This week, I finally clicked on some of the You Tube videos from Asbury’s revival. It was such a shot of “good news” to see a University working in keeping with God’s hope for the world.

God wants my worship to be like a song of ascent drawing me nearer to His heart. It defies the trap of being lulled to sleep in “safety”. It may consist of a moment when the music crescendos with unforeseen boldness (fortissimo). This energy in turn helps me question and then break out of a comfortable mold that was incongruous with His kingdom come. #Lordisthisfromu #discernment

In Matthew Henry’s Commentary, for Psalm 121, the word for harm aka “evil”, is described here (emphasis added): “This psalm teaches us to comfort ourselves in the Lord, when difficulties and dangers are greatest. It is almighty wisdom that contrives, and almighty power that works the safety of those that put themselves under God’s protection. He is a wakeful, watchful Keeper; he is never weary; he not only does not sleep, but he does not so much as slumber. Under this shade they may sit with delight and assurance. He is always near his people for their protection and refreshment. The right hand is the working hand; let them but turn to their duty, and they shall find God ready to give them success. He will take care that his people shall not fall. Thou shalt not be hurt, neither by the open assaults, nor by the secret attempts of thine enemies. The Lord shall prevent the evil thou fearest, and sanctify, remove, or lighten the evil thou feelest. He will preserve the soul, that it be not defiled by sin, and disturbed by affliction; he will preserve it from perishing eternally.*

Psalm 121:1-7 (ESV)

My Help Comes from the LORD

A Song of Ascents.[1] I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? [2] My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. [3] He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. [4] Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. [5] The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. [6] The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. [7] The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

At the urging of a former seminary professor (during last weekend’s webinar), I dusted off my “Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon” for a more accurate Bible study. This was useful since after memorizing Psalm 121 years ago (in the NIV), I realized-following a short study of the Hebrew words for ‘keep’ and ‘harm’-that the ESV version (see above) is a more accurate translation of the Hebrew text.

My overall takeaway was… when God “keeps” me, (also preserves/protects me), it is from the direction of all evil (whether distress, injury, prosperity or the day of calamity/disaster as in Amos 6:3- see below).

Pursuing deeds that appear spiritually prosperous may not amount to more than idle songs or superficial leisure that pass away.

I was shocked to read that it is better to see the day of calamity come from God’s hand than to usher in the seat of violence in the name of man’s attempt to “keep us from all harm”.

Only God can truly keep us from the day of disaster, the result of evil’s consequence that ends in eternal punishment. That day is like no other day and starts with a capital D.

There will be no going back to relinquish our refusal of God’s way once the Day of the LORD dawns. How much better to surrender my spiritual “keeping” to the maker of heaven and earth today, while there is time.

Being kept from evil means submitting to the keeper of my soul. – Teresa #eternalife

*http://www.biblescopeapp.com/ (NET/MHCC)

Amos 6:1-7 (ESV)

Woe to Those at Ease in Zion[1] “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! [2] Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory, [3] O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? [4] “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, [5] who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, [6] who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! [7] Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”

What is the desire of your heart? Check what delights you and then it is apparent!

Psalm 37:4 (ESV)

⁴ Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

By faithfully entering into God’s work, we can feed on food that sustains our souls. (Similar to what Jesus spoke of to the disciples when they went to buy bread in the town near Jacob’s well but Jesus was meeting instead with a woman who needed him), see John 4:32 below.

When we move away from faithfully serving Him, we can be miserable. But remember all that glitters is not necessarily gold. I may think that selling all to serve others is serving God, in the truest sense. This was true for the man Jesus spoke to with great wealth.

However, what if God is developing faithfulness to Him by learning a profession and having a family. Those seemingly ordinary tasks take extraordinary faith when God leads us there.

His delight in us is showered around when we offer up our ordinary lives for His glory. I am delightedly communing with God by desiring His Word and living in accordance with His Holy Spirit.

Soak in His righteousness, His timing and remember when He moves it can be very quick.

Sure, the flesh gets in the way throughout the day. But forgiving others is the first step to being fret-free, releasing anger. A great book by Tim Keller, “Forgive”, helps take that practice to a new level.

David wrote this Psalm and I sense that he learned what it meant to wait on God’s timing. He did not rush the process as he wanted to be sure it was “right”.

