Psalm 31:24

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:24

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24 Be of good courage [chazaq], and he shall strengthen ['amats] your heart [lebab], all ye that hope [yachal] in the LORD [Yahovah].  KJV-Interlinear

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord.  NASB

In Jesus Christ is all hope, all trust, all confidence.  There is no other in whom humanity can place such expectations.

Courage, ‘chazaq,’ means strength, poise, confidence, stout, unmovable, holding fast.

Strengthen, ‘amats,’ means to fortify, confirm, mental courage, physical power, to establish, to increase.

Heart, ‘lebab,’ means interior, activity, understanding.

Hope, ‘yachal,’ means confidence, trust, patient, wait.

The heart is the circulation of doctrine within your soul, using doctrine, thinking doctrine, applying doctrine to your everyday life.  Of course you have to know doctrine before you can use it or have it active in your life.

The activity of bible doctrine in the soul, fortifies your soul and therefore your life, just as diet and exercise fortify your physical body.  It completes that which is incomplete, makes strong that which is weak, establishes that which is unsettled, brings order to that which is disorganized.

And therefore, a strengthened soul, generates confidence and trust and hope in Christ, who is the source of all that you are or can be.

As a mere human, you are incomplete.  God brought you into this world as a format, an incomplete and empty vessel, into which you must pour legitimate knowledge, understanding, experience and wisdom, from the perspective of yet a second birth, so that you can become complete and prepared for eternity.

Without Christ, there is nothing.

Without faith in Christ, you are nothing.

Without doctrine in your soul, there is no structure on which to place your life.

Without the use of doctrine in the soul, there is no completion of your life.

Without completion, there is no faith, which is power, which is confidence.

God, elevated the word above His very name, because it is the written word through which we have access and strength and completion and power and faith.

There is no other source by which these may be obtained.

Psalm 31:23

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:23

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23 O love ['ahab] the LORD [Yahovah], all ye his saints [chaciyd]: for the LORD [Yahovah] preserveth [natsar] the faithful ['aman], and plentifully [yether] rewardeth [shalam] the proud [ga`avah] doer [`asah].  KJV-Interlinear

23 O love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful, And fully recompenses the proud doer.  NASB

This verse has two applications.  In both, the good aspect and the bad, the Lord deals with believers in abundance and never short changes anyone, when it comes to providing or applying them with that which they are due.

Gods expectations of each person are made very clear throughout the scriptures.  The mandates are clear, the examples are clear, the parables are clear.  There is no question left that anyone can look to, in order to get an even more clearer answer.

And yet the vast majority of believers do not comply with Gods mandates.  They remain in their world of pretense and self-defined spirituality.

And so, God deals with everyone accordingly.

For those who advance properly in their spiritual lives, there is an abundance of reward and blessing, both now and in eternity.

For those who fall short of that which is expected of them, due to their indifference, do to their neglect, do to their stubborn refusal to comply with Gods mandates, there is likewise an abundance of punishment, or the abundance of the removal of blessings.

God does not give a little or take a little.  He either gives a lot, or takes a lot.

Plentifully, ‘yether,’ means an abundance, or that which is far beyond what is necessary, as in the case for positive rewards.

As for punishments, God likewise gives plentifully, and does not withhold punishment, or let up, when the punishment is due and proper.  In the case of reward lost, God does not and will not forgive and forget and give out blessings anyway.

So, if you think that your sincerity will get you by, or if you think that God will give you something anyway, once you get to heaven, then you are mistaken.

The only things certain that any believer will receive in heaven and eternity will be eternal life and a resurrection body.

As to rewards, then look to the many good things in this world as an example guide for similar rewards for eternity.  There are the obvious things like gold and jewels, but then there are the more subtle rewards like promotion, talent, abilities, insights, innovative abilities, privileges, and this infinite list continues.

So, missing out on eternal rewards means missing out on a huge array of blessings, even beyond ones imagination.  And that qualifies as abundant.

There is incentive for complying with Gods expectations, but you really have to want to know God, fully.  You really have to want to grow up in accordance with His expectations. You really have to want to complete yourself and fulfill your meaning and purpose correctly, not by some poorly defined pretense.

Lest, you fall short, and worse, do not discover your shortage until after death, when it is too late for you to change.

