For I have heard the slander of many, terror is on every side; while they took counsel together against me, they schemed to take away my life. Psalm 31:13 NASB Slander– Perhaps a pun will help us remember the seriousness of slander. The Hebrew word, dibbâ, seems to be derived from the verb dābab (to move gently or glide over). But from…
Nicoly, a reader in Australia, has had major surgery for a large cerebral aneurysm. Although the surgery was successful, she is still in a lot of pain. She asks for prayer for encouragement and healing.
I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. Psalm 31:12 NASB Forgotten– The screenwriters of the movieTroy brilliantly captured the great Greek question mark of life. In a conversation between Achilles and his mother, she describes Greek angst perfectly. Listen: What is the worst thing that can befall a…
Sometimes the only retreat is to His handiwork. Chittenango Falls.
We take a little break from our examination of Psalm 31 to provide this from Sefer Hasichot 5749, vol. 2, pp. 509-511; Likkutei Sichot, vol. 22, p. 10. Truth is simple, it has no clothes, no neat little box to contain it. But we cannot grasp that which has no box. We cannot perceive Truth…
Just thought you would find this refreshing.
Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. Psalm 31:11 NASB Reproach– Are you the Mary Mallon of sin? Remember her? She was “the first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic…
For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away. Psalm 31:10 NASB Sorrow/ Sighing– “Why can’t you be more positive?” “You seem so discouraged all the time.” “I’m tired of your pessimistic attitude!” “Look on the bright side of things.” Ever hear someone say…
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. Psalm 31:9 NASB Distress– Now comes the plea. David’s psalm begins with acknowledgement of God’s character. He praises the Lord for constancy, faithfulness, and a genuine desire to rescue. He alludes to God’s covenant relationship with…
And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place. Psalm 31:8 NASB Not given me over– What does it mean to fall into the hands of the enemy? Pay attention to David’s parallelism and you will understand just how much Hebrew is a language…
