SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/10/2012 8:46:05 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Reigning in Righteousness and Peace
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 72:1-7
Message of the verses: We will begin to look at Psalm 72 in today’s SD, and first we will look at the introduction.
I have read several introductions to this psalm and some credit Solomon with the writing and some David when he was old right before he made Solomon king. It seems to me that the author of some of the psalms is a great subject of debate by different commentators who have written commentaries on the psalms. I believe that the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is the author of all Scripture using man to render what He wants to be written, however it does seem more helpful at times in our understanding of Scripture to know the background and the human author.
“This is a Coronation Psalm, dedicated to the prosperity of Solomon at the beginning of his reign (1Ki. 2). No NT writer applies any of the psalm to Christ. Still, since the Davidic kings and the Messiah’s rule occasionally merge into each other in the OT literature, the messianic inferences here ought not to be missed (vv. 7, 17, cf. Is. 11:1-5; 60-62). This psalm describes a reign when God, the king, nature, all classes of society, and foreign nations all live together in harmony.” (The John MacArthur Study Bible)
“Solomon is connected with this psalm and 127. If the inscription is translated ‘of Solomon,’ then he was the author and wrote of himself in the third person. This would make it a prayer for God’s help as he sought to rule over the people of Israel. But if the inscription is translated ‘for Solomon,’ David may have been the author (v. 20), and the psalm would be a prayer for the people to use to ask God’s blessing upon their new king. If Solomon did write the psalm, then it had to be the early years of his reign, for in his later years, he turned from the Lord (1Kings 11; Prov. 14:34). But beyond both David and Solomon it the Son of David and the one ‘greater than Solomon’ (Matt. 12:42), Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel. The psalm is quoted nowhere in the New Testament as referring to Jesus, but certainly it describes the elements that will make up the promised kingdom when Jesus returns.” (Dr. Warren Wiersbe)
A Righteous King (vv. 1-7): “1 ¶ «A Psalm of Solomon.» Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s son.
“2 ¶ May he judge Your people with righteousness And Your afflicted with justice. 3 Let the mountains bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness. 4 May he vindicate the afflicted of the people, Save the children of the needy And crush the oppressor. 5 Let them fear You while the sun endures, And as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 6 May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth. 7 In his days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace till the moon is no more.”
In Deuteronomy 17:14-20 we see what God told the people of Israel through Moses were the qualifications of a king who would eventually reign over the nation of Israel. God was the true King in Israel, but He knew that there would come a day when the people would ask for a king and this king would be His representative, obligated to lead the people according to the law of God. “14 ¶ "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ’I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. 16 "Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, ’You shall never again return that way.’ 17 "He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. 18 "Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 "It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.” Not many of the kings followed what these verses in the Law told them to do, especially Solomon.
We notice that “righteousness” is mentioned four times in verses 1-3 and verse seven, and when the day comes that Jesus Christ takes His seat in Jerusalem to rule the world for 1000 years that He will rule in righteousness. When Solomon begin his reign he was very young and the Lord came to him and asked him what he wanted and Solomon replied that he desired wisdom from the Lord in order to rule His people Israel and God gave him wisdom, more than any man would possess. There was peace during the reign of Solomon and Israel prospered more than any other time in her history. Both peace and prosperity depend upon righteousness and for the most part of Solomon’s reign that was true. When Jesus reigns for 1000 years on the earth it will be true for His entire reign upon this earth, and He will rule over all the earth for Jesus is are King of righteousness and our King of peace (Heb. 7:1-3).
Dr. Wiersbe points out that Solomon’s name is related to the Hebrew word shalom which means “peace, prosperity, and well-being.” We have seen from reading about Solomon’s reign that he cared for the poor and for the afflicted which reminds us of what Jesus did while ministering upon this earth. Early in his reign Solomon cared for all of the people, but in the later stages he burdened them with high taxes, which would eventually cause the division in the nation of Israel after he died.
In verse five of Psalm 72 we can see that the author could have written “long live the king” for that is what he is implying when he wrote that verse. Then we see in verses six and seven how the king should reign, as these verses speak of reigning in peace and righteousness. Dr. Wiersbe says “Godly leaders are like the refreshing rain that makes the land fruitful and beautiful, so that even the newly mown fields will produce a second crop. They are also like lamps that light the way (2Sam. 21:17), shields that protect (84:9; 89:16), and the very breath of life that sustains us (Lam. 4:20). Alas, very few of the kings who reigned after David were models of godliness.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: As I look at this psalm and think about righteousness it makes me think of what Jesus Christ did for me upon the cross. Jesus Christ took my sin, my unrighteousness upon Himself on the cross so that it was judged by His Father and therefore when His Father looks at me He sees His righteousness and not my unrighteousness and therefore I am one of His children. Jesus exchanged my sin for His righteousness and this is the most unfair exchange there can be, but because of His great love He did this.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Sanctification is a process in that we are sanctified at the new birth and that in position we are sanctified before the Lord. My walk must be moving toward a life that is what I am in position. Continue to learn contentment is also a step of faith for me and will be for the rest of my life.
4/10/2012 10:06:45 AM
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Trusting the Lord in Times of Trouble (Psalm 71:5-24)
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/9/2012 8:01:41 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Trusting the Lord in Difficult Times
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 71:5-24
Message of the verses: We will look at Psalm 71 in this SD and to help us remember what we will be looking at in this psalm I will quote Dr. Wiersbe ending statement in his introduction: “Whoever he was (the author of Psalm 71) he made four affirmations about the Lord and the help He gives to those who call on him and trust him.”
“The Lord Helped Me in the Past” (vv. 5-13): “5 For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth. 6 By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; My praise is continually of You. 7 I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. 10 For my enemies have spoken against me; And those who watch for my life have consulted together, 11 Saying, "God has forsaken him; Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver." 12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, hasten to my help! 13 Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.”
There is a song that has been popular in the past entitled “Count Your Blessings” and it seems that in parts of this section the psalmist was counting the blessings that God had given him, especially in his youth. The Lord has been his help and has been his confidence since he was a youngster. The Lord has sustained him all the ways back to his birth, even when he was formed in his mother’s womb. The Psalmist is now going to ask the Lord to continue to do these wonderful things in his old age as we seen in verses 9-13. When Samuel wanted to remember the blessing that the Lord had given to Israel he built an “Ebenezer.” The story can be found in 1Sam. 7:12. When the Lord stopped the flow of the Jordan River in order to let the children of Israel cross when they were coming into the Promised Land he told Joshua to have the priests pick up twelve stones from the dried up river and place them on the East side of the Jordan River in order for the children of Israel to remember what the Lord had done for them in getting them out of Egypt and getting them across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. It is good to remember the blessings of the Lord in times of troubles.
“The Lord Will Help Me in the Future” (vv. 14-21): “14 ¶ But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. 15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And of Your salvation all day long; For I do not know the sum of them. 16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone. 17 O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds. 18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come. 19 For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? 20 You who have shown me many troubles and distresses Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 May You increase my greatness And turn to comfort me.”
In verse eight the Psalmist said “You are my hope” and now in verse fourteen the Psalmist says “I will hope continually.” The word “hope” used in verse fourteen means “a long and patient waiting in spite of delays and disappointments. If we trust God, then the trials of life will work for us and not against us and will lead to glory “1 ¶ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Rom. 5:1-5) “16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Cor. 4:16-18) The psalmist had this kind of hope which is described in these two sections of Scripture seen above.
It seems that the psalmist had the hope of the resurrection in his heart as seen in verses 19-21. We also see in verse twenty these words “You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth.” The psalmist knew that the suffering that came into his life from the Lord was good for him to grow closer to the Lord. David’s ten years running from King Saul were difficult years but very profitable years spiritually.
“The Lord Be Praised for His Help” (vv. 22-24): “22 I will also praise You with a harp, Even Your truth, O my God; To You I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed. 24 My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long; For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my hurt.”
Dr. Wiersbe states that “The name ‘Holy One of Israel’ is used thirty times in Isaiah but only three times in the Psalms (71:22; 78:41; 89:18). The name connects with the emphasis in the psalm of God’s righteousness. ‘Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?’ (Gen.18:25). The psalmist sang and shouted all day long (vv. 24, 8), not just during the stated services at the temple. He opened the psalm with a request that he would never be put to shame and confusion, and now he closed the psalm with the assurance that his enemies would be put to shame and confusion! He had looked back at a life of trials and blessings from the Lord; he had looked around as his enemies, he had looked ahead at old age and its problems; and he had even looked down into the depths of the earth (v. 20). But it was when he looked up and realized that God’s righteousness ‘reaches to the heavens’ (v. 19) that he grew in confidence and left his worries with the Lord. This is a good example for us to follow.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: When I began to read in the introduction of Psalm 71 that this psalm was about an older person I knew that I could learn something from it. The faithfulness of God is seen in this psalm along with the righteousness of God, two important things for a believer to learn.
Our Pastor’s message yesterday (Easter Sunday) spoke of different kinds of faith that a person can have “Faith Dimmed; Faith Dawning; and Faith Displayed” The message was about what could have been going through the minds of the disciples and friends of Jesus after He was put to death. The text was the first ten verses in John 20 which is about what happened on the day that Jesus was resurrected from the grave. One of the points that I got from that message goes along with what I have learned in Psalm 71, and that is that I have to trust the Lord in times of troubles the most, for if I look around at my circumstances I will be tempted to run away from the Lord and will surely loose a blessing from not trusting the Lord in those times of troubles. The passage quoted from Romans 5:1-5 in this SD goes along with what I am talking about here.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I desire to continue to trust the Lord in difficult times. The grave is empty because the Lord has been raised from the dead and that encourages me to trust in my risen Savior.
4/9/2012 9:24:35 AM
4/9/2012 8:01:41 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Trusting the Lord in Difficult Times
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 71:5-24
Message of the verses: We will look at Psalm 71 in this SD and to help us remember what we will be looking at in this psalm I will quote Dr. Wiersbe ending statement in his introduction: “Whoever he was (the author of Psalm 71) he made four affirmations about the Lord and the help He gives to those who call on him and trust him.”
“The Lord Helped Me in the Past” (vv. 5-13): “5 For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth. 6 By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; My praise is continually of You. 7 I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. 10 For my enemies have spoken against me; And those who watch for my life have consulted together, 11 Saying, "God has forsaken him; Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver." 12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, hasten to my help! 13 Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.”
There is a song that has been popular in the past entitled “Count Your Blessings” and it seems that in parts of this section the psalmist was counting the blessings that God had given him, especially in his youth. The Lord has been his help and has been his confidence since he was a youngster. The Lord has sustained him all the ways back to his birth, even when he was formed in his mother’s womb. The Psalmist is now going to ask the Lord to continue to do these wonderful things in his old age as we seen in verses 9-13. When Samuel wanted to remember the blessing that the Lord had given to Israel he built an “Ebenezer.” The story can be found in 1Sam. 7:12. When the Lord stopped the flow of the Jordan River in order to let the children of Israel cross when they were coming into the Promised Land he told Joshua to have the priests pick up twelve stones from the dried up river and place them on the East side of the Jordan River in order for the children of Israel to remember what the Lord had done for them in getting them out of Egypt and getting them across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. It is good to remember the blessings of the Lord in times of troubles.
“The Lord Will Help Me in the Future” (vv. 14-21): “14 ¶ But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. 15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And of Your salvation all day long; For I do not know the sum of them. 16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone. 17 O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds. 18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come. 19 For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? 20 You who have shown me many troubles and distresses Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 May You increase my greatness And turn to comfort me.”
In verse eight the Psalmist said “You are my hope” and now in verse fourteen the Psalmist says “I will hope continually.” The word “hope” used in verse fourteen means “a long and patient waiting in spite of delays and disappointments. If we trust God, then the trials of life will work for us and not against us and will lead to glory “1 ¶ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Rom. 5:1-5) “16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Cor. 4:16-18) The psalmist had this kind of hope which is described in these two sections of Scripture seen above.
It seems that the psalmist had the hope of the resurrection in his heart as seen in verses 19-21. We also see in verse twenty these words “You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth.” The psalmist knew that the suffering that came into his life from the Lord was good for him to grow closer to the Lord. David’s ten years running from King Saul were difficult years but very profitable years spiritually.
“The Lord Be Praised for His Help” (vv. 22-24): “22 I will also praise You with a harp, Even Your truth, O my God; To You I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed. 24 My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long; For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my hurt.”
Dr. Wiersbe states that “The name ‘Holy One of Israel’ is used thirty times in Isaiah but only three times in the Psalms (71:22; 78:41; 89:18). The name connects with the emphasis in the psalm of God’s righteousness. ‘Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?’ (Gen.18:25). The psalmist sang and shouted all day long (vv. 24, 8), not just during the stated services at the temple. He opened the psalm with a request that he would never be put to shame and confusion, and now he closed the psalm with the assurance that his enemies would be put to shame and confusion! He had looked back at a life of trials and blessings from the Lord; he had looked around as his enemies, he had looked ahead at old age and its problems; and he had even looked down into the depths of the earth (v. 20). But it was when he looked up and realized that God’s righteousness ‘reaches to the heavens’ (v. 19) that he grew in confidence and left his worries with the Lord. This is a good example for us to follow.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: When I began to read in the introduction of Psalm 71 that this psalm was about an older person I knew that I could learn something from it. The faithfulness of God is seen in this psalm along with the righteousness of God, two important things for a believer to learn.
Our Pastor’s message yesterday (Easter Sunday) spoke of different kinds of faith that a person can have “Faith Dimmed; Faith Dawning; and Faith Displayed” The message was about what could have been going through the minds of the disciples and friends of Jesus after He was put to death. The text was the first ten verses in John 20 which is about what happened on the day that Jesus was resurrected from the grave. One of the points that I got from that message goes along with what I have learned in Psalm 71, and that is that I have to trust the Lord in times of troubles the most, for if I look around at my circumstances I will be tempted to run away from the Lord and will surely loose a blessing from not trusting the Lord in those times of troubles. The passage quoted from Romans 5:1-5 in this SD goes along with what I am talking about here.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I desire to continue to trust the Lord in difficult times. The grave is empty because the Lord has been raised from the dead and that encourages me to trust in my risen Savior.
4/9/2012 9:24:35 AM
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Godly Wisdom compared to Worldy Wisdom (James 3:13-14)
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/8/2012 8:11:49 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Contrast in Operations
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: James 3:13-14
Message of the verses: In today’s SD I am looking at two verses in the book of James. The reason for this is that while looking over my older SD’s I found that I missed these two verses while going through the book of James. I know in my heart that the Lord wants me to look at these two verses today and so I trust Him in the timing of today’s SD.
Dr. Wiersbe writes the following before going into these two verses: “The wisdom from above, God’s wisdom, operates in a different way from the wisdom that is ‘earthly, sensual, devilish.’ Since they originate from radically different sources, they must operate in opposite ways.
“What are the evidences of false wisdom?”
