rejoice

God Never Disappoints

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. – Romans 5:1-5 ESV

Having settled the case of whether justification is by works or by faith, Paul now moves on in his discussion about the gospel of God. Paul emphatically and confidently states, “since we have been justified by faith” (Romans 5:1 ESV). The tense of the Greek word he uses is extremely important because it speaks of an event that has already happened. In essence, Paul is saying, “having been declared righteous, we have peace with God.” It is in the past tense and describes an event that has already taken place.

Once someone places their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, they are immediately declared righteous or are justified by God. Their debt to God is paid in full, their sins are removed, and they receive the righteousness of Christ. It is a done deal, accomplished entirely by God and as a result of faith. We no longer have to justify ourselves to God because we have been freed from trying to earn His favor. We have been released from the impossible burden of living up to His righteous standards in the hopes that He will accept us. Our salvation is accompanied by our justification.

One of the greatest benefits of our justification is the peace we enjoy with God. In verse 10 of this same chapter, Paul makes it clear that, before salvation, we were all enemies of God and subject to His wrath. We stood condemned and deserving of His righteous, just judgment. Paul emphasized this vital truth in his letter to the church in Colossae

…you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. – Colossians 1:21-22 NLT

God’s gospel, His plan for man’s salvation, has provided a means by which sinful, guilty, and rebellious men and women can be made right with Him, enjoying a state of permanent peace and the uninterrupted joy of His presence. The Greek word Paul used for peace carries the idea of harmony, security and safety. It is “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is” (Outline of Biblical Usage).

We enjoy this peace with God because of God’s grace; it is His unmerited favor that has made it all possible. We did nothing to deserve or earn it, and Paul reminds us that we obtained access to this grace-given position through faith. In other words, we have access into the very presence of God as a result of God’s mercy. And it is our faith in the graciousness, goodness, mercy, and kindness of God made evident in the death of His Son that makes our reconciliation with Him possible.

And the best part of this God-ordained transformation is that our newfound peace with Him is permanent and includes the future hope of our eternal relationship with Him. This is why Paul states, “we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2 ESV). There is a day coming when His Son will return, and those who have been made right with God through faith in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross will enjoy an eternity of permanent peace with God.

But in the meantime, Paul encourages us to rejoice in our present sufferings. While we wait for the hope of the glory of God, we find ourselves living on this earth and facing trials and troubles of all kinds. Our newfound peace with God has put us at odds with the world we live in. Jesus warned His disciples that their relationship with Him would draw the ire of the enemy and the world over which he rules.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” –John 15:18-19 NLT

The apostle John painted a bleak but accurate picture when he wrote, “the world around us is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19 NLT). In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul warned them that Satan was a very real enemy who, as the god of this world, had the power to deceive and dissuade humanity.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT

As a result of our newfound righteousness with God, we stand in stark contrast with the world around us. As we live by faith and in submission to His indwelling Holy Spirit, our suffering will intensify. Paul reminds us, “Continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. (Colossians 1:23 NLT).

When facing suffering, we will be tempted to bail out or give up. But we must constantly remind ourselves that the trials and difficulties we face have a divine purpose. That is why Paul encourages us to rejoice in them rather than run from them. 

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. – Romans 5:3-5 NLT

Our reconciled state with God will produce irreconcilable differences with this world. But any suffering we encounter will produce patient endurance in us. As we suffer, we learn to persevere, and that perseverance increases our Christlikeness. The author of Hebrews states that Jesus had to suffer as well; it was all part of His Father’s redemptive plan.

Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. – Hebrews 5:8-9 NLT

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. – Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT

As we patiently endure the sufferings of life, our character is tested and proven true. Our faithful endurance reveals the character of Christ in our lives, as evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

As those divine characteristics show up in our lives despite our suffering, our hope increases, our faith is strengthened, and our confidence in God grows stronger. We become increasingly more certain that we belong to Him and that we truly are new creations. Our hope in God will not leave us empty-handed or disappointed. We will never find ourselves ashamed or embarrassed because of the faith we placed in God’s promises. Our trust in Christ’s redemptive work on the cross will not fail to deliver what God has promised.  We can suffer, endure, grow, and hope “because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5 ESV).

The very presence of the Spirit within us is a reminder of God’s love for us, but He is also the source of our enduring love for God. We love because God first loved us. We endure because we rest in God’s love for us. We rejoice in trials because we know that God is using them for our good and His glory.

But as Paul has made clear, it all begins with faith, a confident hope in our faithful covenant-keeping God. Our justification is by faith, our sanctification is by faith, and our capacity to endure is the result of faith. And, as Paul reminds us, our faith in God will never disappoint.

Father, this is one of those difficult passages that seems so illogical. Rejoicing in trials is counterintuitive and seems impossible to pull off. The concept of suffering well sounds more like an oxymoron than a way life. I have no trouble believing in the reality of trial because I face them on a regular basis; it is the rejoicing part I struggle with. Yet, the older I get and the longer I live, the more I realize that Paul was right; You do use difficulties to transform us. You never said trials would be fun, but You did say they would be beneficial. When going through them, I find myself becoming far more dependent on You. Of course, I will always try to come up with my own solution. But, inevitably, my efforts fall short and I find myself turning to You for help, hope, and deliverance. And You have never disappointed me. You are always faithful and, while Your timing is not always to my liking, Your solution is always perfect. But like so many others, I am prone to forget and find myself facing the next difficulty with the same sense of hopelessness and confusion. I fail to remember all that You have done in the past. Please help me recall Your goodness and greatness when the next trial shows up so that I can rejoice in Your faithfulness long before Your deliverance appears. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

Give Thanks Where Thanks Is Due

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

Of David.

1 I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.

4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
    for great is the glory of the LORD.
6 For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands. – Psalm 138:1-8 ESV

There are times when I don’t even know myself. I do and say things that surprise even me. I can never be certain how I will react to a given situation. I may respond in calmness and patience one day, then explode in anger and impatience the next. I have a limited understanding of what motivates me and why I act the way I do. Sometimes words come out of my mouth that catch me off guard. I can be disappointed in my own response to people and circumstances. There are those moments when I can appear as a stranger – even to myself.

But God knows me. In fact, He knows me better than I know myself. David understood this prescient aspect of Yahweh’s character. He knew that God was all-knowing, all-powerful, and always present. He knew that God was always there, and that God knew every single detail of his life, including what he was thinking and what he was going to say, even before the words came out of his mouth. In the following psalm, also penned by David, he expresses his astonishment regarding Yahweh’s omnipotence.

O LORD, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, LORD. – Psalm 139:1-4 NLT

David also understood that God had a plan for his life and was orchestrating that plan every day.  From David’s perspective, things might not have always looked like God was in control, but he had learned to view his circumstances through the lens of Yahweh’s faithfulness.

Though I am surrounded by troubles,
    you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
    and the power of your right hand saves me. – Psalm 138:7 NLT

This psalm is a song of thanksgiving from a grateful God-follower. In reflecting on his life, David had seen ample reasons to give Yahweh praise for His unfailing goodness and grace.

