September 29, 2014

Psalm 17:8-15



Rachel Workman: 8 Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
    Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
9 Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
    from murderous enemies who surround me.
10 They are without pity.
    Listen to their boasting!
11 They track me down and surround me,
    watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart—
    like young lions hiding in ambush.
I love verse 8 and 9. Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. My first thought although a little off track was Lord our eyes need guarded better. We live in a time that we see things we shouldn't be seeing. Pornography is just a click away. Violence is on every TV screen. Homosexuality is being pushed off on every person able to view a screen. It's on TV, it's in the media, it's on every computer screen. Old flames await with just a click of the button. Lord we need our eyes guarded. Please guard my families eyes. Hide us all in the shadows of your wings guarded away from the temptations of this world.

13 Arise, O Lord!
    Stand against them, and bring them to their knees!
    Rescue me from the wicked with your sword!
14 By the power of your hand, O Lord,
    destroy those who look to this world for their reward.
But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.
    May their children have plenty,
    leaving an inheritance for their descendants.
15 Because I am righteous, I will see you.
    When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.
These are great verses. Verse 14 goes back to my original thought. By the power of God's hand those who look for the world for their rewards will be destroyed. That's a very humbling thought. And a little scary, every person living in this world wants a small part of it. It would be a lie to deny it. But David hit it on the nail. When I awake I will see you face to face and I will be satisfied. See it's not this life that satisfies us. We won't be satisfied until we are face to face with God.

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John Burnett:  Keep me as [a]the apple of the eye;
Hide me in the shadow of Your wings
From the wicked who despoil me,
My deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They have closed their [b]unfeeling heart,
With their mouth they speak proudly.
11 They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
12 He is like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion lurking in hiding places.
13 Arise, O Lord, confront him, bring him low;
Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword,
14 From men with Your hand, O Lord,
From men [c]of the world, whose portion is in this life,  Your Best Life Now.  The prosperity preachers think you can have all these things and Heaven too because they are little gods.  So Sad.
And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; 
They are satisfied with children,
And leave their abundance to their babes.
15 As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; 
I will be satisfied [d]with Your likeness when I awake.  I will behold your face because of the righteousness that has been imputed to me.  Thank you Lord for giving us a way to know you through your Son Jesus Christ.

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Allen Michaels:  Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
    Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
God’s protection has far greater purposes than helping us avoid pain; it is to make us better servants for Him. God also protects us by guiding us through painful circumstances, not only by helping us escape them.

Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
    from murderous enemies who surround me.
10 They are without pity.
    Listen to their boasting!
11 They track me down and surround me,
    watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart—
    like young lions hiding in ambush.

13 Arise, O Lord!
    Stand against them, and bring them to their knees!
    Rescue me from the wicked with your sword!
14 By the power of your hand, O Lord,
    destroy those who look to this world for their reward.
   But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.
    May their children have plenty,
    leaving an inheritance for their descendants.
15 Because I am righteous, I will see you.
    When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.
We deceive ourselves when we measure our happiness or contentment in life by the amount of wealth we possess. When we put riches at the top of our value system, we let power, pleasure, and financial security overshadow the eternal value of our relationship with God.

David prays to God to keep him in safety. This prayer is a prediction that Christ would be preserved, through all the hardships and difficulties of his humiliation, to the glories and joys of his exalted state, and is a pattern to Christians to commit the keeping of their souls to God, trusting him to preserve them to his heavenly kingdom. Those are our worst enemies that are enemies to our souls.

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