Burunche’s Blog

Cast Your Burden upon the LORD (2 Samuel 17:15-29)

For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.

“Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea. Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger. My heart murmurs within me, and the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.

I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest. How far away I would flee; in the wilderness I would remain. Selah I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”

O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city. Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within. Destruction is in the midst; oppression and deceit never leave the streets.

For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend. We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God. Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.

But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He redeems my soul in peace from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. God will hear and humiliate them—the One enthroned for the ages—Selah because they do not change and they have no fear of God.

My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken. But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.”

“Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea. Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger. My heart murmurs within me, and the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.” Once more, David is in trouble and feels there is no way out. Not only are David’s enemies accusing him, but now he is even questioning and doubting himself.

“I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest. How far away I would flee; in the wilderness I would remain. Selah(Pause and calmly think on that.) I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”  Most of us can readily identify with David as we face problems that make us want to do nothing so much as run someplace and hide! We long for a safe place and for someone who can defend us from our attackers.

“O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city. Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within. Destruction is in the midst; oppression and deceit never leave the streets.” When we are attacked, we can pray as David has for our attackers to be confused and confounded.

“For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend. We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God. Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.”  There’s nothing so painful as betrayal by a fellow believer.

“But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He redeems my soul in peace from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.” God’s help line is open 24/7. No matter when we cry out to God, He hears and redeems us, no matter how vicious the opposition.

“My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.” Few things are more discouraging than being attacked by friends who violate covenant agreements. You swiftly learn to disregard their fine phrases.

“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken. But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.” What a relief to know that God understands our problems even better than we do and that He will give us the strength to be faithful. We can trust the evil to God, knowing that He can sort things out far better than we can.

APPLICATION: Several years ago, Maria Anne Hirschmann wrote a book entitled Please Don’t Shoot! I’m Already Wounded. The author and her husband were in joint ministry when her husband misconducted himself, leaving her with no choice apart from divorce. While Ms. Hirschmann was still reeling from the shock of the breakup of her forever marriage, her fellow Christians proceeded to castigate and shun her, leaving her friendless and without refuge at a time when she needed help the most. The title came from a remark someone made indicating that “Christians are the only people who shoot their wounded.”

Sadly, the same people who had previously welcomed Hirschmann and her husband into their churches immediately began ostracizing her as soon as the divorce was announced. Hirschmann was actually very reluctant to enter on divorce proceedings until she was given a release to do so by the Lord. It took long years before Hirschmann was able to return to ministry of any kind.

Rushing to judgment is generally a sad mistake. One set of missionaries were sent into a difficult situation by a newly-formed mission group, despite warnings by experienced observers familiar with the situation. When the couple encountered problems with the project, the mission group blamed the couple, even going so far as to claim that the couple’s marriage must be unstable because they were previously divorced and remarried. Ironically, one of the board members pushing this claim later saw his own marriage fall apart; meanwhile, the couple remained married and in ministry decades later.

There are many gems in this psalm; however, my personal favorite remains “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.” That’s a promise that we can count on.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we praise You and bless You for Your watch care and Your concern. Thank You that we can always call on You and that You can redeem us from any problems or give us the grace, courage, and strength to endure them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Save Me by Your Name (1 Samuel 23:7-29)

For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “Is David not hiding among us?”

“Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might! Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. For strangers rise up against me, and ruthless men seek my life—men with no regard for God. Selah

Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul. He will reward my enemies with evil. In Your faithfulness, destroy them.

Freely I will sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. For He has delivered me from every trouble, and my eyes have stared down my foes.”

“A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “Is David not hiding among us?” Once more, a crisis moves David to write a short but meaningful psalm. The Philistines are attacking the town of Keilah when David and his men come to the rescue. Are the people of Keilah grateful? Are you kidding? The town elders hustle off to King Saul and inform on David in hopes of a reward. But God warns David, so David and his men flee to the Wilderness of Ziph. The Ziphites are no better than the people of Keilah; they too rush off to King Saul, hoping for a reward. At one point, David and his men are very nearly caught; however, Saul gets word that the Philistines are invading. Saul must break off from chasing David and go to protect Israel from the Philistines. (1 Samuel 23)

““Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might! Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. For strangers rise up against me, and ruthless men seek my life—men with no regard for God. Selah”  Even though David and his men have rescued Keilah and are probably protecting the people of Ziph, all these people can think of is currying favor with King Saul.

 “Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul. He will reward my enemies with evil. In Your faithfulness, destroy them.” Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, has carried an ephod with him during his escape from Nob, and now David and Abiathar use that ephod to consult God. God warns David that the citizens of Keilah and the Ziphites will betray him. Repeatedly, God delivers David and keeps him from despair. David realizes that only God can deliver him.  

“Freely I will sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. For He has delivered me from every trouble, and my eyes have stared down my foes.” David is promising to worship and praise God, not to gain favor with God but because God is worthy of all praise.

APPLICATION: How is it that David can continue to fight on even as those he has helped are betraying him? David KNOWS that God has anointed him to become king. David has a divine calling on his life and he refuses to abandon that calling, no matter how desperate things appear to be.

As a missionary doctor, I have found myself in embattled situations many times. Lacking the support of competent administration, I have weathered several times of upheaval among hospital staff. But both my husband and I are convinced that God has called us to be where we are and to continue to work here. Once that calling is sure, we must press forward. Does it pain us when those whom we have helped turn on us in hopes of gaining more power or money? Absolutely. But when God called us to come, we didn’t lay out any conditions ahead of time. We didn’t tell God that we would only serve if everything ran smoothly. Once we have failed to negotiate those conditions on the front end, we must shut up and work.

Perhaps you find yourself in a similar situation. People are remarkably ungrateful and many are willing to turn on you just as did the men of Keilah and the Ziphites against David. The fundamental question is this: Are you doing the work God has called you to do? If you are convinced that you are in the center of God’s will, then nothing else matters. Trust God and work. He will bring you through.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, let this psalm speak to all of us and let us learn its lessons. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Fool Says There Is No God (Romans 3:9-20; Psalm 14:1-7)

For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their ways are vile. There is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God. All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon the LORD. There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to fear. For God has scattered the bones of those who besieged you. You put them to shame, for God has despised them.

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!”

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their ways are vile. There is no one who does good.” There have always been fools who deny the existence of God and attempt to set themselves up as their own deities. And inevitably, such people become corrupt and vile. You become what you worship; if you worship a righteous and holy God, you will become more righteous and holy. But if you celebrate only yourself, you will follow a downward spiral of evil.  

“God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God. All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” We don’t know exactly when David is writing this psalm, but he is obviously disillusioned. As David is writing these words, he is encouraging himself that God sees everything and knows everything. Even if people become corrupt, God remains righteous.

“Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon the LORD. There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to fear. For God has scattered the bones of those who besieged you. You put them to shame, for God has despised them.” Make no mistake, David has witnessed wartime atrocities and peacetime evil. Despite God’s commandments to protect the poor, the widows and orphans, many continue to exploit the vulnerable. But David remains confident that these people will ultimately pay the price of God’s wrath.

“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!” David longs for all this mess to be over and for God to assert Himself once and for all.

APPLICATION: As I am writing this, the Israeli Defense Force continues to attack Hamas strongholds while Hamas continues to use innocent civilians as human shields while they lob rockets into Israel. We might well ask where God is in all this? Has God removed His hand from Israel?

A study of Biblical prophecy shows that God promises that Israel will be attacked repeatedly by its enemies. Even though Messiah will eventually come, nothing short of Messiah will deliver them completely. The chaos in the Middle East makes David’s final prayer even more necessary. “Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!”

How can we pray for the fighting in the Middle East? There are as many innocent Palestinian civilians suffering and dying as there are Israelis. We can pray for the righteous to be preserved. We can pray for God to move sovereignly, bringing lasting peace. But before we can pray, we must trust that God is there and that He is listening and that He will act.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please intervene in the Middle East. Only You can solve these problems. Only You can bring a lasting solution. Only You can bring peace. We beg You to act! In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Why Do You Boast of Evil? (1 Samuel 22:6-23)

For the choirmaster. A Maskil of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.

“Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The loving devotion of God endures all day long. Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth. Selah

You love every word that devours, O deceitful tongue. Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

The righteous will see and fear; they will mock the evildoer, saying, “Look at the man who did not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his wealth and strengthened himself by destruction.”

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in the loving devotion of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, because You have done it. I will wait on Your name—for it is good—in the presence of Your saints.”

“For the choirmaster. A Maskil of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”  Who was Doeg the Edomite? For the story behind this psalm, you need to go to 1 Samuel 21-22. David and his men are fleeing from King Saul when they come to Nob, the city of priests. David and his men are hungry and Ahimelech, the priest, innocently gives David and his men the show bread that has already been removed from the tabernacle. Ahimelech also gives David Goliath’s sword, that has been preserved by the priests. Ahimelech is unaware that Saul is attempting to kill David; unfortunately, Doeg, an Edomite and Saul’s chief herdsman, witnesses Ahimelech’s actions and immediately reports to Saul. King Saul swiftly moves to Nob and orders Doeg to massacre the priests, their families, and even their animals. Only Abiathar, one of Ahimelech’s sons, escapes to join David.

“Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The loving devotion of God endures all day long. Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth. Selah” When King Saul began his reign, righteous men flocked to him; however, by this point in his career, Saul is growing increasingly evil by the day while David remains righteous. Evil people attract other evil people, and Saul is depending on evil people to inform on David. It is significant that Saul doesn’t dirty his hands by murdering the priests and their families himself, but instead delegates that horrible task to Doeg, a foreigner who is not even one of his warriors.

“You love every word that devours, O deceitful tongue. Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah” Here David is prophesying over Doeg, speaking ruin over him for spying, lying, and murder. It is significant that this is the last we hear of Doeg.

“The righteous will see and fear; they will mock the evildoer, saying, “Look at the man who did not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his wealth and strengthened himself by destruction.” Evidently, Saul has paid Doeg for being his hit man; however, Saul’s days are also numbered. Doeg is trusting the wrong person.

“But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in the loving devotion of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, because You have done it. I will wait on Your name—for it is good—in the presence of Your saints.” This statement of faith is particularly meaningful when you consider that David and his men are still fleeing from Saul with no refuge. What’s significant about David comparing himself to an olive tree? Olive trees can live and bear fruit for centuries. There are some olive trees in Israel that may have been bearing during the time of Jesus. Olive trees are survivors, and David is proclaiming that he will flourish in the house of God and not merely exist. David will promises to praise God forever, a promise he keeps for the rest of his life.

APPLICATION: Remain in leadership long enough and the nay-sayers, conspirators, and spies will turn up. It is particularly disheartening when people whom you thought you could trust betray you. How can you handle such people? You can copy David and trust God. Generally, you can outlast any lie if you keep breathing oxygen long enough; lies may have long legs, but truth ultimately comes out.

There is nothing wrong with growing older as long as you continue to be a blessing to those around you. Most olive trees live for at least 500 years but many are more than 2,000 years old and still fruitful. Want to continue to be fruitful for your entire life? “Trust in the loving devotion of God forever and ever. Praise God forever, because He has done it. Wait on God’s name—for it is good—in the presence of His saints.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all those who read these words to realize that You have wonderful plans for them and that Your perfect Will is for them to be fruitful for their entire lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God (2 Samuel 12:1-12)

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba.

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.

Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. Surely You desire truth in the inmost being; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.”

“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba.” If you had just committed adultery with one of your best friends’ wives and had then arranged to have him killed to cover up the problem, would YOU write a psalm of praise to God? “But,” you say, “David was a man after God’s own heart!” Yes, he was….mostly. One of the great things about the Bible is that it doesn’t sugar coat anything.

The terrible story of how David committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, one of David’s “mighty men” is found in 2 Samuel 11-12. It was springtime, when kings go off to war, and David’s men were out in the battle field. But David remained behind in Jerusalem, and one evening when he was walking on the roof of his palace to relieve his boredom, he saw Bathsheba while she was bathing. Bathsheba was drop-dead gorgeous. David summoned Bathsheba to the palace, had sex with her, and then when she turned up pregnant, tried to get her husband Uriah to return to Jerusalem and stay with his wife, hoping that Uriah would sleep with his wife and the pregnancy would be attributed to Uriah. When none of David’s schemes worked, he arranged for Uriah to be sent into the heat of battle where he perished. Now David had a perfect reason to console a grieving widow, a pregnant grieving widow.

David thought he was getting away with everything when God sent Nathan the prophet to confront him. Nathan told David a heart-breaking story about a rich man with all kinds of sheep and a poor man with a single ewe lamb that he loved like a child. When the rich man needed to slaughter a sheep for guests, he seized the poor man’s ewe lamb. David was furious and demanded Nathan to tell him the name of the man, so that he could punish him. Nathan told David, “YOU are that man!” By the time the story ended, Bathsheba’s baby died. David was broken-hearted over his failure to honor God in this matter and over the realization that he could betray one of his best warriors in this fashion. This psalm is the result of David’s repentance.    

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.” David is owning his sin and begging God for forgiveness. David realizes that when he sinned, he sinned against God and not against Uriah and Bathsheba. As one of God’s representatives, David has just given God an undeserved bad name.  

“Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.” David acknowledges that he was born a sinner; only God can redeem him.

“Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.” David realizes that nothing he can do will blot out this sin; God is the only One who can cleanse and redeem. These verses have echoed through the years and many churches have incorporated these verses into their regular Sunday liturgies.

“Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.” Sin blocks our ability to tell others about God or to praise Him. Only God can blot out sins.

“For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.” David realizes that no amount of blood offerings will atone for the horror he has brought on himself and on his nation as its head. When leaders sin, whichever group they are leading will also suffer.

APPLICATION: Nobody makes it through life without sinning. “But,” you ask, “I’ve never done anything as bad as David did. Do I REALLY need to repent?” Yes. God doesn’t grade on a sliding scale. To the most holy God, all sins grieve Him. We would love to re-classify sins into categories, with our pet sins demanding a smaller punishment than those of others. When we gossip, when we become angry, when we make cutting remarks, when we utter our prejudices as though we are speaking for God, we are grieving God’s heart.  

One problem many of us face is a lack of understanding the fatherhood of God. Our fathers may have been demanding, abusive, emotionally absent, or completely absent altogether. But children with loving fathers want above all else to please their fathers and not cause them pain. Even though David’s relationship with his own father wasn’t the best, David had come to accept God as his Heavenly Father. Now David’s sin had separated him from God and David couldn’t stand the pain of that separation.

There’s a good reason that part of this psalm is used routinely in many churches. As congregations repeat this psalm, those present can insert their own sins into the confession, rather than fumbling for words themselves.

Jesus told his disciples a story about two men who went up to the temple to pray. One was a religious leader while the other was a tax collector. The religious leader stood up in the center of the temple and proudly boasted, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’  Jesus told his disciples that it was the tax collector who went home justified while the religious leader simply returned home in a cloud of self-righteousness,“for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

If you had asked the religious leader in this story to repeat Psalm 51, he might have told you that he had no need to do so, that he was righteous and had nothing to confess. It was the lowly tax collector, shunned by polite society, who realized his need for forgiveness. Also notice something else: The tax collector didn’t speak out a long list of sins. The Holy Spirit was probably convicting the tax collector of specific sins; however, the tax collector simply described himself as sinful. When we are truly repentant, God will tell us those sins we need to repudiate.

As you read this psalm today, you may find God speaking to your heart about specific things you have done wrong. Don’t despair! Allow God to bring those things to mind, confess them as sin, and then receive God’s forgiveness. A clean heart feels wonderful!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we do confess that we have sinned and grieved You. Open the eyes of all who read these words to see that You are a loving Father and that You stand ready to forgive as soon as we stop playing games and confess our sins. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

God the Righteous Judge

A Psalm of Asaph.

“The Mighty One, God the Lord, Has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people: “Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” Let the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge. Selah

“Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you? When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have been a partaker with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes.

“Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”

““The Mighty One, God the Lord, Has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.” If you are a city dweller, it is easy to ignore the weather until it interferes with your activities. But for those in the country and who work outdoors, most of their livelihood is weather-dependent and they watch the movement of clouds and wind closely to monitor the coming of storms. Such people may have to work amid storms and understand the tempestuous nature of tornados, hurricanes, blizzards, and dust storms.

