The Strong, the Wise and the Righteous

The Verse of the Day for July 18, 2018 comes from Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. Also known as the Torah Psalm, this passage makes reference to the Word of God in every verse, employing such synonyms as “statues, Law, judgments, precepts, etc. The Verse of the Day is the next to the last verse of the Aleph or the first section where David makes a bold declaration of his intent:

Psalm 119:7 (New Living Translation):

As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!

The section ends with another declaration of intent, ending with a passionate plea:

Psalm 119:8 (NLT):

I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!

David goes on to demonstrate his efforts to live uprightly and follow the precepts of God:

Psalm 119:11 (NLT):

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

At the dedication of the Temple, David, who is described as “a man after God’s own heart,” comments on the attributes of God by saying,

17 I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously. (1 Chronicles 29:17)

David goes on to speak of his own state before God:

2 Samuel 22:23-26

23 I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.
24 I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.
25 The LORD rewarded me for doing right.
He has seen my innocence.
26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.

God is always on the lookout for individuals who are “upright in heart.” A classic illustration of God looking for and finding such an “upright” person is found in Job, who is described in this way in the first verse of the book that bears his name:

Job 1:1 (Amplified Bible):

1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who [reverently] feared God and abstained from and shunned evil [because it was wrong].

Psalm 11:7 (NLT) also makes known the kind of people who get God’s attention:

For the righteous LORD loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.

II Chronicles 16:9 reveals that the eyes of Lord are always scanning the planet, looking for individuals with an upright or perfect heart. Such an individual is further described in Psalm 37:37 as “the perfect man . . . the upright,” whose life is a reflection of the peace of God. These two verses are combined in a Scripture memory song with these lyrics:

II Chronicles 16:9 and Psalm 37:37

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,
Throughout the whole earth
To show Himself strong, to show Himself strong,
To show Himself strong in behalf of them
Whose heart is perfect toward Him.
The man with a perfect heart is whole and complete:
Mark the perfect man and behold the upright,
For the end of that man is peace.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,
Throughout the whole earth

Ten years ago I recall a Bible teaching that described those who survive in times of famine. The Verse of the Day and related scriptures brought to mind this response:

The Strong, the Wise and the Righteous

“In times of famine, those who survive
and prosper are the strong,
the wise and the righteous.”
Apostle Eric L. Warren

In times of severe famine those who survive are the strong
In mind, those empowered by the Spirit of Might.
Though living in a strange land, they sing the Lord’s song,
Striving to please their God, in whom He takes delight.
During drought and scarcity of food the wise
Search for wisdom as bold hunters pursue their game.
They seek to do all God’s will and not compromise.
God hears every cry when they call upon His name
And satisfies the deepest hunger of their soul.
Walking worthy of their calling as faithful sons,
They learn that to run to serve is life’s highest goal.
In times of famine they shall find grace in the Lord’s eyes;
Set apart for His glory: the strong, righteous and wise.

We end our comments on the Verse of the Day “a musical rendering of Psalm 119:1-8 offer as a worship song by Jason Silver: “All Your Commandments”

The eyes of the Lord

The Verse of the Day for August 3, 2017 is found in 1 Samuel 16:7 in the Amplified Bible:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

The section from which this verse is taken speaks of Samuel following God’s directive to select the next king of Israel from among the sons of Jesse and to anoint that individual. A suitable candidate passes before the Man of God, but this particular son is not the chosen one. God shares with Samuel how the Lord views and assesses, as opposed to how man views individuals.

This verse causes us to recognize that all of life when viewed from “the eyes of the Lord” is vastly different when viewed from the eyes of man. II Chronicles 16:9 and Psalm 37:37 are the basis for the following lyrics:

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

Throughout the whole earth

To show Himself strong, to show Himself strong,

To show Himself strong in behalf of them

Whose heart is perfect toward Him.

 

The man with a perfect heart is whole and complete:

Mark the perfect man and behold the upright,

For the end of that man is peace.

 

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

Throughout the whole earth

Psalm 34:15 (AMP) also reiterates where the Lord directs His attention:

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous [those with moral courage and spiritual integrity] and His ears are open to their cry.

1 Peter 3:12(AMP) speaks of the individuals toward whom the Lord directs His attention and those toward whom He does not direct His attention.

 “For the eyes of the Lord are [looking favorably] upon the righteous (the upright), and His ears are attentive to their prayer (eager to answer), But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil.”

The expression “the eyes of the Lord” brings to mind an individual who was looked upon with favor, as Genesis 6:8 (AMP) reveals:

But Noah found favor and grace in the eyes of the Lord.

In a similar way, believers find themselves entrenched in an environment of rampant unrighteousness, described this way in Genesis 6:5 (AMP):

The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually.

These lyrics draw a parallel between the period of time leading up the Flood and the present age in which we live:

The Days of Noah and Now

When God searched the earth during the days of Noah,

What did He see?

His creation lay in violence: Every thought of the heart of man

was only evil continually.

But there was a just man, perfect in his generations,

A man who walked with God, and God was pleased with him.

Violent men lived in sin and defied the Word of God,

But Noah found grace,

But Noah found grace,

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

 

The eyes of the Lord still search the earth;

God seeks that He might find.

He looks for those willing to pray the price,

Those who put off the works of the flesh

And who are renewed in the spirit of their mind.

As in the days of Noah God is still seeking.

As He was seeking then, we are seeking now that we might also find.

 

May we find grace in Your eyes, O Lord.

May we find grace in Your eyes, O Lord.

May we find favor according to Your Word.

In all we say, in all we do, may we learn to be meek.

In Your eyes may we find all that we seek.

Kevin Knotts offers this musical reminder of the place where we desire to find grace and favor: in “The Eyes of the Lord.”

But without faith

Hebrews 11:6 KJV

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

In this post which is reprinted from a year ago, the Verse of the Day for May 1, 2015 reminds us of God’s response to those who seek earnestly Him. As children we played “Hide and Seek,” whereby sometimes we would be those who would hide while others would “seek us out.” At other times we would be the ones doing the seeking while our playmates were hiding. In a similar manner, we often play hide and seek with God. It seems that at times He’s doing all the hiding, and we’re doing all the seeking. No, we’re doing all the hiding, and He’s doing all the seeking, so it may appear to be.

We must remember the word of the Savior who reminded the woman at the well in Samaria that “God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. . . . For the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”(John 4:23-24, 29)

II Chronicles 16:9 also offers this reminder:

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him….”

One of my favorite passages from the Old Testament is found in Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV­)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11, known as the Hall of Faith, introduces a particular individual who diligently followed after God and sought to please him. That individual, of course, is Enoch who is spoken of in the preceding verse:

Hebrews 11:5

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

As I endeavor to follow hard after God and diligently seek Him, I think of Enoch who inspired this poem:

Enoch’s Song

Hebrews 11:5

 

My heart’s song is to so sing like Enoch,

With all that lies within me, with each breath,

That I too may walk with God and please Him,

That one day when they seek me, I shall not

Be found, for I will have been gathered, caught

Up to meet the Lord in the clouds forever,

Never to taste the bitter root of death

But savor the sweetness of His favor.

That to do His will was my sole desire–

May I leave behind this testimony

Written on the pages of pure a heart

Prepared for the marriage ceremony,

Blameless in His presence with nothing to hide,

So transformed and fashioned to be the bride.

Like Enoch we want to our lives to be living testimonies of those who are “Seekers of Your Heart,” so poignantly expressed in this song featuring Sandi Patty, Steve Green and Larnelle Harris:

Hebrews 11:5-6: Enoch’s song

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6KJV

The Verse of the Day for May 1, 2014 reminds us of God’s response to those who seek earnestly Him. As children we played “Hide and Seek,” whereby sometimes we would be those who would hide while others would “seek us out.” At other times we would be the ones doing the seeking while our playmates were hiding. In a similar manner, we often play hide and seek with God. It seems that at times He’s doing all the hiding, and we’re doing all the seeking. No, we’re doing all the hiding, and He’s doing all the seeking, so it may appear to be.

We must remember the word of the Savior who reminded the woman at the well in Samaria that “God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. . . . For the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”(John 4:23-24)

II Chronicles 16:9 also offers this reminder:

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him….”

