Scripture Reference;
Psalm 103
1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
18To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
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Now let’s look at verse 9:
9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. (KJV)
9He will not always chide or be contending, neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge. (Amplified Bible)
“Chide” is a word we don’t often hear in conversation. I had an idea but wasn’t sure what it actually meant. The Amplified Bible gave me a clue. This came from an online dictionary:
Chide definition, to express disapproval of; scold; reproach
That is interesting, but the Amplified Bible says this: “or be contending”
I think I will look up the Hebrew meaning of the word “chide” in a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.
Strong: H7378
Orig: or ruwb \i roob\i0\plain\f3\fs21\cf23 ; a primitive root; properly, to toss, i.e. grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. hold a controversy; (by implication) to defend:–adversary, chide, complain, contend, debate, X ever, X lay wait, plead, rebuke, strive, X thoroughly.
That word says a lot. But when I think of this Psalm as a whole there are certain things that come into consideration. When I take into account that it is regarding how the Lord deals with Believers, and when I consider the way David has described himself in other psalms and even in other books of the Bible (such as in 1Samuel and 2 Samuel), and the way he described the Lord, and the nature of his relationship with Him…the meaning becomes more clear.
The words “rebuke”, “strive” and “contend” really speak to me. The Lord does“chide” His children, but He “will not ‘always’ chide” them. We have angered and will anger the Lord at times, but unlike mankind, He is slow to anger and doesn’t hold grudges…and you know what else? He never sins; not even when He is angry. Yes, He will both chide and chastise (chiding is one of the ways that He chastises) His children, but never in a cruel attempt to get revenge, and His discipline is always loving, for our own good, and is NEVER misguided. I am so thankful for that. Let’s look at some scriptures that give us a glimpse of this.
Wait. Something just came to me. I need to digress a little, and come back to what I was going to share a little later.
Have you ever heard of “Delight-Directed Learning”? It is a technique sometimes used to help students learn. In a delight-directed study, a child’s interests are ignited and sustained in ways that increase his or her interest in studies. We learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. For example, all of us chocolate lovers probably know what will happen when we unwrap a Hershey’s Kiss and pop it in our mouth. Once we had the first one we never forgot what was inside that foil and needed to figure it out again…even if we had gone years without eating one. Then there is that not so pleasant memory some women have of accidentally putting there finger in their mouth after they have just removed their nail polish. We won’t forget what that is like either.
Here is another example: Your toddler will probably not fight you if you ask them to eat some candy, but how about some of that nasty pink liquid medicine you make them gag down when they have an ear infection or some other infection? We know they will fuss and fight us and we hate doing it, but we force them to take it. Sometimes they even vomit and we have to do it all over again. But we do it…because we love them and want them to get well. Aren’t we so glad when we see improvement the next day? Then there are times when they are more easily pursuaded. We will tell them they will get a reward like their favorite ice cream if they will just swallow one little spoonful of their medicine, and on some occasions this does the trick. No matter what method we use the motive is the same in both cases. We don’t make them take the medicine, because we find it amusing to see them gag. We make them take the medicine, because we love them and want them to get well.
Here is what came to my mind a little while ago. I love words. When I was a little girl (probably in the 2nd grade) I learned about “root words”; learned that many words share the same root, and if we saw a new word and we didn’t have a dictionary we could look at the root of that word and then at either the prefix or the suffix of that word and get a clue about the new word’s meaning. Here is an example:
misjudge: You have the root word judge and the prefix mis (to get wrong make a mistake). So if you misjudge you are making a mistake in your judgement.
I also really liked looking at lists of synonyms (words with similar meanings) and antonyms (words with opposite meanings). I believe the Lord enjoys using“delight directed learning” with His children. He knows that I love words, so He uses my love of words as one of various methods to get me to learn more about His ways. As I was thinking about “chiding” and a few other forms of chastisement I remembered some accounts in the Bible where people were chided.
In this account it was actually a pagan king who did the chiding (scolding):
Abram in Egypt
10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine in the land was severe. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live. 13 Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. 16 He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.
17 But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.18 So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here’s your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave [his] men orders about him, and they sent him away, with his wife and all he had. Genesis 12:10-20 HCSB
In these two accounts Jesus chided Peter:
His Death and Resurrection Predicted
21 From then on Jesus began to point out to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. 22Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, “Oh no, [o] Lord! This will never happen to You!”
23 But He turned and told Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns, [p] but man’s.” Mathew 16:21-23 HCSB
20But Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, following–the one who also had leaned back on His breast at the supper and had said, Lord, who is it that is going to betray You?
21When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man?
22Jesus said to him, If I want him to stay (survive, live) until I come, what is that to you? [What concern is it of yours?] You follow Me! John 21:13-22 Amplified Bible
It never feels good to be chided. The Lord knows this, but He will do what is needed to cause His children to become contrite…full of regret and sorrow for their sins:
10 For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death. 11 For consider how much diligence this very thing—this grieving as God wills—has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you have commended yourselves to be pure in this matter. 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 HCSB
It is true that the Lord uses different approaches when it comes to teaching us the things we need to learn. We won’t always understand all of the reasons for every thing we will experience here, but we can rest in the knowledge that He uses both the delightful and the not so delightful things for our good, because He delights in us.
11 Do not despise the LORD’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe His discipline;12 for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, just as a father, the son he delights in. Proverbs 3:11-12 HCSB
Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord? Please click here:https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.
Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just click here: www.biblegateway.com They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!
Linda said,
August 14, 2011 at 1:43 am
Your excitement about words, their structure, and their meanings is a blessing to the rest of us!
I’ve never heard of delight directed learning, but even as a grown-up I respond to God that way… more chocolate, less chiding, please. Wouldn’t it be great if it was always that way?
