Blessed assurance in Psalm 73

My Bible Study Notes

Psalm 73, starts with a great declaration: "God is good..." He is good to his people and to those who are pure in heart...
I love the honesty in the Psalm. David wrestles with seeing evil prosper all around him. I can relate. It seems like the people who are deceitful, greedy, selfish, ruthless, and even barbaric prosper. It seems like there is no justice, when the godly, the good people in this world suffer.
I love how the whole passage shifts at verse 16! "It was hard for me to understand all this!"
But then... when David entered into God's presence, the temple, he understood. We should not recon God's patience with injustice. Justice delayed is not justice denied. God will "make them stumble" and "they will be terrified." Praise God for this honest transparent word. Instantly many godly people can relate to what David is saying. They see the evil all around and ask "Where is God in all this?"
Verses 21-24 provide the promise:
"Once I was bitter and brokenhearted. I was stupid and ignorant, and I treated you (God) as a wild would. But I never really left you (God), and you (have and continue to) hold my right hand. (LIke a father would) Your advice has been my guide and later you will welcome me in glory"

What sweet reassuring words, no matter if we are as unaware of his presence as a wild beast, He is still there. As a matter of fact, He is still holding our hand through it all. God's counsel is our guide, and we can be assured of experiencing his glory in eternity.

I can take so much away from this wonderful Psalm!
1. God is good, despite the evil that seems to prevail.
2. He is faithful.
3. He never leaves me.
4. He will punish the wicked and make right all the wrongs.
5. Despite what I may experience in this life, I have his promise of an eternity experience inexplicable and delightful glory from his presence.

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Bible Study Notes, PS 65 --- enter into his presence today!

Bible Study Notes

(NET) Psalms 65:3-4 "Our record of sins overwhelms me, but you forgive our acts of rebellion. How blessed is the one whom you choose, and allow to live in your palace courts. May we be satisfied with the good things of your house - your holy palace."

I love this psalm. Because our sins are forgiven, we can enter into his palace courts... May we be satisfied with the good things of your house!
The presence of the Lord is the greatest of all treasures. Once my sin is confessed and wiped away, the fellowship I receive with God is the most satisfying experience in life. Oh praise Him for His great mercy! Oh praise Him for His abundant grace! Oh praise Him for His splendor and Glory! Oh Praise His Holy Name! Let us enter into His royal courts with Thanksgiving and Praise... there is noting more satisfying than being in the presence of our Lord and King!

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Understanding divine justice

Suffering and Injustice are so prevelant in this sinful world. We live in a wicked and cruel society.

It reminds me this week of that horrible tragedy which happened to William Petit and his family who suffered from the home invaders. The judgement has come to the perpetrators, but what a horrific thing William suffered. What do we think when we hear of such injustice and evil in this world? It seems like the attackers never considered the consequences of their actions, that perhaps one day they would be caught or that they would suffer far worse eternal consequences in God's judgment.

It is easy to get discouraged when we experience injustice ourselves or see good people suffer. All of us should at some level be able to relate to King David.

(NET) Psalms 28:5 For they do not understand the LORD's actions, or the way he carries out justice. The LORD will permanently demolish them.

 

David called out for God to destroy the wicked, those who attack and persecute the righteous... He was experiencing his own persecution. David was no stranger to suffering.

First I notice in this Psalm something very interesting, those who are attacking the godly do not "understand the LORD's actions."  They don't realize that the LORD sees what is going on. They are foolish enough to believe that they will not suffer the consequences for their evil.

There is good reason for the godly to take comfort in the LORD and to understand that He acts on behalf of justice.

We should take comfort first in the fact that God will eventually make things right, that justice will be served in this life or perhaps in the more severe punishment of hell. For surely the Lord sees the evil that mankind does, and they will suffer the severest consequences for all eternity.

Like David, we can also trust the LORD to provide us strength, protection, and joy:

Notice the following verses:   

(NET) Psalms 28:7 The LORD strengthens and protects me; I trust in him with all my heart. I am rescued and my heart is full of joy; I will sing to him in gratitude.

(ESV) Psalms 28:8 The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

(ESV) Psalms 28:9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

We can take comfort in the LORD. We can trust in Him to hold us in His hand. We can find strength to endure any circumstance. His grace is more than enough!

David took great comfort in God's grace, He knew God would strengthen and protect him. The Lord was David's source of strength and joy. He trusted in God's character and truth. David found the ultimate comfort in knowing that he was in God's mighty hand, like a helpless lamb held by the great shepherd.

Take great comfort today, praise God for his strength, protection, and justice. Remain steady in your faith, understanding that God will bring about justice. The wicked will eventually get what they deserve. Be still and know the God is in control, do not be anxious or fall. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and find that peace which passes all understanding. Trust in God's faithfulness.

Blessed be the name and reputation of our God! He can always be trusted! We have seen the works of His hand! We have heard of His mighty deeds! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

For those who feel led by God to do something about the injustices we see in this world, please pray about join my :58 To Greater Heights team. We will be fasting, praying , and donating to different organizations who are helping to bring God's love, truth, and justice to the vulnerable and needy.

http://my.live58.org/momentum/team/655

To learn more about Biblical Justice ministries go to:

http://www.ijm.org/

At a loss??

(NET) 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed, always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body.

Have you ever been at a loss?

