Category: Psalms

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Psalms

Let everything that has breath…

Psalms

And so we reach the final psalm in the book of Psalms.  And it closes with the most appropriate phrase.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.  (Psalm 150:6)

Where is he to be praised? 

In his sanctuary, both here on earth and in the heavens.  I think it’s good to remember that his sanctuary is not simply the church buildings where we meet.

As Christians, we are his sanctuary.  He dwells within us, and makes us his holy place.  So with our very lives, we should praise him.

Why should we praise him?

First, for who he is in all his greatness.  That he is the holy and awesome God, who is worthy of praise.

Yet we also praise him because he is the loving and personal God who loved us so much that he sent his Son to die on the cross to save us from our sin.  And with one mighty act of power, he raised his Son from the dead.

But his mighty acts of power haven’t ended.  He’s working even now to reveal himself to people and to save them.

How do we praise him?

With great joy.  With the sound of the trumpet, harp, and lyre.  With the sound of the flute, strings, tambourine, and with dancing.

I can’t help but think of David, who rejoiced in such a way that his wife rebuked him for acting so “unseemly” for a king.  But David only responded,

I will celebrate before the Lord.  I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.  (2 Samuel 16:21-22)

May that be our attitude each well.  And may his praise be ever on our lips, singing “Hallelujah” to the God who is worthy of all praise.

Praise the Lord!

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Psalms

A time to sing, a time to fight

Psalms

I must admit that upon first reading, Psalm 149 can be a bit disturbing, particularly from verses 6 on.

It is a psalm that first calls on God’s people to praise him.  To rejoice in him because he is our Maker and our King.  It then says to praise him with dancing and musical instruments.

It’s always cool for me to see people praise God through dance, although personally it’s not something I think I could ever do.  But to see the joy of people as they dance is such a blessing for me just watching them.

And to hear the beauty of instruments played for the glory of God helps draw me close to God as well.

At our church, we sometimes have a professional violin player join in with the worship band, and it really adds something to the experience that I can’t properly express in words.

But as much as I delight in these things, God delights in them even more.  Even for those who can’t keep a tune, or play an instrument, or dance, the psalmist says,

The LORD takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with salvation.  (Psalm 149:4)

The Lord doesn’t delight so much in what we can do.  He delights in what he sees in our hearts.  When he sees people who love him and rejoice in him, that’s what he takes pleasure in.

And when we humble ourselves before him, putting our trust in him, he crowns us with his salvation.

The psalmist tells us that we should rejoice in this honor he has given us.  Though we deserve nothing from him, he has given us life.

But then comes the disturbing part.  For while the psalmist calls people to worship, it also calls them to war.  To war against those who would set themselves against God and carry out his judgment.

Now for the Israelites coming into Canaan, that is exactly what God called the people to do.

For years, God waited with patience for the Canaanites to turn from their sin, but instead the situation became worse and worse.

And when they reached their “full measure of sin” (Genesis 15:16), God sent his people to exercise his judgment on them.

But we are not the Israelites, for whom this psalm was originally written.  So what does this mean for us?

The thing we need to remember is that we are in a spiritual war.  And as I’ve mentioned before, our battle is no longer against flesh and blood.  People are not our enemies.

But there are spiritual powers and forces out there using people as their pawns.  This is what we are fighting.

And ours is not a literal two-edged sword that we hold, but rather the two-edged sword of the Word of God, a sword that,

penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  (Hebrews 4:12)

We use it not to fight against people, but to fight for their souls that they may be saved.

And we bring a message of salvation and judgment.

To those who believe, Jesus has given us the authority to proclaim their forgiveness in his name.

To those who reject his word, he has given us the authority to proclaim their coming judgment if they do not repent.  (John 20:23).

So let us never forget.  We are called to worship, that is true.  But we are also called to fight.  To fight for the lives of those who are lost.

So as I’ve said before, let us run to the battle.

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Psalms

A call to worship

Psalms

There’s a song by Tommy Walker that I love called “All the Saints Join in” which is basically Psalm 148 set to modern music.

The psalm and song are essentially a call to all creation to praise its Creator.

From the angels, to the sun, the moon, and all the creatures in the sky, on the earth, and in the ocean; from the kings and princes, to the ordinary people young and old, adults and children.  All are called to praise the Lord.

Why?

For his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.  (Psalm 148:13)

In short, all glory belongs to him; and if all his creation is glorious, how much more glorious is he, and so worthy of our praise.

But more than that,

He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart.  (14)

The horn is a symbol of power and strength in the Bible, and so it’s talking here about how when we are cast down, because we are close to his heart, he strengthens us and delivers us through all of our troubles.

This was seen in David’s life.  This was seen also in God’s restoration of Israel after their exile into Babylon.  It was also seen in the more modern restoration of Israel as a nation in 1948.

But this is perhaps best seen in how he sent Christ to be the horn of our salvation.  (Luke 1:69).

And when we were trapped in our sins, headed for eternal death, God sent his Son out of his great love for us.

Because we were close to his heart, he sent his Son not only to live on this earth and reveal himself to us, but to die on a cross and take the punishment for our sins.

And because he has done so, our sins have been forgiven, and we’ve been given new life.

God is truly worthy of all praise.  So let us all join in along with all creation, and as the psalmist exhorts us, praise the name of our Lord.

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Psalms

When we put our trust in him

Psalms

In Psalm 146, we see a God who is worthy of our trust.  In this psalm, we see the results of trusting in him.

As I mentioned in the blog on Psalm 146, for years, the Israelites had rebelled against God, failing to trust in him, and putting their trust in themselves, in other gods, and other people.

The result?  A broken and ruined nation.

But now the people under Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah, and Haggai were slowly turning their hearts back to God.  And because of that, the healing process had begun.

The psalmist writes,

The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.  (Psalm 147:2-3)

He then reminds the people of the greatness of God, and just why he is worthy of our praise.  Namely, that he is the one that created and sustains all things.  (5-9)

He then reminds the people that God doesn’t delight in the strength of men nor their animals that they have tamed for their own use.  Rather,

The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.  (11)

And so the psalmist exhorts the people to praise and exalt God in their lives, remembering that he is the one who strengthens the gates of the city, and brings blessing in their lives.

He is the one who brings them peace, and provides all that they need.

Finally, he reminds them of the blessing that God had given them simply by revealing himself to them, when he had done so directly for no other nation.

The writer of Hebrews tells us, however, that God has not just revealed himself through the prophets and the words they wrote, but now he has revealed himself through Jesus.  And now, we can all have access to the Father through him.

More than that, because God became man in Jesus, he understands us completely and has great compassion for us.

So let us draw near to him with confidence.  Let us put our trust in him.  And if we do, we will find healing, restoration, blessing, and peace.

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Psalms

The God who is trustworthy

Psalms

So many times in this life, people let us down.  We look to them to help us and support us, but they leave us hung out to dry.

And so the psalmist here writes,

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.  (Psalm 146:3)

So often in Israel’s and Judah’s history, they put their trust in the surrounding countries and their kings to be their protection against their enemies, instead of putting their faith in God.

The result?  They were either ultimately betrayed or disappointed by the ones they put their trust in.

And so what the prophets consistently told these kings, the psalmist writes here.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them — the LORD, who remains faithful forever.  (5-6)

But God not only watches over the kings and their nations, he watches over all who love him but are hurting.

He’s with the oppressed, the hungry, the captive, the blind, the alien, the fatherless, and the widow.

And though they may suffer on this earth, he never leaves them lonely.  What’s more, he promises to always meet their needs.

Like I said yesterday, while he is an infinite God, he is also an intimate God who truly cares for those he has created.

So if you are hurting, or even if you’re not, let us draw near to this infinite, but intimate God.  And remember what Isaiah said.

The one who trusts will never be dismayed.  (Isaiah 28:16)

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Psalms

Our infinite, personal God

Psalms

I was reading a book by Paul Miller this morning called A Praying Life.  I highly recommend it.

In one chapter, he emphasizes two things about God.  He emphasizes his infiniteness, but also just how personal he is to us.  And when we forget to keep a balance of both perspectives in our lives, it affects our prayer life.

If on one hand, we forget he is infinite, we limit in our minds what God can do.

If on the other hand, we forget how personal he is to us, we start to limit what we pray to him because we think he doesn’t care about the “minutia” in our lives.

And yet God cares about everything we do.  If you have any doubt about that, just reread Psalm 139 again.

But here in Psalm 145, we see that David had no problem maintaining this balance of perspectives.  He talks about God’s greatness, singing,

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.  (Psalm 145:3-5)

Yet time and again, he talks about how personal he is to us.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  (8)

And in verse 9,

The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

He goes on in verses 13-16,

The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.  You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

And in verses 18-20, he sings,

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD watches over all who love him…

Is it no wonder that David starts this psalm by singing,

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.

Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.  (1-2)

How about you?  Do you believe that God is infinite?  That he can deal with whatever mountain may be standing in your life?  That he can deal with any enemy that may come against you?

And do you believe that he actually cares enough about you that he would actually act on your behalf?

Let us never forget the infiniteness of God, but also just how personally he cares for us.

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Psalms

The God who brings us victory

Psalms

Psalm 144 was likely written just before a battle that David was facing.  And it’s interesting to me that he begins it with praise.

Most times when we face a difficult battle or situation, we usually start by asking for help.  But David starts by singing,

Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.  (Psalm 144:1)

It kind of reminds me of the battle Jehoshaphat fought in which he didn’t put the soldiers at the front of the line.  Rather, he put the singers out at front, singing,

Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.  (2 Chronicles 20:21)

But here in this psalm, we see David acknowledging his reliance on God’s help in battle.  And he looks not to his own shield or army for his protection, but rather God, singing,

He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.  (Psalm 144:2)

He then picks up on a theme from Psalm 8, wondering that God would care for him.

With that in mind, he prays that God would intervene in this battle, and deliver him from his enemies, so that his children and his people would be safe and prosperous.

Having prayed all this, he concludes this psalm by singing,

Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.  (Psalm 144:15)

What battlefields are you heading into today?  It might be at work.  It might be at school.  It might even be at home.

Remember to start your day not with your worries or your concerns, but rather with praise.  Rest in the knowledge that God cares about you and then ask for his help.

If there’s discord around you, pray for God’s peace to exude from you and through you.

And pray that the battle you’re facing would somehow turn into great blessing for all involved, even for those whom you may consider your enemy.

After all, people are not our enemies.  They are souls for whom Christ died.

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Psalms

Where we turn

Psalms

Where do we turn when things are against us?  When people are against us?  It’s a question that David had to ask himself numerous times.

He could have, as so many people do, turned to himself.  To his wisdom, to his strength to get him out of the situation.

But instead he turned to God.  From the very beginning of Psalm 143, he prays,

O LORD, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;

in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.  (Psalm 143:1)

And in the midst of his darkness, in the midst of his despair, he cried out,

Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD,
for I hide myself in you.

Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit lead me
on level ground.  (8-10)

How often do we take things into our own hands, instead of hiding ourselves in God.  How often do we trust in our own wisdom instead of listening to him and what he says we should do?

David didn’t do this.  Instead, he always looked to God for wisdom on what to do.  And he trusted in God’s Spirit to lead him.

So as the apostle James put it,

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  (James 1:5)

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Psalms

Pouring out our hearts before God

Psalms

I’ve already written one post concerning Psalm 142, but it was in combination with another psalm, so I decided to give it its own post.

Here we see David in one the caves he spent his time hiding in during his flights from Saul and perhaps from Absalom.

And one can imagine the feeling of being closed in that David had.  He refers to it in this psalm as like being in a prison  (Psalm 142:7).

So from this cave, he cries out to God.  He says in verse 2,

I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.

As I look at this psalm, one thing I notice is that in his anguish, he did exaggerate his problems at times.  He said,

Look to my right and see;
no one is concerned for me.

I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.  (Psalm 142:4)

When you look at his true situation, however, that wasn’t strictly true.  He had other soldiers with him, who definitely did care whether he lived or died, and were quite loyal to him.

During his flight from Saul, David’s best friend (and Saul’s son) Jonathan came out to visit him, and to encourage him.

During his flight from Absalom, another of his friends acted as a spy for him, helping lead to Absalom’s demise.

But sometimes, when we’re going through trials, things seem worse than they really are, so we tend to exaggerate our complaints before God.

The nice thing about God, however, is that he understands us.  He doesn’t rebuke us when we pour out our hearts to him.  Instead, he shows us mercy and compassion.

That’s why David could be so open and honest with God.  He knew that God would still accept him.

More than that, he knew that God was still with him, and still had great plans for him.  So he sang,

When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way. (3)

And again,

You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.  (5)

So when we too are struggling as David did, let us not hesitate to pour our hearts before him, knowing that he won’t condemn us for it.

And let us never lose our confidence in his plans for us, remembering that if we have him, we have all we truly need.

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Psalms

Lead me not into temptation…

Psalms

As Psalm 140 was a prayer similar to our Lord’s in asking for deliverance from evil, Psalm 141 continues that theme and adds the other part of that verse in the Lord’s prayer.

Lead us not into temptation.  (Matthew 6:13)

David prays,

Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.

Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.  (Psalm 141:3-4)

It strikes me here that he focuses on two things:  the words of his mouth, and the meditations of his heart.

He prays, “Lord, don’t let anything evil come out of my mouth.”

So often, Christians struggle with just that.  Whether it’s grumbling or complaining, gossip, slander, hurtful words, or whatever it may be.

Just a couple of days ago, I caught some sarcastic complaints coming out of my mouth.  And God rebuked me for it.

David also worried about his thought life, and he said, “Don’t let my heart be drawn to what is evil.  Don’t let my heart see the evil people around me, and be attracted to it.  To envy who they are and what they have.”

For when we allow our hearts to meditate on evil, it’s only a short step to acting on it.

Jesus also pointed out the importance of our thought lives in other areas.

He said that if we harbor anger in our hearts toward our brother, we have murdered him in our heart (Matthew 5:21-22).

He also said that if we lust after a woman, we’ve committed adultery with them in our hearts. (Matthew 5:27-28)

God is not only concerned about our deeds, but our thought life as well.  David knew this, and so he prayed that God would guard his heart as well as his lips.

He also determined to keep a humble, teachable heart that was willing to accept rebuke.  He told God,

Let a righteous man strike me–it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me –it is oil on my head.

My head will not refuse it.  (5)

So many of us take rebuke as burning coals.  But David took it as soothing oil.

This is not to say that the words were soothing at the time.  When Nathan confronted David for his sin with Bathsheba, and his murder of her husband, it must have felt like heaps of burning coals on his head.

Yet he repented, and God forgave and restored him.

That’s one of the keys to fighting temptation.  A humble heart that will accept correction.  A heart that doesn’t harden itself to God’s rebuke.

David then closes by again asking for deliverance from evil, from the people that would destroy him.

Every day, may we pray the same.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  (Matthew 6:13 — NASB).

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Psalms

Deliver me from evil

Psalms

And so we come down to the homestretch for the book of Psalms.  It’s taken about 4 months to get this far, and we have just under two more weeks to complete it.

Anyway, as I look at Psalm 140, I’m reminded of how Jesus taught us to pray.  One thing that he told us to pray was,

Deliver us from evil.  (Matthew 6:13)

That’s what David prays throughout this psalm, and for that matter, through the next few psalms.

This psalm was probably written either during his flight from King Saul or his son Absalom.  And he prays,

Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men;
protect me from men of violence,
who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.

They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.

Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet.

Proud men have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path. (Psalm 140:1-5)

From his prayer, David seems to be in a pretty bleak situation, with people looking to destroy him.  So he prays, “rescue me,” “keep me,” and “protect me.”

Yet in the midst of his trouble, we see David’s confidence in the Lord.  He says in verse 6,

O LORD, I say to you, “You are my God.”

and again in verse 7,

O Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle.  (7)

He then prays that God would bring justice on those who would destroy him, and he concludes by praying,

I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you.  (12-13)

Some of us are going through trials right now as people, who for whatever reason, are fighting against us and trying to bring us down.

But though people may hate us, let us be like David laying out our problems before God, and letting him deal out the justice, while we ourselves show mercy to our enemies, as David did with Saul, and desired to do with Absalom.

For some of us, we may not have anyone fighting against us right now.  But it would be well for us to remember that we are in a spiritual war.  That there are forces out there that are hostile to us and want to bring us down.

Jesus himself knew this.  That was why he told his disciples to pray, “Deliver me from evil.”

It should be part of our prayers too.  We’re in a broken world, filled with broken people, and the Enemy who first brought sin into the world is still running around loose.

So let us clothe ourselves with prayer.  More than that, let us not simply live in defensive mode, but in attack mode.

As one minister put it, all the armor we’ve been given is for the front, not the back.

So let us always be moving forward with God before us.  As the old hymn goes,

Onward Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.

Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;

Forward into battle,
See, His banners go!

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Psalms

The God who knows and loves me

Psalms

Psalm 139 is one of the most famous psalms, and probably the favorite of many along with Psalm 23.

Why are these two psalms so beloved?  Probably because they show the loving care of God

Actually, this psalm could either be very scary or it could be very comforting depending on the view that you take.

In the States, everyone is worried about “big brother.”  They worry that the CIA can track us all with their satellites and watch everything we do.  But that’s nothing compared with what God can do.

As David writes, he knows when we sleep and when we rise.  He knows when we go out or just relax in our living rooms.  He knows everything that we do.

Even the darkness can’t hide us from him.  And no matter where we go, he always knows exactly where we are.

More than that, he not only knows every word that we speak on our cell phones.  He knows every word that we speak at home or at work.  He even knows every word that goes unspoken in our minds.

Now if God were someone who was just waiting for us to do something wrong so he could whack us, that would be scary.  If he looked upon us with hostile intent, that would be terrifying.

But instead, God looks upon us with mercy and love.

He was there when we were in our mother’s womb.  He in fact was the very one knitting us together there.  And as he created us, he had dreams for us.  Plans for what we could be.

As David said, were we to count all his thoughts concerning us, we’d find that they outnumber all the grains of sand.

Not only that, from the very beginning, he knew what we would do, what decisions we would make, and he wove us into his plans for his kingdom.

Nothing catches him by surprise.  He has no need for a plan B.  He only has plan A.  And his plans have not changed from the time he first conceived them.

So no matter what we do or how we fail, his thoughts toward us never change.  He will weave whatever we do, whether good or bad, into his plans.

The only question is, will we cooperate with him willingly, or will we find ourselves woven into his design kicking and fighting the whole way?

For David, his decision was clear.  Although his words may seem harsh, nevertheless, it was clear that he had a hatred for evil, because he knew that God hates evil.  He wanted nothing to do with it, nor with the people who perpetuate it in our world.

On the contrary, he wanted to keep a heart that was holy and pleasing to God.  A heart that was submissive to his Lord’s will.  And so he closes the psalm by praying,

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.  (23-24)

Lord, thank you that you know and love me.  That from the time I was in my mother’s womb, you already knew me and had plans for me. 

Use me for your purposes.  My life is yours.  Wherever I go, and whatever I do, may your hand guide me. 

Change me where I need to be changed.  Take out the evil that is within me and purify me.  And lead me in the way everlasting.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

The God who fulfills his purpose in me

Psalms

After the depressing nature of Psalm 137, this psalm is quite refreshing.  Why?  I suppose it’s because the focus is back where it should be:  on God.

When David composed Psalm 138 is uncertain, but I suppose it’s possible he wrote it sometime after his ascension to the throne of Israel.

Perhaps as he wrote it, he was looking back on just how far he had come, and how God’s hand had been on his life.

He starts with praise, singing,

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.  (Psalm 138:1)

The word “gods” is a bit obscure in the Hebrew.  Whether he was proclaiming God before the false gods of the nations, or simply the kings of the nations is not clear.  Some ancient translations have even rendered it “angels.”

But whoever David meant, it’s clear that he places God over all,  even before the “mighty ones,” whether on heaven or earth.

Why?  Because of God’s love and faithfulness to him.  That when he called out in his distress, God reached down from above to deliver him.  And whenever David was afraid for his life, God gave him courage to stand once again.

Now as David looked back on his life, he saw just how great God was, and how faithful He was to His word.

So he sings in praise,

May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth.

May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.  (4-5)

And because of God’s faithfulness to him the past, he could say with confidence,

The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever.  (8)

Are you struggling with doubt in your life now?  Are you feeling lost and abandoned by God?

Think of the times God has been faithful to you in the past.

Think first to the cross and what Jesus did for you.

Think to the people who first brought you to Christ and the circumstances surrounding your salvation.

Think of what God has done for you since.

Then remember that the same God who was with you then, has not abandoned you now.  His love does endure forever, no matter how many times we may fail him.

And God will fulfill his purposes for you in your life.

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Psalms

Dwelling in self-pity

Psalms

Psalm 137 is one of the more depressing psalms in the book, a lament apparently written during the Babylonian captivity.

It pictures the psalmist sitting by the rivers of Babylon, harp in hand, but so depressed by the fall of Jerusalem that he had lost all desire to play it.  So instead, he just hangs it on a nearby tree as he mourns over Jerusalem.

Then some of the Babylonians happen by to poke fun at the Jews saying, “Come on!  Sing some songs for us.  Entertain us with the songs you used to sing in Jerusalem.”

But the psalmist refused saying, “How can I sing such songs here in Babylon. How can I show such utter disrespect for the land I love by doing so.  I’d rather lose all my skill in the harp and become a mute than do that.”

He then closes by calling curses on Edom and Babylon.

On Edom because though they were brothers (that is, the ancestors of Edom were Esau and the ancestors of Israel Jacob), that Edom had rejoiced in Israel’s fall.

On Babylon because of all the atrocities that they poured down upon Jerusalem even to the killing of Israel’s children.  So the psalmist curses them, asking that they would receive would they themselves had dealt to others.

How often do we feel as the psalmist did?  We’re down and out, mostly, if not entirely, because of our own sin.  Our own family mocks us, and those who hate us just pour salt in our wounds, saying “Where is this Lord you serve now?”

How do we respond to all this?

We have a choice.  We can stay where we are in self-pity, mourning over what we’ve lost, and simply give in to bitterness.  But if we do so, we’ll waste away physically and spiritually.

Or we can repent and turn our faces to God as people like Daniel and Nehemiah did.

If we do, God will restore the ruins we’ve made of our lives.  And in doing so, he will restore our joy.

What will you do?

The choice is yours.

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Psalms

Remembering the goodness and love of God

Psalms

The first verse pretty much sums up all of Psalm 136.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
“His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

This whole psalm is about God’s goodness and love toward his people.  But as we look at it, we see just who God is to us.

It begins by talking about how he is the “God of gods” and “Lord of lords,” continuing one of the main themes of Psalm 135.  (verses 2-3)

It then talks about him as Creator, the one who created the heavens and earth.  How in his wisdom and power, he created all things.  (4-9)

God is then worshiped as the Redeemer.  The one who delivered the people of Israel from Egypt, by striking down the Egyptians, and bringing the Israelites through the Red Sea.  (10-15)

The psalmist then remembers God as Shepherd, leading the people through the desert, providing for their every need.   (16)

We next see him as the Mighty Warrior, defeating powerful kings and great cities, as he brought Israel into the promised land, and giving it to them as an inheritance.  (17-22)

In verses 23-25, the psalmist proclaims God as the God of grace and mercy.  As one who saw the lowly state of his people, and delivered them.  Who not only provided for their needs, but provides for the needs of every creature he has created.

And finally, we see God as the Lord of heaven.  The one who reigns over all.  (26)

I mentioned in an earlier blog the dangers of cynicism.  One of the weapons against cynicism in our lives is thanksgiving.  Remembering who God is and what he has done for us.

Remembering that he is God and he is in control, even though we can’t see it sometimes.

Remembering how he redeemed us from Satan’s kingdom and eternal death.

Remembering how even now, he is leading us as pilgrims on this earth and will bring us into the kingdom he has prepared for us.

How he is the mighty warrior and will help us in the battles against the spiritual forces that we face every day.

How when we fall, he shows grace and mercy to us, and lifts us back up.  That he never leaves us nor forsakes us.

So every day, let us remember these things.  Let us focus on these things.  And let us sing with hope as the psalmist did,

His love endures forever.

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Psalms

The God of gods

Psalms

Psalm 135 starts out pretty much as Psalm 134 does, with a call to worship, and you also see elements of Psalm 115 in this psalm as well.

But the main theme of this psalm is the greatness of our God, and how all the other “gods” are nothing compared to him.

We see this starting in verse 5, where the psalmist sings,

I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods. (Psalm 135:5)

He then talks about how God is greater than any other so-called “god.”

That God is all-powerful, the ruler of creation.  That for the sake of Israel, he cast down Egypt and its gods, and crushed two other kings that came against his people.

He then directly compares God to the idols of other nations.

While God is creator of all, the idols are creations of men.

While they have eyes, they can’t see; while they have ears, they can’t hear; and while they have mouths, they can neither speak nor breathe.

And so the psalmist mocks those that would follow the creation of their own hands, saying,

Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.  (18)

He then calls on all peoples to praise God who is truly over all.

But if there’s one thing that I really like about this psalm, it’s found in verse 4, where he psalmist says,

For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own,
Israel to be his treasured possession.  (4)

God did indeed call Jacob to be his own, and for Israel to be his treasured possession.  And even now, though Israel has rejected his Son, they still are.  For as Paul said,

God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.  (Romans 11:29)

God’s not through with Israel yet, but now God looks at us who believe in Christ, and says the same thing of us that he once said of Israel.  Peter said of us,

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  (1 Peter 2:9)

Note here that we were chosen and made his people that we might declare his praises to those around us.  And as we do so, they too will be called out of darkness into his wonderful light.

So as the psalmist writes,

O house of Israel, praise the LORD;

O house of Aaron, praise the LORD;

O house of Levi, praise the LORD;

You who fear him, praise the LORD.

Praise be to the LORD from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD.  (Psalm 135:19-21)

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Psalms

Maintaining a heart of worship

Psalms

Psalm 134 is the last of the song of ascents, and it has been conjectured that it was sung after the pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem had been made, and the people were ready to go home.

And as they started on their journey home, they sang to those who were still working in the temple that evening,

Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.  (Psalm 134:1-2)

One word that gets lost in the NIV translation is the word, “Behold.”  The NASB puts it,

Behold, bless the Lord. (1)

In other words, “Hey!  Pay attention!  Remember to bless the Lord.”

The worshipers were exhorting the priests and Levites not to become lax in their duties, but to stay alert, and to continue worshiping and serving the Lord.

There’s a cross-reference in my Bible that is very interesting.

It points out that in I Chronicles 9:33 that there were Levites that were specifically designated for singing praises to God and it was their job to do so day and night.

Perhaps it was these people that the psalmist had in mind.

But whoever the psalmist was specifically addressing, it’s a reminder to all of us that God is never to be far from our thoughts day or night.

I was reading a book today about how cynicism can creep up into our thinking, and how it can affect our prayer life.

Cynicism creeps into our thinking mostly because we let God slip out from our hearts and minds.  We forget his love.  We start to doubt his goodness.

As a result, we start to wonder if it’s even worth our time praying to God, and because of this, our relationship with him drifts even further apart.

But when we keep a heart of thanksgiving in our hearts, and we remember who God is and his goodness towards us, it keeps cynicism from getting into our system and poisoning our spirits.

There are few things worse than a cynical priest, and it’s worth remembering that as God’s people, we are also his priests in this world.

How about you?  Are you letting cynicism poison your spirit?  Is it poisoning your attitude toward this world?  Toward your life?  Toward God?

Then let us refocus our hearts and minds.

Focus on God’s goodness.  Focus on his love for us.  Focus on all he’s done for us.  Bring back a heart of thanksgiving.  And all your cynicism will melt away and be replaced with God’s joy.

As the pilgrims departed, the priests called back to them,

May the LORD bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth.  (3)

As you go on through this journey in life, I pray that God may bless you with every spiritual blessing from heaven.

And may he purge you of all cynicism from your heart and fill you with his joy.

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Psalms

Unity

Psalms

As the pilgrims continued their ascent up to Jerusalem to worship at the temple, they sang about something that is vital for the church today.  Unity.

David wrote,

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)

Unity truly is a beautiful thing in the church of Christ.  Disunity and dissent, on the other hand, is an ugly stain on the church.

When people can walk into the church, and see a people united in the love of Christ, it draws them in and makes them want to become a part of it.

But when people walk into a church and see complaining, bitterness, gossip, and backbiting, nothing will chase them away faster.  It leaves a foul taste in their mouth, as they ask, “Is the church any different from the world out there?”

That’s why Jesus told his disciples,

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.  (John 13:34-35)

Later, Jesus prayed for the church asking,

…that they may all be one ; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.  (John 17:21)

Through unity, those outside the church see Christ in us, and can come to know God’s blessing.  But not only are those outside the church blessed, so are those inside the church.

David writes,

It (that is unity) is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.  (Psalm 133:2)

The oil referred to is the anointing oil of the priests, a very pleasant mixture of myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, and cassia.

David writes that for the priest (Aaron, of course, was Israel’s first high priest), unity is like being anointed with that mixture.

And for pastors today, to see a church united under Christ, loving each other and serving each other as Christ commanded, brings joy to their hearts.

Oil is also a sign of the Holy Spirit.  And as people are led by the Spirit, we see the fruit that comes from him leading to unity.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.

A united church is filled with this kind of fruit.

David goes on to say,

It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  (3a)

The picture is of dew from a higher mountain (Hermon) descending on the lower (Zion).  A dew that refreshes and cleanses.

That’s what unity does in a church.  It refreshes all who go there and leaves them feeling clean, touched by the hand of God.

David closes by singing,

For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.  (3b)

For the church that is united under Christ, God’s blessing is upon them.  And all who walk in their fellowship will find the life that comes from God.

What kind of church are you going to?  Are you going to a church united under Christ, bearing his fruit?  Or to one divided?

Are you contributing to your church’s unity?  Or are you tearing it down?

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Psalms

The God who is faithful to his promises

Psalms

This is an interesting psalm.  It starts with a prayer to God, and it ends with his answer.  I don’t know of many psalms offhand that are like this.

Psalm 132 is one of the last songs of ascent.

And as the people went up to Jerusalem, they asked that God remember his promises to David long ago.  That God would remember his promises to keep his descendants on the throne if they would but obey his commands.

They also recalled David’s desire to build a house for God, and now as they ascended up the hill to Jerusalem, they expressed their joy in going up to worship.  They sang,

Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool.  (Psalm 132:7)

And they asked of God,

Arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.

May your priests be clothed with righteousness;
may your saints sing for joy.  (8-9)

In other words, “Come and meet us.  May your priests be holy before you, and fill us with your joy.”

That also should be our attitude as we come to worship.

Asking that God would meet us.  Asking God that would make us holy in his sight (remembering that God now calls us his priests here on earth).  And asking that God would fill us with his joy.

After the pilgrim’s prayer, God answers them basically point for point.

He promised to meet with them in Zion, making it his resting place, blessing all who dwell there.

He granted their requests promising to clothe the priests with his salvation and filling the people with joy.

And he promised to send one who would reign on David’s throne, one who would reign over his enemies, with a resplendent crown upon his head.

This of course will ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus when he returns.

The thing I get from all of this is hope.  God never changes, and neither do his promises.  What he has said, he will do.

And so I look forward to the day when Jesus comes back and all that God has promised will come to fruition.

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Psalms

Humility

Psalms

Another short but sweet psalm, in which David shows us the kind of heart we need when approaching God, which is appropriate considering that people sang this on their way to worship God in the temple.

What kind of heart should we have?  A humble one.  David wrote,

My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty (Psalm 131:1).

It is impossible to come before God with a heart of pride.

There are a lot of ways people do this, but I think about Job.  When going through his suffering, he started to make himself God’s judge, questioning His justice.  And he was determined to argue his case with God, proving his injustice.

So many people do the same today.  They have an attitude in which they think they are God’s equal intellectually and think they can actually win a debate against God.

Many atheists think, “Even if there is a God, I can give him good arguments why I didn’t believe in him.”

But as with Job, they’ll find that when they actually come face to face with God, all their arguments will be revealed for the empty things that they are.

Other people are like Job’s friends, haughty, looking down on others, and quick to judge them.  But God is equally against those kinds of people, as he showed when he rebuked Job’s friends for making false accusations against Job.

But David was different.  He was humble in his attitude towards God and towards others.

And when there were things he didn’t understand, when he couldn’t understand why God allowed different trials into his life, he humbled himself, and said,

I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.  (1b)

Compare this with what Job said when he repented before God.

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.  (Job 42:3)

We too will face situations that we can’t understand.  We wonder why God allows things to happen in our lives, and we’re tempted to question him.

But like David, let us put our questions to rest, and simply trust in him, knowing that he is with us and really does care for us.

Let us trust him as a “weaned child,” a child that has all that he really needs, and waits in quietness and trust that his mother will continue to provide for him in the future.

So as David closes this psalm,

Put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.  (3)

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Psalms

A God of forgiveness and mercy

Psalms

Psalm 130 is a very short, but sweet psalm which reflects on the forgiveness and mercy of God in a time of distress.

The date of this psalm is not known, but it has the feel of someone writing after the exile to Babylon.  You could easily imagine someone like Daniel writing this.

Unlike Daniel’s prayer (Daniel 9) however, this psalm starts with a personal plea for forgiveness.  The psalmist cries out,

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
O Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.  (Psalm 130:1-2)

He asks this not on the basis of his own merits, but on God’s character.  He notes,

If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.  (3-4)

I love those two verses.  None of us deserve to even stand before God.  If God kept a record of all our sins, we’d be dead.

Someone noted that if you sinned just three times a day and lived 30 years, you’d already have a list of over 30,000 sins.  I’d hate to think about how many sins would be on my record.

But because of the blood of Jesus, my slate has been washed clean.  As the psalmist writes, “With God, there is forgiveness.”

He goes on to say,

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.  (5)

What is he waiting for?  For the grace of God to come.  On what basis does he wait for it?  On the promises of God.

And if the psalmist had the promises of God to lean on, how much more as Christians do we?  Specifically,

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  (1 John 1:9)

And as sure as the morning comes, so will God’s forgiveness to those who repent.  (Psalm 130:6).

Having repented of his own sins, he then calls out to his nation to do the same, saying,

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.  He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.  (7-8)

Let us never forget that as people who have known God’s forgiveness, we too are called to share the good news of his mercy to those around us and to call them to repentance.

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Psalms

Though we are persecuted

Psalms

Here in Psalm 129 we see two things.

First, we see the persecution that the Jewish people have suffered throughout history.

We see it first in Egypt, then through the times of the judges and periods of the kings, all the way down into the exile.  It then continued on through their return from Babylon and into the times of the Greeks and Romans.

We saw it arise again through Hitler and the wars against Israel waged by the different nations in the Middle East.

Even today, many of the Arabian states would shed no tears were Israel to be wiped off the face of the earth.

But then as now, the Jews can say,

They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.  (Psalm 129:2)

In other words (and this is the second thing), we see God’s hand on Israel throughout all their trials.

The same can be said of us who are the spiritual heirs of Abraham.

We may face persecution as well whether it’s rejection by our family or friends, or attacks from our own governments and courts.  But God will help us and his church to stand.  They will not gain the victory over us if we will just stand.

So let us never forget the words of our Lord when he said,

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  (Matthew 5:10-12)

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Psalms

When we put God first

Psalms

So many of us seek happiness in our lives.  We seek it in our families, we seek it in our jobs, and we seek it in financial security.

But in this psalm, we see the key to true happiness.  The psalmist writes,

Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways.

You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.

Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.  (Psalm 128:1-4)

In other words, when we honor God first in our lives, and we choose to do things his way, he will bless us.

So many people are so worried about their finances, that they work to the neglect of their families and their health.

The result:  they don’t “eat the fruit of their labor.”  They die before their time, or lose their families in their attempt to find financial security.

But for the person who honors God, he promises to not only bless their finances, but their families as well.

When husbands love their wives as God commanded, and fathers raise their children in the way the Lord has told them to, then their wives and children will flourish.

Needless to say, this goes for wives as they honor their husbands, and children as they obey and honor their parents.  They’ll find God’s blessing as they do so.

But I think it’s important to note that most, if not all of the commands concerning the family go to the husbands and fathers first and then to the wives and children.

So men, let us step up to the plate and follow God, doing the things he’s commanded us.  And see if God won’t do as he has promised.

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Psalms

The limits of our own efforts

Psalms

Psalm 127 was written by Solomon, but it reminds me of a later time in Israel’s history when Nehemiah was trying to rebuild the walls.

Solomon wrote,

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.  Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.  (Psalm 127:1)

Nehemiah made his plans.  When opposition came, he came up with strategies to deal with them.  But ultimately, had God not been with them, everything would have fallen apart.

There is a balance between doing our part and letting God do his.  We can’t expect God’s blessing if we just sit and do nothing.

On the other hand, all our efforts are in vain if God is not an integral part of what we’re doing.

Too often, we say to God, “This is what we’re going to do.  Please bless it,” when what we should be praying is, “Lord, what would you have us do?  How should we proceed?”

When you look at Nehemiah’s life, he constantly bathed all he did in prayer.  We should too.

Solomon goes on to say,

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat– for he grants sleep to those he loves.  (2)

One problem with many people is that they make work the center of their lives, to the neglect of their family and to their health.

Of course, work is important, but we should make sure we keep our priorities straight.  That we get enough sleep, and that we’re eating healthily.  And that we also spend time with our families.

For as Solomon said,

Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.  (3)

If our jobs don’t allow these things, we should be praying for a new job.

But in everything, let’s put God at the center.  For if he is, nothing we do will be in vain.  If he isn’t, everything we do is in vain.

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Psalms

Set free!

Psalms

I would guess that Psalm 126 was written after the Babylonian captivity, perhaps during the time of Ezra or Nehemiah, or perhaps sometime after as the Jews looked back on their return to Jerusalem.

And as you look at this psalm, their joy is palpable.

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.

Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”

The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. (Psalm 126:1-3)

As I look at this psalm, I imagine going to the New Jerusalem will be like this.  Our eyes wide in wonder and our mouths filled with laughter and joy.

And as we look back on our journey here on earth, we’ll see all the great things that God did for us to set us free from Satan’s kingdom, starting with the cross.

Though we may sow many tears here on this earth, in the end, we will reap a harvest of joy.  Not only that, God will richly reward us for all we’ve done through the face of hardship.

So as the apostle Paul wrote,

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  (1 Corinthians 15:58)

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Psalms

Unshaken

Psalms

Psalm 125 is another of my favorite psalms, in part because there was a song we used to sing at my church way back when that was based on it.  I especially love the first two verses.

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. (Psalm 125:1-2)

These are two vivid pictures the psalmist gives us here.  First, of a mountain that cannot be shaken.  And he sings that those who trust in God are like Mount Zion.

Why could it not be shaken?  For its mere size?

No.  Mount Zion is only about 2,400 feet high compared to say Mount Everest at 29,000 feet.  Compared to Everest, it’s a mere hill.  But it could not be shaken because God himself was watching over it.

More than that, God surrounds us as the mountains surround Jerusalem.   He is our fortress.  He is the one who protects us from the Enemy that would destroy us.

The psalmist then expresses confidence in God’s justice.  That he would not let the evil rule over his people, lest they fall into doing evil themselves.

This is not to say, unfortunately, that it never happens.  It does.  But I do believe God puts limits on it.  Limits to what evil rulers can do to believers, and limits to their length of reign.

As Charles Spurgeon rightly points out, the last days will be like this when God shortens the time of the tribulation for the sake of those he has chosen.  (Matthew 24:22)

The psalmist thus prays that God would pour his goodness on those who are his, and reminds himself that the day of judgment will come for those who do evil.  (4-5)

He then closes by praying,

Peace be upon Israel.  (5b)

Life is not always easy.  But let us always put our faith in God, knowing that he is watching over us, and that he is with us.  Because of that we will never be shaken.

When times do get tough, let us pray as the psalmist did, for God’s favor and for his peace.

If we do, we will find that the same God that watched over Israel thousands of years ago, is the same God that watches over us today.

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Psalms

Rejoicing in God’s favor

Psalms

Psalm 124 was written by David, but it’s not clear what the context of the psalm was.

In all probability, it was written after a great victory in battle when the odds seemed against them.  It’s the type of psalm that could’ve been written after David’s victory over Goliath (although I doubt this was the case).

At any rate, we see David rejoicing at the favor of God in his life.

He shouts outs in joy, “If God had not been with us, if he had not been on our side, we would’ve been wiped out.  But because he is with us, he broke the trap they set for us and we escaped.”  (Psalm 124:1-7)

Then he concludes by singing,

Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.  (8)

I (fortunately) have never experienced a personal attack on my life, but I am grateful that God saved me from the spiritual trap Satan set for me.  That while I was powerless to save myself, Christ died for me. (Romans 5:6-8)

Why did he do so?  Because he loved me.  Because he was on my side.  I don’t know why he would choose to help me, but he did.

And he’s on your side too.  So as we read this psalm, let us never forget the grace that the Lord has poured out so richly upon us all.

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Psalms

A cry for mercy

Psalms

Psalm 123 is a very interesting psalm in the imagery it gives.  The psalmist writes,

I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.

As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God…(Psalm 123:1-2)

At first glance, this is a picture of a slave looking to serve his master.

Back in those days, slaves didn’t so much listen to their master’s direction as watch for their every gesture and anticipate their every need.

So as we look at this psalm, it seems to have the idea of us looking intently at God, waiting on him with a heart of service.

Indeed, that is a heart we should have.  Remembering that our lives are not about ourselves and serving ourselves.  But serving the one who created us.

But the whole of verse 2 says,

As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.

In other words, the reason the psalmist was looking so intently at his master was not for the purpose of service.  But for mercy.  And he cries out,

Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured much contempt.

We have endured much ridicule from the proud,
much contempt from the arrogant.  (3-4)

What the situation was that inspired this psalm is unknown.

It has been speculated that it was written during the exile to Babylon, or even well after, in the times of Antiochus who defiled the temple of God by offering a pig on its altar.

But whatever the situation was, it was bad, and there seemed to be no hope.

And so the psalmist fixed his eyes on the Lord.  He knew his people deserved nothing from God because of the evil they had done.

Yet he knew the character of God.  That though God may chasten us, he still loves us.  And that if will but turn our hearts to him, he is merciful.

This passage reminds me of the parable Jesus told of the man who stood before God, and beat his breast saying, “Have mercy on me, a sinner.”

And Jesus said of him,

I tell you that this man…went home justified before God.  (Luke 18:14)

You may feel that you too are being chastened by God because of your sin.  You may feel that God has abandoned you.

But turn your eyes to Jesus.  Fix your eyes on him, and repent.  Ask for his mercy.  And he will forgive.

May you know the mercy of God in your life.

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Psalms

The joy of being with God’s people

Psalms

As the pilgrims came upon the gates of Jerusalem, they probably started singing this song.  And it shows their joy in coming to the house of God.

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 122:1)

I remember a time when I didn’t rejoice about going to the house of the Lord.

I became a Christian when I was 7 or 8, but by the time I hit junior high school, I really didn’t want to go to church.  Not that my church was bad or anything.  I just had other things I wanted to do.

But when I became a high school student, I experienced the presence of God in my life for the very first time.

For the first time, when I was singing worship songs, I realized “God is really here.  We’re not just singing karaoke.  We’re singing prayers to God.”

It totally transformed my view of worship and of church.

Sometimes Christians think they can live without church.  That they’re fine just worshiping God by themselves.

Certainly, there is a personal aspect to worship that is essential in the Christian life.  But there is something wrong with the Christian who doesn’t rejoice at the idea of worshiping with other Christians.

Often times, there are problems of pride.  “I know the Bible well enough.  I don’t need the pastor’s sermon.”

Other times there are problems of unforgiveness.  “Every time I attend a church, something happens where somebody hurts me.  I don’t want to go through that again.”

In other cases, there are problems with judgmentalism.  “All of the people I see there are hypocrites.  I don’t want to associate with them.”

And for others, it’s a problem of selfishness.  “I just don’t get anything out of church.”

But they forget the fact that the purpose of going to church is not simply about getting something out of it.  It’s giving.  It’s giving praise to God.  It’s serving others.  And it’s working with others in the church to serve the community you’re in.

The psalmist talks in this psalm of praying for the peace of Jerusalem.  For seeking the prosperity of Jerusalem.

We need to be doing the same for the cities we’re living in.  But there’s a limit to what we can do by ourselves.  We can do so much more if the body of Christ is working together for the good of the communities we live in.

The truth is, if all you’re doing at church is sitting in your chair for the entire service and then going home, you’re missing a large part of what God wants for you.

Get involved.  Start doing the part God has assigned you as a part of his body.

And as the writer of Hebrews put it,

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  (10:24-25)

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Psalms

The God who watches over us

hills in Israel

Psalm 121 is one of the most beautiful psalms in the book, and was my father’s favorite.  I can see why.

It is a psalm of utter trust in the Lord.

It starts out,

I lift up my eyes to the hills —
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.  (Psalm 121:1-2)

This is another of the psalms of ascents, sung when people made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

And I can just imagine that as they looked up to where Jerusalem was, hope and joy sprang in their hearts.  For there, they knew the presence of God resided in his temple as he had promised Solomon.  (I Kings 9:4)

The temple, of course, could not contain God, as Solomon himself admitted.

Nevertheless, God promised to come and meet his people there.  And he promised that when people would pray towards the temple, he would hear them.  (II Chronicles 7:15)

And as the pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem, they took comfort in the knowledge that God would watch over them and protect them because he is a God that never sleeps.  That he would be their shade during the hot days, and their protection at night.

But it went far beyond that.  They knew that he was not only with them during their pilgrimages to Jerusalem, but during their pilgrimage through life.  And so the psalmist wrote,

He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.  (7-8)

Let us also take comfort in those words.

Nothing ever happens to us that doesn’t first pass through the hands of God.  And he will never let us endure anything beyond what we can bear.

He will guard our lives while we are on earth.  And then he will bring us into glory.

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Psalms

Angered by the evil around us

Psalms

How often do you get angered by the evil that you see around you?  That’s how the psalmist felt.

What did he see around him?  Lying lips.  Deceitful tongues.  (2)  And people who not only disrupted peace, but caused war because of the evil in their hearts.   (Psalm 120:6-7)

And so the psalmist moaned,

Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar! (Psalm 120:5)

According to Charles Spurgeon, these were basically wandering tribes that went around plundering the peoples around them.

Whether the psalmist literally lived among them, or he was saying that the people around him were like these people, I don’t know.

The interesting thing, though, is this a song of ascent.  Namely, it was a song that people sang as they made their pilgrimages to Jerusalem.

It seems a bit strange that one would be singing this kind of song as they’re turning their faces towards God to worship him.  But then again, maybe it’s not so strange.

Life is not always pleasant.  And when we look at the world around us, it’s easy to get depressed.  To wonder where God is.  To wonder if he’s doing anything about the evil we see.

But as this psalmist turns his eyes towards God, he reminds himself that God will ultimately bring justice, and that all will be made right.  He writes,

What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?

He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree.  (3-4)

So let us not get discouraged by the evil we see on the news.  Instead, let us remember our God is good and that he is just.

Take your eyes off of the evil that you see, and put them on the God who will someday make all things right.

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Psalms

Refusing to give in to evil

Psalms

And so we come to the close of Psalm 119.

As I’ve said before, it’s an anonymous psalm, but I wouldn’t be surprised if David was the author.  One reason is how this psalm ends, and the experiences of the psalmist.

Namely, he was pursued and persecuted by his enemies, and yet he refused to give in to feelings of revenge and repay evil with evil.

The psalmist starts this section with a cry for help against his enemies.

I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes.

I rise before dawn and cry for help  (Psalm 119:146-147).

Yet despite all his troubles, we see time and again his commitment to doing things God’s way.

Instead of plotting on his bed ways to get back at his enemies, he said,

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night that I may meditate on your promises.  (148)

He then places himself in God’s hands, refusing to turn aside from God’s word, even though his enemies had done so in seeking his life.

Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law.  Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise.  (153-154)

and,

See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love.  (159)

and again,

Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word.  (161)

Why did he live this way?  Because he truly believed God’s way was best.  He wrote,

Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. (165)

And as he closes the psalm, he once again puts himself in God’s hands, humbling himself before God, asking for his direction, committing himself to doing things God’s way no matter what, and waiting for God’s salvation.

How about you?  How do you react when others hurt you?  When others attack you?

Do you give into your anger, repaying evil for evil?

Do you say to yourself, “I can’t just let them do this to me.  I know it’s not God’s way, but I’ve got to get back at them.”

If that’s you, remember the attitude of this psalmist.

More than that, remember the attitude of our Lord on the cross.  That though people nailed him to the cross, nevertheless, he didn’t seek revenge.  Rather, he forgave them.  And us.

Finally, remember the words of the apostle Paul who wrote,

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

On the contrary:  “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  (Romans 12:19-21)

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Psalms

The way to understanding

Psalms

All of us would like to grow in wisdom and understanding.  And in this passage, we see how we can do so.

The psalmist writes,

Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.

I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.

I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.  (Psalm 119:98-100)

How did he become wise?  By not only knowing God’s word.  By not only meditating on God’s word.  But by obeying God’s word.

So many people know God’s word and yet show no understanding.  They know what God has said, but they insist on living their own way, and because of that, they end up getting in trouble.

But the psalmist wasn’t that way.  He treasured God’s word in his heart and let it change him.  He started to love the things that God loves and hate the things God hates.  (103-104, 127-128)

More than that, he made God’s word the standard for his life.  It was the lamp to his feet and the light for his path (105).

In contrast, he stayed away from the advice of those who were evil, and tried to avoid them altogether (113, 115)

And as I’ve mentioned before, he kept a humble attitude before God, both striving to learn from him (125, 133, 135, 144) and leaning on his strength that he might obey what God had commanded (133-134).

Why did he do all this?  Because of what he found.  What did he find?

Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them…

Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true. (140, 142).

In other words, when the psalmist put God’s word into practice, when he tested the promises and commands of God, he found God and his word to be true.

How about you?  Are you a person of understanding?  Have you put into practice the things God has commanded?  Have you found God to be true in your life?

Only when we do so will we find true wisdom.

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Psalms

Where we put our hope

Psalms

And so we hit the halfway point of this psalm.

I love the psalmist’s words to open this section.

My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.  (Psalm 119:81)

Sometimes we go through hardship in our lives.  The psalmist surely did.  People were plotting against him, persecuting him, and trying to destroy him (Psalm 119:85-87, 95).

He calls himself a wineskin in the smoke.

Apparently in those days, when people were traveling in the desert, if a fire was needed inside a tent, they would hang a wineskin (containers of wine made from goat skin) in the tent, and it would absorb the smoke.

As a result, the skin would become hardened and shriveled.

In other words, he was absorbing (that is, suffering from) all the evil that people were plotting against him.  And so he cried out,

When will you comfort me?…

How long must your servant wait?

When will you punish my persecutors?  (Psalm 119:82-84).

Yet despite this, he put his hope in God’s words and God’s promises to him.  He refused to let them go, even in the worst of situations.  Why?

Your word, O LORD, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens.

Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
you established the earth, and it endures.  (Psalm 119:89-90)

In other words, he knew that God and his promises never change.  That God will be faithful to his word, though people are not.  And he had confidence that no matter what happened, God would come through.

How about you?  Are you confident even in the darkest times that if you follow God’s word, that God will prove faithful?

When things start falling apart on us, it’s easy to just say, “Doing things God’s way isn’t working.  I might as well start doing things my way.”

And because we fail to trust, our finances fail, our marriages fail, as well as every other aspect of our lives.

When things look dark, let us not put our trust in ourselves and our own wisdom.  Rather, let us continue to put our hope in God.

God’s word has not changed in thousands of years.  And it’s not about to change now.  As Isaiah put it,

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.  (Isaiah 40:8)

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Psalms

A soft heart

Psalms

I noted in an earlier blog on this psalm that the psalmist had a humble heart.  A heart that admitted that it didn’t know everything, and was very teachable.

We see more of that here, but we also see a heart that was very soft to the word of God.  Once again, we see him asking God to teach him in verse 66.  But then he says,

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. (Psalm 119:67)

And again in verse 71,

It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

In other words, the psalmist knew the chastening of God in his life.  In what way he was chastened, we don’t know.  But we do know his response.  He repented.  Why?

It goes back to what we talked about in the last blog.  He believed God was good and wanted what was best for him.  He sang,

You are good, and what you do is good;  teach me your decrees.  (Psalm 119:68)

Of the evil he said,

Their hearts are callous and unfeeling. (Psalm 119:70a)

But of himself, he said,

I delight in your law.  (Psalm 119:70b)

And at the end of this passage, he prays,

May my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.  (Psalm 119:80)

How soft our are hearts to God and his Word?  When he rebukes us, do we chafe at his discipline?  Or are we like the psalmist, humble and repentant?

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Psalms

The word that brings freedom and comfort

Psalms

The love that the writer has for God’s word really strikes me as I go through this psalm.

So many people take God’s word as something that binds.  Namely, something that takes away our freedom to enjoy life.  “Do this, don’t do that.”

But the psalmist doesn’t see things that way at all.  Why not?  I think it flows from his concept of God.  What was his concept of God?  We see it in verse 41.

May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise. (Psalm 119:41)

And again in verse 64,

The earth is filled with your love, O LORD. (Psalm 119:64)

In other words, he saw God as someone who truly loved him, and was looking out for his best.  As a God who was his salvation in a hostile and broken world.

As a result, when he looked at the laws of God, he didn’t see a God who was trying to be a killjoy.  Rather he saw a God who wanted him to find true life.

So he wrote in verse 45,

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. (Psalm 119:45)

Notice that to the psalmist, the law of God did not bind, but actually brought freedom.  Why?  Because when we live life the way God designed it to be lived, we find that we can actually live it to its fullest.

At home, I’m using Windows 8.  I must admit, there are a lot of things on there that I never use.  Part of it is I just don’t want to take the time to look up what everything is.  I’ve got the basics, but nothing else.

I suppose one of these days, for example, I should figure out how to use the cloud application.

I’m not using Windows 8 to its fullest because I haven’t studied the manual.  If I did, I’d probably find easier ways to do things, and my life would be a lot easier because I’d be using it the way it was designed.

I don’t have a Smart Phone (or i-phone) for that matter, but I know many people who are the same way with their phones as I am with Windows 8.  They’re missing out on a lot of the functions, because they don’t take the time to read the manual.

The Bible is the manual to life. It shows us how God designed us to live.  And when we live according to the manual, far from finding ourselves bound up, we find freedom and life.

God’s word also brings comfort when life becomes hard.  It brings comfort because besides showing us the way to life, it shows us God’s promises to those who love him.  And so as we go through this broken world, we can have hope.

The psalmist wrote,

Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.  My comfort in my suffering is this:  Your promise preserves my life. (Psalm 119:49-50)

One of my favorite verses is John 14:1-3 where Jesus told his disciples this:

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.

I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

When his disciples went through persecution, and even death, how much must those promises of Jesus have brought them comfort.  And they can bring us comfort too.

The key underlying all of this is this:  Do you believe God is good?  Do you believe that he’s looking out for your best?

If you do, his word will bring you freedom and comfort.  If you don’t, you’ll have trouble understanding the psalmist’s passion for God’s word that you see in this passage and throughout the whole psalm.

How do you see God?

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Psalms

The need for understanding

Psalms

And so we continue on with Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the book.

The thing I see in this passage, is the humble heart of the psalmist.  A heart that says, “I don’t know everything.  Give me understanding.”

He says in verses 18-19,

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.  I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me. (Psalm 119:18-19)

In other words, “I’m a stranger around here.  I’m a stranger to your laws and ways.  To what you want of me.  But I know you want what’s good for me.  So open my eyes.  Give me understanding as to what you want of me.”

He goes on to say,

Teach me your decrees.  Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.  (26-27)

Again, you see the humble, teachable heart of the psalmist.

He goes on to talk about how he was laid low, weary with sorrow, most likely because of his sin.  And so he says, “Strengthen me through your word.  I now choose to follow you.  In fact, I run to follow your path.” (25-32)

Why?

“For you have set my heart free.”  (32b)

Note that the last sentence refers to the past.  You have already set me free.  You have already forgiven me.  So having been forgiven and set free, I gladly run into your path that gives life.”

Then in the next few verses, he cries out, “Teach me to follow your decrees.” (33)

And again, “Give me understanding.”  (34)

And yet again, “Direct me in the path of your commands.”  (35)

In short, “I don’t know.  I don’t understand.  Please teach me.  Grant me understanding.”

So often in life, we convince ourselves that we do know.  That we have all the knowledge and wisdom we need for life.

But that kind of thinking ultimately leads to destruction and shame.  We must always have a heart that is humble, and open to the teaching of God.

Not only that, we need a heart that admits, “I can’t live this way in my own strength.”  We talked about this in the last blog.

This is why the psalmist prays for God’s help, saying,

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things.  (36-37)

And as he ends this section he says,

Preserve my life in my righteousness.

Whoa!  Did you catch that? He didn’t say, “Preserve my life in my righteousness.”

He said,

Preserve my life in your righteousness.  (40)

God doesn’t save us through our righteousness, but through his righteousness that he imparts to us when we put our faith in him.

The psalmist knew he could never be preserved through his own righteousness.  But only because of God’s.

And it’s the same with us.  So let us cast aside pride in our lives.  Pride in our own righteousness.  Pride in our own understanding.

Rather, let us come before God humbly, saying, “Teach me.  Give me understanding.”

And when we do, God promises to do so.

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Psalms

A desire for holiness

Psalms

We now hit the longest chapter in the Bible.  Needless to say, Psalm 119 is also the longest psalm.

I toyed with the idea with just getting it all over with in one shot, but I figured I wouldn’t be able to do it justice without doing one overly long blog.

So in the end I decided to break it up as God gives me themes for doing so.

In taking the first two sections of this psalm, the one thing I see is a desire for holiness in the heart of the psalmist.

For this reason, I would not be surprised if it was a psalm of David, whom God called a man after his own heart.  (This psalm, however, is anonymous.)

After talking about the blessedness of those whose walk is blameless, the psalmist cries out,

Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!  Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.  (Psalm 119:5-6)

In other words, “Why can’t I be holy?  So often, I’m put to shame because of my sin.  If only I could actually keep your commands.”

He then recommits himself to holiness, saying,

I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.  (8)

What are the keys to holiness?  That’s what the psalmist addresses next, singing,

How can a young man keep his way pure?  By living according to your word.

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  (9-11)

How can we be holy?  By living according to the word of God.  By hiding his word in our hearts, and meditating on it.  By making it our delight and not letting it gather dust on our bookshelf.

Do we delight in the word that makes us holy?  For that matter, do we delight in holiness?

Too often I don’t.  Instead of meditating and delighting in what’s holy, I meditate and delight on that which is not.  That’s what gets me into trouble.

And like Paul, I end up crying out,

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?  (Romans 7:24)

That’s the end result of anyone who strives for holiness in their own strength.  What’s the solution?  Paul gives it in the next verse.

Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!  (25)

We can’t be holy through our own efforts.  It’s impossible.  Even the psalmist recognized this, pleading with God,

Do not let me stray from your commands. (Psalm 119:10)

In other words, “God I can’t do this!  Help me!”

It’s easy when reading this psalm to take a legalistic view of Christianity.  To think that we can live a holy life based on our own efforts.

But let us never forget we are saved by grace.  And that apart from God, we will never be holy.

At the same time, however, let us never take the stance of, “Well, it’s impossible, so why even try?”

Instead, let us have a hunger and thirst for holiness.  For only when we do, will we see our utter and desperate need for God.

When we see that, it opens the door to his grace in our lives.  Pride in our own righteousness is banished, and we find ourselves humbled by his grace and mercy in our lives.

The result?  A closer walk with him, as we learn to rely on him and not our own strength.  And as we do so, he will make us holy, changing us from the inside out.

That’s what sanctification is all about.  This process of being made holy.

How about you?  Are you hungry for God’s holiness in your life?

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Psalms

A psalm of salvation

Psalms

If there is one psalm that will be sung when Jesus returns, I would guess that this would be it.  Because it is a song of utter praise for our salvation, that has more meaning for us than it had even for the writer.

And as we enter the New Jerusalem, I have no doubt, we will be singing,

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1)

Why will we sing this?  Because in our anguish, dying in our sin, we cried out to the Lord, and he set us free.

Not only that, he puts his hand over us each and every day.  And though people may destroy our bodies, they cannot destroy our souls.  So the psalmist writes,

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (6)

He then sings about how in God’s power he struck down the enemy.  In the same way, God gives us victory over the Enemy of our souls.

So we too sing,

I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.

The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation…

“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!

The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;
the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”

I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.  (13-17)

Sometimes, as the psalmist, we see the chastening hand of God in our lives.  But God doesn’t chasten us to destroy us, but that we might have life.

So as we come to the gates of Jerusalem, we can say with confidence to the gatekeeper,

Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.  (19)

What is the basis for this confidence?  The same basis that we have for our salvation.

The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.  (22-23)

Jesus, the stone the builders rejected, has become the capstone (or cornerstone) of our salvation.  Though he was rejected by the Jews, yet through his blood shed on the cross, we can know salvation.

Thus, every morning, we can face the day with new hope, singing,

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  (24)

And as the people cried out in Jerusalem when Jesus entered, so will cry out once again, “Save us!  (That’s what “hosanna” means.)  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Only, when we do so, we will no longer be looking forward to our salvation but rather looking back on it.  And as we do, we will sing,

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.  (29)

Amen.  Come quickly Lord Jesus!

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Psalms

When all nations worship

Psalms

This is the calm before the storm.  Here we have the shortest psalm in the Bible (as well as the shortest chapter), soon to be followed by the longest one.

I’m still not sure how I will tackle Psalm 119, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to be breaking it down into parts.

Psalm 117 has been called Messianic because it looks forward to the day when all nations will worship God.  The psalmist writes,

Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.  (Psalm 117:1)

The apostle Paul later uses this very verse to talk about how Christ came not only for the Jews, but for all people (Romans 15:11).

Why does he call all nations to praise him?  Two reasons.

First, for his great love toward us.  This love was shown to its fullest through Christ’s death on the cross for us.  Because of this, our sins can be forgiven, and we can actually become part of God’s family.

This caused the apostle John to cry out in praise,

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God ; and such we are.  (1 John 3:1)

Whether Jew, American, Japanese, or whatever race or nation you come from, God accepts all as his children who put their faith in Jesus.  Such is his great love for us.

The second reason we worship him is because his faithfulness endures forever.  He will never abandon us or cast us aside, no matter how much we fail.

Other translations give another aspect to this verse.  It says,

The truth of the Lord is everlasting.  (2)

In other words, God and his word never change.

We don’t have to worry about God being fickle with us.  About him saying one thing one day, and a completely contradictory thing the next.

He is consistent.  And because of that, we can put our trust in him without fear.

So as the psalmist closes this brief song,

Praise the LORD !  (2)

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Psalms

Hope in the darkest of times

Psalms

I think I’ve loved Psalm 116 ever since I heard a song based on the Living Bible version of it.

The Living Bible puts it something like this,

I love the Lord because he hears my prayers and answers them.

Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I breathe.  (Psalm 116:1-2)

Somehow those words, “He bends down and listens” have always struck me.  That he cares enough about me that he would bend down to hear my every word.

As a father of a four year old, I love to move down to her level (or bring her up to mine) to talk to her.  Not only to hear her words more clearly, but to see her face, and especially her eyes more clearly as we talk.

That’s what God does with us.  Especially in the darkest times.  The writer of this psalm talks of his own dark times.

The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow.

Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, save me!”  (3-4)

And when God reached down in his compassion and grace, the psalmist sang,

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.  (7)

One thing that we learn from this psalm is that just because we are following God, that does not mean we’ll be problem-free.

The psalmist writes,

I believed; therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”  (10)

The apostle Paul quotes this passage in 2 Corinthians 4 as he talks about his own problems.

That though he was hard-pressed, he was not crushed; though he was perplexed, he was not in despair; though he was persecuted, he was not abandoned; though he was struck down, he was not destroyed.  (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

He goes on to say that though he suffered for the gospel, the life of Jesus shone through him, bringing life to those he preached to (2 Corinthians 4:10-12).

And so he says in the same spirit of the psalmist, “I believed, therefore I have spoken.”  (2 Corinthians 4:13)

In other words, “I am more than glad to go through dark times and to be afflicted that the gospel may be preached.”

And so Paul concludes,

Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

The psalmist, having been delivered by the Lord, also turns his eyes to the eternal, praising the Lord, and giving his life to serve him.  He sang,

How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.

I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.  (Psalm 116:12-14)

As with the psalmist, God has set us free from our chains.

So let us serve him freely from our hearts, offering a sacrifice of praise, and telling the people around us of what he’s done for us that they may be set free from the darkness too.

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Psalms

The One who deserves our praise and trust

Psalms

The psalmist starts out this psalm with a cry that resonates.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.  (Psalm 115:1)

Who are you living for?  For yourself?  What are you living for?  To make money?  To achieve glory?

Or are you living for him who actually deserves all the glory because of his faithfulness and love towards us?

Throughout this psalm, the writer urges us to praise and put our trust in God.  Why?  What makes him worthy of it?

For one thing, he is the one who can do all things.  Verse 3 puts it this way,

Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.  (3)

People have two reactions to this.  One is fear.  “If God can do anything, there’s no telling what he might do to me.”

But for those who have come to know him, they stand in awe.  That this God who can do anything, nevertheless loves and cares for us.  And that no matter how often we are faithless, yet he remains faithful to us.

We stand in awe because he is no mere idol with eyes that can’t see, ears that can’t hear, a nose but can’t smell, hands but can’t feel, feet but can’t walk, and a mouth but can’t speak.

Such a god is utterly powerless to help himself, no less us.

But our God sees us, he hears and answers us when we call, and he acts on behalf of those who love him.

And so not only does this Jewish psalmist call for the Jews to trust in him, but he says,

You who fear him, trust in the LORD– he is their help and shield.  (11)

What happens when we do?

The LORD remembers us and will bless us:  He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, he will bless those who fear the LORD — small and great alike.  (12-13)

How are you living your life?  Are you trying to stay in control?  Are you fretting because you can’t manage to stay on top of things?

Then let go.  Put your trust in God.  He will be your help.  He will be your shield.  And because he is all-powerful, he can stay on top of things where you can’t.

So as the psalmist sings,

Extol the LORD, both now and forevermore.

Praise the LORD. (18)

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Psalms

Saved to be a sanctuary, and a kingdom

Psalms

This is a psalm that talks about how God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, led them through the desert, and into the promised land.

From the partings of the Red Sea and the Jordan, to God’s appearance on Mount Sinai, to God’s provision of water in the desert, we see the awesome power of God in the lives of the people he loved.

But the words that strike me are found in verse 2.  After talking about Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, the psalmist sings,

Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.  (Psalm 114:2)

Why did God do all these things for Israel? He did so that he might dwell amongst them, and that they might become his holy nation.

In the same way, God didn’t save us just so that we could go to heaven.  But he saved us that he might dwell among us and in us.  He saved us that so that we ourselves would become his temple.

More than that, as his people, we become part of the Kingdom he is building here on earth.

Peter put it this way.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  (I Peter 2:9)

Note that last part.  Why does he make us his sanctuary?  Why does he make us into this holy nation?

He does so that we may declare his praises to the world around us, that they too may come out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Lord, dwell within me, and let me be an emissary of your kingdom. 

Lord thank you for taking me out of darkness and bringing me into your light.  Use me to bring others into your light as well.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

The God on high, who stooped down

Psalms

Probably the most incredible thing about God is that as great and awesome as he is, he cares about us.

Psalm 113 starts with a call to worship, as the psalmist sings,

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, you his servants;
praise the name of the Lord.

Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.  (Psalm 113:1-3)

He then sings,

The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.

Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high…  (4-5)

In other words, “God is great!  He is awesome!  Who is like him?  Give praise to him, for he is worthy of it.”

But in the very next verse, he says,

…who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?  (6)

He then talks about how God takes those who are despised, the poor, the needy, the childless woman (this was a matter of great shame in those days), raises them up, and blesses them.  (7-9)

But not only did God stoop down to look, not only did he reach down from heaven to touch us, he actually came down among us and became one of us.

As Philippians put it, he emptied himself, taking our likeness.  (Philippians 2:6-7)

And because he did, he truly understands us.

More than that, he saw our greatest need and died on the cross, taking the punishment for our sins.

He didn’t have to do that.  He didn’t deserve to die.  But though he was on high, he loved us enough to come down and do so anyway.

So from the rising of the sun to its setting, let us praise his name both now and forevermore.

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Psalms

The blessing of fearing and delighting in God

Psalms

Fear and delight.  Those are two words that you don’t often seen thrown together.

But the psalmist here does use them together, talking about the blessing that comes from fearing God and delighting in him and his word.

He writes,

Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.  (Psalm 112:1)

What does it mean to fear God?  I think it’s a combination of things.

It’s an overwhelming sense of awe at his greatness.

It’s understanding that he is so much greater than we are, and that he is so much holier than we are.

And because of that, there is some actual fear, because we know we are so unworthy to even be in his presence.  That we deserve to die because we are sinners in front of a holy God.

All the saints that met God in the Bible face to face experienced that feeling.

Yet, at the same time, they knew his love and mercy towards them, and because of that they were able to delight in him and desired to please him.

The psalmist says that such people will find blessing.

The interesting thing to me is that they then take on the character of their Father in heaven.

They too become gracious, compassionate, and righteous in all their ways.  They are generous, lending freely, and are fair and just in all their dealings (4-5).

What’s the result?

Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.

They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. (6-8)

So often, because people trust only in themselves, they are worried about the future.  Why?  Because they can’t control it.  And when they hear bad news, they panic trying to figure out what to do.

But when we trust in the Lord, even in the bad times, our hearts remain secure, and we have no fear.  Why?

Because we’re not trying to control things.  Instead, we put control into the hands of the one who can handle it.  And even though people may oppose us, God will give us the victory.

As the psalmist puts it,

The wicked will see and be vexed,they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.  (10)

But as for those who trust in God, we can continue to be generous, blessing those around us.  More than that, God will honor us for it.  (9)

So each day, let us fear and delight in the one who is holy, awesome, and good.

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Psalms

Pondering the Lord’s works

Psalms

It’s so easy sometimes to ponder over the negative things in life.  To see the bad things that have happened in our lives and to let them dominate our thinking.

Honestly, that’s what I’ve been doing over the past several weeks, with something that happened at work earlier this month.  And I can tell you firsthand that it can lead to stress, especially when you have no control over things.

But in Psalm 111, the psalmist encourages us to ponder over something else.  He sings,

Praise the Lord.

I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.  (Psalm 111:1-3)

In this passage, the psalmist encourages us to ponder who God is, and what he has done.

What kind of God is he?  He is righteous (3), he is gracious and compassionate (4), he is faithful and just, and he and his precepts are trustworthy (7).

What has he done?  He has provided for Israel’s needs in the desert (5), he showed mercy to Israel, making them into a nation and giving them their own land (6), and he provided redemption for them, both in Egypt and in Babylon (9).

What’s more, he does all that for us as well.  He provides our needs daily, he showed mercy to us, redeeming us from Satan’s kingdom, and calls us his own people.  And he’s leading us to the Promised Land to be with him.

This life is temporary.  I’m sure that the things I’ve been stewing over for the last month will be the furthest thing from my mind when eternity hits.

So the question I have to ask myself is why bother?  It only gives me stress that I don’t need.

The psalmist concludes by writing,

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (10).

When we stand in awe of God, all the temporary things of this world pale in comparison.

When we ponder who he is and what he’s done, we realize that the things we’re stewing over most times aren’t worth the stress nor our time.  And when we truly realize this, isn’t this wisdom?

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Psalms

Our King and Priest

Psalms

Today, we see one of the most famous Messianic psalms.  Jesus, himself quoted Psalm 110 in posing a puzzle to the Pharisees (Matthew 22:41-45).

And here, Yahweh (the LORD, that is, God the Father) says to the Messiah (David’s Lord),

Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.  (Psalm 110:1)

In ancient times, a victorious king would put his foot on his defeated enemy’s neck.  And so God promises victory to Jesus over his enemies, and that his rule would extend throughout the earth, even over those who would rebel against him.  (2)

But in verse 4, we see that Jesus is not only a king, but a priest as well.

Jesus, however, is not an Aaronic priest.  Rather, God the Father decrees him as a priest in the order of Melchizedek, who was both a king and priest in the time of Abraham.

Although David was a great king, and though at times he did things that priests did (offering sacrifices and blessing people in the name of the Lord) as did his son Solomon, neither were truly priests.

But Jesus is both our King and Priest.  And unlike the Aaronic priesthood, his priesthood will last forever because he himself is from everlasting to everlasting (Hebrews 7:24).

In verse 6, it goes on to say that in the last days, he will judge the nations.  On that day, each person will have to stand before his throne to be judged.

The good news is that as our high priest, he is also the one interceding on our behalf before the Father.  And so we don’t need to come before God with fear.  Rather, as the writer of Hebrews puts it,

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  (Hebrews 4:16)

Lord Jesus, thank you that not only are you my King and Lord, and not only are you my judge, but you are my high priest as well.  

Thank you that you intercede for me daily, and that by your blood shed on the cross, my sins have been wiped clean.  Thank you for all that you’ve done.  

But more than that, thank you for being who you are.  In your name I pray, amen.

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Psalms

Bitterness and forgiveness, mercy and justice

Psalms

Psalm 109 is another of the imprecatory psalms, where we see the psalmist calling for the judgment of God on those who have wronged him.

A lot of people, including myself, get disturbed reading these kinds of psalms, because it seems to go so against the spirit of Jesus and his call for us to forgive our enemies.

I’ve mentioned some of these points before in previous psalms, but they bear repeating.

As king, (or as one who was soon to become king depending on when this psalm was written), David knew the importance of justice.  That evil cannot just be allowed to go on unchecked.

And so he was essentially calling for the evil to reap what they sowed.

Whereas they falsely accused him, he asked that they would be put on trial and found guilty.

When it says, “appoint an evil man to oppose him,” it’s hard to say whether he meant that he desired them to know what it’s like to be falsely accused by men, or if he just meant that the justice system is run by people who are no saints themselves.

Whereas they had made children into fatherless beggars, and wives into widows in poverty, he asked the same would come upon them.

That may seem harsh, but it calls to mind the case of Aaron Hernandez, the football player who is accused of murdering a man.

If it is true, he will be incarcerated leaving his daughter fatherless, and his fiancée without a husband.  It would be wise to remember that our actions not only affect us, but the ones we love.

And where there is no repentance for sin, there can be no forgiveness from God.  Their sin will always remain before him as a record against them.

But whereas we may call for justice, there can be no room for bitterness in our lives.  Because bitterness does not destroy the person who hurt you so much as it hurts you.

It’s interesting to note that the apostle Peter used this psalm to refer to Judas, who attacked Jesus without cause, repaid Jesus evil for good, and returned hatred for Jesus’ friendship.

And ultimately, because he never repented, he found God’s justice.  His days were few and another took his place of leadership.

But throughout it all, Jesus was never bitter against Judas.

Instead, when he was at the last supper washing Judas’ feet (along with the other disciples’) and offering him bread, indeed, when he was at the garden and Judas came to betray him, we see no signs of bitterness in Jesus.

Rather, we see compassion.

Jesus wasn’t naive.  He knew the character of Judas and he didn’t deceive himself concerning Judas.  Yet he still showed compassion and love towards Judas.

In doing so, he poured burning coals over Judas’ head, and in his guilt, Judas hung himself.  But Jesus remained unstained by bitterness.

And so did David.  Only once do we ever see him consumed with bitterness because of another’s actions to the point he was willing to take revenge (the situation with Nabal).

But when Nabal’s wife reminded him of what true justice was, he swiftly let go of his bitterness and showed mercy.

And when he saw God’s justice finally come, he rejoiced, as he does at the end of this psalm.

With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng I will praise him.

For he stands at the right hand of the needy one to save his life from those who condemn him (Psalm 109:30-31).

So let us let go of bitterness in our lives, and instead cling to mercy, forgiveness, and justice.

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Psalms

Telling our story

Psalms

Somehow through my years as a Christian, the beauty of this psalm escaped me.  But the new NIV’s rendition, particularly verse 2 struck me and put it into a new light.  It reads,

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed… (Psalm 107:2)

And that’s what this psalm is about.  People whom God has redeemed sharing their stories with others and praising God for what he did for them.

The psalm starts out with a word of praise, one we see often in the psalms.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.  (1)

And the whole psalm shows just how he showed his goodness by redeeming us.

Some were wandering in desert wastelands, hungry, thirsty, and with no home.  But when they cried out to God, he heard them and led them to a place where they could settle in safety, providing them with food and drink to satisfy them.

Some of us were the same way.  Lost in our sin.  Hungering and thirsting for that which satisfies, but unsettled and unable to find peace.

But when we cried out to God, he reached down and led us out of the wilderness to a place of joy, peace, and contentment.

The psalmist then sings of those who were prisoners, in darkness because they had rebelled against God.  But they cried out to God and he delivered them and broke their chains.  Manasseh was an example of this.

Some of us found us in the same situation.  We had known God, but we willfully turned our backs on him, thinking we would find a life of freedom apart from God and pursuing the things of this world.

Only, in the end, we found that the things we thought would set us free, the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life, enslaved us instead.

But when we turned to him, he broke those chains and led us into true freedom.

Yet others experienced physical suffering through illness because of their sin.  But when they cried out to God, they found forgiveness and healing.

David experienced this if his psalms are to be taken literally and not figuratively.  (Psalm 30, 32, 38-39)

We too may have had times when God had to knock us on our backs to get our attention.  But once he had it, he was swift to show his mercy as well.

He then talks about those who got caught in a storm, and how when all hope was lost, God delivered them.  The story of Jonah comes to mind.

We too sometimes get caught up in the storms of life.  Sometimes through our own fault, and sometimes through the fault of others.  But when we cried out to God, we saw his deliverance.

For others, they saw the times in the desert and God’s provision, and they saw God’s leading into the promised land, only to forget what God had done for them and watching all that they had gained be lost because of their sin.

The whole history of Israel was that way.

But when they turned back to God, he restored them once again to their own land and renewed his blessing upon them.

Some of us have had the same experience.  Seeing God’s blessing through the deserts of our lives, only to forget him when things became good, and as a result losing everything.

But despite this, God showed his mercy to us and restored us.

So what should our response to all this be?

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.  (15, 21, 31)

And let us pass on our stories to the next generation, that they may

heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.  (43)

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Psalms

The Creator and his creation

Psalms

And so we come to the end of book IV of the Psalms (actually it ends with Psalm 106, but we’ve already covered 105 and 106 earlier).

Whether David is the author of this psalm or not is unknown, but it does start the same way as Psalm 103.

Praise the Lord, my soul.  (Psalm 104:1)

But whereas in the previous psalm, David praised God for his love and mercy, here the psalmist praises Him for his creation.  And as he looks at creation he marvels at the awesomeness of God singing,

Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment.  (1-2)

As I read this, I can’t help but think of John’s words when he said,

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  (I John 1:5)

In other words, he is holy.  And so in the light, we see glimpses of his glory and his holiness.

The psalmist then marvels at the night sky, and how God stretches out the heavens, and as high as they are, they are but the foundation of his dwelling place, and the clouds are but his chariot.

Verse 4 as is originally written seems to refer to how even the wind and the lightning are his messengers and servants.  They proclaim his glory and do his will.

In the book of Hebrews, the writer uses this verse to talk about angels, and says they are merely God’s servants, as are the wind and fire, compared with Jesus who is uniquely the Son of God.

He then basically relates the Genesis account.  How God brought about dry land, created the plants, trees, and the animals.  How he created the times, days, and seasons.  How he provides food for all creation, and gives it its very life.

Having recounted all these things, the psalmist extols its creator singing,

How many are your works, Lord!  In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small.  (24-25)

Towards the end of the psalm he sings further,

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works—he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.  (31-32)

He then concludes by singing,

I will sing to the Lord all my life;I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.  (33-34)

When it comes down to it, that is what we need to remember from this psalm.  Because he is our Creator, he is worthy of our praise.

And so every day, we ought to praise him not only with our words, but with our thoughts, and actions as well.

For all who fail to do so, will perish (35a).

So as the psalmist wrote,

Praise the Lord, my soul.  Praise the Lord.  (35b)

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Psalms

The love and mercy of God

Psalms

Psalm 103 is a song of praise for the love and mercy of God.

When David wrote this, we don’t know, but I kind of think it was written after his sin with Bathsheba or perhaps his sin concerning the census.

And having known the forgiveness of God, he sings,

Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.  (Psalm 103:1)

This verse reminds me of what Jesus said.  That those who have been forgiven much, love much.  (Luke 7:47)

Because David had been forgiven much, his love for God was so much greater.

He had seen in his own life the forgiveness of the most awful of sins, the restoration of his health and salvation from death, and the love and compassion had God crowned him with despite all his failings.  (2-4)

He then recalled the words of God to Moses, how God had said of himself,

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  (8)

To that, David added his own words,

He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.  (9-12)

I love these verses.

He will not always accuse.

Some of us have had fathers or mothers that always found fault with us.  Who never praised us, but only criticized us.  And because of that, we think God is that way.  But God does not always accuse.

And neither does he harbor his anger towards us when we repent.

Some people will tell us that they forgive us, but when we fail again, they remind us of all the other times we have failed them.

But God is not that way.  When he forgives, he forgives completely and remembers our sins no more.

He has compassion on us because he knows we are weak.  He knows what it is to be human, because he himself became like us.  He understands us because he was tempted as we are, only without sin.

And if we will turn to him and repent, if we will honor him with our lives, David says his love will be with us from everlasting to everlasting (13-17).

Because of all these things, David calls on all in heaven and earth to praise God and he himself joins in concluding,

Praise the Lord, my soul.  (22)

Lord, I again thank you for your love and mercy.  That though I am frail and weak, though I sin, yet you forgive me. 

You don’t look at me to accuse me, but you look on me with great love and compassion. 

Lord, help me to extend that love and compassion I’ve received to those around me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

The God who never changes

Psalms

I love how Psalm 102 ends.

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.

Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.

But you remain the same, and your years will never end.  (Psalm 102:25-27)

In other words, while even this world will someday perish and will have to be made anew, God never changes.

Why is that so important?  Because it means that no matter how much we may fail, his mercy towards us will never fail.

This psalm was probably written during Israel’s time of exile in Babylon.  And the psalmist weeps at the suffering he and his people went through.

Their enemies mocked them, their hope seemed to be all but gone, and all they had left was despair because of God’s wrath that had been poured down on them.

But then the psalmist cries out,

But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.

You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.  (12-13)

It’s possible that the 70 years of exile prophesied by Jeremiah were coming to an end when this psalm was written.

And so the psalmist says, “Lord, it’s time to show favor to Jerusalem again.  The time you appointed has come.  Now arise and show us compassion once again.”

He then looked to the time when God himself would have Jerusalem rebuilt, and the resulting wonder of the nations around them.  He sang,

The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory.  (15-16)

As he looks toward that day, he rejoices in the Lord’s mercy singing,

He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.  (17)

And again,

The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.  (19-20)

I love these verses because it shows that though we were spiritually bankrupt, bound to sin and condemned to death, yet God heard our cries and set us free.

And the day will come when all will assemble to worship the One who redeemed us, and we’ll dwell in his presence forever.  (22, 28)

Lord I thank you that you are from everlasting.  That though people change, you never change.  That though we sin, your mercy never fails. 

So Lord, until the day comes when you come again, may your mercies toward me be made new every morning.  Thank you for your faithfulness.  In Jesus’ name amen.

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Psalms

Becoming like Him

Psalms

In Psalm 101, we see a glimpse of why God called David a man after his own heart.

He starts by singing,

I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise.  (Psalm 101:1)

Because of God’s love for him, and his love for God, David desired to become more like Him.  To become a person of righteousness and justice, just as God is.

And so he said,

I will be careful to lead a blameless life (2).

He then lists all the ways he desired to be like God.

To run his household in a way pleasing to God.  And to not let any vile things pass before his eyes even at home (2-3).

It’s so easy to pretend to be godly outside of your home when everyone is looking.  But integrity is being the same person at home as you are outside.

David then said he would hate the evil that people do, to have no part with it, nor with the people who commit it.

When people slandered others, he would silence them.

When people walked in arrogance and pride, looking down on others and despising God, he would not tolerate it.  (3-5)

But how often do we tolerate evil in our lives?  When people gossip, how often do we join in?  How often do we ourselves become proud and look down on others?

Because David loved God, he despised these things and refused to have anything to do with them.

On the other hand, David was very careful who he called his friends.  And he was careful about who he took advice from.

He said,

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.  (6)

Finally, as leader in his house, and as leader of a nation, he was equally determined that truth and justice would reign.  (7-8)

If we truly love God, these are the attitudes that should reign in our hearts.  This is what it means to be people after God’s own heart.

May we all, like David,  become more like the one we love and who loves us.

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Psalms

True worship

sheep and shepherd worship

Psalm 100, above all, is a song of worship.

It starts out with a call to worship, as the psalmist sings,

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  (Psalm 100:1-2)

It then gives us the basis for our worship, reflecting on who God is, who we are, and what our relationship with him is.

Who is God?  He is the LORD.  Or more literally “Yahweh.”  Or perhaps even more literally, “I AM.”

That is, the one who is, who was, and who is to come.  The everlasting one.

And this God is our creator.

Who are we?  What’s our relationship with him?

We are His.  We belong to him.

Why?  As the NASB puts it, it is God who made us, and not we ourselves.  Because God is our creator, we rightfully belong to him.  So we are his people.  And we are his sheep.

As his sheep, what should we do?

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  (4)

Jim Elliot, in the book Shadow of the Almighty, said something about this passage that really struck me.  He said,

What are sheep doing going into the gate?  What is their purpose inside those courts?  To bleat melodies and enjoy the company of the flock?

No.  Those sheep were destined for the altar.  Their pasture feeding had been for one purpose, to test them and fatten them for bloody sacrifice.

Give Him thanks, then, that you have been counted worthy of His altars.  Enter into the work with praise…

Father, take my life, yea, my blood if Thou wilt, and consume it with Thine enveloping fire.  I would not save it, for it is not mine to save.

Have it, Lord, have it all.  Pour out my life as an oblation for the world.  Blood is only of value as it flows before Thine altar.

I think Eliott grasped what the apostle Paul was saying, when Paul wrote,

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  (Romans 12:1)

Indeed, he did offer his very blood for the sake of Christ and his gospel, spilling it that the Auca Indians might be saved.

You see worship is much more than just singing songs to God.  It’s being a living sacrifice for him.  It’s being set apart for his purposes, and not your own.  It’s making your purpose in life to please him.  That is true worship.

It can be costly.  But there is a joy that comes from offering your all to him.  For as the psalmist wrote,

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  (Psalm 100:5)

If we do not believe these things, then it becomes difficult to lay down our lives for Him.

But if we do believe that he truly is good, that he’s looking out for our best, that he loves us, and that he is faithful, then it becomes only natural to lay down our lives for him.

How about you?  Do you believe these things?  If so, are you living a life of true worship?

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Psalms

The God who is holy

Psalms

So often, when we think of God and his character, the first word that comes to mind is “love.”

And it is true.  God is love.  But here we see another aspect of his character.  His holiness.

And so while Psalm 97 says, “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice,” Psalm 99 starts out,

The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.  (Psalm 99:1)

Why do we tremble?  Why does the earth shake?

Because God is holy, and we are not.  Time and again, the psalmist sings about God’s holiness.  He says,

Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy.  (3)

And again,

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.  (5)

And yet again,

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.  (9)

It is because of his holiness, that time and again, people fell before God in fear, whether it was Moses (Exodus 3:5-6), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5), or even John (Revelation 1:17).

They knew they were not worthy to look upon God.  They knew that by rights, this holy God should destroy them because of their sin.

Yet time and again, God showed his mercy to these men and to his people.

The psalmist writes about this mercy, singing,

You were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds. (8)

Though Israel often failed to trust God, though they often defiled themselves with their sin and God punished them for it, still he never abandoned them.  He continued to extend his forgiveness to them.

And when people like Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, imperfect vessels though they were, called on God, he answered them.

The good news is that God does all of this for us.  Though God is holy, and we are not, though we fail so many times, yet God forgives us and hears us when we call.

So let us remember his holiness and his mercy both, and as the psalmist says, exalt and worship him each day.

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Psalms

Rejoicing in our salvation

Psalms

Psalm 98 is anonymous, so it could’ve been written in any number of contexts.

It could’ve been written following the Israelites deliverance from Egypt, or perhaps it was written by David after his reign was firmly established.

Or it could’ve been written after the exile to Babylon when God brought his people back to the promised land.

We simply do not know, but as I read it, I see in it the joy of salvation.

The psalmist starts out by singing,

Sing to the Lord a new song (Psalm 98:1).

Recently, I’ve been picking up my guitar again and have been playing some of the songs I played back when I was in university, and when I first moved to Japan.  It’s nice to go retro at times.

But at the same time, I love it when we have new songs at church.  As great as the old songs are, they can get stale if sung too much.

We stop thinking about what we’re singing, and we start just doing karaoke, instead of singing prayers to God.

But with the new songs, we have to think about what we’re singing and can remember anew all that God has done for us.

And that’s what the psalmist does with this new song.  He sings,

For he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.  (Psalm 98:1-3)

This passage reminds me of what Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 59.

The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him (Isaiah 59:15-16).

God saw the evil in this world, and that there was no one to deal with it.  And so he himself did something.

When we weren’t even looking to be saved, blinded by our sin as we were, God worked his salvation.  As Paul wrote,

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (Romans 5:8)

Now salvation has come not just to the Jews, but to all who would believe.  As the psalmist put it,

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.  (3)

He then cries out,

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the Lord, the King.  (4-6)

The psalmist concludes the psalm by calling for creation itself to praise the Lord for the salvation that is to come.

It is good to rejoice in our salvation.  We should do it.  But let us also remember the final words of the psalmist.

For he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.  (9)

We can rejoice in the judgment to come because we who believe in Jesus as our Savior are no longer condemned.

But are all those we know and love as ready for judgment as we are?

Let us rejoice in our salvation.  But let us also be sure to share our joy and hope with those around us, that they may know the joy of salvation too.

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Psalms

Rejoicing in our King

Psalms

This is another psalm that rejoices in the greatness of our King.

The psalmist starts by shouting out,

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.  (Psalm 97:1)

“Let the earth be glad.”

In a perfect world, all would rejoice in our King, and the fact that he reigns.

They would rejoice that he reigns in righteousness and justice (2).

They would rejoice in his power (3-5).

And they would rejoice in awesome glory (6).

But the truth is so many do not.  Instead, they cling to their idols, whether it’s literal ones, or the “gods” of money, possessions, sex, or whatever it may be.

And the day will come when they will be put to shame (7).

I suppose the question is what do we rejoice in?  Do we rejoice in the greatness of our King?  Or do we rejoice in that which ultimately brings shame?

If we truly rejoice in God, the psalmist tells us,

Let those who love the LORD hate evil.  (10)

It’s impossible to love the Lord and embrace evil at the same time.  And so if we really love God, we need to learn to hate what he hates, and to put what is evil away in our lives.

For those who do, the psalmist says,

[The Lord] guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.  (10-11)

He then concludes,

Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name. (12)

What do you rejoice in?

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Psalms

The one worthy of our praise and trust

Psalms

Psalm 95 is very interesting to me in that it starts out with great praise and rejoicing and concludes with a solemn warning.

You can easily hear the joy in the psalmist’s voice as he sings,

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.  (Psalm 95:1-2)

Why do we praise him?

  • He’s the great God. (3)
  • He’s King of kings and God above all gods. (3)
  • He’s our Creator.   (4-5)
  • Despite all these things, (or perhaps it’s better to say, “because of all these things”), he loves each one of us deeply and cares for us.  (7)

So the psalmist invites us,

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker (6).

But then he gives us warning, saying,

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.

For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.”

So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”  (7-11)

Twice in the desert, the Israelites failed to trust God, complaining about the lack of water.  This despite all that God had done for them in the past.

The second time complaining about water was especially egregious, leading to Moses’ sin of striking the stone that God had commanded him to speak to.  (Exodus 17:1-7, Numbers 20:1-13).

These were far from the only times that the Israelites failed to trust God.

The reason they wandered for 40 years was because they refused to enter the land God had promised to give them.  Instead they were determined to go back to Egypt.  (Numbers 13-14)

As a result, God told them, “You will never enter my rest.”

And so the psalmist warns us, “Don’t be like them.  Don’t be stiff-necked.  Humble yourselves before God and trust him.  For he is not only worthy of our praise, but of our trust.”

How about you?  Are you trusting God in all you do?  Are you doing things his way, or are you doing things your own?

If we trust him, we will find peace, rest, and joy in our lives.  But we will lose all these things if we insist on trusting in ourselves.

Who are you putting your trust in?

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Psalms

The God who judges, the God who disciplines

Psalms

Judgment and discipline.  I think a lot of times we get confused about which God is doing in our lives, particularly when bad things happen to us.  It’s easy to think, “God must be judging and punishing me for what I did.”

But is that how God thinks?

I think in Psalm 94, we see a distinction between the two.  Judgment comes for those who have rejected God, while discipline comes to those who are His own.

In the beginning of this psalm, the psalmist cries out for God’s judgment to come upon the wicked, saying,

Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve.

How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant?  (Psalm 94:2-3)

He then talks about all the evil they committed, and how in their hearts, they say, “God doesn’t see all that I’m doing.”

And the psalmist rebukes them saying,

Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?

Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?  Does he who formed the eye not see?

Does he who disciplines nations not punish?  Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?

The Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile.  (8-11)

He concludes the psalm by saying of them,

He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness;the Lord our God will destroy them.  (23)

But what of those whom God calls his children?  How does he deal with their sin?  The psalmist writes,

Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.

For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.  (12-14)

I think there are two things we learn about God’s discipline here.

First, it’s meant for our good.  God disciplines us to save us from trouble, not bring us into it.

Second, no matter how much we fail, God will never reject us.  He will never disown us as his children.

More than that, he will stand for us.  The psalmist writes,

Who will rise up for me against the wicked?  Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.  (16-19)

In other words, while the wicked would attack us and accuse us, God will stand up for us.  When Satan himself comes to condemn us, God defends us.  And so the psalmist writes,

The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.  (21-22)

So as God’s children, let us never mistake God’s judgment for his discipline.

When we sin, God will bring discipline into our lives.  But it’s to help us, not to harm us.  It’s to save us, not to destroy us.

And remember that no matter how much we fall, he will never leave us nor forsake us.

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Psalms

The God who reigns

Psalms

This is a very short psalm, and it reminds me of the old song by Jack Hayford, “Majesty.”

For it reminds us of the majesty of God and how it is he that reigns over this whole earth.  The psalmist starts by proclaiming,

The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.  Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.  (Psalm 93:1-2)

Sometimes, as we look at the world around us, things seem out of control, with wars, violence, and all kind of evil around us.

But the psalmist reminds us, “In spite of all you see with your eyes, the Lord reigns.  And he is in control.

“He established this world, and long before he did that, his throne was established.  So don’t panic.  Don’t worry.  Put your trust in him who has existed from all eternity.”

He then goes on in the following verses to say, “Do you see the power of the ocean?  Do you see how it roars and pounds the rocks on the shore?  Know that God is much more powerful than even nature itself.”

The psalmist concludes by singing,

Your statutes, Lord, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days.  (5)

In other words, not only is he powerful and sovereign, he is also holy in all his ways.

I don’t know about you, but that’s comforting.  If God were powerful and sovereign, and yet evil, we’d be serious trouble.  But he is holy, good, and just.

And as his people, he calls us to be holy as well.  For as the writer of Hebrews puts it,

Without holiness no one will see the Lord.  (Hebrews 12:14)

So in light of God’s majesty, sovereignty, and holiness, let us pursue holiness in our lives.  And the day will come when we will see with our own eyes this God who reigns.

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Psalms

Making music towards God

Psalms

Psalm 92 was written for the Sabbath.  As most people know, the Sabbath was a day that God told the Israelites to set aside in order to worship him.  That’s exactly what this psalm does.

I like verses 1-2.

It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.  (Psalm 92:1-2)

Proclaiming your love in the morning.

Why is it important for us to do this?  It reminds us that there is hope as we face the day.  That whatever we may face during the day, that God is with us and that his hand is upon us.

Proclaiming your faithfulness at night.

At the end of the day, it’s good to look back on the day and to remember what good things God did for us.  To remember that even through the problems that confronted us, God didn’t leave us behind.  Rather, in love, he carried us through.

The psalmist expounds on this further, singing,

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!  (4-5)

Then similar to Psalm 1, he contrasts the wicked and the righteous.  He says first,

Though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

But you, Lord, are forever exalted.

For surely your enemies, Lord, surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered.  (7-9)

But of the righteous, he sings,

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”  (12-15)

I love the latter part of that, especially.  That even into our old age, we will bear fruit, staying fresh and green.

I don’t want to be a withered shell when I grow old.  I want to stay fresh and vibrant, making a difference for God in the lives of everyone I touch.

But that’s what can happen if we fail to constantly make music in our hearts toward God.  If we fail to remember his love, his faithfulness, and his goodness.  If instead we let bitterness, greed, or the things of this world take root in our hearts.

So let us take the time every day to praise him.

Praise him in the morning.

Praise him in the evening.

Praise him every opportunity that you have during the day.

And set apart not only our days for him, but our hearts.

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Psalms

Shadow of the Almighty

Psalms

One of my favorite books is “Shadow of the Almighty.”

It’s a book that has a lot of the letters and journal entries of a man named Jim Elliot, a missionary to the Aucas in South America.  If you’ve never read it, it’s well worth reading and I highly recommend it.

The ironic thing about it is that though the title of the book comes from this Psalm, one can’t say that Elliot lived out this psalm at the end of his life…at least when we look at the surface.

Throughout Psalm 91, the psalmist talks about the blessings of those who live under the shadow of the Almighty.

The psalmist says that those who do, will be protected from the terror by night, from the arrows that fly around them, and from the plagues that strike those around them.

He goes on to say that though thousands may fall around you because of these things, you will be preserved.

He caps this in verses 9-16, saying,

If you make the Most High your dwelling– even the LORD, who is my refuge– then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

So how did Elliot end his life?  By dying at the hands of the very people he was trying to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is not just an aberration either.  Many have fallen before their time in their pursuit of God.  Isaiah, Peter, Paul, and James, among many others.

What am I saying?  That God’s word does not hold true?  Not at all.

But to say that we will never suffer in this broken world would be taking this psalm too far.

And whoever the psalmist was, whether it was Moses or someone else, I find it hard to believe that they never saw suffering in this world come to those who put themselves under God’s shadow.

But I think what this psalmist is ultimately saying is that when we put ourselves under the shadow of the Almighty, he will never abandon us no matter whatever we go through.

Not only will he set his angels to guard over us, he himself will be with us.  And though we may go through the valley of the shadow of death, he will bring us out the other side.

As we look back, we will see that all along his hand was on us.  We’ll see the times he answered our cries in our times of despair.   We’ll see all the evil that he spared us while we were here.  And ultimately, we will see his salvation.

That’s what I believe what Jim Elliot saw when he came out the other side.  His Savior smiling saying, “Well done!  Now look and see what fruit your death has brought.”

Namely, the salvation of many Aucas, including some of the very ones that had killed him.

So whatever you may be going through in life, may you place yourself in the shadow of the Almighty too.

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Psalms

Keeping our perspective

Psalms

I wrote briefly on Psalm 90 a while back, but after rereading it, I’ve decided to come back to it and add to my comments.

In this psalm, we see the mortality of people in contrast to the eternal nature of God.

I love the first verse.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.  (Psalm 90:1)

Right from the beginning, we see God’s eternal nature.  That though generations come and go, he was, he is, and he ever will be.  And just as he was a shelter for those who came before us, he is a shelter for us now and ever will be so.

The same God who watched over Abraham, Isaac, Jacob watches over us now.  The same God who walked with Peter, John, and James, walks with us now.

He was here before they were ever born, and even before time began.  As Moses put it,

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.  (2)

In contrast, our lives are but a breath.  Moses wrote,

You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”

A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—they are like the new grass of the morning:  In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.  (3-6)

It’s hard to fathom.  If I live a out a full lifespan, I’ve probably reached the halfway point of my life.

I’ve experienced a lot of things.  A lot of joys.  A lot of sorrows.  A lot of hurt.  A lot of healing.  A lot of victories.  A lot of failures.

Yet all of it is but a drop in the ocean.  A mere pin prick on history’s timeline.  And not even that in the face of eternity.

Yet for the time that God has given to us to live on this earth, he will hold us accountable.  Life, as short as it is, is a gift.  And so the question is, how are we living it?

So many people live for the pleasures of this world, indulging in lives of sin.  But Moses wrote,

You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.  (8)

In other words, God sees our sin and he will judge us for it.  We may think no one sees, and we may even get away with it for a while.  But everything will be brought to light eventually, and be judged.  So Moses writes,

If only we knew the power of your anger!  Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.  (11)

We often talk about God’s love, but it’s good to remember the fear of the Lord as well.  That God hates sin, and will not leave it unpunished.

I’m not saying that we ought to live in fear that God is ready to strike us with a  lightning bolt for every sin we commit.

But we shouldn’t become so callous to sin that we think he doesn’t care.  We need to remember that while God is a God of love, he is a holy God as well, and he calls us to be holy too.

So Moses prayed,

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  (12)

Let us remember where true joy comes from in life, singing as Moses did,

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.  (14)

And let us commit every second of every day to him, praying,

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us — yes, establish the work of our hands.  (17)

Amen.

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Psalms

The God who never fails

Psalms

After such a depressing psalm in Psalm 88, Psalm 89 starts off on a much brighter note.  Nevertheless, it too was also written in a time of trouble.

The psalmist starts by singing,

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.  (Psalm 89:1-2)

He then remembers the Lord’s greatness, singing,

The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?

Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?

In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.

Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?  You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.  (5-8)

He goes on to sing about the joy of those who follow him (15-17) and remembers God’s promises to David that he would establish his line forever as kings in Israel.  (3-4, 19-37)

But then we have a sudden change of tone.

Right after he talks about all these things, he talks about how all of these things seemed to have failed.  That God had rejected and turned his back on the descendants of David and on Israel because of their sins.

So the psalmist cries out,

How long, Lord?  Will you hide yourself forever?  How long will your wrath burn like fire…

Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David?  (46,49)

But though things seemed bleak, God had never changed.  He eventually brought back the Israelites to their land, not just once, but twice.  And one day, Jesus will take the throne, fulfilling the word God gave David thousands of years ago.

Let us never remember that though we can’t always see it, God’s love and faithfulness towards us never changes.  When he makes a promise he will keep it.

He proved it to the Israelites in the past.  He will prove it again in the future.  And he will prove it to us as well, if we’ll just keep putting our trust in him.

So let us sing as the psalmist did,

Praise be to the Lord forever!  Amen and Amen.  (52)

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Psalms

God’s silence

Psalms

Psalm 88 could almost have been written by Job.  This is yet another psalm that deals with God’s silence in our suffering.  And as in real life, we don’t always see a happy ending.

The psalmist starts by basically crying out, “Hear me O God.  Are you there?  I’m overwhelmed with my troubles.  I’m sick and dying.  I have no strength left.”  (Psalm 88:1-5)

He then complains that God would let this happen to him.

Again and again, he says, “You did this.”  “You did that.”

“You put me down in the pits.  You cover me with your wrath.  You’ve taken away all those who are close to me and they now reject me.”  (6-8)

He then concludes by saying, “I’m calling to you Lord.  Why do you hide from me?  Why do you reject me?  I’ve been suffering all my life.  I’ve been left alone, and darkness is my closest friend.”  (13-18)

There the psalm ends.  There are no words of hope.  No words of comfort.

But isn’t that how we feel sometimes?  If that’s how you’re feeling, know that you’re not alone.  The psalmist felt that way.  Most, if not every Christian, have gone through those feelings some time in their lives.

Some have given up and never found their way out of that pit.  But don’t be like those who give up.

The thing to remember above all is this:  Never base your faith on your feelings.  Base it upon God’s character and his Word.

Your feelings waver.  They are never stable.  And because of that, they are not a trustworthy foundation to build your foundation upon.

Satan knows this, and he will try all he can during the times of God’s silence to bring you to despair.  To rob you of your faith.

But while our feelings are constantly changing, God and his Word never do.  His promises are words you can stand upon.

So when you’re feeling down, when you’re feeling discouraged, put your faith not in your feelings, but in God and his promises.

If you do, no matter how dark the tunnel you’re going through, you will see the other side.

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Psalms

The people of God

Psalms

Psalm 87 is talking about Jerusalem, but as I read it, I really see the love God has for his people, and how he rejoices over us.

The psalmist says of Jerusalem,

He has founded his city on the holy mountain.

The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things are said of you, city of God (Psalm 87:1-3).

I suppose the question is why does God have such love for the city?

I think the answer is found not in the physical structure of the city itself, but of the people who lived there.  Namely, the people that God had chosen for his own.

And because of his great love for his people, he established this city for them, and made it a place of of renown.

He then talks about how even those who had been enemies of Jerusalem, even the ancient ones  such as Egypt (Rahab, as mentioned in this psalm), Babylon, and Philistia would come to acknowledge God because of her.

And people would be proud to say, “This person was born in Zion.  And that one too.”  Not only that, God himself would write their names in his register.

I can’t help but think that this is a picture of God’s intention for his church here on earth.

We know, of course, that the church is not simply a building.  The church is God’s people, and as God poured out his love over Jerusalem, he now pours his love over us.

And he desires us to make a difference in those around us.  That even those who hate us because of Christ, would come to know him through us.

That when we all reach the new Jerusalem, God can point to his book, and say, “This one was born here in the church I established.  And this one.  And this one.”

Somehow as I read these words, I detect a sense of pride as he proclaims each name.

And after God’s roll call, every one of us will sing and cry out to him, “All my fountains are in you.”  (7)

That is, “Lord, you are the source of life, love, and joy in my life.”

You and I, as God’s church, are the people of God.  God loves us and rejoices over us.

But let us make it our goal to bring in as many people to his kingdom as we can.  Let us be that beautiful city on the hill that cannot be hidden.

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Psalms

Guarding our hearts in times of trouble

Psalms

Solomon once wrote “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”  (Proverbs 4:23)

This is always true, of course, but especially in times of trouble.  And Solomon’s father David certainly had his share of it.

Yet in his times of trouble, we can see why God called him a man after his own heart.

He starts out the psalm by crying out for God’s help.  And in doing so, we see where he placed his trust.  Not in his own wisdom and strength to get him through his problems.

Rather, he said,

 I put my trust in you.  (Psalm 86:4)

Then he turns his thoughts to the nature of the God in whom he trusted.  He prayed,

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.

When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.  (5-7)

In other words, “In spite of my problems, I know that you care for me.  And that you are good.  What’s more, I believe you will answer me when I call.”

I suppose as Christians, we should all believe these things, but when we’re facing trials, it’s easy for doubt to creep into our hearts.  But despite his problems, David held fast to these truths.

He then focused on the greatness of God.  On how God was so much greater than his problems.  He sang,

Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.

All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.

For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.  (8-10)

After focusing on God’s greatness, David turned to his own heart.  And he prayed,

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.  (11)

The new NIV (which to be honest, I don’t particularly care for — bring back version ’84, Zondervan!) puts it, 

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness.

I think this verse is so important as we face trials in our lives.  Life’s problems can tend to cause our hearts to fray and unravel.

But David prays in the midst of trial, “Lord, teach me your way.  Give me a heart that’s undivided.  A heart that’s united (NASB) in its desire to follow you.  May I walk in your truth and trust in your faithfulness in spite of all I’m going through.”

That’s the attitude we need to have too.  To never lose focus or trust in God.  But to have a heart that’s totally united in its desire to follow him.

Let us be like David, constantly focusing on God and his goodness and his faithfulness toward us, even in times of trouble.  Like him, let’s continue praising him singing,

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your love toward me.  (12-13)

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Psalms

Repentance and mercy

Psalms

It’s not certain when Psalm 85 was written.  Charles Spurgeon seems to have thought it was written by David, but I tend to agree with the scholars who say it was written after the Babylonian captivity.

The psalmist writes,

You, Lord, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.

You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.  (Psalm 85:1-3)

This could easily refer to God’s restoration of the people to the promised land after the 70 years of exile had passed.  And yet, it seems it was still a time of trouble.  The psalmist continues by pleading,

Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us.

Will you be angry with us forever?  Will you prolong your anger through all generations?

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.  (4-7)

Perhaps this was in reference to the fact that despite their return to the land, all was not yet well in Jerusalem.  The walls were destroyed, and raiders often came in to wreck havoc among the people.  (Nehemiah 1:1-3)

And so the psalmist prays for God’s mercy in the situation.  But then he says something important.  He said,

I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants — but let them not turn to folly.

Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.  (8-9)

So often we pray for mercy, but it would be well to remember that peace only comes to those who repent.

We cannot ask for God’s mercy if we’re willfully turning our backs on him and returning to the sin that destroyed us in the first place.

This is not to say that God will wait until we are completely sinless before he shows us mercy.  But he does want our hearts.  He wants to know that we are taking steps in his direction, rather than continuing on our old path.

We may fall, but as long as we’re going in the right direction, he will help us up and keep leading us on.

And as we follow him, we’ll find blessing.

As the psalmist wrote,

The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.

Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.  (12-13)

I like how the New King James puts the last verse.

Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.

How about you?  Are you walking along the pathway of repentance?

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Psalms

Setting our sights

Pilgrimage

Psalm 84 is one of the most beautiful psalms, in my opinion, and one of my favorites.  And it’s one in which we are encouraged to set our sights, not on the things of this earth, but on eternity.

It was a song that was used to describe the joy of people making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship God, but I think it equally applies to our pilgrimage to the New Jerusalem.

The psalmist starts by singing,

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.  (Psalm 84:1-2)

I love the old chorus based on this psalm that puts it this way, “There’s a hunger deep inside my soul.”

I have to say that this is where I want to be in my walk with God.  Hungering and thirsting after him.

I have to admit, though, that I’ve been feeling kind of dry, spiritually.  And so I’m praying, “Lord, I yearn for you.  I want more of you in my life.  I long to be in your presence once again.”

I think that these are the sentiments the psalmist is expressing here.

I love the picture the psalmist gives next of the sparrow finding a home near God’s altar.

It makes me think of Jesus’ words of how much more valuable we are to God than the sparrows.  If he welcomes them into his presence, how much more does he welcome us?

He then expresses the joy of worship, singing,

Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.  (4)

But after singing this, he turns his thoughts from rejoicing in the house of God to the journey to get there.  And he sings,

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.  (5)

Two things strike me here.  The pilgrims set their hearts on the place they were heading for, not on the place they were at.

We are to do the same as Christians.  This world is not our home.  And we should be setting our hearts on where our true home is.

But as we set out on that journey, we do so not in our own strength, but in God’s.  We don’t have the power to make it on our own.  We need Him.

In verse 6, it says,

As they pass through the Valley of Baka (or the “valley of tears”), they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

Through this life, we go through our valleys of tears.  We experience hurt and loss.  Yet God turns them into a place of springs.  He covers them with the pools of his grace that act as a balm to our wounds.

As a result,

They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. (7)

As Isaiah wrote,

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  (Isaiah 40:31)

So the psalmist cries out to God and prays,

Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.

Look on our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.  (Psalm 84:8-9)

While it refers to God’s favor upon the king, for us as Christians, it refers to God’s favor upon his Son, who is our shield in this life.

He then closes with the blessings and joy of those who worship, singing,

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.  (10-12)

We are mere pilgrims in this life.  The things of this world are mere shadows of the glory that lies ahead.  So let us set our sights not on this world, but on God.

Where are you setting your sights?

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Psalms

Deliver us from evil

Psalms

When I look at Psalm 83, it reminds me of our Lord’s prayer, when he told us to pray, “Deliver us from evil.”

In this psalm, Israel was facing some really big threats by the surrounding nations.  And so the psalmist cries out,

O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God.

See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads.

With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.

“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”  (Psalm 83:1-4)

He then lists the nations that were coming against them and called to mind how God had delivered them in the past.  And after asking for deliverance, he prays,

Let them (our enemies) know that you, whose name is the Lord — that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.  (18)

We may not have nations coming against us, but we do have enemies that would bring us down.

Paul tells us in Ephesians that there are spiritual forces out there that are hostile to us.  And sometimes they will even use people to attack us, whether it’s physically, verbally, or emotionally.

But the thing we need to remember is that God is most high over all the earth.  He is in control of all things.

So when we feel under attack, let us turn to him.  Even if we’re not under attack at the moment, it would be wise to pray for his protection anyway.  As long as we are following him, we won’t be left alone for long.

And after all, if Jesus felt that it was important for us to pray for his protection, we’d be wise to take him at his word.

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Psalms

When the judges will be judged

Psalms

I think a lot of us get frustrated by the injustices we see in our courts.  People we know are guilty get set free, and the people they hurt are left even more wounded.

It’s not a new problem.  It was happening back in Bible times as well.  And God here pronounces judgment against them.

Just a brief note.  It’s very clear from the context that when it says he presides among the gods, that it’s used in a very ironic tone.  He calls these judges “gods” because they had the power and authority to pass judgment as God does.

It by no means can be interpreted (as the Mormons would claim) that men can become gods.  Note in verse 6, that it says to them, “You are gods” not “You will be gods.” Even Mormons will not claim they are gods now. 

Moreover, in the very next verse, he says, “I said you are gods, but you will die like mere men,” because they were mere men, and corrupt ones at that.”

Why was God bringing judgment upon them?

The answer is found in verses 2-4.

“How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:2-4)

He then says of them,

The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.  They walk about in darkness.  (5)

The psalmist concludes by singing,

Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.  (8)

So let us not get discouraged when we see the injustice that’s in the world.

The time will come when the wicked, and the judges that set them free will be called to account.  Though they may be unjust, God is not.

And he will bring judgment on the last day.

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Psalms

If only…

Psalms

In Psalm 81, the psalmist begins with a call to worship, singing,

Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!

Begin the music, strike the timbrel, play the melodious harp and lyre.  (Psalm 81:1-2)

The occasion of the singing?  The feasts that God had commanded under Moses, namely, perhaps, the Passover which celebrated their delivery from Egypt, or the Feast of Tabernacles which celebrated God’s leading them through the desert.

Why did God command these feasts?  So that they would never forget him and what he had done for them.  The psalmist remembers these things, singing,

I heard an unknown voice say:

“I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.  In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.”  (5-7)

In this psalm, however, we hear the cry of God’s heart.  He tells the people,

Hear me, my people, and I will warn you— if you would only listen to me, Israel!

You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not worship any god other than me.

I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt.  Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.  (8-10)

And again,

If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways, how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes…

you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”  (13-14, 16)

God pleads with the people, “If only you would just listen, I would bless you.  I would supply all your needs and fight for you in the battles you face.”

But then he said,

But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me.

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.  (11-12)

God wants to bless us.  He wants to do great things in our lives, but he will not force us.  If we want to go our own way, he will let us.  But when we choose to go our own way, it not only brings sadness into our lives, but into the heart of God.

So what will you do? Will you open your ears to him and do what he says so that he can bless you.  Or will you follow the stubbornness of your heart, going to the destruction to which it leads?

It’s your choice.

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Psalms

The consequences of sin

Psalms

These two psalms seemed linked, so I’m putting them together.  Both apparently happened after the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon, and are very similar in tone to Lamentations.

Psalm 79 opens with this lament:

O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

They have left the dead bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.

They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.  (Psalm 79:1-3)

Then the psalmist cries out in verse 5,

How long, Lord?  Will you be angry forever?  How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

In Psalm 80, the cry is similar,

How much longer, LORD God Almighty, will you be angry with your people’s prayers?

You have given us sorrow to eat, a large cup of tears to drink.  (Psalm 80:4-5)

In both psalms, we see the psalmist’s cry for God’s mercy upon the people.

Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.

Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.  (Psalm 79:8-9)

And again,

Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.  (Psalm 80:19)

And in both psalms, we see vows made.

Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever;
from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise.  (Psalm 79:13)

In Psalm 80, the psalmist prays,

Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.  (Psalm 80:17-18)

How much better though, would things have been if the people had been faithful to God all along?  To not wait until things were at that state to finally turn to him?

God is a God of mercy.  That is true.  He will forgive.  But there are consequences to our sin here on earth.

So let us not wait until disaster strikes to turn our faces to God, as the Israelites did time and again.

Let us turn our faces to him now and seek him so that we may avoid the pain and hurt that comes because of our sin.

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Psalms

Telling the next generation

Psalms

For my daughter’s last birthday, we bought her a children’s Bible.  What’s nice is that it’s in English and Japanese, so my wife reads to her in Japanese, and I read to her in English.

It’s our hope that through these stories, she can come to not just know about God, but to truly know him.

That’s what the psalmist is trying to do in this psalm.  To pass on to the next generation what he knew about God.

He says,

My people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth with a parable;
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.

We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.  (Psalm 78:1-4)

He then reminds the people that God himself commanded us to do this for our children.  The reason for this command?

So the next generation would know them (God’s deeds and his laws), even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.  (6-7)

Asaph starts by talking about the deeds of God, how he delivered them out of Egypt and led them through the desert, providing for their every need.  How he provided bread, water, and meat in the desert when there was none to be found.

He then talks about how God led them into the promised land and drove out all their enemies before them.

But then he talked about all the failures of the people.  How they failed to trust him.  How they complained in the desert.  How they turned to idols in the land God gave to them, and how they suffered judgment because of it.

Finally he reminds them of God’s grace and mercy through all their failures.  He sings,

Yet he was merciful;
he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them.

Time after time he restrained his anger
and did not stir up his full wrath.

He remembered that they were but flesh,
a passing breeze that does not return.  (38-39)

And he reminds them of how in his grace, God defeated their enemies once again and set up David to rule over them in justice.

These are the kinds of things we are to teach our children.  To the people who come after us.

  • Teach them about how God saved us from our sin, and all the things he has done for us in our lives.
  • Teach them about our failures, and the consequences that came from them.  Why?  So that they don’t have to repeat our mistakes.
  • Teach them about God’s grace and mercy.  That though we failed, God never gave up on us but forgave us and delivered us.
  • Teach them that God has a plan for them.  Just as he took David from the humble position of shepherd, and turned him into the shepherd of God’s people, God can take their lives and turn it into something special too.

Let us not neglect to tell our children these things that they may know him too.

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Psalms

Abandoned?

Psalms

One thing I’ve noticed about the psalms as I’ve been going through them is that a lot of the themes seem to be similar.

Particularly, the struggles people have when dealing with an invisible God.  It’s kind of comforting, actually.

Psalm 77 is no different.  The psalmist starts out by crying out,

I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.

When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.  (Psalm 77:1-2)

How often do we do the same?  We cry out to God, and yet hear…nothing.  And because of our troubled hearts, we can’t sleep.  Instead, we start asking as the psalmist did,

“Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?

Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?

Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”  (7-9)

In short, have you abandoned me?  Have you given up on me?  Do you consider me a lost cause?

But in the midst of his despair, he cries out,

“To this I will appeal:  the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?

You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.

With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph…

You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.  (10-15, 20)

In a moment, he thrusts out all thoughts that God has abandoned him.

And he says, “God, I cannot believe you’ve abandoned me.  You’ve done too much for me in the past to believe that.

“You cared enough that you redeemed me and my people.  And you led us as your sheep through the desert to where we are now.

“Because of all the love you’ve shown to me in the past, I refuse to believe you’ve abandoned me now.”

That’s faith.  It’s believing though we can’t see.

Though we can’t see or feel God’s love at a particular moment or time, we believe he still cares.

Though we can’t see or feel God’s presence for a season, we hold on to the belief that he is still there and that he has not abandoned us.

But faith is not completely blind.  Because when we look back on our past, we can see the evidence of God’s power and love in our lives.

So when we feel abandoned as the psalmist did, let us look back on God’s goodness in our lives, and know that the God who was with us then, is with us now.

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Psalms

The God who will be praised

Psalms

It has been conjectured that Psalm 76 was written after the incident with Sennacherib, during the time of Hezekiah.

Whether this is true or not, I’m not sure, but it does fit with the events laid out in Kings and Chronicles.

And here we see the psalmist praising God for defending Israel against the enemy.  He sings,

God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great.  His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.

There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.  (Psalm 76:1-3)

He then sings about how God brought judgment on those who tried to destroy Jerusalem.

One verse is very interesting.  It says,

Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise.  (10)

It seems a bit unusual to think of God’s wrath bringing him praise.  But it’s happened more than once.

When Sennacherib mocked God and his power to save, God brought about the praise of Israel by destroying his army.

When Pharaoh said, “Who is this Yahweh that I should listen to him?” God again caused his name to be praised and feared by his actions against Egypt in order to set the Israelites free.

So I think here there is a warning to take from this, as well as a comfort.

If we place ourselves in God’s hand, he will defend and help us.  But if we defy him, there will be judgment.  Either way, his name will be honored.  As Paul put it,

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Philippians 2:10-11)

The only question we need to ask is will we confess this with thanksgiving, love, and praise?  Or will we confess this with anger, frustration, and bitterness?

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Psalms

When justice finally comes

Psalms

Whenever I look at Psalm 75, I can’t help but sing to myself the old chorus based on this psalm.

We give thanks to thee O Lord, we give thanks.
For thy name is near,
Thy wondrous works men declare.
We give thanks to thee O Lord, we give thanks.

Looking at the whole psalm, however, it’s interesting that I never realized what we were giving thanks for.  What wondrous works are we praising?

Ultimately, we’re looking at the time when God brings final judgment on all mankind.

God speaks in this psalm and says,

I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity.

When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.

To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.

Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak so defiantly.’  (Psalm 75:2-5)

And the rest of the psalm talks about how God will lift up the righteous and bring down the wicked.  The psalmist closes by praising God, singing,

As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob, who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”  (9-10)

I’ve mentioned before in previous blogs how so often we see the injustice in the world and wonder where God is.  Why he doesn’t do anything.

But in this psalm, we see that justice will indeed come.

So let us wait patiently for it and praise God not only that he will bring justice, but that for now he has shown us mercy, waiting so that as many as possible may be saved.  (2 Peter 3:9)

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Psalms

A cry for mercy

Psalms

It’s not certain when Psalm 74 was written.  There are a couple of problems with trying to date it.

First, the notation attributes this psalm to Asaph who lived during the times of David, Solomon, and Rehoboam.

There is nothing to connect the destruction of the temple as mentioned in this psalm to the times he lived in.  So it’s most likely that when it says Asaph, it’s referring to his descendants.

I would guess this was written after Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion when the Jews were taken into exile.  The main problem with this is that the psalmist writes,

We are given no signs from God;
no prophets are left.  (Psalm 74:9)

It’s possible that it meant no prophets in Jerusalem were left.  Daniel and Ezekiel were both in Babylon.  And while Jeremiah stayed in Jerusalem for a while, he was later carried off to Egypt where he eventually died.

At any rate, this psalm is in essence a cry for mercy.  The psalmist starts by lamenting,

O God, why have you rejected us forever?

Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

Remember the nation you purchased long ago, the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed—Mount Zion, where you dwelt.

Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.  (Psalm 74:1-3)

He then talks about the complete destruction of the temple, and how God was nowhere to be found.

But in verse 12, the psalm turns as he sings,

But God is my King from long ago;
he brings salvation on the earth.

In verses 13-17, he recalls the power of God, how he delivered them from Egypt, and how he created all things.

Finally, he closes the psalm once more with a plea for mercy.

There are some interesting things about this psalm.  And in it, I think we can learn some things about God’s mercy.

The main thing is that we don’t receive God’s mercy based on our own merit.

Nowhere in the psalm does it say, “We’ve been good so please show us mercy.”

Rather, he asks for God’s mercy for his own Name’s sake.  He says,

How long will the enemy mock you, God?  Will the foe revile your name forever?  (10)

In other words, “By allowing these people to destroy your temple and defeat your people, your name has suffered.  People no longer hold your name in honor.”  

And so he says later,

Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.

Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually. (22-23)

The psalmist also asks for God’s mercy based on his promises.  At the beginning, he said,

Remember the nation you purchased long ago, the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed—Mount Zion, where you dwelt.  (2)

He was saying, “You redeemed us and promised to make us your own.  You promised to dwell among us.  Remember now those promises and help us.”

Finally, he asked for God’s mercy based on his compassion.

He sang,

Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.  (21)

None of us deserve God’s mercy.  But though we fall, God is merciful.  So let us never give up hope when God seems to have abandoned us.

Rather let us turn our hearts to him and plead for his mercy.

And just as he delivered the Jews, he will deliver us.

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Psalms

Discouraged by the evil we see.

Psalms

It  can be discouraging at times to see all the evil that is in this world.  To see people who prosper despite having no fear of God at all.  People who only look out for themselves and don’t care who they hurt.

And when we see them prospering, it’s easy to start saying, “What’s the point of doing what’s right?  What’s the point of following God when I’m struggling, and those who don’t give a rip about God are doing well?”

That’s what Asaph struggled with and Psalm 73 describes his struggle with the evil he saw.

He starts the psalm with his conclusion.

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.  (Psalm 73:1)

In other words, when all is said and done, God is good.  And those who follow him and keep pure hearts before him will see his goodness in their lives.

But then he talks about his struggle, saying,

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  (2-3)

And in the next few verses, he talks about how all the wicked people he saw seemed to have no struggles at all.  They were healthy and rich, with none of the burdens that most people have.

This despite how proud and violent they were. This despite all the evil that came out of their hearts and mouths, saying,

How would God know?  Does the Most High know anything?  (11)

So Asaph cried out,

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.

All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.  (13-14)

But as he came into the presence of God, all of these thoughts melted away like the mist as he realized their final destiny.

Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.

How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!

They are like a dream when one awakes;
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.  (18-20)

In short, their time will come.  Their prosperity lasts only a moment compared to eternity, and then all will see just how temporal it all was.

When Asaph realized this, he felt so stupid for envying the wicked and questioning God.  But then he said,

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.  (23-24)

The nice thing about God is his patience.  That though we sometimes question him and his goodness, he doesn’t give up on us.  He continues to stand by us and lead us until the day we see him face to face.

As Asaph realized all this, he sang in praise,

Whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.  I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.  (25-28)

Lord, whom have I in heaven but you?  Lord, it’s so easy to be jealous of those who do evil, because their lives seem to be so good.  But Lord, it is good to be near to you. 

Let me never envy the wicked, no matter how good their lives may seem.  Instead, Lord, be my desire above all things.  Be my strength and portion forever.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

When Christ reigns

Psalms

Psalm 72 is a song written by Solomon that looks forward to the time when Christ, the great King, reigns.

So often we look at the people ruling or governing our nations, and all we are left with is disappointment.

People that should be looking out for our interests and the interests of the nation only look out for themselves.  The only time they look out for others is if they feel that it’s toward their benefit.

But here we see Christ reigning in true righteousness.  A king who judges justly and looks out for those who are afflicted and needy.  A king who does so because he truly cares about them (Psalm 72:1-4, 12-14).

We also see a king whom under the righteous prosper and will find blessing.  I like verse 6 where it says,

May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.

But most of all, I like verse 17 where it says,

Then all nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.

One can’t help but think that Solomon had in mind God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 where he said,

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing….all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.  (Genesis 12:2-3)

In Christ, we will see the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.  And so Solomon closes with this benediction:

Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory.  Amen and Amen.  (18-19)

Amen.  Come soon Lord Jesus.

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Psalms

Our hope and confidence

Psalms

Psalm 71 is probably not the most well-known of the Psalms, but the more I read it, the more I like it.  It shows the hope and confidence that the psalmist had from knowing God, even during the darkest of times.

He wrote,

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.

In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.

Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.  (Psalm 71:1-2)

I love verse 5 where he writes,

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.

And as he prays for deliverance from his enemies, he once again sings,

As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.  (14)

In a world where people often lose hope because of what they’re going through, this verse resonates with me:  “As for me, I will always have hope.”

Why did he have that hope?  We see the answer in verse 20.

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

So many times people get angry with God for the trials they have to endure.

But here, the psalmist expresses confidence in God’s goodness.  That though God allowed him to go through many trials, that God would raise him up once again.

And so throughout the psalm we see his heart of praise towards God, as he sings things like,

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things.  Who is like you, God?  (19)

And,

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered.  (23)

How about you?  In the midst of what you’re going through now, have you lost hope?

Or like the psalmist, are you filled with hope and confidence that God will see you through?

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Psalms

Hurry up, God!

Psalms

I debated briefly whether to give Psalm 70 its own blog entry, considering it’s very similar to the latter part of Psalm 40.  But I don’t think I really commented much on that part of Psalm 40, so I decided to write a few thoughts here.

The thing that strikes me is how urgently David wants God to answer his prayers.  He says,

Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me.  (Psalm 70:1)

And again,

Come quickly to me, O God.  You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.  (5)

It gives me some comfort that David prayed much as I do.

“Hurry up God!  Can’t you see my need.  I need your help NOW!”

And considering how he was constantly on the run from his enemies, it’s easy to see why he felt things were so urgent.

It’s also comforting to see that though deliverance probably didn’t always come as fast as David wished, it did come.

The same is true with us.  God may not always answer as quickly as we’d like.  But if the need is there, he will deliver us.

Are you waiting for an answer to prayer?  Are you feeling God is a bit slow?  Or very slow, for that matter?

Don’t be afraid to be honest with God in your prayers.  Don’t be afraid to say, “Hurry up!”

But know that though God’s timing is not always are own, he is faithful.  He will not let us down in the end.

So let us wait in hope for his answer.

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Psalms

The cry of Christ

Psalms

Psalm 69 is largely, though not completely messianic.  In it we see many references which are applied to Christ in the New Testament.

We see his suffering on the cross in which he starts sinking into death.  He cries out to God, but there is no answer.  His eyes are failing, and his throat is completely parched.  (Psalm 69:1-3)

He’s completely surrounded by his enemies who hate him for no reason (4) and his own brothers mock and reject him (8).

In Christ’s cleansing of the temple, we see his zeal for his Father’s house (9).

He was scorned, disgraced, and shamed by the people (19), and when he asked for drink, he was given vinegar mixed with gall (21).

And Peter of course uses verse 25 to refer to Judas in Acts 1.

So in this psalm, we see the cry of Christ as he suffered on the cross.

But we also see our salvation.  Because through the cross, all of our sins are paid for.  And because of the cry of Christ, we can also sing his song of praise.

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves.

The poor will see and be glad—you who seek God, may your hearts live!  (30-32)

He then closes by singing,

Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them, for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah.

Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.  (34-36)

A new Jerusalem is coming.  Not only for the Jews but for all who believe in Jesus and his work on the cross and love his name.   And there our salvation will find its ultimate fulfillment.

Lord, I thank you for my salvation that you bought with your blood an at great cost.  

Lord, though you were innocent, yet you died for me.  Lord let me never take that for granted.  

May my life to you be praise each day.  And everyday let me proclaim through my life and my words what you have done.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

A God of power…and mercy

Psalms

As I read Psalm 68, two things strike me.  First, God’s power.

It starts out with a prayer showing God’s power to cast down the enemy.

May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.

May you blow them away like smoke—as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.  (Psalm 68:1-2)

Then in talking about how God led the people out of Egypt and into the promised land, it says,

When you, God, went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.  (7-8)

The psalmist then bursts out singing,

Summon your power, God; show us your strength, our God, as you have done before.  (28)

And again,

Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the heavens.

You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.  (34-35)

As I look at all this, the power of God makes me stand in awe.

But in the midst of this psalm, we see something else.  God’s mercy.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing.  (5-6)

In talking about leading the people to the promised land, it says,

You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.

Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.  (9-10)

But perhaps the verse that I like most is the one that says,

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.  (19)

It is awesome to think of the power of God.  That he is in control and that he can truly do anything.

But it is even more awesome to think of his mercy and grace towards us.

That he looks down upon us and that he actually cares for us.  That he sees our burdens and takes them upon himself.

That he sees our needs and provides.  That he sees our loneliness and gives us his presence.  That he sees our captivity and sets us free.

Lord, I thank you that you are a God of power.  That you can do all things.  But I thank you even more that you care for us and love us.  

Lord, may I sense more of your presence in my life.  May I see more of your power in my life.  Show me your strength as you have done before.  

But let me also see more of your mercy.  And let me share what you’ve given me with those around me.  May they see in me your power and your mercy.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

Blessed that all may know

Psalms

Psalm 67 starts out much as the priestly blessing does in Numbers 6:24-26.

The psalmist writes,

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us. (Psalm 67:1)

What’s interesting to me is the reason for his request.

that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.  (2)

So many Christians pray, “Bless me Lord,” for purely selfish reasons.

But the psalmist prays, “Lord, show your grace to us.  Bless us.  Show your pleasure with us.  Because when people see your hand of grace upon us, they’ll see your goodness and desire a relationship with you too.  And not only will we know your salvation, but they will too.”

As he looks towards that day, he sings,

May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.

May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.  (3-5)

And as he sees all the nations turning their hearts toward the Lord, he sees something else:  God’s blessing on all who fear him.

Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.

God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.  (6-7)

Lord, show me your grace in my life.  Lord, draw me close to yourself, and may your face shine upon me. 

And as you do, Lord, let others see you in me and be drawn to you as well.  Let your life shine through mine.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

The God who brings us through trial

Psalms

Nobody likes trials.  At least, I can’t say I do.  But in Psalm 66, we see the rejoicing of God’s people having come through those trials.

The psalmist sings,

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!

Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!

So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.

All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”  (Psalm 66:1-4)

He then points out the reasons for his rejoicing.  He tells the people,

Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!

He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot— come, let us rejoice in him.  (5-6)

The obvious reference is to God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and how he made a way of escape for them through the Red Sea.

In doing so, he showed his power not only to Israel, but to all the nations.  And so the psalmist warns,

He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations— let not the rebellious rise up against him.  (7)

He then looks back to their time of bondage in Egypt, and perhaps also to their time of wandering in the desert, and as he does, he sees God’s hand in all that happened.  He writes,

Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.

For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.

You let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.  (8-12)

It’s interesting to me here that he says it is God that brought about their troubles.  It was he that brought them into prison and let people rule over them.

This is not to say that God is directly responsible for evil in our lives.  Evil is part and parcel of a broken world.

But nothing passes into our lives without passing through the hands of God first.  And God sometimes allows evil to come into our lives.

Why?  Because he hates us?

No.  To refine us.  To purge out of our lives all of our pride and sin in order that we might become the pure and holy people that he desires.

But even through the fire, he never takes his hands off of us.  Rather, he preserves us and keeps our feet from slipping to destruction.  More than that, he will bring us out of our trials victorious.

Having come through the fire, the psalmist then offers his sacrifices of praise to God.  But not only that, he shares his experiences with all those who would hear.  He sings,

Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.

I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.

Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!  (16-20)

How about you?  What trials are you going through now?  Know that whatever you may be going through, God still has his hand on you.

So don’t lose heart.  Cry out to him.  Pour out your heart to him and you will see his deliverance.

And when you do, be sure to let all those around you know what he has done for you.

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Psalms

The God who saves us and fills us

Psalms

It’s hard to tell in what situation Psalm 65 was written.  It’s possible it was written after a time of famine or drought as a result of God’s judgment, followed by a time of repentance and blessing.

The psalmist starts with praise to God for his mercies.  He sings,

Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.

You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.

When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.

Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!

We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.  (Psalm 65:1-4)

Here the psalmist looks back on their sin and God’s judgment.  I love verse 3.  “When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.”

We were overwhelmed and overpowered by our sins.  There was no escape for us from the judgment to come.  But “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)

Now he draws us near to himself and he brings blessing in our lives.  We no longer live in fear of him.  Rather we look upon him in love for his mercy and grace.

And the psalmist looks forward to the day when all will come before God in heaven and rejoice over his great mercy (verse 1).

He then says,

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas  (5).

The rest of the psalm looks at God’s power in creation and his sustenance of it through the water he pours down to bless the earth.

But as I read this, I see something else.

I see the most awesome of deeds that our Savior did for us.  His death on the cross for our sins.  And because he has done so, he truly has become our hope in this dying world.

Now, just as he pours out water from the heavens to bless the earth, he pours out the living water of his Holy Spirit upon us and fills us with Himself each and every day.

Through his Spirit, he brings forth abundant fruit through us as he pours out his grace upon us and all those whom we touch.

Lord, I thank you for your grace that you poured upon me to save me from my sins.  That when I was powerless to save myself, you saved me.  

Lord, fill me with your Spirit.  Let your Spirit overflow in my life that I might bear your fruit and touch those around me.  

Thank you for the joy that you pour into my life.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

No escape

Psalms

One of my all-time favorite shows is “Columbo.”  They often show it on “Mystery Channel” here in Japan.

In it, the criminals always think they have devised the perfect crime, only to see it come unraveled thread by thread in the hands of Columbo.

That’s what I think about when I read Psalm 64.  David wrote of the wicked,

They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.

They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.

They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, “Who will see them?”

They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!”

Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.  (Psalm 64:3-6)

But as with Columbo, God quickly unravels their plots and turns them against themselves.

But God will shoot them with arrows;
suddenly they will be struck down.

He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

All mankind will fear;
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done.  (7-9)

Haman found this out in the book of Esther as his “perfect plan” to destroy the Jews came crashing down upon his own head.

But sometimes justice comes longer than we’d like.  We see criminals get set free in our court systems and wonder where God is in all of this.  What’s he doing about this?

But let us remember that God will never let slip what has happened.  And he will bring about justice whether it’s in this life or in the next.

So don’t fret when you see all the injustice in the world.  Though the justice of mankind may fail, God’s never will.  So as David said,

Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!  (10)

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Psalms

Where we place our trust

Psalms

Psalm 62 has always been another of my favorite psalms and songs.  In a time of great trouble (when was David ever NOT in trouble), he sang,

My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.  (Psalm 62:1-2)

The thing that strikes me is the words, “in God alone.”

David had lived long enough to realize that people are not always faithful.  That things like money and wealth cannot always be depended upon.

He wrote,

Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.

Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.  (9-10)

In other words, it doesn’t matter if people are great or small; you cannot always lean on them.  Sometimes they will betray you.

But even if they never do, death claims us all.  The day will come when you will have to learn to stand without them.

And though money, whether honestly or dishonestly gotten by, can seem to buy happiness for a while, it too will eventually leave you empty.

So David says I do not put my trust or hope in these things.  Instead, he says,

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.  (5)

And he tells us as well,

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.  (8)

Where do you place your trust?  In people?  In wealth?  In yourself?  All of these are false refuges.  And in the end, they will fail us.

There is only one place, one person worthy of our trust.  And so David closes by saying,

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving.

Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.  (11-12)

Let us place our trust in the one who will never fail.

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Psalms

The God who is where we are

Psalms

In Psalm 61, it seems that David is once again on the run.  Apparently, he was already king at this time, so it’s likely that he wrote it when he was in exile during the time of Absalom’s rebellion.

And he cries out,

Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint (Psalm 61:1-2)

That second stanza strikes me.  “From the ends of the earth I call to you.”

Obviously he wasn’t at the literal ends of the earth.  But David was far from home, and far from the tabernacle that he loved.

Yet he knew it didn’t matter where he was.  God would hear him.  And so in his distress, he cried out to God, saying,

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.

I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.  (2b-4)

In other words, “I find my safety in you.  And I long for your presence.  But right now, you seem out of reach.  Please lead me to yourself.”

How many times do we feel the same way?  We feel abandoned.  We know our safety is in God, but he seems far away.

Sometimes like David, in our desperation, we make vows to God, saying, “If only you’ll hear and help me, I’ll do this or that.”

It’s important to keep those vows if we make them, but it’s even more important to know that they are unnecessary.  That we have a heritage from God that comes by grace, and that is available to all who fear and love him.

A heritage of hope and peace in the midst of trouble.

A heritage in which God calls us his children and in which he promises to answer our call.

And a heritage in which we will reign with Christ forever someday.  (2 Timothy 2:12)

So when we are in trouble, when God seems far away, let us remember these things.  He’s much closer than we imagine.

By His Spirit, he will lead us to the Rock that is higher than we are, and from that high place, we will see all our troubles for the specks of dust that they really are.

And when we do, as David said, we will ever sing in praise of his name.  (61:8)

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Psalms

Remembering our times of victory

Psalms

We’re taking a brief jump to Psalm 108, basically because it’s a combination of Psalms 57 and 60.

Verses 1-5 come from the latter part of Psalm 57 while verses 6-13 come from the latter part of Psalm 60.

Whether it was meant to be a medley of the two psalms or David created new music for the combination of the two, I don’t know.  One wonders though why he would do this.

I have two guesses.

One is that it was written at the same time as Psalm 60 after Israel’s defeat at the hands of their enemy.  And perhaps, David was recalling his time when Saul had him trapped in the cave and God delivered him.

So as he was struggling with doubt and despair after defeat, he turned his thoughts to the time at the cave, and was basically saying to himself, “Don’t get discouraged by this defeat.  Look at what God did for me in the past.  If he delivered me before, he’ll deliver me now.”

The other possibility is that it was written after both incidences.  And now looking back on both, David was singing a psalm of praise to God for all that he had done for him.

Whatever the case may be, I think it’s important that like David, we remember our times of victory.  That in times of trouble, we recall how God delivered us in the past.

And that after times of deliverance, we remember to thank God for what he’s done.

Why?

Hope.

Remembering these things give us hope for the future when things look grim.

Without hope, it’s hard to go on when we face trials in our lives.

But with hope, we can face anything that comes against us, knowing that God’s on our our side and that he will help us.

What victories have you had in your life?  Take the time to write them down.  Write down the times God has answered prayer.  Write down the times God has delivered you.  Praise him for it.

By doing so, when you face trials in your life, you’ll find them easier to bear.

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Psalms

In the face of defeat

Psalms

Psalm 60 is a bit unusual in that if you look at its title, it seems to have been written in a time of victory.  And yet, when you look at it, the Israelites seem to have suffered a terrible defeat.

And so they cry out,

You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry — now restore us!

You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking.  (Psalm 60:1-2)

Why did they suffer this defeat?  We don’t know.  The Bible doesn’t talk about any mistakes they made.  For that matter, it doesn’t mention this defeat at all other than in this psalm.

All we can say is that there are forces out there that will fight against us, and there are times when we will lose battles.

But there are two things to remember.

First, God has not rejected us, though it may sometimes feel that way.

And second, though we may lose some battles, we will ultimately win the war.

In response to the Israelites’ cry, God responds,

In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.

Moab is my washbasin,
upon Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.  (6-8)

In short, “Victory is in my hands.  I have chosen you as my own, and I will deliver your enemies into your hands.”

And so despite feeling as though they were rejected by God, they cried out once again to God for help, saying,

Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.  (11-12)

In faith, they then went out again, not in their own strength, but in God’s.  And God granted them victory.

Have you suffered defeat recently?  Don’t get discouraged.  Get up and stand, not in your strength, but in God’s.  Ask for his help once more.  And you will find victory in your life.

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Psalms

When we see injustice

Psalms

One thing that I think frustrates us all is to see a person that we know is guilty be set free by a judge.

Perhaps the police or prosecutors mishandled the case, or perhaps the judges or juries themselves were corrupted.  And we cry out at the injustice.

This is nothing new.  For even David, in this psalm, cries out against the same thing.  He wrote,

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?  Do you judge uprightly among men?

No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth.  (Psalm 58:1-2)

Why are things this way?

For one, all are born sinners.  From the time we are born, we are pulled astray by our own sinful desires.  (3)

What’s more, though God has told us what is right, we close our ears to him (4-5).

And so David cries out for God’s judgment against them.

But as with David, we can take comfort that that day will indeed come.  God will come and the wicked will be swept away.  On that day,

Men will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”  (11)

Is it hard to wait?  Yes.  Is injustice frustrating to deal with?  Certainly.

But let us not give up hope.   And as David wrote in another psalm,

Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;  for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.  (Psalm 37:1-2)

Rather, let us continue to trust in God and do good, delight ourselves in him, and commit each and every day to him.  (Psalm 37:3-5).

And even in these evil times, we will see his work in our lives and in the world around us.

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Psalms

Though friends may betray you

Psalms

We don’t know when Psalm 55 was written, but it’s possible it was written during Absalom’s rebellion against David.

During that time, one of David’s former counselors, a man named Ahithophel, turned his back on David and sided with Absalom.  A possible reason for this, I have noted in another blog.

And now in exile, David is in despair, saying,

Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
hear me and answer me.

My thoughts trouble me
and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy,
at the stares of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering upon me
and revile me in their anger.

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death assail me.  (Psalm 55:1-4)

After further laments, he says,

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it;
if a foe were raising himself against me,
I could hide from him.

But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
as we walked with the throng at the house of God.  (12-14)

And again,

My companion attacks his friends;
he violates his covenant.

His speech is smooth as butter,
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords.  (20-21)

It’s a painful thing to be betrayed by a friend.  To have someone whom you loved not only turn their backs on you, but go out of their way to hurt you.

They put up a front pretending to be your friend, but when your back is turned, the knife goes in.

It can be especially painful if it’s not just a friend, but a husband or wife.  And maybe because of their betrayal, you find it hard to ever trust anyone again.  Not only people, but God himself.

But remember that Jesus himself knew the pain of betrayal, suffering at the hands of Judas.  And so Jesus knows exactly how you feel.

More than that, he will never betray you.  Rather, he will always be faithful to you.

David knew this, and so he sang,

But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.  Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.  He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.  (16-18)

In other words, though others may turn their backs on us, God never will.  So David tells us,

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.  (22)

And he concludes by crying out in faith,

As for me, I trust in you.  (23)

Have you been betrayed?  Are you finding it hard to trust again?  Don’t let your pain consume you.

Instead, put your trust in the One who will not fail you.  Cast your cares and your hurts upon him, and he will bring healing in your life.

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Psalms

Two misconceptions of God

Psalms

Psalm 50 reads a lot like the message of the prophets in terms of its contents.  And it tackles two common misconceptions people have of God.

In the first part, God is seen coming into the courtroom, calling the defendants before him.

Who are the defendants?  In context, the people of Israel who were under the covenant of Moses.

But all of us too will one day stand before the judgment seat of Christ, so it would be well for us to take into consideration what he says.

The first misconception God addresses is that he only desired outward signs of religion.  That rituals such as sacrifices were all that he really wanted.  But he told the Israelites,

I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.  Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?  (Psalm 50:9-13)

Basically, he’s saying, “You make all these offerings, but you don’t understand why I require them.  I don’t require them because I’m hungry, poor, and needy.  Everything belongs to me, anyway.

“If I needed food, I’d know where to find it.  But the truth is, I don’t even need food.  That’s not why I ask you to offer them.”

Then he tells the Israelite what he really wants.

Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.  (14-15)

In short, have hearts filled with thanksgiving.  Acknowledge me as your God, as your provider, and as your savior.  Stop trying to live for yourself and by your own strength and wisdom.

He then blasts those who merely look religious, but who in their hearts despise God.  He says,

What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?  You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.

When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers.

You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.

You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother’s son.  (16-20)

In other words, “You say all the right things.  You sound like you honor me.  But then you go out and live your own way.

To put it into modern terms, “You worship me on Sunday, but live your own way the rest of the week.”

God is not so impressed by religious ritual and outward appearances.  He’s not impressed by how often you go to church, by how much you give to the church, or by how many Bible verses you know.  He wants your heart.

And if he doesn’t have that, everything else means nothing to him.

God then addresses the second misconception people had of him.  He said,

These things you have done and I kept silent;
you thought I was altogether like you.

But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces,
with none to rescue.  (21-22)

Put another way, “You’ve mistaken my silence for approval of your evil.  I’ve been patient with you waiting for you to repent, but if you don’t judgment will come.  And when it does, it will be too late to repent.”

But then God comes back to his original thought,

He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.  (23)

What does this mean for us?

The first step to salvation is acknowledging God as God.  To stop living as if we are independent of him.  But to live in gratefulness and humbleness before him.

And as we do, it prepares us for the way of salvation as expressed in Christ.

The day of judgment is coming.  So as James wrote,

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  (James 4:10)

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Psalms

What money can’t buy: Wisdom from the Psalms

Psalms

As the old saying goes, “Money makes the world go round.”  But the psalmist here reminds us of another more important truth.  “There are some things that money can’t buy.”

He writes,

No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him —
the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough —
that he should live on forever and not see decay. (Psalm 49:7-9)

In short, no one can buy eternal life.  All of us, rich or poor, wise or foolish, powerful or weak, whoever we may be, will someday die.  And much as we’d like to, we can’t take our money with us.

What’s more, it will not buy us a place in heaven.  All the money in the world cannot pay the penalty for our sin.

Only one person can.  God.  And so he came down to this earth, and he paid the penalty for our sin, not with money, but with his blood shed on the cross.

It’s amazing to me the insight the psalmist had into this, even before Christ came.  He wrote,

But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.  (Psalm 49:15)

Though the psalmist had no knowledge of Christ, nevertheless he says with confidence that we will live on to be with God through the ransom he himself pays.

And so he writes,

Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases;
for he will take nothing with him when he dies,
his splendor will not descend with him.

Though while he lived he counted himself blessed —
and men praise you when you prosper —
he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of life.  (Psalm 49:16-19)

How about you?  Do you envy those with wealth?  Are you seeking it yourself?  Or do you have it, and are making it your life purpose to just make more and more?

Remember the words of the psalmist.

A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.  (Psalm 49:20)

Having money and wealth is by no means bad.  It can be used to do a lot of good in this world and for God’s kingdom.

But let us understand that money is definitely not everything.  There are more important things in life.  And there are definitely things that money cannot buy.

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Psalms

When God dwells within us

Psalms

Psalm 48 was probably written after an attack was made upon Jerusalem.  And it praises the greatness of God who protected her.

It exults,

Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.  (Psalm 48:1)

After praising the beauty of Zion in Jerusalem, it says,

God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.

When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,
they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.  (3-5)

The psalmist then sings,

As we have heard,
so we have seen in the city of the Lord Almighty,
in the city of our God:  God makes her secure forever. (8)

What can we get from this?

Just as God watched over and protected the city he made his dwelling in, he watches over and protects us.

For God no longer lives in a temple within a city, he lives within human hearts.

And though our Enemy may rise up to attack us, God will make us secure if we’ll just put our trust in him.

So in times of trouble, let us not live in fear, but rather “meditate on his unfailing love.”  (9)

In his eyes, we are his beautiful dwelling place and his joy, not to mention his precious children, and he will not fail to defend us.

And when we see his deliverance, let us not forget to thank him for his goodness, remembering always that,

This God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.  (14)

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Psalms

Sing and shout!

Psalms

Yesterday morning, I was on the train listening to a worship song and I was really getting into it, singing along.

Of course, I didn’t do this out loud.  I was just mouthing the words, but nevertheless, I noticed a strange look from the person sitting next to me.  (I don’t know.  Maybe people in Japan just don’t do this).

Anyway, I really didn’t care what he thought, so I just kept on going.

On Sunday, our pastor was talking about shouting and singing things with conviction.  He asked, “If you’re at a baseball game, are you going to whisper, “Go team go.”

No, you shout it with conviction.

(Just to give a little background, in Nishinomiya where I live, there’s a baseball team called the Hanshin Tigers, and the fans are crazy.  All game long, they are cheering and singing.  Actually, all Japanese fans do this, but the Tiger fans are especially crazy.)

Anyway, that’s what I thought about as I read Psalm 47.  I don’t think you can just say this psalm in a whisper.  It’s the kind of psalm you have to sing and shout out loud.

Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.  (Psalm 47:1)

And again,

Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.    (6)

It’s hard to miss the exuberance of this psalm.  No less than four times in one verse are we exhorted to sing to our God.

Why all this excitement?  Why all this joy?  For one thing, we praise him for who he is.

For the Lord Most High is awesome,
the great King over all the earth.  (2)

We also praise him for what he has done.

He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.

He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.  (3-4)

In context, this is talking of God bringing Israel into the promised land.

But for us as Christians, God has given us victory too.  Victory over Satan.  Victory over sin.  And ultimately, victory over death.

More, because of his love for us, we have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven.

Not only that, we have a life worth living here on earth as we follow him.  As Paul wrote,

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.  (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s something to sing and shout about.

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Psalms

When all is chaos around us

Psalms

Chaos.

Children screaming.  Sick spouses.  Deadlines and and pressure coming in from all sides.

Sound familiar?

We all face the clamor of life from time to time.  And sometimes the whole world seems to be crashing in upon us.

If that weren’t enough, we look at the news and see stories of war and natural disasters occurring left and right.  And in the midst of it all, God can get lost.

I don’t mean that God loses his way, of course.  But like Peter being faced by the crashing waves when he stepped out of the boat, we lose sight of Jesus.  And we start to panic.  We start to drown.

What is the Psalmist’s solution to this?

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.  (Psalm 46:10)

In other words, stop for a moment.  Be still.  Stop looking at the circumstances around you and look at God for a minute.

Instead of looking at how big the problems around you seem, look at how big God is.  And when you do, what will you find?

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.  (Psalm 46:1-3)

As we look around us,

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall. (6)

And yet,

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.  (7, 11)

So often, as we focus on our problems, we forget that God is truly in control.  That nothing is beyond his power.

He has but to lift his voice, and this world would melt.  He has but to say, “enough,” and all war will cease, and all will come to judgment.

So let us be still before God.  Quiet our fears.  Cease our questions.  And see how big our God truly is.

Know that God is within us and we will not fall.  That he will help us.

That he has given us the deposit of his Spirit who flows like a river in, through, and out of us, doing his work in our lives and in the world around us.

As we do, he will bring us joy and peace in the midst of any circumstances we may be going through.

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Psalms

Bonded to Jesus

Psalms

It says in the title of Psalm 45 that it was written for the wedding of a king.  But in it, we see the wedding not only of the king it was written for, but the wedding of the great King of kings.

We are called the bride of Christ, and in this passage, we see both our groom, and how we are to respond to him as his bride.

In the first part, we see the description of the king, and in it we see many pictures of Christ.  It shows him as a man of grace, saying,

You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever.  (Psalm 45:2)

It also shows him as a mighty warrior.

Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.  

In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.  

Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
let the nations fall beneath your feet.  (3-5)

And it shows him as our king.

Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.  (6-7)

These last two verses in particular are attributed directly to Jesus in the book of Hebrews (1:8-9).

But then the psalmist talks to the us, Christ’s bride, saying,

Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:  Forget your people and your father’s house.  (10)

The idea behind this actually comes from Genesis where God says that when people get married, they are to leave behind their parents, be joined to their spouse, and become one with their partner.

Of course, the passage in Genesis specifically talks of the man doing this, but we see here that it applies equally to his wife.

When we are bonded to Christ, we are to leave behind all ties that would keep us from truly being one with him.

I’ve been truly fortunate to grow up in a Christian home, but I know others who in deciding to follow Christ have had struggles with their parents over becoming a Christian.

Others have had to leave behind friends that would have held them back from following Christ.

Ideally, of course, we wouldn’t have to literally do that.  Ideally, they would see Christ in us and decide to follow him too.

But there are times when we have to say to our family and friends, “I’m sorry, I can’t go the way you are going.  I’m following Christ.”

The psalmist goes on to tell the bride,

Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.  (11)

What kind of beauty is this?  Physical beauty?  No.  As Peter said in talking to wives,

It should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.  (1 Peter 3:4)

And we are to honor him with our whole lives, since he is our Lord.

He then sings,

All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold.

In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
her virgin companions follow her —
those brought to be with her.

Led in with joy and gladness,
they enter the palace of the king.  (13-15)

Why is the bride glorious?  Because she has been clothed and made beautiful by the king who has chosen her.

This passage reminds me of what Christ has done for us, who,

…loved the church and gave himself up for her  to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  (Ephesians 5:25-27)

May we ever live lives bonded in this way to our King.

 

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Psalms

Why is this happening to me?

Psalms

“Why is this happening to me?”

Have you ever felt that way?  The psalmist certainly did.

The background of Psalm 44 is unclear.  Apparently, it was at a time when the people were trying to serve God and yet found themselves being defeated by their enemies.

And basically, they said, “We remember all the stories of how when we first came to Canaan that you were with us.  All the nations here were driven out, not by our strength, but by yours, out of your great love for us.

“You’re our King.  And like our ancestors, we put our trust in you, not in ourselves for our victory.  You are the one we boast in.  You are the one we praise.

“Why then, are you no longer with us?  We go out to battle, but we fall.  All those around us mock us, and we are disgraced.

“If we had turned our backs on you, if we had followed other gods, we could understand it.  But we’ve done none of this.

“Why have you forsaken us?  Why do you hide your face from us?  Help us.”

In short, “Why is this happening to me?  I’m trying to follow you.  I haven’t turned my back on you?  Why is my life falling apart?”

And no answer is given here.  But there is a hope given in the book of Romans.  In Romans, Paul quotes verse 22 of this psalm.

Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

And then he says,

In all these things (trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and even death) we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:37-39)

God never promises us as Christians that we’ll never have hardship.  He never promises that we’ll never go through suffering.  On the contrary, he guarantees it.  (John 16:33; II Timothy 3:12)

But no matter what happens to us, God promises to bring us through.   And nothing can or will separate us from his love.

That’s where our hope lies.

So when you’re struggling, cry out to God as the psalmist did. But whether God seems near or not, whether he seems to be hearing you or not, cling to his promises.

Our feelings constantly change.  Namely, there are times when we feel God seems close and times when he doesn’t.  But God and his promises never change.

So as Paul wrote in another passage,

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  (1 Corinthians 15:58)

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Psalms

Depression

deer

Depression.  All of us go through it at some point in our lives.  Some go deeper into it than others.

The writer of psalms 42 and 43 was no exception, and he writes about it in utterly striking pictures.

He starts by saying,

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.  (Psalm 42:1-2)

I saw an interesting note in a commentary by Adam Clarke.

He said that when a deer is being hunted and is utterly exhausted and parched with thirst, it will go to a river or brook as its final place of refuge and will actually plunge into it and keep only its nose above water.

Sometimes we feel the same way.  We feel attacked on all sides and we are utterly exhausted.  And in our exhaustion and fear, we pant for God and desire to plunge ourselves into his arms.

And yet, sometimes, we feel that no matter how hard we look, he is no where to be found.  Like the psalmist, we cry out,

When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42:2)

In our depression, our food becomes stale in our mouths, and tears become our only food.

We then remember the good times. Those times we went to church and rejoiced with our Christian friends.  Those times in prayer alone where God seemed so tangible, we felt we could touch him.

But now, we feel like we’re drowning in the midst of a storm, with wave after wave crashing down on us until we feel there is no hope.

Sometimes we try to pick ourselves up, and like the psalmist say,

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5-6)

But then we plunge immediately back into depression saying to God,

Why have you forgotten me?  (42:9)

What can we take from all of this?

I think the first thing to remember is that you’re normal.  You’re not the only person to go through these kinds of feelings and struggles.

One of Satan’s biggest lies is, “You’re alone.  You’re the only person that ever goes through these feelings.”

And because we feel alone, we feel ashamed.  That no one could identify with us.

But this psalmist surely could, and I think that’s one reason why God had this psalm put in the Bible.  To remind us that we are not alone.  That others have felt as we do.

So what do we do?

One thing is to continue choosing to believe in God’s goodness.  Three times in these two Psalms, the psalmist tells himself,

“Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.”

Remember that he is your God, your Savior who loved you so much that he sent his Son to save you.

Remember also his goodness to you in the past.  How he has delivered you from problems before.  And remind yourself,

By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me (42:8).

In other words, in the light of the good times, and the darkness of the bad, God never abandons us.  He is with us whether we feel him or not.

So pray as the psalmist did,

Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.  (43:3)

Put another way, “Lord, I can’t see you or where you’re leading.  Please shine your light on me.  Show me where to go.  Keep me from believing the lies that would make me think you’ve abandoned me.  And lead me to where you are.”

One last thing.  When you’re depressed, be sure to share with your Christian friends your feelings.

Remember that as the body of Christ, they are the hands, feet, ears, and mouth of God in this world, imperfect vessels though they may be.

And as you do, you’ll find that you’re not as alone as you thought.

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Psalms

Being merciful

Psalms

We now come to the end of the first book of psalms (there are five all together).

And David starts it by writing,

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.  (Psalm 41:1)

Jesus put it another way.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  (Matthew 5:7)

What is mercy?  There are two ideas to the word mercy.  One is showing compassion to those who are weak, sick, or poor.

The other idea is withholding punishment from those who deserve it.

We see both of these ideas in this psalm.  David says of those who show mercy to those who are weak, God will show mercy to them when they themselves are weak. (1-3)

But David also cries out,

O LORD, have mercy on me;
heal me, for I have sinned against you. (4)

So often, like David, we cry out for mercy.  But how often are we ourselves merciful to others?

How often are we like those David describes in verses 5-9.  Who speak of those who have hurt us with malice.

Who when we see them suffering, say, “Good.  He deserves it.  I hope he dies.”

Who whisper gossip about them and exaggerate the wrongs they’ve done against us.

Or who, when we see our friends our suffering, instead of comforting them, accuse them as Job’s friends did.  Who say they must have sinned or that they lack true faith in God, otherwise they would be healed.

Even David struggled with the idea of mercy at times.  So many times we see him in his psalms rail against his enemies.  Ironically, he even says,

But you, O LORD, have mercy on me;
raise me up, that I may repay them.  (10)

We don’t have to justify these kinds of statements of David.  One thing about the psalms is that they are honest expressions of human emotions.

The key is that though David did indeed express his feelings of anger and frustration, he did not act on them except in justice.

We too may get frustrated or angry with others.  But as God showed us mercy, so we are to show mercy to others.

And when we see people who are weak and in need of our help, we are to help them as God helped us when we were powerless to save ourselves.  (Romans 5:6-8)

How merciful are you?

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Psalms

Song of a Savior

Psalms

In this psalm by David, we see his suffering and deliverance. But we also see the song of our Savior, as he sings about his suffering on the cross and his resurrection.

Psalm 40 starts out with David praising God for his salvation, singing,

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry. 

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand. 

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God. (Psalm 40:1-3)

In the same way, Jesus looks back upon the cross and his sufferings there, and saw his patience rewarded as his Father resurrected him from the dead never to know death again.  Now because of his work,

Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.  (3)

And so they have.  Throughout the years, people have looked to Jesus’ work on the cross and have been saved.

He then says,

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. (4)

Ever since the time of the Fall, people have either trusted in false idols, or looked to themselves for their salvation.  But the psalmist says here that these things cannot save.

Rather, it is the person who looks upon and puts their trust in the Savior that will be saved.

All this was according to God’s plan that he had laid out before time began.

Then, in verses 6-8, it says,

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.

Then I said, “Here I am, I have come–
it is written about me in the scroll.

I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”

This passage is quoted in Hebrews 10, and the writer there comments that while the sacrifices and offerings of the Old Testament were required by law, nevertheless, they were a mere shadow of the work that Christ would do on the cross.

A quick note here.  Many comments have been made on the “piercing of ears” as quoted in the Psalms, and “a body prepared for me” as written in Hebrews.

The reason for the change comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible which the writer of Hebrews quoted.

When the translators changed the Hebrew to Greek, they changed “my ears you have pierced” to “a body you have prepared for me.”

Why they did so is unknown.  Some have claimed that it was a copyist’s mistake.  Others have said that it was a paraphrase, as the Greeks couldn’t understand the meaning of the piercing of ears.

There are numerous other theories, but little agreement, and more qualified people than I have written on this.  Here is one idea I favor, however.

The piercing of ears seems to refer to Mosaic law where if a servant who was to be set free desired instead to stay with his master for life, he would have his ear pierced as a sign of his voluntary, lifelong submission (Deuteronomy 15:16-17)

Perhaps, if the Greek translation did paraphrase here, the idea was that David wanted to serve God forever with the body God had given him.

Not because he was forced to.  But because he deeply loved his Father and wanted to please him.

In the same way, Jesus wanted to serve his Father by going to the cross, and the Father provided him a human body to do so.

Again, Jesus did this, not because he was forced to, but because he loved his Father and wanted to please him.

And now he lives to serve his Father forever. (Romans 6:10; I Corinthians 15:24-28)

Having died for us, he then proclaimed God’s righteousness, his salvation, his truth, and his love to all.  (9-10)

For the final verses, it goes back to the cross, and his suffering there.  Having taken our sins upon himself and counting them as his own, he suffered for us.  (12)

And he begs God not to forget him, but that he would be vindicated before those who hated him, and that God would be glorified by those who loved him.  (13-17)

The Father, of course, answered his prayer, and now because of Jesus we can rejoice in his salvation and truly shout, “The Lord is exalted.”

To that, I say, “Amen.”

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Psalms

True repentance

Psalms

There may or may not be any direct connection between Psalms 38 and 39, but both seem to be dealing with David’s attitude toward God’s discipline in his life, and so I place them together here.

We don’t know what the situations were in which these psalms were written, but I would guess that it was after the incident with the census.  This is pure speculation, however.

But as in Psalm 29, David seems to be suffering God’s discipline because of a sin he committed.

And he prays,

O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.  For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me.

Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.  My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.

My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.

I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.

My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.

I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.  (Psalm 38:1-8)

One verse that strikes me here is 18, where David says,

I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.  (38:18)

Some people take their sin lightly.  They may “repent,” but are merely trying to wipe their dirt off on the mat of grace.  Yet in their hearts, they are not troubled at all by the sin they committed.

But David’s heart troubled him when he sinned.  And like Paul in Romans 7, his heart cried out in remorse when he fell.  That’s a true heart of repentance.

In Psalm 39, we see more of his response to the suffering he went through.  And at first, he said nothing, for fear that he might bring disgrace upon God’s name among the wicked.

Perhaps he felt by confessing his sin before them, it might give them the opportunity to blaspheme God.

Or perhaps he feared that by complaining about the discipline he was receiving, that it would reflect badly on God.

But in the end, he cried out,

Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.

You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.

Each man’s life is but a breath.

Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:  He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.  (39:4-6)

Here David confesses how his distorted perspective led him into sin.

If indeed this was written following his sin with the census, he could’ve been referring to how all his efforts to build up his military strength was a waste of time.  How all his pride in what he had and what he had accomplished was worthless.

For all these things were temporary.  All would pass away.

And so he prayed, “Lord, never let me lose perspective again.  My life is but a breath.  Let me not sin by focusing on things that are temporary.”

And then he prayed,

But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you.  (Psalm 39:7)

In short, “I no longer to the things that are temporary for my hope.  For my satisfaction.  From now on, I look to you.”

He then closes by weeping before God, asking for forgiveness.  And God did.  For as John wrote,

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  (I John 1:9)

How about you?  Does your sin trouble you?  Does God’s discipline turn your eyes from temporal things to eternal things?

Let us be like David.  Let us turn our eyes and our hearts from sin to the things that are eternal and bring true life.

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Psalms

Frustrated by the evil we see

Psalms

“What’s the point of following God and doing what’s right, when I’m struggling and so many people I see doing their own thing are prospering?”

So many times we feel that way.  We look at all the people doing evil around us, and they seem to be enjoying life, and we compare their lives to our own struggles and we wonder what’s the point of following God.

But in Psalm 37, David gives us words of encouragement as he looks back upon his own life.  He writes,

Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong  (Psalm 37:1).

Why?

For like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.  (2)

And he admonishes us,

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.

For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.  (7-9)

In other words, don’t get angry when you see the wicked around you prospering.  Don’t fret about it.

Because when you do, you start to become bitter, and it leads you down a slippery slope in which you are tempted to give up your faith and to start living your own way.

But while evil men will eventually be cut off, you will find blessing if you continue to hope in the Lord.

And so David tells us,

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  (3)

Put another way, “Don’t throw away your faith when you see the wicked prospering.  Continue doing what is good, and trust that God will reward you.”

He then says,

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.  (4)

David’s saying here, “Make God your chief desire.  Seek him above all things.  And if you do, he’ll give you all your heart desires.”

This doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll give you a new Ferrari if you seek God.

But as you delight yourself in God, some of the things that you once thought were so important will not seem so important anymore.  And the things that are truly important, God will bless you with.

Moreover, the gifts he gives will not leave you empty as the things of this world will.  In short, if you make God your chief desire, that’s when you’ll find true satisfaction in life.

And so David says,

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:  He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  (5-6)

You may feel unrewarded, but know that if you commit your way to him, he will not forget.  And the day will come when all will see what you have done and praise God.

When you’re feeling jealous of the wicked because of their prosperity, remember:

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.  (16-17)

David then encourages us,

If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.

For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.

They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.  (23-28)

How about you?  Are you frustrated by the evil you see?  Then remember these words:

Wait for the LORD and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.

But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.  (34-38)

I like that last part.  For those who follow God, there is a future.  And it is good.  But there is no future for the wicked.

So let us not fret over the evil we see.  Rather, let  us be still, be patient, delight ourselves in God, and put our trust in him each day.

And as we do, we’ll find a life that’s truly worth living.

Categories
Psalms

The goodness of God

Psalms

In the first half of Psalm 36, we saw the evil of mankind.  In the second half, we see the goodness of God.

I love how David describes the character of God here.

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.  (Psalm 36:5-6)

In this world we see so many whose love is shallow.  Who prove to be unworthy of our trust.  Who do what is good and just only when it suits them.

But God is not like that.  His love extends to the heavens, and his faithfulness has no bounds.  His righteousness stands firm no matter the situation, and his justice swallows up all who would do evil.

Yet within his justice, there is room for mercy and grace.

O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.  How priceless is your unfailing love!

Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.  (6-9)

After the flood, God promised never to destroy the world through water again.  And despite our sin, he shows us mercy, waiting for us to repent.

More, in his unfailing love, he didn’t wait for us to turn to him, but he reached down to us, sending his Son to provide the way of salvation.

Now, everyone, both rich and poor, powerful and weak, can find refuge and salvation in him.  And in him, he not only provides our needs, but fills us with joy, life, and light.

Lord, I thank you for your goodness.  You were the fountain of life to me when I was dying.  You brought light to my darkness. 

Lord, reveal my sin to me and forgive me.  Extend your mercy, grace, and goodness to me that I might know true joy and life.  And help me to extend all you’ve given me to those around me. 

Let me be your vessel.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

The evil of mankind

Psalms

As I write this, a major story in the American sports world is the arrest of an NFL star named Aaron Hernandez.  Hernandez is charged with murder.

It seems quite unreal to me.  I am by no means a New England Patriots fan (actually, I can’t stand them).

But it’s unbelievable to me that someone could have such a blatant disregard for life, that he would plot and carry out the murder of another person.

Hernandez, is of course innocent until proven guilty, but things don’t look good for him right now.  All the evidence that we know of points to he and two others murdering another man.

I couldn’t help but think of that as I read Psalm 36.  David wrote,

An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:  There is no fear of God before his eyes.

For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.

The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good.

Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.  (Psalm 36:1-4)

Do all these things relate to Hernandez’s case?  That is yet to be seen.  But it shows the heart of so many who do evil.

Evil starts with a lack of fear in our hearts for God.  When we refuse to acknowledge God in our lives, then just about anything goes.  We are free to do almost anything.

The only thing that would restrain us would be a fear of punishment or our conscience.  And apart from God, our consciences inevitably become warped.

Some people’s consciences are warped to a lesser degree than others, but they are warped nonetheless.  And they become blinded to what is truly good and right.  As David wrote,

For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.  (2)

How do we flatter ourselves?  We think of ourselves as better than we really are.  Or we think we are perfectly justified in all our actions.

The result?  We can’t even detect, no less hate the sin in our lives.  And in our sin, we cease to be wise and to do what is good.

If the prosecutors are right, Hernandez was so angry with the victim, that he murdered him.

Part of the reason it seems so unreal to me is that if this is true, not only did he destroy another man’s life, he destroyed his own.

He was rich and had everything he needed from a material standpoint.  He worked with a good organization.  He seemed set for life.

Yet he couldn’t forgive the grievance he had against the victim and that grievance became more important to him than anything else.

That includes his fiancée and his 7-month old daughter who will now be without a husband and father if he is found guilty.

But when we commit ourselves to a course of evil, that’s what happens.  When we fail to reject what we know is wrong, we destroy ourselves and end up hurting the ones we love.

How about you?  You probably haven’t murdered anyone.  But how about in your heart?

Do you hold anger and unforgiveness in your heart?  Jesus said that if you do, you have murdered that person in your heart.  (Matthew 5:21-22).

Aside from that, are you giving yourself to other destructive tendencies in your life?

Do you fail to fear God, saying, “Oh, he’ll forgive me.  It’s okay?”

Have you been justifying yourself for actions you know are wrong?  Are you committing yourself to a path you know is wrong?

Let us be wise.  Let us fear God and do what is right, not giving in to the evil that infects our world.

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Psalms

When people hate us

Psalms

When I was a kid, I had a friend that I would often hang out with.  But by the time we hit junior high school, we had kind of drifted apart, and it soon became evident that he really didn’t like me.  To this day, I’m not completely certain why.

How do we deal with these kinds of people?

David certainly experienced this.  Though David did nothing to deserve it, he experienced the wrath and hatred of King Saul.  And it was perhaps during his time of fleeing from Saul that he wrote this psalm.

David opens by praying,

Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.

Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.

Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me.  (Psalm 35:1-3)

One thing that we see about David is that when dealing with those who hated him, he always left the fighting in God’s hands.  He said, “Lord, please fight for me.  You be my defender.”

Even so, it was probably difficult for him to remember to do this and not take things into his own hands, and so he prayed,

Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”  (3)

In other words, “Remind me Lord that you’re on my side.  Remind me that you will deliver me so that I don’t try to avenge myself.”

What’s really amazing to me is his attitude towards those who hated him.

Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting.

When my prayers returned to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother.

I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.  (13-14)

You actually see this attitude when David heard about the death of Saul.  When he heard of Saul’s and Jonathan’s death, he not only mourned for Jonathan who was David’s best friend, but he wept for the man who had tried to kill him.

It is the kind of attitude, in fact, that Jesus had.  In fact, I see a lot of Jesus in this psalm.

Like David, Jesus had false accusers coming against him (11), and people mocking and slandering him (15-16).

And yet, he prayed for them, even as they were crucifying him.

God calls us to do the same.  In 1 Peter, the apostle wrote,

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.  (1 Peter 2:21)

In particular, Peter is talking about suffering for doing what’s right.  And he’s saying that because Jesus endured suffering in order to save us, we should also endure suffering for righteousness’ sake.

But we also see in this passage more on how Jesus responded to those who hated him.  And in this, we are to follow in Jesus’ steps as well.  How did Jesus respond?

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his   mouth.”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.

Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.  (1 Peter 2:22-23)

How about you?  When people hate you and hurt you without cause, do you follow in Jesus’ steps?

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Psalms

The One worthy of our praise and our trust

Psalms

I’ve noted this before, but if you’ve noticed that we’ve “skipped” Psalm 32, we really haven’t.

I wrote about a number of the psalms when going through the life of David, so if you’re interested, just do a quick search on this blog under Psalm 32, and you’ll find it there.

I love how the psalmist opens this song.  He sings,

Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.  (Psalm 33:1)

I like that second line.  “It is fitting for the upright to praise him.”

In other words, it’s only right that those who love the Lord and have been made righteous by his blood praise him.

And it doesn’t matter to God how we do it.  We can do it on the harp or lyre (or in these days, the guitar or piano).

We can sing to him acapella.  Or for those of us who are tone deaf, we can simply give a shout of praise.  (Although I don’t think God minds an off-tune song that comes from the heart).

The psalmist then writes why it is fitting for us to worship him.  We worship him because he himself is righteous and good.  Every word he speaks is right and true.

Not only that, unlike many of us, his actions actually match his words.  God is no hypocrite.

But not only is he righteous, he continually chooses to love us even though we fall.  Though we may fail him, his love towards us never fails.

We also worship him because he is our creator, and for the great power he showed in creating all things.

And we praise him for his great wisdom.  Nothing ever catches God by surprise, and because of that, his plans and purposes stand firm.

It is because of this last, that we see he’s worthy of something else.  He is worthy of our trust.

It’s hard to trust someone who is wishy-washy.  Who panics when things start spinning beyond his control.  Who is always changing his mind in an attempt to deal with things beyond his ken.

But because God sees all, because he knows all, and because he controls all, he is a rock upon which we can stand.

So those whom he has chosen and who belong to him are blessed.  As David wrote,

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.  (12)

He knows our name.  He sees us from heaven and considers all we do.  Not because he’s waiting to blast us for every mistake we make.  But because he loves and cares for us.  And he’s just waiting for us to turn our face to him.

But so often we don’t.  We place our trust in other things.  And yet too often, these things let us down.  The psalmist wrote,

No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.  (16-17)

In contrast,

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.  (18-19)

This is no guarantee that we will not go through suffering.  But in the midst of our suffering, we can know that he has not forgotten us.  His eyes are always on us, and he will deliver us.

And even if we do not find his deliverance here on this earth, we will find our ultimate deliverance when we reach our final home in heaven.  As Paul wrote,

“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”  (I Corinthians 15:55)

And so the psalmist closes by saying,

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.  (20-22)

To that, I say amen and amen.  Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

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Psalms

Placing ourselves in God’s hands

Psalms

When David wrote Psalm 31 is a matter of speculation, as are most of his psalms.

At a guess, it was written during his flight from Saul, and based on verse 21, perhaps after his flight from Keilah.  (1 Samuel 23)

This is purely speculative, however.

The things that strike me from this psalm is that in the midst of his pleas for help, David time and again affirms his complete trust in God.

He says,

Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. (Psalm 31:5)

And again,

I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”  My times are in your hands.  (Psalm 31:14-15)

All of ourselves go through struggles in our lives.  And it’s so easy to place ourselves in our own hands.  To take the driver’s seat of our lives and try to control our situation ourselves.

But in life and in death, David fully committed himself to God.

He said, “My life is in your hands, Lord.  People are trying to kill me, but I know that as long as you want me here, they will not succeed.  I refuse to take control of my own life, even if it costs me my life.”

And you see on two occasions in I Samuel where David had the chance to take control of the situation, to kill Saul and put an end to his vendetta against David.  But David refused.

Jesus showed this same submission to his Father when he went to the cross.  Though not strictly a Messianic psalm, nevertheless, you see some glimpses of Christ in David’s experience.

Like David, he was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. (Psalm 31:10)

Like David, he was despised.  (Psalm 31:11)

Like David, he was abandoned by those he called friends.  (Psalm 31:11-12)

Like David, people slandered him and plotted to kill him.  (13)

Like David, he cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken me!”  (22)

But like David, Jesus refused to take things into his own hands.  He placed himself in his Father’s hands, and with his dying breath, quoted verse 5, saying, “Into your hands, I commit my spirit.”

And because of his submission, we have hope.

Hope that we will ultimately not be put to shame for trusting in him (17).

Hope in his goodness toward us (19).

And hope in our salvation (22-23).

So let us cry out as David did,

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.  (Psalm 31:24)

And let us put our full trust in him.

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Psalms

When God disciplines

Psalms

Looking back, I really should have put this psalm back in the life of David.  I missed it somehow.

It has been conjectured that Psalm 30 was written just after David’s sin in conducting a census of the people out of the pride of his heart (1 Chronicles 21, see also 2 Chronicles 3:1 and the notation made at the top of Psalm 30).

And in this psalm, we see David’s response to God’s discipline.

It seems here that when God afflicted Israel with the plague, that David too was struck, although no mention of this is made in 2 Samuel or in 1 Chronicles.

But after being healed, David praises God, saying,

I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.  (Psalm 30:1-3)

Later, he writes why he was struck.  He says,

When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”  (6)

Here, it wasn’t a confidence in God that made him feel secure.  It was confidence in himself and the army he had built up, thus leading him to count his fighting men.

But through the circumstances God had put him through, he now realized where his true security came from.

O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.  (7)

And so David humbled himself at the Lord’s discipline.  Looking back, he said,

To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:

“What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit?  Will the dust praise you?  Will it proclaim your faithfulness?  Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help.” (8-10)

When God saw David’s repentant heart, he responded in mercy, forgiving David’s sin.  As a result, David responded with praise.

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.  (11-12)

What can we get from this?

I think before I say anything else, I should make clear that just because you’re sick, doesn’t mean that God must be punishing you for something.  Often times, that’s simply not the case, as we saw in Job.

But God will sometimes use illness to cause us to stop and see the wrong direction our lives are taking.  And so it never hurts to take a look at your life during times of sickness and trouble to pray, “God is this because of something I have done.  Is there unconfessed in my heart?”

And if God reveals something to you, then like David, we need to humble ourselves before him.

But if he doesn’t, then you can probably take it as a sign that this sickness or trouble is coming from some other source.

Why do I say this?  Because God doesn’t delight in torturing us.  He doesn’t take pleasure in seeing us suffer.  And if he is indeed using suffering to get us to turn our faces back to him, he is quick to forgive when we do.

He doesn’t say, “Well, if you haven’t figured out your sin, I’m certainly not going to tell you.”

Nor does he say, “You’ve finally repented, but I’m going to make you suffer more just to make sure you learn your lesson.”

As David wrote,

His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.  (5)

Always remember that God doesn’t discipline us because he hates us, but because he loves us and wants the very best for us.

So let us respond to his correction with humble, repentant hearts.

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Psalms

The awesome God…who cares about you

Psalms

Many people in Japan think I’m strange, but I love thunderstorms.  I love hearing the lightning flash and the thunder roar.  Of course, this is much cooler indoors, than out.  🙂

I was looking at the Amplified Bible today, and it had an interesting note.

It said that this psalm was called the “Song of the Thunderstorm,” and was “sung during an earthshaking tempest which reminds the psalmist of the time of Noah and the deluge.”

And throughout Psalm 29, we see the awesomeness of God.

David starts with a call to worship,

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. (Psalm 29:1-2)

I don’t know about you, but I don’t use the word “ascribe” very often, and it seems that every time I see this psalm, I have to think about what it means.

Basically, it’s saying, “Recognize the glory and strength of God.  Recognize the glory that is due to him.  And worship him for the beauty of his holiness.”

I wonder how often we think of the “splendor” or “beauty” of holiness.

But when we see what God is, and what we were originally created to be, there’s no other word we can use except, “beautiful.”

Right now we are but a marred figure of the image of God.  Yet even so, we can sometimes see glimpses of his beauty as we look at people.

How much more beautiful is the One who is unstained by sin.

David then talks about God in nature, the roar of his voice, and the power and majesty of it.

He describes the lightning that flashes and the thunder that shakes the earth, and how in the midst of the storm, even the mighty trees are broken, its branches made bare, and its pieces “dancing” in the wind.

Through all this, David imagines hearing other voices, the voices of angels in heaven’s temple calling out “Glory,” as they worship the King upon his throne.

But if there’s one thing that strikes me, it’s how David ends this psalm.

He sings,

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.  (29:11)

What strikes me about this verse?  That the God who is awesome, the God who is holy, the God who is almighty…he cares for me.

He cares enough for me to give me strength when I am weak.  He cares enough to give my soul peace when I am anxious and fearful.

When I am weak, he is strong.  And as the Amplified Bible puts it,

 The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people.

Lord, you are awesome.  You are mighty.  You are holy.  And yet you love me. 

Thank you for that.  That though I am small and seemingly insignificant, yet to you, I am highly significant.  Enough so, that you came down to this earth to die for me. 

When I am weak, be my strength.  When I am in the storm and am fearful and anxious, grant me your peace.  I love you.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

Crying out in times of trouble

Psalms

Sometimes as we pray, it seems that God is slow in answering.  Or that perhaps he’s just ignoring us.

We see this here in Psalm 28.  David cries out,

To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.  (Psalm 28:1-2)

What exactly his situation was, we are not sure, but how often do we pray as David did?

“Lord, are you hearing me?  Why are you silent?  Please listen to me.  Don’t you see me calling to you?”

He then pleads for God’s justice in his life.

Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.

Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve.  (3-4)

A lot of times in the Psalms, we see David asking for God’s punishment on his enemies, and we wonder how this fits in with the idea of loving our enemies.

I think there are a couple of things to keep in mind here.

First, though David sometimes prayed against his enemies, he always left justice in the hands of God.  He never took it into his own.

Rather, in his life, he consistently showed a heart of compassion and mercy toward his enemies.  You see this in his treatment of both Saul and Absalom.

Second, though God certainly understands our cries against those who hurt us, it touches his heart more to see us pray for them.

Having poured out his heart to God, however, we see the joy flooding back into David’s heart.  Why?  Because he knew God had heard him, and that he would answer.

Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. (6-8)

He then does what we should all do in our times of prayer.  He turns it from praying solely for himself, to praying for the people he cared for, in this case, the nation he was ruling.

He prayed,

Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.  (9)

We would do well to remember that though we may be hurting, there are many people around us who are hurting too.

So let us pray not just for ourselves, but for the people around us.  And let us reach out with God’s hand of mercy to touch them as God has touched us.

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Psalms

Waiting on God

Psalms

It has been said that when we fear God, we need not fear anything else.  And we see this so clearly in Psalm 27.

David starts by singing,

The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?

When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.  (Psalm 27:1-3)

Even in the midst of trouble, David’s first thought was not of his deliverance from his problems, but of seeking God’s face.  Of having sweet fellowship with his Savior.  He prays,

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.  (4)

So often, especially in times of trouble, our prayers are, “Help me.”

But in times of trouble, David cried out, “I want you.  I want to look upon you.  I want to know you.”

Why?  Because he knew that if he put himself in God’s hands, God would take care of him.  He sang,

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.  (5-6)

I like how the NASB puts verse 8.

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.”

Here we see God calling out to us, saying, “Seek me.”

How often do we miss out on peace in our lives because we fail to do just that?  Instead, we focus on our problems and in the process become overwhelmed by them.

How much better would our lives be if we took our eyes off of these things, turned our eyes toward God, and said, “Your face, O Lord, I will seek?”

For though those around us may abandon us or let us down, God never will.  As David sang,

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.  (10)

Then after praying for God’s guidance and deliverance through his troubles, he proclaims,

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (13)

It’s so easy to say, “God is good,” when things are good.  But how often do we proclaim his goodness when things are bad?

But because David has his eyes firmly fixed upon God, even though things were rough, he could still say, “God is good.”

And so he tells us who are struggling as he did,

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.  (14)

Lord, through times of trouble, help me to wait on you.  Help me to keep believing in your goodness.  Help me to remember that you’re always with me, though I can’t always see or feel you. 

Lord, my one desire is to know you.  Help me to hear your voice as you call to me.  And give me a heart that seeks you always.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Psalms

Blameless, under God’s grace

Psalms

Psalm 26 is another psalm where I wish I knew when David wrote it.

Did he write it during the time of his flight from Saul?  Or from Absalom?  Or did he write it at some other time in his life?

Looking at what he says, it would seem to make sense that this happened during his flight from Saul.  For in these verses, he sings,

Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life.

I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. (Psalm 26:1-3)

Because of his failures with Bathsheba and Uriah, it would be much easier to see him singing this during his time fleeing from Saul.  Certainly, he could say these things with much more confidence back then.

But what intrigues me is the idea that perhaps he wrote this song after his sin with Bathsheba.  That it happened during his flight from Absalom.

And if that is so, then he truly understood the depth of God’s forgiveness.  That God had indeed washed him as white as snow.  That God had blotted out his iniquities as he had asked.  (Psalm 51)

So when he talks about his blamelessness, he says this with confidence not based on the fact that he was, but on the basis of knowing that God had forgiven his sin and remembered his sin no more.  (Jeremiah 31:34)

Now by God’s mercy, he was back on track, living the life that God had intended for him, and he could praise God saying,

I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O LORD,  proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds. (6-7)

And he could say with confidence,

My feet stand on level ground (12).

So many times we look at our lives, and we see our failures.  We see our sin.

And Satan would accuse us, saying, “See!  You’re no good.  Look at yourself.  Look at what a mess you made out of your life.”

During those times, let us look Satan in the eye and tell him, “What you say is true.  But God has already forgiven my sin, and no longer remembers it.

“You have no right to accuse me anymore when my Judge doesn’t.  So get away from me Satan and take your accusations with you.

“I’m God’s child now, and I’m forgiven.  And in his eyes, I’m blameless.”

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Psalms

Crying out for God

Psalms

I often wish that we had a little more insight as to the background of the songs that David wrote.  Some of the psalms have the background written in the title.  This one, unfortunately, does not.

But what strikes me in Psalm 25, is the cry in his soul for God in the midst of the troubles in his life.

He sings,

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God.  (Psalm 25:1-2)

In other words, “Lord, I give my everything to you.  Everything that I am, I lift to you.  And in you, I put my complete trust.”

It’s so easy to say those words.  It’s so difficult to live them.

So often I take back from God what I once surrendered.  So often, I lack in faith, failing to trust him completely.

Yet despite my failings, it is the cry of my heart, just as it was David’s.

He then prays,

Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.  (4-5)

Here we see the humility of David.

So often we think we know it all.  That we don’t need to inquire of God.

But David humbles himself and says, “I don’t know everything.  I don’t know the best path to take.  Please teach me.  Please guide me.”

Why did he seek God’s ways and path?  Because of his love for God, and his desire to please him.  He said, “You are my God my Savior.  My hope is in you.”

Then in the midst of this psalm, he pleads,

Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD…

For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.  (6-7, 11)

I wonder from these verses if perhaps David wrote this during his flight from Absalom.

Perhaps he saw how his sin with Bathsheba, though forgiven by God, had nevertheless led to the events that led to his exile.

And so once again, he prayed, “Lord, don’t hold my sin against me, though I know it was great.  Forgive me.  Not because I deserve it, but because of your love and mercy.”

So often we look at our own lives, and see how our sins, though forgiven, have nevertheless brought about the trouble we are in.  And we wonder if God has truly forgiven us.

God has.  And he will have mercy on us on the day of judgment though we don’t deserve it.

But that doesn’t mean he will necessarily take away the consequences of what we’ve sown in our lives here on earth.

Nevertheless, he will stand with us through the things we’ve brought upon ourselves, as he did with David.

And so David said,

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.  (8-10)

In other words, even though we sin, as long as we seek him, he will never give up on us.  He will continue to lead us and teach us.

Of course, the big difference between us and David is that we live not under law, but under grace.

And so though we fail to keep his law, nevertheless his love and faithfulness towards us never changes.  As Paul wrote,

If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.  (2 Timothy 2:13)

David then closes by asking for God’s protection, saying,

Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.  (20-21)

As he started the psalm, so he finishes.  By putting his soul in the hands of God, and his hope in God as well.

Through the trials that we go through in his life, may we do the same.

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Psalms

Making way for the King

Psalms

In the last psalm, we saw God as a loving shepherd.  Here we see him as king.

On what basis does he claim that title?  That he is our creator.  David sang,

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.  (Psalm 24:1-2)

Just about everyone acknowledges that if you make something with your own materials and with your own hands, what you create belongs to you.

In the same way, God created everything, including you and me, and so rightfully, we belong to him.  And one day we will have to give an account to our King.

Who will be able to stand before God on that day?

The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.

They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.  (Psalm 24:4-6)

Note here that it’s not enough to live a “good life.”  You also need to acknowledge God as your King.  As your God.  As your Savior.

Not only that, you need a heart that seeks his face.

That is what is important to God.  That we would put our faith in him, trusting in him each day.

That’s what saved Abraham in the Old Testament.  It’s what justified him before God, even though Abraham himself failed many times.

And it’s what saved and justified everyone who followed him, even down to our day.

It is these people that God says will receive blessing from him and be vindicated on that day.

How about you?  Have you made room in your heart for him as your king?  David wrote,

Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty —
he is the King of glory.  (Psalm 24:7-10)

Let us open the gates to our hearts and make way for our King to not only enter, but to have his way in our lives.

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Psalms

Our Shepherd

Sheep and shepherd Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is probably the most famous psalm in the book.  Probably because of the intimacy it displays between God and us.

In other psalms, we see God as king.  As judge.  As avenger.  As warrior.  But in this passage, we seem him as a shepherd.

It has been pointed out that being called sheep is not exactly a compliment.  Sheep are among the stupidest animals in the world.  They are completely lost without their shepherd.

And that’s what we are. We’d like to think of ourselves as smart and better than others.  That we don’t need God.  But without God, our lives will go to pieces.  We are hopelessly lost without him.

David starts by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd.”

Not just “our shepherd.”  But, “my shepherd.”

In other words, though we may be one of many sheep, God cares intimately for us.  And as in the story of the lost sheep, when one of us strays from him, he cares enough to pursue us and rescue us.  (Luke 15:3-7)

And because he cares for us, David says we shall lack nothing we need.

Jesus reiterates this saying that if our Father takes care of the birds of the air and clothes the flowers of the field, how much more will he take care of us?  (Matthew 6:25-30)

Not only that, he gives us peace and rest.  Sheep will not lie down unless if they are anxious or afraid.  But a good shepherd soothes their fears and anxieties and allows them to lie down in peace.

And when we’re tired and exhausted, when we’re feeling burdened by life’s problems, David writes that he restores our soul.

He gives us what we need not to just make it through the day, but to be totally refreshed as we face the new day and its challenges.

As our shepherd, he also leads us.  He shows us the right path to walk upon, a path that leads us where we need to go in life.

This is not to say that the path will always be pleasant.

The interesting thing here is that David says that the path sometimes leads us right into the valley of the shadow of death.  Through times when things seem dark.  Through times when there seems to be no hope.

But David says, “Even though I go through these dark places, even as I face death itself, I will not fear.”

Why?

“Because you are with me.”

He writes,

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).”

Shepherds often used their rods to protect the sheep from predators that would attack them, and he would use the staff to guide the sheep.

And so even as David went through the dark times (and he had many), he says, “I see your protection and your guidance even then.”

And though God may not take all adversity from us, David says that even so, he provides all we need and more.  He sings in verse 5,

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Because of all these things, David sings with confidence and joy,

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  (6)

How about you?  Have you made God your shepherd?

Only in him, will you find the peace, joy, and contentment that we all seek.

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Psalms

The God who understands suffering

Psalms

Our pastor was continuing his message series on suffering yesterday, and he made an interesting point.

“Just because God doesn’t ‘cooperate’ with us, doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist.”

That is, just because God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want, doesn’t mean that he isn’t there.  Nor does it mean that he doesn’t care.

And that’s what I see in Psalm 22.  Here, David cries out,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.  (Psalm 22:1-2)

But despite God seeming silent and distant, the psalmist affirms,

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.

In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.  (3-5)

In other words, “I still believe you’re there.  And you are the same God that our ancestors trusted, and they were not put to shame.  So I’m going to keep trusting you, even though I can’t see you or what you’re doing right now.”

Still, David pours out his troubles before God, but in them, we see something else.  We see Jesus whom this psalm foretells.

It foretells his state on the cross (14-17).  It foretells his mocking, and the casting of lots for his clothes (7-8, 17-18).

And it foretells his ultimate triumph and the salvation and blessing that would come because of his sacrifice (22-31).

Jesus, himself, as he was dying on the cross, quoted this psalm and applied it to himself, when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  (Matthew 27:46)

What can we get from this?

When we are suffering and God seems distant and uncaring, those feelings are just that.  Feelings.  And they are not true.  God is there.  And he does care.  David sings,

For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.  (24)

God doesn’t make light of our sufferings.  Nor does he ever hide his face from us.  Rather, he hears our every cry.  And he feels and understands our every pain.

How do I know?  Because Jesus himself suffered.  He too had feelings of abandonment by his Father.  He too knew what it meant to go through pain.

And just as God used all that Jesus went through for his glory, he will use all our sufferings for his glory too, if only we’ll keep trusting him.

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Psalms

Remembering where victory and blessing come from

Psalms

When things are going badly, our thoughts often quickly turn towards God.  But what about during times of victory and blessing?

Do our thoughts turn quickly in praise towards God?  Or do our thoughts turn towards ourselves, and how great we are?

Even David fell into that trap (see 2 Samuel chapters 11-12, and 24), but here in Psalm 21, he kept in mind just where his victory and blessing came from.  He sang,

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.  How great is his joy in the victories you give!

You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.

You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

He asked you for life, and you gave it to him— length of days, for ever and ever.

Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.  (Psalm 21:1-6)

Not only did David remember where these things came from, he remembered why God blessed him.

For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.  (7)

Where do your thoughts turn when you find victory in your life?

Do you find yourself boasting in yourself and your wisdom and strength?  Or do you find yourself praising God for what he’s done?

Do you find yourself putting more faith in yourself and what you can do?  Or do you find yourself putting more faith in God and what he can do?

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Psalms

The key to victory

Psalms

It seems that David wrote Psalm 20 on the eve of a battle.  And here, the people pray for God’s blessing on him as he and his army go out.

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.

May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.

May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.

May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.  (Psalm 20:1-5)

It’s a beautiful prayer, but after it, David reminds them of what the key to victory is.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.  (7-8)

So many times we make our plans without God’s counsel, and just say, “Okay God, bless our plans.  Make them successful.”

Then when our plans fall apart, we wonder why God didn’t answer our prayers.

But here, David reminds them that the key to success is in putting their trust not in their own power and strength (nor in their own wisdom for that matter), but in putting their faith in God.

And that while those who trust in themselves will fall, those who put their faith in God will rise up and stand firm.

How about you?  Are you putting your faith in your own wisdom and strength, and simply asking God to bless you?  Or are you putting all your faith in God?

Are you seeking his face, not only in the battles you face, but in the planning as well?

Let us make God and his Word the foundation for all we do, not our own strength and wisdom.

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Psalms

How God reveals himself

Psalms

Psalm 19 is another one of my favorite psalms and it powerfully shows how God reveals himself to us.

First, David shows us how God reveals himself through creation.  He sang,

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.  (Psalm 19:1-4)

I think this passage is primarily what Paul was thinking of when he wrote,

What may be known about God is plain to [all], because God has made it plain to them.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20)

Sometimes people ask, “What will happen to those who have never heard about God?  Will God judge them too, when they’ve never even heard the name of Christ?”

The answer to this is, yes they will be judged, but not on the basis of never hearing about Christ.

They’ll be judged on the basis that when they looked at creation, they knew in their hearts that it couldn’t have been an accident, nor could it have been created by the idols made by their own hands.  And yet they rejected that knowledge.

When people reject the knowledge that God gives them, he is under no obligation to give them any more.

If he chooses to do so, it’s purely a matter of grace, not of some right to knowledge that we have.

(Actually, any knowledge of himself that God gives to us is purely a matter of grace, anyway).

I will say, however, that if a person, say in Africa, who has never heard the gospel looks up at the sky and says, “I didn’t make this world.  No one I know could have made this.  It’s impossible that the things I created with my own hands have made this.  Whoever you are that made all this, please show yourself to me,” that God will respond one way or another.

Why?  Because it is his desire that all be saved.  (I Timothy 2:4)

If you have any doubts about that, just look at the story of Cornelius in Acts 10.

He knew nothing of his need for Christ. Yet because he acted on the knowledge that he did have, God reached down to him and gave him the knowledge of Jesus that he needed for salvation.

God reveals himself to us through creation, but he also reveals himself through his Word.  And just as with creation, people need to choose to believe his word or reject it.

We can either say that it’s perfect and trustworthy, or that it’s not.  (Psalm 19:7)

We can either say it’s right, or that it’s not.  (Psalm 19:8)

We can believe it is gives joy and light to our lives, or that it doesn’t. (Psalm 19:8)

David, of course, chose to believe the former.  Many others do not.  But how we view God’s Word shapes our view of God for the good or bad.  And if we reject his Word, then we come out with a distorted view of who God really is.

But when we see God for who he is, we love him, and want to please him as David did.  And so David closes this psalm with a prayer, saying,

Who can discern his errors?  Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.  Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.  (Psalm 19:12-14)

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Psalms

To be like Him

Psalms

As is often the case with David, he wrote Psalm 17 when he was in trouble, and people were pursuing his life.

One thing that strikes me about David is he refused to lower himself to the level of his pursuers.  He refused to become like them.  He wrote,

Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test  me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed.

Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded.  My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.  (Psalm 17:3-5)

So many times, we think, “There’s no other choice.  I have to bend the rules a bit if I’m going to deal with those who hate me.  Otherwise they’re going to walk all over me.”

But David continued to do what God had said what was right, and left his vindication in God’s hands.  He cried out,

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.  (6-9)

Then we see the strongest desire of this man whom God called, “a man after his own heart.”

David basically said, “Go ahead, Lord.  Let my enemies have the temporary treasures of this world that they seek.  But as for me, this is what I want:  I desire to see your face.

“And the one thing that will satisfy me is to wake up and to see that I have become just like You whom I love.”

There’s a song I love that says,

When I grow up I wanna be just like you.
I wanna learn to love the way you do.

I’d like for people to say with a smile,
“He’s surely his Father’s child.”

And when I grow up, I wanna be just like you.

That’s God’s desire for us too.  Paul put it this way,

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  (2 Corinthians 3:18)

May our goal in life not be the things of this world.  And let us not lower ourselves to the level of those who hate us, becoming like them.

Rather, let us become more like the Father who loves us, so that when others see us, they see Him in us.

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Psalms

The Path to Life

Psalms

Everyone wants a life worth living.  That’s what David found, despite all his troubles, and in this psalm he shows us how to find the path to life.

In short, the path to life is not primarily a way of living.  It’s a person.  And so David sang,

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.  (Psalm 16:2)

There is an utter joy in these words.  “You are my Lord.”

Some people think that joy comes from ruling yourself.  But true joy comes from submitting ourselves to God, and making him from our king.

Why?  Because as David recognized, apart from God there is no good thing.  He is the author of all that is good.

James agrees, saying,

 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.  (James 1:17)

As such, there can be no joy apart from Him who is the source of joy.

Yet many people seek just that, joy apart from God.  They seek it in the gods of this world:  money, possessions, and pleasure among others.

These are not bad things, but apart from God, they prove to be empty in the end to those who pursue them.

And so David says, “I don’t idolize these kinds of people, no matter how successful they may seem, because in the end, they find only sorrow and suffering.  Rather, I delight in those who follow after you.”

He then turns his face up to God and sings,

“Lord, you are what I seek more than anything else.  You are my inheritance.  The thing I receive from you and treasure more than anything else is my relationship with you.  That’s what makes this life worth living.”

Sometimes people look at the commands of God as burdensome, but David didn’t see it that way.  Rather, he said,

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.  (Psalm 16:6)

Because of his relationship with God, it was a joy to obey him.  And he saw that these commands were not meant to take away joy, but to give him joy.  To show him how to live the way God intended life to be lived.

As a result, he was glad to hear what God had to say.  He listened to his counsel and with God by his side, he could never be shaken despite his circumstances.

Not only that, he had hope beyond the grave.  He wrote,

You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your Holy one see decay.  (Psalm 16:10)

Of course, this was fulfilled in Jesus’ resurrection, but Jesus promised that because he lives, we will live also.  (John 14:19)

David sums this all up by singing,

You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  (Psalm 16:11)

Do you want to know the path of life?  It’s not found in keeping a bunch of religious rules or by following a number of religious practices.

Rather, it’s found in the person of Jesus Christ.  And when we find him and make him our Lord, that’s when we find a life worth living.

As Jesus said, “I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life.”  (John 14:6)

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Psalms

A life of holiness

Psalms

I once heard someone describe the word holiness as “wholeness.”  That when we live a holy life, that’s when we’re whole, because we’re living the way that God intended us to live.

I mentioned yesterday how when people reject God, their view of good and evil get distorted.

In contrast, here in this passage, we learn some basic things of what being whole is all about.

Why is this important?  Because of how David opens Psalm 15.  He writes,

LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?  Who may live on your holy hill?  (Psalm 15:1)

In other words, not just anyone can enter into God’s presence.  The writer of Hebrews made this very clear when he wrote,

Without holiness no one will see the Lord.  (Hebrews 12:14)

What is holiness?

It’s walking blamelessly. 

No one can justly accuse you of doing wrong.

This is not to say that no one will attempt to.  Jesus was perfect, yet his enemies still found reasons to accuse him.

The key word here is “justly.”  Can anyone justly accuse you of doing anything wrong?  Or are you blameless in their eyes?

It’s doing what’s righteous.

Holiness is not just avoiding doing the bad.  It’s doing what you know is right.  James wrote,

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.  (James 4:17)

It’s speaking the truth from the heart.

Are you a lover of truth? Or do lies, even “white lies” easily slip out of your mouth?

I’m not saying that we should callously speak truth with no regard to the other’s feelings. But we are to speak the truth to people…in love. (Ephesians 4:15)

It’s avoiding slandering people. 

How often do you talk behind someone’s back, whether it’s a coworker, a customer, or even your spouse?  Holiness avoids that kind of talk.

It’s admiring those who do right, not those who do evil. 

Who are your role models? Who do you strive to be like?

Are you seeking to be like those who love and serve God?  Or are you striving to be like those who have rejected God in their hearts?  Whose values are you taking on in your heart?

It’s keeping your word, even when it’s not convenient.

Even when it’s painful, you do what you said you would.

It’s being generous, helping those in need.

It’s not taking advantage of another’s difficult situation, but touching them with God’s love.

Finally, it’s being honest and just. 

Treating all as God would, no matter their station, and no matter what possible profit it might be to you to act otherwise.

David says that this kind of person will be whole and as a result will never be shaken.

How about you?  Are you holy?

The good news is that if you belong to Christ, he makes you holy and righteous in God’s sight through his blood.  That’s in the legal sense.

But in the practical sense, Peter says that,

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  (2 Peter 1:3).

In other words, we don’t have to make ourselves holy in our own strength.  God empowers us to live a holy life.

So each day let us strive for holiness.

And as Peter went on to say,

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (2 Peter 1:5-8)

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Psalms

When we reject God

Psalms

Psalms 14 and 53 are nearly identical with a few changes here and there, so I’m grouping them together here.

In these psalms, we see the results of people rejecting God in their lives.  Who say in their hearts, “There is no God.”

The Bible calls such people “fools.”  And the idea is not one of intellectual deficiency, but of moral deficiency.

Because when people reject the idea of God in their lives, it inevitably leads to moral corruption.  David writes,

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.  (Psalm 14:1)

“Now wait a minute,” you might say.  “I know some perfectly ethical people who don’t believe in God.  And some non-Christians I know are better than some Christians I know.”

That may be true.  But comparing people to each other is one thing.  Comparing our “goodness” to the holiness of God is a different thing entirely. And compared to God, our stains of sin become glaringly obvious. 

The unforgiveness we hold in our hearts towards those who hurt us. 

The lack of consideration we can show for our spouses. 

The fits of temper that we let loose from time to time. 

The selfishness that permeates our actions in the workplace and at home. 

Need I go further?

“But these things are only natural.  Everyone does these things.  Nobody’s perfect,” you might say.

But that way of thinking, that these things are only “natural,” is the result of a corrupted nature.  They were not natural in the beginning when God created us. But when we rejected God, they became, “natural.” 

That’s moral corruption: when what is sinful becomes thought of as natural.

We can make up all kinds of excuses for our actions.  But the truth remains, we are corrupt and our actions vile in the sight of God.

And as long as we keep God out of our lives, our sense of right and wrong will remain a corrupted version of what is truly right and wrong.

We cannot separate ourselves from the source of goodness and claim that we know goodness.  People have tried, and they have always failed miserably.

What is the result of all this?  Death.  And ultimately, judgment.  Because God will come again and judge this earth.

Those who belong to Him will rejoice on that day.  But for those who rejected him, they will only have fear and dread.

Because on that day, they will see just how corrupt they are compared to a holy God, and all of the justifications that they use to explain their actions will be shown for the empty excuses that they are.

So let us not be fools.  Let us acknowledge not only God’s existence, but his rightful place as king in our lives.  As Solomon put it,

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  (Proverbs 9:10)

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Psalms

God…Where are you?

Psalms

It’s very interesting, the timing of this psalm, if only for the reason that our church is starting a new message series today called “God…Where are you?”

And that’s exactly the sentiment that David had in Psalm 13.  He wrote,

How long, Lord?  Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?  (Psalm 13:1-2)

Sometimes I think we make superheroes out of some of the characters of the Bible.

We look at people like David and think that he always felt close to God.  That every time he went through problems, he nevertheless sensed God’s presence in his life, and was comforted.

But everyone, and I mean everyone, goes through desert experiences in their lives.  Times when they wonder where God is.  Times when their prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling.  Times when God seems to be nowhere to be found.

And we like David cry out, “God, where are you?  Why are you hiding from me?  Don’t you see?  Don’t you care?

“Every day I’m wrestling with my thoughts, my fears, and my despair.  How long will this go on?  Help me Lord!  I can’t make it without you.”

What do we do when God seems distant?

In short, just hold on.  Keep trusting that he loves you though you can’t see it or feel it at the moment.  More than that, choose to rejoice though you don’t feel like it.

“How can I rejoice when I don’t feel like it?”

I won’t say it’s easy.  But I think David gives us some hints here.  He sang,

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.  (5-6)

David recalled to his mind what God had done for him in the past and thanked him for his goodness.  And as he did, he realized that this same God who had delivered him in the past would deliver him from his present troubles.

In the same way, when God seems distant, we need to recall what God has done for us in the past.

We should especially recall what Jesus did for us on the cross.  That he loved us so much that he came down to this earth as a man and died for our sin.

If Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to do that, how can we think that he could ever stop loving us?  And how can we not believe he will deliver us now?

There’s one other thing I think we should remember.  When we rejoice even though we don’t feel like it, God takes more pleasure from that than when we worship out of our feelings of closeness to him.

What’s more, when we choose to believe in his goodness even though we can’t see it, that’s when faith truly grows.

And it’s at that point that God shows himself to us once again.

I love a song by Steven Curtis Chapman, because it captures this idea beautifully.  It says,

These are the places I was so sure I’d find him
I looked in the pages and I looked down on my knees
I lifted my eyes in expectation
To see the sun still refusing to shine,

But sometimes He comes in the clouds
Sometimes His face can not be found
Sometimes the sky is dark and gray

But some things can only be known
And sometimes our faith can only grow
When we can’t see

So sometimes he comes in the rain
And we question the pain
And wonder why God can seem so far away
But time will show us, he was right there with us.

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Psalms

Who is master of your tongue?

Psalms

In Psalm 12, David laments the lack of godly, faithful men.  And the one area he focuses on is the tongues of those around him.  He said,

Everyone lies to his neighbor;
their flattering lips speak with deception.

May the LORD cut off all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue that says,
“We will triumph with our tongues;
we own our lips – who is our master?”  (Psalm 12:2-4)

David then compares the words of his neighbors to the words of the Lord, saying,

The words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times.  (6)

If we claim Jesus as our Lord, he should also be Lord of our tongues.  Is he?  Are our words like silver refined in the fire until they’re completely pure as Jesus’ were?

Or do lies, boasting, deception, and slander mark our lips?  Do gossip, complaining, and inappropriate jokes flow from our mouths?

Paul wrote,

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  (Ephesians 4:29)

What’s been coming out of your mouth today?

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Psalms

Refusing to give in to fear

Psalms

Psalm 11 reminds me somewhat of what happened to Nehemiah. 

In an attempt to get the Jews to stop their work on the walls, their enemies bribed a priest to make Nehemiah think his life was in danger and to get him to hide in the temple.  But Nehemiah said,

Should a man like me run away?  Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life?  I will not go!  (Nehemiah 6:11)

In the same way, David wrote,

In the Lord I take refuge. 

How then can you say to me: 
“Flee like a bird to your mountain. 

For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. 

When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:1-3)

David and Nehemiah had one thing in common.  They refused to give in to fear.  Rather, they put their trust in the Lord. 

People would have had them panic, saying, “Everything is falling apart!  What are we going to do?”

But they stood firm, and would not be moved.  David wrote about the confidence he had, saying,

The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne. 

He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them. 

The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.  (4-5)

In other words, “God is here.  He sees what’s going on.  He’s in control.  He is watching over me, and he will deal with those who would do me harm.”

Then he finishes by saying,

For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.  (7)

How about you?  Do you have a similar confidence in the Lord?  When the world around you seems to be falling apart, do you give in to panic? 

Or have you made the Lord your refuge?  Have you put your complete trust in him, knowing that he has his hand on you even if you can’t see it?

As Isaiah wrote,

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.  (Isaiah 30:15)

Let us not be like the Israelites who gave into their fear.

Let us instead be like Nehemiah and David who put their full trust in the Lord who is faithful.

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Psalms

Abandoning ourselves to God

Psalms

In Psalm 10, we see again many of the questions of Job.  David cries out as Job did,

Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?  Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?  (Psalm 10:1)

He then questions why the wicked seem to prosper, though in their pride, they reject God and cause misery to so many.

And in verse 12, he pleads,

Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Your hand.  Do not forget the afflicted.

But after that, he says something interesting.

But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand.

The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.  (14)

That third phrase really strikes me.

The victims commit themselves to you.

The word “commit” is very interesting.  It is, in fact, the only time in the Old Testament that it’s translated that way.  Literally, it means “to abandon.”

The idea is that these people are in such desperate straits, they come to an end to themselves.  They let go, and completely surrender themselves to God.

And as they do, David says,

You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed.  (17-18)

That word for “encourage” is a very rich one.  The Amplified version puts it this way:  “You will prepare and strengthen and direct their hearts.”

When we abandon ourselves to God, it allows him not only to encourage us, but to prepare our hearts for the plans he has in store for us and to direct our steps.

What does it mean to abandon ourselves to God?  I think it first means to give up our questions, and to surrender them to God.

To say, “I don’t understand why these evil things are happening.  I don’t understand why you seem to be so far off.  But I will trust you, anyway.”

That was the lesson Job learned.

It also means to give up trying to solve things in our own wisdom and strength.

So often when we are hurt, we think the logical thing is to hurt the other person back.

But to abandon ourselves to God is to give up our “right” to revenge and to leave justice in God’s hands.  To trust him to do what is right with those who hurt us.

Oswald Chambers sums all of this up this way,

The true test of abandonment or surrender is in refusing to say, “Well, what about this?”

Beware of your own ideas and speculations. The moment you allow yourself to think, “What about this?” you show that you have not surrendered and that you do not really trust God.

But once you do surrender, you will no longer think about what God is going to do.

Abandonment means to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions…

And once you do get to the point of total surrender to Him, you will be the most surprised and delighted person on earth.

God will have you absolutely, without any limitations, and He will have given you your life.

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Psalms

The God who is just

Psalms

If there is one theme in Psalm 9, it’s God’s justice.

David says of God,

You have sat on your throne, judging righteously.  (Psalm 9:4)

And again,

He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.  (8)

And yet again,

The LORD is known by his justice.  (16)

This is not to say that we do not see evil in this world.  We do.  But David says of God,

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.

Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.

For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted…

the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. (9-12, 18)

In other words, justice may be delayed in our eyes, but it will come.  And though we may go through times of trouble, we can know that God is still there and has not abandoned us.

Though we may suffer and it seems that God is distant, he is not ignoring us, but he hears each cry we make.  He has not forgotten us, but he will rise up to act on our behalf.

And when he does, let us remember to thank him for what he has done, as David did, who at the end of his trial sang,

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.

I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.  (1-2).

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Psalms

A prayer from the Psalms: Who am I?

