How To Get Wisdom

Deuteronomy 4:1-9

Most believers would like to be blessed, to have many godly virtues that they practice.  We would all like to show kindness, temperance, honesty, forgiveness, and the other virtues.  Two virtues that are sometimes overlooked are wisdom and understanding.  We all could use more of that these days.  I know I sure would like more of them in my life!  In our Scripture today we read that there is a way to achieve more wisdom and understanding.  Let’s look into this and see what the Lord says is one way that will bring us these virtues.

The Book of Deuteronomy is a record of the final instructions that Moses, the leader of the nation of Israel, gave to the people before they were to cross the Jordan River and enter into the land.  Here he goes over the laws of the Lord and His instructions a second time, reminding them of God’s Words, in order to live a blessed and prosperous life in the land He had promised.  As chapter four begins, Moses admonishes the people to listen to the Word of God, and to obey what He says.  If they do, then God will bless them in the land (vs. 1).

Moses then gives the people a warning, one which he strictly charges the people to obey, and that is to neither add to or take away from the Word of God (vs. 2).  We see this command repeated in the last Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation (Revelation 22:18-19).   We see a lot of this today.  All too often if someone doesn’t like what the Bible says about this or that topic, issue, or law, they just omit it.  They might not literally tear it out of the Bible, but for all practical purposes they have.  They have the attitude that if they don’t like it, if they disagree with it, they omit it.  And then there are many who, in turn, twist the Words of the Bible to say what they want it to say, in effect, adding to God’s Word.  They twist it to fit and align with their own philosophy and world view of today.  God strictly warns against doing that.  God has said what He has said in the Bible, and means what He has said.

The Lord has said that it is in obeying and observing God’s Word that we will have wisdom and understanding (vs. 6).  Evil is everywhere, and is always trying to tempt us away from obedience to God and His Word.  It cries out about a better life if we do this or that, if we cheat, procrastinate, spend all of our money, and take what doesn’t belong to us.  God’s Word calls us to listen to and obey Him, and not be tempted by what the world has to offer.  God, alone, gives us an abundant life (John 10:10), filled with His wisdom and understanding, along with the other virtues and blessings we receive from Him.

Christians have something that no other religion has - a God who is near us whenever we call upon Him (vs. 7).  The false gods of all other religions do not do that.  They don’t even really exist except as demons posing as gods.  The false gods of various religions of the past, and even those still worshiped today, are portrayed as capricious, fickle, and changeable, always needing to be bribed.  They have no love for their worshipers.  The pagan Greek and Norse gods of the past, and the Hindu gods of today do not love or care about their adherents.  They would certainly never sacrifice anything for them, let alone their only Son for the people’s sins.  However that is exactly what Yahweh did when He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins!  Jesus is God With Us - Immanuel.

Our Scripture closes with a warning, with guidance, and instructions (vs. 9).  It is very easy for us to let our guard down, and to fall into apathy and self-deception.  It is so easy to fall into sin and spiritual danger.  If we follow God’s Word, He will give us the strength to avoid falling in life, and also the forgiveness when we do.  As the old-time hymn says, “Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!”

Wonderful Words Of Life

John 6:60-69

Today’s Scripture concludes a long message that Jesus gave, a message that many found controversial then, and even today, a message that some might say is offensive.  There were some that day, after hearing what Jesus was saying, who turned away, and did not follow Him any longer.  Let’s quickly take a look at His closing remarks that day.

When Jesus saw that His Words were upsetting some people, He said to the crowd that His Words actually give life (vs. 63).  The Words of God, which many scoff at and say are disrespectful and unacceptable for today’s world, are words that actually bring life.  It was through His Word and His Spirit that life came to be during Creation (Genesis 1).  At the time when Jesus’ good friend Lazarus had died, and his sisters Mary and Martha called for Jesus to come, it was His Words that brought Lazarus back to life.  It wasn’t when they rolled away the stone at Lazarus’ grave that the man came back to life.  It was when Jesus spoke the words “Lazarus, come forth!” that life came back into Lazarus (John 11:38-44).  As Jesus said, when the dead hear His Voice, they shall live (John 5:25).

When there is “death” in any problem we have, we can pray that Jesus will speak life into that situation.  It could be a dead relationship, dead finances, a dead ministry.  The Lord, through His power and His Word, can bring life and restoration into anything.  We need to bring them to the Lord in prayer, and He can breathe His life into any situation.

When someone is ill, or even dying, we try to do what we can for them.  We tend their wounds, give them medicine and healthy foods, and bring them to the hospital.  With the spiritually sick and dying, we need to give them what they need - the words of life, which are found in the Bible.   The Scriptures are the Word of God, and have the power of God (Romans 1:16-17).

Jesus said many things that people then, and today, find offensive.  We see so many folks today get offended by so many different things that others say, and this includes some of the words of the Bible.  How about what Jesus said in this message that if one wants eternal life, they need to eat His Body and drink His Blood (John 6:53-54)?  Many people today would find that offensive and turn away, just as some did back then.  Jesus also said that He is the only way to heaven (John 14:6).   Peter repeated that truth when he was brought before the religious leaders (Acts 4:12).  People in today’s world get offended by that, as that rules out any hope of salvation or truth in any other religion.

People like to push “inclusion”, but what Jesus and the Apostle Peter said was not inclusive.  The Bible says that only those who receive Jesus as Savior are God’s children (John 1:12).  However many liberal preachers today say that we are all God’s children.  We are all His creation, but God’s Word says that we are not all His children.  Jesus even called some of the Pharisees children of the devil, so they were certainly not God’s children (John 8:44).  So how could everyone be a child of God when Jesus, Himself, called some people, even religious people, otherwise?

These are things that people then and today would find offensive.  Yet they are in the Bible.  Either one accepts that the Bible is God’s Word, or they don’t, and they turn away.  If one turns away from the Bible, then they turn away from the Words of life, and what does that leave them.  It leaves them without life, which is death, eternal death.

In closing, Jesus asked the twelve whether they wanted to also go away.  Did they find His Words too much to take, too offensive?  Peter answered with the truth.  Where else could they go, as Jesus is the only One with the words of eternal life! (vs. 66-69).

 

Husbands And Wives

Ephesians 5:21-33

Today’s Scripture from the Lectionary of The Book of Common Prayer, is one that is likely to cause controversy, likely to ruffle the feathers of a number of folk.  These verses in the Bible, along with similar verses, such as Colossians 3:18, and I Peter 3:1-6, have angered many women since at least the 1960’s and onward.  The reason for the dislike of our Scripture today, along with those other Scriptures, is that both the Apostles Paul and Peter instruct women to submit to their husbands.  Since the days of the women’s lib movement, women have hated that, some even going so far as to tear those pages out of the Bible.  However, they are a part of God’s Word, so let’s take a look at what the Lord has to say.

Women have taken issue with these verses because they say that the wife is to submit to her husband.  They feel that this gives the husband the right to rule it over the wife, and no one wants that.  And what if one has an abusive husband?  Is the wife expected to obey them?  These were all problems that led women to reject these verses.

As we look into this passage, we see that it isn’t just about women submitting to their husbands, we see that the husband is told that he is to love his wife, just as Christ loves the church.  There are actually more verses, more than half of the passage, that focus on what the husband is supposed to do in the marriage.

Actually, the first verse in our passage tells us that we all are to submit one to another, the wife to the husband and the husband to the wife, along with others in our community (vs. 21).  We balk at this, as no one wants to submit.  No one wants to sacrifice their supposed rights and freedom.  No one wants to follow God’s design, even if it is good for us.

It isn’t just about women submitting to men.  God wants each of us to consider the other first, to be looking out for the needs and best interests of others before those of ourselves.  Instead of always wanting to be the one in control, consider the other person first.  Even though we might be reluctant to, believers should submit to their husband, wife, and others out of reverence for Jesus Christ.

Submitting to one’s husband, or to anyone else isn’t giving in to a bully or to abuse.  No where in the Bible is abusive treatment to others approved or condoned.  Submission carries the idea of “yielding to” or “deferring to out of respect”.  God’s Word, the Bible, calls wives to voluntarily submit to their husbands in context to their relationship to the Lord Jesus.  And the husbands are to love their wives, to model the kind of self-sacrificial love that Christ has for the church.

Many women will question how they can submit to their husband, especially if they feel that they “know more” than they feel he does.  And many husbands question how they can love their wife when she is such a temperamental woman.  However, if we love the Lord Jesus, and desire to follow in His footsteps, we will seek the Holy Spirit’s power to both love and submit to one another.

Family members should treat each other with respect and humility.  Husbands and wives are to treat each other in a similar way to how they treat the Lord.  When members of a family make it a priority to serve one another and look out for one another, to think of others more highly than themselves, they become the family that God intended.  This is the way the Lord intends family relationships to be, not a way to rule over and enslave one another.  Let’s try to make our family a picture of what the Lord Jesus intends, a picture of heaven.

He Hears Our Cry

Psalm 34:15-22

Today we conclude a three-part look into Psalm 34.  As  you may recall, Psalm 34 was written by David as a praise to God for protecting him when he needed to escape from King Abimelech.  David had gone to Gath, a city of the Philistines, to escape from King Saul.  Abimelech had welcomed him, but then men of the royal court reminded the king that David had led the armies of Israel against them.  David then feared for his life, and feigned madness in order to safely escape.  Now he was back in Israel where Saul continued to chase him.  Who could he turn to for help and deliverance when he is surrounded by trouble and danger?  Who can we turn to in our own situations?  Let’s continue our look as we finish up Psalm 34.

When a young child is feeling scared or alone, or needs help, what do they do?  Generally they will cry out for someone, usually their parents or older siblings, to help them.  The need to cry out for help doesn’t end when we become an adult.  Who do we turn and cry out to?  Sometimes it is a friend or family member.  At other times it may be an attorney, a politician, or the police.  Maybe someone who can loan us some money.  However, those sources for help do not always come through.  Money lenders usually charge high interest, so you ultimately are worse off.  The police may arrive too late, and an attorney or politician may not be able to help you.  And as many of us have found out, friends and family often turn their backs on you, even in your hour of need.  So where do we go?  David found out early in his life that the only One who he could always depend on when in need was the Lord God (vs. 15-17).  Our Heavenly Father wants His children to cry out to Him.  When a crisis comes, cry out to God with a righteous heart.

One way that we can tell if someone might help us when we call out to them is if they turn their face to look at us.  If they have no desire to help us, they pretend to not hear, and won’t look our way.  However, if they care, they look towards us.  God’s face shines on the righteous, the saved (Psalm 67:1-2), but His face is against the wicked unsaved (vs. 16).

Sometimes events in our life can leave us shaken and off-balance.  David surely knew this feeling.  He knew, though, that he was a child of God, and if we’re saved, we are, too, and as such God’s eyes are always on us, and He hears our prayers.  It is a comfort to know that the God of the Universe loves us so much that He constantly sees what is going on in our individual lives, and He hears us when we cry out to Him for His help.  Not only does He hear, but He responds.

When we are feeling the farthest away from God, that is when He is actually closest to us.  David knew that the Lord was near to him, especially when he was feeling lonely and brokenhearted (vs. 18).  So many people he had counted on to care about him and help him in his time of need had turned against him, but that was never the case with the Lord.  No matter where David was, the Lord was near to him, and that is always the case for us.  God does not abandon us in our times of crisis, for He has promised to save us, even in our darkest hour.  He is a Rock whose presence we can depend on (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Do you have afflictions in your life right now?  God has promised us that He will deliver us out of them all (vs. 19), not just some of them.  A friend might help us with one thing, but not the other.  They may offer you a ride somewhere, but if you need someone to shovel the snow on your walk, don’t ask, and certainly don’t bother if your problem is a serious one.  However, the Lord promises to deliver us out of all of our afflictions!

Jesus is there for those who feel broken, lost, and crushed in spirit.  He is greater than our brokenness, our feelings of being unloved, dejected, and lonely.  Broken lives and broken hopes are precious in the Lord Jesus’ sight.

The Most Important Choice In Our Life

Joshua 24:1-2, 14-25

Every day we make multiple choices, multiple decisions.  Many of them are not all that important, such as what we eat for breakfast, or whether to wear the blue shirt or the yellow one.  Others are much more important, such as whether or not to go to college, or what job we take, where we decide to live, and who to vote for.  And then there are some life or death decisions, like seeking medical treatment for health issues, and which kind of treatment to take, whether or not to ignore some danger signs and proceed down an uncertain path, etc.  In today’s Scripture we read about a very important choice to be made, one that has eternal consequences depending on what one decides.  This was a choice that the people of Israel faced, and one that each of us has to make, as well.  Let’s see what that choice to be made is.

