Psalm 150

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven!
2 Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness!
3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes!
5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Our responsibility to praise God ought to be a matter of character, not conduct.
When we look at today's Psalm we see a challenge to let praise permeate all of creation. We ought not simply be "praisers," but we ought to help orchestrate an environment of praise.
Yet...all too often...people of faith seem to park their enthusiasm at the church door as they leave. I recall standing next to a woman at Ramstein chapel one Sunday who was nearly delirious with praise. She was sweating, exhausted and mesmerized by the occasion of worship...until she appeared to be in a trance-like state.

I was thinking "this woman has lost her mind!'

Then I thought..."this is really admirable...if it's authentic."

I knew the woman and had to agree she was a person of devout faith...even though I had never witnessed this level of spiritual enthusiasm at the BX or commmissary. We might agree that wouldn't seem appropriate.

We all tend exhibit a conduct and attitude inside those church walls that have very little in common with with the rest of our lives. Yet...if these two segments of our lives are to demonstrate more similarity (and they should), I suggest God will prefer we take the "praise" attitude with us when we leave church rather than bring the "proper" attitude into church when we arrive.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 149

1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.
2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
3 Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp.
4 For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.
6 Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—
7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains,
9 to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones. Praise the Lord!

Wow! "Let a sharp sword be in their hands..."

And, this is a happy psalm?

I'm always inclined to take god's word literally...I believe it's the best way to accurately understand what God is saying to us.

But there are metaphors...

Here I believe the sword is a metaphor for our civic responsibility to do some important things:

1. "Execute vengence and punish people" - God's words says we are never to repay evil with evil, but to repay evil with good. So...vengence cannot mean repayment in kind against those who have hurt us. It can mean that we refuse to be in harmony with ungodly people. It can mean that we must be selective about who we keep as friends and advisors. 1st Corinthians mentions a case where a church member was removed from fellowship because of sinful behavior. The world may say this is vengeful. That should not deter us from demanding high standards from ourselves and others.

2. "Bind kings and leaders" - Believe it or not, our leaders are subject to our laws. This should be a challenge for us to be politically active and demand laws that honor our own faith traditions. This is not to suggest we impose a theocracy...God will do that in His time...but it does suggest that Godly moral and social values should be upheld. Don't be bashful...the ballot box is our legitimate means of binding our rulers. If they refuse to honor our values, we should remove them.

3. "Execute judgement written against them" - I'm always curious with Christians who say "I don't want to judge" when observing bad behavior. We don't have to judge...God's word already has. We are supposed to declare the truth that is written. Proclaiming that unbelievers have no part in God's kingdom is not judging anybody. It is "executing judgment already written against them."

These are responsibilites that are not without risk. But...this is the glorious privilege of God's faithful ones.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 148

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies!
2 Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
3 Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
4 Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being.
6 He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him,
9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds,
11 kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth,
12 young men and young women, old men and children.
13 Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
14 He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones— the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!


The fire, hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather obey God,

Or, does the weather obey the consequences of manmade carbon emissions?

We can't have it both ways. This doesn't mean the two are mutually exclusive. It simply asks the question" who controls the weather?

Why is this important? Because stewardship of our planet only becomes a compelling idea if we believe it is an act of obedience to creator God.

A friend of mine told me recently..."it is within God's ability and power to over-ride the mess we make of things, but it is not His function."

So...we live with the consequences of our behavior, not because God cannot eliminate consequences, but because consequences are some of the tools God uses to teach us responsible behavior.

Mankind is too shortsighted to change behavior because the possibility of flooding 100 years from now. Most people don't get worked up about problems looming 100 days from now.

And... "rulers and judges of the earth" obey God. Which rules out the idea that any current administration has run amok. Even if our congress doesn't believe it...it serves a power higher than themselves.

So, it seems, the historical record of God's relationship with mankind is unfolding daily. Not just in ways we recognize, but in the very rising of the sun...He does it all on our behalf.

So...I come away from this Psalm with two thoughts:
1. I should live responsibly...in a way that reveals my gratitude for what God has given.
2. I should live confidently...recognizing that nothing occurs without His express permission.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 147

1 Praise the Lord! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting!
2 The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the stars and calls them all by name.
5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!
6 The Lord supports the humble, but he brings the wicked down into the dust.
7 Sing out your thanks to the Lord; sing praises to our God with a harp.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.
9 He gives food to the wild animals and feeds the young ravens when they cry.
10 He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might.
11 No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love.
12 Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates and blessed your children within your walls.
14 He sends peace across your nation and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat.
15 He sends his orders to the world— how swiftly his word flies!
16 He sends the snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes.
17 He hurls the hail like stones.[a] Who can stand against his freezing cold?
18 Then, at his command, it all melts. He sends his winds, and the ice thaws.
19 He has revealed his words to Jacob, his decrees and regulations to Israel.
20 He has not done this for any other nation; they do not know his regulations. Praise the Lord!
Our God is a God of redemption.

Have you ever felt you have strayed so far from God's path that you will never find yourself back on track? Look at the nation of Israel...exiled in a strange land...because of their own stubborn lack of faith. But yet, David says "the Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back."

More than that..."He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds". So, not only is God a God of redemption, He is also a God of healing.

And, He can do it. God can do whatever He pleases. After all, "He calls the stars by name. His power is absolute and His understanding is beyond comprehension".

In other words, nothing can stop God from lovingly redeeming us when we stray.

But...on what basis? Humility.

David says "the Lord takes to pleasure in the strength of horses or in human might. The delight of the Lord is in those who fear Him".

Are you feeling a bit alienated today? Would you like to find yourself back in the center of God's will? Swallow your pride, "put your hope in His unfailing love"...instead of your own intuition...and see what happens.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord! Let all that I am praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.
4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them.
5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.
7 He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners.
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly.
9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.

Praise the Lord!

Eventually, they will all let us down...those powerful people who we count on to maintain equalibrium in our lives.

The politicians...who promise to protect us...in exchange for our vote.

The merchants...who promise to provide us anything we need...in exchange for our money.

The educators...who promise to prepare us for life...in exchange for our minds.

I could go on and on...but..."there is no help for us there!" Why? because they are really no different than we are. At the end of the day they will lie down and die like the rest of us...and their plans die with them.

So...I still worry about the state of our society...and wonder why the politicians don't do something about it. I worry about my financial needs...and wonder why necessities are so expensive. I worry about our schools...and wonder why they are more devoted to indoctrinating my grandchildren rather than endowing them with life skills.

By now I should know better...

David says "the Lord lifts up those who are weighed down." And, how can He do that? Because "He made heaven and earth and everything in them. He keeps all His promises forever."

Oh yes...and "He will reign forever."

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 145

1 I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever.
2 I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.
3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.
4 Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.
5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.
6 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness.
7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.
8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.
10 All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power.
12 They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.
14 The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
15 The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.
16 When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.
18 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20 The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.
21 I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.

Not a word of frustration or fear or anger.

As the noise and activities of life fade, we should stop for a moment and consider exactly what the birth of our Savior means to us.

Here's a sample of David's response...
"I will exhalt you and praise your name forever!" Because of the gift of Jesus, our lives can be transformed from meager existences into celebrations of God's eternal goodness.
"Let each generation tell it's children." Because of the gift of Jesus, I have something of eternal value to teach my children.
"I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles!" Because of the gift of Jesus our lives have purpose and meaning.

Here's a sample of the reasons why...
"The Lord always keeps his promises!"God promised to bridge the gap that sin created between Him and His children...and He did it through His son Jesus.
"The Lord is close to all who call on Him."God promised to dwell with us forever and He does so through the Spirit of Christ that lives within every person of faith.
"The Lord protects all those who love Him."God has broken the power of sin forever...for those who trust in His son Jesus.

There is now nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus!

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 144

1 Praise the Lord, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle.
2 He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him. He makes the nations submit to me.
3 O Lord, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them?
4 For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow.
5 Open the heavens, Lord, and come down. Touch the mountains so they billow smoke.
6 Hurl your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies! Shoot your arrows and confuse them!
7 Reach down from heaven and rescue me; rescue me from deep waters, from the power of my enemies.
8 Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God! I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp.
10 For you grant victory to kings! You rescued your servant David from the fatal sword.
11 Save me! Rescue me from the power of my enemies. Their mouths are full of lies; they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.
12 May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace.
13 May our barns be filled with crops of every kind. May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands, even tens of thousands,
14 and may our oxen be loaded down with produce. May there be no enemy breaking through our walls, no going into captivity, no cries of alarm in our town squares.
15 Yes, joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the Lord.

David was a warrior.

He spent his life building the kingdom of Israel and vanquishing his enemies.

As he looked back on his life he recognized three important things about his journey with God:
1. The Lord had given David the skills required for his appointed tasks.
2. God was an everready place of refuge for David in times of trouble.
3. God orchestrated victory over David's enemies.

These truths alone ought to provide us courage when we face challenges. What more could we need?

Did all this make David proud? or arrogant? No. In fact, he muses..."what are human, that you would take notice of them? They are like a breath of air...or a passing shadow."

All those promises, and humility too...

And with great confidence David offers a benediction suitable for us today...

"May our sons flourish in their youth...May our daughters be like graceful pillars...May our barns be filled with crops of every kind...May the flocks in our fields multiply...and may our oxen be loaded down with produce...May there be no enemy breaking through our walls...Yes, joyful are those who live like this!"

Joyful indeed are those whose God is the Lord. Can we feel that gratitude today?
Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 143

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea! Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.
2 Don’t put your servant on trial, for no one is innocent before you.
3 My enemy has chased me. He has knocked me to the ground and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave.
4 I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear.
5 I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done.
6 I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.
7 Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from me,
or I will die.
8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
on a firm footing.
11 For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.
12 In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

"So...what did you do?"

The accusatory question is one my parents would invariably ask when I would complain about something one of my siblings had done to me. I would go to them for justice and a finger of accusation would be pointed at me. Sometimes it was legitimate...sometimes not.

But it kept me from appealing to them on many occasions.

As a parent, I understand the tendency. It's not possible to mediate fairly unless we have all the facts.

David comes before the Lord with a grievance and says two important things:
1. Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea! Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.
2. Don’t put your servant on trial, for no one is innocent before you.

First...he appeals to the Lord based upon God's faithfulness and righteousness...not his own.
Second...he asks that God not put David himself on trial...because nobody is totally innocent.

And...our total innocence is not the point. We still want justice.

Can you imagine how uncomfortable we would be if we approached God and his response was like our parents..."so, Lee, what did you do to get this mess started in the first place?"

I'm confident God honored David's plea and refrained from that question. Which gave David the opportunity to express his concerns openly.

David's appeal follows a pattern we might find productive...

1. Lord, here's my problem: My enemy has chased me. He has knocked me to the ground and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave. I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear.

2. Lord, you have the solution: I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from me, I will die. Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.

3. Lord, show me what to do: Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

4. Lord, glorify yourself: For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress. In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant

Whether or not we are totally innocent and righteous is not the issue...and is not the question God will ask when we appeal to Him. This should be a source of relief that drives us to Him immediately when we experience trouble.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 142

1 I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy.
2 I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.
3 When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me.
4 I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.
5 Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.
6 Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring me out of prison so I can thank you. The godly will crowd around me, for you are good to me.”

"Let me out of prison!"

Plato is famous for defining the body as a prison for the soul. Our real being...the spiritual being...can never truly be free as long as it is encumbered by the body.

Well, long before Plato, David penned much the same thought. After expressing his many travails in this psalm, David implies that life is a prison of sorts. As long as we live on this earth we are surrounded by trouble.

We Christians often take the same view and say "if I could just die and go to heaven..." But...David is not asking for an escape from this life. He is asking for a place of refuge. He says to God "You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life."

And in that place of refuge David finds peace. It is a place where We can "pour out all our complaints before God and tell Him all our troubles." It is also a place where God will "tell us the way to turn."

I imagine if we could find a place like that...we would be at perfect peace. Geritol once aired a commercial that claimed "if you have your health, you have just about everything." I suggest "if we have our peace, we have just about everything!"

