PSALM 34
David wants to exalt the LORD always verse 1- 3
I will bless the LORD at all times
HIS praise shall continually be in my mouth
my soul shall make her boast in the LORD
the humble shall hear thereof – and be glad
O magnify the LORD with me – and let us exalt HIS name together
David praised the LORD for answered prayer verse 4- 7
I sought the LORD – and HE heard me
and delivered me from all my fears
they looked to HIM – and were lightened
and their faces were not ashamed
This poor man cried – and the LORD heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles
The angel of the LORD encamps round about them that fear HIM
and delivers them
David praises the LORD for HIS provisions verse 8- 10
O taste and see that the LORD is good
blessed is the man that trusts in HIM
O fear the LORD – you HIS saints
for there is no want to them that fear HIM
The young lions do lack – and suffer hunger
BUT they that seek the LORD
shall not want any good thing
David gives instructions regarding fear of the LORD verse 11- 14
Come – you children – hearken unto me
I will teach you the fear of the LORD
What man is he that desires life – and loves many days
that he may see good?
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking guile
depart from evil – and do good
seek peace – and pursue it
David realizes that the LORD is omniscient verse 15- 18
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and HIS eyes are open to their cry
The face of the LORD is against them that do evil
to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth
The righteous cry – and the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart
and saves such as be of a contrite spirit
David praises the LORD for his protection verse 19- 20
Many are the afflictions of the righteous
BUT the LORD delivers him out of them all
HE keeps all his bones – not one of them is broken
David knows the LORD is a righteous JUDGE verse 21- 22
Evil shall slay the wicked
and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate
the LORD redeems the soul of HIS servants
and none of them that trust in HIM
shall be desolate
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 I will bless the LORD at all times: HIS praise shall continually be in my mouth. (1288 “bless” [barak] means to praise, filled with strength, to invoke or enact divine favor, often implying a positive disposition or kind actions toward the recipient, or to kneel down.)
DEVOTION: There are some churches that you can attend that have kneeling down during the service as part of their worship.
When you kneel you are showing that you are lowering yourself in the presence of someone that is greater than you. This has been done in the presence of kings in history. It has been done by individuals who have been conquered in battle. It should be done when we are praying to the LORD at times.
This is part of what it means to praise the LORD. We have to make sure that we realize that God is greater than us. We have to lower ourselves in HIS presence to show that we understand this truth.
David was willing to do it in the Old Testament and we should be able to do this as we pray to the LORD for blessings in our life.
When we were children, we used to kneel beside our bed to say our prayers before we went to sleep. We would repeat a prayer that we had been taught either by our parents or by a Sunday School teacher in the church that we attended.
It gave honor to the LORD in my eyes as a young man. We need to always be willing to honor the LORD each night pray for HIS help for the next day and for forgiveness for our sins before we went to sleep.
God wants HIS people to acknowledge HIM as our LORD if we are going to receive HIS blessings each day. Praying is one of those things that we can do on our knees to show HIM that we understand this truth.
CHALLENGE: Does our mouth continually praise the LORD throughout each day of our life? It should because of all that HE has done for us in providing our salvation and our blessings.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. (6035 “humble” [anav] means meek, lowly, meek, afflicted, a person characterized by humility, gentle, unpretentiousness, or lack of arrogance and pride)
DEVOTION: Is it possible for a genuine believer to be arrogant? Is it possible that someone who says they believe in the LORD Jesus Christ as their Savior to be full of pride in HIS presence?
Our boast needs to be in the LORD alone. David had to learn this truth and we need to learn it as well. We don’t deserve the salvation that HE provides but we need to come humbly into HIS presence when we turn our lives over to HIM.
There should be NO pride in our heart when we are faced with the LORD! Our attitude need to be and can only be one of humility if it is going to be genuine. Too often we can find someone who thinks that the LORD is blessed to have them as HIS servant. That is not a proper attitude.