So many times in life, we are simply at a loss to make any sense of the problems we've experienced. It just doesn't make any sense and seems completely unfair. I am sure most of us can relate to being wrongly accoused, the loss of a job, divorce, or the untimely loss of a loved one.

If you've ever experienced trouble despite doing what God has called you to do, then you should be able to relate to what Paul is writing to the Corinthian church.

Paul, a mighty apostle of Christ, experienced trouble every way he turned. Yet he provides such a great example of what extraordinary faith looks like. He carried the message and power of God everywhere he went, yet met opposition everywhere he turned.

I was greatly encouraged to read that Paul himself was perplexed. The term he uses literally means "at a loss." I know I have been at a loss to explain much that has happened in my life. When I know I am following the lead of the Holy Spirit, I am perplexed at the result. It doesn't make any sense to me when things seem to fail. Of course I try to figure it out, but many times I must admit, I am at a loss.

I am at a loss when I see injustice, sickness, failure, suffering, etc...

Paul's faith shows us the proper response. You see, persevering faith might be perplexed but it is not driven to despair. True love and faith never gives up hope.

So my encouragement today is to never give up, despite the unexplainable. Trust in God. Keep going. Keep loving. Keep speaking. Keep running toward to the goal that God has set before every one of us. Take up that cross to follow our savior until your very last breath. 

That is the legacy of Paul. Let that be our lasting legacy of faith.

Justice applied

Proverbs 29:4

"By justice a king brings stability to a land, but a man who demands 'contributions' demolishes it."

This is such an interesting verse. I notice a few things, the contrast of justice and the idea of back breaking exactation. I also see that organizational stability hinges on leadership that is not self seeking. Notice the leader, i.e. king, brings stability through justice. The contrast shows that injustice topples the organization or leadership (reminds me of the many governments we have seen fall this year in the middle east).

 A leader, if he breaks the backs of his subordinates, the organization topples. But if he seeks a balanced load and fairness, then the organization remains strong. The sense of justice here is that the leader does not seek gain for himself in his leadership, but seeks the common good, i.e. justice, instead. Perhaps this calls for sacrifice, many times balance and justice requires sacrifice and self-denial. 

Justice, in the picture of measuring scales, hangs in the balance and does not lean to one side or the other. So a principle of this verse is to find justice by seeking what is good for everyone not just for the one in power, i.e. king. 

This can apply to a balance of power for governement. Or perhaps tempering one's use of power in leadership, making sure those who might not be able to benefit the leader personally are taken care of rather than those who could benefit the leader. 

I see a clear application to lobbyists and special interest groups in our government today. This verse issues a clear warning not to favor those who line the government official's pockets, but rather to seek the common good. This also applies to supervisors or people in authority, do you favor those who will benefit you the most, rather than seeking to do the right thing? Finally, this applies to anyone who would seek to benefit oneself rather than asking how it will affect everyone else. 

In short, justice applied is seeking first the kingdom and doing the right thing rather than seeking oneself.

Where does your passion lie?

In proverbs 23:17-18, we see the dark side of envy, being envious of sinners. Perhaps it's envying the ruthless business exec who cuts corners and never gets caught, who is rolling in money, cars, and power. Or perhaps its the  scholar, who is famous, pompous, and always seems to get the next research grant, despite his questionable ethics. Or a coworker who gets promoted despite her back stabbing politics and twisting of the truth. I know,  it is easy to take the bait and be envious of their charm and luck.

Proverbs 23:17-18 "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."

The Hebrew term "Qa'nah" can mean either envy or zeal, depending on whether the object desired is bad or good. In the case of this verse, the term is translated envy when it implies a passionate desire or pursuit of something bad, i.e. sinners. It could be applied to anything that opposes God and His righteousness. The same term in this passage is translated zealous, which implies the pursuit of God, i.e. fearing the Lord. It should be understood in a postive sense like having your passion burn for intimacy with God. This idea ties into verse 18, with the certainty of a godly pursuit. Verses 17 & 18 go together based on the connecting word "for" in the beginning of verse 18. It gives the reason for being zealous toward God. For there is a certainty of one's future in the pursuit of the Lord, but those who pursue evil will certainly be cut off. 

In short, if you passionately pursue the Lord, you will not be dissappointed. Those who fear him, who seek intimacy with the creator through Jesus Christ, will find God face to face. The question becomes: what is your passion? Which direction are you facing? Is your heart passionately pursuing sinful things, the things other sinners possess? Or are you pursuing God and his righteousness?

If we persevere in our passionate pursuit of God, then our hope will never be dissappointed.

The good news

Titus 2:11-15

I love how the CEV translates this passage:

 ¹¹God has shown us how kind he is by coming to save all people. ¹²He taught us to give up our wicked ways and our worldly desires and to live decent and honest lives in this world. ¹³We are filled with hope, as we wait for the glorious return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. ¹⁴He gave himself to rescue us from everything that is evil and to make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be his own people and to be eager to do right. ¹⁵Teach these things, as you use your full authority to encourage and correct people. Make sure you earn everyone's respect.

Notice it begins with God's kindness, leading to our salvation 

Then God's teaching, leading to our holy living

Then God's giving of himself, leading to a change of our identity and hearts

Our response is to use our calling to encourage and correct other, which builds up the church 

This such a great synopsis of the good news of Jesus Christ! Share it with someone today!