The Saturday Morning Post – Perilous Times
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 13 – 15 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 9 – 10; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)
Read the “0719 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2Timothy 3:1-5)
Good morning. Here is what God says about some of the issues going on in these perilous times.
Child Abuse…
“…Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” (Matthew 18:3-7)
Sodomites and Lesbians…
“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” (Romans 1:24-27)
Murder…
“And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” (Genesis 9:5-6)
And the list goes on, but…
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)
The wages of sin is still death, whether saved or unsaved: Christian or non-Christian. If you sin, God may choose to take you home to Heaven if you are a Christian: a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ; or if you never received Jesus as your personal Saviour this is what is waiting for you…
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)
America is in deep, deep trouble. But righteousness will exalt a nation. There is no righteousness in a government that lies. There is no righteousness in those who abuse children, use them in pornography, or leave them in hot cars to bake. There is no righteousness where you could be sitting on your porch and someone drives by with a gun and puts a bullet in your head. Where there is no righteousness, there is sin. And sin is a reproach to any people. We are all affected by sin. America is in trouble, and Jesus is the only solution. I’m going to end with this last verse…
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Peace.
Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with no comments yet.
The Richest Man On Earth
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 7 – 8; Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read the “0718 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22)
What determines the true wealth of a man? Is it the amount of money he has in his bank account? Is it the number of acres he owns or the size of his house? Perhaps it might be the number of toys and possessions that he has been able to accumulate in his lifetime? Can richness be measured by the world’s standards? This world puts a great deal of emphasis on material gain and financial success, and to some degree they are right, because one of the ways that God blesses His children is by providing them with their needs, and even some of their desires. But the truth is, the world is replete with people who have “this world’s goods”, but are not rich. Why? Because they lack the blessing of the Lord. Let me list for you some of the reasons why I feel that I am the richest man on earth:
1 My Father is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and all of the silver and gold belongs to Him. Because I am His child, everything that He has is mine as well. Everything that I need is provided for me. I am completely content, because there is nothing that I will ever need that will not be provided for me.
2 My Family is truly a blessing from God. He has given me the most beautiful wife in all of the world along with four wonderful children (and their spouses), and ten beautiful grandchildren. They are for me; they support me; they encourage me; they assist me; they love me as I am even with all of my faults.
3 My Friends are also extremely valuable to me. I have a few friends that I believe would take a bullet for me. They are loyal and true, even when things aren’t going so well.
4 My Future looks even brighter. My needs for the rest of my life are guaranteed, and I have a mansion waiting for me in Heaven when I have finished His purpose for me on earth.
How about you? Have you been measuring your wealth the same way the world does? Maybe you are actually richer than you thought? If you are experiencing the blessing of the Lord, you are a rich man indeed.
Posted in Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Who Are You Going To Listen To?
Today’s Passage –Proverbs 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 5 – 6; Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 17)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 119:105
Read the “0717 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Did you notice in our passage this morning that there were two very different women, and each of them were calling out to men, trying to get them to yield to her?
# 1 – The Foolish Woman (the Strange Woman – [Ladies – this could also be a strange man])
“And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.” (Proverbs 7:10-20)
“A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, To call passengers who go right on their ways: Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.” (Proverbs 9:13-18)
The first woman is the foolish woman. You meet her quite often in the Book of Proverbs. She is easy to spot because she dresses like an harlot. She is loud and very bold about what she wants. You see her just about everywhere you go. She is very alluring and offers pleasure that promises to satisfy, at least temporarily. Unfortunately, those that yield to her end up ruining their lives. “For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.” (Proverbs 7:26-27)
# 2 – The Woman named Wisdom
“Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.” (Proverbs 9:1-6)
This woman is a different story altogether. She is introduced in the first few verses of chapter 7. Chapter 8 and the beginning of chapter 9 are also all about her. She is also trying to get you to yield to her and she is desperately trying to keep you away from the strange and foolish woman (7:5). She offers you long life and the favor of the Lord, and promises that the fruit that she gives you is more valuable than gold. She has served as counsellor to the greatest leaders of the world and was even present when God created the world around us. And she delivers on her promises. She may not give you the temporary pleasure that the foolish woman offers but in the long run she is the much “wiser” choice.
So, who are you going to choose? I can give you a suggestion. “Get Wisdom,” and stay as far away from the foolish woman (or man) as you can.
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)
“Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her (the foolish woman) ways, go not astray in her paths.” (Proverbs 7:24-25)
Posted in Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Consider the Ant
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4 ; Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 16)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
Read the “0716 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.” – (Proverbs 6:6-11)
I remember many years back, our assistant pastor, Ted Stahl, was sitting on the curb in back of our church and he was staring down at the ground. I was curious as to what he was doing, so I asked him. His answer was even more curious: he said that he was obeying the Bible. By this point, he had my full attention, so I probed even deeper, and asked him what he meant by that. He told me that the Bible commanded him to consider the ants, and as I looked closer I could see that Pastor Stahl was actually observing some ants as they were going about their business. I will have to agree that the ants are fascinating creatures. They seem to be always busy, working together to accomplish their goal.
Christians ought to have some of the qualities of ants. Our society is filled with lazy people who seem to have little purpose in life, but that shouldn’t be said of us. We should be busy, diligent people who are able to work well with other people to accomplish God’s will for our lives.
As I have read through the Book of Proverbs I have noticed that there are certain themes that reappear again and again. One of these is the subject of laziness (the Bible uses the terms slothful, and will also call a lazy person, a sluggard).
“I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.” – (Proverbs 24:30-34 )
The above passage speaks of a man who because of his laziness, has neglected his field to the point where it was overgrown with weeds. I feel that way in my life sometimes. I notice that there are times when I lose focus and allow things to fall into neglect. It happens in all areas of my life as well. Sometimes, I may neglect the spiritual priorities and at other times I may become lazy in one of my responsibilities as a father or husband. I get lazy. Laziness seems to be a bigger problem for me in the summertime.
God expects us to be fruitful. God expects us to be busy and productive. Here are some things that will help me stay on track to fulfill the things that God expects from my life:
1 Have a schedule – determine what time you need to get up, and how much time is needed to do what you have to do. Go to bed early and get up early. Avoid the time wasters like the internet and television.
2 Set Goals – what do you want to accomplish this year, this summer, this week, tomorrow? Attempt to get a lot of things done. You may not get to them all, but you will accomplish a lot more than if you don’t set goals. “He who aims at nothing hits it every time”. Set spiritual goals; goals for tasks around the house, etc.
3 Be accountable to someone. This is the problem that many preachers have. They have no earthly boss standing over them with expectations. If I am not careful, I will let this lack of accountability cause me to get lazy, get up later, leave earlier, etc.
4 Stay motivated. I listen to preaching and leadership lessons from Godly pastors around the country to stay challenged. What motivates you?
We will have to give an account of our lives to God someday. What did we do with our time? Were we productive? Did we fulfill God’s will for our lives? Or did we sleep in? Don’t be lazy. Get up and do what God has called you to do. Be like the ant.
Posted in Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Barns Filled With Plenty
Today’s Reading – Proverbs 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 1 – 2; Psalms 71 – 75; Proverbs 15)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
Read the “0715 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10)
Several years ago our church started a community garden. Although I was really not personally involved in the process, I observed with fascination as the folks first worked the ground, and then planted the seeds and plants. It didn’t look like much at first, but soon it began to take shape. I remember that first year when they brought in a tray of the “first fruits,” which was distributed to some people who needed food. It was exciting to see food that was produced from our garden go to some families in our church who needed it.
