Bible Reading
Psalm 34
Psalm 112
2 Tim 1
Ps 112:1-2 How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.
Ps 112:6-8 Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.
2 Tim 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.
2 Tim 1:12 That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.
Psalm 34:17-19 The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from ALL their troubles. (Tok Pisin: hevi i no daunim ol) The Lord is close to the broken hearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. (Bikpela i save helpim em na ol dispela hevi i no daunim em.)
Devotional Thoughts
Sunday I “preached” / shared the story of Psalm 34 in Tok Pisin with our community fellowship. We explored the events of 1 Sam 19-21, then read through a good portion of Psalm 34. As I prepared, I wasn’t really thinking about what has been going on in their lives too much, I was just preparing what was next in our little mini series in the Old Testament. But, as I meditate on the passages for today, and think about our friends, I pray what I shared yesterday will encourage them. This has been a tough couple weeks for them. There has been 3 or 4 deaths of close family members of our friends. So, as I share these thoughts, I am thinking of them, praying for them, and praying for you all.
Psalm 112:1-2 “How joyful are those who delight in the Lord and who delight in obeying his commands.” The more I think about this concept of Ted Tripp’s “Circle of Safety” the more I see how it relates to us as God’s kids. When we recognize that the safest, most peaceful, delightful place to be is inside God’s circle of safety, it should motivate me to obey in order to stay there.
Psalm 112:6-8 “Such people will not be overcome by evil… they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.” This is the kind of man David was. 1 Sam 13:14 Samuel told Saul that God had rejected him and that he was searching for a man who would follow after God’s heart, and not his own. That’s how David lived. In 1 Sam 19-21 David faced incredible trials and challenges. Saul tried to kill him at least 5 times. David ran to everyone he could think of for refuge. But Saul found him every time. Finally as a last resort, he fleas the country only to face the possibility of being killed by the king of that country.
As David flees from King Achish, having exhausted every possible place of refuge, and running for his life, he writes Psalm 34. As we read through that Psalm yesterday, the way the Tok Pisin Bible translates verses 17 and 19 gave a new meaning and insight. NLT translated the end of Psalm 34:19 “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” Here’s how the Tok Pisin translated that: Bikpela i save helpim em na ol dispela hevi i no daunim em. God helps them so that every trouble will not overcome them. God doesn’t promise to remove the trouble. David doesn’t claim that God removed the trouble, but simply that the trouble did not overcome him. Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord, he answered me and delivered me from all my FEARS.” David did not say, he delivered me from all my trials. He delivered me from my fears!
2 Tim 1:12 Paul said, “for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.”
Today we can face life as Paul challenges us in 2 Tim 1:7, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.”
Psalm 112:6-8 “Such people will not be overcome by evil… they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.”
Prayer Points:
- Comfort for our friends in the community
- Freedom from fear and that the troubles will not overcome them, nor you.
- They, and you will find delight in staying inside God’s circle of safety.
- That you will face today with confidence, boldness and unwavering trust in God.
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