Psalm 21 - God and King

Psalm 21
O Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad, and in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! You have given him his heart’s desire, and You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. For You meet him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head. He asked life of You, You gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. His glory is great through Your salvation, splendor and majesty You place upon him. For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken. Your hand will find out all your enemies; Your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger; the Lord will swallow them up in His wrath, and fire will devour them. Their offspring You will destroy from the earth, and their descendants from among the sons of men. Though they intended evil against You and devised a plot, they will not succeed. For You will make them turn their back; You will aim with Your bowstrings at their faces. Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength;
We will sing and praise Your power.

Message: God and King; How we are to pray for our leaders; it is not that God would change their hearts, but that God will work.

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

This is a psalm written by David. He is writing or praying to the Lord about a king. 

David trusts in the Lord's power
He first says that the king will be glad because of the strength of the Lord and he will rejoice because of the salvation of the Lord. Salvation is an interesting word; God saves people, from themselves; He redeems man and sets Him apart. This is what I think about the word salvation. I don't think it is necessarily referring to an eternal salvation, but rather that God intercedes for this king giving him strength and help. Because of the Lord working in the king's life he can then be glad and rejoice. It is not through man's ability or control that makes himself glad and rejoicing. It is through the Lord. These words, though, refer to what the Lord will do. This passage goes back and forth between what God has done already and what He will do.

Past
You have given him his heart’s desire
You have not withheld the request of his lips. 
He asked life of You, You gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.

Present
For You meet him with the blessings of good things
You set a crown of fine gold on his head. 
His glory is great through Your salvation, splendor and majesty You place upon him. 
For You make him most blessed forever
You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord

Future Enemies
Through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.
Your hand will find out all your enemies
Your right hand will find out those who hate you
You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger
The Lord will swallow them up in His wrath
Fire will devour them. 
Their offspring You will destroy from the earth and their descendants from among the sons of men. 
Though they intended evil against You and devised a plot, they will not succeed. 
For You will make them turn their back
You will aim with Your bowstrings at their faces. 

Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your power.

The key to this passage is that it points to the reality that God is the one who works in the lives of people, and specifically in the lives of the leaders of nations as this is referring to the king of a people. David is trusting the Lord and declaring that He is in charge.

And this passage speaks a lot about enemies which are obviously normal in a leadership, but those enemies will not have a hold on the king or his kingdom because the Lord will be in charge of them.

I don't pray like this. I pray that God would change a leader's heart. I make it seem like the leader must be surrendered to God before God is going to do a good work in the nation.

Promise: God is in charge and He can take care of His people and kingdoms no matter the leader. We are not to trust in leaders, but trust in the Lord.

Proverbs 5:22-23 - The Cords of Sin

Proverbs 5:22-23
His own iniquities will capture the wicked, and he will be held with the cords of his sin. He will die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.

Message: The Cords of Sin

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Life can be discouraging at times, especially when we look at other people. I find that in my life when I can just concentrate on my family and what is going on, life is much happier, but the moment I see what other have, what they are experiencing, or the successes they have I tend to struggle. And I tend to try to find something about them that still makes me a better person. It is a horrible thing. I hate that I always try so hard, at times, to make it out I'm a better person. But, I do see myself improving in this issue. 

This verse speaks of the sins of the wicked. Some day they will found out and caught. Today in our time studying scripture at home, we saw that those that are wise in their own eyes do not bring healing to themselves, which means destruction comes to them. Here in verse 23 is a similar idea, that he will die for lack of destruction. The ones that think they have it all together will eventually die, and I think this means a person dies on the inside.  

Held with Cords of Sin
The sinner is held by his sin. And those sins become a cord that is connected to them. I think the thing that Solomon puts forth here is not simply that the wicked are captured by their sin for to what each of us surround ourselves, is what we become. If we are surround ourselves with good people, we tend to do good things. And the wicked conversely are ensnared by their sin. But this entrapment is not simply a momentary capture, but the person becomes held by these sins. 

I have heard many people say that once they are surrounded for so long in their sin that it becomes very difficult to separate themselves from it. For instance, a drug addiction or prostitution or alcoholism or obesity. Once we become accustomed to it, cutting the cord is almost impossible. 

Lack of instruction
Those that are wise in their own eyes (Proverbs 3:7) have no need for further instruction. And people who are bound by their sin, will die because they are satisfied with their sin.