When I read Proverbs 3:9 – 10, I am reminded of that garden. This is a wonderful promise from the Word of God. It is really very simple. If we will are faithful to give back to the Lord the “firstfruits” of all that He has blessed us with, He will also be faithful to fill our barns with plenty. In my case it’s actually just a food pantry, but I can personally testify that the Lord has been very faithful to me through the years in keeping that pantry and refrigerator filled. My family has always been abundantly provided for by the Lord, not just with food, but also with clothing, a house to live in, a car to drive, and even many luxuries. Let me challenge and encourage you in this matter of giving back to the Lord. You can absolutely trust Him. He will never fail to do what He has promised to do.
Consider some of these related promises from the Scripture:
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38)
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:10-12)
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
Posted in Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Praise God!
Today’s Reading – Psalms 146 – 150 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 27 – 28; Psalms 66 – 70; Proverbs 14)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1
Read the “0714 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” – (Psalm 150:1-6)
“Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.” (Psalms 66:1-2)
I remember visiting Solid Rock Baptist Church years ago, and Pastor Clark had noticed some teenagers that weren’t singing. He rebuked them, saying, “Open your big fat mouth and praise God”. I will never forget it, and I often want to shout the same thing at our church.
It is interesting how many times the word praise is used in the Psalms. In fact, every psalm that we have read this morning mentions the word “praise” several times. The Lord deserves our praise. We should praise him first because of who He is; and then because of all that He’s done for us. We should praise God all the time, but it is especially important to praise the Lord in the church house. We can praise Him through our singing, and in our prayers and testimonies. We serve an awesome God, so “open your big fat mouth and praise God”!
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Are You Happy?
Today’s Reading – Psalms 140 – 145 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 25 – 26; Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
Read the “0713 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.” (Psalm 144:15)
Years ago, I was researching some ideas for a new gospel tract for the church. I came across one that really caught my attention. On the front cover it had a picture of a smily face with the question, “Are You Happy?” I thought that this tract would be a great attention getter for others as well; but I wondered, is it biblical? I’m not talking about the contents of the tract, which is doctrinally sound. I am talking about the concept of happiness. What does the Bible really say about happiness? I had always been taught that God’s people can be joyful, but joy is deeper that happiness. In other words, you can be joyful even when you’re not happy. I suppose that may be true at times, but I did a little more research and discovered that the Bible very clearly teaches that God’s children should be a happy people. Don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that there will be times in our lives when we are sad; and to some degree I think feeling sad is good for us and part of our complete emotional makeup. But, for the most part, we who are saved ought to be the happiest people on the planet. Why? Because we have an awful lot to be happy about.
Consider what the Word of God says about happiness:
“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:”(Job 5:17)
“Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.” (Psalm 128:1&2)
“Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:” (Psalm 146:5)
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.” (Psalm 3:13)
“He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.” (Proverbs 14:21)
“Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” (Proverbs 28:14)
I could list some more verses, but I think you get the idea. Why then are so many Christians miserable, discontented people? Why are we always so negative? It’s no wonder, we are failing terribly at reaching the world with the gospel. Why should the lost world want what we claim to have with our doctrine, but fail to demonstrate in a happy, contented life. I don’t think happiness is all that elusive. I think it can be found in a right relationship with God. By that I mean that you are saved and yielded to the Spirit of God, surrendered to His will. If you are saved and still doing things your way, you are not going to be happy, because you will have an inner turmoil going on inside of you as God the Holy Spirit works to bring you into submission.
By the way, we ordered the tract, and it was a great eye catcher. We even had a special series of messages surrounding the theme “Are You Happy?”.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Saturday Morning Post – The Gap Theory
Today’s Reading – July 12 – Psalms 133 – 139 (Second Milers also read – Matthew 23 – 24; Psalms 56 – 60; Proverbs 12)
“To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 136:13-15)
Good morning. Just a quick question about something here: when you read your Bible, does God ever give you a thought about something? It could be something to make you more like Jesus. It could be something that corrects the direction you are going. Or it could be just a thought. But do you get anything out of God’s Word when you read your Bible? What I want to show you was just a thought, but it was a thought that God gave me. Maybe I really shouldn’t say it was JUST a thought, to me it’s more than that. But anyway, one thought lead to another, which is in the Book of Exodus…
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.” (Exodus 14:15-20)
That’s the gap: the space of time: all night the Egyptians and the Israelites were not able to come near each other because of the cloud. Genesis 3:6-7 show us a gap between the first sin, and judgment…
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Genesis 3:6-7)
The gap is the time they used to sew together the fig leaves. And then there was the so-called prophetess at Thyatira: Jezebel…
“Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.” (Revelation 2:20-22)
God made a gap for Jezebel; He gave her space of time to repent but she would not.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2Peter 3:9).
God made a gap for Adam and Eve. The ran from God, hid themselves, and tried to cover up their nakedness with fig leaves when they should have run to God…
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)
And then there is the gap that God made for the Egyptians that lasted all night. God may have made this gap for those Egyptians who would forsake their duty to Egypt and Pharaoh’s army. We still have these today, and they’re called deserters. Think about it. They had just seen their nation destroyed by plagues and the death of all the firstborns. They saw the cloud that blocked them from getting to the Israelites. And then when the cloud finally lifted, they saw the Red Sea parted, and Israel walking across on dry land. After all of that, there may have been a few who did not care to fight against the Only True Living God. God made a gap for them. Did any of them take this gift of life from God?
“And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.” (Exodus 14:23-28)
Not so much as one of them.
Why would God give an army who hated God’s people, the couple who enabled God’s people to sin, and a prophetess that caused God’s people to sin, a gap of time to repent: to change their minds about what they had done or were doing? The answer is found at the end of all 26 verses of Psalm 136: for His mercy endureth for ever.
Do you find yourself in a gap today: a space of time given to you by God? Use your time wisely.
Peace.
Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with 1 comment.
An Heritage of the Lord
Today’s Reading – Psalms 120 – 132 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click hereto view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 21 – 22; Psalms 51 – 55; Proverbs 11)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
Read the “0711 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:3-5)
Psalms 120 – 134 are all “songs of degrees”, which means songs of steps or ascents. It is believed that these 15 psalms were sung by the returning remnant as they travelled back to Jerusalem from Babylon.
“And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up (same as the word translated ‘degrees’)from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” (Ezra 7:8-10)
It is also said that the Israelites would sing these songs as they travelled up to Jerusalem three times in the year for the feasts of Tabernacle, Passover, and Pentecost. Because of this some have called these psalms, Pilgrim Songs, or “songs of the pilgrim caravans”.
Four of these songs are attributed to David. (Psalms 122, 124, 131, and 133)
Martin Luther called these “the gradual psalms, songs of the higher choir”.
J. Vernon McGee also points out that there is a spiritual significance to these steps:
There is a spiritual meaning in these fifteen psalms. It is interesting that many writers of the Talmud pointed out the fact that life is like this—it is an ascent. We come to God as sinners who are away from Him, separated, and alienated. We come to Him for salvation, and having come for salvation, we go on to sanctification as we grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ; it is a constant going up. We are to be climbing in a spiritual way. My friend, you and I ought to be farther along today than we were last year.[1]
So, these songs were not only geared for a physical ascent into a geographical city, they were also for a people who were “going up” spiritually – growing in their maturity and faith.
Introduction to Psalm 127
Notice that this particular psalm was a “song of degrees for Solomon.” Psalm 72 also was “a psalm for Solomon.
John Phillips believes that the psalm was written by Solomon, but he also states that he believed that it was added to the Hebrew Hymnbook by Hezekiah.
Wiersbe believes the psalm fits in within the historical context of Nehemiah and his re-building of the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian / Persian captivity.
The wording seems to indicate that this psalm was written for Solomon, not by Solomon, though many theologians attribute this psalm to him. When we consider Solomon with the first verse, we think of the building of the House of God – the Temple.
