Love the Lord - He is your sure defense!

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

(Luke 17:3-4)

One of the cross-references I read this morning was Psalm 119:164-5:

Seven times a day I praise You,

Because of Your righteous judgments.

Great peace have those who love Your law,

And nothing causes them to stumble.

The Cross-reference was in a note on Luke 17:4 in MacArthur’s study bible. It is an amazing thing, the Word of God!  The note only referred me to verse 164, Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments. But I read further and was blessed!  Let me explain.

Here in Luke 17 is a teaching on temptations (snares or stumbling blocks).  And in verse 165 of Psalm 119 the remedy for such temptation is given! Those who love and meditate on God’s law – His standards and judgements – they will never be moved!  Temptation is powerless over him because truly his love of Him, which includes everything about Him – His attributes, His ways, His judgements – keeps him!  He finds the temptations without power – because they are just empty next to the Lord of all!  We read in Psalm 37:4,

               Delight yourself also in the Lord,
               And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

As we consider Him, nothing in this world has any pull – no sparkle, no shine, nothing attractive at all.  But He becomes our delight and all temptations are like cheap trinkets sold in the market for tourists – nothing but junk!

Lord, may I esteem you so much that all this worlds wares be just so much junk in my sight – for Your glory, Amen.