Words of Encouragement
for the week of Oct. 12, 2011
Mediations in Psalm 119
AYIN
121 I have done the just and right thing; leave me not to those who crush me. 122 Be surety for Your servant for good; let not the proud press me down. 123 My eyes fail for Your salvation, and for the word of Your righteousness. 124 Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, and teach me Your statutes. 125 I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies. 126 It is time for the LORD to work; for they have broken Your law. 127 Therefore I love Your commandments above gold; yea, even fine gold. 128 Therefore I count all Your commandments concerning all things to be right; I hate every false way.
“I have done the just and right thing; leave me not to those who crush me. Be surety for Your servant for good; let not the proud press me down.” Psalm 119:121-122
So often, even when we do what is good and right according to God’s Word, the proud who walk in their own ways rather than in the ways of the LORD would crush us and silence our witness for the truth. We might expect that people would be pleased with us for doing what is good and right, but instead they hate us and oppose us.
The Bible tells us: “Yea, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). And Jesus says, “And you will be hated of all men for My name’s sake, but the one who endures to the end shall be kept safe” (Matthew 10:22).
With the psalmist we pray to the LORD God, “I have done the just and right thing; leave me not to those who crush me. Be surety for Your servant for good; let not the proud press me down.”
We know persecution and suffering will come upon all who trust in the Lord Jesus and seek to live in accord with His Word, thus we ask for His help, protection and deliverance from those who would crush us for our faith in the Savior and faithfulness to God’s Word.
O LORD Jesus, grant that I hold fast to You and the truth of Your Word, for You alone are my salvation. Preserve me from those who would crush me. Keep me in the truth unto life everlasting. Amen.
“My eyes fail for Your salvation, and for the word of Your righteousness.” Psalm 119:123
In Old Testament times, God’s people longed for the fulfillment of God’s promises to send the Messiah and Savior to redeem fallen mankind and make atonement for all sin. Now that the Christ has come, suffered and died for the sins of the world and is risen again, the gates of heaven are open to us. Because Christ Jesus fulfilled all righteousness for us and paid on the cross the just price for all our sins and is risen again, we are forgiven and righteous in God’s eyes for Jesus’ sake. We take hold of and receive this righteousness won for us by Christ through faith in Him.
We trust in Christ for pardon and forgiveness and long for His return and our gathering together to Him in His everlasting kingdom. We look forward to the fulfillment of His word and promise to us that we will be received into heaven, clothed in Christ’s righteousness, and be changed into the image of Christ our Savior.
With the eyes of faith, we continually look for the promised salvation of God, for that day when we are set free from the corruption of our human natures and are changed into the image of Christ, our crucified and risen Savior. Though, even now, we are being transformed, we await the day when that transformation will be perfect and complete and we shall be holy and without sin and live before the LORD God in righteousness and true holiness forever.
“As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your image” (Psalm 17:15). “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Though the wait may seem long, though we may become weary and anxious because of the troubles and sufferings of this life, that Day will come and God will fulfill His gracious word of promise to us and we will reign forever with Christ our Savior in heaven.
Gracious heavenly Father, we long for Your salvation, for that day when You will change our vile bodies into perfect and sinless bodies like our Lord Jesus. Keep us trusting in Christ our Savior until that day when You fulfill Your gracious words of promise to us for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
“Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, and teach me Your statutes. I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.” Psalm 119:124-125
From Exodus 34:5-7, following Israel’s sin with the golden calf, we learn much about the LORD God and His dealings with mankind: “And the LORD came down in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed, Jehovah! Jehovah God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the sons, and on the sons of sons, to the third and to the fourth generation.”
God desires to deal with His people in grace and mercy for the sake of the Messiah and His atonement for the sins of the world. Yet, when people reject His mercy and grace and turn back into disobedience and rebellion, He deals with them in His wrath. As the Bible says, He is “merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Yet, when we reject His mercy and forgiveness and turn away from Him, He “will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the sons, and on the sons of sons, to the third and to the fourth generation.”
As sinful human beings, we deserve God’s wrath and punishment. God would be just if He dealt with us in anger and condemned us for our rebelliousness and disobedience to Him and His Word. Yet, for Jesus’ sake, God desires to deal with us in mercy and forgiveness instead.
