Let's take our Bibles and turn
to the book of Proverbs chapter 26. Proverbs 26. I'd like to look at verse two. I truly, sincerely, I asked the
Lord to give me some light on a passage of scripture that when
I first read, I honestly admit I had no idea what it meant. But I believe the Lord has given
me some light and I pray, I pray that He has, I pray that what's
said will be to His honor and for our good. Proverbs 26 verse
2, as the bird by wandering as the swallow by flying, so the
curse causeless shall not come." The walk of a believer is a walk
of faith and not sight, and we know that. As we go through this
world, we know that the Lord is ordering all things for His
glory and for our good. But we don't know the ways of
the Lord and their perfections, what I'm talking about. I told
you Brother Don Fortner told me one time, he said, Marvin,
he said, truly, we never know exactly. what God is doing. We know that He's doing it for
His glory and our good, but we don't know. That is the walk
of faith. His ways are not our ways. His
thoughts are not our thoughts. And according to Proverbs 25
too, it is the glory of God to conceal a thing. as the bird by wandering, as
the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. Now, the truth that set forth
in that first part of that passage of scripture about the sparrow
and the swallow wandering and flying, that is, their actions,
actually the word means that the bird's nodding, or his fleeing,
or his disappearing, or his wavering. We really don't know what that
bird's doing. We really don't. Now, the benefits. I had just
looked this up. The benefits of birds are somewhat
known. I know that they spread seeds,
they pollinate plants, they control pests, They reduce weeds. Scavenger birds clean up carcasses
of dead animals. And therefore, by the good pleasure,
wisdom of Almighty God, they keep the balance of nature in
check. Birds. But when it comes to seeing
or watching a bird, we've got a bird feeder right in front
of the house. And they come and they go. They fly away, they
wander at any given moment, but really, I don't know exactly
how the Lord is ordering that particular bird, but I know He
is. There's a divine purpose in everything. Likewise, the scripture says,
that latter part of that, so The curse causeless shall not
come. Now, this curse, it's not talking
about the curse of God. The word actually, it means a
groundless curse. Groundless curse or an abusive,
disparaging speech from someone toward a believer. This book,
to God's people. Harsh words from others. That's what that word, it actually
means vilification. That hard, causeless curse that
comes from someone else toward God's people. These Curses. They're unknown. They don't know
why. The world hates you. That's what the Lord said. Why?
Why? Well, we know why. We know why. Because we're not of this world. The Lord said, because I've chosen
you out of the world. That's why the world hates you.
But God's people are made to be targets of resentment. And
so therefore, these curses that come, they don't come, the scripture
says, without a cause. A curse causeless shall not come. The Lord, in His wisdom, He is
the one who's working all things after the counsel of His own
will, and the Lord may be pleased to allow this causeless curse,
that word of resentment, hatred. He may allow it to come our way,
but the scripture says it's not going to come without merit. The curse, I mean, causeless.
won't come. He may allow those who despise
and hate the gospel of God's free grace, He may allow them
to treat us to do exactly what they want to do with malice. All the while the Lord is accomplishing
His will and His purpose to do us good. You remember whenever
the brothers of Joseph sold him to some Ishmaelites that were
coming through and they were mad at Joseph because his daddy
loved him, made him a coat of many colors. I mentioned that
last week. But they didn't have any idea that what they were
doing was providentially being allowed to be the very means
that God would preserve his people alive. In time they were going
to have to come before Joseph who had been elevated to second
in command in Egypt. He had control of the corn. And
when the Lord was pleased to allow Joseph to reveal himself
to his brothers, of course they were scared to death because
now we know what we did to him and he knows what we did to him.
And here's what Joseph said, you thought evil against me but
God meant it for good. bring it to pass as it is today
to save much people alive. Hold your place right there.
