Greetings, and may God's blessings be on you and your
ministry in this new year. Undoubtedly difficult things will happen this year,
things you don't expect or want. But surely wonderful things will also happen
this year, evidences of God's work and blessing, things you could never
accomplish on your own.
Can I invite you this morning into my personal Bible study?
I have a verse that I think is wonderful. I woke up on New Years' Day and was
reading my Bible, and I came to Psalm 63:1, where I read, "O God, thou art
my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth
for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is."
This verse pulled at my heart, and my heart responded that
this is what I want. I want to long after God as if He is what I really need to
survive. I don't want my relationship with Him to be casual and mediocre.
Rather, I want it to be what drives my entire life. I want it to be alive and
vibrant.
That's a great verse, but it isn't the one I really settled
on. That happened in verse 8: "My soul followeth hard after thee: thy
right hand upholdeth me." When I read this verse, my heart again was
stirred, and I thought, "This is a great verse for me to claim for
2019." I made myself a poster of these two verses and posted it in my
living room where I can see it daily and be reminded of this great truth.
I realized that this verse has two parts, and both parts are
necessary. The first part is my response toward God - to follow hard after Him.
This verb has several possible translations: to cling, stick, stay close,
cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake,
catch. The idea is to be extremely close to something or someone, inseparable
from that object, and if you aren't there at the moment, you labor to get to
that position and to stay there.
The word is used 54 times in the Old Testament. Yes, it is
the word God uses for marriage, about a man being joined to his wife and being
one flesh. There are many other uses that help give the flavor and impact of
this word - about how serious, close, permanent, and even aggressive this
clinging is. Shechem when he fell in love with Dinah. Solomon's love of foreign
women. Ruth clinging to her mother-in-law Naomi and also of Ruth placing
herself exclusively in the fields of Boaz. The loyalty of the men of Judah who
stayed with David when the rest of Israel deserted him. Proverbs about the
friend who sticks closer than a brother. God's commandment to Israel to love
Him, walk in His ways, and hold fast to Him. In Psalm 119 about clinging to
God's testimonies. Wicked kings (Jehoram) clinging to sins. Trials (droughts,
diseases, trouble) that follow or overtake certain people no matter where they
try to escape. How an inheritance stayed with a tribe and couldn't be
transferred to another tribe. David's mighty man Eleazer, who fought so long
that his hand couldn't let go of his sword. Leprosy clinging to Gehazi - it was
in his skin permanently. Job's skin clinging to his bones. When rain storms
fall upon dry dust and transform it into sticky, muddy blobs. The creature
Leviathan about how the different parts of his body are connected and firm. Various
times of the tongue sticking to the roof of the mouth. A waistband clinging to
a man's waist. Laban hunting down Jacob after he had left secretly. Multiple
battle situations, where a group of soldiers set out after a group of enemies
until they overtook them.
The second part of the verse is God's response to me - that
His right hand upholds me. Various translations: to grasp, hold, support,
attain, lay hold of, hold fast. Examples: Joseph grabbing hold of his father's
hand to move it when Jacob was blessing the wrong son. Aaron and Hur holding up
the arms of Moses. The Proverbs 31 lady as her hands grasp the spindle. A king
holding a scepter. Steps staying faithfully in a path. The ways of an
adulteress belonging to death. The way sin binds a person. Prophetically of the
Messiah in Isaiah 42 of how God will uphold Him. This is something that is held
firmly to, for the purpose of keeping it in place or moving it or manipulating
it or keeping it from falling.
I may fail sometimes at my part. In fact, I know I will. I
am weak. Even my desire will not always be consistent. And when my desire is,
my flesh is weak and my spirit is weak, and I will fail. I will let other
things get in the way, and I will at times forget the passionate pursuit that I
want to have with God.
God, on the other hand, will never fail at His part. He is
entirely faithful, completely consistent, and utterly dependable. He is always
the same and always does what He says He will do. God's hand does uphold me. It
always has, and it always will. Without Him, I would fall into the dirt. I
would fall and be broken. I would no longer be able to function according to my
designed purpose. I would be weak and unsupported. But God upholds me. He will
uphold me, whatever this year brings. My challenge is to trust Him to do that.
To believe in the dark places that He is doing it. To rest in the assurance
that He will continue to do it.
In this year, may I cling to God, relying on Him as if we
are inseparable. May I trust Him to uphold me when my own strength and wisdom
are woefully inadequate. May I recognize and be thankful for the many ways in
which He will do that this year - both in small, everyday situations as well as
in the major storms that will certainly come. And may all of those things be
true for you as well. Cling to God, and trust in His upholding hand. God bless
you.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holtmember at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
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