The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 121:7-8,
"The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."
I am entirely convinced that one of the main purposes of the
collection in the book of Psalms is to convey to us the Lord desires
us to look to him in our difficulty.
The chief difficulty all people face is that we are sinful and live
our lives in an estrangement from God. Even further, Paul describes
the nature of mankind's relationship with God as that of enemies,
Romans 5:10. We come into this world with a huge predicament: we face
certain eternal death following this life.
But... that is not the whole story. God has both the ability and the
desire to come to our help in this difficulty. He sent his Son, Jesus
Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins and credits our account with
him with this payment when we embrace him in faith. God is building
his kingdom of us for an eternity and desires all who will embrace him
in faith, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.
Consequently, God wants us to know that he is capable and desires to
help us in our predicament. As we read the book of Psalms we learn
that not only is God to be feared, but that he also wants us to turn
to him, to place our trust in him, to look to him for help. This
beautiful little psalm reinforces the theme that God will help us in
our need and thus prepares us for his gospel message.
Yes, we are going to have to pay taxes, we will all get sick, we will
all die. That is not the point of the psalm. The point of the psalm is
that as we face the difficulties we are in, he will be there for us.
Even in death.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
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me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
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and let me know.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Living Among the Weeds - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 120:5-7,
"Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war."
Jesus told his disciples a parable about weeds in Matthew 13:24-30. The essence of the parable was that those who embrace Jesus Christ in faith-- those who will inherit the kingdom of God, the "wheat"-- will have to live among "weeds"-- those who reject Jesus Christ-- until the age comes to an end. In 1 Corinthians 5:10 Paul points out the obvious reality that while we, the children of God, live in this life we will live among people who are immoral, greedy, swindlers, idolaters and the like. John tells us that those who are the "weeds" in Jesus' parable, the sinful Paul speaks of, will hate us. "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13.
"Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war."
Jesus told his disciples a parable about weeds in Matthew 13:24-30. The essence of the parable was that those who embrace Jesus Christ in faith-- those who will inherit the kingdom of God, the "wheat"-- will have to live among "weeds"-- those who reject Jesus Christ-- until the age comes to an end. In 1 Corinthians 5:10 Paul points out the obvious reality that while we, the children of God, live in this life we will live among people who are immoral, greedy, swindlers, idolaters and the like. John tells us that those who are the "weeds" in Jesus' parable, the sinful Paul speaks of, will hate us. "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13.
The psalmist in Psalm 120 expresses his lament of that reality. He is a man who calls on the Lord, but has to live among the deceitful. These deceitful ones hate peace and embrace conflict.
I am reminded I will be hated in this life simply because I embrace the Lord. So will all others who love the Lord. We need to recognize that we will always be at odds with those "of this world". Hopefully we can win over many to our side.
In any event, we can say along with the psalmist, "Woe to me that I dwell..." among the ungodly.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Practical Lessons from the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 120:1-2,
"I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues."
The psalmist calls out to the Lord in the midst of distress. Apparently he is facing those who are slandering him or the like. As he does so he confidently acknowledges the Lord will answer him. He is assured the Lord will visit his enemies with punishment ("a warrior's sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush").
Since the Lord was going to come to the psalmist's aid and deliver him from his enemies, and since the Lord knows everything that is going to happen before it does, why didn't the Lord just prevent the attacks from the psalmist's enemies before the psalmist suffered? Why did the Lord wait until the psalmist suffered and called out?
We read in Hebrews 12:7-11, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
"I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues."
The psalmist calls out to the Lord in the midst of distress. Apparently he is facing those who are slandering him or the like. As he does so he confidently acknowledges the Lord will answer him. He is assured the Lord will visit his enemies with punishment ("a warrior's sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush").
Since the Lord was going to come to the psalmist's aid and deliver him from his enemies, and since the Lord knows everything that is going to happen before it does, why didn't the Lord just prevent the attacks from the psalmist's enemies before the psalmist suffered? Why did the Lord wait until the psalmist suffered and called out?
