After very foolishly fleeing in fear of Saul to Gath, the home of the giant he had slain, David finally comes to his senses and hides himself in the Cave of Adullam. It is here that David gets himself back in a position of faith, trust and confidence in the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! Verses 2-3:
2 I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]! 3 He will send from heaven and save me from the slanders and reproaches of him who would trample me down or swallow me up, and He will put him to shame. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! God will send forth His mercy and loving-kindness and His truth and faithfulness.
That was David encouraging himself in the LORD! Then he turned to praise and worship of the ONE Whom he was now counting on to deliver him from every situation! He makes the determined purpose to do this diligently! Verses 7-9:
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing and make melody. 8 Awake, my glory (my inner self); awake, harp and lyre! I will awake right early [ I will awaken the dawn]! 9 I will p[raise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.
Verses 5 and 11 are the same:
5 (11) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth.
Follow David's example of escaping to YOUR secret place, alone in the presence of God, so that YOU can receive clear direction and "build up YOURSELF in your most holy faith" (Jude 20). Then follow his example in praise and worship also! Early and often! AMEN!
In Mark 7 we see that some of the scribes and Pharisees had traveled all the way from Jerusalem * roughly 68 miles walking in a straight line, much more following the known roads) to speak to Jesus about washing His hands! Jesus replied to them and ended with verse 13:
13 Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on. And many things of this kind you are doing.
Jesus tried to get the message across to them. Some of them would hear and believe. Others would not, at least not until much later. We alone determine how much of the authority of the Word of God is able to work in our lives! Find out what the WORD says about every situation you face. Don't go by tradition, and don't be talked out of the promises by the lack of other people to walk in those promises! ALL of God's promises are YES and AMEN - in HIM! Here is the song "Yes and Amen" from Hillsong to help you remember that!
Isaiah 27 is looking forward to the blessings that await the nation in the future. Verses 1,2, and 13 say "in that day", which refers to the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is the day that the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus of Nazareth, returns to the earth as the Conqueror and Supreme Ruler! His reign will last 1000 years and the people of the earth will be blessed! Isaiah 28 is Isaiah warning the people of their need for repentance (changing their thinking to agree with God) and turning their hearts back to the God of the Bible! I saw another interesting and appropriate piece in the Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament:
The Lord was also appalled by their drunkenness. To the Jews, wine was a gift from God and a source of joy (Judg 9:13; Ps 104:15). The Law did not demand total abstinence, but it did warn against drunkenness (Deut 21:18-21; Prov 20:1; 23:20-21,29-35). The prophet Amos denounced the luxurious indulgences of the people in both Judah and Samaria (Amos 6:1-7), and Isaiah also thundered against such godless living (Isa 5:11-12,22).
A government official in Washington, D.C. once quipped, "We have three parties in this city: the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and the cocktail party." Indeed, Washington, D.C. ranks high on the list of cities noted for alcohol consumption. Many people don't realize that alcohol and nicotine, America's favorite legal narcotics, do far more damage than all the illegal drugs combined. According to Dr. Arnold Washton, alcohol and nicotine kill 450,000 people annually, while illegal drugs kill about 6,000 (Willpower's Not Enough, Harper & Row, 1989; p. 13). This does not make illegal drugs acceptable, but it does help us put things in perspective. What hope is there for our affluent, pleasure-loving society that gives lip service to religion and ignores the tragic consequences of sin and the judgment that is sure to come?
What SHOULD we do? 2 Chronicles 7:14 is an Old Covenant promise that has not been done away with or improved upon under the New Covenant! It is just a valuable today to hear and obey, so let's DO IT! AMEN!
Shalom in Him!
