Good morning,

Psalm 104 is a profound hymn of praise that acknowledges the sovereignty and majesty of God as Creator. It explores the interconnectedness of creation and the dependence of all life on God’s provision and sustenance. This psalm invites the reader into a deep appreciation for the world around us and provides a unique perspective on our place within God’s creation. 

Psalm 104

Praise to the Majestic Creator (V 1–4)

Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.² Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:³ Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:⁴ Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

The psalm opens with the worshiper stirring his own soul to bless the LORD, picturing God clothed in dazzling light, spreading out the heavens like a tent, riding on the clouds, and commanding the winds and flames. Creation is described as God’s servant, carrying out His purposes with effortless power. (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/104.htm)

Foundation and Flood Boundaries (V 5-9)

⁵ Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.⁶ Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.⁷ At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.⁸ They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.⁹ Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

God establishes the earth on secure foundations so that it “should never be moved.” He allows the primeval waters briefly to cover the mountains, then speaks, and the waters flee to the boundaries He sets. The memory of the Flood lingers—yet the psalmist highlights that the Lord has fixed limits the waters “may not pass again.” (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/104.htm)

Provision for All Living Creatures (V 10-18)

¹⁰ He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.¹¹ They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.¹² By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.¹³ He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.¹⁴ He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;¹⁵ And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.¹⁶ The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;¹⁷ Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.¹⁸ The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.

Springs pour water into valleys; every beast drinks; birds sing among the branches. Grass grows for livestock, and plants for people “to bring forth food from the earth,” including wine, oil, and bread. Even lofty cedars and rugged crags teem with life because the Lord provides safe habitats for every creature. (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/104.htm)

Celestial Order and Human Work (V 19-23)

¹⁹ He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.²⁰ Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.²¹ The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.²² The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.²³ Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.

The moon marks seasons, the sun keeps its appointed time. Nightfall releases the prowling beasts; dawn sends them back to their lairs while humans rise to work “until evening.” Heavenly bodies and earthly rhythms are woven together for the good of all. (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/104.htm)

Manifold Works and Sustaining Breath (V 24-30)

²⁴ O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.²⁵ So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.²⁶ There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.²⁷ These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.²⁸ That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.²⁹ Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.³⁰ Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

With joyful wonder the psalmist exclaims, “How many are Your works, O LORD!” Earth and sea overflow with creatures great and small—“Leviathan” frolics in the vast ocean. Every life waits for God’s open hand; when He hides His face, they panic. When He “sends forth” His Spirit, new life springs up and the ground is renewed. (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/104.htm)

 Eternal Glory and Personal Devotion (V 31-35)

³¹ The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.³² He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.³³ I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.³⁴ My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.³⁵ Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.

The psalm closes with a prayer that the Lord’s glory endure forever and that His own joy in what He made never fades. The singer vows lifelong praise, asking that sin and wickedness vanish from the earth. The final line echoes the start: “Bless the LORD, O my soul. Hallelujah!” (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/104.htm)

Practical Applications

Cultivate Awe and Wonder

Take time to observe and appreciate the beauty of creation around you, recognizing it as a reflection of God’s glory.

Trust in God’s Provision

Remember that just as God provides for the needs of His creation, He is faithful to provide for you.

Embrace God’s Order

Acknowledge the order and purpose God has established in the world and seek to align your life with His design.

Live Sustainably

Consider how you can care for the environment as a steward of God’s creation, reflecting His love and care.

Praise Continually

Make a habit of praising God for His creation and His ongoing work in your life 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Your best day!

Charles Spurgeon

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Revelation 1:18, “I hold the keys of death and the grave.”

All the issues of of your death, are at the disposal of your loving Savior. You cannot die, unless Jesus opens the door of death. It is our comfort, that our dissolution is entirely in the hands of Him who bled on the accursed tree for us.

In the midst of fever and pestilence, you shall not die a moment before Jesus has purposed it. The place, the circumstance, the exact second of our departure–have all been lovingly and wisely appointed by Him.

Since Jesus has the keys of death, you need never fear it. Rather, let us rejoice at the approach of death, since it comes at our dear Bridegroom’s bidding! Jesus shall come to our dying bed and say, “Arise My love, My beautiful one, and come away!” Song of Solomon 2:10

You shall find it sweet to die. Depend upon it, your dying day will be the best day you have ever known! “Better is the day of one’s death, than the day of one’s birth.” Ecclesiastes 7:1

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” Psalm 23:4

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15

“My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better!” Philippians 1:23

“Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on!” Revelation 14:13

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxcxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Salvation Summed Up in Nine Letters

Charles Spurgeon, et al.

