Painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1525.
Psalm 7
1 Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3 Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
or without cause have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
6 Arise, Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.
8 Let the Lord judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God
who probes minds and hearts.
10 My shield is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
a God who displays his wrath every day.
12 If he does not relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.
14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit they have made.
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
their violence comes down on their own heads.
17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
Luke 12:12
“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
A lion attack is a fairly serious thing. Usually happening very fast.
And we all readily remember the Colosseum being a place of Christian martyrdom where the last Pope celebrated Good Friday.
Compared to:
Daniel 6:26-28
“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
27 He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel</b>
from the power of the lions.”
God is the Living God. Discerning all events and people.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Why would God allow Daniel to be saved from Lions and not Christians in the Colosseum - does one story negate another? I would say not. I got in the cage with a lioness on steroids once. Not very intelligent. But I'm here today. Compared to the disaster at the Colosseum, the Lions were not entertaining with the Christians and that was unusual. Even here God's Plan was at work.
I'm trying to say, God does not work all events in the same manner. We can be the people saved from the lion's den and the people who are eaten. And still be of the Lord. One story does not mean that HE is inept in His Word or indifferent.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live
This seems almost impossible to believe in some situations. And yet we can say with sincerity some will be saved from Lions and some will not. And other Christians rose and fled, and still the Word of the Lord went with them. Life is a lot about Hope, Faith and Love. Knowing what to do when life offers us storms or lions.
Mark 4:38
He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
This is what Jesus is to us ~
Mark 1
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
One of the reasons we make straight paths for HIM, we want what Jesus gives pouring out in a blessing. He is our foundation. Our Rock. Knowing where we stand or rest, knowing what He would have us do or say.
Romans 15:13 Hope in Adversity
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Psalm 103
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
Psalm 5:12
For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.
Genesis 12:3
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
James 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
Matthew 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Luke 6:36
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
Numbers 6:
22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 “‘“The LORD bless you
and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.
Thank You Father God, for the blessings brought forth in my life. This was a blessed day and I am so grateful replying to all who blessed us ~ Father God please bless them as well. Comfort those we know in trouble and sustain us to the season of more blessings. In You, Your storehouse is never to full to pour out more blessings. We ask Your will be done, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
<><
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment