OPPRESSED BUT NEVER DEFEATED

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,” let Israel say; “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. But the Lord is righteous; He has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”

May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame. May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow; a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,  nor one who gathers fill his arms. May those who pass by not say to them, “The blessing of the Lord be on you; we bless you in the name of the Lord.”

Psalm 129

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The headlines today paint a picture of people in hardship.

There are wars or threats of wars. Terrorism is striking in many parts of our world. Economies are struggling which has led to high unemployment rates and higher taxes for those who are working. Less income seems available for families who are trying to pay for things that seem to get more expensive by the year, things like gas and food and utilities. Relationships are strained and many are ending under the weight and pressures of life, leaving families disjointed and broken.

Yes, things are not easy today and we can be left feeling oppressed by our present circumstances. In times like this, we must allow ourselves to be strengthened and encouraged by the word of God. Look at these words from the 129th Psalm:

“They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,” let Israel say; “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. But the Lord is righteous; He has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”

The Israelites had gone through their own share of difficulties which included harsh oppression, poverty, and suffering. More than 300 years had been spent in Egypt alone under the domineering, tyrannical Pharaoh. Note the analogy to describe their torment as they speak of long furrows being made across their backs by the plows of their oppressors.

And yet, in the midst of all their adversity, they stood strong. No one or nothing was going to gain the victory over them.

How could they feel that way?

Because of the Lord.

We read where the Lord who is righteous and omnipotent defeated the oppressors and cut the Israelites free from the cords of the wicked. The people of Israel learned that through the Lord they were victorious people, winners over life’s circumstances because they had the One on their side who always wins.

Friends, as we face life’s challenges today, we must remember and behave as if we are victorious people. For all those who place their faith and trust in Jesus have won. No matter what happens in this temporary life, we can live in security knowing that this is only a temporary stopping place on our way to eternity. And the good news is that God is with us even during our worldly existence, ever standing up for us. It’s what led Paul to be able to write, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

Yes, through Jesus, we have hope today and forever. He has won victory over Satan, death, and the grave and He grants the same to all who believe in Him. Through Christ, we are all set free from the fear of death which has no sting anymore (1 Corinthians 15:55) and are granted the promise of complete liberation when this worldly life is over. A time is awaiting us when there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more sin, no more sickness, no more war, no more oppression. Only light and love and life eternal spent with God the Father and Jesus His Son who has prepared a mansion for us (John 14:1-3).

In the end translation, we need to remember that this worldly life is NOT forever! A life far better and more magnificent than we could ever dream is waiting for us, for those who have gained the victory through Jesus.

Frankly, the only ones who need to be afraid today are those who choose to deny Jesus and reject Him in exchange for sinful living. For those who decide to go this route and not live for Christ WILL be counted among those who will lose in the end and be defeated. Instead of life and light and love forever, they will be cast into a lake of fire (Revelation 20:15) where they will be turned to ash and be gone forever.

I don’t know about you but I would rather have victory through Jesus.

I pray you will too.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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BLESSED IN FEAR?

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Yes, this will be the blessing or the man who fears the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you live to see your children’s children — peace be on Israel.

Psalm 128

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Can one be afraid and yet still be blessed?

It’s an oxymoron of a question, isn’t it? I mean, we don’t typically associate someone in fear as feeling blessed in any way shape or form. They are in dread and alarmed over something and that is distant from being happy or bliss-filled.

Seriously, you can’t be in fear and still blessed, can you?

Well, God’s word says we can be. Look at these words from the 128th Psalm:

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Yes, this will be the blessing or the man who fears the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you live to see your children’s children — peace be on Israel.

The Bible is 100 percent truth and so when the Word of God says that anyone who fears the Lord will be blessed, then they will be.

So what does it mean to fear the Lord? What leads us to be blessed in fear?

Typically, we become afraid because something in life could cause us harm or damage in some way in life. In regard to the Lord, we understand that He despises sin and will discipline anyone who chooses it over His will and way. With this, we should be afraid of sinfulness and turn from it, allowing the Lord to guide us in His ways of righteousness and holiness. When we do, then we will find ourselves blessed because we know we are living in His favor which is far greater than living under His judgment.

How will your blessings come?

Looking back to the passage, we see that come in several ways:

1. The obedient person will be blessed by the fruits of their righteous labors.

Have you ever felt what I call that “warm fuzzy feeling” when you do something for another. Out of your charity, you provide a blessing to someone and after your selfless act of service, you feel good about yourself and what you have done. I feel this sensation that rushes over us in these instances is none other than the Holy Spirit filling our hearts and sending the message, “Well done good and faithful servant. With you, I am well pleased.” Just another fruit of the Spirit.

2. Blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Obedience to the Lord’s will and way leads us to a rich harvest through the service He calls us into. Not only do we sow goodwill and on others but God in turn allows us to prosper, knowing that we will be good and giving stewards of what He provides. And prosperity only provides us more to use to the glory of the Lord. After all, everything He gives us is rightfully His and we should ever seek to return a portion of His blessings to bless others.

3. Your wife will like a fruitful vine; your children like olive shoots.

A man who is fears the Lord and stays obedient to Him brings blessings on His family. His wife will flourish, alive and thriving. His children will blossom as they grow into maturity. Any household where the Lord is placed first will teem with life and love in its fullest abundance, blessed by the Lord they fear.

Now consider the opposite. Consider what would happen within the family of any man who chose to not be obedient to the Lord. Unfortunately, this hits really close to home for me. For there was a time in my life when I didn’t fear the Lord. I wanted control of my life and was only obedient to myself. As you can guess from this scripture and devotion, things didn’t end well. I ran my marriage and family into the ground after almost ten years. It’s ever going to be the one thing in my life that I regret the most. I pray that if you’re reading this today and not leading your family in the Lord, that you’ll consider changing your life attitude, fearing what will happen if you don’t.

Thanks be to God that He is a God of second and third and fourth and (add nearly countless) chances. For He taught me a tough lesson through those years after my marriage ended, showing me that my only hope in life was to allow Him to be the Lord of it. I was afraid of returning only because I feared how He would feel about my straying. But just like the prodigal son when he returned from squandering his inheritance, the Father wrapped His arms around me, welcomed me home, and then proceeded to bless me now that I feared Him. As a result, a new marriage emerged, one that has endured more than 20 years now. My children returned to me five years after I was born again and I’m convinced it’s because the Lord knew I was ready to lead my children spiritually, something I did do and will do for the rest of our life together.

Truly, my life became blessed and still is to overflow each and every day. This is the life I pray all of my readers will experience, a life fully committed to the Lord in obedience each and every day, and because of that, is a life richly blessed by the Giver of all blessings, the Giver of every good and perfect thing from above (James 1:17).

PS: If you have a testimony on this matter, please leave a comment. Your words will be a blessing to someone else.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE BLESSING OF CHILDREN

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

Psalm 127:3-5

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Of all the blessings that the Lord has lavished upon me (and the list is VERY extensive), I count the gift of my two daughters at the top of the list. As I tell people all the time, there will not be a more challenging thing you’ll do in your life than raise a child but there is also no more rewarding thing you will do. And as my daughters are now in adulthood, it’s very satisfying to see them both living and loving the right way, following the lead of Christ in what they do.

Yes, children are gifts from God but I just want to take a moment in this devotion to say a little more about the experience, to bring things a little more into focus for parents regarding the kids they are blessed to have.

First of all, it needs to be said right up front that all children belong to God. There is no exception to this truth. Every child born is born out of God’s purpose and He never makes a mistake there. He creates and He owns every person brought into the world we live in. He is the ultimate parent, THE Father of all of us.

The importance in this comes in the way we value and cherish children, not just the ones we are blessed to have but ALL children. God, their Father in heaven, has placed them under our care and with that we have a great obligation. As we look at the word of God from the remaining verses in the 127th Psalm, we read that children are God’s reward and a part of His heritage. He always keeps His family here on earth replenished, bringing new children into creation while he is calling for others to depart.

If you have children of your own, keep in mind that God has given them to you to love and care for as He would. That’s an incredible responsibility and accountability point. Keep in mind that everything to do (or don’t do) to your child and everything you say (or don’t say) to your child is under God’s watchful eye. He sees everything.

With this, don’t feel pressured. Just rely on God to guide you as a parent. Seek Him and allow Him to help you raise His children the way He wants them to be raised. Make your thoughts His thoughts; your actions His actions. On days when your patience and strength feel like they are absent, draw close to Him and He will grant you exactly what you need to get through. When you’re not sure how to handle behavior or circumstances, look to Him for guidance and direction, knowing He will impart it. He wants the best for His children and you are counted in that number. We all are. So don’t make it hard. Allow God to help you and He will deliver.

If you are not able to have children, then consider adopting a child. Every child is of God and in need of a loving provider. Pray over the possibility and follow the will of God. It breaks my heart to see so many children abandoned or orphaned as their parents pass away. God has not forsaken these children. There are more than enough people in the world to love and care for them. People just need to realize their obligation to care for God’s richest rewards, His heritage, and then take action to ensure no child goes without love and nurture.

Today and every day, let’s all make a commitment to love and care for the children of God as God loves and cares for them. They are a rich blessing to us from Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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ARE YOU BUILDING AND LIVING IN VAIN?

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat — for He grants sleep to those He loves.

Psalm 127:1-2

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As you grow each day in life, our scripture passage today would ask one important question: Who is building you? Who are you allowing to develop you each and every day?

The answer to the question is critical. Look at the words from the psalmist in the opening verses of the 127th Psalm:

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat — for He grants sleep to those He loves.

So again, if you look at your life as a structure, constructed day-by-day as you grow and mature, who is building you up?

If the answer is anything except the Lord, then the building efforts are futile and done in vain.

Trying to be the master of our own personal construction project is a worthless endeavor, a waste of time. Ditto for any time we turn our life over to another human being, allowing them to construct who we are and who we’ll become.

God’s word is truth and His word tells us that unless the Lord builds us, we are built in vain. Jesus had a little more to say on this subject as He expounded on the parable during His Sermon on the Mount. Here’s what our Savior had to say:

 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the Rock.  But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

Jesus would ask us, “Where have you built yourself?” Have you built yourself on My solid foundation, I who am the Stone the builders rejected that became the Cornerstone (Acts 4:11)? Or have you foolishly built yourself elsewhere, on sand that will give way and collapse when up against the storms of life?

So the question repeats itself: Are you living and building in vain?

The answer to that question impacts everything connected to your life to include your safety and your productivity. Living and building in vain places all aspects of your life at risk of being likewise in vain. Two examples of this are provided in the psalm:

1. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

Relying on yourself, a guard, or a security system for protection? If so, you are living in false security. For as the scripture clearly states, only the Lord can offer us reliable, unfailing safety and sanctuary from life’s dangers. Trusting in anything else is trusting in vain.

2. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat — for He grants sleep to those He loves.

How many people work and work and work and work to the point of exhaustion, all just to try and build success or wealth? Is this really productive?

The scriptures would warn us against such efforts and tell us that we rise early and go to bed late in vain if we’re trying to produce a harvest on our own merit. For God’s word assures us that every good and perfect thing we receive comes not from our own efforts but rather from the blessing of God who grants what we have from above (James 1:17). The psalmist frames the discussion around food but the word here equally applies to everything we strive for.

And note how sleep is brought into the equation. If we are toiling all day to try and achieve a life’s harvest based on our own volition then we so often forego rest, much needed rest that the Lord is ready to grant us. For how productive can we truly be for the Lord if we are exhausted after obsessively pursuing all that life offers? He wants us to be refreshed and focused fully on Him, His will, and His way.

Friends, this scripture challenges us. It challenges us to assess our lives and see if we’re truly placing all our hope and trust in the Lord to build us up and guide us to His true harvest, a full reaping of His fruits of the Spirit.

Are you building and living in vain?

If so, I hope you’ll consider a change of address and move onto the Rock who is our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Psalm 126

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

When I look back to my times of hardship, I remember how difficult life was. It seemed like it was a challenge just to get through every day. There was no certainty that tomorrow would be any better. Despair and despondency were my bedfellows; misery and melancholy my constant companions. My tough circumstances took on a world all their own, an oppressive, unrelenting world that I seemed to be stuck in, a world where darkness dominated and optimism was void.

