Have you ever gone through a “spiritual desert”? A time when you are being tested. You have called out to God…No answer. Maybe you are going through such a “season” right now. I’m praying this little study will help you get through this time. So, come let’s look way back in time to see David sitting at a desk where under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he is penning Psalm 13 KJV.

¹"How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?\
² How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
³ Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.
⁴ Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
⁵ But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
⁶ I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”

You may not know this, but David is at the end of his rope – he is exhausted and depressed. He and King Saul have become mortal enemies! The stress coming from all the negativity surrounding their relationship has caused David to lose his zest for life.

Two of the most powerful words in the human vocabulary are the words freedom and liberty. While they are what America is all about, freedom and liberty were not born in the USA. The desire to be free was programmed into the DNA of every person by Creator God. But the ability of anyone to be truly and wholly free is a gift of God – to receive that gift is a choice we must make!
The Old Testament book of Leviticus chapter 25 was written 3,500 years ago and describes God’s plan for the nation of Israel.
In Leviticus 25: 1-4 God tells the people to work their land for six years and then let it rest on the seventh year: don’t plant, don’t pick whatever grows on its own. Let it all just return to the ground! This is a good, sound agricultural practice because the land renews itself!
In verses 8-19, God institutes a very radical set of practices called “The Year of Jubilee”. It was the year of freedom because debts were canceled, lands seized were returned to their rightful owners, and slaves were freed!

Governor William Penn inscribed on the Liberty Bell: Leviticus 25:18 “Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof…”

Leviticus 25 tells us what true freedom means:
V17. True freedom means peace with God.
V14. True Freedom means peace with man.
V10. True freedom means equality for all.
V16. True freedom means justice.
V10. True freedom means liberty.
V18. True freedom means outward safety and inward security.

  Scene for 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremonies; The Wrap, Stephanie Kaloi, July 28, 2024. 

The iconic Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper” was portrayed by a dozen transexuals representing the 12 apostles and one ostentatious drag queen dressed to mock Christ – for those people and the planners of the ceremonies this was art as the MGM logo said in Latin = “Art for Art’s Sake”.

We must never forget, in this century, that we cannot escape the godless reach of secular progressives, their influence is in every nook and cranny of our culture and just about every institution.

Early in His three years of ministry, thousands came to a hill to hear Jesus speak. They were not disappointed in what is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount. As Jesus delivers a bushel full of blessings. He has also tucked conspicuously into the basket words conveying warnings as well as blessings.

^“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake”(Matthew 5.10-11, KJV).

Look at your hands, what do you see?  What don’t you see? The human hand has three main nerves, two major arteries, and 27 different bones.  More of the body is devoted to controlling the hands than any other part of the body.  Your fingers work by “remote control.”  There are no muscles in fingers – the muscles which bend your fingers are in the palm of your hand and in the forearm.  They are connected to the fingers by tendons which pull on and move them like the strings of a marionette.  While they are engineering marvels, they are also tools of human expressions:

• We clap our hands in joy.
• We raise our fists in anger.
• We raise our hands as a vote of approval or disapproval.
• We raise our hands to surrender.
• Hands are used to comfort and caress.
• Hands are used to hold weapons that can take a life.
• The carpenter uses his hands to build a house.
• But it takes a mother’s and father’s hands to make a home.
• Hands open and shut doors.

As elections draw near incumbents toot their accomplishments while polls reflect how voters assess their record.

Polls are dubious at best but here’s what they report:

How are we feeling? Pretty dismal!

                71% Wrong track.

                72% Country not as great as it once was just 3 years ago.

                59% Economy is doing poorly.

                61% The American dream is broken.

 What are we afraid of?