The Land That Inspired David

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

Psalm 63:1-5

The Golden Gate [Gate Beautiful]

Yes, I am in Israel. Check out the pictures that I have uploaded in the Israel album.

Wisdom

I have been reading through the book of Proverbs lately. Sometimes I can look at this book of the Bible and the quirky sayings found within are of no interest, but at other times they peak an interest that demands a degree of pondering. As a book that was written by a father to his son, it is a book of wisdom. A book that one man has written in order to pass on his legacy and the things that he has learned in life. With this context in mind the themes that are found within the book may seem odd to today's modern world. Of course there are more than I am listing here but these are the themes that I have noticed this time around: the fear of the Lord is where wisdom is found; a promiscuous woman brings trouble to a man; anger is a detestable thing; be careful with words; patience is spoken highly of. Wisdom is the one theme that stuck out to me the most:

"The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor comes humility."  -Prov. 15.33-

I have pondered this verse for awhile. The fear of the Lord instructs us in the ways of wisdom, but that can only happen when we are humble creatures. We reverence God and realize that as Creator he knows best. He is the One that is able to see beginning and the end of all things. It is wise for us to trust him and let him decide what life is. The fear of the Lord requires a laying down of our pride and deciding we are going to learn from God. This means we rid ourselves of all presuppositions and the things that we think we have learned before so that the Lord may teach us anew today.

The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite films. Gandolf displays words of wisdom in one of his conversations with Frodo.
"Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."

“The law of Your mouth is better to me

Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.”  Psalm 119:72

Are the words of God sweeter than honey to you? Are you willing to give up your most prized possession in order to be in the presence of Almighty God? The very breath that comes from the mouth of God exists in power. It was with His mouth that He created the heavens and the earth as He spoke them into existence. The law that comes from the mouth of God can create character within us that no amount of money, precious jewels, or possessions can ever come close to accomplishing. Possessions can tend to turn our hearts away from others, to be less sensitive and calloused to their needs. In the case that we are on the receiving end of such treatment, God’s word and the things therein certainly mean more to us than anything we could ever buy; it becomes the object of our affection, a comfort in the middle of the storm. God’s word is useful in all situations and in every circumstance. By it God gives us the knowledge and wisdom that helps us to discern between the things that differ. There are not many things on earth that man exalts higher than silver and gold, but the psalmist finds the need for the character of God to be in his life, to him it is better than all. It is the promises of God, not the thousands, with which we look forward to eternity with our Lord.