The Unwithered Leaf

Fighting My Foes

O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.
Psalm 3:1-2

David was running away from his own son. Why? Because his son had “stolen the hearts of the men of Israel.” (2 Sam. 15:6) Not just simple men, but even one of David’s most trusted advisors and companions – Ahithophel – followed suit. David’s foes were indeed many, and Absalom’s goal was to defeat David and take over as king.

We may not have a physical army pursuing us or trying to remove us from a place of prominence. But as a follower of Jesus, I know I have my own set of foes, and at times, it feels as if I’m about to meet my defeat. Can you relate?

Elohim

The word “El” in Hebrew means God. Elohim is a plural form that points, not to a view of many gods, but to a supreme authority — the God above all gods. Elohim is God – the Mighty Creator.

We are introduced to Elohim in the very first verse of the Bible. “In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth.” The rest of the narrative of Genesis 1 and then the entirety of the Christian faith hangs on that name. Continue reading “Elohim”

Why Unwithered Leaf?

But his delight in is the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:2-3

As I sat down on this 1st day of 2020, I pondered where to start reading in my Bible. You see, the last month or so was aimless, reading here and there, or wherever I needed to meet my needs. I tried doing an Advent devotional, but I found myself so many days behind, unfocused on the true reason for Christmas, and defeated by my inability to just be with Jesus.

As I sat, I thought about Psalms. I could read 5 Psalms a day for 30 days, but I knew some days, 1 Psalm would be more than enough and then I would get behind. I want the freedom to take my time without being bound by a plan. So I thought, what if I just start with Psalms and work my way through. So I opened to Psalm 1 and that’s when verse 3 popped out to me.