Psalm 31:22

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:22

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22 For I said ['amar] in my haste [chaphaz], I am cut off [garaz] from before [neged] thine eyes [`ayin]: nevertheless ['aken] thou heardest [shama`] the voice [qowl] of my supplications [tachanuwn] when I cried [shava`] unto thee.  KJV-Interlinear

22 As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before Thine eyes"; Nevertheless Thou didst hear the voice of my supplications When I cried to Thee.   NASB

God is always present, regardless of the circumstances that you face from day to day in your life.  Even when you fall apart as suggested here in this verse, God is only a prayer away.  However, when you have some form of sudden distress, then realize that even though you may have sinned as a result, that can be corrected just as quickly with a confession to God the Father. 

God the Father is the only one authorized to receive confessions.  Not priests, not family, not strangers or friends, not even grandma.

Haste, ‘chaphaz,’ means fear as in being startled, sudden reaction as in without thought, spontaneous. And no matter who you are, we are all subject to sudden fear, especially when something comes along and catches us off guard.

When sin strikes, you are instantly out of fellowship, and therefore no longer before Gods eyes, so to speak.

That does not instantly throw you defenseless into the mire of the world.

God is pretty smart and knows the pattern of your life.  Often times an unexpected event sends us into anxiety or panic, and it takes a bit of time to stabilize yourself emotionally.

Training with doctrine helps you to recover your poise, to confess and recover your spiritual status.  But more important, when you have established a pattern of bible study and advancement in your spiritual life, then your mind works quickly, and keeps on working.  You keep thinking, and searching and considering your options under the circumstances.

If, you do not have an established pattern of a spiritual life, then your mind can become dulled with age and your reactions can fall into the mire of the world without recovery.

In either case, God knows you.  He will either be there immediately to help, or to help you figure out your situation, by means of your thinking, or perhaps something else will be provided.

Remember, God gave you a brain and expects you to use it.  God has likewise provided for all of the resources that exist in this world and expects you to use those as well.

Spiritual growth reinforces your thinking and discernment and objectivity.  You search for a solution, and you keep searching for a solution.

The lack of a spiritual life, makes things a bit more difficult, needless to say.  If your spiritual life is dysfunctional or more or less non-existent, then when trouble strikes suddenly and you panic, then you are not thinking of solutions.  You are thinking of flight or running, and that can lead to even more trouble for you, especially when fear or hysteria have seized control of you.

There are many benefits to having a functional spiritual life.  Besides clarity of thought and discernment, there is the God backed support that will make the trouble more tolerable and even a blessing.

Psalm 31:21

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:21

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21 Blessed [barak] be the LORD [Yahovah]: for he hath shewed me his marvellous [pala'] kindness [checed] in a strong [matsowr] city [`iyr].  KJV-Interlinear

21 Blessed be the Lord, For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.  NASB

Blessed be the Lord, is an expression of thanksgiving, directed toward Christ, from whom all provision comes.  And in this verse, the strong city refers to a community setting wherein you have protection among the many activities of life that exist in your life, within the symbolism of the city setting.

Unlike a town or a village or a hamlet, which are smaller entities usually lacking the attributes of a city, however, back in Davids day, the city had walls for fortification and protection, as well as homes, streets, various facilities, a government, commerce, industry and more, that allow the city to function and thrive even when it is under pressure from without.

Jerusalem is the city of peace.  Within that city is Mt. Zion, which represents the vast mountain of doctrine, knowledge, and truth of God.  This doctrine is the foundation and basis for that peace, as well as the source of all of Gods provision.  Within all of this setting is the moment to moment, day to day, ongoing activity of life, all within the environment of Gods protection.

This is the picture of the setting within which Gods favor, kindness, and grace actually interact and become a part of your life.

This is the state of the soul of the believer who has advanced to spiritual maturity, living in fellowship, and therefore has an open and ongoing relationship with God, through Christ, because of their advancement within their spiritual life.

God puts up a wall of fire around you, a fortress around you, sets you up within a mansion or palace, all the while interacting with you within your very own personal temple, all from the setting of your soul. 

A soul that has been constructed out of doctrine learned, finished with doctrine applied to life, reinforced with spiritual growth from understanding to wisdom.  All of which produces spiritual muscle or power, which is the substance of faith.

God has established a wonderful place for your life, but you have to move in and remain there before you can enjoy the benefits of that home.

Psalm 31:20

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:20

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20 Thou shalt hide [cathar] them in the secret [cether] of thy presence [paniym] from the pride [rokec] of man ['iysh]: thou shalt keep them secretly [tsaphan] in a pavilion [cukkah] from the strife [riyb] of tongues [lashown].  KJV-Interlinear

20 Thou dost hide them in the secret place of Thy presence from the conspiracies of man; Thou dost keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.  NASB

Do you know the secret of Gods presence, or the secret pavilion being referred to here?  Most folks will blabber about this or that, but then most folks do not read their daily studies and simply are clueless as to what these are. You should know, however if you have been with this study for even just a short time.

The spiritual life is proprietary, and is available only to believers in Jesus Christ.

Spiritual maturity is proprietary, and is available only to believers who advance in their spiritual life to spiritual maturity.

The function of the spiritual life is proprietary, and is available only to believers who are in fellowship.

But what was the subject of the previous verse?  Blessings that have been set up, pre-assembled, stored up for the believers use.

And where are these blessings found?

They are found and available to the believer who is in the secret place of God, namely in fellowship, and advancing to spiritual maturity.

Fellowship is acquired when you confess your sins.  When you commit a sin, then you are immediately out of fellowship and must confess again, in order to get back into fellowship.

Fellowship is the environment, or the secret place, in which the spiritual life functions.  It is the pavilion, or the environment wherein you stand, positionally, not literally, in front of God.

The secret place is the spiritual life of the advancing believer.

Secret means information that belongs to only those to whom it is revealed. Doctrine is revealed to believers who are in fellowship.  The spiritual environment is the only place where the benefits and resources of the spiritual life function.

To unbelievers, all things of a spiritual nature are foolishness.

To believers who are continually out of fellowship, as a matter of the pattern of their life, then most things are foolishness or simply uninteresting.

The only way to access that which is hidden, to discover that which is secret, is to enter into the spiritual environment which we call fellowship, and then study and learn, and thus gain an understanding of Gods wisdom.

The pride of men, the strife of tongues, are broad references to sin which prevents access to these secret places and the substance which is unique to the spiritual life.

Psalm 31:19

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:19

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19 Oh how great [rab] is thy goodness [tuwb], which thou hast laid up [tsaphan] for them that fear [yare'] thee; which thou hast wrought [pa`al] for them that trust [chacah] in thee before the sons [ben] of men ['adam]!  KJV-Interlinear

19 How great is Thy goodness, Which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, Before the sons of men!  NASB

Who would throw away a mind boggling treasure by simply not engaging in a daily study, that is so easy to pursue?  Advancing believers, or Christians who are studying, and learning and advancing in their spiritual life, have benefits that non-advancing or pretending believers do not have.  This verse gives us the details of how this is.

Gods goodness is laid up, ‘tsaphan,’ meaning stored up, treasured up, in reserve, hoarded up as one puts aside food and resources in the fall for use in the winter.  And so, God has stored up resources, blessings, things that advancing believers, not pretenders, will, and do, need throughout their life.

For them that fear, ‘yare,’ meaning reverent, or respect.

Trust, ‘chacah,’ means to rely on, to look to, to have confidence, a place of refuge.

Wrought, ‘pa al,’ to have made, planned out, made arrangements before hand.

And so, even before you existed, God made provisions of many things for you and your life.  But those blessings and provisions only become active for you, when and after you have advanced or are advancing in your spiritual life.

Too many people live a life of works or pretense or stubborn resistance, and needless to say, never gain the benefits of the many things that God has pre-arranged for them.  They are left on the table, so to speak.

Before the sons of men, simply means, during your life.

After you were born, the only question before you was, whether you would believe in Christ.  A simple thought that remarkably many refuse to do for years and years and years.

Likewise, after many do believe in Christ, the only question is whether or not they will commit themselves to a daily study, and then learn and advance in their spiritual life.  This is the aspect of your life where you actually complete yourself as a person, as God has intended. 

Again, remarkably many will resist committing to a daily study, fully convinced that they can be approved by God, by not having to comply with Gods mandate, and by doing whatever it is that they do, on their own.  They do this for years and years and years.

Then there are the few, the only true minority among humanity, who want more, who want to learn, who will seek out, who will inquire, who will leave no rock unturned, to discover what it is that God wants of us, and will commit to a daily study, will learn, will comply with Gods mandates, and will grow up. 

And it is to these advancing believers, that Gods provisions will be utilized, and they will reap the benefits of Gods blessings.  Blessings that are available to us right now, not later in eternity, but right now, during this life in this world.

But too, this provision also applies to eternity.

It is one thing to lose out on the blessings of this life, but it is quite another to lose out on the blessings for all of eternity.  Those blessings are infinite just as eternity is infinite, therefore the potential loss is infinite.

Again, who would throw away such a mind boggling treasure by simply not engaging in a daily study, that really is not a burden for anyone?

Many people dream dreams and that is all they will ever be, just dreams.

Spiritually mature believers have dreams that become formulated by the doctrine in their soul and eventually they will achieve those dreams.

What are your dreams?  Will you ever achieve them and more?  Why?

Psalm 31:18

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:18

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18 Let the lying [sheqer] lips [saphah] be put to silence ['alam]; which speak [dabar] grievous [`athaq] things proudly [ga`avah] and contemptuously [buwz] against the righteous [tsaddiyq].  KJV-Interlinear

18 Let the lying lips be dumb, Which speak arrogantly against the righteous With pride and contempt.  NASB

Wouldn’t it be terrible if others go to heaven as mature believers and you do not, especially when you have the opportunity to advance, but choose against a study that is so easy to follow.  Continuing from the previous verse, death stops all evil activities.  There are only two viewpoints in existence.  Gods view, which is truth, and all others.  The learning process of bible doctrine, opens the mind to all that is reality.  Lack of that learning process subjects the mind to all that is false and distracting.

When the believer is in fellowship, then the Holy Spirit controls the soul.  When the believer is out of fellowship, then the sin nature controls the soul.  Needless to say, the unbeliever is always controlled by the sin nature.

Everything that comes out of the mind, while out of fellowship, comes from there energy of the flesh, which is the sin nature. That is the source of all lies.  Non-spiritual activity of any kind, thoughts or otherwise, is the production of the flesh and therefore lies.  This is the principle that all fleshy activity is from the individual and not from God.

Everything that comes out of the mind, while in fellowship, comes from the energy of the spirit, which is from the source of God.  This is the source of all truth and all good.

So, lies are not restricted to only telling false things, it is also the promotion of right things but in the wrong environment, namely the out of fellowship environment.

Then death comes along and all lies come to a stop. 

The temporal thoughts, the temporal speech, the temporal activities all cease.

Grievous, ‘athaq,’ means bold, impudent, wicked, reckless, and describes everything that comes out of your life, when you are not in fellowship.

Fellowship is achieved from confession.  Sin causes one to lose that fellowship status. 

To not confess, to be apathetic toward that process, to procrastinate, to be too busy and forget or not care, or not even believe in the process, all of these things are assuming that you do not need to confess.  This presumes that you do not need Gods process, or perhaps do not need God.  This presumes that you have or believe in something else.

And that is all from the source of the sin nature and therefore evil. Evil is grievous and reckless and careless and irrational and all that is false.

All evil is against God, who is truth and righteous, and therefore all evil is against all that are righteous, namely Gods people.

If you are a believer and continually out of fellowship, then you are against yourself, making you, your own worst enemy and your own biggest barrier to success.

But, death ends all of that.

As an unbeliever, death removes you from this world and sends you to Torments where you await the Great White Throne.  Your earthly activities have ended.

As a believer, death takes you to Heaven where you will be with the Lord and all earthly beliefs and opinions will quickly be replaced by an overwhelming truth, which by the way, will be staring you right in the face. 

Overwhelming and most probably embarrassing.

Something that you can certainly avoid, but only if you have been pursuing your daily study, like so many others are.  Wouldn’t it be terrible if others go to heaven as mature believers and you do not, especially when you have the opportunity to advance, but choose against a study that is so easy to follow?

Psalm 31:17

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:17

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

17 Let me not be ashamed [buwsh], O LORD [Yahovah]; for I have called [qara'] upon thee: let the wicked [rasha`] be ashamed [buwsh], and let them be silent [damam] in the grave [sha'owl].  KJV-Interlinear

17 Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon Thee; Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.  NASB

God always has the last word.  God always has the last laugh.  Try as they may, anyone and everyone who resists the mandates and truths from God and life, and try to pretend or impose their invented beliefs onto life, will always face one inevitable event.  That event is death.

Death is the great equalizer and the great eye opener, so to speak.

People can go through their entire life believing the wrong things, doing the wrong things, resisting the wrong things, indifferent toward everything that is right and true, arguing until they are blue in the face, intimidating, yelling, screaming, being annoying and on and on, but in the end, death solves all arguments.

