The Lord is in His Holy Temple

                                                                                 Psalm 11

 

December 20, 2021

 

 

The Lord Is in His Holy Temple

To the choirmaster. Of David.

In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

 

The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.  The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.  Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.  For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

 

I believe many are wondering if the wicked are not stopped soon the foundations we have built our lives on will be destroyed.  And many have allowed this like of trust in the Lord who is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven to look at the ways of the world system to keep this from taking place.  Is that what the Scriptures teach?

 

What pops into my small mind is this verse in Isaiah 40:31, “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

 

Waiting is not most American Christian strong point; we want it now and look for ways outside of Jesus Christ to get our desires.  When we do such we will not walk in victory, no we will not renew our strength; run and not be weary, nor walk and not faint.  Most of us and I am sure in that number, all you have to do is put me in the driver's seat of a car, and it becomes apparent, Bob needs to pray for patience.  Yes, what I need is found in Psalm 37:7, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes.”  I have come to understand that Psalm 40:1, is a great way for me to get behind the steering wheel of a car, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.”  Yes, it always goes better when I ask the Lord to control my driving and to not expect others to obey the road rules.

 

When we use the world system to get our needs met we will never obey the teaching of the Scriptures, such as 1 Thessalonians 5:14,  ^“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”  We chose frustration and not peace.  Only when you and I choose to allow Jesus to do it all for us will we be able to have life in the full?  Hebrews 12:1-2, life is this; “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder, and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

If we hope to finish strong then it will be Jesus doing it all for us.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice