Weekly devotionals
Posted by Rod Hamilton on Feb 18 2010
A couple of years ago I had it in mind to write devotionals for the songs we sing on Sunday mornings at Valley View. Finally, after much procrastination, I have begun writing each week for the songs that are on our playlist for that week. I’ll post them here as well. My hope is that some of this writing will enhance our thoughts and understanding about the songs we sing, and by doing so, enhance our desire to participate in corporate worship as we sing these songs. So, without further delay, here is the devotional for Sunday, February 21, 2010.
No Other Name – “No other name that’s higher…”
Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
When we sing about the name of Jesus, we are uttering the name above all names (Phil 2:9), the only name that can bring salvation, and in the eternal scheme of things, the only name that offers hope. This name, Jesus, is the hope of the nations (Matt. 12:21), the name to which every knee will bow and tongue confess (Phil. 2:10-11) and the name of the One Who will judge the living and the dead. (1 Tim. 4:1)
Counting on God – “I’m in a fight not physical, I’m in a war but not with this world…”
Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
We, of our own strength, are completely incapable to stand against the enemy. We must count on God! He is a refuge, a strong tower that we can run to and be safe. (Ps. 18:10)
“And the miracle of Christ in me is the mystery that sets me free”
This should be the testimony of everyone all the time. The transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is not only something to sing about, it is the very mark of a believer and the greatest evidence of God’s power to the witnessing unbeliever. This transformation is truly a miracle and a mystery.
Jesus Messiah – “He became sin Who knew no sin that we might be called His righteousness.”
This song is its own devotional. What could possibly be added for emphasis here? Read about the “ministry of reconciliation” in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
From John MacArthur: “He (God) treated Him (Jesus) as though He had committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe, though, in fact, He committed none of them. Hanging on the cross He was holy, harmless, undefiled. Hanging on the cross He was a spotless Lamb. He was never for a split second a sinner. He is Holy God on the cross. But God is treating Him – I’ll put it more practically – as if He lived my life. God punished Jesus for my sin, turns right around and treats me as if I lived His life. That’s the great doctrine of substitution, and on that doctrine turned the whole reformation of the church. That is the heart of the Gospel. And what you get is complete forgiveness, covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. When He looks at the cross He sees you, when He looks at you He sees Christ.”
Fountain of Life – “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins, and sinners caught beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”
John 4:14 (CEV) “But no one who drinks the water I give will ever be thirsty again. The water I give is like a flowing fountain that gives eternal life.”
This great promise from Jesus is something that we, the redeemed, can trust forever. Christ provides us with life-giving water (Rev. 21:6), and in a spiritual sense, once we have tasted of it, we will never thirst again.
“Guilty I fall, forgiven I rise…”
Acts 3:18 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…”
As we fall to our knees in earnest repentance the God of all mercy showers us with grace and forgiveness. When we rise from that position of humility we can know that we have been forgiven of all our sin (1 John 1:9) and have been purified.
Our Great God – “Eternal God, unchanging mysterious and unknown”
1 Timothy 1:17 “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”
Isn’t it good to know that God never changes? We should each find comfort and stability in that thought. Because He never changes we know that our adoption by Him is permanent and that the gift of salvation He has given us is irrevocable. (Rom. 11:29) Though His ways and His thoughts are higher than ours (Is. 55:9) and we can never know what God knows, He has given us the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) through the Holy Spirit so that we are able to understand spiritual things, and thereby understand what God has freely given us. (Eph. 2:8)
“Lord, we are weak and frail, helpless in the storm”
Mark 4:39-41 “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
The disciples were absolutely terrified in the midst of the storm that was wreaking havoc on their boat on the Sea of Galilee. Their terror came from a lack of faith, but their shouts to the Savior came as prayer. Jesus answered their cries and calmed the storm.
“Our cold and ruthless enemy his pleasure is our harm. Rise up, oh Lord, and he will flee before our Sovereign God.”
Psalm 68:1 “May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.”
Before Christ we were literally enemies of God. (James 4:4) Since we have been reconciled to God through faith in Christ, we are now friends of God. (James 2:23) What better friend to have with you in battle than the One Who is already victorious over our enemy? When we do battle we do not do battle as the world does, we actually have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:4) This does not mean that we go looking for a fight with the devil, but the Lord will rebuke our enemy when the battle rages. (Jude 1:9)
We know that when we fight, we fight from victory and not for victory. The battle is the Lord’s and there’s no defeat!