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I’ve really enjoyed spending time in the Psalms these last several days. I’ve never gone through them quite the same way as I’m working through them now: reading, meditating, and writing about them. They are so much more than mere “Praise the LORD” and “Help me, LORD, I’m in trouble” — if I may be allowed a gross over-simplification to make my point. I hope your enjoying the readings too and finding something in each one to lift you and inspire you. This one for example:

Are you being fruity? (Psalm 92:14) — I’ve known a number of Christians who were really dedicated and did a lot of good things between 20 and 60, but who upon reaching retirement appear to have decided to retire from service to the Lord, too. I’m pretty sure that’s not what the Scripture has in mind for God’s people. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not entirely scolding retirees. If I were going to retire, I’d be fairly close to it myself, and I understand that the older one gets, the more quickly one seems to “run out of gas” for things that one might have be formerly able to do all day long. I’m also starting to realize that sometimes younger folks aren’t as interested in the thoughts and views of older brethren and it can be become discouraging. Such discouragements can make a person feel like they’ve been “kicked to the curb” both in one’s secular career and the church. But before you settle into spiritual retirement, read Psalm 92:14 again: “They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green.” Don’t let anyone try to stop you from producing good fruit! You may not be able to do all the things that you used to be able to do, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t good things you can do! Find them! Create new ways to use your opportunities, skills, talents, experience, love, and dedication to the LORD!

Your testimonies are “so Amen” (Psalm 93:5) — This great psalm of praise to God is full of wonderful images of God’s awesome nature, and they are great; but the thing that captured my attention is v. 5, “Your testimonies are fully confirmed” (NAS95). I wondered what that might mean, so I did a little word study. The word “fully” is one that emphasizes intensity and totality. The word “confirmed” is the word word “Amen”, a word which not only means “yes that’s true” or “so be it”, but also describes something that is trustworthy and secure. When Jesus is quoted in the KJV and says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you…”, He’s really saying “Amen, amen, I say unto you…” — in other words, “This is something really true and trustworthy that you can bank on that I’m about to tell you right now…” Likewise, when we read here that God’s testimonies (laws, commands, judgments,  principles, and information about the spiritual realities) are “really (so) Amen”, we’re saying that they are true, trustworthy, and secure.

I think, therefore — not much (Psalm 94:11) — This psalm calls once again for God’s help, I wonder if God gets tired of being the world’s 911 call? No more than we get tired of being our children’s 911 call — but I digress. Part of the psalmist’s complaint here is that those who are oppressing him seem to have said, that the LORD will not answer the oppressed, because He doesn’t hear their see the oppressors evil deeds or hear the oppressed prayers. But the psalmist rebukes the thoughts of the wicked and concludes for them that the thoughts of man are a mere breath — nothing of consequence, nothing lasting, and weak as a man’s breath. So are all the foolish ideas of mankind about greatness, riches, prestige, power, beauty, accomplishment, intelligence, sin, happiness, and so much more. Such thoughts, even if articulated by an eloquent philosopher, are light-weight in the extreme in comparison with the LORD’s eternal, confirmed (see above) thoughts, prophecies, and commands. The words of the LORD are eternal and sound in wisdom; the wisdom of man is insubstantial and temporary.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

I’ve a friend and brother who’s coming to what looks like the conclusion of his life. This has caused me to dwell on certain predictable thoughts, the kind that Ecclesiastes recommends for every one from time to time, so that we’ll think more soberly about our own mortality. And that fact has cast a certain spin on my reading of these psalms. I hope you don’t mind, and I hope you find my take on these passages useful.

What happened? (Psalm 89) — The first part of this psalm is the wonderful reminder of God’s amazing promises to David for his faithful service. But 3/4 of the way through the psalm the psalmist takes things a different direction than expected, essentially saying, “What happened?” God had made great promises, but at the writing of the psalm something had gone a bit haywire. The writer, probably David, had apparently temporarily forgotten that God had not promised uninterrupted bliss, had not promised that everything would be coming up perpetual roses, indeed He had even threatened to punish David or his sons if and when they proved unfaithful. The blessing was that God would not destroyed them, like He did, for example, in the case of Saul’s family because Saul was unfaithful. So also with all of us — God still doesn’t promise rose gardens and all of us are mortal. We mustn’t forget this crucial fact in our Christian lives. Yes, the covenant is there; yes, we are chosen; yes, we are His children; and yes, so much more. But no, we won’t be immune from trouble and trial.