Envy (v. 14a): “14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.” (ESV) “14 But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.” (ASV) “14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.” (AVRLE)
This word “envy” ties in with James 3:1 where James is warning his readers not to desire the position of being a teacher: “1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” The warning here is that James does not want his readers to be ambitious in their desire to become a teacher because teachers will have a much stricter judgment. I believe that what James is saying here is that some believers may see other believers who have the genuine gift of being a teacher and are envious of that gift and therefore desire to teach when it is not something that they are gifted in doing. I have been talking about contentment for many years now and if one is envious of someone else then he surely is not content. There is a saying that a squeaky wheel gets grease and this should not be true among believers. As believers we are all given at least one spiritual gift and so we should be content that God has given us a gift to advance the cause of Christ in the church and use it for the glory of God and not worry about the gifts others have. Paul spoke of this in 1Cor. 12 when he was writing about spiritual gifts. He said “20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
Strife (v. 14b): “14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.” (AVRLE) This word speaks of having a party spirit, and the Greek politicians were an example of having strife when they were out canvassing for votes. In the wisdom of the world it says go out and get all of the support you can get and this kind of spirit causes self rivalry and it can also cause division in the church. Philippians 2:3-4 tells us “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Boasting (v. 14c): “14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.” (AVRLE) “14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.” (ESV) I believe that the Message version of verse fourteen gives us the best idea of what Paul is writing here: “14 Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.”
I believe that what Dr. Wiersbe writes at the end of his commentary on this subject helps me to understand it the best. “When God’s wisdom is at work, there is a sense of humility and submission, and you want God to get all the glory. You have no desire to compare yourself with any other Christian, because you see only Christ--and compared with Him, all of us still have a long way to go!”
Deceit (v. 14d): “Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.” (Message) There can be a downward cycle if we believers follow the wisdom of the world for first we see selfish ambition and that leads to a party spirit which helps us win the election and because of that we boast about our victor and when we boast about our victories we usually lie and that is this last step of worldly wisdom, deceit. 1Cor. 4:5 states “So don’t get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of—inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the "Well done!" of God.” (Message)
Meekness (v.13): “13 ¶ Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.” (Message) “13 ¶ If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” (NLT)
The word that Dr. Wiersbe uses here is meekness and meekness is not weakness. The Greeks used this word when they had broken a horse, for even though the horse was still as powerful as it was before it was broken the power is now under control. The meek person has one desire and that is to please God. We surely see meekness in our Lord who had His power under control, for when our Lord was on earth He did not brag about all of the miracles He did, but Jesus only wanted to do His Father’s will and therefore please His Father and that should be the desire of all believers even though at times we fall short.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “The phrase, ‘meekness of wisdom,’ is an interesting one (James 3:3). Meekness is the right use of power, and wisdom is the right use of knowledge. They go together. The truly wise person will show in his daily life (conversation means behavior’) that he is a child of God. Attitude and action go together.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: All I can say is thank you Lord for leading me to James 3:13-14 today for it has truly been a blessing to me as there are some areas that I am struggling with in my life and it is of the goodness of the Lord that He drew me here this morning.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I am comforted with the belief that God is not through with me yet. Paul spoke in Philippians that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Paul was not speaking about our being saved from sin for that is a gift of God so no one can boast. Paul was talking about our growth process, our sanctification process and what I have learned this morning is part of that process. Being content is part of the process too.
4/8/2012 9:18:09 AM
4/8/2012 8:11:49 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Contrast in Operations
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: James 3:13-14
Message of the verses: In today’s SD I am looking at two verses in the book of James. The reason for this is that while looking over my older SD’s I found that I missed these two verses while going through the book of James. I know in my heart that the Lord wants me to look at these two verses today and so I trust Him in the timing of today’s SD.
Dr. Wiersbe writes the following before going into these two verses: “The wisdom from above, God’s wisdom, operates in a different way from the wisdom that is ‘earthly, sensual, devilish.’ Since they originate from radically different sources, they must operate in opposite ways.
“What are the evidences of false wisdom?”
Envy (v. 14a): “14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.” (ESV) “14 But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.” (ASV) “14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.” (AVRLE)
This word “envy” ties in with James 3:1 where James is warning his readers not to desire the position of being a teacher: “1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” The warning here is that James does not want his readers to be ambitious in their desire to become a teacher because teachers will have a much stricter judgment. I believe that what James is saying here is that some believers may see other believers who have the genuine gift of being a teacher and are envious of that gift and therefore desire to teach when it is not something that they are gifted in doing. I have been talking about contentment for many years now and if one is envious of someone else then he surely is not content. There is a saying that a squeaky wheel gets grease and this should not be true among believers. As believers we are all given at least one spiritual gift and so we should be content that God has given us a gift to advance the cause of Christ in the church and use it for the glory of God and not worry about the gifts others have. Paul spoke of this in 1Cor. 12 when he was writing about spiritual gifts. He said “20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
Strife (v. 14b): “14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.” (AVRLE) This word speaks of having a party spirit, and the Greek politicians were an example of having strife when they were out canvassing for votes. In the wisdom of the world it says go out and get all of the support you can get and this kind of spirit causes self rivalry and it can also cause division in the church. Philippians 2:3-4 tells us “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Boasting (v. 14c): “14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.” (AVRLE) “14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.” (ESV) I believe that the Message version of verse fourteen gives us the best idea of what Paul is writing here: “14 Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.”
I believe that what Dr. Wiersbe writes at the end of his commentary on this subject helps me to understand it the best. “When God’s wisdom is at work, there is a sense of humility and submission, and you want God to get all the glory. You have no desire to compare yourself with any other Christian, because you see only Christ--and compared with Him, all of us still have a long way to go!”
Deceit (v. 14d): “Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.” (Message) There can be a downward cycle if we believers follow the wisdom of the world for first we see selfish ambition and that leads to a party spirit which helps us win the election and because of that we boast about our victor and when we boast about our victories we usually lie and that is this last step of worldly wisdom, deceit. 1Cor. 4:5 states “So don’t get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of—inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the "Well done!" of God.” (Message)
Meekness (v.13): “13 ¶ Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.” (Message) “13 ¶ If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” (NLT)
The word that Dr. Wiersbe uses here is meekness and meekness is not weakness. The Greeks used this word when they had broken a horse, for even though the horse was still as powerful as it was before it was broken the power is now under control. The meek person has one desire and that is to please God. We surely see meekness in our Lord who had His power under control, for when our Lord was on earth He did not brag about all of the miracles He did, but Jesus only wanted to do His Father’s will and therefore please His Father and that should be the desire of all believers even though at times we fall short.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “The phrase, ‘meekness of wisdom,’ is an interesting one (James 3:3). Meekness is the right use of power, and wisdom is the right use of knowledge. They go together. The truly wise person will show in his daily life (conversation means behavior’) that he is a child of God. Attitude and action go together.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: All I can say is thank you Lord for leading me to James 3:13-14 today for it has truly been a blessing to me as there are some areas that I am struggling with in my life and it is of the goodness of the Lord that He drew me here this morning.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I am comforted with the belief that God is not through with me yet. Paul spoke in Philippians that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Paul was not speaking about our being saved from sin for that is a gift of God so no one can boast. Paul was talking about our growth process, our sanctification process and what I have learned this morning is part of that process. Being content is part of the process too.
4/8/2012 9:18:09 AM
Saturday, April 7, 2012
God Never Fails (Psalm 71:1-4)
SPIRITIUAL DIARY FOR
4/7/2012 9:06:47 AM
My Worship Time Focus: He Never Fails
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 71:1-4
Message of the verses: We will begin to look at Psalm 71 this morning by first looking at several introductions.
“David penned this psalm in his old age, as appears by several passages in it, which makes many think that it was penned at the time of Absalom’s rebellion; for that was the great trouble of his later days. It might be occasioned by Sheba’s insurrection, or some trouble that happened to him in that part of his life of which it was foretold that the sword should not depart from his house. But he is not over-particular in representing his case, because he intended it for the general use of God’s people in their afflictions, especially those they meet with in their declining years; for this psalm, above any other, is fitted for the use of the old disciples of Jesus Christ.
“I. He begins the psalm with believing prayers, with prayers that God would deliver him and save him (#Ps 71:2,4), and not cast him off (#Ps 71:9) or be far from him (#Ps 71:12), and that his enemies might be put to shame, #Ps 71:13. He pleads his confidence in God (#Ps 71:1,3,5,7), the experience he had had of help from God (#Ps 71:6), and the malice of his enemies against him, #Ps 71:10-11.
