SALT AND LIGHT

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Psalms 42 Thirsting after the streams of LIVING WATERS

Psalms 42:1-2 ( ESV )

¹ As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?^£

When I have been asked what my favorite verses in the Bible are these are the two verses that I will always say are my life verses. As was brought out in an earlier blog the pursuit of God should be our greatest obsession in life. It should even be more important than the question of, “What would you have me to do Lord?” Paul got it right on the Damascus road when his first question to the Lord was, “Who are you Lord?”

David paints a beautiful picture of this truth in verse one. There is nothing more awesome than to be by a stream of water and to see how God provides even for a sparrow. David brushes on the canvas a picture of a deer that is intent to satisfy its thirst by the water that is flowing before it. Don’t miss the picture here as the deer is drinking from flowing streams. The water was not stagnant but rather flowing. Jesus would tell the woman from Samaria that, “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:15 Jesus is the water of eternal life and he offers it freely towards us.

Water is the most basic need for any living thing on this earth. The deer has to have the water in order to live, survive and flourish. He wants us to consume Him, to be filled with Him. Only He can satisfy our greatest need and only He can offer us life. So we need to pant after Him.

We do not serve some dead teacher but rather the Living God. He is not dead. He is not silent. He does see. He does feel our sorrows and He is touched by our prayers, thoughts and grief. The words spoken by the angels over 2,000 years ago are still true, “He is not here, He is risen.”

As David drinks in His relationship with Jesus, he cannot wait until the day that he will appear before God.

Psalms 42:3-5 ( ESV )

³ My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”

⁴ These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation^£

David shifts to his current reality and life here on earth and realizes that there are those who will mock God. The prophets spoke that this would always be true. There will always be those who according to Psalms 14 play the part of the fool. They will cry out, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” II Peter 3:4

Yet, this God who is not able to be seen by us will one day be seen. He can also be seen as David makes note in verse 4 by the praises of His people and the joy that they have in serving Him. He remembers how the Living God still walks among His people.

David struggles with the situations that he is involved in like any of us who are followers of the Lamb. In the end though in this passage David will also say, “Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you in turmoil with me?” He brings this up here in verse 5,10 and also in verse 6. In the midst of the storm and feeling as though he is cast down, David shouts out words of hope for the weary, “HOPE in God; for I shall again praise Him, MY SALVATION, and MY GOD.” In the midst of the struggle brothers and sisters there is Hope. How and why can I say this with confidence in my heart? One: He will, one day deliver us from what we are going through. Two: He is not just somebody else’s God but MY GOD.

Psalms 42:6-10 ( ESV )

⁶and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

⁷ Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.

⁸ By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

¹⁰ As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”

There are other waters in our life as well. All of a sudden we feel as though we might be drowning. We just want to come up for air. The waters from the North Country come swirling about our heads. Waterfalls pour over our souls and we are covered by the waves that brake over us through the dark. Like the disciples of old, we cry out, “Wake up master the storm is all around us,” only to see that He is the one who is the master over the winds, and the waves.

Look closely at verse 7 these are His waterfalls and His waves. The Lord is allowing things in our lives to grow us, mature us and make us more dependent upon Him. This I promise to you and believe, He will never allow anything in our lives that through Him we can’t handle. He is there for us like Peter and we can take His hand through it all.

David’s struggles were real as we see in the following verses. How many of us have felt like David did at times? Not only do we get covered by the waves and the storms of life but sometimes we feel as though our Father has forsaken us. We go into a state of mourning over losses in our life or how our enemies may treat us. We may even receive verbal persecution for our faith. When those times come and they will, we must ask ourselves the following questions in verse 11 and live out the last part of the verse.

Psalms 42:11 ( ESV )

¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

No matter what may happen, no matter what turmoil or pain that takes place within our soul. HOPE IN GOD. Realize that we can PRAISE HIM, For He alone is our SALVATION and no matter how hard the waves may break over us HE IS OUR GOD.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

What are your favorite Christian Hymns or Songs?

Last night as we got ready for our study at Calvary on the issue of trials one of my favorite modern Hymns was sung. I have to tell you I stood there singing the lines of that song and was moved emotionally at the greatness of my savior. There are just certain Hymns and Christian songs that have come to mean more to me as I grow older and I could listen to a thousand times over.

The biggest reason why I love so many of these songs is not just the melody but the lyrics. Here are some of my very favorites that I love. Please feel free to comment and tell me what some of your favorite ones are. I have no particular order except for the first one which is still my favorite of all time.

1. It is well with my soul. I remember at one point early in my Christian walk being devastated by some terrible news. I wanted to be by myself and so I took a walk to my favorite rock at Citadel. I wept and cried out to the Lord over the situation and begged Him to show Himself strong. I needed to get back to the chapel and as I walked in, “It is well with my soul,” was being sung. Each and every line is a testimony to the comfort that the Lord gives. I love how though faced by trials, Bliss would end it with our greatest of all hopes. “And Lord haste the day when the faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend even so it is well with my soul.”

2. Jesus Messiah. Chris Tomlin has written many great songs but for me this simple song is still my very favorite by Him. This was the song that we sang at Calvary last night and it made me think of His sacrifice and His greatness .When I think about the verses from this song my mind turns to Philippians 2:5-11.

3. Do you feel their pain? Not many know this song. It was written by Steve Camp and no song challenges me more to share the Gospel with a lost and dying world. It takes me out of my comfort zone and demands that I see the needs of those without a Savior. The most unloved are precious in His sight.

4. Jesus loves me. Many of us think about it being just a children’s song but if you will listen to the words closely it was meant for us all.

5. Hold me Jesus. Rich Mullins will always be one of my favorite composers and His Liturgy, Legacy and a Ragamuffin Band is my favorite Christian album of all time. How many of us have not felt these lines at least one time in our lives? “So hold me Jesus, I’m shaking like a leaf, you have been king of my glory, would you be my prince of peace?”

6. Great is thy Faithfulness-Need I say more?

7. O holy night-Like my mother before me this is my favorite Christmas hymn of all. I have heard many great singers take a stab at this one yet, the wild part of it all is that my favorite singer of this song was not famous but a godly gentleman by the name of Alan Paulsen. How I would look forward to him slowly building this song to its great crescendo. What was more important to me was watching this simple man of God live his faith out daily.

8. My Jesus I love thee-What words of assurance to our soul, “My Jesus I love thee, I know thou art mine, for thee all the follies of sin I resign.”

9. Worthy is the Lamb-He alone deserves our praise and is worthy of everything in our lives.

10. Leaning on the everlasting arms-As a group of young preachers I love the memories of us going to the local jail and holding services there. I would look at my fellow brothers, Scott, Tim, Doug and others as we were able to live out these lines, “What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms.”

11. I saw the Light-It was the first Gospel song I ever remember learning or singing. It truly has been my testimony before I came to Jesus. “I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin, I wouldn’t let my dear savior in, then like the blind man that God gave back His sight, praise the Lord I saw the light.” One of the saddest stories about this song is how that Minnie Pearl told Hank thanks for the blessing of this song. It was then that he reportedly stated, “That’s the problem, I don’t see the light.”

12. I wish we all been ready-The original is still great to listen to by Larry Norman but it really hits home when I hear D.C. Talks version.

13. I’ll fly away-Why this one? I love the joy that it brings especially when it comes to the chorus line. J

14. Amazing grace-His grace grows sweeter every day. I still can’t believe that He would save a wretch like me.

15. Amazing love, How can it be?-“My chains fell off, my soul set free, I rose went forth and followed thee. Amazing love how can it be that thou my God would die for me.”

What are some of your favorite Christian Hymns and Songs?

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Psalms 37:1-2 ( ESV )

¹ Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!

² For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.

Prosperity, It’s a huge struggle for many of us. We live in a world that focuses in on the wealthy, the celebrity of the month and the almighty dollar. We judge success based on numbers whether it be money, stats or how many people we have coming to our own local church. American politics forever changed from what a man believed in, to just one simple phrase written on a white board during the Clinton run for presidency. “It’s the economy stupid.” This is now the hallmark of what is important to us as Americans not,” What are the moral issues that are worth fighting for?” Then in the midst of it all we hear the false prophets of our day shouting out how that Jesus wants us all to be wealthy. (Tell this to my brothers from Haiti, who in the midst of their poverty have a deeper relationship with Jesus then most of these, “Men of Faith.”)

I know that while some read this you might think that this is a rant against those who have and those who do not. Listen, neither is more spiritual and the Lord makes no difference between the two in His eyes. I, just like others struggle to try to make ends meet at times. I get mad, discouraged and a thousand other things when things are tight. Yet I am grateful to see how the Lord has blessed other brothers with financial prosperity. They have labored for it and should not according to popular belief, “share their wealth.”

The Bible talks about the riches of this world and how we see people who go insane in trying to grasp for even more. They must be prosperous at all cost. Yet the real issue for me is that God does want me to be prosperous but not in the same way that the world sees it. If He blesses me financially that is welcomed but if He chooses not to then that is good as well and I can still leave this world a prosperous man.

As I look at Psalms 37 David wants to remind me of a few things to keep my head clear in the midst of the pursuit of wealth.

1. Don’t worry or fret about what others have. The word for fret in verse one has the idea of to blaze up, to be incensed, and to grow warm. I was wondering how that had anything to do with what my Great-Grandmother would say to me many years ago about, “Don’t fret about it Mikey Shane, the Lord knows what He is doing.” (It is good to remember that she was the only person who would call me by this nickname.)

Then it made sense to me while I was having my devotions. How often do I get consumed or burnt up about what I have or don’t have? How often do I allow myself to think by having things of this world that I will be happy? It can get to the point with some of us that we worry about it to such a point that we become consumed and burn after earthly treasures. Why do I want to fret about something that the Lord says should not be my consuming fire. He is to be my consuming fire.

2. It all passes away in the end. Cash put it best when he sang these words, “And you can have it all my empire of dirt.” We forget how the prosperity of this world passes away. Look at chapter 37 and see how temporal it all can be. It will fade like the grass and the green herb. 37:2 Like a green laurel tree that passes away. 37:35-36

3. The world’s idols and those who bow down at their feet will perish as well. In verses 9, 23,34 and 38 we see how that the wicked who make these things their idols will be cut off. The Lord laughs at the wicked for they have traded that which is eternal for that which is temporal and they inherit His judgment. 37:13 The arms of the wicked will be broken as well as the strength of their bows. 37:15-16 “The wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish-like the smoke they vanish away.

O, brothers and sisters may we keep our eyes always upon Him. Look not to the foolish of the world or try to be like them. Conform ourselves to His image and bow down only before Him. The Cathedral Quartet put it best when they sang, “So I’ll worship only at the feet of Jesus, His cup alone my holy grail, there are no other gods before me, just Jesus only, He will never fail.”

4. Matthew 6:33 should be our constant rally cry when we are tempted to look to the world and its view of prosperity. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”

This is the reason why some of the most prosperous men whom I have known have not been wealthy at all. Their treasure and their hope were wrapped up in just one man and that man is the God man Jesus. This is why the Psalmist can shout out that, “In the days of famine they have abundance.” Psalms 37:19 “Better is the LITTLE that the righteous has than the ABUDANCE of many wicked.” Psalms 37:16. He is the pearl of GREAT PRICE and I am willing to sell it all so that I can have Him.

5. How should we live in the midst of it all? I love these words that David uses in the Psalm. TRUST-To hide in refuge of, to be bold or confident. DWELL-To lodge or to reside within. DELIGHT-To be soft or pliable towards. COMMIT-Seek occasion or to wallow in.

Remember where we first started out at? We were not to fret or be consumed about the things or people of this world and make them into our idols. No, we are to be the ones who are to be marked by our commitment, trust, and delight in making Jesus our dwelling place and what will consume our souls. When we do this no matter what we may have or not have then we are truly prosperous.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Psalms 32 Part 2

⁶ Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.