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Titus 3:5, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.”

1. HE
Salvation begins with God. The glorious subject of this verse is none other than the sovereign Lord of Heaven and earth. He–the eternal, omnipotent, all-wise, and perfectly holy God–has taken the initiative. It was not man who sought God, but God who sought man. Left to ourselves, we were “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved” (Titus 3:3), utterly without hope. But God, in His infinite mercy and loving-kindness, moved toward us. This great act of salvation is not the product of man’s desire, decision, or deeds–but of God’s own purpose and grace. “Salvation comes from the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). He alone is the Author and Finisher of our faith. What a humbling truth: the One most offended by our sin, is the very One who provides the remedy!

2. SAVED
What a word! Not helped. Not improved. Not rehabilitated. But saved! This is a strong word that speaks of deliverance from danger and destruction. In the biblical sense, it is a rescue from the wrath of God, from the penalty of sin, from eternal damnation. Salvation is no minor adjustment to our behavior or character–it is a radical deliverance from guilt, corruption, and condemnation.

And what is the cause? “Not because of righteous things we had done.” No amount of good works, religious rituals, or moral efforts could ever earn this salvation. It comes because of His mercy. Grace flows from mercy. Mercy is God’s heart of compassion toward those in misery and ruin; and grace is the action that flows from it–redeeming, restoring, and raising us from death to life. To be saved is to be made a new creation in Christ, clothed in His righteousness, and kept by His power.

3. US
This salvation is not impersonal or theoretical–it is personal. “He saved us.” Who are the “us”? Not the worthy or the wise, but sinners–helpless, hopeless, Hell-deserving sinners. Those who were once enemies, rebels, and strangers–have been brought near by the blood of Christ. This word reminds us that salvation is not just a theological truth to admire, but a divine gift to receive. If you can say from your heart, “He saved me,” then all glory belongs to Him alone. And if He has saved us, then our lives must now be lived for His glory. We are not our own–we were bought at a price. Let us walk in humble gratitude, praising the God who loved us, chose us, and saved us by His mercy.

Conclusion:
Salvation is summed up in nine letters: HE SAVED US.
Three simple words, yet they contain the depths of the gospel.

The Source: He.
The Act: Saved.
The Objects: Us.

May this truth stir your soul, crush all pride, and ignite fresh praise for the God of mercy who did for us what we could never do for ourselves.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Immanuel’s Land!

Gene Fedele, edited

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

What can be more delightful for the weary pilgrim who is hastening to his heavenly mansion, than to meditate on the unspeakable wonders of his eternal home beyond the skies? There is much of Immanuel’s Land to engage our hearts in sacred contemplation, even while we sojourn and toil in this world as strangers and pilgrims.

Heaven is the most encouraging and attractive occupation to which we may set our hearts. Yet I wonder why many of us fail to avail ourselves of the enjoyment and spiritual strength afforded in such a holy pursuit.

Could it be that the allurements of this world keep us from recognizing how near we are to the unseen, supernatural, and eternal state? Instead of dwelling on the glorious world to come–do we focus on the mere momentary pleasures of time? We do well to examine ourselves with judgment-day honesty, that we may check the affections of our heart.

It is the influence of the future heavenly realities, exercised in our hearts and lives, which gives vitality and beauty to our religion. It reveals genuine piety, as our aim is in contrast to the passing pleasures of this fleeting earth. It affords light along the path of life’s dark trials, and points to the realms of bliss, where there shall be no more tears, and sorrow is banished forevermore!

The glorious rest that remains for our earth-wearied souls;
the sweet consolation of the redeemed in glory;
the unending fellowship of that precious society of saints;
the incalculable riches laid up in store for us to receive on that glorious day
–are all facets of Immanuel’s Land, that we might set an adoring eye towards the one object of our affections: Jesus our wondrous Redeemer!

Let us, therefore, “set our affections on things above” and fix our hearts steadfastly upon the heavenly joys and glory of Immanuel’s Land!