I give you thanks, O LORD, with all my heart;
    I will sing your praises before the gods.
I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
    I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
    by all the honor of your name. – Psalm 138:1-2 NLT

David’s recollection of Yahweh’s faithfulness prompted him to declare his thankfulness in tangible ways. Despite being surrounded by nations that worshiped their false gods with equal enthusiasm, David was willing to sing Yahweh’s praises in their hearing. He wasn’t afraid of the pagans and their idols hearing his adoration and elevation of the one true God: Yahweh.

One of the ways David displayed his reverence for Yahweh was through worship. He made it a habit to come before the LORD, offering prayers, offerings, and sacrifices in His “holy temple.” At this point, the Temple was still an unrealized dream in David’s mind. He had desired to build a house for the LORD, but it would be his son Solomon who would construct the Temple. The Hebrew word David used is hêḵāl, and it can be translated as “sanctuary” or “palace.” When David moved the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, he ordered that a tent be erected in which to house this focal point of the Israelites’ sacrificial system. It remained there until Solomon completed the construction of the permanent and more palatial Temple.

But David didn’t allow the humble nature of his hêḵāl to diminish the quality of his worship. He approached it as if it were the palace of the King and a holy sanctuary where the God of the universe chose to dwell among His people. It was to this hêḵāl that David went to pray to Yahweh, whom he found to be attentive and quick to answer.

As soon as I pray, you answer me;
   you encourage me by giving me strength. – Psalm 138:3 NLT

One of the reasons David was willing to praise Yahweh “before the gods” (Psalm 138:1) was so that the kings who worshiped these false gods might understand that “the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him” (Isaiah 4:35 BSB). By singing Yahweh’s praises and verbally declaring His greatness, David hoped to influence those who placed their hope in non-existent, impotent figments of their imaginations. He envisioned a day when “all the kings of the earth” (Psalm 138:4) would give Yahweh thanks.

While David didn’t see this happen in his lifetime, his son Solomon did. The Book of 1 Kings records that Solomon’s fame spread throughout the known world, even reaching the throne room of the Queen of Sheba.

When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. – 1 Kings 10:1 NLT

She had heard rumors of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth, but when she saw it all with her own eyes, she was blown away. The size of his kingdom, the beauty of his royal palace, and the opulence of the Temple to his God left her breathless, but not without words.

“Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.” – 1 Kings 10:6-9 NLT

When she witnessed the splendor of Solomon’s kingdom, she praised Yahweh. She attributed Solomon’s success to his God. She even viewed Solomon’s reign as an expression of Yahweh’s love for His people. She sang “about the LORD’s ways, for the glory of the LORD is very great” (Psalm 138:5 NLT).

David knew he had been greatly blessed by Yahweh, and he wanted everyone to know about it. He was determined to sing Yahweh’s praises so everyone, from the lowliest peasant to the highest officials in the land, could understand that there is no one like the LORD.

But David provides a warning to all those who discover Yahweh’s superiority and supremacy.

Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble,
    but he keeps his distance from the proud. – Psalm 138:6 NLT

This great God is no respecter of persons. “For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11 NLT). He is not impressed by anyone’s credentials or accomplishments. In fact, according to James, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 NLT). James expanded on this idea in the opening chapter of his letter.

Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements. – James 1:9-11 NLT

David understood this aspect of Yahweh’s nature, having experienced both the blessings of Yahweh as a lowly shepherd and the righteous judgment of Yahweh as a mighty king. David had learned the invaluable truth that humility was a non-negotiable requirement for those who want to experience Yahweh’s presence and promises.

Even as a king, David had experienced many trials and setbacks. His crown did not immunize him from difficulty. His power and wealth could not inoculate him from suffering and sorrow. He had his fair share of enemies, problems, setbacks, roadblocks, disappointments, and moments of discouragement, but he had learned to lean on God.

You reach out your hand,
    and the power of your right hand saves me. – Psalm 138:7 NLT

A humble king is a blessed king because he is willing to submit himself to the one true King. He had learned the same great truth that James included in his letter: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor” (James 4:10 NLT).  Despite his apparent success, David had become increasingly dependent on the LORD. He didn’t allow his palace, power, and possessions to feed his pride and boost his ego. He understood that, without Yahweh, he was nothing, which prompted him to pray:

The LORD will work out his plans for my life—
    for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever.
    Don’t abandon me, for you made me. – Psalm 138:8 NLT

Father, I want to become increasingly more dependent upon You., but not is some weak and passive sense. You have blessed me with gifts and abilities, and you expect me to use them — for Your glory. You have provided me with wisdom through Your Word and power through the presence of Your indwelling Holy Spirit, and You want me to put them to use. But I don’t ever want to become cocky or overconfident in what appears to be my own strength or capabilities. David knew he was nothing without You and I want to share his perspective. I want to sing Your praises for all to hear. I want them to know that I am completely reliant upon You because You have been incredibly gracious to me. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Praise Him for His Presence

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
    praise the name of the LORD!

2 Blessed be the name of the LORD
    from this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the LORD is to be praised!

4 The LORD is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the LORD our God,
    who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the LORD. – Psalm 113:1-9 ESV

Five times in nine verses, the psalmist uses the Hebrew word hālal to call for the praise and adoration of Yahweh. This is a command, not a suggestion, directed at the people of God. He is ordering them to joyously celebrate the LORD for who He is and all that He has done for them.

Praise (hālal) the LORD!

Yes, give praise (hālal), O servants of the LORD.
    Praise (hālal) the name of the LORD!
Blessed be the name of the LORD
    now and forever.
Everywhere—from east to west—
    praise (hālal) the name of the LORD. – Psalm 113:1-3 NLT

God’s name was associated with His character, and the name the psalmist repeatedly uses when referring to God is Yᵊhōvâ. This was the name God declared when Moses asked, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” 

God had just commissioned Moses to lead His people out of captivity in Egypt, but Moses was reticent to accept this difficult assignment. Yet, God responded to Moses’ reluctance with patience, stating, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh (Yᵊhōvâ), the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:15 NLT). God was declaring He was the always-existent, ever-present One who would be a permanent fixture in the lives of His chosen people. And to drive home the permanency of His presence, God added, “This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations (Exodus 3:15 NLT).

So, when the psalmist ordered his fellow Israelites to praise the name of the LORD, he was calling them to remember that God was with them and had never forsaken them. Despite all their faults and track record of unfaithfulness, Yahweh had remained committed to the covenant promises He had made to them. He had proven His faithfulness for centuries by displaying His power, provision, and protection. From their deliverance from captivity in Egypt to their 40-year journey through the wilderness, God had been with them. When they crossed the Jordan River into Canaan, Yahweh assisted them in their conquest of the land’s inhabitants.

Yahweh had lived up to His name as “the existing One.” He had been with them in Egypt and had led them through the wilderness to the land of promise. During the period of the judges, Yahweh had remained by their side, delivering them from their oppressors and forgiving them for their apostasy and idolatry. When they demanded to have a king like all the other nations, Yahweh obliged their request, but never relinquished His sovereignty over them.

As with the previous two psalms, this one highlights God’s greatness by declaring His transcendence. The psalmist describes Yahweh as “high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens” (Psalm 113:4 NLT). This is not a reference to God’s location but His sovereignty. He is LORD over all. But this all-powerful, unapproachable deity was not distant and aloof; He was personal and present.

Who can be compared with the Lord our God,
    who is enthroned on high?
He stoops to look down
    on heaven and on earth. – Psalm 113:5-6 NLT

Yahweh had proven Himself to be intimate and immersed in the affairs of His people. Though He was holy and righteous, He made Himself available to sinful men. On Mount Sinai, the Creator of the universe made Himself known to Moses, a convicted murderer who had spent 40 years as a fugitive from justice. Yahweh had chosen this flawed and fear-filled man to be the deliverer of His captive people. The transcendent, invisible God had “stooped down,” seen the situation in Egypt, and chosen to intervene.

“I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them…” – Exodus 3:7-8 NLT

Yahweh delivered His captive people, and had been doing so ever since. That is why He deserved their praise. He had proven to be faithful and trustworthy. His power was unequaled, and His constant presence was undeniable. And the examples of His handiwork were everywhere.

He lifts the poor from the dust
    and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
    even the princes of his own people!
He gives the childless woman a family,
    making her a happy mother. – Psalm 113:7-9 NLT

The stories of Moses, Joseph, and David come to mind. He took a murderer, a prisoner, and a lowly shepherd and transformed them into men of integrity and influence. Yahweh intervened in the lives of women like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Hannah, providing these barren women with children. Rebekah gave birth to Jacob, whom Yahweh later renamed Israel. It was through this unexpected son that the nation of Israel came into being.

Yahweh had a track record of showing up and making His presence known among His people, which is why He deserved their praise. He lived up to His name as the ever-existent, always-present One. He kept His promises, continually and faithfully delivering, protecting, guiding, disciplining, and providing for His people. And He was far from done. Which is why the psalmist ends his song with an emphatic, non-negotiable reminder to “Praise the LORD!”

Father, You have never failed to show up in my life. While there have been moments when I could not see or feel Your presence, You have always been there. What I mistook as your invisibility or unavailability was really just the result of own insensitivity to Your presence. When I look back on my life, I see the proof of Your presence. But I want to grow in my ability to sense You in the present, not just the past. I desire to grow more aware of Your involvement in the moment and not just in retrospect, because I know You never leave me or forsake me. There is never a moment when I am on my own or left to my own devices. You are always there and You always care for me. So, I praise You, O LORD for You are worthy. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Remember and Rejoice

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4 Seek the LORD and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

7 He is the LORD our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as your portion for an inheritance.”

12 When they were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
14 he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”

16 When he summoned a famine on the land
    and broke all supply of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them,
    Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 His feet were hurt with fetters;
    his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass,
    the word of the LORD tested him.
20 The king sent and released him;
    the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21 he made him lord of his house
    and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to bind his princes at his pleasure
    and to teach his elders wisdom.

23 Then Israel came to Egypt;
    Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24 And the LORD made his people very fruitful
    and made them stronger than their foes.
25 He turned their hearts to hate his people,
    to deal craftily with his servants.

26 He sent Moses, his servant,
    and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them
    and miracles in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark;
    they did not rebel against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood
    and caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs,
    even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
    and gnats throughout their country.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
    and fiery lightning bolts through their land.
33 He struck down their vines and fig trees,
    and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
    young locusts without number,
35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land
    and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
    the firstfruits of all their strength.

37 Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,
    and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
    for dread of them had fallen upon it.

39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
    and fire to give light by night.
40 They asked, and he brought quail,
    and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
    it flowed through the desert like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise,
    and Abraham, his servant.

43 So he brought his people out with joy,
    his chosen ones with singing.
44 And he gave them the lands of the nations,
    and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,
45 that they might keep his statutes
    and observe his laws.
Praise the LORD! – Psalm 105:1-45 ESV

According to this unnamed psalmist, Yahweh was worthy of praise because of His faithful commitment to the people of Israel. This entire psalm is a call for the Israelites to acknowledge the trustworthiness and greatness of their covenant-keeping God. In the opening lines of his song, the psalmist repeatedly charges his fellow Israelites to recall and recount God’s wondrous works on their behalf.

Let the whole world know what he has done. – Psalm 105: 1 NLT

 Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. – Psalm 105:2 NLT

Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given… – Psalm 105:5 NLT

If the Israelites needed a reason to celebrate Yahweh’s goodness and greatness, their rich and storied history was filled with examples. But for the psalmist, the most remarkable illustration of Yahweh’s faithfulness was the covenant He made with Abraham, the patriarch and progenitor of the Hebrew people.  Centuries earlier, God had called this pagan idol worshiper to abandon his clan, homeland, and false gods for a new lifelong relationship with Him.

“Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:1-3 NLT

What made this promise even more remarkable was that Abraham was already an old man, married to an equally old and barren wife. But despite the poor odds for success, Abraham obeyed and followed Yahweh to the land of Canaan. The psalmist adds a line to his song that celebrates God’s faithfulness to fulfill His covenant commitment to Abraham.

He always stands by his covenant—
    the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
This is the covenant he made with Abraham
    and the oath he swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
“I will give you the land of Canaan
    as your special possession.” – Psalm 105:8-11 NLT

While no timeline is given to establish the dating of this psalm, it was obviously written long after the Israelites had entered and taken possession of the land of Canaan. Centuries had passed, and the Israelites had enjoyed a long tenure as occupants of the “land of promise.” It had taken hundreds of years for God to fulfill His covenant commitment to Abraham, but every facet of His original promise had occurred just as He said it would. With each passing generation, God reaffirmed His intention to keep His word. After the death of Abraham, God reiterated His covenant promise to Abraham’s son, Isaac.

“Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” – Genesis 26:3-5 NLT

When Isaac eventually died, God passed on His covenant promises to Isaac’s son, Jacob, whom God later renamed Israel.

“I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.” – Genesis 35:11-12 NLT

But despite God’s promises, Jacob’s small family was anything but a great nation, and they lived as relative nomads in the land that was supposed to be their inheritance.

…they were few in number,
    a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
They wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
    He warned kings on their behalf:
“Do not touch my chosen people,
    and do not hurt my prophets.” – Psalm 105:12-15 NLT

But God was not done, and the psalmist recalls the next phase of God’s promise-keeping plan for His chosen people. Verses 16-22 recount the astonishing story of Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was sold into slavery by his own brothers. Jealous of Joseph’s favored-son status, his brothers plotted to get rid of him by selling him to slave traders and then telling their father that he had been killed by a wild animal. They lived with this lie for years while their brother experienced a roller-coaster existence in the land of Egypt.

