Stoney Ground Pt 2 PM P.M.

's study "Stoney Ground" pt 2

Isaiah 8:17 And I will wait upon the LORD, That hideth His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him. The Lord is hiding His face from most of the world at this time. He has also withdrawn His blessings from most. If you will look for Him, you will find God and His blessings. You don't have a lot of competition. Isaiah 8:18-19 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Isreal from the LORD of hosts. Which dwelleth in mount Zion. (19) "And when they shall say unto you, 'Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter' should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? This is a warning against all spiritists and wizards. The living should seek unto their God, not to the dead. Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Always remember, when there is no light, people stumble and fall on the stoney ground. Beware of those that speak not according to His Word. Isaiah 8:21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bested and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. How quickly people blame God when things aren't going well. Isaiah 8:22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness. Friends, we live in a world filled with darkness and evil. The degradation of our society as a whole is documented daily on the evening news. There is no doubt in my mind that Satan and his spirits are responsible. When you become discouraged by the evil of this world and need help, there is a Psalm of David which will help you. Psalms 141:1-2 LORD I cry unto thee: make hast unto me; Give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto Thee. (2) Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. In Revelation, we are told the Lord has the prayers of the saints bottled up as incense. Father considers your prayers as a sacrifice. When it seems no one in the world cares about you, turn to your Father in prayer. He cares! Psalms 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.

This is a form of humbleness. If you are not biblically literate, it is easy to offend the Lord and not even know what you have done. Ask Father to not allow anything to pass your lips that would offend Him. Psalms 141:4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing. And let me not eat of their dainties. "Eat of their dainties" would better be translated "partake of, or have fellowsip with their pleasant things." Don't be caught up in the religious traditions of men that might seem very pleasant and right, but are actually spin-offs of pagan and heathenistic rituals. Psalms 141:5 Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: And let them reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, Which shall not break my head: For yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. The Lord chastises only those He loves. Welcome that chastisement. You will be a better person as a result. Psalms 141:6 When their judges are overthrown in stoney places, They shall hear my words, for they are sweet. Our dainties, or pleasant things, come from the Word of God. They are sweet. Psalms 141 7-8 Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth. As when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.(8) But mine eyes are unto Thee, O GOD the LORD: In Thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. Isreal is scattered and the people don't even know who they are. When your eyes are on the Lord and your trust is in Him, you will not stumble on stoney ground. Turn to the Father when you are discouraged and need help. Psalms 141:9-10 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me. And the gins of the workers of iniquity. (10) Let the wicked fall into their own nets, Whilst that I withal escape. This word "escape" is passover in Hebrew. Christ is our Passover (I Cor. 5:7). He allows us to passover the nets and traps of the wicked. Jesus allows us to passover stoney ground without stumbling. I encourage you to be a realist. If you put on a pair of new boots and walk across stoney ground, your boots are going to get skinned up. And, sometimes we as Christians may get skinned up a little bit as we walk across stoney ground. That's all right. God wants tough "can do" type people that are able to take a little rough going and still have the stamina to kick Satan in the teeth. Watch out for stoney ground! Never walk across it without Jesus. In His Service, Arnold Murray