MEMORY VERSE: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrew 12:11
NOTES: there seems to be alot of juxtaposition in this passage between those who are oppressed and needy versus those who are evil and wicked:
(v.4) "...You have sat on your throne, judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever." VERSUS (v.18) "But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish."
(v.9) "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you." VERSUS (v.20) "Strike them with terror, O Lord, let the nations know that they are but men."
(v.13) "O Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation" VERSUS (v17) "The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God."
What stuck out to me is that ultimately, no matter if you are wicked or righteous, God will use you to glorify His name. For the wicked, however, it means being "ensnared by the work of their hands" while for the oppressed it means "proclaiming among the nations what he has done."
ACT OF LOVE: Helped my mom around the house by throwing out the trash and cleaning up some rooms.
Tonight, there was a great time of fellowship/sharing about Jesus at my friend Nathan's house. We just sat around a fire pit and talked about our spiritual walks this past year.
Also, listened to a friend share about some of his spiritual struggles tonight. Encouraged him with my personal experiences & scripture (Romans 8:28-30), offered any advice I could and promised to pray for him! It's soo refreshing just talking about Jesus with fellow brothers and sisters :)
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