Blessings on the way

Today’s Reading: Psalms 45 

I have a confession: I really read and focus on the first 75% of the psalms and most readings on my first read through.  This leaves the remaining 25% of the passage as a skimmed portion.  Because I have recognized this in myself, I have made it a practice to read through passages twice on the first time through and then I have to commit to reading the passage several times that week to fully gain the information and knowledge in the passage.  

With this preface, I read the passage for the blog several times and now I am able to understand several messages in the passage and see how it reflects what I believe.  The two main ideas that have been revealed are:  1.) Blessings are on the way and 2.) We need to get out of the way of the blessings. 

In the beginning of the Psalm, the author is writing about the beginning of a celebration and festival.  The first ten verses are setting up the splendor and the amazing things that are at hand. 

Psalm 45:4-8

In your majesty ride out victoriously

    for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;

    let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!

Your arrows are sharp

    in the heart of the king’s enemies;

    the peoples fall under you.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

    The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

    you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you

    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

    your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.

In these verses it shows the goodness and mercies that God has in store for each of us.  God delights in the preparation and celebration that we can enjoy being in union with Him.  It details the protection and the blessings that are ready for us in this union.  

As we read further, it also demonstrates that we are at risk of not allowing ourselves to enjoy the fullness of the blessings.  I have seen this in myself, I have not allowed the richness and fullness of the blessings to be accepted because I allow the past to dictate the future.  The things that are in my past continue to try to remind me of who I was and not who I have become in this new union.  But as I have grown in my relationship with God, I can forget the past and look toward the future. 

Psalm 45:10-11 ; 16-17 

Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:

    forget your people and your father’s house,

    and the king will desire your beauty.

In place of your fathers shall be your sons;

    you will make them princes in all the earth.

I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;

    therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

These verses are not saying to negate the past experiences that have created the circumstances that have made you available to this blessing, but to allow them to help you grow into the new creation that He has in store for you.  

I believe that God is always ready to give us more blessings and he has them ready, but we have to not allow the past or other influences to hinder the manifestations. Two of the mentors that I look to for direction in the fullness of blessings are Peter and Paul.  Both were plagued with their past lives before and with Christ, but through His Love and Patience they became founders of the Church.  Stay prayerful and be blessed.

Lows

How many of you have (or had) the routine of expressing your “Highs” and “Lows” at dinner time with your family?  I laugh now when I remember asking my kids at dinner what there highs and lows of the day were.  Some days there were no highs and only lows while other days held only highs!  Life…full of ups and downs, joys and sorrows.  I could ramble on about my ups and downs and I am sure we can all lament over the “downs” of the past year.  The Psalms are easy to relate with because they describe the extremes, the highs and the lows.  

In Psalm 44, we read a Psalm of lament.  A lament is a passionate expression of grief and sorrow.  It is a wailing, a groaning, a moaning, and a weeping grieving great loss.  Psalm 44 laments the defeat of Israel by its enemies and calls upon the Lord to deliver His people from a great national suffering.  

Sometimes we experience suffering for what seems like no apparent fault of our own.  Suffering doesn’t always mean we are being punished or disciplined by God for something we did wrong.  This Psalm is an example of the people calling out to God to deliver them, just as He promised He would do.  

Even through our “Lows” and disappointments in life, Psalm 44 shows us that we can express ourselves to the Lord and be honest with Him about our feelings.  We can cry out to Him,

“Awake, Lord!  Why do you sleep?  Rouse yourself!  Do not reject us forever.  Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?”

Psalm 44:23-24

This is our petition to God as we experience the lows of our life and lament to Him.   Even in our sorrow, we can express our trust and faith in Him.

In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.

Psalm 44:8

Pslam 43: In Tough Times

As the author of this psalm knows, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of seeing the state of the world and succumbing to depression and despondence – alluding in this passage to their feelings of being “cast off” and of “mourning” as a result of the unfairness of men. I, as well as numerous friends & family members, have dealt with depression in various forms to various degrees throughout the years. And with this psalm specifically, I can personally attest to seeing how cruelly and unfairly people can act towards each other, and falling into that depressive spiral. But for any huge number of reasons, it is part of our human nature to feel deep sadness at times.

