Adversity is good

Instead of the usual Verse of the Day, the blog entry for December 22, 2018 takes a close look at the benefits of the adverse situations we face each day with an original Quote of the Day:

“Adversity is good. It may not seem to be good to us at the moment, but ultimately it will be good for us if we wait and see what God had in mind.”

In thinking about the topic, James 1:2-4 came to mind, rendered this way in The Voice translation:

Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.

I also recall a previous post discussing this same passage where Bishop Charles Mellette of Christian Provision Ministries in Sanford, NC explained that as we face trials on every hand, we are “Coming through Stronger.” He reminded us that we will encounter various trials; however, “The problem is not the problem but our perception of the problem.”

He went on to explain what he meant by trials: the “trying, testing, the putting to the proof of something.” They are experimental actions applied in order to obtain results. Trials involve being subjected to intense and challenging times that test our motives and values. In the same way that God sent the Children of Israel through the wilderness for an extended period of time in order to test or to prove what was in their hearts, the trials we face prepare us for the next level of service to God. He went on to say, “You will shorten your season of testing or trials if you will only allow your trials to make you stronger.”

The message concluded with a reminder of the blessings and benefits of trials which are a way of life for every believer. Trials forge humility and give birth to perseverance. Indeed, we have the capacity to persevere to see God’s promises come to pass in our lives.
Hebrews 10:36 also offers this reminder in the New Living Translation:

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

Knowing this, we can count it all joy when we encounter various fiery trials that test our faith and build patient endurance.

Reflecting on the Quote of the Day and the related verses inspired this response:

Advancing in Adversity

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 34:19

Advancing in adversity is not easy.
As we fight the good fight and patiently endure,
We learn to discern the source of adversity.

We face the common foe of all of humanity.
Like Abraham, we walk by faith, strengthened and secure.
Advancing in adversity is not easy.

No longer in bondage, for we have been set free
And stand in His presence with a heart that is pure.
We learn to discern the kind of adversity.

Judge the source, whether of God or the enemy;
Recall we live in a fallen world—that’s for sure.
Advancing in adversity is not easy.

Does a predicament or problem confront us?
In every test and trial God reveals His purpose.
We learn to discern the kind of adversity.

Each day we design and refine our strategy,
Following in the steps of Christ as we mature.
Advancing in adversity is not easy.
We learn to discern the kind of adversity.

We close with this scripture memory song based on James 1:2-4:

Oh: Word for the Day

In November of last year I posted a blog entry devoted to the Word for the Day, rather than the Verse of the Day. In these entries I examined a particular word or phrase, expounding upon its meaning and personal application. Two such entries were developed last year, and I would like to post an entry today that targets the word “Oh.” Whether spelled with one letter (O) or two (Oh), the word is an interjection, a familiar part of speech that is used to express a wide range of emotions, including pain, sorrow, joy, excitement, hesitation, recognition, and many others.

Throughout the Bible “Oh” or “O,” depending on the translation, is used to express surprise, acknowledgement, or regret, as in the first time that the word is used in the Bible. E.W. Bullinger points out that the first time that a particular word is used in the Bible marks its significance and importance when studying the word. The first usage in Bible is found in Genesis 17:18 (Amplified Bible) in this exchange:

And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael [my firstborn] might live before You!”

Throughout the Psalms the term is used 67 times. Here is an instance where a cry out to God is expressed in this way:

Psalm 25: 17

My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all!

A number of places in Psalms express wonder, amazement, and absolute awe of God, such as Psalm 31:19 (AMP):

Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!

Psalm 32:1 in New Living Translation expresses David’s delight in God in light of His forgiveness:

Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight.

In Psalm 34:8 the Psalmist offers an invitation which opens with the interjection:

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

This particular verse was the inspiration behind this this scripture memory song:

Oh, Taste and See

Oh, taste and see, see that the Lord is good, so good.
Blessed is the man that puts his trust in Him.

Partake of the Word of God,
Taste and see that it is good.
It will fill you up
More than any kind of food.

Oh, taste and see, see that the Lord is good, so good.
Blessed is the man that puts his trust in Him.

Partake of the Word of God,
Let it richly dwell within.
It will help you grow.
It’s better than a vitamin.

