LOCKET VERSES WEEK TWO

This is the second week of Locket Verses, daily devotionals originally written for the ladies of my church and now for you. The verses are those that hopefully will minister to your heart as you meditate on them each day. Accept them from my heart to yours!

The Psalmist David was a man of war.  He knew what he needed in the midst of a battle.  He knew he needed the strength of the Lord most of all.  The Scripture tells us we are in a holy warfare as soldiers of the Lord.  Each day we are called upon to battle foes on two fronts: the inward war against the law of my mind (Romans 7:23), and the outward war against the rulers of the darkness of this world (Ephesians 6:12).  We cannot fight either battle in our own strength.  Only God can wage such battles.  In the heat of the conflict, God knows what we need.  First and foremost, we need HIM.  Notice that the word LORD in our verse is placed all in capital letters.  This is the proper way in the English language to show the use of the word Jehovah.  We can apply this in a personal way.  Whenever we see the word LORD, we can read it louder and stronger than any other word in the verse.  The capitals seem to signal the trumpets blowing, heralding the King of Glory as He rides with His troops.  In our hearts we can be reminded to hold Him so high that no weak inner thought nor outward demonic whisper could ever think to exalt itself against the Glorious Victor!  He is LORD and He comes to our aid.  He gives spiritual comfort in the battle, for He wilt bless the righteous.  He will give spiritual protection as He shields us with Himself.  Notice, David says thou [God] wilt compass him [the believer-soldier].  God is our Shield and Protector!  How wonderful to receive God’s eternal blessings in the midst of a battle!  Any earthly blessings or rewards we could be enticed to gain, will only decay or be snatched from us by the enemy.  Think of the fruit that Eve ate.  Surely as she dropped the remains of that forbidden fruit to the ground, it started to decay.  Within days it was rotten.  That which had looked so sparkling like a jewel on the tree, eventually turned to refuse.  But God’s blessings will endure forever.  In His love, as a free gift of His favor, God Himself will compass us about with a spiritual shield.  Not only on the front and sides, but even behind us where we cannot see the approach of the enemy, God’s shield completely surrounds us.  Just remember, it is a spiritual shield, not a human shield.  We have to lay down our own feeble defenses, all our own weapons, at the feet of the Captain, and take up His shield of faith.  How foolish of us to think we can wage a spiritual battle in our own strength.  Our weapons of intelligence, experience and worldly wisdom all look very feeble as we consider the intellect, experience and cunning of our enemy, Satan.  Some think that they can fight with their own courage and character.  Do not underestimate the fierceness of the battle or the surprise of the ambush that can lurk behind every new temptation.  Only the LORD of all Glory can defeat the enemy.  Only the Captain of our faith sees every part of the battle ahead.  Only His armor will not prove unworthy in the battle.  That is why we are told in the Scriptures to "put on" the armor of the Lord.

Are you in a battle today?  Lay down your own dented and useless weapons and ask the Lord to compass you with His shield.  In Him is our only true protection from the battle that lies ahead even this day.