Promise: The wicked are ensnared by their sin and it becomes a cord that they cannot un-attach themselves and it results in death.

Ecclesiastes 3:18-22 - The Common End of Man and Beast

Ecclesiastes 3:18-22
I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.” For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?

Message: The Common End of Man and Beast

Time: Solomon's authorship is not stated. Solomon's reign as king of Israel lasted from around 970 B.C. to around 930 B.C. The Book of Ecclesiastes was likely written towards the end of his reign, approximately 935 B.C.
 
What the Lord is Saying:

Background
This is the final message of Ecclesiastes 3. Thus fare I have studied this chapter in 3 parts.

1. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 - A time for everything - There is a time for everything because God has ordered and set up this world. Things happen because of his plan. We all experience life in different ways and yet those experiences occur in similar ways or categories. This is by design. 
2. Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 - Here today, gone tomorrow - God is in control. Yes, there is enjoyment in life, but do not get too focused on any one thing; in so doing we forget God and forget we are His instruments; we must continually be reminded of our position in His creation. I must continually remind myself I have limitations. 
3. Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 - The hope of final judgment - God will judge. Wickedness will get its due even though it appears now people are getting away with being evil. There is hope. 

There is a time for everything. God is in control. He provides us with joy but do not ever forget that I am His instrument. I have a position in creation. I am not everything. Lean on the everlasting arms. Trust Him now and in the future. Do not get wrapped up in thinking that evil wins. God will judge the wicked.

Introduction
As I turn myself to these last 5 verses, in my first reading, I am left with a familiar conclusion: God is in control. God has ordered and set up this world. There is a designer. Events of life are not random. The nature of man is not improving. The future, our after life, is in the hands of God. Do not get too focused on the after life events, but do equip people for those days.

The Bible is not simply a story to be read about God, but it is also a story giving us the picture of human beings and what they are really like.

Man is a beast
The pot does not ask the potter, why have you made me this way? Isaiah 64:8 - But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. Romans 9:21 - Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? I am not to question God's ways. To this end, I am very much similar to the beast, the animals of the land. God has given them limitations. Their lives are simple. Yet they are ordered. Man may be more complex in thought but they are but beast.

Created
Man is a created being, like the beast. Man was given the task of naming the beasts, but that was ordained by God. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.

Man and beast have different ultimate destinations
While man and beast both come from dust and return to dust, the spirit of man and beast have different destinations. The Septuagint renders this verse as: And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward? and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth? And as scripture goes to say further on, heaven and hell give us a better understanding of afterlife. 

Enjoy life
Chapter 3 concludes with an idea that has been present throughout this chapter: enjoy life. Enjoy the life that God has given us. Yes, we have responsibilities, but we also are to have enjoyment. God teaches us and he gives us failing and successes for us to praise him and to teach us that we are in His grip. Life is to be enjoyed. God wants us to enjoy life. It is unfortunate when people cannot enjoy life.  

Promise: Man is a Beast, but still has enjoyment in this life. God will take care of our outcome.

Proverbs 3:9-10 - Honoring God with Your Wealth

Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Message: Honoring God with Your Wealth

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

This makes me think of people that need money, that I talk to through the online ministry. People are always asking for a huge windfall of money. Are they honoring God with their wealth? Are they buying things that honor him? Are they giving? It reminds me that giving is a priority. We haven't been giving correctly and we need to change that. I am pledging to get that started right at the beginning of the year. We need to get to 10% because we aren't there right now. And we need to save more properly as well. We are giving a lot of our savings right now to the kids, for college. It is hard, but that is where it is going. 

There is a promise here, as there is in other verses in Proverbs. In 3:5-6, he will make our paths straight when we trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding. In 3:7-8, there will be refreshment to our body when we are not wise in our own eyes, not thinking that we know it all, turning away from evil. And now in 3:9-10, we will have a lot when we are giving properly. We will not have this quest of want. I need to share these verses with the kids. They are promises from the Lord. The first 10 verses have a command and a promise once that command is followed. This is great and I need to share it. 