That is why the psalmist prays, “Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, and teach me Your statutes. I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.” He desires that Jehovah God would deal with him in mercy and forgiveness for the sake of Messiah Jesus and then teach him from the Word and give him understanding so that he would know the LORD’s ways and His perfect and holy will.
Certainly, this should be our prayer as well, that God would not deal with us according to our sins but, rather, according to His mercy for the sake of Jesus and His blood shed upon the cross for the sins of the world. And, we ask too that God would enlighten us, open up our hearts and minds, and teach us from His Word and give us understanding that we might know His testimonies and walk as His children.
We read in Psalm 103:10-12: “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” God deals with us in mercy for Jesus’ sake.
Jehovah God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, deal with me according to Your mercy and not as I justly deserve on account of my transgressions. Forgive my sin, cleanse my heart and teach me from Your Word. Amen.
“It is time for the LORD to work; for they have broken Your law. Therefore I love Your commandments above gold; yea, even fine gold. Therefore I count all Your commandments concerning all things to be right; I hate every false way.” Psalm 119:126-128
Is it right for Christians to pray for God’s judgment upon those who continue to rebel against God and His Word? The psalmist does.
The psalmist prays that God would work mightily and carry out His judgments against those who have rejected God’s rule over them and broken God’s law. And Christians too, while they desire first and foremost that sinners repent and receive God’s grace and forgiveness in Christ Jesus, may pray for God’s judgment upon those who do not repent but continue on in sin and rebellion against their Maker and Redeemer. Do we not pray for this in the Lord’s Prayer when we ask that God’s kingdom come and that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven, or when we ask that He would remove from us all temptation and deliver us from all evil?
The psalmist loved and valued God’s commandments more than gold, even fine gold. Why? Because God’s Word revealed to him the way of life. It showed him God’s perfect will and man’s sin and disobedience, but it also revealed to him God’s mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the Messiah who was to come and redeem Israel from all his iniquities (Psalm 130:8).
The psalmist knew and believed that God’s Word was right in all things, and he hated and rejected every false way. How we wish that people today – us included – so regarded God’s Word and His commandments! His Word is always right. We are the ones who err when we do not live according to it! May God give us hearts which love the Word and believe it in all things and hate every false and deceiving way.
O gracious and just God, in your grace and mercy for Jesus’ sake, bring sinners to repent of their evil and false ways and grant that they return to You in faith that they may receive forgiveness of sins and life everlasting for Jesus’ sake. In Your divine wisdom and justice, carry out Your righteous judgments against those who harden their hearts and reject Your mercy and grace, continuing in rebellion against You. Grant that Your kingdom come and Your perfect will be done among us. Amen.
From the Lutheran Confessions
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration
Preface
1] When, by the special grace and mercy of the Almighty, the doctrine concerning the chief articles of our Christian religion (which under the Papacy had been horribly obscured by human teachings and ordinances) had been explained and purified again from [in accordance with the direction and analogy of] God’s Word by Dr. Luther, of blessed and holy memory, and the papistic errors, abuses, and idolatries had been rebuked; 2] and this pure reformation was nevertheless regarded by its opponents as [introducing] a new doctrine and was violently (though without foundation) charged with being entirely contrary to God’s Word and the Christian ordinances, and, in addition, was loaded with [almost endless] unsupportable calumnies and accusations, 3] the Christian [the most illustrious and in religious piety most prominent] Electors and Princes, and the Estates [of the Empire] which at that time had embraced the pure doctrine of the Holy Gospel and had their churches reformed in a Christian manner according to God’s Word, had a Christian Confession prepared from God’s Word at the great Diet of Augsburg in the year 1530 and delivered it to the Emperor Charles V. In this they clearly and plainly made their Christian confession as to what was being held and taught in the Christian evangelical churches concerning the chief articles, especially those in controversy between them and the Papists; and although this Confession was received with disfavor by their opponents, still, thank God, it remains to this day unrefuted and unoverthrown. 4] To this Christian [pious] Augsburg Confession, so thoroughly grounded in God’s Word, we herewith pledge ourselves again [publicly and solemnly] from our inmost hearts; we abide by its simple, clear, and unadulterated meaning as the words convey it, and regard the said Confession as a pure Christian symbol, with which at the present time true Christians ought to be found next to [which pious hearts ought to receive next to the matchless authority of] God’s Word; just as in former times concerning certain great controversies that had arisen in the Church of God, symbols and confessions were proposed, to which the pure teachers and hearers at that time pledged themselves with heart and mouth. 