- araratchurch
- May 23, 2022
- 3 min read
“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.”
Psalms 52:8 NKJV
One thing that is a fast train to disaster in marital relationships is when one of the spouses doubts the love of the other. Sometimes, this is a function of a person’s own insecurities; but other times, it is a function of a manipulative spouse who withdraws affection and approval as a way of controlling their marriage partner. I’ve actually seen this kind of behavior go on for years; one spouse keeps the other guessing as to how they will be treated, always wondering: are they going to leave me? are they going to find somebody else? My friend, that is no way to live and this dynamic leads to a very toxic relationship.
I believe that every normal person wants to feel loved. Sadly, some people will go through their whole lives never actually having felt truly and completely loved. You see, true love is not fickle, looking for a reason to withdraw itself.
Tragically, many people take their insecurities about being loved into their relationship with the Lord. Anytime things don’t go exactly as they wanted, or things happen they don’t understand, they begin to think that God doesn’t love them. Sometimes, when a person messes up they begin to wonder if God still loves them. Now, if you really want to not please God, then just go on doubting His love. You see, that is not acceptable to Him. He has gone beyond what we can even imagine to bring us back to Himself. I like how the Apostle Paul describes the tenacity of God’s love:
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 NKJV
Now understand this, confidence in God‘s love grows as we come to know Him better and better. But this is a process of strengthening a basic confidence in His goodness and love toward us.
“We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him. In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completed and perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].”
1 John 4:16-18 AMP
Jesus Christ went the distance, offering Himself for our forgiveness, to prove His great love for us; and, He has never given us a reason to doubt His love.
In our portion from Psalms today we see David extolling the fact that he can trust in God‘s mercy or loving kindness. He uses the example of a tree that is planted, and not about to be moved, as representative of his connection to the love of God.
One thing that continues to strike me as I take a second look at many of these passages by David, is his confidence in the Lord‘s love and goodwill toward him. Even when he had failed miserably, he repented before the Lord in a context of understanding that God truly loved him.
If you struggle with having confidence in the love of God, don’t go on like that. The first step in the right direction is repenting to the Lord for doubting His love. Then live as He lived: loving others and doing good. Operating like Him in this world shows your true connection to His love. Also, when you mess up, quickly repent and pick up where you left off. Don’t complicate your life by wondering if God doesn’t love you anymore. The fact is, no one has ever loved you the way the Lord loves you!
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
You don’t have to wonder about God’s love for you.
- araratchurch
- May 22, 2022
- 3 min read
“Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah”
Psalms 52:1-5 NKJV
My father used to tell a story about two very different men who died and had to face the crossing of chilly Jordan. One man had lived his life unto himself, gathering and holding tightly to his riches and possessions, all the while boasting of his power and prestige. The other man had lived a righteous life, carrying his large, unwieldy cross on his shoulders wherever he went. As you can imagine, the cross would bump into people, knocking some over, and would keep him from being able to enter into certain places; overall, the cross was a burdensome encumbrance. This man also died and faced Jordan’s chilly tide. The evil man, who depended on his own riches, walked into the water to his ankles, to his knees, to his waist, to his shoulders, ultimately disappearing under the water’s surface. The possessions and riches now served as an anchor, dooming his soul. The man who had carried his cross, when coming to Jordan, also stepped in ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep, but as the water rose around him, the cross became buoyant, serving as a raft, taking him across the chilly tide into eternal life.
As a young girl I could just imagine how it felt for that heavy cross to suddenly now be supporting—not only its own weight—but the weight of the one who had carried it through his life.
To say that it never seems that evil is winning, would be disingenuous, and in fact, a lie. The Bible is full of stories of evil doers who—for a period of time—seemed to be winning over the righteous, but received their just deserts in the end.
Jesus told a story about an unnamed rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The rich man lived a very opulent lifestyle, apparently doing nothing to help Lazarus who had been laid at the gate of his house, hoping to receive crumbs from the rich man’s table. When Lazarus died, he was received into the bosom of Abraham. When the rich man died, he was buried and found himself in the place of torment:
“And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.”
Luke 16:23-25 NKJV
The moral of the story is not that being rich is evil, but that riches will not save an evil person in the end. In fact, nothing will save an evil person in the end. Their glory is oh so temporary.
In our portion from Psalms today we see David reacting to a betrayal from Doeg the Edomite who had revealed to Saul that David had gone to the house of the priest for help. There he received bread for his men and the sword of Goliath. This betrayal by Doeg (who happened to be there at the priest’s house) would cost the lives of scores of priests and their families. It was the kind of evil deed we are so often staggered by today. We may well wonder how such evil could be allowed to continue, almost feeling a sense of helplessness, hopelessness, and despair. But, David encouraged himself through this imaginary conversation with Doeg, pointing out the fact that the righteous always win. In such a situation, we must also remember the rest of the story.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
Ultimately, evil always loses to righteousness.
- araratchurch
- May 21, 2022
- 3 min read
“Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.”
Psalms 51:18 NKJV
No matter what you think of the 2020 presidential election in the United States, one thing is undeniable: a lot of things have happened since the administration was changed, and none of it has been good. You see, when the leaders of a country are out of favor with God, the whole country suffers. You might wonder why I would say that the current administration is out of favor with God. Well, it’s very simple, and has nothing to do with a particular political persuasion. No administration that pushes abortion and other iniquity can possibly be pleasing to the Lord. When parents whose only “crime” is not wanting their children going to the bathroom with the opposite sex, or not wanting their elementary age children exposed to graphic sexual materials, or not wanting their child to be encouraged to have gender dysphoria, are investigated as “domestic terrorists,” you know the leadership of our country has taken a leap further away from God. I make no statement regarding the previous administration, I’m referencing where we are now; and, it’s a result of corruption on many levels.
The proverbial writer rightly says:
“Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.”
Proverbs 14:34 NKJV
The Apostle Paul, in speaking to his spiritual son, Timothy, explains the importance of praying for godly leadership:
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”
I Timothy 2:1-2 NKJV
In our portion from Psalms today we see David ending his prayer for restoration from the Lord, ending with his request that the Lord rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. As we know, at that time, the walls of a city were a crucial line of defense, and apparently some portions were in bad repair. But beyond that, David knew that his iniquity concerning Bathsheba and the death of Uriah, had caused great trouble for Israel, breaking down its spiritual wall of defense.
At yet another time, David saw the disfavor of the Lord expressed toward Israel, because of his own failing. This time the sin was taking the census of Israel:
“Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel. So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.”
I Chronicles 21:1, 7, 14 NKJV
David saw firsthand what his failings brought on his country.
Now, You might think it isn’t fair that a whole country suffers because of evil leaders; but that is the way things work with the Lord.
Given, whereas for the leader of a country, the repercussions of their failure before the Lord, may have further reaching consequences, make no mistake, in our own lives, when we fail the Lord, others may suffer: family, friends, employees, and so on. We do not live nor die unto ourselves. Our responsibility to do the right thing is not only for our benefit, but for the benefit—and perhaps salvation—of those with whom we are involved.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
Godly leadership leads to a peaceable life; evil leadership leads to ruin.