“But our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies, so that they will be like His glorious body!” Philippians 3:20-21

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

The Law of Liberty: Faith, Freedom, and the Foundation of a Nation

“And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.” (Psalm 119:45)

Introduction: The Milestone of 250 Years 

We gather today at a monumental crossroads in human history. This year, the United States of America marks its 250th birthday. Two and a half centuries ago, a group of brave individuals signed a document that changed the world, declaring that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights—among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

But as we stand before God today, we must ask ourselves a profound question: What is the source of true liberty?

The world defines liberty as absolute autonomy. It says, “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” But the Word of God gives us a completely different blueprint. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 119:45, “And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.”

Is liberty merely the absence of a king? Is liberty simply the right to do whatever we want, whenever we want, without consequence?

Look closely at the divine paradox of that verse. The world says that laws, rules, and precepts destroy liberty. But God says that His precepts are the very things that guarantee liberty. True freedom is not the absence of restraint; it is the presence of the right restraints.

Our Founding Fathers understood this biblical truth. They knew that political liberty could not survive without spiritual faith. Patrick Henry once famously warned, “It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their chains.” John Adams wrote in 1798, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Today, we will examine three great pillars of biblical liberty: The Foundation of Liberty, the Peril of Lawlessness, and the Practice of Daily Freedom.

Point 1: Liberty Requires a Foundation 

To understand liberty, we must look to the Author of Liberty. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Freedom is not a human invention. It is a divine attribute. When God created man, He created him free. But notice that God’s freedom always operates within the boundaries of His truth.

Practical Example:

Consider a modern train. A train is a magnificent engine of power and mobility. It can pull thousands of tons of cargo across vast continents. But where is that train truly free? It is only free when it stays locked onto the steel tracks. The tracks might look like a restriction. The tracks tell the train, “You cannot turn left into the field; you cannot turn right into the woods.” But if the train decides to rebel against the tracks—if it says, “I want to be totally free!”—and jumps off the tracks, what happens? It crashes into disaster, ruin, and bondage. The tracks are not its prison; the tracks are its preservation.

God’s precepts—His laws, His Word, His commandments—are the tracks for human liberty.

When our nation was founded, Thomas Jefferson penned these famous words in Notes on the State of Virginia: “Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?”

If liberty comes from the government, then the government can take it away. But if liberty comes from Almighty God, then no tyrant, no king, and no earthly power has the right to strip it from you!

Scripture commands us in Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” This applies spiritually first, but it echoes nationally. If we remove the foundation of faith, the house of liberty will inevitably collapse.

Point 2: The Peril of Lawlessness 

We live in an age that confuses liberty with licentiousness. Licentiousness means doing whatever feels good to the flesh, regardless of God’s law.

The Bible warns us about this false definition of freedom. Look at 1 Peter 2:16, “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”

When a society decides that there is no absolute truth, it does not become more free. It becomes a prisoner to its own vices. In the Old Testament, during the darkest days of Israel’s history, the Bible describes their cultural decay with these words in Judges 21:25: “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

What was the result when everyone did what was right in their own eyes? It wasn’t a utopia of freedom. It was a nightmare of crime, oppression, fear, and national weakness.

Practical Example:

Imagine you go to watch a great symphony orchestra. There are one hundred musicians on the stage with violins, cellos, trumpets, and flutes. Before the concert begins, what do they do? They tune their instruments. It sounds like chaotic noise. Now, imagine if the conductor stood up and said, “Tonight, in honor of liberty, there will be no sheet music! Every musician play whatever note you want, at whatever speed you want, in whatever key you want!”

Would that be beautiful freedom? No, it would be an unbearable, deafening noise. True harmony is only achieved when one hundred independent musicians all submit their freedom to the exact same sheet music and the exact same conductor.

Our nation is drowning in noise today because we have thrown away the sheet music of God’s Word. We have traded the eternal truth of God for the shifting sands of human opinion.

Jesus gave us the ultimate antidote to this chaos in John 8:31-32: “If ye continue in my word, then are they my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Notice the order: You must continue in the Word, then you know the truth, and then you are made free. You cannot have the freedom of verse 32 if you reject the obedience of verse 31!

Point 3: Walking in Daily Liberty 

How then do we preserve this liberty for the next 250 years? We do it by actively walking in it.

