As you can see, it took me quite a while to finish my thoughts on all this. I hope it will edify you in some way.
September 12-21, 2017
Worship: Behold God by Harvest
Behold God is my salvation
I will trust I will not be afraid
Behold God is my strength and my song
And he has become my Lord
On days that I'm weak it's hard to believe
Still I know he'll see me through
Give me the power to conquer the hour
With everything I do
I lift up my voice and sings songs of joy
To the God who reigns on high
Give me new courage Lord
Won't let anything hurt me
As I sing to hear my song
Behold God is my salvation
I will trust I will not be afraid
Behold God is my strength and my song
And he has become my Lord
So with joy I will shout
As I rise in the clouds
On the day my Lord returns
Sit as His table and drink of salvation
And Praise His Holy Name
Dance around Heaven with Moses and Aron
And proclaim what God has done
So begone all you troubles
And all of you devils
Because Jesus He's my Song
Behold God is my salvation
I will trust I will not be afraid
Behold God is my strength and my song
And he has become my Lord
Behold God is my salvation
I will trust I will not be afraid
Behold God is my strength and my song
And he has become my Lord
He has become my Lord
He is my Lord
Well if I were rating my days off this week I would give this weekend a 2. But then I am reminded of this week's sermon message. One of the points was that if you can change your circumstances then change them and if you can’t, change your perspective.
Now, this may sound simple but putting it into practice is not. When it comes to changing circumstances, that takes wisdom, organization, discipline, and perseverance. These are my very weaknesses. I have confessed before of my ability to be easily distracted and chase some rabbits. Then there’s my constant battle with tiredness.
It is a miracle that I am typing this right now. Earlier, I blew off going to my Tuesday life group because of getting up late, tiredness, and piddling around on the computer trying to fix a Word document I had converted from a PDF file. It has to do with the new study material from Band of Brothers. Maybe I would have had more time to do this, but I spent too much time reading emails earlier. Do you see the rabbits scurrying around? Or to change the metaphor, the snowball growing as time rolled on? Then fatigue set in and I laid down on my bed to take a nap. I was already nodding off at the computer. While I was lying there, I cried out to the Lord that I was tired of being tired and not getting things done. That’s when the truth of the second half of the point sunk in. I needed to change my perspective.
I’ve written about perspective before (See Feb. 8, 2016; Oct. 28, 2016; July 31, 2017). I need to realize that my times are in God’s hands. I also realize I need to be a good steward of time. God is sovereign, and I am responsible. Twin truths - a seeming antinomy - yet right according to the testimony of Scripture.
As my perspective changed and came into focus, I realized that this change also led to new opportunities to change my circumstances. So I got up, and here I am typing this brief reflection. As Beaver (not to be confused with Beber) use to say, “Who would’ve thunk it?” Are your circumstances frustrating you? Are you part of the problem? Change your perspective. Now, what opportunities are coming into view to change your circumstances? Most importantly, did you pray about it? Is it in harmony with His Word? Will it bring glory to God and silence the enemy?
Give Me your sorrows and give Me your hurts
Give all your doubts, and all that subverts
You say that you have but keep taking them back
You feel like retreating when life’s out of whack
I’ve gathered all your tears and will not forget
I’ve heard all your cries when pain doth beset
My answer will come when the time is right
My plan will be done, so don’t give up the fight
For My grace is sufficient and My love is strong
For every heartache, I will give you a song
And rest in My arms and trust in My power
And know that I am your strong, mighty tower!
A Prayer for Salvation
Lord, save me I cried
As I looked into the mirror
With horror, I saw myself
My sinful ways became clearer
Save me from my selfishness
Save me from my pride
Save me from my iniquities
The sins I try to hide
Save me from my doubts
Save me from my fears
Save me from my sorrows
The trials that bring me tears
Save me from my anger
Save me from my fury
Save me from my angst
The stuff that makes me worry
Save me from self-righteousness
Save me from cheap grace
Save me from religion
The paths I like to chase
Save me from destruction
Save me from the past
Save me from the inferno
The torture that will last
As I turned to walk away
I heard Christ beckon me
Come to Me and find rest
And salvation you will see
WORD:
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Ps 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation —
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life —
of whom shall I be afraid?
