Psalm 5
David prays exclusively to the LORD verse 1- 3
Give ear to my words – O LORD – consider my mediation
hearken unto the voice of my cry – my King and my God
for unto YOU will I pray
My voice shall YOU hear in the MORNING – O LORD
in the MORNING will I direct my prayer unto YOU – and will look up
David states that the LORD hates sin verse 4- 6
FOR YOU are not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness
neither shall evil dwell with YOU
the foolish shall not stand in YOUR sight
YOU hate all workers of iniquity
YOU shall destroy them that speak leasing
the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man
David asks the LORD to lead him on the right path verse 7- 8
BUT as for me – I will come into YOUR house in the multitude of YOUR mercy
and in YOUR fear will I worship toward YOUR holy temple
LEAD me – O LORD – in YOUR righteousness because of mine enemies
MAKE YOUR way straight before my face
David wants enemies to be caught in their own trap verse 9- 10
FOR there is no faithfulness in their mouth
their inward part is very wickedness
their throat is an open sepulcher
they flatter with their tongue
DESTROY YOU them – O God – let them fall by their own counsels
cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions
for they have rebelled against YOU
David rejoices in the LORD’s protection verse 11- 12
BUT let all those that put their trust in YOU rejoice
let them ever shout for joy
BECAUSE YOU defend them
let them also that love YOUR name be joyful in YOU
For YOU – LORD – wilt bless the righteous
with favor will YOU compass him as with a shield
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 “Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation.” NKJV (263 I. אָזַן (ʾā·zǎn): v.; ≡ Str 238; TWOT 57 —1. LN 24.52–24.70 … (hif) listen, pay attention, give ear, i.e., understand what is said by another, with an implication that proper response will occur (Ge 4:23; Ps 5:2[EB 1]) James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos ResearchSystems, Inc., 1997).
DEVOTION: This psalm of lament is written by David while he is in distress. David is calling out to God and asking for Him to pay attention to his requests. It appears David had begun to doubt or question whether the Lord is attentive to him in this time of need. Similarly, when individuals are speaking badly about you and circumstances are pointing in the wrong direction it is tempting to think that God is not listening or attentive to us.
At least four times here in the beginning of the psalm David asks to Lord to listen. David cries out to God, not to get His attention but to reaffirm that the proper response is going to occur. David knows that the Lord is listening and attentive to the cries, groanings, that are being made. Much like a child to a parent, so David cries out to God, repeatedly, detailing the need he has and the attention he desires from his Father.
Repetitive requests from us are not bad as long as doubt does not overwhelm the reality that God is listening and active regardless of present circumstances. David knew the Lord delivers His own and causes joy where currently distress and discomfort abounds.
CHALLENGE: When you are faced with overwhelming circumstances cry out to the Lord continually with the expectation that He is listening and presently will work to silence your critics and bring rejoicing to your heart! Pray without ceasing! (1 Thessalonians 5:17) (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 You shall destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. (3577 “leasing” [kazab] means lie, untruth, falsehood, or deceptive thing)
DEVOTION: Prayer is very important to those who are true followers of the LORD. Along with meditating on the Word of God those who follow the LORD can be encouraged. Once prayers are made to the LORD, those who are followers expect the LORD to answer them in a positive way.
David was facing his enemies and wanted help from the LORD. He prayed and expected an answer.
This psalm is dealing with David getting up each morning and praying to the LORD. Every morning he talks with the LORD regarding his day. He is concerned with his worship of the LORD. He is concerned with dealing with his enemies. He is concerned about the final outcome of those who do not trust in the LORD.
God is a God of truth. One of the sins that David deals with is that of falsehood. His enemies were spreading lies about him. He wanted the LORD to deal with them. He knew that the LORD disliked deceitful men. He wanted the LORD to judge them for their falsehoods against him and against the LORD.
We need to realize that those outside of Christ are not going to like us. Christ warned HIS disciples that the world was going to hate them just like, they hated HIM. We sometimes think that if we are nice to them they will be nice to us. That is not how the enemy works.
Our goal should be to worship the LORD and let HIM deal with our enemies. David knew to turn his enemies over to the LORD because that is the way the LORD wanted him to deal with his enemies.
