Scripture
When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
~Psalm 94:19, NIV
Quote
God will not get history–yours, mine or the world’s–wrong.
~Timothy Keller
It amazes me how some subjects keep reoccurring in a weeks study. ANXIETY has come up more than once this week. Our Wednesday night message did address the subject but then Keller’s devotion hit it again on Thursday morning. Anxiety is a real issue in America: 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety. There is little doubt in my mind that peace and rest are not only needed by we humans but coveted as well. I don’t worry about storms: my concern is peace amidst the storm. God is His wondrous grace and mercy has given us many consolations–things that comfort and console us. I love the word of God. I love spending time in the word: it convicts me but it also brings me great consolation. We have God’s word and the promise that He will get history right; that in the end–things will be set right but our greatest consolation is in our CHAMPION, the LORD Jesus Christ. By CHAMPION, I mean a person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else.
In ancient warfare, it was common to allow a champion to fight for an entire nation. Goliath was the Philistine champion and David became Israel’s. David won the battle for Israel–all the men of Israel did was stand and watch–young David did all the fighting. Achilles was the champion of the Trojan army. You can see the definition of a champion is this short video of Achilles facing a giant…
David was a great warrior in his younger days and he was definitely Israel’s champion but David is a type of Christ, the greater CHAMPION. David’s fight was with flesh and blood; David killed a man, a vile and ungodly man. The man did represent sin, unbelief and all that is wrong with the world but Jesus literally fought our greater enemies–Sin, death, Satan and hell. Like David, He fought alone and like the Israelites, we stood and watched. David’s battle lasted a few minutes and produced an immediate victory. Jesus battle lasted six agonizing hours and ended in apparent defeat but that is the glory of it–with our Great God, things are seldom what they appear to be. In truth, Jesus was victorious and the resurrection was proof of the pudding.
I cannot lie, Jesus is my hero, my CHAMPION. He fought a battle that I could have never fought, let alone won. I’m like the men of Israel, shaking in my boots, with urine running down my trembling legs. There is not much in Jack to admire but there is in his CHAMPION. Bless the LORD O my soul…how can we not praise HIM.
Jason brought up a very interesting subject…unfamiliar words. I’m reading Keller’s PRODIGAL GOD and he used the word “flummoxed,” which I had to look up, it means to baffle, bewilder, perplex or confuse. Why not just say, “He was confused,” rather than “He was flummoxed.” Doug has a brother, David, who is an artist at using unheard of words. I know most of you do not get the DIGEST so I will show you some of these words…it will expand your vocabulary if you can remember them…I have given you one hint with each word…see what you can do. Doug likes to use #4 “Lugubrious.”
| Triturable-like corn meal |
| Obfuscation—not crystal clear |
| Desultory-not a psychotic disorder. |
| Lugubrious-does not describe and Auburn fan. |
| Parsimonious-nothing like sanctimonious. |
| Alacrity-not the capitol of Alabama. |
| Assiduousness-what is a good detective? |
| Idiosyncratic-like yours truly. |
| Promulgators-your pastor is one. |
| Triturable– goodie or BC |
I missed all ten so don’t feel bad if you don’t know any of them. Not only did I not know them, after looking them up, I could remember which was which.