SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/12/2012
9:57:07 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm 126
PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 126:4-6
Message of
the verses: In Today’s SD we will continue to look at the
126th Psalm, remembering what Dr. Wiersbe said at the end of his introductory
commentary, “But once the exiles were back in their land, their joy began to
subside, for life is not always easy when you are making a new beginning after
a time of discipline. But life is so
arranged that we must often make new beginnings, and the Lord helps us by
giving us special encouragements.” In
many of Warren Wiersbe’s commentaries he quotes from an old Scottish pastor who
states, “The successful Christian Life is a series of new beginnings.”
Around Us, the Promise of Life (v.4)
“4 Restore our captivity, O
LORD, As the streams in the South.” 4
¶ And now, GOD, do it again—bring rains
to our drought-stricken lives.” (Message)
I think it is easier to
understand this verse from looking at it in the Message because of the word “south”
used in the NASB and other translations.
We know from the history of
Israel that not all of the people came back from their captivity to the
Promised Land when Cyrus gave permission for them to leave. I believe that it was only 50,000 people who
first came back to the land and then later on there were other offers by other
kings to allow people to leave Babylon.
I suppose that after the Jews were taken to Babylon that after enough
time that it became home for them that they did not want to leave, however as
we look further at the life of the Jews after this deportation we find that
they were under persecution at different times in their lives. This is what the prophet Daniel had written
to them, and this is what the Lord Jesus Christ told them too near the end of
His life on earth.
At this stage of the lives
of those who returned they were asking for blessings from the Lord as this
verse states, for they knew that their lives would be difficult and that they
could only survive if the Lord would bless them as the rains were a picture of
God blessing them as it watered their land so the psalmist desired to have the
Lord bless them. Dr. Wiersbe writes, “In
Scripture, water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit of God and the
refreshing life that He brings to those who seek Him (John 7:37-39). “37 ¶
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried
out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture
said, ’From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’" 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those
who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because
Jesus was not yet glorified.”
Before Us, the Challenge of Work (vv. 5-6)
“5 So those who planted their crops in despair
will shout hurrahs at the harvest, 6 So
those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of
blessing. (Message)
5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful
shouting. 6 He who goes to and fro
weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him. (NASB)
In order to better
understand this passage we must look at a passage in the NT from the book of
James that is, for some, difficult to understand. “For just as the body without the spirit is
dead, so also faith without works is dead, (James 2:26).” I want to also look at a passage from the
book of Philippians, “Php 2:12 So then,
my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now
much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;” After we have received the blessings from the
Lord we need to go out and work for the Lord.
Salvation is a free gift from the Lord, and after we receive this gift,
something we can never earn for ourselves, we need to continue to be led by the
Spirit of the Lord to do the work that He has called us to do. Work is a blessing and not a curse as some
would make it out to be. Work was
something that God gave to Adam and Eve before sin entered the universe, and
although work did get harder after the fall, work is still something that God
desires for us to do. Dr. Wiersbe writes
“In Scripture, the people God commissioned for special service were busy when
He called them: Moses was caring for
sheep (Ex.3); Gideon was threshing wheat (Judg. 6); David was tending the
family flock (1Sam. 16); Nehemiah was serving the king (Neh. 1); Peter, Andrew,
James, and John were busy in their fishing business (Luke 5:1-11); and Matthew
was in his tax office (Matt. 9:9).”
When the exiles returned we
read that they experienced some difficult times, but the promises that came
from the Lord that He would send the rain and the harvest came about for them
as the Lord blessed their work of planting their crops. We have to remember that out of this people
would be born, at the proper time, the Messiah, and so God would keep them safe
as He promised to do so. Dr Wiersbe
writes “It pleases the Lord when we water with our tears the seed of the Word
that we sow We cannot reap if we do not
first sow the seed, and the seed must be watered with our tears and our
prayers.” How many of us have cried as
we prayed for a lost soul to come to Lord for the free gift of salvation, or
cried as we prayed for a loved one who was sick and needed healing from the
Lord?
Dr. Wiersbe concludes by
writing “Some blessings God sends suddenly (vv. 1-3), some come in the course
of time (v.4), and some come as we patiently sow and weep (James 5:7). But His promise is secure: ‘in due season we
shall reap if we do not lose heart’ (Ga. 6:9 NKJV).”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I suppose that it
is much easier to have the Lord bless us with an answer to our prayers right
after we pray to Him, and much more difficult to wait upon the Lord for an
answer to our prayers. When we wait for
the answer we are learning patience, and patience is something that God desires
for all of His children to learn as we wait upon the Lord.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Learning contentment is part of learning
patience.
Memory verses for the
week: 1Cor. 13:8-10
8 Love never fails; but if
there are gifts of prophecy, 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.
10/12/2012 10:44:12 AM
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