04/30/2008 Farm Bureau Market Report

Click here to view this report online.

Grain & Soybean Date: April 30, 2008 Soybeans Local Elevators: (Apr) EAST AR:  1242 to 1272 (NC) Summ. 1118 to 1150 River Elevators: (Apr) MISS: 1232 to 1293 ; AR & White 1257 to 1263 (NC) Summ. 1124 to 1158 Ark. Processor Bids: (Apr) 1152 to 1165  (NC) 1146 to 1148 Memphis:  (Apr) 1292 3/4 to 1294 (NC)  1155 1/2 to - - - Riceland Foods:  (Apr/May) Stuttgart 1265 ; Pendleton 1272 ; West Memphis 1293 Chicago Futures: May up 22 1/4 at  1301 3/4   Jul  up  20 1/2  at  1314   Aug up 21 1/2  at  1303   Nov up 27 1/2  at  1228   Nov '09 up 21  at  1212   Today's Arkansas LDP rate for soybeans is: 0¢ Soybean Comment Soybeans bounced up and down in early trade before closing the session with strong gains. November futures dipped below $12 for the third day in a row, but recovered to close at the mid-point of a trading range of 50 cents. Improved weather and planting conditions for corn seemed to give the market a boost as did a weaker dollar. November soybeans would need to close above resistance at $12.65 and $13.15 to put the market in an uptrend. Wheat Cash bid for April at Memphis  652 1/4 to 666; Bids to farmers at Local Elevators 633-656; River Elevators 616-669; Chicago Futures: May down  6  at  788    Jul down 5 1/2  at  803    Sep up  2 3/4  at  826    Dec down  4 1/4  at  837    Jul '09 up  4  at  847    Today's Arkansas LDP rate for wheat is: 0¢ Grain Sorghum Cash bid for new crop at Memphis  979 to 988; Bids to farmers at River Elevators 918-980; Today's Arkansas LDP rate for sorghum is: 0¢ Corn Cash bid for April at Memphis   582 1/4 to 589 1/4;   new crop at Memphis   576 3/4 to - - -; Bids to farmers at River Elevators  563 to 578 Chicago Futures: May up  9  at  600 1/4    Jul up  7 3/4  at  612 1/4    Sep up  7  at  621 3/4    Dec up  6 1/4  at  628 1/4    Today's Arkansas LDP rate for corn is: 0¢ Grain Comment Wheat futures followed rice lower today. This market is clearly locked in a downtrend as harvest approaches. The next level of support is around $7.75. Cotton & Rice  Date: April 30, 2008 Cotton Spot Price, Grade 41 Staple 34: Memphis up 57 at  6167   Greenwood up  57 at 6167 New York Futures: May up  68  at  6886    Jul up  81  at  7141    Dec up  88  at  7993    Mar '09 up  68  at  8407    May '09 up  94  at  8565  This week's LDP rate for cotton is  0 cents   The estimate for next week is  0 cents Cotton Comment Cotton recouped early session declines and closed on a strong note. Crop progress in planting appeared to be on target for the U.S. but behind in much of the mid-South. With big ending stocks projected the market isn’t really too concern at this stage of the game. Trading is expected to remain within the current trading range of 71 cents to 89.49 cents. Rice Long Grain Cash Bid for  Apr/May 2025/cwt  to  - - -   - - - - - -  to  - - - Chicago Futures: May down  111  at  2148    Jul down  115  at  2178    Sep down  115  at  1969    Nov down  115  at  1938    - - -   - - -  at  - - -  Today's Arkansas LDP rate for long grain rice is  0¢ medium grain rice is  0¢ Rice Comment Rice futures made another big downward correction as the market declined for the third day in a row. November dropped to $19.38, or within cents of the 50% retracement level of gains made over the last 6 weeks. A drop to $18.57 would complete a 62% retracement. Underlying fundamentals are unchanged with limited offerings available from exporters in Southeast Asia where rice quotes are in the $1,000 to $1,100 per tonne range. The current slide in futures is bringing that quote back in line with current conditions. Cattle & Hogs  Date: April 30, 2008 Cattle As reported by Federal-State Market News, receipts were 1,406 head at sales in Conway & Pocahontas.  Compared with last week, feeder steers sold firm to $5 higher . Steers:  Medium & Large Frame 1   400 to 450 lbs. 113.75 to - - -   500 to 550 lbs. 110.89 to - - -   600 to 650 lbs. 101.04 to - - -  Medium & Large Frame 2   400 to 450 lbs. 104.54 to - - - Heifers:  Medium & Large Frame 1   400 to 450 lbs. 103.07 to - - -  Medium & Large Frame 2   400 to 450 lbs. 89.15 to - - - Slaughter Cows, Boners 47   to   52 Light Weight 34 to 41 Bulls, Yield Grade   1   1000   to   2100 lbs.   61   to   66, high dressing 69-71.50 Midwest Steers   were quoted   at   89   to   - - - Panhandle Steers   were quoted   at   89   to   - - - Oklahoma City Feeders Steers 550 to 600 lbs. 116 to 125   600 to 650 lbs. 109.50 to 118 Heifers 500 to 550 lbs. 109 to 114   550 to 600 lbs. 105 to 112 Chicago Futures: Live Cattle: Jun up 70 at 9347   Aug up 62 at 9897 Feeders: May up 62 at 10597   Aug up 32 at 10852 Cattle Comment Cattle futures were mostly higher. Firm beef prices and expectations for higher cash cattle trade this week were supportive. June live futures will have resistance at today’s high of $93.90. May feeders have resistance at Tuesday’s chart gap beginning at $106.20. Hogs Peoria: were     steady   at   43.5   to   44 Chicago Futures: Jun up 92 at 7347   Oct up 115 at 7245 Sheep St. Paul sheep shorn slaughter lambs unchanged   at   n/a   to   - - - Hogs Comment Hogs spent all day trading inside yesterday’s wide trading range. Weak packer operating margins are negative, as are large supplies of pork despite strong demand. June has support between $72 and $72.45. Poultry  Date: April 30, 2008 Eggs New York:  Ex. Lg. 113-117; Lg. 111-115; Med. 98-102; Chicago:  Ex. Lg. 105-113; Lg. 103-111; Med. 91-99; Eastern Region Turkeys Hens: 8-16 lbs. 87-90 Toms: 16-24 lbs. 87-90   Delmarva Broilers U.S. Grade A Trade sentiment was steady to fully steady. Supplies of all sizes were adequate to close balanced for trade needs. In production areas, live supplies were moderate at mixed, but mostly desirable weights. ---------------------------------------- HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE You are receiving this newsletter because you requested that your e-mail address be added to the Arkansas Farm Bureau Market Report. To unsubscribe or change your subscription information, go to http://www.arfb.com/commodity_marketing/email/ ---------------------------------------- QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? If you have any comments or questions about this e-newsletter please e-mail us at mktrpt@arfb.com Arkansas Farm Bureau 10720 Kanis Road Little Rock, AR 72211 501-224-4400 Copyright 2008 Arkansas Farm Bureau, Inc. All rights reserved Terms of Use

FWD: Morning Manna May 1-BP: I Cor. 14:26-40; RBTTY: Lk. 21:20-38; I Kings 10-11

 
Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net

 

---

-----Original Message-----
From: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Sent: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:10:38 -0500
To: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Subject: Morning Manna May 1-BP: I Cor. 14:26-40; RBTTY: Lk. 21:20-38; I Kings 10-11
 

May 1                                                                                                           “Kingdom Builders”

 

“. . .Let all things be done unto edifying.”

                                                                                                          I Corinthians 14:26b

The world is full of builders,

Who raise towers to the sky;

They start from scratch and slowly erect them

Until they stand oh, so high.

 

Then there are those who raze them,

Whose “calling” it is to destroy,

So quickly can they tear things down

By whatever means they choose to employ.

 

But, when it comes to doing God’s Work

And helping spread His Love,

We can ill afford to be critical of those around us

While saying we’re children of the Father above.

 

Barbed comments do such damage,

Inflicting so many a hurt,

That the devil loves it when we use them

And our own “rights” we do assert.

 

To further our Father’s Kingdom

And always do His will,

We must edify one another

And never of them speak ill.

 

Although we will not always like

Everything that others may do,

We still must seek to build them up

Until the race set before us is through.

 

When they’re down, we exhort them;

When they’re sad, we offer cheer—

By reminding them the Father will never forsake them,

But has promised to always be near.

 

In words so fitly spoken

And in deeds, whatever they may be,

We’re to edify one another,

Which glorifies the Lord and is plain for all to see.