Are we turning our enemies over to the LORD or are we trying to deal with them ourselves? Do we trust the LORD to take care of us or are we trying to take care of ourselves? Are we worshiping the LORD and letting HIM deal with our enemies?
David knows that those who trust the LORD will rejoice. He knows that joy will fill their lives even in a storm. Why? Because the LORD is their shield!!
Each morning what is the first thing you do? Is it praying to the LORD for guidance during the day? Is it rejoicing in the fact that you are under the care of the Sovereign LORD of the universe?
CHALLENGE: Try doing this today!!!!
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: 8 Lead me, O LORD, in YOUR righteousness because of mine enemies; make YOUR way straight before my face. (5117 “Lead” [nuwach] means to conduct, to be in charge of, guide, create an opportunity, direct the movements of others implying leadership and rulership)
DEVOTION: Going in the right direction every moment of every day is very difficult if the LORD is not doing the leading. Here David is asking the LORD to lead him in the right direction. He wants to go in a direction that is righteous.
We all have enemies that would like to see us fall. Sometimes they are not those who are outside the church. This is a problem. The reason is because there are some in the church who are not genuine believers but those who have come to compare themselves with those who claim to be believers and see how they match up.
It is hard to believer for David and for us that there are people who would like to see us fail. There are genuine enemies in our world that are not lovers of the LORD and therefore not lovers of those who want to please the LORD.
David wanted to please the LORD and that should be the goal of our life if we are genuine believers. It is not easy but the LORD gives us strength each day to fight the good fight of the faith.
It is easier if we look to the LORD and HE leads us in the right direction. This takes work on HIS part and on our part because it is not natural even for a believer to know how to serve the LORD in every situation. We have to depend on prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit each day.
We have to be facing the right direction each moment of each day with the help of the LORD. Do we totally depend on the LORD each moment of each day? This should be happening if we listen to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: We have to pray with David that the LORD will lead us and we should be willing to follower where HE leads.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
:11 “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them.” (Trust in, 2620 חָסָה (chacah), to seek refuge, flee for protection, to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God))
DEVOTION: The psalmist David points out that the believer in God should take refuge in HIM and find shelter in HIM. This idea is first mentioned in the psalms in Psalm 2:12, and continues throughout the psalms. God’s name is mentioned as a strong tower in Proverbs 18:10, and a place of refuge from those who oppose God.
The idea of taking refuge in God is a parallel idea to having faith and believing throughout the psalms. So, whereas taking refuge is a metaphor, it represents the activity of reaching out in faith toward God.
A refuge protects one from the storms to seek refuge, flee for protection. 1a to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God) upside of it. We find that many storms affect our lives, and our first reaction is often to try to work harder in order to get out of them. Yet, God does not tell us to work harder. HE does not tell us to try and defend ourselves. HE does not tell us to blame-shift onto someone else in order to try to make ourselves feel better. Instead, HE tells simply to trust in Him.
Sometimes when we trust in HIM, things do not get better, but actually get worse. This is HIS testing us to see if we really will trust in HIM and take our refuge in HIM. Remember that HE knows the final outcome of all of these things and has our best figured out already! What storm or trial do you need to seek refuge and trust in HIM for today? (Marc Wooten – board member)
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: 12 For YOU, LORD, will bless the righteous, with favor will YOU compass him as with a shield. (7522 “favor” [ratsown] means what is pleasing, the act of accepting with approval, delight, goodwill, acceptance, delight, or what is acceptable )
DEVOTION: David was surrounded by Saul and his army in I Samuel 23: 26 and the LORD protected him from this army that wanted to end his life. David was happy that the LORD was there to protect him from all enemies.
Today we have enemies to the faith that are all around us. It seems like those who are genuine believers are always questioned regarding their beliefs as they compart to other religious or what is good for society as a whole.
Many “pastors” seem to give in to the thinking of the world rather than the thinking of God. David was following the leading of the LORD even when he was running for Saul and his army.
Even today we have those who would like to stop us from preaching the whole counsel of God in our churches. They want to change some of the teachings of the Bible into things that are more socially acceptable today even if those things are considered SIN in the word of God.
We have to make sure that we understand the enemy we are facing each day. Our adversary is the devil and he has his workers in our world that would like to fight with those who are preaching the truth of the Word of God regarding sin and salvation.