⁷ You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.Selah

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

As we have already seen this is an incredible Psalm that deals with the subject of confession and forgiveness. David has told us of how a person is truly blessed when he is willing to acknowledge his sins before God and has shown us the cost of un-confessed sin. Now in verses 6-8 he shares with us how our relationship with God can be like when we confess and get things right with Him.

I believe that there are times in which God finally says, “Enough.” He is willing to extend His grace to the uttermost but just like in the days of Noah and Pharaoh there comes a time in which the doors are shut. So cry out if you do not know Him now. Cry out and call upon Him who alone can save you. For no man knows his time or hour that he has here on earth.

The primary thought though in this passage is to a believer. David is saying to those who have been captured by His grace to offer up your prayers of confessions now. Do not presume upon the grace of God in our lives. There are those who like in the church of Corinth are no longer with us due to lives in which their testimony brings shame upon the Lord. We as believers should be even more sensitive to our sins and need to walk closer to Him. Cry out to Him as a believer and He will hear you.

Look at some of the following things He promises to those who are willing to confess their sins before Him. Even in the midst of troubled times which are like great waters that wish to drown and destroy us. They shall not. When the wrecking ball of destruction comes to destroy our foundations, our God as in the book of Job will say, “this far and no more.”

When times of trouble come into our lives and they will come. He will be a hiding place and a refuge that will preserve us during our times of trouble. Note in this verse He will be there with us in the furnace but there will also be times in which He will not just deliver us through the trial but even sometimes out of it. I prefer the latter but He is more interested in what will mold us and shape us into more of His image.

When the way grows weary and dark He has also promised to be the light that will instruct us and show us the path that we should take. He will act as our counselor and guide us with His eyes ever upon us. This is why it is so important for us to have a right relationship with Him.

Psalms 32:9-10 ( ESV )

⁹ Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.

¹⁰ Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.

David brings up to us many of our common sin in not confessing that of a stubborn and unwilling heart. We literally act like an ignorant animal who refuses to obey his master. We want to walk in our own way and just like the stubborn donkey or horse we begin to stray from the very one who wants what is best for us. He is not withholding what is best for us but rather the very opposite. Our Father wants to give us pleasure in our life. We just refuse to believe often that what He offers is far better.

Instead what do we find, but sorrow upon sorrow when we go down the wrong path and refuse to cry out our sin and plea for His forgiveness. When we trust in Him that what He has for us is what is best for us His steadfast love surrounds us. We are covered in the love of Christ. Unlike my fleeting love at times His will not change but He will be loyal in His love to us until the very end.

Psalms 32:11 ( ESV )

¹¹ Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

A forgiven heart can be glad, we are forgiven. Think about the awesomeness of that statement. It should cause us to rejoice. We can stand in His presence and have cause to shout for joy. Clap your hands O mountains and rejoice for the King of Glory has made us clean before His eyes.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Psalms 32 Part One

Psalms 32:1-2 ( ESV )

¹ Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

² Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

This is one of those Psalms that we don’t hear talked about very much. I think the reason why this Psalm is not talked about very much is when we think of David’s confession of sin we largely go to Psalms 52. This Psalm like that one shows us the value and necessity of a cleansed heart before God.

I don’t know about you but nothing makes my heart more miserable than un-confessed sin. When Julie or the girls and I argue or when I allow sin in my walk I am devastated. I want to be clean with them and have our relationship clear with one another.

I wonder at times how that when David sinned with Bathsheba before Nathan confronted him how miserable he must have been. Listen, there is nothing greater than when we get things right with one another or with our God. Look at the first word that David starts verses one and two with in Psalms 32. BLESSED. When we confess our sins and get right with our loved ones or creator it gives us a sense of Happiness or Joy in our lives.

There is nothing worse for our well-being than when we try to cover up our sin. As much as it breaks the heart of our loved ones how much more with the heart of God who is sinless? The Holy One who we are made in the image of cries over a Jerusalem who refused to love and follow Him. Why do we try to hide our evil from others and play the part of the hypocrite? God is omnipresent and yet, by trying to cover up our sin or not calling it sin we act as if He is blind. He wants us to be clean with Him and He promises us Joy and Happiness when we get right.

