A Spurgeon Nugget to Make You Smile...

I've been putting together lesson plans to teach Psalm 20 and 21 to my ladies Bible study.  These two psalms have been called twin warfare events.  The king is about to go to war in Psalm 20 and most commentators agree that in Psalm 21 we find the celebration after the king returns victorious from battle.  Spurgeon's "Treasury of David" never ceases to delight.  I looked at his notes on Psalm 21:12.  At this point in the psalm we are in the midst of a Messianic reference to the Lord devouring His enemies.

Here's the first part of the verse..."For Thou wilt make them turn their back..."

Here are Spurgeon's thoughts..."For a time the foes of God may make bold advances, and threaten to overthrow everything, but a few ticks of the clock will alter the face of their affairs.  At first they advance impudently enough, but Jehovah meets them to their teeth, and a taste of the sharp judgment of God speedily makes them flee in dismay.  The original has in it the thought of the wicked being set as a butt for God to shoot at, a target for his wrath to aim at.  What a dreadful situation!"

Psalm 119:92

"If Thy law and not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction."

A couple of observations regarding the psalmist... 

The psalmist had undergone tremendous pain and misery.  The psalmist took great pleasure and joy in God's instruction. 

That delight, that taking great pleasure and joy in God's instruction served as a life preserver.

God's word is powerful and God's word is sufficient.  It has great sustaining power for the pressures and pains that come to us in this life.

Happy Birthday Karin!

In case you didn't know, I have a twin...she's the one on the right...

"Dying is not the worst thing that could happen to us...

...being unfaithful is."

I just listened to an excellent message by Charles Cooper.  You can hear it too by clicking on this link. 

In the message he talks about how intensely lawless it is going to be during the great tribulation.  Injustice will be the order of the day and Christians will have no remedy.  This message will quickly sober you up to the time that is going to be coming upon the world.  How soon?  We don't know, but we need to develop the mindset now that to die for Christ would be an honor.  It is not the worst thing that could happen to us...but being unfaithful is.   

A DELIGHTFUL SPURGEON NUGGET

"He who looks up at the firmament and then writes himself down as an atheist, brands himself at the same moment as an idiot or a liar."

(This is definitely in my top five favorite Spurgeon quotes!)

New Front Steps

I thought it would be fun to post my latest handy-girl project.  What makes it challenging is to work while the yellow-jackets are dive-bombing...  Thursday, rest and study time.  Friday, new back door!  Having fun and staying really busy Orange! 

PERSONAL HOLINESS

A friend asked me today if I thought there was a lack of personal holiness. My answer was yes. After we ended our conversation I asked myself the question why? I think it's because much of the church no longer has a high view of Scripture. God's Word is the means by which God does His work. By it people are saved, sanctified, equipped, trained, motivated, and given hope. When God's people do not spend time in God's Word, motivation for personal holiness will begin to wane. God does His work of making people more like Christ when His people are in His Word. The Spirit uses the Word, and when rightly understood and applied, we become more and more like Christ.

Make it your priority to get back into the Word if this spiritual discipline has been neglected. It is the only source of truth that convicts of sin, warns of judgment, matures the believer, and purifies and cleanses. And once it becomes a habit again, what may seem at first like a duty will be transformed into great, great joy!

Lamentations 3:22-25- "The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease. For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion says my soul, therefore I have hope in Him. The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him."