THOUGHTS OF THE KING

Scripture: He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth — the Lord God Almighty is his name.- AMOS 6:13

For anyone living during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, (especially if you’ve watched any of the numerous movies, documentaries and TV series about her) you probably know a little of her life story. One can debate her real power as Queen and face of Great Britain, but no one can doubt her influence throughout her 70 year reign.

Elizabeth II was the head of the British Empire from 1952 until 2022. Throughout her reign she showed strength when Great Britain was threatened. She grieved in times of national tragedy. She led from a position of great privilege and great responsibility. And she faced her share of criticism.

But it’s only those closest to the Queen who knew her most personal thoughts. It was most likely only her very close family and a few trusted confidants with whom she shared her frustrations, uncertainties and deepest joys.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Amos spoke for Almighty God to his chosen people, the nation of Israel. He described God as the Creator of the mountains and the wind. Then he makes what I think is a remarkable statement. He says God Almighty “reveals His thoughts to mankind.”

If I had gotten an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II for a visit, I would have been humbled and honored. As she spoke, I would have listened to every word she said. Even more of a privilege is that the Creator of the universe invites me to hear his thoughts and know his heart.

In light of this revelation, I have to ask myself, “Do I take the time to listen to him?”

Father, God of Hosts, you desire to share your thoughts with me. May I take the time to read your Word and listen for your voice.

For Today: Take some time to be still and listen for God’s voice. Read the Bible – his Word – and meditate on a verse, perhaps Amos 4:13. Think about what he might be saying to you.

Uncovering the Joy

Choose to see the pain in your life from God’s perspective.

James 1:2-4

Pressure. Stress. Conflict. Broken dreams. Life is full of adversity. When Jesus said we’d have trouble in this world (John 16:33), He wasn’t kidding. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t face some form of a trial. Many are trivial, like getting stuck in traffic or having a tiring day with a sick baby. Others are life-altering, like a devastating diagnosis or the death of a loved one. But according to James 1:2, we should “consider it all joy” when these trials of life come our way. That may not seem possible—yet it is when we choose to see our pain from God’s perspective.

Maintaining a Christlike perspective is easy when life is smooth and we have everything we need; holding on to that perspective when things are falling apart is much more difficult.  Adversity refines us, but to see the positive in the middle of our pain, we must be intentional about choosing to look at things from God’s point of view. That means remembering He loves us and is at work in our life, growing our faith and endurance.

God uses all things—both our joys and our trials—to make us perfect and complete in Him. Keeping that perspective allows us to find joy in a difficult situation. The trials we face in this life make us more like our Father. And for that, we can rejoice.

God’s Rule and Blessing

If you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine.

Exodus 19:5

Obedience has fallen out of fashion. But it is central to the Christian life.

It’s not unusual for us to hear even the best of people express a negative attitude towards authority, for we live in an anti-authoritarian age. Within the church what was once regarded as a sacred view of Scripture’s authority doesn’t rest happily in the minds of some. Yet in seeking to find freedom on our own terms and apart from God’s authority, we also remove ourselves from His blessing.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed the rule of God in the Garden of Eden, they were separated from Him; they forfeited the blessing of His presence. Rejection of God’s law has always brought about, and will always bring about, separation from our Maker and withdrawal of His blessings. In contrast, the restoration of God’s rule always brings about the blessing of communion and fellowship that God designed for His people.

This promise of God’s rule and blessing was fulfilled during Israel’s history in the giving of God’s law. The Israelites’ obedience to the law wasn’t meant to be a desperate attempt to achieve salvation; rather, it was a response to the salvation that had already been achieved for them. God first reached down and took hold of His people, redeeming them and liberating them from bondage in Egypt—and then the law was given to them.

In other words, God didn’t give the law as a mechanism for redemption or provide it as a pathway to becoming one of His people. Instead, having redeemed the Israelites, He gave them the law as a conduit of His grace so that they might know how to live under His rule and truly enjoy His blessing. If that principle is flipped upside down, everything goes wrong. We will live our lives in the fierce grip of legalism, thinking all the time that our endeavors can put us in a right standing before God. But equally, if we forget that God saved us so that we might enjoy life under His rule, and we continue to ignore His laws whenever they do not suit our own purposes, then we will live our lives wondering why blessing seems elusive.

God’s law does not save, but it is “the perfect law, the law of liberty,” and the one who obeys it “will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:25). As those rescued from sin by God, we are to respond to His salvation by choosing to walk in joyful obedience.

When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.[1]