Blessed are the Persecuted

Matthew 5:10-12

The Beatitudes are some of the most beloved parts of Scripture for many people.  We enjoy reading that if we are merciful, meek, pure in heart, seeking righteousness, and are peacemakers, that the Lord will bless us.  Those are all attributes that a Christian should seek to incorporate into their lives.  However, there is one Beatitude, that when reading in Matthew 5, we might wish that Jesus would have just left off, and that is what we will focus on today.

Early in His ministry, Jesus sat on a high hillside and taught the crowds a very important sermon, which today we call the Sermon on the Mount.  Right at the start of this teaching was the Beatitudes.  The first seven of these Beatitudes focus on our inward character.  When we get to our Scripture verses, the Beatitudes turn to outward opposition that believers will face if they are closely following the Lord and His Word.  Let’s take a look at how if we choose to live a godly life, it will inevitably collide with a hostile world.

As mentioned, the Beatitudes describe the character of believers and followers of the Lord Jesus.  As He continued His teaching, Jesus described what the world’s reaction to His followers would be.  He doesn’t try to hide or even soften this reality from us, but tells us plainly that there will be persecution.  We will be reviled, spoken evil about, and lied about.  This persecution is not hypothetical.  It is guaranteed for those who live godly lives.  But like the other Beatitudes, we are blessed when this happens, and our reward will be great.

There are many Christians around the world who suffer some type of persecution today.  Persecution can include pressure, harassment, mistreatment, exclusion, or violence, and covers both verbal and physical hostility.  One important thing to notice is that Jesus is speaking about persecution for righteousness’ sake (vs. 10).  This is strictly being persecuted because you are a Christian, for following Jesus and obeying His Word.  The blessing is not for any hardship or persecution one might receive for being a difficult or obnoxious person, or for anything political, but is for living in obedience to God.

We shouldn’t be surprised when persecution of any sort occurs because of our faith.  Jesus told us here that it would, and the Apostle Paul, when writing to Timothy, told that all who live godly lives will suffer persecution (II Timothy 3:12).  Persecution is evidence of belonging to Christ, not a sign of God’s displeasure.  The world opposes righteousness because it exposes its darkness (John 3:19-20).

In our Scripture passage Jesus lists three forms of attacks (vs. 11).  There is reviling, which is insults, mockery, and verbal abuse.  Then there is persecution, which would include stronger hostility, including social or physical harm.  He also mentions false accusations, which are slander, misrepresentation, and lies.  Jesus acknowledges that we will be lied about.  The world often attacks character when it cannot refute the truth.  Again, this is persecution that is done because of our association to the Lord Jesus, as the verse says “for My sake”.

This is not something that should discourage us, or make us want to hide our light.  Jesus tells us that we can rejoice (vs. 12).  To do so when faced with attacks is not natural, but shows supernatural grace.  Such persecution will bring great rewards in heaven, as God keeps perfect accounts.  Many of His faithful servants in the past also suffered persecution.  We are following a trail of blood that has been laid out in every century, from the time of Abel until today.

As we meditate upon these verses we realize that faithfully following the Lord Jesus and His Word will not generally be accepted in any culture.  A godly life exposes sin, and the world resents that exposure.  We should not lose heart, though.  There is a great reward stored up in heaven for those who are insulted and persecuted for Jesus’ sake.  God sees every insult, every loss, and every sacrifice.  Nothing done for Jesus is ever wasted.

God's Wisdom vs. Man's Wisdom

I Corinthians 1:18-31

We have all heard the phrase that one should never bring up religion or politics with other people, mainly because those can be very hot topics.  People can quickly become angry, or at the very least, offended by those discussions.  The discussion of Jesus and His death on the cross for our sins makes many people angry, and it also quite often brings scoffing and scorn.  This is nothing new.  This is not something that has only occurred in the last fifty or so years.  As we read in our Scripture today, this was also the reaction that the Apostle Paul received on a regular basis.

Have you ever tried talking about Jesus, and His sacrificial death on the cross for mankind’s sins, with unsaved people?  If you don’t get the angry response mentioned above, sometimes you might be told that “you’re a fool for believing such nonsense!”  Retorts like that were frequently thrown at Paul, but that didn’t surprise him, nor stop him (vs. 18).  As he wrote in this epistle, the cross is “foolishness” to the lost.  The natural man rejects the idea that salvation comes through a crucified Savior.  They don’t like to think that they can’t save themself.  And the idea that a bloody form of execution is what brings salvation is repulsive to many.  The message of the cross makes no sense to the unbeliever because Satan has blinded their eyes to the truth.

However, to the saved the cross is the power of God.  Salvation is not some intellectual achievement, but divine intervention.  The cross is God’s means of displaying His power in redemption.  The Gospel message of Jesus dying on the cross for our salvation, and rising again on the third day, is the power of God. Salvation is supernatural.  Human wisdom cannot produce it.  Only God’s power can.

Paul proceeded to quote Isaiah 29:14, where he showed that God has always opposed proud human reasoning (vs. 19-21).  Many churches today want preaching that is intellectual, sounding like a message from a PhD candidate.  Other churches today want their service to be more of a rock concert and the sermons to be more like a motivational talk.  Preaching about Jesus’ death on the cross, His shed Blood paying the price for our salvation, seems foolish, even offensive to them.  Philosophy, education, and intellect cannot bridge the gap between sinful man and a holy God.  He chose preaching as His method of getting His message to people to save sinners, not entertainment, philosophical debate, or human eloquence.  Instead, He uses the clear proclamation of Christ crucified.

Such preaching, though, does not please everyone, as Paul indicated in our Scripture (vs. 22-25).  The apostle indicated two typical responses that he received, and which are also often responses today, as well.  First, Paul spoke how the Jewish people who heard his message wanted to see signs that Jesus was the Messiah, who Paul claimed He was.  They wanted miraculous displays of power.  A Messiah who was crucified looked like weakness to them.  The Greek Gentiles wanted philosophical wisdom in the message.  They wanted to listen to something sophisticated.  A crucified Savior looked intellectually absurd to them.

I have seen both responses today, especially the scoffing intellectual response.   However, the cross upon which Jesus died shows both the power of God, along with His wisdom.  What they consider “foolish” is actually wiser than man, and what they consider “weakness” is stronger than they are.  What the world despises is actually God’s greatest revelation.

Paul reminded the Corinthians that there weren’t many in their congregation that were wise by the world’s standards (vs. 26-29).  There weren’t many who were mighty or noble.  However, God deliberately chose those whom the world considered foolish, weak, base, and despised.  He did this so that no one would be able to walk around bragging that God chose them because of how smart they were, or how good looking, athletic, or wealthy.  He does not want anyone to glory in His presence.  Salvation is designed so that God, alone, receives the glory.

Paul ends this Scripture passage with a magnificent summary (vs. 30-31).  He instructed us how Jesus Christ is made to us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.  Jesus is God’s perfect revelation.  He is our justification, our holiness, and our deliverance.  Everything we have spiritually is in Christ, not in ourselves.

As we look back at this passage, we see that human wisdom cannot produce our salvation, only the power of God can.  He also intentionally chooses the lowly, which would include most of us, to display His grace.  God’s ordained method for saving sinners is not through some spectacular entertainment display or through a motivational or philosophical message, but through the preaching of the cross.  Everything is structured so that God will receive all of the glory.

Trusting God When the Wicked Prosper

Psalm 37:1-8

There you are, standing on your front steps looking out at the neighborhood, and you see a fellow from down the road drive by in a brand new, extremely expensive car, while your car barely makes it around the block.  That neighbor is a real scoundrel, abusive to his wife and children, and nasty to everyone else.  At work, the co-worker who cheats and also takes home supplies gets a great job promotion, while you linger with your poor salary.  You wonder, why do those wicked people get all the luck while you, a godly believer, struggle from day to day.  Our psalm for this week reflects on that, and gives us God’s answer.

Psalm 37 was written by King David, likely in his old age, as later in the psalm he says that he is old.  He had seen much in his lifetime, including many times when it seemed like the wicked were prospering.  However, he knew that the day would come when they would get what they deserved.  David tells us that we must trust in the Lord and wait patiently, refusing to be consumed by the apparent success of the wicked.  In each verse of this opening section of the psalm, God directs our heart away from anxiety and towards Himself.

As our passage opens, we are told not to fret (vs. 1).  The word “fret” in Hebrew is “hara”, which means to burn, to get heated, to be kindled with anger.  God is telling us not to let the success of the wicked provoke us to agitation, envy, or resentment.  We shouldn’t be boiling over like a pot of hot water over what we see with the wicked.  Doing so reveals a lack of trust in the Lord’s justice.  He will deal with them.

One thing that we need to remember is that the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary (vs. 2).  David described them as being like grass or some other plants that are there one day, but withered and cut down the next.  When he said the word “soon”, David didn’t necessarily mean that in every instance their downfall would be immediate.  Instead, he meant that their downfall was certain.  God will ultimately judge them.

