What Foundation Are You Building On?

There are some disturbing things taking place in the Church, today. Many Christians are being taught things that just are not Biblically correct. There are churches that have done completely away with Sunday morning preaching. And then there are churches that should probably do away with Sunday morning preaching because what is being expounded from the pulpit is almost blasphemous.

I recently spoke with someone about the confusion they are dealing with because of what they have been taught, what experience has taught them and what they think might be right, in regards to God, the Bible and basic Christian living.

Lord, help us, because we need to know the truth and You are the truth. Set our minds, hearts and spirits free from confusion. Amen.

I was sitting in church one Sunday and as we read some verses out of First Corinthians there were two that stood out for me, in neon lighting, First Corinthians 3:10-11 -

¹⁰   According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

¹¹   For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

I had to underline and highlight the part that said, “…But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

That just stuck in my head and spirit.

Going back to my conversation with the person who was expressing confusion in regarding what they believed…. I realized they had confusion because they had a foundation that was faulty and everything that was built on that foundation was faulty as well.

That brings me to a very important question, “If we have built our beliefs on a faulty foundation, what happens when that foundation begins to crumble and fall apart?”

Going to the one source I know to be true and truth, I open my Bible and turn to Matthew 7:24-27;

²⁴   "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

²⁵   and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶   "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

²⁷   and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Now, in case you don’t realize it that is Jesus speaking. What I want us to look at is the difference between the two men Jesus is talking about. The first one in verse 24 built his house on the rock. (Remember the rock because we are going to go back to that in a moment.) When the rain, floods and winds came and beat on his house, it didn’t fall because it was built on the rock. His foundation was hearing and doing the things Jesus taught. His foundation was the Rock.

By the way, the rain, floods and winds represent the troubles, cares and worries we deal with every day, as well as hardships and other turmoil we may face. There is more to it, but that is the basic picture we are looking at for this time.

Looking at the second man, we find he built his house on the sand.

I love the beach. I think standing and looking at the ocean at a safe distance on the beach and marveling at how God will only allow the waves to come up so far is awesome. At the same time, I also realize I am standing on shifting sands. Every time a wave comes in and laps at my feet and the sand I’m standing on I feel it shifting and my feet sink deeper into it.

Now imagine your house and the foundation of it is sand. When the rain, floods and winds beat at your house to all get out, your house is going to fall. It’s not going to fall just a little bit, but as Jesus said, “…And great was its fall.”

Many churches are teaching that all roads lead to God. Many churches are doing away with the cross and the blood. There are churches that are mixing eastern mysticism and other religions with a watered-down Christianity. Is there any wonder there is confusion in the Church? Is there any wonder “houses” are experiencing great falls when people are facing trouble in their lives?

When it came to foundation building Paul told the Corinthians to “…take heed how he builds on it.” He then told them that there was no other foundation but Jesus Christ.

How then can we build a foundation that is made of other religions? How can we have a solid foundation when it consists of false teaching, greasy grace, and worship that is flesh-satisfying instead of God-edifying? Lord have mercy on us!

Paul said Jesus Christ is the only foundation. Jesus told us, in His own words, to hear and do what He said to do and He will liken us to the wise man who built his house on the rock.

Paul reminds us in the same letter to the Corinthians that the children of Israel drank the same spiritual drink. That spiritual Rock they drank from was Christ. (I Corinthians 10:4; Exodus 17:6)

Moses had intimate knowledge of that Rock (Exodus 33). When he asked God to show him His glory, the LORD told him,

²¹   And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.

²²  So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the  

     rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. [Emphasis is mine.]

I particularly love that part where He tells Moses He had a place by Him. Then we find out that place is the rock. And as we learned from Paul, that Rock is none other than Jesus Christ. (Also Deuteronomy 32:4) What an incredibly precious place for Moses to find himself; in the heart of Christ Jesus. There is no other place I would rather be but in the heart of my Savior.

Now we know Jesus Christ is the Rock. Now we know we are to build our “house” on the Rock. Now we know there is no other foundation to build on but Jesus Christ.

How then can we do anything else? How then can our foundation be anything less then Christ Jesus?

The Psalmist knew what and who is his foundation. Time after time, verse after verse…. He would say, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, and the Rock of my salvation. (Psalm 18; 27; 28; 31; 40; 42; 61; 62; 71; 89; 92; 94; 95)

What are you building your foundation on? Who are you building your foundation on? Is your foundation a conglomeration of various religions? Is it based on yourself? Do you find yourself floundering in shifting, sinking sands as you try to hold on in the face of adversity? Perhaps your foundation is your church denomination, or a church leader.

Let me turn your eyes and your hearts to the true foundation. Turn your eyes and your heart to the Rock. Gaze upon the One who shed His blood to cleanse you from sin. Look upon His bruised and beaten face and body, He was bruised for our iniquities. He was wounded for our transgressions. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53.5)

O hear the heart of your Savior. Hear His call to you. Let Him be your foundation. Seek Him with all your heart, mind and soul and you will find Him. Repent of your sins, turn from your sinful ways, turn to the One who is able to save you and give you eternal life. Build your house upon Jesus Christ, the Rock of your salvation. Then when the rain, floods and winds come to beat on your house, it will not fall because it’s built on the Rock, Jesus Christ.

LaTawnia Kintz

All scripture is taken from the New King James Version.

The Necessary Non-Hallmark Part of Easter by Ann Voskamp

The Necessary Non-Hallmark Part of Easter.... by Ann Voskamp


Haunting, beautiful and unforgettable.....


http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/04/the-necessary-non-hallmark-part-of-easter-2/

Nine Ways to Know That the Gospel of Christ Is True - Online Bible Study Tools

Nine Ways to Know That the Gospel of Christ Is True - Online Bible Study Tools

Is the Date of Easter of Pagan Origin? - Answers in Genesis

Is the Date of Easter of Pagan Origin? - Answers in Genesis

DOES GOD FORGIVE AND FORGET?

 

I read a lot. I get lots of messages, tweets, emails, books, and ebooks. Some of the things I get I just delete – if it’s an electronic message of some sort. Some of it I keep, verses from the Bible that someone tweeted; and once in a while I get something that makes me stop and just say, “Huh?”

Recently I got a tweet from someone who is well known. Usually it’s something rather innocuous, not harmful, but a “yah, that was a nice thought but not real meaningful,” tweet. However I got one just the other day that started this search, this study, this correcting of a wrong that has gone out into airways, byways, tweet-ways, and into the minds and souls of every individual that has received that tweet.

When I am unsure about something, especially something that has to do with God, I go to the one and only source I know that will give me the correct information, complete confirmation, and soul-satisfaction; it’s the inerrant, living-truth, life-breathed Word of God. The Bible is after all God speaking to me and you through His written Word. How awesome is that? So that’s where I went. I went to God and His Word. I asked God to show me His truth, about Himself and He did. Praise the Lord!

I know, I know, you want to know what the tweet was and who sent it. Isn’t that just like our human nature? Our old nature? I have debated on whether or not to include that tweet in this message. Would it be productive? Would it cause more harm to young believers? Would it just throw more confusion out there to cause someone to stumble and fall?

My desire is not to create more confusion, but rather present God, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in such a clear manner that there is no confusion. That being said, I am going to quote the tweet, but leave the author of that tweet in the hands of God.

This is what was sent to me and hence, the reason for this message:

“God cannot forget our sins, but He chooses not to dwell on them. He sees us as we are now – sanctified & redeemed.” 

At first glance, it appears harmless. But when you read it again, the confusion and harm begins to set in. Now I don’t want you, dear reader, to become anxious, but rather, begin praying for our Lord to open your eyes to the truth you are about to read, your ears to hear what our Lord and Savior is speaking to your soul, and your mind to accept His truth and your heart to have His truth planted firmly in your spirit. Amen.

I have no truth in me. Therefore, what you are about to read is from the Lord God, our Savior and Redeemer. O may His name be glorified in this teaching today.

Please, have your Bible open with me, as you read this. Become like the Bereans, with me. Let us search out the Word of God together and right a wrong, bring clarity in a place of confusion, peace for the troubled soul and light into a dark place. Let the light of the Living Word of God shine into your spirit;

“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 joints and morrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

and;

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Amen!

Going back to the reason of this article, I want us to examine the statement that was sent, and let us look at it from the view-point of God’s word.

