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
How eager are you to be searched by God? Probably not much s30e57 Ps139
Sometimes we think and do things that are not pleasing to God, but as of yet, they do not displease us. Psalm 139 has a fix for that: Search me. Know me. See if there are any grievous ways.
Now WHY would I want to undergo such uncomfortable examination? Because there is something BETTER. Listen 7 minutes to find out what it is.
https://youtu.be/8g_K2kOYB7E
How eager are you to be searched by God? Probably not much s30e57 Ps139
Probably not much. Unless you value the endpoint
Yesterday we wondered how much do we VALUE the thoughts of God.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Are the thoughts of God PRECIOUS, treasured by me?
Practically, do I have a CURIOSITY for the words and point of view of God?
We encouraged beginning to do the behaviors of esteeming so as to then lead to eventually regarding those thoughts as treasure.
Today we are asking how much do we value the everlasting way of God
This will make the searching by God more tolerable…BUT FIRST: retrun to imprecatory concept
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
an imprecatory sentiment is to call for justice for the unjust.
It is the spiritual hope that the wicked get their due soon
7, 9 Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
and may you establish the righteous—
.Slay the wicked. If you are a man of blood, be far from me.
I feel a certain way about the enemies of God
Remember how we handled these OT sentiments in our study of Psalm 137
Pray for enemies. Luke 6:27–28
Love Your Enemies
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, prayfor those who abuse you.
Leave the vengeance for God. Without the Lord, We do vengence poorly here. He does this category perfectly. Let’s stick to Love. To doing Good. Praying for our enemies, and blessing those who curse us.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Sometimes we think things and do things that are not pleasing to God, but as of yet they do not displease us
In this absence of conviction there is in Psalm 139 a call for self-consideration
Search me, know me NOW.
Try me, test me, know my thoughts NOW. SEE THE GRIEF Why?
See if there is a grievous way. See if I’m travelling any dreadful and dangerous paths that I am not aware of.
It is a request to Dial UP in me the conviction of Sin
Do I love the darkness rather than the light in some corner or perhaps a main thoroughfare of my heart. Jesus, in John 16 introduced the Person and the function of the Holy Spirit in this way: 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
Similarly, Doesn’t Psalm 139 ask for that same conviction?
Look intently, search this out in me, find the shameful paths that will lead to my harm.
Keep me OUT of danger by revealing the dreadful before I travel toofar upon its way
See my heart and thoughts and ways so two things:
1. I don’t come to harm
2. That you lead me in the way everlasting. Keep me from the bad stuff so I can revel in the good stuff: Lead me in the way everlasting
There are, I suppose, many many ways to NOT end up in the everlasting way
I don’t want to do, dear Lord, all the bad roads. Let’s nip this in the bud.
Keep me on a short leash. Know my heart. Search me. Understand my thoughts. See clearly. Try me . Why? Why would I be so tested, seen and exposed?
It is not just for the baring and the pain of exposing.
Psalm 139 points to the way ever lasting. Lasts forever. Relationship. Ongoing fellowship with HIM.
I think if we can better esteem the forever part, it will make the searching part more palatable. It will be worth it to be temporarily searched if you are settled in the permanent satisfaction
Yesterday we wondered how much we VALUE the thoughts of God. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
Today we are asking how much do we value the everlasting way of God
The more we value the endpoint of this ceaseless relationship with Him
The more eager we will be to join David: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!