In the meantime we have two things we should be doing, and that is trust and do good (vs. 3).  We should have active confidence in God’s character, trusting that He will not allow the wicked to continue without His judgment.  We also need to obey Him.  Our obedience is not suspended because the wicked prosper.

We are told to delight ourselves in the Lord, and doing so will bring our heart’s desire (vs. 4).  This is not a blank check for our selfish wants.  Delight means to take pleasure in discovering more about God, following His will, spending time with Him, learning what pleases Him, and praying for discernment to make wise decisions.  We take pleasure in God Himself, not just in His gifts.  If we are pursuing God in this manner, our desires will be shaped to align with His will, so our desires will actually be His desires.

When we “commit” our way to the Lord, we are to roll our burdens onto Him (vs. 5).  We cast or throw all our cares onto Him because He cares for us (I Peter 5:7).  We can entrust every path we take and all of our decisions, along with the outcome, to God. When we commit our way to God, we allow His will and His Word to shape our thoughts, lifestyle, and goals.  When we trust Him, God will accomplish His purposes for us.

Even though we see the wicked prospering despite their sin, if we are living a righteous life, God will vindicate us and will reveal the truth in His time (vs. 6).   Knowing this, we can rest in the Lord (vs. 7).  We can be still and quiet our soul, not obsessing over the wicked.  Patience is an act of faith in God’s timing.

Our portion of this psalm ends with David instructing us to stop becoming angry and fretting over how the wicked are prospering (vs. 8).  Worry and anger can sometimes push us towards a sinful response to the situation, and we don’t want that.  God forbids responding to evil with evil!

In closing, even though we often look out at the world and see the wicked appearing to prosper in all the evil that they do, God governs their rise and fall.  He will vindicate the righteous and judge the wicked.  In the meantime, we must guard our hearts and delight ourselves in the Lord, waiting for His perfect timing.  He will bring it to pass.

What Does God Want From Us?

Micah 6:1-8

Going into a courtroom can often be an intimidating and nerve-wracking experience, especially if one is involved in a legal case.  Thankfully my experiences with any courtrooms have only been watching legal dramas on TV!  There have been a few times in Scripture where God has summoned His people into His divine courtroom, as He has a case against them.  Today’s Scripture from the Book of Micah is one of those passages.  Let’s see what the prophet Micah has to say.

Micah was a prophet in the southern Kingdom of Judah, and his ministry was from approximately 740 - 698 BC, and he was a contemporary of fellow prophets Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea.  Like his fellow prophets, he sought to call them back into a faithful relationship with Yahweh before irreversible judgment would fall.  In our passage today Micah gives a clear statement of what God truly desires from His people.

As our Scripture opens, we find ourselves in a courtroom as God is summoning His people to court.  God is not the one on trial.  Israel is.  But He graciously invited them to hear His case.  God is both judge and prosecutor.  He accused the people of being unfaithful to the covenant that they had made with Him.  Then the Lord called upon the mountains and hills as both an audience and as witnesses, waiting to hear the Lord’s accusations (vs. 1-2).  These ancient, immovable elements have “seen” Israel’s history.  They have been silent witnesses over the centuries of the many times that the people have turned aside and worshiped the pagan idols of the neighboring people.  They have seen how they have repeatedly broken His laws.  Furthermore, the mountains and foundations of the earth cannot be bribed or swayed as human witnesses often were.  The people's rebellion against Yahweh was not hidden.  Creation itself would testify against them.

God then asked the people a question - what have I done to you, that you have turned against Me?  (vs. 3).  He has been nothing but a kind, loving, generous, and forgiving God to them!  He reminded the people of how He had redeemed them from slavery in Egypt, gave them good, strong leaders, turned curses into blessings, and led them to the Promised Land (vs. 4-5).  God has only done good for them.  The fact that they turned away to paganism was not because of God’s failure to be a good God to them, but because of their own unfaithfulness.

God could ask the same question to us today.  “What have I done to you to make you turn away from Me?”  He could list countless blessings that He has bestowed upon us - life, health, daily provisions, etc. etc.  And yet we have strayed away from the Lord.  We don’t read our Bibles or worship Him as we should.  We disobey His Word, and instead choose to follow what the world says is right.

Israel responded to God’s accusations by bringing more and more offerings and sacrifices to the Temple (vs. 6-7).  They brought burnt offerings and sacrifices of thousands of rams and calves, and gallons upon gallons of oil.  They even considered offering something that the Lord actually forbade, that of the sacrifice of their firstborn.  They assumed that God wanted more “religion”, more ritual, and more sacrifices.  However God is not interested in external performances, or empty ceremonies, or lavish offerings without our obedience.  This is exactly what God said to King Saul when he brought sacrifices to the Lord, but continued to repeatedly disobey His commands (I Samuel 15:22).  To obey is better than sacrifice.

So what does God want from us?  The correct answer would be that He wants your heart (vs. 8).  God’s requirements are not hidden or mysterious.  He wants us to do justly.  We need to live our lives with integrity and to treat others fairly.  When we uphold righteousness in our daily life we reflect God’s own justice.

He also wants us to be merciful to others.  A Christian should delight in being kind, forgiving, and compassionate to others.  I know that I need all of the mercy I can get.  So if I want mercy for myself, I had better give mercy to others, as well (Matthew 5:7).  Lastly Micah said that God wants us to walk humbly with Him.  We should live in continual dependence on Him, rejecting pride and self-sufficiency, and having a personal relationship with Jesus.  This is not a verse that points to salvation by works.  Instead it describes the fruit of a heart that already has a saving relationship with Jesus, a natural outflow of a redeemed life.

In closing, let us examine our hearts to see if we are solely basing our relationship with God on empty rituals.  Attending church, giving, and acts of service do not please God if our heart is cold.  We should be treating our family, co-workers, and neighbors with fairness and honesty.  We also should look for opportunities to forgive, encourage others, and show kindness to those who may not deserve it.  Also, a humble walk with God keeps everything in balance.  Israel had forgotten about God’s goodness.  Let’s remember each day God’s faithfulness to us.

Jesus Preached Repentance

Matthew 4:12-23

Repent!  That is one of two subjects covered in our Scripture today.  Repent?  You might say to yourself that you thought today’s Scripture was from the Gospels, not the Old Testament, where that word is a much more common subject.  Or you might think that this is another message about John the Baptist, who frequently preached on that subject.  This is instead a message about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  But if this is a message about Jesus, people today think that it should then be all about love, mercy, and warm, fuzzy feelings.  At least that is what so many preachers today solely equate Jesus with, not telling people to repent.  Let’s look into the Bible and see what God’s Word has to say.

Our Scripture begins shortly after Jesus’ baptism, as He begins His ministry.  John the Baptist was recently arrested and put in prison (vs. 12).  He was arrested because he spoke out against some sinful behavior that King Herod was involved in, and then he was later executed.  Jesus departed from Judea, where John the Baptist had been, and He traveled north into Galilee (vs. 13-16).  He didn’t leave Judea out of fear of also being arrested.  His movements were in accordance with God’s timetable.  This was in fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 9:1-2).  Isaiah had foretold that light would dawn in “Galilee of the Gentiles”.  Jesus’ ministry began precisely where God said the Messianic light would shine.

Galilee was the territory in the north of Israel, and it was considered spiritually dark, as when the kingdom of Israel split shortly after the death of King Solomon, the northern kingdom descended into deep idolatry almost immediately, and never really turned from that.  Now at this time it was heavily influenced by Gentiles.   The people of Judea looked down on them for that, and also because they felt intellectually superior, as well.  However, those were exactly the people that Jesus wanted to minister to first, not in Jerusalem’s religious center, but in a region considered spiritually insignificant.  God chose a spiritually neglected region as the first to receive the Messiah’s ministry, bringing revelation, truth, and salvation to those sitting in darkness.

And what was Jesus’ first message?  It wasn’t some “feel good about yourself” message like many today preach about.  It was a subject that too many preachers actively avoid, it was a message of repentance (vs. 17).  Repentance is not optional.  It is the necessary response to God’s rule.  Repentance is turning from sin and one’s sinful lifestyle towards God.  Jesus felt that the message of repentance was so important that it was the first one that He preached to the people.

Sin and repentance are essential elements of the Gospel.  Not only did Jesus preach repentance at the start of His ministry, He also instructed His disciples, which also includes us, to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:46-47).  The Gospel message is not to feel good about yourself because God loves you.  It is realizing that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, to repent, and turn to Him.  Repentance is a non-negotiable step in salvation.  Some teach a false doctrine that Jesus forgives and saves everyone whether they repent or not.  However this is a false and ultimately damning teaching.

As Jesus proceeded with His ministry in Galilee, which we see emphasized repentance, He began to call men to join Him as His disciples (vs. 18-22).  The first two He called were Peter and his brother Andrew, and then James and his brother John.  These were ordinary men.  They were fishermen, not scholars who had advanced degrees in theology from universities.  They each responded immediately.  They didn’t tell Jesus that they would think about it and get back to Him.  They immediately dropped what they were doing to go and follow Him.  Discipleship often involves us forsaking some things in our life in order to follow Jesus.  It involves obedience, sacrifice, and prioritizing Jesus above all else.  Are we willing to leave some things behind and follow Jesus?

As we look at the last verse of our Scripture, we see that Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching, preaching, and healing (vs. 23).  He explained the Scriptures, proclaimed the Gospel, and called for a response from those who heard.  The healings Jesus performed authenticated His identity as the Messiah.

As we close this study, we must remember that any teaching that someone gives, any preaching we hear that minimizes repentance is not the Gospel that Jesus preached.  This is not something that we can overlook because it makes us uncomfortable.  As we saw, God chose Galilee to begin Jesus’ ministry because He delights in using the overlooked and ordinary.  He also chose ordinary men to join Him, and they obeyed immediately, wholeheartedly, and sacrificially.  When we respond to Jesus’ call in our life, we should respond in a like manner as we join others in being fishers of men.

Jesus Christ, Not Men

I Corinthians 1:10-17

Last week the Lectionary from the Book of Common Prayer had us look at the opening verses of St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church.  We saw that though they were a large and flourishing church, blessed with many spiritual gifts, they still had some sinful behaviors that they needed to deal with.  Today’s Scripture continues in the first chapter of I Corinthians, and we’ll take a look at one of those sins, that of lack of unity among these believers, and also the danger of elevating any human leader above the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul first came to the city of Corinth around 50-52 AD, and he remained there about eighteen months, establishing a church while there.  However, after he left, factions or opposing groups arose among the believers, leading to division.  One thing that caused some division was that various church members divided themselves into separate groups based on their loyalty to various teachers.  When Paul heard about this, he wrote this letter.  He knew that unity in doctrine and devotion to Christ is essential for a good and godly church.

Knowing how important unity is within a church, the apostle pleaded with them to listen to and heed his message (vs. 10).  He reminded the church here that he spoke in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, with Christ’s authority.  There are three important aspects of unity that Paul brings out here, which hold not only for the ancient Corinthian church, but also for the Christian church today.  First, the church should speak the same thing, there should be doctrinal agreement among the members.   There should be no divisions, no schisms, factions, or partisan spirit.  And Paul stresses that church members should be perfectly joined together, with restored and aligned thinking.

What is very important to remember is that unity must be based upon truth, and not upon compromise.  Too often today those in the church speak about wanting unity, and they are willing to compromise doctrine and Biblical truth in order to have that unity.  That is not the type of unity Paul was speaking about, nor what the Lord wants.  The Bible tells us to separate from those who do not hold to the truth.  Biblical unity is doctrinal unity.

Another problem in the early Corinthian church was various members dividing themselves into groups, one following this leader and another following a different leader.  Paul listed four different groups who were each following after a different church leader (vs. 12).  There were some who said they followed Paul, who were loyal to the founder of the church.  There were some who followed Apollos, who was an early pastor there after Paul left, and a very eloquent teacher.  There were some who said they followed Cephas (Peter), loyal to the apostolic Jewish leader.  Lastly Paul mentions that some said they followed Christ, which is what all believers should be doing.  We should never become so attached to a pastor, a teacher, a televangelist, or Christian author that we raise them to an almost worshipful status.  Even good leaders can become idols when they are elevated above Jesus.  And if they start getting too full of themselves, then it is so easy for them to fall into other sins or false teachings.

Paul continued by asking the Corinthians three rhetorical questions that when thought about should show them that their divisions were wrong (vs. 13).  First was “Is Christ divided?”  That is impossible.  Christ is One.  His Body, the Church, must reflect that unity.  Next “Was Paul crucified for you?”  Only Jesus died for sinners, not Paul or any other favorite leader, past or present.  Then “Were you baptized in the name of Paul?”  Baptism identifies believers with Jesus, not any human leader.

The apostle then was thankful to God that he only baptized a few new Christians (vs. 14-16).  This wasn’t because he felt that baptism was unimportant, but because it prevented anyone from claiming special status.  It also would help in keeping the focus solely on Christ, and not on Paul.  He had a mission from God, and that was not to be baptizing, but to preach the Gospel (vs. 17).  And his preaching was not with fancy Greek rhetoric or philosophical flourishes, but strictly preaching the Gospel message that Jesus was crucified for our sins.  The power is in the message of the cross, not in the skill of the messenger.

