Psalm 59

Scripture  

Psalm 59:16-17 

But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold And a refuge in the day of my distress.  O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

Observation-What does it say?  

As the title suggests, this psalm was authored by David.  The subscription of this psalm indicates that it was written when David was being pursued by Saul (1 Samuel 19:11-17).  David uses the imagery of night and day in this psalm, comparing the danger he faces to the darkness of night followed by the morning of deliverance.   In verses 13-15, David prays for God’s wrath to come down upon his enemies.  In verses 16&17, this is contrasted with the vow to praise God for his wonderful love and faithfulness, which is the cause for David’s confidence and peace.  

Understanding-What does it mean?   

I work shifts that vary on a pretty regular basis.  Sometimes I wake up way before a majority of society does and I get started with my shift when a lot of people are just getting their first cup of coffee.  Other times I am working through the night and get to see and experience the things that go bump in the night.  When I work during the day and am getting ready in the dark, I try to leave as many lights off in the house so everyone can stay asleep.  But this comes with its own set of hazards.  I have kicked many, many hard items in the darkness.  When I work at night, I have been scared right down to the bone when I hear something make a loud noise that I cannot see, eventually to find out it came from an animal that was small or from the wind.  Not to mention, working at night destroys any type of normal sleep pattern.  Needless to say, I look forward to day shift as soon as my night shift begins.  

Darkness, whether it be actual or metaphorical, gives us the impression of danger and increases our perception of fear.  But, God did not intend us to live in fear.  As Paul wrote to Timothy, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:67).  When we feel like we are lost in the darkness, we need to look to God, who is our salvation.  When we are calling out to Jesus, we must remember that He hears us and gives us the desires of our heart. But, our desires must be aligned with the heart  of Jesus (James 4:2-3).

Life Application 

Jesus, when I am in a dark place, help me to look to your light for my peace and strength.  Help me to call out to you in both good times and bad.  Fill my heart with worship for you and help me to make every action an act of worship for you, so that I may keep my eyes fixed on you and in this walk away from my fears.

 

-Tyler Galloway

2 Corinthians__4

Scripture - What stood out?2 Corinthians 4

18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Observation - What does it say?The apostle Paul in his second letter to the church of Corinth continues to encourage and instruct this young church that had been battling various issues that sought to confuse and divide the church at the time.Understanding - What does it mean?I had the opportunity to visit with a retired pastor in his golden years, I won’t give away his age but he is over 80 and still sharp as a tack. I cherish these moments with him because I suspect that I am his only visitor for that particular day. I say this because I am always prepared to receive whatever sermon he has prepared or the Holy Spirit has deposited into him at that moment in time! His question to me during my latest visit was Have you tried to imagine heaven lately?I was dying to answer ABSOLUTELY!But that would not have been the truth. With a look of fierce determination, the beginning of a smile and a slight twinkle in his eyes he looked towards me. “Try it some time! Thinking about heaven will boggle your mind. I don’t even know where to begin. I think about spending eternity with the King of the Universe and I get lost in my imagination!”Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today? Am I looking to things that are eternal?Have I tried to imagine heaven lately? Father God I have seen a lot of movies, I have read bible verses, I have even seen pictures that describe heaven. I pray that Holy Spirit You would help me to imagine it. The space where God the Creator lives. The place where Jesus my Lord and Savior lives. Give me joy as I spend some time boggling my mind with thoughts of the eternal things on this beautiful day. In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.

-kenneth lee

2 Corinthians__3

Scripture

2 Corinthians 3: 17-18

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being ever transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 

Observation

Paul continues writing his letter to the people of Corinth. Here, he promises a “new covenant,” one that is exciting and has no shackles, chains, or veils holding it back from experiencing the glory and goodness of God.

 

Understanding

So we all know (because I talk about it all the time) that I, Allison Khan, love learning about United States history. There I said it! I’m a nerd, and I don’t really care who knows it anymore. The period I love to study is the Revolutionary War, and the aftermath of said war. When looking at the events leading up to it, though two major themes come to the forefront of any historian looking at this era: liberty and freedom. Upon close examination we realize that these are NOT the same thing, which people commonly use them to mean the same thing. America gained liberty and independence, and freedom from the British Empire, NOT just freedom. Liberty is the idea of expressing rights and ideas within the confines of a fair and non-oppressive government and society. In other words, it is freedom that is contained. So in America we aren’t free to do whatever we like, we are free to do what is appropriate by law and society. Here is why I say all that: Paul says “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

He does not say “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty…” There are no restrictions in Christ Jesus! We are free to be who we were created to be, for the sake of the mission of Heaven. Paul also extends this idea that in God’s Presence we don’t hide any part of us. And why would we want to?! Rather we should bask in the glory of the Father, and the Spirit that He has given us. Because it is only in HIs Presence that we can know Him, be transformed in His image, and experience a freedom without any hindrances. The amazing thing about the Spirit of the Lord is that it is accessible to all. It’s not some rare thing reserved for a select few.

 

Life Application

We live a country that was founded on the idea of justice and liberty, but we were created by a Father who loves to grant us freedom. I feel there are some of you reading today that need to be reminded of that. Step out of the shadows and break into the new! Freedom seems daunting but it’s so liberating, and it’s yours for the taking if you want it.

-U.S. history buff, I mean Allison Khan