- araratchurch
- Apr 9, 2022
- 3 min read
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”
Psalms 17:15 NKJV
Years ago we sang a song entitled, “Only Jesus can Satisfy your Soul.” This was also one of those songs that would bring my father to tears. Yes, he would have us sing it over and over again as he ministered to people who were hurting and longing for answers to their heart’s cry.
As I have said before, my father never lost the thrill of God’s love and mercy toward him. Additionally, he never sought out “things,” or even other people, to bring peace in his storms or bread for his soul. As a matter of fact, thinking back, I don’t remember my father ever having a true confidant or someone who he could depend on as a source of strength. What I do remember is him “getting before the Lord” and pouring himself out before the One he did seek out for comfort and satisfaction. This man who brought comfort to so many, basically went it alone in his times of need. Yes, for much of his life he had only the Lord to depend on, but the Lord was enough for him.
Looking around you—or possibly looking in the mirror—you see hurting, longing, eyes, desirous of satisfaction and relief. Sadly, many people are seeking after satisfaction or comfort from all kinds of sources other than the Lord.
Some people, seeming to “have it all” in terms of things, opportunities, or circumstances, still have those same hungry eyes. I have known people who spent their whole lives seeking after things, getting all they could, withholding nothing from themselves, yet nothing was ever enough to satisfy their soul.
In our portion from Psalms today we see that David understands that his satisfaction comes from the Lord. When he talks of waking up in the presence of the Lord, he is not only referencing knowing the Lord is with him in this life, but also there is the projection toward waking up from this life, into the next, in God’s presence. Earlier in this psalm he has been asking the Lord to deliver him from unrighteous people. In describing these people, he references them as being those who now seem to have it all, but will have no hope beyond this life. He is contrasting his way of being and doing to the way of being and doing of these unrighteous people (who happen to be giving him grief).
Yes, David sought and found his help and his reward in the Lord.
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalms 16:11 NKJV
Now, it’s hard enough to see other people who seem to have an easier life than you, still seeking out “sympathy” from others, and/or still being miserable. It can be a whole new level of being irked when those same people are trying to make you miserable. What we must remember is that the Lord is the source of our comfort and satisfaction in this life and the next. Those other people who never seem to have enough, never will.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
Only His presence can fully satisfy your soul in this life and the next.
- araratchurch
- Apr 8, 2022
- 3 min read
“O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.”
Psalms 16:5-6 NKJV
If you haven’t read about the Hebrew tradition (specifically, Galilean tradition) of marriage during the times of Jesus, you really need to do that. It is stunning to see the direct comparison between the things Jesus did and said with that marriage tradition. He and His disciples—being from the Galilean area—assure that He knew what He was saying; and the disciples knew what He meant. For our purposes today we will focus on the part of that marriage tradition known as the betrothal.
From what I understand, when a young man decided (or his parents decided) that he would like to marry a particular young woman, he and his father would write out a contract, clearly proposing the price of the bride as well as what would be provided for her. The hopeful groom would then go and visit the intended bride’s house where, in the company of her father, the groom would go over the marriage contract drawn up by his father. If the intended bride’s father agreed to the terms, the hopeful groom would pour a cup of wine and offer it to the intended bride. If she accepted the proposal, she signified this by drinking from the groom’s cup. If she did so, she was as connected to him as she would be after the marriage ceremony, taking place one to two years later. [Spoiler alert: the groom did not know when he was coming back. Only his father would determine that when the place the groom had built in his father’s house was ready. His coming would be a surprise to the bride, who—knowing the season in which he would come—would be watching for him, and listening for the sounding of the shofar. The bride would then go out to meet the groom with her attendants. Those who were not ready to go out at the time of the groom’s coming, would not be able to go into the wedding back at the father’s house. Now just let all that sink in.]