Our message has to be a biblical message if we are to honor the LORD and that message must include a good definition of sin from God’s perspective. Genuine believers are those who believe the Bible no matter what society tries to teach us.
CHALLENGE: We are to preach the gospel of salvation to the whole world and ask them to repent of their sins and live a life that is pleasing to the LORD. We are not to water the message down!
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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)
David wants the LORD to consider his meditation verse 1
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 wants the LORD to give ear to his words verse 1-3
David prays in the morning
David will look up
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
David worships toward the temple verse 7
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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, 3, 6, 8 , 12
King verse 2
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 2, 4, 10
Hates workers of iniquity verse 5
Mercy verse 7
Righteous verse 8
LORD defends that trust in HIM verse 11
Bless the righteous verse 12
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)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Bloody and deceitful man verse 6
Enemies verse 8
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Wickedness verse 4, 9
Evil verse 4
Foolish verse 5
Workers of Iniquity verse 5
Leasing (lying) verse 6
Deceitful verse 6
No faithfulness verse 9
Flatter verse 9
Transgressions verse 10
Rebel verse 10
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Meditation verse 1
Pray verse 2, 3
Mercy verse 7
Fear of the LORD verse 7
Worship verse 7
Led by the LORD verse 8
Straight way verse 8
Faithfulness verse 9
Trust verse 11
Rejoice verse 11
Love LORD’S name verse 11
Joy verse 11
Blessed verse 12
Righteous verse 12
Favor verse 12
Israel (Old Testament people of God) Psalm of David verse 1- 12
Church (New Testament people of God)Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
The ‘bloodthirsty and deceitful men’ of verse 6 are now exposed and prayed against. With such people all the resources of speech—mouth, throat and tongue—combine to achieve (and to conceal) the designs of the heart. The methods are those of the serpent in Eden, and of its minor brood the flatterer and the scandalmonger. An open sepulchre, waiting for its occupants, is the grim picture used in Jeremiah 5:16 to express murderous efficiency in battle. Here and in Romans 3:13 (where the reader finds himself included in the charge) there is probably a hint of the grave’s corruption as well.
10. ‘Pronounce them guilty’ (jb) catches the meaning of the opening plea, which is a single word, the opposite of ‘justify’. Cf. 34:21f. It is the first of three aspects of judgment in this verse—exposure, collapse, expulsion—for evil is vulnerable to truth, to its own instability and to direct divine action. With regard to the second of these, i.e. the rebels’ downfall by their own counsels, see David’s prayer against Ahithophel (2 Sam. 15:31) and its remarkable outcome. Note finally that the motivation of this appeal for judgment is not personal: ultimately the rebellion is not ‘against me’ but against thee (see also on verse 2) (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, p. 76). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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He gives an account of his enemies, and prays against them, v. 9, 10. 1. If his account of them is true, as no doubt it is, they have a very bad character; and, if they had not been bad men indeed, they could not have been enemies to a man after God’s own heart. He had spoken (v. 6) of God’s hating the bloody and deceitful man. “Now, Lord,” says he, “that is the character of my enemies: they are deceitful; there is no trusting them, for there is no faithfulness in their mouth.” They thought it was no sin to tell a deliberate lie if it might but blemish David, and render him odious. “Lord, lead me,” says he (v. 8), “for such as these are the men I have to do with, against whose slanders innocency itself is no security. Do they speak fair? Do they talk of peace and friendship? They flatter with their tongues; it is designed to cover their malice, and to gain their point the more securely. Whatever they pretend of religion or friendship, two sacred things, they are true to neither: Their inward part is wickedness itself; it is very wickedness. They are likewise bloody; for their throat is an open sepulchre, cruel as the grave, gaping to devour and to swallow up, insatiable as the grave, which never says, It is enough,” Prov. 30:15, 16. This is quoted (Rom. 3:13) to show the general corruption of mankind; for they are all naturally prone to malice, Tit. 3:3. The grave is opened for them all, and yet they are as open graves to one another. 2. If his prayer against them is heard, as no doubt it is, they are in a bad condition. As men are, and do, so they must expect to fare. He prays to God to destroy them (according to what he had said v. 6, “Thou shalt destroy men of this character,” so let them fall; and sinners would soon throw themselves into ruin if they were let alone), to cast them out of his protection and favour, out of the heritage of the Lord, out of the land of the living; and woe to those whom God casts out. “They have by their sins deserved destruction; there is enough to justify God in their utter rejection: Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, by which they have filled up the measure of their iniquity and have become ripe for ruin.” Persecuting God’s servants fills the measure as soon as anything, 1 Th. 2:15, 16. Nay, they may be easily made to fall by their own counsels; that which they do to secure themselves, and do mischief to others, by the over-ruling providence of God may be made a means of their destruction, Ps. 7:15; 9:15. He pleads, “They have rebelled against thee. Had they been only my enemies, I could safely have forgiven them; but they are rebels against God, his crown and dignity; they oppose his government, and will not repent, to give him glory, and therefore I plainly foresee their ruin.” His prayer for their destruction comes not from a spirit of revenge, but from a spirit of prophecy, by which he foretold that all who rebel against God will certainly be destroyed by their own counsels. If it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to those that trouble his people, as we are told it is (2 Th. 1:6), we pray that it may be done whenever we pray, Father, thy will be done. (Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (pp. 750–751). Peabody: Hendrickson.)