One of my favorite passages from the Old Testament is found in Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV­)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11, known as the Hall of Faith, introduces a particular individual who diligently followed after God and sought to please him. That individual, of course, is Enoch who is spoken of in the preceding verse:

Hebrews 11:5

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

As I endeavor to follow hard after God and diligently seek Him, I think of Enoch, who inspired this poem:

Enoch’s Song

Hebrews 11:5

 

My heart’s song is to so sing like Enoch,

With all that lies within me, with each breath,

That I too may walk with God and please Him,

That one day when they seek me, I shall not

Be found, for I will have been gathered, caught

Up to meet the Lord in the clouds forever,

Never to taste the bitter root of death

But savor the sweetness of His favor.

That to do His will was my sole desire–

May I leave behind this testimony

Written on the pages of pure a heart

Prepared for the marriage ceremony,

Blameless in His presence with nothing to hide,

So transformed and fashioned to be the bride.

 

Like Enoch we want to our lives to be living testimonies of those who are “Seekers of Your Heart,” so poignantly expressed in this song featuring Sandi Patty, Steve Green and Larnelle Harris:

A Five-fold Prayer: Perfect Me

The Verse of the Day for June 29, 2014 is found in Psalm 138:8 (King James Version):

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

This particular verse with its use of the verb “perfect” also brings to mind a previous blog entry which was part of a series entitled a “Five-fold Prayer.” I am re-posting the entry “A Five-fold Prayer: Perfect Me,” the final devotional which is posted below:

This blog entry is the final part of “A Five-fold Prayer,” a series of commentaries based on a statement regarding the ways of God when we find ourselves in perplexing situations that challenge our faith. In such instances, God is endeavoring to do one or a combination of five things: “Direct you; Inspect you; Correct you; Protect you; Perfect you.” After hearing those words, I took those five verbs and formed them into a request, a petition, a prayer to God for me.  I asked God to become the initiator of the action, and I would become the object of his action. I also examined each of the verbs with scriptural illustrations from the Old Testament and New Testament and composed a prayer/psalm inspired by each verb at the end of each section related to each of the five verbs. In writing out my personal application of the scriptures, I also incorporated music related to the verbs as well. In Part 5 I ask God to “Perfect Me.”

“Perfect” can be used as an adjective or a verb in various places in the Bible.

In the Bible the word “perfect” can be used as an adjective or as a verb, as defined in the following manner, with some of the verses where the term is used:

Perfect:

In the Old Testament, as an adjective, “perfect” means: “blameless, upright, righteous; the proper action of simplicity, sincerity, absence from guile or evil intention.”

As a verb the term means “to complete, to make full, perfect or entire; to finish.”

II Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…

Psalm 37:37

Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

 

II Chronicles 16:9 and Psalm 37:37 comprise the lyrics to a this song:

 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

Throughout the whole earth

To show Himself strong, to show Himself strong,

To show Himself strong in behalf of them

Whose heart is perfect toward Him.

The man with a perfect heart is whole and complete:

Mark the perfect man and behold the upright,

For the end of that man is peace.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro,

Throughout the whole earth

 

In the New Testament, “perfect” is translated from the Greek word teleios. As an adjective it means–“describing what has reached its end; complete, perfect, full, fully grown, wanting nothing, with special reference to the end for which it was intended.” 

As a verb teleioo means—”to complete, make perfect, so as to be full, wanting nothing, to bring to a full end.”

Hebrews 13:20-21:

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

James 1:2-4:

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

I Peter 5:10:

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

II Corinthians 13:11:

Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

 Perfect me

What I lack fulfill, that I may not come up short.

Bring to maturity any deficiency

That I may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Make me perfect in every good work to do your will.

May the inner spaces of my heart catch your eye.

As you scan the vast landscape of this green planet,

May you see the perfect man you asked me to be.

“Change My Heart, O God” (Hillsong) is an appropriate song for this final section of my “Five-fold Prayer”:

“Something Beautiful,” written and performed by Bill and Gloria Gaither, expresses musically my ultimate desire which is also God’s desire for transformation.

“Have Thine Own Way” is another hymn that I learned as a child and continued to draw strength from as I grew into adulthood.

 

Conclusion

To conclude expounding upon the verbs that encompass my “Five-fold Prayer, I have formed a new compound verb—a neologism—as I make one final request, “Dir-ins-cor-pro-per” me, Lord:

Lord, I pray that you

direct me,

inspect me,

correct me,

protect me,

perfect me

That I may know you and the fullness of your grace.

This I pray in the name above all names, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I combine all five verbs to form a new compound verb used to conclude my Five-fold Prayer.