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Matthew 26:26-28 NKJV
Jesus offered the cup to His disciples. This cup of the new covenant was purchased by His own blood. Drinking from His cup signifies that we are accepting His offer and becoming fully His.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 AMP
The apostle Paul apparently understood what Jesus did for us, having offered us a cup of betrothal, and paying the price to make us His own.
Referencing back to the Galilean wedding tradition: once the bride drank from the groom’s cup, she was fully His. She would now wear a veil indicating that she was no longer “available.”
“You cannot drink [both] the Lord’s cup and the cup of demons. You cannot share in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons [thereby becoming partners with them].”
1 Corinthians 10:21 AMP
The price Jesus paid for us: His own blood, is remembered every time we partake of the Lord‘s table. We are not often making that covenant when taking from the Lord’s table; but we are often remembering that we are not our own, being bought with a price. As such, we cannot make ourselves available to the world. That would be spiritual fornication and adultery; the Lord will not allow that.
In our portion from Psalms today we see that David gloried in the drinking of the Lord’s cup, no matter what that involved for him. He was truly aligned with the Lord. Additionally, he knew that with that covenantal relationship, came a wonderful inheritance.
Think about it: the bride (mentioned above), betrothed to her groom, was now—not just his possession—but also possessed the things promised to her by the groom.
Just so, being betrothed to our Lord by accepting His cup, is an awesome honor and privilege, accompanied by unimaginable promises benefits!
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
Drinking from the Lord’s cup comes with a wonderful inheritance.
- araratchurch
- Apr 7, 2022
- 3 min read
“As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.””
Psalms 16:3 NKJV
My father used to speak often about the fact that when he was very young, he would seek out the old men with whom to associate so that he could listen to what they had to say. He desired the wisdom that they could perhaps impart to him. As he became an older person himself, he was stymied that it seemed that younger people no longer were seeking out the wisdom of their elders. Now, I know that there has “always” been a tendency for young people to think they know more than older people, but, it seems as though the honor and respect once aimed toward the elders, has been redirected toward those who are “popular.” Sadly, many professing Christians don’t allow godlessness to disqualify those they choose to admire, venerate, and emulate.
I truly believe that a sure sign of a society’s moral decay is the ubiquitous hero worship of scoundrels. I understand that these people are not generally admired BECAUSE they are scoundrels. However, the fact that they are morally bankrupt often doesn’t matter if there is something else they possess that their admirers desire to have or to be.
Until very recently, who ever heard of the title, “Influencer,” as being a thing? Now, an Influencer is someone on social media who—having no other claim to fame except for having possibly hundreds of thousands of followers—are paid big bucks to endorse or promote products or ideas to their “followers.” Sadly, the opinions of these Influencers is swallowed undiluted by their captivated audience.
It is a tragedy to see girls wanting to be like young women who exhibit very lewd behavior. Young boys also get caught up in admiring those who seem to get the awards, applause, accolades, and yes, money.
Now, our own government is exalting people who are actually very troubled individuals. In an attempt to normalize—or actually promote evil behavior—people are put into positions of power who would never have even been considered before. Please understand me, I don’t believe in abusing or treating any individuals in a disrespectful way. However, to go to the other extreme and make role models of people who basically need deliverance, is mind boggling. Again, even more tragic is that many professing Christians keep righteous living corralled in its “proper” place with “God stuff.”
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
I John 2:15-17 NKJV
If we continue to embrace the ungodly as heroes, it won’t be long before our country crumbles under the weight of its own corruption.
In our portion from Psalms today we see that David knew the importance—not only of associating with the righteous (which we find as a theme in many of his writings)—but of also making those people the ones you honor and respect.
“I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites. I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked.”
Psalms 26:4-5 NKJV
We must all be honest with ourselves. If we find that we enjoy the company of the wicked, or being entertained by wicked people, we must face the fact that our affections have shifted away from the Lord. And, if we do not correct the object of our affections, we will find our behavior following after the spirit of the world and not the Spirit of our God.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
Righteous people should be the heroes and role models of those who belong to the Lord.