Rachel
Workman: 1 I trust in the Lord for protection.
So why do you say to me,
“Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
2 The wicked are stringing their bows
and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
at those whose hearts are right.
3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”
4 But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
examining every person on earth.
5 The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
He hates those who love violence.
6 He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
punishing them with scorching winds.
7 For the righteous Lord loves justice.
The virtuous will see his face.
So why do you say to me,
“Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
2 The wicked are stringing their bows
and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
at those whose hearts are right.
3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”
4 But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
examining every person on earth.
5 The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
He hates those who love violence.
6 He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
punishing them with scorching winds.
7 For the righteous Lord loves justice.
The virtuous will see his face.
What a reading today. A lot stands out to me
here. I love how David states he trusts the Lord for his protection so why
would he need to run and hide? Verse two is very intuitive. From the shadows
they shoot at those whose hearts are right. Think about that. The wicked crouch
and hide looking for a way to inflict evil upon those who are Christ's. Seems a little
cowardly doesn't it? But that's what we are up against. But the Lords sees all
things and he is still on his throne. And we are covered by his protection.
That's not to say bad things don't happen to good people because they do. As Christians we are not promised a bed of roses. Instead we're promised trials and tribulations.
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John
Burnett: 11 In
the Lord I take refuge;
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain;
2 For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,
They [a]make ready their arrow upon the string
To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain;
2 For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,
They [a]make ready their arrow upon the string
To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”
4 The Lord
is in His holy temple; the [b]Lord’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6 Upon the wicked He will rain [c]snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. Prophecy is awesome. The birth pains are taking place now so this verse should remind us of our blessed hope.
7 For the Lord is righteous, He loves [d]righteousness;
The upright will behold His face. Thankfully He loves righteousness so much He sent His Son so that He could give it away to those who repent and believe.
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6 Upon the wicked He will rain [c]snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. Prophecy is awesome. The birth pains are taking place now so this verse should remind us of our blessed hope.
7 For the Lord is righteous, He loves [d]righteousness;
The upright will behold His face. Thankfully He loves righteousness so much He sent His Son so that He could give it away to those who repent and believe.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Krista Cook: V.7 says "the righteous Lord
loves justice" - and those today who aren't living the righteous life will
also see His justice.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Allen Michaels: 1 I trust in the Lord
for protection.
So why do you say to me,
“Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
2 The wicked are stringing their bows
and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
at those whose hearts are right.
3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”
So why do you say to me,
“Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
2 The wicked are stringing their bows
and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
at those whose hearts are right.
3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”
This sounds a whole lot like the
world we live in today.
Security from temptation can only be
found in God; running elsewhere for help – to merely human sources and programs
– will never do any long-term good. If we turn only to human resources for
help, the people and situations that endanger us will cause us to fall when we
are most vulnerable. They will destroy us when the human resources we depend on
are unavailable. God is always with us. If we put our trust in Him, we will
never be without the means to overcome temptation.
4 But the Lord
is in his holy Temple;
the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
examining every person on earth.
the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
examining every person on earth.
David’s faith contrasted
dramatically with the fear of the advisers who tell him to flee. Faith in God
keeps us from losing hope and helps us resist fear. David’s advisers were
afraid because they saw only frightening circumstances and crumbling
foundations. David was comforted and optimistic because he knew God was greater
than anything his enemies could bring against him.
5 The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
He hates those who love violence.
God does not preserve believers
from difficult circumstances, but He tests both the righteous and the wicked.
For some, God’s tests become a refining fire, while for others; they become an
incinerator for destruction. Don’t ignore or defy the tests and challenges that
come your way. Use them as opportunities for you to grow.
This verse really got me to
thinking as I enjoy watching ISIS soldiers being turned into bits-n-pieces by
US airpower. I guess this whole “love violence” thing works both ways. So how
do we pray in this type of situation? Do we pray they all get Ebola and die? Do
we pray that they come to know Christ? We know that won’t happen as they are
convinced that Islam is the only true religion. Do we pray that that good
overcomes evil? We know in the end that this will be the case. Or do we just
pray for peace? This is where I’m confused as it is going to take death and
violence in order to achieve peace.
On this subject of violence, what
does God want us to do when ISIS finally starts their crap in the US. Will we
be condemned for defending ourselves or others, especially if it involves
killing these fanatics? Ecclesiastes 3:3 tells us “a time to
kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,” So is this
“time to kill” ever applicable when “He hates those who love violence”? Or does
it come down to “love” referring to killing for no apparent reason? I have
conflicting thoughts between Psalm 10:5 and Ecclesiastes 3:3
6 He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
punishing them with scorching winds.
7 For the righteous Lord loves justice.
The virtuous will see his face.
Verse 7 pretty much sums up why we
need to follow Christ with all our heart, mind body, and soul. On Judgment Day
we are going to only 1 of 2 possible places; Heaven or Hell. This is why we
need to focus on God and nothing else. Everything else is just false idols.
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