MasterTruth

Hope in God

Today is Monday, and it’s a beautiful day out today. Let the week begin! But I have an oppressive enemy who wants to bring distress to my soul. He finds some way to cause me to doubt daily where God is. He derails me. He wants to cast me down and toss me around. Satan is an agitator. He wants darkness to flood my soul because he is dark. It happens most days. It takes practically nothing to put me into this spiral.

I don’t think I’m alone. In fact, I know I’m not. Fortunately, one of the writers of the Bible was like me, and he penned his way out of oppression in 5 minutes or less. Want to know what he did? Let’s look at the passage as a whole first, then look at it phrase by phrase.

“I will say unto God my rock, why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach  me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” (Psa. 42:9-11)

“I will say unto God my rock,	Whatever comes out of his mouth next, he sure knows who he’s talking to! Start with acknowledging anything about God you love as you address Him.
Why hast thou forgotten me?	Wow. At least he’s honest with God.
Why go I mourning  because of the oppression of the enemy?	He gets his mental/emotional bearings. Why am I so down? He knows it’s due to the oppression (distress and pressure) of the enemy. Ah. Yes, we do have an enemy of our soul. Identify him.
As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?	He fully processes what’s happening in his derailed soul. His enemy is turning him into a practical atheist… one who says or acts like there is no God. This obviously can’t go on!
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”	He takes himself in hand and reminds himself of God. There’s no reason to be cast down and unsettled inside. He encourages himself to hope in God and looks ahead to brighter days of praise.

David knew how to encourage himself in God (1 Sam. 30:6), and that’s how he did it. We can do it to. Let’s start the habit today. Let’s memorize this passage.

Jody

Notice the Sonshine

Have you seen a beautiful sunrise lately? Whenever I do, I feel like I’m in the midst of unspeakable majesty. And in a way, I am. Besides that it is God’s creation faithfully rising to usher in the day, it is also a type of Jesus Christ. (For more on that, see my previous post.) I get this from comparing scripture with scripture.

Notice: “Their (creation) line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” (Psa. 19:4-5) In fact, the sun is one of the pieces of creation that so obviously speaks of Christ—seen by everyone—that anyone who dies without having trusted Christ will have no excuse for not knowing about Him (see Rom 1:18-21).

Now, back to the awesomeness of that sunrise. Our Psalm passage says it “is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber.” Do you realize that elsewhere in the Bible, Jesus is referred to as the bridegroom, and we, the church, are his bride?

That the sun pictures the Son is probably most obvious here: “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” (Mal 4:2)

I keep getting away from that beautiful sunrise. Let’s ponder that. When the sun comes up, we can turn the lights off in the house. It provides our light and encourages us to get on with our day. A little later, the cat moves to the south window to soak up the warmth of the sun. Its light, warmth and mental/emotional/physical healing powers are a giant lovingkindness from God. He wants you and me to get that. Do you realize that His lovingkindnesses for us are a thing of the morning and of the day—not of the night? Call me crazy, but look.

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust. (Psa. 143:8a)

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. (Psa. 92:1-2)

Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. (Psa. 42:8)

In this day and age, and in previous days and ages, the sun has been there with healing and warmth in its wings as a giant lovingkindness from God. Many cultures, present and past, recognize the wonder of the sun, and many worship sun gods. They need to hear and receive the truth of the Son of God.

We enjoy our sun-filled days. But there’s another day coming when warmth and sunshine will not be granted. So don’t take it (or Jesus) for granted now.

Here we go. It’s called “the day of the Lord” or “that day” in the Bible. It’s a horrific picture of judgment. It’s the other side of Jesus we haven’t seen. Here is the most complete reference to it in the Bible. Please notice as you read… it’s a different kind of day than has ever been experienced here—and notice the difference in the sun:

“Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.” (Isa. 13:6-13)

It’s the second coming of Jesus. This time not as a savior (pictured by our sun), but as a judge. No more sun/son. Opportunity for grace and lovingkindness over.

To close out today, “He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor 6:2)

Today is the day of salvation. While you see the sun, there’s still time to meet the Son. Repent of your willful ignorance today and accept Him and what He did for you on the cross. Read your Bible to learn more about it. Start with John 3.

Jody