Your Comforts Delight My Soul

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He is unemployed, laid off from a good job. The unemployment checks are no longer coming in. He continues to apply for work wherever and whenever he can. He hears over and over, “not qualified, over qualified, the position you are seeking is now filled.”

He sits at the kitchen table with bills covering it. He plants his elbows down on the table, resting his head in the palms of his hands. His fingers massage his forehead as he closes his eyes. “God, how do I do this?” he questions in his thoughts.

She stares fearfully at the pink slip of paper in her hand. Tears fill her eyes as she opens the door, slips behind the steering wheel, then closes the door. She grips the back of her head with her hand and straightens herself in the seat tilting her head back. “God, “ she thinks, “What am I going to do now?”

A mother and father are standing at the bedside of their only child. The stinging words of the doctor rings in each of their thoughts, “I am so sorry.” They embrace as the tears begin to fall and the soft sobbing begins. “God,” the father thinks, “I don't understand.”

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Mt. 11:28 KJV),” the Master promises. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (Jn. 16:33 KJV).”

The bills may remain unpaid. The sickness may need to be endured. Make no mistake about it, death will come. Maybe you are thinking, asking silently, “God, how do I do this? Why is this happening?” Believe it or not, He cares. Believe it or not, He waits to flood you with compassion. But in Him there is peace, for He is the Prince of Peace.

If you know Him, come. If you do not know Him, come. You see, this one thing I know, “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul (Ps. 94:19 NKJV).”

The Flipside of Establishing the Kingdom - Digging Into the Psalms

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The earth and everything on it belongs to God. This also means humanity is under the ownership of God. The last post, Establishing the Kingdom, presented the positive part of the ownership of the earth and everything on it being promised to Christ. Today, we deal with the "flipside" of the promise of the establishment of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.


Psalm 2:8  (KJV) reads, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."


The positive side of this is the Kingdom of heaven is preached to all humanity in all nations. The positive side of Christ possessing all parts of earth is the New Jerusalem, adorned for Christ and his Bride, the Church. Psalm 2:9 (KJV) brings our attention to another side of Christ possessing the earth. It reads:


"Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."


This verse clearly states there's another side to Christ taking possession of the Kingdom. We know, as believers, that we will be corrected by God when we step into disobedience. Yes, we come to Christ as broken vessels to be mended. Yet this is more than a rod of correction. It's a statement of destruction to those who willingly reject Christ.


It should be obvious that a potter's vessel is something made of clay. Go ahead and hit a ceramic object with an iron bar. Psalm 2:9 is saying Christ will one day strike the heathen with an object of punishment, and will break them into pieces like an iron bar will smash a ceramic jar into pieces.


"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war (Revelation 19:11 KJV)."


This one who is Faithful and True is the same one who is speaking in Psalm 2:7-9. This one is called the Word of God (Revelation 19:13, John 1:1). His name is Jesus, the Christ, the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:16).


But let's back up one verse to Revelation 19:15 and we'll see the fulfillment of Psalm 2:9. It reads:


"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."


The time is coming when God will pour his wrath on all the nations, the heathen, those who willingly disobey his commandments. Those who refuse now will one day bend their knees and confess Christ as Lord (Romans 14:11, Isaiah 45:23). We can do it now willingly, or we'll do it in the end under the rod of iron.


Fortunately today we still have the choice, and I close with this appeal:


"Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast (Isaiah 26:20 KJV)."


Come to Christ and let the shadow of his wings cover you. Rest in the safety of his arms until the day of wrath be past. God bless...

Establishing the Kingdom - Digging Into the Psalms

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Psalm 2 can be divided into four divisions. We began our journey into the third division in the last posting. We discussed how this third division can itself be divided into three divisions. A Declaration of Christ was the first of these three divisions. Let's journey to the next one:


"Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession (Psalm 2:8 KJV)."


Psalm 2:8 is the second division of three in the final division of Psalm 2. The verse begins with the Anointed One, Jesus Christ, continuing in the declaration of what "the LORD hath said (Psalm 2:7)." Let's divide this verse into two parts:

• The heathen for an inheritance.
• The uttermost parts of earth for a possession.

We previously established the "heathen" as being the nations. There are the Hebrews and the "heathen" in the Old Testament. These are the same as the Jews and the Gentiles given in the New Testament. Listen to what the Anointed One says in the New Testament based on his knowledge of his prophetic utterance of Psalm 2:8:

"And other sheep I have (the Gentiles), which are not of this fold (the Jews): them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (John 10:16 KJV)."

