Monday, January 13, 2020

A Reflection on Psalm 9:10

This morning I was reading Psalm 9, which is jam packed with amazing truths, but one in particular caught my attention. It is in verses 9-10..
The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
  And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.
For those of you who journeyed through the Old Testament with us in 2019, I hope it catches your attention too. It's the opening line of verse 10, "And those who know your name put their trust in you." His name? What does his name have to do with anything?

Well what is his name? If you go back to verse 9 it reads, "The LORD...". All caps means this is the personal name of the God of Israel - Yahweh. Now that we know the name let's plug it in: "And those who know your name - Yahweh - put their trust in you."

Here David reflects on the character (we might say the track record) of Yahweh. He has never once abandon his people or the promises he made to his people - think Joshua, Israel, the Judges, Ruth, Samuel, David, the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.

So David declares those who know your name...those who know who you are...those who know what you have done...those who know how gracious and merciful you are...those who know how faithful you are...those are the people who put their trust in you.

Do you know him? If you do...if you really KNOW him...then you WILL trust him. And by the way we get to know him by digging in the Bible; by reflecting on Psalm 9; by reflecting on Mark 9 (both are our assigned reading for today).

Finally let me encourage you that whatever you face today YOU CAN TRUST HIM. He is faithful.

Monday, January 6, 2020

How Often Do You Need to Read the Bible?

Yesterday I issued a challenge to the Meadowview family to READ SCRIPTURE in 2020. We considered Psalm 1; Matthew 4:4; Job 23:12; Jeremiah 23:29; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:14-17. One quote that I intended to share was this one by John Blanchard:
Surely we only have to be realistic and honest with ourselves to know how regularly we need to turn to the Bible. How often do we face problems, temptation and pressure? Every day! Then how often do we need instruction, guidance and greater encouragement? Every day! To catch all these felt needs up into an even greater issue, how often do we need to see God's face, hear his voice, feel his touch, know his power? The answer to all these questions is the same: every day! As the American evangelist D.L. Moody put it, 'A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God's boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it. (Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 28)
This year - 2020 - focus on the God's Words. They are far more moving than anything you can watch on Netflix. They are far more encouraging and life-giving than anything you will find on Facebook or Instagram. Set aside the time, follow the plan (Mark 4; Psalm 4 today), pull out and focus on at least one truth from what you read, and finally create accountability - let's do this together.