Maybe you can relate to a time like this. Maybe your life is like this now. Either way, I pray this devotion will be a blessing to you.

So how do we deal with these arduous situations when they occur?

The answer lies in these words from the 126th Psalm:

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Almost always when we’re trying to find our way out of tough circumstances, we look ahead when instead we need to be looking backwards, back to remember all the great things the Lord has done in our life. We so easily forget this in the present as our current state of affairs seem to take priority over everything including our past.

The psalmist and the people of Israel were certainly remembering God’s goodness and rejoicing in all the great things the Lord had done for them. They counted their blessings fully and we need to do likewise. In fact, we should never refrain from counting our blessings. Sit down and ponder them. Write them down and constantly refer to them so you never forget just how awesome God is and how that awesome God did great things for you. Indeed, He has been and will always be our ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

For something amazing happens when we consistently and persistently recall all that the Lord has done for us: we find ourselves buoyed up in hope in the present by remembering the ways God helped us in the past. We see and then believe that He did it before and He’ll do it again in accordance with His perfect will and way. Indeed, when we recall all the great things the Lord has done, we can do the following:

1. We can remember how our dreams came true and our prayers were answered.

Our present difficulty isn’t our first. We need to remember that. We have gone through hard times before and prayed to God for deliverance which He brought. As we recall how our prayers were answered previously, we find it easier to continue to pray and wait patiently for God to act, just as He did prior.

2. Our mouths can be filled with laughter through our current pains.

Painful periods don’t bring happiness in tow. Without some sense of joy to hold onto, we will find it tough to find anything to laugh about. But when we consider how good God has been to us, we can’t help but smile and even laugh in joy over how He came to our aid. And we can continue to smile knowing in hope He’ll come to our rescue again and create new memories of how great He is.

3. Our tongues can sing songs of joy even in our lamenting.

Liberation from adversity leads us to songs of praise. When we remember all the great things that God has done in our lives, we sing joyfully out of a sense of thanksgiving. This willingness to sing should continue, even in the grueling, troublesome times as we ever sing the praises of the God who saved us once and will continue to save us many times over until our life on earth is through.

Friends, whenever you go through difficulty, follow the lead of the psalmist and the people of Israel, remembering all the great things that God has done. Know and trust that every time you do, light will take the place of darkness and hope will overcome despair, all because God is greater than any problem we’re going through.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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SURROUNDED

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.

Lord, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel.

Psalm 125

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

What do you place your trust in?

Is it in yourself or do you put your faith and hope in someone else?

I’ve seen it both ways and have lived it both ways in my life.

Let me discuss the matter of trusting in one’s self first.

At one time in my life, I was confident that I could do it all to include somehow working things out while handling the adversities in life. No matter what I went up against, I felt I could get through it on my own.

Here’s what I discovered. The more I tried to carry my own burdens, the heavier the weight of my world became on my shoulders. And that weight increased and increased the longer my problems endured and compounded until I was no longer able to stand underneath them anymore. I found out that I didn’t have the strength to bear what I was going through and ended up on my knees where I could have just went in the first place. More on that in a moment.

Now, let me examine the matter of placing trust in someone else. There is a good and bad to this and it depends on who you are placing your trust in. We’ll start by examining what happens when you place your trust in another human being.

I had an opportunity to minister to a woman who had tragically lost her husband. She was obviously distraught because she had lost her partner but what made this exponentially worse was because she depended on her spouse for everything. Her complete faith and hope in life was invested in him and when he died, she was left emptied. In her mind, she had lost everything and didn’t know how to move on in life.

Our Savior Jesus tried to teach us a valuable lesson on the dangers of placing our hope in the wrong things. Consider these words from His Sermon on the Mount:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

The woman I testified about had not followed the advice of Jesus. She had stored up all her treasure on earth within the vessel of her husband and when he died, he took her treasure with him. And since her treasure was fully in her mate so was her heart. She ended up losing everything that was of value to her and found her heart empty because she placed her value in the wrong place.

Now let me discuss what could have changed that outcome.

Ask yourself this: What would have happened if the woman had placed all her hope and trust in Jesus instead of her husband?

In this scenario, the woman’s heart would have been where her treasure was and that was in Jesus. Thus, although she lost her husband, she would have not lost her treasure, the One who would be there to surround her, bring her comfort, and love her, filling the void left by her mate’s death. In Jesus, she would have invested in the greatest valuable we have access to and in doing so would have secured her life now and forever more.

Friends, when we make Jesus our treasure in life, when we place our faith and trust in Him, then we can live life in peace and without fear, knowing with certainty that He is ever with us and the One with the power to help us through any and all circumstances. I mentioned earlier about ending up on my knees under the weight of my troubles when I tried to bear them. Well, God’s word instructs us to bring those concerns to the Lord in prayer, not being anxious about anything, so we discover the peace of God that transcends all understanding.

Yes, in the Lord, and in Him alone do we find the security to make it through this worldly life God has placed us in.

The psalmist who wrote the 125th Psalm truly understood this years before Jesus would arrive. Look at these verses from our passage:

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Look at the word of God here as it relates to who we should place our trust in.

When we trust in the Lord, we cannot be shaken. He surrounds us with His love, strength, and power as surely as the mountains wrapped themselves around Jerusalem, always there to protect, provide, counsel and deliver us from the circumstances of life. Through Him, there is nothing we cannot endure, there is nothing we can’t handle, there’s nothing we can’t figure out.

On our own, we are isolated and alone, too weak to deal with life’s challenges. Depending on anyone outside of the Lord will leave us vulnerable and at risk of losing all we hold onto. But placing our total faith and trust in the Lord who surrounds us will leave us secure and safe forever, nestled in the comfort and peace of His strong, loving arms.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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WHAT IF?

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

What if the Lord had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat: What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us?

They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger. The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives.

Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free!

Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 124

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

What if?

It’s a question we use a lot, especially if we’re trying to plan for things that could happen or could have happened?

Here are a couple of real life examples in my world where I recently used the question, one where I tried to plan for what might happen and one where I was left to speculate as to what might have happened:

Example 1: In January, I had to travel overseas to Portugal where I arrive one day, board the ship the next, and leave within hours of embarking. This led me to have some “what if” questions for my supervisor.

What if one of my flights is delayed and/or cancelled and I am late getting into Portugal? Will the ship wait for me to arrive or will I miss it and have to return back to Norfolk?

What if they lose my luggage and they can’t get it to me before I go to sea? Do I go without all my clothes to change into and just wear the same outfit for a week?

Example 2: Three weeks ago, my wife and I were driving through a mall parking lot when all of a sudden a car sped through a lane in one of the parking areas and slammed into the passenger side of our car doing $6,000 in damage. Upon looking at the damage to the passenger side of my car, I began to ponder:

What if she had rammed into my wife’s door instead of the door behind her?

What if I had hit the gas more? Would I have avoided the collision?

What if she doesn’t have insurance to pay for all this?

Maybe you have your own “what if” question scenarios you could share. As we look at the 124th Psalm, we can see that people were asking the question, “What if?”, more than 2,000 years ago. As we look at what the psalmist wondered, I think we’ll see ourselves how we should be using the “what if” question all the time when we’re contemplating our lives, especially from a Christian perspective. Look at these words from our passage:

What if the Lord had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat: What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us?

They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger. The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives.

Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free!

Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

It’s obvious that the Israelites had been delivered from danger after being attacked. The assailants had to have been very formidable because the psalmist feels that destruction would have taken place had it not been for the Lord’s intervention. He asked, “What if the Lord had not been on our side? What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us?”

He answered his own question after this saying, "They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger. The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives.”

So what changed the outcome?

It was the Lord who, as the psalmist states, “Did not let their teeth tear us apart.”

No, instead, the Israelites were liberated, set free from the “hunter’s trap”. In their time of trouble, the Israelites were rescued by the Lord.

Now, let’s use this in a present day context because it’s critical that we understand how this psalm and its focus on the “what if” question impacts our lives here in the 21^st century. Look now at this psalm as I restate in a way that relates to the Christian today:

What if the Lord had not been on our side? Let us all repeat: What if the Lord had not been on our side when we faced destruction from our sinfulness?

We would be living without hope, destined to burn in the hellfire of God’s wrath. At judgment, we would have been engulfed by flames and burned to ash. God’s fury would have overwhelmed and consumed us.