 

                                                                                                          --Tom Smith

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

Mr. Lynn M. Smith

Department Business Administrator

Department of Economics

University of Houston

204C McElhinney Hall

Houston, TX 77204-5019

(713) 743-3802 (office)

(713) 743-3798 (fax)

LSmith20@central.uh.edu (email)

http://www.class.uh.edu/econ/ (department website)

  

 

04/29/2008 Farm Bureau Daily Market Report

Click here to view this report online.

Grain & Soybean Date: April 29, 2008 Soybeans Local Elevators: (Apr) EAST AR:  1220 to 1250 (NC) Summ. 1093 to 1125 River Elevators: (Apr) MISS: 1210 to 1271 ; AR & White 1234 to 1240 (NC) Summ. 1099 to 1133 Ark. Processor Bids: (Apr) 1231 to 1243  (NC) 1121 to 1123 Memphis:  (Apr) 1270 1/2 to 1274 1/2 (NC)  1130 1/2 to - - - Riceland Foods:  (Apr) Stuttgart 1243 ; Pendleton 1250 ; West Memphis 1271 Chicago Futures: May down 4 at  1279 1/2   Jul  down  4  at  1293 1/2   Aug down 1 1/2  at  1281 1/2   Nov down 4  at  1200 1/2   Nov '09 down 5 1/2  at  1191   Today's Arkansas LDP rate for soybeans is: 0¢ Soybean Comment Neither corn nor beans could muster much excitement today, although corn moved to a new contract high following a crop progress report that indicated plantings at only 10%, well below the norm. The inability to hold a new contract high suggests the market has accounted for the slow pace. On the other hand soybeans didn’t fall out of bed following yesterday’s November close below $12.00. Weaker oil and a stronger dollar didn’t seem to budge soybeans either. So for now we are in a delicate equilibrium which could be tipped either way – by weather or outside interests like crude oil, the dollar or index funds. Wheat Cash bid for new crop at Memphis  668 1/2 to 673 1/2; Bids to farmers at Local Elevators 641-664; River Elevators 624-677; Chicago Futures: May down  32  at  794    Jul down 32 1/2  at  808 1/2    Sep down  31 3/4  at  823 1/4    Dec down  32 1/4  at  841 1/4    Jul '09 down  26  at  843    Today's Arkansas LDP rate for wheat is: 0¢ Grain Sorghum Cash bid for April at Memphis  975 to - - -; Bids to farmers at River Elevators 902-964; Today's Arkansas LDP rate for sorghum is: 0¢ Corn Cash bid for April at Memphis   571 1/4 to 578 1/4;   new crop at Memphis   569 3/4 to - - -; Bids to farmers at River Elevators  554 to 569 Chicago Futures: May down  8 3/4  at  591 1/4    Jul down  9  at  604 1/2    Sep down  9 1/4  at  614 3/4    Dec down  8 1/4  at  622    Today's Arkansas LDP rate for corn is: 0¢ Grain Comment Wheat futures were sharply lower today as the market turns its focus back to the size of the new crop. Frost worries in the U.S. have been pushed aside by warmer temperatures this week. The next level of support is around $7.75. Cotton & Rice  Date: April 29, 2008 Cotton Spot Price, Grade 41 Staple 34: Memphis down 101 at  6110   Greenwood down  101 at 6110 New York Futures: May down  95  at  6818    Jul down  101  at  7060    Dec down  121  at  7905    Mar '09 down  93  at  8339    May '09 down  79  at  8471  This week's LDP rate for cotton is  0 cents   The estimate for next week is  0 cents Cotton Comment Cotton lost earlier gains and ended lower. Crop progress in planting appeared to be on target for the U.S. but behind in much of the mid-South. With big ending stocks projected the market isn’t really too concern at this stage of the game. Trading is expected to remain within the current trading range of 71 cents to 89.49 cents. Rice Long Grain Cash Bid for  Apr/May 2025/cwt  to  - - -   - - - - - -  to  - - - Chicago Futures: May down  71  at  2259    Jul down  75  at  2293    Sep down  75  at  2084    Nov down  50  at  2053    - - -   - - -  at  - - -  Today's Arkansas LDP rate for long grain rice is  0¢ medium grain rice is  0¢ Rice Comment Rice futures posted limit losses today as the market appears to be followthrough on last week’s old crop “island reversal” top. Planting progress is on schedule everywhere except Arkansas and Missouri. However this doesn’t appear to be a major problem at this point. The market appears to have been overcooked much like spring wheat earlier in the year and is certainly due a break and could head toward retracement objectives of $19.95, $19.26 and $18.57. Overall fundamentals remain unchanged with tight world and U.S. stocks providing underlying support for recent gains. Cattle & Hogs  Date: April 29, 2008 Cattle As reported by Federal-State Market News, receipts were 642 head at sales in Fort Smith.  Compared with last week, feeder steers sold $2-3 lower, heifers $3 higher . Steers:  Medium & Large Frame 1   400 to 450 lbs. 119.95 to - - -   500 to 550 lbs. 113.16 to - - -   600 to 650 lbs. 105.46 to - - -  Medium & Large Frame 2   400 to 450 lbs. 109.33 to - - - Heifers:  Medium & Large Frame 1   400 to 450 lbs. 103.97 to - - -  Medium & Large Frame 2   400 to 450 lbs. 93 to - - -- Slaughter Cows, Boners 40   to   44.50 Light Weight 48 to 52 Bulls, Yield Grade   1   1000   to   2100 lbs.   59   to   63.50, high dressing $64-68.50 Midwest Steers   n/a   at   - - -   to   - - - Panhandle Steers   n/a   at   - - -   to   - - - Oklahoma City Feeders Steers n/a to - - - lbs. - - - to - - -   n/a to - - - lbs. - - - to - - - Heifers n/a to - - - lbs. - - - to - - -   n/a to - - - lbs. - - - to - - - Chicago Futures: Live Cattle: Jun down 90 at 9285   Aug down 60 at 9845 Feeders: May down 137 at 10535   Aug down 95 at 10822 Cattle Comment Cattle futures were under pressure from sharp losses in hog futures and ideas the beef market is topping. Feeders followed live futures lower. Futures’ premium to cash is also a factor. Hogs Peoria: were     steady   at   42   to   44 Chicago Futures: Jun down 290 at 7255   Oct down 115 at 7130 Sheep St. Paul sheep shorn slaughter lambs   at   n/a   to   - - - Hogs Comment The selloff in hogs gained momentum today. News that Russia has “delisted” some U.S. pork processing plants sparked today’s move, but technical selling and ideas the market has topped were also factors. June has an initial downside objective of $72. Poultry  Date: April 29, 2008 Eggs New York:  Ex. Lg. 116-120; Lg. 114-118; Med. 101-105; Chicago:  Ex. Lg. 105-113; Lg. 103-111; Med. 91-93; Eastern Region Turkeys Hens: 8-16 lbs. 86-90 Toms: 16-24 lbs. 86-90   Delmarva Broilers U.S. Grade A Trade sentiment was steady to fully steady. Supplies of all sizes were adequate to close balanced for trade needs. In production areas, live supplies were moderate at mixed, but mostly desirable weights. ---------------------------------------- HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE You are receiving this newsletter because you requested that your e-mail address be added to the Arkansas Farm Bureau Market Report. To unsubscribe or change your subscription information, go to http://www.arfb.com/commodity_marketing/email/ ---------------------------------------- QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? If you have any comments or questions about this e-newsletter please e-mail us at mktrpt@arfb.com Arkansas Farm Bureau 10720 Kanis Road Little Rock, AR 72211 501-224-4400 Copyright 2008 Arkansas Farm Bureau, Inc. All rights reserved Terms of Use

