PK’s Ponderings
Taking matters into your own hand?
Not a good idea!
My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not
forget Your Law. Psalm 119:109
Occasionally, we miss little nuggets of truth and revelation when reading
our Bibles. Sometimes, this is due to
our reading our Bibles too quickly, as in last week’s installment of PK’s Ponderings. Sometimes, it is because we are reading only
to find out what the Bible says about us, when indeed the Bible is written to
reveal God first and foremost and then speaks about us in relation to Him.
But sometimes, we can approach the Bible with the best of motives, and with the best of Bible reading methods and
still nearly miss a hidden nugget, simply because we do not know how to read
Greek, or Hebrew or Aramaic. We can miss
an important idea simply in the translation of a verse into English. That is
why those textual notes, in the margins of the page and usually in fonts too
small for the naked human eye to read, are so very important.
Case in point is our verse above.
On the surface, we read that David’s life, or soul, is in his hand. In our modern culture, this could be read as
a position of strength, of resolve, a dogged determination to ensure that
things are done right (or at least done in the way we think they should be).
But read closer. Closer . . . in the textual
notes. Break out your magnifying
glass if you need to – don’t worry, you won’t be the only one doing it. Do you
see it? The notes explains that the
Hebrew expression carries along with it the alternate meaning, or fuller
euphemistic understanding of danger!
So, from the Bible’s perspective, matters that are in your hand are in
danger! Your life, and mine, if we live
it according to what we alone can do or think is subject to peril! Hence David’s self reminder – yet I do not forsake Your Law. This is interesting, because the Law was
written by God’s hand as is stated in
Exodus 31:18 and 32:16.
And what a difference God’s hand can make!
Into your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord,
faithful God. Psalm 31:5
As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the
ends of the earth. Your right hand is
filled with righteousness. Psalm
48:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I
am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand. Isaiah
41:10
For I, the Lord
your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am
the one who helps you." Isaiah
41:13
Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your
counsel, and afterward You will receive me to glory. Psalm 73:23-24
It is when we are in God’s hand through faith in Jesus Christ, our
righteousness, and when we are living according to the Word revealed to us by
God’s hand, that we are on safe ground for today and all our tomorrows.
Wouldn’t you agree that your life and soul left in your own hands is in
danger? Praise God He invites us to put
ourselves in His hand!
But what about our finances? Our relationships with
others? Our
tasks for the day? Determination of colleges and cars and careers? Determination of our rest,
our residences, and our recreation?
Lord, is there anything
in my life, in these areas or hundreds of others, that I have taken matters in
my own hands rather than putting them in Yours and
letting You guide me with your Omnipotent hands? Please forgive me, and quickly rescue me from
any self-imposed peril, and lead me according to Your
ways and wisdom. I may be totally
unaware of putting myself in grave danger, so please gently show me and may I
be quick to hand over all areas of my life to You.
And what about our churches? Let us not be guilty of simply taking matters
in our own hands, being and doing what seems right in our own eyes. Let us continue to pray that our churches
remain in His hands, living by His Spirit and by His Word above all things.
When my soul, and my life’s direction are in my own hands, I am in
danger.
Therefore, it is best if
I keep to the Lord and His ways.
(PK’s Paraphrase of Psalm
119:109)
