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Post by Cindy on Mar 31, 2017 11:37:58 GMT -5
You know thinking about it, it may have been, I just misunderstood what you said!!!
That is more likely.
I am a wee bit prone to over doing.....
if someone says perhaps you should wear blue...occasionally......
I would only hear...wear blue, and would set about to get rid of other colors, and gather only blue clothes LOL
That's just a silly example, but I am just saying, sometimes I go overboard.
 Well, I'm glad we got it straightened out anyway. 3/30/17
Psalm 29
v. 1 & 2 tell us to ascribe to the Lord God, strength, glory and the splendor of his holiness.
These are things we often ascribe to ourselves, and with the rampant self-esteem being taught in schools and colleges it has gotten worse and worse. I do think satan might be behind it because we ought to give these things to God, not ourselves.
People are often willingly blind to God and therefore or unwilling to give glory to God... but more than willing to grab it for themselves.
Then verses 3-9 speaks of God's strength and power in His Creation: in thunder, lightening, earthquakes and water ( the ocean etc.)
When you think about it all of them are amazing, awesome and powerful. I think a lot of times people do not want to attribute anything like a 'natural' disaster to the Lord God, but it seems like in scripture God does use nature, His Creation ( and of course many other things) to display His anger, His power, His glory etc.
God's voice in nature, and in His Word, has awesome power!
But the last 2 verses are comforting and can be applied to my life when feeling down:
v. 10 "The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
v. 11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace."
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397 
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Post by fearnot on Mar 31, 2017 13:54:46 GMT -5
yes....I saw it in time.
Leonard is feeling pretty good. In about a week they will have the results on the polyp they removed.
I am thinking/hoping that even IF it were cancerous, they removed it and it should be gone??
I guess we will find out soon enough.
By the way, our daughter in law (and our son of course) will be having our 3rd grandchild, baby Liam, ( God willing) by C-section April 11th.
So if you get a chance could you pray that all goes well.
Thank you ahead of time.
Happy taxes??? LOL
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Mar 31, 2017 16:35:48 GMT -5
3/31/17
Psalm 31
Great psalm!!
So many wonderful verses its hard to pick just a few or we could be on it for a week or more LOL
v.1 "In you, Lord, I have taken refuge...."
v.2 "Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue..."
v.4 "Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge."
v.6 "I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
as for me, I trust in the Lord."
v.7 "I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction"
v. 9 & 10
"Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak."
v.19 "How abundant are the good things
that you have stored up for those who fear you"
And one of my applications is v. 23 &24
23 "Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord."
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 2, 2017 11:25:32 GMT -5
4/2/17
How weird I was certain I posted yesterday about
psalm 32 ????
Yup! I remember writing about it, but maybe I forgot to press reply?
Oh well, I will do it again....
and
psalm 33 for today.
Psalm 32
V. 1 and 2 are so true!
"1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit."
David tells what happens when he did not confess his sins but then, in v. 5 we read of the beauty and mercy when we confess.
“I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin."
As I wrote yesterday v. 7 is such a comforting verse, to think that God would even be bother to sing songs of deliverance to us!!!:
"You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance."
and then I wrote about that concept of 'joy'
( I think of the word rejoice as being like having joy)
again :-)
in v. 11 which is an application for me:
"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalm 33
Speaking of joy v. 1 and 3 bring up joy as well:
"Sing joyfully to the Lord....
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.......
shout for joy."
People sometimes what to say the old testament God was just mean spirited, , a total lie, and in fact, v. 5 speaks of His love.
"For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love. "
V. 6-11 speak of all the wonderful things God has done and then again in v. 12
it tell of how those who trust in Him are blessed and v. 18 says they are saved by their hope in His love:
"....whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death"
and verses 20 - 22 not only speak of joy again but are a great application for me, to wait in hope for the Lord, trust in His Holy name and His unfailing love:
v. 20 "We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you."
I have been doing that more and more as time goes by, when I start to feel down about aging, aches and pains, lessening abilities, etc. etc.
then, in a short while, I find myself calmer, waiting on the Lord.
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 3, 2017 10:36:14 GMT -5
4/3/17
Psalm 34
Verses 1-3 are about praising the Lord.
v. 4 is a good one to memorize when fearful
"I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears."
as is v. 7 "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them."
Then it speaks of a fear we should have....of the Lord, if we persist in ignoring Him and doing evil
and v. 14 therefore is a good application for me
"Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it."
I love v.18 it is very comforting:
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
as is v.19
"The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned."
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 4, 2017 9:32:25 GMT -5
4/4/17
Psalm 35
This psalm seems to be a petition for God's help against sinful unrighteous, wicked men who do evil to God's chosen.
Tho people seem to be in view, I think it could even be a prayer against evil spiritual entities on occasion since some wicked people are demon possessed and even demons can try to make the believer's life miserable.
The petition is to ask God to fight the battles. I often forget I do not have to ever fight in my own strength ( of which there is next to none), but rather God can fight for me.
and then as v. 9 & 10 say:
v. 9 "Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord
and delight in his salvation.
10 My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you, Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them...
and v. 18
"18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
among the throngs I will praise you."
and v. 28
"My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
your praises all day long."
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Post by Cindy on Apr 4, 2017 11:28:50 GMT -5
yes....I saw it in time.
Leonard is feeling pretty good. In about a week they will have the results on the polyp they removed.
I am thinking/hoping that even IF it were cancerous, they removed it and it should be gone??
I guess we will find out soon enough.
By the way, our daughter in law (and our son of course) will be having our 3rd grandchild, baby Liam, ( God willing) by C-section April 11th.
So if you get a chance could you pray that all goes well.
Thank you ahead of time.
Happy taxes??? LOL
 3/31/17
Psalm 31
Great psalm!!
So many wonderful verses its hard to pick just a few or we could be on it for a week or more LOL
v.1 "In you, Lord, I have taken refuge...."
v.2 "Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue..."
v.4 "Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge."
v.6 "I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
as for me, I trust in the Lord."
v.7 "I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction"
v. 9 & 10
"Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak."
v.19 "How abundant are the good things
that you have stored up for those who fear you"
And one of my applications is v. 23 &24
23 "Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord."
“In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.” (Psalm 31:1)
As this verse indicates, David trusted God mightily in the midst of severe hardship. He also said, “For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength” (Ps. 31:3–4). His trust rested in the character of God. An adequate knowledge of God is essential for spiritual stability. And the only way to know God is through what He has chosen to reveal of Himself in Scripture. Truth for today
The Lord has always wanted a personal relationship with us, and when we have one with Him, His desire is for that relationship to grow. It's no different than a relationship with a man and wife in that sense. In order for a relationship to grow, we have to get to know the person better. When we've been married awhile, we know our husband a whole lot better than we did when we first met him. That's true with God as well, but since we don't have a physical being we can see, hear and touch, we have to get to know Him through His Word. Although His Word is filled with many different stories about many different people, one of the main thing they teach us is about God's character - who He really is. That's what the Psalms teach us as well. They also teach us more about ourselves, but for now we're concentrating on the Lord and getting to know Him better.
The reason we desperately need to know Him better is because when we do know Him well, we will no longer have any fear; we will trust Him completely with everything in our lives. We will be filled with the joy of knowing Him, as well as His peace. There are actually a great many wonderful things that we are gifted with when we know Him better, things we often hear people asking for in prayer regularly. Things such as I already mentioned, not having anymore fear, no more worry or anxiety, perfect peace, calm, joy, love, happiness, contentment, etc. You would think that if a person knew that they would receive those things when they knew God well, they would pick up their Bibles and not put them down until they'd received them, but alas, our sin nature, with the world and Satan's help, often prevents people from doing just that.
I'm honestly convinced that there is absolutely nothing in this world more important than God's Word. It should be our cherished and most valuable possession; and one which we know better than we know anything or anyone else. I'd rather see my children and grandchildren spend time in God's Word and have that kind of relationship with His Word, than see them become successful in school or at work. I would rejoice if they knew God's Word even better than I do, and were garbage men, and I would be crushed if they became president of the US and didn't know His Word. I'd much prefer to see them study God's Word than go to college. College is supposedly needed so you can succeed on earth, but this is not our home and we don't need to succeed here. Instead we should be more interested in making sure we succeed in God's eyes and represent Him well.
“Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.” (Psalm 31:5)
Paul rightly called the gospel “the message of truth” because truth is its predominant characteristic. Salvation was conceived by the God of truth (Ps. 31:5) and purchased by the Son, who is the truth (John 14:6) and is applied by the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). To know it is to know the truth that sets men free (John 8:32). Believers are people of the truth (John 18:37), and they worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) and obey the Word of truth (John 17:17). The gospel is true because Jesus is true, not simply because Christians believe in Him. His resurrection proved the truth of His claims and constitutes the objective basis of our faith (Rom. 1:4; 1 Peter 1:3). You will face today armed with the message of truth and empowered by the Spirit of truth. Truth is your protection and strength (Eph. 6:14). Lost souls desperately need to hear that truth. Represent it well, and proclaim it with boldness. Drawing Near
“But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.” (Psalm 31:14–15)
Multitudes are frozen in fear & confusion in the decision–making process. It's a form of bondage that God certainly doesn't desire. You can be confident in any form of decision making because your trust is ultimately in Jesus. You're responsible to gather facts, analyze them, & weigh alternatives. People hold you responsible for results also. Having done your part, you can rest because the Lord is in control. You don't know the future; He does. Your times & decisions are in His hands as you trust in His guidance. Even when the consequences of your decision are not what you envisioned, you still know that God works all things together for good to those who love Him (Rom. 8:28). Enter His gates
If you have examined a planned action in the light of God’s Word, & His Word doesn't forbid you from going ahead with it, then you can more than likely carry out your plan. If you can do it & retain the peace of Christ in your heart, you can usually have the confidence that your plan is within God’s will. But if you don’t have that sense of peace & God’s blessing about the action, don’t do it. How to survive in a world of unbelievers
The Bible teaches that God sustains you and me. “He himself gives all men life & breath & everything else. ’For in him we live & move & have our being’” (Acts 17:25–28). He supplies our daily food (2 Cor 9:10). Our times are in His hands. Every breath we breathe is a gift from God, every bite of food we eat is given to us from His hand, every day we live is determined by Him. He has not left us to our own devices, the whims of nature, or the malevolent acts of other people. He constantly sustains, provides for & cares for us every moment of every day. Did your car break down when you could least afford the repairs? Did you miss an important meeting because the plane you were to fly in developed mechanical problems? The God who controls the stars in their courses also controls nuts & bolts & everything on your car & on that plane. When I was an infant I had a bad case of measles that apparently settled in my eyes & right ear leaving me with monocular vision & deafness in that ear. Was God in control of that virus, or was I simply a victim of a chance childhood disease? God’s moment-by-moment sustaining of His universe & everything in it leaves me no choice but to accept that the virus was indeed under His controlling hand. God wasn't looking the other way when that virus settled in the nerve endings of my ear & the muscles of my eyes. If we're to trust God, we must learn to see that He is continuously at work in every aspect & every moment of our lives. I readily acknowledge there are many aspects of His plan for each of us that do seem harmful, that do seem calculated to take away hope. But here again, we are called upon to walk by faith, to trust God in the face of these adversities that will not go away. Trusting God
(Acts 20:24). Each of us has a course to finish. God has a place for each of us to fill and a work for each of us to do. Our times are in His hands. Some are allotted a shorter span for their work; others are given more time. Stephen died as a young man; Paul was permitted to live longer. It is not the length of life that counts—it is the depth and strength of life. Believers are immortal in the will of God, until their work is done. The bumps Are What You Climb On
Our times are in His hands and He knows the end from the beginning. When the news of the day upsets me, I pause and worship the eternal sovereign God who is never surprised or caught unprepared. This keeps me from fretting and getting discouraged and it helps to keep my life in balance. Be responsible.
“My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.” (Psalm 31:15)
Ps 139:16 must be taken along with verses 13–15. It says, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” The number of days he would live, was divinely ordained by God. Certainly this is a truth stated elsewhere in Scripture. Ps 31:15 & Job said, “Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed” (Job 14:5). And Paul said, “From one man he made every nation of men… and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live” (Acts 17:26). God not only created us as He intended us to be, He also sovereignly determines how long we live. This in itself is a glorious truth.
Along with David, our times are in His hands. As one line from a song says, “Till He bid, I cannot die.” One of the most inspiring of truths is that God has a distinct plan for each one of us in sending us into this world. God created each of us uniquely to fulfill the plan He has ordained for us. Our disabilities as well as our abilities all fit into that plan. This plan embraces not only His original creation of us, but also the family and social setting into which we were born; all the seemingly chance or random happenings, and all the sudden and unexpected turns of events, both “good” and “bad.” All were written in God’s book before one of them came to be. (Gal 1:15; Jer 1:5) The plan God ordained for you and wrote down in His book even before you were born is a good plan. It is a plan to prosper you and not to harm you. However, God’s plan for us embraces more than merely the events or circumstances that happen to us. It also embraces that which He wants us to be and to do. The Scriptures teach that God places each believer in the Body of Christ as it pleases Him. He sovereignly determines our respective functions in the Body and gives us the corresponding spiritual gifts with which to perform those functions (Romans 12:4–6, 1 Corinthians 12:7–11). Moreover, our spiritual gifts are generally consistent with the physical and mental abilities as well as the temperaments with which God created us. Verses 13 through 16 of Psalm 139 must be taken as a unit. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13–16) God created our inmost being and fashioned us in our mother’s womb so that we might be equipped to fulfill the plan that He set out for us even before we were born. Who you are is not a biological accident. What you are is not a circumstantial accident. God planned both for you. Just as we must trust God for who we are, we must also trust Him for what we are—whether it be an engineer or missionary, a homemaker or a nurse. (or disabled and unable to work) God is the God of society as well as the Church, and He determines the course of our lives in the natural realm as well as in the Church. He ordained days for plumbers just as much as He did for pastors. The question of small or great has no place here. To have been thought about at all, and then fashioned by God’s hands to fill any place, is glory enough for the grandest and most aspiring life. And the highest place to which any one can attain in life is that for which he was designed and made. The fact that God ordained our days for us should also give meaning to every day, not just the special or exciting days of our lives. Every day is important for us because it is a day ordained by God. If we are bored with life there is something wrong with our concept of God and His involvement in our daily lives. Even the most dull and tedious days of our lives are ordained by God and ought to be used by us to glorify Him. The realization that God has planned our days for us should not lead us to a fatalistic acceptance of the status quo. If we have an opportunity to improve our situation in a way that will honor God, we should do so. Even to believing slaves Paul wrote, “If you can gain your freedom, do so” (1 Corinthians 7:21). But immediately before that statement Paul had written, “Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you.” There has to be in our lives a delicate balance between godly efforts to improve our situation and godly acceptance of those situations that cannot be changed by us. The plan God ordained for you and wrote down in His book even before you were born is a good plan. It is a plan to prosper you and not to harm you. I readily acknowledge there are many aspects of His plan for each of us that do seem harmful, that do seem calculated to take away hope. But here again, we are called upon to walk by faith, to trust God in the face of these adversities that will not go away. Trusting God
“Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.” (Psalm 31:16) God will use what you suffer as the door into a deeper knowledge of his love. As you read the Psalms, you see that those who know God well know themselves to be afflicted, weak, oppressed, broken, humble, and needy. Psalm 31:5—“Into your hands I commit my spirit”— was on Jesus’ lips as he hung on the cross, powerless and in great pain. He became this for us. Heb 4:15 says, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” Jesus lived in weakness. He knows what it’s like to depend on the mercies of God for every breath. Jesus’ experience of weakness is the door to one of the most marvelous promises of God in the next verse: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb 4:16). You are struggling. Life is hard. You are living through a dark time. You need. Your Lord sympathizes with your need. He promises you grace and mercy—immediate help in the context of your need. Heart of the matter
“Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.” (Psalm 31:21) and also
“I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.” (Psalm 31:7)
4/2/17
How weird I was certain I posted yesterday about
psalm 32 ????
