Responding to God; June 9, 2025

Posted on June 10, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 34:1-3 I will extol the Lord at all times;
    his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
    let us exalt his name together.

Every verse in this Psalm is worthy of a song or a sermon or both! The circumstances of it being written are also interesting, when the Lord prompted David to feign insanity so that he would be released from a very dangerous situation. David recognized that God had inspired him, and he gave God the credit. Our natural impulse would be to think, and say, “Wasn’t I clever?” David didn’t do that, but gave God all the credit. That’s one of many reasons this Psalm is such a blessing. God very seldom does things with only a singular purpose. He’s the ultimate multitasker, accomplishing many things at one time with a single action! That’s why there’s no limit to the study of the Bible: everything in it can teach us multiple things. We do well to ask God to open our eyes to grasp more of what He is doing, even in the seemingly simple events of our lives. After all, we have no idea what tragedies He didn’t allow to take place! For that matter, it has been shown mathematically that if any of the multiple laws of physics were to be changed by the smallest fraction, the universe would cease to exist! Scientists who deny the existence of a Creator don’t know their science! An honest, objective examination of all the facts should lead us to an ever-increasing amazement at the wisdom, grace, and love of our Creator, and that should lead us to the sort of exhortation that David gives here. The more we truly know of God, the more we want to encourage others to know Him too. He is more than worthy of all our love, praise and obedience, just as David proclaims through this Psalm.

I have long recognized that I don’t have the specific “gift of evangelism,” but the longer I walk with the Lord, the more I want other people to walk with Him too. There are some specific individuals I’m interacting with at this point, but I would love to have a “Holy Spirit fire hose” to douse everyone I encounter! I can’t tell God how to operate, and it is silly to try. All I can do is seek to hear and obey God each moment, allowing Him to work through me to touch people in His way on His schedule. Yesterday we attended a special service to honor a couple who have been in faithful ministry for over 50 years, and Cathy and I sang God Will Make a Way, by Don Moen, in English and Japanese. Some people were moved to tears, which I had not expected. I just knew that was what we were supposed to sing! I don’t know who all I will encounter today, but I want to be God’s instrument to them, whatever the circumstances. God is good and wonderful beyond any words to express it, and I want to be totally available to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for David’s faithfulness. May I be no less faithful, so that my words too may be a blessing, drawing people to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Praise and Worship; June 8, 2025

Posted on June 9, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 33:1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

This is an anonymous Psalm, which in a way broadens its applicability. It is interesting that the ESV says “shout” here, while the NIV and the Japanese both say “sing.” Some kinds of “singing” don’t sound very musical! However, the important thing is the heart and motivation behind it. However well we might make music, if the words don’t penetrate to our heart, and conversely, come from our heart, it doesn’t mean much. With the recent advances in AI, it is entirely possible to tell a computer to compose words and music and then “perform” the resulting song, but that is not praise to God. I think it was John Piper who told ChatGPT to write a prayer of praise to God. He read the result out, and it sounded magnificent, but as he pointed out, it was meaningless because there wasn’t a human soul behind it. Forms can move us, and that actually is a risk. Worship leaders can fall into the trap of being manipulative with their song sets. That actually is the whole purpose of fog machines and special lighting, and it creates counterfeit religion. The great revivals of Church history had no technology to hype people up, only the Holy Spirit to move their hearts. Today is Pentecost Sunday. We can’t generate anything real on our own, but we can be humble and yielded for whatever God wants to do. He mourns the evil of all sorts in the world more than we do, and we need to focus on Him in praise and worship and obedience, and trust Him to do what is needed and right.

This is spot-on to me this morning. We have our usual worship service this morning, and I will be preaching on Pentecost. I would be thrilled beyond words if the Lord opened the heavens on us, but I can’t make that happen. I desire that He pour His Spirit out, not only on this congregation and this city, but on this nation and on the whole world. However, I can’t begin to dictate when and how that will happen. This afternoon my wife and I will be singing at a special service in the next town over in honor of a pastor and his wife who are retiring. The wife has dementia, and the service was timed in the hope of her really understanding and appreciating what was going on. That again is something I can’t control. I am to focus, as clearly as possible, on my Lord Jesus, and allow Him to do in and through me whatever He knows is right, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this timely reminder. I pray that each moment of today I would be yielded to You, allowing Your Spirit to operate in and through me, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled as You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Talking With God; June 7, 2025

Posted on June 8, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

It strikes me that David’s Psalms are often conversational, with general statements, like the first two verses, then words addressed to God, like verses three through this one, then God’s response, in verses eight and nine, and then statements to the reader, like the last three verses. I don’t think many people talk like that! However, it shows an awareness that God is listening to what we say, and He responds to us. Far too often we don’t expect a response at all! God really does talk to us, but most of the time we aren’t listening. David has a lot of things to teach us, and I think this is one of the most important of those. We need to speak freely to God, certainly, but we should expect to hear from Him as well. After all, Paul admonished us to “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1) God doesn’t often speak to us in what seems like an audible voice, but if we will surrender our lips and our fingers to Him, He will speak through and to us to a degree that can be shocking at times.

The first time I heard God speak to me in what seemed like an audible voice, He told me to shut up, because I was so busy talking to Him that I couldn’t hear what He was saying. However, I have heard Him use my mouth, or seen Him use my fingers, to express His heart countless times. It occurs to me that I should more consciously allow Him to do that, particularly in times of group prayer. I have been used in prophecy many times, but very seldom here in this church. I seek to preach prophetically, but we often need to hear more personally, and I should make myself available for that. Frankly, I’ve been afraid of people’s reactions, but that shows my focus has been on me, rather than on the Lord. There are those in this church who are from a distinctly non-Pentecostal background, and I fear offending them. I need to repent of that! I am to continue to speak to God freely, and at the same time not only listen for what He might say to me, but also allow Him to speak through me, to whomever He wants to speak, for their blessing and His glory.

Father, thank You for this clear Word, particularly as tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday. May we become a body of believers who are totally sold out and available to You, for You to speak through and use however You like, for the advancement of Your kingdom and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Faith; June 6, 2025

Posted on June 7, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 38:5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

The first line of this jumps out because it is what Jesus said from the cross. Different translations render the last part of the verse differently. The NIV makes it a request, the ESV makes it a past tense statement, and the Japanese makes it a continuing present tense statement. I see those as going up on a “faith scale.” Often we ask God for things, but aren’t necessarily confident that He will give them to us. When He has done something in the past, that at least gives us the assurance that He is capable of doing it. However, settled faith says, “This is the way You are.” Too many of us are stuck in “wishful thinking,” to the point that it can be hard to call it faith. The one definition the Bible gives us of faith is famously found in Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” I have heard it expressed as, “We know that we know that we know.” That’s pretty far removed from wishful thinking! We can’t really generate such faith in or by ourselves; we have to receive it from God. That’s why Paul so famously said, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) We speak of “working up courage,” but we can’t really “work up” faith. That said, we can choose to receive it. At the father of an epileptic boy famously said to Jesus, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) We are to seek to keep growing in faith, not by generating it but by exercising it. The more that we act on the faith we have, the more will be given to us. Stewardship works that way! Faith is the opposite of pride. It is yielding to God, knowing that He alone is right and holy and powerful and love itself. The more we depend on ourselves, the less we are operating in genuine faith.

I’m talking to myself here! This is some pretty deep truth. I have believed in the existence of God for as long as I have been aware of such things, and by God’s grace I heard and accepted as true the Gospel of Jesus Christ from infancy. That said, I’ve had to grow in faith for over 70 years, and my faith still isn’t perfect. However, I have the assurance that God will give me whatever is lacking in my faith whenever I need it, and I have peace. I desire to impart faith to those around me, but I can’t do it in my own strength and wisdom. Even so, God sometimes uses me to impart faith, and I am grateful. I expect to see someone while I am out walking this morning to whom I desire very deeply to give faith, but so far he hasn’t accepted it. All I can do is keep interacting with him, keep loving him, and trust the Holy Spirit to work His work in His time. (John 16:8)

Father, thank You for this clear, strong Word. Help me indeed live it out, allowing You to keep growing me and to use me to save and to grow others, building up the Body of Christ for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Salvation; June 5, 2025

Posted on June 6, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 30:11-12 You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

I learned the KJV of these two verses set to music about 45 years ago, and the song still echoes happily in my heart. It is interesting that the forward to this Psalm says it was for the dedication of the temple. These verses certainly fit that, but some of the middle of the Psalm seems a bit odd in that context. We have trouble remembering that up until around 150 years ago, life expectancy was much shorter than it is today. There were of course exceptions, like Moses living to 120, not to mention the lifespans mentioned from before Noah, but the average person was doing well to make it to 40. The point is never how long we live, but what we do with however much time we are given. America’s Homeland Secretary was recently put down for commenting that we all die sometime, when that is one of the absolute truths of life! That is in no way to suggest that we are to hurry the process along, either for ourselves or for anyone else, but it is to say that realism is essential. Our time on earth is to give us the opportunity to choose God, to make Him Lord of our life so that when this life is over, we will spend eternity with Him. When we do that, the last line of this Psalm becomes real: “I will give thanks to Him forever.” We frankly don’t appreciate God’s blessings without at least tasting unpleasant things for the contrast. That’s why David talks about “turning mourning into dancing.” Without experiencing mourning, we don’t have sufficient reason to dance! That’s why repentance is essential for salvation. If we don’t understand that we are headed for hell, as the just result of our rebellion against God, we won’t have true appreciation of the salvation that is available through faith in Jesus Christ. These two verses are the honest testimony of all who have been born again by faith.

I was baptized at 7, having been raised in a home that was steeped in faith and love for God. I think that experience was real and valid, but it didn’t really register for me as it should have until much later, at 24, when the Lord showed me, just for an instant, the blackness of the pride in my heart. That was repentance indeed, and was so shattering that I asked for, and received, baptism a second time. And after that came baptism in the Holy Spirit, and for many years now I have had complete assurance of salvation and joy in fellowship with my Lord. That certainly doesn’t mean I’m perfect! I have to keep my repentance up to date, because I won’t be free of the presence of sin until I am with my Lord in heaven. That said, I am completely unconcerned about how much longer I have here, because as Paul said, what comes after is better! (Philippians 1:21-23) The task for me is to discern what God wants me doing right now, and do it with my whole heart. If I will do that, then my heart will keep dancing all the way into heaven!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Assorted things keep trying to drag me down, but You are far greater than all of that. Help me serve You every moment in every way, so that Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Perspective; June 4, 2025

Posted on June 5, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.

This pattern is frequent in David’s Psalms, where he expresses his need, sometimes using fairly extreme terminology, and then progresses to praising God for meeting his need. We shouldn’t hesitate to ask God for whatever we need, but we should always remember that from His perspective, that need is already met. Paul touches on that a good bit in Romans, saying things like “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) From our perspective, we are all too alive and vulnerable to sin, but from God’s perspective, all of that has already been taken care of by Christ’s sacrifice. From our perspective, all sorts of needs might be towering over us, but from God’s perspective, every one of those has been met by His riches in glory. (Philippians 4:19) We live in the flow of time, but God is outside of time, so everything is “now” for Him. We really can’t grasp how that works, so that’s where faith comes in. We are to live each moment in the flow of time, trusting Him to have it all under control, knowing that the love that caused Him to send His Son will be sufficient to take care of everything else as well. (Romans 8:32)

I have been aware of this issue of God being outside of time for as long as I can remember. I realize that’s pretty unusual, but then, I had no trouble understanding the concept of negative numbers when my brother explained it to me after he first encountered it in school, so I guess that’s how I’m made. It has helped me be patient (sometimes!) and has helped me trust God when I couldn’t see any solution to whatever I was confronting in the moment. There are countless elements of God’s kingdom that I wish were already manifested, but I need to release all of them into God’s hands and simply focus on whatever it is He wants me doing in the moment. As I was saying to a brother in Christ just yesterday, the main thing God asks of us is faithfulness. One of these days I will indeed have God’s perspective, after I leave this world and its limitation behind, but until then I have to trust that He indeed sees it all and has it all worked out.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s interesting that I still need it! Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Presence; June 3, 2025

Posted on June 4, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.

