These two chapters are deep. I don't even know if I can describe how they touched my heart when I read them. The verses that stuck out to me are verses 3 and 4 of chapter 130. If the Lord had kept a record of my sins I would never survive - but - He offers me forgiveness, so I might learn to fear Him. Just think about this - He offers me forgiveness. I don't have to take it, but He offers it. And it is offered for my good. So many times we have a hard time forgiving those around us and yet we can accept forgiveness from the Lord at any time. I believe when we forgive others we are doing it for their good - not just for ours. Forgiveness is a powerful thing and we don't take advantage of it enough. When you question whether you should or not - just forgive!!! Allow this gift that God has given us to do the work it is supposed to do. It will bring freedom and place us closer to God than ever before.
Take a look at Katie's blog from Uganda. It is really good!!!
2 comments:
These really touched me too. What awesome Psalms to start our day. I like the verses that say "wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I do hope" and 'O Israel, hope in the Lord". Then, in Psalm 131 I like how it says "Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me." I love David's heart that hoped in God no matter what was going on in his life. I think in this Psalm he was being pursued by Saul or in captivity. I read that verse and immediately thought of someone in affliction being able to hope in God and rest in the hands of God and calm his own soul. I have a breastfeeding baby still, and she just loves the comfort of breastfeeding. She isn't doing it because she NEEDS it anymore....she could drink normal milk. But, when a baby is weaned, they need to self comfort a little more and maybe it is frustrating for them for a few days if they are attached to it, but eventually they just don't care for it anymore. I was thinking about emotions when we go through something and when we are really attached to something that gets removed from our life, it hurts. But, eventually, we get beyond it and don't need the milk anymore....or the comfort of it. We mature to solid food in God. Someone else doesn't need to feed us. We can feed ourselves and handle a little more and even see God moving in affliction and and difficult circumstance in our lives if we are hoping in God. We can see what He is doing through any circumstance in our lives as we mature in God.
I read a commentary about Psalm 131 and just love what it said. It said that David had been under the rod of others and when chastised, he didn't complain. He was silent in his affliction and received all of it as coming from the hands of a just God. (that's a heart that hopes in God).It goes on to say that even as a weaned child must do, he had to forego the comforts he once enjoyed without complaining and that no matter what was going on in his life he could trust in the justice of God and that after he has suffered a while, God would bare up his arm and deliver him.
I just love that commentary. This Psalm just encourages me that I can get through anything when I hope in God b/c He is sovereign and working it all out in my behalf just like He did with David.
"Help, God -- the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear me cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy." (Psalm 130-1-2 Msg. Remix) Have you ever said to God, "Hello, are you there? Are you listening to me?" We need to cry out to God, not man, when it feels like the bottom has fallen out of our lives. God is the only one who can help. Verses 3-4 ... what an a awesome thing knowing that God is holding nothing against me and I can come boldly to the throne of grace!
Psalm 131:2b Msg Remix ... "I've cultivated a quiet heart." A quiet heart does not just happen, it takes time. It is a deliberate, continual process on our part. Cultivate means to plow, to plant, to tend, to nurture, to work on. We plow our hearts with praise and worship...we plant the word in our hearts by reading and meditating... we nurture with prayer, praise and worship.
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