God expresses his wrath every day! - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 ,

"God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day."

From my perspective, any view of God that does not recognize this aspect of his character is incomplete. God has revealed himself in the pages of Scripture so that we may learn of him, what he is like, what his intentions are, what his agenda is. This is why we call Scripture, "revelation". It is within its pages that God reveals himself. Here in this passage we learn that God is a wrathful God, expressing his wrath as a righteous judge every day.

The writer of Hebrews admonishes us that it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Hebrews 10:31. This is because our God is "a consuming fire", Hebrews 12:29, which is a quote from Deuteronomy 4:24, where Moses speaks to the Israelites about God's judgment in his anger toward Moses and the Israelites.

Unless I have full appreciation for the judgment of God and the wrath he expresses toward sin, I will not have full appreciation for what my Savior endured on the cross when he paid the penalty for my sin. I will not experience the full measure of gratitude for God's forgiveness, mercy and love if I do not recognize just what it is that Jesus Christ has saved me from.

When I hear the words, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.", Romans 5:8, I will fail to grasp just how important a demonstration this is unless I recognize the wrath of our righteous God in his judgment of our sin. God is a wrathful judge that will hold all accountable for sin. But in his kindness toward us, he sent his Son to take that punishment on our behalf! In the very present danger of God's wrath for our sin and our pending judgment in the lake of fire, our kind, loving and merciful God has made a way for us to become his children and experience his blessings instead, if we embrace him 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!

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David's Suffering - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 6:2-3,

"Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?"

David really had his struggles: he was faint, in need of healing, his bones were in agony and he was in a spiritually deep anguish. He was worn out from groaning, he wept all night (saying he drenched his couch with tears), his eyes were weak from sorrow and he had a lot of foes.

This is the man we read of in Acts 13:22, where God is quoted as saying, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." God was pleased with him, so why was David suffering? Why hadn't God stepped in, arranged things in David's life long before his suffering to prevent it?

David did plead with God to intervene and bring him relief and God responded and brought that relief. At the end of the psalm we read, "Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer." Verses 8-9. Yet, it was not until after David had suffered, at least for a time, that the Lord stepped in and brought him relief following his pleading with God.

Today you often hear that since God loves us he doesn't want us sick or suffering or poor or whatever. That runs contrary to what we read in the Scriptures. David was a man of mighty faith. He struggled with sin, as we all do, and possibly this was the cause of David's suffering. However, unlike Psalm 51, where David pours out his contrite heart for his sin, we don't see any of that here. This psalm reads as though sin was not in the picture here with David. We find that to be the case in a number of psalms.

And it is not just David. We see a great number of heroes of the faith suffering. We read of it in the book of Acts and many other places. Since they suffered, why should we feel we ought to be immune from difficulties in this life? In fact, the Scriptures tell us to plan on it and embrace it. "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4.

We are told to anticipate discipline from God's hand, "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." Hebrews 12:10-11. Jesus told us he would discipline those he loves, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." Revelation 3:19.

As we learn from David's life, we should not be expecting a bed of roses when we embrace Jesus Christ in our lives. Suffering, difficulties, struggles will accompany joy, love, the embrace of acceptance, an incredible anticipation for our new life in the next age and so many other wonderful things that are now ours as God's children. 

Both come our way.

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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David: A Faithful Man - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 5:3,

"In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly."

In this psalm David brings his complaint to the Lord against the wicked. "Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies. Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you." Verses 9-10.

David also asks the Lord to bless the righteous in the land, "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield." Verses 11-12.

I note that David, in seeking the Lord's ear on the matter, pleads with him to hear his "lament." As he does so, he reminds the Lord of his faithfulness in seeking the Lord in his requests and waiting expectantly every morning - daily!

David was a man of faith and also a faithful man. No "fair-weather" worshipper here!

How about us?

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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Confidence in Prayer - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 4:1,

"Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer."

David asks the Lord to hear his prayer. Obviously he knows the Lord will listen to his prayer, else the psalm would be meaningless. David, yet again, is struggling and so asks the Lord for his help. At the end of the psalm, David acknowledges his confidence the Lord will answer, "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." Verse 8.

David, though not a perfect man, was a man of faith. As we read of David's life we see he struggled with sin, as we all do. However, his faith prompted him to seek mercy, forgiveness for his sins, relief from difficulties, and blessings from the Lord in prayer. David was a man of prayer. Not only do we share in David's shortcomings as a sinner, those of us who have embraced the Lord in faith as David did share his confidence that the Lord listens to our prayers.

We are told in Ephesians 6:18, "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." In Philippians 4:6-7 we are told, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Paul instructed his young protege, Timothy, "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

James observes why we should all pray, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16. The reason the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective is that the Lord welcomes our requests. John spoke to this, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." 1 John 5:14-15.

I love the way the writer of Hebrews encourages us in prayer, "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16.

May our confidence in approaching the Lord in prayer be as determined as David's was!