Turn to 2 Samuel 16. 2 Samuel chapter 16. 2 Samuel
16. Now here is an incident that happened in
the life of a man named David, 2 Samuel 16, verse 5. And when King David came to Behurim,
behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of
Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gerah. He came forth
and cursed still as he came. And he cast stones at David,
and all the servants of King David, all the people, all the
mighty men were on his right hand and on his left, and thus
said Shimei when he cursed, come out, come out, thou bloody man,
and thou man of Belial. The Lord hath returned upon thee
all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast
reigned. And the Lord hath delivered the
kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son, and behold, thou art
taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. the son
of Zeruiah said unto the king, why should this dead dog curse
my lord the king? Let me go over, I pray thee,
and take off his head. And the king said, what have
I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because
the Lord has said unto him, curse David. Who shall then say, wherefore
hast thou done so? And David said to Abishah, to
all the servants, behold my son, which came forth of my boughs,
seeketh my life. How much more now may this Benjamite
do it? Let him alone, let him curse,
for the Lord hath bidden him. It may be that the Lord will
look on mine affliction, that the Lord will requite me good
for his cursing this day. This man came out. cursed David
and one of David's mighty men said, I'll take his head off. David said, no, leave him alone.
God sent him. I needed it. That's what David
said. How many times have we found when our lives are crossed
with something or someone. It's just so hard. It's just so tough to bear. You don't know why, but it's
just the way it is. And we come to this point to
where we say, this animosity toward me, this resentment, this
hatred, this curse, like right here. The Lord allowed that. Obviously, I needed it. I need
it. I need what? It's going to cause
me to cast myself upon the mercy of God. Lord, help me, deliver
me. When the Jews who hated the Lord
Jesus took Him and by wicked hands crucified Him, little did
they know that what they were doing was exactly that which
was ordained by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. That's exactly what God had ordained. And in their animosity, in their
hatred of Christ, in their cursing of Him, that undeserved, undeserved
curse. He didn't deserve that. But bearing
the guilt of His people, their federal head, The Lord, in absolute
obedience to His Father, suffered. He suffered and died alone in
their hearts. And we're all like this by nature.
They resented Him. And that marvelous triumph of
redemption for a people that He everlastingly loved, through
that curse that they, mad, crucified Him, Here we stand today, redeemed
by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's times,
turn over to 1 Peter 2, there's times that we suffer. We have
to suffer. And look what Peter says under
the inspiration of God's Spirit. When we're in our suffering,
times of suffering, 1 Peter 2, 18, The 24th. Servants, be subject to your
masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also
to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a
man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it if ye be
buffeted for your faults? Ye shall take it patiently. But
if you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this
is acceptable with God. For even here unto where you
call, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that you should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth. who when he was reviled, reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously,
who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that
we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness by whose
stripes ye were sealed. For ye were as sheep going astray,
but now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls." Listen,
may the Lord teach us. That number one, there's birds
that are flying around, going here, going there. I know that
there's a divine purpose in that. Scripture bears that out. But
we don't know what it is. Likewise, when these times of
hardship, these times of resentment, resentment toward one of God's
own, that's causeless, really, that there was nothing that a
believer did to, you know, but trust God, believe Him, striving
to maintain faithfulness, wanting to walk in, you know, adorning
the gospel that he loves and that doctrine that he believes.
whenever these curses come. And they will. They will. The
Lord has set that, they're going to come. Trials are going to
come. You that live godly in Christ
Jesus, you're going to suffer persecution for His sake. But
it's going to teach us something. The Lord is faithful. And He's
not going to leave us. So as the swallow, the bird flies
and wanders, we don't know We don't know what they're doing.
So the curse causeless, or that curse without a cause, you know,
it's not going to come. It's not going to come without
a cause, without a good purpose. Almighty God's going to keep
us. The scripture says the wrath
of man is going to praise him. The remainder of wrath, the Lord
is going to restrain, restrain all things. All things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose. May the Lord keep us today. Keep
and remember, we settle down here. Whenever these times come,
remember, may the Lord bring this passage of scripture back
to our heart. That curse causeless or that
curse without a good cause, It's not going to come. It's going
to come, and it's going to work all things for the Lord's glory
and our good. May the Lord give us a heart
to believe in for His glory and our good. Amen. All right. Let's
take a little break.