Promise:

 

Psalm 106:6-48 - A Call for Us to Remember

Psalm 106:6-48

We have sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember Your abundant kindnesses, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, that He might make His power known. Thus He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up, and He led them through the deeps, as through the wilderness. So He saved them from the hand of the one who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then they believed His words; they sang His praise. They quickly forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but craved intensely in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. So He gave them their request, but sent a wasting disease among them. When they became envious of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord, the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and engulfed the company of Abiram. And a fire blazed up in their company; the flame consumed the wicked. They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a molten image. Thus they exchanged their glory for the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, wonders in the land of Ham and awesome things by the Red Sea. Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying them. Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe in His word, but grumbled in their tents; they did not listen to the voice of the Lord. Therefore He swore to them that He would cast them down in the wilderness, and that He would cast their seed among the nations and scatter them in the lands. They joined themselves also to Baal-peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, and the plague broke out among them. Then Phinehas stood up and interposed, and so the plague was stayed. And it was reckoned to him for righteousness, to all generations forever. They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah, so that it went hard with Moses on their account; because they were rebellious against His Spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips. They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and learned their practices, and served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with the blood. Thus they became unclean in their practices, and played the harlot in their deeds. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people and He abhorred His inheritance. Then He gave them into the hand of the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were subdued under their power. Many times He would deliver them; they, however, were rebellious in their counsel, and so sank down in their iniquity. Nevertheless He looked upon their distress when He heard their cry; and He remembered His covenant for their sake, and relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness. He also made them objects of compassion in the presence of all their captors. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord!

Message: A call for us to remember

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

The words of the first 5 verses of Psalm 106 yesterday, in my reading, can basically be summed up with the proclamation that "God is great; His deeds are mighty; His ways are true; so God, show Your favor on us." 

The beginning focus, from this Psalm, is on the greatness of God and the only reason He would show favor to us is because He is great. I was reminded yesterday of my need to speak of His greatness, but also to remember the things that He has done in my life. I began a writing in which I would document those things. I must remember. We must remember. Without remembering, we forget what has occurred and the blessings that we have received. They happen and occur constantly. 

As a kid and even as I got older, I always the theme of that 80s song from Edin-Adahl singing, "Bring back the joy of my salvation." It was a stark reminder that I remember the thrill that I experienced embracing the Gospel and its reality upon my life. 

The rest of this Psalm, is dark, as it speaks to a people that did not remember God. It begins with the memory that we sinned, repeating iniquity (We have sinned like our fathers), and yet God saved us in order to show His power (Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name), rescuing them from their foes (redeemed them from the hand of the enemy). For a moment, they believe and sang his praise, but then forgot, got selfish, and blamed God (tempted God in the desert). But they did not simply forget, but they replaced their Love for God with a Love for something else (They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a molten image). God said He would destroy them, but Moses intervened. But they still did not surrender, but continued in their march away from God (They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt) and a plague resulted and their doom was near; but then Phinehas intervened (Phinehas stood up and interposed, and so the plague was stayed). But they continued abandoning God and their descent continued (they mingled with the nations and learned their practices, and served their idols) and even as they spiraled down, He remembered His covenant with them (He remembered His covenant for their sake). We must praise God. Praise the Lord. He restores us and saves us despite our constant attempts to run the other way. We must stay close to Him and remember what we have received, and be thankful and not forget.

Promise: Remember what the Lord has done in my life. Don't forget.

Psalm 106:1-5 - A Call for God to Remember

Psalm 106:1-5  

Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the Lord, or can show forth all His praise? How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times! Remember me, O Lord, in Your favor toward Your people; visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance.

Message: A call for God to remember

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:  

I am noticing that some Psalms seem to be a direct prayer to God while others are a proclamation about who He is. They are a praise testimony of Him and His attributes. This one seems to be sort of a mix of the two as it, in a way, helps us to know what to pray for when we pray. 

Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. I do need to remember when I pray to give thanks to the Lord first. Even the Lord's prayer begins with "Hallowed be thy name." The model of prayer is to thank God for who he is first. The passage that I love and think about often in Romans 1 begins with the person that begins to live their life away from God in verse 21 and it says, "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks." The first thing to go in a person is giving thanks to God. I am always amazed at that verse, for it says that people knew God, but they didn't give thanks to Him. Lord, this must not be forgotten in my life. I must remember to thank God for what He has done, like we did at Thanksgiving time. We spent time thanking God for what he had done. Lord, help me to be more thankful. I should be thanking you more versus asking you for more. 

Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the Lord, or can show forth all His praise? Also, in my praying is remembering the things that God has done in our life and for us. We are people of want. We are people of need. We are people that desire something different about our current situation. But, we need to also remember what God has done in our life. There are good things that he does all the time and they should be remembered. Lord, remind me of what you have done for us. 

How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times! Lord, it is a privilege to be able to walk in your ways, to live according to Your promises, to be called by You. It is the only way to live in life. I am so thankful that I get to walk with You, by your side. Your ways are not a burden, but are the best ways to live. 

Remember me, O Lord, in Your favor toward Your people; visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance. Then the Psalmist makes a request from God. He asks God to show Him favor and to visit us with salvation. He asks him to come alongside him and be with him and the grace that God provides. In the mode of experiencing God, he wants to join God in what He is doing. Help me to see life from your perspective, to walk in Your ways. It is no problem wanting life to be different, but should not our ideal be to walk with the Lord instead of just getting our constant Christmas list met? 

Promise: Praise Him, Remember our Calling, Remember what he has done in our life and then we can rightly see Him in us, working in us.

Proverbs 5:21 - Our Ways Before the Lord

Proverbs 5:21- For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths.

Message: Our Ways Before the Lord

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I have heard some say that God merely starts the engine and then lets it run, referring to a description of God over this universe. But, this is not what Solomon is expressing here, but rather mans ways are before the Lord and he is fully aware of his every step. God is so concerned about the decisions that we make in this life and how we conduct ourselves.  

I need to remember this as I go through my day. I need God's wisdom and grace throughout my days. 

The Lord sees all we do, whether good or bad. This should haunt us but also comfort us.

Promise: I do not have to be on the front page because the One that matters most is watching what I do, see's it, and he will give me what I deserve as far as rewards, but ultimately I am accepted into heaven because of the righteousness, not of me, but of Christ.

 

Proverbs 22:24-25 - Choosing Friends Wisely

Proverbs 22:24-25
Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, or you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself.

Message: Choose your associations with people wisely

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Hmm. I am prone to anger so maybe my family should avoid me. And this verse says that they will learn his ways and I think my kids now struggle with dealing with anger properly. So, guess what, they have learned something from me that they shouldn't have learned. It is now snaring them; messing up their soul; unwelcome. 

A person should learn to have restraint and a willingness to hold back and not to fly off the handle at every single provocation. 

Well, to be honest, I do not think there is anything that I have struggled with more than anger since I have been married and had kids. It has wreaked havoc on my life and it moves me to sin in ways I deeply regret. But, it continues to be a sore spot in my life. I think as the kids have gotten older, I do not fly off the handle as much. To be honest, reading this verse and thinking about my past really makes me sad for the way I have dishonored God, but also for how I believe I have trained my children to react to events in their lives that are unwelcome. 

Proverbs 14:29 - People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.

James 1:19-20 - Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 

I do not know how to conclude this lesson or entry.

 

Promise: Be careful

Psalm 139:13-24 - God's Loving, Personal Knowledge

Psalm 139:13-24
For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.
O that You would slay the wicked, O God; depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. For they speak against You wickedly, and Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

Message: God knows me, the wicked should be far from me and I need to be careful of who I am

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

My reading for 12/15/15, what stood out to me was how near the Psalmist was to God. And then how the Lord was not simply near but also desired to lead. And now as I turn to the rest of Psalm 139, I see further the intimacy the Lord has with the Psalmist, and me. 

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I notice the words here. This isn't simply knowledge of us, but this is forming of us. Every person is fearfully and wonderfully made. How sad that some people won't to make a change to what God has done, calling it a mistake. And yet I suppose there are defects that may occur, but even in this, there is a struggle in identifying what is a defect. I guess when I think defect, I think born with a cleft palate. And yet many now are saying they were born the wrong gender. The bottom line is we are each fearfully and wonderfully made and I can take that to mean that I am not a mistake. I am valuable. 

In Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me. This is most interesting. God has ordained days for me. He knows the time of my beginning and when I will depart this earth. Do I really walk around in life realizing that this is His knowledge? It may not change my day to day behavior, but I can trust in Him. 

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. Again here is that reminder of how valuable I am to God. He thinks of me. He has thoughts of me. I try so hard to remember God and yet, it says, He remembers me. That is so wonderful. I am valuable.  