I’m sure this is many people’s favorite Psalm, because it is so loaded with marvelous verses, many of which have been set to music. I settled on this verse this morning because it expresses the attitude that enabled David to write all these Psalms. When we honestly hold being close to God as our highest goal, our greatest good, there is no end to the spiritual riches He pours out on us. The Japanese here has an interesting turn of phrase at the last of the verse. Where most English translations say, “inquire,” or “seek Him,” the Japanese says, “let my thoughts wander around.” That’s a very interesting image. Frankly, our thoughts do wander, sometimes quite often, but if they are wandering in God’s temple, that is, in His protected area, we don’t have to be worried about what they’ll settle on. Otherwise, that’s quite an issue! Spiritual warfare is a given, and most of it takes place in our minds. When we are firmly planted in God’s house, in His presence, our minds will stay pure and strong in Him. The sad truth is that we generally don’t stay there, and we open ourselves up to all sorts of attacks. God allows that so that we will grow, so that we will know without the shadow of a doubt that we can accomplish nothing right on our own, (John 15:5) but in Christ we can do absolutely anything He asks of us. (Philippians 4:13) One of the most attractive things about heaven is that we will be totally at rest and secure in God’s presence, with absolutely no anxiety or danger. That’s what we get to sign people up for!

I don’t know at what point this awareness became firm in my mind and heart, but I’m very thankful it has done so. The continuing challenge is to live it out here and now! It’s been over 10 years since the Lord told me to rest, relax, and rejoice, and I keep getting lessons in that. My GPA still has room for improvement! I do genuinely enjoy life at this point, but at the same time my anticipation of heaven continues to grow. I find the idea of living forever on this planet interesting, but at the same time pathetic, because it can’t possibly compare to living in eternity with the Creator of it all, who loves me so intensely that He gave His Son to die for me. I can recite this Psalm in all honesty (though I don’t have it memorized), and I am deeply grateful.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace toward me. I am deeply aware of the definition of grace as unmerited favor. I haven’t earned any of this! Help me live out my gratitude consistently, not just because that is the best path for me, but so that those around me may also be drawn to repentance and faith for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Focus; June 2, 2025

Posted on June 3, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 21:1, 13 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.
    How great is his joy in the victories you give!
Be exalted in your strength, Lord;
    we will sing and praise your might.

Again, this was either written for/about David or he wrote it in the 3rd person. That said, the focus seems quite Davidic, because it’s all about God. The first and last verses praise God’s strength, not man’s, and the body of the Psalm maintains that focus. We too need to keep our focus on God, and not on ourselves or our circumstances. That can be difficult, frankly, because we don’t see or feel God physically, and what we do see and feel can be very distracting. However, the heart that seeks Him does find Him, just as He promised, (Jeremiah 29:13) so God is not asking something impossible of us. We just need to remember that God is everything, and the entire universe exists just because of Him. We are tempted to think we accomplish things on our own, but that is just an illusion. He does bless us with all sorts of abilities, but those abilities are ultimately from Him, and the better we remember that, the more peace and joy we will have. The body of this Psalm talks about the defeat and destruction of those who oppose God, and that is also something to keep in mind. “The fear of the Lord” isn’t just a casual expression! Our minds can’t really grasp the hows and whys of all that God does, either intentionally or by permission, but that’s hardly surprising when He’s infinite and we are certainly limited. We just need to keep our focus on Him, and gratefully rejoice in what He allows us to discover and do.

Yesterday I watched something that claimed Jesus appeared to Elon Musk when he was a young boy to anoint and commission him to do all that he has done and is doing, but I find myself extremely skeptical. For one thing, if he had talked about the experience in front of a large audience, as was the “setting,” there would be other records of his having done so, and not just a narrated YouTube video. For another thing, had he indeed had such an experience, he would be a much more overtly dedicated believer right now. His abilities are indeed from God, but that is true for every one of us. I am to focus on my Lord, and rejoice to participate in what He is doing. That can be as small as encouraging a boy whose parents just got divorced or as big as sparking a national revival. The one has happened, the other hasn’t yet, but it is equally possible. The point is that my focus is to be on faithful obedience to my Lord, allowing Him to use me however He desires, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed stay focused on You. There are so many distractions! Thank You for the privilege of fellowship with You by Your Spirit. May I delight in that more and more, so that I will be fully and instantly available to You at all times, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Security; June 1, 2025

Posted on June 2, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

The introduction says this is “a Psalm of David,” but from the content it seems to me like it was written for or about him. That said, many authors throughout history have written in the third person, so it could well have been composed by him. Regardless, this verse is justly famous, and enjoyably set to music, tying in the verses ahead and after it. The point is an excellent one: some people seek and trust in physical things for their security, but God is ultimately far more reliable. Often God does use physical things to benefit us, but as Jesus famously told us, we need to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) It’s all a matter of focus and priorities. We never know what will happen in the world around us. A village in the Swiss Alps was just wiped out when a glacier above it collapsed. Thankfully, the people and animals were evacuated just before the collapse, but several hundred people suddenly lost everything material that they had. And of course, there are things like Russia launching drones and cruise missiles against civilians in Ukraine. Such predations of man are what this Psalm is talking about, but it actually applies to everything in life. As Solomon famously wrote, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) We are certainly active agents in our lives, but God is both the foundation and the ultimate authority. The better we grasp that, the more successful we will be.

I have experienced God’s protection and provision more times than I could count, because it actually is continuous. I’m not to be lazy, careless, or presumptive, but I have learned, sometimes the hard way, that God always has the final answer. Thankfully, that has made me more and more grateful over the years. I am to plan and I am to apply myself, but before and above all of that, I am to seek my Lord and trust in Him. Many things in life are uncertain to say the least, but when I am secure in Christ, I am secure indeed. As has been said, when you serve the Lord, the retirement benefits are out of this world!

Father, thank You for this reminder. There is indeed a very great deal going on throughout the world, and uncertainty seems to reign. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, allowing You to use me however You will, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Being Right Before God; May 31, 2025

Posted on June 1, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 19:14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Verses 7-10 are very enjoyably set to music in both English and Japanese, and verses 12-13 are deep and worthy of much meditation, but this last verse covers it all. “Words” here certainly includes everything we say, but it also includes our lifestyle. Psalm 50:23 in the KJV (also set to music) explicitly uses “conversation” to mean lifestyle, though other translations express it differently. That covers our activity, but those activities start in the mind and heart, and that is dealt with here too. Jesus went so far as to say that our thoughts themselves, if nurtured and dwelt on, are sin. (Matthew 5:27-27) Fleeting thoughts can come from anywhere, but when we take them in and mull them over, they become ours, and we are fully responsible for them. That’s why David here says “meditations.” Only the truth of God is truly worthy of meditation! David is talking about being right before God in every respect, and that is a worthy goal indeed.

This hits me particularly hard because I’m a man of words, both spoken and written. I regularly confess to having “pun disease,” and it can be hard to get me to shut up at times. That in itself isn’t bad, but I have been known to hurt people with my words, and that’s not good. As a pastor I am sometimes called on to say strong words, but they must always be spoken in love. (Ephesians 4:15) If I leave out the love, I’m a “noisy gong or clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1) That said, I too have to remember what I just said, about our actions coming from our thoughts. I need to keep my thought life in line with and in submission to my Lord. That’s an area where I still have room to grow! I just learned of someone I respected greatly having fallen into absolutely stupid sin, and I am reminded that none of us can relax in that area. Overt sin always starts in the heart, and I’ve got to be very careful of that. This verse isn’t a prayer for God to rubber stamp what I say and think, but a plea to be kept right before God. It is one I need to pray regularly.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It was a real shock when I heard of that man’s huge stumble. I pray that few people would learn of it, so that the fruit of his immense good works wouldn’t be poisoned in the hearts and minds of others. May nothing pollute the fruit of my life. May it all rather bring blessing to people and glory to You. Thank You. Praise God!

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