JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL
Today’s Reading – Psalms 115 – 118 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)
Scripture Memorization for June – Great Commission Verses
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Standing on the Promises“
Read the “0709 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
A Study Of Women In The Bible
Peter’s Mother-In-Law
You think ‘No big deal. Just a little fever. Take an antibiotic and call me in the morning’. But remember, antibiotic’s were not invented yet. High fevers then, could be deadly. Simon, who Jesus later named Peter, knew who to send for, Jesus, the Master. Jesus commanded the fever to leave and immediately it left the woman who is known only by her relationship to Peter. As soon as she felt the change in her health, she ministered to them.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Most will wake up in the morning not wanting to face the day because of some kind of pain. Go to God for encouragement. Be like Peter’s mother-in-law. Get up and serve HIM. Serving Jesus Christ is our praise for all He’s done for us.
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Unmoveable
Today’s Reading – Psalms 108 – 114 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 15 – 16; Psalms 36 – 40; Proverbs 8)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Standing on the Promises“
Read the “0708 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“Surely he shall not be moved forever…” (Psalm 112:6)
“…his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:7)
“His heart is established…” (Psalm 112:8)
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1Cor 15:58)
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed….A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”(James 1:6,8)
There is far too much instability among God’s people today; they just can’t seem to make up there minds as to where they stand. The Bible says about Jesus that His face was set like a flint, meaning He wasn’t budging from the will of God. Why is it that His children, however, are always moving in their doctrinal positions, and in their personal convictions. We need to learn the lesson that the Psalmist teaches here in the 112th Psalm.
Notice the characteristics of this unbending, righteous man spoken of here in the Psalm 112:
1 He is unmoveable about His Bible.
“[He] delighteth greatly in his commandments” (v 1)
He is not the type of guy that changes the Bible he uses, or what he believes about the Bible. He is bull-dogmatic about Bible principles. He believes and applies what God says; and doesn’t deviate off of the course that the Word charts.
2 He is gracious and full of compassion. (v 4)
Even though you are not going to move him about what he believes, he will be gracious and compassionate with those who have not yet grown to where he is. He gives people who are heading in the right direction time to get there. He is willing to give somebody a second and third chance when they demonstrate true contrition and repentance.
3 He is generous in his giving. (v 5, 9)
He knows that the source of all of his wealth is God. He knows also that God expects him to distribute the wealth that he has given him in order to be a blessing and a help to others.
How often do we change our minds and our actions regarding our Christian walk. We need to be a little more like this man mentioned in the Psalm. We need to dig in, find out what we believe from the Bible, and stick with it until the Lord takes us home.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Never Satisfied
Today’s Reading – Psalms 106 – 107 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 13 – 14;Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34
Read a great article from by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Standing on the Promises“
Read the “0707 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” (Psalm 106:15)
The Scripture referenced above has to do with the children of Israel during their wilderness wanderings.It seems that the people were always griping and complaining about their condition; always discontented about what God had provided for them. You will remember that God gave them manna from Heaven, but the people lusted after meat. God gave them what they wanted, but at what price? The Psalmist tells us they received leanness into their souls. I don’t think that God was upset with them because they had a physical hunger; but He did judge them because they put their lust for the physical above their love for Him.
How often do we put our physical, and other fleshly desires over the things of God. There is nothing wrong with food, but when we become so consumed with eating, playing, enjoying, etc. that we become negligent of the spiritual we too will suffer the consequences of a spiritual famine. I love to eat, I love to enjoy the good things that God has given us to enjoy in this life, but I don’t want to trade off the spiritual blessings that God has for me because of an over-appetite for the physical.
Notice the historical reference of this event from Numbers 11:
“And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.” (Numbers 11:33)
Our flesh is enemy # 1. If we are not careful, we will allow our flesh to take over our lives. We may be physically fat, but we will also be spiritually famished.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Remembering The Fourth Of July – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading – Psalms 103 – 105 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 11 – 12; Psalms 26 – 30; Proverbs 6)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25
Read a great article from by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Against All Odds“
Read the “0706 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read a previous post from this morning’s passage – “So Great Is His Mercy“
Good morning. As I sit here reading my Bible, I realized something about the Fourth. I didn’t go to watch the parade. I didn’t watch the Macy’s fireworks show, the biggest fireworks display in the nation. I didn’t even watch the Twilight Zone Marathon. My flag was up, waving in the breeze, on the front of the trailer. I played dominoes with Camille most of the day; and cooked BBQ’d ribs in my 16 qt. cast iron dutch oven. And yes, they came out great! But this was the most quietest fourth of July I ever had.
My best Fourth was in 1976. I went to visit my brother, Harry. We stood near the Varizano Narrows Bridge, and watched the tall ships sail by. Then later into the evening, we went to a swamp where you could see the back of the Statue of Liberty and watched the massive fireworks display celebrating our nations 200th birthday. That was 37 years ago. This year did not feel the same.
Maybe it was the camping trip to Gettysburg, PA, a few weeks earlier that got me to thinking. There were 51,112 deaths in that one battle. That’s more than the Korean Conflict (36,574), and almost as much as the war in Vietnam (58,209). I wonder what they would say if the could see the condition the country is in today. The country they gave their lives for. Would they be sickened by the stench of our way of life: relying on big brother, rather than God for all our needs? What would they say? Would they say, “Wow, what a great cell phone!”; or would they slap our faces for the low price we put on the freedoms that they shed their blood to keep?
Depressing, isn’t it. It was for me until I read Psalm 30:5. There my be some hope for our nation. Psalm 30:5 says,
“For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
Joy is coming. It may be in seeing the nation turn back to God, or it may be in Christ’s returning for us. But joy is coming in the morning. We made a real mess of our “One Nation Under GOD”, but He promises,
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2Chronicles 7:14)
Joy IS coming.
Peace. (Philemon 1:3)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Ain’t God Good
Today’s Reading – Psalms 86 – 89 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
Read a great article from Ministry 127 by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Striving Together“
Read the “0703 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” (Psalms 86:5)
This morning’s passage contains a very simple, yet also very profound truth, which is perhaps the greatest truth in all of Scripture. God is good. God is better than good, God is awesome. We sing the song sometimes, “Ain’t God Good”; and He is. It may not be proper English, but it certainly is sound doctrine. Consider the following verses:
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Psalms 34:8)
“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalms 100:5)
“Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.” (Psalms 135:3)
“The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” (Psalms 145:9)
“The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 33:11)
“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” (Lamentations 3:25)
“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” (Nahum 1:7)
The Lord is good for an infinite number of reasons, but in the context of Psalm 86, David declares that the Lord is good because He is merciful, and ready to forgive all them that call upon Him. Nearly 24 years ago I heard the gospel preached, and I realized that I was a sinner that needed salvation. I called upon the Lord, and He was merciful to me, and “ready to forgive”. He saved me. You see, I can testify firsthand that the Lord is good. And He hasn’t stopped being good to me. He has never done me wrong one time. Ain’t God good! Can I get a witness?
Posted in Thoughts from the Psalms by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL
Today’s Reading – Psalms 80 – 85 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 3 – 4; Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8
Read a great article from Ministry 127 by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Striving Together“
Read the “0702 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read a previous post from today’s reading passage – “Visit This Vine”
A Study of Women in the Bible
This Week – Lot’s Wife
“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:24-26)
Lot’s wife is not mentioned in the Bible account of Abraham’s family as they journeyed from Ur of the Chaldees, or as they left Canaan to go down into Egypt. The first mention of her is at Sodom. This could mean that she was from Canaan or perhaps she was from Sodom. Regardless of where she was born, Lot and his wife had two daughters who left Sodom with them, and at least two other daughters who, along with their husbands and possibly children, refused to leave. We do know that in Genesis 18:32, God’s promise to Abraham was not to destroy the city for the sake of 10 righteous. This could have included all of the family of Lot if they were, in fact, all saved. Apparently Lot’s family was not.
Lot’s wife was a privileged woman. She was married to a “righteous man”. Genesis 13:12 says, “Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.” Just a side note, in the very next chapter of Genesis the Bible says, “And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.” Notice it says “in Sodom”. Anyway, there was very little chance that Lot’s wife would be able to withstand the evil of Sodom unless she was very strong in the Lord. It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 15:33, which states: “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
Lot’s wife was warned of the coming danger from God Himself.
“And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.” (Genesis 19:12-13)
Whether she really believed it or not, she did follow her husband and left. When leaving, she must have heard the cries of the people when fire and brimstone fell from Heaven. Her heart must have broken as she thought of her daughters and possible grandchildren being destroyed. But then she committed the sin. She looked back.
In our day, we have a tendency to minimize and downplay sin and its consequences. The consequence of sin without Christ is death.
As you may already know, last week many states in our country passed a law for same sex marriage. Just like Lot’s wife we have been warned. Time is short and Christ will return. Christian liberty will soon be taken away. Preaching against sin will no longer be allowed. The sins of the world will be viewed as being ‘correct’. The public schools are already teaching our children that living contrary to God’s word should be accepted. By no means am I saying that we should ever be unkind to anyone. Love the sinner, hate the sin. Remember Christ died for everyone. But we need to share the Gospel to win the lost and teach them what the Bible says. If Lot and his wife stood strong in the faith and shared the love of Jehovah God, there would have been more then ten. Sodom and Gomorrah would have been spared.
Can we tell God that we found ten? Don’t be afraid. Get yourself some tracks, tell people about Jesus and bring your ten or more.
“Rushing wind blow through this temple. Blowing out the dust within. Come and breathe your breath upon me, I’ve been born again. Holy Spirit, I surrender, take me where you want to go. Plunge me by your living water, plant me deep, so I can grow. Jesus, your the One, who set my spirit free. Use me Lord glorify, your Holy name through me. Separate me from this world Lord, sanctify my life for you. Daily change me to your image, help me bear good fruit. Everyday your drawing closer, trials come to test my faith. But when all is said and done Lord, you know, it’s been worth the wait.” (Keith Green)
Thank You and God Bless
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Slippery Places
Today’s Reading – Psalms 73 – 77 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Revelation 17 – 22; Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 30 – 31)
Scripture Memorization for June – Verses Supporting an Unlimited Atonement
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
Read a great article from Ministry 127 by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Striving Together“
Read the “0630 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.” – (Psalm 73:2)
“Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.” – (Psalm 73:18)
I remember one day years ago when I was working as a youth director at the Christian Bible Baptist Church in South Toms River, I was picking up one of the guys from the youth group during an ice storm. Everything was covered with ice. I watched as this young man very carefully left his house and walked toward my truck. I turned my head for a minute, and when I looked back he was nowhere in sight. I assumed that he went back inside for a moment because he had forgotten something. That’s when I saw a hand stretching up to grab the mirror on the pasenger door of the vehicle. He was holding on to that mirror for dear life. With all of his strength he pulled himself up, and steadied himself to get in the cab. I don’t think that I have ever laughed so hard in all of my life. The young man could not even stand on his own simply because the ground underneath him was too slippery.
I may be taking too much liberty with this passage, but I can not help but notice that twice in Psalm 73 there is a reference made to slipping. In verse 2 the psalmist says that he had almost slipped because of his envy of the prosperity of wicked people. Then again in verse 18 we see another reference to a slippery place. I got to thinking that God’s people often fall because they tread 0n slippery places. You can make the application here wherever it fits in your life, but a slippery place is a place, person or thing that presents to us a great temptation to sin. Maybe for you it’s the wrong crowd, or it could be sitting home alone on the internet; but it is a place where you can easily fall into sin. If you don’t want to fall, stay away from slippery places.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Rule 42.20 In The Use Of A Colon – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading – Psalms 69 – 72 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Revelation 13 – 16; Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 29)
Scripture Memorization for June – Verses Supporting an Unlimited Atonement
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1
Read a great article from Ministry 127 by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Striving Together“
Read the “0629 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read an earlier post from this passage – “Time Is Running Out”
Good morning. And yes, I know it’s a weird title, but you need to know this. Or maybe I should rephrase this. And yes, I know it’s a weird title: but you need to know this for the key verse.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18).
Do you have a vision for the things of God? Has God given you a vision for what He wants to accomplish in your life? Do you have a vision? If you don’t, you need to get a vision before you perish. Maybe God once gave you a vision of His will for your life, and somehow you got sidetracked. This happens. It happened to me. I was recently reminded of the verse I had received as my reason to go to college. In Luke 14:21, Jesus said, “So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.”
So now my focus is back on ministering to those who are physically and mentally challenged. Where is your vision? The key is after the colon: he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Your vision of God’s will for your life is in the Scripture. You need a vision or you will perish.
Have a vision for God’s Word. King David wrote,
“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.” (Psalm 119:1-8)
And God is serious about His Word. His Word is truth. God wanted the king to write out his own copy of the Bible:
“And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).
Have a vision for God’s people. Jesus said,
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35)
Maybe you are down on yourself. You think, how can God use me? I’m such a screw-up. If you start loving others as Jesus did, you will begin to get a vision of how God sees you. He doesn’t see you as a screw-up, He sees you as His child.
