Psalm 107
Witness for the LORD verse 1- 3
O give thanks to the LORD – for HE is good
for HIS mercy endures forever
let the redeemed of the LORD say so
whom HE has redeemed
from the hand of the enemy
And gathered them out of the land
from the east – from the west
from the north – from the south
LORD answers cry for help verse 4- 9
Problem verse 4- 5
They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way
they found no city to dwell in
hungry and thirsty – their soul fainted in them
Solution verse 6- 7
THEN they cried to the LORD in their trouble
HE delivered them out of their distresses
HE led them forth by the right way
that they might go to a city of habitation
Praise verse 8- 9
O that men would praise the LORD for HIS goodness
for HIS wonderful works to the children of men
for HE satisfies the longing soul
for HE fills the hungry soul with goodness
LORD redeemed those in chains verse 10- 16
Problem verse 10- 12
Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death
being bound in affliction and iron
BECAUSE they rebelled against
words of the LORD
and contemned the counsel of the most High
THEREFORE HE brought down their heart with labor
they fell down – and there was none to help
Solution verse 13- 14
THEN they cried to the LORD in their trouble
HE saved them out of their distresses
HE brought them out of darkness
and the shadow of death
HE broke their bands in sunder
Praise verse 15- 16
O that men would praise the LORD for HIS goodness
for HIS wonderful works to the children of men
for HE has broken the gates of brass
and cut the bars of iron in sunder
LORD redeemed those who are afflicted verse 17- 22
Problem verse 17- 18
Fools – because of their transgressions
and because of their iniquities are afflicted
their souls abhor all manner of meat
and they draw near the gates of death
Solution verse 19- 20
THEN they cry to the LORD in their trouble
and HE saves them out of their distresses
HE sent HIS word – and healed them
and delivered them from their destructions
Praise verse 21- 22
O that men would praise the LORD for HIS goodness
and for HIS wonderful works to the children of men
let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving
and declare HIS works with rejoicing
LORD redeems those who are at wit’s end verse 23- 32
Problem verse 23- 27
They that go down to the sea in ships
that do business in great waters
these see the works of the LORD
and HIS wonders in the deep
For HE commanded – and HE raises stormy wind
which lifts up the waves thereof
they mount up to the heaven
they go down again to the depths
their soul is melted BECAUSE of trouble
They reel to and fro – and stagger like a drunken man
and are at their wit’s end
Solution verse 28- 30
THEN they cry to the LORD in their trouble
and HE brings them out of their distresses
HE makes the storm a calm
so that the waves thereof are still
THEN are they glad BECAUSE they be quiet
so HE brings them to their desired haven
Praise verse 31- 32
Oh that men would praise the LORD for HIS goodness
for HIS wonderful works to the children of men
Let them exalt HIM in congregation of the people
and praise HIM in the assembly of the elders
LORD redeems those who needy verse 33- 43
HE turns rivers into a wilderness
and the water springs into dry ground
a fruitful land into barrenness
for the wickedness of them that dwell therein
HE turns the wilderness into a standing water
and dry ground into water springs
and there HE makes the hungry to dwell
that they may prepare a city for habitation
and sow the fields – and plant vineyards
which may yield fruit of increase
HE blesses them also – so that they are multiplied greatly
and suffered not their cattle to decease
AGAIN – they are diminished and brought low through
oppression – affliction – sorrow
HE pours contempt on princes
and causes them to wander in the wilderness
where there is no way
YETsets HE the poor on high from affliction
and makes him families like a flock
the righteous see it – and rejoice
and all iniquity shall stop her mouth
Whoso is wise – and will observe these things
even they shall understand the loving
kindness of the LORD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom HE has redeemed from the hand of the enemy. (1350 “redeemed” [ga’al] means to reclaim as one’ own, to be brought into safety, conceived of as being redeemed, act as kinsman, buy back, deliverer, lay claim to, be bought back, or purchase)
DEVOTION: It is a concept that is hard to understand at times. Here we have a statement that those who are followers of the LORD are reclaimed as one’s own. It is the LORD who is doing the buying back. HE is the one who sent HIS Son to die on the cross for our sins. It is because of that sacrifice that we have a standing with God if we are one of the ones who as asked forgiveness for our sins and HE has granted us the privilege of confession of our sin and HIS forgiveness of our sins and a promise of eternity with HIM.
It is a hard concept to understand but those who ask the LORD to forgive them of their sins and ask HIM to take over our lives have the privilege of being one of HIS children for eternity.
We have to tell others about what the LORD has done for us. HE has forgiven our sins and welcomed us into HIS family for eternity. To understand that completely is hard for us to do but that is what happens when we trust in Jesus as our personal Savior.
Those without Christ are in the hand of the enemy which is the Devil. If they don’t ask the LORD to forgive them of their sins and turn to HIM in repentance they will spend eternity in hell with the devil and his angels and all those who reject Jesus Christ.
The Psalmist is thanking the LORD for his redemption. We need to daily thank the LORD for our redemption. It is gift that keeps on giving us the ability to come into HIS presence each day and ask for help without any problems of worry.
CHALLENGE: Have you been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb? Jesus Christ is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of all those who ask HIM. If you are reading this and have never asked HIM to take over your life – please do it now! If you have TELL OTHERS!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and HE delivered them out of their distresses. (5337 “delivered” [natsal] means rescue, snatch away, pull out, be secure, or extricate)
DEVOTION: Four times it is repeated in this Psalm. We have the LORD answering the prayers of those who trust in HIM. They are going through a rough time and they have no other place to turn and so they turn to the LORD for a rescue. They have sinned to the point that the LORD has judged them for their sin and they realize that they have only one way to turn and that is to the LORD.
This happened in the Old Testament and it happens today in the life of a Christian. Those who are genuine believers still have times of trouble because they are not looking to the LORD for guidance and they head out in a direction that is not pleasing to the LORD and so HE sends them trouble. Once the trouble arrives even those who are believers tend to try to find a way out without praying to the LORD. This is wrong and a sin but it happens in the lives of many believers. It happens until they come to the point where they realize that they can’t do it without the help of the LORD.
We need to cry out to the LORD first and let HIM deal with our sin and give us forgiveness rather than trying to fix our lives by ourselves. We sometimes look all the wrong places for answers when they are found in the Word of God at all times.
The children of Israel tended to repeat the same sins over and over again during their history and so they didn’t learn the lessons that history could teach them. Are we following their wrong example?
CHALLENGE: Learn from the example of the children of Israel and turn to the LORD right away when we have sinned against the LORD. HE will forgive us and rescue us out of all our troubles.
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: 13 “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Trouble – Hebrew #6862 6862 צַר, צַר, צַר [tsar, tsar /tsar/] adj. From 6887; TWOT 1973a, 1973b, 1974a, 1975a; GK 7639 and 7640 and 7641; 105 occurrences; AV translates as “enemy” 37 times, “adversary” 26 times, “trouble” 17 times, “distress” five times, “affliction” three times, “foes” twice, “narrow” twice, “strait” twice, “flint” once, “sorrow” once, and translated miscellaneously nine times. 1 narrow, tight. 2 straits, distress. 3 adversary, foe, enemy, oppressor. 4 hard pebble, flint.
DEVOTION: How difficult is the situation that you are in before you cry out to the Lord? Does it take you being flat on your back in a hospital bed or in financial ruin before you submit and declare your dependence on The Lord? In this psalm the people cry out for help on four different occasions and in each one the Lord assists and delivers! He proves His faithfulness to the children of Israel and demonstrates His care toward them. This picture and recurring truth should encourage us to cry out when we are in trouble or distress. We do not have to wait until it is so difficult that all seems lost or defeated. The sooner we call the faster the Lord can answer and demonstrate His power in our circumstances.
