Salt & Light Blog

2 Kings 21 Manasseh’s Evil Leads to Dire Consequences

2/15/2016

2 Kings 21
When Hezekiah died, his son Manasseh became king in his place. As good as Hezekiah was, his son was evil. All the good Hezekiah did for Judah, Manasseh undid and did worse. Verses 1-3 read,
“Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.”
How did he become so evil, how could he disregard the Lord and The Law so completely? It does not say, but there are some clues. Hezekiah may have been a faithful king but at some point pride had filled him. When he was told what would happen to his sons because of his arrogance, he did not care (2 Kings 16-19). Hezekiah cared more about himself than his own children. Manasseh was not even born yet when Hezekiah found out that some of his sons would be eunuchs in the king of Babylon’s palace. He was already prideful and perhaps he didn’t give his sons enough attention to ensure they knew the way of The Lord. Another clue is Manasseh’s young age when he became king. He was twelve, just shy of manhood and it doesn’t say that he had an agent or guardian to help him with his kingship until he reached adulthood. When one gives a child an adult’s responsibilities especially is he has not been taught, he cannot expect him to do the job as an adult.
Manasseh did even worse things than rebuilding the high places and building new altars for Baal and Asherah. He worshipped angels. Baal and Asherah are imaginary gods but angels are real and they are not meant to be worshipped, they are ministers to The Lord. But Manasseh worshipped them and he had Judah worship them. And he went even further in leading Judah into unimaginable evil. Verses 4-8 reads,
“And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them.”
He did what no king before him had done and desecrated the Temple with altars to false gods. That act is so vile that it is one of the evil acts the antichrist will commit before Jesus returns (Daniel 9:27). Manasseh’s acts led to God’s anger against Judah, their idolatry (and that of Israel) led to their eventual captivity in Babylon (2 Kings 24:3). The Babylonian captivity reflects the tribulation in many ways as well as indicating our sin state to us. They turned to false gods and away from The Lord and so they had to face the consequence of being without the way to worship The Lord. Hosea 3:4 reads,
“For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods”
God gave them the Law, He made a covenant with the wonderful promise that they would not have to be without a home or without Him. He sent them prophets to warn them. He sent them disciplines to teach them. Did they listen? Do we? Verse 9 reads,
“But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.”
So The Lord could not let things stay as they were. He warned them again and He condemned Manasseh’s evil. Verses 10-15 read,
“And the Lord said by his servants the prophets, 11 “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, 12 therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, 15 because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.”
The punishment that came on Samaria (the capitol of Israel during that time) and the desolation that fell on Ahab’s descendants would also happen to Judah. They would be wiped out, all the sin completely eradicated so that they could be made new again. They would be handed over to the enemy so that eventually they could be saved. That punishment is not because The Lord does not love His people, but because He loves them so much. He wants them to be saved. He wants them to experience life without Him and so realize their need for Him. He wants to limit their destruction and the effects they will have on others.
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth regarding a man who was committing vile acts of sexual immorality and told them to do the same to him. 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 reads,
“When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”
It is not easy to let the ones we love face the consequences of their actions. It is not easy to see them suffer, but real love wants them to be saved. God had to punish Judah in order to save her. The people would eventually return to The Lord and to Jerusalem, Judah and Israel. Hosea 3:5 says,
“Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.”
Did Manasseh listen to the Lord? Verses 16-18 reads,
“Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did, and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son reigned in his place.”
He kept right on sinning in the vilest ways. He sacrificed people, he killed the people of Judah and he led the people to sin with him. But God loved Manasseh! So He allowed him to be taken in captivity. 2 Chronicles 33:10-13 tells us what happened.
“The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.11 Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.”
And he really did know that The Lord was God, he showed the fruit of repentance. 2 Chronicles 33:14-17 reads,
“Afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of Gihon, in the valley, and for the entrance into the Fish Gate, and carried it around Ophel, and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah. 15 And he took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside of the city. 16 He also restored the altar of the Lord and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.”
He was handed over to the enemy and repented. He took down all the altars, he restored The Temple and led Judah to repent. Manasseh’s captivity and repentance was a forecasting, a prophesying of Judah’s eventual captivity, the lessons they would learn and the repentance required to end it. If we will just listen to The Lord, obey Him, and pay attention to His warnings and discipline, we could save ourselves a great deal of suffering.

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2 Kings 13:1-9 How Do You Respond to God’s Discipline?

2/2/2016

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My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12

