in fellowship. God is currently waiting for me to complete the works he has planned for me to do from the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1:4 – Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.

Matthew 25:34 – (Jesus speaking) – Then the King will say to those on His right hand, come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Christian blogging is what I call “passive witnessing” for Christ and I’m sure this work was also part of God’s plan for me. Finally, God is waiting patiently for my death so that he can take me home to live with him forever in heaven. I fondly refer to the Lord my God as the, “One who waits,” for me. God has been waiting a very long time for me to join him so I’m not afraid of dying. I am fearful that I haven’t witnessed for Christ well enough or long enough. That’s why the goal for the rest of my life is to save, “one more for Jesus.” I also feel my good works for the kingdom of God are inadequate based on the blessings I have received from God. I think most Christians feel this way because a seventy year life span, if we’re lucky, simply isn’t long enough to accomplish what we need to do for God. After our salvation, God leaves us on this earth to witness for Christ and to do good works. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, figured out rightly in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes that the only thing of importance in our lives is a right relationship with God. Everything else is meaningless. We are simply to do the best we can with who we are and what we have and then throw ourselves upon the mercy of a good, just and loving God. God is always faithful and we know he dotes on us. God will not fail those who love him.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 – Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

The riches stored up for me in heaven will be paltry compared to what I could have had and should have had. I think everyone who goes to heaven feels the same way. I know Jesus loves me and he’s waiting for me on the other side of the spiritual veil. I have been waiting to see Jesus for a long time too. It’ll be a joyous reunion in heaven when I finally get to see Jesus face to face. If you don’t know Jesus Christ yet then seek out the truth of God while you still can. My earliest blogs outlined all the proofs of God you will ever need to make an informed decision about the truth of God. The Holy Spirit will also convict you of your sins if you read God’s Word every day, especially if you read the gospels of Christ contained in the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Lord does not wait for me only. The Lord also waits for you, but he won’t wait forever for you to decide whether you will serve God or Satan. Time is short. Please don’t delay in making the right decision. The evidence for God is overwhelming if you take the time to look at it. Your eternal soul hangs in the balance. What say you?

Isaiah 30:18 – Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are those who wait for Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Psalm 116:15 – Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

I’ve just finished reading a book that my cousin in Arizona recently recommended titled, “Heaven – An Unexpected Journey”, by James D. Woodford along with his ghost writer, Dr. Thom Gardner. I’ve been an avid reader all my life and even more so now that I’m retired. However, my passion for reading now is almost exclusively limited to reading the Bible and any and all books about God and the Christian faith. There has been a proliferation of books lately written by people who say they have been to heaven and back. I don’t believe everything I read but I absolutely do believe some of these stories to be true from people who say they have been to heaven. I believe Mr. Woodford.

By the same token, I also think some of these books are written by someone out to make a quick buck. You must be discerning. You must read all books of this genre with your BS detector up. If you’re a spiritually mature Christian you should be able to detect the fakes easier than most nonbelievers who may be searching for the truth of God. If you know your Bible you’ll know when people are not aligned with God’s Word.

Genesis 5:24 – And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Malachi 3:6 – For I am the Lord, I do not change.

Hebrews 13:5 – I will never leave you nor forsake you.

The first question you have to ask yourself is would God actually bring someone to heaven before their appointed time to die? Has God done this before? The answer is yes on both counts if we believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. We know God translated the prophets Enoch and Elijah directly to heaven without either of them having to die. We know the Apostle Paul made a visit to heaven; probably the time he was stoned to death in Lsytra, which is in modern-day Turkey. The Apostle John was brought to heaven to see his revelation of Christ, which became the last book of the New Testament.

In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, the Apostle Paul is referring to himself in the third person as the man who was caught up to heaven. If this account is in the Bible it happened because Paul’s words flowed from the Holy Spirit and God does not lie. All the accounts of the people I’ve just mentioned who have had documented visits to heaven are just the ones we know about. There may be other past occurrences of people having gone to heaven. We just don’t know. The fact God mentions Paul being caught up to heaven twice in the same verse of Scripture below means it’s important for us to know.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 – I know a man who fourteen years ago-whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows-such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know-how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which is not lawful for a man to utter.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

You might say that was then and this is now; that God does not do that kind of stuff today. You would be wrong because the Bible makes it clear that God does not change at all at any time. God still performs miracles and wondrous works today just like he did in the Old Testament times. That means if God took people to heaven back then he is probably doing the same thing today. We’ll never again see God part the sea or appear as a burning column of fire or as an ominous glory cloud because we now have Jesus Christ and that’s all we need going forward.

God speaks to us now through his word and through his Son Jesus Christ. All believers since Christ, and because of Christ, now have 24/7 access to the throne room of God through prayer because they are children of God through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. All believers since Pentecost of 33 AD are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God as their constant friend and helper. Jesus is on his throne as our Mediator with God. God has us covered like a blanket without all the theatrics of the past. Christians are so blessed to be living in these end times.

Psalm 34:15 – The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.

Psalm 102:17 – He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer.

Psalm 6:9 – The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

My second question is why would God take the trouble to bring someone to heaven and show them the glory of God before their appointed time? The answer is God wants them to testify to the glory of heaven and the majesty of God. God never acts on a whim or does anything haphazardly. God always has a good reason foe everything he does. We just need to figure out what that reason is if we can. We know that God has revealed himself to us through Jesus Christ and through his word. God is multiple in everything he does and God never stops trying to reach mankind with the truth of God through various ingenious methods.

Christian writers are equipped by the Holy Spirit to give their testimony of God and reveal spiritual truths through books, articles, interviews and television programs, etc. God is reaching the whole world with the gospel message of Christ just as he said he would. Christian bloggers are the latest venue that God is using to reach out to believers and nonbelievers alike about the truth of God’s Word. For years I felt the Holy Spirit pushing me to write about God; never dreaming I would ultimately wind up as a Christian blogger. Yet here I am serving God the best way I know how. Christian blogging is nothing more than passive witnessing for Christ.

Hebrews 1:1-2 – God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom He made the worlds.

2 Corinthians 13:1 – By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.

Romans 10:13 – For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Getting back to the book, “Heaven, an Unexpected Journey”, I can feel the passion in Mr. Woodford’s writing so I know he’s writing from his heart. I detect no deceit in Jim’s story. Everything Mr. Woodford describes seeing in heaven confirms what Scripture says. James was saved from hell by uttering six simple words. “God forgive me…God save me!” That is the grace of God at work. Nothing that happened to Mr. Woodford while he was in heaven contradicts God’s Word in any way. The Bible says the truth of any matter is confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. In this instance we have the testimony of Lorraine, Mr. Woodford’s devout Christian wife, that what Jim says is the truth.

We also have the testimony of Jim’s co-writer, Dr. Thom Gardner, who is a pastor and an internationally known author and teacher of other pastors on how to walk with God. Mr. Gardner is a spiritually mature man of God and Mr. Woodford wouldn’t be able to fool him if he was lying about going to heaven. One of the reasons I believe Jim’s story is because Dr. Gardner does. I was so impressed with Dr. Gardner that I went on Ebay and purchased six of his books for my reference library. I can tell Dr. Thom Gardner walks humbly with God.

Hebrews 7:25 – Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joint and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Jesus Christ.

The most important reason I believe everything in James Woodford’s book is the changes made in his life. James was not a Christian; never read his Bible and never went to church unless he was forced to go on special occasions. James Woodford was all about himself; how much money he could make and what he could buy with that money. James came back to earth a changed man. Seeing Jesus face to face will do that to you. James became a devout Christian overnight who now shares his story with audiences throughout North and South America.

James also witnesses about the glories of heaven to people in hospices who are near the end of their lives. Only something very real and dramatic could effect such a change in a person. I think back to the conversion of Paul on the Damascus road when Jesus appeared to Paul and temporarily blinded him for three days. Paul went from the number one enemy of Christians to a devout preacher of God’s Word almost overnight. Only a face to face encounter with Jesus Christ could make such a drastic change in Paul in so short a time. James and Paul both met Jesus face to face with similar results so both stories are true.

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The fact that James Woodford was clinically dead and had no brain activity for eleven hours and then came back to life without any brain damage is a miracle. The fact that Jim also had a rare and always fatal disease yet he came back from heaven without this disease is a second miracle. What are the odds of two miracles happening to the same person at the same time? With God there are no odds because all things are possible. The most important thing James learned in heaven, and his advice to all of us, is to study God’s Word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. When Jim met Jesus he was also told by Jesus to, “Go back and tell your brothers and sisters of the wonders we have shown you.” Jesus was talking about the body of Christ. Jesus was also talking about witnessing for Christ to all the world.

Romans 4:4 – Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Titus 3:8 – This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who believe in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

James Woodford had to die and go to heaven to discover Jesus Christ and to find out what his purpose in life was. For the vast majority of believers the journey of faith is just the opposite. Heaven comes to us through the Bible and Jesus Christ is revealed in its pages. As believers we spiritually die with Christ; we don’t have to physically die before we find God. In both instances, we receive salvation unto eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In both cases, we see the love, mercy and grace of God manifested in our lives. I discovered my purpose on this earth to be the same as Jim’s, which is just another proof his story is true. That’s why the twin themes of my blog site are, “studying God’s Word” and “witnessing for Christ.” God gives all believers the same marching orders. What are you waiting for?