We read in Hebrews 12:7-11, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
It is apparent to me the Lord allows, and I'm quite certain, goes out of his way, to bring those things into our lives that remind us of our dependence on him. I know I need the reminder, at an experiential level, that the Lord is the One I need to call out to in the midst of difficulty. It is the Lord who has both the ability and the desire to rescue us. As he does so in these relatively minor ways, he is busy teaching us that he is faithful to save us in the major things as well... like the need we have to be saved from his judgment of us for our sins.
Practical lessons as the Lord works in our lives!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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Monday, August 26, 2019
Jesus Christ: the Cornerstone - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 118:22-23,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes."
Jesus quoted this passage when he told the parable of the tenants. The parable is about a man who planted a vineyard, rented it out and moved away. At harvest time he sent a servant back to collect his share of the harvest. However, the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty handed. The vineyard owner then sent another servant and they treated him the same way as the first. He sent a third servant and when that one was treated the same way he sent his son. The tenants decided to kill the son and when they did so the owner came himself and put the tenants to death. The parable can be found in Matthew 21, Mark 12, and Luke 20.
After telling the parable Jesus then quoted Psalm 118, our passage above. His point was that God the father sent his Son for a harvest among mankind, but when the Jews rejected Jesus Christ, they fulfilled the passage in Psalm 118. Just as the vineyard owner gave his vineyard to others (after killing the previous tenants), so God opened up the gospel message to all mankind: the gospel about his Son, the cornerstone of the kingdom of God who was rejected by the Jews.
These verses in Psalm 118 also remind me of a passage in Romans 9:33 where Paul quotes Isaiah 8:14 and Isaiah 28:16, "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame." In this passage the stone is Jesus Christ (just as in Psalm 118:22-23), and makes the point that people stumble over this stone if they fail to place their faith in Jesus Christ. In 1 Peter 2:4-8 Peter quoted both the passage in Psalm 118 and what we find in Isaiah 8 and 28.
Peter makes the point, "Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe... They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for." 1 Peter 2:7, 8.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes."
Jesus quoted this passage when he told the parable of the tenants. The parable is about a man who planted a vineyard, rented it out and moved away. At harvest time he sent a servant back to collect his share of the harvest. However, the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty handed. The vineyard owner then sent another servant and they treated him the same way as the first. He sent a third servant and when that one was treated the same way he sent his son. The tenants decided to kill the son and when they did so the owner came himself and put the tenants to death. The parable can be found in Matthew 21, Mark 12, and Luke 20.
After telling the parable Jesus then quoted Psalm 118, our passage above. His point was that God the father sent his Son for a harvest among mankind, but when the Jews rejected Jesus Christ, they fulfilled the passage in Psalm 118. Just as the vineyard owner gave his vineyard to others (after killing the previous tenants), so God opened up the gospel message to all mankind: the gospel about his Son, the cornerstone of the kingdom of God who was rejected by the Jews.
These verses in Psalm 118 also remind me of a passage in Romans 9:33 where Paul quotes Isaiah 8:14 and Isaiah 28:16, "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame." In this passage the stone is Jesus Christ (just as in Psalm 118:22-23), and makes the point that people stumble over this stone if they fail to place their faith in Jesus Christ. In 1 Peter 2:4-8 Peter quoted both the passage in Psalm 118 and what we find in Isaiah 8 and 28.
Peter makes the point, "Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe... They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for." 1 Peter 2:7, 8.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Friday, August 23, 2019
Two Gates - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 118:19-21,
"Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation."
My best definition for "righteous" is having a right standing, a good standing, with the Lord. It doesn't mean a person is perfect, have never sinned or even be the best "do-gooder" in town. It is a condition or state of being a person enters into when they place their faith in Jesus Christ.
A "righteous" standing with God is had by embracing Jesus Christ in faith. We have all sinned and we all deserve God's judgment of us for that sin when we leave this life. All that changes when we embrace Jesus Christ in faith.
Paul tells us in Romans 3:22-25 "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith."
Acquiring this righteous standing with the Lord is that gate the psalmist speaks of. Jesus taught in his sermon on the mount, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." The few that Jesus spoke of are those who choose to embrace him in faith.
Only two gates that all people will pass through as they leave this life. The gate for the righteous and the gate for those without that right standing with God. "I [Jesus Christ] am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation."