Praise the Lord, who was not willing to allow us to perish in our sin but instead offered all of us an escape from the wrath of God’s anger by offering His only Son up as a sin sacrifice, paying the penalty for sin once and for all. And because He saved us through Jesus, we were set free from condemnation and annihilation and presented with an inheritance of eternal life. All we need to do is place our faith and trust in Jesus as Savior.

Yes friends, our help is in the Lord who made the heavens and the earth, the Lord who saved us and gave us the final answers to the main “what if" question.

For if we ask, “What if I don’t accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior?”, then we know the answer. It’s simple. You have no hope and will face God’s wrath and judgment when this life is over.

But for those who place their belief in Jesus Christ as Savior, then the answer to the “what if” question becomes quite different. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16) and so the answer in this instance becomes, “They will live forever with God the Father and Jesus, His Son.

Tonight, if you haven’t asked yourself the “what if” question, I pray you will. I pray even more that you will choose the latter of the two answers and accept Jesus as Savior because I would love to see you join me for eternity with the very Lord who has saved us. It’s a life everlasting no one should want to miss.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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ENSLAVED

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

I lift up my eyes to You, to You who sit enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till He shows us His mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt. We have endured no end of ridicule from the arrogant, of contempt from the proud.

Psalm 123

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever thought of yourself as enslaved to the Lord?

It’s not something we talk about is it? And yet if you look throughout the original Greek Bible texts that were translated into what we read as the New Testament, you will find us referred to as slaves to Christ Jesus. The Greek word commonly used that defines this relationship is doulas but in most if not all of the Bible translations we read the word is translated as “servant”, not slave.

Now although there is nothing wrong with the word “servant” being used to describe our relationship with Jesus, it certainly is not the same meaning or connotation as being a slave to Him. Pastor John MacArthur, who actually wrote an entire book on this matter simply entitled “Slave”, had this to say:

While it is true that the duties of slave and servant may overlap to some degree, there is a key distinction between the two: servants are hired; slaves are owned.

Servants have an element of freedom in choosing whom they work for and what they do. The idea of servanthood maintains some level of self-autonomy and personal rights.

Slaves, on the other hand, have no freedom, autonomy, or rights. In the Greco-Roman world, slaves were considered property, to the point that, in the eyes of the law they were regarded as things rather than persons. To be someone’s slave was to be his possession, bound to obey his will without hesitation or argument.

John MacArthur’s writing opened my eyes up to new avenues of understanding about how I am to relate to the Lord. Considering myself a servant over a slave almost becomes a watered-down version of what I am supposed to be, a relaxing of my obligation to Him, a liberation from the bondage I should be under.

When I chose to give my life to Christ, He didn’t just demand a part of my life. No, He demanded and expected that I would surrender everything for Him, including my worldly freedom, just as He surrendered everything, to include His life, for me. And yet, how much do I really give Jesus my everything? How often do I fully submit to Him without reservation or stipulation?

The thought is convicting and transforming all at the same time.

For I WANT to be Christ’s possession, fully enslaved to Him and bound to His every command and direction. I don’t want to have ANY option when it comes to whether or not I serve Him. I don’t want any freedom except for the freedom He brings, a freedom from the bondage of worldly enslavement so I can experience true freedom in Him now and forever. I want to surrender my rights in exchange for His righteousness.

My hope is that you will begin to feel the same if you aren’t already.

Of interest, look at the words of the psalmist in the 123 rd Psalm in regard to this matter of being enslaved to the Lord:

I lift up my eyes to You, to You who sit enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till He shows us His mercy.

Note the concept of being enslaved to the Lord did not just sprout in the New Testament. The psalmist here clearly confesses that the desires of the people of Israel, as well as his own, were focused on their Master, the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth. There is submissiveness to these words, a compliance with the One who made them and ruled them.

We would be well served to adopt the psalmist’s attitude and relinquish all that we are and all that we have to the Lord in complete obedience and enslavement. For God purchased all of us at a very steep price, the life of His Son, our Savior, Jesus, and with that, we are forever indebted and bound to Him, not violated in bondage but rather blessed now and forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com