One of David's most beautiful and personal songs is by far his longest. It appears to have been written approximately 3 years prior to his death of old age and in my opinion is a sort of compilation of many of his earlier psalms. He probably had been working on it for some time and then sang it to the Lord "when the Lord delivered him from all his enemies and from the hand of Saul" (2 Samuel 22:1).
He begins with these words - "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation...I call to the Lord who is worthy of praise and I am saved from my enemies." 2 Sam 22:2-4 NIV
Then, after giving us a poetic vision of his desperate plight and what God did to rescue him from those who were committed to his death, he wrote - "But me he caught - reached all the way down from sky to sea; he pulled me out of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide open field; I stood there saved - surprised to be loved." 2 Sam 22:17-20 MSG
I am awed by this description of the same God who is my Father too! If you just take a couple minutes to dwell on these words, "rock", "fortress", "deliverer", "refuge", "shield", "horn (strength)of my salvation", you too must realize that "the Lord is worthy of praise". But I appreciate how Eugene Peterson subjectively translated David's words that "God stuck by me" and "I stood there saved - surprised to be loved."
All of this reminds me of Paul's personal assessment of his own life of service to the same Lord to whom David sang his song. At 2 Corinthians 11 he too shares with us a very lengthy listing of the life-threatening situations he encountered. Then at chapter 12 he says the Lord gave him a "thorn in the flesh" (had to be very painful) to keep him from becoming "conceited". He says he prayed repeatedly for God to remove the thorn but received an answer he probably wasn't expecting. God simply told him, in essence, to deal with it and assured him that he would receive sufficient grace to do so. Paul's testimony from this encounter is that he learned to live strong even in his greatest weakness.
I guess Paul, like David, was surprised to be loved in this way. Me too! Far from removing every obstacle to my faith and faithfulness, even after much prayer, my Father has surprised me over and over by allowing me to just deal with it and learn to live strong in spite of my challenges and weaknesses.
So, today I stand with both David and Paul, victorious over my true enemy, in a wide field, somewhat surprised to be saved, but daily praising the Lord who is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He has given and is still giving me sufficient grace to live strong even in my weakness. HALLELUJAH AND HALLELUJAH!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Singing Praises In A Cave
Hiding in a dark, gloomy cave for days, weeks, maybe even months had to be a very depressing and bare existence for David. A large portion of his early adulthood was spent on the run from King Saul or some pagan ruler who felt threatened by David's faith in God. Several of David's songs seem to have been written during this spartan period of his life. This one stands out - "I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who knows my way; in the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me....I cry to you O Lord, I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." Psalm 142:1-5 NIV
There are times when we all find ourselves in that gloomy, dark, depressing cave of despair. We can't know how many days and nights David spent sulking because his life just wasn't turning out like he had thought it would. But, at some point his faith found enough traction to look beyond his immediate circumstance.
Faith won't always prevent our short sighted decisions that put us in the cave, but when it finally gets some traction in the heart, it forces us to look forward and upward. The enemy always watches and listens to drag us back into the darkness within ourselves. With good reason the Holy Spirit calls Satan the "prince of darkness". But, praise God for giving us his Spirit to re-energize faith that allows us to see beyond the despair. Just outside the cave there is fresh air and sunshine and a way of escape. Jesus Christ shed his blood to create it. He said, "Come to me and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 Thank you gracious Father. HALLELUJAH!
There are times when we all find ourselves in that gloomy, dark, depressing cave of despair. We can't know how many days and nights David spent sulking because his life just wasn't turning out like he had thought it would. But, at some point his faith found enough traction to look beyond his immediate circumstance.
Faith won't always prevent our short sighted decisions that put us in the cave, but when it finally gets some traction in the heart, it forces us to look forward and upward. The enemy always watches and listens to drag us back into the darkness within ourselves. With good reason the Holy Spirit calls Satan the "prince of darkness". But, praise God for giving us his Spirit to re-energize faith that allows us to see beyond the despair. Just outside the cave there is fresh air and sunshine and a way of escape. Jesus Christ shed his blood to create it. He said, "Come to me and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 Thank you gracious Father. HALLELUJAH!