Psalms 32:3-4 ( ESV )

³ For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up^£ as by the heat of summer.Selah

What happens when we have un-confessed sin? Simply put it will not only harm us spiritually but physically. When you and I try to keep it all hidden and silent before Him and those we have offended David says,” It will waste us away.” Think how we are plagued by fears, depression, guilt over past behavior and a host of other things that will lay hold of us with its dark, skeletal hands.

I love blues music and more than anything when a blues singer MOANS the blues. David here is groaning because of His sin and how it has lay hold of his heart. It pains him. Why is he moaning and groaning? The Lord is convicting him of his wrong and His hand is heavy upon him. He feels as though his strength is gone. Why? The pleasures of sin are but for a season and now instead of pleasure it dries us up. The whore cries out, “Come and taste of my waters for they are sweet.” Yet sin like the whore will only give us water that is bitter and we long for a drop of water.

Psalms 32:5 ( ESV )

⁵ I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.Selah

One of the basic truths about our Father is that He is all knowing. Yet, He wants us to come before Him and make our sins known to Him. There have been times when I knew that my, “little angels,” had blown it. A few times even with this knowledge I did not bring it up to them but wanted to allow them the opportunity to get right with us. (Majority of the time I did not wait!) I wanted to see their heart and what they would do, more importantly though I wanted them to learn to do what is right. We wanted to share our forgiveness with them and have our relationship restored. What joy would be expressed when all things were made good. Having that which was broken made whole again. As a Father would you withhold forgiveness from your child? How much more grace is shown to us from a perfect love that our heavenly Father bestows on us?

Well for now I want to close with these thoughts but on our next blog we will finish the rest of this incredible Psalm. I hear old friends getting ready to drive up in my driveway and look forward to seeing them again.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Two things about Revelation.

I can’t think of anything that brings me greater joy than to realize that one day my faith will be sight. I was reminded of that today because of the passing of one of His saints and the impact this brother had on the lives of countless people. He loved the Lord and his greatest joy was to live for Him and to make Him known. The subject of Heaven and the Lord’s return should cause us as believers to jump with delight.

When my heart is drawn to think about His coming, I am drawn to the prophetic teachings of the book of Revelation. Each verse and page causes my heart to yearn for our true Home. I am also reminded of how we as believers have to be so careful not to come at this book with our own ideas rather than what it simply teaches.

One of my favorite teachers left me with two truths that I have never forgotten when looking into the truths of this book. These are the two primary things that I believe that we must remind ourselves of constantly when we are trying to interpret Revelation.

1 Don’t make the book of Revelation fit into OUR time period.

I remember a person looking directly into my eyes three years ago and with complete sincerity tell me that President Obama would be the Anti-Christ. (By the way this is not a political statement to me; I also remember articles written about how Henry Kissinger was the Anti-Christ. For those of you who are younger, you are asking, “Henry Who?” This by the way is the point that I am trying to make.) Hitler, Mussolini, and a countless cast of thousands have been declared to be not just an Anti-Christ but THE Anti-Christ.

When the time comes according to the book of Thessalonians he will be revealed to those who are here during the Tribulation. We as believers have to be beyond cautious when we try to make current events or people fit into the book of Revelation. A popular book once called the locust of the book of Revelation possibly helicopters.

When people try to tell us of when He will return based on how things are going on during this day and age we need to take heed to Jesus warning when He said no man knows what time or hour that the Son of Man will appear. Beware of those who teach a certain day of His return based on how the stars line up or because of certain feast. Don’t read into the text.

Of course my greatest joy is to know that He could come at any moment. Maybe even before I finish this article but then again it could be years down the road. I do not know His timing on this but I do know this I long and wait for His coming with great expectation. I also know that He made a promise that He would return and I will look daily for Him to come.

2 Don’t make the book of Revelation about America.

As much as I love this country I must be careful not to make the Bible center around it. The main country in prophecy as well as throughout the whole of scriptures is that of Israel. I have heard too many people try to state how certain passages seem to refer to America in scripture. While it may sound unpatriotic I must be faithful to the scriptures and say that prophecy does not revolve around us as a nation.

I do believe that God has used and will continue to use our country in many ways. We have historically been a blessing to the world in the areas of missions, giving and spreading forth the Word. In saying this we must be careful to not look at our nation as being a power during the time of the Tribulation, it could be but one will not find it in the scriptures.

I am proud to be a citizen of the United States but I am even more thrilled to know that I am a citizen of Heaven. I am waiting for the sound of a trumpet and walking with Him at home. May we live in light of His coming again.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

PSALMS 22 THE SUFFERING SAVIOR

When I have been asked the question, “What has Jesus ever done for me?” I have always been reminded of Psalms 22 more than almost any other passage in the Bible. I have stood in awe and wept over this passage as well as Isaiah 53 when I think about what He has done for us. Let me share with you some of the things that still stand out to me when I read this passage.

Psalms 22:1 ( ESV )

¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

· I think it was Luther who first said, “God forsaken of God. What an incredible thought.” The most perfect of all relationships for a set time was cut off. The agony that our Jesus must have gone through as He had our sin placed upon Him. I look at these words and the following verses and sense the utter loneliness that our Savior must have gone through. It is especially telling when we read verse 4-5 and see how that sinful man who trusted in God would be heard and rescued, and not put to shame. Yet, our Savior now felt forsaken by the Father.

Psalms 22:6-8 ( ESV )

⁶ But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

⁷ All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

⁸ “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

· Not only did our Savior sense the loss of fellowship with His Father. He now would sense the scorn of His creation as they would treat Him like a common worm. He would be mocked by the guards, the religious leaders of the day and even those who would mock Him as He writhed in agony upon the cross.

· As they mocked Him and scorned Him about being delivered from the cross. Little did they know that He would be delivered in a way that would change the world. The work would be finished and the Father truly would delight in the completed work and He would rise again.

Psalms 22:12-13 ( ESV )

¹² Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

¹³ they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.

· The imagery in these 2 verses is incredible as our Lord’s enemies are compared to that of wild animals who are seeking to devour Him. I am reminded of Peter’s warning when he tells us how that our adversary the Devil seeks us like a roaring lion who wants to devour us. These men wanted to devour him as well.

Psalms 22:14-15 ( ESV )

¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

¹⁵ my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.

· One of the cruelest things that can happen to a man is to see them denied water. Our Lord was ripped wide open to such a point that the Bible tells us you could not even tell that He was a man. The heat and pain that must have poured through His body as nerves were exposed and laid bare was more intense than we could ever imagine. He the Living water of the world would cry out, “I thirst.”

· He is exhausted as He has been up all night through the trials and the beatings. His strength is gone dried up like a potsherd.

Psalms 22:16-18 ( ESV )

¹⁶ For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet^£—

¹⁷ I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me;

¹⁸ they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

· Once again His enemies are compared to wild animals. Here in this verse they surround Him like a pack of wild dogs. They have circled about Him. When I think of this passage I am reminded of C.S. Lewis masterpiece, “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.” As Aslan is laid upon the stone table and all of the White Witch’s evil followers dance about Him, mocking the king who with just one breath could have destroyed them all. Our savior could see the crowd stare and gloat over Him. He could have called ten thousand angels but instead He bled and died for us.

· To be stripped of our clothing before all men and to have to stand in front of them all was truly a humbling thing. Then if that insult was not enough, they would cast lots beneath his gaze over His very garments that He had worn.

Psalms 22:27-28 ( ESV )

²⁷ All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.

²⁸ For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

· As great as His suffering was I love how the Psalmist ends this Psalm. If you get the chance please read verses 22-31 and you will see the end of the story. Our Savior is ALIVE!!! We can tell of His name to our brothers and praise Him for what He has done. (22) We can stand in Awe of His wonderful salvation. (23) Because our Savior is alive He will not hide His face from us when we are afflicted. (24)

· Two thousand years have come and gone and yet the earth still remembers what He has done and one day soon He will be exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the Ruler of all nations.