FWD: Morning Manna (July 18); BP: Ps. 119:73-80; RBTTY: Acts 21:1-17;

 
Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net

 

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-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:49:03 -0500
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (July 18); BP: Ps. 119:73-80; RBTTY: Acts 21:1-17;
 

DEAR FELLOW PILGRIM:

   I do hope this finds you well and being blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ.  I will be out-of-pocket e-mail-wise from tomorrow through Sat., July 19, and have asked my brother, Lynn, to once again send the "Morning Manna" to you.  As always, I pray the Holy Spirit will minister to you through them each day.  And, I look forward to being back with you on the 20th, the Lord willing.  God bless you.

   In Jesus' Unfailing Love,

   Bro. Tom

 

July 18                                                                                                                        “God’s Tender Mercies”

 

“Let, I pray You, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your Word unto Your servant.  Let Your tender mercies come unto me, that I may live—for Your Law is my delight.”

                                                                                                                                                   Psalm 119:76-77

     His grace gives us what we do not deserve, while His mercy prevents us from getting all we do deserve.

     His mercies.

     Jeremiah knew afflictions.  This “Weeping Prophet,” who preached for over 40 years to his stiff-necked, unrepentant countrymen of Judah, said “I am the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.  He has led me and brought me into darkness, but not into light.  Surely, against me is He turned; He has turned His hand against me all the day.  My flesh and my skin has He made old; He has broken my bones. . .He has hedged me about, that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy.  Also, when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer. . .And You have removed my soul far off from peace; I forgot prosperity.  And I said, ‘My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord’” (Lam. 3:1-3, 7-8, 17-18).

 

     Yes, he knew afflictions.  But, like Job, his theology of “You do good and you prosper; you do bad and you suffer” inwardly tormented him more than the outward rebukes and rejections from those to whom he’d been called to preach.

 

     Such is always the case—even for those of us on this side of Calvary—for our Adamic minds “tend toward death and are at enmity (hostile toward) against God from birth” (Rom. 8:6-7).  Like Asaph, we’re perplexed why the “rich get richer and the poor get poorer” when they prosper and we, who strive diligently to serve Him, fall on hard times (Ps. 73:2-15).  Inwardly (and secretly) we want to blame God as we ask, “Why??”

 

     But, it’s in these times of suffering—both deserved and undeserved—that we, like Asaph, must say “God is good” (Ps. 73:1) and get alone with God (vv.16-17).  Only then does He give us new perspective. . .about others and ourselves (vv.18-24). . .and only then can we cry, “Whom have I in Heaven but Thee?  And, there’s none upon earth that I desire besides Thee.  My flesh and my heart fail—but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (vv.25-26).  Hallelujah!

 

     And, like Jeremiah, when we’re tempted to throw in the towel (Jer. 20:9a), we realize “His Word is in our hearts like a burning fire shut up in our bones and we become weary with forbearing (resisting Him, complaining) and can’t continue feeling that way” (v.9b).

 

     That’s why we must cry as Jeremiah did, “Sing unto the Lord; praise the Lord—for He has delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of the evildoer” (Jer. 20:13).  And, like Jeremiah, we remember “It’s by the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed; His compassions fail not—they are new every morning.  Great is His faithfulness” (Lam. 3:21-23).  May His “merciful kindness be our comfort and delight” today, causing us to “hope in His Word” because of His unfailing promises.  Thank you, Lord.

                                                                                                           

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