The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 140:1-5,
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.
"Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,
who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.
Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path."
David seeks relief from the wicked as he calls out to the Lord. He tells the Lord that he is under assault from them. They "devise evil plans" against him, and stir up war. "They are violent" and set up traps to ensnare him.
The Scriptures describe "the wicked" as being violent and abusive toward others. Verse three in the above passage is quoted by Paul in Romans 3 as he describes those who are under the power of sin. Here is his more full description:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.
The poison of vipers is on their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.
There is no fear of God before their eyes." Romans 3:10b-18.
In his description here Paul draws from various psalms as well as Isaiah 59.
Why is it that the wicked are so threatening to others around them? Why are they hurtful and at times violent toward others?
It is my thought that the violence of the wicked is not what makes them wicked. It is the other way around. Their wicked nature, that sinful nature, is what makes them threatening to others.
It may seem like I am splitting hairs here over a trivial matter. However, I believe understanding this goes a long way in understanding how that sinful nature reflects the spiritual dark side and prompts those who are given to it to treat others in such a way. It also helps us understand how a new nature, a loving nature, is developed within us and is reflected in our treatment of others.
Those who express love toward others demonstrate a change in nature they have experienced. When we give ourselves to love others, we reflect that "new man" the Lord builds within us. We don't "construct" it ourselves by being a do-gooder to manipulate our dealings with those around us.
The reality is that we reveal our spiritual condition by the way we interact with others. "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness… anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness." 1 John 2:9, 11a.
On the other hand, John tells us, "Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:7b. We love others because we have a change of nature due to spiritual rebirth.
We don't bring about change in our lives, such as how we treat others, by manipulating our own behavior. We bring about change in our lives by the change in nature we receive when we embrace the Lord in faith.
protect me from the violent,
who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.
Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path."
David seeks relief from the wicked as he calls out to the Lord. He tells the Lord that he is under assault from them. They "devise evil plans" against him, and stir up war. "They are violent" and set up traps to ensnare him.
The Scriptures describe "the wicked" as being violent and abusive toward others. Verse three in the above passage is quoted by Paul in Romans 3 as he describes those who are under the power of sin. Here is his more full description:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.
The poison of vipers is on their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.
There is no fear of God before their eyes." Romans 3:10b-18.
In his description here Paul draws from various psalms as well as Isaiah 59.
Why is it that the wicked are so threatening to others around them? Why are they hurtful and at times violent toward others?
It is my thought that the violence of the wicked is not what makes them wicked. It is the other way around. Their wicked nature, that sinful nature, is what makes them threatening to others.
It may seem like I am splitting hairs here over a trivial matter. However, I believe understanding this goes a long way in understanding how that sinful nature reflects the spiritual dark side and prompts those who are given to it to treat others in such a way. It also helps us understand how a new nature, a loving nature, is developed within us and is reflected in our treatment of others.
Those who express love toward others demonstrate a change in nature they have experienced. When we give ourselves to love others, we reflect that "new man" the Lord builds within us. We don't "construct" it ourselves by being a do-gooder to manipulate our dealings with those around us.
The reality is that we reveal our spiritual condition by the way we interact with others. "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness… anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness." 1 John 2:9, 11a.
On the other hand, John tells us, "Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:7b. We love others because we have a change of nature due to spiritual rebirth.
We don't bring about change in our lives, such as how we treat others, by manipulating our own behavior. We bring about change in our lives by the change in nature we receive when we embrace the Lord in faith.
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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