Set The Lord Before You

I have a confession to make to you today. There are times in my life when I don’t feel as close to God as I should. There are times I find my life filled with doubt and anxiety, times when I fail to trust in God as the keeper of all things. Times when I don’t feel the comforting presence of the Lord in my life.

Am I alone in this situation, or have you ever found yourself there also?

When we have such times, what can we do to restore the right relationship with God?

The answer is found in Psalm 16:8

Psalm 16:8 ESV

8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

I don’t think that we can ever be fulfilled or truly happy outside of our relationship with the Lord. As a matter of fact, just a couple of verses later the Psalms attest to that.

Psalm 16:11 ESV

11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

So how do we go about setting the Lord before us. First is to:

Set the Lord Before you Through God’s Creation

We can let nature bring us closer to God.

Psalm 19:1–2 ESV

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

Romans 1:20 ESV

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

One of the keys to strengthening a relationship is through the increasing of understanding between us and others in that relationship, whether it be a relationship with friends, in our marriage, or with the Lord.

We find several examples in scripture where people have increased their understanding of the Lord by spending time in nature.

Genesis Chapter 24 tells us that Isaac would go out into the fields to meditate, as a matter of fact he was out in the field meditating when he discovered his new bride Rebekah.

In Matthew 14 just after Jesus feed 5000 people with five loaves and two fish:

Matthew 14:23 (ESV)

23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

Perhaps it is easier for us to draw close to God when we are in the midst of His creation rather than in the midst of man’s creation. My evidence is entirely anecdotal, but it has always seemed to me that rural people, those from the country or those with close ties to the land, seem more likely to have a healthy relationship with God than people who have spent the entirety of their lives in the city.

And I’ll tell you something I found interesting about a group of people who have travelled further from the city than anyone, and that is the 29 Americans who have landed on the moon. Of those, 23 profess to be protestants and 6 Catholic, with a high percentage of them being leaders in their church.

On December 24, 1968, as the Apollo 8 astronauts entered into lunar orbit, they did a live TV broadcast which was sent around the world. At the end of the broadcast William Anders said, “For all the people on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you.” They then took turns reading from the Book of Genesis beginning with “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” and concluding with “and God saw that it was good.”

Frank Borman then closed with: “Good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you — all of you on the good Earth.”

NASA was sued by militant atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair. The case was rejected by the courts, but it had its impact. NASA told the astronauts to tone it down when it came to airing their religious views.

However, this didn’t stop Buzz Aldrin from taking advantage of an opportunity a few moments before he and Neil Armstrong left the lunar module to step onto the moon. He radioed to Mission Control: “Houston. This is Eagle, the LEM Pilot speaking. I would like to request a few moments of silence. I would like to invite each person listening in, wherever and whomever he may be, to contemplate for a moment the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his own individual way.”

During this moment of silence Aldrin took communion with a portable communion kit that had been provided to him by the pastor of his church. Aldrin said in an interview sometime later “God reveals himself in space as man reaches out to the universe.”

The tradition of religious observances in space continued beyond Apollo 11. During the Apollo 15 mission two years later, astronaut James B. Irwin was exploring the rough terrain of the moon’s surface when he radioed Mission Control that he was reminded of one of his favorite Scripture passages: “I’ll look unto the hills from whence cometh my help” from Psalms 121:1

Even though we can see God in nature and be drawn closer to Him, His creation can only tell you so much about Him. We can see His power, His glory, and His majesty, but we can learn little of His will and purpose. To draw even closer, we need to:

Set the Lord before you Through God’s Revelation

It is only through Divine revelation that God has made His will fully known.

He has revealed many things through His Spirit, who in turn revealed them through the apostles.

1 Corinthians 2:9–12 ESV

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

Today we have available to us the scriptures which were written for our benefit and our understanding.

Ephesians 3:1–5 ESV

1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

David used his knowledge of scripture in many ways to stay close to God:

Psalm 119:92–93 ESV

92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.

And them later in the same chapter:

Psalm 119:105 ESV

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Jesus used it to ward off the Tempter in Matthew 4:4-10

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Deuteronomy 8:3 ”

“Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” Deuteronomy 6:16

“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” Deuteronomy 6:13

So we can draw closer through God by appreciation of nature, we can draw closer to God by studying His word, but there is even more we can do. We can:

Set the Lord Before You Through your Prayers

Like all relationships in life, you cannot have a close relationship unless that relationship goes both ways, it has to be a two way street.

Just as the Lord reveals Himself to us, we have the opportunity to reveal ourselves to Him through prayer.

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The writer of Hebrews tells us:

Hebrews 4:15–16 ESV

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

David found that coming before the Lord to confess his sins brought forgiveness:

Psalm 32:3–5 ESV

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Jesus found prayer to be a source of strength when He was in need. We have the account in Matthew chapter 26 where Jesus prays three times in the garden of Gethsemane on the eave of His Crucifixion.

Harold Dixon was a pilot in WWII. He and his two crewmen had to ditch in ocean and spent the next thirty-four days drifting in small rubber raft without any food or fresh water. After a few days, they started having prayer meetings every night. Dixon said, "There was a comfort in passing our burden to someone bigger than we in this empty vastness. Further, the common devotion drew us together, since it seemed we no longer depended entirely upon each other, but could appeal simultaneously to a Fourth that we three held equally in reverence."

Of course that “Fourth" reminds us of what Nebuchadnezzar saw when he came to look into the fiery furnace to see what had happened to the three young men he had ordered thrown in there. He saw a fourth figure like unto the Son of Man!

That is one of the great blessings of prayer. It puts you into fellowship with the form of a Fourth—with God, with Jesus Christ, the Saviour of men.

You also can draw near to God in your time of trial to let Him know of your deepest needs.

And I have one other way you can set the Lord before you:

Set the Lord Before You Through Fellowship

We all know that there is strength in numbers, and strength comes to us from assembling ourselves together.

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 ESV

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Hebrews 3:12–13 ESV

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

You see it is much harder for us to drift away if we are in fellowship with other believers. We need to have that accountability one with another. In areas where I am weak there are others here who are strong, and I may have some strength in areas that you may lack, but without each other we all go wanting.

Later the writer of Hebrews says:

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

There has never been a time in our lives when it was more important for us to be together in fellowship, and all the more as we see the Day drawing near.

If you are drawing out a knife in a coal forge you don’t just put one lump of coal in your forge to prepare to work the metal. No, you heap many coals together. These coals keep each other hot in order to be ready to do the work set before them. If you just had one coal burning in your forge it would soon fade away but when you stoke the forge with many lumps of coal you get a very long lasting and hot fire to work with.

Assembling together, just like that collection of coal, will keep the fire burning in our relationship with the Lord.

Those in the early church found strength by assembling together. In Acts, Chapter 4, Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus and His resurrection. When they were released they immediately sought out the other believers that were a part of their fellowship and they prayed together. Then Acts 4:31 tells us:

Acts 4:31 ESV

31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

As they were gathered together in prayer they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and with the Holy Spirit indwelling them, they continued to speak the Word of the Lord with boldness.

Conclusion

Today do you feel a desire to draw closer to God? Do you feel like your walk with the Lord is not at close as it should be. Do you feel like your relationship with the Lord could use some improvement?

If that’s the case then I encourage you to “Set the Lord before you.”

You can do that through:

Spending a little more time appreciating God’s creation. Occasionally find yourself in a place with a little less concrete and automobiles and a little more grass and animals and trees.

Spend a little more time in the scripture seeking out the revelation of God that is contained therein.

Spend a little more time in prayer. That two-way relationship between you and God, that opportunity to open a line of communication between you and the one who created you.

And last of all, don’t forsake the fellowship of other believers. That fellowship is important in helping us maintain a strong and healthy relationship with the Lord.

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