Trivia:
Do you know; What was the first cereal Mascot? Was it Cap'n Crunch; Sunny Jim; Tony the Tiger; OR Snap, Crackle, and Pop. This wonderful Saturday, Make your guess.
Challenge:
Psalm 56: 5-9 "They are always twisting what I say; the spend their days plotting to harm me. 6 They come together to spy on me--watching my every step, eager to kill me. 7 Don't left them get away with their wickedness; in your anger, O God, bring them down. 8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. 9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know God is on my side!"
This passage lays out David's considerations about two varying influences in our lives;
The one who strives to destroy us VS. The one who seeks to bring deliverance.
David lays out before this second bit of warning:
The qualities of those who are attempting to bring harm to our lives (Satan's army) VS The reason
that we should draw near to God's allies.
Then some consideration we should draw near to our life experiences.
First lets look at the tactics of Satan our enemy:
Strives to twist what we have said & done
Spends all his time plotting to bring harm into our lives
Spies on our lives attempting to bring harm to us
Second we see David's request to God for His working in his life:
Don't let them get away with all of these attempts that they make to harm me and His name &
me His child.
Don't let this cause their evil works to bring about the harmful consequences they are attempting
to accomplish
Next look at the his requests & then the many benefits that we gain asa we go to God in our times of needs.
Our times of sorrow are never forgotten by our loving Savior. verse 8a
He collects all of those memories of the difficulties that we have trudged through verse 8b
Not only are our tears collected but they are also held in a recording (in history) verse 8c
We are given assurance of the final outcome when we habitually go to God with our petitions:
"My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help"
"This one thing I know-- God is on my side!!!!!! verse 9b
Now here is a collection of thoughts for us to hold onto when the troubles of life roll over us:
Trouble never leaves us in the same place it found us--It either causes us to be made better or
to become bitter-- the choice is ours. We either go to God in dependence & confidence or we
become weakened by them.
This trouble in life is not meant to be focused on recreation (fun, happiness) but rather on
preparation-- for the ages to come-- the truly significant things for the next generations.
SO GO WITH GOD for remember, When does God proves that He is for us? When we are in the worst place.
Think about this in Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us."
Also go on to read Romans 8:28-36 Then end by thinking about these final verses 36-38 "...Are we considered as sheep to be slaughtered? No, in all of these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that nothing ... will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Tony the Tiger.