Wednesday, February 16, 2011

February 16 - Psalm 34:4-5

Psalm 34:4-5
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.


Some thoughts on Psalm 34
Those who are believers have an instinct to turn to God in times of trouble. Initially, it is God who seeks us and calls us to Himself, but typically, it’s later in the life of the Christian when we see this. As we are growing in sanctification however, we learn to seek God more and more. Matthew 6:33 says “Seek first the kingdom of God...” We must know that when we seek God, we will find Him. Verse five shows us the joy of salvation. 1 Peter 1:8...you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”

So remember that you need to discipline and train yourself to always look first to God in every situation. Seek to hear Him through His Word. Memorizing this week’s Scripture will be so helpful in that. It will help you to remember to seek Him. It will help you remember that He will deliver you from your fears. Most significantly is the fear of death and hell and punishment. This passage helps you to understand the “inexpressible joy” that we have in Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria!
Rob
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Verse for February 9

Psalm 34:1-3
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

We're memorizing three short verses together this week. This is the start of memorizing the entire Psalm. We'll be memorizing it just a few verses at a time. In just a few short weeks, you can have all of Psalm 34 memorized!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Verse for February 2

1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

This is such a great Gospel verse! As you well know, I’m kind of obsessed with the Gospel (it’s ok, this one really IS a healthy obsession) and verses that are clearly Gospel centered always jump out at me when I’m reading and studying God’s Word.
At the beginning of this verse, we see the phrase “bore your sin.” We must understand that Jesus wasn’t just giving us an example to follow, by being a martyr. He was actually suffering in our place. He was actually punished for the sins of all who would believe in Him when He died on the cross.He took our punishment and satisfied the wrath of a holy God toward sin. The idea of Christ dying in our place, on our behalf is at the heart of the Gospel.

The next phrase of note is “die to sin.” The idea here is that you were in Christ when He died on the cross, so you have died to sin. You no longer have to sin. The verse goes on to say “live to righteousness” meaning that you now have the power to live a righteous life. In fact, Christ died so that you could actually live a righteous life. Ephesians 2:10 says you were “created in Christ Jesus for good works...”


The verse concludes with “by his wounds you have been healed.” This obviously talks about the spiritual wounds you have as a result of your sinful acts. Romans 8:1 says that there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” referring to the penalty of sin. You were a slave to sin. When you are saved, you are a slave to righteousness. There is no threat of punishment for a believer.

Memorize this verse. Meditate on it and live in the reality that spiritually, you have been healed. You can live the righteous life you should live because of what Christ did for you on the cross.

Soli Deo Gloria!
Rob
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