The Encouraging Word

Scripture

I weep with sorrow, encourage me by Your word.

Psalm 119:28, NLT

Quote

We must be watchful after the victory as before the battle.

~Andrew Bonar

This is the Daleth stanza and it reveals a despondent Psalmist, his face is in the dust. We do not know what happened but evidently, he was being persecuted for keeping or being faithful to the word of God. The more I read and study Psalm 119, the more I think Wiersbe is right: it sound a lot like Jeremiah the weeping prophet. Jeremiah had a difficult life; he may have had more downs than ups, more sorrow than success and whoever the Psalmist is, his soul is in the dust. The Hebrew word chayah [khä·yä’] used in verse 25, Revive me by your word,” is translated ‘preserve’ in the NIV and quicken’ in the AV. Holman and the ESV translate it ‘give me life.’ It is a word used a lot in Psalm 119. Drop the c and it is hayah, the Hebrew verb for being. Chayah is the verb for life. As you can see in these two verbs, you cannot have Chayah without Hayah. God’s covenant name is taken from the verb for being which is Hayah. Yahweh is not a being, He is being; He is life: the source, the giver, the preserver and the restorer of life. We humans are like watches, sometimes we run down. Like a piece of citrus fruit, the sorrows and cares of this world squeeze the life out of us leaving with nothing but pulp and peeling. We feel spent, used up and depleted. No one stays up all the time: every believer gets down from time to time.

David was not always on cloud nine, he had his low moments. When he says in Psalm 23, “He restores my soul,” he was talking about the low state of the soul. David was a shepherd and sometimes sheep get in a cast position, they get on their backs and not be able to get up. The shepherd would take the staff with the crook at the top and gently give the sheep a lift, helping the creature regain its balance and get back on its feet. The word chayah is used 16 times in Psalm 119 and nine of those times the NASB translates it ‘Revive.’ In verse 29, the Psalmist said, “Keep me from lying to myself.” Are we lying to ourselves by pretending that all is well and that we have no spiritual needs. Could we not honestly pray with the Psalmist, “Revive me by Your word.”

SPEAKING OF REVIVAL

November 5-8 With Wade Morris

Hear me Dude, when I say, “I am coming to DBC!”

  • June and I got to hear President Trump’s speech to Values Voters yesterday morning on our way to Bell Buckle and he hit it out of the park. He has not given up on keeping his promise, he still intends to drain the swamp and he has a lot of support in Lynchburg, TN. As a rule, I don’t enjoy presidential speeches but this one was right up there with Reagan: it was inspiring. He gave the libs a lot of fodder but he doesn’t care and neither do I, they are idiots. They have offended us for the past 8 years so it time for them to be offended. Can I get an amen David Wood? They need to concentrate of cleaning up this mess with one of their top supporters, Harvey the pervert Weinstein. If this had happened to a Republican supporter, it would be all over the news. It is amazing to me how many rich Jews support the democrats and the democrats would not give Israel air if they were corked in a bottle. “Lord, please open the eyes of the Jews and enable them to see the truth. We need their help in getting the gospel to the world.”
  • Lord willing, I will be attending a COLS for mother’s first cousin Ruth Simpson at New Canaan Baptist Church which is located at Union Hill. Some of us will be attending the grave side service of Henry Deffenbaugh, my great, great nephew on Sunday at Sardis Springs.
  • Don’t forget to pray for our BLOCK PARTY…Oct. 21 at 4:00. Pray for good weather and for me to present the gospel clearly.
  • Good trip yesterday, only one problem, I got a bad, bad headache and had to go to bed as soon as we got home. Other than that, things went great. Bell Buckle is worth the trip. If you like Arts and Crafts, you will like this quaint little town located on the main railroad between Nashville and Chattanooga. June liked it and that speaks volumes. If we go back, I’ll have to drive a truck because she saw some furniture that she wanted. Wartrace is not so active: they did have one good restaurant. Normandy has nothing going on, just a little village on that same railway line. But, to my surprise, Lynchburg is booming. I’ve been by that town two dozen times and never stopped but they have an old down town area just two blocks off the main highway and I was shocked. They have a great BBQ joint and their shops feature Jack Daniels memorabilia, T-Shirts, gifts, etc. If you are a sensitive liberal, don’t go to Lynchburg, you will get offended. They have a sign that reads: If you want to kneel while the anthem is being played, get in front of a moving vehicle. the shirt I liked was a confederate flag with these words: I wear this to offend the ignorant. There was also one I wanted to get for Jason but did not know his size, it read… I am the God fearing, gun toting, flag waving conservative the libs warned you about. Both Bell Buckle and Lynchburg have fudge shops. That’s probably what gave me the headache. I ate a quarter of a pound of orange cream fudge from Bell Buckle. I was hoping it would curb my appetite but last night before bed, I ate two more pieces of Mrs. Ann scrumptious pecan pie.

Pray for Our President and for REVIVAL in America.

  • When I first heard that Syracuse beat Clemson I could not believe it but Clemson’s quarterback got knocked out of the game in the 2 quarter and that is hard to overcome. When Oklahoma pounded Ohio State, I thought they were unbeatable and then lowly Iowa State knocked them off. Anything can happen on any given day. No one is unbeatable.

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