Our Heavenly Prize

General revelation from God is seen in nature, in history, and in the human conscience; this unique design is given by God so that we can know the difference between right and wrong. We are all equipped with a conscience (Etzel et al, 2016).

I encourage you to pause for a minute and think back to a time when your conscience, that small inner voice, told you that certain behavior was okay or not okay.

As I pause, I can remember a time when I was in the midst of a moral choice. I knew what I wanted to do but right before I did it, I heard that inner voice say:

“STOP! Do not do this because this is what will happen!”

A second-long video went off in my head and I clearly saw what my wrong choice would bring me and how it would hurt others. What appeared pleasing to the flesh no longer held its draw.

We all have the ability to see general revelation (Etzel et al, 2016). It is up to us to decide what we see. Is God the Creator, man, or something else?

Special revelation is specific to the individual which includes the Scriptures and ultimately what is seen in the person of Jesus Christ (Etzel et al, 2016). It is a direct revealing of God to that person. A special exchange between the Almighty and His child.

The above was written yesterday morning. This morning, by God’s special revelation, I was able to experience it! I want to share this with you and I pray it gives you encouragement and a deeper desire to seek the Kingdom of God above all else (Luke 12:31)!

November 2, 2020 (Journal Entry)

Psalm 18

“In my distress I prayed” (Psalm 18:4-6, ESV, Study Notes).

Verse 3 from the New International Version (NIV):

“I called to the LORD, who is worthy
of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.”

My words:

I am a mess this morning! There are all sorts of negative arrows flying at me. Instead of focusing on the onslaught of attacks from the enemy and their effect, I find myself thanking God, instead, for the ongoing transforming work He is doing in my heart.

My usual posture when in this state of oppression is to sit, wallow, and philosophize over why I am feeling this way. I devise a plan to quickly remove myself from the mood. This may work for the day, maybe two, and then I am right back where I started from. I quickly recognize that this stance is not advantageous and I proceed to read from Psalms because I have finally grasped, through the teachings in the Bible, that my daily joy comes from Him. It isn’t in what I can do, but what He can do! It is his Presence and His Word that tells me that I am not alone; it is these kingdom thoughts that ultimately supersede my lowliness.

If you have not gathered by now, I do battle depression, anxiety, and fear, and have since I was a child. I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder back in early 2000 but this is not who I am in Christ! I know this now but I did not know this then! I sought treatment because I was clearly having trouble functioning in my daily life. My sleep cycle was awry, my thought life was out of control and I could not cope any longer without help.

Praise be to God, as I write this entry, I feel lifted and hopeful!

Psalm 18:6-7; 16-17 (NIV):

“In my distress I called to the
LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From His temple he heard my
voice;
my cry came before him, into his
ears.
The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the
mountains shook;
they trembled because he was
angry…”
He reached down from on high and
took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful
enemy,
from my foes, who were too
strong for me.”

My words:

I don’t have to listen, withstand, and absorb the negative arrows of the enemy. Almighty God raised Jesus from the dead, He rescued and preserved David (to whom Jesus is descended) and He will do the same today. In our times of strife, we can call on God for help. He will show up but it is in His timing, not ours. He is omniscient, we are not!

Psalm 18 shows us that God does get angry when His children are tormented and challenged by evil. I choose to believe that God is my Vindicator (Jeremiah 51:10) because that is what the Bible says and because to believe anything else only keeps me feeling low. There is no hope in anything or anyone but God and I want to live a life in the hope of Someone bigger than me, more powerful than those around me, and when I take my last breath, I want to be held firmly in His mighty arms and carried to the place where I will continuously sing praises to the One who rescues, redeems and restores. Hallelujah!

In this part of my journal entry, I feel the Lord’s peace and comfort, and my hope is restored!

“Truly I am your servant, LORD…you have freed me from my chains” (Psalm 116;16, NIV).

If I am the Lord’s servant, then He will move me as He wills because isn’t His will better than my own? I don’t need to be anxious or fearful over school, a job, and whatever else the enemy hurls at me. My next steps will be determined by my Father, in heaven!

Yes, absolutely true! He has done it before and He will do it again!

Father,

I pray we hear your words ever so loudly that we wouldn’t miss out on your divine opportunities. Open our hearts to receive your clear direction. Let us not be so tied up in emotion and busyness that we cannot hear!

And what a reminder, thank you, Father:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
No one will snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me,
is greater than all;
no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30, NIV).

Special revelation:

“Thou wilt light my candle, that is, thou wilt revive and comfort my sorrowful spirit, and not leave me melancholy. Thou wilt light my candle to work by, and give me an opportunity of serving thee and the interest of thy kingdom among men (Matthew Henry’s Commentary, 1960, p. 595).”

Praise be to God!

Thank you, Father!

Thank you for hearing our prayers and thank you for answering. When we feel morose and defeated, you give us hope, reassurance that you love us, and fill our hearts with joy! Thank you! When we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us through wordless groans (Romans 8:26, NIV). Forgive us Father for rebelling in prayer but sometimes everything is so jumbled up inside that weakness overtakes and we give up. You know our needs before we even ask! Father, help us to pray! How wonderful are you!!

Matthew Henry’s Commentary says this about Psalm 18 (p. 594):

“In the midst of David’s (the author of this Psalm) troubles, the Lord was his stay so that he did not sink. God will not only deliver his people out of their troubles in due time, but he will sustain them and bear them up under their troubles in the meantime…He (God) delivered me because he delighted in me, not for my merit, but for his own grace and goodwill.”

This is God’s revealing of His Son’s death, burial, and resurrection. He was once hated, mocked, and persecuted but now so worthy of praise and thanksgiving, our Savior and Lord. He was crucified for the sins of humanity and now raised and seated at the right hand of the Father.

How can one be lowly after being shown these truths! I am renewed and ready for the day! Lord, help us do all things that are pleasing to you!

Romans 12:2 (NIV)

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

God bless you!!

*****

This blog post is inspired by my current college class, “Introduction to Theology Survey.”

Etzel, G., & Smalls, R. N. (2016). Everyday Series: Theology. Chattanooga, TN: B&H Academic.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary. (1960). Zondervan classic reference series in one volume. Zondervan Academic.