Psalm 10 - It’s Either One Or The Other – Turning Towards God Or Turning Away From Him (Part Two).

“Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless” (v.12).

God is calling us to return to Him. He’s calling us to turn away from the way of the wicked. He’s calling us to walk with Him. When we pray, “Do not forget the helpless”, we begin by praying, “Lord, remember me, I need Your help.” We read about “the wicked” (vs. 13, 15). We read about “the victim” (v. 14). What is God saying to us? He’s saying to us, “Don’t be like the wicked man who reviles God. Don’t be like the wicked man who says to himself, “He won’t call me to account” (v. 13).He’s saying to us, “Be like the victim – ‘The victim commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless’ (v. 14).”He’s saying to us, “There will be judgment – ‘the wicked and evil man will be called to account for his wickedness’ (v. 15).”He’s calling us back from the way that leads to judgment. He’s calling us to acknowledge that He “is King for ever and ever” (v. 16). He’s calling us to come to Him with “the desire of the afflicted” (v. 17). He’s speaking to us His Word of encouragement, assuring that we need not live in fear of man (vs. 17-18). Saved by the Lord, let us walk with Him in the pathway of victory.

Psalm 10 - It’s Either One Or The Other – Turning Towards God Or Turning Away From Him (Part One).

^"Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?"

This question can be turned around. God puts the question to us, “Why, in your times of trouble, do you stand far off?” In this Psalm, God is inviting us to think about the kind of people we are becoming. Are we turning away from God? Or Are we turning towards Him?

It’s either one or the other – turning towards God or turning away from Him.

We read about “the wicked man” who “hunts down the weak” (v. 2). He thinks only of himself – “He boasts of the cravings of his heart.” There is no place for the Lord in his life – “he reviles the Lord. In his pride the wicked does not seek Him: in all his thoughts there is no room for God”(vs. 3-4). Things are going well for him – “His ways are always prosperous.” He doesn’t give thanks to God – “he is haughty and Your laws are far from him.” He thinks that everything will keep on going his way – “He says to himself, ‘Nothing will shake me; I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.’” (vs. 5-6). The wicked man shows contempt towards other people – “he sneers at all his enemies” (v. 5) – ^“His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims. He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength” (vs. 7-10). The wicked man thinks that he can do what he likes – “He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees.’” (v. 11).Are we becoming like the wicked man? God is calling us to turn back to Him.

Bible Reading Notes At "The Promises Of God" Blog

At "The Promises of God" blog, you will find Bible reading notes on numbers , Psalms , john, Colossians, and Ephesians.

Jesus Loves Us So Much More Than We Love Him.

Jesus loves us so much more than we love Him. In love, He comes to us to draw out from us a greater love for Him. I find great encouragement in the story of the restoration of Peter in John 21. Peter had denied the Lord three times. For each denial, Jesus came to Peter with the question, "Peter, do you love Me?" Three times, Peter reaffirmed his love for Jesus. Following on from this, there is the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when the Lord works through Peter in a very wonderful way. Three thousand people are brought to faith in Christ - for each denial, a thousand souls brought to faith! What a wonderful restoration! May we have much cause to say of the Lord, "He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake" (Psalm 23:3). May our ministry of His Word prosper - "those who turn many to righteousness shall shine like the stars for ever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).

Salvation - The Healing Of Our Whole Life (6)

John 4:43-5:24 (Related reading - Psalm 51:1-19)
As we consider prayerfully the Psalmist's words, we must look away from ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. God's purpose is that "all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father" (John 5:23). To those who imagine that they can worship God without coming, in faith, to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus issues this warning: "He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him" (John 5:23). To each of us, Jesus speaks this word of Gospel promise: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24). Has this great 'miracle' happened in your life? Have you passed from the death of unbelief into the eternal life, which is received by faith?

Salvation - The Healing Of Our Whole Life (5)

John 4:43-5:24 (Related reading - Psalm 51:1-19).
The prayer of the Psalmist, in Psalm 51, may help you to come to know the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, we see the Psalmist, confessing his sin to the Lord: "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in Thy sight" (Psalm 51:3-4). We hear the Psalmist, crying to God for salvation: "Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not They Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:9-12). We also learn of the Psalmist's prayer that he might be a witness for the Lord: "Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will return to Thee ... my tongue will sing aloud of Thy deliverance. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise" (Psalm 51:13-15).

Salvation - The Healing of Our Whole Life (4)

John 4:43-5:24 (Related reading - Psalm 51:1-19)
When Jesus brings healing, He brings a wholeness of life, which the Bible calls "salvation." Jesus was not only concerned about the man's physical health. He was also concerned about his spiritual welfare. In John 5:14, Jesus said to the healed man, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." You may enjoy good health, but are you saved? - This is the question which the Gospel keeps on pressing home to our hearts. People often say, "The most important thing is your health." The Gospel says, "The most important thing is your salvation." Are you saved? Do you want to be saved? These are the questions God is asking. He waits for your answer.

Salvation - The Healing Of Our Whole Life (3)

When, in John 4:53, we read, "The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, 'Your son will live'; and he himself believed, and all his household", surely we are reading more than the story of a physical healing. This is the story of salvation. I'm sure that this man would look back on this hour in the same way that John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace", looked back to his conversion: "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed." Again, in the story of the healing of the man who had been ill for thirty-eight years, there are lessons concerning salvation. When, in John 5:6, Jesus asks the question, "Do you want to be healed?. we must hear, in His question, another question - "Do you want to be saved?"

Salvation - The Healing Of Our Whole Life (2)

John 4:43-5:24 (Related reading - Psalm 51:1-19)
In the two healings, - the boy with the fever and the man who had been ill for thirty-eight years, we learn lessons concerning salvation. The key moment in the healing of the boy is found in John 4:50 - "Jesus said to the boy's father, 'Go; your son will live.' The man believed the word which Jesus spoke to him and went his way." When we hear Jesus saying, "your son will live", do we think only of physical life? Do we not also get a hint of the eternal life which Jesus gives to all who trust Him? When we read the words, "your son will live", we should recall John's purpose in writing this Gospel: "these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His Name" (John 20:31). When we read the words - "The man believed the words that Jesus spoke to him", do we not, again, get the hint of a deeper dimension? Believing the word also involves trusting the Person who speaks the word. we hear the Word of God and we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is God's way of bringing us to Himself, God's way of bringing us into a real experience of His salvation.

Salvation - The Healing Of Our Whole Life (1)

John 4:43-5:24 (Related reading - Psalm 51:1-19)
At the heart of our Bible reading from John's Gospel, we have two healings - the healing of a boy suffering from a fever (John 4:46-54) and the healing of a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years (John 5:1-16). In our reading from the Psalms, we have a man crying out to God for spiritual healing - the healing of a life, hardened by sin and guilt. When we come to Jesus' miracles of physical healing, we must learn to look beyond the physical healing. We must seek to learn what God is teaching us concerning the healing of our whole life. What is God saying to us about our salvation in Jesus Christ? - This is the key question we must ask when we read the Bible. Scripture leaves us in no doubt about its central theme - "the Holy Scriptures are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).