"HERE I AM, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME."

 12 saying,

"I WILL DECLARE YOUR (the Father's) NAME TO MY BRETHREN (believers),

IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE."

13 And again [He says],

"MY TRUST and CONFIDENT HOPE WILL BE PLACED IN HIM."

And again,

"HERE I AM, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME."—Hebrews 2:12-13

During His sojourn here on earth, Jesus depended completely on His Father just as we must as believers during our own.  Here (in verse 12 which is quoted from Psalm 22:22), He fully identifies with mankind by calling them His brethren. In Matthew 12:49-50, Jesus teaches that whoever does the will of the Father are His brother, sister and mother.

And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:49, ESV)

However, Jesus does not directly call them brethren, until after His resurrection. 

Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" (John 20:17, ESV)

With all that said, what struck me about Hebrews 2:13 was that Jesus IS my big brother who came to this earth to die, and in so doing provided redemption for me —His little sister.  Jesus by His death FREED ME from the haunting ( a very accurate word) fear of death which prior to my salvation held me captive.  Hebrews 2:14-15 describes it this way:  

Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself in a similar manner also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who had the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and [that He] might free all those who through [the haunting] fear of death were held in slavery throughout their lives.

Jesus extends to us, fallen human beings, His good hand of deliverance.  To do that, it was essential that He be made like us, His brethren in every way.   Verse 2:17-18 in the Amplified version explains the why of this well. 

so that He might [by experience] become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things related to God, to make atonement (propitiation) for the people's sins [thereby wiping away the sin, satisfying divine justice, and providing a way of reconciliation between God and mankind].  18 Because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted, He is able to help and provide immediate assistance to those who are being tempted and exposed to suffering

The beauty of what Jesus, my Brother, did for me and for you...the children that God has given Him...is truly indescribable.  Death no longer brings fear because fear involves torment.  God’s love toward me...toward you...is perfect.  Death has been swallowed up in victory. 

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:54-58, ESV) (emphasis mine)

Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior]. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God's gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].—Hebrews 4:14-16 AMPLIFIED 

This I Recall to Mind...

19 Remember my affliction and roaming,

The wormwood and the gall.

20 My soul still remembers

And sinks within me.

21 This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

22 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul,

"Therefore I hope in Him!"—Lamentations 3:19-24

What a blessing to read these words of faith spoken by Jeremiah, through the Holy Spirit, this morning.  In the midst of mourning over the loss of his beautiful city and its precious people, he turns tragedy to triumph by extolling the faithfulness of God.

There has been so much in the news, even just this past week, to make each of us feel that our life in our precious country is unraveling before our eyes...literally coming apart at the seams.  And yet, we, like Jeremiah, can also shout in triumph.  God is in control.  He is sovereign. All that is happening and will happen is according to His perfect plan.   We, as believers, are His Beloved.  All that happens in our lives...despite how it may look... is ordered and ordained by our God for our good and His glory. 

Believer, our God has never failed us...He IS faithful and He WILL remain faithful in the future..whatever that future may look like. He changes not and His compassions fail not. We KNOW in whom we believe.  

Jeremiah’s words in verse 22a give us a perspective that is foundational. They remind us of what He has done for us and what our portion would have been had not Christ stepped into our darkness and became for us our light of life. In the light of this knowledge then...in the light of His grace, love and kindness toward us, especially in His Son, Jesus...we, like Jeremiah, can find hope and comfort...even in the midst of turmoil, unrest and tragedy.  Those who cleave unto Jesus will NEVER be put to shame.  

Living in the Light of the Glory of God...

 1 I will sing of mercy and justice;

To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.

2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way.

Oh, when will You come to me?

I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;

I hate the work of those who fall away;

It shall not cling to me.

4 A perverse heart shall depart from me;

I will not know wickedness.

5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,

Him I will destroy;

The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,

Him I will not endure.

6 My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,

That they may dwell with me;

He who walks in a perfect way,

He shall serve me.

7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;

He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.

8 Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land,

That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.—Psalm 101

In verses 1-4 of Psalm 101 David expresses beautifully his personal commitment to live righteously before God and keep His statutes. He speaks further in verses 5-8 about the lives of those who live in his kingdom. I am going to focus on the personal side here.  

I gotta confess that I shy away from speaking with such a firm resolve to live righteously as David does here, because I know that my own miserable reality is failure.  I do want the same things that David desires for himself in these verses, but, no matter how firm my resolve is, “I” fail.  

