"A Real Life to Live"

"Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation; that I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance." (Psalms 106:4-5)

 These verses not only belong together, one does not work without the other. If I don't rejoice, then someone needs to slap me, hard! That might not be exactly what is being said, but it is not too far off. First of all, "favour" is a word that means satisfaction, and "bearest" is used in the same manner as the word "visit" is, as the same thought is continued or opened up. In other words, the word that is used for "remember," is not asking for God to remember, but that He make us to remember; and not only do we need to remember the great salvation that we have been given, but that because He is the one that saved us, He is also satisfied with us! And "visit," as I suggested in the beginning, is a word that means "to strike upon or against any person or thing." It is not a bad thing, like striking someone, but it is more like jolting our memory, or to visit us with intention of making us aware. If I could point out anything that might come close to explain it, I say to go all the way back to the beginning. The beginning would be when Adam heard God's voice after he had sinned, and then hid himself among the trees; it was that visit from God that sparked an alarm in Adam, and he felt guilty and ashamed in God's presence. It is the same sort of reaction, but opposite, in that we are reminded of why we have no shame! Thus, the second verse which gives all the details of the comfort and joy that we all share together, as God's chosen! Another very good example of not having "I" be part of our vocabulary, because it is all about we and Him. There is none of us that are better than anyone else, we are all only worthy because we have been washed in the blood of Jesus; but we are also all one of the same body; one nation, if you will, that have been chosen to represent God's inheritance. That's right, God's inheritance! We get to inherit eternal life, but God's inherits us as His chosen people. Last I recalled, those that are adopted have more privilege, so we can really rejoice to see the good of the chosen...

"And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, "I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts him will never be disgraced." Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, "The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone." And, "He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes then fall." They stumble because they do not obey God's word, and so they meet the fate that has been planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:5-9) NLT