Our boast needs to always be to the LORD. We should always give HIM praise for all the things that we are doing with the gifts and talents HE has given us to serve HIM. David and others throughout the Bible always gave God the praise an not themselves.
CHALLENGE: Who are we praising when we serve the LORD? Are we serving ourselves or the LORD in all that we do? This is a question we have to continually ask ourselves to make sure our attitude is good.
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: 7 “The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Deliver 2502 חָלַץ, חָלַץ [chalats /khaw·lats/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 667, 668; GK 2740 and 2741; 44 occurrences; AV translates as “deliver” 15 times, “Arm” 14 times, “loose” twice, “armed men” twice, “prepared” twice, “take” twice, “army” once, “make fat” once, “put off ” once, “delivered out” once, “draw out” once, “armed soldiers” once, and “withdrawn” once. 1 to remove, draw out, draw off, take off, withdraw, equip (for war), arm for war, rescue, be rescued. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: This is one of my favorite psalms and I have used it many times in the hospital and at times of trouble. The Lord is pictured as being present and encircling those that fear Him. Even though his people are afflicted and in danger the psalmist is encouraged by the Lord’s presence and power. Whether the angel is an angelic being or the Lord himself is minimal as the promise of deliverance is the same. The Lord himself or his representative is encamping with those in danger and it brings assurance of divine deliverance. Perhaps you are facing an impossible situation where the enemy appears to have you completely surrounded and defeat is imminent. Like the psalmist cry unto the Lord and expect his deliverance. We need to rest in his ability to encamp with you at your home, work or in that place of suffering that you are currently residing.
CHALLENGE: Christ hears, works, sees and saves those that are His. Trust him for the form of deliverance he has in store for you today! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 9 O fear the LORD, you HIS saints: for there is no want to them that fear HIM. (4270 “want” [machcowr] means lack, need, penury, anything that is necessary but lacking, poverty, or a scarcity of something vital, of whatever kind.)
DEVOTION: David had to learn this principle in his life. If we can learn it as well we will be better Christians.
Our definition of “want” is different than some might think. Too often there are things that we “want” but don’t “need” because we think that we need more than we really do most of the time.
We tend to look at others and see what they have and think that we should have it as well. That is not how we should look at things. We need to look at things as needs and wants. Only God knows for sure what we “need.” We are usually not good at seeing this truth as we look around and see what others have and think that it would be good for us to have them too.
The LORD knows what will keep us close to HIM. HE knows that some people can handle money better than others, so HE gives them money to serve HIM with. Some people are good with singing and the LORD uses their talent for HIS honor and glory. Others might have some talent in this area but would use it for their own glory and not for the glory of the LORD.
We have to make sure that we ask the LORD what our genuine “needs” are from HIS perspective and accept what HE gives us and not desire something that would cause us to move away from the LORD rather than closer to HIM.
Remember that HE knows what is best for us and gives us the best that we can handle. Asking for more would cause us to move further from HIM instead of closer to HIM.
CHALLENGE: As saints we need to trust HIM to give us what we need and leave the “wants” to HIM to decide.
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: 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivers him out of them all. (7451 “afflictions” [ra’] means bad, evil, disagreeable, malignant, unpleasant, or adversity.)
DEVOTION: Do we know how to be abased and abound and still trust in the LORD? There are many ups and downs in our Christian life. Some Christians trust in their emotions rather than God. David is stating that at all times we need to humbly trust in the LORD.
This is a psalm of praise for the deliverance the LORD gives to HIS children. This psalm of David praises the LORD for the fact the HE answers prayer. This psalm emphasizes the fact that HIS children fear or reverence HIM and because of this fact they have HIS eyes and ears.
This world is full of evil or adversity for those who are followers of the LORD. One of the false promises given to many who accept Christ as their Savior is that they will have a life with no problems. If they have problems, it is because they are not tithing or attending church or praying enough or etc. This is a lie from the enemy.
There are two reasons for adversity: chastening because of sin or purging to cause us to grow more in HIM. Our present world is FULL of adversity or problems. Our God is a great problem solver.
We are promised that the LORD is with us in every adversity that comes into our lives. HE is a shelter in a storm. We still go through the storm but HE is by our side in it. We sing a song “Through it all” and that is what HE will do. HE will be there. There is a poem called “Footprints” that relays the same truth. HE does carry us through the most difficult problems we face.
Sometimes we are so busy looking at the problems, we forget to look for help from the ONLY one who can truly help us. David had one of those occasions when he was in the camp of the Philistines and they recognized him. He pretended to be mad and they let him go.
Was he depending on the LORD or his own devises? Remember to look to HIM in times of adversity. Are we looking in the right place when adversity comes our way? We have an omnipresent God!!!
CHALLENGE: Reactions are important. How do we react to bad drivers? How do we react to the loss of a job? Do we realize how good the LORD has been to us and will be to us in the future? Do we concentrate on our sins or out forgiveness? Let us watch our perspective on life!!
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:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (“Delivereth,” 5338 נְצַל [nâtsal], to rescue, extricate, deliver. [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.])
DEVOTION: The promise of this psalm is that God will deliver the righteous. Let us first consider deliverance from what. God promises to deliver or rescue us from afflictions. That means that we should expect to have afflictions. This psalm has a messianic interpretation as well, so God did not deliver Jesus from the affliction of the cross, but delivered him through the cross. God’s promise in the next verse was that none of the Messiah’s bones would be broken, a promise that was fulfilled in Jesus. So God did not deliver Jesus from death, but rather through death.
So God’s plan is for us to go through the right kind of affliction and suffering, the kind that will purify us in our devotion and love for Him. The affliction that God allows us to go through weans us from our love of this world and the things of this world. He allows His children to see the beauties of heaven in contrast to the sufferings of this world. He rescues them from the trials of this world at just the right time when it brings Him the most glory.
Second, let us consider deliverance for what purpose. God always has our good in mind in whatever He allows us to go through (Romans 8:28). Suffering and persecution are not signs that God does not love the believer, but rather confirmations that He has chosen the believer to be His own and has blessed him (Matthew 5:11-12). His deliverance may either be temporary (by removing the affliction from us) or ultimate (by removing us from the affliction). In either case, He knows what will be best for us and for His kingdom. We can pray with confidence, “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!”
What God desires is for His children to humbly come before Him in their affliction and pour out their hearts to Him in prayer. God promises He will deliver us in His timing and in His way when we do so.
CHALLENGE: From what situation or problem do you need to believe God for His deliverance today? Can you trust Him to deliver you in exactly the best way and time that brings Him the most glory? (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
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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)
David prayed verse 4
Desperate man cried verse 6
Righteous cry to the LORD verse 15, 17
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Praise verse 1
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1-4, 6- 11, 15- 19, 22
bless the LORD verse 1
boast in the LORD verse 2
magnify the LORD verse 3
exalt the LORD verse 3
sought the LORD verse 4
LORD hears and delivers from fears verse 4
LORD is good verse 8
fear the LORD verse 9, 11
seek the LORD verse 10
eyes of the LORD verse 15
ears of the LORD verse 15
hears the righteous verse 15
face of the LORD verse 16
redeems the soul of HIS servants verse 22
none that trust in HIM shall be desolate verse 22
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Angel of the LORD verse 7, 20
Encamps around those that fear the LORD
Delivers
Keeps all his bones – none are broken
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)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Humble verse 2
Poor man cries to the LORD and is heard verse 6
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Evil tongue verse 13
Guile verse 13
Evil verse 13, 14, 16, 21
Wicked verse 21
Hate the righteous verse 21
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Bless the LORD verse 1
Praise verse 1
Boast in the LORD verse 2
Humble verse 2
Glad verse 2
Magnify the LORD verse 3
Exalt the LORD verse 3
Seek the LORD verse 4, 10, 17
Answered prayer verse 4, 6, 15, 17
Deliverance verse 4, 6, 7, 17, 18, 19
Not ashamed verse 5
Saved from troubles verse 6, 17
Fear the LORD verse 7, 9, 11
Blessed is the man who trusts in LORD verse 8
Trust verse 8, 22
Saints verse 9
No want verse 9, 10
Teach others verse 11
Keep tongue from evil verse 13
Do good verse 14
Seek peace and pursue it verse 14
Righteous verse 15, 17, 19, 21
Delivered from troubles verse 17, 19
Presence of the LORD verse 18
Broken heart verse 18
Contrite spirit verse 18
Afflictions verse 19
Redeem verse 22
Servants verse 22
Not be desolate verse 22
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
David wrote this Psalm verse 1- 22
Written when David changed his behavior
before Abimelech
Will bless the LORD at all times
Will praise LORD continually
Will boast in the LORD
Magnify the LORD
Exalt the LORD
Sought the LORD
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
9, 10. Defence and supplies were David’s pressing needs in 1 Samuel 21, the background to the psalm. He turns from the first of these (7f.) to the second, with the same faith as he shows in 23:1, repeating the word ‘want/lack’ in 9b, 10b not only to emphasize the point by its contrast to 10a (cf. the contrast in Isa. 40:30f.) but to clarify it by the words no good thing (cf. 84:11). It is not an empty promise of affluence but an assurance of his responsible care: cf. the phrase ‘for our good always’ (Deut. 6:24) with the phrase ‘and let you hunger …’ (Deut. 8:3). See again Romans 8:28, 37. This theme is now pursued in the next section, especially verses 12–14. (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, p. 158). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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34:7–10. David declared that the Angel of the Lord (possibly the Lord Himself; cf. comments on Gen. 16:9) camps around those who fear (cf. Ps. 34:9, 11) the Lord. In military imagery David envisioned divine protection (cf. Gen. 32:2; 2 Kings 6:16).
Those who trust in the Lord experience genuine happiness—if they taste and see. All who fear the Lord, that is, all who are genuine worshipers, will lack nothing (cf. Ps. 23:1), or no good thing (cf. 16:2; 84:11). (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. 819). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Those who fear the Lord (vv. 7, 9, 11) need fear nothing else, for this is the fear that drives out all fear (112:1). When we fear the Lord, He provides all that we need when we need it. Verse 9 is the Old Testament equivalent of Matthew 6:33. “No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” (84:11, nasb). God promises to give us what is good for us and to cause all things to work together for good (Rom. 8:28). If we don’t receive what we think we need, it means it isn’t good for us and we don’t need it at this time. At this point, David may have gathered the children and youths around him to teach them the secret of real living. Peter quoted verses 12–14 in 1 Peter 3:10–12, and his instructions are wise and workable. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed., p. 133). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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Psalm 34. This poem knits together personal testimony to the benefits of living in fear of the Lord (mentioned fifteen times), and formal instruction in that fear. The testimony is personal, though not merely individual; others have known, others are invited to share, this radiant, blessed, and satisfying experience. The instruction (v. 11 is the wisdom teacher’s usual address to pupils) covers careful speech, good behavior, and peaceful aims, with advice to remember that the Lord is watching, opposing evildoers, helping all who are in need or are crushed. For even the righteous meet many hardships, but the Lord limits them and delivers. In the end, the righteous will be totally vindicated. (White, R. E. O. (1995). Psalms. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 379). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
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III. What Religion deserves (ver. 10). This is the language of experience. It breathes faith, and hope, and love. It is an appeal to the deepest feelings of the heart It implies that if men would only make trial of religion for themselves, they could not fail to be convinced of its supreme excellence.