Monday, November 15, 2010
THIS SHOULD BE MY PRAYER TOO!
In what is thought to be the first letter written to the new Christian community, the Lord's brother, James, addressed in careful detail one of the single most difficult challenges we all face. He wrote, "NO MAN CAN TAME THE TONGUE...WITH THE TONGUE WE PRAISE OUR LORD AND FATHER, AND WITH IT WE CURSE MEN, WHO HAVE BEEN MADE IN GOD'S LIKENESS. OUT OF THE SAME MOUTH COME PRAISE AND CURSING. MY BROTHERS, THIS SHOULD NOT BE" James 3:8-10 NIV
David understood the pervasive and destructive nature of this tiny body part and made this request of God - "SET A GUARD OVER MY MOUTH, O LORD; KEEP WATCH OVER THE DOOR OF MY LIPS. LET NOT MY HEART BE DRAWN TO WHAT IS EVIL, TO TAKE PART IN THE WICKED DEEDS OF EVILDOERS; LET ME NOT EAT OF THEIR DELICACIES." Psalm 141:3-4 NIV
In this prayer, David makes two requests because he knew how they are interrelated:
1) "keep watch over my lips"
2) "let not my heart be drawn to what is evil".
Jesus said it is "OUT OF THE OVERFLOW OF THE HEART, THE MOUTH SPEAKS". Matthew 12:34
David's prayer should be mine too. Since I cannot tame my tongue, if there is no way for it to be brought under control, I am hopelessly mired in a persistent sin I can't change, real repentance is impossible. But hold on, there is hope for me yet.
If I take Jesus' words seriously, the real culprit here isn't my tongue but my heart. So, David's prayer makes sense when I recognize that only God can do what has to be done in my heart in order to take better control of my tongue.
So here is my best take on all this - my prayer should be "Cleanse my heart O God and help me recognize the power of my words before they are spoken. Fill my heart with your love and give me your heart that I may bless and not curse."
I praise you my Almighty Father for giving me your Holy Spirit to train me to be a righteous, if imperfect, testimony to your love in a hateful world. Help me too to not partake of the "delicacies/sweet talk (MSG)" of those who speak only evil.
HALLELUJAH!
David understood the pervasive and destructive nature of this tiny body part and made this request of God - "SET A GUARD OVER MY MOUTH, O LORD; KEEP WATCH OVER THE DOOR OF MY LIPS. LET NOT MY HEART BE DRAWN TO WHAT IS EVIL, TO TAKE PART IN THE WICKED DEEDS OF EVILDOERS; LET ME NOT EAT OF THEIR DELICACIES." Psalm 141:3-4 NIV
In this prayer, David makes two requests because he knew how they are interrelated:
1) "keep watch over my lips"
2) "let not my heart be drawn to what is evil".
Jesus said it is "OUT OF THE OVERFLOW OF THE HEART, THE MOUTH SPEAKS". Matthew 12:34
David's prayer should be mine too. Since I cannot tame my tongue, if there is no way for it to be brought under control, I am hopelessly mired in a persistent sin I can't change, real repentance is impossible. But hold on, there is hope for me yet.
If I take Jesus' words seriously, the real culprit here isn't my tongue but my heart. So, David's prayer makes sense when I recognize that only God can do what has to be done in my heart in order to take better control of my tongue.
So here is my best take on all this - my prayer should be "Cleanse my heart O God and help me recognize the power of my words before they are spoken. Fill my heart with your love and give me your heart that I may bless and not curse."
I praise you my Almighty Father for giving me your Holy Spirit to train me to be a righteous, if imperfect, testimony to your love in a hateful world. Help me too to not partake of the "delicacies/sweet talk (MSG)" of those who speak only evil.
HALLELUJAH!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Security - The Elusive Goal
The words "elusive" and "security" appear to be an oxymoron when used in the same sentence. Yet, for all of us, security is an always elusive goal we all seek. We do get there at times and feel secure until that new storm comes rolling through and our sense of security evaporates again. Its a roller coaster ride for sure.