As our Scripture opens, Joshua is nearing the end of his life.  He had been the one chosen by the Lord to lead the people across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land after Moses had died.  He was a skilled army general, and led the people in conquering the land.  Now, as his life is drawing to a close, Joshua wanted the people of Israel to recommit themselves to the Lord.  He knew the people’s past, and how they had a tendency to quickly turn away from Yahweh.  He knew that was the reason for their having had to wander in the wilderness for forty years, and even now, within the Promised Land, many of them had faltering faith.  They were encountering pagan nations, and the false gods of these people were a snare.

Now that they were in the Promised Land, and much of their territory had been conquered and was beginning to be settled, Joshua gathered the leaders of the tribes together to proclaim exactly who they would follow (vs. 1).  He first reminded them of their great Patriarchal Father, Abraham.  He had made a vitally important decision in his life, one like the people right then were needing to make.  Abraham came from a family of pagan idol worshipers (vs. 2).  His father, Terah, worshiped the Sumerian gods and goddesses of the time, yet Abraham made the most important decision of his life, one that had eternal consequences for him, when he chose to forsake those false gods and instead worship Yahweh, the one true God.  Now Joshua confronted the people, and asked who they were going to worship.  They could choose those ancient gods of the ancestors of Abraham.  They could choose the pagan gods of Egypt where they had lived as slaves for so long, they could choose the idols of the Canaanites and Amorites where they now lived, or they could choose to follow Yahweh (vs. 14-15).

Joshua and his family had made their choice.  They were not going to forsake the Lord and turn to pagan gods and goddesses.  They were going to serve Yahweh, the one true God (vs. 15).  He reminded the people that this was a vitally important decision, one that cannot be made lightly (vs. 19-20).  God wants a total commitment from those who choose to follow Him.  He does not want a half-hearted commitment, nor will He tolerate a mix of worshiping Him along with worship of other gods or goddesses (vs. 23).

Joshua gave a godly example for the nation in his life and that of his family, which helped to encourage them in choosing to follow Yahweh, and to forsake the pagan gods from their past and those around them.  The examples of godly people we know, and the power of the Holy Spirit will give us courage to stand firm and make us strong in our faith.

Every day, all throughout our life, we make choices, and those choices turn us into the type of person we become.  Now is the time to choose the right side.  God is giving us the chance now.  It won’t last forever, as none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.  We never know when our last moment will come.  Nor do we know when Jesus will return, as it could possibly be in the very next minute.  We must make the choice to follow Jesus now, not tomorrow.  We can choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior, or choose death and hell.

The Hard Truth

John 6:53-59

When someone goes to the doctor, they usually want to hear the truth from him.  Though they would like to be told only good news, deep down most people want to hear the truth.  However, what if your doctor only told you good things, such as whenever you had medical tests done, he kept telling you that everything was fine, when in reality there were several very serious problems.  Not knowing the truth could have very serious consequences, and could even cost you your life.  This holds true in many different scenarios with our physical lives, and also with our spiritual life, as well.  We need to hear the truth, whether it’s difficult to take or not.  In our Scripture today, as we continue on through the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus said some very hard and difficult things that some people may just shake their head at and walk away.  Let’s take a look and see what you think.

Over the past several decades there has been a movement within many churches to be more “seeker sensitive”.   These churches seek to draw in people who usually would not attend church by making the church service as comfortable, inviting, and non-threatening as possible.  They use theatrics and musical entertainment, with state-of-the art technology, sound, and lighting to keep the church service from being boring to the unsaved.  They have loads of special programs all throughout the week to try and get people involved.  However, a closer look shows that most of these programs have nothing to do with Jesus Christ, and very few, if any of the sermons (a word they don’t like to use, preferring “talks” or “messages”) ever mention sin, repentance, God’s Word, or even Jesus.   This “seeker sensitive” approach doesn’t want to offend or turn off anyone.  They feel that somehow, some way people might find Jesus, even though His Name and His message are rarely mentioned.  These churches are no different than a rock concert, a visit to a theater, or a country club.  One of the most popular TV preachers in the U.S. never mentions sin or salvation, but only gives “feel good” messages on his program, in his church, and even in his books.  He and his staff don’t want to talk about anything that is hard to hear.

Jesus was definitely not a practitioner of the “seeker sensitive” approach to reaching people.  He was not concerned about making people feel comfortable, nor did He ever tailor His messages to do so.  Jesus’ message in our Scripture passage today was designed to disturb.  When the crowd asked for an explanation, Jesus didn’t say He was using figures of speech (vs. 53-56).  These words were so shocking that even some disciples balked at them.  Jesus’ aim was not to make people feel good, but to awaken them to the truth.

If the flow of blood is cut off to a part of the body for a certain length of time, that part will die and often need to be amputated.  As members of the body of Jesus Christ, we depend on His Blood to keep us alive and functioning.  His Blood saved us, and now we depend on Him for mercy, forgiveness, and wisdom.  Jesus lives in us, and we live in Him.  His Blood is our life.  Talking about partaking of Jesus’ Body and Blood was just as radical, offensive, and crazy back in His day as it would be if any preacher said that about themselves today.  Yet Jesus did not hesitate to preach the truth.

What about us today?  Are we willing to speak out the truth, no matter how “offensive” it might be to those who hear it?  Are we willing to call sin what it is, sin, and to say that a life of sin will bring death and damnation?  Are we willing to say that there is only one way to heaven, and that this way is only through the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one else?  Are we willing to preach the Word of God, and not give in to the common practice of high-tech entertainment that other churches are providing?  Jesus gave the people what they needed, the hard truth.  His followers today should do the same.

A Careful Walk

Ephesians 5:15-17

Have you ever taken a fall because you weren’t careful where you were walking?  Most of us have, I’m sure.  I know I have, and twice these falls resulted in some broken bones that required surgery.  Now I am very careful where I walk, so as not to trip or slip on anything, especially as I get older.  Older people especially need to be careful about walking as their bones may be more brittle, and it’s more difficult for them to get up again.  Hikers, also, need to be careful where they walk, not only for protruding tree roots and rocks, but also for things like poisonous snakes.  In our Scripture for today taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle warns believers to be careful how they walk.  Let’s see what he was referring to.

All throughout the fifth chapter in Ephesians Paul instructs us about our Christian walk.  We read about the need for believers to walk in the Light of Christ and to forsake walking in darkness and the ways of their former unsaved life.  As our Scripture passage begins, Paul urges us to be careful with how we walk through our life.  He tells us to walk “circumspectly” (vs. 15).  That is a word which means to be careful and cautious with how we walk.  If you are walking barefoot in your house, and one of your children left a lot of little Legos scattered all over the floor, you are going to walk circumspectly across that room.  Parents know how painful it is to step barefoot on a little Lego piece!  Imagine how carefully a soldier walks across a field that he suspects might have some hidden landmines!  Christians need to be just as careful in their daily walk, looking out for the traps that Satan has set against us.  He wants to trip us up, whether with smaller sins which add up like little Legos, or something big, like a landmine, that will completely bring us down.

