Journal for Christ: Keeping God's steadfast Love before us

February 22, 2017

Worship: Keep My Heart Alive by Sanctus Real

I'm so tired of politics and all this bad news

I'm so tired of chasing the moment instead of chasing You

I let the World wear me down, I'm desensitized

Jesus keep my heart alive, keep my heart alive

Only You can save me from a world that's breaking right before my eyes

Keep my heart alive

Take these empty "hallelujahs", and fill my lungs again

'Cause I want to sing, and I want to mean it

I want to feel again

And let the world hear the sound of something divine

Jesus keep my heart alive (Only You can save me)

Keep my heart alive (Only You can save me)

Only You can save me when my world is breaking right before my eyes

Jesus keep my heart alive (Only You can save me)

Keep my heart alive (Only You can save me)

Only You can save me when my hope is fading, and I'm losing the fight

And when the world wears me down

You're my lifeline

You keep my heart alive (Only You can save me)

Jesus keep my heart alive (Only You can save me)

Keep my heart alive (Only You can save me)

Only You can save me when my world is breaking right before my eyes

Keep my heart alive (Only You can save me)

Oh, keep my heart alive (Only You can save me)

You're my only hope, when my world is fading before my eyes

Jesus keep my heart alive

Keep my heart alive

Lyrics: https://genius.com/Sanctus-real-keep-my-heart-alive-lyrics

Video: https://youtu.be/mSwFsU7lB5c

Witness:

Matt 24:12-13
2 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Do you feel it? That chill in the air. Not the temperature outside, which is rather mild at the moment here where I live. No, the chill is in the climate of this age. The Lord spoke of such a chill when sin will increase, and Love will decrease. Many carry signs saying “Love Trumps Hate” or something to that effect. Yet, by their actions, one realizes love is in short supply with those who carry them. Fighting, beating, looting, rioting, terrorism are the headlines of this present time.

In this climate, I feel the chill seeking to freeze my own heart. These last few days I have struggled with my own feelings and thoughts. Where is the joy in prayer and fellowship with the Lord? Has my study and worship merely become a duty and not a pleasure to be sought? Today when I arose from “sleeping,” a song came on that spoke to me, and I took it as my prayer. That song is the song of worship above. It is a song we all need to pray every day so we will not succumb to the chilling effects of the spirit of this age.

Lord,

May my love never grow cold

Nor delight in You grow old

May I never give in

To this worlds pleasure in sin

Help me fight for joy in You

And keep eternity in view

Enduring every trial I face

With Your power, truth, and grace

--Amen

WORD:

Ps 26:1-8

Vindicate me, O LORD,

for I have led a blameless life;

I have trusted in the Lord

without wavering.

2 Test me, O Lord, and try me,

examine my heart and my mind;

3 for your love is ever before me,

and I walk continually in your truth.

Ps 26:1-8

1 Declare me innocent, O LORD,

for I have acted with integrity;

I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

2 Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me.

Test my motives and my heart.

3 For I am always aware of your unfailing love,

and I have lived according to your truth.

Ps 26:1-3

Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.

2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.

KJV

Ps 26:1-3

Vindicate me, O LORD,

for I have walked in my integrity,

and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me;

test my heart and my mind.

3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,

and I walk in your faithfulness.

ESV

Check me out, Lord.

Check the sincerity of my walk.

Check my motives and my thoughts.

Check my actions to see if I have done as I ought.

Is this not David’s prayer and desire? And so, he launches into some reasons he believes he is innocent of the things his detractors are saying or thinking about him. Verse three begins with the basis of his actions. The prime motivator and source of his life of integrity. God’s “steadfast love”! Here is the word that has continually appeared in David’s writings. It is the word “chesed” or “hesed.” (God’s constant, unfailing, faithful mercy and love towards His chosen ones).

This is emphasized by the word used here for the word “before.” It is the Hebrew word “neged.”

Vine’s says it means:

neged OT:5048, "before; in the presence of; in the sight of; in front of; in one's estimation; straight ahead." This word occurs 156 times in biblical Hebrew as a preposition and an adverb. Basically the word indicates that its object is immediately "before" something or someone.
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

TWOT has this to say:

neged‎. Prominently "before."… The preposition occurs in the compound ‎l®neged ‎(used to emphasize ‎neged ‎(Ps 90:8; Jer 16:17; etc.)), i.e. to set before one as that which determines one's conduct (cf. 2 Sam 22:23; Ps 26:3; Ps 36:2 *).
(from Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Copyright © 1980 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)

This fact is missed by a more formal translation of this word. The NIV and NLT bring some of the nuances out of this word by translating it as “ever before me”(NIV) or “I am always aware of”(NLT).

David continually kept the Lord’s faithful and steadfast love in his thoughts. It became a spiritual discipline. A holy habit. But what does it mean to “keep it ever before him”? What did this look like in practice?

First of all, we must remember that Love is not just an emotional feeling (but never let this mean it is devoid of feeling – our feelings may waver – but praise God, He is perfect, so His “feelings” of love towards us are perfect). David was not saying he continually basked in the thought of how God feels about him. As the UBS OT Handbook says,

“steadfast love is an event rather than a quality.”

Therefore, David is saying he remembers God’s acts of love towards him personally and towards His covenant people (see Ps. 77:11; 105:5; 143:5). How different this is from my own walk with God. I tend to forget all He has done and focus on the problems I am facing. Thank God, He is changing that, but I still have a ways to go. This has been the problem that has plagued mankind from the beginning. It is what has plagued the nation of Israel all through their history (see Judg. 8:34; Ps. 78:42) This is true of us in the church today. We have forgotten the Lord and all His benefits (cf. Ps. 103:2). Why is this? It is because we have taken our eyes off the LORD (see Ps. 25:15; Mt 14:28-31) and forgotten His steadfast, faithful love towards us.

It is also because we have forgotten that God often doesn’t bring us out of the trial but He always brings us through it safely if we do not lose heart (see Ps 23:4; Daniel 3:16-18; 2 Cor. 1:8-11).

So, to keep God’s love before us means remembering. But it means more than the mere act of remembering. It also means occupying our thoughts with the Love of God.

The Pulpit Commentary says this:

… he keeps God's loving-kindness, or mercy (ds#j#‎), ever before his eyes - reflects on it, meditates on it, presents it to his thought - continually.
(from The Pulpit Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

If we are to keep the steadfast love of God before us, we must make it a practice to consider it with meaningful meditation. I say meaningful because so much of what is called meditation is an emptying oneself of all thoughts and verbalizing a meaningless mantra designed for mere self-gratification. Real meditation fills our thoughts with the glorious works and words of God, the provision and promises of the Lord, and the satisfying and sanctifying love of our Savior.

Journal for Christ

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Keeping God's steadfast Love before us

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