The Purpose of Knowing (2)
I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Psalm 119:75 NASB
Faithfulness – Amen to that! Amen to what? To the faithfulness of God when He afflicts me! The Hebrew is emuna’, from the same root as Amen. God is faithful. That means He is trustworthy, honest, steadfast and certain. Of course, we all knew that! But David makes it clear that knowing God’s judgments are righteous means, in this case, knowing that He is completely steadfast and reliable when He afflicts me.
Notice that David does not say, “When I am afflicted.” David knows what it means to be a sovereign king. It means that everything that happens in the kingdom comes under the purview of the king. And God is King of everything. Shall I complain when His purposes include my affliction? Shall I beseech Him to remove my undeserved trial? Shall I proclaim that this is the work of the devil and his minions? What nonsense! Does anything happen in His Kingdom that the King doesn’t know about? Does anything happen that is not used by the Lord to further His designs? As Job discovered, who am I to question the handiwork of the Sovereign of the Universe?
We all cheer when David tells us that God is holy and His judgments are righteous. But David goes on to make clear the implication of our affirmation. If all of God’s mishpatim are correct, upright and just, then that means that whatever happens to His followers are events that serve His purposes. Furthermore, it means that when God afflicts me the act is also righteous. Praise Him, He faithfully chastises those He loves!
I suppose we would rather not have to deal with this. We would rather believe that God is always doing good things for us and it is Satan who causes us trouble. But the Bible doesn’t draw that conclusion. Satan roams around like a roaring lion, no doubt, but it is God who brings affliction on those He loves. Satan is not some super powerful bad guy reeking havoc on the universe. He is also, whether he likes it or not, a servant of the Most High. My life is in the hands of the King, not in the hands of His enemy. Yes, we have an enormous mythology about Satan, most of it derived from Greek legend and Medieval literature. But Satan is still under the sovereignty of the one and only King. Even when he is used as a messenger (remember Paul), he is still doing God’s bidding. Isaiah tells us the truth. The Lord is the author of both good and evil. Satan only has a role to play, strictly limited by the King.
So stop complaining. Stop giving credit to one of the servants of the Most High. It’s God who loves you and who chastises. When we are afflicted, the way is open to seek His face. And He knows when we need to seek Him. If God is for us, do you imagine that anyone but God can be against us?
Topical Index: affliction, chastisement, emuna’, faithfulness, Psalm 119:75
Yes, – Ouch! – and Amen!
Amen and amen! God,our Savior who is Sovereign is also our Source and Supply of all things needed for life and godliness and what we need (He HAS promised to supply all of our needs) sometimes is chastening! (Yes, -ouch!)
Chastening, (please, do listen) is NOT punishment! Criminals are punished, children (children r us) are chastened with a view toward correction! Sometimes, (when deemed necessary by our Father) chastening is needful.
Let’s break it down further. Dads, ~ Chasten your child while there is hope, and let not your soul spare for his crying.! ~ This is NOT cruel and unusual “punishment,” but dad taking corrective active to “improve” the “hearing” of little Johnny or little Susie.
The scenario: Dad speaks, and says… “little Johnny.. please.,” but little Johnny pays no attention to dad and continues in the way that is wrong. Dad speaks again and says, (more emphatically?)- “Little Johnny?- Please, listen to me..,” but little Johnny (me or you) seems to be “distracted..” Oh, distraction!!- How many times have I known you and have been deceived by you! One of our greatest “pitfalls” is (without a doubt) is distraction. And aren’t we ever – distracted sheeple! Shall we dig deeper?
~ Looking unto Jesus.. the Author and Completer of our faith.(Hebrews 12.2) ~ (May I?) Selah. Is a “tat” necessary? How may we burn this into our brains? There is life for a look at the Savior and love more abundant and free!- Yes, – turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face.. amen to the author of this wonderful hymn. Let us take a closer “look” at this word “looking..”
This is NOT a casual glance (once every week on Sunday, perhaps?) No, not at all. This “look” is NOT a casual glance, BUT a continual gaze. May I?
(ALWAYS-EVER-ONLY) looking unto Jesus.. “always looking on His smiling face,- THIS is why I shout and sing!” This is, (in Hebrew thought- (imagine that!) a “fixed focus.” The (always Good) Shepherd has His eyes “fixed” upon His flock.., but the sheeple are also to “shema” the Shepherd!
The purpose of our (ouch) chastening to improve the quality of our hearing. Words such as “heed” or “hearken” are not written for our amusement or entertainment. Not for our enjoyment, but for our employment.. we are TO LISTEN!! And yes, not just to “hear what He says,” but to DO IT!!
Happy (blessed) are you and you and you – WHEN you do these things! Are we listening? – or is it time for a “tune-up?” Our Father knows.. and..
~ In faithfulness You have afflicted me.. ~ It is the duty (dear ones) of a father, (any father) to chasten his children. ~ “Train up” a child in the way in which he (or she) should go and when he is old, -he will not depart from it. This “training” includes (sometimes rather unpleasant) discipline.
~ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ ~ (2 Corinthians 10.5)
Every thought? – “Think about it..” (selah?) Are you thinking what I’m thinking?- Is this even possible? ~ but with God, – all things are possible..~ (Matthew 19.26) “All things,?”- the doubter (in me) says.. Friends, ~ Be not faithless, but believing ~
How is this “life-mission” accomplished? He has said.. (what?) ~ without Me, -you (sir or m’am) can do (what?)- nothing ~ (zero, with the edges trimmed off).
Torah living has just been expanded greatly. From the ten words found in Exodus to “every word of God is pure.” ~ How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to Your word ~ (Psalm 119.9) Say, -whose word is it anyway?
May I be a fool?- to be so brazen as to repeat the second greatest question in all of scripture, one that was uttered by a very “important” and influential fool (why are so many fools in positions of “authority?”)-
~ Who is the LORD that I should obey Him? ~ (Exodus 5.2)
What is your “ready answer?” ~ Remaining always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you — yet with humility and fear.. ~ (1 Peter 3.15)
Yes, – Who is the LORD that I should obey Him? ~
Poor Pharaoh found out, didn’t he?- the hard way. As for us.. – What is our ready and “reasoned answer?” Friends, ~ As for me and my house.. we will serve the LORD. ~
We will remember to: Serve the Lord with gladness;
We will remember to: Come before His Presence with singing.
We will: Know that the LORD, He is God;
We will remember: It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We will remember: We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
We will: Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
We will: Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
We will rejoice: For the Lord is good;
We will remember: His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
The verse great is your faithfulness is in Lamentations! Oh that my soul would sing of the goodness of God as I go through my trials – most of which I have created myself by straying from the path the Lord has set before me.
If only all of Christendom…all of Messianicism and all the other ‘isms’ could understand these words…could look at their heavenly Father and say “Amen!” and realize that all power is from and through HIM…no one else…nothing else. We go through our trials, our situations, our tribulations because HE is faithful – HE is good – nothing else matters except that all work towards HIS good. We must strive to work out our salvation….an ongoing process. He rains on the righteous and the unrighteous – who are we to tell him where to place the clouds!
When we’re ready!
We all have to finally KNOW and UNDERSTAND.
All of our capability and capacity is His GIFT to us.
It’s NOT our own innate skill and intelligence.
Life really begins in earnest when we finally “see” that
we don’t have it all together – – – HE does!
Gently, He daily removes the veil from our eyes.
Then He faithfully and permissively allows us to go through
each and every specific circumstance and situation we
individually need to experience – – – so we can see for ourselves
how He’s so intricately involved in every single detail!
In Jn 15:5, Jesus graciously reminds us of how it all works.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
And so we “watch” as He faithfully converts all of our self-centered
realizations. We learn to “lean” on Him and He faithfully transforms
all that we think and do. Eventually it dawns on us: He’s the One who
moves us, motivates us, and, yes, even empowers us.
He’s the One who leads us beside the still waters. He’s the One who
gives us rest for our souls. He’s the One who lifts the weight from our
shoulders. Without Him, none of this is possible.
And what are we to “do” with this “revelation”?
Let His life within us, that’s so radically changed us, do all the
talking. Do all the teaching. As we simply obey, His will gets
done on earth as it is in heaven!
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,
and He will lift you up.” James 4:10
“…knowing God’s judgments are righteous means, in this case, knowing that He is completely steadfast and reliable when He afflicts me.”
Yep. However, “stop complaining!” ??? Uh, I don’t think so. Affliction is AFFLICTION… many times we might crave death rather than stay afflicted. I have been in that “place” many times with the disease I fight on a minute-by-minute basis.
What it all comes down to is this: either YHVH is Sovereign or He isn’t. If anyone would look at that question WITHOUT an agenda, he would come to the conclusion that OF COURSE He is sovereign. (What keeps the globe on its axis and the starts/planets in their places?) Being Sovereign means, at the very least, that YHVH has chosen to allow this debilitation I live with… the disease I fight all the day long most days because I DON’T LIKE IT. Sometimes, I’m smarter than that and I “go with it.”
I realize that I (and the medical community) have zero control over this disease; there is no cure and no foolproof treatment. What can I do? TRUST IN MY GOD to do what will bless Him. I want to glorify Him any way I can.
Please pray for me that He shines through my affliction.
Daria, of course we will pray that God shines through your affliction. My wife is not a strong person. She likes to say that pain and fatigue color her world. She has kept a praise journal for some time, which helps. One entry:
How bravely go my little praises in a contrary world, for You, Lord God, know right where to find them.
You, Daria, are a praise to God, and even in affliction, God knows right where to find you.
This is a beautiful gift to me today. Thank your wife SO MUCH for me. Thanks for your prayers to YHVH, my Strength, my Peace.
Daria,
Allow me to pray that He shines through you
without your affliction; as I pray in earnest for
your healing.
Oh Rich, pray pray pray… please pray.
“Tho He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” [Job 13:15]
If He desires me to be well, I will sing His praises. If He desires me to be afflicted, I will sing His praises. If He wants to give me what I want, I WANT TO BE COMPLETELY HEALED, move to Israel and open an orphanage! (One in 4 babies is ABORTED there, most from married couples. The govt is now, at this time, trying to pass a law that all abortions will be “free” and provided for by the Israeli govt! Talk about Holocaust!)
That word, “affliction.” What does it mean?