They bruised his feet with fetters
    and placed his neck in an iron collar.
Until the time came to fulfill his dreams,
    the Lord tested Joseph’s character.
Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free;
    the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household;
    he became ruler over all the king’s possessions. – Psalm 105:18-21 NLT

This was all part of God’s plan for the descendants of Abraham. He had sent Joseph ahead to prepare for the next phase of His covenant-fulfilling strategy, which was in keeping with another promise He made to Abraham.

“You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) After four generations your descendants will return here to this land… – Genesis 15:13-16 NLT

The psalmist knew the story well and recounted how Jacob and his family migrated to Egypt to escape a famine in the land of Canaan.

Then Israel arrived in Egypt;
    Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
And the LORD multiplied the people of Israel
    until they became too mighty for their enemies.
Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites,
    and they plotted against the LORD’s servants. – Psalm 105:23-25 NLT

The Book of Genesis affirms that Jacob’s family was anything but a great nation when they arrived in Egypt.

…there were seventy members of Jacob’s family in the land of Egypt. – Genesis 46:27 NLT

But as the psalmist recounts, the Israelites grew in number, just as God had said they would. In fact, their numbers increased so significantly that they became a threat to the Egyptians. In four centuries, the Israelites had multiplied and prospered under God’s sovereign hand, causing the Pharaoh to enact a series of edicts that enslaved and oppressed God’s people. But verses 26-36 recount how Yahweh raised up a deliverer to rescue His people from slavery and lead them back to the land of Canaan.

Through a series of devastating plagues, Yahweh punished Pharaoh and the people of Egypt for their refusal to set His people free. But eventually, God persuaded the pride-filled Pharaoh to release the Israelites and allow them to return to the land of promise.

Moses served as their official God-appointed tour guide and leader, but it was really Yahweh who directed their path and provided for all their needs along the way.

The LORD spread a cloud above them as a covering
    and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.
They asked for meat, and he sent them quail;
    he satisfied their hunger with manna—bread from heaven.
He split open a rock, and water gushed out
    to form a river through the dry wasteland. – Psalm 105:39-41 NLT

The psalmist leaves little doubt that Yahweh was behind every part of their ancestors’ wilderness experience. Yahweh had led them and fed them. He provided for all their needs and traveled alongside them in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). Their 40-year journey from Egypt to Canaan had been filled with God’s presence and marked by His power. Despite their grumbling, complaining, disobedience, and disloyalty, the Israelites learned that their God was faithful and trustworthy. He never abandoned them along the way. Instead, He showered them with mercy and grace, repeatedly rescuing and redeeming them from one self-inflicted disaster after another.

According to the psalmist, Yahweh, “remembered his sacred promise to his servant Abraham. So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing” (Psalm 105:42-43 NLT). But Yahweh didn’t stop there; He led them to and into the land of promise, providing them with victories over their enemies and ownership of their inheritance. 

He gave his people the lands of pagan nations,
    and they harvested crops that others had planted.
All this happened so they would follow his decrees
    and obey his instructions. – Psalm 105:44-45 NLT

With all that as background, the psalmist calls on the descendants of Abraham to “Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 105:45 NLT). This was a call to celebrate God’s goodness and greatness and remember His faithfulness and covenant-keeping nature. The danger each generation of believers faces is forgetting God’s faithfulness. Even Moses knew that the generation that entered the land of Canaan would be tempted to forget all that Yahweh had done, so he provided them with a sobering warning.

“Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.” – Deuteronomy 8:11-18 NLT

Remember and rejoice. Praise the LORD for who He is and all that He has done. But never forget that “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT).

Father, You are a good and trustworthy God who has proven Yourself faithful and true for generations. We have no cause to doubt You, but we do. We have no reason to question Your goodness and greatness, but we do so anyway. Yet, You respond with mercy and grace. You shower us with undeserved blessings and continue to fulfill all Your covenant promises. You never go back on Your word, and never give up on Your people. We have every reason to praise You but we are quick to forget and prone to complain. Our forgetfulness leads to ungratefulness. Our dissatisfaction results in disobedience. Help us see you more clearly, remember You regularly, and praise You more frequently. For You are worthy of our praise. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Praise Him Because Your Can Trust Him

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the LORD is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    he puts the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

13 The LORD looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you. – Psalm 33:1-22 ESV

While the author of this psalm is unnamed, the men who translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek (the Septuagint) believed David to be its source. It has all the hallmarks of David’s literary style. The majority, if not all, of the first 72 psalms were attributed to David because of the last line of Psalm 72: “The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended” (Psalm 72:20 ESV). 

This entire psalm is a song of praise to God, declaring His righteousness, justice, faithfulness, and love. In lyrical prose, God is portrayed as a just and righteous judge, the all-powerful creator of heaven and earth, the sovereign Lord over the nations, and the merciful Savior of His chosen people. From His vantage point in heaven, God looks down on the world He made and the people to whom He gave life, justly judging their behavior and carrying out His will for their lives.

The LORD looks down from heaven
    and sees the whole human race.
From his throne he observes
    all who live on the earth.
He made their hearts,
    so he understands everything they do. – Psalm 33:13-15 NLT

Despite the plans of men and the machinations of the nations, God’s “plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken” (Psalm 33:11 NLT). His will cannot be thwarted. His sovereign strategies for His creation can be resisted but never overthrown. 

The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations
    and thwarts all their schemes. – Psalm 33:10 NLT

This psalm is a powerful reminder of God’s invincible power and indomitable will. He can be doubted, rejected, ignored, and dismissed as irrelevant or nonexistent, but He will never be defeated or dethroned. Even the most powerful armies in the world are no match for Jehovah-Sabaoth: The LORD of Hosts. He is the all-powerful Sovereign commander of all the armies of heaven and earth.

The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
    nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—
    for all its strength, it cannot save you. – Psalm 33:16-17 NLT

Since the beginning of time, mankind has attempted to overthrow His Kingdom and supplant His authority over their lives. But their efforts have consistently failed, and His will has always been done.

No human wisdom or understanding or plan
    can stand against the Lord.

The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
    but the victory belongs to the Lord. – Proverbs 21:30-31 NLT

These reminders of God’s glory and greatness are intended to produce hope and faith in the lives of His people. His unwavering power, providence, provision, and protection are meant to instill trust among “those who fear him” and “rely on his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18 NLT).

We put our hope in the Lord.
    He is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name. – Psalm 33:20-21 NLT

Do you trust God? I mean really trust Him? If we’re honest, we have to admit that there are many things in our lives that we either refuse to trust God with or fear trusting to His care. But David reminds us that we can trust God with anything and everything. After all, He made everything in the universe, from the solar system to the earth itself. He created the land, the oceans, and all life, including you and me. He is greater than the most powerful nation on the planet. He can easily frustrate their best-laid plans and bring to nothing all their schemes for glory and power. And this powerful God loves righteousness and justice and is determined to see that it is carried out in the world He created.

However, the key to comprehending and appreciating the power and justice of God is to have a right relationship with Him. David knew that the Hebrew people had been chosen by God, not because of anything they had done or because they had earned His favor. No, God had chosen them and made them His own. He had blessed them with His presence and prospered them with His power, often despite their own stubbornness and stupidity.

So when David considers the greatness and the graciousness of God, he can’t help but say “Sing for joy to the LORD!” (Psalm 33:1 NLT). He tells us to praise and rejoice in God because HE has chosen us. We are to fear, honor, and respect Him and dutifully rely on His unfailing love. We are to put our hope in Him, understanding that He alone is who we can trust. Only God can save. Only God can rescue. Only God can deliver. So we put our trust in Him.

Hope is anticipatory and eagerly expectant because hope is based on truth – the reality that God is faithful, powerful, merciful, and fully capable of accomplishing His will on our behalf. Hope flows from a knowledge of His unfailing, unceasing, unquenchable love for us. He loves us. We belong to Him, and He will not abandon or forget about us. We can trust Him to do what is just and right on our behalf, even when we might not understand or like what is going on at the moment. We can praise Him preemptively because we KNOW He will come through for us eventually.

Father, I praise You now for what You are going to do, not just for what You’ve already done. Your grace and mercy to me is guaranteed by Your own character. Your love for me never fails. Your power on my behalf is never limited. So I can praise You now for what You have yet to do. Because You will always do what is right and just. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Sole Source of Strength

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,
    and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
2 You have given him his heart’s desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
3 For you meet him with rich blessings;
    you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
    length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great through your salvation;
    splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
6 For you make him most blessed forever;
    you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
    and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

8 Your hand will find out all your enemies;
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.
9 You will make them as a blazing oven
    when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and fire will consume them.
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    and their offspring from among the children of man.
11 Though they plan evil against you,
    though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
12 For you will put them to flight;
    you will aim at their faces with your bows.

13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
    We will sing and praise your power.  – Psalm 21:1-13 ESV

In this Psalm, David, as the Lord’s anointed king, recognizes that any victory or success he enjoys is attributable to God alone. David can’t take any credit for any of it. He has no right to brag or boast about his own strength or military capabilities. His army isn’t the source of his strength. His prowess as a military commander couldn’t explain his record of success. For David, it all pointed back to God.

He boldly proclaims, “The king rejoices in your strength, O LORD!” (Psalm 21:1 NLT), and the joy of victory was due to the gracious intervention of God Almighty. David could look back over his life and see God’s handiwork. His power and presence were evident. His answers to David’s prayers for assistance were too many to count.

For you have given him his heart’s desire;
    you have withheld nothing he requested. – Psalm 21:2 NLT

David is not only grateful, he is blown away by God’s goodness. He has been the undeserving beneficiary of God’s gracious mercy and love. As king, David enjoyed great power, prestige, and prosperity. He had lived a long and productive life, been bestowed with honor, and clothed with splendor and majesty.

But David considered his relationship with God more significant than all the perks that came with his position. The very presence of God meant more to him than anything else. His wealth, fame, and victories were nothing compared to his undeserved privilege of knowing God. In the Book of Jeremiah, Yahweh declares the unsurpassed value of knowing Him.

“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,
    or the powerful boast in their power,
    or the rich boast in their riches.
But those who wish to boast
    should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord
    who demonstrates unfailing love
    and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.” – Jeremiah 9:23-24 NLT

In his letter to the church in Philippi, the apostle Paul wrote of his past accomplishments and defended his right to boast about all he had done.

I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! – Philippians 3:4 NLT

But instead, Paul stated that he “put no confidence in human effort” (Philippians 3:3 NLT). He recognized that his past achievements were of little value apart from his relationship with Jesus Christ.

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. – Philippians 3:7-9 NLT

As David wrote Psalm 21, he knew his current successes would not last. His enemies were many, and the likelihood of future conflicts was high. Even his relationship with God couldn’t immunize him from trouble or trials. But he knew he could count on God to hear his prayers and respond. He was confident in God’s unwavering support of His children and sovereign control over the future.

You will capture all your enemies.
    Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you.
You will throw them in a flaming furnace
    when you appear.
The Lord will consume them in his anger;
    fire will devour them.
You will wipe their children from the face of the earth;
    they will never have descendants.
Although they plot against you,
    their evil schemes will never succeed. – Psalm 21:8-11 NLT

David wasn’t immune from trouble. He didn’t live a charmed life free from conflict or potential death. But he knew that God reigned supreme and would ultimately sort out the affairs of men and mete out justice. David rested in the knowledge that the righteous would be rewarded and the wicked would be condemned — all according to God’s wise and just plan.

In this Psalm, David displays a perspective missing among many God-followers today. He expresses a confidence in God that is rare these days. His humility is refreshing but also convicting because we love to take credit for our victories and boast about our own capabilities. Even as Christians, we too often puff out our chests and bask in our own glory. But David reminds us that all glory belongs to God. He looked back over his life and recognized the hand of God in all that he had accomplished as king. Yes, he went into battle, wielded his sword, suffered wounds at the hands of his enemies, killed his fair share of them, and came back tired and bloody. But he recognized the reality that God was the one who brought about victory.

The book of 2 Chronicles contains the story of the people of God facing tremendous odds against a far superior army. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, stood before the people and called out to God, confessing their weakness and calling on God to save them. He prayed, “You alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!” (2 Chronicles 20:6 NLT).

He went on to describe their dire circumstances to God and then called out, “O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help” (2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT). As they stood there waiting, the Spirit of God came upon a man named Jahaziel. Under the inspiration of the Spirit, Jahaziel told the people, “This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15 NLT).

How did David know this same truth long before Jehoshaphat ever ascended to the throne of Judah? How could he be confident that victory was up to God and not man? Long before David became king of Israel, he experienced first-hand the triumph of God over a far superior enemy of his own. As a young man, he had come face to face with Goliath, a giant of a man who had ridiculed and taunted the men of Israel for days, challenging them to send out a champion to face him. There were no takers — until David appeared on the scene. While every other Israelite soldier, including King Saul, cowered in the shadows, afraid to face their enemy in their own strength, David called out to the boasting Philistine blowhard:

“You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies — the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:45-47 NLT).

Notice what David said: “The Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you.”

Ultimately, he knew this confrontation would be up to God. David had a role to play, but any success would be solely attributable to the LORD. What a valuable lesson for us to learn today as we encounter enemies in our lives. The battle is STILL the Lord’s. Like David, we must learn to trust God and recognize that His unfailing love for us is what keeps us from stumbling in defeat. He is our champion, our strength, and our victory. If we really believe that to be true, then, with David, we can shout, “Rise up, O Lord, in all your power. With music and singing, we celebrate your mighty acts” (Psalm 21:13 NLT).

Father, the battle has always been Yours. Forgive me for sometimes assuming that I bring something of value to the fight. I can do nothing without You. Victory is possible only through You. Continue to teach me to trust in You and to rest in the power You alone can provide. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Matter of Life or Death

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

18 Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. – Philippians 1:18-26 ESV

Paul opens this section of his letter by reconfirming his determination to rejoice in his circumstances. While news of his imprisonment had been disconcerting to the believers in Philippi, for Paul it had been just another God-ordained opportunity to spread the gospel. If others were attempting to take advantage of his situation by filling the role of messenger in his absence, so be it. As long as Christ was being lifted up, Paul was perfectly okay with it all, even if some of these people were motivated by envy rather than a sincere love for the lost.

Paul knew that any success he had enjoyed in his ministry had not been because of his powers of persuasion, but was due to the power of the gospel. In writing to the believers in Thessalonica, Paul reminded them of the treatment he and Silas had suffered in Philippi because of their preaching of the gospel. Not long after their arrival there, they had cast out a demon from a young slave girl. With the exorcism of the demon, she lost her ability to act as a fortune teller for her masters and they lost a much-needed source of revenue. In an act of revenge, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the magistrates of the city, where the two men were severely beaten and thrown in jail. Paul reminds the Thessalonian believers that all of this had taken place just before he arrived in their town.

You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else. – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 NLT

Despite all that had happened in Philippi, Paul and his companions boldly declared the gospel in Thessalonica, even in the face of opposition. They did so, not for money or the praise of men, but to please God as His faithful messengers. So, Paul was not concerned with the motives of others; as long as they were preaching salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, he was satisfied and could rejoice. He had never been in the ministry for what he could get out of it. For him, it was a calling, not a job, and He never saw himself as this gifted spokesman using his talents to further the Kingdom of God. He even describes himself as nothing more than a fragile clay jar containing the great treasure of the gospel message (2 Corinthians 4:7). When he wrote to the Corinthian believers, he reminded them that their conversions were due to the power of the Spirit, not his own eloquence.

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NLT

But as Paul writes to the Philippian believers from his house arrest in Rome, he shares with them the tremendous internal conflict he was having. It had nothing to do with a fear of death; he knew that was a possible outcome of his pending trial before Nero and he was perfectly at peace with that. In fact, he flatly stated, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23 ESV). He saw death as a reward, not a punishment. But he also struggled with the desire to continue his ministry among the Philippians and other congregations he had helped to start. As much as he longed to be with the Lord, he felt that his work on Christ’s behalf was far from over. That’s why he told the Philippians, “I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith” (Philippians 1:25 NLT).

One thing motivated Paul’s actions and attitudes – bringing glory to the name of Christ. If he could do that through deliverance from prison and a continuation of his ministry, so be it. But if his trial resulted in a death sentence, he saw that as a gracious deliverance by God from this sin-marred world. When all was said and done, Paul simply wanted to honor Christ in all that he did, which is why he stated, “I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die” (Philippians 1:20 NLT).

Paul was not making much of himself. He was not bragging about his superior spirituality or attempting to set himself up as some icon of righteousness and religious virtue. He was attempting to encourage the believers in Philippi to share the same perspective on life that he had. He didn’t view his arrest and imprisonment as a setback or a sign of God’s disfavor with him. He sincerely believed that it was all a part of God’s will for his life. By maintaining his focus on Christ and trusting in the will of God for his life, Paul had “learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11 NLT). So, he could say, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12 NLT).

He knew that the Philippian believers were facing their own set of difficulties. They were going to have struggles in their faith journey, just as he had, and he wanted them to stay strong, to remain committed to the cause of Christ, and to see the sovereign hand of God in all that happened in and around their lives.

Paul was convinced that he would be released and would one day see them again. But in the meantime, he wanted to encourage them to keep on keeping on. Later on in this letter, Paul writes these powerful words of testimony and encouragement.

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us… – Philippians 3:14 NLT

Then he follows up this statement of personal conviction and commitment with a call for them to follow his lead.

Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. – Philippians 3:17 NLT

In the verses that follow, Paul provides the Philippians with specific details concerning the conduct of all those who claim heavenly citizenship as God’s children. Their journey of faith was not going to be easy or trouble-free, but God had equipped each of them with the indwelling Holy Spirit and placed them in the body of Christ so that they had all the resources they needed to thrive, not just survive what lay ahead.

Paul was torn between two opinions; he was ready to see his Lord and Savior face to face, but he was also anxious to continue his ministry of exhortation and evangelization around the world. He was prepared to face the ongoing struggles of doing God’s will in a fallen world but, should his life end in death, he saw that as a promotion, not a punishment. So, whether he faced a long life serving God that was marked by pain, persecution, and opposition, or if his next step was heaven, he could rejoice because he was in God’s good and gracious hands.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

The Ninety-and-Nine

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” – Luke 15:3-7 ESV

One doesn’t have to be a theologian to notice the vast difference between Jesus and the religious leaders of Israel. All along the way in his gospel, Luke has provided a clear and compelling contrast between the itinerant Rabbi from the Nazareth and the highly educated, socially sophisticated Pharisees and scribes who ruled the roost in Jerusalem. These men viewed Jesus as an uneducated bumpkin from Galilee who had suddenly appeared on the scene performing miracles and preaching messages that declared the coming of the kingdom of God. In a very short period of time, Jesus had managed to amass a huge fan base that followed Him everywhere. And His growing popularity made the religious leaders of Israel both nervous and jealous. He was robbing them of glory by tarnishing their stellar reputation among the people. On more than one occasion, Jesus had pointed out the hypocrisy of their ways. He had labeled them as liars and called them children of the devil.

But the greatest difference between Jesus and these men can be seen in their attitude toward the poor and needy. It would be safe to say that the Pharisees and scribes had a less-than-flattering view of the less fortunate. Their concept of righteousness or what it means to be right with God was based on merit and measured by a set of external criteria. To their way of thinking, the common people were spiritually stunted and morally depraved, preventing the nation of Israel from experiencing the full blessings of Yahweh.

Yet, Jesus had shown up on the scene preaching a message of blessing that was aimed at the very people the Pharisees despised. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus had shocked His audience by pronouncing a series of blessings on the “least of these.”

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted…” – Matthew 5:3-10 ESV

And it was Jesus’ emphasis on the down and out that rubbed the Pharisees the wrong way. They couldn’t understand His attraction to and affinity for those whom they considered the dregs of society. The Pharisees viewed these people as lead weights that were keeping the nation from experiencing the glory of God. That’s why they continually confronted Jesus about His association with “tax collectors and sinners.” And Luke brings up yet another instance when the Pharisees took exception with Jesus hanging out with the loveable losers of Israel.

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! – Luke 15:1-2 ESV

The religious leaders had deemed this class of people as unwelcome within polite society. Not only that, the Pharisees and scribes considered these unfortunate people to be spiritually unclean, their sinful lifestyles providing evidence of their moral impurity. So, they were treated as outcasts by the more pious-minded and religiously superior segment of society.

When Jesus because aware of the Pharisees’ complaint against Him, He responded with a story in the form of a parable, and it began with a rhetorical question:

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it.” – Luke 15:4 NLT

Everyone in the crowd would have known the right answer to this question because there was only be one. Notice that Jesus did not refute the Pharisees’ derogatory description of the people as “sinners.” In fact, He essentially affirms that these people were “lost” and in need of rescue. To borrow from a phrase He had used earlier in His ministry, Jesus saw them as “sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. – Matthew 9:35-36 NLT

In Jesus’ story, the one wandering sheep was well worth seeking. Rather than wait for the Pharisees and scribes to answer His question, Jesus reveals that the shepherd in the story did the right thing: He searched for the lost sheep until he found it. He showed compassion. He recognized that the sheep who had wandered was in danger and in need of rescue. It would be incapable of saving itself.

Because Jesus was the Living Word, He was intimately familiar with the written Word of God. He quoted from it often. And, in this case, He clearly had in mind the words that Isaiah the prophet had penned centuries earlier.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. – Isaiah 53:6 NLT

In this passage, Isaiah describes the infinite mercy of God as revealed in the amazing gift of His Son as the atonement for the sins of mankind.

…he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. – Isaiah 53:5 NLT

And though humanity had knowingly and willingly wandered away, God sent His Son to seek out and save sinners.

Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. – Isaiah 53:6 NLT

The apostle Paul describes this incredible search-and-rescue operation in staggering terms:

God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:8 NLT

And in Jesus’ story, the shepherd returns with his rescued sheep, declaring his extreme joy at having saved even one that had wandered. And he invites his friends and neighbors to join in the celebration.

“Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.” – Luke 15:6 NLT

Whether the Pharisees and scribes realized it or not, they are portrayed in Jesus’ story, but not in flattering terms. They are represented by the 99 other sheep whom the shepherd left behind when he went in search of the one who was lost. In the story, the shepherd leaves the 99 in the “open country” or wilderness. The word Jesus used is very specific and reveals that He is attempting to make a serious and sobering point about His enemies, the Pharisees. The Greek word is erēmos, and it can best be translated as desert or wilderness. It describes a lonely and uninhabited place.

Jesus was indicting the very men who had questioned His poor choice of friends. And He compares them to the 99 who got left behind. But why did Jesus use this analogy to expose the true nature of the religious leaders? He provides some helpful insight in verse 7.

“…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” – Luke 15:7 ESV

Jesus uses irony to make His point. The 99 serves as a symbol for all those who consider themselves to be righteous and in no need of repentance. They are the self-righteous and piously prideful spiritual leaders of Israel. The New Living Translation records verse 7 this way:

“…there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” – Luke 15:7 NLT

This brings to mind another familiar parable that Jesus told and it is located just a few verses after this one in Luke 15. It is typically referred to as The Parable of the Prodigal Son. But one of the main characters in the parable who typically gets overlooked is the older brother who “stayed behind” while the younger brother sowed his oats and squandered his inheritance. When the younger brother came back, financially broke and emotionally broken, the father threw a lavish party to celebrate his return. But the older brother became angry and complained to his father.

“Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.” – Luke 15:29 ESV

Because of the context, we know that Jesus is using the older brother to further expose the hypocrisy and pride of the Pharisees. They are the 99 who stayed behind and never strayed. They are the rule-keeping older brother who stayed behind and never disobeyed a single command his father gave him. In both cases, the 99 and the older brother are those who refuse to acknowledge their own sin and their need for a Savior. They believe themselves to be righteous and in no need of a Savior. But as Jesus so aptly put it, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do” (Luke 5:31 NLT).

Jesus knew the Pharisees would never acknowledge their “lostness.” They had no need to be found because they had never wandered away. They were the faithful, obedient older brother who had stuck by God’s side through thick and thin. They were the compliant sheep who remained in the “pasture” of their own piety, oblivious to the fact that they were actually in the “desert” of their own sin.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

The King Has Come

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” – Luke 1:39-45 ESV

Before we look at Mary’s impromptu trip to visit Elizabeth, it’s essential that we notice an important point of contrast that Luke has established. He began his gospel account with a brief but significant mention of Herod’s kingship over Judea (Luke 1:5). But when Gabriel delivered his message to Mary that she had been chosen to bear and give birth to the Son of God, he had told her what the child’s name and mission would be.

“…you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” – Luke 1:31-33 ESV

Her son was going to be the Messiah of Israel of whom the prophets had spoken and for whom the people of Israel had long been waiting. And when He arrived, He would become the true and rightful King of Israel.

The message Gabriel delivered to Mary seems to have been based on the words of Isaiah the prophet.

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. – Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV

Mary would have recognized the connection between Gabriel’s words and the prophetic pronouncement of Isaiah. Part of the reason for Mary’s willing acceptance of the angel’s bizarre news was that she was familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures and what they promised about the coming Messiah. Isaiah had also prophesied regarding the Messiah’s miraculous birth to a virgin.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. – Isaiah 7:14 ESV

The Messiah’s very name would signify His divine mission and identity. In Hebrew, Immanuel means “God with us.” Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary would become pregnant with the Son of God and, with His birth, God would come to dwell with men. It would be just as John the apostle described it in the beginning of his gospel account.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14 ESV

But Jesus would enter the world as King. Though His mother would be an obscure and seemingly unimportant Jewish girl, and His birthplace would be the insignificant town of Bethlehem, Jesus would arrive on the scene as the rightful heir to the throne of David. And the prophet Isaiah had predicted that fact as well.

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
    or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
    and faithfulness the belt of his loins. – Isaiah 11:1-5 ESV

While Mary had been shocked by the news she received from Gabriel, she was also overjoyed because she understood the significance of all that he had told her. She had been selected to give birth to Immanuel, the Son of God. God had graciously chosen her to be the means by which the long-awaited Messiah made His entrance into the world. Israel was finally going to have a real King, not some puppet potentate who served the Romans and wasn’t even a descendant of David.

And this exciting reality drove Mary to make the arduous journey to the hill country of Judah to see her cousin Elizabeth. Gabriel had informed Mary about Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy.

“…your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.” – Luke 1:36 ESV

Mary sensed that God’s sovereign hand was behind all that was going on, but she still had to wrestle with the fact that she was about to be an unmarried pregnant woman in a culture that would consider that condition a crime and not cause for celebration. At this point, she had to be thinking about how Joseph would react when he heard the news that she was pregnant. Would he believe her story? Or would he break off their betrothal in a fit of rage? All of these conflicting questions had to have coursed through Mary’s young mind as she made her way to Judah.

But Mary’s unsettled heart would soon find comfort in the words of Elizabeth. As soon as Mary walked into Elizabeth’s home and stated her name, another miracle of confirmation took place.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She exclaimed with a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child in your womb! And who am I that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me?” – Luke 1:41-43 NLT

Anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth was given divine insight into her cousin’s unique role as the mother of the Messiah. There is no way that Elizabeth could have known this information. It was clearly the inspiration of the Spirit that provided her with the awareness of Mary’s pregnancy and the unique identity of the baby in her womb.

