DIVINE HELP

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1 NKJV).

This verse promises Divine help for difficult times, which makes it is a great comfort for troubled hearts. Thus we want to note three things that are said about God’s help - they involve shelter, strength, and steadfastness.

Shelter – “God is our refuge.” The word refuge here means shelter or hope and God is a place where we can go for shelter and protection. And the best shelter that God provides is the shelter from eternal judgment of sin. We find shelter for our souls in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Strength - “God is our . . . strength.” Divine help and strength is what is needed to live right in times of trial. Trials threaten to overwhelm us, and we sometimes think we cannot keep going. But God will give us the strength we need to meet every temptation and trial in life. The apostle Paul emphasized this truth when he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Although he faced many difficult situations, the apostle Paul never gave up or quit; he sought strength in the Lord.

Steadfastness - “A very present help in trouble.” In times of trouble, friends and family may fail us and we might start to lose hope. However, God will never fail us in our times of troubles. Note also the phrase “a very present help,” it literally means that God is a very accessible help. We can obtain His help quickly because He is close by to help; as close as a prayer away.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Difficulties afford a platform upon which the Lord can display His power!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Public display

In col. 2:15 we read, “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him” (NASB).

Public display is the is the Greek word deigmatizō (δειγματίζω = digh-mat-id'-zo). It means to expose, to make public, or to exhibit. The word usually has the negative connotation of disgracing someone, of making public what someone would like to keep secret, or of making an example of someone. Literally, deigmatizō means to show openly and boldly. In a Roman triumphal procession, the victorious general coming home from the wars, would lead his captives and booty in a procession through the streets of Rome.

In Classical Greek deigmatizō means to make an example of. Deigmatizō was not used in the Septuagint (LXX). In the New Testament, deigmatizō also means to make a spectacle of, or to expose to public disgrace. Here in Col. 2:15, the Lord Jesus, Christ makes a public exhibition of His vanquished forces, not just by proclamation, but by public display, as in a triumphal procession.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah was to rise from the dead (Psalm 16:9-11)

New Testament Fulfillment – John 20:9

Bible Facts About Jesus

Jesus spoke three, possibly four languages

From the Gospels, we know that Jesus spoke Aramaic, the everyday language of ancient Israel (some of His Aramaic words are recorded in Scripture). As a devout Jew, the Lord Jesus also spoke Hebrew, which was used in the prayers in the temple. However, many synagogues also used the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. When He talked with Gentiles, the Lord Jesus may have conversed in Greek, the language of commerce language in the Middle East at the time. And while we can’t say for sure, the Lord may have spoken Latin with the Roman centurion in (Matt. 8:13).

Bible Quiz

What kind of leaves did Adam and Eve use in an attempt to cover their nakedness?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: Who watched as Moses floated in the basket down the Nile? His sister Miriam (Ex. 2:4).

That’s in the Bible

"Tower of strength”

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Prov. 18:10 NKJV).

“Tower of strength” - The expression “tower of strength” carries the idea of someone you can count on. The righteous turn to the name of the Lord, that is, to His revealed character. He is a strong tower, a refuge, and place of complete safety, to all that trust in him. The righteous see the Lord, and not wealth as their safety and confidence. The security afforded by wealth is illusory (deceptive and misleading). By putting their trust in the Lord, the righteous are safe.

Did You Know – Christian History

Thomas Goodwin was born October 5, 1600 in Rollesby, Norfolk, England. He was an English Puritan theologian and preacher, and an important leader of religious Independents. He also served as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell.

Goodwin studied at Christ’s College, Cambridge, graduating with a B.A. in 1616. For some time Goodwin avoided serious sermons as they made him uneasy. Hearing a bell toll for a funeral, a friend suggested they attend the service. Goodwin was reluctant, but went. The preacher, Dr. Thomas Bainbridge spoke of Christ weeping over unrepentant Jerusalem. He reminded his listeners that “today is the day of salvation,” and that there was no guarantee of another opportunity if repentance is postponed. This so affected Goodwin that he fell under deep conviction of sin and confessed his wickedness to Christ. Unable to find assurance of salvation, Goodwin finally realized that he must not trust his salvation to improvements in himself, but rather fix his eyes on Jesus.

Goodwin became a Congregationalist in 1634, and for a while pastored a small congregation of English merchants and refugees at Arnhem. He also ministered to the Independent congregation meeting at Paved Alley Church, and quickly became a notable pastor. It should also be noted that Goodwin lived for a number of years in exile in Holland to escape persecution.

By the early 1670s Goodwin was in poor health, and eventually died on 22 February 1680. He was buried in Bunhill Fields burial ground.

The works published by Goodwin during his lifetime consist chiefly of sermons printed by order of the House of Commons. Goodwin’s treatise The Heart of Christ in Heaven towards Sinners on Earth, was published in 1645; it was quickly reprinted, and translated into German. Five volumes of his sermons and other works were published from 1682 to 1704, and have been reprinted at least 47 times. His collected writings, which include expositions of the Epistle to the Ephesians and of the Apocalypse, were published in five folio volumes between 1681 and 1704.

A Little Humor

A little boy sitting in church saw a large flag bearing a number of gold stars. Turning to his father, he whispered, “Daddy, why does that flag have all those stars on it?” “To remind us of those who died in the service,” his dad replied. A puzzled look came over the boy’s face. After thinking for a few moments, he asked, “Daddy, did they die in the morning or evening service?”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“It’s the sins we cover up that eventually bring us down!”