CHALLENGE: Take a few minutes to talk with the Lord before you begin the activities of the week and express to Him your need for His help and guidance. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 32 Let them exalt HIM also in the congregation of the people, and praise HIM in the assembly of the elders. (7311 “exalt” [ruwm] means to be high above, to raise in rank, character or status, raise up, lift, be uplifted, erect, or extol)
DEVOTION: When we gather together to worship the LORD are we lifted HIM up to the point of raising HIM to the rank of supreme in our life? Our worship of the LORD has to be one in which we think so highly of HIM that we put HIM over and above anyone else or anything else.
Too often we sing as if we are not really excited about what the LORD has done for us. We are not thinking straight regarding what HE has done for us. We sing with our mouths but not with our heart.
God wants us to realize what HE has done when HE has given us salvation for eternity. It is a gift HE gives us because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.
We need to understand just how much we sin each day and how much HE is forgiving each day because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Sometimes our hearts are not in our songs of praise because we are not thinking correctly about all that is involved in our salvation. HE is giving us a daily walk with HIM that no one who has not turned their life over to HIM has. It is a life of blessing and forgiveness that we need daily to praise and thank HIM for.
When we get together in a church each Sunday, we need to sing from our heart HIS praise because it should be fresh in our mind all that HE has done for us.
Some people who claim Christ take it too lightly. They think that they can go and do as they please because they are forgiven. That is not true. Those who genuinely have become believers don’t want to sin ever but realize that they do sin It is hard to understand how God can keep up with our lack of concentration on all that HE is doing each day for us.
HE is blessing us each day with blessings that we don’t deserve but HE gives them freely to us because of HIS love for us. Our voices should be continually thanking HIM for HIS blessings and HIS salvation.
CHALLENGE: Do we have a smile on our face when we realize how blessed we are to have the LORD in our life? Does this show when we are worshiping HIM in church or just in our daily walk with HIM? Do people see and hear us exalting the LORD?
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: 39 Again, they are diminished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. (4591 “diminished” [ma’at] means to be few, to be or become small, to be too small, little, or be decreased)
DEVOTION: This psalm starts Book Five of the Psalms, which is the last book. Each book is thought to represent one of the five books of Moses. This book is to represent the book of Deuteronomy or the second giving of the law.
There is a formula that goes throughout this present psalm: problem, solution and praise. The LORD wants the Psalmist to help the children of Israel that they repeat their cycle. They don’t seem to learn from their mistakes. They keep repeating them. Once they are out of their problem, they forget all that the LORD has done for them. Remember that one of the two things we continually bring with us from our old nature is our selfishness. We want what we want when we want them. We don’t like to wait. The children of Israel set this example throughout their existence. The second problem we bring with us from our old nature is that we are lazy. We don’t want to work at being good.
In this verse there is a list of three things that the LORD uses to get our attention: oppression, affliction and sorrow. Oppression means to restrain someone from being fruitful. It is like a woman who has no children. It is like putting someone in prison. Affliction means calamity or disaster. It is like having circumstances turn against us. Some evil comes into the life of someone who needs to turn back to the LORD. Job said it best in Job 2:10. The third way the LORD gets the attention of someone who should return to the LORD is sorrow. Sorrow means grief. When someone close to us dies, it causes grief.
God uses these three means to cause those who have high positions in life to be brought low. The LORD has to humble those who think too highly of themselves. It is a hard process but it is for our own good. HE used it to get the attention of the children of Israel. They had to get to the point that nothing they did worked and they finally cried to the LORD for help. We have to hit bottom sometimes before we turn to the LORD.
This psalm gives us different groups of people and how they handled their problems and each one turned FINALLY to the LORD. We are all different but one of these problems works on all of us to get our attention. Is God trying to get our attention now? Are we responding by crying out to the LORD or just continuing to do it our way? We need to learn to follow the LORD closely.
