This is an excerpt from my new book, 123 Tips to My Grandchildren and Yours, to be published in March.
You love your grandchildren as much as I love mine. We want our children and grandchildren to go to heaven when they die of an old age on this earth. In today's world it seems more and more like there are large magnets drawing them from the path God has planned for them. Some of those magnets are: doing anything to get the world to notice them, uncontrolled pleasures, unedited entertainment, idolizing: athletes, singers, and actors to name a few.
We all are subjected to these, but why? Because we can see and feel them. We can see the happiness offered by the world, but fail to see it's short existence. We can feel being selfish when we do not want our peers to accomplish more than we do. With the internet we can experience 15 minutes of fame, even if it goes against everything we have been taught. Sexual pleasures can be seen and felt, even though the consequences are never comprehended. The world is teaching to be an intellectual you must believe in evolutionary thought, which leads mankind to thinking he can control his own destiny. These same scientists are heard in the classrooms each day teaching and proudly proclaiming this falsehood as fact and insinuating any other thought is ignorant and unbelievable. There are many other distractions the world (Satan) uses to distract mankind from God. Our grandchildren are subject to these distractions that they can see and feel every waking moment of their day.
How can we compete with the world? They can see and feel the pleasures of carnal living. You and I need to have a faith pleasing to God. (Hebrews 11) With this faith we cannot see the things we hope for, nor how the things we see were not made of things which are visible. Our children, grandchildren and the world must see in us a faith so powerful that the thoughts of the world cannot cause this faith to diminish or weaken at all. How is this done. By hearing, believing, living and feeling the word of God, with all our strength ,in our heart, soul and mind. Counterfeit beliefs will not be allowed. They will then be able to see and feel the fruit of a God loving and obeying people..
Tip # 25 Read Psalm 100 everyday upon arising and retiring. What good will this do? I do not know if David wrote this Psalm or someone else, but it doesn't matter. The author of this Psalm had the faith I just talked about. Let's look at this Psalm verse by verse and see what clues we can find to help our grandchildren. ( I just list the tips in the book. A devotional guide may follow)
Psalm 100
Verse 1) Make a joyful shout to the Lord, the word shout is used as noise in some translations. The word is taken from the Hebrew word ruwa' meaning to shout with religious impulse, shout with triumph, to shout in applause etc. In other words the noise or shout was made with a deep appreciation and excitement. If you are a Patriot's fan, the noise you made after their game winning interception from the Seahawks could describe this excited shout. Why did you shout? You shouted with emotion because the team you followed just won the Super Bowl, so you are the fan of a Super Bowl winner.
All you lands! is the end of this verse. What should that mean to us? That we, not only Israel, can make this joyful shout.
Verse 2) Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. In order to serve anyone you have to be willing to submit to them. That submission can either be from fear or love. If it is from fear, there will be emotional pain in the service and dreading each day of it. When the submission is out of love, the service will be to the servants fullest ability each day, and also an eagerness for the beginning of each new day. Serving with love will also present a heart full of joy and sound, and the Master will be approached with confidence instead of fear.
Verse 3) Know that the Lord, He is God, it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Look up at the stars; look at the beautiful sunsets; feel the warmth of the sun each day; smell the spring rains approaching; feel love in your heart for someone; and then can you honestly say we evolved and created ourselves? We know nothing about the magnitude and vastness of the universe. The psalmist knew without a doubt that God created us. Do not live your life as if mankind created himself , because you will live to survive, overlooking love and the needs of others. You will become prideful and selfish and not useful to anyone.
The psalmist also knew God wanted us to be His people. He wants to care for us and protect us like a shepherd cares for and protects his sheep. When we go away as sheep going astray, He desires our return.
Verse 4) Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (Read the parable of the lost son. Luke 15:11-24) Sin made mankind dead spiritually before God. God has a loving plan to get us back, sacrificing His only Son in our stead. God is portrayed as the father in the parable of the lost son. His son rebelled, as we did and do, and let the world waste his life. The son came to himself and went back to the father, ashamed of sinning against him. But the father was waiting for his repentance and watching for his return. He showed his love by his actions of love and forgiveness and prepared a feast and royal raiment for his son.
The psalmist knew God wanted mankind back into a relationship with Him. By this we know when we are in Christ (Galatians 3:27), we will be thankful to Him and bless His name for this forgiveness and the eternal promises that come with it. We then can enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.
Verse 5) For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. We can live without fear, because the Lord is good. We can also be assured that His word, the truth, endures all generations. We have the same words of God that were delivered to men of the Old and New Testaments. (Matthew 24:35; 1John 4:18-19; James 1:16-17; 1Chronicles 16:34; Deut.7:9; Isa. 55:7; and Eph. 2: 1-10)
God is waiting for the people of our land to come back to Him. He didn't leave us. We left Him. He has never quit loving us, but our ways: abortion, unbelief, and sexual immorality have made many spiritually dead to Him along with the other sins. Don't forget, we all have sinned and we all need redemption. He loves us more than the world does, because He sent us His Only Begotten Son to die for us. Be honest, the ruler of this world, Satan,( John 12:31 and Ephesians 2:20) has only given us heartache and separation from a God who loves us. Who are you going to give a joyful shout to?
Please send your comments to rhepler52@yahoo.com or rhepler52@gmail.com. If you enjoy reading my post, please pass on to others. Also, you may purchase my book, The Heart Behind the Stone: Develop a Giant Slaying Heart by going to www.amazon.com .
Thanks you so much.
Rick Hepler