NIV
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Ps 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Ps 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
KJV
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Ps 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
ESV
|
I am actually beginning this portion of my journal a week after I “penned” the previous part of my journal last week at about this same time. My day off this week was not much different regarding unproductivity. This week’s time was interrupted by the changing of my source for internet and TV. I did this to save money after my internet cost went up, but it cost me some sleep to get it done.
As I look back at my previous study on “light,” I realized some things still needed to be said about this word before I moved on to the word “salvation.” All that I said before was informative, but I want to clarify and emphasize its meaning in this passage. This may take some time and several days with my limited time and tiredness as factors.
One thing I failed to point out is that this phrase is unique in that it appears nowhere else in the Old Testament. David, the poet, and reflective man that he was had used the term “light” in many of his psalms. For consistency, and because the ESV is more literal than the NIV, I have chosen to use it to illustrate his use of the word “light” in his writings. I have put the phrase I want to highlight in italics.
Ps 4:6-7
There are many who say, "Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!"
You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
ESV
Ps 36:9
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.
ESV
Ps 37:5-6
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
ESV
Ps 38:10
My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
ESV
Ps 43:3
Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
ESV
Ps 44:3
for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.
ESV
Ps 49:19
his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again see light.
ESV
Ps 56:13
For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
ESV
Ps 139:11-12
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,"
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
ESV
As I glean through these verses where David uses the word light, some things become apparent. David uses this word to express joy, favor, life, strength, truth, guidance, clarity, vindication, revelation, and hope. Rather than trying to equate these meanings to a particular verse I will let you meditate on how they apply to them. More than one idea could be inferred from some of these verses. For example, the ideas of joy and favor, as I see it, are both found in Psalm 4:6-7. The ideas of strength, life, and hope can be inferred from the negative statement made by David in Psalm 38:10.
One verse that may seem out of place here, is Psalm 37:5-6. It would appear that David is using a simile here and the word light has the usual meaning of visible light. However, when I consulted the commentaries (because I was not going to include this verse for the express reason I just gave), it seemed to me that by inference it had the idea of vindication, revelation, and hope.
I quote Calvin and Matthew Henry on this verse:
“And he will bring forth thy righteousness as the light.” This David says, in order to anticipate the misgivings which often trouble us when we seem to lose our labor in faithfully serving God, and in dealing uprightly with our neighbors; nay, when our integrity is either exposed to the calumnies of the wicked, or is the occasion of injury to us from men; for then it is thought to be of no account in the sight of God. David, therefore, declares, that God will not suffer our righteousness to be always hid in darkness, but that he will maintain it and bring it forth to the light; namely, when he will bestow upon us such a reward as we desire. He alludes to the darkness of the night, which is soon dispelled by the dawning of the day; as if he had said, “We may be often grievously oppressed, and God may not seem to approve our innocence, yet this vicissitude should no more disturb our minds than the darkness of the night which covers the earth; for then the expectation of the light of day sustains our hope.”
(from Calvin's Commentaries, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005-2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
“He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noon-day." (v. 6), that is, "he shall make it to appear that thou art an honest man, and that is honour enough." First, it is implied that the righteousness and judgment of good people may, for a time, be clouded and eclipsed, either by remarkable rebukes of Providence (Job's great afflictions darkened his righteousness) or by the malicious censures and reproaches of men, who give them bad names which they no way deserve, and lay to their charge things which they know not. Secondly, it is promised that God will, in due time, roll away the reproach they are under, clear up their innocency, and bring forth their righteousness, to their honour, perhaps in this world, at furthest in the great day, Matt 13:43. Note, if we take care to keep a good conscience, we may leave it to God to take care of our good name.
(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
With these meanings in mind when David uses the word “light,” the use of this word in Psalm 27:1 becomes all the richer. David can say, “ the Lord is my light.”
That is:
· He is my joy and happiness
· He shows me favor
· He gives me life and strength
· He guides me with his truth
· He brings clarity to my situation
· He vindicates my reputation and reveals my innocence
· He is my hope
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