Yup! I remember writing about it, but maybe I forgot to press reply?
Oh well, I will do it again....
and
psalm 33 for today.
Psalm 32
V. 1 and 2 are so true!
"1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit."
David tells what happens when he did not confess his sins but then, in v. 5 we read of the beauty and mercy when we confess.
“I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin."
As I wrote yesterday v. 7 is such a comforting verse, to think that God would even be bother to sing songs of deliverance to us!!!:
"You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance."
and then I wrote about that concept of 'joy'
( I think of the word rejoice as being like having joy)
again :-)
in v. 11 which is an application for me:
"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalm 33
Speaking of joy v. 1 and 3 bring up joy as well:
"Sing joyfully to the Lord....
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.......
shout for joy."
People sometimes what to say the old testament God was just mean spirited, , a total lie, and in fact, v. 5 speaks of His love.
"For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love. "
V. 6-11 speak of all the wonderful things God has done and then again in v. 12
it tell of how those who trust in Him are blessed and v. 18 says they are saved by their hope in His love:
"....whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death"
and verses 20 - 22 not only speak of joy again but are a great application for me, to wait in hope for the Lord, trust in His Holy name and His unfailing love:
v. 20 "We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you."
I have been doing that more and more as time goes by, when I start to feel down about aging, aches and pains, lessening abilities, etc. etc.
then, in a short while, I find myself calmer, waiting on the Lord.
The God who sees us clearly is full of mercy. He does not intend for you to spend the rest of your life wallowing in guilt. He wants you to face the gravity of what you have done so you will turn to him & find mercy. He wants this moment to be a turning point in your life—the moment where you turn & are met by God’s love & mercy. James 4:6 explains it this way: “God opposes the proud” (those who won’t admit their need), “but gives grace to the humble” (those who know their need). In fact, in that same verse James says that God “gives us more grace.” No matter how bad the problem, grace goes deeper, higher, & wider. God will meet you right where you are—in your silence, your humiliation, your guilt, & your shame. He came in the person of Jesus to redeem this world—to redeem you. He stepped into our brokenness, sin, disease, & pain & took it all on himself. He died on a cross for your sins. God’s promise of mercy to you is backed up by the broken body of his Son. Jesus’ death is your guarantee that when you come to God & confess your sins to him you will receive mercy. The gospel of Jesus Christ is for those who know & admit their sins (1 John 1:8–9). Heart of the matter
Asking for forgiveness is so hard because of what it says about life and what it says about me. You cannot ask for forgiveness without acknowledging that there is something in life that is more important than the progress of your own kingdom. You cannot seek forgiveness without owning the fact that you were created for the glory of another. You cannot make honest, humble confession without acknowledging that there are more important things in life than getting your own way and being happy. You cannot admit a wrong without being hit with the fact that there are bigger things in life than how you feel and how you feel about how you feel. You see, it’s our sturdy allegiance to our own kingdom that makes us unwilling to confess that we have gotten in the way of God’s kingdom on earth. Asking for forgiveness is hard because you have to admit to why you need it so frequently. When you seek forgiveness, you are confessing that you still forget why you were put on earth and granted the amazing gift of God’s grace. You are admitting that you forget that every gift you have been given is to be invested in his kingdom. Heart of the matter
“Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” (Psalm 32:9)
David pleads, “Don’t wait for God to ‘pull’ a confession out of you, as he did from me” Probably verse 9 doesn't mean that the mule has to be held back so that he won’t come near, but rather he has to be dragged by the bit & bridle. In other words, "Don’t be like I was, stubborn & foolish in failing to confess my sin to God. Instead, willingly come to God. Don’t wait to be dragged to confession. I foolishly hid my sin & confessed it only after the hand of God pressed heavily upon me, only after my body was terribly affected by my guilt, only after my soul was in grief, & only after I was confronted by Nathan in that embarrassing encounter. Instead, come willingly. Competent to counsel:
“Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.” (Psalm 32:10)
“Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11) Remember, no matter our sins, we are the upright in heart, and we do trust in the Lord, even though our trust isn't perfect yet. God wants us to rejoice in what He's doing for us, that He is making us more like Christ every single day.
The Christian company I worked for before I got hurt was called "Psalm 33".
“For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.” (Psalm 33:4–5) These verses can reassure us that no matter what is happening in our lives, that the Lord is always faithful in everything He does, and that if we would but look, we would see that the earth is full of His unfailing love. Note too that His love is "unfailing". It never fails us, not ever!
David praised our Creator God, saying, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host” (Ps. 33:6). No one helped God create the world, for He said, “I, the Lord, am the Maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself, and spreading out the earth all alone” (Isa. 44:24). He willed creation into existence, calling “into being that which does not exist” (Rom. 4:17). Contemplating His creation should cause us to appreciate His great power. Yet God’s power is greater than anything He has ever made. What God creates He also sustains, maintains, and preserves. He “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3). The Greek word for “uphold” means “to support” or “maintain.” It is used in the present tense, implying continuous action. At this moment God sustains everything in the universe. That is much more than a law of nature; it is the very activity of God. Redemption was an even greater display of God’s power than Creation. There apparently was no opposition to Creation, but in redemption the devil had to be subdued, death had to be conquered, and sin had to be dealt with. God then chose “the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong” (1 Cor. 1:27). God sent common people out into the world to spread the good news of salvation. Within a short time, they turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). God’s power is also manifested in His ability to raise the dead. God has so much power that at the end of the age He will raise up from the dead every human being who has ever lived—both the righteous and unrighteous. What are we to understand about God’s power? That it is the source of our spiritual power. God’s great power is available and sufficient for your every need ( Ephes 1:19; Phil. 4:13, 19). God: Coming face to face with His Majesty
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)
Just as we saw that God is sovereign in the hearts of individuals, whose decisions and actions affect us, so God is also sovereign in the decisions and actions of government as they affect us. As Margaret Clarkson wrote, “God is the Lord of human history and of the personal history of every member of His redeemed family.” Trusting God
It is commonly said that more Christians have been martyred for their faith in the twentieth century than during all the rest of Church history. Christians are viewed unfavorably in much of the world today and in many countries face outright persecution from hostile governments. The freedom to publicly practice biblical Christianity, taken for granted in most Western countries, is not available to more than half of the world’s population. For Christians living in these countries, the assurance that God rules over the governments that rule over them should give courage and confidence to them in times of harassment or persecution. Those of us living in countries where religious freedom is allowed should regularly give thanks to God for that freedom. It is not an accident of history, or due merely to the foresight of our Founding Fathers, but rather to the sovereign hand of God working in and through our governments. Alexander Carson stated it well when he said, “As God can protect his people under the greatest despotism, so the utmost civil liberty is no safety to them without the immediate protection of his Almighty arm. I fear that Christians in this country have too great a confidence in political institutions … [rather] than of the government of God.” Trusting God
“he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” (Psalm 33:15)
A fundamental truth of Scripture is that God has created people in His image—not only humanity in general, but every individual, including you. The same God whose mind and power fashioned the stars, the seas, the animals, and all other human beings has carefully, intentionally, and individually crafted you. You are not just a collection of molecules thrown together by random chance. The Lord of the universe has called you into being. This truth has profound implications. (1) You are unique. Even though you share many things in common with other people, you are essentially one of a kind. No one else has been given exactly the same makeup as God has given you. Your face, your fingerprints, your voice, and your genetic makeup are matched by no one else’s. Likewise, God has handcrafted you with your personality, your unique set of talents & motivations, & your special bent in life. (2) You have a unique purpose. Not only has God made you, He's designed you for His special reasons. He's crafted you to carry out a unique purpose & mission in life—what the NT calls your good works. God intended that your life would be aimed toward these special ends before He created you. For that reason, ultimate meaning in life comes from discovering & carrying out this unique purpose. (3) You have a responsibility to your Creator. God created you both to live with Him & to live for Him. Ultimately, you belong to Him. Therefore, your life needs to center on Him. The great tragedy of many people is that they turn their backs on their Creator and live unto themselves. But everyone will give an account to the Lord for how they have lived their lives. He will ask whether or not they have used what He has given them to honor Him and fulfill His purposes. Word in life study Bible.
“But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,” (Psalm 33:18)
There's His unfailing love again. As often as this is repeated all through the bible, I think it's something important that the Lord wants us to realize about Himself. He loves us and will not ever fail us nor will His love for us ever lessen.
“We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” (Psalm 33:20–22)
God’s promises are your hope as you wait on Him. Waiting on God does not mean being idle. It is active, daily obedience in the things you know to do with supreme confidence in His perfect, sovereign answer. Waiting on God means you know that He is at work when all appears silent and frozen. In His time, in His way, He will meet your needs and bring honor to His name. Admit your helplessness. In your weariness, cast your burdens on Him. Remember, nothing is too difficult for Him. Enter His gates
The correct way to hope and wait for the Lord is to steadfastly expect His mercy, His salvation, and His rescue, and while waiting, not take matters into one’s own hand. Hayford’s Bible handbook
When I first read the above, I really got a lot from these about what it means to wait on the Lord. It really helped me a lot and I hope it helps you as well.
4/3/17
Psalm 34
Verses 1-3 are about praising the Lord.
v. 4 is a good one to memorize when fearful
"I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears."
as is v. 7 "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them."
Then it speaks of a fear we should have....of the Lord, if we persist in ignoring Him and doing evil
and v. 14 therefore is a good application for me
"Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it."
I love v.18 it is very comforting:
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
as is v.19
"The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned."
Fear of the Lord means that I carry around with me such a deep awareness, awe, and reverence for the power, holiness, wisdom, and grace of God that I would not think of doing anything other than living for his glory. Fearing the Lord means that this worshipful awe is the single and unchallenged motivator of everything I think, desire, say, and do. What does it mean to live a Christ-centered existence? It means that the fear of the Lord, more than fear of anything else, sets the agenda for our actions, reactions, and responses.
The kingdom of self is driven by all kinds of other fears: fear of man, fear of discomfort or difficulty, fear of failure, fear of not getting my own way, etc. The principle here is that if God doesn’t own the fear of our hearts, he will not own our lives. You and I are always living to avoid what we dread. If we dread displeasing God more than anything else, because our hearts have been captured by a deep, worshipful and loving awe of him, we will live in new ways. Heart of the Matter
“I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)
David’s prayers helped to silence his fears; having sought the Lord, and left his case with him, he could wait the event with great composure; witness Hannah, who, when she had prayed, went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. When we look to the world we are darkened, we are perplexed, and at a loss; but, when we look to God, from him we have the light both of direction and joy, and our way is made both plain and pleasant. These here spoken of, that looked unto God, had their expectations raised, and the event did not frustrate them: Their faces were not ashamed of their confidence. Matthew Henry’s commentary
“Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” (Psalm 34:5) This is what we should always look like - radiant! We should always be rejoicing and full of the love and joy of the Lord. So why aren't we? Because we keep looking at our problems instead of the Lord. But when we focus on Him, then we can't help but wind up rejoicing and praising Him for all He is and all He's done for us.
“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7) God surrounds us with His love and even with Himself and His angels! That doesn't mean that bad things won't happen to us, but it does mean that the Lord is right there to help us if they do, and that He will either rescue us or carry us through the trouble.
“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)
“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)
God’s Word invites change. In the Bible’s vivid picture, we “turn” to our Father, Savior, and Comforter. He works in us toward one goal: change. The central dynamic of the Christian life has this FROM…TO… movement. Repentance is not only how we start the Christian life; it is the Christian life. Faith does new transactions and conversations with God. Love does new actions and choices on the stage of life. When God calls, you listen. When he promises, you trust and talk back to him in your need. When he loves, you love. When he commands, you obey. You aim your life in a new direction by the power of the Holy Spirit. In every case, you turn. The patterns, themes, and tendencies of our lives are what we see when, figuratively, we view our lives from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. From one hundred floors up, Manhattan and the Hudson River spread serenely before you. But the action and noise of life happens at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, and when we take the Lincoln Tunnel home to Hoboken. The big stories of our lives are worked out in a running series of small scenes. This is how God has made it to be. He works for a turn-the-world-upside-down reorientation and redirection. Change takes place in the watershed moments and decisive incidents of everyday life. Heart of the matter
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
One of the foremost roles of the Messiah, and one which Jesus embraced wholeheartedly (Luke 4:18), was to “heal the brokenhearted” (Is. 61:1–3). Jesus very specifically addressed the underlying nature of a broken heart on several occasions. He dealt with fear (Mark 5:36), rejection and feelings of isolation (John 14:16), despair and a loss of will (John 14:1). The brokenhearted woman finds healing when she chooses to believe again—to believe that she will live, to believe that she will experience love again, to believe that God has a future purpose and plan for her life, or to believe that God will be with her always, even in the darkest hours of her hurt and sorrow (Jer. 29:11–14). In embracing fully the promise of Christ Jesus to heal her broken heart, she finds strength for reaching out to others, trusting that God still has “something new” for her (Lam. 3:22–24). The Woman’s Study Bible.
Literally, the contrite spirit is the beaten-out spirit (Heb daka’). It implies a spirit that has been hammered and is in a state of submission to whatever God has for it. KJV Bible Commentary.
“A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;” (Psalm 34:19)
All the afflictions of the righteous open out into something glorious. The prisoner is not merely delivered, but he finds an angel waiting for him at the door. And with every deliverance comes a specific blessing. One angel is named faith; another, love; another, joy; another, longsuffering; another, gentleness; another, goodness; another, meekness; another, temperance; another, peace. Each of these graces says, “We have come out of great tribulation.” Thoughts for the quiet hour.
Whenever God has allowed tribulation to do its perfect work in purging, molding, and shaping us, He will then remove that tribulation from us. KJV Bible Commentary
Those rightly related to the Lord, often suffer much affliction. We are to rejoice in suffering for the sake of Christ. The psalmist realized that faith in the Lord does not offer immunity from adversity. Ultimately victory belongs to those who follow the Lord. The Way of Life: Avoid destructive relationships (Ps. 1:1) Delight continually in God’s Word (Ps. 1:2). Achieve stability and productivity (Ps. 1:3). The Way of Death: Experience instability (Ps. 1:4). Experience defeat and isolation (Ps. 1:5). Experience separation from God (Ps. 1:6). The Woman’s Study Bible
“The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:22)
This reminds me of many scriptures. There is no condemnation....etc. and it reminds me that no one can separate us from God, we can't lose our salvation. It reminds me of Jesus saying no one can snatch us from our Father's Hand, and so many others!
In summary, the psalmist asserted that the Lord redeems His servants; no one who trusts in Him will be lost. That this verse represents a summation of the reason for praise can be seen by the arrangement in the Hebrew text. This psalm is an acrostic: each verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order, but one letter in the Hebrew alphabet is omitted (between vv. 5–6), thereby finishing the acrostic with verse 21. The last verse, then, breaks the sequence and calls attention to itself. The Bible Knowledge Commentary
I'll be working on my taxes tomorrow, God willing, and then I'll be back.