Jesus said "seek me and I will be found." I don't know where that place of refuge is for you. I do know...if you get to the point where you can tell God "you are all I really want in life," you will find it. I have.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 141

1 O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry! Listen when I cry to you for help!
2 Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering.
3 Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.
4 Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong.

5 Let the godly strike me! It will be a kindness! If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.
Don’t let me refuse it. But I pray constantly against the wicked and their deeds.
6 When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff, the wicked will listen to my words and find them true.
7 Like rocks brought up by a plow, the bones of the wicked will lie scattered without burial.

8 I look to you for help, O Sovereign Lord. You are my refuge; don’t them kill me.
9 Keep me from the traps they have set for me, from the snares of those who do wrong.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, but let me escape.

Temptation is understandable. It's common to all of us. In fact, David calls the fruit of temptation "delicacies."

If it were not so, we wouldn't be tempted.

How do we handle temptation? David knew how. He turned to the Lord for help.
1. He asked God to take control of his conversation. (don't talk about tempting things)
2. He asked God to prevent him from drifting toward evil. (don't go near temptation)
3. He asked for discipline from godly people. (seek out Godly guidance)
4. He asked for humility to receive correction. (submit to Godly guidance)
5. He prayed for destruction of the wicked. (work to eliminate tempting opportunities)
We shouldn't beat ourselves up when we are tempted. After all, we lust after evil exactly because it is so attractive. Rather than waste that energy...let's focus on productive methods to overcome. That means we go straight to God.

Live boldly out there today...

Palm 140

1 O Lord, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent,
2 those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long.
3 Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips.
4 O Lord, keep me out of the hands of the wicked. Protect me from those who are violent, for they are plotting against me.
5 The proud have set a trap to catch me; they have stretched out a net; they have placed traps all along the way.
6 I said to the Lord, “You are my God!” Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy!
7 O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me, you protected me on the day of battle.
8 Lord, do not let evil people have their way. Do not let their evil schemes succeed,or they will become proud.
9 Let my enemies be destroyed by the very evil they have planned for me.
10 Let burning coals fall down on their heads. Let them be thrown into the fireor into watery pits from which they can’t escape.
11 Don’t let liars prosper here in our land. Cause great disasters to fall on the violent.
12 But I know the Lord will help those they persecute; he will give justice to the poor.
13 Surely righteous people are praising your name; the godly will live in your presence.

We don't like to think about it, but this is a wicked world...bent on our destruction.
Why else would the world we live in be saturated with opportunities to destroy our own souls? Internet pornography...illegal drugs...alcohol...Madison avenue, selling merchandise that we don't need and don't want.

Many would argue these are not all wicked people who peddle this stuff...they are simply trying to get by. Don't be so forgiving. "Their tongues sting like a snake. The venom of a viper drips from their lips."

What pornographer is concerned that we may fall prey to the addictive nature of his product? He may not know us by name, but he knows the nature of his product and he is hoping we will become victims. The same is true for the neighbor who provides experimental substances to our children. He is not at all concerned that his product may destroy lives filled with potential...as long as he gets what he wants. We've seen it over and over with alcohol abuse.

Trust me...anything that naturally produces a dependence on something other than God is our enemy. The people who offer such things are our enemis, bent on our destruction.
And then...there is our own human heart...that lusts after all this.

David pleads with God... "rescue me!"

Are the barbarians at the gate? Is your live unraveling? The only source of salvation...the only assurance of relief...is God. Rest in His protective grace.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 139

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too great for me to understand!
7 I can never escape from your Spirit!I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers!
20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name.
21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
I understand why some people don't like God...they think He's a pest.

Could you imagine somebody that would never leave? "I can never escape from your Spirit!"

"Even the darkness cannot hide me from you!"

But that doesn't mean rejection is the only way to respond to God's inexhaustible pursuit of us. We could choose to welcome Him.

Read how Francis Thompson describes God's pursuit of us in his poem The Hound of Heaven
I FLED Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat—and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet—
‘All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.’
For 180 lines Francis Thompson, an opium addict who eventually died of tuberculosis, describes a life spent running from God great love out of fear he would have to give up the life he knew...as wretched as it was....so that he could pursue all the things he believed would bring fulfillment.

Finally...in abject failure and exhaustion...he hears the precious words of God ...

I am He Whom thou seekest!
Thou drawest love from thee, who drawest Me.’

Our Psalmist regarded God's pursuit as a profound blessing. Most of us...not so much. Let's look forward to a new year in fellowship with our great creator. For, as Francis Thompson portrayed the word's of God, "all thing betray the person who betrays God."

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 138

1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods.
2 I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.
3 As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.
4 Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord, for all of them will hear your words.
5 Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways, for the glory of the Lord is very great.
6 Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.
7 Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me.
8 The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

We don't believe in gods. We believe in God.

But our Psalmist believes in gods. He says "I will sing your praises before the gods" because:
1. His love and faithfulness never fails
2. His promises are backed by all the honor of His name.
3. He answers prayer
4. He encourages and strengthens us.

It's our Psalmists way of saying "I recognize the world around me "calls on" many gods to intercede for them, but my God stands supreme among them."

So, what is it with these other "gods?"

Our English word "god" derives from a 6th century German word which meant either "to call" or "to invoke. We began capitalizing the word "God" to distinguish between the monotheistic God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...and the polytheistic gods of other religions.

So...who might these other god's be? Well, anybody, or anything, we call on for help.

Might our spouse be our god...if we believe they are responsible for our well-being?
Might our job be our god...if we believe we cannot make ends meet without our paycheck?
Might our government be our god...if we believe our health will fail without it's intervention?

I'm beginning to become concerned that we DO believe in gods. We, as people of faith, look many places for help. We invoke the power and authority of many entities to save us. But in the end...are they faithful? Do they answer us? Do they give us strength and courage?

No...not dependably. So why bother to invoke them at all? Furthermore, a time is coming when all the earth will see it the same way. "Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord, for all of them will hear your words. Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways, for the glory of the Lord is very great."
Why? because "though we are surrounded by troubles, He will protect us from the anger of our enemies...the power of His right hand saves us. The Lord will work out His plans for our lives—for His faithful love endures forever".
Can other god's do that? Of course not...

One of the great traditions of Christianity is that we are "monotheists". We believe there are no other gods. So...we don't even bother to ask around.

As they say "dance with the one who brung you!"

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 137

1 Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem.
2 We put away our harps, hanging them on the branches of poplar trees.
3 For our captors demanded a song from us. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn:
“Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!”
4 But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp.
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you,
if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.

7 O Lord, remember what the Edomites did on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem. “Destroy it!” they yelled. “Level it to the ground!”
8 O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us.
9 Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!

Make no mistake, this is a difficult Psalm...

We are witnessing a psalmist who is ruminating over the history of his nation and it is not a happy history. Quite a contrast with yesterday's Psalm. But then...emotional highs and lows are common to man...even those who pen sacred scripture.

The memory of sitting beside the rivers of Babylon were not pleasant. Jerusalem was destroyed and the Children of Israel were carted off to be slaves. Memories of their beloved land and city reduced them to tears.

Furthermore, we see an unseemly fit of rage when we read "O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us. Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!" Shouldn't we be just a bit uncomfortable with this?

All the while the citizens of Babylon are chortling "Come on...life is not so bad here. Enjoy yourselves. Sing a happy song!"

In many ways America has become a "foreign land" for Christians. The liberties we grew up with...to profess our faith freely and confidently are gone. We now have to ensure that the professions of joy at the birth of our Savior do not offend those around us. Many innocent acts of faith can result in spending a day in front of a judge. And, I read in the Wall Street Journal yesterday how our Christian Cross is not unlike the Nazi swastika. We are on the threshold of becoming a vanquished people...like Israel.

Isn't this outrageous?

And yet, we are supposed feel privileged that we live in this country. I believe that if our Psalmist were here today he would weep at the memories of an America that truly had been a safe haven for people of faith...but is no more.

The day may soon come when Christ has been completely removed from the celebrations we hold on His birthday...at least from a national perspective. Curious. It's like tomato soup...with no tomatoes.

As for me, "may my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember my Savior!"

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.
4 Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.
5 Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.
6 Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever.
7 Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.
9 and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.
10 Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.
11 He brought Israel out of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.
12 He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm. His faithful love endures forever.
13 Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.
14 He led Israel safely through, His faithful love endures forever.
15 but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.
16 Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever.
17 Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. His faithful love endures forever.
18 He killed powerful kings—His faithful love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites, His faithful love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan. His faithful love endures forever.
21 God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance—His faithful love endures forever.
22 a special possession to his servant Israel. His faithful love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever.
24 He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.

How long is forever...actually?

If I read this Psalm correctly, that is how long God's love endures.

At the very least, I'd say "forever" is as long as I need it to be...and more.

And, on what basis do we say "His love endures forever"? Well, it's simply based on what God has done so far.

1. God has altered the course of natural history for our benefit.
He does mighty miracles.
He made the heavens so skillfully.
He placed the earth among the waters.
He made the heavenly lights—the sun to rule the day,and the moon and stars to rule the night.

2. God has altered the course of human history for our benefit.
He killed the firstborn of Egypt.
He brought Israel out of Egypt.
He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm.
He parted the Red Sea.
He led Israel safely through,
He hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.
He led his people through the wilderness.

3. God has altered the course of personal history for our benefit.
He killed powerful kings—
He gave the land of these kings as an inheritance—
He remembered us in our weakness.
He saved us from our enemies.
He gives food to every living thing.

We have only a few possible responses to God's activity through history.
1. I don't believe any of that stuff
2. None of that has anything to do with me.
3. The past is no indicator of the future.
4. OK, I'm convinced. I will be more thankful.

And...three of the choices aren't so great. I'm regularly amazed that since the only logical answer is #4, people still take positionis #1-#3 regularly. It seems as though when it comes to acknowledging God, we want to make decisions that truly are NOT in our best interests. After all...how are we better off when we deny God's role in our lives?

Except for our insistance on marginalizing God...we can be counted on to make pretty solid decisions. We eat, we sleep, we pay our bills, we raise our children (or, at least agree we should) in the best way we know how...to benefit ourselves and our families.

Now really...what more could God do to get our attention? Maybe come down and confront us face to face? Oh, yeah...He did that too.

God is very very good. He's proven it again and again. Is He good enough so you can give thanks?

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 135

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you who serve the Lord,
2 you who serve in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure.
5 I know the greatness of the Lord—that our Lord is greater than any other god.
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.
7 He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.
8 He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home,both people and animals.
9 He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his people.
10 He struck down great nations and slaughtered mighty kings—
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,Og king of Bashan,and all the kings of Canaan.
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,a special possession to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever; your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation.
14 For the Lord will give justice to his people and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
16 They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.
17 They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.
18 And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.
19 O Israel, praise the Lord! O priests—descendants of Aaron—praise the Lord!
20 O Levites, praise the Lord! All you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord!
21 The Lord be praised from Zion,for he lives here in Jerusalem.Praise the Lord!

So, now we are being told...by the high priests of the church of climatology... that the earth would be better off without people. Really?

And how would the earth know? And would the earth really care? It would if you were an animist and believed the earth had a soul.

Make no mistake...the radical climatologists truly are practioners of a religion. Actually, a very ancient religion...Pantheism. They have their dogma, their creeds and their rituals just like we Christians do. We see roots of their theology in Native American religious practice that espouses the sacred nature of creation. the sun god...the moon god...and of course, the mother earth god. All creation is sacred. Man serves creation rather than the other way around.

So...is this necessarily a bad thing? After all, as Bob Dylan said "You've got to serve somebody". Well, of course it's a bad thing...because it denies the symbiotic relationship that we are meant to have with God's creation...by God's design. We are not interlopers on this planet. The planet was created by God and given to us. In fact, the relationship we have with God's creation is similar, in ways, to a marriage relationship. And...as is the case in any good marriage, the partners ought to take good care of one another. So we need to be good stewards.

"Till death we do part"...the planet and I are stuck with each other until one of us dies! Pretty much like a marriage. But...to say the planet would be better off without mankind is like saying "my marriage would be much better without my spouse." We call this an oxymoron.

Now, to the central point of today's Psalm. The writer says we should "Praise the Lord" because "I know the greatness of the Lord—that our Lord is greater than any other god. The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths. He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.

We don't have to be particularly smart to recognize where the earth fits into the big picture here. The earth is not a co-deity with God. The earth is a canvas upon which God paints His masterpieces. We, on the other hand, would be ill advised to take our crayons and color over God's masterpiece.

So, be environmentally responsible. Not for the earth's sake, but for God's sake...because that is His design.

So why am I laboring over this this point?

It's this simple. The religion of climatology is a perfect example of how far astray we can roam if we take our eyes off of God. We invent new religions...with new catechisms. Buying and selling carbon credits become the new sacraments.

We also fashion new gods to worship. None of which will do us a bit of good if the planet really does give up the ghost. Our writer says " The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them."

So we "praise the Lord, for the Lord is good". And which Lord do we praise? "the Lord who has chose Israel for His own treasure." Don't let the gods of this world confuse you...

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 134

1 Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you who serve at night in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift up holy hands in prayer, and praise the Lord.
3 May the Lord, who made heaven and earth, bless you from Jerusalem

Ever work the swing shift? or the midnight shift? the Temple actually had a night shift.

I worked a swing shift at a grocery store and a midnight shift at a dairy. By their very nature, these shifts seem to be less productive. At the grocery store we probably had five customers between 10:00 pm and midnight...hardly enough to pay the light bill. At the dairy, I was the only living being in the plant. My job was to make certain dairy products were either started, or finished, for the morning crew.

Lots of idle time...with very little to do...and no supervision to invent chores.

Christians have a lot of idle time in their spiritual lives. Let's see...church at 9:00 on Sunday. Yup, that's about it. The rest of the time I'm on my own with my spiritual life.

How do I spend my idle spiritual time?

"Those of you who work the midnight shift...lift up holy hands and praise the Lord!" Well, technically our Psalmist was speaking to those Levites who served in the Temple. But, we get the point. Pretty much any time in our week between two Sunday worship services could be called the "midnight shift" in our personal temple.

So...what are we doing? Does rushing home to watch the NFL constitute "praising the Lord?" I know it involves "lifting up our hands!" (holy or not).

I believe the challenge of the psalm is simply this: during our week, we may not feel we are in a position to formally study scripture, or theology, or doctrine...we lack the expertise and the resources. However, there is nothing to prevent us from praising God.

And...since our idle spiritual time is such a significant portion of our lives...it seems our whole lives ought to take on the character of praising God. Do our friends know us as God praisers? When asked if they know Lee Thompson, would my friends at work say "oh, yes...he's the guy that runs around praising God all day?"

It should be the case. And then, "may the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you..."

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 133

1 How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!
2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head,
that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.
3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

People of faith often find themselves in a defensive position that can take on a very aggressive character. This is not without reason.

Many professing Christians have taken very unorthodox views of scripture and we fear that their message does not contain the power of the risen Lord. So...we attack.

After all, we're just protecting the faith.

Our Psalmist today talks about the importance of harmony in the Christian life. "Harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head." This is not an insignificant statement. When Aaron was anointed for the priesthood the oil was a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps our writer this morning is suggesting that the more we listen to the Holy Spirit...the more we will identify a spirit of harmony in our lives. And, harmony among believers is important because it symbolizes the unity of the Body of Christ.

I'm not suggesting we turn a deaf ear to unorthodox doctrine. I am suggesting we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit...who is a unifier, not a divider. If the Spirit drives us to speak out against other Christians...I suggest that would be the exception.

"And there the Lord has pronounced His blessing."

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 132

1 Lord, remember David and all that he suffered.
2 He made a solemn promise to the Lord. He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel,
3 “I will not go home; I will not let myself rest.
4 I will not let my eyes sleep nor close my eyelids in slumber
5 until I find a place to build a house for the Lord, a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.”
6 We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah; then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar. 7 Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord; let us worship at the footstool of his throne.
8 Arise, O Lord, and enter your resting place, along with the Ark, the symbol of your power.
9 May your priests be clothed in godliness; may your loyal servants sing for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David, do not reject the king you have anointed.
11 The Lord swore an oath to David with a promise he will never take back:
“I will place one of your descendants on your throne.
12 If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant and the laws that I teach them,
then your royal line will continue forever and ever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem; he has desired it for his home.
14 “This is my resting place forever,” he said. “I will live here, for this is the home I desired.
15 I will bless this city and make it prosperous; I will satisfy its poor with food.
16 I will clothe its priests with godliness; its faithful servants will sing for joy.
17 Here I will increase the power of David; my anointed one will be a light for my people.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame, but he will be a glorious king.
When God placed his Holy Spirit into us [based on our profession of faith in Christ] he made us priests. We now have direct access to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...without the assistance of another human. We became become royalty, with special promises and privileges. Life was good...

Then, somewhere along the way we notice the special quality of our lives slipping. We don't have the assurance and confidence we once had, so we begin to look for solutions. Mostly we look in all the wrong places.

Our Psalmist looked around at his beloved Israel and was alarmed at the state of deterioration. He took his appeal straight to God and based his appeal entirely on God's own words. The Israel Covenant [Deut. 29:1-29] [30:1-10] is a covenant between God and the Children of Israel... based in great part...upon God's love for His servant David. And the Psalmist reminds us of the promise: God says “This is my resting place forever, I will live here, for this is the home I desired. I will bless this city and make it prosperous; I will satisfy its poor with food. I will clothe its priests with godliness; its faithful servants will sing for joy. Here I will increase the power of David; my anointed one will be a light for my people. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but he will be a glorious king.”
As people of faith, we covet God's presence in our lives. We desire His blessings. We hope for prosperity. We pray for godly leaders who can guide us in righteousness. We appeal for victory over our enemies...all things that God promised to do. But, of course, there is a catch.

Just one catch...God's promise was conditional upon Israel's repentance, return to God, and obedience to the Mosaic law. "If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant and the laws that I teach them, then your royal line will continue forever and ever.”

Repentance and obedience are pesky things. They are like mosquitoes that buzz around our face and annoy us. We swat at them and try to get them to leave. It's human nature to do the same thing with God's demands. Why? Because repentance and obedience run contrary to our human nature. That is why God placed His Spirit within us...so we could take on a new nature that found great delight in repentance and obedience.

But...occasionally that newness wears off and we are back to running our own show, and the trouble begins. God promises to put our lives back in order...on His terms.

Repentance is "agreeing with God". Obedience is self-explanatory. Very uncomplicated, but entirely necessary for God's blessings.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 131

1. Lord, my heart is not proud; I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.
2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me
3 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord now and always.
Is there any matter too great to grasp? As far the world would believe...no!

But then, it's interesting how foolish we look when we pontificate on issues that only God himself comprehends.

It might be "global warming". It may be "evolution". It doesn't really matter. When the "smartest folks in the room" get together the discussion invariable gravitates to forgone conclusions and inevitable consequences. Never mind that we only possess a fraction of the information necessary to draw legitimate scientific conclusions about any of it. And on...and on!

And...as science catches up to the scientists...they continually tinker with their absolute certainties.. Is is any wonder most people are sceptical of people smarter than themselves?

Of all people, people of faith ought to be carefully measured in anything we say. After all, it is imperative that we are believable people so when we share the good news of Christ it is taken seriously. Every time we appear pompous or arrogant we diminish our ability to make a difference for Christ's sake.

This is why our Psalmist says Lord, my heart is not proud; I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. A little bit of humility does a great deal to keep our conversation authoritative and effective. "I don't know" is often the best answer.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 130

1 From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help.
2 Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer.
3 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?
4 But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.
5 I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.
6 I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows.
8 He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.

Yesterday he was melancholy. today our Psalmist is in the depths of despair...by his own admission.

Yet, in his despair, David writes one of the most encouraging Psalms we have ever read. It is the Psalm we should keep in our hip pocket so we can pull it out when we are in despair.

So...melancholy (yesterday) derives from the seeming constant trouble that comes our way. But despair? Despair comes from the realization of our own sinfulness. That is why Psalm 130 is so precious. Read what he says:

" Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you."

As a Christian for over 45 years I still struggle with sin. I'm way past the point of discouragement. I'm way past the point of guilt. I am to the point of despair. Why? Because if I was ever going to get this right, it would have already happened. I'm pathetic!

Mind you...my desire to live an obedient life derives not from fear of punishment, but from love and devotion to God for what He has done for me. This is why I despair: God deserves so much more from me. Why can't I offer it to Him?

The thought that God does not keep a record of my sin is a great relief. It encourages me to keep trying. But...there's more. The continual cycle of sin and forgiveness in our lives is permitted by God so that we might learn to fear (honor) Him.

We need to let God work through our human failures...our sins. If we refuse to hide from Him as Adam and Eve did, and ask Him to join us in our struggle, He promises to use our sin as a teaching point toward holiness. This is truly a new paradigm. Will it work?

I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 129

1 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me. Let all Israel repeat this:
2 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me, but they have never defeated me.
3 My back is covered with cuts, as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.
4 But the Lord is good; he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.
5 May all who hate Jerusalem be turned back in shameful defeat.
6 May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop, turning yellow when only half grown,
7 ignored by the harvester, despised by the binder.
8 And may those who pass by refuse to give them this blessing:
“The Lord bless you; we bless you in the Lord’s name.”

"It is what it is..."

How many time have we heard that phrase? It's what I call a "blinding flash of the obvious". Like saying "red is red". But the subtext is really something different. It's often a melancholy statement...intended to reveal a begrudging acknowledgment of the dim realities around us.

This melancholy can understandably creep into our spiritual lives. Perhaps we've been waging a long battle with health issues. Maybe it's relationships. Possibly financial hardship. And of course, these are all troubles perpetrated by the evil one...to discourage us. These troubles are truly our enemies. We find ourselves saying "from the time I was a kid I've been struggling with this...it just won't let me go!" Not a complaint...simply a statement of fact.

It's often called "a desert experience" or "the dark night of the soul" Whatever we want to call it, its a time in our lives where we recognize life is very difficult...and can be for a long time. There is no shame in this. Trust me...it's common to all people.

So...what should we do in the face of a melancholy spirit? Our friends might say "just trust the Lord," of "get over it!" as though our trouble is an interloper in a life that is supposed to be free of such things. I don't see David saying he is done with trouble. On the contrary, trouble seems to be a statement of reality in his life. I see him proclaiming his enemies will never prevail because the Lord has "cut him free from the ropes of the ungodly". Try to get this picture: It is possible to be inflicted with trouble but not be bound by trouble. I see a big difference.

"But the Lord is good..."

You know why? Because whatever it is has not defeated us. And furthermore...whatever it is needs the blessings of God almighty to prevail. That will never happen.

"It is what it is..."


Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 128

1 How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways!
2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table.
4 That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him.
5 May the Lord continually bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.
6 May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. May Israel have peace!

So, yesterday our Psalmist said "unless the Lord build our house, we labor in vain."

Today, he says there are blessings for "those who fear the Lord."

These psalms are like opposite sides of the same coin. Look at the promises if we truly follow God's desires for our life:
1. We will enjoy the fruits of our labor...we will be prosperous.
2. Our family will be vigorous and fruitful...for generations.

"Well", we say "God hasn't taken a close look at my life lately..."

A lot is said these days around the subject of "when bad things happen to good people." And of course...our friend Job is the textbook (Biblical) example. We're quick to point out the reality that fearing the Lord is no guarantee of a troublefree life..

So...are we making God a liar?

Well, maybe we're confusing issues. In fact...in another Psalm...we are told "the righteous will have many troubles, but the Lord will help them through all of them." So, apparantly we're not supposed to confuse "prosperity and fruitfulness" with "trouble free." To do so only leads to disappointment.

Remember Job? His friends said "curse God and die!" (some great friends, huh?) Yet Job said "though He slay me, yet will I trust him."

Prosperity and fruitfulness cannot be measured in time and space like wealth or health. It's very important that we avoid taking a short view...looking at current trouble...and wonder if God is trustworthy. The long view...that God always takes...restored Job to greater fruitfulness and prosperity than he ever dreamed.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 127

1 Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
4 Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

What are you building?

Most folks my age would say "I'm building for retirement."

We spend a lifetime building a family...building a reputation...building a profession...building "the good life." But, of course, "Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted".

Furthermore, once we have our lives built exactly the way we like it, the harsh reality remains..."unless the Lord protects (it), guarding it with sentries will do no good".

Ouch!

What are you busy building today? What are you fiercely protecting? Relax...if God didn't build it, it doesn't matter. If God did build it, he will protect it.

Of course, that's not necessarily a word of encouragement. It causes me to look around at what I've acquired and ask myself..."did I build this? or did God?"

It's never too late to remodel...call your Divine contractor.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 126

1 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.

Memories are generally good for us. Memories of God are of profound benefit.

When we spend our daily time with God we should consider spending some moments contemplating what God has done in our past...the blessings, the miracles, the corrections and the directions.

I suspect it will fill our hearts with thanksgiving and joy. After all, if we take the time to consider how far God has brought us...how could we be anything but grateful? In fact our Psalmist says "we were filled with laughter and our hearts were filled with joy!...what amazing things the Lord has done!"

We are reminded that even those difficult times in our lives...when tears and fears prevailed...will result in joy and thanksgiving when followed through to their Divine conclusion. "Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy!"

When was the last time you were so overwhelmed with God's faithfulness that you were reduced to laughter? Laughter does not leave much room for fear.

Be bold out there today...

Psalm 125

1 Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever.
2 Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.
3 The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.
4 O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you.
5 But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord. Take them away with those who do evil. May Israel have peace!

When I lived in Colorado Springs I could stand on my deck and admire Pike's Peak. That was 1985. I've moved on but Pike's Peak is still there. I know that, because Mali was in the Springs recently and she saw it. I imagine it will be there for many, many more years.

It's no "Mount Zion." but it is a formidable testament to durability and dependability. There is comfort in that kind of permanence. A house built on Pike's Peak could stand forever. In fact, if built on the proper side, the mountain will even protect that house from the weather. If I was not the neighborly kind, Pike's Peak will even protect me from intruders...because access to mountain homes is very limited.

So...when our Psalmist uses a mountain as a metaphor for the security we have in our faith...that metaphor will stand the test of time. Just like the mountain. "Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion!"

That line was written over 3,000 years ago and the mountain is still there. I'll bet we cannot name a single "wicked ruler" from David's time that is still carrying on today. Sure...there are a few wicked rulers around today...new ones...but they will go the way of those who came before them.

And of course...we will go the way of the faithful who came before us. Only the mountain stands.

I'm not one bit afraid of Nebuchadnezzar, or Nero, or Ghengis Khan, or Stalin, or Ahmadinejad, or any other bush league bully...alive or dead...because the mountain upon which I stand is firm and everlasting.

Live boldly out there today.

Psalm 124

1 What if the Lord had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat:
2 What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us?
3 They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger.
4 The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us.
5 Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives.
6 Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart!
7 We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free!
8 Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Challenges are not metaphors for life....although life is a challenge.

It's an important distinction...and my coach was wrong.

Life is a contest and we've been raised to believe we make our own success in life. If we work hard, study hard, live honest lives, we will become a success. Why else do we have a valedictorian? A Superbowl champion? And...if we have not been fortunate enough to be either of those...the message is simple: try harder. We can determine the outcome of our lives by the sheer power of our will. As though it all means something...

What if life isn't that at all? What if life isn't "the survival of the fittest?" After all, Jesus said "what does it profit a person if he gains the world, but loses his soul?" What if life is more like our solar system? If the earth gets too close to the sun...we die. If the sun burns out...we die. What do you suppose we can do to influence any of it? You're right, we're just along for the ride...to eventual oblivion.

The one who dies with the most toys does not win...

In reality, our successful efforts in overcoming every challenge life offers is nothing more than something we do to occupy time while we are living...like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Will it actually make a difference? Life is not a football game. Life is not a career path. Life is not "a spouse, two children and an SUV." Life is the total sum of moments that God has given each of us to enjoy His creation and honor Him. And granted, it can be difficult.

In fact, life so difficult that we are powerless to affect the outcome. Sin has insideously crept into our lives and infected us with a fatal disease...before we were even born. We are born dead... spiritually. Without outside intervention we die alone...without God.

Now, listen to our Psalmist..."what if the Lord had not been on our side?"

I'm comforted to believe that our God holds the sun and it's planets in balance...because I cannot. I'm comforted to believe that my eternal welfare does not depend upon how successfully I navigated the daily snares. I'm comforted to believe that "if God is for me, nothing can be against me."

And the great proof God is "for" us? We'll see it in the manger this Christmas. When Jesus moves out of the manger...and into our lives...his presence innoculates us from the deadly effects of sin. Our eternal welfare is settled...if we never defeat a single enemy in our life.


Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 123

1 I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.
2 We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt.
4 We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud and the contempt of the arrogant.

We've had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud.

We quickly agree until we read the context. the Psalmist is referring to people of faith who somehow believe they stand on equal footing with God. Well, that give us pause...because he may be referring to you or me.

What does it mean to be a "proud" or "arrogant" believer?

Our hint is the Psalmist's own approach to God. "We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal." We live in a culture that portrays God as our "friend". The problem with this paradigm is it leads us to the erroneous conviction that God and us are somehow in a realtionship of equals that allows for debate and disagreement. It explains why so many Christians can have completely unbiblical views on certain issues and still feel comfortable with themselves.

"Well, that might be what the Bible says, but I don't see it that way..."

It's as though they have decided they are right and God is wrong...with no sense of trepidation. I believe this kind of arrogance only comes from a failure to recognize the might and majesty of God. Our Psalmist correctly sees his place more as a servant, or slave. This view confirms that our only responsibility toward God is to obey Him and live in a way that brings Him pleasure.

Don't get caught up in this cultural reconstruction of God...it will only bring trouble...and will certainly not result in a demonstration of God's mercy.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 122

1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is a well-built city; its seamless walls cannot be breached.
4 All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people— make their pilgrimage here. They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord, as the law requires of Israel.
5 Here stand the thrones where judgment is given, the thrones of the dynasty of David.
6 Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper.
7 O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces.
8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

As people of faith, what should motivate us to do the things we do?

Our Psalmist today says it's all "For the sake of the Lord's house"

Of course, the "Lord's House" cannot be accurately understood to be our church, although we often call church the "Lord's House". Since the Lord's House can only be understood as the place where God dwells, we then must recognize "The Lord's House" is our own spirit...the non-physical part of our being where our emotions, intellect and desires reside. Romans 6-8 clearly declares that...as believers...God dwells within us (in our spirits) in the form of His Holy Spirit.

So, what does it mean to say I do it "for the sake of the Lord's House?".
1. We should eagerly anticipate any opportunity to commune with God (v. 1)
2. We ought to devote ourselves to strengthening God's house (v. 3)
3. The thought of "God within us" ought to fill us with thanksgiving (v. 4)

The consequence is pretty clear. When the Psalmist says "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" he is challenging us to seek harmony in our lives...body soul and spirit. Only then will we see the "Lord's House" become a place of prominence that will please God. "The peace of Jerusalem", or harmony in our lives, means that our thoughts, attitudes, desires and actions ought to work together for the purpose of serving the "Lord's House."

Scott Peck one defined a christian as "a comfortable place for God to dwell". Today, we need to be the kind of people whose lives prompt God to say "I wouldn't want to live anyplace else!"
If that's not the case, we may have our priorities mixed up.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 121

1 I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,who made heaven and earth!
3 He will not let you stumble;the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.
5 The Lord himself watches over you!The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,nor the moon at night.
7 The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,both now and forever.

Lust for security may be our greatest addiction.

We buy gold. We fund our IRA. We make double mortgage payments...often at the expense of our childrens' current needs and interests. We do this so we can feel secure later in life when we want to retire. I occasionally have conversations with friends about retirement. When asked how much they have in their IRA they always say "not enough." And, that's not a coy way of avoiding telling. That is a genuine conviction. We now know we can't trust the banks...or Wall Street...to be good stewards of our savings. Where else can we go?

My father says I will have more than I can spend when I retire. But then, he lived through the great depression. He believes a dollars is worth something.

I suppose we could flee "to the hills" as the Psalmist speculated and hole up in a remote little cabin...letting the world worry about itself. Then again, I'd have to get somebody to hunt my meals for me. Maybe one of the guys from my first church in Dora Lake...they're good at that. But, they may be busy hunting for their own families. At the end of the day we tend to look every place for help except to the actual source of help...God himself.

How silly. Can money or things offer us this?
1. He will watch over us...and never be distracted.
2. He will not let us stumble.
3. He will keep us from harm.

I suspect that's about all we really need.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 120

1 I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
2 Rescue me, O Lord, from liars and from all deceitful people.
3 O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you? How will he increase your punishment?
4 You will be pierced with sharp arrows and burned with glowing coals.
5 How I suffer in far-off Meshech. It pains me to live in distant Kedar.
6 I am tired of living among people who hate peace.
7 I search for peace; but when I speak of peace, they want war!

Ever feel like a stranger?

It could be where we work. It could be our own home. There are times when we feel like we no longer belong...and it's exhausting to our spirit. Being a stranger is simply being in a position where we don't know others well enough to be certain they have our interests in mind. From all appearances, the folks around us do not have the same values or desires that we have. In fact, in some situations we can even sense actual hostility, deceit and danger.

What do we do about it?

The feeling is frightening and it isolates us. We are often tempted to take matters into our own hands...to become defiant and aggressive with others, or simply withdraw. Either way, we make matters worse. Our Psalmist has found a far better way to deal with this: "I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer."

Whatever needs to be done to return us to a sense of safety and security is a matter best left to God.

Live boldly out there today...

Psalm 119:153-176

153 Look upon my suffering and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your instructions.
154 Argue my case; take my side! Protect my life as you promised.
155 The wicked are far from rescue, for they do not bother with your decrees.
156 Lord, how great is your mercy; let me be revived by following your regulations.
157 Many persecute and trouble me, yet I have not swerved from your laws.
158 Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart, because they care nothing for your word.
159 See how I love your commandments, Lord. Give back my life because of your unfailing love.
160 The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.
161 Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word.
162 I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.
163 I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions.
164 I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just.
165 Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.
166 I long for your rescue, Lord, so I have obeyed your commands.
167 I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much.
168 Yes, I obey your commandments and laws because you know everything I do.
169 O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised.
170 Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised.
171 Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees.
172 Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right.
173 Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments.
174 O Lord, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight.
175 Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me.
176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.

See how I love your commandments, Lord!

On my best day I would have difficulty making this claim...although it rolls off our Psalmist's lips with perfect authenticity. Why do God's laws seem difficult and restricting for us? Why are they so difficult to obey?

Perhaps the answer is in our failure to appreciate God's commandments for what they represent in our lives. Think about this:
1. The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever. Give this some thought. Every word spoken by God is...by it's very nature...truth. It will stand forever. I don't always regard the "Word of God" as unassailable truth. More often I regard it as rules I must obey to secure God's blessings in my life. If we could capture some of this psalm's insight we might just re-orient our thinking. If God's commands are essential truths that will stand forever they become a blessing rather than a curse.

Sort of like playing Scrabble...and I begin the game with all the tiles. I like those odds.

2. Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. Just as important is the promise that devotion to God's commands results in peace...as well as precision. One of the great challenges in life is fear of failure. failure embarrasses us, our families and our God. This fear often leads to discouragement, even depression when we see the results of our frail efforts to please God. "We will not stumble" is a great and precious promise that should surely result in peace of mind.

Does this mean I will never sin? Not according to our Psalmist. He says "I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands". What this means is that whenever we lose our bearings...wander away...we can count on God to come and find us. It means that, for people of faith, our sin will never estrange us from God. Sin is certainly not something we accept but...more importantly...it should never be something we fear.

Live boldly out there today...