Fellow Church People

[MartyMuppets]

In the book of Psalms we read at the beginning of Psalm 51 a brief introduction saying that David composed this psalm in expression of his bitter shame and regret over what he had done. Here are a few sample extracts from the New Revised Standard Version. Imagine how Bathsheba must have felt David's words applicable to herself as well.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgement."

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit."

We can make David's psalm our own when we ask God's forgiveness every time we commit our own sins and are led by the Holy Spirit to seek mercy just like David was.

 

[muppet baby]

In the book of Psalms we read at the beginning of Psalm 51 a brief introduction saying that David composed this psalm in expression of his bitter shame and regret over what he had done. Here are a few sample extracts from the New Revised Standard Version. Imagine how Bathsheba must have felt David's words applicable to herself as well.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgement."

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit."

We can make David's psalm our own when we ask God's forgiveness every time we commit our own sins and are led by the Holy Spirit to seek mercy just like David was.

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Hey Marty, i am so glad that you finnly got to the pslams that my faverite book in the old testement .

i that is one book that read from everyday do you have a faverites pslam ?

 

[MartyMuppets]

My favourites off the top of my head are the 23rd, the most well-known "The Lord's my Shepherd" and this penitential psalm I've mentioned in my 2 Samuel postings.
I do hope to talk about Psalms some more in general Michelle in future. They are very beautiful.
I have more I want to share about the story of David shortly.

 

[muppet baby]

My favourites off the top of my head are the 23rd, the most well-known "The Lord's my Shepherd" and this penitential psalm I've mentioned in my 2 Samuel postings.
I do hope to talk about Psalms some more in general Michelle in future. They are very beautiful.
I have more I want to share about the story of David shortly.

Yes i would have to say that i love love the lord is my seperade psalm i can't wait to read more of your things marty i hope that things are going well for you .

 

[CensoredAlso]

Just a quick thing. I noticed there was an article today about some letters Mother Teresa wrote before she died. In some of them, she talks about the doubts she sometimes had about God. How it was hard for her to feel his presence at times.

It seemed to be like the article was making this seem like a huge revelation, proving she wasn't a serious Christian. I don't see what all the fuss is about. We all have doubts sometimes. This world is a very upsetting place and she saw more suffering than most of us ever will. She wouldn't have been human if she didn't occasionally doubt. I admire her now more than ever because I can identify with her very human struggle. As I said, we all have our doubts, that doesn't mean we completely reject God. It just means we are human.

I hope that didn't bother anyone. I just wanted to share because it kinda upset me.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Of course Mother Teresa was only human like the rest of us. We all struggle with soubt and worry sometimes. Personally if Teresa had thrown in the towel and turned her back upon God completely for me that would be have been far more compelling proof that she wasn't a serious Christian. Not that there aren't people who fall away for awhile and then sincerely return to God's loving arms again. But those who make a habit of falling away will of course, never grow strong in faith. Sonce Mother Teresa never abandoned God as far as I know, though she may have been tempted at times, she had to have been seriously sincere in her faith in Christ.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Oh and heralde. May I say you are a very beloved friend in Christ, and may He give you abundant showers of His blessings?

 

[CensoredAlso]

To me the article just seems to give the impression that faith is somehow supposed to be easy. That if you struggle with it, that's it, you're not sincere! Faith is believing in something you don't have direct proof of. Does that sound easy? Not in my opinion, heh. That's what makes it special.

There are a lot of people who are just determined to make religion and Christinanity look bad.

Thanks for the response, Bill!

 

[MartyMuppets]

You are most welcome heralde.

And while it's true we can never prove the existence of God our own common sense tells us that there has to be a creator for this world is just too amazingly put together for it to have just happened on its own.
Paul himself said in the beginning of his letter to the Romans that men are without excuse, for God has made Himself known to them through the mark of His creation. There will always be those who want to deny God because their hearts are darkened by the sinfulness that has taken control of them. It's tragic, but true.

 

[CensoredAlso]

And while it's true we can never prove the existence of God our own common sense tells us that there has to be a creator for this world is just too amazingly put together for it to have just happened on its own.

Yeah I do agree with that, and a lot of experts actually argue the same thing. It's just too much of a coincidence that we exist. We benefit it from life everyday, like we somehow just deserve it, heh. Purely by accident? Gee, aren't we lucky for no apparent reason!

But you know, some days are harder than others. I do have doubts, and I'm not ashamed of it. Actually, I was for awhile, but things like this article do make me feel better. The last thing I want to do is blindly follow something. And God doesn't want me to accept him just because I'm "supposed" to. I want to make sure I understand it, and to do that sometimes you have to stop and think.

Like that song on Fraggle Rock, "Not because they told me so. Not because the story's old. Not until you really know. Not until you feel it grow."