Sunday Scripture

 

Here's another in my most recent Sunday Scripture series.  I've been posting about my simple study of a little devotional journal titled Reflections: The Woman God Sees., by Jane L. Fryar -- a journal gifted me by some dear young friends   It has a daily devotional one works through -- about a month's worth or so.  It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I've been sharing here.  Several readers have told me they're enjoying it. 

For this week, the featured passage was Psalm 147:11. The devotional posed the question: "Write a sentence or two about your respect, your 'fear' of the Lord.  Then write a sentence or two about the hope you have in His unwavering love.  Both reverence and hope are gifts from God to His people -- to you!  How do you experience those gifts in your life?  How do they bring you joy?"  I chose to SOAP Psalm 147:11 as I considered this question.

S= "The LORD taketh pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy."  (Psalm 147:11)

O=  This psalm is titled by C.I. Scofield "God praised for regathering Israel", though I personally find much more in it than that.  

Verse 11 reminds us that God takes pleasure:
1) in those who fear Him; and 2) in those who hope in His mercy.  

As we have mentioned before,  C.I Scofield defines "the fear of the LORD" in this way: "The fear of the LORD' is an Old Testament expression meaning reverential trust, including the hatred of evil."

A couple of other verses referencing "the fear of the LORD" are these:

"Fear ye not me? saith the LORD.  Will ye not tremble at My presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it; and though its waves toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?"  (Jeremiah 5:22) 

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."  (Proverbs 9:10)

I looked up a definition of mercy in Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary.  It reads, in part:

"The aspect of God's love that causes Him to help the miserable, just as grace is the aspect of His love that moves Him to forgive the guilty.  Those who are miserable may be so either because of breaking God's law or because of circumstances beyond their control ... 

"God's mercy on the miserable extends beyond punishment that is withheld.  Withheld punishment keeps us from hell, but it does not get us into heaven.  God's mercy is greater than this.

"God also shows mercy by actively helping those who are miserable due to circumstances beyond their control.  We see this aspect of mercy especially in the life of our Lord Jesus.  He healed blind men and lepers.  These acts of healing grew out of His attitude of compassion and mercy."

And here are several verses concerning the hope that we have in the Lord:

 "Blessed is the man who trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is."  (Jeremiah 17:7)

"The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him."  (Lamentations 3:24)

"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." (Psalm 31:24)

A= In answer to the assignment "Write a sentence or two about your respect, your 'fear' of the Lord.  Then write a sentence or two about the hope you have in His unwavering love.  Both reverence and hope are gifts from God to His people -- to you!  How do you experience those gifts in your life?  How do they bring you joy?"  this is what I wrote:

What a blessing to know and understand that reverence and hope are God's gifts to me!

Reverential trust ... yes, I have that.  I have a reverence for who God is, all that He has done, and all that He is able to do.  And I trust Him to act in the best way possible, at the best time, for the best purpose.  All that He does or allows is from a heart of unwavering love.

And I do have hope in God's unwavering love.  I know that He will always do what is best for His people.  And that definitely brings me joy as I wait to see what He will do.  

One final note for this lesson was the following: "Look into a mirror.  Who is that person?  Someone loved by the Savior with a love that has never changed and will never change."

I commented: "What an encouraging way to look at it!"  I have often been prone to avoiding mirrors, so it's really a blessing to think of it in this way.

P= "Lord, I praise You for Your mercy toward me!  I thank You so much for the gifts of reverence and hope and for Your unwavering love that provides these gifts for Your children.  It is mind-boggling that this psalm tells us You take pleasure in those who fear You!  I know that You will always do or allow what is best for us, and that gives me so much hope.  I praise You that Your love for Your children will never change.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

There's the Sunday Scripture for this week!