SPIRITUAL DIARY
FOR 10/20/2012 6:32:56 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm 128
PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 128:3-6
Message of
the verses: In Today’s Spiritual Diary we will continue
to look at Psalm 128, a psalm of ascent, and also a psalm about the family.
Happy Parents (vv. 3-4)
“3 Your wife shall be like a
fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your
table. 4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD.”
There are different pictures here
for us to see about how a happy household should work. The vine and the Olive tree are two special
plants that help us understand this passage as they were both very important in
the economy of the children of Israel.
The vine provided wine and the Olive tree provided oil and olives for
the families of Israel. The water was not
the best to drink and so they would dilute it with wine. They would use the olive oil for lights to
see at night and olives were used for food.
“14 He causes the grass to grow
for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth
food from the earth, 15 And wine which
makes man’s heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And food
which sustains man’s heart (Psalm 104:14-15).”
In the early times of Israel when
families lived in tents the wife had a room at the back of the tent as far away
from the tent door as possible showing that there was no way that she would
want to leave from the security provided by her husband. When we look at an olive tree we will see
small shoots at the bottom which will need tender care and will eventually take
over as the main tree. This pictures a
husband and wife caring for their children so that they will grow up strong.
Useful Citizens (v.5)
5 The LORD bless you from Zion, And
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
The children of Israel loved their
country and prayed for the peace of Jerusalem.
The family is the first part of a strong country and the Jewish people
were very proud of their heritage and wanted to make a strong country. Dr. Wiersbe states “True patriotism begins in
the home, where love of God, family, and country are bound together.”
Contented Grandparents (v.6)
6 Indeed, may you see your
children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!
There are many wonderful things
about being a grandparent, being able to see the young again and see how your
children are doing in raising their children, and have the privilege of aiding
in the growth of your grandchildren, especially in spiritual ways. It is said that the best thing about being a
grandparent is that you can send the grandchildren back home at the end of the
day.
This psalm has moved rather fast for
it went from bride and groom to children to grandchildren in just six verses,
and when you get older you can understand that life goes by very fast. We see three generations in this one psalm,
and we also see that they are all walking with the Lord, the most important
thing to do. Dr. Wiersbe writes “We are
so prone to remember that God judges the succeeding generations if they imitate
the sins of their ancestors, but we must remember that He also passes along the
blessings when the ancestors have been godly (Ex. 34:67; Num. 14:18-19; Deut
5:9-10). It is often the third
generation that abandons the faith (Judges 2), so we must pray much for our
children and grandchildren, that the Lord will keep His good hand of blessing
on their lives for His glory.
‘Blessed is the
nation whose God is the Lord’ (Psalm 33:12).’”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: Knowing
that I can make a difference in my family by working with my grandchildren to
show them how to walk with the Lord makes me a happy grandparent.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to
strive to learn contentment.
Memory verses for the
week: 1Cor. 13:8-11
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. 11 When I was a child I use to speak like a
child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man I did away
with childish things.
10/20/2012 7:11:18 AM
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