CHALLENGE: Let praise be your daily activity. With that in mind we will have fewer opportunities to face our problems alone. A thankful heart is good medicine. Take the medicine!!!!
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Cried to the LORD verse 6, 13, 19, 28
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Give thanks verse 1
Praise verse 8, 15, 21, 31, 32
Sacrifices of thanksgiving verse 22
Rejoicing verse 22, 42
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Words of God verse 11
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 2, 6, 8,
13,15, 19, 21,
24, 28, 31, 43
HE is good verse 1, 8
Mercy endures forever verse 1
Wonderful works verse 8, 15, 21, 24, 31
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 11
Most High verse 11
Goodness verse 15, 21, 31
Wonderful works verse 15, 21
Broken gates of brass verse 16
Cut bars of iron verse 16
Works of the LORD verse 24
HIS wonders in the deep verse 24, 25
Blesses verse 38
Loving-kindness of the LORD verse 43
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Enemy (Satan) verse 2
Man (Created on the sixth, twenty-four hour period, of creation)
Enemy verse 2
Children of men verse 8, 15, 21, 31
Bound in affliction and iron verse 10
Fools verse 17
Princes verse 40
Wise verse 43
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Sit in darkness verse 10
Rebelled verse 11
Contemned the counsel of the Most High verse 11
Fool verse 17
Transgression verse 17
Iniquities verse 17, 42
Destructions verse 20
Drunken man verse 27
Wit’s end verse 27
Wickedness verse 34
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Give thanks verse 1
Mercy verse 1
Redeemed verse 2
Cry to the LORD verse 6, 13, 19, 28
Trouble verse 6, 13, 19, 28
Deliverance verse 6, 13, 19, 20, 28
Leading of the LORD verse 7
Right way verse 7
Praise verse 8, 15, 21, 31, 32
Satisfies verse 9
Goodness of God verse 8, 9, 15, 21, 31
Saved out of their distresses verse 13
Brought out of darkness verse 14
Brake bands in sunder verse 14
Saved out of distresses verse 19
Healed verse 20
Rejoicing verse 22, 42
Exalt the LORD verse 32
Blessed verse 38
Righteous verse 42
Wise verse 43
Understand verse 43
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
City of habitation verse 7
Sailors verse 23- 29
Congregation of the People verse 32
Assembly of the elders verse 32
Brought low: oppression, affliction, sorrow verse 39
Poor verse 41
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Shadow of death verse 10, 14
Gates of death verse 18
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QUOTES regarding passage
In most modern versions, each of the next four stanzas has the same kind of opening (‘Some wandered …’, ‘Some sat in darkness …’, etc.), as though we were following the fortunes of different groups. This is inaccurate, and obscures the probability that the four scenes are four ways of looking at the same reality, namely the disastrous situation from which Israel has now been rescued. As that situation is analogous to the plight of all sinners, the psalm can be appreciated directly, not only through the eyes of Israel.
Lostness, hunger, thirst and exhaustion are all figures which our Lord was to employ in relation to his self-offer as the Way, the Bread and Water of life and the Giver of rest. The scene in this stanza unites all these aspects of salvation and crowns them with that of a city to dwell in: a climax without which the rescue, at either level of meaning, would be little more than first aid. The New Testament is full of it: cf. e.g. Ephesians 2:11ff.; Hebrews 12:22ff.; Revelation 21 and 22. (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, pp. 418–419). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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6–9 God hears the prayer of people in “trouble” (v. 6; cf. vv. 13, 19). His deliverance is full of surprises, as he supplies all the needs of his people. He straightens the way; leads them into the city; and provides for their shelter, food, and drink (vv. 7, 9; cf. Isa 58:10–11; Jer 31:25; Luke 1:53). This God is the object of the thanksgiving hymn, because he manifests his “unfailing love” (ḥeseḏ) in his “wonderful deeds” (v. 8; for parallel see 106:7 [NIV, “miracles … kindnesses”]; see appendix to Ps 78: The Mighty Acts of Yahweh). His mercy is not limited to the covenant people, because the Creator-God is kind to “men” (v. 8, benê ʾāḏām, “sons of man” or “mankind”; for refrain cf. vv. 15, 21, 31). Since he is so gracious to all peoples, how much more to his own covenant children! (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 683). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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In these verses the psalmist cited four examples of the Lord’s deliverances of His people. In each case the people pleaded for the Lord to help them out of their distress and He did so (vv. 6, 13, 19, 28). Also in each case the psalmist urged the people to thank God for His unfailing love and wonderful deeds (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31).
