In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, have me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 NASB Dwell in safety – Is God ruthless? We’re quite comfortable with the idea of God’s benevolence, but we probably bristle at the thought that God might be ruthless. Ruthlessness is such a negative concept. We want a God…
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my savior, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2 NASB Rock – Gibraltar or the Grand Canyon? When you read this verse, do you think of granite or sandstone? They’re both rocks. Which one comes to mind? Before you answer,…
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NASB Anxiously look about– The Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains offers the following: שָׁתַע(šā·ṯǎʿ): v.— LN 25.251–25.269 (qal) be…
Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; be to me a rock of strength, a stronghold to save me. Psalm 31:2 NASB Rock of strength– Yes, Lord, that’s what I need. A ROCK! An impenitrable place of safe-keeping. I need this: because of this: ṣûr māʿôz. Think about that. Topical Index: rock, strength,
for God Who protects and rescues us are You; for God, the gracious and compassionate King, are You. Siddur, Maariv for Weekdays, Shema and Its Blessings, p. 291. Protects and Rescues – “Being obedient does not require understanding God’s reasoning.”[1] Yes, that’s so true. Frankly, I don’t understand God at all. I don’t understand how…
And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Genesis 3:11 NASB Naked – What a strange question? Why would God ask who told Adam he was naked? Does this mean God didn’t know? Hardly! The question must be directed…
You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word. Psalm 119:114 NASB Wait for – Once more David opens the line with a samech. Here the first word of the verse is sitri’ – “hiding place, covering, protection.” The verb in translation (“are”) is implied, not expressed. The idea that God…
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 NIV Confident – There aren’t many things in life that are guaranteed. The joke usually involves death and taxes, but neither one of those is very appealing. Unfortunately,…
The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7 Testimony – The Hebrew word ‘eduth means “testimony, precept or warning.” It comes from a word that means “witness,” that is, someone who gives evidence. And that word comes from a primitive…
And the salvation of the righteous is of YHWH; He is their strength in the time of trouble. Psalm 37:39 Salvation – What time is it in your life? Is it a time of trouble? If it is, then the psalmist has a perfect word for you: teshu’ah – deliverance! Let’s slow down for a…
