| Having dealt with some startling realities and spiritual | | | | He has chosen. He will never go back on His choice |
| truths, the writer of Psalm 94 goes on to ask and | | | | of Israel - NEVER. |
| answer further significant questions. | | | | His judgement will again be founded on righteousness. |
| In verse 9 he asks - He Who made the ear - He | | | | When God acts as Judge, He is always right. Always. |
| Who made you hear - do you not think that He | | | | Then, comes this call in verse 16 - Who will rise up? |
| Himself can hear? And He Who formed the eye - | | | | Who will take a stand? Who in these present days |
| moulded and shaped it - it is the word used by the | | | | will stand, and go on standing for truth and |
| potter working with clay - do you not think He can | | | | righteousness? God is looking for people, who will rise |
| see all that is going on? | | | | up, and stand, and testify and witness. |
| God disciplines - punishes - and teaches. There are | | | | The Psalmist remembers how God had helped him. |
| people who shy away from this aspect of the | | | | When he thought he was slipping - there was a |
| character of Almighty God, but if you stay close to | | | | presence - a love - a support. |
| the Scripture, you will not go far wrong. | | | | Almighty God is so understanding. He knows all about |
| God knows the thoughts of man and He knows that | | | | our weaknesses, and He does not reject us on |
| they are futile. | | | | account of them. He does not ask us to come |
| We can have good ideas - things we would like to do | | | | before Him, or present ourselves to the world, with a |
| - but if the anointing of God is not upon them, they | | | | façade of strength, which has no basis in |
| are futile. God's intimate knowledge of man is a | | | | reality. All He asks is that we sincerely yield to HIM. |
| astonishing and astounding truth - and a truth which | | | | The Psalmist realised that he could not save himself. |
| makes us be very very careful as to what we say | | | | When we think that things are almost getting out of |
| and what we do. | | | | hand, and we are losing control - when He hears our |
| Nothing escapes His knowledge. | | | | voice - our cry for help - He is there to support and |
| In John Chapter 2 verses 24 - 25, we read of how | | | | uphold. |
| Jesus Christ knew all men, and He knew what was in | | | | Verse 19 - When I experienced anxiety - what |
| a man - it is so similar to what is revealed in this | | | | honesty - this man of God could still be touched by |
| Psalm. Always remember that the God of the Old | | | | anxiety - and he was unafraid to admit it. Our God |
| Testament is exactly the same God as is revealed in | | | | shows us His man - going through times and seasons |
| the New Testament. After all, there is no other! | | | | of ANXIETY - and he finds God consoling him - and |
| At this point, it is as if the Psalmist re-tunes his harp | | | | bringing joy to his soul. |
| to play softer melodies. Blessed is the man you | | | | Has it not been in such times that we experience the |
| discipline. There is a difference between being | | | | joy of God flooding our lives - the Holy Spirit |
| disciplined and being punished. In some areas of life | | | | ministering to us in a new but real and realistic way - |
| we are aware of that and can usually recognise it, | | | | reassuring us - or whatever it might be. |
| but somehow it is not so easily recognised in the | | | | Sometimes, the greater the pressure, the more |
| spiritual realms. | | | | powerful is the consolation. |
| There is another person blessed - the man You | | | | He asks another question in verse 20 - and the |
| teach from Your law. | | | | answer is a conspiracy against the throne of God and |
| The Psalmist places discipline before teaching - | | | | the people of God - with one goal - one aim - death. |
| establishing a principle which has almost been | | | | But the Lord has become my fortress - my Rock - |
| reversed in these days - "Without discipline there can | | | | my Masada. He closes on a powerful triumphant note. |
| be no real teaching." | | | | He will deal with the sinful enemy and his wickedness. |
| When discipline is abandoned, teaching ceases. If a | | | | He will deal with them totally and finally. |
| teacher cannot exercise discipline he cannot really | | | | I have been to Masada by the Dead Sea on various |
| teach. But - God goes even further - He will not try | | | | occasions and that is a rock which was and is virtually |
| to teach those who refuse His discipline. | | | | impregnable. The Romans built a ramp to capture and |
| Understand something of the nature of these | | | | kill the 900 Israelis atop the spacious rock by using |
| blessings - "You grant him relief from days of | | | | Israeli slaves to build the ramp! The enemy will do |
| trouble." We are confronted here with two | | | | anything at times to get at the people of God. |
| alternatives. We can come under God's discipline now | | | | In one sense, this Psalm is all about living our life in |
| and be preserved from His judgement, or we can | | | | the Presence of God - with everything else going on |
| refuse God's discipline now and come under His | | | | around us - and we can discern His Presence - His |
| Judgement in days which lie ahead - and, we either | | | | Absolute Control - His Sovereignty - His Being in |
| discipline ourselves or God will discipline us - or send | | | | Charge - His Care - His Strength - His Supportive and |
| someone else to discipline us. | | | | Supporting Love. |
| There is a most reassuring word in verse 14. The | | | | There are words of inspiration, encouragement and |
| Lord will not reject His People. He will never forsake | | | | motivation here, which you will not find anywhere |
| His Inheritance. He will never go back on those whom | | | | else in the entire world of literature. |