In what feels like a continuation in yesterday’s Psalm, Psalm 43 is a statement on the necessity, within difficult times, of reminding ourselves that God will make Himself known. God will free us from blame and unjustness; He will lift our spirits and bring us back to His sanctity; when He leads us to worship, He will show us a joy we can not know on our own. In Him, and only in Him, the joy of being alive (both in the present and eternity) are found. The psalmist’s reminders: verse 3, “send out your light and your truth; let them lead me”; verse 4, “I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy”; verse 5, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?”. These all remind me of my own battles with depression, where turning to the Lord for guidance rekindled my delight in Him.

In my past struggles with depression, I was helped in part by reaching out to friends and family, and visiting and communicating with professionals who helped me process & address my feelings in a healthy, Christ-centered way. If you are fighting that deep melancholic struggle, I wholly encourage those who need it to do the same, and engage in the healing help the Lord has blessed us with to help navigate these trials. But Scripture’s clear through statements like Romans 15:13 (“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”); overcoming despair and finding joy, much more so than any earthly step we can take to heal ourselves, hinges on our devotion to Christ. Only in Him can this unfailing hope be found.

If you are struggling with these feelings yourself, I pray for healing and vulnerability in your journey to return to God’s altar where your joy lies (and please, don’t be afraid to go to others for help on the way). For those who know someone struggling, I pray for generous spirits and wise discernments to help shine Christ’s healing light in their lives. And above all, I exalt God the Father, whose light and truth will always fill our spirits up and bring us joy.

Keeping It Real

Today’s reading Psalm 42.

I have to admit I struggled a little bit to understand exactly what the psalmist was saying here, as it seemed like he was contradicting himself. Come to find out after reading studying up a bit more, he is.

In fact, I bet as we read this more closely we can all greatly relate to the psalmist struggle.

In Psalm 42:3, he says…

My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

In Psalm 42:5, he says…

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?….”

Again, in Psalm 42:9….

“Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

Lastly, in Psalm 42:11…

Why are you cast down, O my soul, why are you in turmoil within me?

Can’t we all relate to complaining to God about our circumstances? There are times in our life, or even just certain areas of our life over longer periods (or even our whole life), where things just don’t seem to go our way. When we ask God, “Why?” We cry out to God, “Can’t one thing just go my way? Where are you when I need you? I’m doing everything I think you want, but I just can’t seem to catch a break! Are you still there, God? Do you really love and care about me?” And worse yet, sometimes you feel like there may be others that are happy about your challenges and problems as the psalmist describes in his situation (Psalm 42:3,10.)

Then, in his next breaths he seems to be praising God though…

Here in the 2nd part of Psalm 42:5…

“Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation, and my God.”

In the 2nd part of Psalm 42:11….

Hope in my God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

He talks about in Psalm 42:4 how he would lead the procession to praise God, and then in Psalm 42:6 he remembers past successes God has helped him. Do you remember Psalm 42:9 where he complains from above? Well, he actually calls God, “my rock” in 42:9 before doing so.

The psalmist is facing the struggle I believe nearly all of us face where we are going through tough times, yet we try to still praise God but our heart is just not in it sometimes they way it should be. When we try to say we know God is in control, and He’s got us…yet maybe we wonder or doubt. He’s trying talk himself into coming back to what He knows to be true. He’s trying to remind himself that God loves him. God has him and to trust Him. God is in control. And God has a plan and His will is perfect.

The psalmist is as some would say, ‘keeping it real,” with how many of us feel or have felt at times. Are you feeling this way right now? If so, I would encourage you to check out Romans 8. If you’re in a good spot in your walk with the Lord currently, put a bookmark in Romans 8 because you may want to come back to it in the future. I would love to unpack this more but that’s just too much for today, and I really think these few verses say all that really needs to be said anyway.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:31-32

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?…

Romans 8:35

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who love us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:37-39

The Afflicted

Psalm 41

David is not well as he writes these words. It is unclear whether he is physically sick or struggling with depression from years of running for his life. Either way he is hurt that his friends and acquaintances are not supportive of him as he struggles. They seem to be turning on him and questioning his character because of his circumstances. They are assuming he couldn’t possibly be faithfully following God’s guidelines because of the struggle he is in. They spend time with David in the name of friendship, but really use their visit to gather information about him so they can gossip with others about him later.