Many times we are willing to give the Lord praise for a victory won or a blessing received, but even as we are doing it, deep in our hearts we may be secretly holding bitterness, anger, self pride or doubt.  We may even bolt the doors of certain chambers of our spiritual heart as we would close the door on a messy room at home.  The company may see the clean front room but we know there is work to be done elsewhere.  Let God do His work in the chambers of your heart.  Let Him clean and rearrange each area until it is spotless.  Let Him open the curtains and allow His light to stream in.  Let Him take out all the garbage and straighten up.  And then, holding nothing back, we can praise Him with our whole heart.  Say the first part of the verse slowly to yourself.  Can you truly say today that you are praising the Lord with your whole heart?  Is something holding you back or is there a door locked within?  Kneel before Him and let Him do His work today.  Then truly we will be able to show forth His marvelous works out of a cleansed and whole heart.  The second probing question the verse poses to us is: "Am I showing forth all God’s marvelous works?"  We could break that question down into several areas.  First of all, "Am I showing forth God?"  Does my life reflect the character of Christ in my actions, speech, activities, habits, emotions?  Do I really show by these things that I belong to Jesus?  If not, perhaps it is because of the close tie with the first part of the verse: Am I praising God with my whole heart?  Is all cleansed within?  Perhaps the reason I can not show forth Christ is because I have reserved too many areas of my heart and life for myself.  I have not let Christ invade all my heart and rule there as King.  If we do not allow Him to be Ruler of our life, then we will certainly not be the ambassadors we should be.  The President of the United States will only choose those to be ambassadors for our country who truly represent the ideals and policies of our nation and his administration.  They must be tried and true Americans.  If we are to be ambassadors for our King, the Lord Jesus, then we too must stand the test of scrutiny, we must be tried and true Christians.  The question remains, do I not only show forth God, but do I speak of His marvelous works to others?  Everyday God demonstrates His greatness to us through His Word and through His dealings in our lives.  Do we share that with others?  So often we can talk of almost everything else but the marvelous things God has done.  How very strange!  We should be speaking daily about the wonderful Lord who saved us and works in our lives.  God’s works truly are marvelous.  What a word... marvelous, exceedingly wonderful!  Today seek to share the wonder of God with others and then the circle will continue: you will be able to praise Him more and that with a whole heart!

There are times when we just need a place of shelter, peace, comfort and protection, a special place that the Bible calls a refuge.  When we are weary and the battle has been long, we can run to the Rock that is higher than any of our problems.  We don’t have to take refuge in a bottle, a pill or an earthly distraction for our refuge is the Lord Himself.  As we hide ourselves in Him, no matter how fierce the battle rages outside, or how strongly the winds blow, we are safe and secure in the shelter of His love.  If a trial catches us unawares, our refuge is ever near, we can safely abide within while we take that spiritual breath and prepare to face the new trial with confidence, because we have first spent time with the Lord.  In the giving of the Law in the Old Testament, God provided for places within each territory called cities of refuge.  If at any time a person was accused of a crime and he feared for his life or for the certainty of honest justice, he could flee to that city.  Watch towers were set in the outer gates of the city so that the refugee could be seen from afar.  If need be, the watchman could send out those from the city to safely escort the man inside where the man’s safety was guaranteed.  The man would give himself to the mercy and judgment of the city’s priest.  When his accusers came to the gates, they were allowed to present their case.  The evidence was carefully weighed.  If the man was innocent of wrong doing, no one could raise a hand against him.  But if he was found guilty, the keeper of the city would turn him over for judgment.  Our life must be clean, our motives right, in order for us to experience God’s true protection.  Jesus is the watchman, the priest and the protector, He is also our city of refuge.  Notice that He is a refuge for the Oppressed.  Depression comes from within.  It is an emotion we decide to give way to.  It is its own prison.  Praise the Lord, God can set us free from any prison if we ask Him to, if we choose His way.  But oppression comes from without.  We can be walking correctly in our spiritual lives and still be oppressed by others, by circumstances, or by the devil himself.  In those trials for which we can hold no key, God will be a refuge.  In times of trouble that come to every believer, no matter how closely he follows the Lord, God will be there.  He will hide us in the safety of His protection.  In the book, The Hiding Place, the true story is told of Christians captured and tortured by the Nazis during World War II.  The faithful found a refuge in Jesus that was as real as a visible city.  The trouble still surrounded them, the torture still continued, but they were secure in their faith and had peace with their God.  They were upheld by His loving hand.  I sometimes tell children the story of a man named Andrew who was caught outside in a hurricane on the island of Jamaica.  He remembered a mountain cave nearby.  Quickly he ran within the cave and hid.  All night the hurricane raged outside.  In the place he had stood before running to the cave, a great tree crashed to the ground.  Yet, in the morning Andrew came out of the cave safe and sound.  He realized that cave had been his refuge and protection.  He had passed it many times in his daily journeys, but had always walked right on by.  That day of the storm, he had known the only place of safety would be that cave.  He realized he had passed by the safety of Jesus many times before also, without trusting God for salvation.  That day, he found not only safety in the cave, but came to Jesus for eternal safety and refuge.  Are you hiding in Him today for your eternal security?  Are you trusting Him with the storms of life?  There is no other place of true refuge but Jesus.