Today, I feel more secure than at any time in my life. Well, at least I did until our national politicians began tinkering around with Medicare and Social Security, but that's my point here. Any sense of "security" can never be tied directly to any form of government because politicians who make policies and laws can change literally ANYTHING they please if they can get enough backing from their peers. But, that's how democracy works. Its mostly a messy process that somehow has worked very well so far despite the bickering and backroom bargaining.
In spite of it all I can honestly say that I feel a greater sense of "security" today than in my younger years. It has nothing to do with who sits in the White House or on the Congressional floor. They will probably always say and do things that can cause a feeling of insecurity in the those of us who aren't privy to the discussions and don't get to vote in the legislative process. No, my sense of security is the result of two crucial elements:
1) I no longer have the same challenges that I faced when I was a younger husband and father of three and worked hard to provide them with a reasonably comfortable and safe life. For those of you still in that place, hang tough it works out!
2) My knowledge of God's love has grown significantly beyond those younger years and has produced a deeper faith than I have known before.
David stated this same faith - "I know the Lord will surely help those who are persecuted; he will maintain the rights of the poor. Surely the godly are praising your name for they will live in your presence." PSALM 140:12-13 NLT
The NIV says, "the upright will live before you."
The MSG says, "that good people are secure in your presence."
When you look at the context of Psalm 140 in its entirety, you get the full picture of what David was facing even as he wrote those words. Life, of course, is always tenuous, everyone's life. But the "upright" are the "godly" who have heard God's words and have given him absolute permission to teach them how to live "securely".
I believe it's always true that ANYTHING can happen to ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. But, that isn't all the truth. ANYONE can also make the choice in any circumstance to trust the love of God to guide them to a better outcome than seems imminent. Its a carefully cultivated lifestyle that far supersedes any power that men have.
If you need to feel the secure love of God, find a quiet place, turn off your cell phone, open your Bible to ROMANS 8 and read it slowly for six consecutive days. Then write me how it turned out. God's love is FOREVER. HALLELUJAH!
Today, I feel more secure than at any time in my life. Well, at least I did until our national politicians began tinkering around with Medicare and Social Security, but that's my point here. Any sense of "security" can never be tied directly to any form of government because politicians who make policies and laws can change literally ANYTHING they please if they can get enough backing from their peers. But, that's how democracy works. Its mostly a messy process that somehow has worked very well so far despite the bickering and backroom bargaining.
In spite of it all I can honestly say that I feel a greater sense of "security" today than in my younger years. It has nothing to do with who sits in the White House or on the Congressional floor. They will probably always say and do things that can cause a feeling of insecurity in the those of us who aren't privy to the discussions and don't get to vote in the legislative process. No, my sense of security is the result of two crucial elements:
1) I no longer have the same challenges that I faced when I was a younger husband and father of three and worked hard to provide them with a reasonably comfortable and safe life. For those of you still in that place, hang tough it works out!
2) My knowledge of God's love has grown significantly beyond those younger years and has produced a deeper faith than I have known before.
David stated this same faith - "I know the Lord will surely help those who are persecuted; he will maintain the rights of the poor. Surely the godly are praising your name for they will live in your presence." PSALM 140:12-13 NLT
The NIV says, "the upright will live before you."
The MSG says, "that good people are secure in your presence."
When you look at the context of Psalm 140 in its entirety, you get the full picture of what David was facing even as he wrote those words. Life, of course, is always tenuous, everyone's life. But the "upright" are the "godly" who have heard God's words and have given him absolute permission to teach them how to live "securely".
I believe it's always true that ANYTHING can happen to ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. But, that isn't all the truth. ANYONE can also make the choice in any circumstance to trust the love of God to guide them to a better outcome than seems imminent. Its a carefully cultivated lifestyle that far supersedes any power that men have.
If you need to feel the secure love of God, find a quiet place, turn off your cell phone, open your Bible to ROMANS 8 and read it slowly for six consecutive days. Then write me how it turned out. God's love is FOREVER. HALLELUJAH!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
God Knows - Yes He Does!
Psalm 139 is one of David's most personal and intimate prayers to God. Every line contains a personal pronoun as he proclaims his absolute confidence in the loving care of the God he felt a close personal connection with.