Because of his hurt and frustration, David starts this passage with the words, “Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor!” The word “poor” could be exchanged with the word “afflicted” to help us better understand David’s exclamation. David knows God’s desire for us to love each other and care for each other. David has witnessed and experienced God’s blessings when he himself has been compassionate and cared for others relief. Do you remember the reason that David is running for his life? (He was a family friend of the Kings. King Saul saw potential in David and brought him up into leadership in the kingdom. As David became more influential, the people started loving him and hoping he would become the king instead of Saul. It stands to reason that a good part of the people’s love for David was because of his Godly care for the afflicted and poor. People were drawn to his compassion and care as a leader. Saul became insanely jealous of David and decided that ending David’s life was the best way to protect his job. Thus the years of David’s running for his life.) You see his frustration, right? David has worked hard, honored God in his life, experienced the joys of helping others and then had to deal with a boss who was trying to “off” him because he was good at his job.    …and now his friends are turning against him and imagining the worst of him. David sees that his friends are fickle, forgetting David’s true character and it compounds his affliction.

Hopefully David’s pain can encourage us to do better than his friends did when we encounter the afflicted. Matt 5:7 says, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” So what does being merciful look like? Maybe we start with the very least, which would be to notice. Noticing, requires slowing our pace enough to pay attention to those around us. We have to be willing to stop the running agenda in our minds for a split second to pay attention to someone else. We have to make space in our minds to care for and have compassion for others. Having mercy is to consider others and their circumstances, whether their issues be in mind, body or the state of their beings. Mercy is tenderness, it is checking to see how one is holding up under their circumstances.

Until I sat with this chapter for a few hours, I think I would have described mercy as an action. I would argue that most Christ followers would ask, “What can I do?” or how can I help?” when they encounter suffering. This response is good and Godly when followed with action. But after studying this passage more deeply today, I might consider describing mercy more as an attitude than just action. Maybe this slight change in thinking is a testament to my immaturity. It is easier for me to hear about someone who needs help and ask what can I do to meet the need, than to take the time to notice affliction in the people around me. I want my heart to grow in tenderness and compassion for others so I can notice when someone is hurting.

Victory Dance

Psalm 40

“The apostle, Paul, feels himself unable to celebrate, in a proper  manner, the goodness of God, and desires that the contemplation of it   would occupy the minds of men till they are entirely lost in   admiration.”

Those words were written by John Calvin in response to his observances of the apostle, Paul.  It makes me wonder what becoming entirely lost in admiration of God would look like.  What would it feel like?  What would my response be?  I’m hoping, that it would be a celebration.  And, just like Paul, I don’t think that my celebration would be adequate.

When I read Psalm 40, I hear celebration.  It comes from a man who has been saved from all manner of impossibilities.  But there is something special about his celebration.  He realizes, without a doubt that his rescue, his salvation, and his now success were not his own doing.  Rather, they were bestowed upon him.  This calls out a special kind of celebration.  As you read the Psalm, it sounds a lot like praise.

Did you notice that this Psalmist’s praise cannot be contained?  While he speaks to God of how great he is, the love in his heart cannot be contained there.  He also tells the world, unrestrained.  I’m beginning to think that this is what it looks like to be “entirely lost in admiration,” of God.

Let us spend some time, today celebrating the goodness of God.  May we allow it to occupy our minds until we are also entirely lost in admiration.

Calvin, John (2011-11-15). Calvin’s Complete Bible Commentaries (With Active Table of Contents in Biblical Order) (Kindle Locations 470583-470584).  . Kindle Edition.

Swift to Hear and Slow to Speak

Today’s reading continues our journey through Psalms, chapter 39.

As a previous journal writer indicated, I found myself being a bit dismissive and somewhat bored while reading through recent chapters in Psalms.  Most of the first thirty-nine chapters of Psalms are cries for help, preservation, faith, shelter, and protection. David continues to pour his heart out, crying out to God, bearing his trials and challenges to the Lord.

Then, I truly read and absorbed the words of Psalms 39.  This chapter reached me at a time when I have been working on myself, in this exact area of my life, that David spoke about.

1 I said, “I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue;

I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,

While the wicked are before me.”

2 I was mute with silence,

I held my peace even from good;

And my sorrow was stirred up.

3 My heart was hot within me;

While I was musing, the fire burned.

Then I spoke with my tongue:

4 Lord, make me know my end,

And what is the measure of my days,

That I may know how frail I am.”

You see, one of my many challenges is the sin I commit with my tongue. Many times, I speak without thinking, I react with emotion, and I say things that are not centered on Jesus’ command to us, the day before He was crucified.  Jesus commanded in John 13:34-35

34 “A new commandment I give to you,

that you love one another; as I have loved you,

that you also love one another.

