Words Of Inspiration Encouragment Reassurance and Motivation Which Exist In No Other Literature

Having dealt with some startling realities and spiritual truths, the writer of Psalm 94 goes on to ask and answer further significant questions.

In verse 9 he asks - He Who made the ear - He Who made you hear - do you not think that He Himself can hear? And He Who formed the eye - moulded and shaped it - it is the word used by the potter working with clay - do you not think He can see all that is going on?

God disciplines - punishes - and teaches. There are people who shy away from this aspect of the character of Almighty God, but if you stay close to the Scripture, you will not go far wrong.

God knows the thoughts of man and He knows that they are futile.

We can have good ideas - things we would like to do - but if the anointing of God is not upon them, they are futile. God's intimate knowledge of man is a astonishing and astounding truth - and a truth which makes us be very very careful as to what we say and what we do.

Nothing escapes His knowledge.

In John Chapter 2 verses 24 - 25, we read of how Jesus Christ knew all men, and He knew what was in a man - it is so similar to what is revealed in this Psalm. Always remember that the God of the Old Testament is exactly the same God as is revealed in the New Testament. After all, there is no other!

At this point, it is as if the Psalmist re-tunes his harp to play softer melodies. Blessed is the man you discipline. There is a difference between being disciplined and being punished. In some areas of life we are aware of that and can usually recognise it, but somehow it is not so easily recognised in the spiritual realms.

There is another person blessed - the man You teach from Your law.

The Psalmist places discipline before teaching - establishing a principle which has almost been reversed in these days - "Without discipline there can be no real teaching."

When discipline is abandoned, teaching ceases. If a teacher cannot exercise discipline he cannot really teach. But - God goes even further - He will not try to teach those who refuse His discipline.

Understand something of the nature of these blessings - "You grant him relief from days of trouble." We are confronted here with two alternatives. We can come under God's discipline now and be preserved from His judgement, or we can refuse God's discipline now and come under His Judgement in days which lie ahead - and, we either discipline ourselves or God will discipline us - or send someone else to discipline us.

There is a most reassuring word in verse 14. The Lord will not reject His People. He will never forsake His Inheritance. He will never go back on those whom He has chosen. He will never go back on His choice of Israel - NEVER.

His judgement will again be founded on righteousness. When God acts as Judge, He is always right. Always.

Then, comes this call in verse 16 - Who will rise up? Who will take a stand? Who in these present days will stand, and go on standing for truth and righteousness? God is looking for people, who will rise up, and stand, and testify and witness.

The Psalmist remembers how God had helped him. When he thought he was slipping - there was a presence - a love - a support.

Almighty God is so understanding. He knows all about our weaknesses, and He does not reject us on account of them. He does not ask us to come before Him, or present ourselves to the world, with a façade of strength, which has no basis in reality. All He asks is that we sincerely yield to HIM.

The Psalmist realised that he could not save himself. When we think that things are almost getting out of hand, and we are losing control - when He hears our voice - our cry for help - He is there to support and uphold.

Verse 19 - When I experienced anxiety - what honesty - this man of God could still be touched by anxiety - and he was unafraid to admit it. Our God shows us His man - going through times and seasons of ANXIETY - and he finds God consoling him - and bringing joy to his soul.

Has it not been in such times that we experience the joy of God flooding our lives - the Holy Spirit ministering to us in a new but real and realistic way - reassuring us - or whatever it might be.

Sometimes, the greater the pressure, the more powerful is the consolation.

He asks another question in verse 20 - and the answer is a conspiracy against the throne of God and the people of God - with one goal - one aim - death.

But the Lord has become my fortress - my Rock - my Masada. He closes on a powerful triumphant note. He will deal with the sinful enemy and his wickedness. He will deal with them totally and finally.

I have been to Masada by the Dead Sea on various occasions and that is a rock which was and is virtually impregnable. The Romans built a ramp to capture and kill the 900 Israelis atop the spacious rock by using Israeli slaves to build the ramp! The enemy will do anything at times to get at the people of God.

In one sense, this Psalm is all about living our life in the Presence of God - with everything else going on around us - and we can discern His Presence - His Absolute Control - His Sovereignty - His Being in Charge - His Care - His Strength - His Supportive and Supporting Love.

There are words of inspiration, encouragement and motivation here, which you will not find anywhere else in the entire world of literature.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

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Does African-American Literature Exist?