"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, O Lord." Psalm 139:1-4 NIV
Jesus came to show us the very personal nature of God as a Father who is involved in the lives of his kids. He's always been involved, but until Jesus, men seem to have not felt God's daily, powerful presence. Many OT authors wrote similar testimonies about God, but they didn't really understand what it all meant. David seems to be very comfortable in the knowledge that God knew it all. He wrote out of a deep sense of gratitude rather than the fear that seems to always lie underneath what the prophets wrote.
Now that we have the broad outpouring of his Holy Spirit and the sure testimony of Jesus and his Apostles, we can see God and experience the daily presence of God as our Father, the ONE who loves us and whose grace is always greater than any of our mistakes and failures. So, we can live daily in the personal presence of God without being afraid to make a mistake. Of course if we live in the mistaken belief that God's grace gives us the green light to live a sinful life in rebellion against his words, we're right back in the rocky boat with God's OT family.
David continued, "You hem me in behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." Psalm 139:5-6
I'm right there with David. I may not be able to totally grasp the significance of God's hand upon me but I sure can feel it in my spirit and that feeling is truly awesome. HALLELUJAH!
"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, O Lord." Psalm 139:1-4 NIV
Jesus came to show us the very personal nature of God as a Father who is involved in the lives of his kids. He's always been involved, but until Jesus, men seem to have not felt God's daily, powerful presence. Many OT authors wrote similar testimonies about God, but they didn't really understand what it all meant. David seems to be very comfortable in the knowledge that God knew it all. He wrote out of a deep sense of gratitude rather than the fear that seems to always lie underneath what the prophets wrote.
Now that we have the broad outpouring of his Holy Spirit and the sure testimony of Jesus and his Apostles, we can see God and experience the daily presence of God as our Father, the ONE who loves us and whose grace is always greater than any of our mistakes and failures. So, we can live daily in the personal presence of God without being afraid to make a mistake. Of course if we live in the mistaken belief that God's grace gives us the green light to live a sinful life in rebellion against his words, we're right back in the rocky boat with God's OT family.
David continued, "You hem me in behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." Psalm 139:5-6
I'm right there with David. I may not be able to totally grasp the significance of God's hand upon me but I sure can feel it in my spirit and that feeling is truly awesome. HALLELUJAH!
Friday, October 29, 2010
"Love Never Dies"
As I have studied the 70+ Psalms of David all this year one of his favorite phrases is about God's "unfailing love". He uses that phrase several times just in Psalm 33 - "The word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." Psalm 33:4-5 NIV
Love that never fails isn't a natural human trait. For most of us, love is a fleeting feeling that can evaporate with the right circumstances. That's pretty understandable with Hollywood types but it seems to be true with many people of faith also.
We can learn how it's done, keeping love alive and vibrant, but only from God. It takes patient commitment to pay attention to the word of the Lord because only he is "faithful in all he does". Learning to love the things God loves, "righteousness and justice", is a long process for the fickle human heart.
Paul wrote, "Love never fails", which Peterson in the Message states as "Love never dies." 1 Corinthians 13:8 I like that because love, the love of God (AGAPE) just keeps on no matter what. David wanted his nation to understand the commitment God had made to them and what it demanded of them. Sadly, even though they kept singing David's songs long after his death, they failed to recognize that love when God sent his Son to save them. The Holy Spirit wants desperately for all of the human family to get that same message today, which is why we have David's beautiful songs from centuries ago. But as in David's day, many today still ignore the God's "unfailing love" in Jesus Christ.
We are all born with the ability and instinct to love, but our practice of love can be fickle as we search for it's definition in worldly society. Only God, who IS love, can teach us how to do it. His love that never dies provides us with the perfect model to copy. HALLELUJAH!
Love that never fails isn't a natural human trait. For most of us, love is a fleeting feeling that can evaporate with the right circumstances. That's pretty understandable with Hollywood types but it seems to be true with many people of faith also.
We can learn how it's done, keeping love alive and vibrant, but only from God. It takes patient commitment to pay attention to the word of the Lord because only he is "faithful in all he does". Learning to love the things God loves, "righteousness and justice", is a long process for the fickle human heart.