Just tonight, fixing dinner (again), I asked God to help me, to give me wisdom and PATIENCE… then I mumbled that I probably wouldn’t listen anyway until something really bad happened. (nail polish remover?)
Please pray for me. I’m sinking (again)…
Moore to ponder said,
August 14, 2011 at 2:00 am
Linda, I am praying this very minute. There is a song that comes to mind. I couldn’t find a video to embed, but if you click on this link you can still listen for free:
http://www.myspace.com/babbiemasonofficial/music/albums/standing-in-the-gap-8118728
Here are the words:
[Standing In The Gap]
I heard that you were hurting
That you were suffering pain
But I didn’t dare just turn my head
And look the other way
For when your heart is aching
My heart is aching too
Let me help you bear your burden
That’s the least that I can do
I’ll be standing in the gap for you
Just remember someone, somewhere is praying for you
Calling out your name
Praying for your strength
I’ll be standing in the gap for you
Right now you may be troubled
But everything will work out fine
For the Spirit knows before you speak
What is on your heart and mind
So I’ll be interceding
Til your standing strong again
The peace that passes understanding
Is going to be yours, but until then
So hang on my friend
It won’t be long
And you have the strength
To carry on
For when two or three are walking together
It will be a much lighter load
For isn’t that what a brother and a sister are for
And don’t forget that Jesus is ever has already prayed for you and is ever interceding in prayer on your behalf (John 17 and Hebrews 7:23-25) and He is always sympathetic (Hebrews 4:15):
10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[g] 12 He says,
“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”[h]
13 And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”[i]
And again he says,
“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”[j]
“14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[k] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:14-18
Linda, I thought of you earlier today and prayed for you. I try to remember to call my blogging friends by name when I say my prayers, because they are very precious to me.
Love and hugs,
Theresa
Linda said,
August 21, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Y’know, while I’m lifting up people I know who are struggling and need a friend to stand in the gap, it never ever occurs to me that someone might be praying for me, too! How wonderful… : )
Thanks for praying for me, and reminding me the Jesus is always there to help carry the burder.
Thanks and hugs… : )
Moore to ponder said,
August 21, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Linda,
you are so welcome!
Love,
Theresa
Debbie said,
August 15, 2011 at 2:23 am
Thank you dear Theresa . . .wonderful woman of the Word! Is this the redone version? Or am I mistaken that this was the post a minister friend counseled you to reconsider some? Whether it is or not, I know that He uses you in a delightful way to teach us. I love learning here!
And how you ended this post? Loved that too!
God bless you as you continue to grow and learn with Jesus, and help us to too!
p.s. Linda, I am lifting you up tonight too. Thank you for sharing.
Moore to ponder said,
August 15, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Yes, this is the one I edited. There was one passage of scripture that I originally included, but later omitted because it was “iffy”. 🙂
I am thankful that it was brought to my attention. I sometimes have a verse in mind that applies to my thoughts, but I will include more than just the one verse, so my readers will see the setting of the particular verse. Sometimes I include too much and then my meaning is obscured..
Please pray for me that I will draw near the Lord more in prayer as I get busier. Classes start next week, and time management is a weak area of mine. Pray that the Lord will help me to not neglect my time that needs to be spent alone with Him.
Love,
Theresa
Debbie said,
August 15, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Praying most definitely! And Theresa . . .time management is a problem for me too. I joke that I’m time dysfunctional, but it’s not really funny and it stresses me out and Jesus doesn’t want that. He has been helping me since my house sitting stint and so I know that He will help you too! love you!
Ann said,
August 15, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Thank you, Theresa
“We won’t always understand all of the reasons for every thing we will experience here, but we can rest in the knowledge that He uses both the delightful and the not so delightful things for our good…”
I know I am not a fan of the ‘not so delightful’ things but I fully understand that He is working all things for my good. I try to remember this each time I hit a roadblock, or get a negative report or come across a personality that seems bent on rubbing me the wrong way. 🙂
I wouldn’t mind being ‘candy fed’ all the time but I know that won’t be any good for me. I need to have to stuff I would rather live without so that I can grow strong and healthy in Him. Besides, it’s not like He’s leaving me on my own to sink or swim. I have His assurance that He will never leave me. Fire, Flood, Frustration or whatsoever are subject to Him anyway 🙂
The Holy Spirit will give guidance when we miss the mark. Sometimes I don’t respond right away and yet He firmly and lovingly gets me back on track.
While I don’t relish the chiding, I can see why it’s needed. Praying I will be eager to trust His word and direction. The more I listen and obey, the less I will walk outside His will.
Blessings much, Theresa.
ann
P.S. Praying your strength and Linda’s too.
(Babbie Mason spoke much to me during my desert period. May God bless her ministry)
Moore to ponder said,
August 15, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Ann,
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment and for your prayer. I loved your reminder that no matter what the Lord will not leave us alone. 🙂
Blessings,
Theresa
Moore to ponder said,
December 3, 2014 at 7:14 pm
Reblogged this on Moore to Ponder and commented:
“Have you ever heard of “Delight-Directed Learning”? It is a technique sometimes used to help students learn. In a delight-directed study, a child’s interests are ignited and sustained in ways that increase his or her interest in studies.”
Debbie said,
December 4, 2014 at 1:52 am
I loved reading and considering this all again, dear Theresa! Praying that I delight more and more in the things that delight Him!
Love and prayers and thanks!
Deb
Moore to ponder said,
December 4, 2014 at 3:03 am
That is my prayer, too, Deb.
Love,
Theresa
All His Benefits (Part 7Delight-Directed and Not so Delight-Directed Learning)) | Serenaded Softly said,
June 15, 2016 at 6:57 pm
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