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 4, 2017 22:14:12 GMT -5
I sometimes have a hard time balancing between:
"That's nice hon, but all it really tells me is that you like the psalm, not what it means to you or how it might reflect your own heart."
explaining what it means to me because I fear that sometimes its too self-centered
or too looking back at the past, (which has already been dealt with and therefore should stay in the past..... etc.
also false humility
and sometimes, I forget....
and...
because it does have so much heart meaning to me,
I just think ( without really thinking)
that you already know,
what I am thinking, without actually telling you LOL
I forget the exact quote but in one of the commentaries, it mentioned how we are all unique.
But I wonder about clones.....I know that almost certainly they have not cloned humans.....yet...
but they have made great advances since the sheep Dolly, and cats and dogs etc.
I know twins are different, but would a human clone be different....or rather since they would have the exact same genetic makeup.....I am thinking that even then, life experiences would be different.
Some think, they have actually cloned humans and they have done all manner of mixing various animals, which seems scary and wrong somehow to me.
I also really was comforted by the commentary that said:
" He is at work when all appears silent and frozen"
and when you wrote something to the affect that fear sort of equals not thinking of doing anything other than living for God's glory and dreading displeasing Him.
Also we are not to look self-centeredly at problems but look to Jesus....He will either rescue us in His timing or carry us thru the evil.
And that repentance IS the Christian life.
Thank you soooooo much!!!
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 5, 2017 13:47:06 GMT -5
4/5/17
I can't find yesterday's arrrggghhh
sigh
well I will do 2 psalms today then
Psalms 35 & 36
Psalm 35
Weird I really thought I wrote about this one.
in any case, v. 1-3 is asking God to do the fighting, as I think I mentioned before,
I have had a life time habit of forgetting to do that.....
oh I sometimes remember now, on occassion, way more than ever before,
but so often, I will think of asking God after the fact, or in the middle, when I have already been trying in my own strength, which is no strength at all.
And I sometimes think this can even be applied to powers ( fallen angels we wrestle with, like Ephesians 6 says)
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
I often feel like v. 10
10 "My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you, Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob
them.”
poor and needy needing a strong advocate
and sometimes feel like the end of v.13
".....When my prayers returned to me unanswered,"
I know that is not true, because God may be saying NO which is an answer, or perhaps Wait......He is going to answer but not at my command, but in His time, in His way, which will be much better....still its hard not to 'feel'like the next few verse mourning, grief, weeping etc.
until finally asking like v.17, 22, &23
v. 17 "How long, Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages"
v. 22 "Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent.
Do not be far from me, Lord.
23 Awake, and rise to my defense!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.
But in the end, I need to apply v. 28
create a new habit of praise ( something I am very poor at)
28 'My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
your praises all day long."
Since I am wondering if I keep closing the wrong window I have about 7 open right now.......
I am going to post this and make sure I see it, and then do the next psalm in a minute
( so I don't actually close this by mistake....
even tho... it 'should' save it,
even IF...
I make that mistake,
But I know from the past, that on a few occasions it did not...some sort of glitch or attack or??? on the site?
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 5, 2017 14:02:35 GMT -5
4/5/17
Psalm 36
Wow! So often people think the Bible is not really really relevant for today, we are soooooo much more advanced in technology, science, culture etc. that it has no understanding of today's person.....
Well wow!
This psalm speaks to exactly how people are today ( just like the people back in the psalmist's day).....we have NOT evolved.....we are just as sinful
( if not more because we have more time, opportunities etc. to sin).
v. 2 is so telling of the big 'self-esteem' movement!!!
Somewhere along the line people got the idea that correction was damaging to our self-esteem...
I sure know, I used to think that too...and from time to time that same anger at anyone dare correcting me and thus 'hurting' my 'feelings' still continues to plague me!!!
So now we have had the big push of self-esteem amd its gotten to the point that college students are so fragile if someone says anything, that may hurt their self-esteem they need to go to the 'safe spaces' colleges now provide!!!!
2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.
Yet at the same time with their ( ours too on occasion)) mouths out comes all manner of ungodly things...
But then v.5-10 shows the opposite God's love, righteousness, justice etc.
I really liked that v. 6 even mentions God's love for His creatures the animals
v. 6 ".....You, Lord, preserve both people and animals."
So my application is to keep looking to the Lord, His love and righteousness.
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Post by Cindy on Apr 6, 2017 11:15:27 GMT -5
I sometimes have a hard time balancing between:
"That's nice hon, but all it really tells me is that you like the psalm, not what it means to you or how it might reflect your own heart."
explaining what it means to me because I fear that sometimes its too self-centered
or too looking back at the past, (which has already been dealt with and therefore should stay in the past..... etc.
also false humility
and sometimes, I forget....
and...
because it does have so much heart meaning to me,
I just think ( without really thinking)
that you already know,
what I am thinking, without actually telling you LOL
I forget the exact quote but in one of the commentaries, it mentioned how we are all unique.
But I wonder about clones.....I know that almost certainly they have not cloned humans.....yet...
but they have made great advances since the sheep Dolly, and cats and dogs etc.
I know twins are different, but would a human clone be different....or rather since they would have the exact same genetic makeup.....I am thinking that even then, life experiences would be different.
Some think, they have actually cloned humans and they have done all manner of mixing various animals, which seems scary and wrong somehow to me.
I also really was comforted by the commentary that said:
" He is at work when all appears silent and frozen"
and when you wrote something to the affect that fear sort of equals not thinking of doing anything other than living for God's glory and dreading displeasing Him.
Also we are not to look self-centeredly at problems but look to Jesus....He will either rescue us in His timing or carry us thru the evil.
And that repentance IS the Christian life.
Thank you soooooo much!!!
"or too looking back at the past, (which has already been dealt with and therefore should stay in the past..... etc.
There's a big difference in seeing something in God's Word that reminds you of something in the past, and dwelling on that thing from the past. Plus, it's possible that the reason it reminds you of something in your past is because the Lord wants to deal with that situation that day. That's often how He works. Remember, there are no coincidences, no accidents, no luck, etc. When something comes into our minds, especially when we're studying His Word with Him, it's very likely that He is the one who caused you to think of that. That is a big clue that you need to stop and talk about that with Him right then and there, and continue to as you continue to read His Word, because there's something about it that He wants you to see and understand. So please don't be afraid to share things like that. (Unless of course it's something you don't want to discuss, which is understandable) Otherwise though, I'd love to hear what the Lord brought to your mind, and even help (if needed) discover what He wants you to know.
"also false humility"
that's something we all have to deal with at times, but it's also something that Satan can use to prevent us from getting the most out of God's Word. We need to be willing to make mistakes and accept correction of them in order for us to grow beyond those mistakes (sins). If we realize that anyone who speaks to us about it, also has the same problem, it makes it easier because we know then that what they're telling us is something that they've learned from experience with that sin, so they're obviously not any better than we are lol. Also, if we don't share things because we're afraid of being falsely humble, then we're missing out on a large part of what the Lord wants to share with us. It's like an artist painting a beautiful picture but who is afraid to finish it for fear of making a mistake. Until they realize that everyone makes mistakes and everyone sins, and no one is better than anyone else, they will continue to let that fear stop them. Sure, maybe I'm better at certain things than you are, maybe I sin less than you do as far as one area goes, but then you're much better than I am in other areas and sin less than I do in those areas. We're sisters who want to help each other, not compete with each other. It gives me the most joy when I read that you've overcome something or that you've realized something new about the Lord or His Word, or about yourself, or your relationship with Him, etc. That kind of thing makes my day and I've never even considered competing with you. We both have the same goal, to forget what's behind, strain toward what's ahead and press on toward the goal of winning the prize that God has called us heavenward for in Christ. So please, don't be concerned about it. Just share what you think and we'll discuss it ok? That's how we both learn and how we both grow.
Please, please, know that I grow just as much as you do when we share like this. The things I say, and the notes I share, are all things that help me as well as you (if they do help you). Sure, I've read those notes before, but it may have been a long time ago and even if it hasn't been a long time, I know that they are things that the Lord wants to remind me of. So whatever I write is for me just as much as it is for you. Even when you ask a question or for some reason I explain something - I research it first to be sure I give you the correct answer. I don't just say what's at the tip of my tongue. I always research it first and often spend over an hour doing so before I answer, as I don't want to accidentally tell you something that's not completely true. All that research, and then writing my answer down, helps me learn it even better.
"and sometimes, I forget...." That's understandable!
"and...
because it does have so much heart meaning to me,
I just think ( without really thinking)
that you already know,
what I am thinking, without actually telling you LOL"
 I've done that quite a few times myself LOL!
4/5/17
I can't find yesterday's arrrggghhh
sigh
well I will do 2 psalms today then
Psalms 35 & 36
Psalm 35
Weird I really thought I wrote about this one.
in any case, v. 1-3 is asking God to do the fighting, as I think I mentioned before,
I have had a life time habit of forgetting to do that.....
oh I sometimes remember now, on occassion, way more than ever before,
but so often, I will think of asking God after the fact, or in the middle, when I have already been trying in my own strength, which is no strength at all.
And I sometimes think this can even be applied to powers ( fallen angels we wrestle with, like Ephesians 6 says)
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
I often feel like v. 10
10 "My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you, Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob
them.”
poor and needy needing a strong advocate
and sometimes feel like the end of v.13
".....When my prayers returned to me unanswered,"
I know that is not true, because God may be saying NO which is an answer, or perhaps Wait......He is going to answer but not at my command, but in His time, in His way, which will be much better....still its hard not to 'feel'like the next few verse mourning, grief, weeping etc.
until finally asking like v.17, 22, &23
v. 17 "How long, Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages"
v. 22 "Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent.
Do not be far from me, Lord.
23 Awake, and rise to my defense!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.
But in the end, I need to apply v. 28
create a new habit of praise ( something I am very poor at)
28 'My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
your praises all day long."
Since I am wondering if I keep closing the wrong window I have about 7 open right now.......
I am going to post this and make sure I see it, and then do the next psalm in a minute
( so I don't actually close this by mistake....
even tho... it 'should' save it,
even IF...
I make that mistake,
But I know from the past, that on a few occasions it did not...some sort of glitch or attack or??? on the site?
I'm not sure what you mean about applying it to demons though.....
"poor and needy needing a strong advocate"
I understand what you're saying about this, and agree, but wanted to point out one other thing about this that the Lord is saying. God wants us to realize when we feel this way, that we already have strong advocate, in fact, we have two! The Lord Himself is our advocate, and is constantly praying for us or you could say, "advocating for us". That is is current "job" right now as our High Priest. We also have the Holy Spirit as our advocate, and He too is constantly praying for us.
You've mentioned a number of times that you are short on praise and feel a need to praise God more. Because you've said that so often I have a feeling that it's something the Lord wants you to work on at this time. It's actually something I've been working on as well, as i realized that my praises had fallen off lately. What would help you remember to praise Him and help you actually to do it daily? I know for me that listening to praise and worship music or hymns helps me and that's what I plan to do to remind myself.
4/5/17
Psalm 36
Wow! So often people think the Bible is not really really relevant for today, we are soooooo much more advanced in technology, science, culture etc. that it has no understanding of today's person.....
Well wow!
This psalm speaks to exactly how people are today ( just like the people back in the psalmist's day).....we have NOT evolved.....we are just as sinful
( if not more because we have more time, opportunities etc. to sin).
v. 2 is so telling of the big 'self-esteem' movement!!!
Somewhere along the line people got the idea that correction was damaging to our self-esteem...
I sure know, I used to think that too...and from time to time that same anger at anyone dare correcting me and thus 'hurting' my 'feelings' still continues to plague me!!!
So now we have had the big push of self-esteem amd its gotten to the point that college students are so fragile if someone says anything, that may hurt their self-esteem they need to go to the 'safe spaces' colleges now provide!!!!
2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.
Yet at the same time with their ( ours too on occasion)) mouths out comes all manner of ungodly things...
But then v.5-10 shows the opposite God's love, righteousness, justice etc.
I really liked that v. 6 even mentions God's love for His creatures the animals
v. 6 ".....You, Lord, preserve both people and animals."
So my application is to keep looking to the Lord, His love and righteousness.
“Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 36:5–7)
Only God is always faithful. Let’s look at several areas in which God is faithful to us. First, He’s faithful in taking care of us. Peter says, “Let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right” (1 Peter 4:19). The word translated “entrust” is a banking term that speaks of a deposit for safekeeping. We’re to give our lives to our “faithful Creator,” who is best able to care for us because He created us. “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). God is also faithful in helping us resist temptation: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it” (1Cor.10:13). No believer can legitimately claim that he was overwhelmed by temptation or that “the Devil made me do it.” When our faithfulness is tested, we have God’s own faithfulness as our resource. “The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thess. 3:3). Strength for today.
Life will throw us many curveballs. The circumstances may make it appear as though God has forgotten you, but He sees you, hears you, has compassion for you, and always burns with love for you. He is faithful. Trust in Him through whatever life throws at you, honor Him by believing that He is good and He could never forget you. Trust, believe, and know that your God is with you. Your name is engraved on the palm of His hand. You are His. Never forgotten, forever loved. God hears you. God loves you. God knows your name! Always and forever, amen! God knows my name: Never forgotten, forever loved.
“They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:8–9)
Think how much grace one saint requires, so much that nothing but the Infinite could supply him for one day; and yet the Lord spreads his table, not for one, but many saints, not for one day, but for many years; not for many years only, but for generation after generation. Observe the full feasting spoken of in the text, the guests at mercy’s banquet are satisfied, nay, more “abundantly satisfied;” and that not with ordinary fare, but with fatness, the peculiar fatness of God’s own house; and such feasting is guaranteed by a faithful promise to all those children of men who put their trust under the shadow of Jehovah’s wings. Morning and evening
I love Psalm 37! Can't wait to do it next!
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 6, 2017 13:47:45 GMT -5
Just for a minute I tried to think of one area I might actually be better than you. I knew to even try would be to fall into the trap of comparing, but you had said it might be possible...
but I truly could not think of one....
and then, I knew it was comparing, and was content to not have one area, in a similar way I am more than content, that God is so beyond me there is zero comparison.......
nooooo I am not saying you are like God, just that I am fine with it, after all, I did not make God my #1 priority to anywhere near the degree you did.
That is simply fact!
You spent waaaaay more time in His Word, in prayer, in commentaries etc.
I thought for all of one second, well, maybe I am more compassionate or have the gift of mercy...
but
nah!!!
That is foolishness, it is you who have been endlessly compassionate to me!
It is not that I am totally lacking, but....I just spent most of my life wallowing in self pity and self everything...
and yes,
I do spend "more' time with the Lord Jesus and am making much more effort....but I cannot catch up to all your hours....just another fact. I know the Lord could somehow, make it so, but I just don't think so....some will get more crowns right?
I will be blessed to get whatever He might bestow, just to have Him put His arms around me....
I know Jesus loves me as He does you.....but tho I wish now with all my heart I had made the choices you made to put the Lord and His Word as 1st priority ...I did not.
But nevertheless God has blest me and continues to bless me in sooooo many ways, and to have a 'real' sister like you, is so amazing!!!
Your love, care, and faithfulness to me, shows just how much you have been in His presence!! Thank you.
Well, thinking about praise....it just occurred to me, that this verse, you posted, has a lot of praise in it...
and maybe, I should start looking more carefully for more like it
( Just like I do for those that have joy in them).
“Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.
How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.”
Psalm 36:5–7
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 6, 2017 14:59:55 GMT -5
Oh I just remembered you asked what I meant about the verse in Psalm 35 thinking that maybe it could on rare occasions apply to demons trying to cause us trouble ( besides our own sin,
and other people)...
I was thinking how we have God to fight for us, even against demons
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesian 6:12
I wasn't sure if that psalm could actually be applied.... but since Ephesians mentions a struggle against spiritual forces ...
that I wondered if on rare occasions might even try to confuse, worry, cause some sort of trouble or warfare even against the lowliest of God's children?
If so, then, we need to call on God then... also... and never try to fight in our own strength.
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 6, 2017 15:34:29 GMT -5
4/5/17
Psalm 37
The first part of v. 1 has been a stumbling block for me:
"Do not fret because of those who are evil"
Sometimes it just seems so disheartening because it 'seems' like evil is winning...and winning big!
I do know that God can use that...it may be even a way that some will come to salvation ( when things get soooooooooo bad, their eyes are finally finally opened!!!
But so often my first thought ( that needs to be taken captive) is despair and its twin: 'fretting'.
In addition to taking that thought captive v. 3 tells me what to do ( so often I personally cannot do anything about some particular evil) but I can:
"Trust in the Lord and do good"
also "Take delight in the Lord,"
and the results either now or later will be:
"....and he will give you the desires of your heart."
In this day and age, especially on the net on a secular site but even Christian ones, about some evil....it is soooooo easy to choose anger .....
it is like a plague these days that is spreading so rapidly it has almost over taken the whole world.
8 "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil."
However I need to focus on the truth:
v.10 "A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found."
That is both a sobering and sad truth, as well as, a happy one.
I have actually made some.......progress in v. 16 "Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;"
I still have moments of wanting this or that, but I am much more aware of what a terrible trap wealth and things are.
I can't help but think of for example Bill Gates.....He is still holding the title of the richest man in the world, but if he does not trust in Jesus for salvation, all his money will be of no use in Hell....and in fact, it may be a stumbling block to humbling himself. I can't say for sure, but perhaps he prides himself, on his intellect, thinking he has made all his inventions etc. on his own...and therefore has no need of God.
But whereas Mr. Gates inheritance will be useless:
18 "The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever."
I like v. 23 & 24
because I stumble a lot....
"23 The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand."
v. 37 & 38
reinforce the same idea
v.37 "Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked."
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Post by Cindy on Apr 7, 2017 10:46:24 GMT -5
Just for a minute I tried to think of one area I might actually be better than you. I knew to even try would be to fall into the trap of comparing, but you had said it might be possible...
but I truly could not think of one....
and then, I knew it was comparing, and was content to not have one area, in a similar way I am more than content, that God is so beyond me there is zero comparison.......
nooooo I am not saying you are like God, just that I am fine with it, after all, I did not make God my #1 priority to anywhere near the degree you did.
That is simply fact!
You spent waaaaay more time in His Word, in prayer, in commentaries etc.
I thought for all of one second, well, maybe I am more compassionate or have the gift of mercy...
but
nah!!!
That is foolishness, it is you who have been endlessly compassionate to me!
It is not that I am totally lacking, but....I just spent most of my life wallowing in self pity and self everything...
and yes,
I do spend "more' time with the Lord Jesus and am making much more effort....but I cannot catch up to all your hours....just another fact. I know the Lord could somehow, make it so, but I just don't think so....some will get more crowns right?
I will be blessed to get whatever He might bestow, just to have Him put His arms around me....
I know Jesus loves me as He does you.....but tho I wish now with all my heart I had made the choices you made to put the Lord and His Word as 1st priority ...I did not.
But nevertheless God has blest me and continues to bless me in sooooo many ways, and to have a 'real' sister like you, is so amazing!!!
Your love, care, and faithfulness to me, shows just how much you have been in His presence!! Thank you.
Well, thinking about praise....it just occurred to me, that this verse, you posted, has a lot of praise in it...
and maybe, I should start looking more carefully for more like it
( Just like I do for those that have joy in them).
“Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.
How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.”
Psalm 36:5–7
Oh I just remembered you asked what I meant about the verse in Psalm 35 thinking that maybe it could on rare occasions apply to demons trying to cause us trouble ( besides our own sin,
and other people)...
I was thinking how we have God to fight for us, even against demons
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesian 6:12
I wasn't sure if that psalm could actually be applied.... but since Ephesians mentions a struggle against spiritual forces ...
that I wondered if on rare occasions might even try to confuse, worry, cause some sort of trouble or warfare even against the lowliest of God's children?
If so, then, we need to call on God then... also... and never try to fight in our own strength.
4/5/17
Psalm 37
The first part of v. 1 has been a stumbling block for me:
"Do not fret because of those who are evil"
Sometimes it just seems so disheartening because it 'seems' like evil is winning...and winning big!
I do know that God can use that...it may be even a way that some will come to salvation ( when things get soooooooooo bad, their eyes are finally finally opened!!!
But so often my first thought ( that needs to be taken captive) is despair and its twin: 'fretting'.
In addition to taking that thought captive v. 3 tells me what to do ( so often I personally cannot do anything about some particular evil) but I can:
"Trust in the Lord and do good"
also "Take delight in the Lord,"
and the results either now or later will be:
"....and he will give you the desires of your heart."
In this day and age, especially on the net on a secular site but even Christian ones, about some evil....it is soooooo easy to choose anger .....
it is like a plague these days that is spreading so rapidly it has almost over taken the whole world.
8 "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil."
However I need to focus on the truth:
v.10 "A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found."
That is both a sobering and sad truth, as well as, a happy one.
I have actually made some.......progress in v. 16 "Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;"
I still have moments of wanting this or that, but I am much more aware of what a terrible trap wealth and things are.
I can't help but think of for example Bill Gates.....He is still holding the title of the richest man in the world, but if he does not trust in Jesus for salvation, all his money will be of no use in Hell....and in fact, it may be a stumbling block to humbling himself. I can't say for sure, but perhaps he prides himself, on his intellect, thinking he has made all his inventions etc. on his own...and therefore has no need of God.
But whereas Mr. Gates inheritance will be useless:
18 "The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever."
I like v. 23 & 24
because I stumble a lot....
"23 The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand."
v. 37 & 38
reinforce the same idea
v.37 "Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked."
I love what you said about it too and agree with you about it. I'd like to share some of my notes on this psalm though as it seems to be so important for us.
Anxiety is like a red warning light on the car dashboard that tells you there is a problem, but doesn’t tell you exactly what the problem is. Anxiety points to a real problem. Ask God to show you the problem underlying your anxiety. Then bring that problem to him and ask him to help you trust him with all the big and small things that are troubling you. Ask him to show you what you are trusting in instead of him, and ask for his forgiveness. Dare to believe in the forgiveness of sins and that God’s good care of you is constant through all of your very real troubles. Then decide what small act of love God is calling you to do today, and take a step of faith and do that one small thing. Your goal is not a bland, “no-worries” way of handling life. When you read a passage like Philippians 4:6 that says, “Do not be anxious about anything,” you might think that God is telling you to never become agitated or emotional. But in that same letter, Paul talks about being intensely anxious for the welfare of those he loves (Philippians 2:25–28). So there is a right kind of anxiety that’s actually an expression of love and faith. You are not looking for an anxiety-free life, but for a life where you, minute-by-minute, cast all your cares on him who cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Heart of the matter
It is easy to say “do not be agitated,” but it takes a strong faith to reach this level of confidence in the Lord. The cause for anxiety in this case is envy of wrongdoers who prosper in the world. A deep trust in the Lord enables people to delight in Him, and He will give them the desires of their hearts. Those desires, however, will be in harmony with God’s will. The Apologetics Study Bible:
The cure for fretting is faith. Regardless of the circumstances around us, we must still trust in the Lord. But there is more, and do good. True faith always produces good works. A faith that trusts in the Lord will find active outlet. And verily thou shalt be fed. The Good Shepherd is always present to care for His sheep. Feed on this thought, and you will fret not. KJV Bible Commentary
The life of the believer is here described as a delight in God, & we're thus certified of the great fact that true religion overflows with happiness & joy. Ungodly persons & mere professors never look upon religion as a joyful thing; to them it is service, duty, or necessity, but never pleasure or delight. If they attend to religion at all, it's either that they may gain thereby, or else because they dare not do otherwise. The thought of delight in religion is so strange to most men, that no 2 words in their language stand further apart than holiness & delight. Believers who know Christ, understand that delight & faith are so blessedly united, that the gates of hell can't prevail to separate them. They who love God with all their hearts find that his ways are ways of pleasantness & all his paths are peace. Such joys, such brimful delights, such overflowing blessednesses, do the saints discover in their Lord, that they would follow him though all the world cast out his name as evil. We fear not God because of any compulsion; our faith is no fetter, our profession no bondage, we aren't dragged to holiness nor driven to duty. Our piety is our pleasure, our hope is our happiness, our duty is our delight. Delight & true religion are as allied as root & flower; as indivisible as truth & certainty; they're 2 precious jewels glittering side by side in a setting of gold. Morning and evening
A heart of true praise never uses the word if. “If God heals my son, I will thank Him.” Rather, the fountain of genuine worship flows through all the peaks & valleys of nevertheless. “If my son isn't healed, nevertheless I will praise Him.” “If my bills aren't paid, nevertheless I will extol Him.” Pure praise for our great & awesome God is never diminished by circumstance. Unfettered worship comes from hearts who understand that God owes us nothing, but has given us everything. All that accompanies life is a gift from God, given because of His immeasurable love. We can't earn physical life or our salvation. True praise focuses on the astounding attributes & character of God. It rejoices in His goodness. Enter His gates:
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.” (Psalm 37:7–8)
We are to wait knowing the Lord will protect us and save us because of His great love for us, as in Psalm 136. me The remedy for impatience is to “rest in” or “be silent to” Yahweh in the calmness of faith. One should not be angry over the prosperity enjoyed by the wicked. Discontent is not only foolish and useless, but dangerous. It may lead one to deny God’s providence and to cast his lot with the wicked. The wisdom literature and Psalms.
The message of “Relax! Don’t react!” returns (cf. v. 1). The Lord’s intervention is imminent. The MacArthur study Bible
Fussing always ends in sin. We imagine that a little anxiety & worry are an indication of how really wise we are; it is much more an indication of how really wicked we are. Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way. Our Lord never worried & He was never anxious, because He was not ‘out’ to realize His own ideas; He was ‘out’ to realize God’s ideas. Fretting is wicked if you are a child of God. Put all ‘supposing’ to the side & dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about that thing. All our fret & worry is caused by calculating without God. My utmost for his highest
Your anger can be transformed. How do you learn to let go of your wrong anger and express your just anger constructively? Evaluate your wrong anger by asking: What is happening around you when you get angry? When did you get angry at something that doesn’t really matter, or because you had made a good thing more important than God? What were your expectations (what did you want, need, demand) when you became angry? This question about your motives brings God into the discussion, because it reveals what hijacked God’s place in your heart. Your answer will show you where you need God’s help the most. James says that sinful desires are the cause of our anger (James 4:1–2). If you remember that this is God’s kingdom and not yours, the way you deal with your anger will be hugely affected. When you add to that an understanding of your real sins, then you will also see how God, in Christ, is tenderhearted and forgiving to you. Your anger will be transformed. Remembering the height, the depth, the width, and the length of God’s love and mercy toward you will put your circumstances and your angry response in the right perspective (Ephes 3:14–19). Meditating on your need for mercy and God’s forgiveness will remind you that no matter what is making you angry, it’s so much less than what you have been given in Christ. Heart of the matter
“For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.” (Psalm 37:9–11)
The other side of his admonition is the command not to be agitated by evildoers, since their success is temporary (v. 10). Eventually, the “meek” (or humble) will inherit the earth (v. 11; see Matt. 5:5). This inheritance comes as the gift of God, to whom the meek have committed themselves and before whom they humbly submit themselves (Ps. 24:1). The Woman’s Study Bible
“but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.” (Psalm 37:13)
Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes. The NET Bible First Edition
“The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.” (Psalm 37:18)
Remember, we are the blameless regardless of our daily sins for our Father sees us like He sees Jesus, for we are clothed with Christ. First Jesus died for our sins so they wouldn't be counted against us. Then, everything Jesus did during His time here has been put on our account just as though we were the one who did it all. That is the most amazing thought I've ever reflected on! How awesome is our God to do that for us! What wonderful incentive to do good and follow Him who loved us and gave Himself for us!
“If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” (Psalm 37:23–24)
Your performance doesn’t determine your standing in Christ; your standing in Christ determines your performance. Good works are the necessary result of salvation (Eph. 2:10), but they don’t save you or keep you saved. That’s God’s work. “Able” in this verse translates a Greek word that speaks of power. “Keep” literally means “to secure in the midst of an attack.” “Stumbling” refers to falling into sin. Together they say that God is powerful enough to prevent you from stumbling into sin and falling away from Him, no matter how intense Satan’s attacks might be. He will continue to protect and cleanse you until the day you enter His glorious Heaven perfected. Drawing Near
The righteous fail and fall down; yet they never experience total defeat (Ps. 37:23, 24). From personal observation the poet drew the conclusion that God never abandons His children (v. 25). Though they may experience the heartaches of a fallen world, God’s children are never completely forsaken. In fact, His blessings will extend to the next generation (v. 26). The Woman’s Study Bible
“I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25)
The psalmist says that he has never seen the righteous abandoned, nor their children reduced to begging. This is a general observation of God’s faithfulness; it does not mean life will be easy or troublefree for the righteous. Since God will never forsake the righteous, He will ultimately rescue them, but in His time. Through periods of difficulty it will seem as though God has forsaken people (22:1), but in such cases He is calling upon them to exercise a deeper trust and commitment. The Apologetics Study Bible
What David is saying is wonderful—God is with us all the way. When David was young, God was with him and helped him kill the giant. When David became old, God was still there and helped him stabilize the kingdom and prepare for the building of the temple. This is a heartening promise for the Christian believer. No matter how you may change or how life may change, God never changes, and His promises never fail. But what about those hours of disobedience? Yes, there were times in David’s life when he disobeyed God and sinned. Did God approve of that sin? Of course not! Did God deal with David’s sin? Yes, He did. David was chastened for his disobedience. But did God forsake His child because he had sinned? No!
There were times when David was not acceptable, but he was still accepted. David’s salvation depended on the grace of God, not his own good works; and God was faithful to keep His promise. God had to rebuke and discipline David, but God never forsook him. The fact that God does chasten us when we refuse to confess our sins is proof that He is with us and not against us. As parents, we often have to spank our children, and we do it because we love them. When a child disobeys, he doesn’t cease being a member of the family! His fellowship with the family may be broken, but his sonship goes right on. We don’t forsake our children when they disobey, and God the heavenly Father doesn’t forsake us when we sin.
He lovingly warns us, convicts us, rebukes us, and, if necessary, chastens us; and all of this is proof that He has not forsaken us. If God ever forsook you for an instant, you would die, for “in him we live and move and have our being.” The promise of Psalm 37:25: also assures us of God’s provision—we never become beggars. David is saying: God will always provide whatever we need so that we don’t have to turn to anyone else except Him. No matter what your circumstances are just now, if you know Christ is your Savior and are living for Him, you can be sure that He will meet your every need. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mat 6:33).
God cannot afford to fail us. If He fails, then everything in this universe falls to pieces. God must be true to Himself and true to His Word. God cannot lie. His promises are sure and steadfast. If God once failed to care for one of His children, He would lose far more than we would. His very character is at stake! He has promised to care for us, and if He doesn’t keep His promise, then He has ceased to be God. You can be sure that this will never happen.
Yesterday God helped me, Today He’ll do the same. How long will this continue? Forever—praise His name!
The bumps are what you climb on.
“The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.” (Psalm 37:39–40)
God’s greatest mercy to humanity is revealed in his curse of the serpent. Remember that we, his images, are not simple signposts that point to the glory of God—we are his companions. God wants to relate to his creatures. This is an astounding thing. It requires a sin-soaked heart and mind to make it dull and boring. God wants to be friends with you. He does not create human servants to do his dirty work or feed some twisted craving. He creates people in his own likeness and treats them like his children. He provides for them, visits them, and speaks to them. He longs for relationship. Rebellion shatters his glory and it also breaks this special relationship. And to this rejection, which no human tale of unrequited love can equal, God responds with grace. In cursing the serpent, God, in effect, says to his wayward offspring, “You chose to build an alliance against me, but I love you too much to let it stand. You are my children and you may not continue in rebellion against me. I’m stepping in for your good. I won’t let you be friends with Satan!” God won’t let you have what will surely destroy you. God uses his power to act in your best interests. Confronted with treasonous disloyalty, he commits himself to rebuilding relationships with his people. Heart of the matter
I love reflecting on this psalm!
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 7, 2017 12:47:24 GMT -5
Those commentaries were wonderful....thank you!!!!
I can almost always tell, at the start which one, is Spurgeon's :-) he has such a unique way of writting
and also
the same for Chambers, his way is super unique also.
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 7, 2017 12:59:02 GMT -5
I may keep this kind of short, been watching the wind speeds up to 84 gusts so far......
4/7/17
Psalm 38
David has been corrected and disciplined by God for his sin and it has grieved him.
As a father God will discipline His children and it is hard for us, but it is much better than God not caring and leaving us alone....we also know it is for our own good....
but like David, my first thought is about how it hurts....'me' and then, how I have hurt others and worse, God.
And this Psalm shows the terrible results of sin to us, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
David is confessing his sins, and tho suffering greatly, he knows the cure is to
v. 15 "Lord, I wait for you;
you will answer, Lord my God.
v. 21 & 22
"Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior."
This is my application also...to wait on the Lord.
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 8, 2017 10:41:30 GMT -5
4/8/17
Psalm 39
I know Jesus did not speak much during His trumped up trials before the wicked.
V.1 kind of reminded me of that.
I was saying in a recent Psalm how sometimes it is easy to want to someone back who has been snarky with a snide comment back, but scripture pretty much demands we not do that:
v. 1 "I said, “I will watch my ways
and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
while in the presence of the wicked.”
V. 4 & 5 speaks of how short our lives are:
".....let me know how fleeting my life is
v.5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you."
I sure can relate to that....now I am old!!
But v. 7 is my application and hope:
v.7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you."
And v. 12 is my plea as well:
"“Hear my prayer, Lord,
listen to my cry for help;
do not be deaf to my weeping...."
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 9, 2017 10:51:18 GMT -5
4/9/17
Psalm 40
This psalm explains what God did for me as well,
He took me out of the mud and mire of sin ( not that I don't fall back in and still sin, but He heard my prayer and Jesus's righteousness covers me)
I believe the firm rock I was set on is Jesus.
and it talks of "a hymn of praise"
Since I have been looking for joy and also praise,
this answer to prayer and salvation thru Jesus is a good praise for me to give the Lord.
In fact, speaking of praise, v. 5 says that
"were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare."
v. 6 and 7 makes it clear that any 'works' that I or anyone tries to do to be saved is not effective for salvation that God really did not desire Sacrifice and offerings, "burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require....."
Those only were to point to Jesus.
I still struggle sometimes thinking God cannot love me because of my sins, and I have to take those thoughts captive. I know they are a weird kind of pride, thinking God can save others because they were not as sinful ( nor still when they sin do not do as badly as I)......
which is saying God is not strong enough to keep me saved or worse, Jesus death on the cross was not enough.....
I know that I have to trust that God is most assuredly strong enough and loving enough and more importantly, what Jesus suffered to save me, was absolutely enough.
So trying to beat myself up is not what God wants,
yes I need to struggle against sin and repent but even when I do, I can trust I am still saved.
As v. 8 says:
"I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”
So do I desire.
I am guilty of v. 10 tho
" do not hide your righteousness in my heart;"
Not all the time, but having been slammed in the past with keep you religion to your self....
I sometimes, try to just let my life ( and with what little love I have....little in comparison to God's love for others.....) be a declaring of God's love and righteousness of what He has done for me.
But many times I do feel like v. 12
v. 12 For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me."
Yet v. 16 & 17
Are my application in those times:
16" But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The Lord is great!”
17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay."
I need to re JOY and praise God saying He is GREAT...
He is my help and He will deliverer me out of my latest sin(s).
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Post by Cindy on Apr 10, 2017 12:52:09 GMT -5
Those commentaries were wonderful....thank you!!!!
I can almost always tell, at the start which one, is Spurgeon's :-) he has such a unique way of writting
and also
the same for Chambers, his way is super unique also.
I may keep this kind of short, been watching the wind speeds up to 84 gusts so far......
4/7/17
Psalm 38
David has been corrected and disciplined by God for his sin and it has grieved him.
As a father God will discipline His children and it is hard for us, but it is much better than God not caring and leaving us alone....we also know it is for our own good....
but like David, my first thought is about how it hurts....'me' and then, how I have hurt others and worse, God.
And this Psalm shows the terrible results of sin to us, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
David is confessing his sins, and tho suffering greatly, he knows the cure is to
v. 15 "Lord, I wait for you;
you will answer, Lord my God.
v. 21 & 22
"Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior."
This is my application also...to wait on the Lord.
“Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.” (Psalm 38:3)
God doesn't willingly bring affliction or grief to us. Lam 3:31–33 He doesn't delight in causing us to experience pain or heartache. He always has a purpose for the grief He brings or allows to come into our lives. Most often we don't know what that purpose is, but it's enough to know that His infinite wisdom & perfect love have determined that the particular sorrow is best for us. God never wastes pain. He always uses it to accomplish His purpose & His purpose is for His glory & our good. Therefore, we can trust Him when our hearts are aching or our bodies are racked with pain.
Trusting God in the midst of our pain & heartache means that we accept it from Him. There is a vast difference between acceptance & resignation or submission. To truly accept our pain & heartache has the connotation of willingness. An attitude of acceptance says that we trust God, that He loves us & knows what is best for us. Acceptance does not mean that we do not pray for physical healing. We should realize that, though God can do all things, for infinitely wise & loving reasons, He may not do that which we pray that He will do. How do we know how long to pray? As long as we can pray trustingly, with an attitude of acceptance of His will, we should pray as long as the desire remains. Trusting God
I want to share some notes on this that are really for someone who is a biblical counselor. I'm sharing them because that's what you are becoming and because I think they'll help you understand other people even better, so you'll be able to better help them.
“My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.” (Psalm 38:4)
In Psalm 51 David wrote about his sin against Uriah and Bathsheba. The Psalm is the record of his repentance after Nathan accused him of adultery and murder. In verse 3 he described the anxiety state caused by his guilty conscience prior to repentance. He wrote: “My sin is ever before me.” Counseling experience underscores the biblical idea that most people know why they're in trouble, even when at 1st they deny it. Whenever counselors operate on the assumption that this is so, they find most people drop their defenses & tell it like it is. Counselors who presuppose that clients don't know the problems in their lives tend to ignore or reinterpret genuine expressions of guilt & thereby discourage & confuse clients about the causes of their difficulties. It's a serious question whether a Christian whose conscience judges him according to the explicit standards of Scripture can ever become seriously depressed over the guilt of sin committed without that sin being “ever before him.” Cf. also Job 6:30. Some people who otherwise might be aware of their sin, because they have been taught that sin has no relationship to depression, need to be shown that feelings flow from actions. Of course there are persons “past feeling” whose conscience has been “seared with a branding iron.” To the best of my knowledge, the Bible does not seem to speak about the so-called sociopath (psychopath), who is supposed to have little or no conscience. The matter needs further study. Prov 28:1 vividly pictures the effects of a haunting guilty conscience: “The wicked flee when no one pursues: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” A guilty conscience leads to fear, and a good conscience leads to boldness. The wicked flee in many ways. Henry was burdened with a guilty conscience. Walking down the street one day, he saw Ron coming his way. Henry knew he had wronged Ron in a business deal. Seeing Ron, Henry was suddenly afraid & felt as if he had to avoid him at all costs. He turned a corner as quickly as he could & escaped. He felt as if he would do almost anything to avoid meeting Ron. Because Henry had wronged him, Ron had become a stressor to Henry. Unforgiven sinners are vulnerable people. They often become intensely self conscious. Even innocent words frequently are interpreted as personal attacks. They interpret as personal affronts acts that have no direct relationship to them. A guilty person may claim that a sermon was a personal attack, or lacking the courage to do so, will object to some incidental feature of the sermon. or some supposed slight of the minister. To call such a person paranoid is to minsinterpret the dynamics of his problem. On the other hand, a man at peace with God & with other men is invulnerable & can be bold as a lion. Competent to counsel:
Knowing this can help us when we meet and befriend someone like this, because ultimately, we'll see all those things in them and they will usually also attack us as well and insist that we're out to hurt them. When we realize what's really behind their words, it makes it easier for us to forgive them and helps us to be gentle with them until they are finally ready to confess their sins and repent of them.
“For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.” (Psalm 38:17–18)
David came to the end of his rope; he was in despair. He felt he could endure the pain no longer. He was about to give up. At that point, he recalled the cause of these sufferings, (his sin)and resolved to adopt the only solution to the problem: I am ready to fall, and my pain is always before me. I will declare my iniquity. I will be sorry for my sin (verses 17, 18). These passages in Psalms 51 and 38 are parallel to Psalm 32. All three Psalms speak of the same kind of anxiety, the same sort of depression, the same type of physical distress, and the same class of emotional visceral responses. All three describe the anxiety of a man who is guilty over his sin and who is crushed by that anxiety. To summarize then, David’s first contention was: hiding sin causes distress both of soul and of body (Psalm 32:3, 4). The second fact to be noted in the 32nd Psalm is that confession of sin brings relief and happiness. David expressed this in verses 5 through 7. Competent to counsel:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:1–5)
“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.Selah” (Psalm 32:1–5)
4/8/17
Psalm 39
I know Jesus did not speak much during His trumped up trials before the wicked.
V.1 kind of reminded me of that.
I was saying in a recent Psalm how sometimes it is easy to want to someone back who has been snarky with a snide comment back, but scripture pretty much demands we not do that:
v. 1 "I said, “I will watch my ways
and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
while in the presence of the wicked.”
V. 4 & 5 speaks of how short our lives are:
".....let me know how fleeting my life is
v.5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you."
I sure can relate to that....now I am old!!
But v. 7 is my application and hope:
v.7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you."
And v. 12 is my plea as well:
"“Hear my prayer, Lord,
listen to my cry for help;
do not be deaf to my weeping...."
““But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.” (Psalm 39:7)
David took all the weights that were pulling him down and brought them straight to God. When his life was in a big mess, he reaffirmed and declared his confidence in God. That kind of hope doesn’t come from feelings. It comes from knowing the one who is greater than our broken lives and dreams. He is the one who knows how to hold the universe in order and work all things in our lives for ultimate good. Jesus knows how to turn our messes into His masterpieces. As long as we have breath, we have hope in God. Thriving: Trusting god for life to the fullest.
His question is answered by the hope and expectation of the child of God, which is not disappointed. He recognized that God had permitted his trouble in order to discipline him. He felt almost destroyed by the discipline of God. God disciplines us “that we may be partakers of His holiness” (Heb. 12:10). The heavenly Father loves us too much to allow us to blindly follow the ways of sin. Yet His correction often seems too much for the fragility of life (see 90:9). The Open Bible
To reassure you, (and me too!) keep in mind that David's sin was the sin of adultery and murder (Bathsheba and her husband). God didn't discipline him for something he wasn't aware of at the time. He knew exactly why he was being disciplined and remember, when we read the story of what he did, he did not confess his sin or repent of it for quite a long time. Not until God's prophet confronted him with it.
4/9/17
Psalm 40
This psalm explains what God did for me as well,
He took me out of the mud and mire of sin ( not that I don't fall back in and still sin, but He heard my prayer and Jesus's righteousness covers me)
I believe the firm rock I was set on is Jesus.
and it talks of "a hymn of praise"
Since I have been looking for joy and also praise,
this answer to prayer and salvation thru Jesus is a good praise for me to give the Lord.
In fact, speaking of praise, v. 5 says that
"were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare."
v. 6 and 7 makes it clear that any 'works' that I or anyone tries to do to be saved is not effective for salvation that God really did not desire Sacrifice and offerings, "burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require....."
Those only were to point to Jesus.
I still struggle sometimes thinking God cannot love me because of my sins, and I have to take those thoughts captive. I know they are a weird kind of pride, thinking God can save others because they were not as sinful ( nor still when they sin do not do as badly as I)......
which is saying God is not strong enough to keep me saved or worse, Jesus death on the cross was not enough.....
I know that I have to trust that God is most assuredly strong enough and loving enough and more importantly, what Jesus suffered to save me, was absolutely enough.
So trying to beat myself up is not what God wants,
yes I need to struggle against sin and repent but even when I do, I can trust I am still saved.
As v. 8 says:
"I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”
So do I desire.
I am guilty of v. 10 tho
" do not hide your righteousness in my heart;"
Not all the time, but having been slammed in the past with keep you religion to your self....
I sometimes, try to just let my life ( and with what little love I have....little in comparison to God's love for others.....) be a declaring of God's love and righteousness of what He has done for me.
But many times I do feel like v. 12
v. 12 For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me."
Yet v. 16 & 17
Are my application in those times:
16" But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The Lord is great!”
17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay."
I need to re JOY and praise God saying He is GREAT...
He is my help and He will deliverer me out of my latest sin(s).
I still struggle sometimes thinking God cannot love me because of my sins, and I have to take those thoughts captive. I know they are a weird kind of pride, thinking God can save others because they were not as sinful ( nor still when they sin do not do as badly as I)......
which is saying God is not strong enough to keep me saved or worse, Jesus death on the cross was not enough.....
I know that I have to trust that God is most assuredly strong enough and loving enough and more importantly, what Jesus suffered to save me, was absolutely enough.
So trying to beat myself up is not what God wants,
yes I need to struggle against sin and repent but even when I do, I can trust I am still saved.
Yes, we've talked about this before and it's something many others feel as well. Yes, it is a sin of pride like you said because you are really saying that you're stronger than God because you can sin so much that even the blood of the one and only perfect and holy God, given willingly for you, cannot save you because you're so bad. And like you said, it's also saying that He's not strong enough to keep His promise to keep you saved and make you holy like Jesus. Thinking that you have sinned more than anyone else on this earth, is also the sin of pride, for much the same reasons. But what is that really saying about yourself? That you must be more purely evil than Satan for the precious blood of Jesus to be unable t6o save you. Or more evil than Hitler, or Stalin, or any other human being you can name. It's also saying that you don't believe God's Word is really true, since you don't believe that he can save you. (I know you don't really believe these things, I'm only showing this so you can realize what truths you need to fight it with) It means that when you read the scriptures that say we were all God's enemies before we were saved, that you think you are more His enemy than anyone else could ever be or ever has been, including Hitler etc. and are therefore better than anyone else at how great you are at sinning. The problem with seeing yourself in this way is that it's not true anymore. (even if it was before you were saved, which really isn't true either, but we'll call it true then for sake of argument) It's not true any longer because at the moment you were saved, God took the Lord's perfect life and put it on your account and took your perfectly horrible life and put that on Jesus's account.
