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Verses 1-6
You are wondering: What has provoked the nations to embrace anger and chaos?
Why are the people making plans to pursue their own vacant and empty greatness?
Leaders of nations stand united;
rulers put their heads together,
plotting against the Eternal One and His Anointed King, trying to figure out
How they can throw off the gentle reign of God’s love,
step out from under the restrictions of His claims to advance their own schemes.
At first, the Power of heaven laughs at their silliness.
The Eternal mocks their ignorant selfishness.
But His laughter turns to rage, and He rebukes them.
As God displays His righteous anger, they begin to know the meaning of fear. He says,
“I am the One who appointed My king who reigns from Zion, My mount of holiness.
He is the one in charge.” (The Voice)
It is interesting to imagine God laughing and raging at stupid choices. Not much different than what I see each day in my Facebook news feed.
God’s Word
For you, the Eternal’s Word is your happiness.
It is your focus—from dusk to dawn.
You are like a tree,
planted by flowing, cool streams of water that never run dry.
Your fruit ripens in its time;
your leaves never fade or curl in the summer sun.
No matter what you do, you prosper.
Streams provide a continual source of fresh water. God’s Word is constantly replenishing, too.
More Love
The Navigator study system I’ve been following for the past five years devotes no more than 2 weeks to a word or topical study in its nine-year sequence of study, with the exception of The Second Coming of Christ, which gets top billing with three weeks scheduled.
This means a person spends the same amount of time on Love as on Judgment and Hell or Sin or Satan.
Hmm.
Think I’ll deviate from the suggested pacing and add some more time exploring the concept of Love in the Bible.
God is love, after all!
Exodus 20:1-6
And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (NIV).
Mad at God
I had a great conversation with some fantastic people at work today.
We are usually so busy that we don’t discuss deep issues, but today was different.
It is frustrating, when going through difficult times, to have people tell us that tragedy can bring about a greater good. It is difficult to have people tell us that God won’t give us more than we can bear.
We agreed that these messages tick us off when we’re facing really hard, sad, challenging, grossly unfair times.
It’s better to be ticked off at God than to pretend we know something better is just beyond the horizon.
Because sometimes this just isn’t true. Sometimes life is unfair and terrible things happen that defy explanation or justification.
God-Approved Hatred
The LORD loves those who hate evil (Psalm 97:10a, BCP).
This Is A Test!
In verse 1, Moses writes that “God tested Abraham.”
God gives tests? Scary.
Promise to Abraham
In verses 13-18, we are reminded that God promised hope to Abraham and his descendants.
Do You Love?
Because if you do, then you’re known by God (verse 3)!