“ II. He concludes the psalm with believing praises, #Ps 71:14, &c. Never was his hope more established, #Ps 71:16,18,20-21. Never were his joys and thanksgivings more enlarged, #Ps 71:15,19,22-24. He is in an ecstasy of joyful praise; and, in the singing of it, we too should have our faith in God encouraged and our hearts raised in blessing his holy name.” (Matthew Henry)
“One of the features of the psalms is that they meet the circumstances of life. This psalm to God expresses the concerns of old age. At a time in his life when he thinks he should be exempt from certain kinds of troubles, he once again is personally attacked. Though his enemies conclude that God has abandoned him, the psalmist is confident that God will remain faithful.” (From The John MacArthur Study Bible)
“The psalm is anonymous, written by a believer who had enemies and needed the Lord’s help and protection (vv. 4, 10, 13, 24). He was probably past middle age and was greatly concerned about the burdens of old age (vv. 9, 18). He wanted to end well. From birth he had been sustained by the Lord (v.6), and in his youth he had been taught by the Lord (v. 17). He may have been one of the many temple musicians assigned to praise God in the sanctuary day and night (vv. 22024; 134:1). Whoever he was, he made four affirmations about the Lord and the help He gives to those who call on him and trust him.” (Warren Wiersbe)
As you can see there are different opinions on who wrote this psalm, and it seems to me that many of the older commentators seem to credit David for some of the psalms that are not identified as to who wrote them. Since at this time of my life I am considered older then this psalm will be good for me to study with great interest.
“The Lord Helps Me Now” (vv. 1-4): “ 1 ¶ In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed. 2 In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me. 3 Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. 4 Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man.”
In the first part of his commentary on Psalm 71 Dr. Wiersbe states that “the first three verses are adapted from 31:1-3” and then states that this was a perfectly legitimate practice among those who have written the psalms. It must be remembered that the Holy Spirit of God is the author of all Scripture, using men whom He moves to write the words that He wants them to write, and we find in many portions of the Bible things repeated, especially from the OT to the NT. The point here is that the Holy Spirit is in charge of what was put down in the Word of God. If perhaps the author of Psalm 71 was indeed a singer in the Lord’s house then he would be familiar with the words of many of the psalms that had been already written.
It was the desire of the psalmist to remain true to the Lord, to finish well, and so he asks for protection from the Lord in verse on so that he would not be ashamed. (“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”) (1John 2:28) It is good to know that the writer did not run from his troubles but trusted the Lord in the midst of the troubles he found himself in.
The psalmist uses the word “righteousness” five times in Psalm 71 (2, 15, 16, 19, and 24), and Dr. Wiersbe points out that this not only refers to one of God’s attributes but it also refers to the faithfulness of God in keeping His Word. He goes on to write “A righteous God is active in helping His people in their times of need. He issues the command and the deed is done (v. 3; 33:9; 44:4; 68:28). His people can always come to Him (v. 3; Heb. 10:19-25), always praise Him (vv. 6, 8, 15, 24), and always hope in Him (v. 14). HE NEVER FAILS!”
If this man was a Levite who severed the Lord in the temple there may have been a time in his life when Judah had gone astray that he was asked to compromise his faith because of evil people were taking over the temple. As one reads through the OT they can find that this happened on different occasions. The reading of 2Kings and 2Chronicles show this happened more than once. Verse four could be referring to this kind of thing happening.
As far as the old age reference that seems to be in this psalm we could explain it by the fact that if this man did work in the temple according to OT law he would begin at age twenty-five and then retire at age fifty. He may have been troubled by how he would live after that.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I can surely concur with the troubles of old age and retirement and also living on much less than when I was working, but I can also praise and thank the Lord for providing for my needs in very timely matters. God is faithful and God never fails.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to learn contentment in my older age, trusting the Lord to care for my needs. Like this psalmist my desire is to finish well, and that means I must continue to stay in the Word of God every day. Trust the Lord to give me the strength to never run from my troubles unless I believe He is leading me in that direction.
4/7/2012 9:53:38 AM
4/7/2012 9:06:47 AM
My Worship Time Focus: He Never Fails
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 71:1-4
Message of the verses: We will begin to look at Psalm 71 this morning by first looking at several introductions.
“David penned this psalm in his old age, as appears by several passages in it, which makes many think that it was penned at the time of Absalom’s rebellion; for that was the great trouble of his later days. It might be occasioned by Sheba’s insurrection, or some trouble that happened to him in that part of his life of which it was foretold that the sword should not depart from his house. But he is not over-particular in representing his case, because he intended it for the general use of God’s people in their afflictions, especially those they meet with in their declining years; for this psalm, above any other, is fitted for the use of the old disciples of Jesus Christ.
“I. He begins the psalm with believing prayers, with prayers that God would deliver him and save him (#Ps 71:2,4), and not cast him off (#Ps 71:9) or be far from him (#Ps 71:12), and that his enemies might be put to shame, #Ps 71:13. He pleads his confidence in God (#Ps 71:1,3,5,7), the experience he had had of help from God (#Ps 71:6), and the malice of his enemies against him, #Ps 71:10-11.
“ II. He concludes the psalm with believing praises, #Ps 71:14, &c. Never was his hope more established, #Ps 71:16,18,20-21. Never were his joys and thanksgivings more enlarged, #Ps 71:15,19,22-24. He is in an ecstasy of joyful praise; and, in the singing of it, we too should have our faith in God encouraged and our hearts raised in blessing his holy name.” (Matthew Henry)
“One of the features of the psalms is that they meet the circumstances of life. This psalm to God expresses the concerns of old age. At a time in his life when he thinks he should be exempt from certain kinds of troubles, he once again is personally attacked. Though his enemies conclude that God has abandoned him, the psalmist is confident that God will remain faithful.” (From The John MacArthur Study Bible)
“The psalm is anonymous, written by a believer who had enemies and needed the Lord’s help and protection (vv. 4, 10, 13, 24). He was probably past middle age and was greatly concerned about the burdens of old age (vv. 9, 18). He wanted to end well. From birth he had been sustained by the Lord (v.6), and in his youth he had been taught by the Lord (v. 17). He may have been one of the many temple musicians assigned to praise God in the sanctuary day and night (vv. 22024; 134:1). Whoever he was, he made four affirmations about the Lord and the help He gives to those who call on him and trust him.” (Warren Wiersbe)
As you can see there are different opinions on who wrote this psalm, and it seems to me that many of the older commentators seem to credit David for some of the psalms that are not identified as to who wrote them. Since at this time of my life I am considered older then this psalm will be good for me to study with great interest.
“The Lord Helps Me Now” (vv. 1-4): “ 1 ¶ In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed. 2 In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me. 3 Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. 4 Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man.”
In the first part of his commentary on Psalm 71 Dr. Wiersbe states that “the first three verses are adapted from 31:1-3” and then states that this was a perfectly legitimate practice among those who have written the psalms. It must be remembered that the Holy Spirit of God is the author of all Scripture, using men whom He moves to write the words that He wants them to write, and we find in many portions of the Bible things repeated, especially from the OT to the NT. The point here is that the Holy Spirit is in charge of what was put down in the Word of God. If perhaps the author of Psalm 71 was indeed a singer in the Lord’s house then he would be familiar with the words of many of the psalms that had been already written.
It was the desire of the psalmist to remain true to the Lord, to finish well, and so he asks for protection from the Lord in verse on so that he would not be ashamed. (“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”) (1John 2:28) It is good to know that the writer did not run from his troubles but trusted the Lord in the midst of the troubles he found himself in.
The psalmist uses the word “righteousness” five times in Psalm 71 (2, 15, 16, 19, and 24), and Dr. Wiersbe points out that this not only refers to one of God’s attributes but it also refers to the faithfulness of God in keeping His Word. He goes on to write “A righteous God is active in helping His people in their times of need. He issues the command and the deed is done (v. 3; 33:9; 44:4; 68:28). His people can always come to Him (v. 3; Heb. 10:19-25), always praise Him (vv. 6, 8, 15, 24), and always hope in Him (v. 14). HE NEVER FAILS!”
If this man was a Levite who severed the Lord in the temple there may have been a time in his life when Judah had gone astray that he was asked to compromise his faith because of evil people were taking over the temple. As one reads through the OT they can find that this happened on different occasions. The reading of 2Kings and 2Chronicles show this happened more than once. Verse four could be referring to this kind of thing happening.
As far as the old age reference that seems to be in this psalm we could explain it by the fact that if this man did work in the temple according to OT law he would begin at age twenty-five and then retire at age fifty. He may have been troubled by how he would live after that.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I can surely concur with the troubles of old age and retirement and also living on much less than when I was working, but I can also praise and thank the Lord for providing for my needs in very timely matters. God is faithful and God never fails.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to learn contentment in my older age, trusting the Lord to care for my needs. Like this psalmist my desire is to finish well, and that means I must continue to stay in the Word of God every day. Trust the Lord to give me the strength to never run from my troubles unless I believe He is leading me in that direction.
4/7/2012 9:53:38 AM
Friday, April 6, 2012
Psalm 70 (Similar to Psalm 40:13-16)
2/9/2012 9:14:17 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Trust God for All That Remains
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 40: 11-17
Looking at the commentary from Dr. Wiersbe on Psalm 70 he states that it is nearly the same as Psalm 40: 13-16 and so I am looking at the commentary I did for those verses in Psalm 40:11-17 and will use them for Psalm 70: “1 ¶ «For the choir director. A Psalm of David; for a memorial.» O God, hasten to deliver me; O LORD, hasten to my help! 2 Let those be ashamed and humiliated Who seek my life; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. 3 Let those be turned back because of their shame Who say, "Aha, aha!" 4 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." 5 But I am afflicted and needy; Hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.”
Message of the verses: “ 11 ¶ You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me. 12 For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; Make haste, O LORD, to help me. 14 Let those be ashamed and humiliated together Who seek my life to destroy it; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. 15 Let those be appalled because of their shame Who say to me, "Aha, aha!" 16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!" 17 Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.”
I mentioned in the last SD that I felt I would be able to finish the commentary on Psalm 40, but I was not able to complete it and so in today’s SD we will look at the last seven verses of the psalm and in Warren Wiersbe’s commentary he entitles this last section “Trust God for all that remains.”
We see worship of the Lord in this section, and David truly knew what it meant to worship the Lord. David was a man who had a sensitive conscience and realized that he was a sinful man. I for one completely understand that. Dr. Wiersbe writes of worship “Worship is not an escape from life but the opportunity to honor God and be equipped to face life and live for His glory.” I like that statement about worship because of the truth that is found in it for I think that there have been times in my life when I have used worship to try and escape the world around me, and I suppose that is a good thing as long as my heart is in the right place.
I see in verse eleven that David may have written this verse because of sin that he had confessed to the Lord and David knew that God would have compassion on him and that the lovingkindness of the Lord would always preserve David.
Again we see in verse twelve that David is speaking of his sin (iniquities) and has been overtaken by his sins. There are many times in the life of a believer that the world, the flesh, and the devil are all trying to tempt you into sinning and then when you fall to the temptation the devil will cause you to have a guilty conscience. This is a very vicious circle that one can get in and perhaps David was experiencing this very thing. I have experienced this cycle recently and so these verses are comforting to me and also instructive for me.
In verse thirteen David is asking the Lord to deliver him from what he is going through and from what he was saying in the previous verse it was probably sin that he was asking to be delivered from.
In verses 14-15 David speaks of how his enemies have been trying to destroy him, so David was having trouble from within and also from those around him.
In verse sixteen I see that David knows of the forgiveness and deliverance that God has given to him and so he encourages others because of what the Lord has done for him. I see worship of the Lord in this section as David encourages others to worship.
Dr. Wiersbe writes this about verse seventeen: “I-am—You are” (v.17) says it all. The great I AM is adequate for every need.” Of course Dr. Wiersbe is speaking of the LORD as being the great I AM. We find this in Exodus 13 Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ’The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ’What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ’I AM has sent me to you.’”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I can truly say that this section of Scripture has been very uplifting to me and has meant a need in my heart. 2Timothy 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” We see in these verses the power of God and His Word and this is what I needed this morning.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Continue to trust the Lord to meet the needs of my heart from His Word.
2. Continue to learn contentment through the circumstances of life.
2/9/2012 10:13:39 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Trust God for All That Remains
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 40: 11-17
Looking at the commentary from Dr. Wiersbe on Psalm 70 he states that it is nearly the same as Psalm 40: 13-16 and so I am looking at the commentary I did for those verses in Psalm 40:11-17 and will use them for Psalm 70: “1 ¶ «For the choir director. A Psalm of David; for a memorial.» O God, hasten to deliver me; O LORD, hasten to my help! 2 Let those be ashamed and humiliated Who seek my life; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. 3 Let those be turned back because of their shame Who say, "Aha, aha!" 4 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." 5 But I am afflicted and needy; Hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.”
Message of the verses: “ 11 ¶ You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me. 12 For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; Make haste, O LORD, to help me. 14 Let those be ashamed and humiliated together Who seek my life to destroy it; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. 15 Let those be appalled because of their shame Who say to me, "Aha, aha!" 16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!" 17 Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.”
I mentioned in the last SD that I felt I would be able to finish the commentary on Psalm 40, but I was not able to complete it and so in today’s SD we will look at the last seven verses of the psalm and in Warren Wiersbe’s commentary he entitles this last section “Trust God for all that remains.”
We see worship of the Lord in this section, and David truly knew what it meant to worship the Lord. David was a man who had a sensitive conscience and realized that he was a sinful man. I for one completely understand that. Dr. Wiersbe writes of worship “Worship is not an escape from life but the opportunity to honor God and be equipped to face life and live for His glory.” I like that statement about worship because of the truth that is found in it for I think that there have been times in my life when I have used worship to try and escape the world around me, and I suppose that is a good thing as long as my heart is in the right place.
I see in verse eleven that David may have written this verse because of sin that he had confessed to the Lord and David knew that God would have compassion on him and that the lovingkindness of the Lord would always preserve David.
Again we see in verse twelve that David is speaking of his sin (iniquities) and has been overtaken by his sins. There are many times in the life of a believer that the world, the flesh, and the devil are all trying to tempt you into sinning and then when you fall to the temptation the devil will cause you to have a guilty conscience. This is a very vicious circle that one can get in and perhaps David was experiencing this very thing. I have experienced this cycle recently and so these verses are comforting to me and also instructive for me.
In verse thirteen David is asking the Lord to deliver him from what he is going through and from what he was saying in the previous verse it was probably sin that he was asking to be delivered from.
In verses 14-15 David speaks of how his enemies have been trying to destroy him, so David was having trouble from within and also from those around him.
In verse sixteen I see that David knows of the forgiveness and deliverance that God has given to him and so he encourages others because of what the Lord has done for him. I see worship of the Lord in this section as David encourages others to worship.
Dr. Wiersbe writes this about verse seventeen: “I-am—You are” (v.17) says it all. The great I AM is adequate for every need.” Of course Dr. Wiersbe is speaking of the LORD as being the great I AM. We find this in Exodus 13 Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ’The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ’What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ’I AM has sent me to you.’”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I can truly say that this section of Scripture has been very uplifting to me and has meant a need in my heart. 2Timothy 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” We see in these verses the power of God and His Word and this is what I needed this morning.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Continue to trust the Lord to meet the needs of my heart from His Word.