My best definition for "righteous" is having a right standing, a good standing, with the Lord. It doesn't mean a person is perfect, have never sinned or even be the best "do-gooder" in town. It is a condition or state of being a person enters into when they place their faith in Jesus Christ.
A "righteous" standing with God is had by embracing Jesus Christ in faith. We have all sinned and we all deserve God's judgment of us for that sin when we leave this life. All that changes when we embrace Jesus Christ in faith.
Paul tells us in Romans 3:22-25 "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith."
Acquiring this righteous standing with the Lord is that gate the psalmist speaks of. Jesus taught in his sermon on the mount, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." The few that Jesus spoke of are those who choose to embrace him in faith.
Only two gates that all people will pass through as they leave this life. The gate for the righteous and the gate for those without that right standing with God. "I [Jesus Christ] am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
The Enduring Faithfulness of the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 117:1-2,
"Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord."
The enduring quality of the Lord's faithfulness means to me that whatever he expresses in his word will never change. His promises will never change. His love of us will never change.
"Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord."
The enduring quality of the Lord's faithfulness means to me that whatever he expresses in his word will never change. His promises will never change. His love of us will never change.
Our spouses may leave us, our employer may lay us off, our children may reject us and go their own way. My dog might run off! Not the Lord. We will never encounter the day where the Lord might say, "I've thought it over, and I've changed my mind about this whole redemption thing." Or, "I've evolved in my affections, and they don't include you." Or anything of the sort.
The Lord's decisions, his agenda of things, his love for us, his reward for all who embrace him in faith will never change. The great love of the Lord the psalmist speaks of will never be extinguished because his faithfulness endures forever.
In a world full of uncertainty where at times there seems to be little we can count on and the opportunity for disappointment abounds, isn't it refreshing to know the Lord's faithfulness endures forever?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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Wednesday, August 21, 2019
The God of All Nations - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 117:1-2,
"Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord."
Here is the entirety of Psalm 117, two short verses. It is a call to praise the Lord for his great love and his enduring faithfulness. Not a call to praise for only Israel, but for all nations of the earth, all peoples. As the psalmist does so, he recognizes that the Lord's great love and his enduring faithfulness is for all mankind.
The love the Lord has had for his own people Israel, he has for all mankind. When he sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world, he did not just send him to the nation of Israel, but for the benefit of all nations. Jesus Christ came to take the punishment for the sins of all the peoples of all nations upon himself. God is the God of all nations and expresses his great love and enduring faithfulness to all nations.
Paul makes this very clear in Romans 9:22-26 where he speaks of God's judgment on those who reject him, as well as his mercy on those who are his, who have embraced him in faith (as he quotes the prophet Hosea), "What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he says in Hosea: 'I will call them "my people" who are not my people; and I will call her "my loved one" who is not my loved one,' and, 'In the very place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," there they will be called "children of the living God."'"
As Paul told the philosophers in the Athenian Areopagus, "now he commands all people everywhere to repent..." Acts 17:30.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord."
Here is the entirety of Psalm 117, two short verses. It is a call to praise the Lord for his great love and his enduring faithfulness. Not a call to praise for only Israel, but for all nations of the earth, all peoples. As the psalmist does so, he recognizes that the Lord's great love and his enduring faithfulness is for all mankind.
The love the Lord has had for his own people Israel, he has for all mankind. When he sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world, he did not just send him to the nation of Israel, but for the benefit of all nations. Jesus Christ came to take the punishment for the sins of all the peoples of all nations upon himself. God is the God of all nations and expresses his great love and enduring faithfulness to all nations.
Paul makes this very clear in Romans 9:22-26 where he speaks of God's judgment on those who reject him, as well as his mercy on those who are his, who have embraced him in faith (as he quotes the prophet Hosea), "What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he says in Hosea: 'I will call them "my people" who are not my people; and I will call her "my loved one" who is not my loved one,' and, 'In the very place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," there they will be called "children of the living God."'"
As Paul told the philosophers in the Athenian Areopagus, "now he commands all people everywhere to repent..." Acts 17:30.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Wired for Religion - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 115:3-8,
"Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them."
