"Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to Your name and boast in Your praise." (Psalm 106:47, NASB)
You and I were saved, "....to give thanks to Your Name and boast in Your praise." We were not saved to boast in "what a change in my life." Yes, that is indeed a part of any testimony, yet too many times the testimonies tend to "boast" in the person giving it, viz., "I am really wonderful now." This is true also of the Jews. Too many are boasting in their accomplishments, in the might and power of modern day Israel. Bad idea. I pray that we will hear in Jerusalem next month a great chorus giving, "....thanks to Your Name and boast in Your praise."
Our text reveals that this Psalm is a post exilic writing, "....and gather us from among the nations...." For over 2500 years the Jews had been, "....among the nations...." And then in 1948 a "miracle" happened. This 2500-year-old prayer was answered. Israel was again a sovereign nation. King Jesus had, "....gather[ed] them] from among the nations...."
What about you and me today? We were also in exile, "among the nations," i.e., paganism, relativism, hedonism, self importance and self preservation. Then we heard the voice of Jesus say, "Come to Me...." And we did. Now, our lives have a new mission, "from among the nations," in which we were enslaved, which we worshipped, and as Ephesians 2 says, "among whom also we all had our manner of living," and that new mission is, "....to give thanks to [Jesus'] Holy Name and boast in [Jesus'] praise."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I say with the hymn writer,
"In the Cross of Christ I glory, Towering or'e the wrecks of time....
Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the Cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure
Joys that through all time abides."
*********************
* Please pray for our time in Israel, April 17-24.
* I will be reminding you from time to time of our briefing on June 2.
You and I were saved, "....to give thanks to Your Name and boast in Your praise." We were not saved to boast in "what a change in my life." Yes, that is indeed a part of any testimony, yet too many times the testimonies tend to "boast" in the person giving it, viz., "I am really wonderful now." This is true also of the Jews. Too many are boasting in their accomplishments, in the might and power of modern day Israel. Bad idea. I pray that we will hear in Jerusalem next month a great chorus giving, "....thanks to Your Name and boast in Your praise."
Our text reveals that this Psalm is a post exilic writing, "....and gather us from among the nations...." For over 2500 years the Jews had been, "....among the nations...." And then in 1948 a "miracle" happened. This 2500-year-old prayer was answered. Israel was again a sovereign nation. King Jesus had, "....gather[ed] them] from among the nations...."
What about you and me today? We were also in exile, "among the nations," i.e., paganism, relativism, hedonism, self importance and self preservation. Then we heard the voice of Jesus say, "Come to Me...." And we did. Now, our lives have a new mission, "from among the nations," in which we were enslaved, which we worshipped, and as Ephesians 2 says, "among whom also we all had our manner of living," and that new mission is, "....to give thanks to [Jesus'] Holy Name and boast in [Jesus'] praise."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I say with the hymn writer,
"In the Cross of Christ I glory, Towering or'e the wrecks of time....
Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the Cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure
Joys that through all time abides."
*********************
* Please pray for our time in Israel, April 17-24.
* I will be reminding you from time to time of our briefing on June 2.
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