2. Continue to learn contentment through the circumstances of life.
2/9/2012 10:13:39 AM
David's Unusual Prayers (Psalm 69:19-36)
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/6/2012 8:07:11 AM
My Worship Time Focus: David’s “unusual” prayers
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 69:19-36
Message of the verses: In yesterday’s SD we read these words from the introductory commentary of Warren Wiersbe “when you read the psalm, you find the author confronting the Lord with three important concerns.” We went over the first concern yesterday.
Vindication: “Judge My Enemies!” (vv. 19-29): “19 You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; All my adversaries are before You. 20 Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, And for comforters, but I found none. 21 They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
“22 ¶ May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap. 23 May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually. 24 Pour out Your indignation on them, And may Your burning anger overtake them. 25 May their camp be desolate; May none dwell in their tents. 26 For they have persecuted him whom You Yourself have smitten, And they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded. 27 Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness. 28 May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous. 29 But I am afflicted and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high.”
Today around the world many people observe “Good Friday,” the day of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. While on the cross Jesus was offered gall and vinegar to drink when He said that He was thirsty in order to fulfill these words that were written many years before by King David in Psalm 69:21.
David was looking for sympathy because of the physical shape he was in, but got none and then he writes about the food and drink he was offered and so at this point David was looking for the Lord to judge his enemies. He prays for this judgment in verses 22-29. David’s desire was that God would give his enemies what they deserved. The discussion that we see in verses 22-29 is what is referred to as an imprecatory (to call down harm, especially a curse, on somebody) psalm, and Psalm five is another example of an imprecatory psalm.
David’s enemies had put gall and vinegar on his table for him to eat and now in verse 22 David asks God to make their tables become a snare and a trap to them. Dr. Wiersbe writes “This meant that judgment would catch them unprepared in their careless hours of feasting. “While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape (1Thes. 5:3).” “9 And David says, "LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. 10 "LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER." 11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.” Paul is quoting verses 22-23 here in Romans 11:9-10 in order to show Israel’s religious complacency. These verses could be speaking of the sacrifices and the meals that Israel had and how they in no way were honoring to the Lord so Paul speaks to this issue as to why God was going to set Israel aside and turn His attention to the Gentiles.
Dr. Wiersbe goes on to say that “David prayed that some of the basic blessings of life would be taken away from his enemies—eating, seeing, walking, and having descendants—and then that life itself would be snatched from them (vv. 27-28).” It is in the book of Acts that Peter would apply these verses to Judas.
In order to help us understand verse 28 I will again quote from Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary: “David asked in verse 28 that his enemies be slain, blotted out of the book of the living. Even more, he didn’t want them identified with the righteous after they died, which meant they were destined for eternal judgment. While this kind of prayer is hardly an example for God’s people today (Matt. 6:12; Luke 13:34), WE CAN UNDERSTAND David’s hatred of their sins and his desire to protect Israel and its mission in the world.”
Praise: “Be Glorified, O Lord!” (vv. 30-36): “30 ¶ I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving. 31 And it will please the LORD better than an ox Or a young bull with horns and hoofs. 32 The humble have seen it and are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive. 33 For the LORD hears the needy And does not despise His who are prisoners. 34 Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them. 35 For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it. 36 The descendants of His servants will inherit it, And those who love His name will dwell in it.”
I think that one can see why David prayed the prayer that he prayed against his enemies when one reads the last section of this psalm, for in this section we see that David desires for Israel to be saved and then have the Lord build again the cities of Judah. This will happen in the 1000 year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the desire of David to glorify the Lord even in the difficult times he was in when he penned this psalm (vv. 30-31). Dr. Wiersbe writes in conclusion to his commentary “He saw a day coming when the land would be united and healed and the cities populated again. ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem’ (122:6). ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus!’ (Rev. 22:21)”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I can understand how David felt when he prayed the way that he prayed against his enemies in this psalm. I also understand the importance of Israel in the world and as their King, David knew the importance of Israel in the world, knowing that through his line the Messiah would come and provide salvation for His people, and also one day reign over all the earth. There are times when I feel the same way about evil people in this world today and then I wonder how many people were praying for Saul of Tarsus before he became the Apostle Paul. I wonder if people were praying for Hitler or Stalin or people like that when the Bible says that we are to pray for those in authority over us. These are hard things to understand, but if God can save Saul, who by his own words said that he was the chief of sinners, then He can save anyone.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust that the Lord can answer all of my hard questions and give me contentment in His answers.
4/6/2012 9:05:49 AM
4/6/2012 8:07:11 AM
My Worship Time Focus: David’s “unusual” prayers
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 69:19-36
Message of the verses: In yesterday’s SD we read these words from the introductory commentary of Warren Wiersbe “when you read the psalm, you find the author confronting the Lord with three important concerns.” We went over the first concern yesterday.
Vindication: “Judge My Enemies!” (vv. 19-29): “19 You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; All my adversaries are before You. 20 Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, And for comforters, but I found none. 21 They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
“22 ¶ May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap. 23 May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually. 24 Pour out Your indignation on them, And may Your burning anger overtake them. 25 May their camp be desolate; May none dwell in their tents. 26 For they have persecuted him whom You Yourself have smitten, And they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded. 27 Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness. 28 May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous. 29 But I am afflicted and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high.”
Today around the world many people observe “Good Friday,” the day of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. While on the cross Jesus was offered gall and vinegar to drink when He said that He was thirsty in order to fulfill these words that were written many years before by King David in Psalm 69:21.
David was looking for sympathy because of the physical shape he was in, but got none and then he writes about the food and drink he was offered and so at this point David was looking for the Lord to judge his enemies. He prays for this judgment in verses 22-29. David’s desire was that God would give his enemies what they deserved. The discussion that we see in verses 22-29 is what is referred to as an imprecatory (to call down harm, especially a curse, on somebody) psalm, and Psalm five is another example of an imprecatory psalm.
David’s enemies had put gall and vinegar on his table for him to eat and now in verse 22 David asks God to make their tables become a snare and a trap to them. Dr. Wiersbe writes “This meant that judgment would catch them unprepared in their careless hours of feasting. “While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape (1Thes. 5:3).” “9 And David says, "LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. 10 "LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER." 11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.” Paul is quoting verses 22-23 here in Romans 11:9-10 in order to show Israel’s religious complacency. These verses could be speaking of the sacrifices and the meals that Israel had and how they in no way were honoring to the Lord so Paul speaks to this issue as to why God was going to set Israel aside and turn His attention to the Gentiles.
Dr. Wiersbe goes on to say that “David prayed that some of the basic blessings of life would be taken away from his enemies—eating, seeing, walking, and having descendants—and then that life itself would be snatched from them (vv. 27-28).” It is in the book of Acts that Peter would apply these verses to Judas.
In order to help us understand verse 28 I will again quote from Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary: “David asked in verse 28 that his enemies be slain, blotted out of the book of the living. Even more, he didn’t want them identified with the righteous after they died, which meant they were destined for eternal judgment. While this kind of prayer is hardly an example for God’s people today (Matt. 6:12; Luke 13:34), WE CAN UNDERSTAND David’s hatred of their sins and his desire to protect Israel and its mission in the world.”
Praise: “Be Glorified, O Lord!” (vv. 30-36): “30 ¶ I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving. 31 And it will please the LORD better than an ox Or a young bull with horns and hoofs. 32 The humble have seen it and are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive. 33 For the LORD hears the needy And does not despise His who are prisoners. 34 Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them. 35 For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it. 36 The descendants of His servants will inherit it, And those who love His name will dwell in it.”
