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Memorize Scripture: Psalm 119:53-56

Hiding God’s Word In Our Hearts

The main thrust of this stanza is that God provides comfort during times of suffering. In this passage, that comfort comes in the form of song. Take a look at this passage for yourself in Psalm 119:53-56:

Psalm 119:53-56

When you are in the midst of suffering, your first response probably isn’t to sing. But Scripture makes the connection between the two more than once. God’s Word tells us that to sing when we face suffering, while not the logical choice we might turn to, is the choice we should turn to. The reason, perhaps, is that we can be more aware of God’s comfort in the midst of suffering when we sing.

The most prominent example of this perhaps is the account of Paul and Silas in prison, in Acts 16. The two were in Philippi, and had been severely beaten after driving a demon out of a slave girl. Paul and Silas were stripped and beaten, and then thrown into jail. Around midnight, they were singing and praying, drawing comfort from God for themselves, but also for the other prisoners who were listening to them. An earthquake occurred, and the prison doors were opened, leading to the salvation of the jailer before the night was over.

The fact that Paul and Silas were singing in the middle of the night, in the face of extreme suffering, mirrors Psalm 119 closely. The context of this whole stanza is focused on the persecution of the wicked upon the author, and the suffering he experiences as a result. But in verse 55, he remembers the name of the Lord “in the night,” just like Paul and Silas did.

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Matthew’s Introduction Of Jesus

Matthew 1:1

Matthew’s gospel is clearly written to an audience that was primarily Jewish, and with his opening statement, he jumps right in with an immediate connection between the life of Jesus and the much broader story of the descendants of Abraham. Throughout his book, Matthew will draw people to the conclusion over and over again that Jesus is the fulfillment to the promise made to Abraham long ago.

Matthew's Introduction To Jesus

The first chapter of Matthew lists the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham, making the connection for the Jewish mind that Jesus is the Messiah. We will look at the three divisions of the genealogical list next week. Right now, I want to draw our attention just to the very first verse of Matthew 1:

The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham…

In a sense, this is Matthew’s way of introducing his book, brief though it may be. In this very first sentence, Matthew does three things. First, he draws the Jewish mind to the very earliest of history by using terminology reminiscent of Genesis 2:4 and 5:1, the record of the creation of mankind and the first genealogical listing. Second, he connects Jesus to King David, establishing his right to the eternal throne promised to one of David’s heirs. And third, he connects Jesus to Abraham, equating him with the fulfillment of God’s original promise to Abram and his descendants.

That’s quite a lot of information from a single introductory statement! What Matthew has done here is to set up the mind of the Jewish reader to see just where he’s going, and the full impact of the point he will be making as he lists the genealogical records of Jesus. For the Jewish reader, this has been a long expectation. The coming of Jesus, the Messiah, has has been anticipated since the earliest days of Jewish history, and in fact, anticipated in eternity in heaven!

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Being A Pat Of Butter

Godly Men: Being Deliberate With Our Wives and Kids

I ran across this quote from Minnesota radio personality Garrison Keillor.

Being A Pat Of Butter

By way of disclaimer, I know nothing about this man, other than what I just read in a quick Google search. I can’t vouch for his website, his radio show, or his books.

But this quote is especially poignant.

The father of a daughter is nothing but a high-class hostage. A father turns a stony face to his sons, berates them, shakes his antlers, paws the ground, snorts, runs them off into the underbrush, but when his daughter puts her arm over his shoulder and says, Daddy, I need to ask you something, he is a pat of butter in a hot frying pan.

I have found this to be true in my relationships with my kids. And I think it’s a pretty universal fact. Fathers parent their sons differently than they do their daughters.

We train our boys to become men. We expect more different things from them than we do our daughters. We fiercely protect our little girls, no matter what their age.

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Book Review – All Things Bright And Strange by James Markert

All Things Bright And StrangeThis is not the first book by James Markert that I have read and enjoyed. Not too long ago, I read and reviewed another book by Markert, The Angel’s Share, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I entered into this novel expecting no less, and I was not disappointed.

All Things Bright And Strange is once again set in the early 20th century, immediately after World War I, and in the rugged hills of Appalachia, near Charleston, South Carolina. The town is Bellhaven, and there is something strange going on in the woods. The leader of the community is a man by the name of Ellsworth, who after his experience in Germany during the war, doesn’t really want to lead anyone anymore.

And yet events begin to unfold that draw him into a struggle between good and evil, between life and death, for both him and those he loves, and the community as a whole. As he discovers the history of the chapel in the woods, the meaning of all the birds in the area, especially the cardinals, and the strange draw the town has on people, he must make a difficult choice to lead the townspeople in a direction they may not want to go.

I really enjoyed the supernatural element of All Things Bright And Strange. Markert has a knack for weaving an amazing tale of reality, filled with elements of the supernatural, in a way that leaves you hungry for more. I could hardly put the book down, and will probably seek out more of his work in the future.

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Coffee Break – 04.30.2018

Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration

On this day in history: In 1789, George Washington took office as the first elected U.S. president. In 1803, the U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. In 1938, Happy Rabbit appeared in the cartoon Porky’s Hare Hunt. This rabbit would later evolve into Bugs Bunny. And in 1939, the first railroad car equipped with fluorescent lights was put into service. The train car was known as the “General Pershing Zephyr.”

Coffee Break

Today Is National Bugs Bunny Day!
Let’s have a cartoon marathon!

The Many Faces Of Coffee – Have you ever heard of coffee honey? No? Then read this.

The Libraries Of Famous Men: Louis L’Amour – I have read almost every single book written by Louis L’Amour, most more than once. He’s one of my favorite authors of all time. I have often wondered what he read, and here’s a snapshot of his library. I completely love this article!

Bread Clips – You wouldn’t think there is enough information about a simple bread clip to warrant an entire article… But there is. And it’s pretty interesting.

Bubble Wrap – My kids love this stuff. And the ones that don’t pop easily are a massive disappointment to them. Here’s a brief video showing how it’s made.

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Memorize Scripture: Psalm 119:49-52

Hiding God’s Word In Our Hearts

Stanza seven, along with the stanzas immediately before and after it, carry a singular focus to them, understanding who God is by a careful study of his Word. In these verses, the particular focus is that of God’s comfort during times of suffering. You can see it in Psalm 119:49-52:

Psalm 119:49-52

The idea of comfort is prevalent in this passage, with the word “comfort” being mentioned twice, in verses 50 and 52, and the phrase “you have given me hope,” which also conveys the idea of comfort, found in verse 51.

It’s interesting to note that while the whole stanza is focused on the psalmist’s need for comfort, his only prayer in this passage is one for hope. He seems to immediately understand that the comfort that God can bring is only to be found in the hope that God offers. The comfort he seeks is not a specific request for his suffering to be removed; it is more of a request to be reassured that God’s promises never fail.

That’s an interesting perspective that we need to keep in mind in the present day. We often ask for God to remove those things which cause pain and suffering, and to be sure, he does do that, but it is more in line with Scripture to seek God’s presence and reassurance during such times than to seek to have them removed from our lives. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting that we seek out suffering, I’m only suggesting that our views of it may be limited and flawed.