Religion deserves—1. Earnest study. We are bound to investigate. That only is truth to us which commends itself to our own conscience. Our faith should stand, not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. “Search the Scriptures.” Remember how the Boreans were praised for their independent and earnest examination of the truth (Acts 17:11). Surely that which is the most wondrous thing in the world, and which concerns us all so nearly, should be personally and profoundly studied.
2. Personal Trial. “Taste and see.” Nothing is so convincing as experience. Only by trial can we truly realise what religion is and what it does. It is one thing to hear honey called sweet, and another thing to know that honey is sweet, because we have tasted it for ourselves. “He that believeth hath the witness in himself” (cf. 1 John 5:10).
3. Hearty commendation. It is the duty of every godly man to commend religion to others. Loyalty to God and love to our brethren alike bind us to this. We should be careful to give a just representation, such as will attract instead of repel. By our humility, our patience, our love, our trust in God, and our purity in the sight of men, we should be true witnesses for our holy religion, true preachers of Christ.
“O taste and see that God is good.” This voice comes to us from nature, sounds throughout the Scriptures, and is echoed by the godly of all generations. Let us take it up for ourselves. “The inquiry of truth, which is the wooing of it, the knowledge of truth, which is the presence of it, and the belief of truth, which is the enjoyment of it, is the sovereign good of human nature.”—Bacon. (Forsyth, W. (1892). Psalm 26–35. In Psalms 1–87 (Vol. 1, pp. 159–160). New York; London; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)
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Ver. 10. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, &c.] According to Apollinarius, “the needy rich, whom famine presses;” see Job 4:10, 11. But they that seek the Lord; by prayer, diligently, with their whole heart, and in the sincerity of their souls; the Targum is, that seek the doctrine of the Lord; that seek instruction from him, and to be taught by him: these shall not want any good thing: which God has purposed to bestow upon them, which he has promised unto them, and provided for them; nor any thing that shall be for their good. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 668). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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10. “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger.” They are fierce, cunning, strong, in all the vigour of youth, and yet they sometimes howl in their ravenous hunger, and even so crafty, designing, and oppressing men, with all their sagacity and unscrupulousness, often come to want; yet simple-minded believers, who dare not act as the greedy lions of earth, are fed with food convenient for them. To trust God is better policy than the craftiest politicians can teach or practise. “But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” No really good thing shall be denied to those whose first and main end in life is to seek the Lord. Men may call them fools, but the Lord will prove them wise. They shall win where the world’s wiseacres lose their all, and God shall have the glory of it. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 27-57 (Vol. 2, pp. 124–125). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
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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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The church should care for widows, and the elders who lead the church should also receive respect.
INSIGHT
There are those in the church who feel that they have the gift of confrontation, and others the gift of rebuke. While we may smile at this, there are indeed those who have an acute sense of justice, gravitating toward exhortational ministries. These people provide an important balance in the church, but they must be cautious to wield their words with truth and grace. Paul writes that we should “not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity” (vv. 1-2). The point is that such ministries are always to be done in a spirit of grace, truth, and love. (Quiet Walk)
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PRIDE
O wretched man that I am! Romans 7:24
Self-sufficiency, self-consciousness—oh, to get away from the self!
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). How can I get away from this wretched, ugly self I am always thinking about? Isn’t that the cry of every man and woman convicted of sin by the Holy Ghost? Now the effect of 1 John 4:9-10 is to expose all that, and I really am not prepared to listen to people who tell me that they glory in the revelation of God’s love unless they have dealt with themselves. There is no value in any striving to keep the tenets of the Christian faith unless those tenets have made you see yourself in the world, unless they have flashed upon you in such a way as to make you see the manifestation of self; that is what the love of God always does. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us.” It is incredible that God could love such a person as I have been describing. That is the amazing thing! That is love, says John.
Therefore, if you believe and know all that, it makes you see yourself as you are, and do you see what happens at once? The moment you see yourself like that, you cry with John Bunyan:
He that is down need fear no fall;
He that is low, no pride.