Merriam-Webster's forth definition for "religion" is: "a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith." It is this sense of the word when I think of mankind's predisposed inclination for religion. We as people are wired that way. We believe this or that and order our lives accordingly. Even nihilists are religious in the sense they believe traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that our existence is senseless and useless. Their insistence that there is no objective ground of truth is their own repudiation of what they say as they proclaim what it is they are saying is true.
"Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them."
Merriam-Webster's forth definition for "religion" is: "a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith." It is this sense of the word when I think of mankind's predisposed inclination for religion. We as people are wired that way. We believe this or that and order our lives accordingly. Even nihilists are religious in the sense they believe traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that our existence is senseless and useless. Their insistence that there is no objective ground of truth is their own repudiation of what they say as they proclaim what it is they are saying is true.
In any event, we have in Psalm 115 God's people beholding their God in the midst of others with their "roll your own" religions. People who believe in lifeless and useless replacements for God in their lives.
We all, everybody, believe in something. What do you believe in? If you don't know what you believe in, just look at how you spend your time and resources and that will tell you all you need to know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Monday, August 19, 2019
Israel: God's Chosen Nation - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 114:1-2,
"When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion."
The entire scriptural record has as its intent to inform us of God's redemption of mankind. It is a consistent and reliable telling of the origin of all trouble in this life for mankind as being his fall as recorded in the book of Genesis, and then the account of how God set himself to redeem mankind as a people for himself.
A key piece of that plan of redemption was to use a nation he had created out of a man, Abraham, who displayed the kind of faith God determined he would require of us to participate in that redemption. Israel became that nation as it incubated in Egypt for 400 years, where a single family became a nation of millions.
Paul tells us about God's use of that nation in his redemption of mankind in Romans 9:4-5, "Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen."
"When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion."
The entire scriptural record has as its intent to inform us of God's redemption of mankind. It is a consistent and reliable telling of the origin of all trouble in this life for mankind as being his fall as recorded in the book of Genesis, and then the account of how God set himself to redeem mankind as a people for himself.
A key piece of that plan of redemption was to use a nation he had created out of a man, Abraham, who displayed the kind of faith God determined he would require of us to participate in that redemption. Israel became that nation as it incubated in Egypt for 400 years, where a single family became a nation of millions.
Paul tells us about God's use of that nation in his redemption of mankind in Romans 9:4-5, "Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen."
The focus of this telling in the pages of Scripture is on God's Son, Jesus Christ. He is the One who made payment securing our redemption and he is the One we embrace in faith to secure that redemption for ourselves.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Praise For Our Transcendent Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 113:1-3,
"Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, you his servants;
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised."
This psalm begins with a call to praise the Lord. It also ends with the same: "Praise the Lord." Verse 9b. In 9 short verses the psalmist calls us to praise the Lord 6 times.
As the psalmist himself praises the Lord within this psalm, it is no mere "empty praise", but praise based on who the Lord is and what he does. The Lord is "exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens", verse 4. He is transcendent and yet reaches down to us, "Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?" Verses 5-6. The Lord meets the needs of the poor and needy and the barren, "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people. He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children." Verses 7-9.
"Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, you his servants;
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised."
This psalm begins with a call to praise the Lord. It also ends with the same: "Praise the Lord." Verse 9b. In 9 short verses the psalmist calls us to praise the Lord 6 times.
As the psalmist himself praises the Lord within this psalm, it is no mere "empty praise", but praise based on who the Lord is and what he does. The Lord is "exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens", verse 4. He is transcendent and yet reaches down to us, "Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?" Verses 5-6. The Lord meets the needs of the poor and needy and the barren, "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people. He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children." Verses 7-9.
How can you not praise our Lord in view of his magnificent qualities and the wonderful things he does?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Monday, August 12, 2019
The Law Leads Us to Christ - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 112:9,
"They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor."
"They" in the above passage are all those who "fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands." A note on this passage in the NIV tells us that "horn" in this passage refers to "dignity."
How is it that those who fear the Lord and delight in his commands become righteous? We are told by Paul in Romans 3:20, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." When we delight in God's law, we find our sinful natures prevent us from keeping it. As we do so we become aware of our sinful condition and seek God's mercy. This leads us to God's grace in the form of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ paid for all the sins of all mankind when he died on that cross. He became our substitute for the eternal punishment we deserve for the sin in our lives. When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith, that payment Jesus made gets credited to our account.
