My Soul Will Weep in Secret for Your Pride

 Hear and give ear:

Do not be proud,

For the LORD has spoken.

Give glory to the LORD your God

Before He causes darkness,

And before your feet stumble

On the dark mountains,

And while you are looking for light,

He turns it into the shadow of death

And makes it dense darkness.

But if you will not hear it,

My soul will weep in secret for your pride;

My eyes will weep bitterly

And run down with tears,

Because the LORD's flock has been taken captive.—Jeremiah 13:15-17 (emphasis mine)

Reading through the book of Jeremiah always makes me weep because Jeremiah wept and grieved for those to whom he preached.   Such a beautiful picture!  Such a wonderful example for each of us. Warren Wiersbe says this of Jeremiah:  "he was bold before men and heart-broken before God".  

Jeremiah was faithful to preach what God told him to preach.  He preached the message of judgment to the nation of Judah. He preached to the hard-hearted...he preached to those who did the right things outwardly but had hearts that were far from God....he had no converts in 42 years of preaching...he was despised, persecuted and tortured for his ministry.

Jeremiah was FAITHFUL to do that which the Lord had called him to do and left the results up to God.  I love that the Lord does not require us to be successful...just obedient. Jeremiah has my deep admiration...I want to endure as this man. Jeremiah preached the message the Lord laid on his heart DESPITE the discouragement he must have often felt.  A message that no one wanted to hear.  A message that made him the butt of jokes, ridicule, humiliation and torture...and remember no one responded. 

Oh Father...give me a heart like Jeremiah!  Help me to dwell in mercy and love...may I draw near to You in brokenness and prayer for those people You have placed in my life that need You. 

On Losing Perspective…

 O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself;

It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.—Jeremiah 10:23

This morning as I read this verse my eyes filled with tears of gratitude and understanding. I didn’t sleep well last night. My day today is very full and won’t end until late this evening. Jeremiah’s words were a good reminder to this child of God who, in the midst of sleep deprivation, had also lost her perspective. 

With or without sleep…in weakness or in strength…I am not capable of guiding my own life adequately.  Without the Lord and His word to guide me, I walk blindly. Psalm 119:105 says this:

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path.

I need the lamp of the Lord to guide my feet and illuminate my path.  This morning then, I am thankful for my lack of sleep because it brought me to Him…to a place of dependence but also of blessing, because only those who allow God direct their ways will be truly blessed…

Perspective obtained, I breath a sigh of relief.  His gracious Spirit WILL see me through my day. He WILL go before me. My times ARE in His loving hands. 

Leaving some of the corresponding verses from my Thompson Chain Reference Bible below that also helped me as I prayed through them this morning.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.—Proverbs 3:5-6

A man's heart plans his way,

But the LORD directs his steps.—Proverbs 16:9

So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace."—Genesis 41:16

Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.—Exodus 33:15

O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."—2 Chronicles 20:12

I was cast upon You from birth.

From My mother's womb

You have been My God.

Be not far from Me,

For trouble is near;

For there is none to help.—Psalm 22:10

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

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.—John 3:27

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.—John 15:4-5

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,—2 Corinthians 3:5

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.—2 Corinthians 4:7

Who Will Rise Up For Me Against the Evildoers?

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?

Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

Unless the LORD had been my help,

My soul would soon have settled in silence.

If I say, "My foot slips,"

Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.

In the multitude of my anxieties within me,

Your comforts delight my soul.—Psalm 94:16-19

These are some of my favorite verses in Scripture.  They are both instructive and comforting. Today, I am focusing on the first two verses.  Lord willing, I will write on the remaining two tomorrow.  

David asks in verse 16:

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?

Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

This is a question I ask myself often of late after spending any time at all reading the news.  Evildoers and workers of iniquity abound, truth has fallen in the streets and justice is rare.  Although the psalmist believes that goodness will eventually prevail (vs 14-15), he feels very much alone.  I understand this feeling today more than I would have understood it five years ago.  To David it seemed that the faithful people had failed and that there was no one to oppose the evil and champion the cause of the righteous. He goes on in verse 17 to say this:

Unless the LORD had been my help,

My soul would soon have settled in silence.

Amen!  God is the Helper of all who look to Him. He is their refuge and their strength…A very present help in times of trouble.  I am thankful that He never leaves us nor forsakes us, and that He is the SAME yesterday, today and forever. The Lord my God is the ROCK on which I stand. 

Here is what I hold on to in these verses. What is happening in our world today has its purpose for us as believers.  It brings our hearts to Him and to Him alone because there is no where else for us to turn. This is such a good thing. God becomes increasingly precious and our heart learns to rest in Him…in His sovereignty, His providence, His grace, His mercy and His perfect love. 

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.—Psalm 36:7

Beloved…you are not alone.  His left hand is under your head and His right hand embraces you. In Christ your consolations abound.  Trust in Him at all times, pour out your heart before Him…the eternal God is your refuge and underneath are His everlasting arms.

Vindicate me, O God,

And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;

Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

For You are the God of my strength;

Why do You cast me off?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!

Let them lead me;

Let them bring me to Your holy hill

And to Your tabernacle.

Then I will go to the altar of God,

To God my exceeding joy;

And on the harp I will praise You,

O God, my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.—Psalm 43

I cry out to the LORD with my voice;

With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication.

I pour out my complaint before Him;

I declare before Him my trouble.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,

Then You knew my path.

In the way in which I walk

They have secretly set a snare for me.

Look on my right hand and see,

For there is no one who acknowledges me;

Refuge has failed me;

No one cares for my soul.

I cried out to You, O LORD:

I said, "You are my refuge,

My portion in the land of the living.

Attend to my cry,

For I am brought very low;

Deliver me from my persecutors,

For they are stronger than I.

Bring my soul out of prison,

That I may praise Your name;

The righteous shall surround me,

For You shall deal bountifully with me."—Psalm 142

Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;

He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous….

He will not be afraid of evil tidings;

His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

His heart is established;

He will not be afraid,

Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.—Psalm 112:4;7-8

The Lord is My Shepherd…

 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."—John 10:2-5

I read in one place that this is a parable, taken from the customs of Eastern shepherds who went before their sheep to “set” them in the way of their steps. I was glad to know this because my favorite part of this section of Scripture were these words:

And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them;

My God doesn’t drive me forward with a whip or use a dog to hem in my steps as I walk. He never has me do anything without Him doing it first. He goes before me and I follow Him. I cannot be long confused or deceived because as His sheep I know His voice:  

…for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

This verses were comforting to read. God has my journey all mapped out. I am in His care…a sheep of His pasture. As His creature, I depend completely and utterly on Him.  (Insert deep sigh of relief). God guards me by His providence, guides me by His Spirit and goes before me as I  journey. Psalm 139 tells me that God not only knows everything about me but that He also hedges me behind and before and lays His hand upon me as I walk.  (Kinda like we do when our kids are first learning to walk). 

I know I am not sufficient for what I face in this life. Thankfully, nothing about this life as His child is on me.   Beloved…Take these words of God into your heart. They are a wonderful, daily reminder of His love and care for us. Read through John, Chapter 10 and get to know the Shepherd of your soul. 

The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.—Psalm 23

Getting Past the Stench…

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”—John 11:38-40 (emphasis mine)

I stopped here in my reading this morning.  Even as an optimist, there are times when the eyes of my heart can focus on the stench and corruption of this world instead of the glory of God that surrounds me.  Oh, Father give me a heart of faith that sees Your goodness always.  Where sin abounds, Your grace abounds much more!  You give  beauty for ashes…the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. 

 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy (lovingkindness) endures forever.(is everlasting)—Psalm 107:1

Whoever is wise will observe these things,

And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.—Psalm 107:43

Verse 1 of Psalm 107 commands us to give thanks to the Lord.   It also tells us why.  For He is good and His lovingkindness is everlasting. The very last verse of Psalm 107 says that whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.  Most of this psalm is spent reviewing the variegated trials that come humanity’s way in the course of a lifetime while at the same time showing us how God assists us and supports us through each of these hardships and distresses.  

What are we wise to observe as God does this?   His lovingkindness!   What a great thing to make a practice of observing as we navigate through the sorrow and tribulation that come with life lived in this fallen world.  Trials can become opportunities to observe the Lord’s goodness and rightly understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.  How often during a trial does Satan try to confuse and discourage us with lies.  He whispers to us when we are scared, telling us that we are alone, without anyone to help.  But making a practice of “looking for and seeing” God’s merciful hand on our lives will serve to counter the lies and shore up our assurance as we become personally acquainted with it (His lovingkindness) in our own hearts and lives. Psalm 26:3 is so helpful here..

For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I have walked in Your truth.

Keep God’s goodness before your eyes and His truth as a light to your path.  He has given us His Spirit to help us.  We are NOT alone.  

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” —John 14: 25-27 

Who is wise?

Let him understand these things.

Who is prudent?

Let him know them.

For the ways of the LORD are right;

The righteous walk in them,

But transgressors stumble in them.—Hosea 14:9

But let him who glories glory in this,

That he understands and knows Me,

That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

For in these I delight," says the LORD.—Jeremiah 9:24

[that we] may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--

19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.—Ephesians 3:18-19

Returning Evil for Good…

 Fierce witnesses rise up;

They ask me things that I do not know.

12 They reward me evil for good,

To the sorrow of my soul.

