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Issue #639 ~ November 23, 2020

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your encouragement and support. We pray you will be blessed daily through the Word. Please freely share this email with others.

Christ is All and in All,

Bible Teaching Resources

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The Study of Galatians (exp. 11/30/20) coupon code

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Save and Vindicate Me

"Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might."

Psalm 54:1

The Bible Knowledge Commentary says: "This is a confident prayer of David when he, being pursued by Saul, was betrayed by 'the Ziphites'...Though David was being hotly pursued by ungodly men who sought his life, he confidently trusted in the Lord's abilities for complete deliverance." (834)

In Psalm 52 we had Doeg the Edomite. Now here in Psalm 54 it was at Keilah that the people betrayed David to Saul.

Jonathan came to him and helped him find strength in God.

Steven Lawson titles this Psalm: "With Help From Above." He then quotes

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: "I Sometimes think that the very essence of the whole Christian position and the secret of a successful spiritual life is just to realize two things...I must have complete, absolute confidence in God and no confidence in myself."

Verse 1: "Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might."

There are 2 requests here in verse 1 (1) "Save me, O God, by your name" and (2) "vindicate me by your might."

So it is "Save me...by your name" and "vindicate me by your might."

Isaiah 54:17: "'no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,' declares the Lord" (NIV).

Lawson says: "God's name represents all that God is, the sum total of his perfect attributes. Vindicate me by your might is a call by David for God to prove David's innocence by rescuing him."

David has got to feel devastated by all that has taken place with the slaughter of the priests by Doeg the Edmonite and now to be betrayed by the folks in Keilah. David has delivered them from the Philistines and they betray his whereabouts to King Saul.

Jeremiah says: "Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?" (Jeremiah 8:21, 22 NIV).

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Praises & Prayer Requests

1. Pray: The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands. Psalm 138:8 (NIV)

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2. Pray: For I am not aware of anything against myself; however I am not vindicated by this, but the one who examines me is the Lord.

1 Corinthians 4:4 (NASB)

3. Pray: Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Psalm 17:7 (NIV)

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4. Praise: And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness:

He who was revealed in the flesh,

Was vindicated in the Spirit,

Beheld by angels,

Proclaimed among the nations,

Believed on in the world,

Taken up in glory.

1 Timothy 3:16 (NASB)

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5. Pray: That BTR will be able to respond to the growing number of requests for Bibles from prison inmates. If you would like to participate in this ministry, please send a gift with a note for Prison Ministry.

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Let's sing that old hymn of affirmation "There is a Balm in Gilead":

"Sometimes I feel discouraged, And think my work's in vain,

But then the Holy Spirit Revives my soul again.

If you cannot preach like Peter, If you cannot pray like Paul,

You can tell the love of Jesus and say, 'He died for all.'

There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;

There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul."