According to a 17 December 2006 article in The Associated Press, a 48-year-old man in Cincinnati, Ohio was killed by his 13-foot boa constrictor in his own home. Apparently, he was found in the reptile's cage with the murderous creature wrapped around his neck. What a tragic story! His pet turned on him and killed him!

Psalm 107 is an amazing Psalm with an amazing end. The last verse of this Psalm says, "Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD." On the surface, you would expect this Psalm to deal with the sweet times of blessings and gifts from God, but the opposite is true. The chapter gives five examples of troubles or trials in the lives of people. Some experience troubles because of sin and some because the Lord led them into troubles and some just because of everyday life. Two verses are repeated four times each. One of these verses is repeated in verses 6, 13, 19 and 28 and it says, "Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses." The other verse is repeated in verses 8, 15, 21, and 31 and it says, "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" These verses demonstrate not only a purpose for trials in the lives of men and women, but it also builds on the idea of the lovingkindness of the LORD. The lovingkindness of the Lord seems to be connected to His dealings as a Father. He allows or causes trials and troubles in our lives to bring us to a point where we cry out to Him and then He delivers us. When He delivers us, He desires praises from our lips. Through these trials we are drawn closer to Him and are strengthened in faith. This truly is the lovingkindness of the Lord.

According to an article in Thursday's "Wall Street Journal," earlier this year on the day Muslims celebrate the willingness of Abraham to sacifice his son on Mt. Moriah (a son they claim was Ishmael), 25,000 sheep in Brussels, Belgium, had their heads turned to Mecca and were sacrificially killed by having their throats slit so that they would die from the shedding of their blood. Many of the Muslims will be eating their sheep for lunch that same day. Although home slaughters are illegal in Belguim, Muslims now make up over 15% of the one million people in the city of Brussels.

In the old days, an atheist might present his atheism as a better alternative to belief; he might even mourn the loss of meaning in life by his rejection of God but claim it to be an honest conclusion. The new atheist, as exemplified by Dr. Richard Dawkins, turns the tables against the believer. The believer is the one who is to be feared. Atheism is needed to calm the God-intoxicated wars and hatred of society (we presume not the kind of atheism purported by China's Mao or Russia's Stalin). Children need to be protected from religious parents. Dawkins calls the religious training of children a "form of child abuse." Believers need to be shunned as stupid and dangerous. We who believe need to prepare ourselves and our children for this kind of attack. It is not around the corner; it is now. Note: information taken from editorial in Friday's "Wall Street Journal."

In a great essay on the current path of fundamentalists, the editor of Straightway magazine, Dr. H.T. Spence, makes this greatly enlightening statement : "Though Fundamentalism has endeavored to be strong historically in ecclesiastical separation, one of its great weaknesses from its beginning has been its lack of personal separation." This can be found in the June-July 2005 issue of the magazine in an article entitled "Ask for the Old Paths."

This passage describes the depths to which sin will take man if he refuses to repent and return to the Lord. We see here the progressive nature of man’s rebellion and the steps God takes in turning from man. This passage stands as a warning to all of us about the danger of straying away from God.

God has filled this short chapter with vivid pictures of redemption and wonderful verses of encouragement. Perhaps the theme of this chapter is that the Lord