Scripture: Psalm 48:4-7
Look: the kings assembled themselves, advancing all together—when they saw it, they were stunned; they panicked and ran away frightened. Trembling took hold of them right there— like a woman giving birth, or like the east wind when it smashes the ships of Tarshish.
Thought for the Day: In yesterday’s devotional, I started with the opening verses of Psalm 48. I did this, in part, because I preached on Psalm 48 Sunday, and during the sermon, I encouraged the congregation to read the Psalm in its entirety. After thinking about it, I thought I’d make it easier for folks and just walk through it over the next few days. In the above verses, the Psalmist speaks of advancing and threatening troops, but notice how there is no specific context. For the writer, it’s not about some particular event, but about the emotion felt. There are people around the world who know this experience firsthand, but for most of us, the idea of a gathering army at our doorstep carries with it more of a figurative or metaphorical meaning. Whether it is people we know or our own life journey, there is fear brought on by the onslaught of financial difficulty, unexpected news from a doctor, a pending life change, family relationships spinning out of control, or simply the appearance of hopelessness. We must always start our study of scripture in its historic context, but when we do the work required to understand that context, there is almost always a correlation between then and now.
Prayer: Give me a heart for the scriptures, O Word of Life. Guide me deep into the study that will open the richness found within these ancient texts. Amen.
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New or Gently Used Stuffed Animals
