Tuesday, January 06, 2015, 7:04 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “He Reached Down.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 116 (NASB).
Lord, Save Me!
When we are born physically into this world, we are born with sin natures due to the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden. We are separated from God, without hope, and destined to spend eternity in hell. We bear the image of Adam (earthly man). We are fleshly and are in bondage to sin. Yet, God placed within each and every one of us the knowledge of him. We can see (understand) his eternal power and his divine nature via his created works, so we are without excuse. It is not, therefore, that we have no knowledge of God, but that we suppress the truth by our wickedness. We exchange the glory of God for what is earthly. Following after idols of human origin, we exchange his truth for a lie. [See Ro. 1] We don’t know God, because we have not yet submitted to him. We are still running our own lives.
Yet, God, in his great mercy, reached down from heaven and rescued us. He sent his Son Jesus Christ to the earth to die on a cross for our sins. When he died, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world so that our sins were crucified and buried with him. When he was resurrected back to life, he rose from the grave triumphant over hell, death, Satan and sin. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we die with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self. We are given new lives of the Spirit of God, and we now walk daily in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, all in the power and working of the Spirit within us. This is grace. This is freedom! This is salvation, to be freed from slavery to sin and to be able to live holy, godly, and upright lives in the here and now. And, this is a picture of true faith, which submits to the cross and surrenders to Christ’s Lordship.
He Preserves the Simple
The Lord preserves (or protects) the simple (or simple-minded). This, apparently, is speaking of those who easily trust and believe in what they hear, and who are open to instruction, which can be good, but it can also be bad (Source: biblehub.com).
In a good sense, this is speaking of child-like faith, which is required for salvation (See: Matt. 18:2-5). Yet, those who have such child-like faith can also fall prey to deception if they do not also exercise wisdom and discernment. Jesus told his disciples that he was sending them out “like sheep among wolves,” so they needed to be “as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (See: Matt. 10:16). Paul told the Roman Christians that he wanted them to “be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” (See: Ro. 16:19). There is a delicate balance here between trust and perception; and child-like faith and discernment. The Lord Jesus will help us to find that correct balance if we inquire of him, and if we acknowledge him in all that we do, and in all our decisions and judgments.
If we are followers of Jesus Christ with child-like faith, and we have fallen prey to deception or manipulation of truth unknowingly, and thus have gone a direction that was not of God, the Lord will preserve us, and he will save (rescue) us out of our ignorance or stupidity when we call upon him to save us, to teach us, and to instruct us in the right way, and to expose to us the lies which we are following after. I know he has done this for me many times. I have most always been a person of child-like faith, so I have had to learn wisdom, discernment, judgment, and to test what I see, hear and read against the Word of Truth, and in prayer with my Lord, asking him for wisdom to know what is right or true, and what is wrong or false. We live in an age of deception. Much of what we see or hear is made to look real when it is not, or it is made to sound like truth, when it is based in lies. So, we need to be wise and discerning, as well as having child-like faith and trust in God!
And So I Spoke
There does not seem to be an accurate translation of verse 10 in the various Bible Versions available to us today. Perhaps the most accurate is the King James Version, but even it does not capture it exactly. The Apostle Paul quoted the verse, as is recorded for us in 2 Co. 4:13, and I believe that quotation gives us the most accurate translation of the original meaning. He said, “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore we also speak…”
The context in which Paul expressed these words seems to parallel over to the context of Psalm 116, too. Paul spoke of the ministry of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. They, who were ministers of the gospel, had renounced secret and shameful ways to follow after Jesus Christ. They didn’t twist the scriptures or manipulate them to make them sound better than they were, but they spoke the truth plainly. They didn’t preach themselves, but Christ as Lord. Yet, they were still human beings, still in flesh bodies. They were “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Yet, all this was to show that their ministry was from God and not from themselves, and so that Christ’s life might be revealed in them.
So, when Paul quoted this verse from Psalm 116 he was referring to speaking the truth of God’s word and of his gospel of salvation in spite of suffering (affliction), because of his faith in Christ, and in God’s sovereign purposes over the apostles’ lives and ministry. They didn’t lose heart, even though their bodies were in misery, because of our Lord’s grace to them in renewing them inwardly day by day. They had the frame of mind to understand that their struggles were for their good, and that it produced in them perseverance, faith, steadfastness, and hope of better things yet to come in eternity. And, this should be our attitude, too, and we should also believe and therefore speak God’s words with boldness.
The Death of His Godly Ones
Because of all that Jesus Christ has done for us in saving us from our sins, we should call upon him for as long as we live, and we should give him much thanks and praise for what he has done. We should place our trust and faith in the Lord Jesus, even when life kicks us hard. And, we should be bold in speaking the Word of God plainly, and in truth, and with hearts filled with love and compassion for those who are lost in their sins - without God, and without hope, unless they also trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to be Savior of their lives.
Yet, when we speak in faith, and we tell the truth about God’s word, of his salvation, and of his full gospel message, we will be hated, rejected, persecuted, abandoned, betrayed, lied against, falsely accused, misunderstood, and perhaps even killed for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and for his gospel, and because we keep his Word (his instructions). And, our greatest persecutors may even be within the institutional church and from the leadership, just as Jesus Christ experienced from the Jewish leaders and the people of his day.
Yet, we are to remain faithful to our Lord Jesus, in spite of all the afflictions, persecutions and the like that we will face when we take a stand for Christ, we hold to the truths of God’s word, and we do not deny Jesus Christ for the sake of unity with the ungodly church or for the sake of wanting to be liked and accepted. We are to remain his servants (his bond-slaves) in doing what he has called us to do, in going where he sends us, and in saying what he has commanded us to say. We need to believe, and therefore speak his truths and his gospel so that many more can come to know Jesus Christ before his return.
He Reached Down / An Original Work / February 3, 2014
Based off Psalm 18
How I love You, Lord,
My Rock and my strength.
My God is my fortress;
I hide in Him.
He is my shield and the horn of
My salvation, whom I praise.
I have found my refuge in Him.
He reached down from heaven
And rescued me;
Drew me out of waters
So deep, I’d sink.
He delivered me from Satan
And my slavery to sin;
Gave me hope of heaven with Him.
My God turned my darkness
Into His light;
Opened up my blinded eyes;
Gave me sight.
As for God, his way is perfect.
He gives strength to stand secure.
I have found my vict’ry in Him.
My Lord lives!
Praise be to my Savior God,
Jesus Christ, who died
On a cruel cross.
He is my Rock and the source
Of my salvation, whom I trust.
I will give praise always to Him.
http://originalworks.info/he-reached-down/
Lord, Save Me!
I love the Lord, because He hears
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
The cords of death encompassed me
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!”
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
The cords of death encompassed me
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!”
When we are born physically into this world, we are born with sin natures due to the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden. We are separated from God, without hope, and destined to spend eternity in hell. We bear the image of Adam (earthly man). We are fleshly and are in bondage to sin. Yet, God placed within each and every one of us the knowledge of him. We can see (understand) his eternal power and his divine nature via his created works, so we are without excuse. It is not, therefore, that we have no knowledge of God, but that we suppress the truth by our wickedness. We exchange the glory of God for what is earthly. Following after idols of human origin, we exchange his truth for a lie. [See Ro. 1] We don’t know God, because we have not yet submitted to him. We are still running our own lives.
Yet, God, in his great mercy, reached down from heaven and rescued us. He sent his Son Jesus Christ to the earth to die on a cross for our sins. When he died, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world so that our sins were crucified and buried with him. When he was resurrected back to life, he rose from the grave triumphant over hell, death, Satan and sin. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we die with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self. We are given new lives of the Spirit of God, and we now walk daily in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, all in the power and working of the Spirit within us. This is grace. This is freedom! This is salvation, to be freed from slavery to sin and to be able to live holy, godly, and upright lives in the here and now. And, this is a picture of true faith, which submits to the cross and surrenders to Christ’s Lordship.
He Preserves the Simple
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For You have rescued my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
My feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.
Yes, our God is compassionate.
The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For You have rescued my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
My feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.
The Lord preserves (or protects) the simple (or simple-minded). This, apparently, is speaking of those who easily trust and believe in what they hear, and who are open to instruction, which can be good, but it can also be bad (Source: biblehub.com).
In a good sense, this is speaking of child-like faith, which is required for salvation (See: Matt. 18:2-5). Yet, those who have such child-like faith can also fall prey to deception if they do not also exercise wisdom and discernment. Jesus told his disciples that he was sending them out “like sheep among wolves,” so they needed to be “as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (See: Matt. 10:16). Paul told the Roman Christians that he wanted them to “be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” (See: Ro. 16:19). There is a delicate balance here between trust and perception; and child-like faith and discernment. The Lord Jesus will help us to find that correct balance if we inquire of him, and if we acknowledge him in all that we do, and in all our decisions and judgments.
If we are followers of Jesus Christ with child-like faith, and we have fallen prey to deception or manipulation of truth unknowingly, and thus have gone a direction that was not of God, the Lord will preserve us, and he will save (rescue) us out of our ignorance or stupidity when we call upon him to save us, to teach us, and to instruct us in the right way, and to expose to us the lies which we are following after. I know he has done this for me many times. I have most always been a person of child-like faith, so I have had to learn wisdom, discernment, judgment, and to test what I see, hear and read against the Word of Truth, and in prayer with my Lord, asking him for wisdom to know what is right or true, and what is wrong or false. We live in an age of deception. Much of what we see or hear is made to look real when it is not, or it is made to sound like truth, when it is based in lies. So, we need to be wise and discerning, as well as having child-like faith and trust in God!
And So I Spoke
I believed when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
I said in my alarm,
“All men are liars.”
What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me?
I shall lift up the cup of salvation
And call upon the name of the Lord.
I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.
“I am greatly afflicted.”
I said in my alarm,
“All men are liars.”
What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me?
I shall lift up the cup of salvation
And call upon the name of the Lord.
I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.
There does not seem to be an accurate translation of verse 10 in the various Bible Versions available to us today. Perhaps the most accurate is the King James Version, but even it does not capture it exactly. The Apostle Paul quoted the verse, as is recorded for us in 2 Co. 4:13, and I believe that quotation gives us the most accurate translation of the original meaning. He said, “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore we also speak…”
The context in which Paul expressed these words seems to parallel over to the context of Psalm 116, too. Paul spoke of the ministry of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. They, who were ministers of the gospel, had renounced secret and shameful ways to follow after Jesus Christ. They didn’t twist the scriptures or manipulate them to make them sound better than they were, but they spoke the truth plainly. They didn’t preach themselves, but Christ as Lord. Yet, they were still human beings, still in flesh bodies. They were “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Yet, all this was to show that their ministry was from God and not from themselves, and so that Christ’s life might be revealed in them.
So, when Paul quoted this verse from Psalm 116 he was referring to speaking the truth of God’s word and of his gospel of salvation in spite of suffering (affliction), because of his faith in Christ, and in God’s sovereign purposes over the apostles’ lives and ministry. They didn’t lose heart, even though their bodies were in misery, because of our Lord’s grace to them in renewing them inwardly day by day. They had the frame of mind to understand that their struggles were for their good, and that it produced in them perseverance, faith, steadfastness, and hope of better things yet to come in eternity. And, this should be our attitude, too, and we should also believe and therefore speak God’s words with boldness.
The Death of His Godly Ones
Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones.
O Lord, surely I am Your servant,
I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
You have loosed my bonds.
To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
Is the death of His godly ones.
O Lord, surely I am Your servant,
I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
You have loosed my bonds.
To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
Because of all that Jesus Christ has done for us in saving us from our sins, we should call upon him for as long as we live, and we should give him much thanks and praise for what he has done. We should place our trust and faith in the Lord Jesus, even when life kicks us hard. And, we should be bold in speaking the Word of God plainly, and in truth, and with hearts filled with love and compassion for those who are lost in their sins - without God, and without hope, unless they also trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to be Savior of their lives.
Yet, when we speak in faith, and we tell the truth about God’s word, of his salvation, and of his full gospel message, we will be hated, rejected, persecuted, abandoned, betrayed, lied against, falsely accused, misunderstood, and perhaps even killed for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and for his gospel, and because we keep his Word (his instructions). And, our greatest persecutors may even be within the institutional church and from the leadership, just as Jesus Christ experienced from the Jewish leaders and the people of his day.
Yet, we are to remain faithful to our Lord Jesus, in spite of all the afflictions, persecutions and the like that we will face when we take a stand for Christ, we hold to the truths of God’s word, and we do not deny Jesus Christ for the sake of unity with the ungodly church or for the sake of wanting to be liked and accepted. We are to remain his servants (his bond-slaves) in doing what he has called us to do, in going where he sends us, and in saying what he has commanded us to say. We need to believe, and therefore speak his truths and his gospel so that many more can come to know Jesus Christ before his return.
He Reached Down / An Original Work / February 3, 2014
Based off Psalm 18
How I love You, Lord,
My Rock and my strength.
My God is my fortress;
I hide in Him.
He is my shield and the horn of
My salvation, whom I praise.
I have found my refuge in Him.
He reached down from heaven
And rescued me;
Drew me out of waters
So deep, I’d sink.
He delivered me from Satan
And my slavery to sin;
Gave me hope of heaven with Him.
My God turned my darkness
Into His light;
Opened up my blinded eyes;
Gave me sight.
As for God, his way is perfect.
He gives strength to stand secure.
I have found my vict’ry in Him.
My Lord lives!
Praise be to my Savior God,
Jesus Christ, who died
On a cruel cross.
He is my Rock and the source
Of my salvation, whom I trust.
I will give praise always to Him.
http://originalworks.info/he-reached-down/