"[But now] You have set up a banner for those who fear and worshipfully revere You [to which they may flee from the bow], a standard displayed because of the truth." (Ps. 60:4, Amplified Bible)
Well, here I am in Psalms 56-60. Note the contexts in which David expressed them:
56: "....when the Philistines captured him in Gath"
57: "....when he fled from Saul into the cave"
58: "Set to 'Do Not Destroy'"
59: "when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him"
60: "....when he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah...."
Our text is fundamental to David's survival in his Psalms 56-60 experience.
Sunday School picked out all the "happy times," took us to the "happy place" of Biblical characters. Their plans were not diabolical, just, well, can we say, protective. Likewise, there are many today who attempt the same "protection." I'm not always sure as to why.
Charles Spurgeon's devotional for today speaks to this. He uses as his text 2 Cor. 1:5, "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ." He says, "There is a blessed proportion. The Ruler of Providence bears a pair of scales-- in this side He puts His people's trials, and in that he puts their consolation in nearly the same condition; and when the scale of trials is full, you will find the scale of consolation just as heavy. When the black clouds gather most, the light is the more brightly revealed to us." I am a testimony to this truth.
There is much suffering in the world, much of it in the Church Community. I don't have an answer for much of this. Many look at the Biblical "promises" and then look at their own lives, and/or the lives of others whom they love, and wonder, "Why is this not working?" Of course, it is not an "it" which is "working;" it is a He, Jesus the Christ. In the Gospels, we never read that Jesus said the same thing to two different people. No one then or now can "pin Him down" to some sort of "consistent" answer, mode of response to the suffering of individuals, or the world. The only common denominator in the Bible and human history is Jesus Himself. The key to Jesus' teaching and the key to your life and mine is, "Come to Me...and I will give you rest," and, "Abide in Me, and I in you." Central to Jesus' teaching, the Gospel, and Biblical Theology is the great, "I Am," claims of Jesus. Biblical Theology is not primarily, "I will do for you, and show you." Rather, it is, "I am the bread of life....I am the light of the world....I am the resurrection and the life." When Moses asked God what he should tell the Hebrews when they asked who sent him, the response is beyond Hellenistic philosophy, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you."
And, "I AM," sends you and me into the world. Allow our, "I Am," to be, "You are," today. Jesus, Who Is, "the Light of the world," told us, "You are the light of the world." Jesus' "last words" to us is in effect, "Now go and do something about it." Awesome privilege; awesome responsibility.
Father, in Jesus' Name, by your mercy and grace, help me to reveal only You. Amen.
Well, here I am in Psalms 56-60. Note the contexts in which David expressed them:
56: "....when the Philistines captured him in Gath"
57: "....when he fled from Saul into the cave"
58: "Set to 'Do Not Destroy'"
59: "when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him"
60: "....when he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah...."
Our text is fundamental to David's survival in his Psalms 56-60 experience.
Sunday School picked out all the "happy times," took us to the "happy place" of Biblical characters. Their plans were not diabolical, just, well, can we say, protective. Likewise, there are many today who attempt the same "protection." I'm not always sure as to why.
Charles Spurgeon's devotional for today speaks to this. He uses as his text 2 Cor. 1:5, "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ." He says, "There is a blessed proportion. The Ruler of Providence bears a pair of scales-- in this side He puts His people's trials, and in that he puts their consolation in nearly the same condition; and when the scale of trials is full, you will find the scale of consolation just as heavy. When the black clouds gather most, the light is the more brightly revealed to us." I am a testimony to this truth.
There is much suffering in the world, much of it in the Church Community. I don't have an answer for much of this. Many look at the Biblical "promises" and then look at their own lives, and/or the lives of others whom they love, and wonder, "Why is this not working?" Of course, it is not an "it" which is "working;" it is a He, Jesus the Christ. In the Gospels, we never read that Jesus said the same thing to two different people. No one then or now can "pin Him down" to some sort of "consistent" answer, mode of response to the suffering of individuals, or the world. The only common denominator in the Bible and human history is Jesus Himself. The key to Jesus' teaching and the key to your life and mine is, "Come to Me...and I will give you rest," and, "Abide in Me, and I in you." Central to Jesus' teaching, the Gospel, and Biblical Theology is the great, "I Am," claims of Jesus. Biblical Theology is not primarily, "I will do for you, and show you." Rather, it is, "I am the bread of life....I am the light of the world....I am the resurrection and the life." When Moses asked God what he should tell the Hebrews when they asked who sent him, the response is beyond Hellenistic philosophy, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you."
And, "I AM," sends you and me into the world. Allow our, "I Am," to be, "You are," today. Jesus, Who Is, "the Light of the world," told us, "You are the light of the world." Jesus' "last words" to us is in effect, "Now go and do something about it." Awesome privilege; awesome responsibility.
Father, in Jesus' Name, by your mercy and grace, help me to reveal only You. Amen.
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