God wants us to be wise, not fools in these matters (vs. 15).  A fool walks wherever they want and however they want.  They are the ones that end up with bruised feet, broken bones, and maybe even blown up in a landmine.  A wise person is careful how they walk, and are less likely to slip, slide, or tumble.  They are much less likely to fall into one of Satan’s traps, whereas the fool walks right into them.

We are also encouraged to be careful with how we spend our time (vs. 16).  We all know how fast the days and weeks speed by.  It is so easy to get caught up playing some online game or scrolling through some social media site, and before you know it the day is over!  There are so many ways to waste our time, even back in Paul’s day.  Once a day, an hour, a minute has passed, we can never go back and decide to use it differently.   As believers we have work that we could and should be doing for the Lord and His Kingdom.  These are perilous and wicked days we live in.  Every day there are lost souls dying and going into an unredeemed eternity.  We should be sharing the Gospel with them.  There are Christians all around us who need our help and encouragement.  Are we available, or are we wasting our time on frivolous matters?  We need to take advantage of every opportunity the Lord gives us.

Time is short (I Corinthians 7:29).  Are we wasting our time or redeeming it according to God’s will?  The time we have to do God’s work is limited, so we must use it wisely.  We need to make the best use of the time we have, because the days are evil.  Don’t just spend time - invest it!

Again, Paul urges us to be wise, and understand what God’s will is, and then to do it (vs. 17).  Too often we want to go our own way, and do what we want, not necessarily what the Lord has for us.  However, not everything we want is good for us.  Parents learn this with their children.  They may want to do or eat something that would hurt them, and we need to tell them to stop, and leave it alone.  God often has to tell us that, too.  He knows what is and isn’t good for us, and when our behavior is immature and unwise.  We can find God’s will by reading and studying His Word, the Bible, and by spending time in prayer, and listening as He speaks to our hearts.

In closing, we need to be alert, just like animals are in the wild, always alert for any dangers that come near us, always aware and looking around, walking circumspectly.  Be on guard for any danger, both physical and spiritual, not just in the present, but also several steps ahead in our future, as well.

Seeking Good Things

Psalm 34:9-14

I think that it is safe to say that just about everyone wants to have a good life.  When their years are drawing to a close, and they would hope that they are many years, they would want to look back and say that they had a good life, that the good, heart-warming events outweighed any troubles.  And when there were problems, there was Someone there, along with friends and family, to help them go through them.  If you could have a procedure to help make that more likely, would you follow it?  Our Scripture today is a continuation of our look into Psalm 34.  In today’s section the Lord gives us some instructions to help make a good life more possible.

First, before anyone might think that this is some magic formula to getting rich, or like a genie in a bottle to grant us our every wish, we need to define, from a Biblical perspective, what a “good life” is.  Many people think that having a good life means being rich, with a big mansion, expensive cars, and associating with other wealthy, fashionable people who travel all over the world to have a good time.  They define good things in life as items and experiences that make us feel happy.  Despite the fact that there are some preachers who proclaim a prosperity gospel, that financial blessings and good health are always the will of God for believers, that is not how the Bible defines “good things”.  God defines “good things” as those things that fit into His individual purpose and plan for us.  For some that might include prosperity, health, and various talents.  But more likely it will include periods of trouble and need, as God considers those times valuable.

If we look into the Bible, we see that there were several people who went through some very challenging, difficult times that were not a result of some sin in their life that the Lord was disciplining them for.  Some examples were Joseph in the Old Testament, Daniel, Jeremiah, Stephen, Paul, and the other Apostles, just to name a few.  These were believers that went through some very difficult times, and yet they had the full blessing of the Lord upon their life.  Through the centuries, we can look at the lives of the saints of the Lord, and see that many of them did not have what the world would consider “good things”, and yet in God’s eyes they did, and were abundantly blessed by Him.  If we are looking at our life and bemoaning that we don’t have what the prosperity preachers say we should, perhaps we need to adjust our definition to be more of a Biblical definition of good things.

As David continues in this psalm, we see that one key element in receiving good things from the Lord is to have a biblical fear of the Lord.  To “fear the Lord” is to have a proper respect and reverence for Him.  God promises here that if we fear Him, if we have respect and reverence for Him, then we will not lack any of the good things He has in store for us.  He will meet our needs and bless our lives.  The key to receiving good things is to seek God, Himself, not just the treasures.  Come to Him with an open heart, not just an empty basket we want Him to fill.

As we read in this segment of our Psalm, we see that David tied respect for the Lord with the way we use our words (vs. 11 - 13).  In his own personal life, David had made a resolve to keep his tongue from sin (Psalm 39:1).  He knew that an easy way to fall into sin, and also cause a lot of turmoil in one’s life, is by having no restraint with our tongue.  One slip of the tongue can do great damage (James 3:1-12).  Our words have the power to build up or to tear down, so let’s be very careful with what proceeds out of our mouth.

As we close this segment of Psalm 34, we see that God is our Provider.  He cares for us, and we can trust Him.  Even lions, the king of the jungle, might get weak from hunger, but the Lord will see that our needs are met.  By relying on God, we will lack no good thing.  Next week we will finish this beloved psalm.

Wisdom's Invitation

Proverbs 9:1-6

I think just about everyone would like to be given a nice dinner invitation, even someone shy and introverted like myself.  Who wouldn’t want to attend an elegant dinner with some favorite dignitary or celebrity?  Unfortunately, few of us regular common folk have that opportunity.  In our Scripture today from the Book of Proverbs we read of an invitation that is issued to all of us, one that would be foolish for us to ignore or reject.  Let’s briefly see what this invitation is.

Special meals often take a lot of planning, whether it is a big State banquet at the White House or a meal that you are planning for several of your friends for an occasion.  The menu needs to be planned, then purchased, and then special care to prepare it properly.  The best plates and silverware need to be taken out, and the house properly cleaned.  Then when all is ready, we wait for our guests to come.  How disappointing if some of them don’t show up!  We want them all to come!

As we briefly look into our short Scripture we see that an invitation has been issued to all of us from Wisdom to attend the banquet that she has prepared.  In the Bible, and particularly in the Book of Proverbs, Divine Wisdom is personified as a woman.  She represents God’s Wisdom in all of its forms, from His acts of creation, to His presence and involvement in the world, to the wisdom He gives His children.

As our Scripture passage begins, we have a quick look into Wisdom’s house (vs. 1).  The seven pillars are figurative.  In the Bible, the number seven represents completeness and perfection.  Man’s supposed “wisdom” is faulty and incomplete.  God’s wisdom lacks nothing.  It is complete and perfect.

Everything for the banquet was made ready for Wisdom’s guests (vs. 2).  The food and the drink were prepared.  The table was set just right, probably with the best of china, and possibly a beautiful centerpiece.  The Lord’s wisdom is ready for us when we call upon Him for it (James 1:5).

After everything was ready, Wisdom sent out messengers to notify everyone that the banquet was ready (vs. 3).  All throughout history the Lord has sent His messengers out into the world, His prophets, evangelists, apostles, and missionaries.  They bring the Lord’s message to us, calling us to turn to the Lord.  They urge us to turn to His wisdom.  True messengers know where to find that wisdom, exactly where to turn to, just like in this word picture with Wisdom’s maidens (vs. 4).  They knew where to direct people for this banquet, and a true preacher of the Lord knows where to direct people when searching for Him.

The bread and wine symbolize the broken Body of Jesus, along with His shed Blood (vs. 5).  The Savior testified of this at the Last Supper as we read in Matthew 26:26-30 and in I Corinthians 10:16-17.  Jesus gave His life, His Body and Blood for us for our salvation.  It is offered to all mankind, and those who accept show they are not foolish (vs. 6), but have chosen the way of understanding.

We need to turn a deaf ear to worldly foolishness, including false doctrines and false apostles.  We need to choose to go the way of the Bible, which is true understanding.  Wisdom, righteousness, and faithfulness multiply their return on investment.  Foolishness and wickedness leave one spiritually bankrupt (Matthew 25:29).

The Lord has invited us to this banquet with Wisdom.  Many may intend to go to this banquet, but they never make it because they get sidetracked by other activities that seem more important.  What is your decision?  Do you want to accept the Lord’s invitation, or go the way of the world?  Don’t let anything become more important than our search for God’s wisdom.

Eternal Security

John 6:37-51

Have you ever had a coupon for an item at the store, and then when you go to redeem the coupon, you find out that it has expired.  Or perhaps you find out that you didn’t look at it carefully enough or read the fine print, and you found out that it is only good for certain items, ones of a certain size, weight, color, etc.  What you wanted didn’t qualify.  Your coupon was no good, so you didn't get what you wanted.  Similarly, you might have a ticket to a show, or entrance to an amusement park, but then find out at the gate that the ticket wasn’t valid for some reason.  You are denied entrance.  In our Scripture today we find a precious promise that as believers, we will not be denied or turned away.  Let's see more of what Jesus is talking about.

Our Scripture from John’s Gospel continues on with the discourse teaching that Jesus gave shortly after having multiplied the loaves and fishes, and as He teaches about the Bread of Life.  Immediately prior to this, Jesus stated that He was the Bread of Life, and that those who come to Him will never hunger or thirst (John 6:35).  Now the Savior gives us a promise that those who come to the Father through Him will by no means be cast out (vs. 37).

What does this mean, and why is this such a precious promise?  This verse shows that there is eternal security for the believer.  Some folks believe that once we are saved, we can lose our salvation if we later do something wrong.  They spend their lives “getting saved” over and over again after every time they do something wrong.  However, that is not necessary, as we see here.  Eternal security is guaranteed in a number of places in the Bible, this verse being one.  Jesus will never reject the one who truly believes in Him.  Salvation is a permanent, eternal transaction that cannot be undone.

There is no expiration date on this promise.  Jesus won’t cast us out the first time we come to Him, nor the second, nor any time.  Jesus will never, never cast us out.  If we sin after coming to Him, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus the Righteous (I John 2:1)  If we backslide, God promised to heal that, and love us freely (Hosea 14:4).  Just like with King David, Jesus will wash us whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7).

As we continue in our Scripture, we see an indication of Jesus’ deity, as we see that He came down to earth from heaven (vs. 38). He tells the Pharisees that Yahweh, the One they claim to know and serve, is the very One who sent Him.  What Jesus does and says is the will of God.  In everything He did, He wanted to do the Father’s will and bring Him glory.  Jesus’ example should be the pattern for everything we do.  To ignore or reject Jesus is to violate that will.

In verse 39 we read again a reassuring promise of eternal security, as Jesus states that He will never lose those whom the Father has given Him.  If “once saved, always saved” is not true, then Jesus can lose those souls who had come to Him.  However, Jesus promised that He will never lose them, and His Word is true  Jesus will not lose even one person whom the Father has given Him.  True believers are secure in God’s promise of eternal life.  Jesus will not let His people be overcome by Satan and lose their salvation.

As our Scripture continues we read that all the initiative towards salvation is on the part of God towards the sinner, not from the sinner themselves (vs. 44).  When someone chooses to believe in Jesus as Savior, they do so only in response to the urging of the Holy Spirit, who wishes everyone to be saved.  But only those who respond to Him do obtain salvation.  Then, at that moment, salvation and eternal life is obtained immediately upon believing (vs. 47).  It is not something we just get later, but something we presently have.

When the crowds came to Jesus, He did not use soft, flowery, warm and fuzzy words to make them feel good and comfortable (vs. 41-51).  Many preachers choose to give messages that make the congregation feel good about themselves and only “be positive”.  However, Jesus spoke shocking and strong words, ones to shake them up and awaken them to the truth.  One such truth was that He is the Living Bread which came down from heaven, and that the Living Bread is His very flesh (vs. 51).  To eat the living bread means to accept Jesus into our lives, and become united with Him.

If you haven’t already done so, come to Jesus today.  He will not turn you away.  His offer still stands.  However none of us know how long we have left on earth.  Tomorrow is not guaranteed.  Come to Jesus today!

The Words We Speak

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Imagine for a moment, if by some bit of magic, with every word you spoke today either something pleasant or something vile would come out of your mouth, depending on the type of words you spoke.  Good words would bring forth perhaps a beautiful bouquet of flowers, or an art masterpiece, or maybe a delicious, gourmet meal prepared by a master chef.  On the other hand, if our words were less than pleasant, out would come rotted food, or something putrid that gave off a noxious odor.  How would we choose to speak?  In our Scripture passage for today, among instructions that St. Paul gave about how a believer lives, we see some specific attention given to our words.  Let’s take a look.

