Psalm 98:8a    Let the floods clap their hands…

What if that which is troubling you is, in obedience to Scripture, bringing glory and honor to Jesus Christ?  Hear me; often, we associate the trials of life with “troubled seas”, “wind”, “rain”, or “floods”, as each of these are found often to symbolize such in God’s Word.  Having said that, look at the text again; “Let the floods clap their hands…”  As you are surrounded by the roaring of life’s sea (see verse seven), could it be that these uniquely challenging circumstance in which you find yourself are a direct result of those turbulent “waters” responding in obedience to the command of praising our Creator God?

Is it beyond reason that in order for God to get maximum glory, He might prefer troubled seas upon which to walk and into which to speak peace and calm?  Might God need (rather, might WE need) circumstances out of which to rescue us, before we with stubborn hearts are willing and eager to lift up praise to His name?

Why are we so slow to praise Him?  Why, when sailing is smooth and skies are blue, do we slip into a deep spiritual sleep that robs God of the praise which He rightly deserves?  Why does He need to resort to receiving worship from the crying out of rocks when we are more silent than they (see Luke 19:40)?

Imagine The Lord, who WILL get His praise, resorting to otherwise inanimate objects which have no souls, to make a fuss of Him!!  Imagine the condition of man in our calloused state when our precious Lord, long awaiting praise to break forth from our silence, at last resorts to commanding the floods around us to be stirred up in praise so that at last, when we are shaken, we too join in praising Him, even in our dilemma!  May we learn to praise Him at ALL times, especially when the floods come and out-perform our praise until we finally join in to PRAISE Him!

Pastor Gary Caudill

copyright © by Gary D. Caudill, all rights reserved

Romans 15:21    But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see:  and they that have not heard shall understand.

The Apostle Paul is quoting Isaiah 52:15, which says, “So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him:  for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.”  What makes this so powerful is the fact that the Holy Spirit enabled Paul to see clearly that he was, in fact, a major part in the fulfillment of that very verse in Isaiah, by the way God was using him to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles (any nation outside of the nation of Israel).

Now, just as Paul was able to clearly see his part in the fulfillment of this prophecy, what about you?  It is so easy for those of us who are already believers to gloss over these types of passages, not capturing the sheer weight of their significance and meaning for us personally, even right here and right now in our day.

Please allow me to elaborate; there is, even now, a continuation of the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the Gentile nations where untold millions have yet to hear the Gospel.  And yet, somehow, we fail to make the connection that, just as God used Paul the Apostle to help fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah 52:15, even so He uses us today in the continuation of its fulfillment.

Dear Christian, please understand that when you share the truth of the Gospel with unbelieving Gentiles who have never heard about Jesus in a truthful light, then YOU, sir or madam, are literally living out the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy on a personal level.  Think of the significance of that, and never think again that your work is insignificant, for Scripture itself is being fulfilled partly through YOUR obedience.

Pastor Gary Caudill

copyright © by Gary D. Caudill, all rights reserved

Romans 15:13    Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Have you ever received a word of hope either during or directly after reading or hearing the word of God that, to your natural man, seemed too good to be true?  Hear this; The Holy Ghost will always work to keep you believing!  Always believe that any believing the word comes from the Holy Ghost, and never doubt that any doubting the word comes from the devil.  It is, in fact, the POWER of the Holy Ghost which takes God’s Word, and with it infuses faith in us by which to believe in hope, even against all hope (see Romans 4:18).

This word HOPE comes from the Greek word “elpis” which essentially means to anticipate with pleasure, and to live in expectation and confidence.  This in no way is speaking of a “hopelessness” kind of hope which the natural man leans towards with little to no real expectation of any good outcome.  You know, the kind that says with defeat in his voice, “Well, all we can do now is hope that something happens!”  This typical usage of the word hope in our culture today is one with undertones of expected defeat with only a slight and very narrow chance of positive change.

However, when the Holy Ghost infuses Biblical hope into our hearts, it is upon promises both steadfast and sure!  It is upon the predictability of God being able to perform that which He spoke.  It ushers in a new kind of hope for an otherwise hopeless demeaner and attitude.  We do not merely wish for the best and plan for the worst when we believe God at His Word.  No, my friends, we hope for the best, and plan accordingly!  That is, with eager expectation and pleasure, we begin to act as if the answer is on the verge of knocking on our door to deliver the package for which we hoped!  Listen to and believe The Holy Ghost today!

Pastor Gary Caudill

copyright © by Gary D. Caudill, all rights reserved

Psalm 89:20    I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:.

What was it about David that caused God to stop His search for a choice servant?  In our text, notice the state in which God found David, prior to His anointing him to be king.  “I have found David MY SERVANT…[emphasis mine]”  It would appear that God found David while he was in the very act of serving Him.  It goes without saying that if you are looking for someone to work for you, a good place to start would be to select one who already is working for you without compensation!

Looking at the word servant here, in its original, it means a bondservant.  A quick definition search for the meaning of this word yields this result; “a person bound in service without wages”.  Get this; David was so in awe of his Creator God that he bound himself to His service because he loved Him, and for no other reason!  Spending time in the presence of the King of Kings was pay enough for little David!!

Is it any wonder that when the Lord rebuked king Saul in 1 Sam. 13:14 to inform him that He was fixing to replace him with David, that he told him, “…the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people…”?  Essentially, what God was saying of David was that David’s worship won His heart!

Can we worship God without compensation for doing so?  Can we adore Him in all His glory even if/when we are at a disadvantage in life?  Or do we need Him to come through for us before we give Him praise?  Know this; he who worships God with no strings attached wins the heart of God, the results of which are indescribable and unstoppable!  Worship Him, like David, with your service to Him, NO MATTER WHAT!!

Pastor Gary Caudill

copyright © by Gary D. Caudill, all rights reserved