Saturday Spotlight: Calling Down a Curse

This is a reprint from our Break Time Bible Study blog.

Calling down a curse? hmmm...

Some Psalms can be referred to as "imprecatory," (meaning “to bring down a curse”) which means that the Psalmist is actually praying for God's judgment to come down on his enemies. Our live group and I discussed this recently. How do you reconcile what appear to be clear prayers for judgment with New Testament commands to "love our enemies?" Are there times when praying judgment or a curse on someone is acceptable?

This is a very difficult question. There isn't a simple answer, but here are a few points to consider as you read Psalms like this.

Remember context. The Bible must be interpreted in light of itself. You don't read a novel and pull out one paragraph to determine what the whole of the novel contains. Psalms are expressions of feelings and often a starting point for private prayer. While they often contain commands such as "Praise the Lord," they also share deep emotion that if acted upon, may not line up with godly behavior. (For example, the depression expressed in Psalm 88 does not necessarily advocate living in that mindset perpetually.)

Consider history. Remember that there were times that God made clear to the Jews that they should destroy their enemies. It's possible that the Psalmist was praying back to God something that God had already made clear He would do. Israel's enemies were often peoples who did not worship God and infiltrated the Israelites with evil.

Think about the prayer. The Psalmist is asking God to enact justice. In a sense, he is expressing his trust that God will take care of things as He should. God did use His children in war from time to time, but these types of prayers focus on God being glorified and God handling situations in the proper way, not "please stamp your approval on my plan for revenge."

Understand the relationship. The Psalmist was praying to God, showing a deep relationship and a willingness to express many different feelings. This shows a trust in God and an intimacy that allows for expressions of even negative feelings. There are times you might indeed "vent" to the Lord about something that seems unfair.

The Psalmist gives us a great example to go to the Lord in prayer whenever we feel attacked. This could be spiritual warfare, relationship issues, or any number of situations that can bring us down. Be sure to spend time with God before acting hastily to enact revenge or fix a situation to your liking.

Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. Psalm 79:9

Friday Funny: Here's Your Sign

Since we talked about signs two times this week, here is a funny sign for you.

Source: blog.travellerspoint.com via Beth on Pinterest

Pessimism

Pessimists might sometimes be right--but they are rarely the people through whom God accomplishes great things.--Katie Brazelton

Effective Presentation Slides and/or Indoor Signs

Yesterday we shared hints about outdoor signs. Here are a few additional tips that apply to presentations (i.e. PowerPoint) or indoor signage.

Keep text large enough to read from 10 feet or more away, at least for the headline.

Don't use too many graphics. Less is more. Don't tire the eye by putting in too much clip art or clutter.

Stick with one or two fonts. Again, it's tempting to play around with all kinds of fonts, but it's cleaner and more readable to stick with a couple that enhance each other.

Don't provide all the details. For slides and signage, the basic concept/info will do. Elaborate verbally or give a "for more info" email address or website where you can provide FAQ's and details.

Keep these tips in mind and you'll be communicating effectively!

Our thanks to Amy Tedder and Debra Thurston for some of this content.

Tips for Effective Outdoor Signs

When putting up a sign outdoors (i.e. for a yard sale) consider the following:

Always make it big enough for people to see. I am amazed by the tiny signs people put up for people to notice while driving by.

Don't include too much info. Although it is counterintuitive, over communicating on a sign can be worse than under communicating. Put the bare essentials of info to get people in the door.

Time your signs wisely. Hang them with enough time for people to make plans.

Be careful of placement. While you probably see signs on Stop signs, telephone poles or other common property all the time, it may be illegal in your town. Don't clutter the neighborhood with signs all over public areas. Find out where you can legally post items of interest.

Take them down! When an event is over (or the lost bicycle has been found, etc.) go around and remove the signs you have hung. If your church has signs, make sure they are changed or taken down after the event is over. Otherwise it looks sloppy. We've all seen neighborhood signs, for example, that are up for months or longer, after the event or announcement is long past relevance.

With thanks to Amy Tedder for some of this content.

Grammar Guidance: Whom Cares? by Brenda B. Covert

I hope that headline bothered you! It was my attempt to prove that mistakes are big attention-getters. Unfortunately, that’s the wrong kind of attention for your letters, memos, and reports to receive. If you’ve been stumped by the use of “who” and “whom,” consider this: “Who” is a pronoun that takes the place of the subject. “Whom” is the objective case of “who” and is always the object of the verb or the preposition.

Examples:

Who is responsible for updating our website? I wonder who will be awarded as Employee of the Month?

You gave the award to whom? “Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” ~John Donne

If you ever find yourself in a quandary over which word to use, try a pronoun substitution. Test your choice by replacing “who” with “he.” Your question will become a statement, as in He is responsible, or He will be awarded as Employee of the Month.

If the sentence sounds odd, such as, You gave the award to he, and the objective pronoun “him” would make it sound better, you’ll know that “whom” is the right choice.

Who cares? Anyone who values professionalism!

Sunday Sabbath

The LORD replied to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations." Joel 2:19