Have a vision for those who are not God’s people. Hell was created for the devil and his angels, not for people. 2Peter 3:9 tells us that God is not willing that any should perish. That’s why He commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel. People need to hear the gospel. You are saved by grace through faith, and faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Those who are not God’s people need a chance to become God’s people.
If you are reading this and are not one of God’s people, you can become one. 1John 5:11-13 tells us,
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Romans 3:10 & 23 tell us that we are all sinners and fall short of God’s glory. And God will not allow any sin to enter heaven. The good news is in Romans 5:8:
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
According to Romans 10:13, all you need to do is ask Him to save you and He will:
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Did you do that? Great! Now get yourself a vision for God’s Word, God’s people, and those who aren’t God’s people.
Peace. (Acts 1:8)
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Trouble Sleeping?
Today’s Reading – Psalms 58 – 64 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Revelation 7 – 9; Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 27)
Scripture Memorization for June – Verses Supporting an Unlimited Atonement
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Everyday Legacy“
Read the “0627 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read a previous post from this passage – “Lead Me To The Rock”
“I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.” (Psalm 63:6)
Have you ever had trouble sleeping at night? It is a huge problem for many people. They toss and turn all night, thinking and worrying about all sorts of things. Thankfully, since my time in Bible college, I can honestly say that it is a very rare occasion when I don’t go right to sleep after hitting the pillow; and usually I sleep like a rock all through the night. However, every once in a while I do have some pressing issue in my mind that keeps sleep from me. I have discovered that prayer is a wonderful help during those difficult nights. I have learned that praying about these rest-robbing problems will cause me to feel more at ease about them, and will allow me to have enough peace to get some rest.
Recently I have taken this a step further. Now when I go to sleep I start praising God for who He is, and for all of the wonderful blessings He has given to me and my family. It is usually not long before I am sleeping peacefully with the last thought of the day being about our wonderful Lord. As a preacher, I often tell our people to give the first part of the day to God; but how glorious it is to finish the day with my last conscious thoughts about Him.
Tonight when you go to bed, why not try to spend those last moments praising the Lord for His goodness. I bet it will help you sleep better.
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:2)
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
When a Friend Turns Against You
Today’s Reading – Psalms 51 – 57 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Revelation 4 – 6; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 26)
Scripture Memorization for June – Verses Supporting an Unlimited Atonement
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Everyday Legacy“
Read the “0626 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” (Psalms 55:12-14 KJV)
It is not clear exactly what the context is surrounding Psalm 55. Some have claimed that David was referring to Saul; others have suggested that it was his son, Absalom; and still others believe that it could have been Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15) who was David’s counsellor but had turned against him. A man as great as David was, no doubt, had a lot of friends, along with a lot of enemies; and I am sure that he had several friends (and even family members) that turned on him. Nothing is quite as painful as the betrayal of a friend. It hurts deeply. You expect your enemies to treat you badly, but when a friend turns on you, it often takes you completely by surprise.
What can you do today when you are betrayed by a friend:
PrayThis whole Psalm is really a prayer from David regarding the situation. He gave the problem to the Lord. Resist the temptation to talk to people about the betrayers, and instead talk to the Lord. It is OK to “gossip” to the Lord.
“As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” (Psalms 55:16-17)
By the way, don’t just pray for the Lord to punish your enemy; pray that God will restore your friendship. Jesus commands us to love our enemies, which includes those enemies who used to be our friends. Pray also for God to show you where you might have failed as a friend yourself. It is very interesting that the person that betrays us often feels justified in their betrayal, and perhaps sometimes they are; not that their betrayal was necessarily right, but perhaps there may have been some underlying reasons, or hurt feelings that may have motivated the betrayal.
Love – You can continue to love and “do good to them which hate you”. This is certainly not easy, but it is the best way to demonstrate the love and grace of our Lord. He loves us, even though we fail Him continually, and even betray Him at times. We may never win back our friends, but we can make it easy for a restoration to take place. Continue to be a friend to those who no longer see you as a friend.
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:44)
I think we all have been on both sides of this equation. I have had people that in my view have betrayed me; but I am also sure that there are people out there that would say that I have betrayed them; and I suppose there is some truth to that. We don’t always get it right, do we? But, we can strive to make things right with the people who are at odds with us.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.