Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Psalm 17 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Psalm 35 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Psalm 54 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Psalm 63 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Highlight Passage of the Day #1: Psalms 17: 8 … Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings …
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Highlight Passage of the Day #2: Deuteronomy 32: 10-11 … 10 In a desert land he found him [i.e. Israel], in a barren and howling waste. … He [God] shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, 11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.
My Journal for Today: Four more of the Davidic Psalms today in my chronological read; and all of these passages are more of the very emotional songs written by David as he felt so alone and oppressed when he was being pursued by Saul and his enemies.
Have you ever felt lonely in your relationship with God? I’d bet we all have, … in those times when our prayers just seem to be going out but nothing seems to be coming back from God.
Well, … of all the powerful pleas from David during these psalms, one verse, the #1 highlighted passage above, stood out for me with some very poignant and powerful word pictures, reminding me how God is always out there watching over me and protecting my spirit, if not my physical being.
Meditate closely on Psalm 17, verse 8 above. Note the word picture of David’s plea to have God protect him “… as the apple of [God’s] eye,” which is the Hebrew word, “iyshown,” which translates literally into English as “the pupil of the eye.” The eye, of course, is the organ of sight and therefore one of the most precious human organs in our body; and we know that God protects the pupil, i.e., the vessel of vision, with a covering, … the eye-lid. Here David is pleading with God to cover his ability to see life with the covering that only God can provide when we’re having trouble seeing our way through life. And isn’t that a wonderfully accurate picture of how we all feel at times when our “vision” of life seems obscured or blurred by what is going on in our circumstances. Oh, how we desire that God would help us see His way and His will during such times … i.e., for Him to protect our vision.
And then David follows this plea for protection with another very poignant word picture, pleading for God to cover him protectively … just as a mother eagle covers her chicks with her wings of protection from the elements. Actually David may have known these images from a song written by Moses into God’s Book of the Law (copied above in highlight passage #2 from Deut. 32: 10-11), where Moses sung of how God protected His beloved chosen ones, i.e., “Israel,” … as the “apple of His eye” and under His wings of protection.
Dear one, when our vision seems to be obscured by life’s oppressive circumstances; and when we feel very vulnerable to what life is showering down upon us, we must remember that God will always be there – for the obedient believer – covering us as the apple of His eye and like the chick who needs the covering of the mama eagle with her wings protecting us. God’s promise is that He will always be there, never leaving us or forsaking us (see Deut. 31: 6,8 and Heb. 13: 5).
My Prayer Today: … Lord, cover me; ... with your ever protective wings and as the apple of Your eye. Amen
Showing posts with label God's promise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's promise. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Friday, May 29, 2009
2009 – Day 148.May 29 – God’s Word Is Final
2009 – Day 148.May 29 – God’s Word Is Final
Passage of the Day: 1st Kings 17: 1 … 1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
My Journal for Today: Once again we’re back to the introduction of this man, … this Prophet, … Elijah; and in the focus verse for today, we read a very important phrase. It is found at the end of 1st Kings 17: 1; and it concerns God’s word, from Elijah to Ahab and God’s chosen people, that there was to be a drought which would last a number of years; and as Gods’ decree was spoken, God promised that the drought would not end until the end was decreed by God, “… except at my word.”
This is God speaking through Elijah; but though Swindoll doesn’t mention it, the decree of the drought’s end would not only come from the word of God but it would also not end until it came from the mouth of Elijah. Verse 17: 1 ends with this phrase “… except at my word;” and you’ll note that the pronoun “my” is not capitalized. It’s interesting to me; and I believe, that God was giving Elijah the leverage that God’s promise on the end of the drought would come - from God – though the mouth and prophesy of Elijah. So, if Ahab were to kill Elijah, I believe the drought would likely never have ended.
