February 4 -- "Come Away My Love"

 Today’s Reading: Song of Solomon 1-2 

"Come Away My Love"

This book of the Bible introduces itself as the “Song of Songs,” which is a Hebrew way of saying, “The Greatest Song” (similar to saying “King of Kings” or “Holy of Holies”). It appears to be authored by Solomon and contains eight chapters of love poetry. It is actually a collection of poems meant to explore the human experience of love and desire. Although authored by Solomon, the main voice of the book is that of a woman, portrayed as “the most beautiful of women.” The poems flow back and forth from the woman’s voice to the man’s voice shifting from scene to scene and expressing their deep love and affection for one another.

In addition to this being a Hebrew collection of poetry reflecting on the Divine gift of love between a man and a woman, this book also metaphorically reflects on the love between Jesus Christ and His beloved bride, the Church. This view of the book was inspired by Paul the Apostle’s words in Ephesians 5, where a husband’s love for his wife is presented as a symbol of Christ’s love for His Church (Ephesians 5:25-32).  

In Song 2:10, we witness the joy and excitement of the woman as her beloved calls out to her and invites her to “come away” with him. You can sense in His call that there is not a hint of regret, or dissatisfaction, or second thoughts. Nothing would please him more than to finally be in the arms of the one he loves. We see in this a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ calling to His Church, who He views as “beautiful and truly delightful.” (1:15) He calls His beautiful bride to “come away” with Him. He has no regrets. He has no hint of dissatisfaction with His Bride. He has no second thoughts. Jesus loves His Bride, the Church, and sees Her as pure and unspoiled. As a follower of Christ, He is not displeased with you, or dissatisfied with you in any way. His love sees beyond all of your human imperfections and He views you as “perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:4) He is in love with you!

We often think of how anxious we are to finally be called home to Heaven by our Beloved Savior. And that day is coming soon when He will say, “come up here.” (Revelation 4:1) But don’t miss the amazing truth that He is just as anxious – and infinitely more so – to have us in His everlasting arms. He longs for the day when the “Marriage Supper of The Lamb” will be ready and we will share in His Divine love for eternity.

February 3 -- "Amen and Amen!"

 Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 1 & Psalm 72

"Amen and Amen!"

Today’s verse is a powerful expression of praise and adoration for God. The psalmist declares that God's name is worthy of blessing and praise for all eternity. He desires that God's glory, (which represents his greatness, power, and majesty) would fill the entire earth. The repeated "Amen" emphasizes the sincerity and intensity of the psalmist's prayer.

It is unclear who the author of Psalm 72 was. Some say it was Solomon, as the notation in the heading says “Of Solomon.” Others believe it authored by David, because the closing caption states, “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.”  Most likely this was David’s final psalm as he passed the kingdom over to Solomon.  It contains the Psalmist’s heartfelt prayer for the Lord’s blessing upon his son Solomon’s life, his government, and the nation of Israel.

Included in the petition are requests for wisdom, justice, prosperity, deliverance from oppressors, victory over enemies, and abundance in the land. As we read Psalm 72, we find that it goes far beyond Solomon and is actually a prophecy of the future Son that was promised to David, Jesus Christ, who would sit on the throne of David and rule it and establish it in order, in justice, and in righteousness, from henceforth forever.

During the glorious reign of The Son of David (which will soon be upon us) some amazing things will take place. Jesus will rule with pure justice and righteousness. He will be fair to all, including the poor and needy. The mountains and hills will bring forth prosperity. Those who had been plagued by evil and powerful oppressors will be delivered. The righteous will flourish, and peace will abound. His kingdom will encompass the entire Earth, and all kings and rulers will bow down to Him. Everyone will be blessed because of Him!  Oh, what a day that will be!

The Psalmist concludes his prayer with praises to God and ends with the exclamation, “Amen and Amen!” The Hebrew word for “amen” expresses assurance, confirmation, and truth. When saying "amen," you're essentially saying, "Yes, this is true and steadfast." Its proper use is where one person confirms the words of another and expresses an emphatic desire for those words to come to pass. As the Psalmist proclaims the gloriousness of God’s name and speaks prophetically of the coming Eternal King, he is overwhelmed with the thought that God alone can and will do such things. And to that he emphatically says, “So be it! So be it! This is truth!” 

February 2 -- "A Beautiful Mind"

 Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 4

"A Beautiful Mind"

The Bible often uses the phrase, “as the sand on the seashore” as its way of saying “a ginormous amount.” In Genesis 22, for example, Abraham is told that his descendants will be “as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” In Psalm 139, the thoughts God has toward His children “would outnumber the grains of sand.” In 1 Samuel 13, the Philistine army is said to contain “soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” Jeremiah 33 tells us that the number of God’s heavenly angels is so large that they “cannot be numbered as the sands of the sea cannot be measured.” This is the Bible’s way of saying that there is such a large number that, even if you tried to count them, the number would evade you. It is a hyperbolic phrase which simply means “measureless” or “uncountable.”

Here in 1 Kings 4, we are told that Solomon was granted a “breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore.” This means that God gave Solomon so much wisdom and understanding that it was immeasurable. He was so brilliant that his IQ score could not even be measured. This tells us that he was more brilliant of mind than any other person on Earth. Solomon was an “egghead” with a beautiful mind and “ginormous” mental capacity. In answer to Solomon’s heartfelt and humble prayer, God gave him wisdom and understanding beyond measure. 

Why did God give Solomon such incomparable wisdom? There are several reasons. First, because Solomon was a worshipper of God. We are told in 1 Kings 1, that Solomon “made sacrifices unto the Lord.” He, like his father David, had come to know the LORD as the one-and-only true God who was worthy of his devotion. Second, because of his humility. Although raised as “royalty,” Solomon did not have a sense of entitlement or inflated self-worth. When he came to God, he came in true humility. Third, God granted Solomon wisdom because that’s what he asked for. The Lord had told him to ask for whatever he wants and Solomon asked for the great amounts wisdom and discernment it would take to govern God’s people. Fourth, Solomon was granted this surpassing level of wisdom because God had a plan and purpose for Solomon’s life – as a writer of Scripture. As Solomon learned great lessons of wisdom, he wrote them down as snippets of truth that all future followers of God could learn from and apply to their lives.

Finally, God granted Solomon the “gift” of wisdom to give us a real-life illustration of the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” which He would later bestow en masse upon the members of His Church. He wanted all of us to see that supernatural things can happen to normal people who will humble themselves and pray and submit themselves to God’s plan for their lives. Just as He granted Solomon a beautiful mind, He wants to grant you special powers and abilities to serve Him in a way that is beyond measure – as the sand on the seashore!

February 1 -- "What Will You Ask For?"

 Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 3

"What Will You Ask For?"

How would you feel if you were offered an opportunity to win a million dollars as a contestant on a TV game show? Or, what if a wealthy loved one offered to get you anything your heart desired as a gift? What would you ask for? How would you react?

Solomon, the new king of Israel, was placed in this exact situation. The Lord God came to him in a dream and said, “Ask whatever you will.” Wow! A blank check! Solomon had an unprecedented opportunity to really rake in blessings for himself. He could’ve selfishly asked for great riches. Or victory over his enemies. Or the intimate love of a great woman. Or health and wellness in his body.

If God should say that to you, what would you ask for? This can be very revealing. It can reveal an awful lot about your heart. Be truly honest here, if God should say, "Ask Me anything you want," what would be your request? Your answer to that question will reveal whether or not you are living on the flesh side or the spiritual side of your nature. If your desire would be for great riches, if your desire would be for fame or honor or glory, it means that somehow you're still suffering under the illusion that you can one day maybe find satisfaction in your flesh and in the things of the flesh.

But if your answer is, "Oh God, that I just might walk with You, in close fellowship. Lord, that I might be the person You want me to be." If your answer is in spiritual things, then that indicates also the fact that your heart is really after God and the things of God. It shows you are desiring spiritual benefit not selfish gain.

Solomon didn’t ask for any of these worldly things. Instead, Solomon took to his knees in the realization of just how small and incapable he was to rule God’s people and he humbly asked for an understanding mind and the discernment he needed to rule as Israel’s new king. Solomon admitted his shortcomings.

Solomon’s request was so heartfelt and it pleased the Lord. God honored Solomon’s humility and sincerity and granted him way more than he asked.  That’s the God we serve. You can’t outgive Him. And, oh, by the way – you don’t have to speculate what you would do in Solomon’s situation, because you are in that same situation. Jesus says to you, “If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:14) What will you ask for?

January 31 -- "Promises for Lovers of God's Word"

 Today’s Reading: Psalm 119:113-176 

"Promises for Lovers of God's Word"

God has made promises to humankind. Over seven thousand of these promises are found in the Bible. The genius of the Bible is that anyone and everyone can share in these promises of God if they choose to.

Some of the promises of God are unconditional, which means that God will fulfill His promise with or without our cooperation or us meeting any conditions. An example of an unconditional promise is God’s promise to never again destroy the Earth with a flood. This requires no conditions to be met by humankind – it something that He will fulfill without prerequisites or stipulations being met. On the other hand, some of the promises of God are conditional – they carry an “if-then” type of structure. They require us to fulfill some stipulation in order to receive what God has promised. An example of this is His promise of eternal life, which He has promised to those who fulfill the condition of believing in His Son, Jesus Christ. IF you believe in Him – THEN you will receive eternal life.

Here in Psalm 119:165, we come upon one of the conditional promises of God. It is a dual promise of “great peace” and “not stumbling.” But notice the condition or stipulation found in this promise – it is only promised to those who satisfy the condition of loving God’s law. The Hebrew word for “law” here refers to the manner and principles which God has prescribed for humankind to follow. It encompasses the entire body of God’s instruction found in the Bible, including the Law, the Prophets, the Wisdom Books, the Gospels, and the New Testament writings.

Do you “love” God’s ways? The Hebrew word for “love” in this verse is a verb which means; to desire; to breath after; to long for; to delight in. As followers of Christ, our hearts should desire and delight in God’s word. It should be something we take delight in and pursue in our lives. Do you love God’s truth in this way? Do you love His commandments, His precepts, His statutes, His rules, His testimonies, and His instruction? If so, He promises you will have “great peace.” The word “great” means much, many, abounding in. If you love His law, He promises abounding peace in your life.

In addition to peace, He also promises that “nothing can make you stumble.” His word is sure and solid and is the only sure anchor that can keep you from drifting away. If you build your life on the ways of people, or pop theology, or the latest trend, you are sure to be led astray.  But if you build your life on a deep love for God’s law, you will be securely anchored and nothing will ever cause you to drift away. 

January 30 -- "God's Unmovable Word"

 Today’s Reading: Psalm 119:57-112

"God's Unmovable Word"

What, if anything, in this world is actually “permanent”? The building you’re in is not permanent at all. The sidewalks and the asphalt out there are not permanent at all. The great roads, bridges, buildings and skyscrapers are not permanent. In fact, this earth itself is not permanent. The sun is not permanent, someday it will probably go up into a supernova and burn out. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall never pass away."  (Matthew 24:35) The reality is this: although there is nothing truly permanent in this universe, there is nothing more permanent than the word of God. 

God and his word are lasting and unchangeable. The meaning here is that the word - the law - the promise - of God was made firm, established, stable, in heaven; and would be so forever and ever. What God has affirmed to be true would always remain true; what He has promised is sure forever.

That is why it is so wrong for us to talk about the word of God as applying to a particular culture or time in history. As some would say, "Oh, they just wrote according to the understanding of their own culture of those times – it really isn’t relevant for us today." It is so wrong for us to challenge the word of God or seek to change the word of God because God has forever settled His word in heaven. God said it; that settles it. There's no disputing of it. There's no arguing of it. There's no challenging of it. It's the word of God. It's forever settled – firmly fixed in heaven.

Truth doesn't change with the values or morals of a society. God's commandments and laws don't change because the standards of our society are so changed. The truth of God is absolute. The law of God is absolute. It is not relative to a situation. It is not relative to the morés of a society. God has established His absolute law. His word is forever settled in heaven. If you find yourself arguing with the word, you're wrong. God's word is a settled issue.

The Hebrew word for “firmly fixed” (or “settled”) in this verse means to set up; to stand; to put into place. It carries the idea of being set up in an upright and stationary position – unable to be moved. The Bible you have in front of you has been set up by God to act as a permanent display of His truth. It never changes. It never needs revision. It is firmly fixed, not only on Earth – but in Heaven for all of eternity. You can believe it with confidence and rely on it with all your heart.

January 29 -- "Praising God Alphabetically"

Today’s Reading: Psalm 119:1-56

 

"Praising God Alphabetically"

Psalm 119 is one of the most unique and amazing Psalms in the entire Bible. In addition to being the longest book of the Bible (176 verses), this Psalm is an alphabetic acrostic poem in the original language. It is also the only Psalm that focuses exclusively on the value of God’s holy word in our lives.

In the Hebrew language, there are 22 letters. Accordingly, there are 22 sections (or stanzas) in Psalm 119. Each of these 22 sections begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Verses 1-8 all start with the first Hebrew letter, aleph (א). Verses 9-16 start with the 2nd letter, beth (ב).This pattern continues down to the last 8 verses, 169-176, which all start with the last Hebrew letter, tav (ת). The resulting Psalm is a compilation of the entire Hebrew alphabet. What an amazing way to praise God through the alphabet!

By way of example, here’s a paraphrase of verses 1-4 which all start with the English letter “a”:
A blameless one is blessed, who walks according to the law of the Lord.
A person who keeps His statutes and seeks Him with all his heart is blessed.
Also, he does nothing wrong; he walks in His ways.
And You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.* 

One of the reasons this Psalm was designed as an alphabetic acrostic was to help Jewish children learn their A-B-C’s. Every Jewish boy was required to memorize Psalm 119 as part of their early childhood education. By doing so, they would not only learn the “Aleph-Beit” (Hebrew for alphabet), but they would learn 176 Bible verses rich with meaning for their lives.

The writer of this Psalm uses at least ten different words all referring to the word of God (“ways” “testimonies” “word” “truth” “statutes” “commands” “precepts” “promises” “rules” “law”). The theme of these verses is the praising God by one who delights in and lives by God’s sacred truth. It describes the greatness and glory and power of God's word. Knowing and reciting these truths was a means of planting God’s word in the hearts of His little ones. As they grew up, having these truths embedded in their hearts would help them to experience God’s promises, comfort, guidance, strength, and protection throughout their lifetime.

How about you? Have you taken time to memorize God’s sacred truth? To hide it in your heart? To make it the firm foundation of your life? If not, it is time for YOU to commit God’s word to memory. Plant it deep in your heart. It will bring comfort in your affliction and His promises will give you life.

(*Source: June 25, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Alphabet Psalms, Psalm 119)