Develope a Palate

Develope a Palate
Daily intake of the Word nourishes the Spirit. Jeremiah's Menu is an exercise in recognizing God's Word made flesh in and around me. Eating the Word in a way that supplies the spiritual nutrients needed to grow. The Menu is offered with the hope of inspiring you to taste and see that the Lord is good. Bon Appetite!

Quote Du Jour

Quote du Jour
Christians may differ on a variety of points, but they have all one spiritual appetite; and if we cannot all feel alike, we can all feed alike on the bread of life sent down from heaven. At the table of fellowship with Jesus we are one bread and one cup. As the loving cup goes round we pledge one another heartily therein. Get nearer to Jesus, and you will find yourself linked more and more in spirit to all who are like yourself, supported by the same heavenly manna. ---Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Psalm 119: Lamed

Lamed, the twelfth letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet, has been a challenge to cook up. Translation making things interesting as I mulled over these eight verses that take us into the second half of Psalm 119.

Read Psalm 119:89-96

Lamed is for "to".

A small Hebrew all-purpose preposition begins almost every line of this stanza. Bible scholars translate it primarily by blending it into the sentence... it's not literally seen but the meaning is implied.

"To" is the word that best seems to convey the heart of the psalmist -- a function word indicating the position of one thing to another.

The position of God's Word to time...

Your word, O Lord, is eternal....

God's position to people...

Your faithfulness continues through all generations...

And for our Hebrew friend, his position to God's Word is the most important, placed at the heart of this eight line stanza...

If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have preserved my life.
Psalm 119:92, 93

The psalmist was drawn to God's Word... it was his delight... his salvation. His position to scripture was in it. He examined it so closely, he saw no limit to its perfection...

Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit.
Psalm 119:96 (NLT)

Our position to God's Word is one of the most important things we need to consider as followers of Jesus. He is the Word made flesh. The Bible is the only tangible thing God has given us to know Him. It is the one thing we can see, touch, smell, and taste...

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8

In the Word we "taste and see" the Lord -- a taste test that is guaranteed to be good -- a generous gift from a generous God. A gift that should not be neglected. An essential part of our daily spiritual diet.

Have you tasted and seen?
Do you hunger for it? Or can you easily skip it, just like breakfast or lunch on a busy day?

Take time to consider your spiritual health... your relationship to God... your heart toward scripture...  

What is your position when it comes to God's Word?

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