Praising through the Problems of Life

Psalm 23:1-3
{A Psalm of David.} "Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside still waters.He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Darby translation)

David's Psalms have always been of great comfort to me, but they especially minister when I'm going through trials. I remember pondering them even when I was a teenager, when I felt that my adolescent world was caving in. The Psalms are timeless, even though written in ancient times, they are just as relevant today. When I get to heaven, I would be thrilled for a chance to meet David and discuss his beautiful words. But even more important, I will get to look upon the face of the One whom David wrote about, and never have to go through trials again. What a day to look forward to!

In the book Streams in the Desert, I read one post about how David had to go through many difficult times in order to write those words which have encouraged millions. It was not easy for him to go through all of that, but that was God's way of getting these beautiful messages of hope to us. God worked the hardest things in David's life to the good for all the believers who have received God's written Word. For March 19, the devotion declares that if David had not gone though those trials we would have not received the blessing they provide.

"One stinging sparrow spared would have been one blessing missed and unclaimed. One difficulty or danger escaped-- how great would have been our loss! The thrilling psalms where God's people today find expression for their grief or praise might never have been known." from Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman in the updated version edited by James Reimann, Zondervan Publishing House, 1997, page 121.

This morning when I had my time with God, I hunkered down in Psalm 40:1-3. I remember being drawn to this verse many years ago.

{To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm.} "I waited patiently for Jehovah; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. And he brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock; he hath established my goings: And he hath put a new song in my mouth, praise unto our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall confide in Jehovah." (Darby translation)

A few notes on some of the words:

The name Jehovah is one of the many names for God. It means "God in covenant relationship to those whom He has created. Jehovah means the Eternal, the Immutable One, He who WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME." (note Bullinger Companion Bible, Appendix 4)

I waited patiently: In the Hebrew this means "in waiting I waited." Bullinger, note Psalm 40:1

The words for pit of destruction and the miry clay: In the KJV it is called a horrible pit, meaning "state of sin and death which God alone can save a man" Miry clay means "The pit of perdition and the mud of corruption" (Dake Study Bible, note on Psalm 40:2)

I never realized before the meaning of the pit and the miry clay. I thought it just meant being in a bad situation. But the true meaning reveals where we all start out. The Apostle Paul says of the unregenerate man:

"that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." Ephesians 2:12 emphasis mine

Only God can reach down, in His tender mercy and pull each one of us out of that pit by His marvelous quickening by the Spirit. And that is what He does for each one who receives His gift of eternal life. But wait, there's more! He also sets our feet upon a rock.

The word for rock is "sela." It means "fortress, a refuge and security" notes from Bullinger Companion Bible on Psalm 40:2, Deuteronomy 32:13
It would be an amazing study to find all the references in the Bible to God being our rock and our fortress.

The result of all these things is a heart filled with gratitude: "And He hath put a new song in my mouth, praise unto our God."(Ps. 40:3) This new song will also be sung in heaven when time in human history has ended and Christ once again rules the planet. After the Lamb of God takes the scroll (the deed to planet earth that He won back at the cross), this will be the scene in heaven:

8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
​
​​“You are worthy to take the scroll,
​​And to open its seals;
​​For You were slain,
​​And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
​​Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 ​​And have made us king and priests to our God;
​​And we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5: 8-10

If we will be praising Him throughout eternity, doesn't it make sense to praise Him now for the trials and difficulties of life? It sometimes is not easy for me to automatically do this, but I know when I do, it takes the focus off of me and my little problems and back rightfully on God. I feel a sense of relief knowing that I am known by My Maker.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Looking at the Tree

"When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the water became sweet." Exodus 15: 23-25

In Exodus 14, the people of Israel had just been released from bondage to slavery in Egypt with a mighty deliverance by God. Yet their gratitude to God for His care and provision did not last long. It is easy for me to look at them and wonder how they could have been so blind. Yet these Old Testament saints' stories were included in the Scriptures for us, to be a warning for us, to not make the same mistake they did.


"For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ, Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, so we would not crave evil things as they also craved." I Corinthians 10: 1-6

The people were bitter because they were in the desert. They failed to see God's daily provision for them: the daily manna and the shoes that did not wear out. Instead they complained about their lot in life. They wanted to return to slavery. I am not much different than they are. My life has had its own twists and turns, and sometimes the answers seem too long in coming. I look around me for human comfort in desperation, but deep down, I know that people cannot fill my void.

Only God can. Last night as I tried to drift off to sleep, I was troubled and like the Israelites, wept my own tears of bitterness. Only my cat knew I was crying upon my pillow. Instead of falling to sleep, the tears woke me up and I knew I needed to draw near somehow to Him once again. I began reading a book called The Seven Sayings of the Savior on the Cross by A.W. Pink. Only in the first few pages my heart was drawn to see my situation with a redemptive review. I can be like Moses, I can look to the tree,and behold that the cross of Calvary was hurled once for all into the sin-filled bitter waters of life on this fallen planet. For every person on this earth suffers. Some suffer more than others but more suffering occurred during that period of Christ's crucifixion than all other human sufferings combined. We have a God who knows very well what it means to hurt. He has not left us without remedy, but has given us a provision to make even the hardest trials in life sweet by our knowing and walking with Him.

I can either believe that this world is spinning out of control or that a sovereign God who loves me has all things, including my life and all that happens to me, under His loving care and concern. It may not look so good outwardly, but neither did it look good when Jesus went to the cross, or when God darkened the planet and a great earthquake occurred. (Matthew 27:45-57) But sins were being atoned for in that darkest moment of human history and God used that black moment to bring about the greatest victory: raising Jesus Christ from the dead. Death, satan, all the powers of hell itself could not keep Him in that grave.

Moses did not know what to do when the people started to revolt, but at that moment, God showed him a tree. When I see things I don't like in my life, I can "see" in my mind God showing me a tree too. That tree is Christ's cross. It means the old me is gone forever, crucified with Christ, and I am now reconciled and in right relation with Him. It means knowing that God is sovereign, and is working even the hardest things in my life for an outcome that is ultimately sweet. All I need to do is to keep looking at the tree and trusting in my Savior.

"And we know with an absolute knowledge that for those who are loving God, all things are working together resulting in good, for those who are divinely summoned-ones according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28 Kenneth Wuest, An Expanded Translation)

Glorying in Afflictions because of Romans 8:28

Psalm 149: 4: For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.

I ran across this marvelous verse this morning in my quiet time. I have read it before, but it commanded my attention today. I found a marvelous little book secondhand at my library yesterday, and it was Called to Pray by Wim Malgo. Written in 1975, it is as relevant today as it was then. The chapter I read today made me want to delight in the trials that have been appointed in my life. Mr. Malgo wrote about what are the necessary conditions for prayer:

"I always feel apprehensive when I hear people pray, 'Lord, please give me power', for our Lord has no use for powerful people. On the contrary Psalm 102: 4 says, 'He weakened my strength in the way.' The feeling of strength drives away the Spirit of prayer."

Later in the same chapter, he said: "If you have bitter disappointments from fellow Christians and fellow men, yes, if even the dearest one you have on this earth has disappointed you, then God has permitted this because He wants to make you a person of prayer. Let me say it more clearly: God takes away all your human props so that you can become increasingly dependent on Him alone."

In combination with what I received from last week's (9/12/13) teaching from the Grace and Truth Ladies Seminar, I found my heart rejoicing. I have had trials that have gone on for years without resolution, but God is in control of all that. In the verse we are all so familiar with, Romans 8:28, God makes us a promise that some would say is "too good to be true." It says: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Judy spoke of what the words "that all things" referred to. In the Greek, the word for this is "pas" and here is what it means:

I.
individually
A.
each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything


II.
collectively
A.
some of all types

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3956&t=NKJV

How many times, in darkness have I mourned over situations that cannot be humanly solved? How many tears have I cried in unbelief of what this verse really means? Romans 8:28 is a promise with a condition, and that is one must be a God lover for this to be true in your life.

There is a fear, often, of becoming a disciple of Christ. For He asks no less than all of our soul, dedicated to Him. He says clearly in Luke 14: 26: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple."

Well, how does the Lord get you to hate your own life? In trials, we see just who we really are without His enabling power. He reduces us to the state that we will not glory in our accomplishments, but only in what He does through us. But He also assures us that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13: 5), and as we continue in His Word, He shows us the glory and beauty of Christ. Also as we continue in His Word, He shows us Who He Really Is and it will automatically make us want to be a God lover, without striving or sweating. Then we realize that all along our lives do not really belong to us anyway, but to Him and that we hidden with Him.

Colossians 3: 3 is emphatic: "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
In this we find true joy and the meaning and purpose for our lives!

I don't know about you, but I don't like my old person clinging to her regrets and moods. I would rather walk in the Truth that says my life is now hidden with Him. And so, I can thank Him for the things that have happened in the past, believing that God is using them to draw me nearer to His side and cling to Him for all my righteousness.

