God first used the amazing Phrase “honey out of the rock” in Deuteronomy 32:13. There it describes something God had already done for Israel. Past tense!

But by the time Psalm 81:16 uses the same Words, Asaph is telling Israel what He (the Lord) would have kept doing, had they obeyed Him! “He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.”

Why did this Miracle of God cease?

“My people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.” thus saith the Lord!

Disobedience, sin!

I once saw a Booklet on a Pastor’s desk entitled, “The Most Expensive Thing in the Word.” It was about sin!

Sins robs us Christians from enjoying “honey out of the rock!”

Yes, the Phrase is a literal phenomenon in Israel. I am told that wild bees often store their honey in the crevices of the rocks!

What a sight that must have been!

But, spiritually speaking, this morning can I get any “honey from the rock” as I meditate on this divinely inspired String of Words?

I see here God’s Provision in the wilderness, in the desert! Not just the manna (delicious as they must have been) and not just the water (pure and plentiful) and not just the thousand other necessities … but something “extra,” something “unexpected,” something “beyond what Israel might have asked or thought!” Honey, sweet and clear and abundantly available (“without money”) for all!

I see here also a “word picture” of the very “Sweetness” of God Himself! Especially of His infallible Word! Psalm 119:103 (along with Psalm 19:10) provide the Proof: “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

I next see here a “parable” of God being able to bring “good times” (the honey) out of “hard times” (the rock) of life! Often in my life the devil has meant something for “evil” (the rock) … while God meant it for “good” (the honey)!

I furthermore see here a “Type” of my Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus is the “Rock,” my “Rock,” solid and sure as any foundation ever laid! My “Rock” Who went to the Cross of Calvary (hard indeed) to save my lost soul from Hell! Then out of that “Rock” (Jesus, His Death) have I drawn tons of “Sweetness” (honey) through the years! Oh yes, indeed!

Lastly, I see here a “timeline: of Christian growth! At first I learned of my Lord the delectable “sweetness” of being His child. But after time I learned He had the Power to help me through the “hard, rocky” times of life as well. Never leaving me in the process! Now, a little closer to maturity I hope … I have learned that the sweetest times of all were actually because of those hard times! It went like this: HONEY (sweet times), ROCK (hard times) … then HONEY BECAUSE OF THE ROCK (ultra precious times)!

Wow!

What a great God we serve!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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An unusual Text of Scripture caught my eye last night after the Revival Service. Though I have read it before, several times, it never really spoke to my heart as it did a few hours ago!

“O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be ANGRY against the prayer of thy people?” Psalm 80:4, an astounding question!

God “angry” at the very prayers His people pray?

This I know. Sin (a backslidden heart) will surely displease the Lord, at least when it is unconfessed and cuddled in our lives. Here’s Proof … “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Psalm 66:18, not even “hear” my prayers! But that’s not anywhere near the same as being “angry” at my prayers.

Furthermore, husbands being “bitter” against their wives … that’s for sure an impediment to answered prayer. “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not HINDERED.” 1 Peter 3:7, that our prayers be not “cut down” or “tripped up!”

Other scenarios could be discovered from the Bible, circumstances that might keep God from responding to prayer.

But to cause Him to be ANGRY at certain prayers, or at certain people praying … that’s unique!

Here is the chief reason why (best I can find from Scripture) God might react that strongly AGAINST a person’s prayers. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law (God’s Word), even his prayer shall be abomination.” Proverbs 28:9 … where that word “abomination” actually means “disgusting” a person! Pretty close to anger, divine (righteous) indignation.

It looks to me like God can get angry at my praying … when (or if) I disobey His Word! Reject His Word! Refuse to hear His Word!

It is as if God says: “If YOU won’t listen to ME, via the Bible … then I will not listen to YOU in prayer. Your prayers will actually anger ME!”

Wow!

Prayerlessness, bad as that is, might be better than hypocritically praying to the Lord with a heart that’s repellent to Scripture.

Now I realize that today’s Text is unusual.

But nonetheless it should … propel us to a more sincere prayer life. That’s my goal, anyway.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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“So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.” Psalm 79:13, a Psalm of Asaph.

My first question is WHY?

Why are God’s people here thanking Him so?

And the previous 12 verses of the Psalm answer that query. BECAUSE GOD ANSWERS PRAYER! Or because of one’s faith that GOD WILL ANSWER PRAYER!

And yet today we Christians often “presume” on answers to our prayers, barely recognizing the myriads of ways God does work on our behalf!