“He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people: “Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” Let the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge. Selah” These days, we are so surrounded by filth, pornography, and corruption that it is difficult to even imagine a holy and righteous God.

“Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.” We flatter ourselves on our possessions, forgetting that ultimately God owns everything. We do not make sacrifices because God needs our stuff; we give out of gratitude to God for His generosity in the first place.

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” God is eternal and has no need to eat or drink. But God commanded the ancient Israelites to make sacrifices because their animals were among their most prized possessions. When King David was bargaining for a piece of property on which to build a house of worship and the owner offered to donate it for free, David asked, “Shall I offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing?” Even if we are simply praising God, praises raised during times of trouble are far more meaningful than praises when everything is going smoothly.  “It isn’t a sacrifice of praise until you push it out through clenched teeth.” (Harold Hill, former CEO of Learjet Corporation)

“But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you? When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have been a partaker with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes.” There is nothing so dangerous as creating a god in our own image and then imagining that the Eternal God is like this worthless figure we have contrived. But even worse is the possibility that we will set ourselves up as our own gods and worship ourselves. There have always been such people, and God knows exactly what they have been doing and the extent of their wickedness. When such people begin mouthing religious slogans, they only are demonstrating their hypocrisy. While such people might impress others, God knows their darkened hearts.

“Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” It is not God’s will that anyone should perish, but that all should have eternal life. But we are all creatures of free will, not puppets. God does not force anyone to sin, but we must make right choices. While Satan may tempt us, we are still the ones choosing to do wrong.

APPLICATION: This psalm serves as both a warning and an assurance. God is warning the wicked that He sees everything and knows everything; if they fail to repent, they will be lost eternally. God is also assuring the righteous that they should continue to praise Him and that their right conduct also is a form of praise.

The opening phrases of this psalm describe God in all His glory, something we often fail to consider. For those of us who work depending on faith donations, the verse about the cattle on a thousand hills is particularly meaningful. We work with poor people, many of whom need financial help simply to feed themselves while they are in the hospital. We depend almost totally on donations for our daily needs as well. Times without number, we have reminded God of this verse and have asked Him if He can send the price of a cow or two!

The warning about “you who forget God” remains pertinent. Many of us are distracted by trivia, never realizing we are wasting our lives on things that do not matter. In an earlier age, there was a saying, “Only one life-twill soon be passed. Only what’s done for God will last.” Nothing has changed.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to praise You, no matter the circumstances. And help us to truly worship You and You alone. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Glory of God in Zion

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge.

For behold, the kings assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled, they hastened away. Fear took hold of them there, and pain, as of a woman in birth pangs, as when You break the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah

We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, in the midst of Your temple. According to Your name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Your judgments.

Walk about Zion, and go all around her. Count her towers; mark well her bulwarks; consider her palaces; that you may tell it to the generation following. For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.”

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge.” Anyone who has ever visited Jerusalem knows that it is a very special and holy place. Jerusalem is full of churches, synagogues, and mosques. Many of the churches are built on sites mentioned in the Bible such as Calvary, the Garden Tomb, etc. But it is not the presence of these places of worship that sets Jerusalem apart; the city itself has a special appeal. Jerusalem is a place in which God has been working for thousands of years and continues to do so. Even though Jerusalem has been overrun several times in the past, God has always arranged for it to be rebuilt.

Jerusalem glows in the sunlight because its buildings are made of Jerusalem limestone. The Architectural Review says this about that stone: “Quarried from the hills surrounding the city, as well as from other nearby hills in Palestine’s central highlands, Jerusalem limestone has been the city’s primary building material since antiquity. It is at once the material that carries its structural skeleton and the flesh that grants the cityscape its golden hue.”

“For behold, the kings assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled, they hastened away. Fear took hold of them there, and pain, as of a woman in birth pangs, as when You break the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah”  Most of us take the idea of the fear of God very lightly, forgetting that it is a very real phenomenon. Here the psalmist is likely referring to a well-known shipping tragedy on the Mediterranean Sea in which a fleet of merchant ships from Tarshish were driven onto rocks and wrecked due to a storm moving in from the east.

