Psalm 106:15 - What We Desire Or Want Is Not Always Best.
Psa. 106:15: What We Desire Or Want Is Not Always Best.
Psa 106:15 (KJV) And he gave them their request; but sent
leanness into their soul.
Psa 106:15 (NIV) So he gave them what they asked for, but sent
a wasting disease upon them.
Psa 106:15 (CWR) So He gave them what they asked for, but it
only brought them trouble, disease and death.
CONTEXT
Israel's Failure to Trust God
Israel's Rebelliousness and the LORD'S Deliverances.
Give Thanks to the Lord, for He Is Good (106:1-48)
Psalm 106: Here is reported the long series of failures on the
part of Israel to obey God as they moved from Egypt to the land of
promise. Yet God remembered his covenant (106:45). [Cambridge Annotated
SB]
Psalm 106: Covenant Love. In this dark counterpart to Psalm 105,
the psalmist reviewed history's evidence of human failure. Against
that background the wonder of God's covenant-keeping love shines
bright and clear. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
CROSS REFERENCES
Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25 There is a way which seemeth right unto
a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION
Ps 105 reviews history from God's perspective. Ps 106 reviews
history from the human perspective, listing lessons learned in
rebellion. Rebellion may pervert the very answers to prayer (vv 14-15),
cause God to give a person over to the consequences of rebellion (v
41), and produce physical weakness in the sinner (v 43). One
righteous prayer may interrupt the consequences (vv 30-31). In spite of
the consequences, God remains loving and disposed to preserve His
people (vv 44-46). That disposition is a basis for sinners to pray. A
history of rebellion should not prevent the present generation from
praising God. Human rebellion often reveals God's love. That love should
lead to confession of sin as a prelude to praise and petition..
[Disciple SB]
As God revealed Himself in historical acts, Israel regularly
interrupted His plans by their selfish will. Thus history revealed God's
anger at a disobedient people, His compassion for a suffering people,
and His faithfulness to His covenant promises. A punished people
plead for God's salvation, praise Him for His faithfulness, and
express confidence in His plans. [Disciple SB]
Repentance is the key theme for a people consciously suffering
under God's wrath and discipline. Israel in exile confessed their
sins, acknowledging that their history was a story of God's grace to a
rebellious people. They deserved their punishment, were grateful for the
grace God was showing to them in captivity, and prayed for restoration
to their land. As God's people Christian disciples must constantly
be aware of our history with Him and confess our sins to Him. We
have no right to complain of punishment we deserve. We can call only
on His grace. [Disciple SB]
In the desert, Israel was so intent on getting the food and
water 'they' wanted that they became blind to what God wanted. They
were more concerned about immediate physical gratification than
lasting spiritual satisfaction. They did not want what was best for
them, and they refused to trust in God's care and provision (Numbers
11:18-33). If you complain enough, God may give you what you ask for, even
if it is not the best for you. If you're not getting what you want,
perhaps God knows it is not in your best interest. Trust in his care and
provision. [Life Application SB]
Confound not faith and feeling together. They are distinct.
Faith is ours to exercise. This faith we must keep in exercise.
Believe, believe. Let your faith take hold of the blessing, and it is
yours. Your feelings have nothing to do with this faith. When faith
brings the blessing to your heart, and you rejoice in the blessing, it
is no more faith, but feeling. {1T 167.2}
Faith and feeling are as distinct as the east is from the west.
Faith is not dependent on feeling. We must earnestly cry to God in
faith, feeling or no feeling, and then live our prayers. Our assurance
and evidence is God's word, (Letter 7, 1892).
When we learn to walk by faith and not by feeling, we shall have
help from God just when we need it, and His peace will come into our
hearts. ML14
It is not a conclusive evidence that a man is a Christian
because he manifests spiritual ecstasy under extraordinary
circumstances. Holiness is not rapture: it is an entire surrender of the will
to God; it is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of
God; it is doing the will of our heavenly Father; it is trusting God
in trial, in darkness as well as in the light; it is walking by
faith and not by sight; it is relying on God with unquestioning
confidence, and resting in His love. If we commit the keeping of our souls
to God in the exercise of living faith, His promises will not fail
us; for they have no limit but our faith. AA51
The Facts about Feelings; step 3
Myth: Christians should de-emphasize feelings.
Fact: We should experience the feelings God gave us and bring
them to him, especially when we don't understand them.
Many Christians believe that feelings are to be disciplined,
buffeted, or controlled if you want to truly follow God. Here are a few of
Curt's experiences with this myth:
When I was new in my faith, Christians told me, "Curt, ignore
those feelings, and do what God wants you to do." I poured my heart
out to one Christian, who simply thumped his Bible and said, "That's
just a feeling. What does the Bible say?" He told me that listening
to my feelings would get me into trouble. So I ignored my feelings,
which wasn't difficult - I learned how to do this growing up.
God created feelings. He is a full-feeling Being, expressing
anger (Jonah 4:1), hurt (Hosea 11:1-4), and joy (Nehemiah 8:10). Much
of the Bible talks about feelings, especially in Old Testament
poetry and prophecy. King David of the Old Testament, a "man after
[God's] own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14), struggled with feelings openly. He
felt the full strength of his emotions and surrendered them to God.
We can do the same thing.
Cutting off our feelings cuts off a part of who we are. It
isolates our emotional lives from our faith and tempts us to lead two
lives-a secular one and a spiritual one. How much wiser to deal with
feelings, even the ugliest ones, through our faith. --Curt Grayson And Jan
Johnson
PRAYER: Lord, help me neither to be afraid of my feelings nor
afraid of those who tell me they're bad. Help me to learn to express my
feelings in healthy ways. [Life Recovery Devotional SB re Psa.55:22]
|
|
