SOULJournal

Psalm 43

Psalms like chapters 42 and 43 make the Bible real.  It helps us to see that it is not this idea that God will get rid of all the sorrow and hard times in our lives.  It also shows us that there is a place in our circumstances where even the best of believers come to a place of questioning God.  But in the middle of the questioning and hardship we are encouraged by the Psalm to encourage ourselves, confide in God and put our hope and trust in Him.  We are to remind ourselves that whatever may happen we can trust God to work it out for the best possible outcome for our lives.

In our lives we will experience sorrow, pain, anguish, angst, heartbreak - in those moments it is natural to question God and sometimes even feel like He has abandoned you.  But in the end the best course of action is to turn to God - to put your hope and trust in Him, because He is the all-mighty, powerful, loving, merciful, faithful, (and the list goes on) God.

 

Mark 14

SCRIPTURE 
¹ Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.

OBSERVATION
God is in control, no matter what the circumstances of life would say.

UNDERSTANDING
The religious leaders were on a mission to kill Jesus because He had disrupted their way of life, exposing their hypocrisy and opposing their "authority."  So they plotted to kill Him.  The funny thing is that God is always in control and although at times it seems that the wicked has won, God always has the last laugh. God took the religious leaders' plot and turned it into the greatest blessing that mankind would ever know.  The darkest moment was really God at work producing the greatest sunrise we could imagine.

LIFE APPLICATION
When grief and disaster seems to be the story of your life.  When it seems like the evil is winning, we need to take time to remind ourselves that God is in control and our life is in His hands.  Just remember His crucifixtion.  Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning.  Psalm 30:5.

 

Mark 13

Ready and Waiting

Jesus warned his followers about the future so that they could learn how to live in the present. Jesus did not make these predictions so that we would guess when they might be fulfilled, but to help us remain spiritually alert and prepared at all times as we wait for his return. We must live each day close to Christ, always mindful that he is in charge of the timetable.  We are also encouraged to always be in a state of readiness for His return and we are to continue to proclaim the good news until He returns.

 

Life Application Commentary

Psalm 40

SCRIPTURE
¹ I waited patiently for the LORD; 
   he turned to me and heard my cry. 
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit, 
   out of the mud and mire; 
he set my feet on a rock 
   and gave me a firm place to stand. 
³ He put a new song in my mouth, 
   a hymn of praise to our God. 
Many will see and fear 
   and put their trust in the LORD.

OBSERVATION
David reminds us that sometimes the answer to our prayer is not immediate.  Sometimes the answer is slow in coming, but that does not mean that God has abandoned us.

UNDERSTANDING
David was crying out to God to help him and it seemed like God was not responding.  In one translation it says, I waited and waited and waited on the Lord.  How often it seems that way for us too.  We ask God to do something on our behalf and then we find ourselves in the waiting pattern.  It is easy to think in those moments that He is ignoring us, abandoned us or just plain spiteful.  But in those moments we must rehearse what we know about Him.  He is faithful.  He loves us.  His plans for us are better than the plans we have for ourselves and looks way beyond the present life.  His timing is perfect.  God will respond, but our response in the waiting can help point others to Him.  Not only will people put their trust in God because he lifted us out of the mud and mire, and set our feet upon a rock, but people can and will put their trust in God because even when the answer was a long time coming they saw that we still trusted in Him.

LIFE APPLICATION
In You O Lord I put my trust.  Though the situations of my life seem to be out of control, even though my prayers seem to have fallen on deaf ears, I believe that you will answer in the perfect time and do a great and wonderful work in and through me.  Let my actions and words show that I trust in You and may it point people to you so that many will see and fear and put their trust in You.

 

Mark 11

SCRIPTURE
25-26: And when you stand praying, forgive anyone you have anything against. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins."

OBSERVATION
There is so much riding on our decision to forgive others, yet so many people are walking around with unforgiveness and bitterness in their hearts and it is preventing them from experiencing real intimacy with God.

UNDERSTANDING
How do you know if there is unforgiveness and bitterness in your heart? 

1.  We easily see the bad in others. 
We are quick to pick them apart and see only the bad in them or in truth read everything they do as being with a bad motive.  We never give them the benefit of the doubt.

2.  We feel justified in criticizing and gossiping about these people. 
Now, normally, if we were gossiping, we might realize this is wrong, but because they wronged us we feel like it’s our right to tell everybody else what a low down, no good person this is, and you shouldn’t trust them, and it’s the right thing to do for me to expose you to truth. 

3.  We secretly celebrate their misfortunes. 

4.  We bring many other people down. 
Not only do we hurt ourselves, but we hurt people all around us by creating very dangerous and strategic alliances. 

LIFE APPLICATION

• Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV) 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Mark 10

All this talk about divorce begs the question, what does the Bible say about marriage? 

• Marriage is God's idea:  Genesis 2:18-24
• It requires a decision to commit fully to the relationship  Genesis 24:58-60
• Marriage holds times of great joy: Jeremiah 7:34
• Marriage creates the best environment for raising children: Malachi 2:14-15
• Trust is the foundation of all relationships, including marriage, and unfaithfulness breaks that bond of trust: Matthew 5:32
• Marriage is a covenant relationship which is permanent: Matthew 19:6
• Marriage is based on the choice to love one another, not on feelings: Ephesians 5:21-33
• Marriage is the living symbol of Christ and the church:  Ephesians 5:23-32
• Marriage is good and honorable: Hebrews 13:4

LIFE APPLICATION
God's design was that marriage was a permanent relationship between a man and a woman.  Our sinful nature has led to the permitting of divorce under certain conditions.  But God's design and desire is that we do our best to make marriage work.  In marriage we learn to accept each other, submit to each other, put the needs of the other person above our own, forgive one another, and the list goes on.  God uses this relationship to make and mold us into His image and likeness.   

Psalm 37

SCRIPTURE
3 Trust in the Lord and do good. 
 Then you will live in the land and enjoy its food. 
 4 Find your delight in the Lord. 
      Then he will give you everything your heart really wants. 

OBSERVATION
We should not be envious of sinful people and their prosperity, instead we should trust in the Lord who can answer prayers of the heart. 

UNDERSTANDING
How many times we fall into the trap of looking at those who are ungodly yet prosperous and we get envious and angry because we are trying to do what is right and it seems like it gets us nowhere.  David encourages us today in the Psalm that we are to trust in the Lord and don't be envious of sinful people's prosperity.  In verses 3 and 4 he reiterates the same thought, the promise is conditional.  Trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live in the land and enjoy its food.  Delight yourself in the Lord and then He will give you everything your heart really wants.  When you think about it, it makes sense.  When I delight in the Lord my heart is turned towards Him and I begin to want the things that He wants, so it is easy for Him to give me the desires of my heart because they are in keeping with His will.  

LIFE APPLICATION
When it all boils down we realize that trust in the Lord is of utmost importance.  No matter where we are in life are we willing to trust God and believe that He has our best interests in mind?  If we trust that all things will work together for good for those who love God and seek after Him then we will be content no matter the circumstances, and we will not compare ourselves with others.  That comparison never leads to anything good, instead it usually leads to things like anger, jealously and dissatisfaction.  Trust in the Lord AND DO GOOD.  Do what He wants us to do and we will find enjoyment and fulfillment in this life.

 

Mark 7

SCRIPTURE
   " 'These people honor me by what they say. 
      But their hearts are far away from me. 
 ⁷ Their worship doesn't mean anything to me. 
      They teach nothing but human rules.' —(Isaiah 29:13) ⁸ You have let go of God's commands. And you are holding on to the teachings that men have made up." 

OBSERVATION
The Pharisees are still alive and well today.

UNDERSTANDING
We must be careful not to gloss over the Pharisees and teachers of the law as nitpicky legalists. 

There was no doubt a lot of religious leaders in Jesus' time who wanted to keep their place in the "power structure" at any cost, so they opposed Jesus when He came challenging their motives.  But there were many who had simply followed the interpretations of the law that had been passed down as "the way of God" while the truth was that it was interpreted in such a way as to give the religious authority power.  Those Pharisees still exist.  Today many Christians fight to keep tradition rather than looking at the new wineskins that God is using.  We believe that a certain way of doing things that has been passed down for a couple of generations is the only way of God.  I know people who believe that the only proper Bible to read is the King James Version.

 LIFE APPLICATION
I wonder how many add-on rules and rituals do you impose people who want to know God? How many formulas have you added to the Bible and made them law?  What human-made rules, policies and doctrines have we given the same authority as God's Word?   Pharisees exist today. Ask God for insight so as not to be one of them.  We need to be careful that we are not making traditions the same as God's Word.

 

Mark 6

SCRIPTURE
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus. They told him all they had done and taught. 31 But many people were coming and going. So they did not even have a chance to eat.Then Jesus said to his apostles, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place. You need to get some rest." 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a quiet place.

OBSERVATION 
Jesus emphasizes that rest is an important facet of our lives.

UNDERSTANDING
The disciples had come back from being on a ministry assignment.  They had gone from town to town preaching and declaring the good news about Jesus.  Now that they have gotten back Jesus wants them to debrief and then He encourages them to take time to rest.  Time and again we are reminded in God's Word that rest is an important part of our lives.  We need down time and time to refresh and recuperate from the everyday push of life.  From daily moments of refreshing to a Sabbath day rest God encourages us to stop and recharge.

LIFE APPLICATION
How are you doing in this regard?  Resting is as much a part of worship as all the other things we do to honor God.  Put aside a day a week to rest.  Take time daily to be refreshed as you spend time with God, away form the people coming and going.  Set aside time yearly to take extended time away from your busy schedule.  Resting is worship.

 

Mark 5

Mark is on a mission.  From the beginning of his writing he makes it clear what his intent is - to show Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  Jesus, Marks says, is the Son of God and here is the proof to show it.  God Himself authenticates Jesus at His baptism when He says, "This is my Son in whom I am well pleased."  Then Jesus proves He is God by the power He demonstrates.  He casts out demons and heals people.  But Mark says that this power doesn't come from somewhere, it is inherent in Jesus because He is God, so in the chapter we read today we catch a glimpse of Jesus personal authority.  Jesus calms the storms as the disciples are crossing the lake.  He commands the demons to leave the man.  He has authority to heal and make the unclean clean.  He has power over sickness and death.  And we are not done with Mark's account.

Like Mark we believe that Jesus is the Son of  God, who by His life, death and resurrection provides a way for mankind to return to restored relationship with God the Father.  And as Mark points out, the evidence is compelling, we don't have to feel like we are crazy to believe it or apoligize for having such a faith in Jesus.