Our text says, “And I will walk at liberty…” Walking implies action. It implies a daily lifestyle. It is not enough to look back at 1776 and praise the faith of our fathers. We must possess the faith of our fathers in 2026!

The Bible tells us in James 1:25, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Notice that James calls God’s Word the “perfect law of liberty.“ How do we practice this daily?

1. Through Personal Self-Governance: A citizen who can govern his own passions under the lordship of Jesus Christ requires very little government from the state. True freedom begins in the human heart when Christ breaks the chains of sin.
2. Through Public Intercession: We must obey 1 Timothy 2:1-2, which commands us to pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”
3. Through Generational Faithfulness: We must pass this truth to our children. Psalm 145:4 reminds us, “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.”

Practical Example:

In the early days of America, lighthouses were built all along the rocky Atlantic coast. Those lighthouses did not tell the ships exactly where to steer every second of their journey. They didn’t control the captains. What did they do? They cast a bright, unmoving light that exposed the deadly rocks. They gave the captains the truth so they could navigate safely into the harbor.

The church of Jesus Christ is called to be the lighthouse of this nation. We are not here to dominate; we are here to illuminate. We must hold fast to the light of the Gospel, showing a drifting nation where the dangerous rocks of sin are, and where the safe harbor of God’s grace can be found.

Conclusion: A Call to National Renewal

Let us remember the solemn words of Benjamin Franklin during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. As the delegates struggled to find common ground, the aging statesman stood up and said, “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”

America did not achieve 250 years of history because we were wiser, stronger, or better than any other people. We achieved it because, for generations, our people recognized that our rights came from God, our hope rested in God, and our liberty was sustained by God.

Let us return to the tracks of His precepts. Let us play our lives according to the sheet music of His holy Word. Let us look to the perfect law of liberty.

Let us pray for our land today with the words of Psalm 33:22: “Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.”

If you want to save the nation, it starts by surrendering your own heart to the King of Kings. True liberty is found at the foot of the cross, where Jesus Christ breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the prisoner free.

May God bless you, may God revive His church, and may God bless the United States of America. Amen.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

When I once got a view of Christ’s transcendent loveliness!

Thomas Doolittle, “Love to Christ Necessary to Escape the Curse at His Coming!” 1693

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

The prophet Isaiah, speaking of graceless men as disliking, not desiring, not loving Jesus; brings them in as saying, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him!” Isaiah 53:2
 
What! No loveliness in Him who is “the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express image of His person!” Yes there is, but they had no eyes to see it!It is as if a blind man would say that the sun is dark, because he has no eyes to behold it’s light. How could they look upon Him with an eye of love; when they did not discern Him with an eye of faith?

But a holy soul, whose eyes are divinely opened, so sees the superlative goodness, beauty, and excellence in Jesus–that all other things, which are good with an inferior goodness, seem to him as dross and rubbish! “But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Jesus. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things! I consider them rubbish,” things cast to dogs, or dog’s food, “that I may gain Christ!” Philippians 3:7-8. The holy man, whose mind is savingly enlightened, can say: I see that goodness in the Savior, which far surpasses all the goodness of the creature!

Though the stars can be seen in the night; yet when the sun arises, they all disappear. Just so, in my night of ignorance, when my mind was blind, my heart hard, and my affections frozen; I was bewitched with the glare of riches, of honors, and of worldly pleasures. But then the Sun of righteousness with His radiant rays shined into my soul, and with His warming influences thawed my benumbed and frozen heart. And then the glory of all those earthly vanities which once dazzled my eyes, vanished and withered away! When I once got a view of Christ’s transcendent loveliness; then in comparison to Him, I saw . . .
  an emptiness and vanity, in all the creature’s fullness;
  shame, in all the world’s nobility;
  dishonor, in all the world’s glory;
  poverty, in all the world’s riches;
  darkness, in the world’s most resplendent luster;
  folly, in the world’s highest wisdom;
  deformity, in the world’s loveliest beauty!

Yes, the soul whose love is fixed upon Jesus, adores His superlative goodness, beauty, and excellence!

“Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!” Song of Songs 5:16

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

What a compassionate, gracious arrangement!

Susannah Spurgeon, “Words of Cheer and Comfort for Sick and Sorrowful Souls!” 1898

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Psalm 31:15, “My times are in Your hand!”

