Stretch Who You Are In God

Psalm 71:14-17 -  But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.  My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.  I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.  Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

 

The writer of this psalm had a great outlook on getting older.  No matter what…he was going to praise God.  He was even going to try to praise him more than he did the day before. He was so thankful for God’s consistent presence in his life …from his youth …to the point he found himself the day he wrote the psalm.

 

It is a reminder to me of how lucky I was to know who God was from day one.  My family was active in a church the day I was born…and my wonderful parents modeled for me every day just what living for Jesus meant.  As a teen I accepted Christ…and began the long journey that continues today. 

 

It is also a reminder to me that I am not to be the same Christian I was at 14. I am to ask God to sustain and even stretch my understanding of who he is…everyday…so that I can experience what the psalmist was talking about…and praise him more and more each day I know him.

 

Stretching who I am in God…means not being satisfied with the routines of the present.  I need to increase the time I spend in Bible study…prayer…and search for even more ways to tell others about the wonderful things he has done for me throughout my life.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am never to become complacent in my love for you.  I can always do more that the day before.  Help me to find even more time to study your great Bible…and increase my prayers to you.  Show me more ways to share the great love you have given to me with others around me. Amen.

Thank God In Advance

Psalm 70: 4-5 -  But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!" Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

 

Even in David’s most panicked times…he stopped and went to God in prayer.  The urgency of his need even seemed to intensify his reliance on the only one he knew could save him. He called out to God to help him….and begged him not to delay.

 

David also included in his prayer a statement of praise…thanking God in advance for what he knew God was going to do.  He wanted God to help him always be joyful…no matter what answer came to his prayer. He wanted to always say that God deserved to be exalted as the creator and sustainer of all his needs. He wanted everyone who trusted in God to always say…Let God be exalted.

 

I will admit...that I spend way more time asking God to help me…than I do thanking him and telling him how much I love him. If I follow David’s model here…and thank God in advance for his answers…then I can at least get my average 50/50…instead of the 10/90 it probably is now.

 

It is a great reminder to me…to always thank God in advance in my prayers.  I need to have the faith of David…to accept all his answers…yes…no...or wait… still rejoicing and praising  him for his continued love and mercy toward me. Deep in my heart I know that the times I have been the most joyful was when I was thanking God for something he did for me. It must have been the power that God gave me when I worshiped and praised him…that  carried me through whatever he had ask me to do.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that I do not praise you enough for all that you do for me.  Help me to start all my prayers...thanking  you for something you have done for me….or just telling you how much I love you.  Thank you in advance for helping me to use the power of your great love to be more joyful and content.  Amen.

What Would Jesus Do?

Psalm 69:5-6 -  You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you.  May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.

 

David was spent….he had nothing left but his dignity and honor. He had given all of himself in tears and was emotionally….physically…and mentally broken.  His emptiness caused him to reflect on his own guilt and shame…and he asked God to protect those around him…and keep them from making the same poor decisions he had made.

 

It’s one of our huge responsibilities…once we become a Christian.  We are called to be models of God’s love to others.  We are even told in Mark 9:42 to be very careful that no one stumbles because of decisions we make.  It says… "If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.”

 

Makes me even more thankful for God’s forgiveness and mercy…for I know in my own life I must have modeled a million times the wrong way to do things. I would definitely be a the bottom of the deepest sea right now if it were not for the love Jesus modeled for me….even to the point of dying for my sins on that cross. It makes me want to be more careful…and pray David’s prayer more often.

 

A few years back a cute acronym surfaced that comes to my mind this morning.  Kids started wearing bracelets with WWJD stamped on them.  It stood for …What would Jesus do? Like many fads of our earthly lives…I don’t see them anymore.  Maybe it’s time for a resurgence of this great reminder…it sure wouldn’t hurt if we thought that each time we had to make a decision.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that because I say that I love you…I have to model your ways to others all the time. Help me hold myself accountable for the way I act in front of others…and always model for them the way you would have done it.  Stamp WWJD across my heart as a permanent reminder to always ask you what to do in every situation. Amen.

