The four hundred were an unorganized, inefficient, depressed mob without a leader, so they attached themselves to David. Picture the scene in your mind. With a little imagination you could see how depressed he must have been. Surely he sighed as he thought, What now? or Why me? In the depth of distress, having reached the end of his rope, David talked with his Lord about his desperate situation.
Read MoreTag Archives: Psalms
An Abysmal Cave
Who hasn’t struggled with those demoralizing seasons of dark sadness? Everyone suffers from grief and sorrow from time to time. But depression is a different matter. Like a disease, it’s very common, but it’s not “normal.” Depression is an extended state of mind characterized by acute sadness that most likely will not go away by itself. It needs attention.
Read MoreOpening to God
Do you want to be a person whose walk with God is intimate and deep? Honestly now, is Christianity simply a ticket to heaven for you, or is it the very root and foundation of your life? Is this business of Bible reading/study, prayer, church attendance, baptism, witnessing, the Lord’s Table, and the singing of hymns just something to calm your guilt and/or occupy your Sundays?
Read MoreAnger against God’s Enemies
As David thought about God’s intricate design of humanity in Psalm 139, and he pondered the Lord’s loyal love for each individual He took such care to fashion and endow with purpose, the king grew angry at the enemies of God. How ungrateful. How disloyal! How outrageous that they should rebel!
Read MoreNothing Escapes God’s Care
On six separate occasions David refers to the enemies of God in the strongest of terms. These were not moderate, passive foes of the Lord; they were unashamed, hateful, open, and blatant despisers of God and God’s people. To associate with them would pollute the testimony of any saint—and David declares his independence of them, especially when he states, “They have become my enemies” (139:22b).
Read MoreA Species of Wonder
Isn’t this true? We are a species of wonder. No one would argue that the human body is a phenomenal combination of strength, beauty, coordination, grace, and balance on the outside. But if you think the outside is remarkable, just glance inside. Talk about something wonderful! Verse 15 describes our origin.
Read MoreGod’s Skill as Creator
Look at the first twelve verses of this great song. From the first six verses we discover that God knows us thoroughly and completely. God is omniscient. Furthermore, we learn that God is in full control. Nothing occurs outside the realm of His sovereign will. God is omnipotent. Then, in the next six verses, we find that He who knows us is always near us. God is omnipresent.
Read MoreNothing Is Hidden from God
There were times in my childhood when I would become fearful at night. (You may recall having similar feelings.) At those times I would grab the covers and snatch them over my head. I can still remember tucking myself far down beneath them, thinking that I would be kept from harm. How childish, yet how much like adults! In a figurative sense, we do this when we think that doing something in secret will somehow escape the Lord’s notice. This ancient song . . .
Read MoreGod Is Ever Near
All right, so God knows me and controls me (Psalm 139:1–6); He can do that at a distance, through millions and millions of light years of space. But is He near? According to Psalm 139, David’s song about the amazing attributes of God, yes.
Read MoreGod Controls the Details
The Lord remains in complete control of the smallest details of His creation; He is all-knowing and all-powerful. Knowing us as He does, He puts the necessary controls upon us. The fact that He “encloses” us could be misunderstood. This is the translation of a Hebrew term used for the besieging of a city in battle—closing off all escape routes. One Hebrew scholar says it means “to be hemmed in.” The idea is that God has us in inescapable situations . . .
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