GOT TROUBLES?

Image result for troubleHow I hate trouble!  Trouble enters our lives sometimes by our own invitation, the consequences of our choices, and sometimes it bursts into our lives as a very uninvited guest allowed by God, with His divine purpose.  Psalm 46 is the safe and soft place that I want to focus for today.

The author is probably the sons of Korah who were temple assistants.  It could have possibly been written after the siege of the Assyrians against Israel and the miraculous deliverance from them during the reign of Hezekiah. It was a victory song/poem which was sung in worship.  The psalm was also the basis of the hymn sung by Martin Luther, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."  I also think I recall it being played at the Cathedral in DC when President Bush spoke after 911. (?)

That word, trouble translates as distress or strait, in a narrow tight place.  The psalmist desires that we experience God as our safe place and the most protected and powerful place to rest.  In fact, He is not only our refuge, our strength when we are in weakness and exhaustion, but He is always present whenever or whatever is going on.  Note the psalm is written in the PRESENT tense!  HE IS! What is the strait place you are in at the present?  The psalmist could have rushed to his flesh to fix the tightness, temporarily of course or he could choose to be helped/aided by God ( Elohim: Unmoved, majestic, peerless, Sustainer, holds all things together, the One who will never leave His creation).  

 Therefore, because God IS our safe and protecting place, "we will not fear."  Fear pictures the words be afraid or be in dread.  (Fear came about AFTER Adam and Eve sinned.  Remember they hid from God and when questioned by God where they were, Adam confessed they were afraid.  Because of the fall, fear is inherent within us.  Most of our emotions spring out of fear and fear usually gives way to pride.) The psalmist begins to give illustrations of not being fearful even if:  the earth gives way, the mountains fall into the sea, the waters of the sea are tumultuous, and the firm and steadfast mountains quake. 

 Looks like I will be working on the psalm for a day or so since my thoughts only express verses 1-3.  So sorry for the verbosity!  Since I don't have an official teaching position at the church I attend, I guess, I try to work it out on the blog. I confess to you, the readers, that fear is an aged enemy of mine, personally.  It has been a stronghold and I have had to "pull it down" many times ( 2 Corinthians 10:2-5).  My fear doesn't march alone because pride, anger, insecurity, and inferiority join in to further complicate, stress, and to bind!  So today, at 9:00 am, there are no Assyrians prevailing against me, but there are presses, so I will declare many times for today and the rest of my days, "Father, Abba, YOU are my REFUGE and STRENGTH!  Forever learning!  In process, always!  #IHAVETHREESONS.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THOSE SEEING CAN BECOME BLIND

Image
John 9 is the story of the healing of the blind beggar.  Not only is it a marvelous story of the miraculous healing of the man as he is given his sight, but a sad story of the religious of whom Jesus said, "For judgment, I have come into this world, so that the blind will see, and those who see will become blind ." The religious have seen the miracle, even though it has taken place on a Sabbath, and they interview the man and his parents for their stories and understanding. I find it so thrilling that the healed man speaks so articulately and logically with the religious in their "interview" with him.  His statement, " Now that is remarkable!  You don't know where HE comes from, yet HE opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners.  He listens to the godly man who does His will.  Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." What truth he has spoken to the religious wh
Read more

REHEARSALS

Image
  I wonder how much time do I give to rehearsing God's goodness and how He has intervened in my life to "save" me from myself?  How alike the Israelites I can be, complaining about what goes wrong, how it affects me, and what I lack.  As a Christ follower, I have the Indwelling Holy Spirit to give me remembrance NOT of my complaining and grumbling, but of a recall of God's faithfulness to me.  It is recorded in Psalms 78 and 106 that " They forgot what He had done, the wonder He had shown them", "They did not remember His power--the day He redeemed them from the oppressor...", "They did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.", "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.", and "They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt...". Contrast with me, God's remembrance: Ps. 106:44-46, "But He took note of their distress
Read more

ORDER AND DESIGN

Image
    I do not have OCD, but I do confess that I like order in my home.  Now that I am retired, I am not so much into spotless, but "picked up" and "kinda" clean. (Do not open drawers and closets!) I might go to more trouble when I know I am having company, but otherwise, I remove the clutter that seems to reproduce on its own.   When I began the reading in Genesis in January, I was again taken with the with the orderliness and design of God in creation, and have seen Him use Moses and Aaron to ORDERLY marshal the Israelites to move out of Egypt. How do you move some 600+ males and that is not even wives and children? Animals also?  They have been one year+ out of Egypt, and have been camped at Mt. Sinai where God has given them laws for their spiritual and physical welfare.  God gives Moses the design of the Tabernacle and Moses is able to bring together the workers to complete the Tabernacle.   The clip art at the top is the positioning of the 12 Tribes and the
Read more