"I will bless the Lord Who has given me counsel....I have set the Lord always before me...." (Psalm 16:7a, 8a)
General George S. Patton used a phrase often in his memoirs when speaking of other commanders and their decisions, "And________, taking counsel of his fears." This is very understandable. When any counsel I seek is either mine or another's, uncertainty, apprehension may occur, with worry and "fears" following close behind.
"....The Lord...has given me counsel." What comfort, security, what certainty we have in, "The Lord['s] counsel." Now you may be thinking, "Oh no, here comes another same old, same old from Woody; read the Bible, nothing does it like the Scriptures, etc.;" so I'll click "delete." I know, there are things I get that I do that with also. But you and I know that so many people go to pastors and/or Christian Television for "counsel," which may be okay, but many do so to the exclusion of The Scriptures. America is in decline because most of America and American Christendom seeks counsel from talk radio, television, the water cooler, Barnes and Noble.
David says in 0ur text, "I will bless the Lord," well, for one wonderful reason, Jesus, "has given me counsel." And it is the Lord Jesus Christ of which he then says, "I have set the Lord always before me...." The phrase, "have set," means "adjust, agree with, be even, smooth." What power in the Biblical languages. It is David's version of, "Looking unto Jesus." The connection cannot be disconnected. The command, "Looking unto Jesus," is Life, not itself, but Himself. Eyes, minds, hearts fixed upon and in Jesus Christ are enlightened eyes, minds, hearts. Everything for which there is an answer (I say that, because there are just some answers we seek for which there is no answer, at least any that we can handle; remember God's Word to Job?) is in the Bible.
For me today, the blessing was simply in the text as I share it above, "I will bless the Lord Who has given me counsel....I have set ("adjust[ed], agree with;" hence, my way is "even" because) the Lord (is) always before me." And there is more wonderful covenant in the same verse: "Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I ask that These Your Words be written in my mind and heart. Amen.
**********************
I want to thank Pastor Mike Thurston's goal to get his whole congregation involved in the March 26-April 6 24/7 prayer chain. Right now, we have 07:00, 08:00, and 11:00 filled.
General George S. Patton used a phrase often in his memoirs when speaking of other commanders and their decisions, "And________, taking counsel of his fears." This is very understandable. When any counsel I seek is either mine or another's, uncertainty, apprehension may occur, with worry and "fears" following close behind.
"....The Lord...has given me counsel." What comfort, security, what certainty we have in, "The Lord['s] counsel." Now you may be thinking, "Oh no, here comes another same old, same old from Woody; read the Bible, nothing does it like the Scriptures, etc.;" so I'll click "delete." I know, there are things I get that I do that with also. But you and I know that so many people go to pastors and/or Christian Television for "counsel," which may be okay, but many do so to the exclusion of The Scriptures. America is in decline because most of America and American Christendom seeks counsel from talk radio, television, the water cooler, Barnes and Noble.
David says in 0ur text, "I will bless the Lord," well, for one wonderful reason, Jesus, "has given me counsel." And it is the Lord Jesus Christ of which he then says, "I have set the Lord always before me...." The phrase, "have set," means "adjust, agree with, be even, smooth." What power in the Biblical languages. It is David's version of, "Looking unto Jesus." The connection cannot be disconnected. The command, "Looking unto Jesus," is Life, not itself, but Himself. Eyes, minds, hearts fixed upon and in Jesus Christ are enlightened eyes, minds, hearts. Everything for which there is an answer (I say that, because there are just some answers we seek for which there is no answer, at least any that we can handle; remember God's Word to Job?) is in the Bible.
For me today, the blessing was simply in the text as I share it above, "I will bless the Lord Who has given me counsel....I have set ("adjust[ed], agree with;" hence, my way is "even" because) the Lord (is) always before me." And there is more wonderful covenant in the same verse: "Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I ask that These Your Words be written in my mind and heart. Amen.
**********************
I want to thank Pastor Mike Thurston's goal to get his whole congregation involved in the March 26-April 6 24/7 prayer chain. Right now, we have 07:00, 08:00, and 11:00 filled.
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
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