“We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, in the midst of Your temple. According to Your name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Your judgments.” When a ruler reigns in righteousness, those with true hearts can rejoice because they have nothing to fear.

“Walk about Zion, and go all around her. Count her towers; mark well her bulwarks; consider her palaces; that you may tell it to the generation following. For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.” Throughout the Bible, God admonishes us to teach our children and grandchildren about Him. While buildings are important, they can be destroyed quickly. But the presence of God is indestructible.

APPLICATION: As I am writing this study, rockets are still being aimed at Jerusalem by Hamas. These terrorists are certain that if they can destroy buildings, they can destroy Israel, ignoring what God says about Jerusalem in the Bible. God has always had His hand on Israel and on Jerusalem and He is not about to remove it now. Does this mean that the Israelis are totally righteous? No. But God’s promises are sure and not dependent on us. If you are familiar with Biblical prophecy, you realize that there are prophecies indicating that at some point, parts of Jerusalem might be destroyed. But Jerusalem has flourished ever since the Jews returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple and the city. God is continuing to watch over Jerusalem.

What does this psalm mean for us personally? Life does not come with guarantees and we may suffer; however, we can still ask God to help us and be confident that He will do so. If God does not deliver us from our problems, He will help us endure them. Let us trust Him!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we pray for peace in the Middle East, not only in Jerusalem but throughout the Middle East. Father, we are trusting in Your Word that promises protection for Jerusalem. We also claim Your promises for our own lives. Give us the strength to carry out our daily tasks and to meet the challenges. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Praise to God, the Ruler of the Earth To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.

He will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah

God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding.

God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the people have gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.”

“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.” This psalm is a little gem, easily understood and readily used to praise God. The title includes the information that this psalm was written by the Sons of Korah and dedicated to the Chief Musician. Is the Chief Musician mentioned here human or are they referring to God, Who is the Author of all music? I like to think it is both.

Who were the “sons of Korah?” Wikipedia gives us this answer: “The Sons of Korah were the sons of Moses‘ cousin Korah. The story of Korah is found in Numbers 16. Korah led a revolt against Moses; he died, along with all his co-conspirators, when God caused “the earth to open her mouth and swallow him and all that appertained to them” (Numbers 16:31–33). Immediately after this event, the Lord’s anger burned and a plague struck killing another 14,700 Israelites. However, “the children of Korah died not” (Numbers 26:11). Several psalms are described in their opening verses as being by the Sons of Korah: numbers 42, 44–49, 84, 85, 87 and 88.[1]

Some of the Korahites were also “porters” of the temple (1 Chronicles 9:17–19); one of them was over “things that were made in the pans” (v31), i.e. the baking in pans for the meat-offering (Leviticus 2:5). According to the genealogies in 1 Chronicles, the prophet Samuel was descended from Korah.[2]”

Putting it bluntly, Korah and his followers messed up big time and paid the ultimate price in a gruesome fashion with the earth opening up and swallowing them. Given such a family heritage, Korah’s descendants might have felt too ashamed to be of any use in ministry; yet, God graciously preserved the Kohathites who were not involved in the rebellion and gave them special tasks in the temple, including serving as temple singers.

“He will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah” Sometimes we might feel as if our lives are going nowhere with no positive goal; yet, if we will trust God, He will guide us into the right paths.

“God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding.” It was customary that when the king entered the temple, worshipers should shout and blow trumpets to indicate the presence of the king. If these acts were done to honor an earthly king, how much more should they be done to honor the King of Kings?

But why admonish to “sing praises with understanding?” Many people can spew out verbiage without meaning any of it. Here the Sons of Krah are encouraging us to think as we praise so that our praises become more meaningful and less mechanical.

“God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the people have gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.” In ancient times, victorious armies captured their enemies’ shields, rendering those enemies defenseless. Sometimes the shields could even be golden, as was the case of one group King David conquered. These verses assure us that God truly is on the throne and that He is victorious over all the earth.