The Old Testament book of Psalms is important to Christians because of the many prayers to God it contains. The remaining psalms (hymns) are primarily for the Jewish people because Christians have created their own hymnals to sing their praises to God. The book of Psalms is one of the largest books in the Bible and almost a third of these psalms are actually prayers to God from Moses, David and many other men of God. These prayers to God serve as an example for believers to follow in their own prayer lives. The prayers in Psalms are also useful for study because they show how God deals with the problems of his people in ancient times which proves God will do the same for us in our time. We must always pay close attention to whatever actions God has taken, what God says, and what God does in the life of his saints.

Psalm 4:1 – Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

In my last blog I identified the five types of prayers I find in the Bible; namely prayers of thanksgiving, confession, asking for help, requesting protection and rejoicing in the Lord. In this blog I want to delve more into the mechanics of the first four types of prayers since almost all our prayers to God will fall into one of these four categories (prayers of rejoicing are rare). God made us all different and we all have to be who we are in this world. Prayers aren’t meant to be cookie-cutter but you can still use similar structures as long as they’re in agreement with God’s Word. Some people are extroverts and gregarious by nature. Their prayers will be different from mine because I’m basically a shy person who is also an introvert. Praying to God has always been hard for me, especially in a public setting. Am I addressing God in the right way? Am I saying the right things? Is God hearing me? Will God answer me? As long as you’re talking to God from your heart the style is less important than the message. It’s the content of your prayers that matter to God.

Psalm 6:9 – The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

I didn’t always have the confidence in God I should have had because I didn’t really know God all that well and that was totally my fault. Just because you know God is real and you’ve accepted his grace unto salvation doesn’t mean you really know God or how to pray in such a way that God will hear your prayers and answer them. God could choose to answer your prayers, or he might not; but the chances are God will turn a deaf ear to your prayers if you only come to him when you need him; if you haven’t beforehand established fellowship with God through daily Bible reading and prayer.

Proverbs 28:9 – One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

Read Proverbs 28:9 above several times out loud; soaking in the meaning of each word in the verse. God’s Word, our Holy Bible, is God’s law. If you are turning away your ear from God’s law it means you’re not daily hearing the faith-filled words of the Bible in a worship service, Bible study or personal recitation of Bible verses. Indirectly the above verse also refers to you not reading your Bible daily for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. In Proverbs 28:9 God is referring to nonbelievers. God is always ready to hear from believers, even when they are out of fellowship with God. The use of the word “even” in this verse is key to understanding that nonbelievers are also an abomination to God along with any prayers they send to God. It’s critical for man not to be an abomination in the sight of God and that’s exactly what man is if they don’t accept the grace of God unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

God established the system of two-way communication between himself and his creation (us). God speaks to us through the pages of the Bible and we talk to God in prayer. That’s the way it’s supposed to work. That’s the way it must work if we want to really know God and have a personal relationship with him. If we don’t hold up our end of the bargain by praying and studying God’s Word so that we know God personally and are able to know and obey God’s commandments for our lives we are not communicating with God as he intended. We are not in fellowship with God and are therefore sinning against our creator. I’ve said before a good mantra to live by is love what God loves and hate what God hates. We can’t go wrong that way. When God hates something a lot he calls it an abomination.

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

When we pray to God as nonbelievers we’re mocking the Lord because we don’t believe God exists and we don’t expect an answer to our prayers. When nonbelievers pray it’s just for show. The prayers of nonbelievers are an abomination to the Lord. Don’t pray to God and ask for his help if you don’t serve him. Don’t call on God for help if you’re a stranger to him. Nonbelievers don’t fear the Lord enough to believe that he is. Nonbelievers don’t know God’s Word and they don’t obey his commandments therefore God will turn his ear away from their prayers. Their prayers will fall on deaf ears. The prayers of believers will also not be answered if they are not in fellowship with the Lord through Bible study and prayer. The noted theologian Karl Barth said it best when he said, “Prayer without study would be empty. Study without prayer would be blind.” When you study God’s Word you realize just how critical prayer is. Bible study and prayer are two sides of the same coin. You must have both Bible study and prayer to effectively communicate with God because one without the other is useless.

James 5:16 – The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

A good way of praying to God effectively is praying using God’s own words. God’s creative power is in his faith-filled words and as we speak God’s words in our prayers we harness God’s creative power in our own lives. We confirm and claim the promised blessings of God contained in the Bible. The spiritual world is controlled by God speaking his word. The physical world is also controlled by God’s Word. The difference is God is allowing us to also have control over the physical world with him by speaking God’s Word in faith because we are royalty in heaven and children of the Most High God. You can also learn more about praying Scripture at www.prayingscriptures.com and www.prayscripture.org.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Long ago I read a book from retired pastor and author Charles Capps titled, “The tongue – A Creative Force.” This little paperback is forty five years old and you can only buy it now on Ebay. It’s a classic. In this book pastor Capps expounds on the effective use of Scripture in prayers. Pastor Capps lists a series of prayers; verbal affirmations taken straight from the Bible that we as believers can claim with our faith-filled spoken words in prayer. Pastor Capps has broken these prayers into four categories; comfort and strength, wisdom and guidance, worry and fear and material needs. These four categories will generally fit into one of the four types of prayers I’ve listed in this blog. Since I’ve already recommended four primary prayer times (morning, noon, evening and night), I think it’s a good idea to recite a different set of these verbal Bible affirmations during each prayer session so you capture all the blessings that God has to offer.

Psalm 5:3 – My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; I will direct it up to You, and I will look up.

Praying Scripture using spoken Bible affirmations is a good way to start improving your prayer life. You’re safe using Scripture because the Bible is the truth of God and you can never go wrong speaking truth. When you pray Scripture you’re aligning yourself with the promises of God. By agreeing with God you’re accepting the promised blessings of God in your life. You can pray using straight Scripture or you can pray Scripture in combination with your own prayers from the heart. Once you’ve become a seasoned prayer warrior you may find you can dispense with praying Scriptures altogether. Your prayers to God will evolve over time to fit your personality so that your conversations with God become original, unique, and pleasing to God.

Colossians 4:2 – Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

Now if you have a critical problem that needs addressing you can choose to use all four prayer times in that one area of need, such as if you need God to help you financially (material needs). God always answers the prayers of his saints. Praying one time probably won’t do it. The key is to keep praying out loud repeatedly in faith and don’t stop until you receive an answer from God. Remember that God’s timetable for responding won’t be the same as ours so don’t lose faith. You might have to pray for years before God answers you. The secret of the Christian faith is to continually pray using the words God said. I keep these prayers of Bible affirmations on 4″ X 6″ index cards so I can use them easily in prayer. I admit I don’t use them as often as I should. Here they are:

1. Worry and fear:

“No weapon formed against me shall prosper, for my righteousness is of the Lord. But whatever I do will prosper for I’m like a tree that’s planted by the rivers of water.” Ps 1:3

“No evil will befall me neither shall any plague come nigh my dwelling. For You have given Your angels charge over me and they keep me in all my ways, and in my pathway is life and there is no death.” Prov 12:28

“I am a doer of the Word of God and am blessed in my deeds. I am happy in those things which I do because I am a doer of the Word of God.” Jas 1:22

“Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. Therefore, I forbid any sickness or disease to come upon this body. Every disease germ and every virus that touches this body dies instantly in the name of Jesus. Every organ and every tissue of this body functions in the perfection to which God created it to function, and I forbid any malfunction in this body, in the name of Jesus.” Rom 8:11

“Great is the peace of my children, for they are taught of the Lord.” Isa 54:13

“The devil flees from me because I resist him in the name of Jesus.” Jas 4:7

“I am the body of Christ and Satan has no power over me. For I overcome evil with good.” 1 Cor 12:27

“I am of God and have overcome him (Satan). For greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.” 1 Jn 4:4

“I will fear no evil for thou art with me Lord, your word and Your Spirit they comfort me.” Ps 23:4

“I am far from oppression, and fear does not come nigh me.” Isa 54:14

“I am delivered from the evils of this present world for it is the will of God.” Gal 1:4

“I take the shield of faith and I quench every fiery dart that the wicked one brings against me.” Eph 6:16

“I am an overcomer and I overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony.” Rev 12:11

“The Word of God is forever settled in heaven. Therefore, I establish His word upon this earth.” Ps 119:89

2. Material needs:

“I delight myself in the Lord and He gives me the desires of my heart.” Ps 37:4

“I have given and it is given unto me good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, men given unto my bosom.” Lk 6:38

“There is no lack for my God supplies all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:19

“And I, having received the gift of righteousness do reign as a king in life by Jesus Christ.” Rom 5:17

“With what measure I mete, it is measured unto me. I sow bountifully, therefore I reap bountifully. I give cheerfully, and my God has made all grace abound toward me and I having all sufficiency of all things do abound to all good works.” 2 Cor 9:6-8

“The Lord is my shepherd and I do not want because Jesus was made poor, that I through His poverty might have abundance. For He came that I might have life and have it more abundantly.” Ps 23:1

“The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant, and Abraham’s blessings are mine.” Ps 35:27

“Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. Christ has redeemed me from poverty. Christ has redeemed me from sickness. Christ has redeemed me from spiritual death.” Gal 3:13