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He prayed for justice (vv. 9–10). David didn’t issue orders to his officers to go out and slaughter his enemies; instead, he turned them over to the Lord. During that tragic battle in which Absalom was slain, “the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured” (2 Sam. 18:8). David’s prayer was answered: “let them fall by their own counsels” (v. 10). But it was not because they rebelled against David; their great sin was that they had rebelled against God. “The Lord loves righteousness and justice” (Ps. 33:5, niv; and see 36:6; 58:11; 97:2; Isa. 30:18; Luke 18:7–8; Rom. 1:32). Anybody who resents this kind of praying can’t honestly pray, “Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9–10). In Romans 3:13, Paul quoted “their throat is an open sepulcher” as part of his proof that the whole world is guilty before God (Rom. 3:19)—and that includes all of us! Instead of being upset over God’s treatment of David’s enemies, we need to examine our own relationship with the Lord! (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed., p. 32). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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Psalm 5. This poem alternates neatly between (1) the poet’s setting out his morning devotions like a sacrifice, pleading to be heard and waiting expectantly; (2) God’s rejection of evil men (under seven descriptive terms), who may not dwell, stand, or be tolerated in his presence; (3) the poet’s own admission to God’s house, to pray for guidance amid enemies through the day ahead; (4) the deceitfulness and defilement of evil men, whom he prays may remain banished from God’s presence; (5) the sevenfold blessings enjoyed by those who take refuge in God, love him, and do his will.
The contrast is perhaps too sharp; but the facts are as stated—the earnest are welcomed daily into God’s presence, the evil self-banished from all blessing. (White, R. E. O. (1995). Psalms. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 374). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
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Ver. 9. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth, &c.] In the mouth of the ungodly, as the Chaldee paraphrase; in the mouth of every one of them, as Aben Ezra interprets it: that is, in the mouth of every wicked, bloody, and deceitful man; of every one of David’s enemies, as Saul, or the conspirators with Absalom his son. There was no steadfastness in them; nothing right, sure, or firm said by them; nothing that could be depended upon; there was no truth in them, as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions render it. And as this was true of David’s, so of Christ’s enemies; of Herod, and of the Herodians, and of the Scribes and Pharisees; see Matt. 2:8 and 22:16 and of the enemies of Christ’s Gospel; of all false teachers, who speak not the word faithfully; tell dreams, use the hidden things of dishonesty, walk in craftiness, handle the word of God deceitfully, and speak lies in hypocrisy: there is no certainty in them, nor is any thing they say to be trusted to. And this is the character of wicked men in common: they are an assembly of treacherous men; there is none upright among them; nor is any confidence to be placed in them: the people of God are in danger of being imposed upon and misled by them to their hurt; and therefore the psalmist prays, that the Lord would lead him in his righteousness. Their inward part is very wickedness; their heart, which is desperately wicked, exceeding sinful; not only wicked, and very wicked, but wickedness itself. This is the root and fountain of all wickedness, and the reason why there is no faithfulness in their mouth: the word is sometimes rendered, their inward thought, Psal. 49:11 and 64:6. which is the inmost of man, the nearest to him; and which, and even the imagination of it, is evil, and that continually: the word translated wickedness signifies woes, calamities, and mischiefs; and such the wicked hearts of men are full of, and are continually devising against the people of God, and his righteous cause. And this is the just character of ungodly men, even though they may profess to know God, have a form of godliness, and be outwardly righteous before men; as these were David was concerned with. Their throat is an open sepulchre; or as one, as the Targum paraphrases it; to which the throat of wicked men may be compared for its voracity and insatiableness; the grave being one of those three or four things, which never has enough or is satisfied. And this is true of the throat, whether it be considered as an instrument of speech, and throws out devouring words to the prejudice of the characters and reputations of others; or as an instrument of swallowing meat and drink, and where the pleasure of appetite is; and so may be expressive of the eager desire of the wicked after sin, who drink up iniquity like water; and of their delight in it, and their fulness of it, and yet still greedy, insatiable, and not to be satisfied: and their throat may be compared to an open grave for the nauseous stench it emits; corrupt communication, filthiness, and foolish talking, proceeding out of it; and horrible oaths, curses, imprecations, and blasphemies, being belched out through it; and for the danger which is by it, since into it men may fall unawares; and so the evil communications of wicked men corrupt good manners, and do great mischief to those who fall into company with them. They flatter with their tongue; or, make it smooth; use oily expressions, soft language: or, part or divide their tongue; are double-tongued and double-hearted; and so deceive persons, as the apostle interprets it in Rom. 3:13. They flatter God himself, drawing nigh to him in an hypocritical way; they flatter men, their neighbours, and impose upon them; they flatter princes, and such sycophants were about David. And such are false teachers, who prophesy smooth things, and with good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple; on which account there is great reason to pray to be led and directed by the Lord. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 544). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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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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2 Corinthians 8
We should follow Christ’s example and be generous toward others.
INSIGHT One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine “bema” that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds “on things above, not on things on the earth. (Quiet Walk)
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Meditation in the Morning
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” (Psalm 5:3)
Bible study, meditation on the Word, and prayer are necessities for a healthy Christian life and are good to practice at any time of the day or night, according to the constraints of time and responsibilities of each individual. Other things being equal, however, the best time of all is in the early morning. A believer who awakens each morning to the voice of the Lord in His Word will, in turn, be ready to speak words of blessing to others through the day (Isaiah 50:4). And as we, in turn, look up to Him each morning in prayer, He will hear and direct our steps through the day.
This was the example set by the Lord Jesus Himself: “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35). If even Jesus Christ needed such a quiet time early in the morning set aside to fellowship with His Father, we also would do well to follow.
Note the prayer of David: “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee” (Psalm 143:8). We urgently need to know the way we should walk each day, for it is so easy to get turned aside into our own ways, and the obvious time to pray for guidance is at the very beginning of every day.
One should not make a legalistic ritual of prayer and Bible meditation, of course, for it should come from a heart of love whenever and wherever it can be done, whether morning or evening. However it may work for each person, may God help us to say with the psalmist: “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Words that Endure
This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord . Jeremiah 36:1
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Connect the dots? You may have a lot of concerns with what is coming out of the White House today. There are so many destructive policies being put into place by leftist officials and staff working to get their radical agendas promoted.
The tactics that socialists and communists have used throughout history when they were trying to take over a country include creating political chaos, economic failure, and social upheaval. It is concerning that we see all of those on the rise in our nation.
The political chaos during and after the last election was unprecedented for our country. There were so many unanswered questions. We have unemployment rising, inflation rising, and proposed spending bills that would increase our national debt to a level that could be crippling. We were independent from foreign oil, now we are dependent again.
The critical race theory that we have seen rise up in the last year masterfully creates chaos. It pits black against white, white against black, and fuels disunity and division. It is used to make people hate their country rather than building patriotism. All of this is a great tragedy.
The censorship we see in the media, I thought would never be possible in this country. But once they banned the former president from social media, we realized the unprecedented control the socialist left can have over our nation—and over you.
Of course, communist and socialist regimes are anti-capitalism. We now have leaders in universities and in our own Congress who are against capitalism and we hear their persistent cries to tax the wealthy more in an effort to make all people economically equal. This destroys incentive and the work ethic that has been a major part of what made America a great nation.
