Wonderfully Apt

1 Chronicles 1-10, 2 Samuel 1-4, Psalm 17, 121-125, 128-130, 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, 21, 43-45, 49, 84, 85, 87, 73, 77, 78, 81, 88, 92 ,93, 102-104 (13 days from http://www.bibleinayear.org/). In short, I am making SLOW progress catching up.

I believe one of the manifestations of the miracle of God's living word is how it is so wonderfully apt even today despite the huge change in historical/geographical/cultural context. This time, Psalms 73 really spoke to me, and I can find no better words to express how I have been feeling than these:

Psalms 73 (New King James)

1 Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For there are no pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their eyes bulge[a] with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.

10 Therefore his people return here,
And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11 And they say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.

15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.

18 Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.

21 Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works.

Amen!

Sanctified to serve Him

Just want to let you know that although I have gone quiet on my daily readings, I have NOT given up, in fact, I have been trying hard to catch-up. Since my last post (a month ago), I have covered Deuteronomy 30-34, Joshua 1-24, Judges 1-21, Ruth 1-4, 1st Samuel 1-24, and some chapters from Psalms (7, 27, 31, 34, 52, 56, 120, 140-142), which is a total of 27 days from http://www.bibleinayear.org/. So, no I did not manage to do much catching up. :-(

How can I do justice to all that the Lord has said through these chapters? I simply can't, there is just so much to write about. One thing that sticks to my mind as I look back now is that I remember getting depressed reading about how human nature forces us to behave like the Israelites in Deuteronomy, Joshua and Judges - they were singularly unable to rise above their human nature and serve God, and today we are much the same way. We all have weaknesses in our lives that the Lord deals with, and some of these weaknesses have become such strongholds that we continually fall back into the same sins. But compared to the Israelites of old, we are so priviledged to have Jesus already come to die for us, and also to have Him tell us that He has removed our sins. Without Jesus, we simply cannot fulfill what we are made to do - to worship God.