107:4–9. First, He delivered some from wandering in the wilderness. Unable to find their way, hungry … thirsty, and dying, they cried … to the Lord and He led them to safety. So people should praise the Lord because He satisfied with good things (v. 9; cf. 104:28) those who were thirsty and hungry in the wilderness. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 871). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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107:4–32 This portion contains four pictures or actual situations which illustrate the disastrous end of sin in the nation: 1) wandering in the wilderness (vv. 4–9), 2) languishing in prison (vv. 10–16); 3) enduring sickness (vv. 17–22); and 4) tossing on a stormy sea (vv. 23–32). Each picture follows the same sequence of four events: 1) man’s predicament (vv. 4, 5, 10–12, 17, 18, 23–27); 2) man’s petition (vv. 6a, 13a, 19a, 28a); 3) God’s pardon (vv. 6b, 7, 13b, 14, 19b, 20, 28 b-30); and 4) man’s praise (vv. 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 31, 32). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 107:4–32). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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6. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble. The language in this verse is repeated in this psalm in vers. 13, 19, 28,—as if this were the main subject of the psalm, that when the people of God in different circumstances, or under various forms of trouble, call upon God, he hears them and delivers them.
And he delivered them out of their distresses. The verb from which the noun here used is derived has the idea of being narrow, straitened, compressed. Hence the word comes to be used in the sense of distress of any kind,—as if one were pressed down, or compressed painfully in a narrow space. (Barnes, A. (1870–1872). Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms (Vol. 3, p. 116). London: Blackie & Son.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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January 30
Exodus 5
Israel’s affliction increases.
INSIGHT
When troubles come upon us, instinctively the first question we ask is: “Why?” “Why me, why this, why now?” That is what Moses asked in verse 22. Yet, in retrospect, we see that the question was premature. We now know why — since hindsight is better than foresight.
How long will it take the Lord to deliver us from our troubles? Usually just a little longer than we thought we could tolerate. We must remember the example of Moses when we are tempted to ask the Lord, “Why?” (Quiet Walk)
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THE IN-FILLING OF THE SPIRIT
Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18
The in-filling of the Spirit is essential to true Christian quality in our life. That is why we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. It is a command to every single Christian: “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” We are exhorted to be filled with the Spirit. And this is commanded in order that our graces may grow, in order that the fruit of the Spirit may develop in us and may be evident to all. It is as we are filled with this life that the fruit and the graces of this life will be manifest. Indeed, the filling of the Spirit is essential to a true act of worship. Did you notice how Paul uses that commandment of his in that very connection? He says, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit”—and then goes on at once—“speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and our Father in the n ame of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So the way to test whether we are filled with the Spirit is to ask, Are we full of thankfulness? Are we full of the spirit of praise, of thanksgiving, of worship and adoration?
What is a revival? It is God pouring out His Spirit. It is this tremendous filling that happens to numbers of people at the same time. You need not wait for a revival to get it; each of us is individually commanded to seek it and to have it and indeed to make sure it is there. But at times of revival God, as it were, fills a number of people together; they almost describe it as the Spirit falling upon them. That is a revival, and that is the greatest need of the Church today.
A Thought to Ponder
“Be filled with the Spirit” is a command to every single Christian.
(From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 242-243.
(Walking with God Devotional by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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A New Song
“O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.” (Psalm 98:1)
The theme of singing is frequently found in the Bible. Probably the first song ever sung was by God’s angels at the time of creation as God laid the cornerstone of the earth, “when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7).
There are nine occasions when a “new song” was to be sung by the people of God. The very first, appropriately, was to extol God’s Word and His creation. “Sing unto him a new song;…For the word of the LORD is right,” and then “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made” (Psalm 33:3-6). Then the second new song is placed prophetically on the lips of Christ, representing His thoughts on the cross after His sufferings were finished and He had paid the redemption price for all our sins. “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit,…And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God” (Psalm 40:2-3).
The next has to do with spreading the good news. “O sing unto the LORD a new song:…shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people” (Psalm 96:1-3). The fourth is our text, focusing on Christ’s future coming as King. The next three new songs (Psalms 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10) continue that great theme.
Finally, there are two new songs to be sung by the redeemed in heaven (Revelation 5:9; 14:3). We shall then all be singing to the Lord Jesus Christ: “Thou art worthy…for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Are we there yet? Not yet. Are we there yet? Not yet. That was the back-and-forth game we played on the first (and definitely not the last) sixteen-hour trip back home to Arkansas from Colorado when our children were young. Our oldest two kept the game alive and well, and if I had a dollar for every time they asked, well, I’d have a stack of dollars. It was a question my children were obsessed with, but I (the driver) was equally obsessed wondering, Are we there yet? And the answer was, Not yet, but soon.
Truth be told, most adults are asking a variation on that question, although we may not voice it out loud. But we’re asking it for that same reason—we’re tired, and our eyes have grown “weak with sorrow” (Psalm 6:7). We’re “worn out from [our] groaning” (v. 6) about everything from the nightly news to daily frustrations at work to never-ending health problems to relational strains, and the list goes on. We cry out: “Are we there yet? How long, L ord, how long?”
The psalmist knew well that kind of weariness, and he honestly brought that key question to God. Like a caring parent, He heard David’s cries and in His great mercy accepted them (v. 9). There was no shame for asking. Likewise, you and I can boldly approach our Father in heaven with our honest cries of “How long?” and His answer might be, “Not yet, but soon. I’m good. Trust Me.” (By John Blasé, Our Daily Bread)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Genesis 25-26
Like father, like son. It is an old saying that resonates when sons look up and attempt to imitate their fathers. I have five brothers in my family and there are many family traits and personalities that are demonstrated which show a resemblance of my father. Some traits are natural, like a smile or a stance, while others are acquired habits.
Isaac picked up the mantle that Abraham had carried and continued to walk and serve the Lord. He was a man who spoke with the Lord and honored Him daily. Yet, like his father he also lied about his relationship with his wife Rebekah to protect himself. Perhaps even worse, he did this in the same kingdom as his father (Genesis 20, 26:6-10).
God continued to bless Isaac and show his family favor. Despite Abraham and Isaac’s deceitful patterns and failures, God used them for His glory. We need to be reminded of this when we fail and begin to act or treat people wrongly. God is merciful and abundant in forgiveness as we acknowledge and return to Him.
God’s love and plentiful provisions are there even when we begin to act like our earthly father instead of our Heavenly one. In His Word, the Lord repeatedly reminds us of His attributes we are to follow.
Today when you are tempted to act like your earthly father, stop and ask how your heavenly Father would respond and act accordingly. He has provided basic teachings in the New Testament such as the Fruit of the Spirit or the Beatitudes to instruct us in making these choices. As we imitate the Lord’s commands, people will see God’s work and know we are blessed of the Lord (Genesis 26: 26-29).
