"Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture". Psalm 100:3.
A fix-it substance used today in most homes resides in a little blue can labeled WD-40. This liquid gold lubricates, preserves, and safeguards all kinds of stuff. But there’s a much more priceless spiritual liquid that all believers “in Christ” need to apply to protect their lives from this world’s evil influences.
Psalm 100 teaches that the prerequisite to proper Christian worship is knowing the God we worship. “It is he that hath created us, and not we ourselves” (KJ version)). What are the implications of knowing Yahweh as our all-knowing Creator? Because He formed us in the womb (Psalm 139:15):
"You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb".
He knows our inner workings and what’s required for us to live glorifying lives. Peter unpacks this specifically:
"For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God". 1 Peter 1:23.
First, we need to be transformed as new creatures in Christ:
"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ". 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Even after the new birth, believers are still prone to the rusting, degenerative effects of the Fall:
"As the Scriptures say, 'people are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades'". 1 Peter 1:24.
What is the spiritual antidote to these decaying elements? "But the word of the Lord remains forever". And that word is the Good News that was preached to yo". 1 Peter 1:25. God’s Word is the believer’s priceless spiritual lubricant, coupled with the ministry of the Holy Spirit:
"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment". 1 Peter 2:1-2.
"Believer, are you being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1-2) and by God’s clearly written and communicated Word? This liquid gold is able to safeguard your fragile being".
(Days of Praise)