"You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, yet You brought us out into a place of abundance." (Psalm 66:12, NASB)
Some translations say, "You let men ride over our heads." Whether it is, "made," or, "let," the affect seems to be the same, a sense of defeat and abandonment, "You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins" (v. 11).
The absolutely horrendous murder in recent days of Jews living in Samaria, especially the slit throat of the 3 month old baby girl, reveals the absolute age old hatred of Arabs against Jews. For millennia, Jews have been hated, persecuted, slandered, murdered. Twice in their history (once in my lifetime) they were the victims of state sponsored genocide. And make absolutely no mistake about it; the Arab-rooted evil religion, Islam, driven on by that wicked book, The Koran, has the same spirit driving it. To quote a famous film character, "They won't give up the fight until one of you is dead." This is the world we are living in. This will not get better, only worse. If anyone today is looking for "the silver lining," a goose-bump, feel-good religious word today, it will only come from a goose-bump, feel-good devotional.
The Bible gives mankind, "the whole counsel (purpose) of God." The "purpose" of pop religion is to give you and me what sells. Jesus' Words were "the whole purpose of God." Jesus' Words speak of love and forgiveness and hate and condemnation. Jesus speaks of, "wars and rumors of wars," but also, "the end is not yet." Jesus declares that, "Heaven and earth will pass away," and also that, "My words will not pass away." Jesus declares that, "If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened."
My friend in Jesus Christ, take great encouragement today that even though, "evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse," even though there are times when we go, "through fire and through water," remember that the great purpose of our Lord Jesus Christ is to bring, "us out into a place of abundance." The nation of Israel today is a great testimony to this.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that you bring the surviving members of the slain Israeli family, "into a place of abundance." Amen.
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Read More of This Horrendous, Cowardly Act: www.apf327.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