O that You would slay the wicked, O God. To see others that want to do nothing with God is a mystery. My atheist friend actually just became an agnostic because he thought that God was possible, but he didn't believe in any of the religions then defining God. It is one thing for there to be a God, but no man gets to carve out and decide how that God is defined. But, the Psalmist clearly says that those that hate God are our enemies. I am to avoid them. 

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. On the heels of talking about those that are enemies of God, I need to make sure that my life does not mirror that persona in any way shape, form, or way. I am to be led in the everlasting way. 

Promise: God has loving and personal knowledge of me. 

Psalm 139:1-12 - Our All-Knowing, All-Seeing Lord

Psalm 139:1-12 - O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

Message: He is there, I don't understand, but He wants to lead me.

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

As I think about the Psalmist, as I think about him stopping for a moment and capturing these words, they actually seem very familiar. The Psalmist is expressing thoughts and ideas that have enveloped me at various times. The Psalmist has a union with the Lord and in his words, denotes a familiarity and closeness to the Lord. The Lord is not a distant creator, but the Lord is near. The Lord is present with him. As he lives, the Lord is there, by him. It doesn't matter where he goes in life or what he experiences, God is there. There is a simple way about these verses. 

Our time is busy and filled with so much. My body screams for rest, like it did last night, with my stomach hurting and back hurting, as the day had too many stresses associated with it. I was cloudy with worry and anxiety, that did me no good. I had work thoughts, child thoughts, commitment to preparing for a party thoughts, family together thoughts; there was so much going through my head. And yet, was the closeness of God in those situations of life there? 

What stands about regarding these verses is the simple idea that yes God is all-knowing and all-seeing, but He is that way, because He is near. He cares. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. God is present with me. As one person on this earth, he is making me feel like I am the only person on this earth. No one values me more. No one knows me better. He is there with me. 

It is words like this that, undoubtedly, I do not comprehend. Knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain to it. This recognition that the Lord is this close to me, where I am, what I am saying and thinking, that is the kind of idea that is hard for me even to realize. That anything would be near to me like that. It is hard to comprehend. 

But, God is not simply present and near me and listening and knowing of my thoughts. Even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. He is beside me to direct me. He knows me so that he can show me what to do. Lord, this is what escapes me so often. This is what I have difficulty capturing. That by being close to me you will lead me. Lord, the events of my day are too much for me to handle. I do not simply want to learn to be more efficient and more self-sufficient. My ideal is to not learn to stand up for myself, all the more. To be honest, that is not my ideal because then I will think I can do it all without you. Yes, I am a hard worker and yes, I care about my work and people and quality, but Lord, I need Your help. I need Your leading. I need Your right hand to lay hold of me. 

You are not nearby to just keep up. But, you are there to guide me. I need this guiding Lord. Forgive me for thinking I can do it on my own. 

 

Promise: God is greater than we are; he is not like us; he has not just more knowledge but a different type of knowledge. Learn to know Him and depend on Him.

 

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 - The Hope of Final Judgment

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 - Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.

Message: The Hope of Final Judgment

Time: Solomon's authorship is not stated. Solomon's reign as king of Israel lasted from around 970 B.C. to around 930 B.C. The Book of Ecclesiastes was likely written towards the end of his reign, approximately 935 B.C.
 
What the Lord is Saying:

Background
One of the big arguments for there being a Creator is then life has meaning. Without a Creator mindset then life has meaningless. As I speak to a friend that is an atheist, the one thing that I can't seem to see him understand is the meaningless of life. He has values and things that he loves, but if all life is the in-between then there is no in-between, just now then right and wrong are indeed relative to each situation and no one person has in claim on an overall moral compass. But, with a Creator there is purpose. This is why faith is compelling. 

He says that man wants there to be hope in the future, hope in tomorrow, hope in an after life. I say, "Yes." This is how we are strung. This is how we are made. This is what aches inside of us. 

The focus of Ecclesiastes seems simply -- only God can make sense our of life. 

The Present Absurdity - Wickedness is Here
The writer of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, or the Preacher exclaims that life appears to not make sense, 
Here in verse 16, where there is justice, there is wickedness, and where there is righteousness, there is wickedness. Wickedness is Present.

God will Judge
But, the evil that is done will be judged. We look at wickedness and many times it doesn't make sense. There is truly dark evil. But, the focus here is that God will judge the wicked and the righteous. Both will be judged. There is a time for every matter and every deed. 

Again, as I ponder this passage and my atheist friend, it does seem reasonable that a person should hope for justice or revenge. He himself has said many times that if religion was just out the window, then there would be peace on earth because religion is the reason so many bad things are happening. I can understand that a little. None of the religions want to be judged by the radicals that are in it. I think there is a tendency in any belief to think that what you have should dominant others. With the atheist, I often don't hear answers, but what I hear is God couldn't be the answer. Yet, that is good enough for them. But, what if these tendencies towards hope and judgment are actually planted in us.

It's an interesting thought and idea.

Promise: From Tabletalk - One day, everyone will will receive their due. Believers will receive heaven because they are so closely united to Christ that His perfect obedience and its due reward is reckoned as theirs. Unbelievers will be condemned for their sin, for they are not covered by Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

Further readings:
Ezekiel 34:11-24
John 12:48
Romans 2:12-16

Proverbs 21:1 - Lord Over the Hearts of Men

Proverbs 21:1 - The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes. 

Message: The Lord turns the king's heart wherever He wishes

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

How much does God control and direct our lives? And not just our lives, as believers, as those following the Lord, but what about those like a king that may or may not be following after God.  

Romans 13:1 states, "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." The Christian has a responsibility to subject oneself to the government. Why? Because God establishes authority. 

This idea or rather the doctrine that there is divine sovereignty, whereby God is directing all things, is a doctrine of comfort, but it is also a doctrine of confusion. When events are favorable to our interpretation, divine sovereignty makes sense, but when events are seen as unfavorable, I must admit being a little confused over the same doctrine. 

Conversion
From the idea of conversion, there are two different views: monergism which is the belief that God’s grace alone is able to raise dead, rebellious sinners to spiritual life without their cooperation, and synergism, the concept that God’s grace is incapable of accomplishing salvation without the assistance and cooperation of man. Those ideas are very sharply distinctive. I do believe in monergism, but I also think that God uses man and sometimes the works of man to draw people to Himself. By doing this, man could then think that he has a part in this action. To me, that is what is often challenging for me to comprehend; that man doesn't have a part. Can man affect change? And while this doctrine is necessary to discuss, I don't believe that people must be on a certain side in order to be saved.

Let me clarify, I definitely don't believe that man has anything to say about his own salvation. Man is not trying to work his way to God. He is incapable. He is a sinner and the moment he sins, he is imperfect and incapable of gaining God's acceptance.

But, can a man, living as a disciple and follower of Christ be involved in the conversion of a person, and if so, at what level is that involvement?

Beyond conversion
Beyond conversion, I have also wondered to what extent God, in general, order the events of the day. I do think God creates laws and rules in society and by setting those rules up, man's choices follow a normal path because of those laws.

And then there is this verse, that is really more specific, in that it states that the Lord is guiding or directing or turning a King's heart.

Psalm 78:15-16 - He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths. He brought forth streams also from the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers.

He split - He gave - He brought - He caused.  

Once again, here is the text - Proverbs 21:1 - The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes. I notice here that Solomon is using the picture of channels of water. Per TableTalk, farmers in the anticent world--and even today--had to redirect the natural flow of rivers and streams to supply their gardens with life-giving water. This was a difficult task. God ordered this in the world. The Lord redirects and directs the king's heart so that it turns wherever he wishes. 

John Piper says, "God "works all things after the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11)." This "all things" includes the fall of sparrows (Matthew 10:29), the rolling of dice (Proverbs 16:33), the slaughter of his people (Psalm 44:11), the decisions of kings (Proverbs 21:1), the failing of sight (Exodus 4:11), the sickness of children (2 Samuel 12:15), the loss and gain of money (1 Samuel 2:7), the suffering of saints (1 Peter 4:19), the completion of travel plans (James 4:15), the persecution of Christians (Hebrews 12:4-7), the repentance of souls (2 Timothy 2:25), the gift of faith (Philippians 1:29), the pursuit of holiness (Philippians 3:12-13), the growth of believers (Hebrews 6:3), the giving of life and the taking in death (1 Samuel 2:6), and the crucifixion of his Son (Acts 4:27-28).

I think what I conclude is God directs the hearts of kings and their outcomes can be good or evil. God is not tempted by evil, but he is also sovereign over wickedness. His sovereignty is not limited to our defined good outcomes. 


Promise: Though God exercises his providential rule, man remains accountable to his actions. His grace does not mean that we do not restrain sin.

Proverbs 3:7-8 - Being Truly Wise

Proverbs 3:7-8

⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
⁸ It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.

Message: True Wisdom comes from Fearing the Lord

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

In your own eyes

The immediate danger in this verse is--do not think you know more about you and what God has created, the now and the future, than God. God knows. This is hard, but we need a perspective and a lifestyle that believes that I do not "know it all." Don't be a know it all. Make sure my wisdom is coming from the Lord and is from His perspective.

Turn away from evil

We turn from evil because we fear the Lord. We do not want to take our chances with evil and its ways. Instead, we are to fear the Lord. The contrast from being wise is to fear the Lord. It is me recognizing that the Lord is in control. And then evil, by any time (even being wise in my own eyes) is something I turn away from. I hate evil. It has such a hold on me. There are certain vices which I just keep wandering back to. But, I need to turn.

Result: Healing and Refreshment

Here we have a natural result or promise of God. When we have a proper position before the Lord, we reap benefits from him. Our body is healed and our body is refreshed.We strive for this healing so much in our life and it is present in simple self-change. Healing comes about when we fear the Lord; when we are not wise in our own eyes. This is healing. This is when I am most refreshed, when I see things from His perspective.

Promise: Fear the Lord and be refreshed

Proverbs 15:29 - The God Who Hears His People

Proverbs 15:29 -
The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Message: Far from the wicked, Hears the righteous

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Far from the Wicked
I often wonder why some people are so far from God. And here in this verse it says, "The Lord is far from the wicked." I have been alarmed or illuminated regarding the seriousness of sin and how it causes a complete darkness in people. Why am I so alarmed that the world does not mirror Christ and His commandments? I should not be for the Lord is far from the wicked. I really must remember this.

In this verse, Solomon is speaking of prayer specifically contrasting what the Lord hears from the righteous and unrighteous.

John 9:31 says, "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him." This is a very similar verse as we can see. We know here from this verse that Jesus is saying that God does not hear from sinners who ask for things, but have no inward change. 

Hears the Righteous
In contrast, it is the righteous that he hears. He hears my prayer. And yet often I do not speak and yet he will hear my prayer. He pays attention to my prayer, but those offered by the wicked he does not pay attention to.

Obviously, the prayer from a sinner for salvation will be heard because the person is experiencing a life change. And what we are speaking of here is the answered prayer. This is what we are intending to happen when we pray, is that the Lord will answer our prayer. If God draws people to himself, then God in essence initiates prayer from people and the people he will work with are those he has called, his chosen, those that are in right covenant relationship with him. They are not perfect, though being called righteous they are seen by God as perfect because righteousness has been imputed to them.

Promise: The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Psalm 119:41-48 - Saved to Testify

Psalm 119:41-48

May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, 
O Lord, Your salvation according to Your word; 
So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, 
for I trust in Your word. 
And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, 
for I wait for Your ordinances. 
So I will keep Your law continually, 
forever and ever. 
And I will walk at liberty, 
for I seek Your precepts. 
I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings 
and shall not be ashamed. 
I shall delight in Your commandments, 
which I love. 
And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love; 
and I will meditate on Your statutes.

Message: I am saved to testify of God's kindness, my salvation, His work in me and I live each day for Him. I am not to be silent before men. 

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

[I'm struggling today, Lord. I am just letting the events of life get me down; back hurting; a couple employees at work not working on work; so much to do at work; and then the daily grind here of making breakfast, lunches and wondering if any dinners are planned; Christmas and presents and just spending more than we should on family pictures; being behind on emails; just many different things - life stuff, that shouldn't drag me down, but does.]

May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your word; Lord, it is your kindness that leads me to repentance. Your kindness has come to me. It is your love for me that leads me to salvation. Your salvation has come to me. I am saved by Grace according to Your word. I am redeemed because you have sent your sin to bear a burden I cannot pay. It makes sense. My works are filthy rags. I need you God.

So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word. Lord, you are the one, you showed me yesterday, that reproaches me and corrects me. You O Lord tell me when I am wrong. But, others do as well. People often tell me that I am silly for believing what I do and in sod doing they mock my faithfulness to You and the Law. But, I trust in You and that is good enough for you and so that is good enough for any of the situations that I am dealing with in my life. I find strength in your Word.