Elizabeth, under the influence of the Spirit of God, was uttering prophetic words concerning her younger cousin. She was being provided with divine insight into Mary’s situation that could only have come from the empowering presence of God’s Spirit. And she pronounced a blessing on Mary for her willingness to believe the words of Gabriel.

“…blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” – Luke 1:45 NLT

This was a word from God, spoken through Elizabeth. The Almighty was using Elizabeth as His vessel to communicate His pleasure with Mary’s faith. Despite the sudden and shocking nature of the news she had received, Mary had believed. Her very presence at Elizabeth’s home was proof. She had gone there to share the news with her relative, but before she even had a chance to say a word, God used Elizabeth and the baby in her womb to confirm the message and commend Mary’s faith. The baby leaped, Elizabeth blessed, and Mary was encouraged.

At the sound of Mary’s voice, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb responded in joy. John, as yet unborn, had been commissioned by God to be the one to herald the coming of the Messiah. Even in his prenatal state, John took his God-given assignment seriously, rejoicing in the arrival of the King. His divinely inspired celebration in the womb served as further proof to Mary that everything Gabriel had said was true.

And Mary’s response to it all took the form of a divinely inspired song – a psalm of thanksgiving and praise.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yet, I Will Rejoice

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment
c17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,

    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the deer’s;
    he makes me tread on my high places.

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. – Habakkuk 3:17-19 ESV

Habakkuk has expressed his concern to God about the state of affairs in Judah, describing it as a place where the wicked outnumber the righteous, creating an atmosphere of injustice and violence. He was shocked by God’s surprising admission that He would use the pagan nation of Babylon as His instruments of judgment against Judah. Habakkuk had been looking for a spiritual revival in Judah, but God had plans to bring about their destruction and captivity.

Upon hearing God describe the divine retribution He had planned for Babylon’s role in Judah’s punishment, Habakkuk found himself encouraged and comforted. He reflected on God’s past acts of deliverance on behalf of the people of Israel and concluded that, in spite of all that was about to happen, he could trust God to do the right thing. The sovereign plan of God was just, right, and perfect in every detail.

I will quietly wait for the day of trouble
    to come upon people who invade us. – Habakkuk 3:16 ESV

Now, Habakkuk closes his book with a statement of complete confidence in God. This is not some pollyanna, positive-motivational claptrap intended to score brownie points with God. He is expressing his sincere belief in the greatness and goodness of God. He fully realizes that Judah’s immediate future is a grim one. There would be no miracle of national revival like the one that took place during the reign of King Josiah. Injustice, immorality, and wickedness would continue to plague the nation of Judah until the judgment of God fell upon them in the form of the Babylonian army. Conquest and captivity were the inevitable fate of God’s people because of their long history of rebellion and unfaithfulness.

Using a series of metaphorical comparisons, Habakkuk clearly reveals his understanding of Judah’s fate. He harbored no delusions that things were going to improve. In fact, he seems to have in mind the curses God had promised to bring on the people of Israel if they failed to keep their covenant agreement with Him.

“But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field.  Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.” – Deuteronomy 28:15-18 ESV

Their decision to disobey God would result in His discipline of them, in the form of tangible loss and devastating suffering.

“The Lord will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me. The Lord will make the pestilence stick to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. The Lord will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew.” –  Deuteronomy 28:20-22 ESV

Among the many curses that Moses outlined to the people of Israel were those affecting their crops and flocks.

“You shall carry much seed into the field and shall gather in little, for the locust shall consume it. You shall plant vineyards and dress them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm shall eat them. You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives shall drop off.” – Deuteronomy 28:38-40 ESV

And Habakkuk appears to take all these devastating signs of God’s disciplinary hand and boils them down into a few representative examples. He describes a fig tree that has failed to blossom, a sure sign that no fruit could be expected. It would be barren and of no value. He foresees barren vines, devoid of fruit, and guaranteeing no wine production. He envisions the annual olive harvest as failed, the fields lying barren and empty. And the subsequent famine has a devastating impact on the flocks and herds.

But although Habakkuk paints a bleak and depressing scenario, he expresses his firm intention to remain confident in the goodness of God.

…yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation. – Habakkuk 3:18 ESV

Even if all these terrible things take place, which God had indicated they would, Habakkuk is determined to trust in God. His words are reminiscent of those spoken by Job.

Though he slay me, I will hope in him… – Job 13:15 ESV

Job was a man who had suffered great loss and, unlike the Israelites, he had done nothing to deserve it. He was completely innocent and yet, in a devastating series of catastrophic events, he lost all his flocks and herds, and received news that his children had been killed in a freak accident. And yet, his response to all of this undeserved and inexplicable loss was to say:

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
    and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
    and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!” – Job 1:21 NLT

But things only got worse. Job soon found himself suffering from a debilitating and painful skin disease for which there was no cure or no hope of relief. At that point, his own wife, assuming that Job had done something to deserve all this suffering, encouraged him to curse God and die. To which Job responded, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” (Job 2:10 NLT).

Habakkuk, like Job, was convinced that his God was good even when everything around him looked bad. He was not going to judge the goodness of God based on the nature of his circumstances. And yet, how easy it is for the children of God to “accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad.” And while we should always be grateful to God for His many blessings, their absence should never cause us to assume a lack of God’s presence.

It is right and proper to voice appreciation of God’s goodness when he bestows all that is necessary for life, health, and prosperity. But when these things are lacking, to rejoice in God for his own sake is evidence of pure faith. – Bruce, F. F. “Habakkuk.” In The Minor Prophets: An Exegetical and Expositional Commentary

Habakkuk was prepared for the worst, but fully confident in God’s best. He was placing his hope in the goodness of God. And this reflects a major shift in the prophet’s mood. He had started his book in a state of despair, complaining to God about the dismal conditions in Judah. But now, after having heard from God and being assured of His divine plans, Habakkuk was filled with confident assurance in his faithful, sovereign God.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
    He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    able to tread upon the heights. – Habakkuk 3:19 NLT

Habakkuk knew that he would be able to endure all that was to come because his good God would give him strength. Like the apostle Paul, Habakkuk was relying on something greater than himself to face the ups and downs associated with this fallen world.

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:11-13 ESV

The days ahead would be difficult. The discipline of God would be painful and purging. But Habakkuk was willing to put his confidence in Yahweh because He had always proven Himself to be trustworthy and true. The conditions in Judah were going to get worse before they got better. The Babylonians were coming, whether Habakkuk liked it or not. And it was all part of God’s divine plan for the future redemption of His people.

As followers of Christ, we face a similar situation as that experienced by Habakkuk. We live in a fallen world where sin and wickedness abound. The people of God are under constant attack with the enemy focusing all His efforts on the destruction of the body of Christ. And yet, Jesus warned us that these days would come. And He also told us to remain firm in our faith and full of peace because He has it all under control.

“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – John 16:32-33 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson