Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Faith Keeps us Praying & Hoping (Psalm 125:3-5)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/10/2012 11:05:26 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                     Focus:  Psalm 125 PT-2

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  Psalm 125:3-5

 

            Message of the verses:  Today we will continue looking at Psalm 125 and first I want to look at the end commentary from Dr. Wiersbe, “Thank God for the faithful who believe God and obey His Word!  The psalm names the benefits that faith and faithfulness bring to God’s people.”

 

Faith Keeps Us Obeying (v.3)

3  For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the righteous, So that the righteous will not put forth their hands to do wrong.”  This is a good prayer for our country at this time in its history.

When Israel returned from their captivity from Babylon, due to a continuance of sin, they found that their land, a land that God truly owned, but allowed Israel to live there, was taken over by Gentiles and this did not please them.  Some of the children of Israel decided to follow this old saying, “If you can’t whip them, join them.”  This made it more difficult for those who desired to live as the Lord wanted them to live.  Dr. Wiersbe writes, “But the ‘scepter of wickedness’ was wielded not only by Persians but also by greedy Israelites who disobeyed God’s law and exploited their own people (Neh. 5).  The prevalence of evil makes it easier for everybody to sin (Matt. 24:12) "Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.”  But the Lord will not put permit this to go on forever.  The people who trust God will obey His Word not matter what others may do, and they will not succumb to temptation (1Cor. 10:13)  “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

 

Faith Keeps Us Praying (v.4)

4 ¶  Do good, O LORD, to those who are good And to those who are upright in their hearts.”

As true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are to continue doing good no matter how hard the times get.  The psalmist promises that the Lord will do good to those who are upright in their hearts.  We are to trust in the Lord in all times, especially difficult times, for those are the times when we can grow in the Lord if we trust Him through the tough times.  We are to rest upon His promises and to live by faith, “1 ¶  Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  (Hebrews 12:1-2)  The writer to the Hebrews has just spent the entire 11th chapter speaking about faith by looking at many OT saints and what they went through and how they showed a great deal of faith, and now he is telling those whom he is writing to, to have faith and not waver in your faith.  The sin that he is speaking about is the sin of being unfaithful, and not trusting the Lord.

 

Faith Keeps Us Hoping (v.5)

5  But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD will lead them away with the doers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel.

In my prayer time each morning I praise the Lord for some of the attributes that He possesses, beginning with holiness.  One of the attributes that the Lord has is justice and I thank the Lord for His justice because I see evil around me and I also see corrupt judges making wrong rulings.  When I see this I remember that one day they all will have to answer in the real Supreme Court.  Paul writing to the Romans says the following in Romans 12: 19  Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.”  We believers have to remember that God was the inventor of time, but man invented the watch, and so God’s timetable is now man’s timetable, but God will accomplish all that He promises in His Word and we as believers have this as part of our hope.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “The future is you friend when Jesus is your Lord.  It is not easy to walk on the narrow way, but it leads to life, while the broad way leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13-27).  They may be enjoying the pleasures of sin now, but what will the outcome be?

“The life of Faith is not easy, but the life of unbelief is much harder—in this life and in the life to come.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The hymn states “Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus is to trust and obey.”  I am thankful for the fact that God is just and one day all the wrongs that have been committed by evil men will be taken care of by God, for God, through Jesus Christ will judge all the unbelievers at the Great White Throne Judgment.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to trust the Lord to teach me contentment.

 

Memory verses for the week:  1Cor. 13:8-10

 

            8 Love never fails; but if there are prophecies they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.  9 For we know in part, and we prophecy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

 

10/10/2012 11:43:41 AM

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