Justice For All

I'm studying Exodus 23:1-4, 6-9 this week, the Laws of Justice and Mercy. These are the rules handed down from God to Moses, who in turn decreed them to the Israelites. People seem to get hung up on all the rules instead of looking at the big picture of what the Old Testament really is.

I believe the books of the Old Testament is an account of God in His great love showing His people exactly how much they need Him. There is no earthly, man-made way to follow all the rules He gave. 

You cannot rely on yourself. 

You must rely on Him.

You NEED a Savior.

Okay. I got a little sidetracked...but I needed to be write it. :) Back to Exodus 23...

The Seat of Thought and Desire

So I'm studying Psalm 46 for a Sunday school lesson. It's probably a familiar psalm to you, or at least you've heard the beginning and end verses:

Verse 1

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble

Verse 10

Be still, and know that I AM God

Those are some comforting verses. He's where we can run when trouble surrounds us. He tells us to quiet down & not worry. Don't we know? He's God. He's got this. 

But the verse that jumped out at me (again...love it when God reveals to me!) is verse five.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; 

God shall help her, and that right early

In the midst -- קֶרֶב qereb -- pronounced:  keh'·rev 

For Psalm 46, qereb implies inside of the body, the heart, the mind, as the seat of thought and desire

But wait! There's more! 

In the Midst

As I was reading this morning, the phrase "in the midst" leapt off the page at me. I did a quick search, and found it was used over 300 times in the Bible (1499 GNV).

"In the midst" means in the middle, or centered.

• From the beginning, God was in the midst.

Genesis 2:9 ~ ...the tree of life in the midst of the garden...

• During His time on earth, Jesus told us He was in the midst:

Matthew 18:20 ~ For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, 

there am I in the midst of them.

• And at His crucifixion, He was in the midst:

Matthew 27:38 ~ ...here were two thieves crucified with Him, 

one on the right hand, and another on the left...

When all the chaos of this world is swirling around me, and I'm caught up in it,

I only need to be still...take a breath...cry out to Him.

In the raging moments...He will quiet my spirit...

He is in the center...in the middle of my storms...

I can always find Him...

In The Midst