The question of what makes a piece of writing African American literature or not is one that I have never been confronted with before. I have certainly never been challenged to question the entire existence of the genre before taking a course entitled "ENGL 234: Major Writers in African American Literature". On the contrary, frequent evenings spent perusing bookstores have fortified the notion in my mind that the genre is alive and well. Other literature courses have not touched on this subject at all much less brought this question to light. Through that course, however, I found that it is certainly one worth exploring and one that deserves a definitive answer. I have come to understand the genre of African American literature as encompassing any piece of literature that deals specifically with issues unique to African Americans as a culture.

It is interesting to consider the definition for this genre that our English 234 class came up with at the start of this course. We all seemed to have a general understanding of what it was that we could agree upon. Students said based on what they had read in the past, that the genre was made up of books that seemed more 'real' than other books; that there was less fiction in black literature. It was also said that these books had to do with mostly issues surrounding slavery. It did not even seem to be a question that the authors of these books would be African American themselves, that appeared to be a given. It is funny that we were all so convinced that we knew what this genre was at the beginning of the course and how student's definitions have since completely changed, well mine has at least.

It is surprising to me, upon consideration, that I would agree with the claim that African American literature seemed more 'real' than books from other genres. It seems very ignorant to assume that all authors of African American literature actually had all of the life experiences they write about actually happen to them. In fact, most piece of this type of literature are fictional. Though some authors may have drawn from actual historical accounts, many of the stories themselves come from the writer's imagination. It is still safe to say that African American literature is more real than fantasy. The parameters of my definition steer it away from fantasy and more towards real, human experiences.

The idea that African American literature has to do almost exclusively with the issues surrounding slavery and race were completely overturned upon reading "Giovanni's Room" by James Baldwin. One might expect the book to deal with race simply because Baldwin was an African American writer. I definitely went into the book with that expectation. This perception extended to the point where I believed several characters in the book to be black instead of white or Mediterranean as Baldwin had intended simply because of the fact that we were reading it in a "Major Writers in African American Literature" class. Though I think the title of the class had more to do with this than the skin color of the author, I can certainly see how his skin color might have given students certain expectations as well. "Giovanni's Room" did not tackle the issue of race at all. The book was about a white man dealing with his inner conflict involving his homosexuality. Upon reading it I would definitely say that it qualifies as a great work of literature, but it does not fit under my definition of African American literature specifically. Black writers can write about anything, they are certainly not limited to issues of race or slavery. An author's skin color should not have anything to do with what label goes on that author's writing.

Writers of African American literature do not have to be black. To fit under my definition the material needs only to have connections to black culture or history. The profession of writing entails the ability to create from many different perspectives. I recently read a book called "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett, a white author, that I would consider an example of this. In the book Stockett writes from the perspectives of several different characters including two African American women working as maids in Mississippi during the 1960s. "The Help" is clearly a book that addresses issues of race and segregation. I would certainly consider it a work of African American literature because of its content. Similarly, the classic work "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was written by another white woman, Harriet Beecher Stowe. The book discusses slavery and the suffering involved with it. This book would also qualify as African American literature because of its subject matter. This leads us to the question of what "African American issues" really are.

The word "stereotype" comes with negative connotations because it is generally used to describe an off-putting generalization. It becomes necessary though when talking about facets of something like a certain group of people or culture. The other problem with stereotypes is the way they vary from person to person. One person might assume one thing about a certain group of people while another might assume the opposite, making universal stereotyping difficult. It is up to both the author and the reader to determine whether or not a work falls under the category of African American literature. An example of this from class would include Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye", a book that deals with the issue of skin color as it correlates to beauty and equality. This genre does not have to refer to pieces that deal only with slavery, inequality, or segregation. There are many modern subjects that can be explored through literature besides these. For example, a piece of African American literature might touch on the use of the "N" word in today's popular culture. It can be anything that either the reader or the writer deems a legitimate African American issue to be as long as there is evidence that one can make a claim for and defend successfully. Critics have argued that this genre no longer exists because American culture no longer has to deal with difficulties such as slavery or the Jim Crow laws. It is true that these things no longer exist per-se, but racism and problems concerning race are still rampant in our society even if they now manifest themselves in slightly different ways.

African American literature includes any piece of literature that deals in particular with issues that are related to African Americans as a people. This does not mean the author needs to be black though, writers of any skin tone can fashion characters with many different perspectives and cultures. The common misconception that this genre includes many works or biography and autobiography is false. Many pieces of African American literature are fictional. Topics that are included in this genre can include slavery and the like, but they can also be more modern. African American literature is a growing category just like any other type of literature.

Works Cited

Baldwin, James. Giovanni's Room; a Novel. New York: Dial, 1956. Print.
Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. Waterville, Me.: Thorndike, 2009. Print.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, and James Henry Daugherty. Uncle Toms Cabin. New York: Edward McCann, 1929. Print.

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