This is how anyone who delights in the Lord's commands finds blessedness and a righteous standing with God. The benefit of a righteous standing with God:
"Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes." Psalm 112:6-8.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor."
"They" in the above passage are all those who "fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands." A note on this passage in the NIV tells us that "horn" in this passage refers to "dignity."
How is it that those who fear the Lord and delight in his commands become righteous? We are told by Paul in Romans 3:20, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." When we delight in God's law, we find our sinful natures prevent us from keeping it. As we do so we become aware of our sinful condition and seek God's mercy. This leads us to God's grace in the form of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ paid for all the sins of all mankind when he died on that cross. He became our substitute for the eternal punishment we deserve for the sin in our lives. When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith, that payment Jesus made gets credited to our account.
This is how anyone who delights in the Lord's commands finds blessedness and a righteous standing with God. The benefit of a righteous standing with God:
"Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes." Psalm 112:6-8.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Friday, August 9, 2019
The Two Grounds for Worship - Ruminating in the Word of God
"The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 111:1,
"Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly."
The psalmist invites us to praise the Lord together with him: "Praise the Lord."
Far from an empty invitation, he provides us those things of the Lord that should form the basis of all of our worship of the Lord. Those things fit into two "buckets": the first being his character and nature and the other his wonderful acts. Both of these are interwoven throughout this wonderful psalm of worship - as well as throughout all Scripture.
Of his character and nature we read:
"his righteousness endures forever" Verse 3.
"the Lord is gracious and compassionate" Verse 4.
"he remembers his covenant forever" Verse 5.
"The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy." Verse 7.
His works are "enacted in faithfulness and uprightness." Verse 8.
"holy and awesome is his name" Verse 9.
"To him belongs eternal praise" Verse 10.
Of his wonderful works we read:
"Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them." Verse 2.
"Glorious and majestic are his deeds" Verse 3.
"He provides food for those who fear him" Verse 5.
"He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations." Verse 6.
"He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever" Verse 9.
"Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly."
The psalmist invites us to praise the Lord together with him: "Praise the Lord."
Far from an empty invitation, he provides us those things of the Lord that should form the basis of all of our worship of the Lord. Those things fit into two "buckets": the first being his character and nature and the other his wonderful acts. Both of these are interwoven throughout this wonderful psalm of worship - as well as throughout all Scripture.
Of his character and nature we read:
"his righteousness endures forever" Verse 3.
"the Lord is gracious and compassionate" Verse 4.
"he remembers his covenant forever" Verse 5.
"The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy." Verse 7.
His works are "enacted in faithfulness and uprightness." Verse 8.
"holy and awesome is his name" Verse 9.
"To him belongs eternal praise" Verse 10.
Of his wonderful works we read:
"Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them." Verse 2.
"Glorious and majestic are his deeds" Verse 3.
"He provides food for those who fear him" Verse 5.
"He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations." Verse 6.
"He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever" Verse 9.
I'm sure I missed a few in this psalm and some of these can fit into one bucket or the other. See what you can find about the Lord in this beautiful psalm of worship!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Thursday, August 8, 2019
The Day of the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 110:6,
"He [the Lord] will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth."
A frightful day is coming-- the day of the Lord's judgment. It is certain, it is unstoppable. It will be indomitable and insurmountable. Just like a big old massive freight train that has already left the station up the line and headed our way, it is coming.
It is spoken of by the prophets of old. Listen to the prophet Zephaniah,
"The great day of the Lord is near—
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
That day will be a day of wrath—
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness—
a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.
I will bring such distress on all people
that they will grope about like those who are blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like dung.
Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord's wrath.
In the fire of his jealousy
the whole earth will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live on the earth." Zephaniah 1:14-18.
Sobering and frightful, isn't it?
Out of the many places we read of it in Scripture, it is also spoken of in the last book of our Bibles:
"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider [Jesus Christ] is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, 'Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.'
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh." Revelation 19:11-21.
