Psalms 55:22

 Psalms 55:22—“Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee; he shall  never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

I know not why but for the past several days the chorus of a beautiful song has been echoing through my mind:

                   “Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Calvary, Calvary;

                   Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Jesus is very near.”

It seems that not a day passes without something occurring to either us or to someone we know and love that causes our hearts to droop and be troubled. There are disappointments and even failures that strike our human frame. Sickness and disease strike quite often causing pain and suffering. There are those moments when we are struck with the bitterest agony known to man as we watch friends, acquaintances and loved ones depart this life. There are times when our days do become weary and the nights are long and dreary.

 I am so glad and thankful to God that when our hearts are deeply burdened we can cry out to him for the help needed (Ps. 28:1, Heb. 4:16). He is our place of defense and safety, our deliverer, our source of strength (Ps. 18:2, Isa. 12:2). The Psalmist tells us that when our hearts are overwhelmed we just need to be lead to the rock that is higher than we and that rock is Christ our Lord (1 Cor. 10:4). There is not a shade of a shadow of a doubt in my mind that truly, “Burdens are lifted at Calvary because Jesus is near”!

There is no promise given to any of us that our lives on planet earth will ever be free from troubles, cares, strife and burdens as we make this journey down the road of life but all of us are given the promise that so long as our trust is in God, so long as we depend upon him our journey will be safe and secure (Ps. 23, Romans 8:35-39).

In this life I know that I am going to groan and be burdened (2 Cor. 5:1-4) but as I do so, I am looking for a home that is eternal in the heavens, a home not made with human hands but one built by God (John 14:1-3). If I obey my Lord, if I live faithfully for him, it matters not that the way may become dark and dreary because there is a pearly white city in my future. Today, I believe with all my heart that I have a mansion, a robe, and a crown waiting for me. At the moment I am just watching and longing for that day when I will behold that city from within. I trust the same is true for all who now read these words.

To God be the glory forever and ever (1 Peter 5:10-11).

Charles Hicks

Unworldly peace

    “The war to end all wars” was the idealistic term used for World War I.

But it didn’t work, and the warring goes on. Since World War I the world has witnessed major disruptions in world peace that include World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the ongoing unrest in the Middle East, and a world-wide war on terror that shows no sign of letting up. We live in a warring world. Lloyd Cory was not far off the mark when he observed, “Peace is the brief, glorious moment in history when everyone stands around reloading.” The war on terror is fought mostly in far-away places, but the thought terrorists may attack here at home is never far from our minds. Peace is truly a rare commodity. Hostility seems to saturate human society. We wage a never-ending war with crime, drugs, and violence.

Families are often at war, engaging in a war of words that sometimes spills over into physical violence and abuse. The casualty in domestic wars is very often marriage itself – killed in a legal action called “divorce.”

Churches may witness war as interpersonal conflicts transform people in the pews from peacemakers to peace-breakers. Even the peace and sanctuary of the womb is not beyond the reach of violence as the lives of thousands of unborn but very human-babies are snuffed out each day, the victim of someone else’s “right to choose.” Turmoil and unrest goes on inside all of us to some degree in the form of worry and stress and troubled minds. Charles Schulz, creator of the “Peanuts” cartoon strips, spoke for many when he said, “I’ve developed a new philosophy – I only dread one day at a time.” In one strip he had the cartoon character Charlie Brown say, “Sometimes you lie in a bed at night and you don’t have a single thing to worry about. That always worries me!” Most of us never have to worry about not having anything to worry about. Even Jesus taught, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). Add to all this the true to life words of the apostle Paul in Romans 7:23-24 where he talks about the tension that goes on inside his heart and soul – delighting in the law of God on one hand, but seeing “another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

    In the middle of all this, the Bible calls us to an “unworldly peace.”  Jesus

described it in John 14:27. Literally hours before His betrayal, mockery, agonizing, and unjust death on the cross He told His troubled apostles, ”Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Later, from a prison cell and facing an uncertain future, the apostle Paul counseled Christians at first century Philippi and 21st century anywhere, to not worry but pray and be thankful so that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). All of this must have been in Edward J. Bickersteth’s mind when he penned these soul-soothing words in 1875 – “Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round: On Jesus’ bosom nought but calm is found” (verse 3, Peace, Perfect Peace).  It’s not likely this war-torn world will ever see a total cessation of war. But thanks to Jesus Christ, each of us can experience an other-worldly peace. Here’s hoping you are at peace  with God, with others, and yourself.

--by Dan Gulley

Shortest verses in the Bible

Have you ever wanted to know which verses in the Bible are the shortest?  Through www.abiblecommentary.com you can now get a free list of the "shortest verses in the Bible" in this free Excel file.

ME’NE, ME’NE, TE’KEL, U-PHAR’SIN (Daniel 5:25)

And this is the writing that was written, ME’NE, ME’NE, TE’KEL, U-PHAR’SIN-

(Daniel 5:25)

“Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting”. These are words that greatly troubled Belshazzar, King of Babylon (Dan. 5:1-6, 25-30). God’s judgment is about to befall this man and he is going to now reap what he has sown in his time on this side of eternity (Heb. 10:31, Gal. 6:7). Thinking on these words, I am struck with the thought that you and I are daily being weighed in God’s balance which is his word and one day we will be judged according to what we have sown during our sojourn on this earthly journey of life (Acts 17:31, 2 Cor. 5:10).

 We know that everything about us is open and naked unto the eyes of our God. Nothing is hid from him; he knows every thought, motive and intent of our heart (Prov. 15:3, Heb. 4:12-13). We also know that a record of our life is being kept and one day that record will be opened (Rev. 20:12). On that day the words of judgment we hear will be based on the record we compile while walking the pathway of life. Will I, will you, one day hear “Depart from me” or will we hear “Inherit the kingdom”? What we hear will depend upon whether or not we are “found wanting”

.

In terms of obedience where do we stand? If one day we stand before God in judgment having never obeyed his plan for saving us (Hearing, Believing, Repenting, Confessing, Being Baptized for Remission of Sins—Rom. 10:17, Mk. 16:16, Acts 17:30, Rom. 10:9, Acts 2:38) then there is no doubt as to whether or not we will be found “wanting” (2 Thess. 1:7-9, 2 John 9). In terms of faithfulness, where do we stand? Are we truly seeking first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). Where are we laying up treasure (Matt. 6:19-21? Are we seeking those things above, is our affection set on things above (Col. 3:1-2)? Are we adding those Christian graces that make our calling and election sure (2 Pet. 1:5-11)? Are we growing daily in the grace and knowledge of our Lord (2 Pet. 3:18, 1 Pet. 2:2, 2 Tim. 2:15, Heb. 5:12). In terms of service, where do we stand? Are we abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58, Matt. 25:34-40, James 2). Are we participators or simply spectators? In terms of our lives, where do we stand? Will we be found wanting according to 1 Cor. 6:19-20, Eccl. 12:13, James 1:27, 1 Tim. 5:22 or perhaps 1 John 2:15-17? Are we standing fast in the faith (1 Cor. 16:13-14, Heb. 10:22-26)?

When Belshazzar saw the handwriting on the wall, he had no one to blame but himself. How much more true is this for you and I today? I pray that we will live lives that honor and please God. Always remember that as the grand old song says, “Every day mind the course you pursue, There’s an all seeing eye watching you” (Heb. 4:13)

Charles Hicks