Shalom,


Psalm 63 is thought to have been written at the time that David was in the wilderness during Absalom's rebellion. This makes sense to me because the tone of this Psalm is slightly different from the others written when David was younger. Here he doesn't cry out to God in desperation and then bring himself back to a place of faith, trust and confidence. David begins this Psalm in faith! Verses 1-4:


1 O GOD, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is. 2 So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary to see You power and Your glory 3 Because You loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. 4 So will I bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.


David is already in faith! He has been through so much and God has delivered him every time! The secret of his confidence? Verses 5-8:


5 My whole being shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips 6 When I remember You upon my bed and meditate on You in the night watches. 7 For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings will I rejoice. 8 My whole being follows hard after You; Your right hand upholds me.


One of the key words here is "when" in verse 6! WHEN he remembers all of the times God has delivered him in the past, and meditates on all of the blessings of God, THEN he has faith, trust and confidence that God will do it all again! David said that his whole being "follows hard" after God. This is the Hebrew word "dabaq", which means: cling, adhere, cleave, follow close, be joined together, pursue hard, stick to, stay close to. In more modern Hebrew it means glue and also can refer to loyalty and devotion! So there you have it! Follow HARD after God and His Word and you, too, will be able to respond immediately in faith, instead of having to stir up your faith! Remember, "preparation time is never wasted time"! Here is ann older song from Hillsong United called "Better Than Life"

Mark 13 corresponds with Matthew 24 in that Jesus is discussing things with His disciples what will take place AFTER the Rapture of the Church and BEFORE the Second Coming of Jesus of Nazareth. Some of these things may begin to take place, so it is wise for us to be prepared, also! Verse 11 especially!


11 Now when they take you [to court] and put you under arrest, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say nor [even[ meditate about it; but say whatever us given you in that hour and at the moment, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.


We should be relying on the Holy Spirit whenever we share the Gospel with people! Don't try to follow a "cookie cutter" approach to sharing the Gospel. People can be as different from each other as night is from day! The Holy Spirit KNOWS them! Trust Him! AMEN! Verses 36-37:


36 [Watch, I say] lest He come suddenly and unexpectedly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to everybody; Watch (give strict attention, be cautious, active, and alert)!


In Isaiah 39 we see how Hezekiah fell into the trap of pride when he showed the Babylonians "all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them." Hezekiah was a good king in that he called on the One, True God of the Bible, but he was NOT wise! I saw this in the Bible Exposition Commentary:

All that Hezekiah possessed came from the hand of God and belonged to God, so why should Hezekiah boast about it? He may have made a good impression on the envoys but he grieved the Lord and endangered the kingdom and the city.

Pride is one of Satan's chief weapons in his battle against the Lord and His people. Satan himself committed the sin of pride when he rebelled against God and sought the worship and obedience that God alone deserves (Isa 14:12-15). Pride makes us rob God of the glory that belongs to Him alone. Pride gives us a feeling of false security and this leads us into sin and defeat. Charles Spurgeon said to his London congregation, "Be not proud of race, face, place, or grace." Good advice! William Barclay wrote, "Pride is the ground in which all the other sins grow, and the parent from which all the other sins come." 



Isaiah 40:31 is one of the most loved verses! Here it is from the Message Bible:


31 But those who wait upon GOD get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.


Remember that the picture of waiting here is as a waiter in a restaurant! Find out what God wants done, and how He wants it done, then do all things HIS WAY! That is real "waiting" on Him! AMEN!


Shalom in Him!