Here is the thing though...only Jesus fulfilled all of these perfectly. I AM insufficient to the task, but He is not. I CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  I won’t get it perfect on this side of heaven, but each day as I behold the glory of my Lord, I will be transformed a little bit more into His image.  So today...like David does here...I will purpose in my heart to live perfectly before the Lord my God. He will perform my vow for me and perfect what concerns me.  

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.—2 Corinthians 3:18

A Legacy...

For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.--Philemon 1:7

I sooooo want to be like Philemon. my mind off me and my problems and my focus on walking rightly with my God and being a blessing to those He has placed in front of me. 

What a statement Paul makes here about who Philemon was. He is a refresher of the saints. He is one who has encouraged the hearts of others by his love. He has given them not just joy and consolation but much joy and consolation. People who are suffering, afflicted, in trouble, and struggling have found him (Philemon) to be a blessing!! Philemon brought hurting people rest...His care and service for them refreshed their hearts and brought them solace.

Philemon was a man of kindness..the kind of man that was a blessing to those who were around him. The kind of many whom others wanted to be around. If I am going to leave any kind of mark on this world or legacy for my God that is the one I would want.

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."--Colossians 3:12-17

The Goodness of God....

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.—Titus 3:1-7

I love this...so convicting.  Obey...be ready for every good work...speak evil of no one...be peaceable, gentle...showing ALL humility to ALL men.  Remember that you, also were once as they are...

foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 

But God, because of His great love with which He loved US...even when we were dead in trespasses and sin...sent His Beloved Son to die for us so that we could live eternally with Him.  He did it not because we were anything specially...He did it because He is merciful and kind.  He also gave us His Spirit to empower us, help us, dwell in us, bring us comfort, and abide with us forever. 

We (believers) are to be like He was in this world.  We are to make His footsteps our pathway.  Our God is merciful, gracious, patient and kind.  His sacrificial love speaks to all saying:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”—Matthew 11:28-30

Beloved... By His precious Spirit then, be imitators of God..be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. It is the kindness, grace and love of Christ through the Spirit that has the power to change hearts and bring sinners to repentance. 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

21 “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”—John 3:16-21

Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift...

 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,—Titus 2:11-13

God doesn’t just give fallen man grace...He gives us grace incarnate...the indescribable gift of His Son, who not only frees us from the penalty of sin but gives us the power to NOT to sin.  With lives freed from the presence of sin, we can, by His gracious Spirit, become God’s earthly witnesses and help bring both His plan and purpose of salvation to its desired end.  We live no longer in the flesh for the lusts of men, but in the Spirit, doing the will of God from our heart.  We become His living epistles...a testimony of Christ to a lost and dying world. 

Praying today that I can live in complete dependence on His all sufficient grace which sanctifies and allows me to live a godly life in His Son. 

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.  And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.—2 Corinthians 3:2-6

The Lord Jesus Christ, Our Hope...

 To Titus, a true son in our common faith:  Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.—Titus 1:4

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,—1 Timothy 1:1 (EMPHASIS MINE)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Beloved, Jesus Christ..the Messiah...God’s Anointed...is our everlasting consolation and good hope of grace.  He IS our expectation and our confidence.  Grace, mercy and peace are in Him.  My heart stands in agreement with the sons of Korah in Psalm 45 in their as they write about the the Lord’s Anointed One.  

My heart is overflowing with a good theme

I recite my composition concerning the King;

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

You are fairer than the sons of men;

Grace is poured upon Your lips;

Therefore God has blessed You forever.

When I was hopeless and helpless, dead in my trespasses and sins, my God saved me...He made me alive together with His Son, Jesus!   I have been redeemed...not with corruptible things, like silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ!  Through Him, I believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that my faith and my hope are in God.  Christ IN ME.. MY hope of glory!  He brings comfort to my heart and establishes me in every good word and work. 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.—Romans 15:13

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.—2 Timothy 1:12-14

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,

And to present you faultless

Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

To God our Savior,

Who alone is wise,

Be glory and majesty,

Dominion and power,

Both now and forever.

Amen.—Jude 24-25

Praise to Our God!

 1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

3 For the LORD is the great God,

And the great King above all gods.

4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;

The heights of the hills are His also.

5 The sea is His, for He made it;

And His hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

7 For He is our God,

And we are the people of His pasture,

And the sheep of His hand.—Psalm 95:1-7

Truly, the Psalms teach us to praise, and I confess that I don’t do anywhere near enough of it!   Oh Father...help me in this!  Give me the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.  Oh, that I would live my life  “cataloging” all Your benefits.   Fill my days with Your praise!

