- araratchurch
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah”
Psalms 4:1-4 NKJV
I guess you could say that I was a dramatic child. I felt deeply and responded intensely. Often, I found that my reaction to abusive behavior was dismissed as being the result of being “overly sensitive.” In retrospect, as a mature adult, I can truthfully say that whereas some things might have hit me harder than others, to a great extent, my reaction was just a raw emotional response to very hurtful behavior accompanied by deceit. And, when hurtful behavior is accompanied by deceitful behavior, it can add to the perception that one is “overly sensitive.”
As an adult, I have been frustrated at times with how gullible some people are to deceitful people, failing to “catch” people who throw stones and hide their hands. Yes, I sometimes wonder at the human tendency to love a lie.
Now please understand, I know that there has always been deceit in the world. Deceit is nothing new. Indeed, the first couple fell victim to deceit.
“When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.””
Genesis 3:8-13 NLT
The Apostle Paul spoke of deceit being a major factor in how the Antichrist will operate in the Last Days before the coming of Jesus Christ.
“This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.”
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NLT
Since we are living in the Last Days before the return of Jesus, the world system has ratcheted up the level of deceit such that many now no longer even know where to look for the truth. Even trusted sources of truth—like the legacy media—have been corrupted. And, make no mistake, with the increase of AI, finding the truth will become even harder for those who are not grounded in Jesus Christ.
Through deceit, I have seen people’s characters impugned, lives shattered, and people’s rights totally disregarded. Deceit has even destabilized countries and ushered in oppressive leadership.
Truly, those who seek after righteousness, trying—by the help of God—to live justly, can become overwhelmed with deceit and wickedness being performed with seeming impunity, whether in personal interactions or in global affairs.
In today’s selection from Psalms, we see David dealing with this very topic of weaponized deceit. That is, deceit used to cause harm and/or gain control. David begins by approaching the Lord with recognition of all the times the Lord has come to his aid. He is confident that the Lord will help him even as he expresses his frustration with those who are lying against him with seeming impunity. He wonders—as we often do—at those who willfully, not only embrace deceit, but seek after it and love it. But notice, he ends with self-reflection and basically a “note to self” to not meet deceit with sinful behavior wrought out of anger.
Let me save you from entering into a fool’s errand. Trying to fight against deceit with counter accusations and anger, does not generally work. People who have loved lies so long that the devil has blinded them, will often resist the truth with great zeal.
Allow me to encourage you to just continue to live and speak the truth. And, whether your concern is about what’s going on on the world stage, or in your personal life, do as David did: Take your frustration over deceitful behavior to the Lord. Allow your trust in the Lord’s judgement and justice to keep you from stumbling over the deceitful behavior of others.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
The Lord is never deceived. He will bring justice.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
100 “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.”
Psalms 3:5 NKJV
I remember that when I was a child, I sometimes dreaded for night to come. You see, if I had been scared by something during the day, I could put it out of my mind. But it seemed with the stillness of the night, it would come back to me, manifesting in bad dreams and restless sleep. Sadly, for many people, troubled sleep doesn’t end with childhood.
I remember my mother saying that when she went to bed at night, all of her fears would come back to her mind, and then she would worry. Why? Because during the day she was busy with her responsibilities and the clamor of life. But the stillness of the night, without all those distractions, allowed that nagging fear to manifest itself.
When inquiring about someone’s worst fear(s), the question is often asked: “What keeps you up at night?” Apparently, sleep disturbed by worry is ubiquitous.
Doing a cursory look into the cost of insomnia, I found that it adds nearly 100 billion dollars per year to the cost of the healthcare system in the United States. Imagine the cost worldwide! But, the potential monetary drain pales in comparison to the drain on productivity—and on a personal level—to one’s own sense of well-being. Now, whereas this is all factually true, it should not be true for the child of God.
In today’s opening passage, we see David expressing the fact that he can rest in peace, rest with confidence, knowing that although he is asleep, the Lord is awake, watching over him. David also expresses his ability to rest in the Lord elsewhere in his psalms such as we see here:
“I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Psalms 4:8 NKJV
As well, this confidence to be able to rest in peace is echoed in two of the songs of ascent. (Psalms 120 - 134 are considered “songs of ascent,” apparently sung as worshipers climbed the hill towards Jerusalem, or on other pilgrimages.)
One of these psalms is credited to David’s son, Solomon.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.”
Psalms 127:1-2 NKJV (Solomon)
Solomon reveals that restful sleep is a gift from the Lord to His beloved.
In this song of ascent, we hear the assurance of God’s never-blinking, watchful eye:
“He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
Psalms 121:3-4 NKJV
The Lord once spoke to me that there are two dangerous mindsets. One is that of “sufficiency outside of God.” Surprisingly, the other is “insufficiency in God.” Now, we readily recognize that going it on our own, acting according to our own will and understanding, is very dangerous. However, we may fail to understand how dangerous it is to be in Christ and still are fearful and unbelieving.
Of course, many people, even Christians, struggle with laying aside the troubles of the day as they lie down to sleep. But if we truly believe—as did David—that the Lord is our Shepherd, then we should also believe that He leads us into the green pastures of His provision, care, and keeping. If He is not with us, we have every reason to worry. But, if He is with us, we have every reason to have confidence that He is taking care of us as He has promised!
Child of God, the sentiment to “rest in peace,” should not be reserved for the dead. They have either attained eternal peace or eternal distress. However, we who are living, desperately need to rest in peace now by remembering that the Lord is watching over us.
As part of the Lord’s dear flock, we don’t find peace by counting sheep. Rather, we find our peace and rest by looking at our wonderful Shepherd.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
If the Lord is with you, you can REST IN PEACE!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jul 18
- 4 min read
100 “Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.”
Psalms 3:2-3 NKJV
I was sitting on the floor when one of my adult, and at the time, very successful older relatives, passing by me, said, “I heard you’re going to Agnes Scott College.” I answered that I was, prompting the relative to ask what would be my major. I told the person that I was going to have a double major, one of those majors being in Psychology. I remember how the person slapped their leg, laughing and repeating to another relative standing nearby, what I had just said. At this, they both laughed. The first person went on to say something meaning that I would never make it at that college in that major. As a very young person, that was a stinging insult coming from someone who’s approval held great clout with our family. But even then, I knew that they were wrong, and that I would make it, as I did, with the help of the Lord.
Unbelievably, that was over 50 years ago. Time after time since then I have seen the Lord do what naysayers lampooned, including the establishment of Ararat Church.
Anytime I think of naysayers, my mind goes to the story of Nehemiah who had found himself—in exile—being the cupbearer to a Persian king. As the account goes, he went back to Jerusalem to rebuild its broken down and burned walls. However, there was a group who tried to stop his work through the use of false accusation (when ridicule failed to succeed). They had first tried to stop the work by getting in on the inside; but Nehemiah wisely rejected their “help.”
“But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.””
Nehemiah 2:19-20 NKJV
Predictably, the naysayers went scorched earth, doubling down on their efforts to intimidate Nehemiah into stopping the work of rebuilding.
“Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. In it was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king. And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together. Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.” For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”
Nehemiah 6:5-9 NKJV
Nehemiah continued to depend on the Lord, ignoring the trash-talk with which he was constantly being bombarded. And sure enough, he completed the work he was sent to do.
“My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid. So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.”
Nehemiah 6:14-16 NKJV
I remember my father preaching sermons about the resistance against Nehemiah in which he would stress the verse saying, “and Gashmu [Geshem] says . . . .” In emphasizing this, he was making the point that there is ALWAYS someone around acting as a naysayer concerning you and what you are doing.
Today we opened with a portion of the third psalm. Here, King David is referencing those who were saying that he had no chance of making it. But, reflecting on their words, he affirms his trust in the Lord saying, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.” He knew that the Lord could make him able to hold his head up in confidence, rather than hanging it in shame and defeat. He knew that the Lord’s word carries the day and has the everlasting say.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
Ultimately, what the Lord says is the only commentary that matters.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!