Saved From The Snare

Psalm 124 KJV

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

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The Israelites escaped by the hand of God way more times than once. Even as they finally were given permission to escape from their servitude in Egypt the pharaoh changed his mind and send his army after them to bring them back. But, God's favor was with them. He opened the waters so that they could walk through on dry land. But, he swallowed their enemies with the waters as the seas crashed down upon them. 

The Israelites had a tendency to do what they wanted. They often turned their backs on God. As they put their trust in other things; in false gods; in themselves they would find themselves trapped by their own misdirection and in need of God's saving help again. Of course, God would step in and help them to get on the right path. He would save them over and over again.

When we find ourselves trapped because we have been going in the direction and have fallen prey to the enemy it is most advisable to turn to the Lord and call upon his name for help. He breaks the snare that entraps us and we escape. We are free. The Lord will save us. The Lord has saved us by the blood of Jesus the Christ. 

"Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Snare Of The Fowler

Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

 

Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

 

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

                                                  (Psalm 124:6-8 KJV)

 

With the help of God, there are no snares that can hold us. There is not need to fear. God is with us and for us.

 

When we feel trapped, we can know that our help is in the Lord. He is with us and will help us escape the snares of our enemies.

 

Trust in the Lord who made all things in the heaven and earth. He will not give us to be prey for those who would consume us.

 

Blessed be the Lord, who is our help and salvation.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Partners For Life

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
    for out of Man this one was taken.”

Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:18-24

 

My husband and I had been married for about ten years and were living at the Naval Station in Rota, Spain when the photo above was taken. We will celebrate forty-six years together this winter. So, we've been together for awhile. The photo reminds me of all the up and downs of married life. Living and serving in Rota was one of our periods together when we had way more ups than downs. It was a very good time, indeed. 

 

We have not always worked like partners. Marriage can be very hard work as two individuals attempt to live out their individual and mutual callings together. We have, at times, definitely worked against each other rather than with each other. But, no matter what struggles we have gone through; no matter how many times we may have thought that maybe the partnership should end; we have always gone back to the fact that it was God who joined us together. He gave us each other to help and support one another even to the end of our days on earth. 

 

Our days are getting shorter. We are both too old to spend too much time working against each other. But, it does still happen. Even while we are one in Christ, we still have different gifts; different calls and we find ourselves going in different directions. At times like that, we've found it's best to give each other a little space to grow and serve God in the direction He calls us as individuals. We give a little space even while we continue to help and support one another. 

 

Marriage can be very difficult; but, it is also a very great blessing. God has given you a partner for life in your husband or wife. May God help us to make the most of this great gift of marriage.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

No Idolatry; No Adultery

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted:

“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’
    She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
    a haunt for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
For all the nations have drunk
    the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
    and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.

                                                                                   Revelation 18:1-3 NIV

Adultery and idolatry; what is the difference? There isn't much difference. Unfaithfulness is a hallmark of both. 

Whenever we make a commitment to someone to put them first in our lives and then place other things before that commitment, that is adultery. It does not have to be a sexual liaison for it to be adultery. Football or fishing or gold or alcohol or drugs or money or  multitude of other things sometimes edge their way into our lives causing us to be unfaithful to those whom we have committed ourselves to love and care for.

If we say we worship the one true God and then put any thing before our commitment to love and serve God, we commit idolatry.  Unfaithfulness in our committed relationships with others or with God is adultery and idolatry.

Being reconciled, through the blood of Jesus to our Father, is about being in a committed relationship. God our Father committed His only begotten Son so that we might live in and with Him. God, the Son, committed His life to death, that we might live in and with Him. God, the Holy Spirit, commits us to be our help and our strength so that we might live in the presence of this perfect Triune God for all eternity. It's a pretty one sided commitment though. God desires that we should worship Him. He is faithful to us. Yet, we are not faithful to Him. We promise to be faithful and then we go off and serve other false gods committing adultery and idolatry as lovers of Babylon the great harlot.

The angel in John's vision warns us to come out of her while there is still time; for when that final day comes neither the voice of the bride or the bridegroom will be heard in her again.  (Rev 18:4-5)

There are those who would judge that there are many and various levels of adultery and idolatry. I am pretty sure that God sees these many levels that humankind has concocted. If you dip just your foot into a cesspool you will still get dirty.

I am not aware of anyone who doesn't put themselves or others or things of this world before God from time to time. We are all idolaters and adulterers; forsaking the beautiful gift of reconciliation, life with our God, for reconciliation with the pleasures of this world. But, just because we do, doesn't mean we should. When we confess Jesus as our Savior, we make a commitment to him. We make a commitment to the one who was willing to commit his life to us. Even though we have turned our back on him; he did not turn his back on us.

Babylon the Great is sure to fall. May God help you to not fall with her.

God's Peace - Pr. J

God's Will Will Be Done!

“'Remember this, keep it in mind,
    take it to heart, you rebels. 
 Remember the former things, those of long ago;
    I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
I make known the end from the beginning,
    from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
    and I will do all that I please.’
From the east I summon a bird of prey;
    from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
    what I have planned, that I will do." (Isa 46:8-11 NIV)

False idols are burdensome. They do nothing but add weight to the burden of the animals that carry them and the people that worship them. But, the LORD, our God, carries our weight. He carries our burdens. He bore the weight of our sins on the cross for us.  So which is preferable to you to bear the weight and the burden of a false god or have the one true God lift you up and carry you?

There is only one God. No matter what false gods you might choose to worship, it will be God's will that will be done and not ours. It will not be the will of any false gods that we might worship that is done. The truth is false gods have no good will for you or anyone else. They can help no one. They have no power.

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."" (Joshua 24:15)

There is only one God. Worship Him and Him alone!

God's Peace - Pr. J