Oh, taste and see, see that the Lord is good, so good.
Blessed is the man that puts his trust in Him.

Partake of the Word of God,
Read the Word and put God first.
It will feed your soul
And satisfy your thirst.

Oh, taste and see, see that the Lord is good, so good.
Blessed is the man that puts his trust in Him.

In a striking contrast, David calls out to God in desperation. Feeling overwhelmed and beset by his enemies on every hand, David calls out in Psalm 55:6 which introduces another scripture memory song:

Oh, That I Had Wings Like a Dove

And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove!
for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
Psalm 55:6

Oh, that I had wings like a dove,
wings like a dove, wings like a dove.
Oh, that I had wings like a dove,
I would fly away and be at rest.

Then I would fly away to the cleft of the rock
And find my refuge in His secret place.
For there’s safety in the cleft of the rock.
He wraps my soul in His mercy and grace.

Oh, that I had wings like a dove,
wings like a dove, wings like a dove.
Oh, that I had wings like a dove,
I would fly away and be at rest.

There’s safety from confusion and strife
Where all fears dissolve and all worries cease.
Resting and nesting to bring forth new life,
He surrounds me with His love and peace.

Oh, that I had wings like a dove,
wings like a dove, wings like a dove.
Oh, that I had wings like a dove,
then I would fly away and be at rest.

Psalm 107 opens with this exclamatory statement:

Psalm 107:1

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

A similar expression is repeated as refrain throughout the psalm in verses 8, 15, 21

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

This refrain from Psalm 107:8, 15, and 21 is rendered in song:

In addition to the various places in the Psalms and in other books of the Old Testament, the expression “Oh” is used sparingly throughout the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, as well as some of the epistles of Paul: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Galatians, with the last use of the word found in 1 Timothy 1:14 (NLT):

Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

At times we are so overcome with gratitude to God for His goodness and for His graciousness, and all we can say is “Oh, my goodness, Oh my gracious. . . Oh, my goodness, Oh, my gracious Lord!”

To close out our discussion of the Word of the Day, listen to a song based on Psalm 105:1-5, 7-8a: “Oh, Give Thanks to the LORD” by Esther Mui.

Psalm 86:5–The Lord is good

This morning I begin my time of prayer and meditation, thinking about the Verse of the Day for January 31, 2014, which brought to mind the goodness of God. I recall that I first became keenly aware of God’s goodness and mercy during a critical period of my life when I was drafted into the Army in 1967 in the midst of the Vietnam War. The members of my home church Carter Chapel C.M.E Church in Gary, Indiana presented me a small Bible with a zipper and with my name embossed in gold on the front along with the words “Holy Bible.” I still have the Bible, but the zipper has pulled away from the binding and has not worked for years, and the first two letters of my name are barely visible with the rest of the letters having long since been worn away.

When I open to Genesis, the first few pages were missing as well as the pages where I recall there was an inscription. The first pages are not only worn and discolored from notes that were written in ink that has not only blurred the frayed pages, but the edges of some of the pages have been eaten away by some kind of microscopic insect or parasite. Whenever I look at this particular Bible, my mind is flooded with wonderful memories of my tour of duty in the military when I became more keenly aware of just how good God is, as I was introduced to reading and studying the Scriptures in a much deeper way than previously. In reflecting upon that significant period in my life, I recall writing this poem:

More than My Necessary Food

“Who stole the cookie out the cookie jar?”

  Childhood Song

 

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips;

I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Job 23:12

 

In thinking of God’s goodness over the years, I found

A cherished Bible received almost fifty years ago

When I met God through His Word, an encounter profound

And life-changing, as I recall the debt that I owe

To the members of my home church who expressed their love

With this precious gift that from constant use is so worn.

I open and find missing pages and some of

Them eaten away, devoured by a strange bookworm.

Like that insect, I found God’s Word and I did eat it,

And it was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart:

A child who steals the cookie with delight, I admit

I consumed it, hiding it in my heart’s deepest part.

Looking back, I have tasted and seen that God is good

And esteemed His Word more than my necessary food.

 

The poem opens with the lines from a children’s song that I recall singing way back in the 1960s. The Jeynetts offer a lively version of this children’s song sung so often at church camps or during pre-school activities or at other times when children gather.

As I completed the poem I also recalled the lyrics to an original song that I composed when I coordinated a summer children’s summer program ten years ago and used music as a means of memorizing scripture, in this case, Psalm 34:8

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Oh, Taste and See

Chorus:

Oh, taste and see, see that the Lord is good, so good.

Blessed is the man that puts his trust in Him.

Verse 1

Partake of the Word of God,

Taste and see that it is good.

It will fill you up

More than any kind of food.

(Chorus)

Verse 2

Partake of the Word of God,

Let it richly dwell within.

It will help you grow.

It’s better than a vitamin.

(Chorus)

Verse 3

Partake of the Word of God,

Read the Word and put God first.

It will feed your soul

And satisfy your thirst.

(Chorus)23:12,

Oh, taste and see, see that the Lord is good, so good.

Blessed is the man that puts his trust in Him.

 

Israel Houghton and New Breed reinforce the message with an energetic rendering of “Lord, You Are Good.”

I thought I would share some of my reflective thoughts on the goodness of God that came to mind while reading the Verse of the Day.

Morning reflections: More than my necessary food

This verse was, in part, the inspiration for a poem with the last five words as its title.

This morning as I began my time of prayer and meditation, I opened up a Bible that was given to me prior to my being drafted into the Army in 1967 in the midst of the Vietnam War. The members of my home church Carter Chapel C.M.E Church in Gary, Indiana presented this small Bible with a zipper and with my name embossed in gold on the front along with the words “Holy Bible.” The zipper has pulled away from the binding and has not worked for years, and the first two letters of my name are barely visible with the rest of the letters having long since been worn away.

As I opened to Genesis, the first few pages were missing as well as the pages where I recall there was an inscription. The first pages are not only worn and discolored from notes that were written in ink that has not blurred the frayed pages, but the edges of some of the pages have been eaten away by some kind of microscopic insect or parasite. As I look at this particular Bible, my mind is flooded with wonderful memories of my tour of duty in the military when I became more keenly aware of the presence of God in my life, as I was introduced to reading and studying the Scriptures in a much deeper way than previously. As I reflected upon that significant period in my life, I was inspired to write this poem.

More than My Necessary Food

“Who stole the cookie out the cookie jar?”

  Childhood Song

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips;

I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Job 23:12

In thinking of God’s goodness over the years, I found

A cherished Bible received almost fifty years ago

When I met God through His Word, an encounter profound

And life-changing, as I recall the debt that I owe

To the members of my home church who expressed their love

With this precious gift that from constant use is so worn.

I open and find missing pages and some of

Them eaten away, devoured by a strange bookworm.

Like that insect, I found God’s Word and I did eat it,

And it was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart:

A child who steals the cookie with delight, I admit

I consumed it, hiding it in my heart’s deepest part.

Looking back, I have tasted and seen that God is good

And esteemed His Word more than my necessary food.

The poem opens with the lines from a children’s song that I recall singing way back in the 1960s. The Jeynetts offer a lively version of this children’s song sung so often at church camps or during pre-school activities or at other times when children gather.

As I completed the poem I also recalled the lyrics to an original song that I composed when I coordinated a children’s summer program ten years ago and used music as a means of memorizing scripture.

Psalm 34:8 inspired the lyrics to a scripture memory song “Oh, Taste and See.”

Oh, Taste and See

Chorus:

Oh, taste and see, see that the Lord is good, so good.

Blessed is the man that puts his trust in Him.

Verse 1

Partake of the Word of God,

Taste and see that it is good.

It will fill you up

More than any kind of food.

(Chorus)

Verse 2

Partake of the Word of God,

Let it richly dwell within.

It will help you grow.

It’s better than a vitamin.

(Chorus)

Verse 3

Partake of the Word of God,

Read the Word and put God first.

It will feed your soul

And satisfy your thirst.

(Chorus)

Oh, taste and see, see that the Lord is good, so good.

Blessed is the man that puts his trust in Him.

The Chicago Mass Choir offer another spirited rendering of a song entitled “O Taste and See”:

I thought I would share some of my reflective thoughts in another compounded recipe from Dr. J’s Apothecary Shoppe, my 100th blog entry.