Don’t get up gentlemen, we’re only passing through (Psalm 90) — Everyone ought to read and meditate on this passage at least once a week. The contrast between men and God is so well done: transitory v. permanent, numbered days v. numberless days, moral v. eternal. They are things that we all know about, but spend very little time taking seriously — even if we’re Christians. Yes, of course, unbelievers should should get and stay prepared for the great appointment with death; and it could be argued that part of the reason that many people are Christians is because these folks DID consider these things. But getting prepared initially doesn’t mean that we’re still thinking much about it.So we’re surprised when it happens to a friend or brother and perhaps much worse we don’t think much about helping others get ready. We’re all just passing through.

The ironclad security of those who trust in the Lord (Psalm 91) — But the wonderful promise of Christianity is the ironclad promise of security. Granted this psalm was intended to be for the warrior fighting the battles of the Lord, but there are still those who are fitting the good fight, right? Hopefully you, right? This is the comfort that Paul knew at the end of his life — “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7, 8, NAS95.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Are you continuing to be a daily Bible reader? It’s not easy. So many things get in the way. But I hope that you like me have come to realize and enjoy these daily words from God and the meditation on His words about what they mean. I’ve been challenged and I think I’ve been changed little by little. I’ve discovered areas of my life that I’d been neglecting. There were points of view that I’d never considered before. There were answers given to questions that I’d not asked before. Today’s reading is a case in point.
Unite my heart (Psalm 86:11) — Unite my heart? I thought about that one for a while and it occurred to’e that the Scripture was calling on me to examine my heart and thoughts and root out the inconsistencies, bring the entire compass of my being into the harmony of fear for the LORD. What else could it be? Perhaps a fear of not getting what I want, a corner of self interest, or a streak of pride? “Pull every rebellious thought and dark feeling into a concerted fear of the LORD.”
Born in Zion (Psalm 87:5) — Although as a Gentile born over 2500 after this psalm was probably written in a land a whole ocean away from Israel and Jerusalem, I can still feel the pride of being born in Zion — I have been born again of the water and the Spirit (John 3:5) into the family of God whose eternal home is Zion. Are you? It’s easy to say, but it happens in baptism by immersion in the names of Jesus for forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
Enduring the silence of God (Psalm 88) — I don’t know whether you’ve ever had to endure the silence of God or not — I suspect you have — but it is excruciating. Part of Job’s hardship was the silence of God in the long debate with his friends about the cause of his suffering; he talks about it a lot. You wonder, “Have I done something wrong?” You wonder if He’s listening. You wonder if He’s there. You wonder in terror if this is your “thorn in the flesh”, because if it is, this suffering is possibly permanent as long as you are here on this earth. You plead, you beg, you cry. And all you hear is deafening silence. All that’s left to do is keep praying, keep doing right, keep checking our motivations, and keep faith. If you’ve ever been there, this psalm is for you. It doesn’t have much in terms of a solution, but it helps to know that there are fellow sufferers. You’re not alone.
See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

For the next few days I’m on vacation visiting with family. This means that posts may be shorter and a little erratic. Thank you in advance for understanding, but don’t get lax on your reading or visiting my blog. I’ll still read, write, and try to encourage you in this endeavor. But on to today’s reading.
That they may seek Your face (Psalm 83:16) — Having enemies is not unusual. Wishing that they’d stop is pretty normal. Crying out to God for justice is common in the psalms in the Bible. But in this psalm we find a most noble request not often expressed in the midst of calling down God’s wrath upon the enemies of Israel — that they be given defeat and their just desserts SO THAT they might turn to God. The human instinct is to want to see enemies defeated and left for dead so that they never bother us again. This inspired poem seeks the ultimate good of enemies, glorification of God, and the gaining brethren in the faith — all in one fell swoop. What a great lesson for practical living and practical prayers.
And also, what a great realization that defeat is often a call back to God. We live in a culture that wants desperately to to believe that God is nothing but love and that bad things are just “bad luck”. And yes it is true that sometimes bada things happen to good people, like Job. But aat other times bad things happen because they are the consequence of sin, or because God really is trying to get our attention. It may be politically incorrect, but it’s not always a bad thing to to suggest that troubles, defeats, and consequences are calls from God to get back on the right road.
In whose heart is the highway to Zion (Psalm 84:5) — This turn of phrase conjures up for the reader a picture of a righteous man whose heart is ever longing to worship the LORD and follow His way. For such a person, worship and righteousness isn’t a duty as much as it is a pleasure and earnest desire and blessing. Where does the highway of your heart lead?
Seeking the courts of God (Psalm 84:10) — What great joy the psalmist feels at being in the courts of his God. It reminds me a little of what you sometimes see on bumper stickers about fishing or playing golf. But here’s a much higher and nobler pursuit: a day in God’s courts is better than thousands anywhere else. Do we feel that way? Or would we rather be camping, fishing, golfing, vacationing, or sleeping in?
Will you be angry forever? (Psalm 85:5) — Happily the answer to this question in this realm is “No, not forever; unless our rebellion continues.” But God’s grace, patience, and willingness to forgive, frighteningly, does have its limits. There is coming a time when God’s anger will last forever. The thrust of this psalm is asking for release from the curses of sin after repentance; this God is graciously willing to do — provided that our sin hasn’t led to consequences that have landed us in jail or some other intractable situation — He is always willing to forgive and give us a new start.
See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Today’s reading starts off with Israel pleading with God to be with them and save them in battle against their enemies. The next psalm expresses God’s wonderful wish for His people that wasn’t fulfilled. And the next psalm rebukes some of the problem of Israel’s unfaithfulness, its weak and unfaithful leadership. It’s almost as if it could have come out of the book of Judges with it’s cycle of sin, judgment, repentance, rescue, and sin… And there are important things for us to learn for today here.

Cause Your face to shine upon us (Psalm 80) — “Smile on us!” is what the phrase means. This appears to imply that God was frowning at them at the moment of the writing of this psalm — or at least God’s people in their fears were afraid that God was frowning. They were afraid or knew that their lives were being lived in rebellion to the Lord’s Law; the commonest sins seemed (Judges through 2 Kings) to have been the changing of the worship of the LORD and involvement in the paganism around them. And God would frown.

Funny isn’t it, that we don’t keep an eye on God face (smiling or frowning), or possibly even care, until we need something from Him? But wouldn’t it be a good idea for a disciple to keep his eye on the Master’s countenance? Would Jesus smile or frown at the life you live, the movies you see, the choices you make, the friends you associate with, the stewardship you exercise, the things you say, the thoughts you dwell on, the attitudes you carry, or the trust you demonstrate in Him? And by the way, what causes a divine frown to turn upside down? Well, it’s not a cheesy cliché like that, for sure — it’s something much more serious, repentance. His face shines on us, when we turn from the world and live to Christ.

God’s wish for His people (Psalm 81) — “If only…” may be the saddest way to start any sentence, especially, when it has to do with spiritual matters; and this psalm seems full of such wistful reflection. What would have been? God had rescued Israel from Egyptian slavery; He took them through a wilderness without food or water and fed and watered them abundantly; He gave them commandments; and He offered to bless them greatly — “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it” (v. 10c). But no, they would not listen; and so God gave them over to the consequences of their foolish decisions and choices. But it didn’t need to be that way, it doesn’t have to be that way now! Just listen! Just walk in My ways! Your enemies would be scattered, the evil would be punished, and My great and abundant blessings would return to you.

Do you suppose that any of this could apply to us today? If the Lord were writing this psalm in your “honor”, how would it read? Would it begin with a lot of “If only…” statements? Of course, in everyone’s life there are tons of regrets; but the crucial question is whether or not we learned anything. Are we listening yet? Or do we just think we are listening? Or are we still not even trying to listen? God invites us to open our mouth, so He can fill it — feed us with the finest — if only…

You are gods (Psalm 82) — It’s pretty shocking to compare men to God, but even Jesus  made the analogy and the point is where other principles like submitting to ruling authorities (Romans 13:1-7) comes from — God has appointed some to exercise the authority to administer justice — rulers, judges, presidents, congregational elders, and even parents or husbands). But it is not an authority that comes without strings or accountability — judges will be judged on how they dispensed justice and lead their people. Lots of folks would like to be leader — we all think that it would be great to get a chance to call the shots; but that’s not thinking about the accountability angle — and there’s always an accountability angle. The vast majority in this world use it very poorly and will in the end be judged harshly for abusing their position of leadership and judgment. God tells us that despite the fact that you might be leading, we will all die like any man and be judged by the great Judge.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

You read a lot about the seminal event of the Exodus in the psalms as well as in other places (including the New Testament). The reasons vary a bit, but one of the main reasons you see it in the psalms is to cause the reader (singer or listener) to remember how good God has been to Israel and that He is powerful enough to rescue us from anything. The psalms today bring up the power of God as the psalmists wrestle with trouble for these very reasons.

To save the humble of the earth (Psalm 76:8.9) — Although this psalm doesn’t refer to the Exodus, the purpose of the psalm is the same, to remind us of the great power of the God of Heaven for whom nothing is too difficult — it just uses a different reference point, the amazing victories of the past (possibly one just recently won in the psalmist’s context). This causes him to write in almost a boastful way, demanding fear, obedience, and obeisance of all the world, because God is the God of humble Israel and Judah.  And though “chest thumping” would seem to tempt others to attack just to prove us wrong, the point is valid — the power and ability of God is most assuredly something that Christians can “bank” on. Remember God’s victories and rest assured.

Will the Lord reject forever? (Psalm 77) — In this psalm the writer is drawing upon the power of a great storm to find hope for his otherwise hopeless situation. Again, it isn’t certain what the circumstances are — it could be a defeat that has caused the psalmist to be oppressed or enslaved or it could be exile to Assyria or Babylon — but things look pretty near hopeless. The psalmist wonders if God will reject forever, will never be favorably disposed toward Israel again, has forgotten His love and His promises. Prayers don’t appear to be heard or answered, so it would seem that the writer’s or Israel’s offense has been great and that there are severe consequences to bear for failing to obey the Lord. But the penitent author comforts himself with remembering the deeds of God in days gone by, because they remind him that the impossible is always possible for the God who does wonders — as at the Exodus (v. 20). Once again the take-away for us is that we need to reject hopelessness, remember the power of God to do wonderful things, and embrace repentance of sin and obedience to the LORD.

Don’t forget to tell the kids (Psalm 78) — I watched a commercial for a genealogical website the other day in which the happy customer had discovered that his great-grandparents had lived next door to the Wright brothers. His wise-cracking reaction was, “Now, who forgot to mention that?” There’s a lot of cool things, I rather suspect, that never do get handed down to the next generation. Somethings are better left unsaid, but other things are treasures that shouldn’t be forgotten. This is the genius of things like Passover and Feast of Tabernacles in the Bible, because they have such powerful history passing power. This psalm is one that reminds and urges parents to pass down the story, one that will serve them and all who believe in the God of the Bible well indeed.

And one of the parts of this psalm (v. 25) speaks of the Manna, which fed Israel in the wilderness for 40 years, as the “bread of angels”. It’s hard to know whether this designation is intended to say that it is actual bread eaten by angels, or merely a metaphor for “bread from Heaven” (Psalm 105:40), or possibly bread distributed by angels every night for Israel to pick up and use for food. Regardless of the exact meaning, it’s information that we didn’t have before in the Scriptures and is pretty amazing.