5] We intend also, by the grace of the Almighty, faithfully to abide until our end by [the doctrine of] this Christian Confession, mentioned several times, as it was delivered in the year 1530 to the Emperor Charles V; and it is our purpose, neither in this nor in any other writing, to recede in the least from that oft-cited Confession, nor to propose another or new confession. 6] Now, although the Christian doctrine of this Confession has in great part remained unchallenged (save what has been done by the Papists), yet it cannot be denied that some theologians have departed from some great [principal] and important articles of the said Confession, and either have not attained to their true meaning, or at any rate have not continued steadfastly therein, and occasionally [some] have even undertaken to attach to it a foreign meaning, while at the same time they wished to be regarded as adherents of [they professed to embrace] the Augsburg Confession, and to avail themselves and make their boast of it [for a pretext]. 7] From this, grievous and injurious dissensions have arisen in the pure evangelical churches; just as even during the lives of the holy apostles among those who wished to be called Christians, and boasted of Christ’s doctrine, horrible errors arose likewise. For some sought to be justified and saved by the works of the Law, Acts 15, 1-29, others denied the resurrection of the dead, 1 Cor. 15, 12, and still others did not believe that Christ was true and eternal God. Against these the holy apostles had to inveigh strenuously in their sermons and writings, although [they were well aware that] also at that time such fundamental errors and severe controversies could not occur without offense both to unbelievers and to those weak in the faith. 8] In a similar manner at present our opponents, the Papists, rejoice at the dissensions that have arisen among us, in the unchristian and vain hope that these discords might finally cause the suppression of the pure doctrine, while those who are weak in faith are [greatly] offended [and disturbed], and some of them doubt whether, amid such dissensions, the pure doctrine is with us, and others do not know with whom to side with respect to the articles in controversy. 9] For the controversies which have occurred are not, as some would regard them, mere misunderstandings or disputes concerning words [as are apt to occur], one side not having sufficiently grasped the meaning of the other, and the difficulty lying thus in a few words which are not of great moment; but here the subjects of controversy are important and great, and of such a nature that the opinion of the party in error cannot be tolerated in the Church of God, much less be excused or defended. 10] Necessity, therefore, requires us to explain these controverted articles according to God’s Word and approved writings, so that every one who has Christian understanding can notice which opinion concerning the matters in controversy accords with God’s Word and the Christian Augsburg Confession, and which does not. And sincere Christians who have the truth at heart may guard and protect themselves against [flee and avoid] the errors and corruptions that have arisen.
Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday
Scripture Readings for Sunday are: Psalm 119:121-128; Isaiah 45:1-7; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; and Matthew 22:15-22. Please read them in their context as you prepare for worship on Sunday.
The Adult Bible Class is studying St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, at chapter 4, verse 17ff.
Remember to Pray
Remember to pray for our church and for all our members, that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all continue in repentance and be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. We pray for God’s healing and strengthening of our congregation, as well as for God’s help with our church’s financial needs. We continue to pray for all who have been sick or who are suffering among us – for Sam Rusch; for Bonnie Hawes, who is in the hospital after a complicated heart surgery; for those who have been absent from us, for our extended families and for believers who are alone and have no congregation. Continue to pray for Lutheran congregations and believers around the world who are persecuted or suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus.
Events and Announcements
On-line video of worship services can be found at: http://goodshepherdrogers.org/blog/worship-service-video.
Information for bulletins or newsletters may be sent to Pastor Moll by calling him at 479-233-0081 or by e-mail at goodshepherdrogers@yahoo.com.
Psalm 8
To the Chief Musician, on the harp. A Psalm of David.
1 O Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens! 2 Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings You have ordained strength, because of Your tormentors, to cause the enemy and the avenger to cease.
3 When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have established; 4 what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man, that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: 7 all sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field; 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, and all that pass through the paths of the seas. 9 O Jehovah, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!