The Joyful Heart by Jim Hughes: November 2011

Are you down in the dumps? Remember everything you know about God; then you will be singing with Him songs in the night! – Jim

Psalms 42:6-8 I rehearse everything I know of you

(MSG)

When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse

everything I know of you,

From

Jordan

depths to Hermon heights,

including Mount Mizar.

Chaos calls to chaos,

to the tune of whitewater rapids.

Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers

crash and crush me.

Then God promises to love me all day,

sing songs all through the night!

My life is God's prayer.

(AMP)

⁶O my God, my life is cast down upon me [and I find the burden more than I can bear]; therefore will I [earnestly] remember You from the land of the

Jordan

[River] and the [summits of Mount] Hermon, from the little mountain Mizar.

⁷[Roaring] deep calls to [roaring] deep at the thunder of Your waterspouts; all Your breakers and Your rolling waves have gone over me.

⁸Yet the Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

(NLT)

6 my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,

but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the

Jordan

from the land of Mount Mizar.

7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas

as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life.

(NLV)

⁶ O my God, my soul is troubled within me. So I remember You from the land of the

Jordan

and the tops of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. ⁷ Sea calls to sea at the sound of Your waterfalls. All Your waves have rolled over me. ⁸ The Lord will send His loving-kindness in the day. And His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life.

(CPV)

So take another look at him who put up with so much opposition from “the good-people-of-this-town.” It’ll keep you from getting blue and down in the dumps. After all, you haven’t stood up to the point of shedding any of your blood in the struggle against sin. Perhaps you should recall the passage which refers to you as “sons”:

“My son, don’t minimize the value of a celestial spanking,

And don’t let it get you down when you’re bawled out from on high.

For the Lord has got to love you to spank you,

And he uses the belt on only a son.”

Hebrews 12:3 Think, Study, Rehearse

(GNT)

Think of what he went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners! So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up.

(MSG)

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed. . .

(AMP)

Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show yourself—so you, yourself will know!

(KJV)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

(AMP)

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

(CPV)

Now as for you, son, take your stand on the things you’ve learned and have been assured of, recognizing that you’ve studied various subjects and that from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures which can wise you up to the salvation that comes through the kind of faith that was in Christ Jesus. Every God-breathed writing is helpful for enlightenment, for guidance, for correction, for instruction in right living, so that God’s man may be outfitted and fully equipped for performing any good task.

References:

**King James Version (KJV)—Public Domain/ 1604, King James I of

England

The Joyful Heart by Jim Hughes

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Deep Calls To Deep