And did you also note vs. 34, that “When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God.” It wasn’t when God was nice to them, saving them from Egypt, providing them everything they needed for survival in the wilderness that they turned to him — oh no. It was when He punished them! And isn’t that too much like us humans. Make a break from the usual for God — thank and praise and turn to Him while He’s being nice.

And this passage (v. 49) also tells of God’s destroying angels at the death of the firstborn. The Hebrew speaks of evil angels. Other passages remind us how God uses both the good and the bad for His own purposes, and it tells us of what God is holds back for the benefit of His people.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Hope your Sunday has been good. What did you think of today’s reading?

Our feet almost stumble (Psalm 73:2) — One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 73. It expresses so well the questions that have rattled through the mind of everyone who tries to do right at one time or the other, including my own. why do the bad guys seems to get away with it? Our feet stumble over it, and the question of evil has caused more than one person to fall away from the living God. Although this psalm does wrestle with the problem of evil it doesn’t give us a reason why such things happen. Such an answer would fill volumes and libraries. Rather it simply gives us hope for how justice and equity will ultimately be served in the end. And after all is said and done this is really the more important thing to know. What? Do you really think, like Job surmises, that God makes mistakes? That He has been unjust? The truth is that we may never know in this life why things happen to us or others as they do. The reality is that it is probably complicated and complex beyond man’s ability to grasp. But God will exercise justice; of that you may be sure.

A foolish people have spurned your name (Psalm 74) — It is possible and maybe likely that this psalm was written during the Babylonian exile. It speaks of the destruction of the Temple and a people who revile and spurn God’s name. And It calls upon the God who created the world, who does great miracles, who can destroyed Leviathan, who can do anything to return justice upon this people who have reviled the LORD’s name. It’s lesson is not so much that we should be calling down fire and brimstone upon our enemies, as much as it is that it is certain destruction to revile and spurn the name of the LORD.

Not from east or west, but from above (Psalm 75) — Fame and fortune. We seek it hither, thither, and yon. We don’t seem to care if we’re famous or infamous just as long as people know our names. But exaltation is not from east or west, the Lord says; instead it comes from above. In other words, be as famous as you want, but the recognition that counts for eternity is God’s. Young people especially are familiar with the concept of waiting in line together into a club, and everyone wants to be on the “A” list, so that you can just walk right in. Fame can get you in; good looks can get you in; connections can get you in. But the entry that will make the most difference will be Heaven’s gate and it will not be Peter, but Jesus who’ll be standing at the door. It’s recognition from Him that is crucial. You really don’t want to hear, “I never knew you”. Forget about “cool” and getting on men’s “A” list — shoot for the “book of life” that leads to eternal life.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Summer’s a great time of the year for most of us. There’s warm (or hot) weather permitting us to get out and enjoy lots of outdoor activities, picnics, vacations, day trips, ballgames, and more. Just don’t put the spiritual things on the back burner. Don’t let summer see you spiritually weaker at the end. And if I may offer one more word, please don’t try to argue that you can be just as strong not going to church, not reading Scripture, not praying, or not fellowshipping with brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s what everyone always says. But as a preacher I’ve seen the spiritual wreckage of way too many once-strong Christians who were so certain that a little break from church wouldn’t hurt anything. It changes you, and not in a good way.

Persecutors beware (Psalm 70) — This is a short little psalm, but it does express the agitation of heart that comes from those who experience persecution. And the sure hope of the psalmist is that God will indeed rescue — soon. Does God see and know and intend to help? Jesus told us, “(N)ow, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:7, 8, NAS95.

Too great for a sum (Psalm 71:15) — The psalmist in praise of God’s great works of righteousness, salvation, and rescue says that he’d like to list them all day long for all the world to hear, but “I do not know the sum of them.” In other words, the list is too long — more likely endless. That’s the sort of God that we serve!

