"I have a message from God concerning the wicked:... In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin....Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, Your justice like the great deep." (Psalm 36, NIV)
David does a lot of this. He observes the maladies of life, then follows with great praise. Would that you and I can always do this, and, making very, very sure the latter dominates our lives.
Flattery makes us blind to sin, our weaknesses, and our need for adjustment/correction. Webster's defines flattery as, "insincere or excessive praise," or, "a pleasing self-deception." Flattery is for the wicked; they love and walk mostly in "self-deception. Yet, even too much complimenting, believe it or not, can also be dangerous. Proud specimens that we are, we all need to be very careful to give and accept it in "measured amount" and much circumspection. Beware when too much praise comes your way. It just may be a blinder, "to detect or hate...sin." May our Lord Jesus always help us in the giving and receiving of appreciation, compliments and affirmations.
But then the Psalmist turns his attention to Jesus, and away from, "the wicked," who, "flatter themselves." After our text, he goes on, "How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house....For with You is the fountain of life in Your light we see light." Maybe we have a "key to life" here. Every day you and I see much wickedness. Yet, the example of David, not only in our text, but also elsewhere, is to not dwell on, "the wicked." Rather, dwell on and in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior and King. "....Take refuge in the shadow of [Jesus'] wings....Feast on the abundance of [Jesus'] house....Drink from [Jesus'] river of delights."
Father, in Jesus' Name, "....Priceless is Your unfailing love." Amen.
David does a lot of this. He observes the maladies of life, then follows with great praise. Would that you and I can always do this, and, making very, very sure the latter dominates our lives.
Flattery makes us blind to sin, our weaknesses, and our need for adjustment/correction. Webster's defines flattery as, "insincere or excessive praise," or, "a pleasing self-deception." Flattery is for the wicked; they love and walk mostly in "self-deception. Yet, even too much complimenting, believe it or not, can also be dangerous. Proud specimens that we are, we all need to be very careful to give and accept it in "measured amount" and much circumspection. Beware when too much praise comes your way. It just may be a blinder, "to detect or hate...sin." May our Lord Jesus always help us in the giving and receiving of appreciation, compliments and affirmations.
But then the Psalmist turns his attention to Jesus, and away from, "the wicked," who, "flatter themselves." After our text, he goes on, "How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house....For with You is the fountain of life in Your light we see light." Maybe we have a "key to life" here. Every day you and I see much wickedness. Yet, the example of David, not only in our text, but also elsewhere, is to not dwell on, "the wicked." Rather, dwell on and in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior and King. "....Take refuge in the shadow of [Jesus'] wings....Feast on the abundance of [Jesus'] house....Drink from [Jesus'] river of delights."
Father, in Jesus' Name, "....Priceless is Your unfailing love." Amen.
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Fall, 2017, Mission: October 28-November 15
Fall, 2017, Mission: October 28-November 15
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.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
