MARKS OF A MAN OF GOD

Blessed is every one who fears the LORD,

Who walks in His ways.

When you eat the labor of your hands,

You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.  (Psalm 128:1-2)

It has been my relentless desire to be a man of God.  I have sought to be marked out as belonging to Him.  This has been the object of my prayers and the orientation of my pursuit.  I cannot get away from it, nor do I want to.

What does this mean?  What are the marks of a man of God?  There are three that are set forth in this text which I believe are comprehensive in scope.

The man of God is MARKED BY HIS DISPOSITION.  “Blessed is every one who fears the LORD” (v.1a).  This is our fear of God.  If our disposition of heart isn’t directed toward God then nothing else will matter.  Holiness begins here—with reverence, love and devotion to God.  The inner life must be nurtured.  We are worshippers of God before we are workers for God.  David was foremost, “a man after God’s own heart.”  That is what God is looking for—not the outward appearance, but He judges the heart.

The man of God is MARKED BY HIS DIRECTION.  He is one, “Who walks in His ways.”  (v.1b)  This is our faithfulness to God.  If our disposition is to fear the Lord, then it follows that our direction is to be faithful to the Lord.  We can profess the former—that we are a man after God’s own heart—but, it will be proven by the latter.  Those who are after God’s own heart, follow after His ways.  Those who worship God passionately, walk with God persistently.  As a shepherd of God’s flock, I lead my sheep in the right path because I am following the Lord my Shepherd.

The man of God is MARKED BY HIS DESTINATION.  “When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.”  (v.2)  This is our fruitfulness from God.  If our disposition is toward God, then our direction will be with God, and that will bring us to our destination in God—and that is a ministry of fruitfulness.  Abiding in Him—in the inner life of faith and in the outward walk of obedience—is the way of abundant fruitfulness to His glory.  Our heart is fixed, are feet are firm and our hands are filled with the fruit of our labor—sheaves to bring in and wave before the Lord in eternity.  This is the crowning joy that Paul spoke of concerning the disciples he had made in Thessalonica, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?  Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”  (1 Thess.2:19-20)

Let our cry to God today be, “Lord, make me a holy man of God!”