The pandemic also played into the chaos. It has given those in the government power over our lives that they weren’t given by a legislative body or the Constitution. They can order mandates at their whim that may not be dictated by science, but by their own left-leaning agendas. Those controls can be used as stepping stones for greater destruction of our nation in the future if we’re not careful.
The failure in Afghanistan and leaving the country to the Taliban not only created chaos, but also signaled to our enemies that the United States will not defend its allies. Immediately we saw China threaten Taiwan. We saw North Korea launch a hypersonic missile. Tehran has stepped up its threats against Israel. What we did in Afghanistan left our allies around the world scratching their heads as to whether the United States can be trusted.
There are many dots that could be connected—these are just a few—all food for thought, but more importantly for prayer. I don’t believe for a second that President Biden is a socialist. Pray for President Joe Biden—that God would give him a clear mind to see what those around him are doing and that he would realize the slippery slope we are headed down; and may he see the damage this is doing not only to our nation, but at the end of the day, to his reputation. May God help us. (Franklin Graham)
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Judges 15 Samson uses foxes to burn the Philistines’ crops and kills 1,000 men.
INSIGHT
A list of the sins of Samson:
1. Fraternizing with pagans
2. Marrying an unbeliever
3. Disobeying his parents
4. Touching a dead animal
5. Murdering innocent people
6. Visiting a harlot
7. Lying
We are often tempted to disregard the truth. We weary of being good and fighting natural inclinations. But one look at Samson’s life reveals the consequences of giving in to that weariness. We must wait on the Lord and have our strength renewed. (Daily Walk)
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KNOWING GOD
No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Matthew 11:27
Salvation brings me a knowledge of pardon and forgiveness, of reconciliation with God. Yes, but beyond all that, it gives me a knowledge of God.
Have you ever considered this text in that way? Have you ever seen the span and the ambit [scope] of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Here it is. There is this little babe on the ground in his smallness and weakness and helplessness, yet the gospel gives Him a knowledge of the Lord of heaven and earth, the Maker, the sustainer of everything that is. What a knowledge! Amazing! I, the pygmy creature of time, can know God the in?nite, the absolute, and the eternal—and know Him as my Father—not as some great, mighty force away in the distant heavens, but as my Father.
Those who are interested in Greek words can examine the word for babies, used in Matthew 11:25, in the original and will find that it has a sense of sonship unfolding in it. That is what our Lord was saying: that we, though we have sinned, become in Him the sons of God, the heirs of heaven and of eternal and everlasting bliss.
What a way of salvation! May I say it with reverence—who but God could have thought of it? In such an astounding way, in our utter nakedness and helplessness He just draws back the veil and reveals it to us perfectly in Jesus Christ. He “of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30)—everything, a complete salvation. All you must do is to look at the Lord Jesus Christ and believe this record concerning Him. Surrender yourself to Him and accept the gift, and you will know the Lord of heaven and earth as your Father.
A Thought to Ponder: I, the pygmy creature of time, can know God the infinite, the absolute, and the eternal. (From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 118-119, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Comparison Shopping BY BARBARA RAINEY
Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. JOHN 7:24
It’s so easy for a woman to look at her husband and say:
“He’s sure not very _______.”
“He doesn’t _______ or _______ or ________.”
“I wish I was married to someone more like ________.”
But every time you say or even think something along these lines—every time you focus on those inevitable aspects about him that are disappointing or negative—you catch him in a comparison trap. You forget that God has a plan for your man that is different from the one He has for somebody else’s husband. You ignore the fact that your job is to respect him, to be used by God to help reveal that plan in his life, whatever it may be.
When I married Dennis, I had no idea we would end up doing the kinds of things God has led us to do. It hasn’t always been easy to have Dennis Rainey for a husband. It would have been so easy at times to settle back and say, “I wish he was more like so-and-so,” rather than being content with the one God had given me and helping him develop into the man God wanted him to be. There are so many things that Dennis does well. There are a lot of things he doesn’t. But when I’m lasering in on those things he doesn’t do quite so well, I’m expecting him to be someone he’s not. No, he’s not perfect. Neither am I. Nobody is.
But I believe that God can change your heart as He does mine when I slip into seeing only the imperfections. The key is recognizing what you are looking at in his life and being willing to let God adjust your focus from the negative to the positive.
DISCUSS: Spend some time encouraging each other right now. I’m sure both of you could use some building up. (Moments with You Couples Devotional)
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