Granted, some of the requests of Psalm 79 (like most everything concerning Asaph) are a bit unusual.

“Pour out thy wrath on the wicked!” (verse 6)

“Remember not against us former iniquities!” (verse 8)

“Help us!” (verse 9a)

“Deliver us!” (verse 9b)

“Purge away our sins!” (verse 9c)

“Let our sighing (crying, groaning) come before Thee!” (verse 11)

And last of all: “Render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.” (verse 12, an imprecation against God’s foes!)

But …. has God answered such prayers?

Yes!

Yes, in the past.

And He will again do so in the future!

God will defend and exonerate His people!

FOR THESE THNGS, THESE (UPCOMING) ANSWERS TO PRAYER … much thanksgiving and praise are promised to the Lord!

Our Text again this morning … “So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.” 

A Bible teacher once said: We have Him thanks for what He has done. And we render to Him praise for Who He is!

Wow!

Has the Lord answered your prayers lately?

Do you believe He is going to continue doing so?

If so … and surely your answer is YES … then thank Him and praise Him much today!

“O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.” Psalm 65:2, “all flesh” incudes you and me!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

One of God’s Names/Titles … “O thou that hearest prayer.”

Need I say any more?

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I am preaching later today about the POWER of God. Especially as He has made it available to us!

And, as the Lord would have it, my morning Bible reading has led me to Psalm 77. Where, in its 14th verse, it records these words: “Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people.”

That noun “wonders” (spelled “pele” in Hebrew, pronounced peh’-leh) basically means “miracles!” More precisely, “hard things!”

The verb “doest” is “asah” (ah’-sah) and here means “to do or make” something constantly, repeatedly, nearly incessantly!

It is God’s Nature to do hard things!

God is so “strong” (in Hebrew “oz,” pronounced as “oze”) that He “declares” (“yada”) His Strength among His people!

Grammatically speaking, God “causes His Power/Strength” to be “declared” (made known) among His people!

Why, He even invites us to pray for such “hard things!” In Jeremiah 33:3, for one place. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Sounds like one of God’s very Attributes then … is His STRENGTH!

Actually … “to be strong in battle, to prevail!”

God is perennially the Victor!

So much that he even “advertises” it! He “declares” it!

But the New Testament goes even further than this glorious verse, does, further than it can.

God offers this very Strength to you and me!

Philippians 4:13 presents us an example: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Where “strengtheneth” means the dear Lord puts His Power “within” us!

The suffering saints of Hebrews 11:34, the martyrs … “out of weakness were made strong.” That’s the verb Paul just used … “to be empowered” (literally in-powered) by the Lord Himself!

Wow!

Sounds like there is just no need for us Christians to pursue powerless lives!

In 1 Timothy 1:12 the Apostle Paul uses this “empowered” verb to mean “made able!”

Yes, we are able … through the “dynamite Power” (the Greek word) of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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And I have this fact on good Authority, the Holy Bible! Psalm 76, in its very first verse, promises such. “In Judah is God known: His Name is great in Israel.”

And while this blessed Revival (I would sure call it that) has not yet occurred, it will happen in days ahead!

It certainly is not currently the state of affairs in Israel. Truth be told, she is far from God! Again, Biblically speaking, her darkest days yet lie ahead for that little people Group. I speak of the Tribulation (described in Revelation chapters 6-19) with the Anti-Christ (another Scriptural term) ruling the earth. Anti-Semitism at its worst!

But nonetheless (actually because of this on-the-way fierce persecution) Israel will be humbled (nearly decimated) … brought to her knees nationally … THEN JESUS ARRIVES TO RESCUE HER! His literal Second Coming to earth!

And she (Israel, Judah) will believe! Be saved! Accept and adore Her Saviour, Deliverer, Redeemer!

Who (Jesus) will rule that Land (Israel) publicly, internationally, unashamedly … for a period of time we call the Millennium! A thousand glorious years!

Then Psalm 76:1 can (and will) be published across the world … “In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.”What newspaper headlines that will make!

America (those who live here now anyway) as a Nation has chosen to go away from God, to rebel. But God is not phased! (This Country has committed spiritual suicide, in my view anyway.)

Yet the Lord will eventually use Israel to be a “Light” to the nations … and the end result … “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of ALL THE NATIONS which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year TO WORSHIP THE KING, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.” Zechariah 14:16, enemies have become devotees, worshippers!

A Scenario that just overflows with the marvelous Grace of God!

“Even so, come Lord Jesus!”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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