LOCKET VERSES         WEEK 15

Psalms 44 through 49 are all songs for the sons of Korah, the musicians of Israel.  They were probably set to music and sung in the temple as praise to the Lord and instruction to the people.  Even today, we sing Psalm 48:1-2 as a chorus.  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.  Verse 14, our Locket Verse for today, found at the end of that same Psalm, is like a great resounding final chorus.  Its words must have impelled the temple singers to sing with clear, strong voices.  Can you hear the voices echoing from the temple walls as the worshipers listen with rapt attention?  For this God is our God for ever and ever!  Throughout this Psalm, the writer has mentioned the greatness of God, His holiness, His power and care, His lovingkindness, His righteousness and judgments.  After extolling all these characteristics of the One we worship, he declares with conviction: For this God is our God.  In the nations around Israel, people worshiped idols and false gods.  Their gods were ones of fear and evil.  But Israel’s God was One who had proved Himself as the true God over and over again.  This same God is our God.  What a privilege it is to be a Christian.  Sometimes we seem to take so much for granted.  Around the world there are millions of people today who are held in the bondage of false worship.  Think for a moment of their hopelessness and despair.  Think of their emptiness and fears.  Think of their eternal destinies.  Then consider this: we know the only true God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.  He is not a god of fear, but the God of Love.  He is not a false god, but the Truth itself.  Our destiny is Heaven; we can be filled with confidence, hope and joy.  In salvation, this wonderful, almighty God became our personal Savior.  Before I was saved I knew a lot about God, but now I know God and He lives within my heart.  Wonder of wonders, joy of joys - Jesus is mine!  This God is my God, and that forever and ever!  What a verse for eternal security!  He will be our guide even unto death and then beyond, forever and ever.  That is certainly eternal!  We need not fear, no matter what today may hold, God is our guide, our personal companion, leading us through life.  If we were to die today, God would gently lead us through death’s throws into His glorious kingdom.  We are permanently His and He is permanently ours.  Our relationship is sealed with the Holy Spirit, Himself.  No power on earth or the universe can destroy this bond.  "I am His and He is mine."  Seal this verse to your memory today.  Let the truth of it fill your heart and soul.  Walk with a new spring in your step today, one of confidence and joy.  This wonderful Lord is your God forever and ever!

DAY 100     Psalm 49:3     My mouth shall speak of wisdom: and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

Have you ever heard a woman whose every speech was crude or bitter, angry or ugly?  The moment she opened her mouth, no matter how she looked physically, she became as one of low degree.  Her method of speaking determined your opinion of her. She no longer appeared as a lady, but just a woman.  As women, we should want to honor the Lord and be ladies for God.  It should be our desire to give grace to the hearers and be the best person we can for our Savior.  As mothers we should be teaching our daughters to be gracious ladies.  A good place to start in all these goals would be with the lessons of Psalm 49:3.  Our mouths need to speak of wisdom, our thoughts need to be of deep understanding.  The Psalmist had determined that he would speak wisely and meditate in understanding.  We must make a conscious effort, a firm resolution to fulfill Psalm 49:3 in our lives.  It does not come automatically.  Remember the story of "My Fair Lady?"  The professor took an uncultured, foul mouthed woman, and through constant training taught her culture, correct speech, graceful movements and ladylike behavior.  At first it was just learned behavior, but in the end it was her heart that changed.  She became a "fair lady."  As a Christian, the process is just the opposite.  Our hearts must first be changed in salvation.  Then as we grow in the Lord, meditate on Him, and learn of His ways, He will give our hearts understanding.  What would be impossible to know or understand in the natural realm, we can experience in our spiritual hearts as the redeemed of the Lord, indwelt by His Spirit.  We can look beyond the circumstances of life or the outward actions of a person’s behavior and glimpse the deeper reasons for what we only saw on the surface.  The Holy Spirit sheds His light abroad in our hearts.  Confusion departs, hopelessness flees and godly understanding becomes our heart meditation.  As this process continues, the natural outward manifestation should be that of our mouths speaking forth wisdom.  Jesus said, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Luke 6:45.  If our mouths are not speaking in wisdom then we need more good treasure in our hearts.  James said, If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. James 1:26  Peter gave us an excellent motivation to guard our mouth’s speech: For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. I Peter 3:10  I want to see a good day today, don’t you.  Then let us covet together to speak of wisdom and meditate in our hearts upon things of godly understanding.  Let us hide more good treasure from the Scriptures in our heart.  When we are so filled with the things of the Lord: His Word, His transforming power in our minds, then that which proceeds from our mouth will show the "good" that is within.

