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...
December 25, 2010
December 24, 2010
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...
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...
December 23, 2010
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...
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...
December 22, 2010
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...
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...
December 21, 2010
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...
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...
December 20, 2010
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...
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...
December 19, 2010
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...
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...
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