Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.
--Psalm 107:43 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on June 17, 2013 of Psalm 107:33-43; 2 Corinthians 12; 1 Kings 19:10-20.
The psalmist has given thanks to the Lord and praised Him for His everlasting goodness and mercy. And he has portrayed the children of Israel as travelers in distress, as prisoners in a dungeon, as sick people ravaged by illness, and as sailors caught in a raging storm, all delivered by the merciful hand of God. (Please see "Gathered Out of the Lands".) In each case he notes that the people themselves brought about their own woes. Their sin, their rebellion, their refusal to repent or even give thanks to the Lord for saving them results in their being cast time after time into dire situations. "Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness", he laments (please see verse 31).
Our psalmist almost begs the people to lift up the name of God and give thanks, to praise Him and witness for Him when they gather together, to not be ashamed to publicly worship Him. He reminds them of some of the great feats God has performed throughout the history of the people. He notes that the Lord has dominion over the forces of nature and uses that sovereignty to achieve far different results for different people. For the wicked, He dries up all sources of water and makes a once fruitful land become barren. He brings the haughty down and leaves them to wander about, lost in a wilderness of their own making. But for the righteous, for those who fear Him and obey His voice, the Lord brings forth the water of life in the midst of the desert, causes a bountiful harvest to flourish in the wasteland, and "sets the poor on high, far from affliction" (verse 41).
We are promised we'll see the same sort of dichotomy at the end of days, when the tares are separated from the wheat (Matthew 13:30), when the wicked will be cast into the lake of fire while the righteous live with God and Jesus forever (Revelation 21:7-8). The psalmist beseeches us to seek wisdom and take note of these things provided to us by God in His holy word, to understand that He is a loving God who will do good by us if we follow Him. But His lovingkindness does have a limit, a fact Jesus makes clearly evident in His Revelation to the Apostle John. If we are wise, whether we are concerned about the here and now or about some unforetold time in the future, we will follow Jesus our Christ. Otherwise we have a lot to lose. Amen.
Ever loving and merciful Father, forgive us when we fail to thank You and praise You for the many blessings You give us each and every day. Thank You for giving us chance after chance, even up to the end of days, to repent of our sin and seek Your forgiveness. In the saving name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Our psalmist almost begs the people to lift up the name of God and give thanks, to praise Him and witness for Him when they gather together, to not be ashamed to publicly worship Him. He reminds them of some of the great feats God has performed throughout the history of the people. He notes that the Lord has dominion over the forces of nature and uses that sovereignty to achieve far different results for different people. For the wicked, He dries up all sources of water and makes a once fruitful land become barren. He brings the haughty down and leaves them to wander about, lost in a wilderness of their own making. But for the righteous, for those who fear Him and obey His voice, the Lord brings forth the water of life in the midst of the desert, causes a bountiful harvest to flourish in the wasteland, and "sets the poor on high, far from affliction" (verse 41).
We are promised we'll see the same sort of dichotomy at the end of days, when the tares are separated from the wheat (Matthew 13:30), when the wicked will be cast into the lake of fire while the righteous live with God and Jesus forever (Revelation 21:7-8). The psalmist beseeches us to seek wisdom and take note of these things provided to us by God in His holy word, to understand that He is a loving God who will do good by us if we follow Him. But His lovingkindness does have a limit, a fact Jesus makes clearly evident in His Revelation to the Apostle John. If we are wise, whether we are concerned about the here and now or about some unforetold time in the future, we will follow Jesus our Christ. Otherwise we have a lot to lose. Amen.
Ever loving and merciful Father, forgive us when we fail to thank You and praise You for the many blessings You give us each and every day. Thank You for giving us chance after chance, even up to the end of days, to repent of our sin and seek Your forgiveness. In the saving name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
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