Search This Blog

Sunday, 15 May 2022

PSALM Seventy Four


A maskil of Asaph.


O God, why have you rejected us for ever?

    Why does your anger smoulder against the sheep of your pasture?

Remember the nation you purchased long ago,

    the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed –

    Mount Zion, where you dwelt.

Turn your steps towards these everlasting ruins,

    all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

Your foes roared in the place where you met with us;

    they set up their standards as signs.

They behaved like men wielding axes

    to cut through a thicket of trees.

They smashed all the carved panelling

    with their axes and hatchets.

They burned your sanctuary to the ground;

    they defiled the dwelling-place of your Name.

They said in their hearts, ‘We will crush them completely!’

    They burned every place where God was worshipped in the land.

We are given no signs from God;

    no prophets are left,

    and none of us knows how long this will be.

10 

How long will the enemy mock you, God?

    Will the foe revile your name for ever?

11 

Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?

    Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!

12 

But God is my King from long ago;

    he brings salvation on the earth.

13 

It was you who split open the sea by your power;

    you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.

14 

It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan

    and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.

15 

It was you who opened up springs and streams;

    you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.

16 

The day is yours, and yours also the night;

    you established the sun and moon.

17 

It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;

    you made both summer and winter.

18 

Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,

    how foolish people have reviled your name.

19 

Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;

    do not forget the lives of your afflicted people for ever.

20 

Have regard for your covenant,

    because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

21 

Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;

    may the poor and needy praise your name.

22 

Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;

    remember how fools mock you all day long.

23 

Do not ignore the clamour of your adversaries,

    the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=




Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell


Psalm 74: “smashed” (v.6)


Asaph’s heart bleeds at “the destruction the enemy has brought to the sanctuary” (v.3). He pours out his prayer about how “they smashed all the carved paneling with their axes” (v.6) and “burned your sanctuary to the ground”, saying “they defiled the dwelling place of your Name” (v.7). 

How it hurts if we see people profane the things of God! We cannot fathom God’s ways any more than Asaph could: “why do you hold back your hand?” (v.11). And yet he does, “not wanting anyone to perish” (2 Peter 3 v.9).  

Many ‘foes’ have finally become ‘friends’ and ‘followers’ of Jesus! He can ‘smash’ antagonism!


-=-=-=-=-=-=

READINGS



PSALM 74

Read by Sir David Suchet




-=-=-=-=-=-

OVERVIEW 


Psalms 

 - Overview -

The Bible Project 




-=-=-=-=-=-

STUDY - LINKS



Psalms

David Pawson




-=-=-=-=-

SONGS




Psalm 74

O God, wherefore art thou absent

=-=-=-=





 

Saturday, 14 May 2022

PSALM Seventy Three


A psalm of Asaph.


Surely God is good to Israel,

    to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;

    I had nearly lost my foothold.

For I envied the arrogant

    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggles;

    their bodies are healthy and strong.

They are free from common human burdens;

    they are not plagued by human ills.

Therefore pride is their necklace;

    they clothe themselves with violence.

From their callous hearts comes iniquity;

    their evil imaginations have no limits.

They scoff, and speak with malice;

    with arrogance they threaten oppression.

Their mouths lay claim to heaven,

    and their tongues take possession of the earth.

10 

Therefore their people turn to them

    and drink up waters in abundance.

11 

They say, ‘How would God know?

    Does the Most High know anything?’

12 

This is what the wicked are like –

    always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

13 

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure

    and have washed my hands in innocence.

14 

All day long I have been afflicted,

    and every morning brings new punishments.

15 

If I had spoken out like that,

    I would have betrayed your children.

16 

When I tried to understand all this,

    it troubled me deeply

17 

till I entered the sanctuary of God;

    then I understood their final destiny.

18 

Surely you place them on slippery ground;

    you cast them down to ruin.

19 

How suddenly are they destroyed,

    completely swept away by terrors!

20 

They are like a dream when one awakes;

    when you arise, Lord,

    you will despise them as fantasies.

21 

When my heart was grieved

    and my spirit embittered,

22 

I was senseless and ignorant;

    I was a brute beast before you.

23 

Yet I am always with you;

    you hold me by my right hand.

24 

You guide me with your counsel,

    and afterwards you will take me into glory.

25 

Whom have I in heaven but you?

    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26 

My flesh and my heart may fail,

    but God is the strength of my heart

    and my portion for ever.

27 

Those who are far from you will perish;

    you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

28 

But as for me, it is good to be near God.

    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;

    I will tell of all your deeds.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell


Psalm 73: “sanctuary” (v.17)


In this third section of five, this Psalm, in addition to the next 10 (74 to 83), is written by a man called Asaph. He is searingly honest about his own shortcomings: “my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold … I envied the arrogant” (vv.2-3). He felt “they have no struggles” (v.4), whereas he certainly had. When we are wobbly, what better remedy than to get alone with God. 

It doesn’t need to be in a chapel or church. Asaph says “I entered the sanctuary [i.e. the temple], then I understood their final destiny” (v.17).  

When the going gets tough, the tough LORD gets going – if we go to him.


-=-=-=-=-=-=

READINGS



PSALM 73

Read by Sir David Suchet




The Book of Psalms (73 to 89) 
Read by Sir david Suchet



-=-=-=-=-=-

OVERVIEW 


Psalms 

 - Overview -

The Bible Project 





-=-=-=-=-=-

STUDY - LINKS


The Book of Psalms 

David Pawson




-=-=-=-=-

-=-


SONGS






=-=-=-=












Thursday, 12 May 2022

The Second Letter of PAUL to The CORINTHIANS - Chapter Thirteen


1 This will be my third visit to you. ‘Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 2 I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: on my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, 3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong – not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. 10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority – the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.

——————

11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All God’s people here send their greetings.

14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.


-=-=-=-=-


Word by Word Meditations

By Fred Ursell


2nd Corinthians 13: “aim” (v.11)

Maybe you’re a darts fan, and love to watch the skills of Michael van Gerwen (et al) on TV, even if you don’t take a trip to the Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace) for the World Championship. If that’s you, Paul’s exhortation may hit home, aim for perfection” (v.11). A bull’s eye, a 9-darter, a dramatic double to win the leg! However even the greatest players like Phil Taylor haven’t always hit the target with the first ‘arrow’. But they were not just aiming at the board, but a difficult small bit of it. 

If we aim for perfection”, we’ll get closer than tossing our ‘dart’ in the general direction. Give it your best shot!


-=-=-=-=-

READING

The Second letter of PAUL to the 

CORINTHIANS

Chapter Thirteen

Read by David Suchet



-=-=-=-=-=-

OVERVIEWS


The Second letter of PAUL to The 

CORINTHIANS 

Overview

“The Bible Project”



———-


2 Corinthians

Tim Mackie  


-=-=-=-=-=-

STUDY - LINKS


The Letters of Paul to the Corinthians 

David Pawson


-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


 


Wednesday, 11 May 2022

The Second Letter of PAUL to The CORINTHIANS - Chapter Twelve


1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know – God knows. 3 And I know that this man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows – 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

——————

11 I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the ‘super-apostles’, even though I am nothing. 12 I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. 13 How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? 16 Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17 Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. 20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

-=-=-=-=-


Word by Word Meditations

By Fred Ursell

2nd Corinthians 12: “disorder” (v.20)


While Paul is broadly confident the Corinthians are progressing well, he warns over our susceptibility towards failure. A short though not exhaustive list is given: “quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder” (v.20)

Oh dear! The Greek word is translated “dis-order” here, in 1 Corinthians 14 v.33 re messy church meetings (see v.40), and in James 3 v.16 re envy and ambition. 

It is also translated as “riots” (6 v.5) such as he’d experienced, and as “revolutions” as an end-time sign (Luke 21 v.9).Disorder” is deplorable, out-of-control and un-Christian behaviour.

-=-=-=-=-

READING

The Second letter of PAUL to the 

CORINTHIANS - Chapter Twelve

Read by David Suchet

-=-=-=-=-=-

OVERVIEWS

The Second letter of PAUL to The 

CORINTHIANS 

Overview

“The Bible Project”



-=-=-=-=-=-

STUDY - LINKS

The Letters of Paul to the Corinthians 

David Pawson





-=-=-=-=-

The Temptation of the Ministry

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

by Timothy Keller


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==










 


 

The Book of GENESIS - Chapter Thirteen

Abram and Lot separate  1   So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2  Abram h...