December 27 -- "Casting Your Burden on Him"

Today’s Reading: Psalms 28 & 55 

"Casting Your Burden on Him"

The Hebrew word translated “cast” in verse 22 means to throw, cast, hurl, or fling. The Jews used this word in association with throwing something away. The definition of “burden” is a heavy load to carry, a difficulty, trouble, heavy trial.  Here in Psalm 55, we are exhorted to hurl our burdens onto Him - to thrust them forcefully upon the Lord.

Does your life seem overwhelming and stressful lately? Do you feel weighed down by worries and frustrations to the point of exhaustion? Are your shoulders sagging under the weight of your heavy load? Then it is time to hurl those heavy weights off your shoulders and onto the shoulders of your Great Burden Bearer.  But how do you do that? How can we, as Christ followers, cast our burden on the Lord? The simple formula is Come, Take, Let Go.

First, you must COME to Jesus.  When you’re overwhelmed by burdens, Jesus invites you to come to Him. This may sound like a simple task, but I’ve found that bringing my burdens to Him is often not my first instinct. I wrongly think it is my responsibility to carry the weight. But Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) So, the first step to casting your burden on Him is simply to COME to Him. Don’t run the other way. And don’t think you are alone. He is here and He is waiting.

Second, TAKE His yoke. A yoke was a wooden device that was placed around the neck of oxen or cattle and connected to the plow or cart they pulled. Most yokes in Bible times were “dual-passenger.” This means that two animals would share the yoke and carry the load together. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29) For a weary and tired animal under the stress of a heavy burden, sharing a yoke made the burden lighter and more easily carried. Jesus wants you to slip your head into His yoke. Together, the heavy weight will fall off your shoulders and He will carry the burden. TAKE His yoke and feel the strength of Him pulling the load.

Third, and most important, you must LET GO of your burden. So often we reach back ready to hurl our burdens upon Jesus. Our throwing arm goes forward, but we keep a grip on the item that is weighing us down. Don’t hold on!  Jesus calls us to cast  – hurl, throw, fling – our burdens on Him. Take your heavy load to Jesus, and lay it down. Then, DON’T pick it up again. Let go and let Him bear the burden. Place your burden in your hands and then chuck it upward toward Heaven with your hands wide open. LET GO and let God carry the load.

In the words of the old Maranatha song by Chuck Girard, “Lay your burden down, lay your burden down. Take your troubled soul, your tired mind and lay your burden down. Lay your burden down, get your feet on solid ground. Take your worries to the foot of the cross and lay your burden down.” He will do the rest, and He will give you rest.

December 26 -- "Like Silver Purified Seven Times"

 Today’s Reading: Psalms 4, 12, & 13

"Like Silver Purified Seven Times"

In Bible times, silver was usually used for decorative purposes such as jewelry and household ornaments. Before silver could be used for these purposes, it had to be extracted from the ore of other metals. Silver was usually obtained as a by-product of lead mining. The ore would be purified in a clay furnace using an extremely hot melting process.  In order to separate the silver from the lead, the rough ore would be heated above the temperature at which silver melts (1750°F).  When the liquid metal then cooled slowly, the silver solidified first and it floated as a crust above the liquid lead. This crust would be skimmed off and prepared for the next phase of purification.

The rough silver still contained some small particles of lead that still had to be removed to obtain “pure” silver.  To purify the rough silver further it was melted again in the melting pot on the fire. This second purifying process resulted in silver that was typically 99% pure. Although the silver still contained some miniscule particles of lead, it was considered ready for trade. In very rare cases, the silver would be purified a third time resulting in silver that was 99.99% pure.

Here in Psalm 12:6, we are told that the “words of the Lord” are so pure that they are like silver that has been refined and purified SEVEN times. David is emphasizing that God’s word is so pure, it is like silver which is flawless. Not 99.99% pure, or even 99.999999% pure, but completely flawless and without any imperfection whatsoever.

