This proverb points out a connection we often over look. Those who use lies to conceal hatred are the same people who spread slander. Neither of those actions is wise but combined, and they usually are, they bring results that only a fool would seek.
This psalm is a repeat on the same theme as yesterday. The first step to overcoming depression is to put your hope in God and praise Him.
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
Yes, when I am discouraged or sad, I praise God all the louder and put my hope in Him. Before long my sadness has gone and encouragement has come my way.
In this passage a father brought his son to Jesus’ disciples for healing and they were unable to heal the boy. When Jesus returned and spoke with the father the father made a statement of faith which resonates with me greatly. The father asked Jesus to help him and his son if He could. Jesus replied to this by saying that anything is possible for one who believes. At which point the father cries out, in what I imagine is deep desperation (because that is how I would have felt at that point), “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief.”
I have such great sympathy for the father at that moment, because what he said there sums up my own faith. I want to believe in the power of God, I do believe in the power of God, but I struggle truly having faith in the power of God. I have seen what God has done in the past, and it is marvelous, so I know that He is more than capable of performing miracles in my life. But all too often instead of having faith that God will miraculously intervene, I let my fears keep me from asking Him for a miracle. So, that father’s statement is my statement, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.”
There are two verses out of this which are very important for us. The first is a challenge to us. In chapter 20, verse 26 it says, “You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy.” I find that challenging because I know that I am not able to be holy enough to measure up to God’s holiness. Then in chapter 21, verse 8 referring to the priests it tell us how we can measure up, “You must consider them holy because I, the Lord, am holy, and I make you holy.” We cannot be holy on our own, but if we put our trust and faith in God, He will make us holy. He will transform us.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
I prefer the NIV translation for today’s proverb. Those who conceal their hatred of others and then spread slander about them are fools. It does not take people long to figure out that you are not really someone’s friend when you are constantly telling others bad things about them.
Send out Your light and Your truth;
let them guide me.
I am happy to say that I know that God is doing so for anyone who will look to Him. I will strive to let His light and His truth guide me today and every day. The psalm ends with the answer to depression (although it is easier said than done):
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
When I feel sadness or discouragement I will put my hope in God and praise Him. I will recognize that even when things seem difficult and trouble besets me, God will be my defender and will care for me.
The story of the Transfiguration is a reminder that when we have a spiritual mountaintop experience we cannot stay there. There are times when we have transformational spiritual experiences. We need to remember that they do not last. The time comes when we need to take that experience back into the world. I just noticed one other thing that I have never connected it to the mountaintop experience part of this story. As they descended the mountain, Peter, James, and John discussed among themselves the meaning of what Jesus had said to them because they did not understand it. The same thing is likely to happen to us when we have mountaintop spiritual experiences.
When Jesus got down from the mountain He discovered the some teachers of religious law arguing with the rest of His disciples. Jesus asked them what the argument was about. A man came forward to say that he had brought his son to Jesus’ disciples and they were unable to heal the boy. Jesus told the man to bring his son to Him. This is followed by an exchange which always touches my heart. The father begged Jesus to help him and his son if He was able. Jesus questioned the father’s doubt and told him that anything was possible for those who believe. The father than made the statement which sums up so much of my prayers, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” I find my self praying this prayer almost daily. The wonderful thing is that it is a prayer which God always answers with a resounding “Yes!”
Early in this passage is a phrase which contains a truth we do well to live by. “Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them.” This is so true of how we should live, although I would change it to “Do not live according to the customs of the people you live among. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them.” God is not driving the people practicing this detestable culture out of the land before us. Rather, He is now calling on us to transform this culture by being faithful to Him. As I read this passage it reminded me of Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Let us be transformed by God’s Spirit so that by our example those around us will change their behavior and themselves be transformed by God’s Spirit.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Following the rules God laid out in yesterday’s passage, in today’s passage God tells the Israelites that if they do not follow the rules He is giving them, the land itself will reject them. When a society lives with no moral compass, the land in which it lives will attack it in a manner similar to how a body’s immune system attacks an infection.
This is followed by a series of instructions for priests. These instructions describe who they may marry and gives guidelines for remaining ceremonially clean. It includes instructions as to who may eat of the priestly portion of sacrifices.
Jesus went on a retreat to the top of a high mountain with only Peter, James and John. While there Jesus was transformed into a radiant figure. Elijah and Moses appeared and talked with Jesus. The disciples were so frightened and amazed that Peter suggested that they make shelters on the mountain top for Jesus, Elijah and Moses. A cloud then came down hiding the three from the disciples and a voice came out of the cloud telling the disciples that this was God’s Son and they should listen to Him. When the cloud lifted, Elijah and Moses were no longer with Jesus. As they descended from the mountaintop Jesus instructed the three disciples not to tell anyone about this experience until they saw Him risen from the dead. Peter, James and John followed His instruction, but spent considerable time trying to figure out what He meant by “rising from the dead.”
We have all had mountaintop experiences where we wanted to do as Peter did and set up camp to stay there. Yet, just as in this case, we had to return to our daily lives. How often do we return from those experiences wondering what God meant by something we experienced there? Reading this passage today what struck me was this, what was Jesus discussing with Elijah and Moses? Wouldn’t that have been an interesting conversation to be privy to?
When they returned to the other disciples, they saw them surrounded by a large crowd arguing with some teachers of the law. Jesus inquired what the debate was about. A man in the crowd spoke up, telling Jesus that he had brought his son to the disciples to have them drive a spirit out of the boy. The disciples were unable to help the boy. Jesus expressed disappointment at the lack of faith this demonstrated. He then asked that the boy be brought to Him. When the boy saw Jesus, he went into convulsions and fell to the ground. The father asked Jesus to heal His son, if He was able. Jesus told the father that anything is possible for a person who believes. To which the father cried out one of the great pleas of all time, “I do believe, help my unbelief.” Jesus then commanded the spirit to leave the boy and the boy was healed.
This father’s cry is one which we all should echo. I know that I do. There are often times when I want to believe, and know that I should, that God can and will accomplish something, but some part of me deep down inside doubts. Those times when I say to God, “If it is Your will,” but mean, “If You can.” On those occasions, I try to remember and echo this father’s heartfelt cry, “I do believe, help my unbelief.” This passage is a reminder that, if we ask, God will give us everything we need, even the faith to ask for what we need. My prayer today, and every day, is that God give me the faith, not just to move mountains, but to transform the world, to do His will in every aspect of my life.
Again in today’s psalm the psalmist tells us that the answer to depression is to turn to God, put our hopes in Him and praise Him. When we feel overwhelmed by life’s circumstances we should put our hope in God. We should trust that He will provide us with guidance. If we turn to Him for guidance, He will provide us with that guidance and show us the way out of our despair. Depression and despair are a failure of our faith. We all suffer from them from time to time. When we do, we must echo the father from today’s passage in Mark, “I do believe, help my unbelief.”
When I read this proverb in the New Living Translation, I had trouble understanding what it was getting at. As a result I looked at alternate translations. In the King James and the New International Version translations the sense is that lying to conceal hatred (either your own or that of someone else) makes one a fool. Lying to conceal hatred and spreading slanderous untruths about someone will lead to consequences that you will regret (even if you never make the connection between your lies and slander and the consequences).
