Our deliverer . ( Psalm 18 )

 What we read in 2 Samuel 22 is repeated in Psalm 18 composed by King David after God had delivered him from his enemies ,and from the hand of  Saul,who sought to kill him. In 1Samuel 16,David was anointed by Samuel the prophet to be the new King of Israel, but before that was to come about, David would experience many difficulties,and dangers before that would be fulfilled.When God gives us a  promise often we have to wait ,there are so many examples of that in God's word.The promises are not instant coffee,David 's waiting time would be a time of learning  to depend on God in ways he would never have thought.God had much to teach David and much to treat us.Godly people are not self made people for godliness is a spiritual characteristic,it is the work of the Spirit of God.We are the clay,God the great potter is making us into what we should be,that is like Jesus.In this Psalm he recalls God's wonderful deliverances, and he gives Him the glory. It was Oliver Cromwell in June 14, 1645,who wrote a letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons, after a victory at the battle of Naseby- 'Sir, this is none other than the hand of God; and to Him alone belongs the glory, wherein none are to share with'.Let us all be quick to give glory to God at all times.

                                               'To God be the glory in all things.

                                           

The will of God. ( Romans 12 v 1 - 2 )

 Why did our Saviour come?,the answer is very simple ,to do the will of God, like Him, that is what is required of us.As a Christian of long standing I know that  there is what we could call the revealed will of God. That we are meant to be holy,sometimes that can become confused by what people call worldliness they don't always equate.We are called to be witnesses for Jesus,we are called to do good works as an evidence we are saved.I am seeking to make the point that there are things that we know is the will of  God.But there are times we may not know clearly what the will of God is for our lives.Believing that something is Gods will for us, we then pray to that end, and it doesn't happen. My first wife and I went to Bible college believing that we where called to be missionaries,it never happened. My dear wife died of cancer, I prayed that she would be healed ,it did not happen. I had to learn many lessons in my relationship with God ,it was a long process, still on going.I remembering hearing of a man  who believed God was calling him to serve oversea's, he sold everything,he and his family went to the docks  to get on a boat and that the fare would be paid. it wasn't, he had to go back and sort things out. It is only in  looking back on my life do I see more clearly what was God's will,remember the no, is just as much as important as the yes is,when it comes to the will of God,

                                               Thy precious will, O conq'ring  Saviour,

                                                Doth now embrace and compass me;

                                                All discords hushed, my peace a river,

                                                My soul a prisoned bird set free.

                                                     Words Lelia Nayor Morris

Twins. ( 1 Corinthians 13 )

Two of my grandchildren are twins,they are not identical,but they are close to each other . In the spiritual realm we do not have twins,all Christians are different,and what I mean by that is,Thomas was a doubter,Peter had obvious flaws,and so it goes,but they both loved our Lord .None of us are perfect, we are all at different levels of sanctification. J. C .Ryle writes the following,'Let it be noted that a man may have notable weaknesses and infirmities of Christian character, and yet be a disciple of Christ. We must not foolishly assume that all Christians are exactly like one another in details of character. We must make large allowances, when the main features are right'. We who truly know the Lord are fellow disciples, it is only when we get to heaven,will all the flaws in our personality be removed and be replaced by that perfect likeness of Christ. Until then we must make allowances for our fellow Christians,as they must with us.

Old age. ( Romans 8 v 38 - 39 )

 The psalms cover many aspects of life the seventy first Psalm, has mention old age, in fact it has been called,'The prayer of the aged believer'. It has no title but it has the ring of David with it , and as usual he writes of those who he classes as evil and cruel. Spurgeon  puts it like this,' the aged saint pleads against his foes'. In v 18 he prays ,'Even when I am old and Grey, do not  forsake me , my God', Of course God never forsakes us even in old age,John Newton wrote a hymn which begins with the words,'Begone unbelief', and the third verse reads,

                                                        'His love in time past

                                                         Forbids me to think

                                                         He'll leave me at last

                                                         In trouble to sink;

                                                         Each sweet Ebenezer

                                                         I have in review

                                                         Confirms His good pleasure

                                                         To help me quite through.

Yes the wonderful good news is this, God who is with us when we are young ,strong ,and healthy, will love us and be with us when we are old frail and weak. For He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.( Hebrew 13 v 5)

You shall not. (Exodus 20 v 17)

 Many years ago things were tough financially,I was helping in a Christian bookshop,a customer was paying for what he had bought,he opened his wallet and I saw a lot of money.Well I thought if only he would  reach into his wallet and give me some, but alas he didn't, my coveting didn't work. Yes coveting desiring what someone else has, is  just that,I had sinned.Take sport most of its built on coveting, fans coveting,clubs coveting other clubs players.I don't think we realise  that coveting is a sin, committing adultery starts with a covetous thought,you desire that man,that  woman,even though they belong to another.A certain King called Ahab coveted land , who refused his request to buy it, eventually he did get that piece of land,but only after the kings wicked wife contrived to have the man murdered .( 1 Kings 21). A man called Achan coveted that which God  forbid, he yielded to that desire, and God was not pleased,and he paid with his life.(Joshua 7)Move back to mans beginnings , a woman was tempted ,and as she looked at a certain thing she coveted  it,and yielded, and took that which God forbid,she and her husband suffered,and all of humanity,and all of creation suffered. ( Genesis 3 ) .Its as serious as that, coveting  is a sin, we must take this very serious, and take heed because sin always has consequences.

Be ready ( Hebrews 3 v 15 )

I read this recently ,'Many years ago,a newspaper reported as regards a tragic disaster in one of our British coal mines.Many miners perished, and in one pocket the searches came across four or five miners all huddled together in death. But before they died, they scratched on a board,We are all trusting in Christ, and all added their names. I wonder if you were one of those miners,could you have added your name?One afternoon a person who was a Christian received a phone call from a friend called Jack,he said,''I've  just been  diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and I'm not ready''.The good thing about this was he came to know Christ as his Saviour and of course he was ready,the question is are you ready?

                                              The most important thing is, when you come to die,

                                                                      ' BE READY'.

Not half hearted. ( Proverbs 3 v 5- 6 }

I trusted you he cried out,to one he thought was his friend,one he felt that he could trust with his life,instead he betrayed him,let him down,and he found himself saying 'I will never trust anyone again'.Yes trust is important,and when it is broken it can have serious consequences. President Putin said he was not going to invade Ukraine, he lied, it will be hard to trust him,for many even among his own people  he cannot be trusted.There are two verses in the bible in Proverbs 3 v 5-6,you may know them by heart,you may be familiar with them,like hymns you know,and when you sing those hymns you do it without thinking. Here are the words of those two scriptures,' Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths'.The verses start with that simple word trust,as Christians we know the importance of that word ,but we have to put it into practice, wars and rumors of wars ,trust the Lord, the future all unknown trust the Lord,you have just lost your job,trust the Lord, money problems ,trust the Lord,whatever difficulties we may be facing what should we do?, trust in the Lord,how much should we trust Him, the answer is, this with all our hearts not half hearted, with all our hearts, remember He can be trusted.