As we jump right into our Scripture, Paul admonishes us to stop lying, but instead tell the truth to each other (vs. 25).  Some people may not think that lying is such a big deal, but lies can definitely hurt others, and thus would be something rotten coming out of our mouth.  Christians cannot be fit instruments for the Lord if we are not truthful.  We are to strive, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to become more like Jesus, who is Truth (John 14:6).  Thus, we should always be speaking the truth to others.

Verse 26 is a quote from Psalm 4:4.  This is talking about righteous anger against sin and evil, not when we so frequently get angry and lose our temper.  Even righteous anger, however, can turn to bitterness, and should be set aside at the end of each day, otherwise it can become hostile.  If we do slip into anger, animosity, or resentment against someone else, we should always do whatever we can to mend the relationship within the day.  The longer we take, the harder it gets, and the more likely it is for the relationship to become estranged.  If we nurse our anger, we will give Satan an opportunity to divide us.  Don’t let the day end without trying to mend relationships.

Actions such as lying and getting angry can give Satan a foothold into our life and our behavior (vs. 27).  That is not something we want to do, as the more place we give him in our life, the less place there is for the Lord.  However, when our faith is properly placed in the Lord Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for us, we won’t be as likely to give the devil any place.  Paul continues on to instruct us to work in order to provide for our needs, rather than stealing and taking from others (vs. 28).  Christlikeness should give us high moral standards.

Now we come to an important verse, verse 29.  Exactly what kind of words proceed out of our mouth?  Are they corrupt or good?  The Greek word used in this verse is “sapros”, which means corrupt, rotten, or putrefied.  That is not something one would want issuing forth out of their mouth!  Foul language should never pass a Christian’s lips.  Instead, our speech should be encouraging and uplifting.  Does what we say build up or tear others down?  We should speak with grace, having Jesus as our standard.  Speaking evil or worthless words is repugnant to the Holy Spirit (vs. 30).  God is grieved when we do not change the old ways of sin that we used to follow to that of righteousness.  The Holy Spirit in us is a seal or guarantee that we belong to God.

Paul continues on with some other examples of behavior and speech that should not be found in a Christian who seeks to follow the Lord (vs. 31).  One is bitterness, which is smoldering resentment.  It is a bitter toxin that we prepare for someone else, but then drink ourselves.  A bitter spirit is like cancer, which penetrates every part of our life.  Wrath is like rage, and anger is an internal, deep hostility.  Clamor is an outcry of strife that is out of control.  Evil speaking is slander, and malice is evil, the root of all vices.

The Apostle then admonishes us to show kindness, compassion, love, and especially forgiveness to others (vs. 32).  Those who have been forgiven so much by God should forgive the relatively small offenses against them by others.  Paul encourages us to imitate the Lord Jesus, which is sanctification, growing in the likeness to the Lord (vs. 1-2).  Just as a child imitates his father, so we are to imitate our Heavenly Father.  We should reproduce the godliness we see as modeled by Jesus, and ordering our behavior within the sphere of love.

In closing, we need to know that it is not enough to just stop doing wrong things when we get saved.  We need to begin doing the right things, and one major thing is by guarding what we say.  Let’s make sure that our words bring forth something beautiful, good, and pleasing to the Lord.

Bless The Lord At All Times

Psalm 34:1-8

Our Psalm reading for the next three weeks, taken from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer, will be portions of perhaps my most favorite Psalm, Psalm 34.  Today we will look at the first eight verses of this special psalm.

The background of this psalm is rather interesting.  As we know, David, the author of this psalm, spent many years during his early adulthood fleeing for his life from King Saul.  At one time he went into the land of the Philistines, a major enemy of the people of Israel, and stayed with King Abimelech in Gath (I Samuel 21:10-15).  (Abimelech was also referred to as Achish in the Bible.)  Shortly after arriving there, though, many of Achish’s advisors and counselors warned him about David, reminding him that David had recently been Israel’s army general, fighting against them.  When David overheard that talk, he knew he was in danger, so he feigned madness, and Achish quickly sent him from the country.  Though he was back where Saul could hunt him down, David knew the Lord had protected his life from the Philistines again.

Knowing that God had protected his life numerous times, the latest being from King Achish and his court, when he was defenseless and an easy prey for them while living in the royal palace, David was quick to give his praise and thanks to the Lord (vs. 1-3).  He knew, though, that it wasn’t just in certain times that we should praise and thank the Lord.  We don’t need to wait until we have been delivered from some danger, we don’t have to wait for Sunday or Thanksgiving Day, to praise Him.  We should praise God at all times (vs. 1).  Sometimes we may not feel like praising God, but feelings don’t have to always fill praise.  Like David, Daniel, and others in the Bible, we should schedule praise breaks throughout the day (Psalm 119:164).  An attitude of adoring trust in the Lord will make an amazing difference in your life.

We know that David had several enemies who wished him harm or worse, including Saul, the Philistines, and other enemy nations, but ultimately his worst enemy was Satan, who wanted to bring him, and every child of God down.  Satan will do everything he can to dishearten us and keep our focus on negative things instead of God.  David knew this, which is why he made it a special point to take the time to praise and magnify the Lord no matter what was happening.

God is all-wise and loving.  When fear starts to overwhelm us, we need to stop and remember that He is our God, and that He will always hold us up if we turn to Him.  When we believe that God is good, we can learn to release our fears.  When we are afraid, it is good to remember the occasions in the past when God has heard and answered our prayers, and delivered us from our fears.

Sometimes the Lord works things in special ways so that the harm that was coming our way somehow bypasses us, and we are safe.  God had worked the circumstances so that David overheard or knew about the things that King Achish’s counselors were saying about him, and was thus able to devise a plan to escape.  Sometimes the Lord sends an angel to surround and protect us from harm (vs. 7).  David could attest to a number of these occurrences.  Who knows how often we have been protected or delivered from harm by an angel assigned to guard us?  Or how often the Lord worked events or occurrences to protect us?

As these opening verses of Psalm 34 can attest, even during the trials of life, we can testify to God’s goodness and faithfulness.  Next week we will look further into this beloved psalm.

Remember The Lord Our God

Deuteronomy 8:1-10

Many families like to pass down from one generation to another stories about some of the big, important, or heroic deeds that various family members did.  We’ll tell our children about the time our father did this or that, and how our grandmother did something very significant.  Many communities will have a statue or a plaque of some sort to remember some notable resident.  We make movies and write books about people in order to remember what they have done.  The history books are full of them.  If we do this for family members and other notable people throughout history, shouldn’t we make a point of remembering the things that God has done for us?  Our Scripture passage for today encourages us to remember what God has done for us.

