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, “Phi.
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).” I might add also that
Jesus was working as a carpenter up until the time when He went to be baptized
by John the Baptist, and after being baptized the Spirit of God came upon Him
to empower Him to do the word that God had called Him to do, and that was to
teach and preach, and then go to the cross in order to pay for our sins.
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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