Monthly Archives: November 2014

They All Ate All That They Wanted

23 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by in Psalms

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Here are some excellent thoughts from Wally on walking and living in faithm

wally12662013's avatarMorning Meds (Take 1 each Morning with all the Prayer You Need)

God is waiting to show you the Way. God is waiting to show you the Way. 8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”​
10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.—-John 6:8-1​3​ (NLT)
​We​ can’t be quite sure how many people Jesus fed that…

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The LORD Sees and Hears

17 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by in Psalm 38, Psalms

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Reading:                                     Psalm 38

(Verses 9-16)

All my longings lie open before you, LORD;     

my sighing is not hidden from you.

My heart pounds, my strength fails me;     

even the light has gone from my eyes.

My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;     

my neighbors stay far away.

Those who want to kill me set their traps,     

those who would harm me talk of my ruin;     

all day long they scheme and lie.

I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,     

like the mute, who cannot speak;

I have become like one who does not hear,     

whose mouth can offer no reply.

LORD, I wait for you; you will answer, LORD my God.

For I said, “Do not let them gloat     

or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.” (NIV)

Reflection

Here in Psalm 38, David has brought all his troubles before the LORD. He laments over his sin and the downcast state in which he finds himself. Hear his confession: All my longings lie open before you, LORD; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.

New York Skyline, David Kitz

New York Skyline, David Kitz

In humble prayer David has come before a God who always hears and sees. God hears and sees even when we wish He could not. He sees our triumphs and our failures, our victories over temptation and our slide into defeat. He hears every idle word and understands every crass and selfish thought. The LORD sees and hears. He saw Adam’s sin in the Garden before He met with him in the cool of the evening. God sees our sins long before we bow in repentance.

God sees and hears all we say and do. This should bring comfort to the soul in distress and a healthy fear to the soul tempted to sin. All my longings lie open before you, LORD: the wholesome longings and those that spring from impure motives. The LORD sees my needs and my wants, my hopes and my dreams, but more than that, God understands my motives. David brought all of this before the LORD and so should we.

Though we may not see the pain of those around us, God sees our suffering. Though we may be deaf to the needs of others, God is not deaf to our plea for help. Though we may stand mute when others need defence or encouragement, our God speaks. He does not remain silent. His Spirit speaks even to you—even to me.

Response: LORD God, speak to me when I am downcast. Lift me when I am in need. Forgive me when I fail. LORD, I wait for you; you will answer, LORD my God. Amen.

Your Turn: How has the all-hearing, all-seeing God helped you?

Lamenting over Sin

09 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by in Psalms

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Reading:                                     Psalm 38

A psalm of David. A petition.
(Verses 1-8)
LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.
I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart. (NIV)

Reflection
Psalm 38 is a psalm of personal lamentation. The psalmist, David, laments the state of his personal and spiritual health. Notes of joy and triumph are absent from this psalm; instead we find David in a state of deep melancholy.

Sunrise 11-03-2014 David Kitz

Sunrise 11-03-2014 David Kitz

What is the cause of this melancholy—this depression verging on despair? David attributes his current ill health to sin. He has sinned and is bearing the consequences of his sin. His words of confession make this perfectly clear. Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.

What a refreshingly different approach to one’s problems! Rather than blaming others or blaming God, David takes responsibility for his self-inflicted difficulties. How different from the pop-psychology of today! Rather than deal with the sin issue we are often advised to pop a pill, blame a parent, a colleague or society in general. Rather than take our problems to God the world encourages us to indulge ourselves with another bottle, another donut or another spouse. Meanwhile, our putrid load of sin piles ever higher.

David was on the right track when he confessed his sin to the LORD. He laments, “My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.”

Thanks be to God! He can handle our sinful folly. He sent Jesus to die on the cross to wipe away our sins.

Response: LORD God, I thank you for Jesus. I am thankful that I can put my complete trust in you. You forgive me and cleanse me from all my sins. I am saved by your amazing grace not by my effort. Amen.

Your Turn: When was the last time you lamented over sin in your life?