Did you notice the first part of this verse?  It is as if we could read it this way: "And those that are Christians will put their trust in thee."  Faith is not just for salvation, it is for every day.  Christians need to actively, each day, put their trust in the Lord.  We have been given the privilege of knowing the name of the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  The name that was secret in times past has been revealed to us!  He has entrusted us with such an honor.  Now we need to truly trust Him with every area of our lives.  All over the world there are millions who do not know the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  In every city of America there are those who do not truly know the Lord in salvation.  There are also those who know Him as Savior but do not fully trust Him as Lord of their lives in the fullest sense.  Christian, you are called by His name, are you trusting Him completely today?  Perhaps there is something that you are holding back, something you are afraid to trust Him with. Is it a husband, a child, a circumstance, a problem, a temptation? Step out in faith, give that need totally to Him.  Be completely trusting and faithful to the One whose name you bear.  He promises to the faithful His very presence.  He stands on His word that He hast not forsaken them that seek Him.  It is His commitment to us.  Jesus said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5).  He gives us His word and His word is eternally true.  The world constantly forsakes those who trust in the things of the earth, but God is ever faithful.  He will never leave us helpless, comfortless or without His presence.  How can we but trust such a wonderful Savior?  We can certainly be those that seek the Lord.  Colossians 3:1, states: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  God reminds us: Dear Christian, precious one who is called by My name, you are risen from death into life.  Now set your mind on those things that are godly.  Have victory in your life.  Trust the ever faithful One in all areas of life.  He will never forsake you.

In today’s society we seem to have forgotten what the word "pure" really means.  We talk about pure enjoyment concerning such things as eating a candy bar or chewing gum.  The dictionary meaning is very interesting: "Pure: free from all extraneous matter, especially from anything that impairs or pollutes; free from anything that defiles or contaminates; innocent; spotless; chaste; stainless; genuine..."  The Word of God is like that, free from anything that would pollute or defile.  It is perfect and genuine.  Only the Lord, His Word and His promises are like that.  There is really nothing else that can measure up, nothing else that can meet every criteria of the full meaning of the word "pure."  Only the pure words of God enlighten the eyes (Psalm 19:8) and help us to see clearly into the problems and answers of life.  If you have been seeking elsewhere, it is a useless venture.  Turn to the Lord and to Him alone.  No wonder the Psalmist wrote, Thy word is very pure: thy servant loveth it (Psalm 119:140).  We need to consider whether or not we really love God’s Word.  Do we desire it each day?  Can we hardly wait to hear it preached?  If not, then we need to pray that the Lord would increase within us a love of His Word.  We need also to think about our own words.  Are they always pure?  Are they always refined?  If we are to be like Jesus, to represent Him, then our words must also be pure.  When we feel anger rush in, we need to allow the Lord to purify His words within us, even seven times, until that which comes out of our lips is altogether lovely.  As a woman, a wife and a mother, one of our biggest responsibilities and opportunities is to correctly use the words that we speak to glorify the Lord.  Today as we talk to our children and to our grandchildren, let us ask the Lord to help us to use pure words: words that are genuine, truthful, encouraging, building words.  When our husbands come home, let us ask the Lord to help us use pure words: words that are loving, comforting, that show interest and concern.  When we speak to the unsaved, let us use pure words: words that show forth the love of the Savior, words that lead to everlasting life.  When we speak to Christian friends, let us use pure words: words that are free from envy, gossip, backbiting or bitterness: words that are filled with kindness and love.  When we talk to the Lord, let us use pure words: words that glorify and praise Him, words of genuine concern for others, words that show forth a broken heart for the lost.