The believer in Christ, who has been genuinely obedient, who has followed the mandates of God to learn and to grow and to be a spiritually productive person, will have no shame when life comes to an end.

The believer who has been pretending and otherwise disobedient throughout life, will meet death with unbelievable embarrassment.

Ashamed means embarrassment.

Being embarrassed is not a sin, by the way, it is a discovery of ones stubborn bumbling in the face of a lifetime of truth that was disregarded.

Too many people will resist pursuing a daily study.  Too many people turn to excuses as to why they do not have to follow personal responsibility in life.  Too many people use past abuse or past experiences as their excuse for not changing or not growing up.  They simply never get over it or move forward, but prefer to live in their past misery, and even expect sympathy from others so that they can remain the victim.  Too many people pursue works or their own invented beliefs, rather than Gods spiritual design.

The past is always used as an excuse for avoiding growing up.  Current beliefs are always used as the excuse for not questioning ones beliefs.

Who are the wicked?  They are any and all who prefer to live apart from doctrine.  Wickedness is the activity of evil.  Evil is anything that is outside of Gods will and design.

If you are not compliant with Gods will, on a regular basis as a practical pattern of your life, then you are wicked.

All unbelievers are categorized as wicked.  All believers that are regularly out of fellowship are classified as wicked.  Everything that is not spiritual is wicked.

And the great thing is that everyone has the opportunity to discover their errors in life and make the necessary changes in their life. 

The unfortunate thing is that most resist or refuse to discover it until after they die, when it is too late to correct.

Psalm 31:16

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:16

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

16 Make thy face [paniym] to shine ['owr] upon thy servant [`ebed]: save [yasha`] me for thy mercies [checed]' sake.  KJV-Interlinear

16 Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; Save me in Thy lovingkindness.  NASB

Our eyes often times close to life when difficulties strike.  We see only the problems and we feel only the pains or anxieties.  But as for God, His eyes are always open. He sees everything. He misses nothing.

And so, even when trouble is all that there seems to be, it is good to call on God in prayer, thus opening up our eyes to our helplessness, to our limitations, and look to God who has no constraints or limitations of any kind.

When we look around at life objectively, all we should be able to see are the limitations that exist in our life.  When we review the previous verse, then we should know that God is involved in everything that is a part of our life.  And putting the two verses together, you should realize that there is far more to life than meets the eye.

Life is not just the sum of your environment, or the sum of your intellect, or the sum of the silly ideas that have accumulated in your mind.  Life is God, and specifically Jesus Christ.

We were born and then we die, neither of which we have any control over. And after death, then what? Are you prepared, or are you leaving it to chance?

When we look around at life, at ourselves, at other people, then we should realize that there is a higher power at work.  Solutions always seem to be around the corner.  The bad guys never get away with it.  Something or someone, always seem to come along at the oddest time, and things or people who should never be a part of our life, seem to appear out of nowhere.  Things that you could never plan yourself, just seem to come together.

You probably have events in your life that normally would seem impossible to have come together, but one of the best examples of Gods protection when the odds seem beyond impossible, is from history and the invasion on Omaha Beach back in June of 1944.

If you have ever seen that beach, then you know that the Germans had all of the advantages. They had years to prepare, and yet in under four hours time, the invasion breached their defenses.  Their phenomenal firepower did not find their targets, while the Allied firepower did.  The cost in loss of life could have been far greater, but it was not.  Thus the saying, ‘If the bullet has your name on it, then that is all she wrote, but if no bullets have your name on them, then something else is going on.’

Many years ago, we studied Elisha, 2 Kg. 6:17, who asked to have his eyes opened so he could see, and he saw the angels fighting all around, with flaming swords and such.  And that is the best example of Gods work, beyond our seeing.

We have protection, even if we do not see it, and especially if we do not know it.  God is always there in your life.

So do not focus on the impossibility of your situation, whatever it may be, whether you are racing across a bullet filled beach or battling a desk job, or suffering from some weird disease that no one has named.

To you, your problem may seem hopeless, but to God, it is an opportunity to demonstrate His phenomenal power and control.

And that is what the phrase, ‘save me for thy mercies sake,’ means.

When all seems lost, then God can take charge and demonstrate His mercies.

But, and this is a very big but.  No pun intended here.

But, you have to be functioning within the parameters of Gods plan, in order to benefit from His mercies.