I think that one can see why David prayed the prayer that he prayed against his enemies when one reads the last section of this psalm, for in this section we see that David desires for Israel to be saved and then have the Lord build again the cities of Judah. This will happen in the 1000 year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the desire of David to glorify the Lord even in the difficult times he was in when he penned this psalm (vv. 30-31). Dr. Wiersbe writes in conclusion to his commentary “He saw a day coming when the land would be united and healed and the cities populated again. ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem’ (122:6). ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus!’ (Rev. 22:21)”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I can understand how David felt when he prayed the way that he prayed against his enemies in this psalm. I also understand the importance of Israel in the world and as their King, David knew the importance of Israel in the world, knowing that through his line the Messiah would come and provide salvation for His people, and also one day reign over all the earth. There are times when I feel the same way about evil people in this world today and then I wonder how many people were praying for Saul of Tarsus before he became the Apostle Paul. I wonder if people were praying for Hitler or Stalin or people like that when the Bible says that we are to pray for those in authority over us. These are hard things to understand, but if God can save Saul, who by his own words said that he was the chief of sinners, then He can save anyone.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust that the Lord can answer all of my hard questions and give me contentment in His answers.
4/6/2012 9:05:49 AM
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Diliverance (Psalm 69:1-18)
SPIRITIUAL DIARY FOR
4/5/2012 8:07:53 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Deliverance
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 69:1-18
Message of the verses: In today’s SD we will look at several introductions to Psalm 69 and then begin to look at the psalm in detail.
“This psalm is a prayer of desperation. David realizes that because he is hated by others, he may shortly be killed. Though he begs for rescue, and calls down curses on his enemies, he concludes the psalm with a high note of praise, with inferences concerning the coming messianic kingdom when all enemies of God’s people are dealt with swiftly and severely (cf. Rev. 2:27). Much of this psalm was applied to Christ by the NT writers. This psalm expresses the feelings of any believer who is being horribly ridiculed, but it uniquely referrers to Christ.” (The John MacArthur Study Bible)
“This is a Messianic psalm, an imprecatory psalm, and after 22 and 110, the most frequently quoted psalm in the New Testament. It is attributed to David and has definite affinities with 35, 40, and 109, which are also Davidic psalms. But what about verses 35-36? When during David’s reign did the cities of Judah need to be rebuilt and the people brought back home? When were the drunkards singing about him in the gates (v. 12) and his enemies about to destroy him (vv. 4, 18-19)? Selected data from the psalm fits the times of both Jeremiah and Hezekiah, but it is difficult to fit everything into the times of David. Perhaps David’s original psalm ended at verse 29 and the Holy Spirit directed the prophet Jeremiah to add verses 30-36 after the fall of Judah and Jerusalem to the Babylonians. The collection of psalms was a ‘living heritage’ and some of the psalms were adapted to new occasions. Whatever the answer, when you read the psalm, you find the author confronting the Lord with three important concerns.” (Dr. Warren Wiersbe’s Commentary)
Deliverance: “Save Me!” (vv. 1-18): “1 ¶ For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Lilies.’’! Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. 2 Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me. 3 I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me. 4 Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me with lies, demanding that I give back what I didn’t steal. 5 O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you. 6 Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me, O Sovereign LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated, O God of Israel. 7 For I endure insults for your sake; humiliation is written all over my face. 8 Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me; they treat me like a stranger. 9 Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. 10 When I weep and fast, they scoff at me. 11 When I dress in burlap to show sorrow, they make fun of me. 12 I am the favorite topic of town gossip, and all the drunks sing about me.
“13 ¶ But I keep praying to you, LORD, hoping this time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation. 14 Rescue me from the mud; don’t let me sink any deeper! Save me from those who hate me, and pull me from these deep waters. 15 Don’t let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour me. 16 Answer my prayers, O LORD, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful. 17 Don’t hide from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble! 18 Come and redeem me; free me from my enemies.” (NLT)
In verses 1-5 David asks for deliverance for his own sake and we see in these verses that David uses a drowning man to describe the kind of situation that he was in. Dr. Wiersbe writes that Amy Carmichael wrote the following on verses 1-2 “Our waters are shallow because His were deep.” He then adds “How True.”
The highlighted portion of verse four was quoted by the Lord Jesus Christ in John 15:25, “"But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ’THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’” Yes Jesus was hated without a cause for He was the only man ever born of woman who did not sin and the writer of Hebrews affirms this when he writes “Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus was tempted with many issues and yet He never sinned, for Jesus kept the whole Law so that we did not have to, for it is impossible for us to do this and that is why we need a Savior. It is said of Jesus that He was humble, and He was probably the most humble and meek person who ever lived on this earth. Meekness is not weakness, but meekness is power under control and Jesus had all power and yet He did not use that power to destroy those who were doing Him harm. I can’t imagine any other person who had the power that Jesus possessed not using it when people began to spit on Him and hit Him and drive nails into His hands and feet. There is a song that has in its lyrics “He could have called ten thousand angels and I know that I am a little off track in my thoughts of Psalm 69, but seeing that tomorrow we think of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ I think that the lyrics to this song fit in here:
“"He could have called ten thousand angels" lyrics:
They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where he prayed
They led him thru the streets in shame
They spat upon the savior so pure and free from sin
They said, "crucify him: he's to blame
He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set him free
He could have called ten thousand angels
But he died alone, for you and me
Upon his precious head they placed a crown of thorns
They laughed and said, "Behold the king"
They struck him and they cursed him and mocked his holy name
All alone he suffered everything
When they nailed him to the cross, his mother stood nearby,
He said, "Woman, behold thy son!"
He cried, "I thirst for water," but they gave him none to drink
Then the sinful work of man was done
To the howling mob he yielded: he did not for mercy cry
The cross of shame he took alone
And when he cried, "It’s finished," he gave himself to die
Salvation's wondrous plan was done.
Back to Psalm 69. David prayed for deliverance for his own sake in verses 1-5 and now we will see that he prays for the Lord’s sake in verses 6-12. The reason he dose this is because those who were lying about him were blaspheming the name of the Lord. We must remember who David was, and that was the Lord’s anointed, the leader of the chosen people of God, for when we look back at the life of David when he was on the run we saw that when he had chances to kill King Saul he would not do it because David knew that Saul was the Lord’s anointed, and now David was the Lord’s anointed so those who would attack him in a sense were attacking the Lord and blaspheming the name of the Lord.
Dr. Wiersbe writes that “The word ‘reproach’ (scorn, insult) is used six times in the psalm (vv. 7, 9, 10, 19, 20). He was scorned because he stood up for the Lord (v. 7) and because he was zealous for God’s house (v. 9). He even alienated his own family (v. 8; see John 7:5; Mark 3:31-35), and the insults that people threw at the Lord also fell on him (v. 9; John 2:17; Rom. 15:3; and see Isa. 56:7 and Jer. 7:11). When they blasphemed God, they blasphemed David, and their attacks against God, and David felt them.”
When we look at this psalm we can see how Jesus was treated, and before He was treated this way, a shameful way to be treated, David was too, but not to the extent that our Lord was.
We now will look at verses 13-18 to see a third argument for deliverance and that was based on the character of God. “13 ¶ But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness, Answer me with Your saving truth. 14 Deliver me from the mire and do not let me sink; May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters. 15 May the flood of water not overflow me Nor the deep swallow me up, Nor the pit shut its mouth on me. 16 Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, 17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in distress; answer me quickly. 18 Oh draw near to my soul and redeem it; Ransom me because of my enemies!” (NASB)
We have talked before about the character of God and the attributes of God and said that it is a good way to get to know the Lord through these attributes and also to claim them in your prayers to God which is what David was doing here. David knew that part of God’s character was lovingkindness and so that is the character of God that he uses to pray to God. David knew God in a wonderful way for many of the attributes of God are found in the writings of David and I believe that is surely one of the reasons that David was called a man after God’s own heart.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: When I think of the cross of Jesus Christ I know that it was the best thing that has every happened on this earth, and yet it was the worst thing that ever happened on this earth. Jesus did not deserve to die, and yet it was because of the lovingkindness of the Lord that He died and that makes it the best thing that has ever happened on this earth. When I look at this portion of Psalm 69 I see Jesus and how He was treated and I also see the zeal that He had for the house of God. I see people treating Him wrongly, but I see Jesus being meek, having His power under control. This makes me want to praise Him even more. Psalm 69 is a good psalm to be studying around this time of the year.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Praise the Lord for His wonderful gift of salvation given to me who does not deserve it. Continue to learn contentment.
