Man's love can be fickle and even dangerous

David learned on many occasions that man's love is unreliable. In fact he found that the compassion of some became so deadened that they even sought his life.

One key in dealing with these painful realizations is to never place your hope in the unreliable love of man but rather to fix your hope on the consistent love of God. The Lords love is unfailing. He never forsakes His own. No one loves us like the Lord.

Since these things are true don't set your hope in man to meet your need for love. You will be disappointed time and time again. Set your hope in God's unfailing love. He won't hurt or disappoint you. Keep Him first in your life. 

Below are a few examples in the life of David where the love of people / family failed him. But God was faithful to him through all of these things.

David serves Kings Saul but Saul turns against him and wants him dead
Beginning at 1 Samuel 18

David's own men want to stone him - 1 Samuel 30

David puts trust in God above mother and father - Psalm 27:10

David pursued by his own son Absalom - Starting at about 2 Samuel 15

David is betrayed by a close companion - Psalm 55:12-14

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Some thoughts from Proverbs 10

Things to think about from Proverbs 10

Our conduct can bring gladness or grief to God and our family

1 A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

God faithfully provides for the righteous

3 The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.

Poverty and provision can be directly related to laziness and diligence

4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

The tongue of the upright is a blessing to others

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. 

21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.

Carefully screen someone you appoint or hire or you will suffer for it
(there may be other points that can be taken from this verse)

26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.


Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Psalm 22 - The Crucifixion as told by Jesus Himself

Psalm 22 was written about 1000(?) years before the Cross. And part of Psalm 22 seems to be told from a different perspective. It is not told from the viewpoint of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Rather it appears to be told from the viewpoint of Jesus Himself. Read through Psalm 22 and see if any part of the Psalm seems to be told from Christ's standpoint.

Psalm 22 

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
² O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.
³ Yet You are holy,
O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
⁴ In You our fathers trusted;
They trusted and You delivered them.
⁵ To You they cried out and were delivered;
In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

⁶ But I am a worm and not a man,
A reproach of men and despised by the people.
⁷ All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,
⁸ “Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

⁹ Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰ Upon You I was cast from birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

¹¹ Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
¹² Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
¹³ They open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a roaring lion.
¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And You lay me in the dust of death.
¹⁶ For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
¹⁸ They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹ But You, O Lord, be not far off;
O You my help, hasten to my assistance.
²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword,
My only life from the power of the dog.
²¹ Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

²² I will tell of Your name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
²³ You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
²⁴ For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

²⁵ From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
²⁶ The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!
²⁷ All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
²⁸ For the kingdom is the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
²⁹ All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
³⁰ Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
³¹ They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Ever want quick, fast food style, answers to prayer?

Do you want to pull up to prayer window number 1 and by the time you get to window 2 you have your answer? It doesn't always work that way. David shared in Psalm 40 that the help that God sent him took time but it proved to be a blessing both for David and for those who saw it.

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.
6 Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”
9 I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You know.
10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.
11 You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
12 For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
Make haste, O Lord, to help me.
14 Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Do you like the Psalms? At you own pace you can listen to the entire Book of Psalms at the link below. Click on the link. Then click on "Psalms". Then click on the chapters. God bless

http://nasb-audio-bible-in-a-year.blogspot.com/p/audio-by-each-book.html


Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Wonderful teachings found in Luke 14-16

Jesus healing on the Sabbath
Don't pick out a place of honor for yourself
Allowing other things to be more important than a relationship with God
Seeking a sheep that is lost
The Prodigal son
A shrewd but unrighteous steward

All of these wonderful passages are found in today's audio Bible clip of Luke 14-16. It's easy listen to those chapters right now by do the following:

1. Click on the link below
2. Then click on the link titled "Luke" 
3. Then click on "Luke 14-16"

http://nasb-audio-bible-in-a-year.blogspot.com/p/audio-by-each-book.html

Do you want to be used by God?

Here are two character qualities that make you useful in His service. The first is having a genuine love for the Body of Christ as Timothy did. And the second is having a genuine love for God as Peter did. One reason Paul put Timothy into service was because of his love of people. And one reason Jesus put Peter into service was for his love of God.( I am using the verses below to make a point. Timothy also loved God and Peter also loved people.)

Philippians 2:19-21

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. 20 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

John 21:16-18

16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.

To sum up Love God and love people and you too may be given something to do for God.


Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Are you eating a balanced spiritual diet?

Many of us have several Bible Teachers / Preachers to which we listen. To make sure that we are getting a well balance spiritual diet I recommend doing something. Pay attention to the words in the messages over the next month or so. See if at some point you are instructed to turn from sin. If week after week there is no reference to repentance then your spiritual diet is lacking. We all stray and from time to time. As a result we need times when someone speaks words to us that turn us back into right paths. Additionally in our personal time of getting into the Word we must not get in an unbalance diet of verses that are only encouraging. All of God's Word is good for us. Even the uncomfortable ones that correct and discipline us. God bless