(A Psalm of David.) Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.

Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.

Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.

O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Jesus Christ

    In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of                      sins, according to the riches of his grace; Ephesians 1:7

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Ephesians 1:11

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 1:13

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: Ephesians 2:21

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Ephesians 2:22

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Ephesians 3:12

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.      Colossians 2:3

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Colossians 2:11

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:   1 Peter 1:8

For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 2 Peter 1:17

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

The Fullness of God

For this cause I bow my knees (Paul’s prayer) unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

The Fullness of Christ

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  Ephesians 4:11-13

The Fullness of the Holy Spirit

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.  And be not drunk with wine,                    wherein is excess; but be (being) filled with the Spirit; Ephesians 5:15-18

For in him (Jesus Christ) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  Colossians 2:9

Paul’s prayer: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; Ephesians 3:17a.  Faith is a firm persuasion or conviction brought about by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.*

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; Colossians 3:16a

Let  implies submission and obedience to the word of Christ.  The word of Christ is His doctrine or teaching.  It is the written Word of God.  Christ nearly always included it is written in His teaching and instruction.  He taught with objective truth (based on fact) and not subjectively (based on feelings).  Dwell is used as a verb meaning the act of providing a home or a residing place for His truth.  In you describes where this residing place is.  It is in our mind and heart.  Richly describes in one word the quantity and the quality of His Word that we should have within us, compared to anything else within us.

It is difficult to fill a cup with one thing, when the cup is already full of something else.

I AM AMAZED

I am amazed that God could ever love me,

So full of sin, so covered o’er with shame;

Make me to walk with Him who is above me,

Cleansed by the pow’r of His redeeming name.

Refrain: I am amazed that God would ever save me,

Naught but the cross could take away my sin;

Through faith in Christ, eternal life He gave me,

Now He abides forevermore within.

I am amazed that God should grant salvation,

To such as I and all who heed His word;

Eternal life to ev’ry land and nation,

This is the wondrous message we have heard.

Author – Alfred Henry Ackley – 1932

I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.  Psalm 40:10

Have you ever tried a cure, but saw no improvement?  Could it be that the cure is not the problem?  Maybe the problem is understanding the directions.

I recently went to the doctor for a sinus infection.  The doctor wrote me a prescription for an antibiotic, but after three days the symptoms became worse.  I left work early the third day to go home and rest.  The weekend wasn’t any better.  On Sunday morning as I was taking my next dose, I wondered at the number of pills left in the bottle.  As I reread the directions I found that I had been taking half the prescribed dose which was two pills, twice a day. I was taking only one pill, twice a day.

You know I’m afraid that this happens often in the spiritual realm.  We have a problem so we get a prescription from the Bible for the remedy but somehow we conclude that the remedy doesn’t work or so it seems.

The Scripture is God’s Word.  God wrote the book on the human condition and its remedy.  God makes no mistakes.  We have to conclude therefore, that the Bible’s directions are true and sure. The difficulty is with our ability to follow directions.  If we have tried the Bible’s remedy and still say it does not work, then we did not follow the Bible’s directions properly.

As an example, Proverbs 3:6 says; In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.  It doesn’t say when you happen to acknowledge Him then He will direct your ways.  It says; in ALL thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.  The promise of direction is to those who acknowledge Him in ALL their ways. 

Acknowledging Him in all our ways would be walking in the Spirit.  Walking in the Spirit is letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly.  If we are walking in the Spirit, we can be assured that He is directing our paths.

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

Jesus is instructing His disciples on how to pray in Matthew 6.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread….

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

The daily bread asked for here is daily spiritual sustenance.  It is not food and drink.  After instructing His disciples on how to pray, the Lord says the following within the same context of Matthew 6.

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek): for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things (food, drink & raiment) shall be added unto you.                 Matthew 6:25-33

So, where do we get our spiritual sustenance, our daily bread?

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.      Jeremiah 15:16

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

 I remember as a fifth grader crying over Mitsy when she died.  Mitsy was a three-legged black cocker spaniel who was my play-mate and rabbit hunting companion.  I was a child then, but I have come to know men who have also wept over their dead or dying dogs. 

I can remember sitting in the snow as a grown man, weeping beside Lady’s doghouse, with my hand on her still warm but dying body.  Lady was our family dog.  She was also my dog.  She was an extremely intelligent, beautiful, black Labrador who was devoted to me.  I picked her from the litter of pups and it seemed as if she never forgot that.  When she died, it broke my heart.

I weep easily, but I think most men don’t.  I have often said that when God squeezes my heart, tears come out of my eyes.  Every good gift comes down from above, including the faithful companion that a dog can be.

In our culture, seeing a weeping man may be startling or even embarrassing to many.  So, why do grown men cry over their dying dogs when nothing else on earth seems to move them?  Why will a stoic, unemotional, unmovable man allow the death of his dog to make him so vulnerable?

I think it is the unconditional love, faithfulness and loyalty that a man finds in this four-legged creature known as man’s best friend.  Everyone craves this kind of love, but very few find it.  When a man discovers unconditional love in his temporary relationship with his dog, a man’s heart tends to break when it ends.

Someone reading this right now is probably asking; Surely the writer is not going to compare God’s love to a dog’s love!?  No, there is no comparison.  God’s love is unfathomable, and it is permanent for those who trust Christ as their only hope of salvation.

We might however, consider comparing our love for God to a dog’s love for his master.  Makes us look bad, doesn’t it?

 If ye love me, keep my commandments.  John 14:15

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

An idol is anything that takes the place of God.

How does a husband submit to his wife when he is supposed to be in a position of spiritual leadership?  The answer to that question is simply by loving her according to the Scripture. 

Ephesians chapter five says that a husband is to love his wife: 1) As Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it; 2) As he loves his own body; 3) As he loves himself. 

Wow!  Three word pictures for the husband and only one word picture for the wife.  You know what they say; a picture is worth a thousand words.  Maybe this explains why our wives have the capacity for so many words.  Perhaps it just takes more words to get through to us.

Men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it.  What does that look like?  Probably the best way to see it is to just list the characteristics of Christ’s love for the church and then ask oneself if these are the characteristics of my love for my wife.

Here are a few of those characteristics that were listed by an adult Sunday School class I taught many years ago in southeastern USA:

Sacrificial love – Christ laid aside the use of His attributes, left heaven, made Himself of no reputation and laid down His life for the church.  When a man takes a wife, his priorities should change.

Unchanging love – He chose the church and He loved her first.  He loves even when that love is not returned.  He will never fall out of that love.  Christ abideth faithful.

Communicating love – God gave the church His written Word.  He listens to our prayers and answers them.  He guides us by His Holy Spirit and He fellowships with believers throughout the day.

Nourishing love – He is always available to us.  He is always ready to strengthen and enable us.  He is the God of all comfort to us.  He equips us and grows us into His image.

Forgiving love – He washes us and cleanses us as we confess our sins to Him.  His mercies are new every morning.

Chastening love – He corrects and chastens His own.  He teaches  and admonishes us by His Spirit and through His Word.  Whom the Lord loveth, He chastens.

Shepherding love – He leads us and directs those that are His throughout life.

Secure love – Nothing can come between us and the love of God.  No man can pluck them that are His out of His hand.  Christians are God’s children and nothing will change that.

Here are some characteristics of a man’s love for his own body.  He takes care of his body in the following manner:

A man likes his body to be well fed.  A wife and mother raising children will often neglect herself by taking care of everyone else’s needs first.  A loving husband will see that her needs are met.

A man likes for his body to be well rested.  A wife and mother raising children will often fail to get needed rest.  A loving husband will allow her to rest by taking over or sharing her duties when necessary.

A man likes for his body to be well groomed and clean.  A wife and mother raising children may not have time to give herself physical attention.  A loving husband will make sure that she has time.

A man likes for his body to be well dressed even if its only for comfort.  A wife and mother raising children may very well spend any funds she has on the needs of her family.  A loving husband will see that she has the resources and time to dress herself comfortably, attractively, and adequately.

A man likes for his body to be secure, protected and not unduly stressed.  A wife and mother raising children may live in a house that does not offer security, protection and freedom from stress.  A loving husband will see that the place where she spends the bulk of her time is functionable, comfortable, convenient and secure for her.

Here are some characteristics of a man’s love for himself:

Fulfillment – Purpose and achievement.  A wife needs to see gratitude for the oft perceived as menial tasks performed daily that keep the household and family on track.  A husband’s career goals may need to be put on hold for the good of the family.

Respect – Accepted for who he is and what he does.  A wife needs to be accepted for who she is and what she does.  The husband should teach and require his children  to respect their mother.  The husband should be the model of respect for his wife to his children.

Recognition – Value placed upon his role as a provider.  A wife and mother needs value placed upon her, for her many roles and responsibilities.

Security – A faithful wife, paid bills, and a plan for the future.  A wife needs a faithful husband.  She needs a husband in whose priorities, love, wisdom and provision she can trust.

I recall the words of a pastor from years gone by who said; If a wife knows her husband loves her, I believe she would live with him in a shack!  I wouldn’t put her in a shack to find out.  It would be wiser to just love her as instructed.

How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways!

Note: These lists are not intended to be exhaustive.  You should make your own lists and keep them nearby for periodic review.

If you are an unbeliever, you will not be able to have biblical love for your wife or husband.  This Spirit filled submission to one another is only possible for believers, because it is supernatural or God given.  This is just another reason why a Christian should marry only in the faith, to one who is trusting Jesus Christ as his/her only hope of salvation.   An unbeliever cannot love you in this God given way.   A prospective mate’s claim to be a Christian should not be taken at face value.  There should be evidence.  The manifestation and observation of evidence should take time in order to be credible evidence.

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…