The first part of that statement was, “God cannot forget our sins, but He chooses not to dwell on them.”

If you are like me and have been a servant of God for any length of time, have studied His word diligently, then that statement should send shudders through your soul and your spirit should be shouting, “Untrue!” If you are a new believer, then this statement can only bring confusion and I can only imagine a thought like this, “But I thought my sins were forgiven and washed away?”

For me, reading that brought horror to my soul, for this is but another example of the false teaching that is more and more prevalent through-out the body of Christ, His Church.

O Lord, help me speak Your truth, do not allow me to be guilty of error. For Your name is hallowed and I only desire to bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Immediately I got my Bible out and began searching. This searching has brought me here. And this is what I found. So get your Bible, and your favorite high-lighter or pen and be prepared to highlight, underline, or circle these verses.

My first stop was in the Psalms. Psalm 103:11-12

“For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

That verse began to give me some comfort. I knew once I had confessed my sins and agreed with the Lord my need of a Savior, He had removed my transgressions; they were as far from me as the east is from the west. Thank you Lord.

But, I wasn’t yet satisfied. I wanted to know; does God forgive and then forget my sins? Because according to the message I had received, He doesn’t. And if He doesn’t…. well, that begins to open a whole new can of worms, so to speak.

So here we go, more digging in the Word of Truth. My next stop was Isaiah 43:25.

I want to give you a short background here about who God is speaking to and why. God is speaking to the nation of Israel through His prophet Isaiah. The people of Israel had turned away from God and turned toward their sinful ways in practicing abominations such as sacrificing their children, adultery, and worshiping other gods. There is more but you get the picture. They were no different then we are, without Jesus as our Lord and Master. Sinful, willful, rebellious children deserving the wrath of God; yet here He is telling them that if they would turn back to Him, this is what He will do:

“”I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”” (Isaiah 43:25) [Emphases is mine.]

Did you read that? Let’s look at that verse again. I want to break it down for us.

First, God is saying He is the One who blots out our transgressions. If your and my transgressions are blotted out, that means they are no more. Right? If they are no more how can they be remembered?

Second, He does it for His own sake. Think about that. God blots out our sins, our transgressions, for His own sake. Why do you think that is?

Well, take a look at God’s character. He is a holy God, He is righteous, He is True and Faithful, He is Loving and Compassionate, He is Alpha and Omega, He is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, He is the Judge of all the earth and heavens and all it contains, He is Creator, He is the Beginning and the End, The King of kings and the Lord of lords. But most of all He is Holy.

Because He is holy, He cannot tolerate our sin(s). Our Just and Holy God does not and cannot look at our sins, nor does He accept our sinful ways. Why, if He did, He wouldn’t have called the children of Israel to repentance time and again. If He did, He wouldn’t have sacrificed Himself, shedding the innocent blood of Jesus, on the cross. We wouldn’t have needed a Savior! But, I am getting ahead of myself.

For His own sake….

David wrote in Psalm 23 that the Lord led him in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (verse 3b). Ezekiel, the prophet wrote,

“”Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.”” (Ezekiel 36:22-23) (Emphases are mine.)

Because God is holy, anything and everything He does is for His own sake, including blotting out our sins, our transgressions. O Praise the Lord all you people! Jesus bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed! (Isaiah 53:4-5) He did this for His name’s sake! O Hallelujah!

Why am I getting so excited? Because of this:

““No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34) (Emphasis is mine.)

Did you see that? He forgives our iniquity and He remembers our sin no more! Get excited! Praise the Lord. How wonderful is the Word of God, for it reveals to us His truth and glory.

The Lord God forgives us of our sins when we confess our sins. Look at these verses:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:8)

“I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” (I John 2:12) [Emphasis is mine.]

Oh and here is my favorite:

           

“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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

When we believe in Jesus, confess “with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

When we do this very thing, then we are no longer children of wrath worthy of nothing but the wrath of God. Oh the Bible says it so much better, go to Ephesians chapter 2 and read this:

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raise us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus… For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:4-6; 8-9)

Because of this wondrous work of the cross and the gift of salvation, “…He sees us as we are now – sanctified and redeemed.” (This is the last part of the tweet I had received.)

