April 30, 2021
Dear friends,
There are days when I feel like going back to bed after getting up and today is one of those days, but I am resisting that urge. There is this blog to write, great books to read, and much more! Included in those great books, of course, is the Bible, God’s love letter to mankind. Last Sunday, I heard a profound message by Todd Shaffer, an elder in our church, on Psalm 88. When I think of the Psalms, I think of several like 23, 37, and 100 which have been accompanied by memorable melodies. After trusting in the Lord at the age of 17, one of the first songs that I learned to play on the guitar was Psalm 100. Singing the words is a great way to memorize a psalm. The heading for Psalm 88 is “A prayer for help in despondency.” I doubt that anyone has written music to accompany this psalm.
Although Psalm 88 ends “without an answer or even a glimmer of hope” (in the words of Dr. David Jeremiah in his Study Bible), as children of God, we know that our heavenly Father loves us with an everlasting love. Maybe you are experiencing a difficult time in life. It could be your health, a relationship issue, loss of employment, money problems or another challenging issue. April has been a very difficult month for Karen, as she has experienced a lot of pain in her eyes. Thank you for praying for her. On Monday, she went to her optometrist and received a referral to an eye specialist.
This week, I have been looking at a Bible course on the gospel of John, which says: “The number ‘7’ when it appears in the Bible is often employed as a symbol of perfection. John presented a sevenfold testimony concerning Christ.” The following verses show different witnesses of the One who loved us so much that He gave His life to save us: John 1:7, 5:39, 8:18, 10:25, 15:27, 16:14, and 18:37.
In Luke 9:43-45, we read about two different reactions of those who were with Jesus; “they were all amazed at the majesty of God” (v. 43) and “they were afraid to ask Him” (v. 45). In studying the gospel of Luke, I found eight times where an angel or Jesus told people to not be afraid or terrified. Please let me know if you find the same number.
Scripture for the weekend: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV)
Thought for the weekend: “Our hearts are continually prone to wander from Him; prosperity and enjoyment all too easily satisfy us, dull our spiritual perception, and unfit us for full communion with Himself. It is an unspeakable mercy that the Father comes with His chastisement, makes the world round us all dark and unattractive, leads us to feel more deeply our sinfulness, and for a time lose our joy in what was becoming so dangerous. He does it in the hope that, when we have found our rest in Christ in time of trouble, we shall learn to choose abiding in Him as our only portion; and when the affliction is removed, have so grown more firmly into Him, that in prosperity He still shall be our only joy.” – Andrew Murray (from his book “Abide In Christ”)
By His grace,
Steve