JANUARY 4, 2010

A DECEITFUL

BOW

Scripture Reading--Psalm 78:56-64

Several years ago, I went on a bow hunt with men from my church at a wildlife refuge near our home in New York. While getting our equipment ready, I carelessly laid my bow down in a razor-sharp broadhead and heard a sickening twang. The string on my recurve had been cut. I saw my great day going up in smoke until I remembered that I had a spare string in my pack. We didn't get any deer, but we had a great time.

While reading Psalm 78, I noticed that verse 57 describes "a deceitful bow." In studying the verse more closely, I discovered that the word deceitful means unstrung or no string. The term means "a slack bow." I thought about the many years I have bow-hunted and of the many lessons God has taught me. I've learned that a bow with no string gives ( 1 ) no pleasure. What fun would it be to go to the woods with a bow minus a string? ( 2 ) It has no purpose. What can you do with a stringless bow? Maybe you could use it to stake up your tomatoes. ( 3 ) It has no power. The string transfers power of the bow to the arrow. And ( 4 ) it gets no prize. A hunter with no string on his bow will never bring home the venison.

It's interesting that God describes Israel as "a deceitful bow." Because of the problems described in today's text, the Israelites experienced no pleasure, no purpose, no power, and no prize. God was unhappy and withdrew his blessing from them. As a result, they suffered severe consequences.

When we get out of fellowship with God, we, too, are much like Israel. God will take no pleasure in us. He will not be able to use us for His purpose, we will lose His power, and we will receive no prize. May God enable you and your family to learn the lesson of the "deceitful bow."

ACTION POINT: As a family, share some problems that can make you like a "deceitful bow."

--Jack Palmer--

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN " 1 " YEAR: Exodus cc. 25-27