"Psalm 22: For the director of music. To the tune of 'The Doe of the Morning.' A psalm of David.
"My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises." (Psalm 22:2, 3, NIV)
Note the tune, "The doe of the morning." This must have been a scene of beauty and tranquility to David, something for which he longed; he was obviously in distress. At one point he says, "scorned by everyone." He felt alone, abandoned, not only by his acquaintances, but despairingly, by the One of Whom he said, "The Lord is my Shepherd." Now this was He of whom the Bible says, "David the son of Jesse,..the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel," this shepherd/king of Israel, mighty in battle, author of some of the greatest worship passages in the entire Bible. So apparently it is possible to be a great man/woman of God, with great gifts and anointing------- and still feel alone and abandoned.
"Therefore, keep up your courage, men. For I believe God that it will be exactly as I have been told." These words of Paul were spoken during perhaps the most violent storm that anyone on that ship could remember. At one point, Luke tells us, "Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned." Yet Paul boldly affirms, in the very midst of the storm, "I believe God...." And David's declaration is also in the midst of a "storm," right while he is saying, in effect, "Where are you, God?"---- "Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises."
David and Paul are great examples to us. Right in the midst of life's storms they declare their absolute faith and trust in the Living Word of God, Who is Jesus Christ, "Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One," and, "....I believe God that it will be exactly as I have been told." They worship and trust the unshakeable Word of God, though all around them everything is "shaking."
Now, what has our Lord Jesus Christ told you and me---------- over and over and over again? Well, here is a little taste: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age....Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you....Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb....The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face....They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."
Have a nice day.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I say with the song writer, "Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life, Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life...." Amen.
***********************
"My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises." (Psalm 22:2, 3, NIV)
Note the tune, "The doe of the morning." This must have been a scene of beauty and tranquility to David, something for which he longed; he was obviously in distress. At one point he says, "scorned by everyone." He felt alone, abandoned, not only by his acquaintances, but despairingly, by the One of Whom he said, "The Lord is my Shepherd." Now this was He of whom the Bible says, "David the son of Jesse,..the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel," this shepherd/king of Israel, mighty in battle, author of some of the greatest worship passages in the entire Bible. So apparently it is possible to be a great man/woman of God, with great gifts and anointing------- and still feel alone and abandoned.
"Therefore, keep up your courage, men. For I believe God that it will be exactly as I have been told." These words of Paul were spoken during perhaps the most violent storm that anyone on that ship could remember. At one point, Luke tells us, "Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned." Yet Paul boldly affirms, in the very midst of the storm, "I believe God...." And David's declaration is also in the midst of a "storm," right while he is saying, in effect, "Where are you, God?"---- "Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises."
David and Paul are great examples to us. Right in the midst of life's storms they declare their absolute faith and trust in the Living Word of God, Who is Jesus Christ, "Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One," and, "....I believe God that it will be exactly as I have been told." They worship and trust the unshakeable Word of God, though all around them everything is "shaking."
Now, what has our Lord Jesus Christ told you and me---------- over and over and over again? Well, here is a little taste: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age....Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you....Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb....The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face....They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."
Have a nice day.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I say with the song writer, "Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life, Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life...." Amen.
***********************
Letter coming on the May, 2014, Berlin/Bosnia Mission
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