By the way, we are continually being sanctified. The work of God isn’t complete in us until we are with Him. He will continue to do His good work in us. Paul wrote to the Philippians that he was confident “…of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) And to the Thessalonians he said,

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thessalonians 5:23)

I don’t know about you, but that gives me hope. It gives me peace. It gives me confidence in the Lord, knowing that once I confess my sins to Him (yes, I sin, because like you, I still have this flesh to deal with and it’s not dead yet) He is faithful and just to forgive my sins; and not remember them. Not only that, but He will cleanse me from unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

So now when He looks at me, He doesn’t see my sins, He doesn’t even remember my sins, He sees me, He sees you, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, covered in His righteousness, justified (just as if you never had sinned), sanctified (set apart for Him), a saint and more. Here is Peter has to say:

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9)

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, all of you who are servants of the Lord.

I pray that this has all made sense to you. My prayer for you is there is now no confusion when it comes to God forgiving you and forgetting your sins. I pray that this message will bring some light into your life and lighten your footstep as you walk with our Lord Jesus Christ.

In closing, I want to say to those who are not saved, “confess with you mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) For it is written,

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

So there is no way around it. Eventually you will have to confess He is Lord. Do it now so you might be saved. “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:7-9)

Take this time to turn to God and away from your sinful life. Allow the Lord Jesus Christ to be Master and Savior for you; so you may spend eternity with Him and not in the lake of fire.

To those of you whose walk may not be on the straight and narrow, the above verses apply to you as well. Draw near to your Lord and Savior and He will draw near to you. Confess your sins so He may cleanse you of unrighteousness.

May the Lord Jesus bless you and keep you. May He give you strength, courage and peace as we walk through these last days awaiting for His return. And may He grant you discernment to know the false from the truth. Try the spirits, read His unchanging Word and cling to Him with all your might, so you will not be moved from His side. Amen.

Because He lives!

LaTawnia Kintz

April 7, 2011

The Good Shepherd (Psalm 23)

To get this blog started I decided to post one of my favorite teachings on one of my favorite Psalms. I shared this particular teaching on my Words from the Heart blog. But I thought I would present it here as well. It's still sound biblical teaching and it's still meaningful. Read it, chew on it and ask the Good Shepherd to speak to you, as He makes you to lay down in the green pastures and leads you beside the still waters.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

 
This psalm is one that we all are familiar with. We read it at a lot of funerals and death beds. It is a psalm that is linked quite often with death and dying. It was even read at my mother’s “going home” celebration.

But when David wrote this psalm, he wasn’t dying. Yes he was in hiding from his enemies. But David was very much alive.

This psalm is a picture of Jesus Christ as the Great Shepherd in Resurrection. This psalm is about complete trust in that Great Shepherd, and peaceful confidence in Him, no matter what happens.

There was another man in the Bible who had complete trust in the Lord – Job. He told his “friends,” ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him,’ Job 13:15

And like Job, David knew that the Lord was his Salvation (Psalm 27:1; 118:13), and his Redeemer (Psalm 19:14; 31:5). Even though in Psalm 22 he cried out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” He could still say, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”

We know a shepherd is someone who tends sheep. A shepherd takes care of the sheep, looks for the lost ones, protects them, guides them and cares for them.

David was saying the Lord leads me; He’s the one who guides me, cares for me, feeds me and protects me. He provides for me. Therefore I shall not want. I lack nothing. He has taken care of my every need.

Jesus the Good Shepherd went one step further; He gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11).

In verse two David talks about lying down in green pastures and being lead beside still waters.

The green pastures are a picture of good eating. The Shepherd leads the sheep to the green, young and tender grass that is full of the needed things to help the sheep grow. The fact that the sheep will lie down represents their trust in the Shepherd. To the Christian the green pasture is the Word of God. It is full of good eating to give the Christian what is needed to help us grow. And if we will trust Him and allow Him to, He will lead us daily to the best grazing so we will be filled each day.

“….He leads me beside the still waters.” Or another way of saying it would be, He leads me beside the waters of rest; the refreshing, restoring waters of the Holy Spirit.

Each day the Lord leads us to a place of rest; a place where our battle weary worn hearts are restored; a place where waves of calm, cool rest wash our souls and purify our bruised spirits. Everywhere water is mentioned like this, it is the Holy Spirit.

“He restores my soul…” He refreshes, rescues, revives, and relieves my soul. We need our soul restored daily. Jesus said, “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give your rest.” Matthew 11:28. That verse is not just meant for the lost, it is meant also for His children, who labor and get heavy laden.

“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake…” I Samuel 2:9 says, “He will guard the feet of his saints,” and Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.”

It is for His name’s sake that He leads us in the paths of righteousness. Not ours. He leads us where we would never choose to go. But because He is our Good Shepherd we can trust Him, He knows what the best paths are. A sheep, if left to its own way would take a path that would lead to its destruction. But the Good Shepherd sees the dangers that lie ahead and therefore He is able to guide His flock onto the paths that lead to the green pastures and restoring waters.

The beginning of verse four in this psalm says, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

Pay close attention to these words. David didn’t say, ‘though I walk through the valley of death,’ he didn’t say, ‘though I run, or crawl, or whine, or moan and complain, or murmur.’ He said, “Yea [yes]! Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

He said it with confidence. He was confident in spite of the trouble around him. With confidence he could and did walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He knew it was only shadows! And he knew he could walk through those shadows no matter how scary they seemed.

We can walk with that same confidence. Our troubles are just that, troubles; troubles that change like the shadows on a wall change when light enters the room. What happens when light comes into a room full of shadows? They disappear. Who is the light that comes into a room? Jesus Christ.

Why could David walk with such confidence? Why can we? Because he knew who was with him, “For You are with me.” The Lord was with him every step of the way. The Lord is with us every step of the way, as well; no matter how deep and dark that valley may seem. He is there, guiding each step.

David goes on to say, “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” It was a comfort to him to know that the Lord would reach out His rod to correct him and He would use His staff to protect him.

The rod is the Word of God. II Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine [teaching], for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

The staff is the Holy Spirit, for protection, He is our Protection. The Holy Spirit was sent to us, to not only comfort us, but to teach us and guide us. David could say they were a comfort to him, because he had confidence that the Lord had his best interests in His heart.

In verse five, David tells us, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” In the presence of our enemies, while the battle rages all around us, the Lord sustains us. He says come child, sit down here, eat, drink, let Me fill you with My strength, with My Spirit. I have made sure that you lack nothing. Sit down here, rest, restore yourself in My Word, and replenish your spirit with My Spirit. Rest and I will go fight the enemy of your soul, because the battle belongs to Me, says the Lord of Hosts.

The Lord has prepared a table for you in the presence of your enemies. It does not matter what the trouble is, whatever the circumstances. The Word of God says, “We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

David continues the verse, “You anoint my head with oil; my cups runs over.” The second verse of Psalm 133 states, “it is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments…”

When the Lord told Moses to anoint Aaron, Moses poured the anointing oil from the rams’ horn. Moses didn’t just sprinkle Aaron with this oil. He poured it over his head, until he was covered in it. The oil covered Aaron’s head (so he could have the mind of Christ), his eyes (so he could be able to see God), his ears (so he could hear God), his mouth (so he could speak the words of God), over his chest, his heart (so he would have the heart of God and love His people), down his arms, his hands (to do the work of God), down his legs, his feet (so he would follow God), over the edge of his garments.

The Lord would have us filled each day with His Holy Spirit. He would have our cup not be half full, but overflowing; so we can stand before our enemy – not in fear, but with the confidence of the Lord, knowing that the battle belongs to Him and He has already won!

And now, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Mercy – the unfailing covenant of God. This loving kindness is like the New Testament word ‘grace.’ “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” David is saying that he knows the goodness and grace of God, the covenant love of God will beyond a shadow of doubt, be with him all the days of his life. He knew it, he didn’t question it. Because he knew his God was a covenant-keeping God. David might be unfaithful, but His God was always faithful. He had complete trust that God would be there, always.

“…I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” David said in Psalm 122, “I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” He also said, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” Psalm 27:4.

David was actually saying, ‘to be in His presence all the days of my life, forever.’ The Good Lord wants us to be in His presence every day, every hour because He is our Good Shepherd and we are His sheep.