Let God Carry You

Psalm 68:19-22 – Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. "Selah"  Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.  Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.  The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea,

 

David’s great psalm begins much like Moses began his praise speech in Numbers 10…when they began the great procession behind the Ark of God. His heart was so full of praise and  love for God…his words could not contain the depth of his awe. 

 

David wrote a great truth in this psalm… God bears every burden we have with us….walking with us so he can help us if we need him.  Just as one man was picked to help bear the heavy weight of the cross for Jesus….he sits at the right hand of God and intercedes for us…bearing our burdens for us.

 

I am reminded of that great poem…Footprints In The sand.  God walks with us every day…but sometimes there is only one set of footprints.  It is those time times that God picks us up like that man picked up Jesus’ cross…and he carries us completely …till he can give us what we need to walk on our own again.

 

He sure has carried me through some tough storms…and even though I did not deserve to be carried…he did it anyway. I am but a toddler now…walking on my own a little….but reaching out to take his hand quickly when I feel my confidence waiver. I think I will stay a toddler forever…I like the thought of God always being there if I need him.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have always been by my side…through everything you have allowed in my life…good or bad. I thank you for carrying me…whenever I needed it.  Build in me a confidence to know when to let go of your hand and walk on my own….and when to quickly grab hold again. Don’t let me get too far away from you…or run ahead without you.  Put a hedge of protection around me….so I can always be inside your great circle of love and grace.  Amen.

Go Tell The World About God

Psalm 67:1-3 -  May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, "Selah"  that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.  May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

 

How amazing …this Psalm calls for worldwide knowledge of God. This Psalm…written in a time when one group of people believed they alone had been chosen to be God’s people….clearly says that this writer wanted ..ALL…the people to know how glorious and merciful and gracious God is to his people. It also says clearly that he wished salvation could be for everyone.

 

Maybe he didn’t understand that someday God would send his son to die on a cross and make his wish a reality….but his heart had been given a glimpse of God’s great plan.  I would say that it is amazing that God let this psalm somehow make it into the many Psalms that were cannoned…but the older I get…and the more I study the Bible…the more I can see that some things are accidentally amazing…just God’s great plan being unfolded from the beginning of time.

 

God gave is another piece of this great plan…just before he left earth to go be with his father in heaven. That piece too was carefully recorded for us to read in Matthew 28:18-20.  It says… “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

Jesus gave each of his disciples his authority to make disciples…and baptize them…and teach them….just like he did when he began his ministry with the 12. And as each one of us accepts God into our life…and believes in the son’s gift of salvation…we too become disciples with the same authority. We need to take the time to spread the great things God has done for us…and praise him for his mercy and grace to us…so we can share the psalmist’s wish that ALL the people somehow have a chance to be saved.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have given me a great job to do.  Help me see the needs in my own backyard…where you have placed me for some reason.  I will be honest with you God…I don’t really know what to pray for…so I can truly become your hands and feet…wherever you send me.  Help me to feel your promptings like Jesus did…and feel the need of each person that comes near me.  Give me words….clear words that will share with them your great plan of salvation for the world. Amen.

Refine Me...And Give Me Strength To Keep My Promises

Psalm 66:10-14 - For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.  You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.  You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.  I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you--  vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.

 

This anonymous Psalm has a great lesson for us today….well really there are two. One is a reminder than God allows things in our lives to teach and refine us into better people.  The other is that when we make a promise to him…we need to keep it.

 

As funny as it sounds…I would not trade one bad experience I have had for what I thought I wanted at the time.  All those times that God allowed my circumstances to put me in a rough spot…have actually made me who I am today. The more he allows me to experience in life…the more I can grow closer to him…the stronger he can make me…the more he can use me to help others.When God puts me through the refining process…all the things that prevent me from being who he needs me to be will be removed.

 

I totally understand the promises lesson too. I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who ever asked God for something…and made a vow or promise if he would help us with our request. Those promises we made…we need to keep…like the author of this Psalm….even if God has not answered our plea yet.

