7/25/13 7/25/13

Be Wise and Be Careful

The most intriguing period of David’s life, to me, is from when Samuel anointed David as the next king and the time he actually became king. In the meantime, Saul was king, and he didn’t know that David was going to replace him. But we know.

What happened in that interim period …. Consider it one of the “testimonies of the Lord.” That is, the Scriptures we read that show us how situations are handled that we can learn from. David himself said the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (Ps.19:7b)

First, we read how David killed Goliath after he first became the king in waiting, unbeknownst to Saul. The Goliath show impressed Saul so immensely that he didn’t let David go home to his father. (1 Sam 18) Saul thought that David obviously belonged in the palace with him. Te he.

And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. (1 Sam 18:5)

The quality of David’s life for today is that he behaved himself wisely, and other people noticed. Is that something that can be said about me? There’s a lot to be said for behaving wisely. Other ways I could behave are emotionally, selfishly, greedily, foolishly, etc. To walk wisely is to have insight and comprehension and then walk calmly, the way I should. I want that.

The Proverbs 31 woman behaves wisely. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. (Prov. 31:26) Honestly, I read Prov. 31, and I think, “There’s no way I’m like that.” She brings food from afar; she gets up early (while it’s still night!) and gives food to her household; she sews; she shops (for real estate!). I’m doing good if I just clean the house. I’m a little jealous of this model woman.

That brings me to another point about the characteristic of David we’re looking at today (He behaved himself wisely, and other people noticed). Yes, it would be nice to be like that, but sometimes people get jealous of those who behave wisely. So if I’m going to be wise, I’m going to have to understand that I’ll need that wisdom to deal with the people who can’t deal with me being wise.

And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. (1 Sam. 18:14-16)

Some loved and followed David because they could see he was wise. But Saul was afraid of him and was jealous of him (1 Sam 18:8). His jealousy led him to extremes.

All I’m saying is, yes, be wise, but be careful. Not everyone can deal with wise people. So, here’s something to pray back to God, if that’s the case: When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Prov. 16:7)

7/24/13 7/24/13

What Are We Waiting For?

I think it’s interesting that there was SO much time between when the prophet Samuel anointed David to be the next king and when he actually became king. Remember this? Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. (1 Sam 16:13)

Yet it was uncertain years and so many tears before David actually took up his kingly position.

This reminds me of the fact that I’ve been anointed by the Holy Spirit. I’m a child of the king. I have an inheritance. But there’s a long waiting period before actually receiving that inheritance. There’s a reason for that: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (1 Pet 5:10)

David was called, then he was perfected, stablished, strengthened and settled. It happened through trials. The character quality that emerged was a fearless trust in God.

In the Bible, he went from his anointing in chapter 16 to his bout with the giant Goliath in chapter 17. Here are some stand-outs from that episode:

And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. (1 Sam 17:32)
David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. (1 Sam 17:37)
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. (46) This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. (47) And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands. (1 Sam 17:45-47)

He fiercely believed when he couldn’t see. He proved it. He trusted in the LORD with all his heart; and leaned not unto his own understanding. In all his ways he acknowledge him, and he directed his paths. (Prov 3:5-6)

Here, I won’t go deeply into the other events of David’s waiting period, but to say that Saul presented his clearest challenge. Saul continually hunted David to kill him. People problems dogged him. Yet David grew in favor with God and men as he continued to trust God, just like he trusted God regarding Goliath. When David could have turned around and killed Saul (it would have relieved his anguish and hastened him becoming king), he didn’t. He trusted God to eliminate Saul. His fearless faith was evident in the things he did (killed Goliath) and things he didn’t do (kill Saul).

We have such a clear window into how our hearts are supposed to be during our waiting period. The take-away is, when facing trials. Face them nobly with growing faith. We are being perfected, stablished, strengthened, and settled. Hang in there!

7/23/13 7/23/13

The Heart of David

I’ve noticed that Ps. 119 is a window into David’s soul. He’s my favorite Bible character. So we are going to dive into a study of his life to go along with the study on Ps. 119.

David often talks about God’s testimonies in Ps. 119. To him, those were Old Testament stories that he learned from. God’s testimonies show how he works in people’s lives. Little did David know that he would be part of “the testimony of the Lord” through the recording of his life and his psalms.

Look at Ps. 19:7 The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. When we study the testimony of the Lord in David’s life, we become wise, if we pay attention to it.

Another reason to study David’s life has come up in this blog several times recently from what the Apostle Paul said about David: Act 13:21-22 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. (22) And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Our goal is to see how David was a man after God’s heart, so we will be women after God’s heart.

First, David had the Spirit of God. The prophet Samuel, at God’s direction, went to the house of Jesse to find out which of his eight sons God had picked to be the king:

1Sa 16:5-7 And he (prophet Samuel) said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. (6) And it came to pass, when they were come, that he (Samuel) looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him. (7) But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

1Sa 16:11-13 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. (12) And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. (13) Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.

We also have the Spirit if we are saved. But do we live lives controlled by the Spirit? David often did (but not always, we know).

Let’s remember that the Israelites already had a king, Saul. But he was disobedient to God. God had asked him to go to the enemies of God and kill them and the animals. It was God’s way of judging his enemies. But Saul saved some of the animals. When Samuel asked him why he didn’t obey God, Saul said to Samuel, 1Sa 15:20-24 Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. (21) But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. (22) And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. (23) For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. (24) And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

This tells us what God likes and doesn’t like. He wants us to obey him. When we hear a sermon from the word of God and the Holy Spirit touches our heart and tells us we have failed in some area, we need to ask him to forgive us and turn our heart back to him. He would rather have our obedience than our sacrifices or our praise.

And so, God asked the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king. … The key to David’s success from that point on was that the Spirit of God was on him.

That will be our success as a Christian too... the Spirit of God living in us and guiding us.

Rom 8:8-9 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (9) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

We can’t live by human reasoning. That is living in the flesh. That doesn’t please God.

Zec 4:6b Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

We can’t live by our own willpower and our own strength. We must live by God’s spirit, who directs us in our hearts and tells us what is the right thing to do.

Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Walk in dependence on the spirit to guide, and then we won’t follow our own natural desires.

Pro 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

7/22/13 7/22/13

All the Right Motives

I’m impressed with David’s example of having God-directed motives in Ps. 119. He asked for God’s help, but not so he could have a more comfortable, happy life. It was for God’s benefit that David was taken care of, because then he’d obey God better.

When we’re wretched and miserable, that becomes our focus. But David just wanted to know God’s word so he could obey it. He redefined “obedient child.” He didn’t just do what he was told. He wanted God to tell him things so he could obey. Where does a heart like that come from?

As we noticed yesterday, And when he had removed him [ Saul ], he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. (Acts 13:22)

Ps. 119: 133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.	“Lord, let my footsteps be firm and stable—in your word.” David knew, and we know, that won’t happen if we’re letting any sin control us. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (Matthew 7:24-25) These verses compare hearing and doing God’s word to founding your life on a rock. What is more firm and stable than that?
(134) Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.	David is back to his theme of needing to be delivered from the oppression or cruelty of men. He’s done that several times in Ps. 119. That tells me that one prayer doesn’t take care of people problems forever. Sometimes it’s a daily prayer. Notice where his heart is in this prayer. It isn’t, “deliver me because I can’t take this anymore.” His heart is “deliver me so I will keep your precepts (codes of wisdom and principles to live by). Lord, it’s in your best interest if you deliver me. I’ll be a better doer of your word.”
(135) Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.	I love this imagery. If God’s face is shining on us, it means he’s showing his favor. David prayed that for himself, and so can we, because God has promised to be merciful and gracious and longsuffering with us (Ex. 34:6-7, my favorite verses). Again, David’s desire for God’s favor isn’t just so he can be happy all the time. He also wants God to teach him his statutes or prescribed tasks, because he wants to do them. What a great child of God David was. How many children will ask their fathers, “tell me what you’d like me to do, because I’d love to do whatever you tell me.”?
(136) Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.	What a tender heart. David had an unusual longing to obey God. That is so unselfish, I can hardly relate. When you look at his life, other than the Bathsheba time, he was always wanting to do things God’s way. He prayed before battles. He refused to take matters into his own hands (Saul), but left them up to God to handle. He was compassionate to people, just like God is with us and like God would like us to be with others. His is a life worth studying.

7/21/13 7/21/13

Turn on the Light

It’s Monday and it’s time to start the week out with God. At church, we have been encouraged to fast something for 3 weeks in order to beseech God. Some are fasting food of some sort. I’m fasting sleep. I’m getting up earlier, walking and praying outside, and coming in and spending some great time in the Bible before the activities of the day.

As I read Ps. 119, I’m ever mindful that David wrote the Psalm. And I know his life. This Psalm gives such insight into it. What made him such an admirable person (most of the time)? It was his hunger and passion for God and His word. He needed God every day. So do I. Here we go…

Psa 119:129 Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.	God’s testimonies are the Bible stories I love that tell me how God works in people’s lives. Those stories and what I learn from them are indeed wonderful. David thought so too, because he made it a point to learn from them and keep the lessons he learned. Maybe the biggest lesson for me is that God is merciful. He doesn’t wipe us off the planet when we mess up. (Ex. 34:6-7) And so, can I, in turn, be merciful to other people?
(130) The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.	Here is a plug for daily Bible reading. Who doesn’t need light and understanding every single day? The word entrance means opening. I can get light just from sitting down and opening the Bible and reading. It gives me discernment. Is there any situation that I couldn’t use some God-given discernment? Even this verse gives me discernment that God gives discernment if I open his word and read.
(131) I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.	In Ps. 119:131, David gasped for God’s word, and not just God’s promises, but God’s commandments. “Lord, what do you want me to do? Show me. I want to do your will.” That’s what David was like. That’s a wonderful testimony that I want to keep (see vs. 129 above). And when he had removed him [ Saul ], he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. (Acts 13:22) David really did follow after God’s commandments in order to do them.
(132) Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.	Here’s a piece of insight into David’s heart and mind. Like me, God’s mercy stood out to him when he looked at God’s testimonies as seen in the stories of how God dealt with people in the Old Testament. He applied that characteristic of God to his prayers for himself. “Lord, you were merciful to the Israelites as they wandered around in the wilderness. Please be merciful to me!”

7/18/13 7/18/13

People Perspective

We will have to live in heaven before we can avoid people who stun us with their unsavory behavior and words. We can just hope they don’t aim their venom at us. But sometimes it happens, as it did with David.

What I like about David is that he didn’t behave emotionally when he faced people problems. He always took it to God. He made it a spiritual matter. He used the oppression as an opportunity to reflect on God. That is an inkling I’d like to exercise, how about you?

Let’s look at how David looked at God and people.

Ps. 119:125 I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.	Why should we expect God to help us to understand and know His testimonies (stories of how He works in people’s lives)? In this verse, it’s because we are God’s servant. I will serve God better if I understand how He works with people. For example, Prov. 21:1, he turns the hearts of kings. Knowing that reveals how to pray for people. Along the same line, Jer 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Pro 20:24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? Lord, give me understanding in how to apply that in my prayers for people.
(126) It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law.	There’s urgency in this prayer of David’s, just like there is in my prayers when something needs to be done now. David is telling God it’s time to work! I love it. It’s a prayer of desperation, motivated by the realization that those around him were going against God. “Lord, you’ve got to do something!”
(127) Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.	The realization of those who go against God should cause me to use the occasion to affirm my love for God’s commandments, and desire His ways more than anything else. Acknowledge the bad example of others by affirming a love for God’s desires.
(128) Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.	Also in the realization of those who go against God, I should affirm to God I love and agree with his codes of wisdom and principles to live by and that I hate deception and fraud. Use others’ bad examples as a chance to draw closer to God and His ways and His truth.

7/17/13 7/17/13

How to Have a Crisis

What do you do when you’re desperate and people problems press heavily against you? You are being wronged while trying to live right. Do you call your friends and complain? Do you worry yourself sick? Do you mope around all day causing those around you to walk on eggshells?

Take a few moments alone and get hold of God. There’s a way to do that, and David provides the perfect example in the verses below from Ps. 119, which we are working through. David is the ultimate example of someone with people problems, considering his relationship with Saul. Notice what he did, and apply it to your circumstance. I read the verses below and wrote out a personal and private prayer to God. Perhaps you can do the same.

Psa 119:121 I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.	Who like David could say they have decided a case and determined to do what’s right? David did that with Saul when he considered and decided not to kill Saul when it was in his power to do it. And therefore, David asked God for a simple thing: “Don’t leave me to my oppressors.” And God answered. Saul was soon out of the way, and David became king as God had promised he would.
(122) Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me.	David wasn’t done talking to God about his oppressors. To be “surety” means to “undertake for.” David thought of himself as God’s servant and asked God to work on his behalf for good and not allow the proud to oppress him. It’s a great prayer of dependence and supplication. Rather than worry about his oppressors, David appealed to God for deliverance from them. It’s an example of Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. 1 Pet. 5:7
(123) Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.	David was desperate, likely a result of the aforementioned oppressors. What he needed was to be saved from them. But just as equally, he needed a word of righteousness from God. We also need less issues and people problems and more of God’s great word.
(124) Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes.	“God, here’s how I need you to deal with me…” Is it OK to pray that? It is if the suggested way is according to who God is, and his “mercy” is definitely the way he is (Ex. 34:6-7). “Lord, in this situation, deal with me according to your mercy. And while you’re at it, teach me your prescribed tasks.”

6/26/13 6/26/13

Bread Makes Christianity Stand Out

You’re talking to someone of another religion who asks you why you believe Christianity is the only way. “Every religion is the same,” they say. “How come you are so dogmatic about yours?”

Here’s one solid response. Every other religion is man’s attempt to reach God. Christianity is God’s attempt to reach man in order to solve man’s problem. Part B is all the prophesies of Christ in the Old Testament that came to pass, that were written hundreds of years before Christ was born.

We are looking at some pictures and types of Christ in the Old Testament. The Bible is 3D. The stories in the Old Testament contain great history and lessons we can learn from. That’s the single dimension. But many of the stories are also there to point to the future Christ.

That’s the case with God providing the Israelites manna when they were wandering in the wilderness, complaining because they had no food.

God responded by providing them with this manna that rained down from heaven. Manna was a kind of bread, a heavenly bread. Why did God do that? Because it pictured Jesus, who is bread from heaven. Jesus even said so himself. We’ll see below.

Old Testament

Notes

Exo 16:11-18 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (12) I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. (13) And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. (14) And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. (15) And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. (16) This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. (17) And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. (18) And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating….

Exo 16:35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan….

Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Jesus said that he is the bread of life.

Joh 6:35 …I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst….

Joh 6:41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

Joh 6:47-51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (48) I am that bread of life. (49) Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. (50) This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. (51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

This makes the manna so important. It was one of three things kept in the Ark of the Covenant. Everything in that ark represented Christ and/or the Word.

Exo 16:33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.

Heb 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

But manna is also the word of God. Not a problem, because Jesus (the bread from heaven) is also the word of God.

Joh 1:1&14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. (14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…

When Satan tempted Christ to obey him in Matt. 4, Jesus said It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Mat.4:4

6/19/13 6/19/13

Adjust or Self Destruct

God is in control. We are not. The more we know him, the more we will bring ourselves in line with the way he thinks and with his expectations, and that will be good for us.

Anyone who is a parent grasps the difference between a relationship with a compliant child and with a rebellious one. There’s more joy and freedom for the compliant child and more grief for everyone for the rebellious one.

Let’s aim to be compliant children of God.

Psa. 119:117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.	It’s fair to reason with God, as long as we do it with God’s interests at the center and not our interests. Let me paraphrase this verse backwards. “God, I know I will better adhere to your prescribed tasks if you will hold me up and keep me safe.” You see, it’s to God’s benefit to come to our rescue, because then we’ll be in a better position to follow and obey him. Here’s another, Save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies. Psa. 119:146b
(118) Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.	Why do bad things happen to some people? No matter who the bad things happen to, God is in control. God uses hardship to draw his children close to him and/or to discipline them. But for the unsaved, this verse answers it. Hard circumstances are the result of sin. We reap what we sow. The wages of sin is still death (Rom 6:23).
(119) Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.	There is justice. We know that from reading God’s testimonies, or the stories written in the Bible that show us how God acts and responds. My absolute favorite example of this is the testimony of Haman in Esther. If you’re familiar with Esther, here are the concluding verses that show God puts away the wicked: And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified. (Esther 7:9-10) I love God’s testimonies!
(120) My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.	If there’s something to be afraid of, it’s God’s judgments (his acts of dealing with a case). While God is loving, he is also just. We have barely seen a blip of God’s judgments. We are living in the age of grace where the goodness of God is leading us to repentance. But from the book of Revelation, we know God’s wrath is as triumphant as his love. We should fear him.

6/18/13 6/18/13

Have a Mind Makeover

Do you ever find that you get in a rut with your thoughts? You default to worry or small, petty gripes? That gets old fast, not only to yourself, but to those who are subjected to you (your family).

Today’s lesson from Ps. 119, as we work through it, has a lot to do with your thoughts and what to do with them. God’s word is a balm to the savage mind. Learn how to direct your thoughts rather than be led by them. You’ll see as you go through these verses. Find one to memorize and meditate on. It won’t be hard. The verses are short.

Psa 119:113- I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.	Vain thoughts originate from our minds and imaginations. God’s law originates from God. Turning away from self and toward God is what our faith is all about. The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. (Psa 94:11) In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. (Psa 94:19)
(114) Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.	The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. (Prov18:10). Can we learn how to hide in God?Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (Eph. 6:16) Faith in God is a shield. I want to be hidden and shielded in God. The key is to discover and hope in his word. Find a verse for the day and cling to it.
(115) Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.	Instead of succumbing to thoughts of defeat when bullied, criticized or otherwise mistreated, choose to let those effects bounce off of you as you determine to keep God’s commandments. What commandments? How about this one: Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, (2 Chron. 20:17a) OK. Today, I’m giving my battle to the Lord and I’m standing still and watching how he saves me.
(116) Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.	Got it. This verse is an example of a prayer that holds God to his promises. We can do the same. For example, “Lord, you said Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee… Please fulfill that in me today, and don’t let me be ashamed for hoping in your word.” My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word. (Psa 119:81)

6/17/13 6/17/13

Keep Cool

David lays out the steps he takes to keep from becoming a basket case. Any of us in his shoes could certainly come undone. Much of his life that we read about, he’s either running for his life from Saul or from his son Absalom. These people are hunting him down to kill him, and for what? He didn’t deserve it. He was running from jealous men who wanted to secure themselves as king.

I once had a job that a coworker wanted, and she had me in her crosshairs. She was a scrapper, and I kept my eye on her, fearing a bit that she would pull something to get pieces of my job.

That is only minor compared to what David went through. He uprooted his life and physically ran, taking a group of men with him. And this was after God had already promised David he would be king. God keeps his promises. But for David, not immediately.

How did he reconcile this in his mind? In fact, what went through his mind?

Ps. 119:109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.	In other words, David was always in danger. In spite of it, he didn’t forget God’s law. The law requires right behavior. David set his life to behave properly. We see that when he had the opportunity to kill Saul, and he didn’t. He left Saul’s demise up to God.
(110) The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.	We know that wicked Saul was continuously after David, but David could rest at night knowing he didn’t violate God’s precepts. As long as he was right with God, he knew God would take care of him. Like God’s law, precepts are codes of wisdom or principles to live by. We have more precepts at our disposal than David did. And interestingly, David’s son Solomon wrote many of them. Here’s one: When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him (Prov 16:7).
(111) Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.	How could David know God’s faithfulness except for his testimonies or stories in the amount of the Bible he had at the time (the first 5 books of the Bible). He had God’s description of himself that served as the rejoicing of his heart. We know because he repeats the description in several of his Psalms. Here’s the original: And the LORD passed by before him [ Moses ], and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; Ex. 34:6-7a These verses are our heritage too. We should take them down off the shelf and use them every day.
(112) I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.	I think the key to David being a man after God’s own heart was his inclination to know and obey. We have so many other inclinations. Can we at least determine to read God’s word every day and find a verse to set our heart and life on?

6/16/13 6/16/13

Not Another Manic Monday

It’s Monday. How are we going to make it through this week? Hopefully better than we made it through last week if we resolve to stay close to the Lord. We learn how to do that in the four verses below from Ps. 119.

No doubt, challenges will come. But they don’t have to derail us if we’ve determined to hang on to God’s word. All I can say is David was able to hang on to God much of the time (we never forget Bathsheba) and we see how he did it from the verses below.

Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.	Who doesn’t need life direction? Who couldn’t use a little discernment—a little light shed on the matter, or on all matters? God’s word brings that direction, discernment and light. Get in the habit of reading and meditating on it every day. Be accountable to someone if it’s tough for you to be faithful each day. Ask God to show you who that person should be. I did one time and that person called me within 2 minutes of just thinking of her name, and she asked me first if she could be accountable to me!
(106) I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.	Next, determine that you will obey that light you get from God’s word. David swore he would keep it. That’s pretty serious. “Whatever you want, God, that’s what I promise I’ll do.” When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. (Deut. 23:21) I hope it’s still possible, in our day and age, to be as serious about obeying God as David was in his day.
(107) I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.	If you have a lifestyle of reading, meditating on and obeying God’s word every day, then when you face challenges or afflictions, you have an arsenal of instructions, promises and comforts that God can use to quicken or enliven you. You can ask God to use the salve of his word to touch your soul. That is how you encourage yourself in God, without the need to run to others.
(108) Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments.	Let praise be ever present in your communications with God as you read his word expecting him to teach and enlighten you. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Heb.13:15)

6/13/13 6/13/13

Untie the Knots in Your Stomach

Anyone with a stomach tied up in knots over anything going on right now will enjoy the four verses from Ps. 119 today. They address focus, which is what we need to work on in order to untie the knots.

Understand that there is nothing going on in your life that God doesn’t address in some way, as long as you have an open heart and a willingness to follow where God directs in his word. Before you read the verses below, pray this prayer from your heart: Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. (Ps. 119:18)

Ps. 119: 101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.	This verse is an example of surrendering self-will for the sake of obeying God’s word. Is there anything in my life God could point a finger at as disappointing to him? If so, will I eagerly give it up in order to obey him? Any habits, pleasures, thoughts, attitudes? Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps. 139:23-24
(102) I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.	We learn God’s judgments (his acts of dealing with a case) the same way we learn about his testimonies (stories of how he works in people’s lives)—from reading examples in the Bible and learning from them. One example of his judgments is Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: There are consequences to sin; one is unanswered prayer. The point of Ps. 119:102 is to notice God’s judgments as we read them, and meditate on them and learn them, so we can avoid sin and thus its consequences as much as possible.
(103) How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!	The Bible is compared to honey in a few places. (See Ps. 19:9-10 and Prov 24:13-14.) It would be an interesting study to examine the characteristics of honey and how it compares to God’s word. For one, it is 100% natural with no additives. It stands sweet by itself apart from anything man can do to it. God’s word is like that. It is pure by itself. Its sweetness is a pleasant characteristic, universally appealing. But to enjoy it, you have to eat it. It can turn a bitter soul sweet. Take a few bites and see.
(104) Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.	Precepts are codes of wisdom or principles to guide our lives. When we see them in God’s word, we should notice and get understanding for how to handle our situations. God’s precepts are separate from man’s ways, so when we see God’s codes of wisdom or principles, they are likely to be in stark contrast to what we naturally know, and we will learn to recognize and despise the world’s ways. For one, God sells nothing with sex appeal. The world hardly sells anything without it. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:15-16)

6/12/13 6/12/13

What Made David Great?

I just returned from a missions trip to India, where it was my privilege to teach the characteristics of David to a group of women who had never sat under a woman and learned the word of God. I hope they were as rejuvenated by the spirit of David as I was. We looked at the fact that he had the Spirit of God in him (as we do if we know the Lord), and he had a fearless trust in God, was fair and kind, was often a quiet warrior, was spiritually dependent and independent at the same time, and he encourage himself in God. There were more lessons, but those certainly stand out.

I encourage anyone to study David’s life from 1 and 2 Samuel and from the Psalms. We’ve had a good look into the mind of David in our study here of Ps. 119. These verses show what made him a great character. They serve as his testimony, and we know that we learn great things from God’s testimonies. Today, join me in looking at Ps. 119:97-100.

Psa 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.	The best thoughts we can have all day are the ones focused on God’s word. David loved to meditate on God’s law—all day. We tend to meditate on things all day, usually whatever is top of mind, whether that be problems, projects or people, etc. I think it’s a great idea to find some verses in the morning and think on them all day. Wonderful go-to verses are Prov. 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
(98) Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.	David also thought on God’s commandments, and he recognized that a good understanding of them made him wiser than his enemies. He said “for they are ever with me.” Did he mean God’s commandments were ever with him, or his enemies? I suspect he meant God’s commandments were ever with him. He looked at them as treasures to guide him through the minefields of his enemies. That’s how he had the grace to go through what he did with Saul pursing him relentlessly. We also can be wiser than our enemies if we will focus on God’s solutions rather than our problems.
(99) I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.	We can be on top of the world when we understand and grasp God’s testimonies. We can live encouraged, not because we read “Our Daily Bread” in the morning for a boost, but because we ponder God’s ways shown in his word, and we trust him. It gives us more understanding than our teachers.
(100) I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.	Not only can we have better spiritual understanding than our teachers, we can have more understanding than wise people of old. Think of any famous philosopher through the ages. They knew nothing truly unless it was God’s precepts. David certainly had a life-altering grasp of God through his word, and that’s where he found his strength and his glory. I think he had that level of understanding because of his enemies. They drove him to seek God. When we have challenges, may they drive us to God and his word and not to despair.

5/27/13 5/27/13

Remember God’s Word However You Can

David provides such a great example of proper focus. He always expected things from God whenever he looked at God’s word. It was his hope when he had nothing else to hang on to. In Ps. 119, he shows us how he hung onto God’s word. It really inspires me.

What better than to put some of Ps. 119 to music to remember it. Here’s a YouTube video several of us put together. It’s Ps. 119:1-4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GviOe-fniXE

Ps. 119:93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.	Precepts are codes of wisdom or principles to guide our lives. I understand David’s sentiment, because when I find verses that raise me up from emotional doom, I tend to remember. Actually, I tend to put them to music so I can’t forget them. How many times has Prov. 3:5-6 quickened me? I remember the verses: Pro 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (You’ll find sheet music to that on the right under OT Musical Memory Verses.)
(94) I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.	This shows a character quality of David’s I love. He read the Bible purposefully and expectantly. (Yes, he did have some Scriptures available to him at that time.) He sought God’s precepts or codes of wisdom/principles to guide his life. Because he did that, he appealed to God to save him from whatever he was going through. Really, my best personal quiet times are when I go through the Bible looking for something. It might be a word study or a character study. In David’s case, I think he went through asking, “God, how do you want me to live?” I think that’s true, because look what he taught his son Solomon, who wrote Proverbs in Prov. 4:3-9.
(95) The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies.	David held up during his people trials, how? He considered God’s testimonies. Those are the stories that show how people act and how God responds. He could have read about Moses and the times the people rose up against him and how God was with him. That gave David hope and encouragement. An emerging lesson is that it’s important not to just read the Bible, but meditate on it and pray it back to God and trust it. Do you see why David is one of my favorite Bible characters?
(96) I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.	Perfection is hard to find, especially where humans are concerned. I wouldn’t even try to look for it (take one look at the government, for example, and there’s the end of perfection, for sure). But… God’s commandments are broad. We can look and look and we’ll have something more to look at. Reminds me of the phrase “to look around is to be depressed. To look up is to be blessed.” We look up by looking at his word. Don’t even bother looking around.

5/26/13 5/26/13

Faithfulness is What I Long For

Faithfulness is what I need. Those are some of the words of a popular worship song. Today we see God’s faithfulness in His word and in his creation. If everything else falls apart, those are two places we can go for rejuvenation. It helps that we know God as the Creator of creation. But what can be a more wonderful personal worship time than going outside in creation, looking at the sureness of what God has made, and realizing that it remains to this day and will continue to remain, because God made it? Pick your time. Day or night. And then think on the promises in his word that also remain. Day or night.

Psa 19:2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

And by way of application…

Psa 139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

Here are our four Ps. 119 verses for today:

Psa 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.	What is more faithful than God? Nothing. But equal to his faithfulness is the faithfulness of his word. On an application level, what he promised several thousand years ago still stands, and will always stand. God deposited his thoughts into the bank of his word, and it is insured forever. Here are some other equally amazing verses about the faithfulness of his word: Psa 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (7) Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
(90) Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.	And on the subject of God’s faithfulness, it passes from one generation to the next. That should be comforting to parents who wonder how their children will ever make it in this rapidly deteriorating world. Granted, It’s not the same world we grew up in. It’s not as innocent. But God. …He is still faithful, and he will be faithful to the next generation. Proof of his faithfulness is creation. As sure as the sun came up this morning (OK, it’s raining in Kansas City), he will be faithful to your kids, because his faithfulness is unto all generations.
(91) They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.	The earth. … creation… continues because God has ordained it to be so. (Read Ps. 148.) In this context, what is his servant? All of creation. Creation is serving God’s purpose. For one, it’s serving as an example of God’s faithfulness, as we saw in vs. 90. Really, if you want a look at stability, go take a walk outside and thank God for the creation around you.
(92) Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.	And now we’re back to the faithfulness of God’s word, his law. While you are out on a walk, meditate on the faithfulness of God’s law, and its delights to your life. Otherwise, you would have “perished in your affliction.” This is how you encourage yourself in God. Remember his word and his faithfulness. Clear your mind of everything else for a few minutes and think on that.

5/23/13 5/23/13

Prepare to be Amazed

Sometimes people in the Old Testament are types of Christ, and now we look at objects that picture Christ. The concept may seem odd, but some of the clearest pictures of Christ are objects. Today it’s the rod.

There are three main rods in the Old Testament: the rod of Moses, the rod of Aaron, and the rod of David. Altogether, this represents Christ as prophet (Moses), priest (Aaron), and king (David).

God’s use of the rod in Moses’ hand was what he would use to convince/prove to the people his (God’s) power. This physical manifestation of God’s power is like Christ. He was the physical manifestation of God’s power.

Here’s some proof that the rod represents Christ:

The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Psa 110:2

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isa 11:1

As a representation of Christ, Aaron’s rod was kept in the Ark of the Covenant, and each item kept in the ark represented Christ. Read the column on the left, then go to the matching commentary on the right.

Old Testament

Notes

Exo 4:1-5 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. (2) And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. (3) And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. (4) And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: (5) That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

Exo 7:10-12 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. (11) Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. (12) For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

Num 17:1-13 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (2) Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod. (3) And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. (4) And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. (5) And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. (6) And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. (7) And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. (8) And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. (9) And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. (10) And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. (11) And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

The fact that this first mention of the word rod in the Bible is connected to it becoming a serpent parallels the other time that a serpent was used to save: And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. (Numbers 21:8)

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (John 3:14) People just have to believe.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

When Aaron cast down the rod and it became a serpent (representing Christ, as we see above), it’s no surprise that the magicians of Egypt were also able to come up with serpents. But theirs were anti-Christs.

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:3)

Notice that Christ wins in the end. “But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”

Remember that not just any rod represents Christ. Only Moses’, Aaron’s and David’s. There are many examples of their rods connected to salvation, but this final story is worth telling.

The Israelites wandering in the wilderness had once again spoken against Moses and Aaron, and God was so angry, he began to kill them all with a plague until Aaron intervened. Yet 14,700 died. (See Num. 16:41-50). Now God wanted to prove to the people his choice of leaders. He requested a rod from each of the 12 tribes and Aaron’s rod for the tribe of Levi. God would cause the rod of his chosen person to bud.

Remember, Aaron’s rod represents Christ as priest. It was the one that budded, bringing forth blossoms and yielding almonds.

The dead piece of wood became alive again as Christ also became alive again. He rose from the grave as our high priest.

Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; Heb 8:1

The significance of Aaron’s rod blooming is vast. God requested that the budded rod be kept in the Ark of the Covenant as a token. There were only three things in the ark. Each represented Christ or his word: The budded rod, the manna, and the tables of stone on which were the 10 commandments.

We’ve only scratched the surface on these rods. Now you can take off and do your own study.

5/22/13 5/22/13

Others May Fail. God Won’t. Bank on it.

David is one of my favorite Bible characters. I’ve kept a close eye on him lately because I plan to teach ladies in India a character study on David shortly. Why don’t I teach them a character study on a woman from the Bible? Because we don’t know as much about any character as we do David, and it doesn’t matter—man or woman—we can all learn how to navigate life from looking at David’s testimony. In our study today, we see more of what David endured and how he did it. He couldn’t have done it without God. He knew that.

Ps. 119:85 The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law.	David continues on with the grief his enemies caused. In his day, they often captured man or beast by digging a pit and covering it with twigs, hoping the intended would fall in. Wicked men use wicked schemes. But we know that God often uses their schemes to catch them. (Think of Haman in Esther.) David knew this fact well. Elsewhere he wrote He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. Psa 7:15
(86) All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.	David could have focused entirely on the plight his enemies caused, but he was a master at encouraging himself in God, so he coupled thoughts of his unjust treatment with thoughts of God’s faithful commandments. Maybe another way of looking at his prayer in this verse is “Your commandments are faithful, my enemies are not. Help me.” As long as he had this godly focus, he could expect an answer. 1Jn 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: (15) And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
(87) They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.	This is the sentiment of true godly people. It reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Dan 3:17-18 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. (18) But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Like David, they also determined not to forsake God’s precepts, no matter what happened to them.
(88) Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.	It’s a breath of fresh air when we, like David, realize we can appeal to God’s lovingkindness. David did it often. That is a whole study in itself. But God commits himself to showing us lovingkindness, which is better than life (Ps. 63:3). Here he appealed to God’s lovingkindness with the promise that it would benefit God, because David would keep God’s testimonies. It’s OK to say, “God, if you don’t come through for me in a special way, I’m going to fall in every way there is to fall.” Watch what God does.

5/21/13 5/21/13

When Will This be Over?

I just love David’s testimony of how he handled difficult times. He wrote Ps. 119, and in the four verses we will look at today, we see what ran through his mind and his prayers. He demonstrated that experiencing emotional pain is universal. But he knew how to encourage himself in God, which meant talking to God and sometimes questioning him. But in all cases, he sought God for relief. He didn’t have it in him to do anything but trust God.

How can I get like that? It might require being stripped of all other help. When God is all we have, God is all we need.

Psa 119:81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.	Deliverance from this trial is overdue. That’s the sentiment sometimes. It surely was the case with David as he spent a lot of time on the run from Saul and later from his son Absalom. Fortunately, David made a habit of encouraging himself in God, and we benefit from his testimony. He did it by actively hoping in God’s word. He meditated on God’s character and his promises and trusted them. There’s no need for a psychiatrist, and a friend is a false hope. David turned to God’s word.
(82) Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?	Not that life trusting God’s character and promises is always easy. God will come through, but not on our schedule. David’s eyes failing makes me think he must have cried so much, he couldn’t see what he was reading. But we know he didn’t stay in that state. Another time he wrote about the victory he experienced: Psa 30:5b weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. God will come through. Just hang on.
(83) For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.	Bottles in the olden days were made of leather and were hung in the tents in which pheasants lived. The leather bottles absorbed the soot from the fires they burned and thus became black. David may have been likening his life to absorbing soot as he lived through difficult trials. In spite of it, he didn’t forget God’s statutes, which are prescribed tasks. There are only two times we can obey God—when we feel like it, and when we don’t. David is a model of obedience here.
(84) How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?	David felt like his life was wasting away while his persecutors chased him. It’s a very wonderous thing that he trusted God to eliminate his persecutor, Saul, rather than eliminate him himself. He had opportunities to kill Saul, but his conscience wouldn’t let him. Instead, he cut off a piece of Saul’s robe, held it up to him and said: The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. (1 Sam 24:12) So, the question was, “God, when will you avenge me? Time’s a wastin’. He was certainly human. It’s OK to ask God, when will this be over?

5/16/13 5/16/13

There's More to Noah's Ark Than a History Lesson

Pictures of Christ and salvation are spread throughout the Old Testament in types. Noah’s Ark is one of those examples. The story involves faith, obedience to God’s only way of salvation at the time, an ark, a door and God’s faithfulness to keep his promise.

Mankind had become exceedingly sinful. God determined to destroy them from the face of the earth. But God showed grace to Noah and his family. God planned to save them, but it required faith manifested in obedience on Noah’s part. God told him to build an ark and enter into it. God was going to bring rain and a world-wide flood. Faith was especially necessary, because it had never rained before. But he had faith, proved by his works, and he became an heir of the righteousness that is by faith.

The way of salvation through Christ is presented in this story. Only when we are “in Christ” are we safe. He is the ark and he is the door to enter into the ark. I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me (John 14:6).

The story is in the column on the left. The column on the right comments on what is directly beside it.

Old Testament

Notes

Gen 6:5-8 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (6) And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (7) And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. (8) But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD….

Gen 6:11-18 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. (12) And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. (13) And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (14) Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. (15) And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. (16) A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. (17) And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. (18) But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.

Gen 7:4-5 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. (5) And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him….

Gen 7:12-13 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. (13) In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;….

Gen 7:15-17 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. (16) And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. (17) And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth….

Gen 7:21-22 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: (22) All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

For the wages of sin is death…(Romans 6:23A)

Noah found and experienced God’s grace in this hopeless time.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Apart from grace, death is determined for all mankind.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Noah’s faith proved itself when he obeyed and built that ark and entered in by the door.

Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

Noah’s faith was tested with a command. “Build an ark.” He passed. (When Adam’s faith was tested with a command, he failed. His works did not match his faith, and he sinned.)

Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

The Lord shuts us in. He keeps us.

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:6)

1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.