[208]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – OUR GOD IS OUR STRENGTH
{{Psalm 81:6-10 “I relieved his SHOULDER of the burden. His hands were freed from the basket.
Psa. 81:7 YOU CALLED IN TROUBLE, AND I RESCUED YOU. I answered you in THE HIDING PLACE of thunder. I proved you at the waters of Meribah. Selah. Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you, O Israel, if you would listen to Me! Let there be no strange god among you nor shall you worship any foreign god. I, the LORD, am your God Who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it”}}
{{Psalm 81:16 “but I would feed you with THE FINEST OF THE WHEAT AND WITH HONEY from the rock I would satisfy you.”}}
Those words taken from Psalm 81 were very real to me during a time of trial, and God does that for us. It says we call and the Lord rescues us. He opens His word when we need it. We carry burdens on our shoulder but the Lord lifts the burden. He will answer us from the thunderous place where we hide from the troubles. Call on Him in trouble.
The last verse of that Psalm is beautiful. The Lord feeds us but with the very best (finest wheat) and the secluded honey. Only the best for His children does He provide to sustain them in the trials of this world. Some time back I did a study on honey in the scriptures, every reference of “honey”. This is what I wrote on this particular reference –
[[Psalm 81:16 - In lament, God would state that the erring nation, Israel, could have been fed with the very best He could offer to them. God wanted to do that, but there had to be a willingness that was required. The honey here means the purest and most refreshing provision of God. (Actually it all means the Lord Jesus Christ because He is God’s best and He is the finest of the wheat to be crushed in the fire, and the complete sweetness of God.). What more could Israel need than the very finest God offered them? What more could we in the Church need other than the finest of the Lord Jesus Christ? In Him there is full satisfaction.
Do you want to be satisfied, to have all your needs (not in the prosperity sense) taken care of? Note this verse – {{Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”}}. Get right with God and He will satisfy your desire for the goodness of God. Honey from the rock – out of something hard and impossible, God supplies the honey from the rock. Nothing is too hard for the Lord! The Lord’s sweet honey attends our way.]]
The study on honey is in two parts and this is the first - https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/what-can-be-sweeter-a-study-of-all-the-scripture-references-to-honey-part-1-ron-ferguson-sermon-on-scripture-270375
It is a simple enough poem but the message is profound because it is the Lord’s care for all His hurting believers.
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OUR GOD IS OUR STRENGTH
Sing for joy to God our strength;
Shout aloud His praise.
Heavy burdens are removed;
Weary arms He’ll raise.
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Trouble has encompassed me;
Fears o’erfilled my heart.
Answer me my Lord and God;
Don’t from me depart.
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You have rescued me, my God
From Your hiding place.
Answered me when I called out;
Showed Your smiling face.
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Every mouth that’s opened wide
In expectancy,
God will fill with heaven’s best -
That’s our certainty.
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With the finest wheat you feed
Those who are Your own.
With the honey from the Rock
Satisfy alone.
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21 August 1998. R E Ferguson 7-5-7-5
Written after the Lord had been my help and based on Psalm 81.