Think of it as though God has this huge ledger with everyone's name in it, and by each name He has written down how good or bad they've been. We'll even pretend that He uses a numbering system and that someone like Satan would get the number -10 (negative ten) for being perfectly evil and Jesus would get a 10 for being perfectly good and holy. So let's say that next to your name, you also got a -10 since according to you, you're as bad as Satan. At the moment you were saved though, the Lord took your negative ten and put it by our Lord's Name and took His positive 10 and put it by your name. He could do that because Jesus paid for your negative 10 life on the cross where all your sins were put on Him. He did that willingly for you, only because He loved you so much. Now, for the rest of your life here, God will see you and deal with you as though you really had and are living a life of a positive 10, and then, when your body dies, He will give you a new one and you will lose your sin nature and will quite literally, suddenly actually be a positive 10, because He will have transformed you to be just like His Son.
Is it difficult for you to accept that anyone could love you that much? It is for me. I hate that Jesus had to die and that He had to experience having all my sins laid on Him. I can't say how much I hate it. But I love Him for doing it. I wish that I could say that I appreciate it so much that I don't ever sin anymore, but I can't. Thankfully, even the horrible sins that I still commit every day were laid on Him that day so long ago when He was nailed to that cross. He knew I couldn't live up to His standards, even when I'd finally want to, and therefore He took my sins away from me and had the Father punish Him instead for them. He did the same thing for you. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around someone loving me that much too. I believe it because I know He's alive and that He's with me even now, and because I know that He's changed me already. I can see small differences in myself from how I used to be. I can see those differences in you as well. Whenever we start to think that we're so much worse than anyone else that God wouldn't want to save us, we need to stop those thoughts immediately and instead literally begin to praise the Lord that He did save us! Begin to sing songs of praise to the one who loved us and gave Himself for us. That's the best way to defeat Satan who is behind those kind of thoughts.
If God can save and use these people He can certainly save and use you and me. I'm sure you've seen at least some of these before, but there are lots more. Keep in mind that the things mentioned didn't occur "just once" either, but were generally habitual things. (and besides, the list might bring a smile or even a laugh to you)
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was old, and he was a chronic liar
Sarah laughed at God's promises and she was impatient;
Isaac was a daydreamer and a liar
Jacob was a liar and a cheater
Leah was ugly and had very bad eyesight
Joseph was abused
Moses stuttered and he was a murderer and had a temper
Miriam was a gossip.
Gideon was afraid and doubted
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
David was an adulterer (not to mention a murderer)
Solomon was an idolator and also had more than one wife and so was an adulterer as were many others.
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow, full of self pity and depressed.
Job went bankrupt
Hosea's wife was a prostitute.
Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.
Amos' only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.
John the Baptist ate bugs
Andrew lived in the shadow of his big brother
Peter denied Christ because he was more afraid of men than God and he had a temper.
John was self-righteous.
Matthew was a low life tax collector (think of people today who loan money to others at huge interest rates and beat them up when they don't pay it back on time)
All the disciples fell asleep while praying (and ran away when Jesus really needed them.)
Thomas doubted.
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced (more than once) She was an adulterer.
Mary Magdalene was demon-possessed
Zacchaeus was also a low life chief tax collector
Timothy had an ulcer
Paul was a self righteous murderer.
John Mark was rejected by Paul.
Timothy had ulcers.
Oh…and Lazarus was dead
“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 40:1–3)
He's obviously in a real bad situation (slimy pit) and yet, he waits "patiently" God’s promises are your hope as you wait on Him. Waiting on God does not mean being idle. It is active, daily obedience in the things you know to do with supreme confidence in His perfect, sovereign answer. Waiting on God means you know that He is at work when all appears silent & frozen. In His time, in His way, He will meet your needs & bring honor to His name. Admit your helplessness. In your weariness, cast your burdens on Him. Nothing is too difficult for Him. Enter His gates
Solomon wrote in Ecc 3:1: “There is an appointed time for everything”. Though not included in the list of appropriate seasons that followed, this principle rings just as true: “There is a time to wait—and a time to act.” How do you see the difference? There are two conditions involved in determining the latter course. If you have done everything you know to discern God’s leadership—praying diligently, gathering facts, searching the Word, obtaining good counsel, submitting totally to Jesus’ lordship—and if a decision must be made now, then it is time to move forward. If you want to please God sincerely, you must not worry about the consequences of your decisions. If it is the wrong decision, then He will forgive you & steer you rightly. But when a course must be charted, your confidence, faith, & courage are fully cast on the God who knows the future & has secured your relationship with Him. Wait on God when you can, but act boldly in faith when you must, entrusting yourself to a faithful God. Heavenly Father, I need wisdom to know when to wait & when to act. Give me the confidence that You will use my decisions for Your glory. I rest secure in the knowledge that You know the future. Enter His gates
The Resurrection of Christ (Psalm 40:1–3) These verses describe David’s deliverance from some trouble, but they also illustrate Christ’s resurrection. Jesus had gone down into the pit of sin for us; He was made sin for us (1 Peter 2:24; 2 Cor. 5:21). Certainly it was a “horrible pit” when you consider that Jesus bore on His sinless body all the sins of all mankind for all time. But He did not stay in the pit; God raised Him from the dead. Heb 5:7 suggests some of the horror of that Gethsemane and Calvary experience, and informs us that Jesus prayed to be “delivered out of death” (not from death, for He came to die). The Father answered that prayer and raised Him from the dead. Christ today is raised to die no more. His work is finished; His feet are on the rock. The new song is a song of victory and praise to God; see Psalm 22:22–25, and compare these verses with Psalm 40:9–10. He has put all enemies under His feet. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines
“Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” (Psalm 40:5)
This reminds me of another verse which agrees with it: “However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”—” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.” (Psalm 40:6)
In Paul’s view this passage has more meaning than the mere expression of grateful devotion to God’s service. He represents Christ as declaring that the sacrifices, whether vegetable or animal, wouldn't avail to meet the demands of God’s law, & that He had come to render the required satisfaction, which he states was effected by “the offering of the body of Christ” [Heb 10:10], for that is the “will of God” which Christ came to fulfill or do, in order to effect man’s redemption. We thus see that the contrast to the unsatisfactory character assigned the OT offerings in Psalm 40:6 is found in the compliance with God’s law (compare Psalm 40:7- 8). Of course, as Paul & other NT writers explain Christ’s work, it consisted in more than being made under the law or obeying its precepts. It required an “obedience unto death” [Philippians 2:8], & that is the compliance here chiefly intended, & which makes the contrast with Ps 40:6 clear. mine ears hast thou opened—Whether allusion is made to the custom of boring a servant’s ear, in token of voluntary & perpetual enslavement (Ex 21:6), or that the opening of the ear, as in Isaiah 48:8; Isaiah 50:5 (though by a different word in Hebrew) denotes obedience by the common figure of hearing for obeying, it is evident that the clause is designed to express a devotion to God’s will as avowed more fully in Psalm 40:8, & already explained. Paul, however, uses the words, “a body hast thou prepared me” [Heb 10:5], which are found in the Septuagint in the place of the words, “mine ears hast thou opened.” He does not lay any stress on this clause, & his argument is complete without it. It is, perhaps, to be regarded rather as an interpretation or free translation by the Septuagint, than either an addition or attempt at verbal translation. The Septuagint translators may have had reference to Christ’s vicarious sufferings as taught in other Scriptures, as in Isaiah 53:4–11; at all events, the sense is substantially the same, as a body was essential to the required obedience (compare Romans 7:4; 1 Peter 2:24). Commentary Critical and Explanatory
He came in that perfect body to be the perfect sacrifice for sins. Read 1 Sam. 15:22, Ps. 51:16–17, Hosea 6:6, and Micah 6:6–7 to see that nowhere in the OT are we taught that the blood of animals could wash away sins. Many Jews trusted the sacrifice instead of looking by faith to the Lord. How like many church members today who are trusting baptism or membership for salvation. Verse 6 mentions four kinds of offerings: (1) sacrifice, any kind of bloody offering; (2) offering, the non-bloody offerings, such as the meal offerings; (3) burnt offering, offering picturing total dedication to God; and (4) sin offering, offering dealing with the sin of the person. All of these OT offerings (outlined in Lev. 1–5) are pictures of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. The burnt offering pictures His total surrender to God; “I delight to do Your will.” The meal offering (Lev. 2) illustrates His perfect nature and reminds us that we feed on Him to satisfy the soul. The peace offering (Lev. 3) pictures peace with God, a peace between the sinner and the Savior that Jesus made at the cross (Col. 1:20; 2 Cor. 5:18). The sin offering (Lev. 4) deals with sin in our nature, while the trespass offering (Lev. 5) deals with acts of disobedience. Christ died for our sins, but He also condemned our old nature on the cross and thereby is able to give us victory over sin (Rom. 6–8). The important thing is this: all of these offerings are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. By one offering He settled the sin question completely and eternally. What millions of lambs and goats could never do, Jesus Christ did in His hours of agony on the cross. Hallelujah, what a Savior! Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines
“Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”” (Psalm 40:7–8)
David responded to the truth in verse 6 by yielding his life to do God’s will. He presented himself willingly to the Lord, received direction from the book (the scroll), and expressed his desire to do the will of God. These verses present a marvelous example of what is involved in dedicating oneself to God’s will in accordance with His Word. The Bible Knowledge Commentary
You will want to read Heb. 10:1–18 carefully. The chapter begins by saying that God has set aside all the Hebrew sacrifices which could never take away sins. In vv. 5–9, the writer argues that Jesus Christ came to do what those sacrifices could never do. But in order for Jesus to die, He had to come to earth as a man in a body of flesh (without sin, of course). As He came into the world, the Son said to the Father, “Lo, I come—in the volume of the book (the OT prophecies) it is written of Me.” Hebrews 10:5, NKJV, quotes Ps. 40:6, NKJV, as “a body You have prepared for Me” instead of “my ears You have opened.” Of course, the same Holy Spirit who wrote the Word can quote it and expand or explain it as He wills. Jesus Christ came in a prepared body; He was born of the Virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26–38). God has four ways to make a body: (1) out of clay, as with Adam; (2) out of man, as with Eve, Gen. 2:21–25; (3) out of woman married to man, as in every normal human birth; and (4) out of woman without man, as with the birth of Christ. Jesus Christ came in a prepared body, a body that was not tainted by sin. Though He felt all the sinless infirmities of flesh (hunger, pain, weariness, death), He never shared in the sinful weaknesses of flesh. If Jesus Christ did not have a sinless nature, then He could not be the Savior of the world. For the phrase “my ears you have opened,” see Ex. 21:1–6 and Isa. 50:5. The OT Jew would pierce the ear of the servant who wanted to remain with him forever. It is a beautiful picture of dedication. Note too that the birth of Christ was “written in the book.” The first promise is in Gen. 3:15, where God announced that the “seed of the woman” (not the man, therefore a virgin birth) would defeat the seed of Satan. Later, God announced to Abraham that the Savior would come through the Jews, and then He revealed that He would come through the tribe of Judah. Isaiah 7:14 announced the virgin birth, and Micah 5:2 informed the people that He would come to Bethlehem. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines
"I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly." Psalm 40:10
Here David is talking about sharing his testimony, and praising God at the Temple with other believers, and saying too that he doesn't just read or study about God's righteousness but instead, it's in his heart so that he can live it out with his life. He says that he speaks about how God's helped him to others. In other words, it's just like what we were talking about before. When something good happens to him or to another person, he says, "praise God! What wonderful news!" or something like that . When he has good news to share, instead of saying, "I almost got into a wreck today, but I was lucky and didn't get hit", he says something like, "I almost got into a wreck today, as there was no way to avoid it, but Praise the Lord, He saved me from it! He's so amazing!" Because we know the truth that when something really good happens to us, it's from the Lord, we say so. That's just part of who we are. We're not putting on airs or trying to make ourselves sound spiritual, it's just the way we think, and David's simply saying that He doesn't hide who he is. He praises God when good things happen, and prays for His help when bad things happen, knowing that God is in control. You've told me before that's how you are too, and I've found that the more we allow ourselves to do that, the more we will begin to see the things that God is doing in our lives and in the world around us.
How often do you feel like verse 12? Can you explain more about that?
“Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.” (Psalm 40:17)
The Man of Sorrows closes this psalm with yet another appeal based on His need as He hung between heaven and earth dying for us. His disciples had forsaken Him, His friends had departed, His call was to the Lord God Jehovah, His deliverer, make no tarrying, O my God. In perfect faith, just as the psalmist had called upon the Lord God and had expected deliverance, so too the Son of God, in perfect faith, called upon His Father to hasten His deliverance through death because that would also hasten His resurrection to life. KJV Bible Commentary
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 10, 2017 13:43:44 GMT -5
I just wanted to quickly comment on Oswald Chamber....I had his book and often found it hard to understand, whereas with Spurgeon, I never had that problem.
For sure, they both wrote in unique ways, but I thought there was something wrong with me that most of the time, I was left confused and scratching my head to really understand what exactly was he saying?
In fact, I tried to read the article got about 1/2 through and I must admit, I don't really quite understand it either.....
It sounds a little like it is saying, that in a way,
Chambers was interpreting scripture kind of like 2 Peter 1:20 says it was not done ( and by conjecture we should not do it)????
Like I said, everything about Chambers is a wee bit confusing to me....including why he was a false teacher....tho for sure, I could mostly never understand for the most part what exactly he was saying...so maybe , that was a good thing,
like I was being protected.
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 10, 2017 20:13:42 GMT -5
I know psychology is just man made made up stuff without God....but was it saying that a seared conscience the world would call a sociopath,
still is bothered by their conscience because "the wicked flee"?
My daughter has a friend who is becoming or is a nurse now, who used to call the father of Hossanah's children a 'sociopath'.
He can be the most charming,
hilariously funny person, but he is all about himself, and many innocent words were interpreted as attacks on him ( and he would become furious).
So that was interesting insight.
I had never really realized that David never confessed his sin until confronted by the prophet ( Nathan was it?).
What would have happened do you think if the prophet had never confronted him? He would have still been loved by God, but do you think God would have kept the pressure up, brought someone else to confront him, or let him grow old and die, with this sin unconfessed?
That was such a great example you explained to me about if sin were graded ( but its not) from -10 to +10.....that was super helpful!!!!!
I had never seen the list of sins committed by different people in the Bible....that was just great!!!
and super funny for some....I especially laughed at John the baptist ate bugs!!!
You asked about Psalm 40:12
Wow! It sure does feel like that on occasion.....I can been going along ( know that yes, I have sinned every day......but feel like not so much, better, cleaner and I thank the Lord).....
but then boom
one day....it seems like I just loose it......
and "my sins have overtaken me"
I know its not that really, I have allowed it because "troubles without number surround me"
and perhaps I feel entitled to a pity party or whatever.....I just am overwhelmed....it seems to much, I am tired, hurting, and bummed to the max.
The thing is "I cannot see"....I have become blind to the fact that God is still in charge, He is allowing this for a reason ( and often, very soon, He solves most if not all the problems, not only that, sometimes, the outcome is even better than before they festered)....but at the time, I go 'blind' for awhile.....it's not pretty as they say ans I should not allow myself to sink that low...I know I need to take my thoughts captive right from the get go!!!
By the way...we have not heard from Eva in awhile huh?
I wonder how she is doing?
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 10, 2017 21:35:48 GMT -5
4/10/17
Psalm 41
The first 3 verses talk about some of the blessings from the Lord, I especially liked v. 3
v. 3 "The Lord sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness."
and v. 4 certainly refers to me as well....
v. 4 "I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord;
heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
Even tho the enemies of the psalmist say v. 8 I sometimes have said it of myself
v.8 "“A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
Yet, v. 11 applies to me also:
v.11 "11 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me"
And since I am looking for praises to apply v. 13 has one
v.13 "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen."
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Post by Cindy on Apr 11, 2017 11:36:40 GMT -5
I just wanted to quickly comment on Oswald Chamber....I had his book and often found it hard to understand, whereas with Spurgeon, I never had that problem.
For sure, they both wrote in unique ways, but I thought there was something wrong with me that most of the time, I was left confused and scratching my head to really understand what exactly was he saying?
In fact, I tried to read the article got about 1/2 through and I must admit, I don't really quite understand it either.....
It sounds a little like it is saying, that in a way,
Chambers was interpreting scripture kind of like 2 Peter 1:20 says it was not done ( and by conjecture we should not do it)????
Like I said, everything about Chambers is a wee bit confusing to me....including why he was a false teacher....tho for sure, I could mostly never understand for the most part what exactly he was saying...so maybe , that was a good thing,
like I was being protected.
So first it talks about someone who's "past feeling" who's conscience has been seared. Then after saying that, it speaks about the so called sociopath who's supposedly doesn't have a conscience. The only thing he says about that is that the bible does not seem to speak about anyone like that so it needs further study.
Don't worry about it if you couldn't understand the article about Chambers. I'd suggest simply not reading Chambers anymore.
I know psychology is just man made made up stuff without God....but was it saying that a seared conscience the world would call a sociopath,
still is bothered by their conscience because "the wicked flee"?
My daughter has a friend who is becoming or is a nurse now, who used to call the father of Hossanah's children a 'sociopath'.
He can be the most charming,
hilariously funny person, but he is all about himself, and many innocent words were interpreted as attacks on him ( and he would become furious).
So that was interesting insight.
I had never really realized that David never confessed his sin until confronted by the prophet ( Nathan was it?).
What would have happened do you think if the prophet had never confronted him? He would have still been loved by God, but do you think God would have kept the pressure up, brought someone else to confront him, or let him grow old and die, with this sin unconfessed?
That was such a great example you explained to me about if sin were graded ( but its not) from -10 to +10.....that was super helpful!!!!!
I had never seen the list of sins committed by different people in the Bible....that was just great!!!
and super funny for some....I especially laughed at John the baptist ate bugs!!!
You asked about Psalm 40:12
Wow! It sure does feel like that on occasion.....I can been going along ( know that yes, I have sinned every day......but feel like not so much, better, cleaner and I thank the Lord).....
but then boom
one day....it seems like I just loose it......
and "my sins have overtaken me"
I know its not that really, I have allowed it because "troubles without number surround me"
and perhaps I feel entitled to a pity party or whatever.....I just am overwhelmed....it seems to much, I am tired, hurting, and bummed to the max.
The thing is "I cannot see"....I have become blind to the fact that God is still in charge, He is allowing this for a reason ( and often, very soon, He solves most if not all the problems, not only that, sometimes, the outcome is even better than before they festered)....but at the time, I go 'blind' for awhile.....it's not pretty as they say ans I should not allow myself to sink that low...I know I need to take my thoughts captive right from the get go!!!
By the way...we have not heard from Eva in awhile huh?
I wonder how she is doing?
In Psalm 51 David wrote about his sin against Uriah and Bathsheba. The Psalm is the record of his repentance after Nathan accused him of adultery and murder. In verse 3 he described the anxiety state caused by his guilty conscience prior to repentance. He wrote: “My sin is ever before me.” Counseling experience underscores the biblical idea that most people know why they're in trouble, even when at 1st they deny it. Whenever counselors operate on the assumption that this is so, they find most people drop their defenses & tell it like it is. Counselors who presuppose that clients don't know the problems in their lives tend to ignore or reinterpret genuine expressions of guilt & thereby discourage & confuse clients about the causes of their difficulties. It's a serious question whether a Christian whose conscience judges him according to the explicit standards of Scripture can ever become seriously depressed over the guilt of sin committed without that sin being “ever before him.” Cf. also Job 6:30.
Ok, the above part is simply saying that worldly counselors do not relate how people are feeling to the possibility of their being any sin in the persons life. In act, if a person tells a counselor that they feel guilty about something they did, the counselor is very likely to try and get them to give up the feeling of guilt and tell them they have nothing to feel guilty about, because they don't believe in sin. The last sentence that starts out, "It's a serious question" is saying that it's impossible for someone who is seriously depressed due to feeling guilty, to not be aware of sin in their lives - even if they don't call it "sin".
Some people who otherwise might be aware of their sin, because they have been taught that sin has no relationship to depression, need to be shown that feelings flow from actions.
For someone who was feeling guilty but went to a counselor who taught them that there was no such thing as sin and that they had nothing to feel guilty about, needs to be shown how sin works, and taught again that there is such a thing as sin. They need to be shown that our feelings come from actions (and I would also add that it's like a circle because our actions also come from thoughts and feelings. We have a thought and do something and our thoughts and actions always have a feeling attached to them. We change the feelings by changing the thoughts to the truth etc.)
Of course there are persons “past feeling” whose conscience has been “seared with a branding iron.”
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” (1 Timothy 4:1–2) Our conscience can only work correctly if we give it the correct information. If a parent does not teach their child that it is wrong to steal, then that child's conscience won't bother them when they steal something. The same with anything else. But even if a person has been raised right, we can still corrupt our conscience, and most people do so. The easiest example today would be someone that's homosexual. They most likely were taught when they were young that homosexuality was wrong and was a sin that God hated. As they grew up and determined that they were homosexual, they didn't want to feel bad about it. They wanted to be accepted as normal. So every time their conscience accused them, they told themselves it was perfectly ok to be homosexual and that what they were taught as a child was wrong, because the bible really doesn't say that. They continued to tell themselves lies about it until finally their conscience no longer bothered them when they were with someone of the same sex. At that point, their conscience became "seared as with a hot iron".
To the best of my knowledge, the Bible does not seem to speak about the so-called sociopath (psychopath), who is supposed to have little or no conscience. The matter needs further study.
Notice that he does not say that the Bible does not speak about a sociopath. He says that he personally hasn't found where it speaks about it, and therefore he needs to study about it more.
Prov 28:1 vividly pictures the effects of a haunting guilty conscience: “The wicked flee when no one pursues: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” A guilty conscience leads to fear, and a good conscience leads to boldness. The wicked flee in many ways. Henry was burdened with a guilty conscience. Walking down the street one day, he saw Ron coming his way. Henry knew he had wronged Ron in a business deal. Seeing Ron, Henry was suddenly afraid & felt as if he had to avoid him at all costs. He turned a corner as quickly as he could & escaped. He felt as if he would do almost anything to avoid meeting Ron. Because Henry had wronged him, Ron had become a stressor to Henry. Unforgiven sinners are vulnerable people. They often become intensely self conscious. Even innocent words frequently are interpreted as personal attacks. They interpret as personal affronts acts that have no direct relationship to them. A guilty person may claim that a sermon was a personal attack, or lacking the courage to do so, will object to some incidental feature of the sermon. or some supposed slight of the minister. To call such a person paranoid is to minsinterpret the dynamics of his problem. On the other hand, a man at peace with God & with other men is invulnerable & can be bold as a lion. Competent to counsel:
Then he goes back to the subject of someone who has a guilty conscience, showing how a guilty conscience leads to fear. He gives a current example of that. Showing how it might look in someone today. Note though that he is not saying that everyone who has a guilty conscience will have all of the characteristics he lists. Some may have all of them, and some may only have one. It depends on the person and how guilty they feel, etc. He is simply listing characteristics of a guilty conscience for other counselors to look for in their clients so they can best help them.
I hope this clears up all that he said about this. Just because someone's a nurse or a doctor or the president of the US, doesn't make them correct in what they say. I'm sure you know that. As far as your daughter's friend goes, maybe they were a sociopath and maybe they weren't. It sounds to me like they were simply paranoid which comes from a guilty conscience not from someone that has no conscience which is what the world says a sociopath has.
You know as well as I do what the Lord would have done if Nathan had refused to confront David. If you loved someone and knew they were in a very dangerous place that could hurt them badly, what would you do? You'd do all you could to rescue them wouldn't you? Well, so does God, and since He is God, He can't fail. Therefore if Nathan had refused, He would have gotten someone else, or else made sure Nathan wouldn't refuse.
I'm glad you got a laugh out of the list of sins.
I can understand what you're saying about how you sometimes get overwhelmed. That happens to everyone and you're exactly right, that's when you need to take your thoughts captive. But, it's also ok to allow yourself to have that pity party for a short time to get it out of your system. We've talked about that before. The next time it happens, literally tell yourself that you're going to give yourself 30 minutes to feel rotten. then go someplace where you can be alone, set your alarm for 30 mins and have yourself the best pity party ever: cry, beat up a pillow, stomp your feet, yell, or do whatever it is that you feel like doing. But, when that alarm goes off, your time is up and you must go back to being a grown up and taking your thoughts captive. So when the alarm goes off, begin by talking to the Lord and asking forgiveness for not trusting Him. Tell Him you really want to trust Him but you're overwhelmed and need His help. Hopefully you'll be able to look back at your pity party/temper tantrum that you just had and laugh, realizing how totally ridiculous it was. At least that's how it always affected me lol. I felt embarrassed too, which meant that eventually I no longer needed to allow myself time for a pity party, instead all I had to do was think about it and the very thought would make me laugh at how ridiculous it was, and I'd go right to the Lord instead. There's another resource that the Lord has given you though that you haven't been using. You have a sister in Christ, (me) who would be more than happy to help you through it the next time it happens. So tell me about it when it happens! Tell me about what's going on that's overwhelming you and we'll work through it together. You can have your pity party first before you tell me if you want to. I'm not kidding, that can actually help, believe it or not lol. But even feeling overwhelmed, this shouldn't affect you more than one day at the very most, and I'd like to help you get that down to a few hours at the very most. OK? Is it a deal?
4/10/17
Psalm 41
The first 3 verses talk about some of the blessings from the Lord, I especially liked v. 3
v. 3 "The Lord sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness."
and v. 4 certainly refers to me as well....
v. 4 "I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord;
heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
Even tho the enemies of the psalmist say v. 8 I sometimes have said it of myself
v.8 "“A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
Yet, v. 11 applies to me also:
v.11 "11 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me"
And since I am looking for praises to apply v. 13 has one
v.13 "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen."
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 11, 2017 11:43:19 GMT -5
4/11/17
Psalm 42
Aha I knew verse 1 I just didn't know ( or remember)
it was from psalm 42
It is such a familiar verse and so often I feel like it....oh I know Jesus is always with me, but to see Him face to face ( if I ever get up from the ground when I see Him).
v. 1 " As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God."
People may not say these exact words but often the 'world' today is in fact saying to me ( and all Christians)
v. 3 ".....people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
and of course I know v. 5...it used to be and sometimes still is my life ( but less and less) and the second part of the verse is becoming more and more....oh and there is the 'praise' (and v. 4 had the 'joy' :-)
v.5 "Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
I have grumbled verses 9 & 10
But verse 11 repeats v. 5
and so should I.
v. 11 "Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God."
Put my hope in God
for I will yet praise Him
My Savior
and
My God.
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Post by Cindy on Apr 12, 2017 9:38:09 GMT -5
Please reply to my last post when you can as I want to make sure you understand what was said about our consciences, ok? 4/11/17
Psalm 42
Aha I knew verse 1 I just didn't know ( or remember)
it was from psalm 42
It is such a familiar verse and so often I feel like it....oh I know Jesus is always with me, but to see Him face to face ( if I ever get up from the ground when I see Him).
v. 1 " As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God."
People may not say these exact words but often the 'world' today is in fact saying to me ( and all Christians)
v. 3 ".....people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
and of course I know v. 5...it used to be and sometimes still is my life ( but less and less) and the second part of the verse is becoming more and more....oh and there is the 'praise' (and v. 4 had the 'joy' :-)
v.5 "Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
I have grumbled verses 9 & 10
But verse 11 repeats v. 5
and so should I.
v. 11 "Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God."
Put my hope in God
for I will yet praise Him
My Savior
and
My God.
Ps 42 gives us an 8-step plan to battle through depression. Here’s an outline of the 8 Steps to Victory. 1. (v 1) Long after spiritual things, not material things. 2. (v 3) Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy. 3. (v 4) Think about good things, discipline your thoughts. 4. (v 5) Praise and worship God. 5. (v 6–7) As in times past, allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you. 6. (v 8) Sing. 7. (v 8) Pray. 8. (v 11) Place your hope in God, not your problems.
Here's a few notes about it:
What should you do when depression starts to control you? “Hope in God” (Psalm 42:5, Psalm 42:11; Psalm 43:5). Look at the future and not at the past. If you feel drowned by circumstances, keep in mind that they are His waves and billows (Psalm 42:7), and He knows what is best for you. Stop feeding on your feelings (Psalm 42:3) and start feeding on His Word (Psalm 43:3). God will guard you and guide you, no matter how miserable you may feel. God is greater than your feelings. Walk by faith and He will see you through. With the Word Bible Commentary
Suffering advances the purposes of God in the lives of his people and his kingdom. Take Joseph for example. His brothers sold him into slavery and he was taken to Egypt where he suffered terribly. Yet years later he was able to feed his family during a famine. When he met his brothers after many years, they worried that he would pay them back for what they did. But Joseph told his brothers not to be afraid. He said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Gen 50:20). All the things Joseph suffered weren’t just about making him a better man. He suffered so his family could survive, so they could find shelter in Egypt, so that years later they could become a nation and eventually have their own land. He suffered so that even later the Messiah could come to fulfill God’s promise of a Redeemer (Gen 3:15). In a very real way, what Joseph endured, he endured for you. Suffering is also a strong reminder that God’s kingdom is not of this world, and this earth is not our home. Suffering helps us to consider ourselves as strangers and aliens on this earth waiting for a better home. Why does God let bad things happen to you? That you might know him, be like him, and be a part of his kingdom going forward. That’s not a completely satisfying answer, but it’s not a bad start either. Heart of the matter
Seek him. Hope is the constant companion of perseverance. God’s Word gives you daily encouragement. In fact, all Scripture is his means of sustaining you in the battle. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom 15:4). Your hope is that God hears, that he finds great worth in perseverance, that he rewards those who seek him (Heb 11:6), that he blesses those who persevere (James 1:12), that he is faithful to all his promises. Your hope comes when you begin to fix your eyes on Jesus, the One who is invisible (Heb 11:27). Sound impossible? If you cannot be aroused to hope, you are in good company. There was a point in Job’s life when he said, “What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?” (Job 6:11). But even in his despair, Job continued to seek his God. So, at least, seek him. If even that seems too much, ride on someone else’s hope for as long as you need. Let your friends or family read Scripture to you. Let them tell you about their hope and confidence in Christ. There are many different ways of doing battle. Call out to the persevering God who gives endurance (Rom 15:5). He will answer you. Heart of the matter
I love this verse: “By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.” (Psalm 42:8)
If you want to, you can skip to Psalm 46 if you see this in time....
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 12, 2017 11:32:32 GMT -5
Did you mean when you asked about conscience, what you wrote about integrity and your slip up into sinning by a swear word?
Even if, that was not what you were referring to, that was really helpful to me to see how it could still be turned around so you could yet be a witness.....I am not sure I would have the strength, to tell the people that....maybe some....but in any case it is something to pray about for me
In fact, it sort of reminds me about this quote:
"If even that seems too much, ride on someone else’s hope for as long as you need. Let your friends or family read Scripture to you. Let them tell you about their hope and confidence in Christ. There are many different ways of doing battle."
I think that is what I have been doing, riding on the hope in the Lord you have when I am down......thank you.
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 12, 2017 11:55:52 GMT -5
4/12/17
Psalm 46
V.1 is one of my favorites
( well at LOT are....but you know what I mean LOL)
v. 1 "God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble."
I do think of God as a refuse,
but often forget he is my strength...
even tho..... I know the verse,
I can all thing through Christ....
I sometimes doubt I can do all things thru Christ and forget it is God that is my strength
( I don't necessarily mean physical things, but even spiritual, or emotional etc.).
Sometimes I do remember tho.
Actually I sometimes fear less, v. 2 & 3, surprisingly!!!
Maybe it's a little ( not much) fatalistic, but truly, its more trusting in God....
if he indeed allows nature to do whatever calamity....
( I think He will either save us from it, or we will go on to be with Him)...
in any case, there is not much sense in sitting around being afraid of.....
for example here in the coastal Northwest what they are always trying to frighten people with ( and it could happen for sure) the Cascadia fault slipping and killing millions on the coast.....
but seriously....what is the point of worrying endlessly about it?
it might happen in the next second,
or
it might not for a 100 years....
So v. 4 is where I prefer to keep my thoughts on....
The city and kingdom of God.
I just finished 3 sermons by macArthur on the end of the universe (and our world).....
he was (in part) talking about how many Christians are getting on the 'green' save the earth band wagon....
but he pointed out, this sin tainted earth is a 'disposable earth'. Obviously we should be good stewards...
but to put all our time and effort into 'saving' the planet,
reducing our carbon foot print, and all that is absolute nonsense!!
He did make a joke saying something like, look folks, there is going to be a very BIG 'carbon foot print' when God destroys the universe ( and our planet) by fire!
Instead, we are to use our time to spread the gospel ( what little time we have left).
My application is to be still ( not worry and fret or what 'might' happen or not) but rather spend my time knowing that God is and praise Him and exalt him:
v. 10 "He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
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Post by Cindy on Apr 13, 2017 10:35:05 GMT -5
Did you mean when you asked about conscience, what you wrote about integrity and your slip up into sinning by a swear word?
Even if, that was not what you were referring to, that was really helpful to me to see how it could still be turned around so you could yet be a witness.....I am not sure I would have the strength, to tell the people that....maybe some....but in any case it is something to pray about for me
In fact, it sort of reminds me about this quote:
"If even that seems too much, ride on someone else’s hope for as long as you need. Let your friends or family read Scripture to you. Let them tell you about their hope and confidence in Christ. There are many different ways of doing battle."
I think that is what I have been doing, riding on the hope in the Lord you have when I am down......thank you.
I'm glad what I went through helped you, because that's yet another way the Lord has used it for good! By the way, I've only managed to get hold of one of the two neighbors who were with us that night. She graciously forgave me, and of course said that I didn't do anything to forgive. I didn't explain it to her as I know she doesn't understand anything about forgiveness or God and being saved. For now I feel it's enough that she sees the difference between how I live and how others live since she's well aware that I'm a Christian. My other neighbor hasn't been home since then. I'm hoping she will be today so I can call her. I will admit that it was very hard to get myself to actually call the first neighbor. But I was watching out the window to see when she got home so I could go out and talk to her. When she did drive up, i wasn't able to get up and get out there fast enough to do it in person and really didn't feel up to walking over to her house. So I asked the Lord if I could just call her and felt that would be OK. Then I had to talk myself into doing it LOL. I just kept thinking that the Lord was right there with me, and there was no way I was going to disobey Him or let Him down. So I called, and it was really easy. Now I'm not at all concerned about calling my other neighbor. I'm absolutely sure you'd be able to do it too if it ever happened to you. It makes a big difference in what we're able to do when we're very aware of the Lord standing right next to us. And it's easy to be aware of Him being there too. All that takes is reminding yourself that He's there! 4/12/17
Psalm 46
V.1 is one of my favorites
( well at LOT are....but you know what I mean LOL)
v. 1 "God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble."
I do think of God as a refuse,
but often forget he is my strength...
even tho..... I know the verse,
I can all thing through Christ....
I sometimes doubt I can do all things thru Christ and forget it is God that is my strength
( I don't necessarily mean physical things, but even spiritual, or emotional etc.).
Sometimes I do remember tho.
Actually I sometimes fear less, v. 2 & 3, surprisingly!!!
Maybe it's a little ( not much) fatalistic, but truly, its more trusting in God....
if he indeed allows nature to do whatever calamity....
( I think He will either save us from it, or we will go on to be with Him)...
in any case, there is not much sense in sitting around being afraid of.....
for example here in the coastal Northwest what they are always trying to frighten people with ( and it could happen for sure) the Cascadia fault slipping and killing millions on the coast.....
but seriously....what is the point of worrying endlessly about it?
it might happen in the next second,
or
it might not for a 100 years....
So v. 4 is where I prefer to keep my thoughts on....
The city and kingdom of God.
I just finished 3 sermons by macArthur on the end of the universe (and our world).....
he was (in part) talking about how many Christians are getting on the 'green' save the earth band wagon....
but he pointed out, this sin tainted earth is a 'disposable earth'. Obviously we should be good stewards...
but to put all our time and effort into 'saving' the planet,
reducing our carbon foot print, and all that is absolute nonsense!!
He did make a joke saying something like, look folks, there is going to be a very BIG 'carbon foot print' when God destroys the universe ( and our planet) by fire!
Instead, we are to use our time to spread the gospel ( what little time we have left).
My application is to be still ( not worry and fret or what 'might' happen or not) but rather spend my time knowing that God is and praise Him and exalt him:
v. 10 "He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
God will stabilize you through His divine assistance, upright you when you fall, and constantly gird you through His unfailing strength and love. God is the Sustainer of your soul. He will see you through when you cannot see at all. Enter His gates
How do you seek intimacy with God? Meditate on the way he treats you. God’s love for us is the most wonderful thing in this world—it’s at the core of what makes life bright and hopeful. Read these Bible verses and make them your own. You are never out of sight or out of mind to God (Psalm 139:7–10). He creates intimacy with you by the way he treats you (Isaiah 42:3). He notices and cares about everything that happens to you (Luke 12:6–7). He speaks openly about himself (John 15:15). He listens to you (Psalm 6:8–9). He is a refuge in the midst of your sufferings (Psalm 46). He hangs in there over the long haul (Isaiah 49:14–16). He laid down his life for you (John 3:16; Romans 5:6–8). He forgives all of your sins (Psalm 103:1–5). His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:21–24). God wants you to respond to his love by trusting him with your whole life. He has bridged the distance between you and him through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son. Now he is making you like him and walking with you every step of the way. Heart of the matter
Fearful? Worried? There are two things you should know about fear or worry. First, like any strong emotion, it wants to be the boss. It wants authority. It claims to tell us how life really is, and it won’t be easily persuaded otherwise. If my experience of fear says that there is danger and you say there isn’t, my fear wins. If my experience of fear says that there is danger and God himself says he is with me, my fear wins. Fear doesn’t trust easily. It tenaciously holds onto its self-protecting agenda. Think about it. When was the last time God’s comforting words made a difference to you? Second, when fear escalates, it wants relief and it wants it now. Fear is impatient. He forgives all of your sins (Psalm 103:1–5). His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:21–24). God wants you to respond to his love by trusting him with your whole life. He has bridged the distance between you and him through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son. Now he is making you like him and walking with you every step of the way. Heart of the matter
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.” (Psalm 46:4)
He's not talking about a literal river, rather about the supply of spiritual power available from the Lord for His people. In the Bible, water for drinking is a picture of the Holy Spirit. In John 7:37-39 Jesus compares the Spirit of God to a river of living water. No matter how difficult the problems of life may be, we need not fear because we have a refuge, and we need not faint because we have a river. God supplies us with the spiritual power we need to keep going in spite of the difficulties. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” The bumps are what you climb on.
What I'd like to do now if first discuss what I wrote yesterday about all that the counselor said, to make sure you understand that, as it's important, as well as the rest of what I wrote. So you might want to quote that post so you can reply to each of the things I said.
Second, I really would like to discuss the subject of fear, worry, and depression versus joy. So if possible let's do that next ok? How about if after talking about my last post, you write what you've learned about Joy and the Lord that you think will help you overcome feeling down when you wake up, and how you plan to put it into practice.
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fearnot
Living With Pain
Posts: 8,397
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Post by fearnot on Apr 13, 2017 12:35:41 GMT -5
4/13/17
I missed seeing that post sooooooo I am reposting it:
In Psalm 51 David wrote about his sin against Uriah and Bathsheba. The Psalm is the record of his repentance after Nathan accused him of adultery and murder. In verse 3 he described the anxiety state caused by his guilty conscience prior to repentance. He wrote: “My sin is ever before me.” Counseling experience underscores the biblical idea that most people know why they're in trouble, even when at 1st they deny it. Whenever counselors operate on the assumption that this is so, they find most people drop their defenses & tell it like it is. Counselors who presuppose that clients don't know the problems in their lives tend to ignore or reinterpret genuine expressions of guilt & thereby discourage & confuse clients about the causes of their difficulties. It's a serious question whether a Christian whose conscience judges him according to the explicit standards of Scripture can ever become seriously depressed over the guilt of sin committed without that sin being “ever before him.” Cf. also Job 6:30.
Ok, the above part is simply saying that worldly counselors do not relate how people are feeling to the possibility of their being any sin in the persons life. In act, if a person tells a counselor that they feel guilty about something they did, the counselor is very likely to try and get them to give up the feeling of guilt and tell them they have nothing to feel guilty about, because they don't believe in sin. The last sentence that starts out, "It's a serious question" is saying that it's impossible for someone who is seriously depressed due to feeling guilty, to not be aware of sin in their lives - even if they don't call it "sin".
Some people who otherwise might be aware of their sin, because they have been taught that sin has no relationship to depression, need to be shown that feelings flow from actions.
For someone who was feeling guilty but went to a counselor who taught them that there was no such thing as sin and that they had nothing to feel guilty about, needs to be shown how sin works, and taught again that there is such a thing as sin. They need to be shown that our feelings come from actions (and I would also add that it's like a circle because our actions also come from thoughts and feelings. We have a thought and do something and our thoughts and actions always have a feeling attached to them. We change the feelings by changing the thoughts to the truth etc.)
Of course there are persons “past feeling” whose conscience has been “seared with a branding iron.”
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” (1 Timothy 4:1–2) Our conscience can only work correctly if we give it the correct information. If a parent does not teach their child that it is wrong to steal, then that child's conscience won't bother them when they steal something. The same with anything else. But even if a person has been raised right, we can still corrupt our conscience, and most people do so. The easiest example today would be someone that's homosexual. They most likely were taught when they were young that homosexuality was wrong and was a sin that God hated. As they grew up and determined that they were homosexual, they didn't want to feel bad about it. They wanted to be accepted as normal. So every time their conscience accused them, they told themselves it was perfectly ok to be homosexual and that what they were taught as a child was wrong, because the bible really doesn't say that. They continued to tell themselves lies about it until finally their conscience no longer bothered them when they were with someone of the same sex. At that point, their conscience became "seared as with a hot iron".
To the best of my knowledge, the Bible does not seem to speak about the so-called sociopath (psychopath), who is supposed to have little or no conscience. The matter needs further study.
Notice that he does not say that the Bible does not speak about a sociopath. He says that he personally hasn't found where it speaks about it, and therefore he needs to study about it more.
Prov 28:1 vividly pictures the effects of a haunting guilty conscience: “The wicked flee when no one pursues: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” A guilty conscience leads to fear, and a good conscience leads to boldness. The wicked flee in many ways. Henry was burdened with a guilty conscience. Walking down the street one day, he saw Ron coming his way. Henry knew he had wronged Ron in a business deal. Seeing Ron, Henry was suddenly afraid & felt as if he had to avoid him at all costs. He turned a corner as quickly as he could & escaped. He felt as if he would do almost anything to avoid meeting Ron. Because Henry had wronged him, Ron had become a stressor to Henry. Unforgiven sinners are vulnerable people. They often become intensely self conscious. Even innocent words frequently are interpreted as personal attacks. They interpret as personal affronts acts that have no direct relationship to them. A guilty person may claim that a sermon was a personal attack, or lacking the courage to do so, will object to some incidental feature of the sermon. or some supposed slight of the minister. To call such a person paranoid is to minsinterpret the dynamics of his problem. On the other hand, a man at peace with God & with other men is invulnerable & can be bold as a lion. Competent to counsel:
Then he goes back to the subject of someone who has a guilty conscience, showing how a guilty conscience leads to fear. He gives a current example of that. Showing how it might look in someone today. Note though that he is not saying that everyone who has a guilty conscience will have all of the characteristics he lists. Some may have all of them, and some may only have one. It depends on the person and how guilty they feel, etc. He is simply listing characteristics of a guilty conscience for other counselors to look for in their clients so they can best help them.
I hope this clears up all that he said about this. Just because someone's a nurse or a doctor or the president of the US, doesn't make them correct in what they say. I'm sure you know that. As far as your daughter's friend goes, maybe they were a sociopath and maybe they weren't. It sounds to me like they were simply paranoid which comes from a guilty conscience not from someone that has no conscience which is what the world says a sociopath has."
No I wasn't saying our grandchildren's father is a sociopath just because our daughter's nurse friend said so.....
But he does seem to turn anything he does wrong ,
into a proper response... in his own eyes,
because that person
( be it our daughter, his mother, friends, police etc.)
wronged him.
Of course we all do that from time to time, but I don't think I ever heard of a time he apologized for anything ever...
of course,
I don't know that,
he may well have,
but I just have never heard about it.
Because he is 1/2 black, he is especially sensitive to slights either real or perceived against him....
and yet he has a very charismatic personality....his story telling is hilarious.
But I sometimes wonder if he does not tell himself he is right to do or say, this or that, because he has been picked,and/or or truly abused for being 'black'.
This very friend or our daughter had to call the police on him once because he was furious for some perceived offense from our daughter and he was threatening violence....
Our daughter can be feisty but is very compassionate and fair.....every single time the grandchildren go to see him, he threatens to keep them....yet she would not keep them from him or him from them.....
and to his credit, he has never been violent with 'HIS' children ever....
Sooooo I was trying to figure out if he actually has a seared conscious ( or... if there was even such a thing as a sociopath, and IF there was is, is he, or is he just a self-centered sinner like all of us)?
But the word sociopath caught my attention and I did want to know more about it, because he is the only person I know, who wrongly.....
or rightly ( if it is possible but probably not biblically) was in fact as labeled that not even by an so-called expert...
but the interest is there because,he is after all our 2 grandchildren's dad.
But really I think he is just a sinner who feels super 'entitled' because of his sufferings. (oh! not unlike I have from time to time :-( )
His dad left his mom when he and his brother were just young, so that is another pain he has suffered in his life.
So thank you for your post.....
I somehow totally did not see it.
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Well, I'm glad we got it straightened out anyway. 
I've done that quite a few times myself LOL!
!!