“For poverty He has given me wealth, for sickness He has given me health, for death He has given me eternal life.” 2 Cor 8:9

“It is true unto me according to the Word of God.” Ps 119:25

“I have put off the old man and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him that created me.” Col 3:10

3. Wisdom and guidance:

“I trust in the Lord with all of my heart, and I lean not unto my own understanding.” Prov 3:5

“In all my ways I acknowledge Him and He directs my path.” Prov 3:6

“The Word of God is a lamp unto my feet, it is a light unto my path.” Ps 119:105

“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.” Ps 138:8

“I am filled with the knowledge of the Lord’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Col 1:9

“I am a new creation in Christ, I am His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Therefore, I have the mind of Christ and the wisdom of God is formed within me.” 2 Cor 5:17

“I let the Word of God dwell in me rightly in all wisdom.” Col 3:16

“The Spirit of truth abides in me and teaches me all things, and He guides me into all truths. Therefore, I confess I have perfect knowledge of every situation and every circumstance that I come up against. For I have the wisdom of God.” Jas 1:5

“I do follow the good shepherd and I know His voice and the voice of a stranger I will not follow.” Jn 10:4-5

“I have put off the old man and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him that created me.” Col 3:10

“Jesus is made unto me wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Therefore, I confess I have the wisdom of God, and I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.” 1 Cor 1:30

“I receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened. And I am not conformed to this world but I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. My mind is renewed by the Word of God.” Rom 12:2

4. Comfort and strength:

“Jesus gave me the authority to use His name. And that which I bind on earth is bound in heaven. And that which I loose on earth is loosed in heaven. Therefore in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I bind the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world. I bind and cast down spiritual wickedness in high places and render them harmless and ineffective against me in the name of Jesus.” Matt 16:19

“I am a believer and these signs do follow me. In the name of Jesus I cast out demons, I speak with new tongues, I lay hands on the sick and they do recover.” Mk 16:17-18

“I let the peace of God rule my heart and I refuse to worry about anything.” Col 3:15

“I speak the truth of the Word of God in love and I grow up into the Lord Jesus Christ in all things.” Eph 4:15

“I am complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power. For I am his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that I should walk therein.” Eph 2:10

“I am increasing in the knowledge of God. I am strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.” Col 1:10-11

“I am delivered from the power of darkness and I am translated into the kingdom of His dear Son.” Col 1:13

“I am born of God and I have world overcoming faith residing on the inside of me. For greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.” 1 Jn 4:4

“I will do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13

“I let no corrupt communication proceed out of my mouth, but that which is good to edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearer. I grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby I’m sealed unto the day of redemption.” Eph 4:29-30

“God is on my side. God is in me now, who can be against me? He has given unto me all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Therefore, I am a partaker of His divine nature.” 2 Cor 6:16

“No man shall take me out of His hand for I have eternal life.” Jn 10:29

“The peace of God which passes all understanding keeps my heart and my mind through Jesus Christ. And all things which are good, and pure, and perfect, and lovely, and of good report, I think on these things.” Phil 4:7-8

“The joy of the Lord is my strength. The Lord is the strength of my life.” Ps 27:1

“I will not let the Word of God depart from before my eyes for it is life to me for I have found it and it is health and healing to all my flesh.” Prov 4:21-22

“I’m the body of Christ, I am redeemed from the curse, and I forbid any sickness or disease to operate in this body. Every organ, every tissue will function properly, for greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” Gal 3:13

“I am delivered from the power of darkness and I am translated into the kingdom of His dear Son.”

Your closeness to God (fellowship) will be in direct proportion to the amount of time you put into it. It’s no secret that if you want to please God you must read and study the Bible so that you gain knowledge, understanding and wisdom. To please God you also must intentionally seek him out to know all you can about God. The Bible is the primary revelation of God. In order to please God you must talk to him in prayer. Remember I said earlier that God talks to us through his word and we talk to God through prayer. It’s called two-way communication. We must talk with God regularly in order to achieve the closeness with God that we all desire. It’s up to us to initiate the communication that leads to true fellowship with God because God is always ready to hear from us.

Deuteronomy 7:9 – Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Deuteronomy 33:27 – The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

God is on his throne in heaven patiently waiting and hoping to hear from us, his beloved children. God has taken the first step by revealing himself in his word and telling us how to contact the Lord. Now we must act. We’ll never truly know how much God loves us until we get to heaven and every single person in heaven will regret they didn’t talk to God more while they here on earth. One other thing I’ve noticed about God is he loves a believer who comes to him with a contrite and humble heart. A prideful person is an abomination to the Lord. Human beings tend to love themselves and be full of pride. We must all fight against our prideful nature by focusing on the goodness and greatness of God instead of ourselves. It’s all a matter of perspective and attitude. Get your head on straight before going before the Lord in prayer; remember where you are; and don’t forget your audience is before your King and creator of the universe.

1 Timothy 2:8 – I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

James 5:16 – The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

I personally need to be more disciplined in my reading of God’s Word. I think we all do. It’s the rare Christian that has the discipline and willpower to read and study God’s Word daily the way it should be done. We know how, we just don’t have the wherewithal to make it happen. Prayer is a different animal. While we still don’t have the discipline to achieve an active prayer life, the main problem there is most of us don’t know how to pray effectively to God. Most of us pray to God briefly at bedtime and call it good; me included. I pray to God at other times too but it’s sporadic and usually also brief. We should at least be praying lengthy prayers to God four times a day; in the morning, at noon, in the evening and at bedtime. Not to mention brief prayers with God at other times during the day. Everyone is in such a hurry these days that few people take the quality time needed to speak to the Lord in prayer. I’m guilty of this too and I don’t have an excuse because I’m retired.

There are five types of prayers to God that I’ve identified from reading the Bible:

1. Prayers thanking God – Every day we should offer up our praise and worship of God in prayer for his love, mercy and grace unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God made us all and we have our being by the power of God’s hand. God watches over his own and he numbers the believer’s steps. During prayer we should acknowledge our trust in the Lord and thank him for all the blessings in our life.

Psalm 34:1 – I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 105:1 – Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!

Psalm 106:1 – Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 112:1 – Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.

Hebrews 13:15 – Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

2. Prayers of confession – Believers still have a sin nature and we sin every day. We can’t help it. We may sin less than we used to but everyone still sins while they live on this earth. That’s why each of us needs to confess those sins to God daily and ask for his forgiveness. We’re in luck, because in the Bible God has promised us that when we confess our sins before him they will be forgiven. Our eternal life in heaven is secure once we’re saved but the quicker we off-load our accumulated sins to God the better. There is no sin so grievous that it can’t be covered by God’s grace. In the Bible God says he’ll forgive our sins if we ask him. If you’ll notice, God didn’t put any limits, exemptions or qualifiers on which sins he would forgive. God meant all sins. God is our King and master of the universe and whatever he decides to do will stand. With God nothing is impossible. If God forgives you are forgiven indeed!

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 34:15 – The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ear open to their cry.

James 5:16 – The effective and fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

3. Prayers for help – Most of the prayers to God from his saints are because they want something from God. The Bible tells us repeatedly to come to God for help with whatever our needs are and God will give to us generously. God is not a blank check or slot machine but God gives us what we need. God will always give us the guidance, instruction and understanding we need to prosper if we ask him.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Colossians 4:2 – Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

4. Prayers for protection – Satan and his demons are more powerful than we are and they are intent on our destruction. God is our refuge. Only God can protect us from evil and he has promised to do so in many verses of the Bible. We need to claim that promise from God through daily prayer and Bible reading and put ourselves under the protective hand of Almighty God. We also need to pray to God for protection against evil men and any other harmful thing.

Psalm 50:15 – Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

Hebrews 4:16 – Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

James 5:15 – And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

5. Prayers of rejoicing – Prayers made to God simply to declare and rejoice in the goodness of God are rare as hen’s teeth today, especially for Christians. During their worship of God the Israelites expressed their joy and awe of God’s love through their many psalms and prayers of rejoicing. It wouldn’t hurt if we now and then worshipped God with prayers of rejoicing when we feel specially blessed by the Lord. Your children are a gift from God. Did you send God a prayer of rejoicing when your children were born safe and sound? Me neither, and looking back I should have. At the time I didn’t know I could have or should have, but now I do and you do too. All grandparents should also send prayers of rejoicing to God for their grandchildren. The Bible says the glory of an old man is his children’s children.

Romans 12:12 – Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.

Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In the Bible there are many Godly men whom God loved; Abraham, Peter, John and Paul to name a few. However, there is only one person in all the Bible that God identified as, “a man after my own heart”, and that is King David. Why is that? I believe a humble man is a man after God’s own heart. In the Old Testament the two men closest to God were David and Moses. God called them his friends. Why is that? Both men were noted in the Bible to be humble men before their God. Their humility allowed them to see the majesty of God so they obeyed God without reservation and sought his mercy early when they sinned before God. We know that David developed a close relationship with God as a youth which continued until the day he died as a very old man.

