Christi still in sunny CA, having lunch at Huntington Beach (she called me and said she got to drive by our favorite Diner out there...she thought of me and missed me).
Pray for our nation after White House officials expressed President Obama's concern Wednesday over an Iranian test of a missile that has the range to reach Israel. Intercede for nation's foreign policy response to the situation...
1-4 Take my side, God�I'm getting kicked around, stomped on every day.
Not a day goes by
but somebody beats me up;
They make it their duty
to beat me up.
When I get really afraid
I come to you in trust.
I'm proud to praise God;
fearless now, I trust in God.
What can mere mortals do?
5-6 They don't let up�
they smear my reputation
and huddle to plot my collapse.
They gang up,
sneak together through the alleys
To take me by surprise,
wait their chance to get me.
7 Pay them back in evil!
Get angry, God!
Down with these people!
8 You've kept track of my every toss and turn
through the sleepless nights,
Each tear entered in your ledger,
each ache written in your book.
9 If my enemies run away,
turn tail when I yell at them,
Then I'll know
that God is on my side.
10-11 I'm proud to praise God,
proud to praise God.
Fearless now, I trust in God;
what can mere mortals do to me?
12-13 God, you did everything you promised,
and I'm thanking you with all my heart.
You pulled me from the brink of death,
my feet from the cliff-edge of doom.
Now I stroll at leisure with God
in the sunlit fields of life.
"Unless persuaded in our mind that God takes special notice of each affliction which we endure, it is impossible that we can ever attain such confidence as to pray that God would put our tears into his bottle, with a view to regarding them, and being induced by them to interpose in our behalf. David animates his hope by the consideration that all his tears were written in the book of God, and would therefore be certainly remembered."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
Side comment: Many years ago, when Rachel was very young, before we had Stephanie, we had a videotape called "Kids Sing Praise." It was hosted by Steve Green, along with a handful of children, and all the songs were straight from Scripture. One of the songs, came from this Psalm, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you..." One night, Christi was in Euless, taking some night classes to finish her degree, and a strong storm came through. One of those where you grab pillows and go sit in the hall in the middle of the house, away from all the windows. As we sat there, Rachel suggested that we start singing that song. So she and I sat in the hall, with our pillows, singing, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you, I will trust in you, I will trust in you; when I am afraid, I will trust in you, in God whose word I praise." I think Rachel was somewhere around three years old at the time.
"Disciplining Blasphemers"
1 Timothy 1:19b-20
By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
By saying that he has handed these men "over to Satan," Paul is speaking of church discipline, or "excommunication," as the modern church calls it. He has not completely written them off, as he believes that they can learn not to blasheme. But, by handing them over to Satan, he rejects their fellowship.
"Church discipline is much neglected today largely because prefessing Christians have adopted the pervasive attitude in modern Western culture that says authority to determine right and wrong resides in the individual. Scripture, however, gives the church real authority, and the pronouncements of a church body are binding when they agree with God's Word."
"A Biblical View of Grace"
2 Corinthians 6:1
Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
The author speaks of once hearing a definition of grace as "God's making up the difference between the requirements of His righteous Law and what we lack in meeting those requirements."
This definition represents a "grave misunderstanding of the grace of God and a very inadequate view of our plight as sinners before a holy God."
In order to live by grace, it is necessary to first understand saving grace. We cannot partake of the wonderful provisions of God's grace apart from salvation through Jesus Christ.
Actually, I'm not sure I agree 100% with that statement. God does send grace on the just and the unjust alike. All people receive some measure of God's grace. But we who believe in Christ have the ability, nay the privilege of living by grace.
I pray that I never, ever make "shipwreck" of my faith. I pray that I never have to be "handed over to Satan" in order for me to learn a valuable lesson. Keep me in you, always, Lord!
And I pray that I will understand grace properly. I am always thankful for your grace, but help me make sure to get the order right all the time. Your saving grace must come first. I have received that, so I focus on living by grace. But let me always have a healthy understanding of this truth.
I pray again for Christi in California. Keep her safe and bring her back to us Friday night.
Grace and peace, friends.