God can look down the tunnel of time and see your future, but you cannot.  So, do not bet on luck to get you through.  Better to pursue your daily study and your spiritual life in order to maximize your blessings and protections, and make them certain.

As an unbeliever, all problems that you face are intended to bring you to Christ.

As a dysfunctional believer, all problems are designed to bring you to a functional spiritual life, namely a daily study and so forth.

As a positive and growing believer, then all problems are intended to reinforce your faith and accelerate your spiritual growth.  Better to be in this position, than in the other two.

Psalm 31:15

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:15

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15 My times [`eth] are in thy hand [yad]: deliver [natsal] me from the hand [yad] of mine enemies ['oyeb], and from them that persecute [radaph] me.  KJV-Interlinear

15 My times are in Thy hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.  NASB

Times, ‘eth,’ refers to the evenings and mornings, or days, seasons, tides, continually, and in our verse means the entirety of ones life, all events, all activities, all circumstances, everything from ones birth to ones death.  Our times, are in Gods hands, meaning under His complete control.

There is never anything that is left out of Gods hands, even when He allows us to make fools of ourselves with foolish decisions.

But too realize, that God gives us all the resources we need, to make our own life better.  We just have to make the right decisions.

In life we have many sources of enemies.  The foremost is the content of our own thoughts, followed by people, followed by bureaucracies, followed by the huge variety of natural disasters or accidents, even genetic peculiarities that can enter into our lives.

God can allow you to follow your own plan of life and watch you fail and fail again, even to the point of whatever suffering you may encounter in life.  Or, you can pursue your life as God intends for you, and then you can let God bring all kinds of really good things into your life, again as He intends for you to live and to grow up.

In either case, we will live as God has appointed for us, we will pass through life as He directs.  We were born into this world according to His will.  We will leave this world according to His will.  He will present all kinds of opportunities to us, so that we can advance in our spiritual life, and leave it up to us to recognize them or not.

If you pursue your life as God intends, then all manner of enemies will never cause you to utterly fail.

If you pursue your life in opposition to Gods will, then He will kindly permit you to suffer at the hands of any and all the world, which is in accordance with your choice.

You just have to wake up and realize that your life is completely in Gods hands, that everything is provided for, that nothing can ruin your life except you, and once you figure this out, then perhaps you will not be so anxious or worrisome over the little things or even the big things in life.

The better you choices you make with regard to pursuing your spiritual life, to your obligations in life according to your station in life, then the better your confidence in God, will be, and the better poise and stability you will have in life.

Psalm 31:14

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:14

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

14 But I trusted [batach] in thee, O LORD [Yahovah]: I said ['amar], Thou art my God ['elohiym].  KJV-Interlinear

14 But as for me, I trust in Thee, O Lord, I say, "Thou art my God."  NASB

And while the world devises all manner of plans to do away with truth, with God, and with you, there is one sure and certain thread that runs throughout history, which is Jesus Christ.

Most of humanity cannot see beyond the scope of this world.

Rulers want to build empires. Celebrities want to build their notoriety.  Common folks are tied up in their social lives or hobbies, or just getting by in life.

While the greater truths of reality have to do with God and Satan, and the game of history that will eventually lead us all into eternity. And one way or another, that is where everyone is going to end up.

God designed the logistics of this life to help you survive while you prepare yourself for your spiritual future.

The world tries to convince us all that the world is all that there is.  That we are all simple links in a never ending chain that has brought us out of the caves and heading us into something better.  But then that something doesn’t seem to apply to anyone except future generations.  And it is all a lie, but a very successful lie, because it has convinced the greater numbers of people, that there is nothing to faith, that only the secular things in life are real.

And if you place your faith in the world, then you have nothing except what we studied yesterday, which is that you have nothing.

There is no trust in the world, not in any aspect of it.  We have already seen that. 

The only trust is in Christ, who is the Lord, who controls history, even though you cannot see that control.

The Lord, is Jesus Christ, who is man, but also, He is a member of the trinity, God or ‘elohiym,’ in the plural.  And the plural is used here in contrast to the plans of man, because God has a plan, a perfect plan.  The Father authored the plan, the Son executes the plan, and the Spirit reveals the plan.

Psalm 31:13

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:13

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13 For I have heard [shama`] the slander [dibbah] of many [rab]: fear [magowr] was on every side [cabiyb]: while they took counsel [yacad] together [yachad] against me, they devised [zamam] to take away [laqach] my life [nephesh].    KJV-Interlinear

13 For I have heard the slander of many, Terror is on every side; While they took counsel together against me, They schemed to take away my life.   NASB

Will you know the answer to the question at the end of this study?  This verse gives us the third of three troubles that have been mentioned in this passage.  The first was the ostracism from friends and family which is a reference to the world.  The second is being forgotten, as the world has a short memory and the typical impact that any given person has on life, is virtually nil.

Jesus Christ, of course, is the one and only exception.

And now the third source of trouble is the gossip or slander of the world, especially against Christians, but then the world plays no favorites to speak of, and eventually turns on everyone, even those that the world favors for a time.

Fear on every side is a reference to the complete lack of trust that can be placed in the world.  No one and northing can be trusted, for when the chips are down, the friends fade quickly away.  And even when life is prosperous and rosy, those who draw near, have ulterior agendas to themselves, and certainly not you.

As they say, when the food and beverage runs out, the party is over and everyone leaves.

Counsel against the believer, is the collective conspiracy of the world against truth and therefore against God and Christ and all that they stand for.  A conspiracy is an evil, unlawful, secretive plan that has been formulated by two or more persons.  And Satan’s plan of evil, when adopted by people who reject truth, and willingly even if unknowingly, becomes the greatest conspiracy in all of history.  Its impact affects all of human history and certainly the lives of unknown endless numbers, of people.

Satan’s ultimate purpose is to defeat God, and thereby destroy us all.

Look at the world all around.  We are ostracized from life by evil. We are forgotten as though we have no worth or value.  We are slandered and despised with impunity.  The world simply does not care for you or anyone.  As far as Satan is concerned, he got along fine before man was created and will get along fine after man is long gone and forgotten.

So, through evil, which is what you choose by default, if you ignore the instruction of Gods word, then you will gain nothing and for certain, will lose everything.  Your life will have no meaning or purpose, ever.

With Christ, you can certainly gain everything and more beyond your imagination.

Which is the best choice?

Psalm 31:12

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:12

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12 I am forgotten [shakach] as a dead man [muwth] out of mind [leb]: I am like a broken ['abad] vessel [kaliy].  KJV-Interlinear

12 I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind, I am like a broken vessel.  NASB

It is sad, but the epitaph of us all is to be forgotten, never to be remembered, never to be known.  As far as the world is concerned, when you die, your life and your name will fade as though it never existed.

Look back and how many people do you remember from last year, from ten years ago, from fifty years ago?  How many celebrities can you name who lived in the year 1900 or 1800?

As the distance of time separates us further and further from the past, the people of those long ago days are forgotten, their names forgotten, their faces forgotten, their very existence forgotten.  And if you have difficulty in remembering celebrities, then how much more difficult is it to remember the common folks of years gone by?

When you give yourself to the world, this is your reward.  Nothing, and even less than nothing.

When a person dies, there is a period of grieving and of memory at first, by family and perhaps a few friends. There is a vacuum and a vacancy in the hearts of a few, while the world knows little if anything of your loss.  Then time passes and lives move forward and memories fade.  The next generation most probably will never know of that person that was lost, except by a name, if that.

There is nothing gained from the minds of humanity, because humanity forgets.  And when you never lived during those past era’s, then you cannot remember anything that you never knew.

In this world today, you are somebody.  You look in the mirror and wow, there you are.  But then you die and then who were you? A memory at first and then forgotten.

Have you ever driven by a cemetery?  Ever wondered who those people were? What did they do?  What were they like?  When did they live?  Are they with the Lord today, or are things far worse for them?

God knows you, but you have to believe in Him first. Christ will never forget you.

But reject Christ and your destiny will be one of forgotten existence.  While many are in heaven enjoying all of eternity, you will be lost and forgotten.  No one will know you.  No one will remember you.  And, you will be suffering terribly in the Lake of Fire and yet nobody will remember you or know of your suffering.  Only you will know your suffering and you will suffer all alone and forgotten.

And that is a terrible thing, to have lived, to have had the opportunity to believe in Christ with a simply thought, to be remembered by Christ, to be known personally by God to have a phenomenal life forever, and yet you decided to stubbornly refuse to believe in Christ during the many years of your entire life, and for what?  To be forgotten and to be alone forever.

Or, you can believe in Christ, you can decide to pursue your spiritual life by growing up through a daily study and thereby enhance even more, your life in eternity.

