In You do I Trust

Psalm 56

This psalm was written when David was endangered by the Philistines (see 1st Samuel 21:10-15). One thing I love about David when he wrote his psalm, he would usually show his human reaction and then how God has shown himself and delivered him from the trouble that he faced. This psalm could be for many of us today as we maybe are in some troubled situation and we may start with some kind of panic but then we realize that God is in control and our trouble turns to thanksgiving.

When I am Afraid…

In verse 3 David starts by saying, “When I am afraid.” He had enemies around him and he felt oppressed by them. But he does not say, “When I am afraid, I want to curl in a ball, or hide in a cave.” He says, ‘When I am afraid I put my trust in you.” Then he goes on to say, “In God I trust; I shall not afraid. What can flesh do to me?”  As David is honest and is afraid and has fears and worries, he is quickly reminded that God is over him. God is his tower and refuge and his strength. In verse 11 he also says, “In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Many people just stop at the fear part and panic through their trouble. We need to take hold of our fear and know that God is bigger and in charge of this trouble. In him we need to trust. Trust that he has a purpose and will show himself in it. God showed himself to David time and time again and he does the same for us today. May we just be quicker to realize this instead of worrying about it and making things worse.

Encouragement for the Discouraged

Here is last week, Wednesday’s message from our series on Heroes of the New Testament. It is given by Pastor Jonathan Lee on Acts 18.

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Ransom

Psalm 49

This psalm can be taken from the Exodus account of Israel. The first ransom for Israel was paid through the first born Egyptians and the 1st passover for Israel (see Exodus 12-13). The focus of this psalm is to show what really matters, not wealth or riches because a rich person leaves all of his possessions when he dies. He can not take them with him. The point of this psalm is to point one to God who saves souls.

Ransom

In verses 7-8 the sons of Korah write, “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice. A good definition I saw of a ransom was, the redemption of a prisoner, slave, or a captured person, for a price. The psalmist wrote that a man could not ransom the soul of another man, it is too costly, and our payment can never suffice or add up. This is the look of us and sin. Because of sin, we are a prisoner, a slave, and one that has been captured to sin and the devil. Hebrews 12:1 talks about how sin easily entangles us. In Romans 6 we see that we are slaves to sin. We need to understand that we were captured through the seed of Adam to sin. There was no hope, we were in a pit and we could not get out. Mankind could try to please God on their own, to try to pay the cost of sin, but it was too costly and mankind could never pay it off or set themselves free. There needed to be a permanent payment for that debt and that was Christ.

The first passover was a shadow of the ultimate passover. The first ransom that these psalmist were talking about was for freedom in a land, the 2nd passover was for freedom from sin. Christ died as payment for the ransom to sin. In him is our only hope, in him is our strength. In verse 15 we see that this was true, “God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol (death), for he will receive me.” God did ransom our soul from the power of death, and that was Christ. God in flesh dying on a wooden cross, being buried but conquering death and sin and the grave, and rising again in 3 days.

I pray Lord that we all would realize that price for our soul which mankind no matter how rich could never pay, it had to be you. Thank you!

Summer Retreat 09

Praise to the King

Psalm 47

This psalm may have been written when the ark of the covenant entered into the temple as it was absent for a long time (see 2nd Samuel 6:17-19). Whether this psalm was written for that specific time or just in general for God as the ark symbolized God’s presence on earth.

Praise to the King

The writer starts by saying, clap your hands, shout to God with loud songs of joy. This is a celebration that God would be with us. You know in the movies that when a king would come in the town or come back from a battle, they would have a celebration. Here the writer is saying, God is our King and their should be a constant celebration of praise to God.

In verse 6 he says, “Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises.” Sing praise to the King. When we come to church there is worship being sung, then we go to his word. But worship and praise to God should not just be then and there. It should come and pour out of our mouths all the time. We praise God for his mighty works, we praise God for his grace, we praise God that he is active in our lives, we praise God for his Son, we praise God because he is King, we praise God we can serve Him, and we praise God because he is worthy of it and that is what we should do. Our lives work, desires, and being should be to glorify God.

How do you praise the King? I challenge you today to praise Him in all you do and to think about God in all things and let me know what happens?

Ephesians 6

Here is a message from June 12, 2009 on the roles of believers. It is from the series “Role Models” and focuses on the roles of father and mother. It is taken from Ephesians 6 and given by Pastor Jonathan M. Lee

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