 

Numbers 30:2 says… “If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” Or if you are not a strict rules follower…look at it like this. Why should God keep his promise to us…if we break our promise to him?

 

Thank you father for two reminders today.  Thank you for each and every trial you have put in my pathway. Help me to quickly learn the lessons you need me to learn. Remove from my life everything that holds me back from being the brave courageous servant that you need me to me. And God…you know what promises I have made to you…help me to keep them until your timing is complete and you are ready to answer my request. Amen.

Not Worthy...Just Forgiven...For Everything

Psalm 65:1-4 -  Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.  O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.  When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.  Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.

 

I am constantly amazed at the attitude of prayer that David had.  In good times and bad…he always took time to thank God for the blessings in his life. I feel one of the reasons David was so thankful was he realized he did not deserve not one of the blessings he had received. He was a sinner…that had been forgiven his sins…and he felt blessed to be counted as a child of God.

 

Sin left unforgiven…grows and festers into hate and bitterness.  It consumes the heart...and convinces us that we are unworthy to even ask God to save us.  But God forgives all sin….no matter how much….or how horrible the world sees it.  God wraps it in the cloak of his love and dissolves everything we ever did to deserve death.  He takes us by the hand and forgives us…and gives us a new start in life.  A clean slate…no matter how bad our lives were before.

 

It’s that forgiveness that helps us see the good in everything around us.  If we truly take the time to reflect on what that forgiveness cost Jesus….we sure can’t trump the suffering he did on that cross. Our problems fade into an understanding that nothing we endure here in our life will ever compare to what he did to provide everlasting life for us.

 

Father…I thank you for my second chance.  Help me to always remember that you have forgiven me and provided for me a way to live forever with you.  I thank you for the abundance of blessings in my life...even the ones I at first thought were bad. Help me to be more like David…and find the good in everything that happens to me. Amen.

God Has A Plan For Injustice

Psalm 64: 1-3 - Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.  Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers.  They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.

 

David needed God to listen to him voice a complaint.  His life was in danger because men had taken a notion that they knew more than God what needed to happen in the kingdom. The conspiracy that followed had David running and hiding in caves…till God’s timing brought justice to the the evil plots of man.

 

It could have been when Saul was not ready to give up the throne to his son’s best friend…or later in David’s life when his own son sought to overthrow the man God had anointed king.  They gathered many men around them that plotted against the chosen of God…their evil spreading into the hearts of others…and attacking an innocent man.

 

It gives me comfort to know that God hears all our prayers.  If the great king David could bring a complaint to God…then we all have the right to voice our own protests of the injustice we see around us. God wants us to be honest…and share what is on our heart.   After all…he already knows what we feel there…even before we realize it ourselves sometimes.

 

David wanted God to correct it and let the world see who was really in charge.  Then the people would know that God was watching over his people…and they would rejoice in the great miracle he did. I would go one step more with that logic…for as the lost saw God’s hand come down and right some of the injustice in our own world…they too would come one step closer to seeing and believing in the great power of God.

                                                     

Father…thank you for the reminder that some of my prayers can be petitions of complaint to you…about the injustice that has consumed this world I live in. I am luckier than David…and you have provided for me a safe place in this nation to worship you and rejoice in the great miracles that you do for people each day.  But there are places…where men believe it is okay to abuse children….or beat their wives.  Other places exist that have no food…or adequate clothing.  And still other places exist where Christians are persecuted  for loving you and calling out your name. …..but you already knew that.  Help me trust in your great plan to right all these wrongs.  And the next time I want to complain about something minor in my own life….bring to my heart the others who suffer so much more than me. Amen.

Replace Worries With Praise

Psalm 63:6-8 -  On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

 

David must have had many sleepless nights.  Whether hiding from enemies …or praying for forgiveness for his sins…he used the time he could not rest to think on the only one who could save him from his worries. His sleepless nights were spent recounting the good things God had done for him….and asking for God’s continued love and guidance.

 

David’s time of reflection became quiet moments of prayer time with the father. His worry melted into sweet peace and strength as he laid the burdens of his heart at the feet of Jesus.  His heart was filled with so much gratitude and love that he overflowed with words of praise and worship.

 

It really does us no good to worry.  The sleep we lose ruins our next day….and satan takes that worry and begins to compound it till we are completely consumed by it. He tries to convince us that the problems we are worrying about are bigger than God.

 

David reminds us that God is the only way to deal with the burdens that life deals us each day.  He is bigger that any problem we could ever face. The trick now is to remember this great advice the next time I have a worry that threatens to consume me and keep me up at night.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are the answer to every problem I could ever be faced with.  Place in my heart an alarm that goes off with these great words of David…the next time a worry creeps into my head.  Help me to spend some quiet reflection time with you…recounting all the good you have done for me…so I can feel the sweet love that David felt fill my heart with so much confidence and strength that I end up worshiping you instead of worrying. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Are You In God's Waiting Room?

Psalm 62:5-8 - Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. "Selah"

 

David life was a mixed bag of joy and sorrow. He enjoyed moments of pure joy and elation…but dispersed between them was trouble and sorrow. He praised God when it was good…and he sat in prayer at God’s feet when it was bad. He knew that his problems would be solved if he handed them to God….and waited patiently for his answer.

 

As long as man breathes on this Earth…he will have times of pure joy and elation…mixed with times of sadness and sorrow. I do great with the times of joy…those are easy.  But I sure needed a reminder that when it gets bad…I need to hand it off to God and depend on him to get me through.

 

I tend to try to fix my own problems…but what I am doing is putting a band aide on a wound that really needs stitches from God. I need to sit in that waiting room full of other hurting people…till he decides it’s time to call me back. That’s the hard part….sitting and waiting….and waiting…and sometimes waiting some more.  And those stitches…they are usually painful…and who wants that! God takes that wound….and cleans out all the junk that settled in it from time….and heals it completely.

 

Father….Thank you for the reminder that I need to stop trying to fix things myself…and sit and wait on you in that waiting room…so you can fix me up and use me again.  Help me to stop trying to put band aides on wounds that really need your touch and care…help me to face the pain of those stitches…so I can move forward and let you clean me up to be used again. Amen.

God's Power Is Stronger When We Are Weak

Psalm 61 1-4-  Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.  From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.  I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. "Selah"

 

David was in a season of life when he was too weak to do anything on his own. His emotions were spent.  His physical condition was weak.  He knew that if it were up to him...he would lose the battle. He knew in his own strength he had no chance at all.

 

But David knew his resources did not end with his own abilities. David knew that he could tap into ta never ending well of strength and safety….a tower that would protect him when his own strength was gone. So he crawled under the mighty wings of God and just waited out the storm around him.

 

What’s really cool…is when we admit like David…that we have reached the end of our own resources…God comes in with himself and begins to strengthen us exactly the way he wants us to be. Just like Paul….who struggled daily with some kind of ‘thorn’ in his flesh.  He wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9…  “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

 

I find such comfort knowing that I don’t have to worry if I am strong enough…God can use me exactly the way I am.  The more I get myself out of the way…and let him fill me with his spirit and love… the stronger my faith becomes….the more I can actually do to help him win others to the kingdom.

 

Father...thank you for reminding me that I need to keep pushing me out of my life…so you can come in and replace my weaknesses with your strength.  Help me to be like David and Paul…and never forget that you are right beside me…and I need to run to you ….crawl up in your lap…and let you speak life into me when I run out of gas. Help me to share that life with others…and use my words to speak life into them as well.  Amen.

Be A Spark Of Hope To Others

Psalm 60:3-5 - You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. "Selah"  Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.

 

David was at war with Syria…and victory was not immediately handed to him.  He was struggling…losing men….and trying not to lose hope in God as well. David knew in his heart that God was all around him…but he just couldn’t see any evidence of him in this moment of his life.

 

I would love to know when the epiphany of strength came to him…and he saw the banner of God unfurl to give him the boost he needed to fight. Perhaps it was a quiet moment of prayer….or a memory of another problem God had solved for him…or maybe the thought just appeared when he wasn’t thinking at all. But somehow…the promise God had made to his people gave him the strength to keep fighting.

 

It reminded me of the great days when my boys played baseball.  The team would have played hard…but still be behind.  The score would say that all hope was gone…and a few parents would even pack their things and prepare to console their child from the loss. Then one lone child would muster a cry of hope…and like a fire …it would ignite an energy in the whole team that led to a victory. They were always amazing games to watch.

 

It only takes a small spark of hope from someone God planted in our pathway…to provide a full fire of strength and hope to rally back from any ‘seeming’ defeat that looms ahead of us. Sometimes God plants them so close to us that we actually stumble over them before we realize why they are there.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that hope is always within my reach.  No matter how bad things seem…your promise to give me hope for my future will be fulfilled in your timing.  Help me to be the spark of hope that spreads to others around me…so they can remember the promise you made to them. And lord….if my pathway crosses anyone who doesn’t know you…give me the words they need to hear so they will want to invite you in to their life. Amen.

Save me….Protect Me…Preserve Me

 

Psalm 59:1-3 - Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God:  defend me from them that rise up against me.   Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.   For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul:  the mighty are gathered against me;  not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD. 

 

David was crying out to God for help. He was trying to understand why king Saul wasn’t in on his anointing as future king…he was struggling to understand why God was asking him to wait to become king. Hiding in a cave….running from men who wanted him dead…was probably not what he envisioned when Samuel pored oil on his head.

 

We all find ourselves in hard spots in life…..stuck between the promise we know in our heart that God has made to us…and the reality of the crazy life we are asked to endure sometimes. We almost always have to wait…and find our hearts crying out to God…asking him why our reality is so far from the vision we first had when we heard his promise.

 

David’s model gives us a way to hold on till God sees fit to reveal some of those answers. He cries out first for God to deliver him from the harshness of the reality around him. Then he calls for Gods great protection while he waits. He also asks God to preserve his mind and heart…till he can completely understand why God had asked him to endure such a different life than he had envisioned.

 

I love the last verse of this Psalm…It says… “Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing:  for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.” It shows David’s great faith and complete trust in God.  No matter what he was being asked to endure…he stopped to say thank you…and sing a song o praise for what he knew was coming.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that life is not always going to be easy…but you will always be there to hold me up….defend me and save me in the end.  Give me the strength and love to have complete trust in you….no matter what you ask me to do.  Amen.

Perfect Justice......In God's Timing

Psalm 58:1-3 -  Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men?  No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth.  Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.

 

David looked around his land and saw much injustice/.  He called them venomous snakes… charmers… and called for God to break the teeth that held people in their grasp.  He wanted God to tip the scales of justice…so that the world was fair and just once more.

 

David wasn’t seeking personal revenge…he sought God’s intervention…so that true justice could be felt while he still lived on the Earth.  He longed for peace….for all the world to live in harmony…for everyone to love God …so that all could experience the perfect joy of knowing him.

 

Truth is…that just isn’t going to happen in our timing.  God will bring forth his perfect justice in the end….but for now we must endure the scales tipped toward the evil side. Jesus came for a time…and tried to teach us the way of perfect peace…but everyone didn’t accept it….and some were so scared by it that they hung him on a cross.

 

God used even that evil to bring about good for every man who believes in him.  Jesus’ death on the cross provided a way for me and you to experience perfect justice when we meet him in Heaven. But for now…all we can do is spread his word….love on others as much as we can…then follow the advice in Matthew 10:14. It says… “ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.”

 

Father…thank you for reminding me this morning that true justice is found only at your feet. Help me to walk the path you have chosen for me….and share your love with others that I come across. Help me to understand that some of the evil I see around me will ultimately be used for your good…and cling to the knowledge that all will be judged by you in the end. Amen.

Trust And Faith Produce Confidence

Psalm 57:1-3 - Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.  He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; "Selah" God sends his love and his faithfulness.

 

Sometimes…we just have to hunker down till the storm has passed.  David knew that the mess around him was too big for him to handle alone. So he called out to God to have mercy on him …and let him rest in the shadow of his great wings till his storm was past.

 

I can’t think of anywhere else I would like to be.  The most comfortable recliner….comforting hot tub…or softest pillow and sheets…doesn’t hold a candle to the comfort we feel when we run to God…and let him nurture us through the tough parts of life.

 

David even gained confidence as he waited under God’s wing….for by the end of this Psalm David’s cry of mercy had turned into shouts of praise to God.  God had taken his worry and fear …and turned it into a deep faith and trust that produced a quiet confidence…that can counter the enemies worst lies and attacks.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that you are my hiding place when the world gets rough down here. Thank you for letting me run to you when I don’t know what to do on my own.  Help me to call on you more often when things get out of my control. Produce in me the kind of faith and trust that David had….to be confident that you are always with me….even when I don’t deserve it. Amen.

Remember....Trust.....Praise

Psalm 56:10-13 - In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise-- in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?  I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you.  For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

 

No matter what we are facing…God is walking with us …through the good and the bad.  When times are good…it is easy to praise and thank God for his great gifts. It is when he allows us to feel the pressures of earthly life…the sting of death…the pain of sickness…the backlash of a friend who has turned on us…that we need to remember David’s 3 part remedy for pushing past the emotions of sadness and bitterness.

 

David tells us in this Psalm to remember first that God is with us…no matter what.  He walks with us everywhere we go once we ask him to live in our heart.  Then he tells us to trust God to only let what is best for us happen in our life….just like he read in Deuteronomy  1:30-31   which says… “The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes,  and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."

 

Then David took the time to praise God for all he had done…and all that he was going to do in the future. He thanked God …in advance….because he trusted God to keep his great promises. Jeremiah 29:11 says… “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

 

Thank you father for the great lesson in this Psalm.  Thank you for remembering me…no matter where I end up getting sidetracked.  Thank you for reminding me to trust you…to do what is best for me.  Thank you in advance for all the blessings you will pour into my life…even though I deserve none of them.  I praise you for the promise that you have plans to give my future hope and prosperity. Amen.

Run To God

Psalm 55:4-8 - My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.  Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.  I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest--  I would flee far away and stay in the desert; "Selah"  I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm."

 

David’s pain was so great at times that he wanted to run and hide forever from the weight of it. He was tired …his energies drained…his emotions spent…he just wanted to rest in a place where he was sheltered from the worry and conflicts around him.

 

If I had a dollar…no…if I had just a penny for every time I have wanted to run from a problem…I could retire a rich woman. For it is the natural reaction of our brain…to just evade dealing with it at all. We envy that turtle…who can just pull itself into its shell…and wait out the enemy.

 

It’s okay to run…if we run into the arms of God…and let him carry our burden.  That is what David tells us in verse 22.   It says… “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

 

Problem is…for me anyway…that I don’t always run straight to God with what is bothering me.  I let it fester a bit first….thinking it will just go away.  Or I let myself be tricked into thinking that the small problem I have will right itself on its own…and let it get so big that I have no other option but to take it to God. Guess I had better start asking God to help me from the first signs of trouble…he already knows what I need anyway.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you want me to ask you for your help in every thing that bothers me…great or small. Help me to stop thinking that running away and hiding from a problem will make it go away.  Show me how to face the things that trouble me head on by asking you to help me.  Be my shelter from every storm that blows into my life from now on.  Amen.

Let God Turn Your Worries And pain Into Joy And Peace

Psalm 54:4-7- Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them. I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

 

Many of David’s Psalms followed a simple pattern.  His urgent requests and cries of great need…transitioned into cries of great praise and thankfulness…all in one session. One second he was crying out in pain and grief…the next he was praising God for a triumph …in advance.

 

It was David’s deep relationship with God...that produced a constant honest communication…that resulted in a cleansing of his pain each time he prayed. God took each of David’s problems from him…so he did not feel the full weight of them anymore.

 

It is one of the great benefits of knowing God on the deepest levels. When we come and lay our burdens at his feet….he will take those heartfelt expressions of worry and turmoil….and replace  them with a peace that gives us an unexplainable joy…amidst the turmoil we felt just moments before in our prayer.

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder that I do not have to carry any burden or worry alone.  Help me to be like David…and bring each of my worries…and all of the pain I feel in this life…and lay them at your feet. Don’t let me pick them back up again…but instead ….let you replace my pain and worry with your love and grace…so peace will surround me and you can develop in me a great faith and trust in your complete plan for my life. Amen.

Are You A Fool?

Psalm 53:1-3: The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

 

It’s a very close copy of Psalm 14…the Psalm that David wrote to praise God for the deliverance of his people from Egypt…the miracle that helped them walk across dry land to the other side of the Red Sea. Many commentators think that this Psalm was a rewrite of David’s original Psalm some 300 years after David had died…to celebrate the victory over the Assyrian army...and the miracle of the death angel that slew 185,000 enemy soldiers while they slept.

 

It reminds me that every heart is born corrupt… a sinner. Just like it says in Isaiah 53:6…. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all…” or even in Romans 3:23… “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

 

We ‘think’ with our heart every moment of every day. I choose to ‘think’ that the miracles around me are a great sign that God is real…and I need his saving grace and shed blood to save me from the corrupt body I was born with. Some choose to ‘think’ that there is a God…but never accept his power to save into their hearts. Some of the people that are born corrupt…are the fools David is talking about in this Psalm. They choose to ‘think’ that there is no God…life is what is it…the Earth just happened and all can be explained by some other scientific principle.

 

The ones of us that ‘think’ in our hearts that God is real….have been given a task to present the truth to the ones that ‘think’ in their heart that God is not. It is not an easy job…for they sure have their arguments and evidence organized and supported by the world’s events.  They say our Bible is just another book…written by men…because he has never touched their heart the way he has touched mine. So we must keep trying…and always be ready to share what God has done for us...in such a way that they see the miracle too…so he can touch their heart…so there can be one less fool in the world.

 

Father… thank you for the reminding me that there are still people in this great world that are fools….and that these fools have been tricked into believing a lie of satan.  Help me to always be ready to share the truth with them…to show them the miracles that could never just have happened…or be explained by some science principle.  Thank you for helping me to see the truth…and showing me your grace and love.  Let the love that lets my heart… ‘think’ that you are the best thing that ever happened to my life… overflow in such a way that their hearts are changes too. Amen.

Rebuke In Love....Not Judge

Psalm 52:1-3 - Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day.  Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.  You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah  

 

If you go back and read 1 Samuel 22 again…you will see why David’s heart needed to vent and rebuke the power of evil amongst his people. A man named Doeg had taken evil to the next level…and killed 85 of David’s priests….along with their families.

 

There comes a time when tough love is very appropriate…especially when you see that it may destroy someone you care about.  Colossians 3:16 says…. “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and reproving one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Jesus rebuked the sellers in the temple in Mark 11… and even his own disciples for their lack of faith several times.

 

We have to be very careful though….because there is a fine line between rebuking someone in love…and judging them. Judging someone makes them defensive…and helps them justify their sin for a longer time.  Reproving is done from a stance of love and nurture….it does not blame…it breathes life back into their life and helps them see the way to free themselves from the sin that has trapped them.

 

I am so thankful for the people God has sent to rebuke me when I allow myself to be tricked into sin…or find myself swallowing in self-pity and depression.  When I stop to listen to the words of love and care they bring…I see the sin they are talking about quickly….so God can clean me back up.

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder that I am not immune to sin as long as I live in this world you created.  Evil can seep into my heart easier than I think and it will destroy my witness for you if left unchecked.  Thank you for the times that you have sent a loving rebuke through a friend…a sermon…or a quiet time reading the Bible. Thank you for allowing me to stay open minded and receive it so their words could be used to help me see and remove that sin from my life. And God…when I see sin in someone’s life…help me to stop and ask you how you want me to handle it…and be ready to speak out in bold loving words…so you can restore life to the person trapped by sin. Teach me how to speak loving words that nurture and speak new life to their trapped souls….instead of just judging them for what I see wrong. Amen.

Create ANew heart Within Me

Psalm 51: 10-13 -Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

 

It was one big ole mess.  Nathan had confronted David with his great sin….the adultery with Bathsheba…the baby they created in their sin…and the man he had killed to try and cover it up. David did what we all need to do when confronted with any sin others have brought to our attention. Whether it be a small lie we told…or full blown adultery…or even a crime that involves killing another…we need to confess that what we did was sinful…and repent with all our heart.

 

David wasn’t happy with just a confession that he had sinned.  He wanted that sin removed from his life…washed clean in the forgiveness of God. He knew the punishment of God fit the crime…and was willing to accept it as God’s discipline to help him get back on track. He wanted God to cleanse his heart too…so the bad thoughts that caused him to sin in the first place…wouldn’t reappear and cause a repeat performance.

 

True repentance causes remorse …a feeling a sadness that makes us feel guilty for what we have done.  God is the only one who can wash that feeling of guilt away…so the joy we felt when we asked God into our life can be renewed…and we can get back to the business of winning others to his kingdom.

 

God wants us all to react like David when we are confronted by others he sends to tell us about the sin we harbor in our lives.  He wants our heart to be so remorseful that repentance comes quickly.  David went on to write these words in verses 16-17…. “ For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise.”

 

Father …thank you for the reminder that I may have sin in my life that my humanness has justified as okay…and my heart may not have even realized it is a sin.  Help me this morning to listen to the ones you send to me to help uncover this hidden sin…so you can cleanse my life from it…help me forgive myself…and use it to help others change their lives as well. Create this day a new…clean heart in me…and restore the joy that I can only feel when I am being obedient to you.  Amen.

God Knows Your Heart

Psalm 50:16-20  - But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?  You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.  When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers.  You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son.

 

The psalmist Asaph is talking about the person who says they believe in God…but hasn’t let their heart in on the commitment.  He is defining the hypocrite.  They sit in church and pray wonderful words of hope…they say they believe and follow the rules…but are the first to cast a stone and judge others.  They say they love God…but drop filthy language out of their mouths at the first sign of anger.

 

He is also talking about the Christian who has become so routine in his worship that it doesn’t change anything about his life anymore.  They never miss church….they tithe…they even give to some charities…but they give out of mere habit…and the church service never changes one thing about their life.

 

The first hypocrite was Cain. Genesis 4 describes a jealous brother who brought his offering of grains…because he had too…not because he wanted too.  His offering was an empty ritual…and God rejected it because he could see the heart that laid it on the altar. He became so bitter and enraged…so puffed up in is hypocrisy that he became the first murderer.

 

Asaph says that the Christian will be the first to be judged…we had better examine our hearts...and make sure we have an attitude like Able.  I admit that I am guilty….God is working on changing my attitude….helping me to shed the outer layer of selfishness I built up when I sat in church and thought I was better than others…simply because I went to church…or prayed to God. He is teaching me that he looks deep down in my heart…every time I write a check for my tithe…or some other offering he laid on my  heart…to make sure my motive is the pure love I have for God…not love of myself.  He wants me to do what I do out of love and obedience…instead of just routine and habits.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that I must guard against hypocrisy.  Help me to keep my heart pure…and bring any offering to you with a heart of love and thanks.  Help me to shed the selfishness that builds up pride…and sometimes justifies doing things just because I can bend the rules to fit my situation.  Help me keep that pure heart in charge of what I say and do each day…so that every law I recite helps me become a better person…that shows your love to others. Amen.