Sobering and frightful, isn't it?
Peter makes a very pertinent observation with a question: "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells."
A word to the wise...
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"He [the Lord] will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth."
A frightful day is coming-- the day of the Lord's judgment. It is certain, it is unstoppable. It will be indomitable and insurmountable. Just like a big old massive freight train that has already left the station up the line and headed our way, it is coming.
It is spoken of by the prophets of old. Listen to the prophet Zephaniah,
"The great day of the Lord is near—
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
That day will be a day of wrath—
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness—
a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.
I will bring such distress on all people
that they will grope about like those who are blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like dung.
Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord's wrath.
In the fire of his jealousy
the whole earth will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live on the earth." Zephaniah 1:14-18.
Sobering and frightful, isn't it?
Out of the many places we read of it in Scripture, it is also spoken of in the last book of our Bibles:
"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider [Jesus Christ] is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, 'Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.'
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh." Revelation 19:11-21.
Sobering and frightful, isn't it?
Peter makes a very pertinent observation with a question: "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells."
A word to the wise...
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Where Jesus Is Today - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 110:1,
"The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'"
The writer of Hebrews ascribes the identity of "my Lord" that David speaks of in Psalm 110 to the Son of God. In contrasting Jesus Christ to the angels, the writer of Hebrews says, "To which of the angels did God ever say, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet'?"
In his sermon on Pentecost, Peter also quoted Psalm 110:1, "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."' Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah."
Today Jesus Christ is in heaven sitting at the right hand of God. Peter spoke to the Sanhedrin, "The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins." Acts 5:30-31.
When Stephen was being stoned to death he saw a vision of Jesus Christ, "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 'Look,' he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'" Acts 7:55-56.
Peter preached to a crowd in Solomon's Colonnade, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets." Acts 3:19-21.
Probably the most exciting passage that tells us where Jesus is today is Romans 8:34-35, "Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Romans 8:34-35.
"The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'"
The writer of Hebrews ascribes the identity of "my Lord" that David speaks of in Psalm 110 to the Son of God. In contrasting Jesus Christ to the angels, the writer of Hebrews says, "To which of the angels did God ever say, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet'?"
In his sermon on Pentecost, Peter also quoted Psalm 110:1, "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."' Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah."
Today Jesus Christ is in heaven sitting at the right hand of God. Peter spoke to the Sanhedrin, "The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins." Acts 5:30-31.
When Stephen was being stoned to death he saw a vision of Jesus Christ, "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 'Look,' he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'" Acts 7:55-56.
Peter preached to a crowd in Solomon's Colonnade, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets." Acts 3:19-21.
Probably the most exciting passage that tells us where Jesus is today is Romans 8:34-35, "Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Romans 8:34-35.
Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father today and speaks to him on our behalf! How wonderful is that?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
The Fine Art of Cursing - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 109:6-7,
"Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him."
Merriam-Webster defines "curse" as "a prayer or invocation for harm or injury to come upon one, an imprecation".
David could curse! In addition to the verses quoted above, look at the many ways he cursed his enemy:
"May his days be few", verse 8
"May another take his place", verse 8.
"May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow." Verse 9.
"May his children be wandering beggars", verse 10.
"May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor." Verse 11.
"May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children." Verse 12.
"May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation." Verse 13.
"May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out." Verse 14.
And, he is not done yet! Read the psalm to see the remaining and remarkable curses David called on God to bring down on his enemy!
Considering David's special relationship with our Creator God, I would certainly not want to be on David's bad side!
In reading this psalm and some of the other "imprecatory" psalms, I am reminded of Paul's words, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." Romans 12:14. As I read the things that those in the Scriptures who are held up as heroes of the faith did, it does not necessarily mean they are fitting and appropriate for me. The whole counsel of Scripture is important for me as I read how the Lord intends me to order my affairs.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him."
Merriam-Webster defines "curse" as "a prayer or invocation for harm or injury to come upon one, an imprecation".
David could curse! In addition to the verses quoted above, look at the many ways he cursed his enemy:
"May his days be few", verse 8
"May another take his place", verse 8.
"May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow." Verse 9.
"May his children be wandering beggars", verse 10.