Why then, need I worry or tremble? That great, loving, powerful hand keeps all the events of my life sealed and secure within its almighty clasp! Only He, my Maker and my Master, can permit them to be revealed to me as His will for me. What a compassionate, gracious arrangement! How eminently fitted to fulfill that sweet promise of His Word, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You!” If we fully believed this, then we would be absolutely devoid of the worry which corrodes and chafes the daily life of so many professing Christians.

“My times.” Not one or two important epochs of my history only, but everything that concerns me:
  joys that I had not expected,
  sorrows that must have crushed me, if they could have been anticipated,
  sufferings which might have terrified me by their grimness,
  surprises which infinite love had prepared for me,
  services of which I could not have imagined myself capable–
all these lay in that mighty hand, as the purposes of God’s eternal will for me.

But, as they have developed gradually and silently–how great has been the love which appeared, enwrapping and enfolding each one!
Has not the grief been measured–while the gladness has far more abounded?
Have not the comforts and consolations, exceeded the crosses and afflictions?
Have not all things been so arranged, ordered, and undertaken, and worked out on our behalf–that we can but marvel at the goodness and wisdom of God, in meting out from that dear hand of His, all the “times” that have passed over us?

You agree with me in all this, do you not, dear reader? Then I beg you to apply it to your present circumstances, however dark or difficult they may be. They have come directly from your Father’s hand to you, and they are His dear will for you!

“We know that God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

  

The best pattern of fellowship with God

Charles Spurgeon

Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

A missionary some years ago, returning from Southern Africa, gave a description of the work which had been accomplished there through the preaching of the gospel. Among other things, he pictured a little incident of which he had been an eye-witness.

He said that one morning he saw a converted African chieftain sitting under a palm tree with his Bible open before him. Every now and then he cast his eyes on his book and read a passage, and then he paused and looked up a little while, and his lips were seen to be in motion. Thus he continued alternately to look down on the Scriptures, and then to turn his eyes upward towards Heaven.

The missionary passed by without disturbing the chieftain; but a little while afterwards he mentioned to him what he had seen, and asked him why it was that sometimes he read, and sometimes he looked up?

The chieftain replied, “I look down to the Book, and God speaks to me; and then I look up in prayer, and I speak to the Lord–and in this way we keep up a holy talk with each other.”

I would set this picture before you, as being the best pattern of fellowship with God–the heart hearkening to the voice of God, and then replying in prayer and praise.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need!” Hebrews 4:16  

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx   

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com  

The most sparkling diamond in the ring of glory!

Thomas Brooks, “A Believer’s Last Day, His Best Day“

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Ecclesiastes 7:1, “The day of death is better than the day of one’s birth.”

A believer’s last day is his best day! Death is a change of enjoyments. It is a change of our more dark and obscure enjoyment of God–for a more clear and sweet enjoyment of Him. The best believer in this world, who enjoys most of God–he is still much in the dark, and does not enjoy God clearly.

Ask those who live highest in the enjoyment of God, “What is your greatest burden?” They will tell you: “That our views of God are quite darksome, so that we cannot see Him face to face, whom our souls dearly love.”

Death is a change of our imperfect and incomplete enjoyments of God, for a more complete and perfect enjoyment of Him. One has beautifully said: “The glorious things of Heaven are . . .
  so many, that they exceed number;
  so precious, that they exceed estimation;
  so great, that they exceed measure!”

There are no complaints in Heaven, because there are no needs. Oh, when death shall give the fatal stroke, there shall be an exchange of this wilderness world, for the glories of Heaven!

Here in this present world, the saints receive grace; but in Heaven, they shall receive glory! God keeps the best wine until last. Here we have but some sips and tastes of God; the fullness is reserved for the glorious state. He who sees most of God here on earth, sees but His back parts; His face is a jewel of such splendor and glory, that no eye can behold but a glorified eye.
The best of Christians are able to take in only a glimpse of God; their hearts are like the widow’s vessel, which could hold only a little oil. Sin, the world, and creatures take up so much room in the best hearts–that God gives Himself out little by little; as parents give sweets to their children. But in Heaven God will communicate Himself fully and at once to the soul! Grace shall then be swallowed up in glory!
Death is a change of a more inconstant and transient enjoyment of God–for a constant and permanent enjoyment of God. Here on earth, the saints’ enjoyment of God is changeable. But in Heaven there are no clouds arising between the Lord and a believing heart. In Heaven there are nothing but kisses and embraces; nothing but a perpetual enjoyment of God! When once God takes the soul unto Himself, He shall wipe away every tear.

Jesus is the most sparkling diamond in the ring of glory! It is Heaven and happiness enough, to see Jesus and to be forever with Him. One has said, “For Jesus to be with Paul, was the greatest security–but for Paul to be with Jesus, was the chief happiness!”

Oh what a glorious change this is! Methinks these things should make us long for our dying-day, and account this present life to be but a lingering death. “And so we will be with the Lord forever! Therefore encourage each other with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Psalm 78 

Verses 1–8 – A Call to Hear and Pass On God’s Works

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.2I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:3Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.4We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.5For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:6That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:7That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:8And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

Asaph opens by summoning God’s people to tune their ears to “a parable” that unveils the past so future generations will not repeat it. He urges parents to recount “the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD” so children will “set their hope in God” and not be “a stubborn and rebellious generation.” (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/78.htm)

Verses 9–16 – Ephraim’s Failure and God’s Wonders in the Wilderness

The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.10They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;11And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.12Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.13He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.14In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.15He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.16He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, “turned back on the day of battle.” Their forgetfulness is set against vivid memories of the Red Sea crossing, the water from the rock, and the guiding cloud and fiery pillar—proof that God was faithful even in barren places. (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/78.htm)

Verses 17–31 – Rebellion Over Manna and Quail

And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.18And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.19Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?20Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?21Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;22Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:23Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,24And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.   25Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.26He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.27He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:28And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.29So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;30They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,31The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

Despite bread from heaven, the people tested God: “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?” The LORD sent both manna and quail, yet “His anger rose” and many fell when greed for meat overran gratitude for provision. (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/78.htm)

Verses 32–39 – Shallow Repentance and God’s Compassion

For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.33Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.34When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.35And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.36Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.37For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.38But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.39For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

Even when struck, Israel “continued to sin.” Their flattery passed for repentance, but their hearts were “insincere.” God, remembering “they were but flesh,” restrained total judgment and showed compassion.  (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/78.htm)

Verses 40–55 – God’s Mighty Deliverance from Egypt

How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!41Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.42They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.43How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:44And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.45He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.46He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust.47He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.48He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.49He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.50He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; 51And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:52But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.53And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.54And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.                          55He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

Ten plagues—darkness, blood, frogs, flies, locusts, hail—culminated in the death of Egypt’s firstborn. God “led them like sheep through the wilderness,” drove out nations, and settled Israel inside Canaan “with a line of inheritance.” (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/78.htm)

Verses 56–64 – Israel’s Continued Rebellion and Loss of Shiloh

Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:57But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.58For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.59When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:60So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;61And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.62He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.63The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.64Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

Israel “tested and rebelled,” desecrated the sanctuary at Shiloh, and lost the Ark to the Philistines. “Fire consumed their young men,” and priests fell in battle, underscoring the cost of covenant infidelity. (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/78.htm)

Verses 65–72 – God’s Choice of Judah, Zion, and David

Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.66And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.67Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:68But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.69And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.70He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:71From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.72So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

The LORD “awoke as from sleep,” rejected Joseph’s tents, chose “Mount Zion He loved,” and raised David “from tending ewes” to shepherd Israel “with integrity of heart and skillful hands.” (https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/78.htm)

---

Psalm 78, penned by Asaph, serves as an evocative narrative spanning the history of the Israelites. It functions as a spiritual lesson highlighting God’s immeasurable mercy, Israel’s persistent rebelliousness, and the importance of imparting spiritual wisdom to the next generation. This Psalm is a vivid testament to the cyclical nature of faith, forgetfulness, and redemption. 

Application for Today

•Teach intentionally: Family accounts that place God at the center inoculate the next generation against disbelief.

•Remember gratefully: Journaling answered prayers modernizes Israel’s stone memorials (Joshua 4:7).

•Obey wholeheartedly: Miracles cannot substitute for trust. Quail came, but craving killed.

•Hope confidently: If God can wake “as from sleep” to save Israel, He can revive hearts, churches, and nations that cry out now.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com