And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I wait for Your ordinances. Do not take the word of truth out of my mouth. Lord, help me to remember the words I have remembered from the past. Thank you for the people you placed in my life, to encourage me to memorize your words of truth; to put them into my life, for Phil Floyd and others who helped me in memorization. Use your word each day to remind me of your ordinances, to train me. 


So I will keep Your law continually, forever and ever. I will keep your commandments all my days. This is my desire, my lot, my ambition, to follow you all the days of my life. And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts. There is freedom in you Lord. I can walk each day in this freedom. Why is their freedom? It is because I seek your precepts. And this is not a burden to me, but something i seek after each day. I seek after You. I want You. 

I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings and shall not be ashamed. I am not in Christ simply for my own benefit and simply to make myself look better, but I am here to speak of You. It is my allegiance to You that is my heart cry. Before kings I will speak of Your work in my life. I will not be ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1;16). 

I shall delight in Your commandments, which I love. And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love; and I will meditate on Your statutes. Lord, at the end of the day, all that should matter in my life is the delight of staying true to Your commandments. Loving those commandments leads me down the correct path. I shall lift up my hands in praise to You and meditate on Your statutes. 

[At the end of the day, what I see is that my heart's desire is to be with the Lord. I need to be reminded, amidst all the pressures of life that God is there. He has saved me. Despite pain and struggles, I need your strength Lord to carry me. Thank you for your kindness. Forgive me for getting too distracted with what is right in front of me at this moment.] 

Promise: There is freedom in Christ. 

Psalm 119:33-40 - A Heart Inclined to God's Law

Psalm 119:33-40

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, 
and I shall observe it to the end. 
Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law
and keep it with all my heart. 
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, 
for I delight in it. 
Incline my heart to Your testimonies 
and not to dishonest gain. 
Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, 
and revive me in Your ways. 
Establish Your word to Your servant, 
as that which produces reverence for You. 
Turn away my reproach which I dread, 
for Your ordinances are good. 
Behold, I long for Your precepts; 
revive me through Your righteousness.

Message: A Heart Inclined to God's Law

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying: 

I think of David, putting together these words, crafting them with a Bible at that time that was very small. And so his relationship with God was more of a relationship that what mine is often today. I am thankful for God's word and need to know it. But, I wonder if I would maybe talk to Him more if I didn't have this big book of lessons. 

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes. Teach Me, O Lord. Guide my steps. My desire is not momentary and temporal, but it is life long. I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Your Law and keep it with all my heart. Write your word on my heart. Help me God to understand what Your words mean and how they apply to every part of my life. Your Law is meant to be observed and adhered to in my life. It is to kept. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments. Make it so I don't have a choice. Make your commandments so clear and apparent in my life so that they are written on me. For I delight in it. For they are my joy. Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to dishonest gain. Lord, where does my heart reside? What does my heart strive after? It is sometimes to do a good job or be a good father or be a good husband; it is to take care of my house; it is often to please my family in a way that results in not surrendering my wealth to You and Your house (church). Incline my heart to your testimonies and words; make not dishonesty a part of my life in any way. 

Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways. Lord, there are so many things that are fleeting and going away in this life. Make it so that I value You and Your ways. Make it so my eyes are centered on You. Lord, train me in things that last.  

Establish Your word to Your servant, as that which produces reverence for You. Again Lord, make Your Words my priority.

Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Your ordinances are good. [It is interesting that here in this stanza the words reproach and obedience are contrasted; Barnes says that reproach is also the word shame or dishonor. Naturally, we hate to be corrected; we hate discipline; reproach is to express disappointment or disapproval. NIV translates this as disgrace; NLT translates this as shameful.] God, there is shame and dishonor in wandering from you, in seeking out my own way. As I do this, I turn myself from you. I look often at your commands and somehow they are meant for my harm and yet by turning from you I receive unhappiness and an unsettled life. Keep me God centered on your ordinances. Keep me focused on that which is good. Keep me resting in Your Word each day.

Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me through Your righteousness. I want to long for your precepts. It is the righteousness of God which has saved me. I pray my greatest desire is sanctification. May I long for the knowledge of Your every word. Again, Revive me. Resuscitate me. Awaken me from the dead. Lift me up for righteousness represents life and unrighteousness represents a life that is being led away from God. Lord, revive me.  

Promise: Revive Me Lord, in your ways, in your righteousness. Make me walk in the path of your commandments. This is where I want to reside.