"May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor." Verse 11.
"May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children." Verse 12.
"May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation." Verse 13.
"May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out." Verse 14.
And, he is not done yet! Read the psalm to see the remaining and remarkable curses David called on God to bring down on his enemy!
Considering David's special relationship with our Creator God, I would certainly not want to be on David's bad side!
In reading this psalm and some of the other "imprecatory" psalms, I am reminded of Paul's words, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." Romans 12:14. As I read the things that those in the Scriptures who are held up as heroes of the faith did, it does not necessarily mean they are fitting and appropriate for me. The whole counsel of Scripture is important for me as I read how the Lord intends me to order my affairs.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Monday, August 5, 2019
With Friends Like These... Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 109:1-5,
"My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship."
In this psalm of imprecation (an imprecation is a curse) David speaks of the mistreatment he has become the victim of. The perpetrators were those he had offered his friendship to, verse 4, and now are attacking him through slander and lies.
David is among those who are recognized as heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, and Paul points out in Acts 13:22 that God himself had recognized David as a man after his own heart. David was a godly man. But, this also made him a target.
John tells us in 1 John 3:12-13 that the world, as exemplified by Cain who murdered his godly brother Abel, hates God's people, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." Those who are outside of the company of God's people are resentful and bitter, no matter how they may try to disown any acknowledgment of God. This they take out on God's people. In Psalm 14:4-5 David tells us, "Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord. But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous."
I need to be mindful that there will be limits to the relationships I will ever have with those who reject Jesus Christ. The nearer I am to the Lord, the more strained my relationship with an unbeliever will become. James inversely makes this observation, "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." James 4:4.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship."
In this psalm of imprecation (an imprecation is a curse) David speaks of the mistreatment he has become the victim of. The perpetrators were those he had offered his friendship to, verse 4, and now are attacking him through slander and lies.
David is among those who are recognized as heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, and Paul points out in Acts 13:22 that God himself had recognized David as a man after his own heart. David was a godly man. But, this also made him a target.
John tells us in 1 John 3:12-13 that the world, as exemplified by Cain who murdered his godly brother Abel, hates God's people, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." Those who are outside of the company of God's people are resentful and bitter, no matter how they may try to disown any acknowledgment of God. This they take out on God's people. In Psalm 14:4-5 David tells us, "Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord. But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous."
I need to be mindful that there will be limits to the relationships I will ever have with those who reject Jesus Christ. The nearer I am to the Lord, the more strained my relationship with an unbeliever will become. James inversely makes this observation, "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." James 4:4.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Joy and Delight - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 108:1-5,
"My heart, O God, is steadfast;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth."
As David makes his plea to the Lord for his aid, he begins with these verses. As I read them the prevailing thought in my mind is the joy David had in the Lord. Not some kind of "ginned-up" joy put on display to fulfill some misguided obligation in a worship service or whatever, but a genuine, sincere, heartfelt and inescapable joy that overtakes us when we set our hearts and minds on the Lord.
Reading the Scriptures, ruminating in them, meditating on the amazing things the Lord has done, recognizing his fingerprints all over the creation, contemplating and reflecting on the transcendent qualities he manifests all bring that sincere and passionate joy David felt.
True joy springs from the fulfillment of delight we were designed by God to experience - and that comes from delighting ourselves in the Lord! "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4.
"My heart, O God, is steadfast;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth."
As David makes his plea to the Lord for his aid, he begins with these verses. As I read them the prevailing thought in my mind is the joy David had in the Lord. Not some kind of "ginned-up" joy put on display to fulfill some misguided obligation in a worship service or whatever, but a genuine, sincere, heartfelt and inescapable joy that overtakes us when we set our hearts and minds on the Lord.
Reading the Scriptures, ruminating in them, meditating on the amazing things the Lord has done, recognizing his fingerprints all over the creation, contemplating and reflecting on the transcendent qualities he manifests all bring that sincere and passionate joy David felt.
True joy springs from the fulfillment of delight we were designed by God to experience - and that comes from delighting ourselves in the Lord! "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4.
Considering the political season we are in and all the "stuff" we see in the news, couldn't we all use as much of this as we can? I know I can.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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