Resilience vs. Resistance

Read:  Psalm 51 / Proverbs 6 / 2 Chronicles 21 / Hebrews 3

Psalm 51:10,12 Create in me a clean heart... renew a right spirit within me... Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. 

Proverbs 6:20,23 My son, keep thy father's commandment... For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.

2 Chronicles 21:12 There came a writing to him [Jehoram] from Elijah... saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David... thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father.

Hebrews 3:7,8 Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.

We see, in David's tearful plea

For joy again to be restored,

That our resilience has a key:

We have a longing for our Lord. 

Resistance in the hearts yet hardened

Reflects the mindset of the lost:

They find no joy in being pardoned,

Nor do they stop to count the cost.  

Searching in Silence

Read:  Psalm 50 / Proverbs 5 / 2 Chronicles 20 / Hebrews 2

Psalm 50:21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes.

Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

2 Chronicles 20:35,37 And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly... Then Eliezer... prophesied against Jehoshaphat.

Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

The silence of the Lord is kept

While He is searching every thought. 

Though some may think that God has slept,

They soon shall find that He has not.

Beware, for even godly kings

Were careless in their fellowship.

Take care, and think upon these things,

Lest we should let God’s counsel slip. 

Reason and Redemption

Read:  Psalm 49 / Proverbs 4 / 2 Chronicles 19 / Hebrews 1

Psalm 49:1,7,15 Hear this... give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world... None... can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him... But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

Proverbs 4:18-19 The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

2 Chronicles 19:7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

Hebrews 1:1-3 God... hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son... Who... when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. 

The Lord has sent us with His Word

To high and low, to rich and poor,

So that the Gospel may be heard

With light that shines still more and more. 

The Lord for all was sacrificed,

So for this reason we have urged

The lost to flee to Jesus Christ, 

By whose redemption sins are purged.