God gave a man, Abraham, a promise way back in Genesis, "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 22:18 KJV)." Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that promise.

Isaiah prophesied of Christ, "Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)." The fulfillment came here, "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS (Luke 1:30-31 KJV)."

Isaiah continued with this prophecy with the promise of the Light to the Gentiles, "I will also give thee (Christ) for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth (Isaiah 49:6 KJV)."

Psalm 2:8 offers the earth, all of it, to Christ for a possession. God establishes his ownership of everything under the heaven (Job 41:11). He declares explicitly in Exodus 19:5, "For all the earth is mine." Now God grants total possession of earth to the Lord Jesus Christ.

God declared in Psalm 2:6 that he set Christ as king on the holy hill of Zion. There is a "prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)" who currently patrols and feigns to rule this earth. But as John worded it:

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away...

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven... (Revelation 21:1-2 KJV)."

The apostle Paul wrote the whole creation groans (Romans 8:22), and the creature waits in earnest expectation (Romans 8:19). The creatures do this because they know they will be delivered from the captivity of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:21).

You and I are the creatures waiting in earnest expectation. We wait because we know that soon we'll be delivered from the bondage of this human flesh to live forever in the glorious liberty of the new heaven and the new earth, the new Jerusalem, the eternal kingdom, the eternal possession of the King, the Lord Jesus Christ!

We'll take a look at the "flipside" of the "heathen" given to Christ for an inheritance in the next post. Until then, God bless...

A Declaration of Christ - Digging Into the Psalms

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I presented a breakdown of the divisions of the second Psalm in Psalm 2 - Digging Into the Psalms. The raging of the nations is the first division. The second division is God's opposition to the raging of the nations, and the promise of a King. We begin the third division with the declaration of Jesus Christ.

I want to note how this third division of of Psalm 2 can be divided into three divisions:

• A declaration of Christ.
• The establishing and the enlarging of the kingdom of Christ.
• The prophecy of the demise of the raging nations.

Let's proceed on the journey into the Psalms by looking closer at the declaration of Christ by Christ. Psalms 2:7 (KJV) tells us:
"I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."


One must take notice of how one particular voice is speaking in Psalm 2:1-6. Now another voice is speaking, "I will declare the decree." The Anointed One (from verse 2), the one promised to be set as King on the holy hill of Zion, is now making the declaration of what has been said to him, "The LORD hath said unto me."


A decree is something which is prescribed or appointed. It's something which is to came to pass.


The angel of the Lord announced to the virgin Mary that she would bear a child and the child would be called the Son of God (Luke 1:33).


Two accounts are given in the New Testament of God making a declaration of the Son. As Jesus came out of the water of baptism, the voice from heaven spoke, "This is my beloved Son (Matthew 3:17 KJV)." Again on the mount of transfiguration, "This is my beloved Son (Matthew 17:5 KJV).


Others declared Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God. The demons declared it, "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God (Matthew 8:29 KJV)?" The apostle Peter declared it, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16 KJV)." Paul referred to this declaration in Acts 13:33 and Romans 1:4. The writer of the book of Hebrews referred to the declaration of Christ in Hebrews 1:5 and Hebrews 5:5.


Jesus clearly stated why he came as the Messiah, Christ, the Son of God, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10 KJV)."


And again, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:17 KJV)."


But why? "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16 KJV)."


So it must stand, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12 KJV)."

So today, as I read the declaration of the decree in Psalm 2:7, I must also declare the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God! God bless...

God Responds to Opposition - Digging Into the Psalms

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Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? If you understand how I did it, then tell me (Job 38:4). Can you, who argue with God, teach God (Job 40:2)? So then, why do the nations rage and people make worthless plans? Why then do kings and rulers plan in opposition to the Anointed One (Psalms 2:1-2)?


"He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision (Psalm 2:4 KJV)."


Can the created ones explain how God spoke creation into existence? Yet the created ones are in constant rage, and the created ones are constantly making plans in opposition of the Creator. Is there any human intelligent enough to teach God? Yet humanity counseled, planned, and killed the Anointed One. Humanity still plans and opposes those now anointed of God.


God sits on his throne in heaven (Revelation  4:2), and the psalmist says he laughs. God sits in heaven and laughs, mocking the plans made to oppose him. God isn't laughing because the raging, the counselling, and the planning are comical. God doesn't think opposition is funny. God laughs in mockery of the worthless plans of humanity to oppose him. Opposition displeases and angers God:


"Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure (Psalm 2:5 KJV)."