As we look back over these verses, we can see what still holds importance for today, and that is that Jesus Christ, alone, is the Head of the Church.  Any elevation of human leaders undermines His rightful place.  No matter how beloved your pastor or priest may be, or how great you find some particular Christian author, they are not to take Jesus’ place.  Also, when seeking for unity among churches and denominations, we must never compromise on Biblical truth and doctrine.

Finally, we must always remember to keep the cross of Christ central in our church, in our ministry, our evangelism, and our teaching.  Some may like to listen to very intellectual and sophisticated preaching, but human eloquence can obscure the Cross.  The Gospel’s power is in its truth, not in rhetorical polish.

Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent

Psalm 139

Does the thought of someone knowing everything there is about you, and always being with you something that you don’t want to hear or know about, or does it bring you peace?  Today’s psalm is one of several favorites that I have from the Book of Psalms, and one that should bring comfort and peace to believers, but is also one that might bring discomfort to those who do not have or want God in their lives.  Let’s take a look at this beautiful psalm of David, where we see God’s omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and His righteous judgment.

Psalm 139 can be broken up into about five segments, each one highlighting a different aspect of God.  The first segment, in verses 1-6, shows us God’s omniscience.  He knows everything about each one of us completely.  He knows our actions, our thoughts, the motives behind everything we do, the words we speak, and even our unspoken intentions.  God knows us better than we know ourselves.  When David says that God knows our thoughts “afar off” (vs. 2), it means that He knows our thoughts before they even form.  He knows every word we will speak before it is even spoken (vs. 4).  God surrounds us with His protective presence.

His omniscience, His knowledge of us, is absolute (Hebrews 4:13).  This knowledge should be comforting to all those who have put their trust in Jesus.  Knowing that God knows everything about us should bring the believer peace, as He understands us when others don’t.  However, this can be terrifying to the unrepentant sinner.  We cannot hide anything from God.  Knowing that, we should walk in honesty and have a quick confession when we fall into sin.

The second segment shows us God’s omnipresence  He is with us everywhere we go (vs. 7-12).  There is no escaping from God’s presence.  There is nowhere we can hide from Him.  He is everywhere (Jeremiah 23:23-24).  The highest place on earth is Mt. Everest at 29,032’.  The deepest spot in the ocean is the Mariana Trench at 36,200’.  The remote island on earth is Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic Ocean, 1,750 miles from South Africa and over 2,000 miles from South America.  Yet if we went to any of these places, God would be there with us.  Even in the deepest darkness we cannot hide from Him (vs. 11-12).  We cannot run away from God, as Jonah found out.  This should bring comfort to the Christian, knowing that God is with us in all of our trials.  Whenever we feel lonely or we feel afraid, we can know that He is there.  We can also trust that God is with our loved ones when we are apart.

We next look at the third segment, which shows God’s creative power, and how He made each of us with a purpose (vs. 13-16).  God formed every part of us - body, soul, and personality.  He created each of us unique, with distinct fingerprints, voice patterns, retinal prints, and DNA.  No one has or ever will be exactly like another.  He knows the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:29-30), and our name is engraved on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16).  We are “fearfully and wonderfully made (vs. 14).

This passage is foundational for the sanctity of life.  Human life begins in the womb and is sacred because God is the Creator.  It is not just a blob of cells, but is human life that God knit or wove together as delicate and intentional craftsmanship.  He ordained our days before we lived a single one (vs. 16).  Our life has purpose because God designed it, and we can trust Him with our future.

Next we see God’s righteous judgment, and how He opposes the wicked (vs. 17-22).  A believer in the Lord Jesus should always align themselves with God’s holiness, and also oppose what He opposes.  David expressed his righteous indignation towards those who hate God.  This is not personal vengeance.  Instead, it is loyalty to God’s holiness.  Hatred of evil is part of loving God (Romans 12:9).  Christians should guard their hearts from compromise with wickedness.

The final segment shows us God’s sanctifying work (vs. 23-24).  The psalm ends where it began - with God searching the heart.  David wants God to expose any sin in his life and to lead him in holiness, on the path of obedience and eternal life.  We should regularly ask God to reveal any hidden sin we might have.  His goal is not condemnation but transformation.

As we close this beautiful psalm, we see that God knows us perfectly, is with us constantly, and who made us intentionally.  We also see that God judges wickedness righteously and when we come to Him, He will sanctify us lovingly.  Let this knowledge be a comfort and a blessing to you today.