Take Action: Now or Never for the 2008 Farm Bill!

Forward   Donate   Subscribe   www.farmland.org
	April 29, 2008 Final Farm Bill Push Dear Agriculture, Final farm bill decisions are being made this week! Keep the pressure on Congress to pass a farm bill with important new programs and increased funding. Over the weekend there was a promising breakthrough in the farm bill conference—House and Senate leadership and the agriculture and finance committees came to a tentative agreement on a 10-year farm bill that includes $10.4 billion in additional funding. Lawmakers have this week to finalize major policy details. It’s now or never to get a 2008 Farm Bill—take action to help get it passed with critical funding and improvements to conservation, local foods and nutrition along with landmark reforms to subsidy programs. New funding in the bill comes primarily from the extension of customs user fees paid by importers as well as cuts from direct payments. The funding will boost nutrition spending to support families struggling with rising food costs and provide much needed increases for conservation and working lands programs. CONSERVATION: A $4 billion over baseline funding increase included in the House-Senate package will help expand efforts to protect our water, air and soil quality. Tell your legislators to: Keep conservation funding and important policy changes in the agreement intact; Keep the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) effective by granting as much local control as possible. FRPP is designed to work with landowners, local partners AND the federal government, but in recent years, bureaucratic regulation has weakened its success; and, Include conservation easement tax credits in the tax package. This program is in danger of not being included, but is important to promote the protection of America’s farms and ranches. SUBSIDY REFORM: The House-Senate agreement includes the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program which provides revenue based, market oriented protection to farmers instead of payments based on politically set target prices. This is a positive step for reform and helps lay the groundwork for future success. You’ve helped us advocate for this program, and we’re close to getting it passed! If passed, nearly 1/4 of American farmers would enroll, moving farm policy in a new direction by using a market-based safety net. We must continue to fight for this significant progress. ACRE, coupled with other changes in the bill, holds the hope of some of the most significant reforms in farm policy history. However forces in Washington are working to squeeze the ACRE program to make it unattractive for farmers to participate. Ask your legislators make ACRE a true, viable option for farmers: Keep ACRE in the farm bill; Ensure reform by moving away from government set targets and towards a system that moves with the market; and, Make ACRE available sooner rather than later. Many farmers want a change in subsidy policy, and they should not have to wait until the 2010 crop year. Make it available in 2009. LOCAL FOODS: Supporting local food helps keep your local farmland viable and your local economy thriving. Many new programs and funding sources in the farm bill will help enhance local food systems, but they’re discretionary and would need new funding every year. Push your legislators to: Make funding mandatory for critical local food programs such as the Farmers Market Promotion Program, Community Food Project grants and the Healthy Food Enterprise Development Center. These programs are needed to support new and expanded farmers markets, access to healthy food in underserved communities, and loans to rebuild local and regional food systems; and, Demand strong geographic preference language in the final bill that will allow schools and other institutions to purchase food from local farms and ranches. Help us keep the pressure on Congress this week. Take action now! Thank you for your support. As progress continues over the next few dates, stay up-to-date by subscribing to our RSS feed or visiting our website. Sincerely,   Jimmy Daukas Farm and Food Policy Campaign Director, American Farmland Trust
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© Copyright 2006, American Farmland Trust. All rights reserved. 1200 18th Street, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 (202)-331-7300

FWD: Morning Manna Apr. 30-BP: Num. 32; RBTTY: Lk. 21:1-19; I Kings 8-9

 
Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net

 

---

-----Original Message-----
From: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Sent: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:06:16 -0500
To: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Subject: Morning Manna Apr. 30-BP: Num. 32; RBTTY: Lk. 21:1-19; I Kings 8-9
 

April 30                                                                  “On Discouraging Others In Deeds”

 

“And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, ‘Shall your brethren go to war and you sit here?  And why discourage you the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them’?”

                                                                                                                  Numbers 32:6-7

     Active words and passive deeds so often are powerful tools of discouragement in the devil’s hands.

     They’d been wandering 40 years in the wilderness.  All those over 20-years-old had died out there as part of their punishment for refusing to enter the Promised Land when they first reached it (Num. 14:20-35).

 

     But, now, here they were once again on the east side of the Jordan River, looking over at the land the Lord God had promised to Abraham so many years before (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:14-18).  It would be at the point that Caleb, one of the two spies who said “Let’s take the land” when they first arrived (Num. 13:30; 14:8-9), would stand and say, “I was 40-years-old when Moses sent me into the land to spy it out and I brought him word against as it was in my heart; nevertheless, my brethren, who went up with me, made the heart of the people melt—but I wholly followed the Lord, my God. . .And now the Lord has kept me alive these past 45 years and I’m now 85-years-old, but still as strong today as when Moses first sent me into the land; now, therefore, give me this mountain . . .” (Josh. 14:7-12).  Hallelujah!!

 

     Even so, the tribes of Gad and Reuben weren’t too keen on crossing over the Jordan and helping conquer the Promised Land.  They’d already noticed how spacious and fertile the lands of Jazer and Gilead were—and how suitable it was for grazing their large herds of cattle (Num. 32:1-5).

 

     That’s when an irritated Moses spoke today’s message and said, “Shall your brothers go to war and you just sit here?  Why, by your actions, are you wanting to discourage (Heb. ‘nuw’—‘to refuse, forbid, dissuade, make of no effect, cause to lose heart, etc.’) the heart of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them?”  He then reminded them of their fathers’ sinful words which discouraged the people from going over the first time (v.9) and warned them of the consequences of turning away from the Lord (vv.10-15).

 

     Oh, dear Pilgrim, we all know of the great damage discouraging words can do.  They tempt us to second-guess ourselves or give in to our doubts and fears.  Cowardice is contagious and quickly spreads throughout a group IF we let it.

