Do we really believe what God says to be really real?

The psalmist of this song reminds us to keep our ears tuned to listen and our eyes fixed on the Lord God who created all and is in all.  We were made in His image from the beginning with a desire to be more like Him in every way—this truth is in our DNA.  When we refuse to listen with understanding, trust what He says, or follow with loving obedience, emptiness within our souls grows larger with each day lived entirely on our own.  And we wonder why we are living in discontent when to the world it seems we have all we need. Without God, life is meaningless and leads to death forever. With God the emptiness is filled with His love, mercy, and grace with the bonus of eternal life lovingly and willingly provided by Jesus, His Son.  But, do you really believe this? 

“But me? God snatches me from the clutch of death, he reaches down and grabs me.” The Psalmist is clear in who He believes, trusts, and obeys.  I agree with the Psalmist. God pulled me out of a dead life of pleasing others to gain worth and gave me new life to enjoy pleasing Him! He leads me where I need to go. Each day begins with Him and ends with Him. This daily discipline is the manna from heaven that feeds my soul!  I am compelled to love God with all my heart, mind, and soul here until I see Jesus face to face in all His glory where our relationship becomes greater still!  Yes, I believe.  I have decided to follow Jesus, His Son because He saved me from death and empty living. So, there truly is no turning back! 

Our responsive actions to life here reveal what we truly believe in our hearts, minds, and souls. Who do you believe? Who is the greatest influencer in your life? Who is leading you?  These are all questions we must stop and ponder each day for it is a matter of life or death.

Psalm 49, The Message

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

^1-2 Listen, everyone, listen—
    earth-dwellers, don’t miss this.
All you haves
    and have-nots,
All together now: listen.

^3-4 I set plainspoken wisdom before you,
    my heart-seasoned understandings of life.
I fine-tuned my ear to the sayings of the wise,
    I solve life’s riddle with the help of a harp.

^5-6 So why should I fear in bad times,
    hemmed in by enemy malice,
Shoved around by bullies,
    demeaned by the arrogant rich?

^7-9 Really! There’s no such thing as self-rescue,
    pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
The cost of rescue is beyond our means,
    and even then it doesn’t guarantee
Life forever, or insurance
    against the Black Hole.

^10-11 Anyone can see that the brightest and best die,
    wiped out right along with fools and idiots.
They leave all their prowess behind,
    move into their new home, The Coffin,
The cemetery their permanent address.
    And to think they named counties after themselves!

¹²     We aren’t immortal. We don’t last long.
    Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.

^13-15 This is what happens to those who live for the moment,
    who only look out for themselves:
Death herds them like sheep straight to hell;
    they disappear down the gullet of the grave;
They waste away to nothing—
    nothing left but a marker in a cemetery.
But me? God snatches me from the clutch of death,
    he reaches down and grabs me.

^16-19 So don’t be impressed with those who get rich
    and pile up fame and fortune.
They can’t take it with them;
    fame and fortune all get left behind.
Just when they think they’ve arrived
    and folks praise them because they’ve made good,
They enter the family burial plot
    where they’ll never see sunshine again.

²⁰     We aren’t immortal. We don’t last long.
    Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Get Real—Accept the gift of salvation from God made possible through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus from a heart of love, mercy, and grace for each one who lives in the world He created.  Believe, really believe God and be saved—forever!  Begin a glorious, magnificent, intimate loving relationship with our Creator who so loved us and still does!

Respond with daily surrender (Romans 12:1-2) of all we currently hang on to with both fists to instead reach up with opened hands for the Hand of God who longs to bless us with all we really need. Yes, that is our God, all knowing, all loving and caring, who knows exactly what we need when we give it most—and delights in providing for us.  There is NO ONE like our God!

Lord,

Thank you for the thoughts of your love and care this morning. Thank you for saving us and making us whole again and again from our pursuits of those things that do not satisfy like your love and care. Thank you for cleansing our hearts, renewing our minds, refreshing our souls and restoring the eternal, inner joy of you in us and us in you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Do we really believe what God says to be really real?