Paul wrote, "Love never fails", which Peterson in the Message states as "Love never dies." 1 Corinthians 13:8 I like that because love, the love of God (AGAPE) just keeps on no matter what. David wanted his nation to understand the commitment God had made to them and what it demanded of them. Sadly, even though they kept singing David's songs long after his death, they failed to recognize that love when God sent his Son to save them. The Holy Spirit wants desperately for all of the human family to get that same message today, which is why we have David's beautiful songs from centuries ago. But as in David's day, many today still ignore the God's "unfailing love" in Jesus Christ.
We are all born with the ability and instinct to love, but our practice of love can be fickle as we search for it's definition in worldly society. Only God, who IS love, can teach us how to do it. His love that never dies provides us with the perfect model to copy. HALLELUJAH!
Friday, October 15, 2010
"Stubborn As A Mule"
Through his prolific song writing and using his music as a teaching medium, David was the primary source of spiritual education for his nation. As both their political and spiritual leader, he brought together the best of both worlds, although that was a rather brief reality which his successors failed to live up to.
Speaking in the first person for Yahweh, David taught them this truth - "I WILL INSTRUCT YOU AND TEACH YOU THE WAY YOU SHOULD GO; I WILL COUNSEL YOU WITH MY EYE UPON YOU. BE NOT LIKE A HORSE OR A MULE, WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING, WHICH MUST BE CURBED WITH BIT AND BRIDLE OR IT WILL NOT STAY NEAR YOU." Then follows the "counsel" he wanted them to hear and pay very careful attention to - "MANY ARE THE SORROWS OF THE WICKED, BUT STEADFAST LOVE SURROUNDS THE ONE WHO TRUSTS IN THE LORD. BE GLAD AND REJOICE O RIGHTEOUS, ALL YOU UPRIGHT IN HEART." Psalm 32:8-11 ESV
All of us are by nature as stubborn as a mule, we have to LEARN TO LISTEN to our parents, our teachers, our spouse and especially our Maker and Father. Our instinct is to run away from what appears uncomfortable or in any way threatens our sense of self. Anyone who has ever spent much time around mules or horses understands why David chose them as an example of how not to be. We all need to listen closely to God's instructions and resist the instinct to run away.
I know of NO better words of advice than these few simple words from David. The Israelite people knew it then just like we know it now, but we too need to be reminded. All David did was re-state the ancient SHEMA of Moses from Deut 6, what Jesus called THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT at Mark 12.
Maybe you too will appreciate Eugene Peterson's interpretation of David's words - "God-defiers are always in trouble; God-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around". Psalm 32:10 MSG I can only add HALLELUJAH!
Speaking in the first person for Yahweh, David taught them this truth - "I WILL INSTRUCT YOU AND TEACH YOU THE WAY YOU SHOULD GO; I WILL COUNSEL YOU WITH MY EYE UPON YOU. BE NOT LIKE A HORSE OR A MULE, WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING, WHICH MUST BE CURBED WITH BIT AND BRIDLE OR IT WILL NOT STAY NEAR YOU." Then follows the "counsel" he wanted them to hear and pay very careful attention to - "MANY ARE THE SORROWS OF THE WICKED, BUT STEADFAST LOVE SURROUNDS THE ONE WHO TRUSTS IN THE LORD. BE GLAD AND REJOICE O RIGHTEOUS, ALL YOU UPRIGHT IN HEART." Psalm 32:8-11 ESV
All of us are by nature as stubborn as a mule, we have to LEARN TO LISTEN to our parents, our teachers, our spouse and especially our Maker and Father. Our instinct is to run away from what appears uncomfortable or in any way threatens our sense of self. Anyone who has ever spent much time around mules or horses understands why David chose them as an example of how not to be. We all need to listen closely to God's instructions and resist the instinct to run away.
I know of NO better words of advice than these few simple words from David. The Israelite people knew it then just like we know it now, but we too need to be reminded. All David did was re-state the ancient SHEMA of Moses from Deut 6, what Jesus called THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT at Mark 12.
Maybe you too will appreciate Eugene Peterson's interpretation of David's words - "God-defiers are always in trouble; God-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around". Psalm 32:10 MSG I can only add HALLELUJAH!
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