“Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the sun. 8. But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.”
I think that these two verses are references to good days and bad days. “Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the sun” is a reference to good days. “Yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many” is a reference to bad days.” Of course I am not referring to twenty-four hour periods here, but periods of life when things are going great and periods of life when things are not so sweet and not going our way. I think that all of us can identify with this fact of life. We will have good days and bad days. Let’s begin with the good days. We go through periods of life when things seem to be in our control and life is good. I think of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Before they ate the forbidden fruit, everything was going their way. Indeed, their lives were trouble free. As you know, those days did not last. We can look at the life of David. After he killed Goliath, things went well for David and he was in great favor of the king. But the day came when King Saul’s jealousy of David put his life in daily danger. We can also look at the followers of Jesus Christ in the New Testament when they were accompanying Jesus on his journeys across Palestine and observing His miracles and coming to the realization that He was the Messiah. Those were heady days for them. They even began to argue over which of them would be the greatest when the Messiah overcame the Roman Empire. But then Jesus began to tell them about his coming crucifixion, and things got a little darker. We can identify with these people, because we know that life is so sweet then the “sun is shining” and the days are full of sweetness and light. Solomon wrote that we should enjoy those days, and enjoy all of the benefits of those days. Rejoice when things are going well for you. In his stark, realistic way, Solomon reminded his readers that the days of light will not last forever. This doesn’t mean that when things are going good, we should worry over the fact that this will end. Let’s let Solomon speak for himself: “yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many.” I think what Solomon means is that we need to accept the “days of darkness” and learn from them. This was written by a man who had about everything that he wanted, but he knew the meaning of “days of darkness.” He also knew that they were many. We just have to accept that we will have good times in our lives and bad times in our lives. It’s just the nature of life on earth, beginning with Adam and Eve and coming down to us. That brings me to the point of these good and bad times. I think that you will join me in admitting that we have learned more from the bad times than from the good times. That’s why Solomon wrote “remember the days of darkness.” When things are going good, we just go with the flow and enjoy them without learning a whole lot from them, or even feeling that we have anything to learn from them. But when things are going bad we have a tendency to wonder what in the world is going on, and what we are to learn from this darkness, or what is God trying to tell us in it? I might just be speaking for myself here, but I don’t think that I am. If you are going through hard times now, don’t blame it on God, just thank Him that He is going through it with you. Also remember that “this too shall pass,” and life will go on. Just remember the great gospel song that tells us “The God on the mountain is still God in the valley.” He’s right there with you. Rejoice Bro. Joe
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34:18: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” 73:26: “My flesh and my heart fail: but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous” is true. Think about Joseph, Moses, David, Paul, Peter, etc. All of these great men of God had all kinds of troubles. Joseph had to deal with his pesky brothers – a vast understatement. Moses had to deal with his fellow Israelites through forty years of traveling through the desert, then because of their stubbornness, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. David had to deal with King Saul and various other people during his life, not to mention his own weaknesses. Paul’s problems and troubles are well-documented in Acts and in most of his epistles. Peter had more than his share of problems as he took a place of leadership in the fledgling Church. So if you are a Christian and you are having problems, take heart, you are in good company. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous” is not the end of the story. Read on: The verse continues with good news: “But the Lord delivers him out of them all…” Sometimes that deliverance comes immediately, and sometimes it takes longer, in some cases many years, but deliverance comes. When I think of this, my mind turns to Psalm 13, which begins with a lot of woe and self-pity, but ends on a victorious note. It begins: “How long will you forget me O Lord? forever?” He goes on to bemoaning that he has “sorrow in his heart daily.” He bemoans that it seems that his enemies are exalted over him. But he begins to pray and to draw closer to the Lord and his moaning turns to rejoicing: “But I have trusted in your mercy, my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” I want to suggest that you read this psalm, memorize it, and adopt the last two verses for your own life. Christians will have good days and bad days, like all other human beings, but Christians have a resource in the Lord, who can deliver them from, or through, the bad days. Needless to say, I have to remind myself of this quite often when I seem to be sinking into a deep funk for one reason or the other. It is true that the Lord will deliver us from all of the afflictions of life. One day He will deliver us from it all and take us to heaven. Psalm 73:26 is another reminder of our theme: “My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.” Asaph, who wrote this psalm, wrote that “my flesh and my heart fail.” “Flesh” has a tendency to do that doesn’t it? As long as we are in the flesh, we will encounter troubles of some kind, whether illness, bad relationships, or just bad days. Thank God that “flesh” is not the end of the story. If all we had was “flesh,” life would be woeful indeed. Paul stated this in 1 Corinthians 15:19: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” But the great truth that “God is the strength of my heart” breaks through and gives our “failing hearts” a boost. Asaph realized that his own strength could not sustain him through the difficult times in life, but that he had a resource in the Lord to deliver him through them. Further, he declared that the Lord was his “portion forever.” Through Christ and the Holy Spirit, the Lord is always a part of our lives. He is our “portion forever.” Psalm 73:23-24 gives us further insight: “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.” (NIV) If this was true of Asaph in his day, it is equally true of us in Christ. What you have to do now is to adopt these verses as your own, realizing that you have an eternal resource to get you through the difficult times. Bro. Joe “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8. with him only is the arm of the flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.”
Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz, who was a wicked king of Judah. My understanding of it is that Hezekiah saw the futility of his father’s leadership away from God and wanted to do better. At the time Hezekiah became King of Judah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had defeated the northern kingdom of Israel and was threatening Judah. Hezekiah turned to the Lord and put his faith in Him, knowing that God could deliver His people. In our text, Hezekiah told the people “do not be afraid or discouraged.” That is a good message for us in the trying times in which we live. Why did Hezekiah tell Judah not to be afraid or discouraged? Hezekiah had put his faith in the Lord, and had listened to the godly counsel of the prophet Isaiah; therefore he was assured that Judah would be safe. He realized that the Lord was greater than the king of Assyria. Here is what he told his people: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and his vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.” That is s statement of faith that is as relevant today as it was when Hezekiah made it. For example, here is what John told the recipients of his letter in 1 John 4:4: “You, dear children are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” The “one who is in the world” is Satan the enemy of God and His people. We should not be afraid or discouraged because our Lord Jesus Christ is greater than any enemy that would defeat us. This is not always an easy lesson to learn. I find myself getting discouraged and afraid sometimes. That’s why I read the Bible every day. We need constant reminders of the greatness of our Lord. What Hezekiah said and what John wrote is still true: “There is a greater power with us than with (the world)," and He that is in us is “greater than he who is in the world." Furthermore, Hezekiah could make this claim because he knew this about Sennacherib: “With him is only the arm of the flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” Do you think that the passage of time has made this any less true for us than it did for Judah? God forbid that we believe that the God who delivered Judah at this time is not able to deliver us in our times of trouble. If we will believe we can overcome everything that would hinder us. This does not mean that we will not meet with problems along the way. What it does mean is that we will still have the help of the Lord to get us through to the other side of our problems. I hope that your response to Hezekiah’s confident message will be like Judah’s: “And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.” Judah believed what the king said because it came from God. We can believe what Hezekiah said and what John wrote about God being greater than Satan and “the arm of the flesh.” This remains forever true. We think that because life is not all smooth sailing that God is not fighting our battle. We need to remember that we live in a fallen world, as Hezekiah and Judah did, but we have strength that is far above that of Satan and the world. Settle in your mind and heart today that you will heed and believe the message that we do not have to be discouraged or afraid. Bro. Joe “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.”
Occasionally a verse will just jump out at me and arrest my attention. That is what Psalm 119:114 did this morning. I have been praying through Psalm 119. (If you have never prayed through passages in the Bible, I challenge you to do it.) I have found a lot of food for my soul in the process, and this verse is a good example of what I mean. I know the danger of taking a verse out of context, but some verses are so profound and meaningful that they stand alone within the context of the text. (I hope that didn’t confuse you. ) I want to share with you what it taught me today. The psalmist wrote: “Thou art my hiding place.” If we are not careful, we will misinterpret this statement. It doesn’t mean that we are to hide from the world and all of its challenges. It means that as we face the joys, fears, trials, troubles, etc. of this life, we have one to whom we can flee and take refuge in. There is another Psalm that speaks to this: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God in Him will I trust…” (Psalm 91:1-2) The sentiment is the same: We have One to whom we can flee in times of trouble and stress and take refuge in His great presence. Some people have a problem with this because they say that they can’t take refuge in someone that they cannot see. Don’t get caught in that trap. When you seek refuge in God/Jesus, by faith, you will know that He is real, and that He will provide a “hiding place.” All of the great saints in the Old and New Testaments knew the value of this refuge. David knew the value of it when he was fleeing from both Saul and Absalom. Those were not good times in David’s life, but he weathered them because He found his refuge in God. One psalm that David wrote while fleeing from Saul stated this: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.” This can be our prayer as well. Another psalmist wrote: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm46:1) These are comforting words for us in these days. Furthermore, the psalmist wrote:“Thou art my hiding place and my shield.” Ephesians 6:16 sheds some light on this statement for us: “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” God Himself is our shield, but it is our faith in Him that makes His protection real to us. Ancient soldiers used shields to protect them from the swords and arrows of their enemies. By faith, we throw up God’s shield when we are beset by Satan and his many temptations. Satan wants to destroy our lives, but we have the protection of God who “will not suffer (us) to be tempted above that (we) are able.” (I Corinthians 10:13) The fact that we have a shield tells us that we are in the midst of battle. Make no mistake about it, we are in a battle. In the midst of battle, we cannot take God lightly and not depend on His power and strength in our lives. We need to learn from Jesus as He faced Satan on the Mount of Temptation: He quoted scripture to Satan with each temptation. (You can read about it in Matthew 4.) With God Himself coming to our aid, with our faith in Him shielding us, we have the weapon of the word of God, which is our sword, to defend us in all of the times of our lives. That’s why the psalmist closed this verse with: “I hope in thy word." Bro. Joe “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
“Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope.”
The Greek word that is normally translated as hope, and is true of our text, is “elpis” and it means to have a great expectation of something that is certain. We usually use the word “hope” to mean something like, “Gosh, I hope so and so happens, but it might not.” The basis of our hope should be certain – not maybe. In the beginning of his letter to Timothy, Paul wrote of “Christ Jesus” as our “hope.” Jesus is the real eternal basis for our hope. I love the opening words of the old hymn, The Solid Rock: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” I’m not sure what a “sweetest frame” is, but I think it is something, or someone, in this world that we might lean on instead of Jesus. I’m not saying that there is nothing in this world to lean on. What I am saying is that the basis of our hope, and the One to whom we should entrust all of life and all of eternity to is Jesus Christ. This is what Paul meant in 1 Timothy 1:1 and what I mean when I ask you what is the basis of your hope? If your hope is built on anything less than Jesus, you are leaning on a weak hope. There is no other basis of hope that has lived from “everlasting to everlasting,” gave up a home in heaven, died on the cross to save you from sin, arose the third day, ascended to the “right hand of the Father,” is making intercession for you and has promised to return to take you home to heaven. (Wow, that was a long sentence.) Some people put their hope in politics. Be sure that I have my political opinions and I could bore you to death for hours discussing them, but my hope is not in politics. I have lived long enough (from FDR to DT) to know that politics is too tenuous to be a basis of hope. Who is in control in Washington is too tenuous to be a basis for hope. I have seen the political spectrum switch from “pillar to post” in my years on this earth. We Americans are really fickle when it comes to who is to be in control in Washington. We will try one party for eight years and then try another - ad infinitum. You can be deliriously happy that your candidate won, but the years will go by and the delirium will turn to dismay, then the other party will be in control. I just can’t put my hope in politics. I read a lot about politics and there are people on all ends of the spectrum who really and truly put their hope there, but I don’t want to be one of them. I do not want my hope to be on something that the fickleness of human beings can destroy. We will just live our lives, and be happy or grin and bear it, until the next election. Politics cannot take the place of Jesus. Some people put their hope in their bank accounts. That’s why some rich people committed suicide at the beginning of “the Great Depression” in 1929. They just could not take not being rich. Hey, I want my fair share, so to speak, but I can’t put my hope in it. There are any number of things that can serve as the basis of your hope, but if the basis of your hope is not Jesus, you are leaning on something, or someone, that is a poor basis for hope. If Jesus is not your hope, put your faith in Him now, and trust Him here and for all eternity. Do it! Bro. Joe “Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.”
There are three important words in this verse that can make a difference in the quality of our lives. The first word is “heart.” The Greek word Kardia is used here for heart. Literally, it refers to the muscle that keeps us alive. But it is also used to refer to the heart as the center of emotional, intellectual, spiritual and moral activity. Proverbs 4:23 warns us about being careful what we let into our hearts: “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” This can also be translated as “guard your heart.” What we let into our hearts decides the quality of our lives – or the lack thereof. We need to be careful what we see, what we think, and what we do, for if we are not careful our hearts will be led astray. We also need to be careful that we do not become “faint of heart” and spend our lives worrying and fretting. It is to this that Jesus refers in our text.. The second word is “troubled.” Jesus says “let not your hearts be troubled…” Jesus is warning His disciple’s, and us, to not let our hearts be troubled, disturbed, or afraid. Our lives can be literally ruined by letting the troubles of life make us faint of heart. Jesus knew what His disciples were about to encounter in serving Him. It is also a warning to us that we are going to face things in life that will cause us to fret and worry if we are not careful. Also, if we are not careful we will live in fear. Jesus warns us here not to be ruled by our troubles, and let them ruin our lives. Your life should not be defined by your troubles. The third word is “believe.” Jesus said: “Let not your hearts be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.” Jesus gives the key to keeping our hearts from being troubled in the word “believe.” The word means more than to just believe that there is a God, and that Christ is really alive. It means to entrust our hearts to God, to Christ, and let Him control what we let into our hearts and let Him keep us from being controlled by our troubles. We will encounter troubles in this life, but we will never face them alone if we truly entrust our lives to Jesus. I do not know what troubles you are facing today, but I do know that they do not have to rule your heart. We will never live trouble-free lives, but we can live beyond them by entrusting our lives to Christ and to really believe that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Do you really believe this promise? Then, “let not your heart be troubled….” Really believe in Christ and not just about Him. Bro. Joe “And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought Him that He would come to his house.”
I revisited a text that I recently wrote about which is recorded in all three of the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is the visit that Jesus made to the home of Jairus because his daughter was gravely ill and was about to die. Jesus went with Jairus and raised his daughter from death. I want to share with you what I saw in the text printed above. Jairus sought Jesus. Evidently, Jairus had heard about Jesus, and saw Him as The One who could heal his daughter. This is why it is so important for us to share our testimonies about what Jesus has done in our lives. If we have experienced the saving power of Jesus, or His healing power, we need to share it, because there are many who need to hear it. We also need to remember to seek Jesus in every aspect of our lives. He is available to us at all times. Learn this lesson from Jairus and reach out to Jesus today and invite Him into your need. He will help you in whatever need you have. He will rescue you from the need, or lead you through or around it. Jairus worshiped Jesus. When Jairus encountered Jesus, “he fell down at His feet.” This is a real act of worship. It impresses me that when Jairus encountered Jesus, he did not say “you must come to my house today because I am a ruler of the synagogue.” He recognized in Jesus what many rulers of synagogues did not recognize. Everything that Jesus does in our lives is out of grace - the unmerited favor of God. Just as Jesus did not owe Jairus anything, He does not owe us anything. This important man approached Jesus as one with an abject need. Jesus is worthy of worship. In the Bible when people tried to worship angels, or apostles, they were told not to do worship them. But Jesus accepted the worship of Jairus, just as He will accept our worship. “Fall at Jesus’ feet” today and seek His help in your life. Jairus invited Jesus to “come into his house.” Jairus’ need overcame his self-importance. He discovered that Jesus was open to his invitation. We will find that Jesus is always open to our invitation. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus gave an invitation to church at Laodicea: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man (person), hear my voice and open the door; I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me.” The invitation still stands. Whatever your need today, seek Jesus, worship Him and invite Him into your life and into your need. Bro. Joe “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
“Very present help” has also been translated as “an ever present help.” Both of these translations get to the heart of this wonderful promise of the Lord’s help in our inevitable troubles. The Lord is “very present” and He is “ever present” in the lives of His people. What a wonderful promise and what a wonderful reality. Jesus illustrated this promise in John 14:16-17: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever. 17. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, neither knoweth Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you and shall be in you.” Jesus was assuring His disciples that when He ascended to the Father, they would not be alone, because the Holy Spirit would be, “very present" in their lives. He is present in our lives at all times, but His presence is especially needed, and felt, in times of trouble. You can be assured that you are never alone. His eyes, which are also “on the sparrow” are truly watching over you. (Luke 12:6-7) Jesus promised His presence in Matthew 28:20b: “Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” As the ages roll, we have the promise of His presence, and of His care. This promise is made in the conclusion of what we call “The Great Commission.” “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the ages.” The Lord saved us to be His witnesses to the world. There is no promise that there will not be trouble in fulfilling this command, but there is a promise that we will not be alone. For He is “a very present help in trouble!!!" Put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. You have His promise that He will be with you in all that you face in life. Believe me, in the last few years I have come to really know the truth of this promise. For example, I have come to know the truth of this promise made to Israel in Deuteronomy 33: 27: “The eternal God is thy refuge; and underneath are the everlasting arms and He shall thrust out the enemy from before you; and shall say destroy them” I have read that this is only a promise to the Jews. You can believe that if you want, but I have experienced those “everlasting arms” under me. You can know that too. as you join David in his declaration in Psalm 16:8-9 “I have set the Lord before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” Believe it! Bro. Joe ‘Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 6. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer every man.”
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