 

     The same is true with discouraging deeds.  It’s appears that the tribes of Gad and Reuben were guilty of the sin of contentment—i.e., thinking only of themselves and not knowing/caring how their actions might affect the whole group.  Passive resistance is just as damaging to God’s Kingdom work as active or aggressive incitement.  That’s why we should always seek to be edifying in all we say and do. . .lest we end up stirring up God’s wrath and grieving His sweet Holy Spirit in the process.

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

Mr. Lynn M. Smith

Department Business Administrator

Department of Economics

University of Houston

204C McElhinney Hall

Houston, TX 77204-5019

(713) 743-3802 (office)

(713) 743-3798 (fax)

LSmith20@central.uh.edu (email)

http://www.class.uh.edu/econ/ (department website)

  

 

FWD: Morning Manna Apr. 26-BP: Ps. 19; RBTTY: Lk. 19:1-27; II Sam. 23-24

 
Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net

 

---

-----Original Message-----
From: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Sent: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:44:32 -0500
To: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Subject: Morning Manna Apr. 26-BP: Ps. 19; RBTTY: Lk. 19:1-27; II Sam. 23-24
 

April 26                                                                    “Blessed Meditations and Mouths”

 

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.”

                                                                                                                      Psalm 19:14

     Even in the spiritual realm, “What goes in also comes out.”

     Many years ago when computers began to make their presence known, programmers had an acronym known as “G.I.G.O.”  This stood for “Garbage In, Garbage Out.”  Simply put, they were showing that glitches in computer programs were more with the ones programming them than they were on the installed software or hardware.

 

     Although King David knew nothing about computers or G.I.G.O., in reality, today’s Manna is his spiritual version of that truth.  And, although Jesus later said, “It’s not what goes in the mouth that defiles a man; it’s what comes out” (Mt. 15:11), He was dealing more with ritual or ceremonial uncleaness than He was the importance of “hiding God’s Word in our hearts” (Ps. 119:11).

 

     The anonymous author(s) of Ps. 1 knew the importance of God’s Word.  That’s why he said, “But his delight (Heb. ‘chephets’—‘pleasure, a valuable thing, that which is desirable, pleasant, pleasurable, etc.’) is in the law of the Lord and in His law does he meditate (Heb. ‘hagah’—‘to ponder, study, reflect upon, contemplate, lit., to chew the cud, etc.’) both day and night” (v.2).

 

     Thus, it’s likely David had this in mind when he talked about “the meditation of his heart being acceptable in the Lord’s sight.”  We can’t focus on “garbage” all day long and expect our thoughts and words to be “acceptable (Heb. ‘ratsown’—‘to delight in, be acceptable, favored, desired, be pleased with, etc.’)in God’s sight.”  Or, another way to put it is this:  We can’t fill our minds with the world’s “trash” and have our mouths be filled with God’s “Treasure.”  Garbage-minds and gutter-mouths always go together.

 

     But, when we “study to show ourselves approved (Grk. ‘dokimos’—‘acceptable, proven, tried-and-true, tested, etc.’) unto God” (II Tim. 2:15a), we can always rest assured that we’ll “need not be ashamed, for we rightly divide (Grk. ‘orthotomeo’—‘to make a straight cut, dissect correctly, accurately present, etc.’) the Word of Truth” (II Tim. 2:15b).  Hallelujah!!

 

     Oh, dear Pilgrim, do you daily “hide God’s Word in your heart”?  Have you reached the point where you “incarnate” His Word, instead of struggling to just memorize a few verses?  Do you “hunger and thirst” after His Word, knowing that, in so doing, the Risen Lord will intimately commune with you through His Spirit?

     Let’s put it this way:  If you were on a desert island with all the modern conveniences (e.g., food, shelter, electricity, running water, satellite hookup and cell phone capability, etc.), but could only have one piece of property, what would it be?  Think about it:  You could only have one “possession,” what would it be?  If you said without hesitation or reservation, “God’s Word,” then you understand today’s Manna; if not, do not rest until you do.

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

Mr. Lynn M. Smith

Department Business Administrator

Department of Economics

University of Houston

204C McElhinney Hall

Houston, TX 77204-5019

(713) 743-3802 (office)

(713) 743-3798 (fax)

LSmith20@central.uh.edu (email)

http://www.class.uh.edu/econ/ (department website)

  

 

151.234