I just wanted to share part of a sermon that I heard last night, because the preacher highlighted something which I had often thought about in Psalm 22 and yet felt it might not be appropriate to think it. As I listened to the psalm being read I was reminded of the battle that so many Christians face, and not only in countries where the name of Christ is rejected, but also in our own towns and neighbourhoods where God's people suffer at the hands of family and others because they refuse to allow satan to be their master.
This is the first part of the Psalm:
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.
3Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.
4 In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
5 They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
8 He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.
9Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.
10 From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no-one to help.
12Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
19But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
The preacher alluded to these verses and while stressing that while they indeed relate primarily to the Lord Jesus when he died on the cross and when God his Father turned his back on him because He was suffering for our sins, added that people who have been subjected to physical and emotional abuse - and especially those who are suffering dreadfully at the hands of other people because they are Christians - can also relate to them. His hope was that such people would indeed find comfort in this Psalm, because they can have the assurance that the Lord Jesus understands their sufferings because he too has endured such suffering himself. The difference being that while Jesus suffered alone as an innocent victim and he was suffering as a sacrifice for our sins, when Christians suffer abuse from others, the Lord Jesus suffers with them and is totally sympathetic and empathetic with them, like no one else can be.
DearChristian Friend, your battle may be hard and at times so hot that you feel as if you can't take any more. But remember that the Lord knows and understands that you are going through, and He is not merely a compassionate observer. In the very next Psalm, we are reminded 'Even though though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are [He is] with me, your [His] rod and your [His] staff they comfort me'.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The only sacrifice that pleases God
I hit the ground running yesterday, and kept running all day. When I thought of a moment to sit down and do my Bible study, I couldn't get the privacy I thought I needed to sit down alone - how cunning the enemy is because all I needed to do was to grab my Bible and go and sit in the bathroom for a few minutes with it! Why didn't I think of it then?
This morning I have been reading Psalm 51 and verses 16,17 have captured my attention:
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.'
Seems to me that God isn't interested in outward show. Trying to buy His favour with extravagant gifts and elaborate offerings doesn't cut any ice with Him, even if they might fool other people. What God is looking for is a heart attitude. He wants me to get real with Him. He sees genuine tears of repentance, and knows when I am truly humble before him. He sees my brokenness and my sorrow at the mess I have made of my life and of other peoples and like the loving Heavenly Father He is waiting for me to run to Him and say sorry so that He can gather me up in His arms, hold me close, kiss away my tears, reassure me again of His love and give me the support and encouragement to pick up the pieces and start over again.
Lord, help me to be real with You. This Easter may I be so affected by the unmeasurable sacrifice You made for me at Calvary that I can do nothing else but come and fall down at the foot of the cross in penitence and tears for what You did for me there. Amen
Give me a sight o Saviour
of Thy wonderous love to me,
of the love that brought Thee down to earth
to die on Calvary
Was it the nails o Saviour
that bound Thee to the tree?
nay, twas Thine everlasting love,
Thy love for me, for me
O make me understand it,
help me to take it in,
what it meant to Thee, the Holy One,
to bear away my sin.
O wonders of all wonders,
that through Your death for me,
My open sins, my secret sins
can all forgiven be.
Then melt my heart o Saviour
bend me yea break me down,
until I own Thee, Conqueror,
my Lord and Sovereign crown.
O make me understand it,
help me to take it in,
what it meant to thee, the Holy One,
to bear away my sin.
(Katherine A M Kelly)
This morning I have been reading Psalm 51 and verses 16,17 have captured my attention:
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.'
Seems to me that God isn't interested in outward show. Trying to buy His favour with extravagant gifts and elaborate offerings doesn't cut any ice with Him, even if they might fool other people. What God is looking for is a heart attitude. He wants me to get real with Him. He sees genuine tears of repentance, and knows when I am truly humble before him. He sees my brokenness and my sorrow at the mess I have made of my life and of other peoples and like the loving Heavenly Father He is waiting for me to run to Him and say sorry so that He can gather me up in His arms, hold me close, kiss away my tears, reassure me again of His love and give me the support and encouragement to pick up the pieces and start over again.
Lord, help me to be real with You. This Easter may I be so affected by the unmeasurable sacrifice You made for me at Calvary that I can do nothing else but come and fall down at the foot of the cross in penitence and tears for what You did for me there. Amen
Give me a sight o Saviour
of Thy wonderous love to me,
of the love that brought Thee down to earth
to die on Calvary
Was it the nails o Saviour
that bound Thee to the tree?
nay, twas Thine everlasting love,
Thy love for me, for me
O make me understand it,
help me to take it in,
what it meant to Thee, the Holy One,
to bear away my sin.
O wonders of all wonders,
that through Your death for me,
My open sins, my secret sins
can all forgiven be.
Then melt my heart o Saviour
bend me yea break me down,
until I own Thee, Conqueror,
my Lord and Sovereign crown.
O make me understand it,
help me to take it in,
what it meant to thee, the Holy One,
to bear away my sin.
(Katherine A M Kelly)
Sunday, March 16, 2008
A promise for hard times
Psalm 50:15 '...call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honour me.'
I think that this instruction to call upon the Lord can be taken both as a reminder and as an encouragement.
It can be a reminder when things are already hard and beyond anything I can do to change them, to return to the Lord, to call upon him and
to prove that what He has promised He will do and a reminder that I must give Him the glory when He keeps his word.
It is also an encouragement to be remembered for when the difficult times come - as they surely will - that He will be there for us and He will hear my prayer when I call on Him and He will deliver me, and cause me to praise and honour Him for what He has done.
However in my own experience, His deliverance probably won't be be a quick or immediate fix, although it may. He may be using the situation for my growth in Him, to increase my faith, to rub off some rough edges in my personality. I may have to wait for him to open a door, and to change attitudes - not only mine, but those of other people, He also may need to change situations as well. But I can be sure that in His perfect time, and in His way, He will answer my prayer and deliver me.
One of the times this happened in the life of my family was last Autumn. My eldest son who has health problems was unable to find suitable employment and had spent most of the previous two years unemployed. This was a strain on our finances. It seemed that what would be best for him was to be employed in a small family business where there would be some understanding if there were days when his health prevented him from working, or if his health was such that he couldn't complete a full day. To find such a position for someone with no work experience seemed impossible. We prayed and we prayed, but nothing came up. Then our financial situation changed again. Our middle son went to university and we lost the state benefits that we were getting for him, and our income dropped a lot leaving us in quite dire straits. We continued to pray knowing that we had to trust the Lord to do something... About this time I received a phone call from my brother who has his own business. After we exchanged some family news, he mentioned that one of his members of staff was going on maternity leave and he needed to get a replacement for her. We talked about the difficulties of advertising for staff and then he rang off. A couple of days later he called again and asked if our eldest son would be interested in working for him! Wow! And it went from there. Our son started work in October for my brother and is about to complete six months in the company! He was able to begin to contribute to the family income - just when it was most needed - and he has permanent work! What an answer to prayer! And it was all of God's doing! Praise be to Him!
I think that this instruction to call upon the Lord can be taken both as a reminder and as an encouragement.
It can be a reminder when things are already hard and beyond anything I can do to change them, to return to the Lord, to call upon him and
to prove that what He has promised He will do and a reminder that I must give Him the glory when He keeps his word.
It is also an encouragement to be remembered for when the difficult times come - as they surely will - that He will be there for us and He will hear my prayer when I call on Him and He will deliver me, and cause me to praise and honour Him for what He has done.
However in my own experience, His deliverance probably won't be be a quick or immediate fix, although it may. He may be using the situation for my growth in Him, to increase my faith, to rub off some rough edges in my personality. I may have to wait for him to open a door, and to change attitudes - not only mine, but those of other people, He also may need to change situations as well. But I can be sure that in His perfect time, and in His way, He will answer my prayer and deliver me.
One of the times this happened in the life of my family was last Autumn. My eldest son who has health problems was unable to find suitable employment and had spent most of the previous two years unemployed. This was a strain on our finances. It seemed that what would be best for him was to be employed in a small family business where there would be some understanding if there were days when his health prevented him from working, or if his health was such that he couldn't complete a full day. To find such a position for someone with no work experience seemed impossible. We prayed and we prayed, but nothing came up. Then our financial situation changed again. Our middle son went to university and we lost the state benefits that we were getting for him, and our income dropped a lot leaving us in quite dire straits. We continued to pray knowing that we had to trust the Lord to do something... About this time I received a phone call from my brother who has his own business. After we exchanged some family news, he mentioned that one of his members of staff was going on maternity leave and he needed to get a replacement for her. We talked about the difficulties of advertising for staff and then he rang off. A couple of days later he called again and asked if our eldest son would be interested in working for him! Wow! And it went from there. Our son started work in October for my brother and is about to complete six months in the company! He was able to begin to contribute to the family income - just when it was most needed - and he has permanent work! What an answer to prayer! And it was all of God's doing! Praise be to Him!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
I am redeemed - not by silver or gold but by Christ's precious blood
I read Psalm 49 today. This psalm is a challenge to me in days when the economy is not doing well, and the cost of everything is rising while pay cheques are not, This whole psalm warns of the folly of trusting in wealth, and that when we die, no matter how much money we have, we have to leave it all behind and it won't do anything for us then. What lovely words these are: 'But God will redeem my life from the grave, he will surely take me to himself' coming as they do after these words in verses7,8: 'No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him - the ransom of a life is costly, no payment is ever enough....' Praise God that he paid the full cost so that I might be redeemed and live with Him for ever. Praise God that the very first Easter, He gave His only begotten Son to so that I and everyone of us who repents of our sins and asks his forgiveness may be saved.
Such love, pure as the whitest snow
Such love, weeps for the shame I know
Such love, paying the debt I owe
O Jesus, such love
Such love, stilling my restlessness
Such love, filling my emptiness
Such love, showing me holiness
O Jesus, such love
Such love, springs from eternity
Such love, streaming through history
Such love, fountain of life to me
O Jesus, such love
Graham Kendrick
Such love, pure as the whitest snow
Such love, weeps for the shame I know
Such love, paying the debt I owe
O Jesus, such love
Such love, stilling my restlessness
Such love, filling my emptiness
Such love, showing me holiness
O Jesus, such love
Such love, springs from eternity
Such love, streaming through history
Such love, fountain of life to me
O Jesus, such love
Graham Kendrick
Friday, March 14, 2008
Encouragements to Praise God
Psalms 47 & 48
These Psalms are such an encouragement to praise God!
I am to clap my hands to God with cries of joy! How awesome He is - the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth. He has subdued nations under our feet - our enemies, those who hate us because we are His children and they hate Him. And HE has chosen our inheritance for us - Heaven lies ahead for those who have put their trust in Him! Hallelujah!
He has gone up amidst praises - How can I not sing praises to Him, sing praises, sing praises to my King, sing praises? He is indeed the King of the whole earth, He is sitting on His holy throne and presiding over all the rulers of the world. Wow! That means that every ruler, every monarch, every president is under His control - whether or not they recognise it! Nothing they do, even evil things, can be done without his permission, even though they will have to face Him one day - as indeed I will, and so will everyone else - and give account for all their actions, all their deeds, whether good or bad.
But when the King is reigning in my heart, I will reflect His beauty and not only this, I can be sure of His protection and strength to face and endure whatever happens to me and no matter how great the forces of evil that are arrayed against me. May be I will be called to suffer for His name (as indeed may of our brothers and sisters are called to suffer, and not only in far off places but in our own towns and cities), but those sufferings will only endure for 'a little while' in the light of eternity that lies ahead for my future is 'secure for ever.'
So what an encouragement to 'meditate on [His] unfailing love' and to remember that 'like [His] name, [His] praise reaches to the ends of the earth'.
I puzzled over verses 12,13 'Walk about Zion, go round her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels'. I came to the conclusion that this means that as I think back over my life and see the ways that the Lord has helped, guided, led and protected me, then I am to 'tell of them to the next generation' - my children and, in time and if it pleases the Lord to give them to me, my grandbabies so that they too will be given cause to praise the Lord.
How wonderful is the thought that 'God is our God FOR EVER AND EVER' - and this links back to His 'UNFAILING love' and the encouragement of this promise that 'he will be our guide even to the end'. Truly, never will he leave me, never will he forsake me - what hope, what comfort, what assurance, what love!!
Hallelujah!
These Psalms are such an encouragement to praise God!
I am to clap my hands to God with cries of joy! How awesome He is - the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth. He has subdued nations under our feet - our enemies, those who hate us because we are His children and they hate Him. And HE has chosen our inheritance for us - Heaven lies ahead for those who have put their trust in Him! Hallelujah!
He has gone up amidst praises - How can I not sing praises to Him, sing praises, sing praises to my King, sing praises? He is indeed the King of the whole earth, He is sitting on His holy throne and presiding over all the rulers of the world. Wow! That means that every ruler, every monarch, every president is under His control - whether or not they recognise it! Nothing they do, even evil things, can be done without his permission, even though they will have to face Him one day - as indeed I will, and so will everyone else - and give account for all their actions, all their deeds, whether good or bad.
But when the King is reigning in my heart, I will reflect His beauty and not only this, I can be sure of His protection and strength to face and endure whatever happens to me and no matter how great the forces of evil that are arrayed against me. May be I will be called to suffer for His name (as indeed may of our brothers and sisters are called to suffer, and not only in far off places but in our own towns and cities), but those sufferings will only endure for 'a little while' in the light of eternity that lies ahead for my future is 'secure for ever.'
So what an encouragement to 'meditate on [His] unfailing love' and to remember that 'like [His] name, [His] praise reaches to the ends of the earth'.
I puzzled over verses 12,13 'Walk about Zion, go round her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels'. I came to the conclusion that this means that as I think back over my life and see the ways that the Lord has helped, guided, led and protected me, then I am to 'tell of them to the next generation' - my children and, in time and if it pleases the Lord to give them to me, my grandbabies so that they too will be given cause to praise the Lord.
How wonderful is the thought that 'God is our God FOR EVER AND EVER' - and this links back to His 'UNFAILING love' and the encouragement of this promise that 'he will be our guide even to the end'. Truly, never will he leave me, never will he forsake me - what hope, what comfort, what assurance, what love!!
Hallelujah!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
God - My Refuge and Help
Psalm 46:1,2.10
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea...
Be still,and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations
I will be exalted in all the earth..."
This Psalm is often quoted during Remembrance Services around 11 November, when we in the UK remember the men and women who lost their lives during both World Wars and other conflicts. However it is not a 'once a year kind of Psalm' to be dug out for those occasions only. Surely it is a Psalm that the Lord has given us to comfort and reassure our hearts when things seem to go wrong in our lives. It is a Psalm for me when problems and difficulties arise which I cannot resolve for myself and I feel fear and panic rising inside me. It is a Psalm that lifts my thoughts above my circumstances to find refuge and strength in my heavenly Father and to refuse to be afraid - Note it says: 'We will NOT fear...' - because He is my shelter, my strength, and He always with me even in trouble.
This means that like a tiny child I can go and snuggle up in His lap and hide my face in His shoulder and stay there still waiting for Him to show me what I need to do, to give me what I need to do it, and when there is nothing more I can do, to wait for Him and for His time when He will be exalted...
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea...
Be still,and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations
I will be exalted in all the earth..."
This Psalm is often quoted during Remembrance Services around 11 November, when we in the UK remember the men and women who lost their lives during both World Wars and other conflicts. However it is not a 'once a year kind of Psalm' to be dug out for those occasions only. Surely it is a Psalm that the Lord has given us to comfort and reassure our hearts when things seem to go wrong in our lives. It is a Psalm for me when problems and difficulties arise which I cannot resolve for myself and I feel fear and panic rising inside me. It is a Psalm that lifts my thoughts above my circumstances to find refuge and strength in my heavenly Father and to refuse to be afraid - Note it says: 'We will NOT fear...' - because He is my shelter, my strength, and He always with me even in trouble.
This means that like a tiny child I can go and snuggle up in His lap and hide my face in His shoulder and stay there still waiting for Him to show me what I need to do, to give me what I need to do it, and when there is nothing more I can do, to wait for Him and for His time when He will be exalted...
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
My King is enthralled by my beauty!
Psalm 45:11 ; "The king is enthralled by your beauty; honour him for he is your lord."
These words hit me to day. Me, who thought I was plain if not unattractive from the time I was a child, through my teens and into my twenties, because I was never told anything about my appearance until then, was shocked when my dh to be told me I was beautiful and feeling that it was not right to be called that, I denied it vehemently. Over the years with my husband telling me over and over how lovely he thinks me, I have gradually accepted that I am - at least to him and my sons!!!
But l to read that the king - the King of kings, my heavenly Father is enthralled by my beauty - beauty which I trust is not only outward, but as Peter puts it 'the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit'. What a wow moment! And as I take on board that He is enthralled, entranced, enraptured by the beauty that He sees in me his daughter, then honouring Him as my Lord, falling down at His feet, washing them with my tears and worshipping him is the only thing I can do!!!
These words hit me to day. Me, who thought I was plain if not unattractive from the time I was a child, through my teens and into my twenties, because I was never told anything about my appearance until then, was shocked when my dh to be told me I was beautiful and feeling that it was not right to be called that, I denied it vehemently. Over the years with my husband telling me over and over how lovely he thinks me, I have gradually accepted that I am - at least to him and my sons!!!
But l to read that the king - the King of kings, my heavenly Father is enthralled by my beauty - beauty which I trust is not only outward, but as Peter puts it 'the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit'. What a wow moment! And as I take on board that He is enthralled, entranced, enraptured by the beauty that He sees in me his daughter, then honouring Him as my Lord, falling down at His feet, washing them with my tears and worshipping him is the only thing I can do!!!
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