Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Psalms

Finding Joy

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Do you find yourself a little less joyful these days than you have been in the past? Life seems harder than it used to be, civility is difficult to find, and decorum seems to be a relic of the past. From news reports and social media to common experiences in our everyday lives, the world is teeming with anger, despair, and outright evil. It’s understandable we may experience a lack of joy in such a world.

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Against this backdrop, we must reconcile our feelings with the Apostle Paul’s admonition to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). Considering these words, how and where can we go about finding joy and peace for our souls in these dark days? I assure you that hope is not lost and indeed, if we are faithful, joy will come again tomorrow (Psalm 30:5).

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I Hope I’m Wrong

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I hope I’m wrong. Based on what I read in the Bible, it is my conviction that those who are saved will bear the fruit of their salvation (Matthew 7:16-20). They will love the Lord with all their heart and have a deep hunger for His Word (Psalm 119:97). They will have a deep desire to keep His commandments and show an ever-increasing success in accomplishing that (John 14:15).

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The way I read scripture informs me those who love the Lord will put aside the things of this world and obsess over the promised Kingdom to come (Colossians 3:1-2). But I hope I’m wrong about all of that because, if it’s true, many, perhaps even most, of my friends and family might not be saved after all. Most of those I see at church each week are heading for Hell. I desperately hope I’m wrong.

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Pursuing Lies

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How long will we love what is worthless and spend our days pursuing lies? It’s a question King David asked concerning his enemies thousands of years ago and one that God is still asking of us today (Psalm 4:2). David asked it of his enemies, but I doubt anyone reading this considers themselves an enemy of God. How, then, can we explain why we are living our lives for such worthless pursuits?

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We declare ourselves to be enemies of God when we reject Him and pursue the things of this world  (James 4:4). Howl at that statement all you wish, but Jesus said those who aren’t with Him are against Him (Matthew 12:30). We can’t be for God and reject His commandments at the same time (John 14:15). We cannot serve two masters because we will love the one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24).

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Great Is Thy Faithfulness

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While rehearsing the classic hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, I found myself asking, “To what is God being faithful?” As I thought through all the ways God shows Himself faithful in my life, it occurred to me that above all, God is faithful to Himself. He is faithful to His character, which does not change (Numbers 23:19). The fact He never wavers to any degree is proof of His faithfulness.

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That He is faithful to Himself assures us He will always be faithful in kindness, goodness, mercy, grace, love, and even in His wrath (James 1:17). God’s faithfulness is great because it is reliable, trustworthy, righteous, and altogether holy. When we sing, “Great is thy faithfulness,” we are praising God for His unchanging character, unwavering love, and unstoppable power.

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Are We Really Any Better?

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As you read the Bible, it’s easy to shake your head at some of the characters. We think we would never behave that way or make the choices they did. Knowing what we know of Jesus today, I think it’s easy to be confident we would react better if we were in their place. Let me assure you, none of us would. I know this because I know myself and I know what I observe in others every day.

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Perhaps our actions are even worse than those of our ancestors. We have the complete Word and revelation of God in our hands and our native language (2 Timothy 3:16-17). This phenomenon is only a few hundred years old. None of those we read about in the Bible had access to the Word like we do. Despite that, our commitment to Jesus is no better than theirs.

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