II Corinthians 5:21

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Galatians 2:20 and 21 also says:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

I leave you today with the link for the wonderful message by my friend Mrs. Judy Seligman, who expounded on Romans 8: 28 and what it means for believers.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=914132239433

Listen and be blessed!

Because He Loves Me...a Thought for the Ladies

Have you ever played the child's game while holding daisies in your hand, and as you pluck off the petals you say: "He loves me, He loves me not?" But if we played that game and it was Father God we were talking about, then we would be speaking complete foolishness.

For if we read our Bibles, we could never come to the conclusion "He loves me not." The Bible is a giant love letter from one end to the other, revealing God's love revealed to the infinite degree to a lost and hopeless human race who could not earn it or deserve it in a billion years.

"Yes," someone might say. "I've heard that a million times now."

But the real question is, "Do we believe that God really loves us and all that really entails?"

I speak from my own experience. Just recently, I had a chance to go see a doctor for a "free visit" so I thought I didn't need to consult my husband about it. If it didn't cost us anything, I reasoned, then I didn't need to check with him. But deep down, I was afraid that he would say no, so I just went ahead and did it anyway, not staying under his protective covering.

In the Bible, women are told to submit to their husbands for their very own protection. A woman can easily be deceived by the greatest deceiver of all time, as was demonstrated in the Garden of Eden way back in Genesis chapter 3. Eve willingly took the fruit from the serpent because she trulybelieved it would make her wise and be good for her. But Adam took the fruit from Eve because he loved Eve too much to be separated from her. He knew full well what he was doing though.

We women get ourselves into trouble when we don't trust that the Lord has put our husband over us for our protection. I didn't make it up, it is written in the Scriptures! And believe me, the first time I heard I had to submit in premarital counseling, I hated the very idea! In the natural, it does seem miserable and degrading,most certainly going against the grain of today's society.(Yet its commanded in I Peter 3:1, Eph. 5: 22, and Col. 3: 18 and follows in the footsteps of Christ, who submitted completely to the Father's will.)

When I returned from the doc's though, completely convinced that I now had the answer to my health problems and ready to invest a lot of hard earned money, I was ready to recruit my husband. He saw newfound hope for a cure for my problem and he went along with it.

But then I did more exploring. I looked up some names on the back of one brochure they had given me. I didn't like the huge marketing look to it all. I talked to a trusted Christian friend. She directed me to an article to read about the type of testing they did. After I read it, I groaned inwardly. I confessed my sin before the Lord.

All of this could have been avoided. I knew I should have asked my husband, even though it didn't involve money initially. When it got right down to it, I saw the reason I failed this test: I didn't believe that God loved me enough to provide the very best for me, even if my husband would have said NO. His NO would have been for my safety.

Submission is really not about you and your husband anyway. It is about you and the Lord. It is about trusting that He has allowed you to be with your man and that He will sovereignly guide you in your life through your husband. We ladies can battle that all we want, but early in my marriage I heard this Proverb and it froze me in my tracks:

Proverbs 14:1 "The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands."

Do you see how I could have hurt our finances? My husband went along but he told me if I would have asked in the first place he would have said no. We women have great power over our husbands.

Oh how I wish I would have applied Proverbs 14:1 part "a" from the minute I walked down the aisle! Thank God though, that He can redeem our mistakes:

Lamentations 3:21-3 "This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. [Through] the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning; Great [is] Your faithfulness."

Even if we have failed, God's mercies are fresh for tomorrow. Men crave our respect, even though society has ridiculed respect away from many of them. Have you noticed even the commercials make the men look stupid and the women look smart?

But the whole reason we can show respect and listen to our husbands, with God's enabling power, is because we are confident that God loves us and will meet our every need as we stay under the authority God has established for us as married women, and that is through our husbands, even if he is unsaved or ungodly. God is greater than that small difficulty and is still working all things for the good in your life if you are a God lover. (see Romans 8: 28)

Kenneth Wuest, expanded translation of I John 3: 1-3:

"Behold what exotic (foreign to the human heart) love the Father has permanently bestowed upon us, to the end that we may be named children (born-ones, bairns) of God. And we are. On this account the world does not have an experimental knowledge of us, because it has not come into an experiential knowledge of Him. Divinely loved ones, now born ones of God we are. And not yet has it been made visible what we shall be. We know absolutely that whenever it is made visible, like ones to Him we shall be, because we shall see Him just as He is. And every one who has this hope continually set on Him is constantly purifying himself just as that One is pure."

This is not our permanent dwelling place, so we don't have to be so comfortable here anyway. Let us concern ourself more about making sure we will be both close and pleasing to Christ when He comes back for us, and not have to shrink away from Him in shame. Amen?