Web Chapel

Serving the Saints

Tag: Carl B

  • My Weakness

    Psalm 73:26   My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

    This Psalm was written by Asaph, not David.  Several of the Psalms are attributed to him. He was in the Levite priesthood, assigned to the Tabernacle worship . Early in the Psalm he has written, “But as for me ,my feet have almost stumbled :My feet have nearly slipped” (Psalm 73.2). He was envious of those who were wicked and yet prospered, and in his envy he had  stumbled. (Psalm 73.3).

    Asaph was aware of his weakness; he did not understand why God was

    not punishing the wicked but allowed them to be at ease and see increase in their riches and prestige  (Psalm 73.12).  Why were these who are living in sin getting away with it?

    He realizes later in the Psalm that God who is righteous will deal with those  who are enjoying the ill found riches of the world. (Psalm 73.17-19)

    We may not even know it, but there may be times when we become envious.  We can look back and wonder why did we have these thoughts of envy.  Each one of us is unique in the eyes of the Lord.  We are given different talents and abilities.  He locates us  where He wants us.  It is our work for Him to use our talents and abilities for Him

    . 

    Asaph recognizes his envy as a sin in himself and  he almost stumbled and slipped!

    How do we keep from being envious of others ?  In the closing verse of this Psalm Asaph has the answer.  Psalm 73.28 “But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God…”.  What better conclusion could he have had?

    How do we draw near to God? We draw near in prayer for those around us; we draw near in the study of His word. We draw near to Him by realizing the relationship we have in Him. We are His child, and we have an eternal hope in Him!

    James 4:8  “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” Lord keep us being from being envious, and draw us near to You.  Just a thought for morning.

    Carl

  • Living Word

    Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

    How important is the word of God to us? The writer of Hebrews says it is “living and powerful”. It is living and powerful because it leads us to Christ.  All of us know John 3.16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life, and also we rest in the truth that Paul wrote “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9  not of works, lest anyone should boast.(Ephesians 2:8-9) These are powerful words because they lead us to a Savior who gives us eternal life!

    How does the word divide “soul and spirit”? With our salvation comes the Indwelling Spirit. (John 14:26).  By the Indwelling Spirit we have been given a new nature, but there is always that battle between the old and the new. It is the living word of God that is to give us guidance in our daily walk each day. But to divide the soul and spirit each of us has to be in the word daily. Sometimes there is a “Sharpness’ like the cutting of a sword that cuts deeply into areas in which we need to change our ways and our thinking. We would never know this unless we allow the Lord to guide us through His word.

    The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  What does that mean?  All of our outward actions are developed by the thoughts in our mind. I believe the intents of our heart are based on who we really are. What is in our heart is deeply rooted and is based on our individual exposures to life’s experiences. The Lord is a discerner of our very heart. He knows what is lurking there, good or bad. The word of God is so powerful that if we allow it, it will expose areas that do not honor our Lord and need to be changed.

    The Lord knows and discerns what is in our very being. He will reveal what is right and what is against His will by His word.  Why is the Lord so interested in each one of us, even to the point of having an interest of what is in our heart? God so loved the world (you and I)! 

    Romans 8:39 “nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

    His word reveals to us His love and through it we learn more of Him.  Just a thought for the morning. Carl