Pastor's Column 9/21/2025

PASTOR’S COLUMN

¹¹ “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. ¹² With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God, I will give glory to your name forever, ¹³ for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death.” Psalm 86:11-13,NLT

“I Am All ‘In!’”

Jesus said the appetites for all who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied. (cf. Matthew 5:6, NLT). This means if we obey the teachings of the Lord and practice them, we will have a life of fulfillment that will bring delight to God and inner peace to us. Righteousness is not merely what we say, but it is how we live.  Given the chaos of these days we are currently living in, it is tempting to just give up and live a somewhat austere life. It becomes easier to go about our daily tasks, go home, lock our doors – and leave the world to its own excesses. Jesus has called us to be noticeable by the way we live. It doesn’t mean necessarily hoisting a sign in the public square, which details our disdain and grievances for the wrong we see. But it does mean we should boldly speak and live the truth, according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. James infers we should act on what we have learned in the Word’s teaching and ethical instructions. He says: “Do not merely listen to the word and deceive yourself. Do what it says…” (James 1:21-22, NIV). Who knew this better than James, the brother of Jesus whose life was under imminent persecution. James remained iron-clad in his commitment to Christ and His cause. David, a millennium before, spoke confidently of being “all in” with God. Whether people or circumstances, David knew what it was like to live under the constant threat of reprisal from sone enemy or foe. In Psalm 86, David pleads to God for help in learning the Truth, so he might receive and appreciate God’s protection. David prays for a pure heart that would induce a spiritual consciousness to fully trust God’s word. God loved him like no other. David was “all in” with God!