This, David’s heart cry for mercy, followed the sins of adultery and arranged murder.  David, the chosen of the Lord, privileged with the highest office in Israel, instructed in the way of the Lord, had committed these heinous crimes.  For months he had lived with the knowledge of his transgressions.  We do not know if David had felt guilt during that time or if he had just rationalized it.  He had tried to cover the actions of his sin and attempted to go on with life without confession to the Lord.  God loved him too much to allow that to continue.  So in mercy and grace, God brought great conviction.  Psalm 51 was written by David as a result of that deep conviction.  He knew what the law said about his due punishment and he knew the reality of his guilt.  He knew how he stood before the judgment of God, but he also knew that there was a place of appeal, that of God’s lovingkindness and tender mercy.  To that mercy seat he would come for forgiveness.  He did not want one stain of sin left to linger in his life.  The request was for God to blot it out completely: Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (verse 2)  When we think of the false concepts of God some people hold, we can be so thankful for the true character of God revealed to us in the Bible.  He is not an uncaring, cold, compassionless being, totally engaged in judgment and doom.  Yet some cynics would portray Him as such.  After the San Francisco earthquake, one editorial said: "Earthquakes in Scripture mean that God has crumpled up the order of the world and hurled it down in disgust." (Time, Essay, Lance Morrow, October 30, 1989)  What a false conclusion about our God of Tender mercies.  Oh, that Mr. Morrow could read the Scripture with understanding.  The God of all power and judgment is still One of tender mercies and lovingkindness to Whom David could cry for forgiveness.  Have you come to this God for mercy and love in your distress and need today?  David did not fear to come to Him.  God promises to cleanse, heal and forgive.  Notice that David did not approach the Lord in his own merits, because he really had none.  He was guilty as charged, no excuse, no justification.  He came to God and asked for mercy based upon God’s merits.  It was according to God’s lovingkindness and the multitude of God’s tender mercies.  Isn’t that wonderful!  If we had to come to God and ask for anything according to our own merits, we could never be assured of positive answers.  In salvation, our righteousness is as filthy rags, and in daily living we all fall short of the glory of God’s expectations for us.  Yet Jesus, the Wonderful Son of God, our sinbearer, has no flaw or fault.  His merits are impeccable.  It is in His righteousness and His glory that we can approach the throne of God and there find mercy and lovingkindness.  All forgiveness is based upon who God is, not on what we have done!  What a fact of mighty praise!  The shout of joy should well up within us and spring in power from our lips.  No matter who I am or what I have done, I can come to God, trusting in Who He is and what He will do!  What a wonderful God we have!

We could label these verses "The Soulwinner’s Secret to Successful Soulwinning."  I was often asked as a missionary to speak to ladies’ groups and each time I desired to share with them how they, too, could be missionaries in their own communities.  I not only wanted to teach them why they should do this great task, but how.  I had been taught many methods to share the gospel, but in searching the Scripture I found what I think is the true "secret" to God’s method mentioned here in Psalm 51.  Throughout the Bible, God reveals to us  His method of sharing the news of salvation with others.  We could list many of them, including the fact that God has promised His Word will not return void, necessitating the use of Scripture to tell of salvation, not just our own words.  We need to learn from the Lord how to share His Words and how to use His methods, but we also need to learn the secret of Psalm 51.  The secret I am talking about resides in the soulwinners themselves.  God wants to work through a clean vessel.  David had asked for cleansing and forgiveness in the first part of the Psalm, and now he asks the Lord to restore to him the joy of his salvation.  David knew that he could only have true joy and gladness in the Lord when his life was right and his sins forgiven.  Then he requested of the Lord that He would uphold David with thy free spirit.  We could also say, "Fill me, Lord, with thy spirit and give me Thy Holy Spirit’s power within."  And, now, here is the connection with soulwinning.  The first time I noticed it, the words seemed to leap from the page of my Bible: Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.  David knew that when he was a clean vessel and empowered with the Holy Spirit, then he could teach the lost transgressor God’s ways, and then sinners would be converted.  David uses the word shall, which is a promise word in the Bible.  Shall carries with it the meaning of "absolutely."  It is like saying, "sinners absolutely will be converted unto thee."  Now that is a promise of success!  We can learn all the methods there are, memorize all the Scriptural plans and special verses, but if our own hearts are not cleansed, if our lives are not controlled by the Spirit of God, we will not experience success in soulwinning.  It is interesting that many modern methods of soulwinning consistently leave out these godly principles of holiness for us.  But God does not leave them out.  The sincere, cleansed and spiritual Christian will find success in sharing the gospel even when many a well educated person with just a lot of head knowledge will fail.  God is interested in your heart, dear Christian, in your motivation and in your sincerity.  He will honor His Word.  His desire is for sinners to come to Him in salvation.  He wants to do the great work of soulwinning through you.  Claim David’s prayers as your own today.  Experience the joy of your salvation, be upheld by the Holy Spirit, give Him free reign in your life.  God will give you success in your personal life and you can know the marvel of being used by Him to teach others of God’s glorious salvation!

Whenever the Lord speaks of olive trees in the Scripture as symbols, He is speaking of that which is genuine and real in His presence.  The two witnesses in the Book of Revelation are shown to be like two olive trees.  In the Book of Zechariah, olive trees are seen in the very presence of God.  The nation Israel is viewed as being like an olive tree and Gentiles are grafted into her in true faith toward God.  The Psalmist says that when he truly trusts in the Lord, he is like a green olive tree, one that is full of life and hope and fruit bearing potential.  In this Psalm, the writer had just spoken of the man who loved evil rather than good and boasted of himself rather than God.  Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. (verse 7)  That man is seen as being plucked out of his dwelling place and rooted out of the land of the living (verse 5).  In contrast, there is the man who trusts in God.  He is that green olive tree.  He has been planted in the house of the Lord and dwells there close to the One whom he will praise...for ever.  He will not be uprooted because the Husbandman of his life did the work of transplanting.  The Lord formed the root ball and carefully gathered it up and placed it into the rich medium of His Word.  He watered that new growth with the Water of Life and kept the young tree in the green house of His own love.  Planted in that spiritual house of God’s kingdom, the tree is alive and well.  The Psalmist cries out in our verse that he might not be a dry or barren olive tree in the presence of God, but a vibrant green olive tree.  It is his prayer that he be what God desires of him, with genuineness in his faith and in his life.  As that green tree, the sincere Christian, rooted and grounded in Christ, can stand in the presence of the Lord and know that his God is strengthening him day by day.  There are many different types of trees in Bible lands, but the olive tree was probably the most valuable.  It gave shade, fruit and oil to the people.  We are valuable to God.  He has much planned for our lives.  He desires us to be of service to him and to others.  We are called upon to give comfort by the cool shade of God’s love, to bear fruit in our lives, and minister grace by the work of the Holy Spirit, shown by the symbol of oil, to others.  Our light is to shine as a burning of clear refined olive oil in the house of God.  Our leaf is to be green, fresh and watered, not withered from lack of spiritual feeding.  Did you ever notice the graceful shadows that olive trees cast?  The shadow of our life in the landscape where we live should be one of grace and beauty.  Today as you stand before the Lord in prayer, truly trust in His mercies.  Be genuine and real in His presence and He will make you to be like that olive tree of Psalm 52.  Love righteousness and justice, truth and grace.  God will honor you for it.  Genuineness and real faith are things that can not be faked.  God looks at our hearts and He knows our true self.  Lord, if there is any area in my life that is not genuine toward You, please show it to me today.  Root it out so that I can stand before You as a fruitful tree.  Use me, Lord, for your service.  Help me to trust in Your mercies today.  I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints. (verse 9)

DAY 104     Psalm 54:4     Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

David had been betrayed.  Fearful and deceitful men had told Saul where he was hiding.  They were men that David had fought for and risked much for, yet they were not willing to do the same for him.  He was in real trouble because of the back stabbing of those he had thought could be trusted.  Yet, David knew that there was One who would never let him down.  There was One who would not betray him or desert him, and that One was God.  Despite all else, David said, Behold, God is mine helper.  Haven’t you been there?  Someone lets you down.  The very one you thought you could rely on, turns their back on you.  Some one does not live up to your expectations.  Then the devil comes slyly and whispers in your ear, "Get really discouraged...isn’t it really God who let you down?"  Don’t listen to the sly slander.  NO, it is not God who let you down, He is your Helper!  When all others fail, God will not fail.  When there is no other helper, God is the Helper who can supply all your needs.  After all, there is none other so powerful.  Did you really need anyone or anything else?  David knew that God would deliver him and take care of his enemies as well.  How wonderful to have that same Helper in our lives today.  Did you notice the second part of the verse?  The Lord is with them that uphold my soul.  Even though there had been those that turned their backs on David, there are still others who were faithful friends and helpers.  Think of the ones in your life today who are upholding your soul.  Let’s make a list.  Your pastor is one of the ones who upholds your soul.  It is his job to feed that soul, pray for it and guard it from wrong counsel.  Pray for your Pastor today.  Then there are family members.  Do you have a mother, a father, husband, sister, or brother, or child that is upholding your soul today?  What about friends and loved ones, church members... the list goes on.  Think of all these who are upholding you today!  Did the devil try to tempt you to be downhearted recently.  Maybe it was through the deception of making you think everyone was against you.  Oh, no, tempter of my soul, there are many who are upholding us and then there is God!  He will uphold us with the right hand of His power.  Let’s go a step further.  God has given each of us an important responsibility also.  He has a list of those whom we are to uphold in prayer and encouragement.  Perhaps now would be a good time to pause and make an actual list of those we know God has on our responsibility list today.  Maybe there are even those who are in real trouble or trials and need our special heart felt intercessory prayers and uplifting.  God’s Word to us is wonderful.  He promises to be our Helper.  He encourages us by reminding us of those that will uphold us.  Then, He gives a promise to each one of us who will be "Upholders" of others, He will be with us!  In a special, unique way, God’s presence and power will be with those that spiritually uphold others.  What a wonderful plan.  God helping us as we help others, who also help us.  A beautiful circle of love and care.  May each one of us today accept the responsibility of being spiritual upholders.  Lord, help me to really take the time to make a list of those You want me to pray for today.  If there is someone who needs a special touch in their lives that I can provide today, lay that one on my heart.  Help me to give of myself and my time if it is needed.  Lord, I want to be used of You in this marvelous way, in Your plan of uplifting one another.  If my name is never known beyond my home and church, and if I never have a prominent place in society, it is enough for me to know that I have been part of Your important plan.  What a wonderful job You give to me, help me not to neglect it.  Help me to take this job seriously.  Help me to pray and to encourage others.  Help me to be a spiritual upholder today.  Thank You for those that uphold my soul.  Give them a special blessing this day.

When our family was traveling as missionaries, we heard Brother Lester Roloff give his testimony about this verse.  He said that every year he asked the Lord to lay one verse especially on his heart as a "theme" for the year.  This verse was one of those annual theme verses and Brother Roloff had even set it to music.  Our family sang that chorus for a long time.  The message Brother Roloff wanted others to get from his experience was that prayer must never be neglected, that we must take prayer seriously.  Not just one time a day, or even just once in a while, but we must make prayer a constant part of our lives.  Daniel was known to pray three times a day.  Certainly he had read the Psalms and knew this verse.  Is that what convicted him to go to his window morning, evening and at noon.  He prayed, he cried out loud, even when it meant being put in a place of worldly danger.  No matter what the threats of compromise, he persisted to pray to the God of his life.  We know, from the story of the lion’s den, that God certainly heard his voice.  David, also, knew that even though all others deserted the Lord, As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord will save me. (verse 16)  Is your confidence in the Lord today?  Is prayer what it should be in your life?  Try this: pray in the evening, in the morning and at noon.  Several years ago I made that a priority in my life.  I set a time to do it and that really helped me keep my commitment.  Morning and evening were already a part of my "routine" but stopping at noon to pray really made me conscious of the Lord in my life.  Our confidence is in a God who hears and answers prayer.  His confidence is in us to come to Him in prayer.  Let us decide together to be the sort of people who meet God’s expectations.  If you are not already doing this, try it for at least a week.  See if there isn’t a difference in your life.  Set a time aside three times a day: in the morning, at noon and in the evening, then keep that appointment with God and PRAY.  Notice if life does not take on a deeper meaning.  See if you can handle the strife of your day with more peace (verse 18 talks about that and so will we next week!).  See if you are not more aware of God’s answering your prayers daily.  Say the verse again with confidence and commitment.  Try God’s plan for a week.  You usually eat three times a day, it has become a trained habit in your life.  Set aside time and pray three times a day.  See if you can make it a habit for good in your life.  See if your spiritual feeding doesn’t become more fulfilling and enriching to you.  This is an exciting experiment for us to try together this week.  Notice again the word shall in the verse.  Remember it is a promise word.  Read the verse as a personal promise, "Lord, if I pray in the evening and the morning and at noon, if I really pray and cry aloud to You, You promise that You will absolutely hear my voice.  You will answer my prayers.  Lord, I want that in my life.  Help me to keep that commitment of prayer to You this week.  I know the devil will try to keep me busy or make me forget, so Lord, give me Your special help to be consistent in this.  Help me to pause in my day, at least three times a day, and come to you in prayer.  And Lord, thank You for hearing me.  Amen."