This verse answers the question found in the first verse of Psalm 15: Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?  The greatest desire of a Christian’s heart should be to dwell closely to the Lord, to abide in Him.  As saved people, we are absolutely promised that we will dwell in Heaven with the Lord forever.  It is all because of His righteousness and His perfect atonement.  Because of that promise, we should be ever mindful that day by day we abide in Him, dwelling closely with Him.  It should be our earnest desire to live our lives so that we are as close to the Lord as we can possibly be.  How can we be assured that today we will abide with the Lord?  The answer is clear from our verse: we must walk uprightly, work righteousness and speak the truth in our heart.  Walk, work and speak (within and without), every area of our lives must be wholly directed towards the Lord.  If we appear to live correctly and seem to be working for the Lord, but we do not speak the truth at all times, we will not be dwelling closely to the Lord.  If we work in the church and speak the truth in our hearts but do not have integrity in every part of our life, we are living a lie.  If we speak the truth and walk properly in areas of conduct but do not work for the Lord, we are not being all we could be as a Christian.  The Lord is so gracious to give us such a clear cut directive, a three step formula for success in dwelling closely to Him.  Today we need to reflect on each thing that we do.  We need to take it as a challenge to greater victory.  As mothers, we always keep our small children close by, not only so we can watch them, but so we can quickly come to their aid if help is needed.  God sees us wherever we are, He can rush to our aid no matter how far we have strayed, but the picture is still the same.  The closer we abide, the more constant and speedy His aid appears to be.  The watchful mother also is the one who can easily instruct, comfort and guide her child.  Did you ever notice that the child who is most like his parent, was the one who stayed the closest.  "O to be like Thee" should be the Christian’s prayer to the Lord.  Today, sweet child of God, ask the Lord to help you to walk uprightly: to live each moment in the pureness of obedience, to work righteousness: to outwardly and inwardly honor the Lord in your service, and to speak the truth in your heart: to have total honesty in all things.  Then at the end of the day, you will have known the sweetness of full communion with the Lord in His holy hill.

In the "olden days," an inheritance was a thing of primary value to an individual.  Even if they had to wait for years, to know that they would receive something that no one could take from them, something of immerse value, either financially or emotionally, would make present trials and waitings worth it all.  The Lord is our inheritance.  No one can take that promise from us.  He is of the greatest value.  To know that we will be with Him in His kingdom, that we will reign with Him, should make all present trials seem to fade.  We can endure all, with the absolute promise that we will receive our inheritance.  Beyond heaven, beyond everlasting life, beyond perfect sinlessness, beyond an end to suffering, beyond and above all, we will have the Lord forever!  Psalm 73:26 reminds us that indeed the Lord is our portion forever.  Sometimes we fail to grasp the true significance of that statement.  Forever the Lord is our portion, our full serving, the Meeter of all our needs.  It is not only in Heaven that this is true but from the very moment of our salvation.  Psalm 142:5 declares that the Lord is my portion in the land of the living.  Perhaps one of Satan’s biggest lies to the Christian involves this area.  Satan tries to convince us that it is not enough to "just" have the Lord and the things of the Christian life.  How very vile that lie is, how very deceiving.  Many Christians never know the fullness of the Lord as their portion in this life because they have been deceived on this issue.  How much richer we are when we find Him as our present portion.  Lamentations 3:24 should be a challenge to each one of us.  Jeremiah declares (in the midst of trial), The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in Him.  Recognizing the Lord as all we need, will enable us to more fully trust in Him.  Each day as we draw from the cup of His presence, He will encourage, strengthen and fill us.  He is our cup and we need not try to find refreshing anywhere but in Him.  He will maintain our every need, our desires and our life.  Today let us focus our full attention upon Him, being ever mindful that He is the fullest desire of our future and also of our present daily life.  Let us today fully delight in Him!  Allow Him to be your all in all.  He will supply your every need.