The Book of Deuteronomy was written by Moses at the end of the forty years of wandering throughout the wilderness, shortly before they were to enter the Promised Land, and shortly before his death.  In this book, Moses goes over the laws God gave His people a second time, and as we see here, he encourages the people to not forget the Lord once they have entered and settled into the Promised Land.  Once things start to go better in our life, when our job and income are secure, there are no problems with our house or car, our marriage, children, and health are good, it is easy to begin to forget about God.  All throughout the Bible we are called to remember what God has done for us (vs. 2).

Moses specifically wanted the Hebrew people to remember all that the Lord had done for them during the last forty years, His provision, protection, love, and care since they came out of slavery in the land of Egypt, through their journeys in the wilderness, up to this day as they camped on the east side of the Jordan River.  The forty years in the wilderness was a time of God’s affliction and testing, so that the people’s attitude towards God and His commandments could be known.  Those years were not easy, as the land they traveled through was harsh and difficult to live in.  However, they were to remember that the Lord provided for their every need - food, water, their health, their clothing did not wear out, and He protected them from their enemies (vs. 3-4).

Israel’s food in the wilderness was decreed by the Word of God (vs. 3).  They had manna because it came by God’s command.  Ultimately it was not bread that kept them alive, rather it was God’s Word.  Every word in the Bible is important.  The Bible doesn’t merely contain the Word of God, it is the Word of God.

Jesus quoted this verse when Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:4).  Many people think that life should be satisfying one’s appetites with clothes, food, and entertainment in high style.  But that leaves one empty and dissatisfied.  Real life comes from a total commitment to God.  We should never take God’s protection and care for granted, but instead give thanks for all of His blessings.

We can learn valuable spiritual lessons in difficult times.  We learn that we can trust the Lord, and as we trust Him, He will provide for our needs.  The Lord gave the people of Israel manna and water from the rock while they traveled through the wilderness.  Despite difficult times, God can bless us.  Adversity is not a sign of abandonment.  Though this isn’t always the case, sometimes adversity can be sent from God as discipline.  Frequently in the wilderness He had to chasten His people.  God was seeking to correct their wayward attitude so that they might be prepared to obediently go into the land (vs. 5).  If the Lord doesn’t chasten us, this means we aren’t his child (Hebrews 12:8).

God gave the people enough manna for just each day because He wanted to show us that we need to depend on Him daily.  Because of His provisions, believers should be mindful to give thanks to God before or after we eat each meal (vs. 10).  Not only does the Lord provide for our physical needs each day, for which we should be sure to remember and give thanks, He also strengthens us to face fears, and He feeds our faith through His Word.

Are you faithful to remember all that the Lord has done for you, or have His many blessings slipped from your mind, all the blessings He has given you, your family, and your friends?  Let’s be sure that we remember the Lord our God.

Why Do We Seek Jesus?

John 6:24-35

What attracts certain people to another person?  Often enough you might hear reasons such as that other person gives them security, they make enough money to keep them comfortable throughout life.  They make me feel good, they make me laugh, they do this or that for me, etc.  When we look closer, it seems they are attracted to the other person more for what that person can do for them, rather than for who that other person really is.  This is nothing new, for we see the same attitude with some of the people who followed the Lord Jesus.  Let’s look into today’s Gospel reading.

The day prior to when our Scripture begins, the Lord Jesus has multiplied a few small loaves of bread and a couple of fish to feed over 5,000 people.  The next day the crowds gathered together when Jesus and His disciples had crossed the Sea of Galilee.  He saw them clamoring around Him, and knew the real reason that many of them were there.  As our passage begins, a crowd of people followed Jesus to the other side of the Sea, and then questioned Him how He had gotten there (vs. 24-25).  Jesus knew their mind (John 2:24-25), and that they came to Him because He had fed them food.  Many of the people in the crowds which followed Jesus were motivated by superficial desires of food, rather than understanding Jesus and His mission.

Jesus proceeded to teach the people a lesson about what to seek after.  They were seeking after physical things, gratifying their desire for physical food.  Jesus said to seek after what will endure to everlasting life (vs. 26-27).  What we eat lasts just for a day, it helps our physical body for just a limited amount of time.  When we seek after the Lord, and feed upon His Word, the Bible, that will last forever, on into eternity.

They then asked Jesus what works they could do to achieve eternal life (vs. 28).  However, God doesn’t desire any works that we could do.  What He is asking for is an attitude of the heart and mind.  We are to believe in the One God sent (vs. 29).  Stop trying to do good works or religious rituals to merit heaven.  Those are all fine and good, but under no circumstances can they earn us heaven.  Instead, it is only by trusting Jesus that we can see heaven.  Satisfying God does not come from the works we do, but from Whom we believe, accepting that Jesus is who He claims to be.  The only “work” God desires is faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Messiah and Son of God.

After this statement, the people wanted Jesus to prove Himself.  They wanted some type of sign that they could see which would prove to them that He was who He said He was.  They brought up the manna that their fathers had eaten in the wilderness..  The crowd felt that Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000 was small compared to what Moses did with the manna.  They wanted Jesus to do something similar, some sign and miracle that would “wow” them, that would even outdo Moses if they were to believe (vs. 30-31).

The manna, though, was temporary, and it perished by the next morning.  It was a shadow of what God offered in the true bread, the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 32-35).  Jesus is the Bread of Life.  He is the only One who can truly satisfy our heart and feed our soul with sustenance that leads to eternal life.

People eat bread to satisfy physical hunger and to sustain physical life.  We can satisfy spiritual hunger and sustain spiritual life only by a right relationship with Jesus Christ.  Bread must be eaten to sustain life.  It does us no good just lying on the table.  Similarly, Jesus must be invited into our heart and life in order to sustain spiritual life.

As we read this Scripture passage, do we identify with these crowds?  Are we more interested in who Jesus is, or in what He can do for us?  Too many people are more concerned about what He can give them than about getting to know who He is.  Let’s come to Jesus, seeking the Bread of Life, for in Him we will never hunger or thirst again.

How Are You Walking?

Ephesians 4:17-25

When your neighbors or your co-workers observe you from day to day, do they see anything different about you from others in the neighborhood or the office?  If they were to find out that you are a Christian, would that be a real surprise to them, or would they say that they could tell by the way that you lived your life?  Today’s Scripture from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church gives us an admonition and encouragement to live our lives patterned after the Lord Jesus.

In our Scripture passage, Paul describes the way believers should walk.  The term “walk” refers to our daily conduct (vs. 17).  We are not to live like the rest of the world lives.  Their life is empty, vain, and without meaning.  Unbelievers do not live their lives the way the Lord desires.  The Gospel seems foolish to those who have never turned to Jesus in faith, and instead they rely on their own understanding.  However, to believers who have trusted in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we must walk by faith, trusting Jesus to teach us His will, and how to serve Him.  God has promised to reveal Himself to us when we seek Him (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

Unbelievers are spiritually separated from God, with spiritual darkness and moral blindness (vs 18).  They are alienated from God, but that is not because God desires to exclude people.  Instead, people exclude themselves from salvation.  They do this because they choose to, because their hearts are hard and stubborn.

Unbelievers are morally insensitive (vs. 19).  They sin, and then rather than turning to Jesus, they turn away from Him. They are behaviorally depraved, willingly succumbing to sensuality and licentiousness.  They have lost all moral restraint.  This is something we are seeing more and more of in today’s world.  Things we wouldn’t even dream of happening, are now blatantly in our face in the world today.  Many of the movies, books, TV shows, and social media that we choose to see have desensitized us to sin, and we begin to lose our conscience.  The first step into sin is growing comfortable with things that should make us ashamed.

As Christians, our lifestyle and behavior should contrast to the insensitive, passion-dominated unsaved folk who desire to only satisfy their lower nature.  Others should be able to see a difference between Christians and non-Christians.  Unbelievers are in darkness, and are children of the Evil One, Satan.  We are children of God, and are to live lives that reflect the Light of the Lord Jesus.

When you come inside, after working outside in your yard, or following cleaning up a basement or garage, your clothes are going to be dirty.  To be presentable we need to change clothes into something clean.  Paul makes the analogy of putting off the “old man”, and putting on the “new man”, to the changing out of dirty clothes and putting new, clean clothes on (vs. 22-23).  The “old man” is the behavior we had when unsaved, the worn out, useless, unconverted sinful nature.  The “new man” is the completely new spiritual and moral nature the Lord gives believers.  When we are saved, our new self is created in the very likeness of God.  We need to take the worldly, sinful behavior off, just as we would take off the old, filthy clothes.  We should repent from sin, and submit to God.

Paul then specifies one particular behavior that is quite common among people, unfortunately including Christians, and that is lying (vs. 25).  Lying is more than just not telling the truth.  It includes exaggerations, or adding to a true story something that is not correct.  It also includes cheating, making foolish promises, betraying confidence, and making false excuses.  These are also a form of lying.  Christians should have no part in any of that behavior.

We have to make a conscious, moment by moment choice to depend upon the Holy Spirit’s power to transform us into the likeness of Jesus Christ.  If we want to be God’s servants, we must decide whether we will base our life on His priorities or on the world’s.  The two are incompatible together. Spend time in the Bible learning what is important to God, and then follow His way so that our walk is a good witness to the world of our life in Christ.

Praises From A Cave

Psalm 57

If you have an enemy who is after you, trying to track you down, you might want to find a good place to hide, especially if that enemy is armed and wanting to kill you.  If that enemy has weapons and others with him, and is diligently tracking you down, you need some place that is safe, not just quickly hiding in a closet or under your bed.   Today’s psalm was written by David during a period when he was fleeing for his life from King Saul, who, along with his whole military, were seeking after him to kill him.  Let’s see where he chose to hide, and take a closer look into the psalm he wrote about that time.

King Saul’s animosity against David stemmed from his jealousy over the great military victories David had against the Philistines, beginning with his defeat of Goliath, and continuing on through a number of further battles against their enemies.  The people praised this young victorious warrior, and Saul was jealous.  He didn’t like that he wasn’t praised, and thus wanted David killed.  Twice in the Scriptures we read of David hiding in a cave from King Saul.  Once was after a brief stay in Philistine territory (I Samuel 22:1), and the other at a different time (I Samuel 24:3).

This psalm has the heading “When David fled from Saul into the cave.”  David was safe there, not because a cave seems like a good place to hide, being dark and there are plenty of places one can slip into or behind to be out of sight.  It was safe because God was watching over him and sheltering him.  Though David found himself hiding from Saul, he knew that his real refuge was not the walls of the cave, but was in the shadow of God’s wings (vs. 1).

David used the picture of a bird who safely hides their young under their wings from all harm and danger to that of God who also protects His children from harm.  If you’ve ever spent time on a chicken farm, or seen ducks and swans with their young, you will see how the chicks will race to their mother’s outstretched wings for protection.  God cares for His own children just like a mother bird protects her own.

As David lay low and quiet in the recesses of the cave, he compared those who were seeking his life, and all wicked people who come against God’s children, to lions, to being like menacing animals with razor sharp teeth (vs. 4).  He also compared them to a consuming fire.   Yet he knew that the best wisdom was not to counter-attack them, but instead to praise the Lord, which this psalm consists of.  In any trial we face, our best response is not anger or worry, but instead to bring praise to the Lord (vs. 7).  David was so eager to praise His Savior, that he couldn’t even wait until morning to praise the Lord for all of His blessings (vs. 8).  When we praise God and give Him our burdens, He will calm us and bring peace to our hearts (John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-7).

David called God here by the Hebrew title “El Elyon” which means “Most High God” (vs. 2).  With all power and wisdom, He is the only One who can help us in our need.  God is our refuge.  With Him as our place of shelter for our soul, we do not need to fear.  He hovers over us like a protecting parental bird, and shelters us when crises arise.

God wants His children to call to Him with their burdens.  We can be assured that He is listening.  Even when we can’t think of what to say, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:26).  The Lord can and will accomplish anything it takes for His purpose to be fulfilled.  He’ll do whatever is necessary to intervene on our behalf, to hold accountable those who oppose us, and to surround us with His love and truth.  We see this as we read through I Samuel, how the Lord protected David against Saul, and the final judgment that came for Saul’s sinful behavior.

David’s praise was conceived in crisis.  Although he was cornered by enemies who wanted him dead, David could still compose hymns of praise. Throughout life, we encounter various trials and tribulations.  Like a sudden storm, they rain down upon us.  When these difficulties and perils surround us, we can take shelter in the Rock that is the Lord, knowing He hears our prayers and offers refuge for us, both now and for eternity.  In whatever crisis we are in, we can run to Jesus for help, and then praise Him as we wait expectantly for His answer.