Psalm 31:11

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:11

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11 I was a reproach [cherpah] among all mine enemies [tsarar], but especially [ma`od] among my neighbours [shaken], and a fear [pachad] to mine acquaintance [yada`]: they that did see [ra'ah] me without [chuwts] fled [nadad] from me.  KJV-Interlinear

11 Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach, Especially to my neighbors, And an object of dread to my acquaintances; Those who see me in the street flee from me.   NASB

Too often, people are afraid to do the simplest thing, such as read a bible study, for fear that someone will see them reading or find out that they are interested in Christian teaching, and mock or ostracize them for their Christian activity.

A reproach, ‘cherpah,’ refers to the attitude of disgrace, embarrassment, a rejection, or a shame.  And people will avoid you if you profess your Christian views, just as you avoid your Christian responsibilities or connections because you are likewise embarrassed or ashamed or repulsed by the thought of humbling yourself to whatever or whoever it is that you wish to avoid in your Christian life.

To flee, ‘nadad,’ really means to avoid, to ignore, to stay away, to ostracize.

And all sorts of people, including family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, or strangers will take it upon themselves to hurt you emotionally or perhaps physically, simply by avoiding you or leaving you out of their social or work activities.

So, what is more important to you in life, your peers and what people think of you, or your Christian views and what God thinks of you.

Throughout history, people have been thrown into prison, thrown to the lions, sent into slavery or poverty simply because of their Christian beliefs, and their refusal to conform to the current views of the world.

How far would you go, to maintain your Christian views?  Would you walk away from your job, your political beliefs, lose your home or family?  Would you lose your life over Christ?

Would you avoid a daily study, or study in private?  Would you avoid speaking out when speaking out is needed?

Would you avoid your responsibilities and obligations to self or to others, for the sake of avoiding insults.

Would you avoid giving in order to protect your pocketbook, because after all, money is tight and someone else can do that.  It’s much easier to say you’ll pray about that, and then do nothing.

Just how strong, or weak, is your Christian faith?

Who or what do you fear more, God or people or life's circumstances?

Who or what do you trust more, God or people or life's circumstances?

Are you a spiritual warrior, or a wimp?

Psalm 31:10

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Psalm 31:10

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10 For my life [chay] is spent [kalah] with grief [yagown], and my years [shaneh] with sighing ['anachah]: my strength [koach] faileth [kashal] because of mine iniquity [`avon], and my bones [`etsem] are consumed [`ashesh].  KJV-Interlinear

10 For my life is spent with sorrow, And my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my iniquity, And my body has wasted away.  NASB

Most people have good days and bad days, good years and bad years, but the subject here is ones lifetime, ‘chay,’ meaning alive, raw as in fresh, quick, and is a reference to ones entire lifespan from the moment of ones birth to the moment of ones death.  Fresh into this world and just as quickly taken out of it.

And what ultimately lies between beginning and end of life?  Grief, ‘yagown,’ affliction, grief, sorrow, cause to grieve.

Sigh, ‘anachah,’ means groaning, mourn, sigh as in exhale as in weary or exhausted.

Strength failing, ‘kashal,’ means to lose ones inner power or will.

Bones consumed, means the wasting away over time, of ones physiology.

And so, what can you expect from this life?  Nothing more than negative results.  That is if you depend entirely on this world and reject or ignore God, Christ and doctrine.  Then, there is not much more to expect from life.

If you happen to be genetically bright or well to do, even then your prosperity will be brief as far as the timeline of history goes. 

Your years, whether they be twenty or fifty or a hundred, may seem long to you.  But just wait until late in life and then look back and inevitably you will wonder where did all that time go.  You were young just yesterday is will seem, but time flies, especially when you are indifferent or unresponsive toward the real realities of life.

And likewise, if you are young, then you may think you have all the time in the world, and you may do nothing and then life can come at you when you least expect it, which would not be good for you.

When you die, life does not end there, but continues on into the next phase of your existence.  And that next phase is going to be a very long phase.  An infinite and final phase, in fact. 

So, if you have not prepared for it, then what can you expect from it?

This verse is clear.  You cannot expect much of anything from this life when considered by itself. 

But, if you include God, Christ and doctrine as God intends for you, then your expectations can and will rocket off the charts of possibilities.  But, of course you have to want to learn, and then pursue that learning.

Indifference, apathy, pretense, procrastination, gain you nothing, and can lose you everything.