Savoring the Scripture

       Rest in the Lord and Wait for Him We must keep on praying and waiting upon the Lord, until the sound of a mighty rain is heard…have the courage to wait with patient perseverance upon Him.      We are all familiar with the story of Joseph. It is one of my favorites. He was the favorite son of his father, but certainly not of his brothers. Their hatred of him led them to plot to kill him, which resulted not in his death, but in his slavery in the land of Egypt. The Lord was with him, however, and he found favor in Potiphar’s house and became steward in Potiphar’s house. But we know he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and he ended up in jail. While there, he again found favor with the jailer because the LOrd was with him and was placed in charge of all the other prisoners. We know at some point Pharaoh was angry with 2 of his servants and threw them in jail where Joseph was. The two servants have dreams, which Joseph interprets, and he says t...

Not Forsaken Nor Abandoned Psalm 37 He is their strength in time of trouble. While trouble overthrows the wicked, it only drives the righteous to their strong Helper, who rejoices to uphold them. Charles Spurgeon What need are you facing today? Does it seem insurmountable? Are you tired of trying to figure it out? We have a loving Father and a humble Savior who says to us, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He loves to “satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes” (Jeremiah 31:25). If you find yourself feeling weary and discouraged today, draw near to Him who says, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27) He is willing and able to carry our discouragement, our burdens, and our suffering, and invites us to cast those on Him and find our rest in Him. Rest from the heaviness. Rest from the mental battle going on inside. Rest from the worry.  Pray through the ...

Upheld By the Lord Psalm 37 Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand. How Firm a Foundation, Ye Saints of the Lord Having eight children over a span of nineteen years means that we have spent many years having a little one in our home. Each baby must learn to scoot, sit up, crawl, and eventually walk. In those early years, our children often hold our hand as we lead them where we are going. Many times, their little foot trips, and had they not been holding our hand, they would have taken a nasty fall. And we know, their tiny grip on our hand is not firm enough to keep them from falling, but rather it is our grip on their hand that keeps them secure. And so it is with our Lord.  In Psalm 37, David tells us twice that it is the Lord who upholds the righteous. Though we may stumble, we will not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds our ...

Be Still Before the Lord Psalm 37 The man, therefore, who, leaving the issue of all his affairs to the will of God, and who, patiently waiting to receive from his hand whatever he may be pleased to send, whether prosperity or adversity, casts all his cares, and every other burden which he bears, into his bosom. John Calvin How would you describe stillness? An absence of movement? An absence of turmoil or noise? A place devoid of anxiousness and fretting? A feeling of peace and rest? Quietness? David tells us in Psalm 37:7, “Be still before the Lord.” This stillness is silence in the face of evildoers and the lack of emotional distress and turmoil we can feel inwardly when going through distressing circumstances.  Stillness is the ability to have an inner quietness and rest even when outward situations are pressing upon us.  A stillness in our spirit depends on our proximity to our Savior and resting securely in His sovereign care.  When I am feeling unrest, turmoil, anxio...