OK, ready to go on with further talking about it?
I hope so, i know I am.
This morning's email devotional from Insight for Today with Chuck Swindoll was on these two Psalms. He was writing on his "Churning place" you know the one. That place in your body usually the stomach or head that starts to show signs of turmoil or in my case anxiety.
My place is the stomach and head they are two in one those places, because when I start to get stressed I eat, when I eat it is not the good foods, no it is the bad sugar filled or salty fatty foods that is known as "comfort foods". Then after I eat I think I will feel better but I don't my head starts hurting due to high blood sugars, I am a diabetic.
He listed all the situations that can start this downward spiral into "The Churning place" like:
- Bad News
- Unpaid bills
- Personal conflict
- unresolved sin
There were more to the list but I am going to choose these out of the list because they resonate with my life thus far in my 46 years of life.
I too love the Psalms because Like David have had a mixture of emotions that he jotted down in songs, that's what Psalms are a book of songs and i find it fulfilling to read these when I am in need to hear from someone who has walked in my shoes.
In this Psalm the part that he wrote:
Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for i shall again praise Him?
You can find that phrase in Ch. 42: 5, 11 and Psalm 43:5
It was important enough to have it sung three times in these 2 Psalms.
Another that caught my eye is this one written twice in Ch. 42:9 and 43: 2:
Why do I go (about) mourning
Because of the oppression of the enemy?
It is a question that I have asked several times, in different wordings of course. I ask God and or myself, why am i like this, why can I forget the past and the hurts and the trials and the temptations and just move forward.
I argue that I am a new man in Christ at salvation the old man is dead and gone buried, but then I persist, it seems at times that the old man who i know should be dead, comes back like a zombie reanimated in the horror movies and Today's favorite, "The Walking Dead".
In the book of Romans that comes to mind frequently when I ask this persistent question:
Romans 7:22-24 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
So this tells me that I need to understand that I am human caught in the life or sin due to sin being introduced to the world through Adam, in The book of Genesis. Paul wrote in this book what we need to hear and remember that we are not alone, just as David did in the Psalms.
Paul previously said, "15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Wait a minute in 1 Peter chapter 2 He(Peter) urges us to "abstain from the passions of the flesh". How can we do this?
Let us go to Ephesians 6: 10-20
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God,
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
So what are these:
- The Belt of Truth
- Breastplate of righteousness
- Shoes of steadiness
- Shield of Faith
- Helmet of Salvation
- Sword of the Spirit
Verse 17 tells us what the Sword of the Spirit is It is The Word of God. We will see The Lord Himself using the Sword in Revelation 2 in the letter to the Church of Pergamum, read it later its proves that His word is like a two-edged sword sharp to sever sin from man for good.
But whatever is the
Belt of Truth?
Breastplate of Righteousness
Shoes of steadiness
Shield of Faith
Helmet of Salvation
Paul used the Armour of a Roman soldier to use as an example
The Belt held things together in the abdomen area and held the soldiers sword
the Breastplate to a soldier protects there heart and ribs from any weapons used against them, Paul used this analogy to remind his readers that we too are protected by God's righteousness by taking on the character of Christ, as we are growing in Christ
Shoes of steadiness kept the Roman from being unable to plant his feet rightly during battle or even in his daily walk. Paul is telling us to stand firm in Christ in our daily walk as well
Shield of Faith - A Romans shield was large enough to protect his whole body. They would dip their shield in water to protect them from fiery darts of the enemy that were meant to cause harm or even death. We can see today that our shield as Children of God is the Holy Spirit.
Helmet - To protect the head of a soldier is a symbol of Salvation for now and the Hope that is to come when the final battle is won by Jesus Christ and the His Sword of The Spirit.
This analogy can be helpful to remember daily, If we can picture a Soldier with his Full Armour on, it will protect that soldier through battle, but unlike that metal of armour, Gods Full Armour that he tells us to put on is unable to decay, it will never fall away or be burned up it is a protection for us forever.
So when we read or feel like this:
Why do I go (about) mourning
Because of the oppression of the enemy?
or
Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Remember to put on the Full armour of God and to:
"Hope in God, for i shall again praise Him?"
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