Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. - Exodus 20:16
There are three things that God highly values revealed in this verse. Each value reveals something of His character.
The first is truth itself. God loves truth. His Word is truth. Truth surrounds Him and radiates from Him. Jesus declared, “I am … the Truth.” The Lord does not vary here. There is no deceit in God. He radiates and demands truth.
Second, God values a testimony or a witness. The command is illustrated by the experience of people in some sort of legal proceeding. The power of personal testimony is attested in every area of life and God will not stand for it to be corrupted by falsehood. Whether under oath or in normal conversation, we are always bearing witness
Finally, God values people and will not sanction the denigration of people by false accusations. Satan is the "accuser of the saints." Jesus is our advocate by direct and intentional contrast. The heart of God beats with love for those He has made in His image. His desire is to lift people up and not to tear them down.
We must share that heart, but we also must make another application: What sorts of testimony do our lives and worship convey concerning Jesus Christ?
Do we bear false or faithful witness in our behavior, words, and emotions?
Let us align ourselves today with the God of truth as we worship Him. Let us come with complete honesty and open expectancy into His presence and praise His Name.
He who rested upon Jesus Has nested in this heart. He who spoke a word of blessing Has blessings to impart. And Jesus, who alone from thence To desert fled to groan and wait Identified with sinful me And overcame my loathsome fate.
“… and lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him.” – Matthew 3:16b
A family of doves built a nest in a flower basket on our patio. They became my teachers as I observed them conveying more life lessons than I will recount here.
With great interest, we watched as that family, and later, others, came and nested there, hatched their young, and sent them on their way. The site of doves descending is a wonder of nature.
The vision of the Spirit descending is a wonder of super nature.
There was little reason for Jesus to be baptized except to fulfill all righteousness and to identify with sinful humanity in preparation for His sacrificial death on the cross. However, as he stepped into the nest of human experience and began to bear the burden of our frail weakness and disobedience, he was affirmed by the Father and knew the pleasure of his purposes.
As little birds stumble out of the nest and first began to fly, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to face temptation as we face it. He committed in His baptism to be as vulnerable as those he came to save.
By the power of the same Spirit and Word available to us, he stood in the face of Satan’s lures.
The baptism of Jesus speaks of his credibility and ties to us as our elder brother, the first born of a new creation.
Where he leads, we can follow, because he has avoided none of the steps we must take.
As he identified with us in his baptism, so we identify with him and his redemption in ours.
As his Spirit descends upon us in the new birth, we can ascend.
Because he has been in the valley of temptation, we can be victorious.
Because he has born our sins, we can be free.
In the baptism of Jesus and in the descend of a dove, we see the beloved blessedness of God's own vulnerability with us. We see God's own chosen humanity laid bare and made available to broken and suffering humanity. We see the naked willingness of God to enter into our most tender wounds and weary attempts at righting our own wrongs.
We see a God who is bruised for our iniquities and chastised for our peace.
We see a God we can touch, who can touch us.
Immediately after this nesting of his body in the waters of baptism followed by the blessed proclamation of the Father, Jesus enters a quarantine in the wilderness to be deprived, emaciated, and tested.
He enters our wilderness quarantines as well, regularly, daily, moment by moment. We are joined by him who was alone in the desert so that in no desert shall we ever be alone. He participates in every trial we face and we are never entirely on our own.
The dove that descended upon Jesus as he stepped into full participation in the human experience reminds me of the dove that made a nest in the corner of my house.
May he come again and again to nest in my heart -- even in these days of isolation.
There are holy rituals and there is ritual holiness.
The perfect storm comes when they are in complete alignment.
Some are rituals to remind the people of their special calling and dependence upon God alone. Some are calls to do the right thing by others. All are part of what it means to be a blessed people whose primary calling is to glorify God and to bless others.
Some of the specific laws of the Holiness Code in Leviticus are unique to ancient Israel Yet, there are underlying them, principles that are for all who will live in covenant with a God who is holy, loving, gracious, just, and sufficient for all we need.
It is too easy to dismiss the rituals by either observing them arbitrarily without thought or by dismissing them as irrelevant.
Every law and prophetic word is a prompting to dig a little deeper and meditate a little longer as we linger over the admonitions.
Here are some prompters:
“You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes. You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD.''
And you ask, "Why?" And the answer for meditation is, "I am the LORD." How that relates is for you to explore.
“Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, lest the land fall into prostitution and the land become full of depravity. You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD."
Why? It is because God is YHWH, the Name, the One, the One Who Is and because depravity of the land flows from profane treatment of others and violation of sacredness, whether sacred bodies or sacred days.
“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God."
How does this usurp God's role? How does it violate our loving and trusting relationship with God?
“You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD."
Honoring the elder is akin to honoring God.
“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God."
Honoring the immigrant and refugee is akin to honoring and remembering our own heritage and revering God.
“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And you shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the LORD.”
Living the just, honest, compassionate life of integrity is the outworking of holiness. It is the outgrowth of God's intention in delivering us, whether from Egypt as He did, the Israelite tribes, or from the slavery of our own sin.
(Scriptures from Leviticus 19:26-37- ESV)
Redeeming rituals is a way of discovering their redemptive power to rejuvenate our thinking and refresh our souls.
Whatever rituals of faith and practices of righteous living have become cold and meaningless to you may deserve a second look. They may deserve and require a deeper level of contemplation.
You may find them coming alive to you in a new way, if you will but linger with them for a moment.
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire ..." - Matthew 3:11
Are you fired up?
Water reminds us of Spirit and of fire.
It is a strange paradox, for water often quenches fire. However, firefighters will tell us that there are some fires that not only cannot be quenched by fire, but grow with the introduction of water.
So it is with repentance. God observes the intention of our hearts and we long for new life and yearn for change. Jesus is who we need because He has the power to do what water cannot do.
The symbolic water of outward repentance signifies the inner fire of new life.
The Son of God is the worthy one. Brother John knew that he was His messenger and that all he did and said was to point the way to Jesus. Though he was as great as any man born of woman, he keenly sensed his comparable unworthiness. Jesus himself would explain that the very least in God’s Kingdom would be greater than the greatest specimen of human nobility.
All of that was because of the introduction of a new factor in the human experience: the possibility of men and women being completely immersed in the Holy Spirit and fire.
Water could demonstrate repentance, but fire would burn away all the remnants of sin through a deep cleansing process within and the Spirit would empower us to face temptations, trials and challenged with unprecedented energy.
Fire grows under the proper conditions and it heats everything up. So it is with those who have been immersed in God’s Spirit. His fire rages within them and brings heat and light to a cold, dark world. It is more than enthusiasm, though it often manifests itself as such. It is more than passion, though it ignites a passion so deep that nothing can douse it. It is more than energy; it is a result of divine energy.
It is God’s very presence in our lives.
Like John, we are unworthy, but we are destined for greatness – not of our own making, but of His. His Spirit within fires us up.
Lord, burn away every bit of chaff and rubble in my life.
With water and with fire, purify my thoughts, intentions, motives, and deeds.
Set my soul afire to burn with passion and love.
Clear away the rubble and let your flame burn until there is no more fuel.
Psalm 9:6 - Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.
The wrath of God is not gentle or sentimental. He does not do a halfway job of dealing with evil. Nor ought we to desire Him to do a partial work of sanctification within us. He knows the enemy that dwells within our hearts and He is aware that His enemy within us is also our enemy. He loves us enough to deal ruthlessly with that which destroys our souls. May the cities of evil within our lives be uprooted and their memory perish.
Psalm 9:7 - The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.
Perhaps we have the notion that God's judgment is some sort of negative force - like "the dark side of God." This could not be further from the truth. It is the ultimate expression of His sovereignty and power, which fuel His grace, mercy, and love. His judgment means that He reigns. He is in charge. He determines, once and for all, what is true, acceptable, and right. As Christians, let us rejoice in His judgment. Facing the cross, Jesus said, "Now is the judgment of this world; now is the prince of darkness cast down … and … if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me. Because God is the sovereign judge, we have hope.
Psalm 9:8 - He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.
How God judges differentiates Him for all earthly representatives of justice. All that He does is absolutely right and true. He deals fairly with every issue that comes before Him. We can trust Him to help us sort out the ambivalence in our lives. We can rest assured that when He interprets our meaning of our days and guides us in the paths He has set before us, we are safe, and we are walking in His righteousness and justice. In the last judgment, His pronouncements will be the final word on the matter. Let no one else judge your life but submit it to Him daily for His final word of the day.
Psalm 9:9 - The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
The oppressed are very dear to God. A rabbi once said that God must truly love the poor because He made so many of them. So, it is with the oppressed. And the story is bigger than we imagine on the surface. We are all among the oppressed. Temptation, sin, the world, the flesh, and the devil oppress us on all sides and from within. When Israel was at the sea and the Egyptians were in pursuit, God called on Moses to lead His people into a wilderness of refuge. There appeared to be no walls and no shelter, but God had a plan to protect His people. He was their refuge and stronghold and He is ours. We, like them, must move toward Him in faith even when what is ahead looks like a vast wilderness without wall. God is your protector from all that oppresses you today.
Psalm 9:10 - Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
One of the gifts that God gave to Israel was His personal name. It was a secret that was not available outside of the covenant. It was a source of power, strength, and belonging. It was so sacred that no Jew would pronounce it or even consider it without the deepest reverence and awe. And yet, every Jew knew His name and to know it evoked a profound trust and stirred up memories of His faithfulness throughout the generations. To know His name was and is to know Him. We have, through Jesus, free access to our Heavenly Father and know Him by that name. In knowing Him, we trust Him. In trusting Him, we seek Him. And He never forsakes us. Nor shall He forsake you as you seek Him in trust today.
Psalm 9:11 - Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.
We must proclaim, not only among ourselves, but also among the nations all that our God has done. As we praise Him openly, we practice worship evangelism. Our sincerity, exuberance, and devotion all bear witness to His glory and His mighty deeds. Praise holds up His character, grace, and love for all to see. Praise declares the sovereignty and reign of God and announces His Kingdom with authenticity and believably. If we will praise Him with our whole hearts and let His joy and power flow through us, we will bear witness in a manner that is compelling and truthful. Many do not know. As we worship Him transparently and openly, they will see and hear of His wonderful works and be drawn to Him. But remember this is not a show that we produce for the world. It is real praise that we direct to Him with the world looking on. If we keep these first things first, we won't be able to avoid the fruit of evangelism.
Psalm 9:12 - For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
Who can forget the image of old Jewish elder, disgusted with the injustices of the world, shaking his fist in prayer to the God he loves and adores, demanding God's attention and justice? And God does not strike him dead. In fact, God hears his cry for it comes from one of his faithful servants. Perhaps we would recommend an attitude of greater humility before a holy God, but we would not forget His willingness and determination to hear the cry of the afflicted. God forgets no injustice without remedy. He does not sweep the blood of martyrs under some cosmic rug and wipe their pain from His memory. God deals with it. Look at the cross. God is dealing with it there. He is remedying the injustice. He is correcting the wrong. He is answering the prayers of the afflicted for restoration and He is hearing your prayers as well.
Psalm 9:13-14 - O Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up form the gates of death, that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.
