God Is My… (Psalms), 57

 ~ God Is My Savior, 6 ~

Introduction  ~  Previously from July 16, 2017 through January 6, 2019 ALN posted a series of 60 posts of “Jesus is…,” and now we look exclusively at who “God is…” from the Book of Psalms.  While not a complete list these posts occur are in the same order they are in the Psalms. 

Passage  ~  “Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress” (Psalm 71:3).     

Prior Passages  ~   “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.  In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God” (Psalm 62:5-7).    

“You are my King, O God; command victories for Jacob.  Through You we will push down our enemies; through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.  For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me.  But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those who hated us.  In God we boast all day long, and praise Your name forever” (Psalm 44:4-8).

“I will love You, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:1-3).

“But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble.  And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him” (Psalm 37:39-40).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Myth, 94

 ~ Christians Don’t Need To Study The Bible With Others ~

Myth  ~  It is not necessary for Christians to study the Bible with other Christians. 

Deceptive  ~  This is deceptive in several ways:

1.  This is a partial truth in that the most important Bible teacher for the believer is the indwelling Spirit of God.  “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

2.  This is also deceptive in that it is important to study the Scripture independently.  There is great value in studying the Scriptures privately.  But if this is our only means of studying we are losing out on the wisdom of others. 

3.  But the reality is there is great profit in studying the Word of God with other Spirit-indwelt believers.  My pastor likes to say that “There are no Lone Ranger Christians.”

4.  However, we must recognize that there are times when it is impossible to benefit directly from the input of fellow believers.  On occasion this has been the case for single missionaries (but it is rare they don’t have a spouse or other believer available).  It is possible also for a prisoner to be isolated from other believers.  In these specialized cases God will provide. 

5.  Finally, in today’s world there are so many resources available for studying the Bible alone it can be tempting to do so. 

Benefits  ~  Studying the Scriptures with fellow believers can have many benefits. 

Scripture  ~  The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Prescribe and teach these things.  Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.  Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.  Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.  Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:11-16 nasu).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Fear God, 216

 ~ Results of Fearing God ~

God does not want His children living in fear.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:2-3).  However, God does want His children to have a proper respect and reverence for Him.  We are told in many places in Scripture to “fear God.”  

Scripture Passage  ~  Proverbs gives us the essence of the “fear of the Lord.”  “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)

Some Results of Fearing God  ~  While there is a long list of benefits that arrive from the fear of God I particularly like this verse:  “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.  Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.  Fear the Lord, you His holy people, for those who fear Him lack nothing” (Psalm 34:6-9).

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name” (Malachi 3:16).

Application To Life  ~  When a person acknowledges the reality of who God is there are many natural results.  Here are a few: 

1.      Repentance (confessing asking forgiveness and turning away from continued sin).  See for example Matthew 9:13.  

2.      Seek to please God and He will give you the proper attitudes and desires.  See for example Psalm 37:4.

3.      New patience will be evident, what is sometimes referred to as “waiting on God.”  See for example see James 1:3-4.

4.      An alertness to temptation and pressures (both external and internal) to conform to this world.  See for example 1 Peter 5:8.

5.      There will be a willingness to persist in prayer.  See for example Luke 21:36.

6.      There will be His peace permeating your life.  See for example Isaiah 26:3 and Colossians 3:15.

7.      As all of the above becomes an increasing reality in your life you will be doing God’s will for your life.  See for example Ephesians 5:17. 

The Bottom Line  ~  “Praise the Lord!  Blessed [happy] is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments” (Psalm 112:1).

Closing Comment  ~  The Bible tells us that people in the past feared God and people in the future will fear God.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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