4/5/2012 9:37:40 AM
4/5/2012 8:07:53 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Deliverance
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 69:1-18
Message of the verses: In today’s SD we will look at several introductions to Psalm 69 and then begin to look at the psalm in detail.
“This psalm is a prayer of desperation. David realizes that because he is hated by others, he may shortly be killed. Though he begs for rescue, and calls down curses on his enemies, he concludes the psalm with a high note of praise, with inferences concerning the coming messianic kingdom when all enemies of God’s people are dealt with swiftly and severely (cf. Rev. 2:27). Much of this psalm was applied to Christ by the NT writers. This psalm expresses the feelings of any believer who is being horribly ridiculed, but it uniquely referrers to Christ.” (The John MacArthur Study Bible)
“This is a Messianic psalm, an imprecatory psalm, and after 22 and 110, the most frequently quoted psalm in the New Testament. It is attributed to David and has definite affinities with 35, 40, and 109, which are also Davidic psalms. But what about verses 35-36? When during David’s reign did the cities of Judah need to be rebuilt and the people brought back home? When were the drunkards singing about him in the gates (v. 12) and his enemies about to destroy him (vv. 4, 18-19)? Selected data from the psalm fits the times of both Jeremiah and Hezekiah, but it is difficult to fit everything into the times of David. Perhaps David’s original psalm ended at verse 29 and the Holy Spirit directed the prophet Jeremiah to add verses 30-36 after the fall of Judah and Jerusalem to the Babylonians. The collection of psalms was a ‘living heritage’ and some of the psalms were adapted to new occasions. Whatever the answer, when you read the psalm, you find the author confronting the Lord with three important concerns.” (Dr. Warren Wiersbe’s Commentary)
Deliverance: “Save Me!” (vv. 1-18): “1 ¶ For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Lilies.’’! Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. 2 Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me. 3 I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me. 4 Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me with lies, demanding that I give back what I didn’t steal. 5 O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you. 6 Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me, O Sovereign LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated, O God of Israel. 7 For I endure insults for your sake; humiliation is written all over my face. 8 Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me; they treat me like a stranger. 9 Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. 10 When I weep and fast, they scoff at me. 11 When I dress in burlap to show sorrow, they make fun of me. 12 I am the favorite topic of town gossip, and all the drunks sing about me.
“13 ¶ But I keep praying to you, LORD, hoping this time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation. 14 Rescue me from the mud; don’t let me sink any deeper! Save me from those who hate me, and pull me from these deep waters. 15 Don’t let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour me. 16 Answer my prayers, O LORD, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful. 17 Don’t hide from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble! 18 Come and redeem me; free me from my enemies.” (NLT)
In verses 1-5 David asks for deliverance for his own sake and we see in these verses that David uses a drowning man to describe the kind of situation that he was in. Dr. Wiersbe writes that Amy Carmichael wrote the following on verses 1-2 “Our waters are shallow because His were deep.” He then adds “How True.”
The highlighted portion of verse four was quoted by the Lord Jesus Christ in John 15:25, “"But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ’THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’” Yes Jesus was hated without a cause for He was the only man ever born of woman who did not sin and the writer of Hebrews affirms this when he writes “Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus was tempted with many issues and yet He never sinned, for Jesus kept the whole Law so that we did not have to, for it is impossible for us to do this and that is why we need a Savior. It is said of Jesus that He was humble, and He was probably the most humble and meek person who ever lived on this earth. Meekness is not weakness, but meekness is power under control and Jesus had all power and yet He did not use that power to destroy those who were doing Him harm. I can’t imagine any other person who had the power that Jesus possessed not using it when people began to spit on Him and hit Him and drive nails into His hands and feet. There is a song that has in its lyrics “He could have called ten thousand angels and I know that I am a little off track in my thoughts of Psalm 69, but seeing that tomorrow we think of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ I think that the lyrics to this song fit in here:
“"He could have called ten thousand angels" lyrics:
They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where he prayed
They led him thru the streets in shame
They spat upon the savior so pure and free from sin
They said, "crucify him: he's to blame
He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set him free
He could have called ten thousand angels
But he died alone, for you and me
Upon his precious head they placed a crown of thorns
They laughed and said, "Behold the king"
They struck him and they cursed him and mocked his holy name
All alone he suffered everything
When they nailed him to the cross, his mother stood nearby,
He said, "Woman, behold thy son!"
He cried, "I thirst for water," but they gave him none to drink
Then the sinful work of man was done
To the howling mob he yielded: he did not for mercy cry
The cross of shame he took alone
And when he cried, "It’s finished," he gave himself to die
Salvation's wondrous plan was done.
Back to Psalm 69. David prayed for deliverance for his own sake in verses 1-5 and now we will see that he prays for the Lord’s sake in verses 6-12. The reason he dose this is because those who were lying about him were blaspheming the name of the Lord. We must remember who David was, and that was the Lord’s anointed, the leader of the chosen people of God, for when we look back at the life of David when he was on the run we saw that when he had chances to kill King Saul he would not do it because David knew that Saul was the Lord’s anointed, and now David was the Lord’s anointed so those who would attack him in a sense were attacking the Lord and blaspheming the name of the Lord.
Dr. Wiersbe writes that “The word ‘reproach’ (scorn, insult) is used six times in the psalm (vv. 7, 9, 10, 19, 20). He was scorned because he stood up for the Lord (v. 7) and because he was zealous for God’s house (v. 9). He even alienated his own family (v. 8; see John 7:5; Mark 3:31-35), and the insults that people threw at the Lord also fell on him (v. 9; John 2:17; Rom. 15:3; and see Isa. 56:7 and Jer. 7:11). When they blasphemed God, they blasphemed David, and their attacks against God, and David felt them.”
When we look at this psalm we can see how Jesus was treated, and before He was treated this way, a shameful way to be treated, David was too, but not to the extent that our Lord was.
We now will look at verses 13-18 to see a third argument for deliverance and that was based on the character of God. “13 ¶ But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness, Answer me with Your saving truth. 14 Deliver me from the mire and do not let me sink; May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters. 15 May the flood of water not overflow me Nor the deep swallow me up, Nor the pit shut its mouth on me. 16 Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, 17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in distress; answer me quickly. 18 Oh draw near to my soul and redeem it; Ransom me because of my enemies!” (NASB)
We have talked before about the character of God and the attributes of God and said that it is a good way to get to know the Lord through these attributes and also to claim them in your prayers to God which is what David was doing here. David knew that part of God’s character was lovingkindness and so that is the character of God that he uses to pray to God. David knew God in a wonderful way for many of the attributes of God are found in the writings of David and I believe that is surely one of the reasons that David was called a man after God’s own heart.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: When I think of the cross of Jesus Christ I know that it was the best thing that has every happened on this earth, and yet it was the worst thing that ever happened on this earth. Jesus did not deserve to die, and yet it was because of the lovingkindness of the Lord that He died and that makes it the best thing that has ever happened on this earth. When I look at this portion of Psalm 69 I see Jesus and how He was treated and I also see the zeal that He had for the house of God. I see people treating Him wrongly, but I see Jesus being meek, having His power under control. This makes me want to praise Him even more. Psalm 69 is a good psalm to be studying around this time of the year.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Praise the Lord for His wonderful gift of salvation given to me who does not deserve it. Continue to learn contentment.
4/5/2012 9:37:40 AM
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