This doesn’t imply that God’s words once contained flaws or impurities which had to be removed. God’s word is, and has always been pure, without any contamination or imperfections whatsoever. They were pure when they were first issued and remain pure to this day. The God who is holy, and pure, and perfect has given us His words, which are also holy, pure, and perfect in every way. His word is pure but never purified.

“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” (Proverbs 30:5)  By contrast, human wisdom is flawed. It contains imperfections. The words of the wisest men and women in history come nowhere near the flawless wisdom of God.  God’s word contains not even the tiniest particle of human wisdom. Because it is pure, it can be received with readiness of mind and trusted with the depths of the heart. Put your trust in God’s words. They are pure. They are peaceable. They are able to bring you true wisdom and transform your life. “The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” (Psalm 19:8)

December 25 -- "The Lifter of My Head"

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 15 & Psalm 3 

"The Lifter of My Head"

Merry Christmas to you from ‘A Word from the Word.’ May the True Spirit of Christmas shine in your heart and light your path today and through the upcoming year.

In Psalm 3, we read the words of king David as he is fleeing from his son, Absalom. This Psalm starts out with a sense of foreboding as David is tempted by others to focus his attention on the deep problems he is facing. Can you feel his worry as he says, “Many are my foes”? Can you sense his despair as he says, “Many are rising against me”? Do you get the feeling that the world around him is telling him to give up hope as he writes, “Many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God”?

But the Psalm doesn’t end there! In verse 3, David soundly rejects the world’s advice and turns his eyes back onto the God he loves. He wisely realizes that his help and salvation come from the LORD in this situation just as it has in every other situation.

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me.”  The shield was a defensive weapon used by soldiers. It’s purpose was to cover and defend the body from the strikes of the enemy. David here acknowledges that God is his Defender and Protector. What a joy to know that our Lord will stand between us and our adversaries, taking the blows and keeping us safe. I am safe when the Lord wraps around me like a shield.

“You are… my glory.” The Hebrew word for “glory” means honor, splendor, dignity, reputation. It carries the idea of majesty and magnificence. David, here, acknowledges that whatever glory there may be that comes from his life, it is not because of his own magnificence or self-doing. The glory of David’s life, and our lives as followers of Christ, comes solely from the One who is Most Glorious. Knowing this takes a lot of pressure off of David and us. It means that, no matter what happens, no one can take away the glory of my life because it isn’t about me, it is about Him!

“You are… the lifter of my head.” When the voices of the world start to get to us, we can start feeling down and we are tempted to look inward at our own weaknesses and failures. When we look away from God, we can get discouraged or even depressed. When this happens, it can actually have an effect on our body posture. Often unknowingly, our shoulders can bend forward and hunched over, and our head takes a downward-looking posture. It is a sign that we are “weighed down” by our challenges and troubles. David here declares emphatically that, in these situations, the Lord is the lifter of his head. He is the One who can turn our downward posture back into an upward-looking, optimistic and faith-filled position. As He lifts the burden from our shoulders, our head turns back up and the joy of salvation once again fills our heart. The problems are still with us, but Someone Else is carrying the load and lifting our head!

May the Lord be your Shield, your Glory, and the Lifter of your head this Christmas Day!

December 24 -- "Do the Right Thing"

 Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 14

"Do the Right Thing"

After Absalom killed Amnon, he remained in exile, fearing retribution from king David. Joab, the king’s army commander, recognized that David had the ability to be reconciled to his son Absalom. He realized that the king really wanted to see his son, but because of his pride and stubbornness, he refused to make the first move towards reconciliation. So, Joab devised a plan to send a widow woman from Tekoa to speak to the king and persuade him to bring Absalom back home. The plan worked and, after a period of time, the two were finally reunited.

In the course of her conversation, the woman from Tekoa pointed out that David was a wise man – as wise as “the angel of God.” Because the LORD was with him, she recognized that David had the ability to handle things and discern good and evil. By saying this, she was suggesting that David set aside his stubbornness and pride and “do the right thing.”