2 Kings 13:1-9
It is rarely fun to be disciplined but The Lord’s discipline is good and it has a purpose. He loves us so much. He loves us despite our rebellion, sin, and complete disregard of Him. Consider the most vile or evil person you can think of. God loves that person and He wants a relationship with that person. Consider yourself now, think about how you have at some point sinned horribly or perhaps just walked away from God. What did God do? Did He just forget you? Did He decide He was finished with you because you were finished with Him or because you had committed some grievous act? No, He disciplined you. He taught you better. He called you back to a relationship with Him. It was up to you how you responded. Did you thank Him for the discipline and grow from it? Did you turn back to Him? Did you become angry and self-pitying when He disciplined you? Did you spurn His call and run farther away? None of that made Him love you less. Verses 1-3 reads,
“In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. 3 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael.”
God loved Israel and he loved Jehoahaz and He was not going to just let him lead the people to more sin by leading them in Jeroboam’s false religion. So He disciplined them by continually handing them over to Ben-hadad, the enemy.
God loves the people of Israel, His treasured possession. He told them they would be His people and He would be there God and they would know He was The LORD (Exodus 6:7). He never dropped the ball on His side of that covenant, but the people did. He made the same promise to us. 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 reads,
“What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
    and I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
God will discipline us because He loves us but it is up to us how we respond to that discipline. Revelation 3:19-20 says,
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Jehoahaz chose to respond in a way that might surprise some of us. Verses 4-5 describe it,
“Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. 5 (Therefore the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly.”
Jehoahaz sought God’s favor and God listened. God responded by sending them a savior and restoring them to their homes. The savior the Lord sent was probably either Jehoash, Jehoahaz’s son (1 Kings 13:25) or Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:27) or Elisha who counseled all of them with God’s word. I believe it refers to Elisha who throughout his life was a type of Christ (a representation or foreshadowing of Jesus Christ). He continually gave the kings of Judah and Israel the word of The Lord to bring them into God’s will and favor.
When we repent, when we seek God’s favor, we also receive a savior who will and has conquered our enemy for us. Jesus Christ is standing at the door and knocking. We only have to repent to open that door and let Him be the savior He is. Until we do, The Lord will hand us over to the enemy. The Lord will discipline us as long as there is hope that we will answer the invitation and turn from our sin to Him and ask forgiveness. Then we can have the relationship with God that He made us to have.
Verses 6-9 read,
“Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.) 7 For there was not left to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?9 So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his place.”
Jehoahaz repented, but he did not stop sinning. He continued to lead the people of Israel in wrong worship. Jehoahaz partially repented and the Lord partially restored Israel. He saved them. He gave them back their homes, but their army was depleted and weak. They remained at risk of invasion and had to rely on the Lord for protection.
Man of us repent, only to hold onto certain sins. Is that true of you as it is for me? Have you counted on God’s grace and chosen to continue the sin, you say you repented of? God will continue to discipline us. He will continue to work in us and on us so that we can grow more and more into His image. God will not give up on you until you are perfectly restored to His image, the image He created you in (Genesis 1:27). Philippians 1:6 reads,
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Let the Lord do His great work. Respond knowing that the Lord loves you and wants the best for you.

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1 Kings 16 You are a King and a Son of God, Be Who He Made You to Be

10/8/2015

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1 Kings 16
Up to now in our study The Kings of The Northern Kingdom of Israel starting with Jeroboam were evil and just got worse. Jeroboam was described as more evil than any king before him. (1 Kings 14:9). The Lord raised up each one, and gave each a chance to live up to who He had made them to be. But each one chose not to live up to who they could have been in God and instead chose evil.
Baasha became king after killing Jeroboam’s son Nadab in a battle and then killed every member of Jeroboam’s family. But then Baasha did evil in the sight of the Lord. So The Lord sent a prophet to warn him of what would happen. Verses 1-4 read,
“And the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2 “Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, 3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat.”
The Lord reminded Baasha who had allowed him to be king, and gave him a prophecy very similar to the one Jeroboam had received and Baasha had satisfied. But Baasha didn’t listen and the prophecy came to pass. He could have acknowledged The Lord. He could have repented for his sins and followed The Lord. But he didn’t.
After Baasha died his son Elah reigned. But he was only king two years before Zimri, the commander of half his chariots decided to kill him. Elah was given the gift of kinghood but chose to be a drunkard instead. While Elah was drunk at his servant Azra’s house, Zimri murdered him. As soon as he was king, he had every member of Baasha’s household killed as well, just as Baasha had done to Jeroboam’s house. But Zimri wouldn’t reign for long. Verses 15-19 describe it.
“In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, 16 and the troops who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king.” Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 So Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire and died, 19 because of his sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin.”
He was king for a week but the army was disgusted by what he had done, they attacked but he took the cowards way out and killed himself. But even in that seven days he was evil enough to have caused Israel to sin.
Omri thought being king was a sure thing, but he was wrong. Half the people followed Tibni and half followed Omri. After fighting for four years, Omri’s people won and he was finally king. He bought a mountain and named it Samaria as the new seat of power for The Northern Kingdom. Verses 25-26 read,
“Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did more evil than all who were before him. 26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in the sins that he made Israel to sin, provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols.”
When Omri died his son Ahab became king. If Omri had been bad, if Zimri, Elah or Baasha were bad, Ahab was worse. He was worse than Jeroboam and Omri who had both been worse than anyone before them. He apparently had no problem doing not just bad, not just evil, but truly abhorrent things. Even the lives of his son meant nothing to him. Verses 29-34 read,
“In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke theLord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.”
These men took the throne. They stole their kingships and refused to recognize that the Lord had allowed them to be kings or that He had used them to punish their predecessors. Had they paid attention each one could have embraced the identity God had given them. Instead they chose to accept the identity the enemy encouraged them to steal.
We can choose to welcome, proclaim, and live as the Kings and Queens God has made us to be or we can believe the lies of the enemy and let him steal our nobility and live as who he accuses of being. He calls us by our old selves’ titles. He makes us doubt, feel shame, or fear.
In 1 Peter 2:9-10 we are told,
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
Consider each title and the privileges that go with them. The Word of God is filled with the truth of who you are, Believer. You are a child of God, adopted, predestined, and a coheir with Jesus Christ. You do not have to be a slave to sin. Romans 8:12-17 read,
“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
What lie are you believing?
Are you afraid? God has given you a spirit of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7).
Are you guilt-ridden? There is no condemnation in Christ. (Disapproval, guilt, and conviction). (Romans 8:1).
Are you unable to stop being the person you were before Jesus blood covered you? You are a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Whatever the lie, God’s Word has the truth for you. You are an overcomer because you have Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit. He is greater than anything in the world, He is greater than the enemy. (1 John 4:4). Live up to who you are in Jesus, rather than who than enemy says you are.

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Psalm 83 Will God Come Through When the Enemy Attacks?

8/12/2015

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Psalm 83

Do you sometimes wonder if God will ever move against the enemy or against the people who hate you and hurt you? Sometimes it feels as if life is nothing more than a series of attacks. But the thing is, as uncomfortable, painful, and awful as those attacks can be they often have a good purpose for us. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray about it. Verses 1-2 read,

“O God, do not keep silence;
    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
    those who hate you have raised their heads.”

God is not afraid of our honesty. He already knows. Very often though as we earnestly pray to the Lord, we become aware of ourselves. He will speak to us, guide us, teach us, and comfort us in the midst of our prayers. I find myself often starting out confused, angry, or hurt, and by the end of the prayer, The Lord has revealed Himself to me and my hurt and anger have dissipated. Sometimes I feel lost and by the end of my prayer I see the way He wants me to go, and even if I don’t I know, He is with me and I’ll be okay.

Asaph cried out to God for help in the face of Israel’s enemies. He knew that if they were Israel’s enemies they were enemies of God. Verses 3-8 read,

“They lay crafty plans against your people;
    they consult together against your treasured ones.
4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5 For they conspire with one accord;
    against you they make a covenant--
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
    Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Asshur also has joined them;
    they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah”

So many nations hated Israel, and Asaph understood that if they hated Israel they made themselves enemies of The One True Living God. If anyone hates us so intently they want to destroy us, it should be because of Christ. They should hate us for Christ’s sake, not for our wickedness, but for our love. (John 15:18-23). We are God’s treasured ones. He cherishes us. And so if someone stands up against us, they stand up against God. Exodus 23:22 reads,

“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

23 “When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, 24 you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.25 You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.”

The people who plotted against Israel, all thought they knew God, but they knew a god of their own creation. Some had their roots in Abraham, but they twisted God to become what their false religion wanted, instead of who He is. People today do that as well. They say they love god, but their god is not The Lord God Almighty. Their god is a manifestation of themselves, a god who wouldn’t care about sin or a god who wouldn’t let people go to Hell. Because their perspective is so skewed they can’t see the truth.

The Lord wants the best for us. And because He loves us so much He will discipline us, sometimes He allows our enemies to attack. But even when we are attacked, even when God inspires them to attack, He avenges us. He doesn’t let people hurt us without punishing them. (Ezekiel 25:7-11).

God will move at the right time to avenge us. He doesn’t call us treasured for nothing. We don’t have to wonder if God will move, we only have to trust He will. We only have to remember all He has already done to know that He will always come through. In Verses 9-12 Asaph reminded himself of what The Lord had done.

“Do to them as you did to Midian,
    as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who were destroyed at En-dor,
    who became dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves
    of the pastures of God.”

The enemy can’t have you! You belong to God. The enemy can’t take possession of you, Jesus bought you for a price and He won’t take that lightly. You are His. He doesn’t want you to be sullied by the enemy. 1 Corinthians 6:14-15 say,

“And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!”

You can have faith that although you may be attacked now, you will come through it at the right time because God will deliver you at the right time. He doesn’t discipline because He enjoys seeing you suffer, He disciplines because He treasures you. You are God’s child. Hebrews 12:3-8 reads,

“Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
    nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. “

You will suffer. People will hate you, but not without purpose. With each trial, with every tribulation, The Holy Spirit conforms you more to Christ’s image. (Romans 8:26-30). He nurtures you, tends you, prunes you and grows the Fruit, the manifestations of Jesus’ Character in you.

Israel had enemies but The Lord God didn’t let them succeed for long. He destroyed them. Verses 13-17 say,

“O my God, make them like whirling dust,
    like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest,
    as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so may you pursue them with your tempest
    and terrify them with your hurricane!
16 Fill their faces with shame,
    that they may seek your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
    let them perish in disgrace,”

We have enemies too, but do you really think we have to worry about them? Do you know how awesome God is? Do you realize what a miracle it is that Jesus died for you? Romans 31-39 says,

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The ultimate purpose for your suffering is that you resemble Jesus, not only in words but actions, and spirit. When people look at you and see Jesus, that is called glorifying Jesus. It means that you are reflecting The Lord. You are giving to the church, and the lost what Jesus gives to you. When you do that people will know that He is The LORD. Verse 18 says,

“that they may know that you alone,
    whose name is the Lord,
    are the Most High over all the earth.”

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Psalm 79 The Father's Discipline is Good, No Matter how Bad It Seems

8/8/2015

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Psalm 79

Israel’s History is fraught with times of war, captivity, and destruction. Although The Lord was with them, they were often not with The Lord and He would remove His hand from their military victories, allow their enemies to attack, and sometimes even capture them. He did this to remind them to turn back to Him, to keep His covenant, and to teach them faith. He was always there waiting for them to turn back and speaking through His prophets to His children. We too suffer sometimes. But believer remember who God is and who we are in Him.

That doesn’t mean we ignore the pain or decide that since God allowed it we won’t turn to Him in prayer. We may feel as if He isn’t in the storms we face, but faith reminds us, He is always with us. Verses 1-7 read,

“O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
    they have defiled your holy temple;
    they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants
    to the birds of the heavens for food,
    the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water
    all around Jerusalem,
    and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors,
    mocked and derided by those around us.

5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?
    Will your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations
    that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
    that do not call upon your name!
7 For they have devoured Jacob
    and laid waste his habitation.”

The enemy’s attacks can hit us very hard. And prayer gives us a chance to hear from God and carry us through. One of the enemy’s favorite ways to attack us is to pay attention and figure out our weaknesses. He exploits those vulnerabilities to make us ineffectual and tempts us to sin to destroy our testimony. Did you know the Bible doesn’t tell us to resist temptation? Resisting temptation doesn’t help us and often leads to the sin we are trying to resist.

Think of it like this, picture yourself as a hungry child who skipped breakfast. There at the Farmer’s Market is a basket full of beautiful shiny red apples for sale. The seller has plenty of apples and looks well fed herself. Your hunger makes your stomach growl and apples are your favorite food. The devil says, “You could easily take one of those apples and no one would ever know. She’s charging a dollar and apple, she won’t miss a dollar! You need it more than she does.” As you keep listening to the devil and wonder if you will faint from hunger, you tell yourself over and over, “I can’t steal that apple. Stealing is wrong.” But those thoughts keep your mind stayed on the apple. The devil’s logic soon invades your thoughts and you no longer say steal, now you think, “I can’t take the apple.” Soon your thoughts become, “I mustn’t take one of this rich woman’s apples” your desire for the apple grows stronger and stronger until you give in and steal the apple.

The Bible doesn’t say resist temptation. Read what it does say in James 4:7-8.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

We do not resist temptation, we resist the devil. In the hungry child scenario, resisting the devil would happen like this, first he would not allow himself to become hungry. He would have eaten the food given to him at home by his father. For us that means reading the Word of God, spending time with God, and letting Him work in us. We do not go out into the world with that weakness ready to be exploited. The devil called the father of lies cannot fight The Truth who lives within us. (John 8:44, John 8:47, John 15:26-27).

What else could that hungry child do in order to resist the devil? Rather than entertain his lies he would recognize the thoughts and stop them. (2 Corinthians10:4-6). The child would ask his father for an apple. His father would likely buy him and apple which would help both he and the apple seller. His father might show him another way to meet his need. If the father were friends with the apple-seller or another person at the market, the child could go to that friend in his father’s name and explain his need and be surprised by the hospitality and kindness friendship exhibits. When we resist temptation it grows stronger. When we resist the devil, he flees. He doesn’t back away slowly he gets the heck out of Dodge as fast as he can. Resisting the devil is done by submitting to God and drawing near to Him, and obeying Him. If we have a relationship with our Father, we don’t sully His name by pretending to walk in His name but really just listening to the lies of the enemy.

The enemy cannot defile our holiness without our permission. Our thoughts become action, and our actions can make us vulnerable to the enemy. But we are weak and we do sin. We can sin so often that we become deaf to God and then because He loves us He disciplines us. Proverbs 3:11-12 says it this way,

“My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
    or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
    as a father the son in whom he delights.”

Consider our scenario of the hungry child. Had he stolen an apple, a good father would discipline his child so that he wouldn’t do it again, so that he wouldn’t bring shame to his family, and so he would learn the better way of living and becoming the happy fulfilled man the father wants him to be.

Our Father knows us and loves us deeply. He will never allow the devil to tempt us beyond our ability. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says it this way,

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

There is always a way out, so we won’t sin. God’s Word is filled with the ways others failed and sin. Our memories are filled with how we failed and sinned. But God doesn’t care about how we failed in the past, He cares about how we can succeed now and how we will be victors with Him in eternity. Verses 8-10 read,

“Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
    let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
    for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
    for your name's sake!
10 Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
    be known among the nations before our eyes!”

It is through the discipline and lessons of the past both ours and those recorded in Scriptures we learn, become wise, and more like Christ. Let’s put 1 Corinthians 10:13 in context. 1 Corinthians 10:6-17 reads,

“Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”

We are not alone. Jesus is with us. He didn’t die and resurrect for nothing. We have the family of Christ with us too. We do not face the struggles and trials alone. We do not go through discipline, tests, and tribulations for no reason. It is all for the glory of Christ. When we are humbled and submitted to The Lord, He is glorified. When we respond with grace and faith, He is glorified. When we are conformed to Jesus’ image, He is glorified. So regardless of our trouble, let’s rejoice and continue to praise, thank, and worship The Lord God Almighty, our Redeemer.

Remember who we were and who we now are. Remember there are others out there still suffering in slavery to the enemy. Verses 11-13 read,

“Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors
    the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
    will give thanks to you forever;
    from generation to generation we will recount your praise.”

We all go through times when we face tests, trials, and troubles that seem more than we can handle. Those times are not fun, but we can keep certain things in mind. First, we cannot handle those problems on our own, God is using them to remind us He is God and we are His children, vessel, and beloved. Second, though it feels as if we are all alone and forsaken, we are not. God is always with us, He holds us tightly and He will never let us out if His hand. (John 10:26-30). Thirdly, we are free in Christ. We cannot be taken by the enemy. The devil cannot touch us. (1 John 5:18-21). We are not ever going to be in his chains again. Whatever chains are shackled to us, we allowed to be put on and we can take them off through Jesus.

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Psalm 74 Remember God is Our Almighty Salvation

8/3/2015

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Psalm 74

There are times it seems the enemy is winning. There are times it seems our hearts are trampled and it seems we cannot find the strength to fight or even stand. Israel suffered losses many times and this Maskil of Asaph describes one of those times. It describes how we have all felt from time to time when the enemy has attacked and our wounds feel like they may never heal. What do we do when we don’t have the power to stand up and fight? We call out to God. Verses 1-3 read,

“O God, why do you cast us off forever?
    Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old,
    which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage!
    Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.
3 Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;
    the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!”

We know that God will never leave us when we depend on Him for our salvation. Hebrews 13:5-6 reminds us,

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;
    I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”

But when we are in the midst of suffering it can seem like it will never end. I confess I have dealt with one issue for years now and it feels like it will go on forever. But I know it has a purpose for my own good and Jesus’ glory. I can say, God’s grace is sufficient for me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 read,

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

We don’t have to be strong all the time. We don’t have to be able to stand on our own power. God taught Israel time and again that He was their strength and power and they needed to lean on Him as their only God, their Almighty Lord, and their Salvation. He used the enemies of Israel to discipline them, to punish them, and to bring them back to Him. He uses our enemy to turn us back to Him as well. Verses 4-8 describe what the enemy had done to Israel.

“Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place;
    they set up their own signs for signs.
5 They were like those who swing axes
    in a forest of trees.
6 And all its carved wood
    they broke down with hatchets and hammers.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire;
    they profaned the dwelling place of your name,
    bringing it down to the ground.
8 They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;
    they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.”

The enemy attacks for different reasons. One is that we are powerful soldiers for the Kingdom of God and dangerous to his princedom. He can’t have that and so he will try and hurt us to make us ineffectual. But when that happens rejoice and know God’s grace is sufficient for you. When that happens remember the Lord is glorified through your response, deliverance, and maturation. (Romans 5:3-5). The enemy will attack because the Lord allows it for our own strengthening and discipline. Like Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, we are tested and our faith made pure and Jesus will be glorified. (1 Peter 1:5-9). When we have suffered, we are able to bring comfort to people who are likewise suffering. Jesus suffered and we share in His suffering if we live for His glory. But not only do we share in Jesus’ suffering we share in His comfort. Jesus suffering brought us salvation. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). Our suffering and subsequent response can lead people to Christ. That’s a reason to rejoice, y’all!

In the aftermath or in the center of the attack we look around for rescue or escape and it can be devastating. We may not see any hope. Verses 9-11 read,

“We do not see our signs;
    there is no longer any prophet,
    and there is none among us who knows how long.
10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?
    Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
    Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy them!”

Israel looked for signs and for prophets, people who would tell them what God had to say. But they didn’t look to God. How many times has that been us? We suffer and we go to people for help we go to the pastor for encouragement, or we search for comfort from food, drink, or material things. But finally we resort to prayer, to our Lord for help. He is okay with us asking, “Why are you taking so long?” and He hopes we will listen to the answer.

Has the Lord done great things? Yes! What has He done for us over the years? Did He save you? Did He bring you through troubles over and over? It is good to remember what God has done, especially when you are under attack, suffering, and wondering, “How long Lord.”

I have a jars of rocks. Each stone has a word that represents answered prayer, even prayers I never articulated. As God does a great work or as He answers prayers I add a stone to the answered prayers jar. I occasionally go through those stones and remember what the Lord has done. Asaph too remembered what God had done for Israel. Verses 12-17 say,

“Yet God my King is from of old,
    working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by your might;
    you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
    you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 You split open springs and brooks;
    you dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, yours also the night;
    you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.
17 You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth;
    you have made summer and winter.”

Look at how great God is! He loves us so much! There is nothing God cannot do. He is Almighty Righteous Holy God. Sure sometimes it looks like the enemy is winning. Sometimes it feels like our pain will never end. But God is with us. And He is The LORD! Jesus suffered and He is The LORD. It is a joy to share in His suffering because it makes us more like Him and it brings Him glory.

God hasn’t forgotten us or the promises He made. It is us who sometimes forget His covenant with us, His eternal salvation and undying hope. God knows our hearts and minds better than we do. We do not pray for God’s benefit but for our own. When we articulate our heart, our hopes our fears, our joys, and our grief, it is so we will understand and The Holy Spirit, our Comforter, builds us up through those conversations with us. He reminds us who we are and who He is. And when we pray aloud all those around can be encouraged and edified by who God is. (1 Corinthians 14:13-19). And so Asaph prayed for God’s deliverance from the enemies of Israel. Verses 18-23 read,

“Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs,
    and a foolish people reviles your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts;
    do not forget the life of your poor forever.

20 Have regard for the covenant,
    for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21 Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;
    let the poor and needy praise your name.

22 Arise, O God, defend your cause;
    remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes,
    the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!”

In this prayer Asaph and Israel could remember God would deliver them and their enemies would be defeated. We too remember when we pray that God will rescue us, that He has saved us, and that although the enemy laughs now, he will one day be thrown into the pit of Hell.

So pray, don’t be afraid to pray with sincerity even if God may not like the words. He already knows how you feel but when you express it you can realize the awesome Love of God. Pray those fighting words, “Arise, O God, defend your cause;” and remember you are God’s cause, His glory is His cause, and the lost are His cause. The enemy has already been defeated, he just doesn’t know it yet, but we do.

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Psalm 68 The Lord of Angel Armies Brings Us Victory

7/28/2015

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Psalm 68

We praise the Lord because he defeats the enemy and He saves His people. This Psalm is a song of military victory for Israel as she sang The Lord’s acclaim and glorified Him. But more so this Psalm is a song of spiritual victory, a messianic prophecy of Jesus’ victory over Satan, sin, and death. Verses 1-6 read,

“God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
    as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult before God;
    they shall be jubilant with joy!

4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
    exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”

God is our Almighty Lord of Hosts, He is pictured here marching out in lead Israel to defeat the enemy. As Israel left Mt. Sinai and trekked through the wilderness toward The Promised Land they sent the Ark of the Covenant three days ahead of them to secure their safety in the dangerous terrain. And each time they set off Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” And when they camped for the Ark rested and so did they behind it he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.” (Numbers 10:33-35).

He is extolled as the triumphant military champion. In Judges Chapter 5 Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise for the victory over the Hazinite army who were swept away by a river, and Sisera their commander who fled in terror and was killed by Jael, a woman. Many verses in their song are echoed in this song.

The Lord is praised as our Justice and Avenger. He is the Father to fatherless, Defender of the widow. He lifts up the humble and humbles the prideful. He fights for the ones who depend on Him. He is our strength. He gives the sojourner a home in Him. And He frees the prisoners and leads them to the Promised Land while all those who oppress and fight His children shall thirst and suffer without Him. Verses 7-10 recall the great things God has done for His people.

“O God, when you went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
    you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.”

God doesn’t have to help those who help themselves. He wouldn’t force His assistance on anyone. He helps those of us who need Him. Those who call on Him for righteousness, for justice, and redemption. God, our Deliverer rescues those who are humble enough to need His deliverance. Even the weakest among the Lord’s people are victorious conquerors. The strong man of the enemy cannot defeat the frailest woman or smallest child of God. In Judges Chapter 4 Deborah, a woman led the Israelite army, and Jael, a woman killed the commander of the enemy’s army. They relied on the Lord for their strength and He brought them victory. Verses 11-14 read,

“The Lord gives the word;
    the women who announce the news are a great host:
12     “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil--
13     though you men lie among the sheepfolds--
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
    let snow fall on Zalmon.”

Zalmon means dark, it is a forested hill near Shechem. (Judges 9:46-49). To have a snow fall on a black forested hill gives us the picture of God’s pure holiness overcoming the evil dark of the enemy, Jesus’ blood washing us white as snow.

Verses 15-18 further give us a picture of Jesus’ salvation.

“O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount that God desired for his abode,
    yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands;
    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You ascended on high,
    leading a host of captives in your train
    and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.”

Mount Sinai is the mountain where God visited Moses and gave him the Law. It is the place that represents Zion our eternal home with God where He dwells with us face to face. The enemy cannot hope to go there. God’s enemies can only seek home and shelter in lesser places which will one day be burned up. (Hebrews 12:18-24). This Psalm as it describes our Lord of Hosts describes Jesus Christ. He is our Redeemer, our Deliverer, and The Rider on the white horse. (Revelation 19:11-16). Jesus came down to earth before and He will come again. He saves those who call on Him and makes us victorious with Him. But until he comes again, He has given us gifts. He gave us The Holy Spirit. He gives us abilities such as prophecy, teaching, evangelism, healing, and mercy to edify the church, glorify Him by making us like Him, and bring the lost to Him. Paul described it in Ephesians 4:1-16, he even quoted verse 18 of this Psalm in Ephesians 4:8. Verses 10-13 of Ephesian 4 read,

“He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,”

It is not by our own strength we are saved. It is not by our own gifts, skills, and abilities we walk in Jesus. It is by The Lord. Our Father chose and anointed us. (Ephesians 1:3-5). Jesus is the propitiation the appeasement and payment of our sin so we can be saved. (1 John 2:1-2). The Holy Spirit transforms us to be holy, He teaches and guides us. (Romans 8:29-30). It’s not us who makes us conquerors, it is The Almighty God, Lord of Hosts who conquers for us. That is why we praise Him. That is how the whole world hears. Verses 19-27 read,

“Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
    and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
    “I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may strike your feet in their blood,
    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”

24 Your procession is seen, O God,
    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary--
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
    between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
    the Lord, O you who are of Israel's fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
    the princes of Judah in their throng,
    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.”

We can trust the Lord to defeat the enemy because when Jesus gave up His life on the cross, it was done. When Jesus rose from the dead the enemy was crushed. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, His people were equipped for the war. And When Jesus returns the enemy will know he is defeated and will be chained up and powerless. The enemy has no power over Believers. (1 John 5:18-19). He tries to chain us and oppress us. But we are free in Christ. We cannot be chained against our will. We are more than conquerors. The enemy cannot touch us without our approval. But he still fights us. He still tries. He doesn’t want us releasing any of his prisoners and bringing them into their new royal status as citizens of Heaven.

One day we will all sing our praises to Jesus forever. One day we will celebrate victory eternally. One day we, the true kings will be with our Sovereign, the King of kings for all time. Verses 32-35 read,

“O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!”

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Psalm 59 Let God be your Deliverer

7/19/2015

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Psalm 59

This miktam of David was written while King Saul was trying to kill David. He had sent men to watch David’s house so that he could have him murdered in his bed. (1 Samuel 19). Saul was God’s anointed king. But David had been chosen to succeed him. Saul grew ever more paranoid and angry. He didn’t care that David was married to his daughter or that his best friend was his son. His paranoia made him hate David. His anger turned to blind rage and he was desperate to kill David.

In verses 1-2 David calls on the Lord to deliver him and protect him from his enemies.

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
    protect me from those who rise up against me;
2 deliver me from those who work evil,
    and save me from bloodthirsty men.”

David didn’t turn to his own strength, wits, or money. He turned to the Lord God his Maker and his Justice, Elohim. The enemy wants to destroy us as well. The devil doesn’t want us coming into our royal identities. He doesn’t want to be effective. He hates us because we are heirs to the Kingdom of God. He thinks that it ought to be him. (Isaiah 14:13-15). Verses 3-7 describe Saul’s men and their wicked behavior following a paranoid and hateful leader. It can also describe the behavior of the followers of the prince of the power of the air, Satan toward believers.

3 For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
    fierce men stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,
4     for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Awake, come to meet me, and see!
5     You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
    spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah

6 Each evening they come back,
    howling like dogs
    and prowling about the city.
7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths
    with swords in their lips--
    for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”

People will hate us for following Jesus, like the Saul hated David for being chosen by God. They can hate us for Jesus’ sake, but they shouldn’t hate us for our actions. Our actions, our words, and our lives should be a testimony to God, lived in love and beneficence. In John 15:18-19 Jesus said,

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

But that doesn’t give us a right to hate them, to be hateful to them, or to be evil in return. In Matthew 5:43-45 Jesus said,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

The world is lost and their inheritance is eternal death, they crave to lift themselves up, to live in the moment and make themselves happy, rich, and satisfied. But we are eternal creatures and the present, the world, and all its offerings can’t satisfy. (James 4:1-9). Only the Lord God, our Savior, our Peace, and our Provider can truly satisfy. Psalm 107:8-9 says,

“Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9 For he satisfies the longing soul,
    and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”

But David trusted the Lord. He didn’t have to figure it out himself, defend himself, or take vengeance himself. He knew God is Just. He knew God was his Shield and his enemies couldn’t break through God’s defense. Verses 8-10 read,

“But you, O Lord, laugh at them;
    you hold all the nations in derision.
9 O my Strength, I will watch for you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress.
10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
    God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.

11 Kill them not, lest my people forget;
    make them totter by your power and bring them down,
    O Lord, our shield!
12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
    let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
13     consume them in wrath;
    consume them till they are no more,
that they may know that God rules over Jacob
    to the ends of the earth. Selah

14 Each evening they come back,
    howling like dogs
    and prowling about the city.
15 They wander about for food
    and growl if they do not get their fill.”

In this miktam David has refers to God as:

·         Elohim- Creator and Judge, the Lord of justice.

·         Yahweh- this is God’s own unpronounceable holiest name.

·         Lord God of Hosts- the powerful chief over the angel armies coming swiftly on hos noble steed to conquer the enemy for eternity.

·         God of Israel- Sovereign over His chosen people

·         My Strength

·         My Fortress

·         God in His Steadfast Love

·         Our Shield

·         Refuge

These names are all true of God. They describe His character. How can we be afraid when The LORD God loves us so much. How can we not choose to let Him take care of us when He is who He is?

The lost don’t know God. Verse 7 says they ask “Who” will hear them. They do not know who God is. But we can show them who He is by trusting Him and glorifying Him. By letting God be God and bringing them to a place where they will see their choice and make it.

In verse 11 David asked the Lord not to kill his enemies. He didn’t want them to die. He wanted them to fall and face their evil. It is in the face of our sins that we realize we need the Lord. And that is what David wanted for his enemies. That is what God wants for our enemies. He doesn’t want people to suffer an eternity separated from Him. (2 Peter 3:9). He longs for people to know Him and allow Him to lavish His perfect constant and never-ending love on them.

Rather than spend our time scheming against and wishing bad for our enemies, we can spend our time loving them and praising God. Instead of showing them how powerful and great we are, we can demonstrate God’s strength through our weakness as we depend on Him. Verses 16-17 read,

“But I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love.”

So Believer, I encourage you to praise God everywhere, always, and through everything. Your praise and worship takes power away from the enemy and allows his followers to see the love and power of God Almighty, their Creator and Judge. Jesus’ righteousness lived out in your life makes their sin apparent to them so they can call on the name of the Lord.

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Psalm 56 Put Your Trust in God

7/16/2015

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Psalm 56

David went through trial after trial in his life. Over the years many people not only wished bad for him, they tried to capture and kill him. When we are friends with God, when we belong to Him and our hearts align with His, people will come up against us. They will try to hurt us in any way they can. Their prince, Satan wants us stifled. The accuser of the brethren doesn’t want us to use the power of God at our disposal. He prefers us to sit ignorant or terrified. But he can’t touch us spiritually. He can only hurt us physically through the lost who belong to him. (1 John 5:18-19). The more of God’s gifts, power and authority we exhibit and the more we resemble Christ, the more eager Satan is to suppress us.

When David wrote this Psalm called a Miktam, he had been captured by the Philistines at Gath. Verses 1-4 read,

“Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
    all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long,
    for many attack me proudly.
3 When I am afraid,
    I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?”

When we are afraid because it seems no matter where we turn enemies surround us, like David we put our trust in God. We can trust Him. We can praise Him in the midst of troubles. We can thank Him for our deliverance. We can do all that because we know who God is. We know what He has done and what He has promised He will do. We know we can trust Him so thoroughly because God’s promises are so certain we can count them as already done. After all what can people do to us? They can’t separate us from God. They can’t steal our joy or rob us of salvation. Why should we be afraid of mere flesh and bone? Why should we be afraid of Satan and his weak attempts to stop us?

David’s enemies went after him with the intent to stop him permanently. They knew he was a powerful military leader. They knew he was gifted, smart, and clever. They could see God’s anointing and calling on him. It made them more determined to stopping him. Verses 5-7 tell us some of the evil people did to David.

“All day long they injure my cause;
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk;
    they watch my steps,
    as they have waited for my life.
7 For their crime will they escape?
    In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!”

David had reason to fear for his life. In 1 Samuel 27:1 David’s fear is expressed. He kept this fear to himself. It was between David and The Lord.

“Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”

The Lord answered David. He cared deeply about David and He cares deeply about us. He doesn’t enjoy the suffering we experience. He doesn’t abandon us while we suffer. Verses 8-11 say it like this,

“You have kept count of my tossings;
    put my tears in your bottle.
    Are they not in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
    in the day when I call.
    This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can man do to me?”

God knows when we struggle and He doesn’t forget the difficulties we face. He knows we cry. He cares. We can know that the enemy will not win. The enemy will pay for his reign of terror over the earth, for his attempts to hurt us, and for his hatred of The Lord and His children. In verse 9 David said, “This I know, that God is for me.” Believer, God is for us too! And we know if that we know we have nothing to fear at all. In Romans 8:31-39 Paul says it this way,

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul quoted Psalm 44:22. It is for The Lord’s sake we are being hunted and killed. Satan wants to destroy us, not because of who we are but for who we are in Christ. But he can only accuse us. He can only tempt us. He cannot take our victory, he cannot take our salvation, and he cannot take us away from God.

We have already won. Satan was conquered when Jesus laid down His life on the cross. Satan’s hope, death and eternal separation from God was conquered when Jesus rose from the dead. Satan’s schemes were made futile when Jesus ascended and gave us The Holy Spirit.

David put his trust in God and thanked Him for his life and rescue even before it happened. Verses 12-13 read,

“I must perform my vows to you, O God;
    I will render thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death,
    yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.”

God did the same for us. We act out our vows to God. We vowed to make Jesus our Lord. God vowed to forgive us, make us righteous, and conform us to Jesus image. We actively and intentionally walk in that knowledge of God’s redemption of us, in our deliverance from death, sin, and Hell. Our part of the contract is that we make Jesus our Lord. God does all the rest. God keeps us walking, protects us from the enemy, destroys the enemy, and makes us new creations with His heart, His mind, His nature, and His Spirit.

What is it you have to fear? Nothing, because God your Father protects you. Zilch, because God, your Savior delivered you. Nada, because God, your Comfort indwells you. God loves you, He adores you. You can trust in Him and have nothing to fear.

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Psalm 31 The Lord Holds the Spirit of the Redeemed

6/21/2015

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Psalm 31

As believers we know that people of the world will hate us. Their spirits cannot abide The Spirit who is in us. They do not recognize their own sin and so when we manifest righteousness which opposes sin they judge it as disgusting, bigoted, and hateful. Jesus warned us in John 15:18-21.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me”

It has always been true that the lost and especially those who considered themselves to be good people hated the children of God. David wrote many Psalms about the persecution his enemies flung at him. But through all that harassment and pursuit, he trusted The Lord. Verses 1-5 read,

“In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!

3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;
4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

What did David do in the face of his torment? He prayed, “Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily!” And he trusted that God would rescue him and that He would be his refuge. His enemies didn’t stop David from following The Lord. God led David to righteousness, to living as a man after His own heart so that He, The Lord would be glorified and the lost recognize Him and His greatness in David. And David in response said, “Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” He entrusted his soul, his salvation to The Lord and recognized that it was God who saved him, not his goodness, his trying, or his works, but The Lord his Redeemer. Jesus at his greatest distress on the cross as He was about to die uttered those words, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” The Lord guards our spirit for us. He seals us with His Spirit and He holds onto our spirit in protective and jealous love for us. The enemy cannot take us, he cannot have us. Our enemies our persecutors may hound us and cause pain but they cannot take us out of God’s loving and strong shelter.

Verses 6-13 describe David’s persecution from his enemies.

“I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,
    but I trust in the Lord.
7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
    because you have seen my affliction;
    you have known the distress of my soul,
8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
    you have set my feet in a broad place.

9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eye is wasted from grief;
    my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
    and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
    and my bones waste away.

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,
    especially to my neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
    those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I have been forgotten like one who is dead;
    I have become like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the whispering of many--
    terror on every side!--
as they scheme together against me,
    as they plot to take my life.”

David didn’t hate his adversaries with retribution, he hated them on behalf of God. He hated that they hated The Lord by worshipping idols, when they knew better. He hated that they were following a path to destruction as God hated that they were going to Hell instead of reveling in Him. David felt like he had no one among his neighbors or acquaintances, they all seemed to believe his enemies instead of recognizing God in him. It seemed he had no one on his side. But He knew that He had God. Verses 14-18 say,

“But I trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hand;
    rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!
17 O Lord, let me not be put to shame,
    for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
    let them go silently to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute,
    which speak insolently against the righteous
    in pride and contempt.”

We all have people who hate us if we follow Jesus, but we do not have to be concerned for ourselves. We can trust The Lord holds our hearts and spirits in His almighty hands. We can trust that God will avenge us and our enemies and the enemy will pay for their deeds unless they ask Jesus to save them. God is so wonderfully good, so awesomely great, and so tremendously sovereign. We don’t have to spend our time plotting against our enemy. We can rejoice in The Lord and delight in the blessings He gives us. Verses 19-22 read,

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
    which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
    in the sight of the children of mankind!
20 In the cover of your presence you hide them
    from the plots of men;
you store them in your shelter
    from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord,
    for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
    when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
    “I am cut off from your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
    when I cried to you for help.”

We have nothing to fear from our adversaries. We have nothing to fear from Satan or his minions. We are free to love the Lord our God, our Vengeance, and our Refuge. The world will hate us if we follow Jesus filled with The Spirit. Don’t reciprocate the hate. Love God by loving the lost even when they try to hurt, maim, or kill you. Remember who God is and who you are. Love God by depending on Him, leaving vengeance to Him, and having faith that you are in His tender hands.

Verses 23-24 read,

“Love the Lord, all you his saints!
    The Lord preserves the faithful
    but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the Lord!”

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2 Kings 21 Manasseh’s Evil Leads to Dire Consequences

2 Kings 13:1-9 How Do You Respond to God’s Discipline?

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Psalm 83 Will God Come Through When the Enemy Attacks?

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Psalm 74 Remember God is Our Almighty Salvation

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Psalm 59 Let God be your Deliverer

Psalm 56 Put Your Trust in God

Psalm 31 The Lord Holds the Spirit of the Redeemed

Donna Campbell

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