13 But as for me, when they were sick,

My clothing was sackcloth;

I humbled myself with fasting;

And my prayer would return to my own heart.

14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;

I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.

15 But in my adversity they rejoiced

And gathered together;

Attackers gathered against me,

And I did not know it;

They tore at me and did not cease;

16 With ungodly mockers at feasts

They gnashed at me with their teeth—Psalm 35:11-16

There is not much else that brings more sorrow to the heart of a believer than when their good (Christ’s good) is spoken of as evil...when the people close to them return the good they had done toward them with evil, lies and ingratitude.  In David’s adversity they rejoiced!  They gathered together as attackers and tore at him without ceasing.  

But as for me, David laments, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled myself with fasting and I prayed for them.  I paced about, he continues, as though he were my friend or my brother.  I bowed down heavily as one who mourns for his mother.  David’s heart was tender toward them!  He gave them good for evil.  

Beloved, as a follower of Christ, what happened to Christ, what happened to David WILL in one shape or form happen to you.  Take heart, and know that you are in good company. Be encouraged also, because in Christ, God has given you everything you need to navigate through these waters.  He is Your sufficiency.  His word is replete with advice and encouragement for just such a time as this. Immerse yourself in it.  Allow it to penetrate your heart and be the anchor of your soul.  As you do this, hear the footsteps of Christ...He is with you even as He was with His disciples in the midst of the storm saying:

“Be of good cheer: it is I, be not afraid”. 

All others may forsake, but not our God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He loves you with an everlasting love.  In your grief, sorrow and betrayal, go to your Jesus.  Make His footsteps Your pathway.  He Himself has passed through these flames and braved these floods.  Allow Him to plead your cause and comfort your heart.  Jesus is your friend who loves at all times and also your brother born for your adversity.  Bring your sorrow to Him...He is your defense. Trust in Him at all times, pour out your heart before Him...Your God is a refuge for you.  

Beloved, may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.  

****

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.—Matthew 5:11-12

And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.—1 Peter 1:13-17

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;—1 Peter 2:23

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.—James 1:4-5

For I am ready to fall,

And my sorrow is continually before me.

18 For I will declare my iniquity;

I will be in anguish over my sin.

19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;

And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.

20 Those also who render evil for good,

They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.

21 Do not forsake me, O LORD;

O my God, be not far from me!—

22 Make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation!—Psalm 38:17-22

11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One.

Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail.

They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.

Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.

12 But, O LORD of hosts,

You who test the righteous,

And see the mind and heart,

Let me see Your vengeance on them;

For I have pleaded my cause before You.—Jeremiah 20:11-12

Psalm 69

Save me, O God!

For the waters have come up to my neck.

2 I sink in deep mire,

Where there is no standing;

I have come into deep waters,

Where the floods overflow me.

3 I am weary with my crying;

My throat is dry;

My eyes fail while I wait for my God.

4 Those who hate me without a cause

Are more than the hairs of my head;

They are mighty who would destroy me,

Being my enemies wrongfully;

Though I have stolen nothing,

I still must restore it.

5 O God, You know my foolishness;

And my sins are not hidden from You.

6 Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me;

Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.

7 Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;

Shame has covered my face.

8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,

And an alien to my mother’s children;

9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,

And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,

That became my reproach.

11 I also made sackcloth my garment;

I became a byword to them.

12 Those who sit in the gate speak against me,

And I am the song of the drunkards.

13 But as for me, my prayer is to You,

O LORD, in the acceptable time;

O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,

Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.

14 Deliver me out of the mire,

And let me not sink;

Let me be delivered from those who hate me,

And out of the deep waters.

15 Let not the floodwater overflow me,

Nor let the deep swallow me up;

And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.

16 Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good;

Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.

17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant,

For I am in trouble;

Hear me speedily.

18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;

Deliver me because of my enemies.

19 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;

My adversaries are all before You.

20 Reproach has broken my heart,

And I am full of heaviness;

I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;

And for comforters, but I found none.

21 They also gave me gall for my food,

And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 Let their table become a snare before them,

And their well-being a trap.

23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;

And make their loins shake continually.

24 Pour out Your indignation upon them,

And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.

25 Let their dwelling place be desolate;

Let no one live in their tents.

26 For they persecute the ones You have struck,

And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.

27 Add iniquity to their iniquity,

And let them not come into Your righteousness.

28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,

And not be written with the righteous.

29 But I am poor and sorrowful;

Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.

30 I will praise the name of God with a song,

And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

31 This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull,

Which has horns and hooves.

32 The humble shall see this and be glad;

And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.

33 For the LORD hears the poor,

And does not despise His prisoners.

34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,

The seas and everything that moves in them.

35 For God will save Zion

And build the cities of Judah,

That they may dwell there and possess it.

36 Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it,

And those who love His name shall dwell in it.