Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
All of your problems go away in the Lord. Just kidding. S30e15 Ps124
The Bible does not promise an untroubled life, but without Him:
The outcome would have been different
The journey would have been different
The company would have been different
We have in psalm 124:
the Lord ON our side (HE’s FOR us)
and AT our side (He’s with us)
during real problems (He’s actually helping us.)
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The Psalms of My Friends
All of your problems go away in the Lord. Just kidding. S30e14 Ps124
Psalm 124 in Psalms of My Friends
Psalm 124 is 8 short verses long. Short and sweet.
Here is the sentiment that I keep coming back to: If the Lord was not at my side, things would have been different.
The OUTcome would have been different
The journey would have been different
The company would have been different
The Bible does not promise an untroubled life
Here people trouble: rise up, swallowed us, kindled anger, (planned, plotted, tended, cared for ANGER)
Image of flood that sweeps us away.A Torrent that goes over, raging
Image of people desiring prey to the tooth. Who? ME. Me as prey
In this case the Lord gives escape like a bird from the fowlers snare
Here, not only do we have the PRESENCE of the Lord, we have the HELP of Lord
He is not impassive to our problems
124 A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
let Israel now say—
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
when people rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth!
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped!
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Not to disappear your problems—He does change the scenery.
If the Lord was not here, things would be different
Yes, things would have been different, but they would not be perfect
We’ve read Ps 23: fear, shadows, evil, death and enemies
Ps 7325 Whom have I in heaven but you*******?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
Of note, the enemy we found there was MYSELF. I almost got this wrong. My feet almost slipped. I nearly fell. Where? Into wrongly aligningmyself with the wicked. Yese there were real wicked in the story. But the point of that psalm is that I was the one to really worry about: I was the biggest knucklehead in that psalm because I almost voted with my soul that I was tempted to affiliate and align myself with that line of thinkingl.
In a sense, the enemy I was most at ristk to in Ps 73 is MYSELF.
Ps124:8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Location or source of a resource while being pursued as prey is
in the LORD, His name, His character, His ways, His comfort, His opposition
His being FOR US
What is it that we desire, and require, and desperately need? H-E-L-P
He is a weak man who does not sometimes say I need help.
He is weak because there are problems here bigger than yourself
And to deny yourself access to the HELP of the Lord is foolish, unwise, and not recommended in every way.
I know this Psalm 124 finds many of you in need of HELP. That is just perfect. This is exactly why we turn to scriptures and to the Lord. Where else can we go?
If it had not been, and if it is not, the Lord at our side, then WHO? A politician? A scientist? A co-worker?
What if, even if the companion is good intentioned, Even a spouse or family member, what if the PROBLEM is above their pay grade.
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
let Israel now say—
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
when people rose up against us,
No, let’s do what David does in Ps 124: gratefully acknowledge 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Let’s throw ourselves upon His HELP. His Name.
Let’s throw ourselves upon the understanding that if it were not for Him at our side, we would be in a need that could not be met in any way other than Him.
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, we would not have the help and specifically the kind of help that only He could give.
We have in psalm 124
the Lord ON our side (HE’s FOR us)
and AT our side (He’s with us)
during real problems (He’s helping us.)
If the Lord had not been on our side, I don’t know what we would have done.
The Bible does not promise all your problems go away when you associate with Him, it does say He’s at our side during the hard times.