John Bunyan meant that when I see myself as I really am, nobody can insult me. It is impossible, because they can never say anything that is bad enough about me. Whatever the world may say about me, I am much worse than they think. When we see ourselves in the light of this glorious gospel, no one can hurt us, no one can offend us
A Thought to Ponder: Self-sufficiency, self-consciousness—oh, to get away from the self! (From The Love of God, p. 70, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Keeping the Law
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)
The law of God, centered in the Ten Commandments, is “holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12) and expresses perfectly the will of God for holy living. “The man that doeth them shall live in them” (Galatians 3:12).
The problem is that no man can possibly do them all. He may keep most of the commandments most of the time, but he will inevitably fail in some of them some of the time. Since the law is a divine unit, breaking any commandment—as our text reminds us—breaks the whole law, bringing the guilty one under God’s curse of death. “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians 3:10). “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight” (Romans 3:20).
All men, having sinned against God’s law, are therefore lost and in urgent need of salvation. This is where God’s wonderful grace comes in. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested…Even the righteousness…which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Romans 3:21-22), “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). He kept the law for us, and bore its curse for us. Thus, we are saved through trusting Him.
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid” (Romans 6:1-2). We now desire to keep His commandments, because we love Him. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3). We are now able to keep them, because His Spirit now lives in us, and we are “strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Nothing Can Separate
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8:35
When Pris’ father, a pastor, answered God’s call to pioneer a mission on a small island in Indonesia, Pris’ family found themselves living in a rundown shack once used to house animals. Pris remembers the family celebrating Christmas sitting on the floor and singing praises while rainwater dripped through the thatched roof. But her father reminded her, “Pris, just because we are poor doesn’t mean God doesn’t love us.”
Some may see a life blessed by God as one that’s filled with riches, health, and longevity. So in times of hardship, they may wonder if they’re still loved by Him. But in Romans 8:31–39, Paul reminds us that nothing can separate us from Jesus’ love—including trouble, hardship, persecution, and famine (v. 35). This is the foundation for a truly blessed life: God showed His love for us by sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins (v. 32). Christ rose from death and is now sitting “at the right hand” of the Father, interceding for us (v. 34).
In times of suffering, we can hold fast to the comforting truth that our life is rooted in what Christ has done for us. Nothing—“neither death nor life . . . nor anything else in all creation” (vv. 38–39)—can separate us from His love. Whatever our circumstance, whatever our hardship, may we be reminded that God is with us and that nothing can separate us from Him.
(By Yohana Ang, Our Daily Bread)
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But the real question to ask about belief in God’s existence is this: what “weight” does that belief have? The U.S. Congress had the words “In God We Trust” placed on your paper currency in 1956, but it is also clear that this belief, for many, is a bit skinny and peripheral to how they actually live. They believe in God’s existence but it is a belief without much cash value. To say that God is “before” them, therefore, would be somewhat meaningless. It does not necessarily have the weight to define how they think about life and how they live. Indeed, one of the defining marks of our time, at least here in the West, is the practical atheism that is true of so many people. They say that God is there but then they live as if he were not. (p. 19, God in the Whirlwind by David Wells)
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Love, Faith, Joy
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Peter had seen the Lord, but he was writing to those who hadn’t, including us. Like them, we can have a personal relationship with the Lord, even though we haven’t physically seen Him. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Also like them, we can have terrible trials (1 Peter 1:7). Their responses to Christ while in the midst of trials, as given in our text, are likewise appropriate for us.
They loved Him: Love many times makes a trial bearable. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35). He loves us too much to abandon us, and we love Him in return.
They believed: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth [or believes] in thee” (Isaiah 26:3). “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Our faith is well founded.
They rejoiced: “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:13). The proper response to trials brings inexpressible joy. The end of such faith as explained in our text is the complete and ultimate salvation of our souls, with many victories of faith along the way. (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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