And that’s just how exacting and directing God’s will can be at times. God certainly provides His word and His promises from His word, … the Bible. But there are times when He will give His direction through gifted prophets, leaders, teachers, preachers and/or anointed messengers. This can make it a bit challenging at times to discern God’s will or His promise; because it takes Spirit-led listening to decipher God’s will when it comes from sources other than the Bible. But be assured, when God speaks on a given topic or directive, His word and/or His promises will come to pass. God doesn’t lie, which is also a clear promise of God in Numbers 23: 19, which states … God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? So, when Elijah spoke on behalf of God about the drought, you could bank on the results. There was going to be a drought!
As, Swindoll puts it, ”God keeps His promises. Agree with it or not, His word is final. He never forgets anything He promises. That’s right, … never!” And what that should do for us is the same that it was for Elijah. We should seek out and then be willing to declare, God’s promises.
Now, I know that His promises or His will for the lives of Christians or His Church can be obscure at times; but most certainly we should know and believe and declare that any promise which comes from His written word, the Bible, is a “done deal.” So, my fellow seeker, again, we need to be Elijahs for this world. When we know the truth, we need to be willing to declare it to the world … boldly and even loudly if necessary.
Do you have any doubts about God’s #1 promise is found in the Gospel … that Christ died for our sins and that He is the ONLY way, the truth, and the life. So, if we know that is God’s promise, what are we going to do today to be Elijah, declaring that promise to a dark and perverse world? If you stand convicted, as do I, by that prospect, let me pray for us both.
My Prayer for Today: Help me, and all my Christian brothers and sisters, to boldly declare the promise of Your salvation in and through YOU, dear Lord. Amen
Passage of the Day: 1st Kings 17: 1 … 1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
My Journal for Today: Once again we’re back to the introduction of this man, … this Prophet, … Elijah; and in the focus verse for today, we read a very important phrase. It is found at the end of 1st Kings 17: 1; and it concerns God’s word, from Elijah to Ahab and God’s chosen people, that there was to be a drought which would last a number of years; and as Gods’ decree was spoken, God promised that the drought would not end until the end was decreed by God, “… except at my word.”
This is God speaking through Elijah; but though Swindoll doesn’t mention it, the decree of the drought’s end would not only come from the word of God but it would also not end until it came from the mouth of Elijah. Verse 17: 1 ends with this phrase “… except at my word;” and you’ll note that the pronoun “my” is not capitalized. It’s interesting to me; and I believe, that God was giving Elijah the leverage that God’s promise on the end of the drought would come - from God – though the mouth and prophesy of Elijah. So, if Ahab were to kill Elijah, I believe the drought would likely never have ended.
And that’s just how exacting and directing God’s will can be at times. God certainly provides His word and His promises from His word, … the Bible. But there are times when He will give His direction through gifted prophets, leaders, teachers, preachers and/or anointed messengers. This can make it a bit challenging at times to discern God’s will or His promise; because it takes Spirit-led listening to decipher God’s will when it comes from sources other than the Bible. But be assured, when God speaks on a given topic or directive, His word and/or His promises will come to pass. God doesn’t lie, which is also a clear promise of God in Numbers 23: 19, which states … God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? So, when Elijah spoke on behalf of God about the drought, you could bank on the results. There was going to be a drought!
As, Swindoll puts it, ”God keeps His promises. Agree with it or not, His word is final. He never forgets anything He promises. That’s right, … never!” And what that should do for us is the same that it was for Elijah. We should seek out and then be willing to declare, God’s promises.
Now, I know that His promises or His will for the lives of Christians or His Church can be obscure at times; but most certainly we should know and believe and declare that any promise which comes from His written word, the Bible, is a “done deal.” So, my fellow seeker, again, we need to be Elijahs for this world. When we know the truth, we need to be willing to declare it to the world … boldly and even loudly if necessary.
Do you have any doubts about God’s #1 promise is found in the Gospel … that Christ died for our sins and that He is the ONLY way, the truth, and the life. So, if we know that is God’s promise, what are we going to do today to be Elijah, declaring that promise to a dark and perverse world? If you stand convicted, as do I, by that prospect, let me pray for us both.
My Prayer for Today: Help me, and all my Christian brothers and sisters, to boldly declare the promise of Your salvation in and through YOU, dear Lord. Amen
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