May the Son of the King… (Psalm 72) — Although this is said in the epigraph to be “A Psalm of Solomon”, the last verse notes that “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” Trying to put the whole thing together, it would appear that this psalm is “A Psalm about Solomon”. It is, however, not just about Solomon; clearly it is a messianic psalm, too. It speaks of a kingdom that is expansive and influential to the farthest reaches of the known world. It calls for blessings of the richest sort for the King and His people. May this King, the psalmist asks, be aware of the plight of the poor and needy, return justice on the heads of the oppressors. And indeed, this is who Jesus is. A great King of kings, with a kingdom that has lasted 2000 years and is expansive and prosperous in every corner of the globe. He continues to be blessed and give His blessings to His people day by day. He is full of compassion and salvation. His people do bless themselves by Him. Bless yourself with this Son of the King, Jesus.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Today’s reading is in some ways unusual in that two of these psalms are addressed to the nations around Israel. The third psalm is another cry for help, but carries special interest when you consider that it may have been written by David during his outlaw years as he ran from Saul, found himself a person under suspicion by his own nation and a military enemy by foreign leaders.

God is too great for just one nation to praise Him (Psalm 67) — The psalmist is so filled with the joy of harvest, with praise to the God who had abundantly blessed, and with the justice and righteousness of God that it seems to him only right that an invitation to all the earth to celebrate God should be issued. That’s what this psalm is, an invitation to all nations to join Israel in praise for the God of all the earth. God is too great for just one nation to praise and rejoice in Him. Would that all God’s people, yesterday and today and forever, felt the same way and issued the same invitation! But inexplicably we are often too cautious — afraid that others won’t see God as great as we believe Him to be, afraid that others will reject our invitation and reject us in the same breath, afraid of not being able to explain our faith well, afraid of… too many things. But listen, we must “never take the counsel of our fears” (Andrew Jackson), because God really is much too great to be recognized and praised by anything less than the whole earth and all the host of Heaven!

Bigger isn’t always better (Psalm 68:15-18) — The essential thrust of this psalm has to do with God’s greatness, again: how He blesses His people, how He defeats the unrighteous, how He bears our burdens and takes the side of the helpless, etc. And part of this paean of praise is that God is great despite the relatively humble throne He has chosen, Zion. The most majestic mountains that the region of Israel is familiar with are the Bashan mountain range; the most prominent mountain in the range being Mt. Hermon. It was a mountain that the pagan gods claimed for their throne — composed of dark volcanic rock, rising high toward the sky, and snow capped! It formed quite a contrast to the hill of Zion, the chosen throne of the true God. But Zion was superior and the psalmist proves it by noting the gifts of the nations coming to Zion, so that the Lord be served there (quoted later by Paul in Ephesians 4:8). And the contrast between Bashan and Zion forms a metaphor for the difference between the Gentile nations (and empires) and the nation of Israel — the lesson being that bigger isn’t always better. Israel was small in comparison to the other nations, but the crucial difference was that they were chosen by the only true and living God — a high privilege indeed. So also with the church, by the way. Sometimes the Lord’s church looks small in comparison to the bigger and flashier denominational world around us. Sometimes some of our own people think that there must be something wrong with us, if we aren’t that big and that flashy. But bigger doesn’t necessarily translate into better — or even good, for that matter. Not that big is bad by definition, but because as a practical the world will always be in rebellion toward the Lord. That’s why Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13, 14, NAS95.

Zeal for God’s house (Psalm 69:9) — Although there are several worthy verses to dig down into in this psalm (the Messianic anticipation of vv. 17-21, and the comfort of vv. 32,33), the verse about zeal, quoted about Jesus (John 2:17, as He cleansed the Temple), is the one that really caught my attention and begged for comment. Zeal is an under-appreciated, perhaps worse, a contemptible virtue to possess these days — specifically and especially if it has anything to do with religion. Fanatic, “religious nut”, Bible-banger, and weirdo a just a few of the names that are decent enough to post here that get occasionally aimed at anyone who displays any zeal. But we need to get over it!