Psalms

Whenever I go back to Hawaii, I love to look at the stars at night.  You just can’t see them so clearly from where I live in Japan.

On a normal night, you might see two or three, if that many.  If you’re lucky, you might actually get to see Orion’s belt.

But whenever I see the stars in all their glory, I marvel at them as David must have as he wrote this psalm.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens.  (Psalm 8:1)

Then like David, I think of how big God is, and how small I am.  And I marvel at how the God who created all this could actually care about me.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  (Psalm 8:3-5)

On my way to work this morning, I was listening to a song that was based on this psalm and it totally captures my feelings.

Who am I that you are mindful of me
That you hear me, when I call

Is it true that you are thinking of me
How you love me, it’s amazing.

Lord, thank you that you are mindful of me.  That you actually bend down and listen to me when I pray.  That you actually think of me.  That though I am lower than the angels, yet you crown me with glory and honor. 

Not because I deserve it.  But because you love me. 

Lord, may I never take your love for granted, but may I always stand in awe of your love for me.  In Jesus name, amen.

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Psalms

Letting God be the judge

Psalms

One thing that we generally see in David’s life is that he let God be the judge.  He rarely went out to take things into his own hands. (The lone exception being when Abigail had to stop him from taking revenge on her husband Nabal).

And here we see this same attitude.  Though people were pursuing him to kill him, yet he placed himself and his enemies in God’s hands, letting Him be the judge between them.

David wrote,

Awake, my God; decree justice.

Let the assembled peoples gather around you, while you sit enthroned over them on high.

Let the Lord judge the peoples. 

Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.  (Psalm 7:6-8)

He then expresses his confidence that God, “who probes minds and hearts” (9) would judge justly, bringing the evil people plan back upon themselves.  He then finishes with praise, singing,

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.  (Psalm 7:17)

Let us be like David, trusting in the one who searches hearts and minds, and leaving judgment to him.

Thoughts of revenge will only consume us and take away our joy.  But when we leave things in the hands of the One who judges justly, we can find peace and joy through the most difficult of circumstances.

Categories
Psalms

When suffering seems long

Psalms

Psalm 6 was written by David, but it could’ve just as easily been written by Job for all the sentiments it expresses.

Like Job, David seemed to be suffering from some kind of physical illness and apparently, there was no end in sight.

Further, while it seemed that God was bringing discipline into his life, there seemed to be no reason for it that he could see. (David never does confess any sin in this psalm).

And if that weren’t enough, his enemies were using the opportunity of his suffering to attack him.

Despite his suffering, however, David never does question God’s justice as Job did.  He recognized that God really owed him nothing, that in fact, what he deserved was God’s wrath.

And so he makes his plea for deliverance not based on his own righteousness, but on God’s mercy and unfailing love.  He cried out,

Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

My soul is in anguish.  How long, O LORD, how long?

Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.  (Psalm 6:2-4)

And in the midst of his prayer, he finds God’s reassurance.  He writes,

Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.  The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.

All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace. (8-10)

I remember hearing a Christian comedian, Mark Lowry, talking about his favorite verse.  It was, “And it came to pass…”

Interpretation:  “Our sufferings aren’t here to stay, they will pass.”

Obviously this is not great Biblical interpretation, but it is true.  When we cry out to him, God in his mercy will hear.  And all our pain, all our sufferings, they will pass.

Lowry sings his own “psalm” saying,

There’s a place inside
Full of tears I hide
That I’ve only cried alone.

But I know that He’s near,
And I know He hears,
And I know these tears won’t last.

This pain today
Will be swept away because
This too shall pass.

As night turns into morning,
We will see the truth at last,
That troubles come to everyone
But they only come to pass.

This too shall pass.
This too shall pass.

And the tears that fall like raindrops now
Will finally dry at last.

This too shall pass.

Categories
Psalms

Petitioning the King

Psalms

Psalm 5 is probably one of my favorite psalms.  I still love to sing the old chorus that goes to the King James Version.

Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.  Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.  (Psalm 5:1-3)

As I look at this Psalm, I get the picture of a person coming into the king’s courtroom, asking for justice and help.

Bowing before him, they cry out, “My King and My God, have mercy on me.  I need your help.  Listen to my plea.”

There is an air of utter humility there, but also of loving trust.

“Lord, in the morning when I get up, my first thought turns to you.  I lay down my requests before you and wait in expectation knowing that you do love me, that you do care, and will answer my cry.”

What problem David was going through at  this time, we don’t know.  But as usual, when he faced troubles, fears, and anxieties, he turned to his King.  And so should we.

We can come before him not because we are more righteous than the people that hurt us, but because of his great mercy towards us.

And though people may hurt us, and lie to us, we can know that God will never do so.  He is a good King, and will grant us justice when we cry to him.  And he will spread his wings over us.

David prayed,

Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.  (11-12)

As I read this, I think of the parable of Jesus where he talked about a woman who sought justice from an unjust judge.  And it was only after harassing him day after day that the judge granted her the justice she sought.

Jesus contrasts that judge with our loving Father, saying,

Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?  Will he keep putting them off?

I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.

However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”  (Luke 18:7-8)

There were times when David had to wait day after day, year after year for God to deliver him from his troubles.  But he never lost his faith in God.

Morning after morning, he kept coming before God with his petitions.  God in his love heard him.  And ultimately he delivered him.

When we face troubles in this life, may we too have the faith of David, knowing that God hears, that he cares, and that he will answer.

Categories
Psalms

Peace

Psalms

In a world of turmoil, peace can be hard to find, especially when it seems like everyone is against you.  Or even just one person, be it your boss, your husband, your wife, or even a friend you’ve been fighting with.

David certainly knew that feeling throughout his life, facing adversity from Saul and Absalom among others.

And so he cries out to God,

Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.  Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?  How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?  (Psalm 4:1-2)

Perhaps in the midst of his troubles, people were mocking his faith in God, saying, “God can’t deliver you from this…if there is a God.”

We face the same thing today, with people not only seeking false gods from other religions, but also the gods of money, sex, and power, among other things.

And they mock us for seeking after God, especially when they see the problems we sometimes go through.

But David tells his enemies,

Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him.  (Psalm 4:3)

In other words, “You may mock my faith, but I belong to him.  And you will see.  He will answer my prayers.”

He then tells himself and us who sometimes suffer mocking and hurt from others,

In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.  (Psalm 4:4)

It’s okay to be angry.  Jesus himself got angry sometimes.

But in our anger, we are to keep ourselves from sin.  We are to search our hearts and attitudes in silence before God, and ask him to purify us from anything that would stain our hearts.

Bitterness is one thing in particular that we need to guard against.  When we allow ourselves to become bitter, it spreads out into our lives like a cancer.  And so we need to ask God to take it out before it can do so.

He then says to offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.  It’s interesting to me that to Jesus, offering right sacrifices, or anything to the Lord for that matter, meant keeping right relationships.

He told us,

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.

First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.  (Matthew 5:23-24)

Sometimes people will hurt us, and though we make every effort to reconcile with them, they continue to hurt us.

In that case, we just need to put our trust in the Lord that he will deal with that person in his time.  Revenge has no place in our lives.

This is not to say that we shouldn’t keep our distance from those who hurt us.  David certainly kept his distance from Saul when Saul was trying to kill him.

But like David, we are not to harbor resentment or bitterness against those who hurt us.  Instead, we need to trust in God and put the situation and that person in his hands.

And don’t be like some who would doubt God’s goodness in the midst of trouble, but daily pray as David did,

Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.  (Psalm 4:6)

Put another way, “Lord turn your face upon me.  Let me know that you’re here and you care.  Because when your light shines on me, ‘the things that surround become shadows in the light of you.'”

And when you have that attitude, God’s joy will fill you and like David you will say,

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.  (Psalm 4:8)

How about you?  Do you know God’s peace today?

Categories
Psalms

Yielding to our rightful King

Psalms

Yielding.  It’s not a word people like to hear.  Especially when it comes to what we feel are our rights.  My body.  My life.  My way.

And when anyone tries to make us yield, we fight as if our lives depended on it.

And when it comes to God, our lives do depend on it.  If we want a blessed life, we need to yield to God as our King.

In this passage, however, we see how many people fight against God instead of yielding to him.

The Psalmist writes,

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together against the LORD
and against his anointed, saying,

“Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”  (Psalm 2:1-3)

That’s how many people think when it comes to God.

“He’s trying to bind us.  He’s trying to make our lives miserable.  Let’s throw off these chains and shackles he’s trying to bind us with.”

It’s been that way for centuries, from the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden, to the cross of Calvary, and even to our present day.  And the day will come when all the nations will come together to fight against God one last time.

But,

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.

He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

“I have installed my king on Zion,
my holy mountain.”  (Psalm 2:4-6)

In other words, all our fighting, all our striving, all our efforts are in vain when it comes to fighting against the Lord.

God has established Christ as King, and now says to him,

“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.

Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession. (Psalm 2:7-8)”

All the world will be subjected to the Son.  Some will yield in love and awe.  Others will surrender with fists clenched and teeth gnashed.  But all will yield.

So how should we respond?

Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.

Kiss his Son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment. (Psalm 2:10-12)

In other words, knowing that Jesus will triumph, we would be wise to yield now while we still have the choice.

To honor him and serve him with the awe and reverence he deserves.  He is, after all, our rightful king.  He created us and so we rightfully belong to him.

All that we have, even our very lives, are gifts from him.  So why not yield?

All will kneel whether they want to or not.  And if people persist in their rebellion against their rightful King, they will be destroyed.

But as the psalmist says,

Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:12)

When we yield to him, we find peace, we find joy, and we find life.

We don’t lose anything by yielding.  We gain everything.

How about you?  Will you yield to your rightful king today?

Categories
Psalms

The way of blessedness

Psalms

And so we head full-on into the Psalms.

We have already touched on those where we knew their historical contexts, so if you notice that we seem to skip a few here or there, we actually covered them earlier.

I’m thinking of adding to the blog menu to make things easier to find, but I won’t make promises on when that will happen.  Hopefully soon, however.

In this, the first psalm, it talks about the way of blessedness.  How do we find blessing?

We need to watch where we walk, stand, and sit.  The writer says,

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers.  (Psalm 1:1)

In other words, who are you keeping company with?  Whose examples are you following?  What path are you standing on?

This passage is not saying that we should avoid non-Christians altogether.

For one thing, that would be impossible.  For another, it would be impossible to reach them for Christ if we’re avoiding them.

But the question we need to ask is, “Are they influencing us, or are we influencing them?”

Are we starting to take their on attitudes, or are they starting to take ours?  Are we taking the path they’re walking on, or are they starting to be swayed by the path we are on?

The writer here tells us not to be influenced by the ungodly.  Instead, we should be influenced by the Word of God.

He says we should, “delight in the law of the Lord,” and “meditate on his law day and night.”  (2)

Every day, we should be immersing ourselves in God’s word.  Reading it in the morning if possible.

And as we walk, ride the train, drive our car, or even as we just do housework, we should be reflecting on what God has been teaching us, and asking “God what are you saying to me today?”

As we do so, we’ll be like a

tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither —
whatever they do prospers.  (Psalm 1:3)

The picture is a tree that is purposely placed where it can get lots of water.  And because it is so near the source of its life, it yields its fruit in season and prospers.

In the same way, when we place ourselves near the Water of Life, the Living Water of the Holy Spirit, he fills us, and we bear his fruit.

Does this mean that we’ll never face problems?  Of course not.  We just saw in Job that though he did all the things Psalm 1 talks about, he still suffered greatly.

But as it says in verse 6,

The Lord watches over the way of the righteous.

Though Job may have felt abandoned by God, God had never left.  He was still watching over Job and even prevented Satan from doing more damage to Job’s life.

And by staying near those streams of Living Water, Job eventually was restored and bore fruit once more.

So let us watch where we walk, stand, and sit.  And let our lives be filled by the One who gives true life.

Categories
2 Samuel Psalms

The God who hears, the God who helps, the God who strengthens

Where is God?  Sometimes as we’re going through trials, we wonder where he is.  Does he see?  Does he hear?

I’m sure David went through times when he felt that way.  When he was fleeing from Saul and Absalom in particular.

But looking back on his life, David wrote this psalm.  And as he did, he realized just how much God’s hand was on his life.  He wrote,

The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. (2 Samuel 22:5-6)

In other words, there were times when he was in desperate trouble while fleeing from Saul and Absalom.

It could also be he was referring to another battle when a Philistine named Ishbi-Benob came upon an exhausted David, and basically said, “I’m going to kill you now.”

Talk about having your life flash before your eyes.  But at that moment, Abishai came to David’s rescue and slew the Philistine. (2 Samuel 21:16-17).

It was David’s last battle.

And so David sang,

In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called out to my God.

From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears…

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.  (2 Samuel 22:7, 17-20)

Those words remind me of how God saved us from our sin.

We were in desperate straits, facing death because of our sin.  But when we cried out to him, he heard us, he reached down and took hold of us, and drew us out of deep waters.

He saved us when we couldn’t save ourselves and put us on solid ground.

Even before we knew we needed him, he came to this earth as a man to die for our sins.

And now, we like David can say to him,

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.

He is my stronghold,
my refuge and my savior. (2 Samuel 22:2-3)

But not only does God rescue us, he gives us the strength to fight through the battles that come our way. David wrote,

It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.  (2 Samuel 22:33-34)

God doesn’t just save us and then say, “Now you’re on your own.”

Instead he constantly walks with us and helps us as we go through life.

The key is that we keep our eyes on him and humbly follow after him.  As David said,

To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.  (2 Samuel 22:26-28)

Peter adds,

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Are you struggling right now, wondering if God is really here and cares about you?

Remember the song of David.  Sing it in your soul.

The same God that was there for him will be there for you.  Just keep humbly following after him.

Categories
Psalms

A love song in the desert

Psalms

David sure spent a lot of time in the desert.  He did so when running from Saul, and also when running from his son Absalom.

It seems, however, from what David writes here that he wrote this Psalm when he was running from his son.

And in the middle of the desert, tired, hungry, and thirsty, he writes,

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  (Psalm 63:1)

In other words, David’s saying, “God, I’m physically hungry.  I’m physically thirsty.  But more than these things, I hunger and thirst for you.  My longing is for you.”

In Jerusalem, where his palace was, David could go to the tabernacle to worship God, but here he was cut off from the tabernacle.  And so he writes longingly,

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.  (2)

But even here in the desert, running for his life, and cut off from the sanctuary, he sings,

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.  (3-4)

And just as a man or woman thinks about his lover, he writes,

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  (6)

Not only that, his closeness to God was such that even in the midst of his trials, he found comfort in the love of God.

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.  (7-8)

How is your passion for God?  Does your soul cling to him?

Do you love him so much that your thoughts bend towards him as you are going to sleep?

Is his love better than life to you; do you find satisfaction for your soul in him?

Do you hunger and thirst for more of him in your life.

I was watching American Idol recently, and one singer sang, “Everything” by LifeHouse (a secular rock group, but founded by Christians).

The words are strikingly similar to David’s here.

Find me here, and speak to me
I want to feel you, I need to hear you

You are the light that’s leading me to the place
Where I find peace again

You are the strength that keeps me walking
You are the hope that keeps me trusting

You are the light to my soul
You are my purpose
You’re everything

And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms and you give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won’t let me fall

You steal my heart and you take my breath away
Would you take me in, take me deeper now
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you

Cause you’re all I want, you’re all I need
You’re everything, everything

You’re all I want
You’re all I need
You’re everything, everything.

Categories
Psalms

Peace

Psalms

Peace of mind.

It’s something that everyone seeks.  But sometimes, it can be hard to find.

This month, work has been pretty slow for me, which is a bit unsettling because it does affect my salary.  And I often find myself worrying about my finances.

David had bigger problems.  His own son was trying to kill him, and his situation was looking desperate.

O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”  (Psalm 3:1-2)

David had every reason to panic.  He had every reason to fret and worry.

But instead he said,

But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. (Psalm 3:3)

Above everyone else, it was God that David put his trust in.

It wasn’t his soldiers he counted as his shield.  Nor was his glory in the crown he wore on his head.  Instead, it was God who was both his shield and his glory.

And David knew that when he prayed, God heard.

To the LORD I cry aloud,  and he answers me from his holy hill. (4)

It was because of this confidence in God that David had, that he had peace.  And so he wrote,

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.  I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.  (Psalm 3:5-6)

How about you?  Can you say the same?  Can you rest well, without fear, without anxiety?

Put your confidence in God as David did.  For that’s where you’ll find your peace.

Categories
Psalms

The need for confession

Psalms

I don’t know if this psalm was written at the same time as Psalm 51, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was, and so I include it here within the life of David.

David knew what it was like to try to hide one’s sin from God, and it appears that God was trying to get his attention long before Nathan showed up.

David apparently was having sleeping problems as his conscience kept whispering to him, “You were wrong.  You have sinned.”

When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer. (Psalm 32:3-4)

It was perhaps because of God’s work during this time that David was so responsive to Nathan when he came.

Sleepless, conscience-stricken, feeling sick in his heart at what he had done, it took little to get him to confess.  When Nathan showed up to confront him, David simply, but brokenly replied, “I have sinned.”  (2 Samuel 12:13)

It’s easy to see verses 3-4 of Psalm 32 as God’s punishment.  But I see it more as a sign of God’s love.

It was God saying to David, “I know what you did.  And I love you too much to just let you rest easy in your sin.  It’s destroying you.  Admit your wrong.  Confess it.”

And when David did, he found God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace.  He wrote,

Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD.”

And you forgave
the guilt of my sin. (5)

Now looking back on it all, David could say,

Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the one
whose sin the LORD does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit. (1-2)

How about you?  Is there sin that you are keeping hidden in your heart?  Is your conscience pricking your heart as it did with David?

Don’t ignore it.  Because if you do, the time will come when you will feel those pricks no longer.  You’ll become numb to them, and you’ll be in a worse state than you are now.

David tells us,

Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.

Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him. (9-10)

Categories
Psalms

A prayer of repentance

Psalms

Repentance.  What is it?  It’s a word we often use as Christians.  But what does it really mean? 

I think this psalm written by David after Nathan confronted him concerning the incident with Uriah and Bathsheba gives us  a clear picture of what repentance is all about.

1.  It’s recognizing your sin. 

David wrote,

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. (Psalm 51:3)

For a long time, David tried to hide his sin.  He tried to justify in his heart what he had done.  But now there was no hiding.  No trying to justify his actions.  Just saying straight out, “I have sinned.”

2.  It’s recognizing we’ve sinned against God. 

Certainly, David sinned against Uriah.  But more than that, he sinned against God. 

There are times in our lives where we justify our sins by saying “Well, it really didn’t hurt anyone.  The only one it affected was myself.” 

But the truth is whether it affected anyone else or not, it is God that we hurt most when we sin.  David realized this, and so he wrote,

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. (Psalm 51:4)

3.  Repentance acknowledges that God’s ways and his judgments are right. 

There’s no arguing about why there should be an exception made in your case.  There’s no complaining that God is being too harsh or too strict.  Instead, repentance says, “You’re right.  I’m wrong.” 

David wrote,

You are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. (Psalm 51:4)

4.  Repentance means throwing yourself on God’s mercy. 

It’s realizing that you’re totally guilty, that you’re deserving death, and that your only hope for salvation is based on God’s mercy alone.  And so David prayed,

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions…

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me…Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me (1, 11, 14)

5.  Repentance is asking for forgiveness.  

David begged,

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin…

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow….

Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  (2, 7, 9-10)

6.  Repentance recognizes that God seeks inward change, not just words or sacrifices. 

So often, people pray words of repentance, but don’t really mean them.  They’re “confessing” their sin but have no intention to change. 

To them, God’s grace is just a mat on which to wipe their dirty feet, all the while planning their next sin. 

Or they make some kind of sacrifice.  Maybe it’s offering given to the church.  Or maybe it’s doing some kind of charity work.  Or some good deed.  And they do this in hopes that their good deeds balance out their bad. 

But David wrote,

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.  (Psalm 51:16-17)

A broken spirit doesn’t take sin lightly.  A contrite heart doesn’t think about its next opportunity to sin.  Instead, they pray as David did,

Make me willing to obey You.  (verse 12, NLT)

How about you?  Are your prayers of repentance just words?  Or do you truly recognize your sin? 

Do you realize just how much your sin hurts God?  Do you truly throw yourself on God’s mercy, realizing just how desperate your situation is?  And do you so hate sin that you ask God for his help in fighting against it? 

That’s repentance.

Where is your heart today?

Categories
1 Chronicles Psalms

A history of disobedience…and mercy

Psalms & Chronicles

In Psalm 106, David recounts the history of Israel.  And it isn’t a very positive one.  It recounts how time and again, Israel turned their backs on God.  In many ways, it also reflects our lives.

1.  They rebelled against him (Psalm 106:6-7). This is one of the main themes of this psalm.  That they willfully chose to rebel.  One of the main reasons was their short memory.

Time and again, they saw God do incredible wonders for them.  Time and again, these wonders would slip from their minds whenever adversity came.  As a result, they sinned time and again.

How often do we do the same?  We forget all the things God did for us, and as a result, when adversity comes, we start complaining against God, blaming him for our troubles, and then decide to do things our own way.

2.  They gave in to the lusts of their flesh (14).  Usually, we think of lust as sexual in nature, but in this case, they were lusting after meat.  They got it, but a plague followed thereafter.

In the same way, when we follow after our flesh, it will destroy us eventually.  Whether it’s STDs, diabetes, heart attacks, whatever it may be.  We may get what we lust for, but it often leads to a lot of pain, and eventually death.

3.  They exchanged their worship of God for other things, and yoked themselves to them (19-20, 28).  We too often turn our backs on God and start worshiping other things.  And I’m not merely talking about other “gods.”

Nowadays, we worship sex, money, TV, video games, our hobbies.

Anything that we put before God, that’s our god.  We yoke ourselves to them, and they keep us from following wholeheartedly after God.  And often times, they pull us away from him.

4.  They despised the good things God had for them, not believing his promises (24-27).  As a result, they grumbled against him, and never did receive the good things God intended for them.

How often do we do the same?  We see in God’s word all the good things he has planned for us, and yet we don’t believe that God will keep his promises.  And so we disobey his word and as a result, lose the things God had intended for us.

5.  They conformed to the world, becoming like the peoples around them, taking on their values and morals (34-39).

Many Christians today do the same.  Rather than making an impact on the world around them, they conform their values to the values of the people around them, doing things that God hates.

Yet in the midst of all this, you still see God’s mercy.  Time and again, in the midst of troubles of their own making, God reached down and delivered them when they cried out to him.

And he does the same with us.  No matter how far we have fallen, no matter what we’ve done, if we’ll turn to him in repentance, he will forgive.

And so David writes at the end of this psalm,

Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.

Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the LORD. (47-48)

Lord, I have sinned.  So many times, I fail to appreciate all you’ve done for me.  So many times I fail to believe your promises, and so I end up disobeying you doing things my own way.

Too often I cling to the idols in my life and chase after my lusts.  And too many times, I conform to the pattern of this world rather than letting myself be transformed by the renewing of my mind.  Forgive me.  Change me.

I thank you for your mercy towards me.  Help me each day to become more like you.   In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
1 Chronicles Psalms

Declaring God to the nations

Psalms & Chronicles

God has a purpose for us.  And it’s clearly defined here in Psalm 96.  What is it?

David wrote,

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary. (Psalm 96:1-6)

What is our purpose?  It’s to declare God to the people around us.  To share the joy we have with others, so that they may have that same joy too.

“Sing to the Lord,” David says.  Why?  To honor God?  Yes.  But not just that.  David continues,  “Proclaim his salvation day after day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

Why do we need to do this?  Because so many don’t know him.  “For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.”

So many people think they know who God is, but all they have are things made by human hands.

But not only do we need to let people know how great our God is, but that there is a day of judgment coming. David wrote,

O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;
recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! (7-8, NLT)

The day will come when all will recognize God for who he is.  He will take his rightful place on the throne over all the earth, and as David writes, “He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.”  (13)

So many people complain about the injustice that’s in the world today.  But they are unaware that when justice comes, it will be true justice.  And if their sin hasn’t been dealt with, they will be judged for all the unjust things they have done.

And so God calls us to go out and tell the people around us about him.

How about you?  Do you share God with the people around you?  Do they know God’s greatness?  God’s love?  And do they know of God’s judgment that is to come?

That’s what God call us to do.  And that’s our main purpose while we’re here on this earth.

Not just to rest in God’s salvation.  Not just to do our own thing.  But to declare God to the nations.

Categories
1 Chronicles Psalms

A God who remembers his promises

Psalms & Chronicles

At the time that the ark was brought into Jerusalem, David wrote this psalm of thanks.

Either it was a medley of three Psalms (96, 105, and 106), or it was all originally one song and David broke it up into three and added more lyrics to each one later.

Whatever the case, I decided to break them all up and take each psalm one by one.

There are minor differences between the passage in Chronicles and the Psalms, but I’ll take the wording from the Psalms.

One of the key themes in Psalm 105 is that God is one who remembers his promises.

God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give them the land of Canaan and make them a great nation.  And no matter what situations they or their descendants faced, God had his hand on them.

When Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were wandering as strangers in the land, he protected them. (Psalm 105:12-15)

When Joseph was made a slave in Egypt, God caused what he foretold to come true and made him ruler. (17-22)

When Egypt oppressed the Israelites, God brought judgment on the Pharaoh and his people. (23-38)

When the Israelites needed food in the desert, he provided for them (40-41).

And ultimately, God did keep all his promises towards them. That’s what David was celebrating this day.

But God also keeps his promises to us.

It doesn’t matter what we’re going through.  It doesn’t matter what trials we may be facing.   It doesn’t matter what struggles we may be going through.  God will always keep his promises to us.

And so Paul writes,

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us…

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.

But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:18; 23-25)

They day is coming when God will give us rest as he gave the Israelites rest.  But until that day, David says this:

1.  Remember what the Lord has done, and give him thanks (Psalm 105:1,5). 

So often we get so caught up in our troubles that we forget to thank him for the good things he’s done for us.  And when that happens, our troubles can overwhelm us.

But when we remember the good things he has done and give thanks, it helps restore hope and joy to our lives.

2.  Sing praise to him.  Glory in his name and rejoice. (2,3)

It is as we praise him and glory in his name that we realize just how big our God is and how small our problems are.  More, it gets our minds off of our troubles and onto the one who can solve our problems.

3.  Look to the Lord and his strength.  Seek his face. (4)

When life seems too much for you, when it seems there’s no hope, look to the Lord.  Seek his face.   Ask for his strength.  And he will help.

As Paul wrote,

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  (Romans 8:26-28)

God remembers and keeps his promises towards us.  So let us always look to him, remember him, praise him, and seek his face.

Categories
Psalms

Choosing to worship

Psalms

As I look at Psalm 57, I marvel at David’s attitude in times of trial.  At a time when he is on the run and in fear of his life, he chooses to worship.

He said,

My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.

Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth. (Psalm 57:7-11)

Somehow, as I read these words, they resonate with me.

I WILL sing and make music!

AWAKE my soul!

AWAKE harp and lyre!

I WILL praise you O Lord!

I WILL praise you among the peoples!

For GREAT is your love!

Be EXALTED O God!

I don’t know if that’s how David sang this song.

But it seems to me throughout it, David is making a conscious decision to worship God despite his circumstances.  He’s making a conscious effort to remember God’s goodness towards him.

So often, we say to ourselves, “But I don’t feel like worshiping right now.  I’m just not in the mood.”

But just as David encouraged himself to worship God, we need to do the same.  To not just worship when we feel like it.  But to worship even when we don’t.  Why?

A more modern psalm puts it this way.

When I look into your glory and light,
The things of earth pale in your sight.

Or as another song puts it,

The things that surround become shadows in the light of you.

In other words, all the things of this world that would pull us down and that would discourage us, all of them become like mere shadows compared to the shining light that is Christ.

And when we focus on him, all of our troubles pale in comparison.

Why?  Because when we focus on Christ, we realize that he is much bigger than our problems, and everything in life takes its proper perspective.

So when life seems hard, when things seem to be going against you, choose to worship.

And as you put your focus on him, the peace and joy that seems to be slipping away from you because of your circumstances will return.

And as David, you will be able to say, “My heart is steadfast,” despite your circumstances.

Categories
Psalms

The God who has plans for you

Psalms

David spent a lot of times in caves hiding from Saul, so it’s not certain that these two psalms were written at exactly this time in David’s life, but it seems appropriate to put them here, just after David’s sparing of Saul’s life.

As I look at these two psalms, two verses strike me.

The first is Psalm 142:3

When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.

The second is Psalm 57:2

I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me.

There are times in our lives when things are hard.  For David, it was hard because he was on the run for his life, even though he had done nothing wrong.

And it’s easy to wonder at such times, “Is God there?  Does God care?”

But for David, the answer was clear.

He said, “Lord, even when my soul is troubled, and I’m feeling weak, you know my way.  You know the path you have for me.  And Lord, you will fulfill your purpose for me.”

I think it was because he knew these things that he could spare Saul’s life.  He knew he didn’t have to take things into his own hands, because he trusted God had a plan for his life and would fulfill it.

Samuel anointed him and undoubtedly encouraged him when David ran to him for help.

Jonathan reconfirmed it, saying, “You, not I, will be the next king.”

And that’s what David held onto.  The promises of God.  The promise that God had a plan for his life, and that he would fulfill it.

What struggles are you going through?  Are you being tempted to leave God’s path and do things your way instead of his because things are tough right now?

Remember that God has a plan for you.  A good plan.  And he will fulfill it in your life if you’ll just trust him.

As it says in Jeremiah 29:11,

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Categories
1 Samuel Psalms

When the world seems against you: Wisdom from the Psalms

“Everyone is against me!”

Sometimes things seem that way to us, even if it’s not strictly true.  David must have felt that way at times.

The Ziphites, who didn’t even know David, offered to help Saul find and capture David.  As a result, David was in desperate straits, with him racing around one side of a mountain and Saul closing in from the other side.

Then just when it seemed all was lost, a messenger came running to Saul saying “The Philistines are attacking.  You need to come back and defend our cities.”

And so Saul had to break off his pursuit, with David and his men just about in sight, if not in sight.

After this, David wrote Psalm 54.  He sang,

Save me, O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.

Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.

Strangers are attacking me;
ruthless men seek my life—
men without regard for God. (Psalm 54:1-3)

In other words, “God help me!  The world is against me.  Even people I don’t know are trying to kill me.”

But then he wrote,

Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me. (4)

I can’t help but think he wrote this thinking about how close he came to being captured that day.  And he realized, “Even though the world seems against me, God isn’t.  He is for me, and hasn’t left me alone.”

And so he sang,

I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good.
For he has delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes. (6-7)

Do you feel like the world is against you today?  Don’t panic.  Don’t fret.  Rather, look to the Lord.  He is your help.  He is the one who sustains you.

And as you see him deliver you, (and he will), then remember to praise his name, as David did.  Don’t forget the things God has done for you.

Because the God who has delivered you before will deliver you again.