Nothing New

Solomon was so right when he said, “There is nothing new under the sun. What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

The Psalms were written centuries before Christ, and we are living centuries after, but the description of the wicked sounds like today’s news.

How about a few examples? Psalm 10 says the wicked consider God a non-essential. They don’t believe He sees, cares, or will call them into accountability (V. 4, 11, 13).

They scheme and catch the needy, ambush the innocent, watch for the helpless, and beat down the lowly even further (V. 2, 8, 9).

That explains their actions, but what about their words? Nothing new there either, just the old mouthfuls of cursing, deceit, violence, and malice (V. 7).

As New Testament believers, we are told to pray about everything. By doing that, we can find peace (Philippians 4:6).

But how do we pray? Do we say simple rote prayers and move on through our day? Or do we take time to read God’s word to learn His desires, then pour out our hearts to Him in all honesty?

Don’t get bogged down in Psalm 10. Move on to Psalm 11 where we find hope! God is righteous and loves justice (V. 7), We can take refuge in the LORD and trust that He is watching from His heavenly throne (V. 1, 4).

There may be nothing new under the sun, but the good news is that includes hope in God. His faithfulness endures to all generations, just like He established the earth and it endures (Psalm 119:90). Praise be to God!

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Life on Two Levels

On one level, from birth your heart pumps blood throughout your body. It does this without any input from you; however, that doesn’t mean you can’t take care of it. Smart pro-active people try to eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep.  

I agree with David who wrote I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). How could such wonderful life-giving systems as the heart and lungs, digestive organs, bones, joints, and muscles just have evolved?

I believe we were designed and created by God, along with the rest of the marvelous things in our Universe (Genesis One).

There’s another level of life called soul. This is often described as our mind, will, and emotions. Who can deny experiencing emotions of various kinds? Or the fact that we can think things through, and make decisions if we want to.

Smart pro-active people on this level live life as victors, not victims.

Jesus recognized two levels of life. He said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul… (Matthew 10:28).

When one of the thieves crucified with Jesus chose to believe in Him, Jesus said, “Today you will be with Me in paradise (Luke 23:39-43). He was speaking of the man’s spirit, since when their bodies died, they still had to be buried.

Caring for your soul is personal. No other human can know your inner thoughts and struggles. But scriptures remind us that God looks on the heart. (Consider 1 Samuel 16:7, 10-13, and Acts 1:12-26).

Here’s a scripture to pray if you would like to be right with God and are not sure what to say:

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence; take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.

Psalm 51:10-12

Read the Bible for yourself each day. If you can’t read, listen to it on a Bible app. Also pray, which is just talking to God.

For care on the spiritual level, consider this: Order my steps by Your word; let no sin rule over me (Psalm 119:133).

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Why Knowledge is Not Enough

There was a day in my world when a high school diploma carried a lot of weight. These days, at the minimum, it’s more likely to be a Bachelor’s Degree (BA). Some people have earned several degrees, and that’s worthy of respect.

As the world turns, however, every culture and generation has classes of well-educated people. In Jesus’ time, it might have been the Pharisees and Herodians. I mention it because of Mark 12:13-17.

These two groups were asked to go together to test Jesus. Instead of saying, “We have a question for you,” they went on and on about what they knew about Him.

They said: 1) We know that You are honest, 2) You seek favor from no one, 3) You are impartial, and 4) You teach the way of God truthfully. Then, after their wordy introduction, they asked their pre-planned question: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? (Mark 12:14)

As citizens under Roman rule, they knew not paying taxes was never an option! But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and knew they were testing Him. He asked for a denarius, then, holding the coin, He asked, “Whose image is this?” (Mark 12:15-16) “Caesar’s,” they said.

Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” That was an unexpected answer, and they marveled at Him (Mark 12:17).

Knowledge about Jesus is not enough. Why not?

    l. It must be mixed with faith in Him (Hebrews 4:2, 12:2) 

    2. Faith in Jesus gives us salvation and eternal life (John 3:16-18; Romans 10:13,)

    3. After that, knowledge becomes important to our spiritual growth (2 Peter 1:3-10) 

Faith, Salvation, and Spiritual Growth . . . where do you stand on this spiritual spectrum?

Just remember, your answer has eternal consequences (Hebrews 9:27-28).  

 Pixabay: Diploma, Academy; MarCuesBo.

 

Down But Not Out

Is there anyone who can say, “I’ve never felt hopeless, depressed, or extremely down? That’s when it’s important to be honest with God.

As a shepherd, David enjoyed the great outdoors. But once King Saul knew David was anointed to be king, he and his army pursued David with the intent to kill.

While fleeing for his life, David often ended up hiding in caves. In Psalm 143, he said dwelling in darkness made him feel God was hiding from him (v. 3). Yet by faith, he declared his trust in God and prayed for God to deliver him from his enemies (v. 8-9).

I remember a time of despair in college. I had always felt the presence of God in my daily Bible reading, but now the joy was gone. The words no longer came alive to me, but I kept on reading.

I would point to the scriptures and say, “Lord, I believe this though I don’t feel a thing.”

I can’t tell you when it happened, but I know at some point my despair was gone. I not only had the joy of the Lord but the issue causing my despair was resolved.

James said we show our faith by our actions (James 2:18). David did this by lifting his hands and asking God to hear and answer his prayers (v. 1, 6, 7). I did it by pointing to the scriptures and declaring, “I believe it, though I don’t feel it.”

Whether you want to call our acts perseverance or endurance, the point is both David and I fit the down but not out category.

Have do you act when spiritually or emotionally down? Do you tell yourself to hope in God?

Once again, David sets a fine example with some honest self-talk.

In Psalm 42:5 he says, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence.”

The next time you’re “down,” tell yourself “I’m not out!” Then follow up with a personal declaration of faith in God.  

Pixabay: Stone, Red Sandstone; makamuki0.