and my mouth will declare
Your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice,
or I would bring it;
You do not take pleasure
in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, You will not despise."
(Psalm 51:15-17)
Yesterday, we meditated upon the pleasing aroma of Christ. Beloved, nothing pleases the Lord more than a humble heart, which clings to Him in whole-hearted love and Christ-centered dependence.
We have nothing to offer the Lord, but He has everything to offer us. He does not desire our "sacrifices"; He desires our hearts.
He desires that ...
... when earthly troubles threaten, we will cling to Him in trusting dependence.
... when temporal persecutions wound, we will cling to Him in hopeful expectation.
... when tempting distractions arise, we will cling to Him in stubborn devotion.
... when fleshly sins erupt, we will cling to Him in earnest repentance.
Realizing that I just typed "cling" four times in a row, I stopped to research the word's definition:
1. To hold fast or adhere to something, as by grasping, sticking, embracing, or entwining
2. To remain close; resist separation
3. To remain emotionally attached; hold on
4. To continue to do or believe in
5. To be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
6. To clutch, grip, embrace, grasp, hug, hold on to, clasp
7. To adhere to, maintain, stand by, cherish, abide by, be true to, be loyal to, be faithful to, cleave to
Interestingly, in the noun form, the definition of "cling" is:
1. A fruit whose flesh adheres strongly to the pit
2. An edible reproductive body of a seed plant especially one having sweet flesh
The definition of the noun form draws me to John 15, but, for today, it's the seven definitions of "cling" as a verb, which really strike me. Let's take a look at some passages in God's Word:
"I hate those who cling
to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD."
(Psalm 31:6)
to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD."
(Psalm 31:6)
In this Scripture, King David's "hate" literally means "to refuse to be associated with". "Cling to" literally means "to watch expectantly for the help of".
My NIV Bible notes say this about Psalm 31:
"A prayer for deliverance when confronted by a conspiracy so powerful and open that all David's friends abandoned him. According to Luke 23:46, Jesus on the cross applied Psalm 31:5 ("Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of Truth.") to His own circumstances. ... No psalm expresses a more sturdy trust in the Lord when powerful human forces threaten. The heart of the prayer itself is found in verses 9-18 ... Verse 13, at the center of the psalm, expresses most clearly the prayer's occasion. ... (See also) Psalm 27."
(Wow! I love it when the Holy Spirit takes over and just says what He wants to say. This post is completely different--and so much better!-- than where I thought I was going with it.)
When David was in the Judean desert, threatened by deadly enemies, He continued to cling to the One True God: "Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:7-8).
As king, David pledged to reign in justice and righteousness, recognizing the Lord as the sovereign ruler of all, and he repudiated evil deeds and evil doers: "I will set before my eyes no vile things. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me." (Psalm 101:3).
As a flawed human being, however, even David, to whom God referred as "a man after His own heart" (reference 1 Samuel 13:14), sinned against the Lord in lust, adultery, and even murder (reference 2 Samuel 11). Here's an important distinction, however: David recognized his sin, regretted it, and earnestly repented of it. (Reference the beginning reflection Scripture and all of Psalm 51.)
(God is SO good! I was beginning to wonder what the beginning of this post had to do with the end of it ... and He just brought it full circle! It's amazing what God can do when I just relinquish my own human endeavors and "cling" to Him!) :-)
Beloved, this temporal life is but a shadow of the things that are to come; "the reality, however, is found in Christ" (Colossians 2:17). This current earth is a battleground and a testing ground, but it is not solid ground. So, precious ones, let us cling, with humble and hopeful hearts, only to that which supports us--Christ Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone (reference Ephesians 2:20), the Lord of lords, and the King of kings (reference Revelation 11:15).
Precious Father, thank You that in this world of ever-shifting sand, Christ is the solid rock to which I cling! Lord, continue to create within me a pure heart and a steadfast spirit (reference Psalm 51:10). Let me not "cling to deceit" (reference Jeremiah 8:5); let me not "cling to worthless idols" (reference Jonah 2:8), but let me "cling to what is good" (reference Romans 12:9). Let me cling to You. I pray in the name of Jesus, my only sure Foundation. Amen.
and you humbled yourself before the LORD ...
I have heard you ...' "
(2 Kings 22:19,
2 Chronicles 34:27)
How can we encourage and pray for you today? Please let us know by clicking on "Sparks Share" at the end of today's reflection, and scroll down to the "Comments" box. You may choose to comment anonymously, if you prefer. Feel free to leave your praises and insights as well!
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2 comments:
Amazing! I could almost sense as the Holy Spirit began to lead you through this devotion. Don't you just love the way the Lord unveils His Word, layer by layer, always new, always fresh, and always a right-now, on-time message. Powerful! I pray all readers are touched with the passion of David as he chose to avoid those who cling to worthless idols and associate himself with those who cling to what is good -- the ONLY good, our Lord Jesus Christ, the True and Sure Foundation! Amen!
Oh, Jan, yes! I do love the way the Lord unveils His Word. You are so right: His Word is alive and active, living and breathing. All thanks and praise to Him for that gift!
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