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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Two Themes in Psalm 3 - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 3:1-4,

"Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, 'God will not deliver him.' But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain."

Oftentimes the view from further above something provides interesting patterns, cohesion, and even additional sense and meaning. I believe the book of Psalms provides that very thing. The reading of larger portions of the book (not just a psalm here and there) on a frequent basis provides clearly defined themes not so easily seen otherwise.

I certainly do not advocate for the subordination of word studies, analysis of grammar, identifying figures of speech, historical and cultural context and the other tools typically used to study the Scriptures as these are all very important, but a "bird's eye view" provides some interesting themes that may not be as apparent.

Not all psalms are the same, of course. Different psalms provide different messages or expressions of the heart. Some constitute hymns of praise and worship, some are penitential in nature (confession of sin, expressed sorrow for sin, etc.), some are considered to be "wisdom psalms" that describe and prescribe the way to live life as God designed it, and some are even "imprecatory", that is, they appeal to God to pour out his wrath on enemies, a curse.

Beyond our understanding of the nature and message of each psalm, I believe we see some themes that are expressed throughout the entire collection of psalms (and throughout the entire Bible itself). The first four verses of Psalm 3 express two of these many themes that can be found: the first is that mankind has problems and the second is that God is the very One man needs to flee to for relief, to find a refuge, to bring a solution for his problems. These two themes (as well as others) are developed throughout the entire book and have specific purposes for us.

That purpose, particularly when expressed in so many different ways and circumstances in the book, teach us two things God wants us to know:

1. Mankind is lost and fallen, estranged from God living in a lost and fallen world that is cursed. Consequently we all have problems! Even David who wrote this psalm, whom God himself claimed to be "a man after my own heart", Acts 13:22. You and I have problems as well as every other person.
2. God is our refuge to find relief, protection, a refuge, the solution and the Savior to go to for our problems.

Of course, the big problem we all face (and not explicitly stated in this psalm) is that we have all sinned and face God's looming judgment of us. That is a big problem. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ as our refuge and our deliverer from his Father's judgment. It is this very issue I believe why we see so many psalms providing us these two themes in many ways.

These are not the only themes we see expressing themselves repeatedly in the psalms, but they are some of the most important in my estimation.

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 Lord Laughs and Scoffs - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 2:1-6,

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains,' they say, 'and throw off their fetters.' The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 'I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.'"

I have always found this passage to be a fascinating one. It brings out the truth about rebellious mankind in such a graphic way. Little man shakes his tiny rebellious fist in the face of God Almighty. Nothing could be a greater act of insanity. God is transcendent in his wisdom, powerful in his strength; he is capable of creating the entire cosmos with the word of his mouth! He uses his enemies to accomplish what he desires and they are clueless in the midst of it all! And yet here is sinful, rebellious mankind as a little yapping dog nipping at the heels of a tyrannosaurus rex! The rebelliousness of sinful man against our fearsome God demonstrates how insanely sick mankind is in his sin.

Just how is sinful mankind conspiring, plotting, attempting to break chains and throw off shackles today? They do so by demanding the right to kill their unborn babies made in the image of God. They do so by pretending that God's design for gender doesn't matter. They do so by thwarting God's purpose in marriage and family. They do so by inventing theories (like evolution) to explain away what is obvious in the world around us. You get the idea, and I'm certain you could add quite a bit to this list.

The Lord's response is that he laughs at rebellious mankind and scoffs at them. In what will certainly be a horrific spectacle, one that will have its consummation at the end of the age, we are told that the Lord will rebuke them in his anger and terrify them in his wrath! Having begun life in the camp of the rebellious and sinful, how relieved, how thankful and how grateful I am that the Lord has extended his invitation to me to come into his camp and not have to suffer the fate of those who stand in opposition to him! This passage provides a wonderful canvas upon which the Lord's mercy, kindness and love can be so beautifully displayed!

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.

Life Exists in a Binary Reality - Ruminating in the Word of God

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 1:1-3,

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

This first psalm, a "wisdom psalm" speaks of two paths, two directions, two ways of living life. Life exists in a binary reality: The godly and the profane; righteousness and wickedness, that which is consistent with God, his character and nature, and that which is not. The man who takes the godly path will be blessed; the man who takes the path of the wicked, the sinner, the mocker will not.

The blessings of the one path leads to life, to vitality, to regeneration. The person on this path yields fruit in its proper season, doesn't wither but prospers. The man on the path of the wicked reaps desolation, "They are like chaff that the wind blows away", verse 4.

This speaks to me of the nature of God. God brings life, God brings vitality and health. God brings blessings and fruitfulness. Fullness of life awaits those who pursue God and delight in his law, his word, the Bible. As Jesus said of himself, "I am the way and the truth and the life."

There is only one alternative to living a godly life, and the reality of that is desolation and ruin.

Don't fool yourself!

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.