Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not too long ago, the Lord impressed upon my heart to start a blog to post some of the thoughts and truths I have gleaned from my time in the word of God in my devotions. The door of opportunity for such ministry has finally opened up for me and I am very excited about it.  My whole purpose in doing this is to accomplish two goals. Number one is to glorify my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Number two is to encourage and edify fellow believers who read my posts.  I hope and trust that these posts will accomplish those purposes and that you are encouraged and blessed by them.

The first blogpost I have entitled “Like a bottle in the Smoke.” The last several days I have been reading through Psalm 119. I take 8 verses each day and study and meditate on them in my devotions. I recently came across a very interesting verse that really made me slow down and study. It is Psalm 119:83 “For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.”

In Bible times, a bottle was a container that was made of animal skin that they would keep liquids such as water and wine in. It was common when the skin was emptied to hang the bottle up in the tent where meat was smoked. Spurgeon described it this way in his Treasury of David.  “The skins were used for containing wine, when emptied, were hung up in the tent, and when the place reeked with smoke the skin grew black and sooty, and in the heat they became wrinkled and worn. The Palmist’s face through sorrow had become dark and dismal, furrowed and lined; indeed, his whole body had so sympathized with his sorrowing mind as to have lost its natural moisture, and to have become like a skin dried and tanned. His character had been smoked with slander, and his mind parched with persecution; he was half afraid that he would become useless and incapable through so much mental suffering, and that men would look upon him as an old worn out bottle, which could hold nothing and answer no purpose.”

There are many a Christian who gets to the end of their life and lose sight of their purpose for living. They feel like an old worn out bottle that has been hung up in the smokehouse. There they hang getting more and more blackened, sooty, and wrinkled by the day and wondering; why am I here? What is my purpose? Am I good for anything anymore? I can no longer to do this or that, why am I here? This is the way the Psalmist felt yet he found some hope in the word of God.

“For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.” When we get down and discouraged we can be assured that the Bible is full of promises that give us hope.

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:5b “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” When you get to the place where you feel like an old has been, when you feel like you have reached the end and are no longer useful, when you feel like an old worn out bottle hanging in a smokehouse. Remember the promises of God. Let them be your guide and encouragement in your hour of grief and sorrow. May you say like the Psalmist “yet do I not forget thy statutes.” I pray that the message of this verse encourages you in your time of despair. When you find yourself here remember the promises of God in his Holy Word. God bless.