APPLICATION: Every family has a few skeletons in their closets-family members who have tarnished the family name in some manner. Sometimes the sins of these forebears are so terrible that subsequent generations are ashamed to admit a relationship. But God is gracious and merciful. Even at the time that some of the Korahites were dying in a gruesome fashion, God was still preserving others whose descendants would occupy places of honor in the temple in Jerusalem. Some of the Korahites became singers and musicians while others helped prepare the ritual foods-both positions of extreme trust. While there are such things as spirits that plague successive generations in families, we don’t have to fall prey to these spirits. We can ask God to release us from generational bondage and He will do so.

Perhaps you know that your parents had shortcomings. Obsessive behaviors such alcoholism, drug abuse, overeating, excessive shopping, workaholism, gossiping, and gambling all are part of a spectrum. Unless you are healed from the root cause, you might abandon one abuse, only to substitute another. While some obsessive behaviors are more socially acceptable than others, they can still destroy relationships and marriages. But praise God, we don’t have to be stuck this way! We can beg God to choose our heritage for us and He will graciously do so.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us feel trapped by the sins of our families. Our obsessive behaviors may be killing us or killing our marriages and our relationships with others. Lord, deliver us from these things that bind us! Help us to leave them behind completely and never return to them. Choose our heritage for us, for when You do so, we know that heritage will be glorious. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

God Is Our Refuge and Strength (2 Kings 18:13-16; 2 Chronicles 32:1-8; Psalm 47:1-9; Psalm 48:1-14)

For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah

There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice. The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth. He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah”

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah”  For centuries, this psalm has encouraged believers facing all kinds of problems. Reading the list of natural disasters, it is helpful to remember that Israel sits on earthquake faults. The same rift that has formed the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea continues all the way down into Africa as the Rift Valley. When the psalmist describes these events, he may have witnessed such catastrophes.

“There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns.” The city mentioned here is Jerusalem. Which river is being referred to here? We don’t know; however, there are prophecies that when Messiah comes, a fountain will spring from the temple mount with part of it running to the Jordan while part will run to the Mediterranean Sea. These verses reassure us that God’s holy city cannot and will not be moved. No matter how many times Jerusalem is attacked, God is still protecting her.

“Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice. The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” No matter what political upheavals occur, God is still sovereign, the Commander of untold numbers of angel armies. And this Supreme Commander is on our side, Someone we can turn to in any crisis.

“Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth. He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.” No matter how impressive a nation’s weapons are, they are no match for God. God allows wars to take place, but He also stops wars. When God speaks, jet fighters, rockets, and all kinds of weapons fall useless.  

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.” One of the toughest things we can do is to quiet our minds and meditate on God. For most of us, as soon as we begin to attempt to meditate, our minds begin running like gerbils on wheels. Fortunately, we can ask God to help us center ourselves. When God gives a commandment, He will also give us the power to fulfill that commandment if we ask Him.

“The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” Incredible! The Lord God, King of the Universe, is with us. One of the names for Jesus is “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” Many times, we forget that God is as close as our heartbeats. God is not sitting out in the universe somewhere; He really is WITH us, completely and forever.

APPLICATION: Of all the psalms, this is one of my favorites. Every single verse gives me encouragement. Years ago, I was running a mission hospital at which we preached to the patients on the verandah before beginning consultations. One morning, a disgruntled female worker chose to confront me on the verandah, physically threatening me. When I stood my ground, she eventually became fed up and left. That morning, I preached on Psalm 46, praising God that the situation had not degenerated into a physical fight. . (I had enough training in martial arts that I was already contemplating which disabling strike I was going to use and where I would use it. Such moves would have been disastrous.)

As I am writing this Bible study, I am dealing with a medical disaster. Someone has given a handsome eight-year-old boy an enema with lye, completely rotting his large intestine. We can’t tell whether this horrific act was done out of ignorance or spite, but the results are catastrophic. To complicate matters, the boy has a rare blood type, making it difficult to have sufficient blood to carry out a major bowel resection safely. Will the boy live or die? His life is in God’s hands, and all I can do is trust God to guide me.

Many times we find ourselves facing obstacles that seem impenetrable, immoveable, and impossible to deal with. What can we do in such situations? We can be still and KNOW that God is God and that He has answers beyond our comprehension. Exalt the Lord. Worship Him and see what He will do.