With an Expectant Hope, (Pastor Miller)
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A.W. Tozer: This did not mean that his sermons were heavy. On the contrary he believed that, ‘A church can wither as surely under the ministry of soulless Bible exposition as it can where no Bible at all is given. To be effective the preacher’s message must be alive; it must alarm, arouse, challenge. (p. 91)
His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure, only now he take delight in to sing choruses and watching religious movies instead of singing bawdy sons and drinking hard liquor. The accent is still on enjoyment though the fun is now on a higher plan morally if not intellectually…. (p.93)
… our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. (p. 94)
When we come to the place where everything can be predicted and nobody expects anything unusual from God, we are in a rut. (p. 95) (Preachers Who Made a Difference by Peter Jeffery)
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Delusion from God
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” (2 Thessalonians 2:11)
This is a startling declaration! Why would God want to deceive people and cause them to believe a lie? The “cause” that would activate such an extreme decision on God’s part must be very serious. The preceding verse states it plainly. It is “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Because they “resist the truth” (2 Timothy 3:8), they will “believe the lie”!
The specific context refers to those who elect to follow the coming “man of sin,” but the principle is timeless. It tells us that God’s attitude toward men is determined by their love of the truth rather than by their knowledge of the truth. When people love God’s truth, there is no limit to the amount of truth and blessing they may receive from God. Note the attitude of the writer of Psalm 119: “How sweet are thy words unto my taste!” “Thy testimonies . . . are the rejoicing of my heart.” “I love thy commandments above gold.” “Thy law is my delight” (Psalm 119:103, 111, 127, 174).
But when people begin to exhibit a disdain for God’s truth, there may soon come a time in their lives when they find it impossible even tocomprehend the all-important truth of God’s saving gospel (creation, salvation, and reconciliation through Christ).
Because they refused the love of His truth when it would have been easy to believe, a blindness gradually engulfs their minds until they love the deceptive philosophies of the world, and they never escape the strong delusion that God has allowed to engulf them. Henceforth, though they are “ever learning,” they are “never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). How important it is, as early in life as possible, to receive from God His proffered gift of the love of His truth! (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Jonah suffers the consequences of refusing to obey God’s call.
INSIGHT
Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 and is very likely a strong patriot of the nation Israel. As a result, he finds it an odious task to preach repentance to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, the country which is one day to conquer Israel. Rather than go on this errand of mercy, Jonah chooses to hurry to the seaport at Joppa for the fastest transit in the opposite direction. This is a commission that will not be denied, however, and God causes him to be swallowed by a great fish in which Jonah wisely repents and subsequently carries the warning message to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh repent—as Jonah feared—and the nation is preserved as an instrument of judgment for Israel almost 100 years later. (Quiet Walk)
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“THEYBIES” (Friday Church News Notes, August 24, 2018,www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from “Boy or girl? Parents raising ‘theybies’ let kids decide,” NBCNews.com, Jul. 19, 2018: “Three-year-old twins Zyler and Kadyn Sharpe scurried around the boys and girls clothing racks of a narrow consignment store filled with toys. Zyler, wearing rainbow leggings, scrutinized a pair of hot-pink-and-purple sneakers. Kadyn, in a T-Rex shirt, fixated on a musical cube that flashed colorful lights. At a glance, the only discernible difference between these fraternal twins is their hair—Zyler’s is brown and Kadyn’s is blond. Is Zyler a boy or a girl? How about Kadyn? That’s a question their parents, Nate and Julia Sharpe, say only the twins can decide. The Cambridge, Mass., couple represent a small group of parents raising ‘theybies’—children being brought up without gender designation from birth. A Facebook community for these parents currently claims about 220 members across the U.S. … Parents in the U.S. are increasingly raising children outside traditional gender norms—allowing boys and girls to play with the same toys and wear the same clothes—though experts say this is happening mostly in progressive, well-to-do enclaves. But what makes this ‘gender-open’ style of parenting stand out, and even controversial in some circles, is that the parents do not reveal the sex of their children to anyone. Even the children, who are aware of their own body parts and how they may differ from others, are not taught to associate those body parts with being a boy or girl. If no one knows a child’s sex, these parents theorize, the child can’t be pigeonholed into gender stereotypes.”
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