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples,

If you have love for one another.”

The words we speak matter.  Jesus commands us “to love one another,” so His followers set an example for those that are not followers.  Verse 35 is clear, “all will know that are you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

I am focused on softening my heart, which I know impacts the words that cross my lips.  For me, restraint of my temper, impatience, and speaking words that I don’t think through is my daily challenge and burden.  I want to be aware of the moments when I let my guard down and not say something I will regret later. I want to love Jesus with my whole heart, each day, and not just on Sunday’s.  I want to be the type of Christian that non-believers look to with admiration, curiosity, and respect, not with mistrust and doubt.

This world tempts me to conform to its’ ways.

  • This is a “dog eat dog world.”
  • Don’t let people push you around.
  • Stand up for yourself, don’t be a “doormat.”
  • Hit first and ask questions later.

I am learning that I can advocate for myself, express my beliefs, make my point, all the while deliver my words with grace and love. Being nice does not cost me anything.  Being kind does not make me weak. Responding with vitriol words that hurt someone erodes the example I want to set as a follower of Jesus.

One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible, is James 1:19-20.

19 So then, my beloved brethren,

let every man be swift to hear, slow

to speak, slow to wrath.

20 for the wrath of many does not

produce the righteousness of God. 

My prayer is that by admitting my burden, in this area of my life, this somehow speaks to you.  My hope is that my admission of one of the sins I am trying to fix, challenges you to address some of things you might be considering in your life.

David Believes: Confession

In the 38th chapter of Psalms, the depth of this belief in confession is on display:

There is no health in my bones
    because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
    like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

My wounds stink and fester
    because of my foolishness.

He continues by sharing how he is impacted by his sin:

I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
    all the day I go about mourning.
For my sides are filled with burning,
    and there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am feeble and crushed;
    I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

We don’t know where exactly in David’s lifetime this Psalm should be placed, but we know David was a man after God’s own heart, who also struggled with sin. If you’ve been following along with the life of David, you know there were many ups and downs – and this confession of his sin could be at multiple points in his life. Just as in any believer’s life.

The cornerstone of Christianity is the saving blood of Jesus Christ. Without it, there is no salvation, no eternity with God. There isn’t a way to earn this gift – but it does have to be accepted. We have to believe and accept this, through a confession of our faith. Part of our confession of faith is the need for this salvation, because of our sin.

Our “coming to Jesus” experiences all look a little different – from alter calls to accepting Jesus into your heart, from a church camp declaration to a deathbed profession. One thread across all of our personal experiences of coming to Christ, is this need of a savior and a turning away from sin. And that’s exactly what confession is – declaring what in our life is against God’s ways, and asking him for forgiveness and help.

Like David, I believe the practice of confession is a holy habit for Christ followers to continue – throughout our lives, not just once at the start of our faith journey.

Sure, the Lord already knows it – all of it. But do you recognize the benefit of saying it out loud to him, recognizing the wrong and why it was wrong, and seeking forgiveness? It takes the power out of the sin and brings it to light. Confession is both humbling and freeing. He promises to forgive us – and loves us through all of it!

If you’re a little rusty on the practice of confessing your sin, here are a few things to guide you in your prayer time:

  • Get specific. More than the midwest ope or ‘scuse me, be straightforward about your sin and call it by name when you’re talking with God.
  • Recognize why this is against God’s design for us and the impact the sin has.
  • Actually ask for forgiveness. “God, will you forgive me for xyz”. Thank him and believe in his forgiveness!
  • A truly repentant heart is one that is resolved to change and not continue in that sin. Ask God to help you and guide you to ways of true change. Is there any restitution or restoration that needs to occur with others, because of your sin?

Here are some additional scriptures on confession and forgiveness that encouraged me this week:

If we claim to have fellowship with God and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:6-9

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. Psalm 32:1-5

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. Psalm 103:8-12

 

Why I believe: Rick Jebb

Today’s scripture is Psalm 37 and the journal thoughts come from Rick Jebb when asked “Why do you believe?”. Our long time readers know Rick’s beautiful, thoughtful heart-felt writing and his heart for God. Also among these, I know him as a great friend, mentor, fellow traveler and dreamer.

Rick, why do you believe in God as Creator, Christ the Resurrected Son, and the Holy Spirit of truth?

  • A simple and complex concept.
  • A faith journey believing in something essentially that exists outside of space and time: Eternity.
  • The idea that a subatomic object containing all the potential energy and matter for the universe one day exploded bringing the universe into existence. This is the theory of the Big Bang; sciences’ current explanation for all that exists inside space and time. Who planted this seed ostensibly from outside of space and time? Why?
  • The convergence of all the best thinking throughout human civilization that embraces similar ideas of love, kindness; sacrifice; humility; the sources of human suffering; finding peace in transcendence and yielding to something than us. Essentially Jesus’s Sermon On The Mount.
  • The Bible—revelation from scripture that prophesied the coming of the Messiah whom would take away the sins of the world. The fulfillment of this in the historical person of Jesus – an innocent man who was above all falsely accused, beaten, crucified and rose from the dead. Appearing to 500, and changing the lives of disciples who witness and believed these things so much so they died martyrs death, unwilling to renounce their faith.  This along with several other historical sources that spoke to the Christ’s existence and these events.
  • Jesus’ proclamations that he was God in the flesh, the way the truth and the life. The bread of life. One with the Father and the Spirit—the Holy Ghost, the Comforter who seeks to dwell within us. The proclamation that He is the Vine and that if we abide in him, he will abide in us. That is how we can live the life we were meant to live.
  • That God’s Holy Spirit is also described as living water. The only thing that can truly quench our thirst, fulfill us.
  • The innocence of childhood when I just believed in God’s power and love. A time I was filled with hope and wonder.
  • The quest to return to this state of grace that seems to weave through the story of my life. God’s faithfulness and mysterious presence leading me by His Spirit to situations where I have been able to help people in unimaginable ways amidst circumstances I never would have imagined.
  • Times where the powerful and overwhelming sense of God’s presence has brought me peace that transcends all understanding many times often amidst great adversity and danger.
  • The concept of the ARC of a human life: from the tomb of the womb to the womb of the tomb. From whence we came we shall go. The anticipation of the next great adventure, filled with mystery and hope sustained by my faith.
  • The life of my earthly father who was certifiably insane, and yet, in the periods of his life when the mental illness was held at bay, and despite his afflictions, spoke love into the lives of seven children who all considered him a good father and all have reasonable well adjusted lives of faith.
  • The grandeur and majesty of nature where chaos and order coexist with danger and grace. Those places of remarkable beauty where it seems we are able to glimpse the eternal power of an almighty, and personal creator who is able to live within space and time, within us, His creation, and at the same time exist independent of space and time. That sometimes hard to describe feeling that God is speaking to us through the magnificence of this creation and all its wonders.

-Rick Jebb

Psalm 36

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep (Psalm 36:5-6).

Yesterday, Shelly talked about praying the Psalms.  Similarly, when I got to verse 5 of today’s passage in Psalm 36, I started signing the words of this Psalm as put to music by Third Day in 1999.  If you are familiar with this song, can you read this passage or listen to the song without lifting your voice in worship to God?  I certainly cannot.

Psalm 36 begins by describing the sinfulness of wicked people.

  • There is no fear of God in their eyes
  • They think too much of themselves to recognize, or care about their sin
  • Their words are wicked and deceitful
  • They don’t act wisely or do what is good
  • They plot evil and don’t reject what is wrong

Do you see the pattern here?  A sin of commission (doing something wrong), then a sin of omission (failing to do something right).  Both are sins.  Both are contrary to God’s will.

In the next section, David contrasts the sins of the wicked with the attributes of God.  They couldn’t be more different.  The vastness of God’s love, faithfulness and righteousness are completely opposite of sin.  Justice, however, is where the sins of the wicked and the character of God intersect.  Our perfect God will eventually put an end to sin; an end to arrogance, apathy, deceitfulness, and wickedness.

As Christfollowers, we need not fear wicked people because we know God loves us, he hates sin, and he judges evildoers.  Like David, we can ask for his protection.

May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away (Psalm 36:11).

Oh lord, your love and faithfulness are beyond measure.  Thank you for loving me in spite of my sinful ways.  Today, will you protect me and my family from wicked people who seek to bring us down destroy us?  Today, will you help me recognize my own wicked ways and give me the power to make choices that honor you?

I will lift my voice to worship you my king, I will find my strength in the shadow of your wings.  Amen.