It can be a hard thing to set aside our emotions when faced with a choice between right and wrong. If we’re not careful, we can let our stubbornness drive our decisions and cloud our ability to discern between good and evil. When you are full of pride on the inside, it makes you stiff, stubborn, and creates strife with others.  Perhaps it is anger, jealousy, pride, bitterness, or simply your selfishness that is keeping you from obeying God’s command to “love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)

Be careful of stubbornness. In the face of an obstacle which is impossible to overcome, stubbornness is simply unwise. If we desire to know the depths of the wisdom of God, we must learn to set aside our emotions and feelings and turn to Him for help. We, like David, can be as wise as the “angel of God.” We can do the right thing when we don’t let our humanity get in the way.

Discernment is not just the ability to know right from wrong. It is also the ability to know “right” from “almost right.” Oh, how we need God’s wisdom to show us this distinction, and to give us the wisdom to rise above our human stubbornness and do the right thing. May the LORD your God be with you and may you be “like the angel of God” in wisdom and discernment.

Who do you need to be reunited with today? Make the first move and set aside your stubbornness. Do the right thing!

December 23 -- "Consequences of Sin"

 Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 13

"Consequences of Sin"

Here, we read of Amnon, son of King David and-heir apparent to the throne, who rapes his half-sister Tamar and later is murdered by his own brother for his sin. What a sad story illustrating the depths of human depravity.

Many people wonder why this disturbing story is in the Bible. After all, it doesn’t seem to have any mention of God’s grace or His redeeming love. It is a sad and tragic story about the dark side of human nature. But there is a reason this story is here – to teach us about the consequences of sin.  God has laid down the rules. If you follow the rules, you're going to find fulfillment and satisfaction, and a meaningful relationship with Him. But if you violate the rules, you're going to get hurt. You're going to get burned. This is the story of David getting hurt as a result of his sin and the sins of others.

Let me suggest some ways this passage may be instructive for us. First, and most obviously, we need to see that there are consequences for sin. Remember that David had committed the terrible sins of lust, adultery, deception, and murder in his incident with Bathsheba. After those sins, David repented and received forgiveness from God. He was genuinely forgiven but was informed that there would still be consequences for his sin. We must remember that God’s forgiveness doesn’t necessarily eliminate the after-effects of our sin. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) If we sow to our flesh, we will reap emptiness and heartbreak.

Secondly, we see that sin often starts small and privately, but if left unchecked, it can rapidly escalate into great sin that becomes public. It has been said, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go; keep you longer than you want to stay; and cost you more than you want to pay.”  An example of this is the sin of adultery. You let a small, private attraction for another person develop into acts of sin which lead to the after-effects of destroying marriages and families. Amnon’s lust for Tamar was hidden in his heart. Only God knew about it. Until that day when he let the power of sin and his selfish desire take over. He acted on his “innocent” attraction and the results were heartbreaking. This passage encourages us to stay out of sin, no matter how “small” or “innocent” it may seem. “Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11)

Finally, this story teaches us the importance of discerning true love. Amnon claimed that he “loved” Tamar, but he was disastrously confusing “love” with “lust.”  True love is expressed by acts of selflessness and service.  You will know it is love when someone is willing to deny their own desires in order to serve and care for others. True love focuses on the well-being and happiness of the other person, selfish-lust prioritizes personal desires, needs, and gratification.

Our Creator is the grand example of true love: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

December 22 -- "Taught by God"

 Today’s Reading: Psalms 86 & 122

"Taught by God"

Psalm 86 is a “mash up” of various verses from the other Psalms. David takes verses that are dear to his heart from Psalms 18, 25, 27, 55, 71, 119 and various other Psalms and compiles them into Psalm 86. Practically every verse of Psalm 86 is taken from another Psalm someplace. This demonstrates David’s working knowledge of God’s word and reveals his heartfelt devotion to the Scriptures.

Psalm 86 is a prayer of David crying out for God’s active presence in his life. He prays for God to listen to him; to preserve him; to be gracious to him; to gladden his soul; to teach him God’s ways; and to give him a unified heart. In verse 11, he pleads with the Lord to “teach me your way that I may walk in Your truth.”  From this plea, we see that David understood the importance of being taught directly by God.

It is vitally important to every follower of Christ that we be taught by God. Directly by Him. It is a wonderful thing when God has placed anointed teachers and preachers in our lives so we can hear Scripture being taught by wise and learned men and women. We should be thankful for such a blessing. But… learning from the teachings of men should never, ever, be a substitute for learning directly from the Lord, Himself.

The only path to pure doctrine and correct belief is for each of us to be taught directly at the feet of Jesus. In Him alone is the Way. In Him alone is the Truth. As He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except by Me.” (John 14:6)

David’s plea to be taught by the Lord shows that he grasped the truth that we all must be taught by God. This principle is repeated often in Scripture: “For you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:9); “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.” (Isaiah 54:13); “For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him.” (Isaiah 28:26)

We must diligently seek to be taught by God. It must be the passionate pursuit of our heart and soul to search the Scriptures regularly under the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit. He is the One who will guide us into all truth. Along with David, we must pray, “teach me your way O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.”

Make it your heartfelt prayer today that you be taught by God. Then, be like the Bereans who “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

December 21 -- "Oh, How Happy!"

 Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 20 & Psalm 32

"Oh, How Happy!"

The word “blessed” means “oh how happy.” Having confessed his sins and repented of them and having bowed before God with a contrite heart, David now expresses the wonderful and happy experience of having been forgiven! There is no greater happiness than to know that God has forgiven ALL of your sins and that you have been restored to a right relationship with Him!  If you’ve had this experience, oh how happy you must be!

True blessedness and happiness consists only in remission of sin and purification of the heart.  When people are honest with God and confess their sin to Him (as David did in Psalm 51), they experience the unspeakable joy of knowing that their sin is forgiven. When confession is made, forgiveness follows, the burden of separation from God is removed, and a fresh experience of God’s joy settles upon the sinner. Oh, what a happy moment it is when I have that assurance that my transgression has been forgiven, that my sin has been covered by the blood of Christ.

David here mentions three variations of the types of offenses that can separate us from God and take away our joy. The word “transgression” means a deliberate, willful disobedient act. David, in his incident with Bathsheba, deliberately and willfully disobeyed God’s commands regarding lust, adultery, deception, and murder. He knew where God had drawn the line, and he deliberately stepped over that line. “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven.”

The second word David uses is “sin.”  There is a difference between a transgression and a sin. A sin is not always a willful act. The word sin comes from a root word used in archery which means, "to miss the mark." God says, "Here is the mark. I want you to hit it." All right. And I take aim, but I miss. We all have missed the mark even when it was our intention to hit it. I may not deliberately miss. I may be trying to hit it. I might just be a poor shot. But that is still an offense to God. “Blessed is the one whose sin is covered.”

The third word David uses is “iniquity.” This word refers to the inward depravity of nature that we, as human beings, are infected with. Every person is born with a sinful nature – a personality flaw that predisposes us to think, speak, and act in sinful and immoral ways. It is this sinful nature that has separated us from God and robbed us of our joy. And, if this predisposition to sin is not dealt with, it will separate us eternally from Him. The blessed truth here is that God has a way of not counting our iniquity against us. That way is the cross of Jesus, where He took upon Himself the sinful nature of humanity allowing God to no longer count our depravity and immoral nature against us. “Blessed is the one against whom the Lord counts no iniquity.”

Think of it! Your transgressions are forgiven, your sins are covered, and your sinful nature is not being counted against you! Oh how happy you must be!