"They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied." (Psalms 37:19) This whole thing about "wanting nothing" that James is speaking of, I have got to think that it has a lot to do with be satisfied with God, and that really nothing else matters; that part about "that ye may be perfect and entire" sounds like something that we can only have after we have totally surrendered all that we are over to the Lord. Another thing that "ashamed" means is to fail in hope or expectation; which takes those wonderful four words, "count it all joy", and makes them more of a command then some kind of a suggestion, because we must expect that God is going to do something good from any sort of "evil time" that we are going through, therefore we are to "count it all joy" knowing that this thing I am going through is going to bring me closer to my God. Besides that, we are taken to a place where nothing else really matters but that closer relationship with God; therefore, any kind of "famine" that we are going through is satisfied with His love and with His holiness that we are feeling in our lives. This word "famine" basically means hunger, or lack of food; interesting enough, it is only used three times in the Old Testament writings, and those other two times are both in Genesis 42, as Joseph tells his brothers to take corn to their household for the famine. We really do not know how much Jesus can satisfy our every need, until we have experienced really needing Him; which is why we are to count it all joy when we are experiencing something that is going to make us need Him more...
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward." (Isaiah 58:6-8)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment