Divine Inheritance

Psalm 108:1 (NET) - I am determined, O God. I will sing and praise you with my whole heart.

Here, the Psalmist is brimming with confidence.

This is evident in his opening words: “I am determined.”

Therefore, he will confidently sing and praise God with his entire being.

The remainder of Psalm 108 bears this out.

Confidence and determination come from God.

But why would God give us these qualities?

Paul speaks of this in his letter to the Colossians.

This can be found in his prayer for the growth of the church.

Colossians 1:11-12 (NET) - being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.

When the news of Colossian believers reached Paul, he began praying for them.

Paul prayed for God to grant them knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

This would allow them to grow and please God.

Paul understood that God would grant them strength and patience to live according to His will.

As believers and part of the growing church they could claim the inheritance of the saints.

Such an inheritance is eternal.

Centuries after Paul’s letter, we too are part of the Church.

The Church I refer to is not any denomination.

Rather, it is the entire body of believers (past, present, and future) with Christ as its head.

Because of God’s love for us, we also share in this inheritance.

This is a gift given to us out of love and not something we earned.

Like the Colossians, God grants us knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.

Therefore we, like David, can confidently sing and praise God.

And, with God’s help, we can lead others to Jesus.

Then they can become inheritors as well.

Remarkably, our share of this inheritance never diminishes.

That is because the inheritance of the saints, like God’s love, is limitless.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 25, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, March 4, 2022

God's Will?

Psalm 34:1 (NET) - I will praise the Lord at all times; my mouth will continually praise him.

Psalm 34 is attributed to David.

In verse one, he states that he will praise the Lord continuously.

That means praising the Lord even when things are not going well.

Praising the Lord when circumstances are in our favor is one thing.

In fact, it is rather easy.

Praising Him during times of loss and tragedy is another matter.

Is it even conceivable that one could praise the Lord when a loved one dies?

Can a person praise the Lord when they have lost their sole means of income?

Is praising the Lord at all possible when a person hits rock bottom?

According to Paul, it is possible.

It is, in fact, God’s will!

Paul says so in his first letter to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NET) - Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Paul echoes David’s words.

But Paul goes a step further.

Paul reminds his readers that this is “God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

This is God’s will for us as well.

We will encounter both good times and challenging times throughout our lives.

But, no matter what happens, we should always praise the Lord.

Yes, that even applies if we should hit rock bottom.

For when all else is lost, one understands that God is truly essential.

2 Samuel 6 reminds us of the time when David and his men brought back the ark of the covenant.

David danced in the streets.

This angered Saul’s daughter because she thought David looked foolish.

She was probably not the only one.

When we praise God under adverse conditions, people might think we act and sound foolish as well.

But when a loved one dies, we can praise God for their love and lasting influence.

When we lose our job, we can praise God for friendships created and opportunities ahead.

And, if we hit rock bottom, we can praise God for reminding us that He is all we need.

So always praise God.

Pray and give Him thanks for all circumstances.

As Paul says: “For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 11, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, February 18, 2022