SPIRITUAL DIARY
FOR 10/12/2012 9:57:07 AM
My Worship Time
Focus: Psalm 126 PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 126:4-6
Message of
the verses: In Today’s SD we will continue to look at the
126th Psalm, remembering what Dr. Wiersbe said at the end of his
introductory commentary, “But once the exiles were back in their land, their
joy began to subside, for life is not always easy when you are making a new
beginning after a time of discipline.
But life is so arranged that we must often make new beginnings, and the
Lord helps us by giving us special encouragements.” In many of Warren Wiersbe’s commentaries he
quotes from an old Scottish pastor who states, “The successful Christian Life
is a series of new beginnings.”
Around Us, the Promise of Life (v.4)
“4 Restore our captivity, O LORD, As
the streams in the South.” 4 And now,
GOD, do it again—bring rains to our drought-stricken lives.” (Message)
I think it is easier to understand
this verse from looking at it in the Message because of the word “south” used
in the NASB and other translations. We
know from the history of Israel that not all of the people came back from their
captivity to the Promised Land when Cyrus gave permission for them to
leave. I believe that it was only 50,000
people who first came back to the land and then later on there were other
offers by other kings to allow people to leave Babylon. I suppose that after the Jews were taken to
Babylon that after enough time that it became home for them that they did not
want to leave, however as we look further at the life of the Jews after this
deportation we find that they were under persecution at different times in
their lives. This is what the prophet
Daniel had written to them, and this is what the Lord Jesus Christ told them
too near the end of His life on earth.
At this stage of the lives of those
who returned they were asking for blessings from the Lord as this verse states,
for they knew that their lives would be difficult and that they could only
survive if the Lord would bless them as the rains were a picture of God
blessing them as it watered their land so the psalmist desired to have the Lord
bless them. Dr. Wiersbe writes, “In
Scripture, water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit of God and the
refreshing life that He brings to those who seek Him (John 7:37-39). “37 Now on the last day, the great day of the
feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him
come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ’From
his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’" 39 But this He
spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the
Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
Before Us, the Challenge of Work (vv.
5-6)
“5
So those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the
harvest, 6 So those who went off with
heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing. (Message) 5
Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. 6 He who goes to
and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout
of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. (NASB)
In order to better understand this
passage we must look at a passage in the NT from the book of James that is, for
some, difficult to understand. “For just
as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead,
(James 2:26).” I want to also look at a
passage from the book of Philippians, “Php 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as
you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;” After we have
received the blessings from the Lord we need to go out and work for the
Lord. Salvation is a free gift from the
Lord, and after we receive this gift, something we can never earn for
ourselves, we need to continue to be led by the Spirit of the Lord to do the
work that He has called us to do. Work
is a blessing and not a curse as some would make it out to be. Work was something that God gave to Adam and
Eve before sin entered the universe, and although work did get harder after the
fall, work is still something that God desires for us to do. Dr. Wiersbe writes “In Scripture, the people
God commissioned for special service were busy when He called them: Moses was caring for sheep (Ex.3); Gideon was
threshing wheat (Judg. 6); David was tending the family flock (1Sam. 16);
Nehemiah was serving the king (Neh. 1); Peter, Andrew, James, and John were
busy in their fishing business (Luke 5:1-11); and Matthew was in his tax office
(Matt. 9:9).”
When the exiles returned we read
that they experienced some difficult times, but the promises that came from the
Lord that He would send the rain and the harvest came about for them as the
Lord blessed their work of planting their crops. We have to remember that out of this people
would be born, at the proper time, the Messiah, and so God would keep them safe
as He promised to do so. Dr Wiersbe
writes “It pleases the Lord when we water with our tears the seed of the Word
that we sow. We cannot reap if we do not
first sow the seed, and the seed must be watered with our tears and our
prayers.” How many of us have cried as
we prayed for a lost soul to come to Lord for the free gift of salvation, or
cried as we prayed for a loved one who was sick and needed healing from the
Lord? Dr. Wiersbe concludes by writing
“Some blessings God sends suddenly (vv. 1-3), some come in the course of time
(v.4), and some come as we patiently sow and weep (James 5:7). But His promise is secure: ‘in due season we
shall reap if we do not lose heart’ (Ga. 6:9 NKJV).”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I suppose
that it is much easier to have the Lord bless us with an answer to our prayers
right after we pray to Him, and much more difficult to wait upon the Lord for
an answer to our prayers. When we wait
for the answer we are learning patience, and patience is something that God
desires for all of His children to learn as we wait upon the Lord.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Learning
contentment is part of learning patience.
Memory verses for the
week: 1Cor. 13:8-10
8 Love never fails;
but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are
tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophecy in
part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
10/12/2012 10:44:12
AM
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