LETTER TO THE LORD
Gary Waddell • iamnotashamed.com • 3/12/2020
I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.
(Ps 145:5)
Letter writing has become a thing of the past with all of the electronic media surrounding us. Cell phones and computers have all but silenced the act of letter writing. Children in the schools do not even know how to address an envelope. In the past ten years the U.S. Postal Service has seen a decrease of 56% in stamped first class mail. However, cell phone texting has increased astronomically in a sense. Most children know nothing of writing a letter and parents should teach them that art of communication. What a blessing it is for a grandparent to receive a hand-written letter from a grandchild. Grandparents often go for long periods of time hearing from grandchildren in our mobile society. I personally do not hear from my grandchildren very often.
There is someone else who doesn’t hear from His children very often. And sometimes not at all. That Individual is our God in heaven. Prayer is our form of our letter to God. Our Lord does indeed hear every word that is spoken, including every foolish, empty, and hurtful thing that comes out of our mouths (and every thought we think). Many times our speech is not seasoned with salt but spiced with chili-pepper. So many of the words of what people say in these times do Not glorify God. Jesus said, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matt 12:36). God has numbered every hair on our heads (Matt 10:30) so why wouldn’t He know every word we have spoken? The Bible tells us that we will be judged on those spoken words and more than that -- we will be judged on all of our works whether good or bad (2 Cor 5:10). Time spent with God is very short among Christians. So maybe it is time we write Him a letter. Wouldn’t it be great if we could "hand write" a letter to our Lord? You can. Sit down in a quiet place with pen in hand, and write Him today. I hope your letter will consist of at least these 3 points.
Confess your 'Mistakes': Yes, we make them everyday. Confess your sins to Him and ask for His forgiveness. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). We must all admit that we come short and stumble in our walks. This must be a daily routine since we are bombarded by the 'wicked one' in this world continually. We should never falter regarding our faith, and that is why it is important to reach out for the Lord’s hand each day. As humans, we make 'Mistakes'. As “Followers of Christ,” we understand the need to bring our short-comings to God. Tell the Lord God of your 'mistakes' today. Write to Him about your sins and know that He has cleansed us of all our iniquities. Call upon Him while you are writing your letter. Remember, this is between you and God and you do not have to share it with anyone. A personal letter should be kept private. If you burn this letter after you wrote it, no one on this earth would know about it. That is something you can’t say about “cell phone texting.”
Focus on and give thanks for God’s Mercy: The word “Mercy” appears 276 times in the KJV Bible and it becomes obvious that our God is a God of Mercy. Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines “Mercy” as “compassion for the miserable” and Nave’s Topical Bible defines it as “kindness.” I prefer the “compassion for the miserable” since we are all stumbling in this world. Even those who stay close to God continually will find themselves being attacked each day. For those of us who are ‘followers of Christ’ it is a comfort to know that when we call upon the Lord, He will hear us – and have Mercy on us. “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee” (Ps 86:5). Recognize and thank God in your letter for His abundant mercies. They are many. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us . . (Eph 2:4-5).
Recognize God’s Majesty: God’s ‘greatness’ and ‘dignity’ is described by the word “Majesty”. There is no word in our language or any language in the world to describe the ‘highness’ or ‘greatness’ of our God. Write to Him about His Majesty and glorify His name throughout your letter. God doesn't "Need" our praise but "we owe it to Him". God who can give life and take it away; The God who has created all of us along with the world and the Universe. Some mistakenly may address someone on earth as ‘your majesty’ but they are wrong in doing so. There is only One person that meets the requirements. GOD. And our Lord Jesus is God in the flesh. A hymn we sing periodically in church describes our Lord Jesus and how He is to be worshiped. He is not just ‘a king’ but He’s KING of kings. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies (Ps 18:3). Friends, He is not only ‘worthy’ but majestic. "We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;" (Heb 8:1b). Below is the first verse of the above mentioned hymn, Majesty.
** Majesty, worship his majesty;
Unto Jesus be all glory, honor, and praise.
Majesty, kingdom authority,
Flow from his throne unto his own, his anthem raise.
** Jack Hayford 1981
Once you have completed your ‘letter to the Lord,’ and included the three points mentioned, you have actually spent about 30 to 40 minutes with the Lord. That is possibly more time than most spend with God over a week’s time. By writing your letter, you have spoken to God, you have asked for forgiveness of sins, and prayed to God in the name of Jesus Christ, to help you magnify His glorious name more than you have been doing. You have spent time with Him but now, God wants to hear from you on a daily basis. Bless God and honor Him.
Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great;
thou art clothed with honor and majesty (Ps 104:1).
Thanks for “Taking 5" • Gary Waddell • Victory Ministries Middle Tennessee
iamnotashamed.com • God bless and bless GOD