Are You Honest with GOD? - Psalm 60-66
Insight Into Scripture
I hope that you have had an exciting fourth of July. I am writing this before we go out on the fourth, but we have a very late night planned!
Just to refresh what direction we are taking, a lot of the times when we read the Bible we look for lessons, guidance, and theology. As we read through the Psalms, I would like to turn the analytical part of our brains off, and I would like to turn on the sensory and feeling parts on. Alot of the Psalms were written as prayers and songs to GOD. They were written by men who were seeking the face of GOD, praising GOD, and crying out for help. I believe that we should read them as they were meant to be.
Book 2 Chapters 42-72
Psalm 64
1 Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.
5 They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, "Who will see them ?"
6 They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!" Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.
7 But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down.
8 He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9 All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.
10 Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!
The psalm above is written by David. I have always admired David's honesty with GOD. The fact that GOD called David a man after HIS own heart has made me want to know why GOD made such a bold statement, that HE didn't make about anyone else.
David had a relationship with GOD like one that you would have with a very good friend. I would imagine that GOD was his best friend other than the friendship that he had with Jonathan. A good friendship means being honest with the person, opening up your heart for all kinds of emotion. Knowing that your friend will accept you no matter what. We see evidence of this openness with the first verse. David asks for GOD to hear his complaint.
I bet if you talked to some people about complaining to GOD, they might tell you that you should be careful, that GOD may get angry at you for your complaints, and punish you.
Do you have that kind of relationship that David had with GOD? A totally open and honest friendship. One that you would not be afraid to speak your mind to GOD, you can do this in confidence due to the fact that you praise and worship HIM daily. When I became sick I was very angry at GOD, and I screamed and cried out to HIM many times. I know by me not holding my feelings inside, but expressing them to GOD, has helped the relationship that I have today.
He truly is my best friend, I love HIM more than my life, each day I wake and am excited for what HE has planned for me. We draw closer and closer each day, I never thought I would ever have this amazing relationship. The only way that I could have this kind of feeling is to start with an open relationship with GOD. If you do not have this kind of relationship with HIM, what is holding you back?
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Bible Trivia:
How long did it take Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
Nehemiah 6:15
ANSWER: fifty-two days
6:15 -
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
Completion of the wall
The time it took to complete the wall is considered to be short. The walls had been in ruins for more than a hundred years, and now they are upright in only fifty-two days!
Why did these walls lay in disrepair for so long? The walls were wanted. People knew not having the walls was ruining their lives, but no one stepped up to seek the solution.
Finally, a man came who sought a way to rebuild the walls. He tarried and sought God in prayer, he planned, he asked boldly, he fought, he encouraged, he stood strong, he saw the job through to completion. BUT he also had people around him with the same kind of HEART!
God used Nehemiah to set right a hundred year old problem in less two months and the same God sits in heaven and wants to work through us today. I know I have had an idea of how God could use me and found myself not pursuing after HIM
At the beginning, when he saw the need, Nehemiah prayed for four months (the difference in time between Nehemiah 1:1 and 2:1) but the work itself took less than two months. Nehemiah prayer time was longer than the work to rebuild the wall!
This shows the spiritual battle was actually greater than the material battle. We often face the same today, but it can be hard to believe!
When the wall was finished, their enemies were very disheartened. How great it is to dishearten the enemies of God's people and to see them discouraged.
The battles were hard, the work was big and there were challenges from within and without. But the job was now finished, and victory was sweet!
The enemies were disheartened not just because the wall were finished, but especially because they knew that this work was done by our God. When something is dne by OUR God our enemies notice it also.
The enemy is only disheartened when the work is done by God; if it is the product of man's efforts, they just laugh. Men might be fooled, and see a work of man and be impressed, but angel in heaven and every demon in hell know what has been done by man and what has been done by God
This to applies to the things in our on lives God puts before us to accomplish, it must be done through Him. We need o be careful and keep us out of it and HIM ALL IN IT
A NOW strong, secure people of Jerusalem are a witness to the surrounding nations. Many of our Christian lives are not taken seriously because our "walls" are broken and in need of repair. Lets not be like the people of Israel and let them lay in need of repair for years today start to pray and seek the Lord for his rebuilding or repairing plans, and see how others notice.
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
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