I’d like to propose something that may shock you for a moment, but as loathe as I may be to say it, there may some important things that we could and should learn from the gay and lesbian community — be zealous for the Lord and get past the ridicule. If folks practicing something as shameful and sinful as homosexuality can have gay-pride weeks, gay-pride parades, and aggressively lobby government officials; what’s wrong with us Christians?! We have every right and reason to boast in the LORD, to call and invite others to become Christians, to stand up for righteousness, to criticize wrong, and speak authoritatively (though not self-righteously) on behalf of the Lord Jesus and His singular salvation. Let’s stop being quite so sensitive to the critique of those doing wrong; let’s rightfully dismiss allegations of being judgmental or self-righteous, when we know that our intentions are pure; let’s unapologetically invite friends and neighbors to church and to personal Bible studies! Let’s speak the truth in love and let the pieces fall where they may. Let the zeal for the Lord and His house (the church) consume us! Let the reproaches of those who reproach the Lord fall on us! That’s OK.

““Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12, NAS95.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Today’s reading of the Psalms is a bit of a potpourri: a cry for help, a praise for God’s generosity, and thanksgiving for answering prayer. So, no matter what kind of day you’re having, there’s a chance that there’s a psalm for your situation today. 🙂

Too deep for God? (Psalm 64:10) — The gist of this psalm is a cry for help against those who hatch plots secretly against the LORD’s anointed king. And for anyone who has watched the news about the intrigue of politics in the middle-east (or anywhere else on the globe, too), even today, you know that this was not mere paranoia speaking. The thing that I thought would be worthy of meditation today, however, is v.10, where the secret enemies of God’s anointed say to themselves that their well conceived plot will never be discovered because “…the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep.” And true, men don’t always know what plotters are thinking, some folks really do have a good “poker face”. But psalmist consoles himself with the knowledge that no thought is too “deep” for God to discover and foil on behalf of the righteous. Simon the sorcerer discovered how discerning God was in Acts 8:22, when Peter (through apparent inspiration of God) sternly warned Simon to repent of the intentions of his heart. Nothing is too deep for the LORD — no ulterior motive, no hidden intention, no plot, no plan. And is this not the very reason for the command to be pure in heart? God cares about our motives, our intentions, and our purposes. How many times have you heard someone tell “the truth” about someone that hurts and wounds for really no purpose other than to hurt and wound, only to hear the justification, “Well, I’m just telling the truth.” We can do good for evil purposes, but God will know and judge.

O You who hear prayer (Psalms 65) — The psalmist, in his thanksgiving to the LORD for the abundance that God has blessed him with makes mention of this significant (but easily overlooked) fact: God does hear prayer. This is in contrast to idols who do not hear and cannot answer. In the day of the psalmist we know there were multiple gods that one might make petition to; but things haven’t really changed all that much, even though we might claim something like “Christian nation” status. We still worship other gods: money, entertainment, sports, popularity, technology, and more. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with any of these things in and of themselves; the problem lies in obeying them rather than the real God of heaven and earth. And sometimes we do obey them over God: money can have rules (e.g., work before worship, hoard rather than share); entertainment can have rules (e.g., TV before service, shows instead of worship, fun before all); and the list could go on. But these “gods” cannot save us; their benefit is always short-lived; they will not hear prayer nor answer it. Only the eternal God, the Lord of heaven and earth can hear and answer prayer.

You have tried us, O God (Psalm 66:10-12) — Much is written, including by me, about the problems and struggles of suffering and challenges of life — almost to the point where it becomes “white noise”. This is a fallen world and life in this fallen world continues to have its thorns and troubles, but we never seem to get used to it nor do we weary of wondering why. This psalm doesn’t answer the question of why but rather where — where it lands us. “You have tried us… refined us… brought us into the net… laid an oppressive burden upon our loins… men ride over our heads… through fire and through water, yet…” And it is the yet that makes all the difference! The other side is abundance, blessing, sunshine, and more. To our own detriment, we often only look at the circumstance that we are suffering and not at the goal ahead; we look at the desert we cross rather than the destination. Paul urges us to “Set your mind of the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:2). Good wisdom, if you’re heading to Heaven, if you intend to grow stronger, if you want to grow in wisdom, if you aim to be like Christ.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.