Saturday, April 11, 2009

Morning and Evening 4/11

Saturday, April 11, 2009—posted by Frank Rabinovitch

» Today's reading at Blue Letter Bible

Morning:
"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint." - Psalm 22:14

Evening: "Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins." - Psalm 25:18


When I think of water poured out on dry ground, (like our Lord, in a far greater sense, was poured out like water for us), I remember the story of David and his mighty men:
And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD. And he said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men. - [2 Samuel 23:15-17 NKJV]

It is a story worthy of our study. It is one that often encourages the body of Christ serving on the mission field. Sometimes our services to the Lord are like that cup of water poured out on dry ground, and our efforts - even sometimes our lives - seem, in the world's eyes, like failure. And yet our fruit that comes while abiding in Christ is precious to the Lord, just as it was He that convicted David that the water was too precious to drink.

How much more precious is the life of our Lord poured out for us on Calvary's hill!
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" - [Revelation 5:11-12 NKJV]

Our risen Lamb is worthy! But are we? David felt unworthy, in the history above, to drink that cup of water, that in a spiritual sense, was the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives. How could we ever be worthy to drink the communion cup in remembrance of our Lord on Calvary? Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 11:28-29:
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. NKJV]

Isaiah reminds us that we (of ourselves) are very unworthy:
But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. - [Isaiah 64:6 NKJV]

But praise be to God that He has made us worthy!
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; - [Romans 3:21-22 NKJV]

When we partake of communion, let us remember that it is not the bread and wine that has been transformed, but ourselves, through the resurrection power of God to those who believe! We have no worthiness but for Christ, Whose worth is beyond all things!

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1 Comments:

At April 11, 2009 at 9:28 PM , Blogger Jim Hendrickson said...

God so loved us, He decided we were worth His Son! Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him (our salvation) endured the cross. The Holy Spirit though grieved by our sin will never leave us nor forsake us. Amazing Grace!! So amazing!! So humbling!! So incredible!!

 

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