Thursday, November 12, 2020

Psalm 2; Matthew 22:37; Luke 10:27 - "Refuge"

The Lord took me to Psalm 2 this morning. I feel like it was written for today instead of many years ago. It is about how people are living in evilness instead of with the Lord. I read it in different versions to get the meaning better. In The Message it reads: 

Why the big noise, nations?
Why the mean plots, peoples?
Earth-leaders push for position,
Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks,
The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers:
“Let’s get free of God!
Cast loose from Messiah!”
Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing.
At first he’s amused at their presumption;
Then he gets good and angry.
Furiously, he shuts them up:
“Don’t you know there’s a King in Zion? A coronation banquet
Is spread for him on the holy summit.”

Let me tell you what God said next.

He said, “You’re my son,

And today is your birthday.

What do you want? Name it:

Nations as a present? continents as a prize?

You can command them all to dance for you,

Or throw them out with tomorrow’s trash.”

So, rebel-kings, use your heads;

Upstart-judges, learn your lesson:

Worship God in adoring embrace,

Celebrate in trembling awe. Kiss Messiah!

Your very lives are in danger, you know

His anger is about to explode,

But if you make a run for God—you won’t regret it!

There are so many God-deniers in our world. People would rather enjoy a life led by the enemy because there are no consequences given by him. What they do not realize is there are eternal consequences they will deal with. Perhaps they are aware of that but do not believe they are true. Or perhaps they think there will be time for them to change their ways. The point I believe David is trying to get us to realize is we, as Christ's followers, need to realize how people are living. We need to make them aware of the need to be a follower of Christ. When he says Your very lives are in danger..., he is trying to get people to open their eyes to Christ. Right now in our world it appears the enemy is winning but he is not. We must remember God is in control. God may be allowing certain things to happen to stretch our faith. He may allow circumstances to be where believers will be persecuted in a deeper way to take our faith deeper. God has power in both heaven and earth. He is the Head over us and we must remember that. The last few verses of this Psalm remind us how we all are to live. We are to worship God and keep our focus on Him. We cannot allow the things that are happening around us take our focus away. Matthew Henry writes of this when he tells us we need to rejoice in God because of the uncertainty of all things in this world. He continues:

To welcome Jesus Christ, and to submit to him, is our wisdom and interest. Let him be very dear and precious; love him above all, love him in sincerity, love him much... Unbelief is a sin against the remedy. It will be utter destruction to yourselves; lest ye perish in the way of your sins, and from the way of your vain hopes; lest your way perish, lest you prove to have missed the way of happiness. Christ is the way; take heed lest ye be cut off from Him as your way to God. They thought themselves in the way; but neglecting Christ, they perish from it. Blessed will those be in the day of wrath, who, by trusting in Christ, have made him their Refuge.

No matter what is happening in our political world, with COVID19, etc. we must remember to love God as Jesus told us to in Matthew 22:37. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Luke 10:27 also includes we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. God's love is the answer to the 'junk' of this world. His love is all we need on this earth so we will spend eternity with Him. The last words of Psalm 2 in The Voice read: But blessings await all who trust in Him. They will find God a gentle refuge. Woo hoo! No matter what happens in the days ahead I will trust God. No matter how 'bad' life becomes I will trust God. No matter how much ugliness we see I will trust God. Plain and simple. I will trust God because He truly is the One in control. This morning I am reminded of the words to Refuge that Finding Favour sings...

My soul it sings to you
Oh God you are my refuge
I will cling, I will cling to you
My shelter through the storm
My peace when waves of troubles roll
I will cling, I will cling to you

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the reminder this morning You are still in control in this messed up world! Thank You for loving me so much that You do not give up on me when I miss opportunities You put before me to love on others with Your love! Father, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May You ooze out of my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today in a new, different way. Lord, my heart is hurting for so many people. I pray most of all You will be greater than the hurts of their heart. I pray Your peace to come down upon all who are struggling. I pray for Jim with today being Sandie's birthday. Thank You for Gay's brother's diagnosis being made! I remember when I received the same diagnosis Doc praised You and said 'now we know what we are fighting.' Praise Your Holy Name for being with me all these years through the fight with MS. Lord, thank You for my appointment with the neurologist today about the tingling in my face/head. I pray You will use doctors/medication to give me relief. Thank You Jesus for being My Refuge! Amen.

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