Today I am reading Psalm 42. I hope you are reading the Psalms along with me! Today as I read this, the date is September 11. I cannot help but remember not that many years ago, when our country was attacked, and think about where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news. I was thinking about the significance of today's date as soon as I woke up this morning--then I went to my special place to have my Bible time, and I opened up my Bible to Psalm 42. Do you see what I saw in the picture of my Bible? Look at the heading for this Psalm--"Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses." That September 11 years ago was certainly a time of distresses for our entire country. Yes, I do realize the the headings in our Bible were not written by the Bible authors, but rather added in later as our Bibles were printed and organized. But I still found it interesting to think about.
We do not need to be attacked by an enemy to our country to have distress. We have an enemy who is stalking us daily, seeking whom he may devour. Sadly, we often fall to this enemy--but we have hope! I wrote verse 1 in my Bible notebook:
"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." Psalm 42:1
I also wrote verses 10 and 11:
"As with a breaking of my bones, my enemies reproach me, while they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God: For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." Psalm 42:10, 11
My study Bible had a note referencing to this chapter, and it said the following:
"There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair." Steps to Christ, by E. G. White, p. 64
As I read this study note, I felt like it sort of left me hanging--like it wasn't the end! And since I happened to own a copy of the book Steps to Christ that the study note was taken from, I went and grabbed my copy and looked up this reference on p. 64. I am glad I did, because the paragraph it is taken from continues with great encouragement! Right after the above quote, it continues like this:
". . . We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our short comings and mistakes, but wee are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God." Steps to Christ, by E. G. White, p. 64
Isn't that beautiful? We are not cast off! Even when we DO fail! Even when we ARE overcome by the enemy!
Remember this! YOU are not cast off--no matter what! There is never anything that you can do that makes God not love you any more--that makes Him not want you!
Have a beautiful day and remember that you are ALWAYS loved!
~Susan
No comments:
Post a Comment