1 John 3:22 – And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

All his life David obeyed the Lord in all he did, with the two exceptions being his sin with Bathsheba and when he ordered the census of Israel. When David did sin before God he humbled himself immediately and asked for mercy, which God granted. David was a man of passion and he showed that emotion in his prayers to God. David was a humble man with a passion and love for the Lord who sincerely sought God’s mercy when he sinned. To me David’s prayers to God are masterpieces of literature; like Psalm 51 where David is asking for mercy from God after he sinned with Bathsheba. All believers are familiar with David’s 23rd Psalm, the best known verses in the entire Bible.

Mark 11:24 – (Jesus speaking) – Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask for when you pray, believing that you receive them, and you will have them.

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

James 4:8 – Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands , you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Of all the godly men in the Bible, King David gave us the best prayers to God because they were heartfelt and full of emotion as he humbled himself before Almighty God. The book of Psalms contains many of David’s prayers to God and I especially like Psalm 86, which I think believers can adopt and repeat in their own prayer life to receive similar blessings from God that King David received when he prayed that psalm to God. All you have to do is believe you will receive what you ask for and then keep praying for it, even if it takes twenty years. Always pray for the things God tells you to pray for like strength, wisdom, laborers for God’s harvest field, the peace of God, others and, of course, Jerusalem.

Ephesians 6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

If you consciously pray for things that are also consistent with God’s will for your life you can rest assured your prayers will be answered to your satisfaction. We know King David came from humble beginnings as a shepherd. We know in the Old Testament times that only a select few men were ever indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and then only for a limited time. Before Jesus’ time I know of only two men from the Bible who were indwelt by the Holy Spirit their whole lives; that being King David and John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit helps us with our prayers which might explain why King David was so eloquent in prayer. All believers after the ascension of Christ and Pentecost are indwelt by the Holy Spirit while they live. We can pray for the Holy Spirit to help us with our prayers to God so they are more effective. We do not have God’s help because we do not ask for it. Let’s look at Psalm 86, which is wonderful prayer to God from King David.

Psalm 86:1-5 – Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

These first few verses of Psalm 86 tell me David knows and understands exactly who God is better than any other human being living in Old Testament times. David knows what God can do and what God is prepared to do for those who ask for his favor. David also knows believers are holy because we were made by God in his image. God is holy therefore we are holy. David understands God’s awesome power and God’s basic goodness and his desire to dispense mercy to his children.

Psalm 86:6-10 – Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me. Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works. All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.

David knows all the other pagan religions are fake and their gods are false gods without works. David knows God answers the prayers of believers. David knows all nations will kneel before God on the last Day and worship him. David was the King of Israel but also a prophet of God in his own right. All believers will know David forever because in the millennial kingdom ruled by Jesus Christ David will serve as the Lord’s deputy.

Psalm 86:11-15 – Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; untie my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life, and have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

David obeys God’s statutes while offering praise, honor and glory to God. David knows God has saved his eternal soul from hell and he will now live in heaven with God forever. David lists some of the wonderful attributes of Almighty God.

Psalm 86:16-17 – Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your maidservant. Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

David asks for God’s saving grace. David asks for comfort and strength from God. While David does ask things of God in Psalm 86, the thing that stands out to me is how many times David honors God with is lips by using God’s name; how many times David offers praise to God; and how many times David has words of worship to God. David tries to cover all the bases in his prayer to make sure God is glorified to the greatest extent possible. In Psalm 86 David gives us a great example to follow when praying to God. When any believer enters the spiritual world through prayer he winds up in the throne room of heaven before Almighty God. Every prayer to God must start with praise of God and recognition that a Sovereign God can fulfill that prayer if he so chooses. You never want to cut to the chase when you pray to God and bypass the prayer protocol of heaven if you expect to have those prayers answered. There’s nothing wrong with borrowing David’s Psalm 86 and reciting it as your own prayer to God as long as you believe it.

Romans 8:26 – Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Part of our responsibility as believers is to obey God’s command to honor, praise, and worship him. God is not egotistical but he knows his worth. God knows he is worthy of our worship and he expects it as part of our reasonable service for what God has done for us. Worshipping God is the least we can do for the God who made us. Praising God is the least we can do for the God who has given us eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Honoring God is the least we can do for the God who has adopted us as his children and will show us many wonderful things in heaven and shower us with riches. God has done a wonderful thing for us which we don’t deserve. God has done a great thing out of his love for us. How can you not return that love to someone who loved you first? How can you not return that love to your father? We owe God everything we can give him for the love, mercy and grace he has shown toward us.

Psalm 34:1-2 – I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Hebrews 13:15 – Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips.

Psalm 89:1 – I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations.

Revelation 19:15 – Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.

The problem is not one person in ten actually knows how to go about worshipping God properly. First we need to use a dictionary to define the “worship” terms used in the Bible:

Worship – showing deep respect and admiration
Praise – expression of respect and gratitude, especially toward God
Honor – showing great respect
Reverence – showing deep respect or admiration
Fear (biblical meaning) – showing awe, deep respect and reverence for God
Glorify – praise and worship of God

The word respect is included in the definition of every single word surrounding the worship of God. It’s impossible to worship someone you don’t respect and especially God. The word admiration is mentioned twice in the definitions and it’s alluded to in the other four definitions listed. Worshipping God simply means to show respect and admiration for God and the terms worship, praise, honor and revere are used interchangeably for the most part. These are all secular terms. We want to make sure these terms are understood when used in the biblical sense when referring to God so in the Bible we use the terms “fear” and “glorify” to make sure we understand these adjectives refer to Jehovah, the Most High God.

Genesis 1:3 – Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

Psalms 63:5 – My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

Psalm 109:30 – I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.

Proverbs 18:7 – A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

Notice the definitions of the worship terms contain action verbs meaning the person can’t just think this to themselves and call that worshipping God. They will have to take some outward action to show or prove they have these feelings toward God. If you keep these thoughts in your head God may give you some credit for it. I expect he will. But I do know if you verbalize you feelings for God by singing or speaking the words of worship to the world you’ll receive so much more credit from God because he is glorified even more when other people hear your praise of him and when other observers across the spiritual veil hear you worship God (i.e. angels and demons). I can find no Bible verses that confirm the effective worship of God can be achieved just by thinking good thoughts about God. On the other hand, there are numerous verses that say we are to praise and worship God with our lips.

Notice in all the examples I’ve provided that praise and worship of God proceeds from our lips; out of our mouth. God wants us to worship him with spoken words that we speak out of our mouth and that’s good enough for me. God gave us our voice for this reason. If you study the Bible you realize just how important the spoken word is to God. The host of heaven are singing the praises of God continually and we’ll be doing the same once we get there. God spoke his covenants into being and they will stand; God spoke the universe into existence and God’s word maintains it; we confess our sins with our words spoken to God and he forgives us; Jesus will defeat the evil forces at Armageddon with the spoken word.

Psalm 146:1-2 – Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Psalm 145:21 – My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever.

Matthew 15:11 – (Jesus speaking) – Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.

Romans 10:9 – That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

One thing I’ve learned during my study of the Bible is that we don’t always pray to God and worship him as effectively as we should. The Holy Spirit indwells all believers and he helps us by taking our ineffectual prayers to God the Father on our behalf. I’ve discovered that if you recite the parts of the Bible that praise God in your own worship of God you simply can’t go wrong because you’re including God’s own words as part of your prayers. How could God have a problem with that? I’ve found Psalm 71 to be the perfect way to praise, honor and worship God. I just verbally recite Psalm 71 as part of my worship prayers to God on a regular basis and I know I’m worshipping God as I should. You can also praise God in smaller bites by reciting just selected verses of Psalm 71 that you then supplement with your own comments.

Matthew 21:22 – (Jesus speaking) – And whatever things you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive.

Psalm 55:16-17 – As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.

Psalm 32:5 – I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Psalm 5:2 – Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray.

You can have the best of both worlds. You can praise and worship God using his own words while at the same time adding spontaneity and originality with your own prayers from the heart about your particular circumstances. That way each time you worship God it’s fresh new material that incorporates your life experiences and glorifies God. As you deepen your relationship with God he will reciprocate. You can have true fellowship with God but it must start with you. When you recite Psalm 71 regularly it helps you to identify exactly what it is you should be thankful for as you honor God with your lips. Reciting Psalm 71 also reminds you what areas you’re deficient in. When you repeat something over and over your mind starts to believe what you’re saying and then acts on that belief. A regular reading of Psalm 71 is just another way to keep your faith strong, your eyes on God and Satan at arms length. There is also nothing wrong with worshipping God with words totally from your heart.

Psalm 71:1-3 – In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in your righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline your ear to me and save me. be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.

You worship God when you pray to him using your lips. When you trust the Lord for your salvation that is the ultimate praise to God. Believers who accept God’s grace escape the fires of hell and the shame of nonbelievers who have to stand before Jesus at the Great White Throne judgment and have their sins revealed for all to hear. It is God who calls you and saves you unto eternal life by his grace. Once God saves you are eternally his and under his protection.

Psalm 71:4-6 – Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You.

In these verses we acknowledge not only that God made us and knows every cell of our bodies, but also that God sustains us in our being during our lifetime. We are to praise God for our salvation (hope) and protection from all that is evil in the world.

Psalm 71:7-9 – I have become as a wonder to many, but You are my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day. Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails.

Let your works so shine before men that God is glorified and nonbelievers are attracted to the word of God. Continually praise God and he will never forsake you once you are his possession.

Psalm 71:10-13 – For my enemies speak against me; and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.” O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries of my life; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek my hurt.

God is glorified when we pray for his protection and guidance in our lives.

Psalm 71:14-16 – But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

We are to witness for Christ by telling others about our salvation experience. We are to tell others of God’s love, mercy, and grace unto eternal life.

Psalm 71:17-20 – O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. Also Your righteousness , O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? You, who have shown me great and severe troubles. shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

As soon as we receive God’s salvation it’s our responsibility to turn around and witness for Christ to all who will listen. God confirms we will have tribulation in this life all the way to the grave but the promise of God is that he will resurrect us on the last day just as he did for Jesus after he was three days in the earth.

Psalm 71:21-24 – You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. Also with the lute I will praise You-and Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; for they are confounded, for they are brought to shame who seek my hurt.

We are to praise and worship God by speaking about and singing about what wonderful things God has done for us. God has saved us unto eternal life in heaven in the presence of God and we are to give our witness for Christ to all peoples and all nations while we live.

Psalm 37 (cont’d)

There aren’t multiple paths to heaven so don’t fall for that lie. The only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ our Lord. The one true God is Jehovah and that is his name. Satan has sponsored all the fake religions and false gods throughout history to confuse man and lead him away from the truth of God and he’s been very successful at it. All these fake religions have one thing in common; they have no proof to back them up. These fake religions will never allow their adherents to question the tenets of their faith or they would learn the truth. Instead fake religions punish anyone who gets out of line. On the other hand, the Christian God Jehovah has given us our Holy Bible that does prove God is who he says he is. God made the Bible two-thirds prophecy to prove he is God and the author of history. All religions are mutually exclusive because they all claim they are the one and only true religion. The truth is, only one religion can be true so which one has the proof to back up its claim? Only Christianity has an indisputable body of evidence to prove it’s the one true religion and Jehovah is the one true God.

John 14:6 – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Galatians 6:7 – Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

The Bible contains over 1000 prophecies, over 500 of which have already been fulfilled and documented as fact. No prophecy has failed to come true in its proper time so we’re talking about a 100% prophecy success rate so far. We can have confidence that the other 500 prophecies in the Bible will also be fulfilled at their appointed times. Prophecy is nothing more than history written in advance and only the one true God of creation can give us prophecies and then see that they are all fulfilled. All the fake religions that have ever existed throughout human history don’t have a single fulfilled prophecy between them. How could they since they aren’t from God?

Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

2 Corinthians 4:4 – Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

1 John 5:19 – We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

James 4:7 – Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Satan created his fake religions to compete with God for the souls of men. Since God has given us his word Satan also had to come up with holy books for his fake religions. The difference is Satan’s fake holy books try to mimic God but in reality they are filled with platitudes and mumbo-jumbo that sounds good but signifies nothing. The Holy Bible is a living thing but the holy books of all the fake religions are not only without a shred of proof, they are lifeless. The testimony of millions of Christians confirm the Bible is God’s Word and that it has changed their lives for the better. In the Bible Jehovah says to check him out and see that he is truth. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

1 John 3:8 – He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Revelations 20:15 – And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:13 – The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judges, each according to his works.

Hebrews 10:31 – It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

So as we complete the second half of our study of Psalm 37 let’s keep in mind that every positive statement that God makes in the Bible will come true. God does not boast or brag. God always gives us the truth of any matter. God only needs to say something one time for it to come to pass yet God chooses to continually use repetition as a means to drive home the truth of God. When nonbelievers stand before Jesus at the Great White Throne judgment they have no excuse for not knowing the will of God and the punishment for disobedience. If someone tells Jesus they didn’t know what to do Jesus can simply ask them, “have you read Psalm 37?” If they say no Jesus can say “why not, I provided it to you”? If they say “yes” Jesus can say, “then why didn’t you obey me?” Either way, the nonbeliever is condemned and will spend eternity in the lake of fire.

Psalm 37:21-22 – The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives. For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

God has shown us mercy by forgiving our sins and giving generously to us when we ask him in prayer. As the righteous children of God we are to emulate God by loving mercy and doing good works. God repeats again here that believers will be blessed and will live in the millennial kingdom on earth for 1000 years and forever in heaven. God repeats the nonbeliever will wind up in hell for their sins.

Psalm 37:23-26 – The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging for bread.

God guides the believer who is in fellowship with God. God watches over the believer with delight and although God allows us to face hardship in order to purify our faith it is never more than we can bear. We are always safely in God’s hands. We just need to trust that God is watching over us and providing for us. It has never been proven otherwise.

Psalm 37:27-29 – Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell forevermore. For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever.

God says three times in the verses above that believers live forever in his presence. When God says something more than once it’s important and we are to take notice. When God says the same thing three times in the span of three verses it’s like God screaming at the top of his lungs. God again declares for the umpteenth time that nonbelievers will die and go to hell (be cut off).

Psalm 30-33 – The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

As long as the believer abides in God’s Word he is blessed by God and protected from harm. God assures the believer that he will not face the wrath of God at the judgment. Those who do evil will always seek to destroy the children of God but will not succeed.

Psalm 37:34-36 – Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

All believers are to be obedient to God and watch for the second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth; when believers will inherit the earth during the millennial kingdom of God. We shall see nonbelievers go to the pit. In the last days evildoers will appear to flourish on the earth but it will only last a brief time before God removes them from the earth.

Psalm 37:37-38 – Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

We should model the life of a true believer and obedient man of God. God again assures us the unrepentant sinner will die and be cast into hell for eternity. God keeps saying this over and over.

Psalm 37:39-40 – But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.

God is not saying believers will not be persecuted and possibly suffer death at the hands of evil men. God is saying the believer’s eternal soul is in God’s hands and whatever happens to us physically on this earth our eternal future in heaven with God is secure so we’re not to worry about anything.

In the second half of Psalm 37 (verses 20-40) God continues to juxtapose the promised blessings of God for all believers versus the promised curses of God for nonbelievers who reject God’s grace. God uses this literary device often in the Bible, especially in the wisdom literature of Proverbs and Psalms. It’s a good way of clearly depicting the pros and cons of the decision we all must make. In the first half of Psalm 37 it was evenly split between sharing the blessings of God for believers and proclaiming the curses of God for the nonbeliever at eleven apiece. In my evaluation of the second half of Psalm 37 I see God starting to focus more on his promised blessings (nineteen) and less on his curses (six). You can only tell someone they’re going to hell so many times and in so many ways before the effectiveness of your message is lost. Focusing on rewards is always more effective than focusing on punishment.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Psalm 34:8 – Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Jeremiah 17:7 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.

Choosing heaven over hell is a no-brainer once you weigh all the evidence and see the benefits of each choice. I find it amazing that the vast majority of the human race will take the path that leads them straight to hell when the evidence is clear that they shouldn’t go down that road. Some people will still reject God out of pride and arrogance even when they know the truth of God. It’s a testimony to the power of Satan and a warning to all believers to abide in Jesus Christ for protection. Satan truly is the god of this world and he will drag most of the human race with him to the pit. Don’t be one of them.

Psalm 86:13 – For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol (hell).

The word of God is a living thing. Psalm 37 was written by an unnamed man of God over 2500 years ago as he was moved by the Holy Spirit and its message is just as relevant today as the day it was penned. The truth of God’s Word is everlasting. Psalm 37 is a very powerful and effective proclamation from God to all men, saint and sinner alike, of what is to come. Believers should read Psalm 37 often to keep their faith strong and vibrant (repetition is good!). I’m not a Bible scholar but I do consider myself to be a spiritually mature Christian and I’ve added my thoughts about each verse of Psalm 37. There are people who are more spiritually aware than I am but there are also many more who aren’t. The point is, no two people are at the same place on their walk with God so everyone’s perspective on the truth of God is important and adds value to the collective study of God’s Word. This blog site is all about sharing God’s Word to encourage others to also seek God.

Psalm 62:1-2 – Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation; He is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

The repetition in Psalm 37 proves beyond any doubt that those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will live with God in heaven forever. What is also an undisputable fact is that everyone who rejects God’s saving grace will die in their sin and go straight to hell upon their death. On the last Day Jesus will have an angel cast all nonbelievers into the lake of fire for all eternity. God’s Word always comes true. The only thing in life we can all count on is the truth of God. God cannot lie. God is ever faithful. The truth of God’s Word has never been broken and never will be. You have my personal testimony and the testimonies of millions of other people are on record. The final decision whether to serve God or Satan is yours alone to make, and you must make it, or it will be made for you. Will you choose to join me in heaven to worship the Lord or will you join Satan and all his demons in hell?

Advertisers have known for centuries that you can’t convince most of the people of anything the first time they hear it. Human beings are just wired that way. A few people will believe something the first time they see it or hear it but for most of us its takes a while longer. That’s why television marketers run the same commercials over and over. Maybe the twentieth time you see a commercial on television you might become interested enough in the product to give it a serious look and actually buy it. For some people it may be the fiftieth time they hear the message that does the trick. For some people the message never hits the mark and the sale is never made. That’s why selling anything is a volume business requiring repetition of the sales pitch. Salesmen have learned that rejection is part of the selling game because they may only make a sale to one person out of ten that hears the message or maybe only one in a hundred. Being a good salesman takes thick skin and perseverance. As servant’s of God we’re to be salesmen for God and we’re tasked with selling the gospel message of Christ to all people and all nations.

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

Proverbs 28:9 – One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 – Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

God made us all so he knows all our tendencies better than anyone, which is why the Bible makes ample use of repetition to drive home God’s message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer and I know for me personally I learn better by repetition. I need to hear information over and over several times for it to sink into my brain so I know it well enough to actually believe it. As a believer reading God’s Word don’t think God is beating a dead horse when he repeats spiritual truths over and over. You may know the truth of God but he is trying to reach those lost souls who need to keep hearing the gospel message of Christ over and over.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Proverbs 4:18 – But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

Proverbs 13:21 – Evil pursues sinners, but to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

Have patience and bear with God on this. God’s recurring message is meant primarily for those nonbelievers who have received the gospel of Christ one or more times yet still haven’t accepted God’s grace unto salvation even after several attempts. God knows he won’t reach everyone with the truth but he perseveres. God will never give up on you. As servants of the Most High we’re to follow God’s example by continually trying to bring lost souls into the kingdom of God. We must continue to witness for Christ and do good works while we live. It’s why God left us here on earth after our salvation.

Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 – I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.

Psalm 37 is a classic example of God using repetition to drive home his salvation message. God says almost the exact same things several times within this psalm to good effect. God also presents the same message in different ways to reach different people. Everyone responds differently to what they read or hear because we’re all individuals in our own right. No two of us are exactly alike. What works for me won’t work necessarily for you and vice versa. God also contrasts what the believer has coming to him and what the believer should be doing versus what the nonbeliever will receive at the hands of God for their wickedness.

Hebrews 9:27 – And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

Acts 4:12 – Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

If you’re a lukewarm Christian a regular reading of Psalm 37 will cure what ails you and keep your faith in God strong. I’m comforted when I read Psalm 37 because I feel as though God is holding my hand the whole time. I feel safe. On the flip side, Psalm 37 should scare the daylights out of all nonbelievers because God provides repeated clear warnings of what will happen to those who reject God’s mercy and grace and die in their sin. Psalm 37 should be a wakeup call to all those who do evil in the sight of God. Let’s break Psalm 37 down verse by verse to see what God is trying to tell us:

Psalm 37:1-2 – Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

In the Bible God tells believers repeatedly to persevere by putting their trust in God and not to worry about the evil that’s in the world. It’s all part of God’s plan and God is in control of his creation. We’re not to be jealous when the ungodly seem to be prospering more than we are. We should actually pity them because a just God will one day send them to hell for their sins.

Psalm 37:3-4 – Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness, delight yourself also in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart.

Trusting the Lord means to accept God’s saving grace unto salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus commands believers to share their witness for Christ with all peoples and all nations and also to do good works in his name as part of their reasonable service to God for their salvation. We’re to live our life in obedience to God’s will. We’re to love God for what he has done for us and we’re to meditate on God’s Word and obey his commandments. God will prosper those who are obedient to his word.

Psalm 37:5-6 – Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Once you’ve become a believer committed to living by the precepts of the Bible God will declare you righteous before all the saints and angels of heaven. God himself will sanctify you during your life on earth so that you enter heaven as a righteous son of God.

Psalm 37:7-8 – Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret-it causes only harm.

Twice in the above verses God again commands us not to fret (worry) and not to give in to anger and wrath because it gives Satan a foothold in your life. The Bible tells us to give our cares (worry, anger and wrath) to God to handle. Sinners will get what’s coming to them because God is just. The Bible assures us that worry won’t accomplish anything. It’ll only affect our spiritual and physical health. When we give our problems to God we receive the peace of God but we need to be patient with God because God’s timetable for taking action is not the same as ours.

Psalm 37:9-11 – For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

At the second coming of Christ all nonbelievers who are not already in hell will be removed from the earth and sent to hell. During the millennial kingdom of Christ all believers will inherit the earth and there will be peace for 1000 years.

Psalm 37:12-15 – The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

One of the spiritual laws of heaven we see play out over and over in the Bible is, “a man reaps what he sows”. I’m thinking of the Pharaoh of Egypt; I’m thinking of Haman; I’m thinking of King Herod. In every instance these evil men intended harm to others and God saw that they were repaid in kind. Only God can take sin and evil and use it for his good purpose.

Psalm 37:16-17 – A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

A believer who walks humbly with God is wealthy no matter what material possessions he may have. All the money in the world means nothing without God. There are no true riches, power or peace in this world apart from the grace of God. Eternal life in heaven is the only true wealth.

Psalm 37:18-20 – The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.

God is affirming his promise of salvation for believers and guaranteeing their protection under his mighty hand. God is also affirming nonbelievers will vanish from the earth to be incarcerated in the lake of fire for eternity. In the first half of Psalm 37 (20 verses) I count eleven times where God promises to bless the believer in some fashion and another eleven times where God promises to punish the nonbeliever. Both of those things will surely come to pass because God cannot lie and God’s will cannot be thwarted.

Although the Old Testament book of Psalms is classified as Hebrew poetry by Bible scholars, for Gentiles the psalms are counted as the wisdom literature of God along with Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes. In the book of Psalms God doesn’t have to give us any historical setting, develop any characters or provide plot lines. God can just pour out the unadulterated truth of God for us to feast on which is what he has done. The book of Psalms is all spiritual meat without the potatoes. If you were God and you were creating a book of 150 psalms which psalm would you put first? Would you make the first psalm a powerful one that summarized the entire book of God’s wisdom? Of course you would and God has done the same thing with the book of Psalms. Psalm 1 sums up the entire book of Psalms because it tells us exactly what we have to do to please God and live in his presence forever in heaven. God put on this earth to do exactly what Psalm 1 tells us to do. The answer to the question, “Why am I here?”, is contained in Psalm 1 so let’s break it all down.

Psalm 1:1 – Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

Always be mindful of any Scripture where God promises to bless you for your obedience. Be sure to obey whatever it is God commands you to do. I suggest you write down in a notebook every Scripture you come across where God promises a blessing for being obedient to his word. If you periodically review the promised blessings from God you will always keep your faith strong and bring your conduct more in line with God’s wishes.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

John 14:2-3 – (Jesus speaking) In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Ezekiel 36:27 – I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

In Psalm 1 God promises to bless us if we do three things. First, we are not to do those things that the ungodly do which is simply another way of saying do those things that the godly do. What are the things that the godly do? The ungodly reject God while the godly accept God’s mercy and grace unto salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Second, we are not to do what the unsaved sinners do. As God’s children we are to confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness. Lastly, we are not to be contemptuous of God or deny his existence. Basically, God is saying he will bless us when we become believers and try our best to abide by God’s Word. What greater blessing can God bestow than to allow us to live in his presence in heaven for eternity?

Psalm 1:2 – But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

God blesses us when we love Him and when we express that love by also loving God’s Word and following that up by meditating (thinking) about God’s law continually. That’s why daily Bible reading and regular personal Bible study is so important to our continued spiritual growth. We should always strive to keep God’s uninterrupted blessings flowing in our lives. The best use of our lives and the happiest we’ll ever be is when we court the blessings of God. When we accept God’s grace unto salvation, witness for Christ and do good works we’ll receive the greatest blessings from God.

Psalm 1:3 – He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

Can you think of a better description of the blessings of God? I can’t. God is telling us if we accept his saving grace and study his word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom then this blessing is our promise. Let’s see; God promises anything we do will cause us to prosper. In the dictionary the word “prosper” is defined as succeeding or flourishing, especially financially. In addition, God says we’ll live forever. I don’t know about you but I can live with both of those scenarios. You don’t need any self-help books to be successful and happy. Strive to know God and obey his commands and you’ll live a successful and rewarding life beyond your wildest imagination. There is no true happiness apart from God.

Psalm 1:4 – The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

In the first three verses of Psalm 1 God tells us plainly the good things that will happen to us if we seek God’s saving grace and obey his commands. God is just, fair and reciprocal to saint and sinner alike. God is clear what will happen if we reject God. Those who reject God are called ungodly and when they die they’ll be taken to hell, a place they do not wish to go.

Psalm 1:5 – Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

All believers will one day stand before Jesus Christ at the bema judgement seat to receive their reward for works done in the body. Those who are not saved (the ungodly) will not be there for the bema judgment (rewards). Unrepentant sinners ( the ungodly) will not find themselves among the righteous children of God and therefore they won’t be going to heaven to live with God the Father forever. God does no allow sin or nonbelievers in heaven.

Psalm 1:6 – For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

God established the way of salvation unto eternal life in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When God gave each of us an eternal spirit at conception he gave us a part of himself. When our physical body dies our eternal spirit will go to one of two places. If we have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior our eternal spirit goes to heaven to be with the Lord. If we have rejected Christ or failed to make a decision one way or the other then our eternal spirit shall perish. To perish in the spiritual sense means to be eternally separated from God. Nonbelievers will spend that eternal separation from God in the lake of fire where they will be in torment day and night for all eternity.

John 3:16 – (Jesus speaking) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:13 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Acts 4:12 – Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

In summary, Psalm 1 tells us those who are ungodly by not accepting God’s saving grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will, upon their death, be taken somewhere they don’t want to go (hell). These nonbelievers (the ungodly) will be resurrected bodily and have to stand in judgment before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne judgment. All the ungodly who appear before Jesus at the Great White Throne judgment are condemned already and at some point they will be grabbed bodily by an angel of God and thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where they will be in pain and torment day and night for all eternity. A billion years is only a blink of the eyes in eternity.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9 – That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Hebrews 9:27 – And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

Think of your life as one big television game show. You get to keep what is behind either door number one or door number two. The Bible tells us behind door number one we have honor and glory as a prince of heaven and the son of God with untold riches beyond our wildest imagination. Behind door number two we have total separation from God and confinement in the lake of fire for all eternity in constant pain and anguish. The choice of door number one is obviously the better choice but you must make the positive selection of door number one before the show is over (your death) or you will wind up with door number two as your consolation prize by default. If you haven’t selected door number one by now what on earth are you waiting for? Make your pick right now before it’s too late! Accept God’s saving grace unto salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If you don’t know how to be saved google “sinner’s prayer” on the internet and follow the instructions. Listen, there are no replays or reruns on the game of life. You only get one shot to get this right so focus on the truth of God and accept God’s saving grace right now.

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Romans 8:16 – The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

1 John 5:11 – And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

Let me give you a graphic illustration of the vast gulf that exists between your two possible choices in life. When the believer dies and goes to heaven they will experience an eternity filled with joy, happiness, wonder and amazement. The believer will always look back on their life on earth and consider it to be the only period of hell they will have ever known. On the other hand, when the nonbeliever dies without accepting God’s mercy and grace unto salvation they will go straight to hell for all eternity. Their life will be one of continual thirst, pain, torment and anguish. The condemned soul will always look back on their life on earth with fondness and remember it as the only period of heaven they will have ever known. I hope this illustration gets across to you the importance of the decision we all must make in this life. Will you choose heaven or hell? God is waiting for your answer. Choose rightly.

The book of Psalms is more than just a book of Hebrew poetry. Psalms is unlike any other book of the Bible because it consists of a collection of many different hymns and prayers to God that were composed by many different individuals from the time of Moses ( 1400 BC ) to the Persian period ( 400 BC ). King David is referenced in many of the psalms by an ambiguous Hebrew construction which means the psalms were either written “for” or “about” King David or they “belonged to” him. In some cases King David was the actual author of the psalms bearing his name. The word for psalms in Hebrew means “praise”. These “songs of praise” were Israel’s hymnbook still used by the Jewish people today to sing their praise and worship of God. More than one-third of the collection of 150 Psalms is made up of prayers to God. Therefore, the book of Psalms contains both hymns and prayers that were used in the context of Israel’s worship of Jehovah God.

Psalm 50:15 – Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

Psalm 95:6 – Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Christians over the centuries have created their own hymns to God so we don’t sing the psalms to God the way the Jewish people do. To us the psalms reveal God’s wisdom. Although the psalms were written specifically for the Jewish people, the wisdom of God, the truth of God, is universal and ultimately intended to benefit all people of God, whether Jew or Gentile. Psalms serves the purpose of teaching us all how to relate to God in various circumstances of life. The psalms also demonstrate God’s sovereignty over his people and the goodness God has shown shown toward believers in order to instill confidence in those who trust him. Remember that when Scripture capitalizes personal pronouns they are referring to God. This could be in the person of God the Father, Jesus the Son, or the Holy Spirit. There is only one God but the triune Godhead consists of three distinct persons all of whom are divine.

Matthew 27:46 – (Jesus speaking) – My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?

Mark 15:34 – (Jesus speaking) – My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?

Psalm 22:1 – (Jesus speaking) – My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?

Atheists have tried unsuccessfully for over 2000 years to find errors in God’s Word. Many atheists point to the comments made by Jesus in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 (shown above) to prove Jesus is not divine. According to the shallow reasoning of atheists, during his crucifixion Jesus was in a confused state of anguish while calling out to God for help which proved he was only a human being masquerading as the Son of God. The Bible says the truth of any matter is established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. Here we have the documented testimonies of the Apostle Matthew and the disciple Mark from the New Testament and King David from the Old Testament, all quoting Jesus Christ verbatim prior to and while he was being crucified. Jesus was crucified in 33 AD and Matthew and Mark wrote their gospels between 55 AD and 65 AD. Psalm 22:1 was probably penned by King David himself during his reign (1062 BC to 1021 BC). God always repeats important Scriptures and if God repeats the same verses three times verbatim it means the scriptural message is very important and we should pay special attention to it.

Psalm 32:8 – I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Psalm 18:30-31 – As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?

Psalm 19:7 – The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

You must read Scriptures in the context of the times in which they were written and with an awareness of the customs of the Jewish people living in those times who were the target audience of the Scriptures. Writing was not prevalent in those days and few people could read or write so things that were important to the people were memorized. All Hebrews knew their psalms by heart. In the Hebrew tradition, if anyone quoted the first line of a psalm it invoked, or brought to remembrance, the entire psalm without having to repeat the whole thing. To quote the first line of a psalm was equivalent to reading the entire psalm. It was a Hebrew thing. During his crucifixion when Jesus said, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”, he was merely quoting the first line of Psalm 22 to bring to remembrance the entire psalm to the Jewish people who were within earshot of his crucifixion and also for the future benefit of all Gentiles of every age. For Jesus to mention Psalm 22 during his crucifixion meant Jesus was in total control of his sacrificial death and could have stopped it at any time. There was important information contained in Psalm 22 that Jesus wanted to make us all aware of one last time.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 17:7 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.

Proverbs 14:27 – The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.

First and foremost, Jesus wanted to establish the fact that he is the eternal Son of God in heaven who preexisted his incarnation into a physical body at Bethlehem . King David penned Psalm 22 over 1000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. But there’s no doubt the speaker in Psalm 22 is a first person narrative by Jesus Christ himself. Throughout the Bible a divine person of the triune Godhead is always identified by the use of capitalized pronouns. When we read the Bible we need to be on our toes and pay attention to which divine person is being referenced in the Scriptures. Is it God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, or the Holy Spirit? The first word of a sentence is always capitalized but pronouns within the sentence aren’t unless they refer to God. I count over fifty such divine pronouns in Psalm 22 and we know Jesus is the speaker and reference for the pronouns because he discusses the crucifixion narrative in verses 6-8 and verses 12-18 and claims it as his own.

Isaiah 46:9 – Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.

Hosea 13:4 – Yet I am the LORD your God…there is no Savior besides Me.

Psalm 16:11 – You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness and joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

I know the crucifixion of Jesus is mentioned in other parts of the Old Testament, usually by the prophets, but Psalm 22 is the only place I can find in the Bible where we hear Jesus himself expound on the subject of his upcoming crucifixion at length. All three divine persons actually speak in the Bible. God the Father is usually the speaker in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ is the primary speaker in the New Testament. There are only two or three times in the entire Bible where the Holy Spirit actually speaks. The triune God may consist of three distinct persons but they are all one God with a single mind. What one knows they all know and they are always in agreement on every subject. Jesus Christ was a willing participant in the shedding of his blood for the sins of mankind. Jesus is our Savior because he chose to be.

Psalm 29:2 – Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Psalm 117:2 – For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 18:1 – I will love You, O Lord, my strength.

When Jesus declared on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”, he was not confused at all. By repeating this first line of Psalm 22 Jesus was invoking the entire psalm and bringing it to remembrance for all the Jewish people. Jesus was convicting the Jewish people of their sin by reminding them that he was the promised Messiah who was being rejected by them in the exact manner he described in Psalm 22. For the Jews who were actually at the crucifixion of Jesus this statement must have cut them to the quick when they realized they had crucified their King, the Son of God.

Psalm 33:18-19 – Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine.

Psalm 67:1-2 – God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on the earth, your salvation among the nations.

Psalm 18:46 – The Lord lives! Blessed be the Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.

Psalm 22 is important for Gentiles because through this psalm Jesus exhorts us one last time to fear and glorify God because, by his mercy, God has saved from the fires of hell all who believe in his name. Jesus goes on to confirm he will always be the Mediator in heaven between God and man for all believers. Jesus reminds us that by his sacrificial death many will turn to God for salvation. Finally, Jesus reminds us one last time that believers will serve the Lord forever and all unbelievers will be judged on the last Day.

Psalm 86:13 – For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Psalm 16:10 – For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

Psalm 37:27-28 – Depart from evil and do good; and dwell forevermore. For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psalm 62:1-2 – Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation; He is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

Psalm 35:9 – And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation.

Psalm 50:23 – Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.

In our study of God’s Word we would be remiss if we didn’t focus on the Bible books classified as wisdom literature (Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes). Every other book in the Bible also contains the wisdom of God, but only as a corollary to the main theme of that particular book. Wisdom is secondary to the story and to the point God is making. But in Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes God’s primary purpose for those books is to share his wisdom with man. We get only the concentrated wisdom of God in Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes. Can you name any instance in the Bible where God’s wisdom turned out to be bad advice? I know I can’t. God has perfect knowledge of every circumstance that will ever occur and therefore God is never surprised. God is never wrong.

Psalm 119:97-99 – Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.

Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Jeremiah 17:7 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.

Hebrews 10:36 – For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

Think of those three books as containing the essence of God’s wisdom; wisdom on steroids. Most of the books of the Bible I can read through fairly quickly without a hitch but not so with Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. When I hit these three books my progress slows dramatically. It’s like running into a brick wall. It’s as though I’m suddenly walking in quicksand. God’s concentrated wisdom is so overwhelming to my mind I have to go slowly in order to grasp it; to meditate on it. I have to crawl through Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes to get the most from them. The wisdom of God is a joy!

PROVERBS

What is a proverb? A proverb is a general truth derived from astute observations about how our life usually works. Proverbs are typically pithy, that is, it is brief and rich in meaning. A proverb is practical; it gives advice that is useful in the real world. For example: “no pain, no gain” or “a fool and his money are soon parted.” It’s no accident that the writer of Proverbs is none other than King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. We know every book of the Bible incorporates the character of the writer while at the same time dispensing the revelation of God; the truth of God. Therefore, the proverbs in the book of Proverbs are divinely inspired. Since they come from God, we know they are true and we can be certain they are beneficial. Biblical proverbs not only offer practical advice for this life but also guides the reader to eternal life, which is our ultimate goal.

Proverbs 16:20 – He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

Proverbs 15:24 – The way of life winds upward for the wise, that he may turn away from hell below.

Proverbs 4:4 – He also taught me, and said to me: Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands and live.

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Bible proverbs do not just entertain; they exhort, they encourage and they offer hope. Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs to lay out the basic principles of the wisdom of God. We know that God wrote the Bible to reveal himself to man and to lay out God’s intended salvation plan for mankind. God wrote the Bible to give us his commandments. The Bible is God’s instruction manual on how we are to live our lives in obedience to his will. God wrote Proverbs primarily as a guide for the young man on the brink of making decisions in life so that his life would be successful and fulfilling.

Deuteronomy 6:5 – You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 8:3 – Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 22:19 – Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God.

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

God wanted to share the unchanging principles for living a wholesome and honorable life. There is a close connection between God and wisdom. Ultimately, biblical wisdom is informed by and founded on faith in God. If you don’t have God you don’t have wisdom. If you don’t “know” God through Bible reading and prayer it’s impossible to have true wisdom. You might be smart and highly educated but that’s not the same thing. True wisdom presupposes the “fear” of God because God is the source of this inspired Godly advice we call wisdom. Only God himself guarantees the blessings that wisdom promises. The benefits of wisdom and the benefits of God are the same. What wisdom promises is what God grants. Throw away all the self-help books in all the bookshelves of the world because they aren’t needed. Look to Proverbs instead and you’ll find all you need to be who God intended you to be.

Proverbs 4:5-6 – Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her and she will keep you.

Proverbs 4:7-8 – Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all you getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her.

Isaiah 41:13 – For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, fear not, I will help you.

JOB

The Old Testament describes God’s relationship with the Israelites, his chosen people. The history of the Jewish people starts in the latter part of Genesis with the patriarch Abraham around 2100 BC and concludes during the Persian period around 400 BC. A good rule of thumb for dividing up human history is it was roughly 2000 years from creation to Abraham (born about 2166 BC). From Abraham to the birth of Jesus it was another 2000 years. And finally, it has been about 2000 years from the time of Christ to where we are today. God intended the Bible to be a history of his relationship with Israel and God presents it in pretty much chronological order. God is logical, methodical, and never does anything without a good reason.

Job 1:21 – Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Psalm 46:1-2 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Out of the blue God throws into the Bible the book of Job which isn’t a part of the Jewish historical narrative. Job is a one-off, an anomaly, an outlier. Why on earth has God given us the book of Job? We know there has to be a reason because God doesn’t do random. God doesn’t waste our time. I posit God gave us Job because God wanted to tell us something; to give us important information we need to know in order to understand him better. In most books of the Old Testament we know who wrote them and the general timeframe.

Psalm 50:15 – Call on Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

Joshua 1:9 – Have I nor commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do nor be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Ephesians 6:10 – Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Not so with Job; Job is a mystery. We have no idea who wrote Job. Job was set during the time of the patriarchs, making Job a contemporary of Abraham. That’s why some Bible scholars think Job could have been written as early as 2100 BC, making it 700 years older than Genesis. However, most Bible scholars are of the opinion Job was written between 1400 BC and 400 BC, with the consensus being around 950 BC during the reign of King Solomon.

Job 14:1 – Anyone born of woman is short of days and full of trouble.

Psalm 9:9 – The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Ephesians 5:15-16 – See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

The hardest thing for Christians to understand is why does God allow suffering in the world and why does God allow evil to exist? From a merely human point of view, the answer is that there is no answer given to the problem of evil. God doesn’t tell us explicitly. God doesn’t owe us an explanation. From the divine perspective outlined in the Bible, the answer is that God’s glory is served even when evil and suffering is permitted in the world. Christ’s suffering and death at the hands of evil men is the prime example of this. God put us on this earth to go through hardship, suffering and tribulation. Otherwise what is the point of our lives? Why did Moses have to wander forty days in the wilderness? Why did Jesus have to suffer tribulation for forty days in the desert? Iron sharpens iron. If we lived an uneventful life we would gain nothing. Our life of suffering is the holy furnace that God uses to purify our souls.

Psalm 18:30 – As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Isaiah 46:22 – Look to Me, and be saved all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

2 Corinthians 4:17 – For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

The book of Job teaches us that suffering comes to everyone. Instead of asking why and becoming bitter toward God we’re to accept God’s will. We’re in no position to challenge God and his wisdom. The message of Job is that we’re to continue to trust the Lord in every circumstance knowing we’re in God’s loving care. We may have to wait until eternity for everything to be made clear. Satan wants us to fall into the trap of cursing God for our troubles so don’t fall for it. Do just the opposite. Praise and worship God all the more when tribulation strikes because you’re glorifying God when you do. Life is hard and it’ll take every ounce of our strength and perseverance to get through it safely. We’ll make it if we hold onto God’s hand tightly.

Job 5:7 – Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

Romans 12:12 – Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed.

The ultimate in worship is when we honor God as our Sovereign and affirm his freedom to act in our lives. The Bible confirms that personal growth comes through suffering. God gets no pleasure from our suffering; quite the opposite. Our suffering is not for God’s benefit, but ours. What we know is small compared to what is unknown to us. Never under any circumstances let what you fail to understand of God’s purposes shake your faith in God’s constant love. Suffering drives many of us to first question God but later to trust and know him better. Don’t feel guilty; we all go through it. God knows us and he is great enough to survive our questions and doubts. We just need to push on through to a level of greater faith in God. We must respect and trust God. In the end, Job’s fear of the Lord and trust in the goodness of God is what ultimately saved him. Job is set before us as an example to follow. An example we should not forget as we persevere through our life of hardship.

Job 28:28 – And to man He said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.

Job 19:25-26 – And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Romans 8:18 – For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed is us.

In our brief lifetime we will receive tribulation by God’s purpose but nothing can overcome us if we fix our hope on eternity. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. That’s the message of Job. It’s like when you’re getting a vaccination; you know the momentary pain is coming because you can see the nurse approaching with a needle out of the corner of your eye. You must look straight ahead or you’ll flinch and the pain will be greater. You look straight ahead and bear it because you know the pain will be brief and you know the shot is in your best interests. Each of us must strive to, “look straight ahead into the face of God”, so that we reach that point in our walk with God where no matter what happens we can honestly say, “I don’t really understand how this can be, but I trust God absolutely.” When you’ve reached that happy place you’ll have found the peace of God that defies understanding.

ECCLESIASTES

We’ve shown that Proverbs is God’s general wisdom by sharing fundamentals to live by for all people, especially young people who need more guidance when starting out in life. Job is for the more mature man of God seeking specific wisdom about evil in the world and the uneven suffering of mankind. Ecclesiastes is also for the more mature Christian because it engages the question of whether death nullifies all purpose and meaning in life. King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes around 935 BC after a long life and reflection on the meaning of life. We’re talking about the wisest man who ever lived; and King Solomon came to the conclusion that when it comes to our life, “everything is futile.” God created us to live a brief time in our physical bodies and then die. We all have an expiration date and there’s nothing we can do about it. We can show ourselves wise in the eyes of God by fearing him and turning from evil.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 – Absolute futility, says the Teacher. Absolute futility. Everything is futile.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 – Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near to when you say, I have no pleasure in them.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.

Romans 12:12 – Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.

King Solomon had it all: ultimate political power, more gold and jewels than any man who ever lived, 300 wives and 700 concubines, 40,000 horses, etc. In the end King Solomon concluded that the only thing in life that mattered is a right relationship with God, to walk humbly with God in obedience. Ecclesiastes warns us not to waste our lives in pursuit of useless endeavors like intellectual accomplishments, wealth, political power and irrational religious zeal. The Bible answers the question we all want to know the answer to, “What is the meaning of life?” That question is clearly answered in Ecclesiastes. Life’s meaning cannot be discovered on our own; it is only revealed by God through his word. How we live our lives is of eternal significance; so even through we are capable of accomplishing many wonderful things in this life, our primary focus should be on God’s revelation and eternity-for they are what define true meaning and lasting outcome of life.

Isaiah 33:6 – Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 – I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.

2 Timothy 2:21 – Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter (dishonor), he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.