This psalm could be referred to as a family psalm. (See also Psalm 112 and 128)
This is almost the opposite of the way our culture sees children. John Phillips said this about the trend today that many couples are choosing not to have children:
Today there is a trend, even among Christians, to refrain from having children. They are not looked on as a blessing but as a burden. Nowadays so many people have heart-rending problems with rebellious children that some are suggesting it might be just as well to refrain from having children at all. After all, why spend one’s life—one’s strength, money, and emotions—bringing up children only to have them repay it all with defiance? To have them disobey, trample on one’s ideals, spurn the living God, involve themselves in drugs and sex and open sin? The chances against seeing one’s children avoid all the terrible pitfalls set for them by society today are so slim that increasing numbers of people are concluding they would be better off without them.
Then, too, the world is becoming increasingly dangerous. The superpowers are glaring at each other across the width of the world, armed with ICBMs tipped with multiple nuclear warheads. Terrorism is on the rise. Vice and violence are barely checked by society. Foul sins are accepted as permissible, even smiled upon. The church has lost its authority and most of its power. Why have children? Wouldn’t it be best to avoid bringing little ones into such a dangerous world? It is an appealing philosophy and it is occurring to many.[2]
Mrs. Wesley did not think that way. John and Charles Wesley were number 13 and 17 of Susannah Wesley’s children. What would the world be like without these two giants of the faith?
You will recall that God promised Abraham in the Abrahamic covenant that he would have innumerable offspring:
“And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” (Genesis 15:5)
Notice the reference in v. 4 to arrows. It takes a great deal of skill to learn how to direct the path of an arrow accurately, and it takes a great deal of diligence to raise godly children in this sin-cursed world. The world is trying to mold them into its box, the devil is constantly on his mission of deceiving, and the child’s own flesh is working against what the spirit of God is trying to do:
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Galatians 5:17)
It takes a great deal of love mixed with prayer, instruction, correction, and protection to produce godly kids:
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”(Proverbs 22:6)
The culture that we live in would say that we are being irresponsible in this age of birth control to have a large family, but the Bible would take exception to that philosophy. My sympathies go out to those who were, or are now, unable to have children of their own.
Cindy and I have four children, and ten grandchildren. Frankly, I wish we had more. (Hint – Hannah!)
Notice in v. 5 that children will be a defense for the home and family. This was particularly true in Bible days. Notice the reference to “the gate”. The city gate was a place where business matters were discussed. (Ruth 4:1) However, in this context, the reference may very well be to the gate of the man’s property.
They will also support the family, especially the elderly parents in their old age. The Amish often build a “dawdy house” on their property for the grandparents. Sometimes, it is even attached to the house like an in-law suite.
Cindy and I are both in our sixties. We have no life insurance. We have very little in retirement savings, but we have God and we have the children that God has given us who would each not hesitate at making sure that we are taken care of.
[1] McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 2, p. 851). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2] Phillips, J. (2012). Exploring Psalms 89–150: An Expository Commentary (Vol. 2, Ps 127:3). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Open Thou Mine Eyes
Today’s Reading – Psalm 119 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 19 – 20; Psalms 46 – 50; Proverbs 10)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Read the “0710 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” (Psalms 119:18)
“105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. … 130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” (Psalm 119:105, 130)
What a wonderful privilege it is to be able to open up a copy of the Word of God. Our reading this morning in Psalm 119 is all about God’s word. Almost every verse in this Psalm contains a word that is synonymous with the Bible. For instance, in vs. 1 – 6, you will see the words, “law,” “testimonies,” “ways,” “precepts,” “statutes,” “commandments,” and “judgments.” All of these words are references to the Word of God. They all have slightly different meanings, but together they help us to understand what the Word of God is, as well as what it does. This is a wonderful psalm, replete with tremendous truths and promises regarding our relationship with God through the Bible.
This psalm is the longest psalm at 176 verses as well as the longest chapter in the Word of God. It is another Hebrew acrostic, but it is different from any of the other acrostics that we have seen in that the 176 verses are divided into 22 sections, each containing 8 lines or verses. These 22 sections all correlate with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Thus the first eight verses all begin with “Aleph”, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The next eight verses (vs. 9 – 16) all begin with “Beth”, the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet; and, so on.
The writer is unknown and the historical context is unknown, but there are some clues as to the type of person that wrote it. Wiersbe writes: “The writer must have been a “high profile” person because he mentioned the opposition of rulers (vv. 23, 161; “princes” in kjv), a word that can refer to Gentile rulers or local Jewish tribal leaders (Neh. 3), and he also spoke to kings (v. 46)..”[1]
Wiersbe believes that the writer may have actually been Jeremiah. Others have speculated that it was Moses or perhaps David. We simply do not know.
There is no doubt regarding the theme of this psalm. In nearly every verse, the writer extolls his love and devotion to the Word of God. All verses, save 5 (vs. 84, 90, 121, 122, and 132) speak directly about the Word of God.
Allan Ross wrote this regarding Psalm 119:
The psalm is largely a collection of prayers and meditations on the Word of God, referred to by 10 synonyms.
“Law” (tôrâh), occurring 25 times in the psalm, denotes direction or instruction. More often the word refers to a body of teaching, probably Deuteronomy and Leviticus, if not the whole Pentateuch. In fact, in John 10:34, the corresponding Greek word for “Law” seems to include the entire Old Testament.
“Word” (dāḇār) occurs 20 times in the psalm. It is a general term for God’s revelation, but the “Ten Commandments” are called “Ten Words” (literal Heb., Deut. 4:13).
“Saying” (’imrâh) occurs 19 times. It is often a poetical synonym for dāḇār.
“Commandment” (miṣwâh) occurs (in the Heb.) 21 times in the plural and once in the singular collectively. It signifies a definite, authoritative command. It is frequently joined with the next two words.
“Statutes” (ḥūqqîm) occurs 21 times. In the Psalms it is always in the plural. Literally it means “things inscribed.” So it refers to enacted Laws.
“Judgment” (mišpoṭ) occurs 19 times in the plural, and 4 times in the singular. It represents a judicial decision that constitutes a precedence, a binding law. In the Pentateuch it referred to the laws after the Ten Commandments. The word can also mean God’s judgmental acts on the wicked.
“Precepts” (piqqûḏîm) occurs 21 times. It is a poetical word for injunctions, found only in the Psalter (always in the pl.).
“Testimony” (‘ēḏâh) occurs 22 times in the plural and once in the singular. It is a solemn attestation, a declaration of the will of God. It is a general word for ordinances that became God’s standard of conduct.
“Way” (derek), used five times in the plural and six times in the singular, is a metaphorical term describing the pattern of life marked out by God’s Law.
“Path” (’ōraḥ), used five times in Psalms, is parallel to “way.”[2]
My attention this morning was drawn to v. 18, where the psalmists asks the Lord to open his eyes so that he could understand (see) wondrous things from the Word of God. The Bible does contain a myriad of “wondrous things,” but oftentimes our spiritual eyes are not open enough to receive them. There are certainly many reasons for this but I believe one of them is the fact that we do not approach the Word of God expectantly and prayerfully, anticipating a life-changing truth. Our prayer should be the same as the psalmist every time we open up the Bible: “Open thou mine eyes.”
Everything that we need to succeed in this life is contained in the Bible. But we are missing so many principles that would guide, instruct, and protect us simply because we are not looking, because our eyes are closed. Stop approaching the Word each day as a religious ritual but rather, open it looking for the truth that you will need to help you survive, and even thrive as an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ. God has the answers for the problems and challenges that you will be facing today and tomorrow. They are in His Word. Ask Him to help you see them.
[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be Exultant (1st ed., p. 102). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.
[2] Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 879–880). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
Revised 07/10/2025
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.