Beloved, praise is good, right, pleasant and beautiful.  It is right for us as His creatures...the sheep of His pastures...to praise Him, our good and faithful Creator.  Praise is GOOD for US!  It will do US good to praise our God...to lift up both our hearts and our song to Him.  Praise is the will of God, and the sound of it fills heaven itself.

Praise brings humility and magnifies our God.  It reminds us of our absolute and utter dependence on Him even for the very air we breathe.  Praise also brings to mind His wonderful works and helps us to think on His character.  Praise acknowledges Him as the Giver of all that is good.  

It is in praise that we remember that He hedges us behind and before and has laid His hand upon us.  Our God’s favor is with us!  He not only gives us what we need for this journey, but He guides our steps and does the work along the way.  His mercy fills our footsteps, and His goodness overtakes and surrounds us.  

Praise also brings His comfort to our hearts.  He is sovereign. He sees all. Nothing happens to us without first passing through His hand.  

God is the Rock of our salvation... Our all powerful, all knowing, everywhere present Creator. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith who endured the cross and is blessed forever.  Praise to our Good Shepherd who sought us when we were lost,  brought us to Himself and made us accepted in the Beloved!  

Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments.  Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’

1 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!

Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

3 Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

4 For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the LORD made the heavens.

6 Honor and majesty are before Him;

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

7 Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples,

Give to the LORD glory and strength.

8 Give to the LORD the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come into His courts.

9 Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns;

The world also is firmly established,

It shall not be moved;

He shall judge the peoples righteously."

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice

13 before the LORD.

For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.

He shall judge the world with righteousness,

And the peoples with His truth.—Psalm 96

And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.—Revelation 19:5-7

Woe is Me Now...

Repost from 2011...

The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch:  ‘You said, “Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.”’

  “Thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land.  And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the LORD. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.”’”---Jeremiah 45

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,

I think this is my favorite chapter in Jeremiah!  The results are not up to us...they are up to God.  Expect nothing and you will not be disappointed.  Do not seek great things for yourself...just obey God.  I am not in control....These are such good things for me to remember.  My job is just to be obedient...whatever happens as a result is up to Him. 

My hope is to be set fully in Christ and I am to expect nothing here on earth but opposition, trial and trouble. I am not to seek great things for me. I am to commit myself to my God in such a way that He is magnified.  He must increase, I must decrease. To live should be Christ and to die gain.  Baruch was looking for glory here and that is always fleeting, unsatisfying and leaves us wanting more. 

Baruch worked as Jeremiah's scribe and was threatened for this by the king. (See Jeremiah 36) Baruch was hoping for great things to come to him because of  his service to God   He set his hope in the wrong place and was disappointed and grieved that things weren't working out according to his plan.  He forgot that God was sovereign and works things toward His purposes and not ours. Setting your expectations high in this world only increases your frustration and make whatever trials that come more difficult to handle. Surrender it all to Him. God is the source of  true contentment. If the Lord is our Shepherd, we have everything we need.   Don't seek things for yourself...be content with what the Lord has given you. Serve Him knowing that your sufficiency comes from Him.


Humility of mind is what is needed to live like this. Imitate Christ who humbled and subjected Himself completely to the will of His Father in Heaven.  That is how it is done. Lowliness of mind esteems the other as more important.  Lowliness of mind keeps us from our own wrong desires and settles our mind on what He desires. Eyes off of ourselves and what we are doing for God or what we are not getting and onto Him and the privilege we have in serving Him. 

Humility protects...lowliness of mind preserves.  How?  When I am humble, I am not self seeking...I am looking to live for Him and His glory.  His perfect will then covers me.  I am under his umbrella of protection so to speak.  If I have done what my Lord has called me to do and fulfilled all His desires, than despite how it looks from an earthly perspective, I have led a successful life. 

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep. (Psalm 127: 1-2)

 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20).


Love
Mom

Planted in the House of the Lord...

Those who are planted in the house of the LORD

Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.—Ps 92:13-15

Oh, to be planted in the House of the Lord...

—to be rooted and grounded in Your soil of agape love...
—to dwell and be sheltered in the secret place of Your Presence.
—to gaze upon Your beauty and inquire of You in Your temple
 —to flourish in Your courts.
—to abide under the shadow of the Almighty God.
—to  be productive and secure trusting in the steadfast love of my God
—to LIVE by faith in the secret place of Your  Presence

This is where my joy will be full.  This is where I will grow in Your grace and knowledge...EVER green, EVER prospering...feeding on Your faithfulness.  This is where my strength and my fruit are found...in You.

Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Psalm 1:3 (NKJV)
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

John 15:2-5 (NKJV)
I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Psalm 71:18 (NKJV)
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto [this] generation, [and] thy power to every one [that] is to come.

Psalm 89...

I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;

With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.

2 For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;

Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”

3 “I have made a covenant with My chosen,

I have sworn to My servant David:

4 ‘Your seed I will establish forever,

And build up your throne to all generations.’ ” Selah

5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD;

Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.

6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?

Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?

7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,

And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.

8 O LORD God of hosts,

Who is mighty like You, O LORD?

Your faithfulness also surrounds You.

9 You rule the raging of the sea;

When its waves rise, You still them.

10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;

You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;

The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.

12 The north and the south, You have created them;

Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.

13 You have a mighty arm;

Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;

Mercy and truth go before Your face.

15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!

They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.

16 In Your name they rejoice all day long,

And in Your righteousness they are exalted.

17 For You are the glory of their strength,

And in Your favor our horn is exalted.

18 For our shield belongs to the LORD,

And our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,fn

And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty;

I have exalted one chosen from the people.

20 I have found My servant David;

With My holy oil I have anointed him,

21 With whom My hand shall be established;

Also My arm shall strengthen him.

22 The enemy shall not outwit him,

Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

23 I will beat down his foes before his face,

And plague those who hate him.

24 “But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,

And in My name his horn shall be exalted.

25 Also I will set his hand over the sea,

And his right hand over the rivers.

26 He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father,

My God, and the rock of my salvation.’

27 Also I will make him My firstborn,

The highest of the kings of the earth.

28 My mercy I will keep for him forever,

And My covenant shall stand firm with him.

29 His seed also I will make to endure forever,

And his throne as the days of heaven.

30 “If his sons forsake My law

And do not walk in My judgments,

31 If they break My statutes

And do not keep My commandments,

32 Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,

And their iniquity with stripes.

33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,

Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.

34 My covenant I will not break,

Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.

35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;

I will not lie to David:

36 His seed shall endure forever,

And his throne as the sun before Me;

37 It shall be established forever like the moon,

Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah

38 But You have cast off and abhorred,

You have been furious with Your anointed.

39 You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;

You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.

40 You have broken down all his hedges;

You have brought his strongholds to ruin.

41 All who pass by the way plunder him;

He is a reproach to his neighbors.

42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;

You have made all his enemies rejoice.

43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword,

And have not sustained him in the battle.

44 You have made his glory cease,

And cast his throne down to the ground.

45 The days of his youth You have shortened;

You have covered him with shame. Selah

46 How long, LORD?

Will You hide Yourself forever?

Will Your wrath burn like fire?

47 Remember how short my time is;

For what futility have You created all the children of men?

48 What man can live and not see death?

Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah

49 Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses,

Which You swore to David in Your truth?

50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants--

How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,

51 With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD,

With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.

52 Blessed be the LORD forevermore!

Amen and Amen.—Psalm 89

This psalm really resonated with me this morning.  John MacArthur says that it describes the author’s attempt to reconcile the seeming contradictions between his theology and the reality of nation’s conditions. Looking out at the world as it looks today, I do the same thing and as I do, my faith is encouraged. The Psalmist begins by reminding us (himself) that God’s promises are sure.  Our God’s truth stands forever.  Forever, O Lord, You word is settled in heaven.  He changes not and no one can oppose Him.  

Underlying all that is happening in our world today is my faith in the ONE whose mercies don’t come to an end and whose truth is everlasting.  The truth of His word is my comfort in affliction and the anchor of my soul.   As the saying goes, I don’t know the future, but I am intimately acquainted with the ONE who holds all of it in His sovereign hand.  I am His and He is mine.  He knows me and my soul follows close behind Him.  He has given me eternal life...I will never perish and neither shall any man pluck me out of His hand.  He is greater than ALL.  

My day to day expectations may be thwarted and disappointed, but my faith and hope in my God is sure and brings me deep comfort in all that I face.  I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me...for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us (ME) from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The joy of the Lord is my strength.  The Psalmist began with praise and ended with the same.  I will do likewise...

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

"For who has known the mind of the LORD?

Or who has become His counselor?"

"Or who has first given to Him

And it shall be repaid to him?"

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.—Romans 11:33-36

Oh, how blessed is the man who places his trust in Him!