[Biblemat] A) LOOKING BACKWARD -- LOOKING FORWARD

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  A very good Tuesday
morning to each and everyone.  May God bless you and yours.
Here is an article from my files:

LOOKING BACKWARD -- LOOKING FORWARD

LOOKING BACKWARD: -- Psa. 124 looks back at the kindness
                                          of the Lord in helping and protect-
ing His people.  Evil men were ready to swallow Israel up alive, but the Lord 
delivered His chosen ones.  Two times the
Psalmist declared, "If it had not been the Lord Who was on 
our side..." (vss. 1,2).

     When we look back, we can say the same thing.  We have
likely been through hard times that when we look back we can say, "If it had 
not been for the Lord" I would not have made it through.

     We have faced strong temptations where we can say, "If it
had not been for the Lord," I would not have had the strength
to resist.

     If you have suffered loss, deaths in the family, or friends
turning their backs on you, you can say "If it had not been for
the Lord" I would not have had the strength to continue.

     We've probably siad or thought these things many times.
We need to keep this in mind.  When new afflictions, hard-
ships, doubts, or temptations arise, remember the Lord's help
in the past and say with the Psalmist, "Our help is in the Name of the Lord, 
Who made heaven and earth" (vs. 8).

LOOKING FORWARD: -- Psalm 125 reminds us that we do not
                                        need to fear the future.  The Psalm-
ist is thankful to God because He has promised to protect 
and defend His people.  Just as the mountains surround Jeru-
salem so the Lord surrounds His people (vss. 1,2).

     God promises to provide comfort to those who continue
on in the Lord.  We are safe as long as we stay close to Him.
The ones in danger are those who are wicked (vs. 3) and tho-se who "turn 
aside to their crooked ways" (vs. 5).

     In contrast to the wicked, we must trust in the Lord (vs. 1),
be righteous (vs. 3), stay away from iniquity (vs. 3), and have
an upright heart (vs. 4).

     We who know the Lord and walk in His ways have every
assurance that our future is as secure as the unchanging character of God.  
We can too look forward with joy and glad-
ness as we consider the God we serve.  ---- Shane Williams,
in The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 8, No. 5, Sept. 2007.   </HTML>
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