Wait for God as you take delight in Him. He will make your desire show up in full force! – Teresa

Psalm 37:1-11 (ESV)

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

^[a] Of David.

37 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
² For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.

³ Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.^[b]
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

⁷ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

⁸ Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
⁹ For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

¹⁰ In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
2. Psalm 37:3 Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture

John 4:31-33 (NET)

31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 So the disciples began to say to one another, “No one brought him anything to eat, did they?”

Who am I listening to?

https://myreconnection.org/2022/11/18/who-am-i-listening-to/
— Read on myreconnection.org/2022/11/18/who-am-i-listening-to/

When Moses asked God to show him his glory, God hid him in the cleft of the rock before he passed by.

God assured Moses that he would have him stand near on the rock but Moses would not see the full glory of God’s face (for no mortal man who sees God’s face shall live). Talk about a heart stopper attraction. #gloryofGod v.20

Maybe a safer way for Moses to ask would have been, “cover me with your hand”. For how great and terrible is God’s holy presence in all His glory.

But Moses wasn’t playing it safe, he put all on the line for God. He desired to see this display of power as he needed a dose of courage to lead millions of escapees from slavery into the land promised them by God. It was not the Israelite’s goodness that caused the Canaanites to be belched out of the land. It was the wickedness of the other nations that made this happen.

Moses trusted God and insisted that God go with them, knowing that without divine intervention it was futile. #soldout #allhiseggsinonebasket

God knows our name and He wants us to desire His ways.

To Moses, He promised that His presence would go with him. Only in this reality, would Moses find rest. #knowingpeace

Grant us your rest and presence, Lord, in this daunting task called life. Help us to know when to wait for your presence and when to plunge forward, somehow still resting in Your presence. -Teresa #God’swork #God’sglory

Exodus 32:12-32 (ESV)

¹² Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ ¹³ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” ¹⁴ And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” ¹⁵ And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. ¹⁶ For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

¹⁷ And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” ¹⁸ Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” ¹⁹ And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. ²⁰ But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” ²¹ And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,²² and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

I pray often for “guardian angel” protection over our children. Maybe it’s because my dad used to enjoy watching the show, “Touched by an Angel” with Roma Downey. There’s something familiar and comforting to me when I think of divine intervention in our human existence.

My dad was a great protector of his family and not afraid to show it. On the other hand, he was humble enough to say to one of his cousin’s on his deathbed. “It’s only through my savior, Jesus Christ, that I am assured a place in heaven.” That person said to him, “well if anyone will make it into heaven, Lennie, it will be you”. I overheard their conversation and was in awe of my dad’s conviction.

According to Dictionary.com. “Buckler” is defined as:

“noun

1. a round shield held by a grip and sometimes having straps through which the arm is passed.”

The King James Version describes the shield of the Hebrews as a buckler (see Psalm 18:2,30)

When God is our shield, how much safer are we in the presence of opposition. He provides a refuge that can help us advance a long way. Even in the face of evil, He secures our outcome and helps us stand in the day of battle. Enemy fire should not deter our progress when we trust in His help. Granted, this implies that we humble ourselves and ask Him for help.

Just as King David started as a shepherd and demonstrated great leadership when he was king, he writes as the Psalmist in this passage of how much he trusts God’s shepherd heart (the King of his heart).

Similarly, when God’s word is the source of our wisdom, our heart’s protection is secure. It not only protects from physical harm or adversity but will protect us relationally. The author of Proverbs describes insight as being like an intimate friend. #heartstruetoGod

The children of Israel were given God’s code of ethics through the Ten Commandments. These commandments were familiar to them. When they broke their covenant of faithfulness to God, God remained faithful to them by establishing a new covenant for all people (Jeremiah 31).

Staying close to all that is familiar is not bad when it involves knowing God’s truth for us. Remain in His love, that is a command that brings ultimate peace even in the midst of the storm.-Teresa

Psalm 28:6-8 (ESV)

⁶ Blessed be the Lord!
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
⁷ The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.

⁸ The Lord is the strength of his people;^[b]
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
⁹ Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Psalm 28:2 Hebrew your innermost sanctuary
2. Psalm 28:8 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts is their strength

Proverbs 7:1-5English Standard Version

Warning Against the Adulteress

7 My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
² keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
³ bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
⁵ to keep you from the forbidden^[a] woman,
from the adulteress^[b] with her smooth words.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew strange
2. Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew the foreign woman