Wrath and displeasure aren't words which proclaim joy. The Contemporary English Version Bible renders verse 5 as, "The Lord becomes furious and threatens them. His anger terrifies them." The warnings and threatenings God gives to humanity who oppose him are numerous throughout the entire Bible. The first chapter of Psalms closes with one such warning, "But the way of the ungodly shall perish."


Psalm 2:5 states another warning or threat. God will vex those in opposition. I find the word vex interesting. Translated from the origonal Hebrew it means to tremble inwardly or to be suddenly alarmed or agitated. Pick up a newspaper. Listen to the news. Is anyone alarmed? Is anyone agitated? Is anyone trembling inwardly due to the fear caused by the rapidly deteriorating condition of this world?


"Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion (Psalm 2:6)."


This prophecy of Jesus Christ is exactly why God sits on his throne mocking those who dare to oppose him. "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord (Revelation 1:8 KJV)." God laughs because opposition is pointless. Those who oppose God, those who oppose those anointed to carry out the work of God, are guaranteed to lose. Psalm 2:6 is the guarantee. God is victorious.


God can do anything and everything, and he knows everything (Job 42:2). Thus any opposition of God is bound to lose. We'll dig into the details of the victory next time. Until then, your comments are always welcome. God bless...

Opposing the Gospel - Digging Into the Psalms

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"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us (Psalm 2:1-3 KJV)."


We could say rather easily that opposition to the kingdom of heaven began in the Garden of Eden with a speaking serpent. Mankind was deceived into disobeying God in the beginning, and sin became the possessor of the human soul. Sin separates humanity from God, and sin places humanity into direct opposition of God.


The raging heathen translates to nations, in the sense of massing foreign nations. Strong's renders Gentile nations. Could it be said that a person living in sin, Jew or Gentile, is a foreigner to God? The raging foreign nations imagine a vain thing. Opposition to God is a worthless endeavor. You are guaranteed to lose.


I couldn't begin to write here the accounts of opposition to God written throughout the pages of the Old Testament. Jesus brought this opposition to light in his condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees of his day when he spoke of the righteous blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who was killed between the temple and the altar (Matthew 23:35). Satan has opposed the kingdom of heaven from the start. Humanity living in the grasp of sin becomes the instruments of opposition to God and his anointed. The most graphic display of opposition came when Christ was crucified.


A disciple, the high priest, the scribes, the elders and rulers, Herod, Pilate, a king and rulers took counsel together and crucified the Anointed One. The opposition would have stopped if sin and death were victorious. The Church which blazed into existence in obedience to the Gospel of Christ was quickly met with fierce opposition by priests, scribes, elders, and eventually Caesar himself.


The first recorded prayer of the apostles was about facing opposition, "Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ (Acts 4:24-26 KJV)." The prayer lists the gathering of the people and rulers against Jesus (Acts 4:27). Then a request was made: "Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word (Acts 4:29 KJV)."


The opposition didn't stop there. The history of Christianity is filled with the blood of the countless who have given their all for the kingdom of heaven. Men, women, and children are even giving their lives in our world today for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.The opposition will not stop until the One who is Alpha and Omega returns and makes all things new.


The apostle Peter tells us to not think it odd that we face opposition and trials. Here's what he tells us we should do:


"But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy (1Peter 4:13 KJV)."


God bless...

Psalm 2 - Digging Into the Psalms

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Psalm 2 begins with the question, actually two questions, why do the heathen rage, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The Psalm concludes with the promise, "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." The actual authorship of the Psalm isn't given, but it's ascribed to David by the apostles: "Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things (Acts 4:25 KJV)."


Psalm 1 was moral in nature by showing us our moral duty to not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, to not stand in the way of sinners, and to not sit in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 2 is more evangelical in nature by showing us a clear prophetic picture of our Savior. Though the Psalm could be a reference to the kingdom of David, it is without doubt prophesying of the kingdom of Christ. The main subject of this Psalm is the Anointed One, the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.


Psalm 2 can be divided into four sections:

1. The first section presents the raging nations who oppose the kingdom of Christ (verses 1-3).
2. Section two speaks of God's baffling the opposition and of his chastening of them (verses 4-5). The section concludes with the ultimate victory of Christ in the setting up of his kingdom (verse 6).
3. The third section begins with a declaration of Christ (verse 7). The kingdom is confirmed and established. A promise of enlargement and success is given (verses 8-9).
4. The final section advises the kings and nations of the earth to yield in obedience to Christ (verses 10-11). It proceeds with a warning, then concludes with a promise of blessing to all who place their trust in Christ (verse 12).

Psalm 1 presented us with the Law and the blessing associated with delighting in the Law and being obedient to it by subjecting to it. The apostle Paul wrote that no man could be justified by the works of the law (Galatians 2:16). Thus it's appropriate that the prophecy of the Messiah is immediately brought to light with Psalm 2. We're now blessed to be subject to the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

We'll dig a little deeper into the raging of the nations next time. As usual, any comments, thoughts, and ideas are welcome. God bless...

A Road Walked On - Digging Into the Psalms

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"For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:6 KJV)."


This verse sums up man's life from beginning to end. God knows. God sees how we live out the time he's granted us. Job, a man who suffered profusely during his time of life, says this, "For his (God's) eyes are upon the ways of man, and he (God) seeth all his (man's) goings (Job 34:21 KJV)."


Take note of the word way (Psalm 1:6) and the word ways (Job 34:21). They are the same Hebrew word meaning a road trodden, or in our case, a course of life. The word used here is a derivative of a Hebrew primitive root meaning to tread or walk. The psalmist is telling us God knows the course of life the righteous take, and the course the ungodly follow will lead them to destruction.


Psalm 1 is a chapter which is loaded with positives and negatives. I find it interesting to note the balance between them. This final verse also offers us a positive and a negative in perfect balance.


The positive comes in the use of the word knoweth. The modern definition of know is to recognize, discern, or understand. The Hebrew definition of the word knoweth, or know, isn't much different. Yet it is richer. Yes, God sees the way, or the course of life we all travel.  But God recognizes, he acquaints himself with, he accepts, and he appoints the course of life of the righteous. The Apostle Paul wrote, "The Lord knoweth them that are his (2Timothy 2:19 KJV)."


The final negative statement of Psalm 1 is, "the way of the ungodly shall perish." An ungodly person is anyone who does what is morally wrong. The ungodly person is one who willfully chooses to reject God and to disobey God's commandments. So how is it the course of life taken by the ungodly will come to destruction?


Let's look at the word perish. It's a Hebrew primitive root meaning to wander away or to lose oneself. The psalmist is saying the course of life taken by the ungodly will cause them to wander away losing oneself to certain destruction. God doesn't want anyone to perish.


Man's destruction was never God's intent. God patiently endures the course of life humanity chooses to take. God does this because he desires that nobody perish, but all come to repentance in changing their hearts and lives. Doing so will place one on the course of life which God not only approves of but will appoint one to.


Your feedback and comments are welcome. We'll start digging into Psalm 2 next time. Till then, God bless...

Fate of the Wicked - Digging Into the Psalms

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We love blessings. They make us happy. The promise to be blessed is a positive force with the power to brighten our day. Yet as we journey we must also deal with the negatives presented in the Scriptures. They should serve as warnings, and should cause us to evaluate our relationship with our Creator.

We've been thrilled by the promise of multiple blessings for the godly, who delight themselves in the Law of the Lord, but there's an opposite. Where there are the godly, there must also be the ungodly. Let's look at Psalm 1:4 (KJV):

"The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away."

Chaff is the debris separated from the grain during threshing. Chaff is a material that is completely worthless. The grain is to be saved. The chaff is to be turned into compost or destroyed. The godly are saved like the grain. The ungodly aren't.

Here's how the prophet Isaiah describes the fate of the ungodly:

"You will go up in flames like straw and hay! You have rejected the teaching of the holy LORD God All-Powerful of Israel. Now your roots will rot and your blossoms will turn to dust (Isaiah 5:24 Contemporary English Version)."

What a contrast this is to the godly who are planted like trees by rivers of water! The ungodly are worthless chaff, and are destined for the fire. The ungodly reject the Law of the Lord. They take no delight in obeying God's commandments. Let's move on...

"Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous (Psalms 1:5 KJV)."

This is the ultimate fate of the ungodly. They are to be eternally separated from God and the godly. The ungodly will not be justified in the final judgment. The ungodly will stand before God without excuse. They don't have a place among the godly. They're out of their element if they try to stand among the congregation of the saints.