PRAYER: Father God, many of us are facing huge problems of every kind and wondering if You are still working. Calm our hearts and minds and help us to see that You are the One making everything happen behind the scenes. You are Redeemer, Deliverer, Counselor, and King. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Glories of the Messiah and His Bride

To the Chief Musician. Set to  “The Lilies.” A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

“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.

Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, with Your glory and Your majesty. And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; and Your right hand shall teach You awesome things. Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; the peoples fall under You.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions. All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad. Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women; at Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

Listen, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your own people also, and your father’s house; so the King will greatly desire your beauty; because He is your Lord, worship Him. And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; the rich among the people will seek your favor.

The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; her clothing is woven with gold. She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors; the virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You. With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; they shall enter the King’s palace.

Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons, whom You shall make princes in all the earth. I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.”

“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.”

You might be excused for wondering how this particular psalm has made it into the Bible and has been venerated by Jews and Christians for centuries. The beginning of this psalm sounds suspiciously like something we would call a “puff piece, “a piece of flattery designed specifically to curry favor from a ruler. We might wonder what the writer is hoping to gain with all these compliments. According to this psalm, the king is incredibly handsome, a smooth talker, and blessed by God. As if these attributes weren’t enough, the writer also continues to describe the king’s might, glory, majesty, truth, humility, righteousness, and consummate victories. Whew! And then the psalmist goes on to describe the royal bride and how lucky she is to be marrying the king.

“Listen, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your own people also, and your father’s house; so the King will greatly desire your beauty; because He is your Lord, worship Him. And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; the rich among the people will seek your favor.

The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; her clothing is woven with gold. She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors; the virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You. With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; they shall enter the King’s palace.

Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons, whom You shall make princes in all the earth. I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.”

This certainly sounds like a royal wedding with the promise that the king will desire the bride’s beauty and that their sons will become princes. Because of the king’s magnificence, God will make his bride to be remembered and praised forever.

But wait! Is this writer describing a human king and his bride or the coming  Messiah and the Church? Many sources suggest the answer is “both.” Some sources feel this psalm was written in honor of the marriage between King Solomon and the daughter of Pharaoh, his first recorded wife, for whom he built a gorgeous palace. Others feel that the psalmist is using some other human king as a forerunner of the Messiah.

If you remember King Solomon’s career and his 700 wives and 300 concubines, you might be excused for rejecting the idea that this psalm refers to Solomon. (My personal reaction is “Yuck!” Maintaining a faithful loving relationship with one person is tough enough, let alone trying to do it with one thousand.) And most of the other Israelite kings weren’t much better. Even King David had several wives and at least ten concubines. But if we consider this psalm as a description of the Messiah, it becomes a wonderful prophecy.

The apostle John probably knew the human Jesus better than any of the other disciples, yet when John saw Jesus in the vision God gave him on the island of Patmos, John was struck dumb by Jesus’ majesty. “And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.”   (Revelation 1:12-17)

If the first verses describe the Messiah, who is the bride referred to in the rest of the psalm? Again referring to Revelation, we find that God refers to believers in His Church as the Bride of the Messiah. This relationship will have nothing to do with sexual intercourse and everything to do with a magnificent love, one that will last through the ages.

APPLICATION: These days, many churches have developed praise services that have little to do with being awe-struck  in the presence of God. These services frequently involve noisy Christian rock band music with the congregation hopping up and down enthusiastically. We thoroughly enjoy Ghanaian praise services with lots of dancing; however, this psalm is one of quiet adoration, and awe. Sometimes it’s necessary to stop to consider God’s magnificence and His glory. When the psalmists write “Selah,” one interpretation of that word is “pause and calmly think on that.”

If the idea of a lecherous king eying a beautiful virgin is off-putting, forget the human interpretation and meditate on the spiritual one, the coming of the Messiah and his eventual marriage with His bride, the Church, “a glorious church without spot or wrinkle.”

For all those who are serving God, we must view things in the light of eternity. Some day Messiah will return to claim His kingdom, and when He does, we will be part of it. No matter what your reservations are, that news is something to celebrate.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to understand Your Word. May Your Word bring light and joy and peace into our hearts. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.