Suffering

Psalm 119:41-44 — Answering the Taunter

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Secondly, we are reminded that the God of the Old Testament is the same God as the God of the New Testament and that He is a God of love. But not only is God love, what is striking is that He loves me. It is God’s love that is on display at the cross, and David well knows that he has no hope of delighting in the path of God’s commandments (Psalm 119:35) or keeping God’s law (Psalm 119:34) unless God “makes the first move.” We love because He first loved us! In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and gave His Son to be a propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:19,10)!

Psalm 119:37-40 — Behold God’s Promise

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Turn My Eyes Psalm 119:37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. David has prayed throughout this Psalm, and particularly in the first half of the He octave, for a heart that truly delights in God’s ways (Psalm 119:5,27,32,33-36). But, as Jesus told us, the eye is … Read more

Psalm 119:33-36 — Seeking The Way

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Seek Him Psalm 119:33 He Teach me, O Yahweh, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. As we begin the fifth octave, we find the psalmist repeating the desire to be taught by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Knowing that we have no hope apart from the revelation of … Read more

When God Turns His Back On You…

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Here is a sincere question from a person who is struggling with her faith: “Why does it seem like when people need God the most he turns his back on them?” Here is my answer to that question: When God Turned Away Let me preface it by saying it’s gonna seem like a non-answer, but … Read more

Psalm 119:29-32 — Shame Shifting

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Lying Lips Psalms 119:29 ESV Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! In the first half of the “Daleth” octet, we saw the psalmist confess to God and ask the Lord to guide him to greater understanding, so that he might not continue to sin against God (Psalm 119:11,26-27). Picking … Read more

Hey, About Your Prodigal…

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The Scene John (in regard to “spiritual children”) said that he has no greater joy than to hear that his children walk in the truth (3 John 1:4). Inversely, how great is the despair experienced by the parents of a son or daughter who follows the wide road? I have heard stories of godly men and … Read more

Psalm 119:25-28 — Thirst and Life

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Thirsty For Life? Psalms 119:25 ESV Daleth. My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! What is brought to your mind when you read this verse? What does it mean for a soul to “cling to the dust?” I think a good clue is in the second clause: “give me … Read more

Unfathomable Submission: STTA!

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Something to think about!

Something To Think About! When we study the Bible, we need to be very cautious about assuming things not stated in the text. Our best wisdom will fail us if we rely on it too much. But God has given us minds which are capable of intelligently asking questions of the text and using logic … Read more

Blessed!

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In Psalm 32, David recounts the joy he experiences knowing that God has forgiven his sin. Psalms 32:1-2 ESV A Maskil of David. 1Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. … Read more

Envy: Beastmode Gone Wrong

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Beast mode refers to a state of performing something, especially difficult activities, with extreme power, skill, or determination (dictionary.com). For sports enthusiasts, this is most commonly understood when Marshawn Lynch famously has torn through opposing defenses (see here). The idea is that a human being begins to function in a different mode than normal, exhibiting characteristics … Read more

No One Understands Like Jesus

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The idea that a shared experience is necessary for someone to be truly able to help another person is a pretty commonly held belief. It seems to be a truism that someone who has “been there” is able to empathize with an affliction you are suffering in a way others may not. But the idea that … Read more

5 People Not to Be During Someone Else’s Trial

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We recently began a journey through the book of James at Perryville Second Baptist. As I studied through James 1:2-12, I thought about some of the unhelpful people I’ve encountered during a personal trial, or a trial that someone else was going through. In today’s post, I’d like to caution us to not be one … Read more