These are the words of Jesus Christ:

"The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire (Matthew 13:49-50 KJV)."

Sobering words to say the least. Do they make you think about your relationship with God? They should.

I can't stop here like this. God doesn't want any to perish. He desires for all humanity to come to repentance, changing their hearts and lives (2 Peter 3:9). For God so loved, he gave (John 3:16). What will you do now? God bless...

Rivers of Water - Digging Into the Psalms

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There is a river that flows from God above. There is a fountain that's filled with His great love. Come to this water. There is a vast supply. There is a river that never shall run dry (words by Max and David Sapp).


We looked into the word blessed in the first installment of this blog series. We learned how the word really means multiple blessings. We understand that the one who walks uprightly and delights in God's law is blessed with multiple blessings. What are these blessings?


"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 (Psalm 1:3 KJV)."


Every time I read the word river in the Bible, I can't help but think of the song "There Is A River", which is why I began this posting with a stanza of the song. The prophet Ezekiel writes of this river in Ezekiel chapter 47. The apostle John speaks of this river in Revelation 22:1-2.


Blessing number one:
The blessed one will be like a tree. Give a young sapling plenty of nutrients and water and it will become a solid, extremely difficult to move tree. Put that tree into our lifetime, into our neighborhoods, and it's even harder to take down. There are houses, outbuildings, powerlines, the neighbors property, among other things to deal with when removing trees today.


Blessing number two:
The tree is planted by rivers of water. I want you to take particular notice: this tree is planted by rivers, plural, rivers. The Hebrew word translated as river is derived from a primitive root meaning to split or divide! It's no mistake or coincidence the psalmist uses the plural rivers here. The tree, the one blessed, isn't blessed just once. The one blessed is blessed over and over!


Blessing number three:
This blessing also comes from the rivers. It's the water itself. A river is a continuous flowing supply of water. The water is constantly moving, constantly being refreshed. This constant supply of fresh water is a necessity for Christian growth and maturity. We must allow God to plant us in the water of his Spirit!


Blessing number four:
The tree will bear fruit in its season. A well-watered, strong Christian will bear fruit. I'm not talking about living the high life. I'm not talking the prosperity gospel. I'm not talking about how we act. I'm talking about winning souls! The one who is blessed will bear fruit. We will win souls!


Blessing number five:
The blessed tree will never lose its leaves. They will never wither, fade, or fall off the tree. It's an evergreen tree. How can this be? The blessed one is rooted in an everlasting supply of fresh water. The blessed one grows towards an everlasting sun. The blessed is planted in rivers of water, the Spirit. The one blessed doesn't need to rely on the natural sun to keep his 'leaves' green. Jesus Christ himself is the SUN!


The last blessing listed:
The blessed one will prosper in everything he or she does.I know sometimes it doesn't feel like we're prospering much. Sink your roots deep into the river of God and take in all the water you can get. Allow your branches to spread forth into the light of the Son. Keep drinking. Keep growing. Keep maturing. When your season comes, you will bear much fruit, and you'll bear fruit over and over! The blessing are multiple! God bless...

More of Psalms One

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In Let's Get Started Into the Palms, we took a close look at the man who walks in the council of the ungodly, stands in the way of sinners, and sits in the seat of the scornful. Psalms 1:1 (KJV) begins with the promise, "Blessed is the man". I like being blessed! Don't you? If we don't follow the plans and the purposes of the ungodly, if we don't submit to the ways and means where sinners walk, and if we don't join ourselves to those who disdain and mock the Way of the Lord, God promises to bless us with multiple blessings!


Now let's bring a contrast to the ungodly, scornful sinner...


"But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." (Psalms 1:2 KJV)


This is the description of the man who is blessed. Jeremiah said, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and the rejoicing of mine heart (Jer. 15:16 KJV)."  A blessed man is happy! I could jump ahead to Psalm 119 and give a listing of the benefits in delighting ourselves in the Word. But I'd like to forge into the New Testament Epistles and establish the case for doing so.


No prophecy, not one word of the scriptures is of any private interpretation (2Pe. 1:20). The men who penned the Word wrote as they were moved on by the Holy Spirit (2Pe. 1:21). All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God (2Tim. 3:16). Therefore the Word, the Law of the Lord, is profitable to for us. It's good for doctrine, reproof, correction, and for instruction in the way of righteousness (2Tim. 3:16). The knowledge of exactly who God is and God's plan for humanity is contained in the Scriptures from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.


We're blessed today to have the Holy Bible, the written Word of God. When David penned the words of Psalm 1, he didn't have sixty-six books at his fingertips. He didn't have much more than the writings of Moses to delight himself in. Yet David was able to exclaim, "Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord!"


God's Word, the Scriptures, the Holy Bible should be the daily bread for every Christian believer. How much more should we delight in the Scriptures we have so readily available to us today? How much more should we make it a point to meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night? I ask you, is your delight in the Word of God? Do you take time to read and study such a God-given treasure to humanity? Does the Law of the Lord give you joy, causing your heart to rejoice? If it does, then my friend, you are blessed!


Next time we'll get into the details of the multiple blessings for the one who doesn't walk in counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, sit in the seat of the scornful, but whose delight is in the Law of the Lord. Until then, God bless...

Let's Get Started Into the Psalms

A journey into the depths of The Book of Psalms offers us a bountiful supply of topics which touch on nearly every human experience. I started digging deeper into the Psalms while completing an intensive study on the topic of prayer. The Book of Psalms is known as the prayer book of the Bible. The Psalms were written as hymns to be used in the Jewish temple. The Psalms were also to be used to teach the people about the God they served. Let's get started...


Psalm 1 can be considered a preface psalm. The differences between the godly and the ungodly are laid out clearly. The godly are blessed, and the ungodly aren't. The final verse of Psalm 1 states the whole message of Christianity in a nutshell...


"For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalms 1:6 KJV)."


Psalm 1:1 begins with great promise, "Blessed is the man." The word blessed comes from the Hebrew 'esher. It's a plural word, meaning multiple blessings or exceeding happiness. Now that's good stuff! Who doesn't like such a promise of blessing! But hold on, our promise turns to the negative rather quickly. Let's look at verse 1...


"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."


The verse rapidly dives into the counsel of the ungodly, the way of sinners, and the seat of the scornful. Take note of the grading, or steps, of sin given here. We start by walking in the counsel of the ungodly. We move ahead to standing with sinners. Then we reach the point of sitting with the scornful. How can this be?


Humanity goes from bad to worse when it chooses to live in sin. We start by thinking we want to be like everyone around us. We begin listening to the voices of those around us. "Go ahead, do it. You'll feel good." The sin is more practical than habitual at this stage. One gets careless and forgets God. It becomes easier and easier to give in to the temptation as we mover farther and farther away from God. We would do well to heed the advice of Proverbs 1:10 (KJV), "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."


When sinning becomes habitual, we've moved to the next stage. We're standing in the way with sinners. We're sinning by choice. Sinners standing in the way will call out for us to "Cast our lots in with them (Proverbs 1:14)." Again, we must heed the advice given to us in Proverbs 1:15 (KJV), "My son, walk thou not in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path."


Well, if we don't turn away from our sin, we'll get to the point of sitting in the seat of the scornful. We've reached the position of not just being sinners, but willfully calling out to and teaching others to sin. We disdain the commandments of God. We no longer have a fear of God. And to think all this started with a little temptation! Proverbs 1:22 tells us that the scorners delight in their scorning.


Don't give up hope! God calls out to us. He calls for us to repent, to turn away from sin, to change our hearts and our lives. If we will do so, God gives us this promise, "Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you (Proverbs 1:23 NKJV)."


I promise to get back to the positive and the promise of multiple blessing next time. Feel free to post your thoughts and comments. Until then, God bless...

Digging Into the Psalms

photo courtesy of stockxchng/ba1969

Two years ago I started an epic journey into the book of Psalms. I made it a point to read one psalm every day. In doing so, I've read the Psalms four times in the last two years. My eyes have been opened to many nuggets of pure gold contained in the ancient verses.


I began another leg of this journey of adventure on January 1st. While trying to get back into the groove of writing/blogging, I been throwing around the idea of blogging my experience of this journey through the Psalms day by day. Some days are, well, nothing exciting, just another Psalm reading. Other days are equivalent to getting knocked out of my chair by the golden truth the reading exposes!


Today's Psalm reading was Psalm 60. I won't start with it though. I want to go back to Psalm 1 and begin with there in my next blog post. I want to invite and encourage any interested to join with me on this journey. My hope is you'll be enlightened and blessed as you take this trip with me into one of the most engaging books in the Holy Bible.


I encourage you to join in with your comments, feedback, disagreements (I'm really opening myself up now!!), and just good conversation. God bless...