When we are burdened and persecuted, is this the nature of our cry that of this psalmist? Are we seeing an end result in God's mercy merciful rescue that culminates in greater and more heartfelt praise for Him? Do we envision rejoicing that ultimately honors Him and brings glory to His name? How wrapped up are our own wishes, emotions, and requests in His purposes, will, and desires? How deeply do we long for His will to be done and His reign to come on earth as it is in Heaven? Let us not cease to cry for mercy and deliverance - for we are in great need - but may we grow to see that our salvation is something intimately connected with the worship of God.
Psalm 9:15 - The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
Like the nations, we have often fallen into puts we have dug or have become entrapped in nets of our own making. This probably does not come as news to you since it is so common to our human experience. If we are honest, we will admit to our contributory role in our own troubles. Whenever we devise clever and sinister plots it is, we ourselves who enter into forced servitude to the very forces that drove us to ambition. So powerful are the snares and false promises of success and competition among humans that we are lured into their captivity by a wink, a nod, or an image. The antidote is focus - clear and centered upon God through Jesus Christ. We face grave danger today if we lose our focus and untold possibilities for blessing if we keep seeking Him.
Psalm 9:16 - The Lord is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
Have you ever considered the reputation of God? That fact that He is known by His justice is a telling sign. Before we encounter the love and grace of God, we already understand that He is fair and righteous and truthful. We also know that in the grand scheme of things, poetic justice dictates that their own devices ensnare the wicked. If the world already understands this dimension of God and His ways, we have good news for them. Jesus came to brings us, as Paul Harvey says, “the rest of the story.” That story is that this same God passionately and jealously loves us with a love so deep that mercy and grace flow in unbroken succession from His heart. Do not wince at the justice of God, for it is His justice that leads us into His arms.
Psalm 9:17 - The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.
There is no future for those who forget God. There is nothing that godlessness offers us but death. Even if we are saved by grace, nothing that we invest in sin will stand the tests of time of eternity. God will not circumvent His own ways in our lives to achieve His purposes. He is consistent and true to Himself and to His Word. Count on it and count on Him to be trustworthy and scrupulously committed to integrity in His dealings with us. If He declares that X + Y = Z, then we can plan our lives around the principle. That is not to say that He cannot and will not intervene in His grace, but we must not presume upon His character. He loves us and pines for us, but He will not force His love upon us. If we reject it and to the extent, we reject it, we are left to our own devices which lead to death.
Psalm 9:18 - But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.
We have a God whose ways are not our ways and thoughts not our thoughts. He reverses the power of conventional wisdom and defies the accepted truisms of society to make His own order. He simply does not forget the needy. He has a bias for them. He will not abandon the afflicted. For those who are hopeless, He offers hope. Let us proclaim hope daily – first to our own defeated souls, weighed down with the worries and cares of life, discouraged in well doing, spent and depleted. Then let us proclaim the same message with the authentic credibility of a person who has embraced hope in his or her own life to a needy and broken world. May hope exude from our pores. May it be the aura that surrounds our lives, the given pitch that tunes our voices, the color of our countenances, and the tenor of our words. The good news of hope is the one word that broken people cannot create from wishful thinking. It is not denial; it is reality. May we live it and speak it daily.
Psalm 9:19 - Arise, O Lord, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in you presence.
Man’s ways can be very frightening. The history of mankind is peppered with incidents of mob violence and injustice that was condoned by the crowd. Majority rule has often ruled out righteousness and minorities have been oppressed by masses simply because they had the power to do so. The prayer of the righteous man or woman always includes the desire for justice, for limits on evil, and for God’s restraint and ultimate judgment of all that goes against Him and His ways. We can pray this way with confidence because we are assured of the character and promises of God to set all things aright in His own timing and according to His purposes. Do not grow discouraged and do not stop praying for the right and for God’s will. And do not be alarmed when the evil one seems to be directing the political forces of the world. Evil shall not prevail. God wins – always.
Psalm 9:20 - Strike them with terror, O Lord; let the nations know they are but men.
There is a kind of terror that is to be desired within us and among men and women. It is that terror that absolutely melts our souls under the glaring reality of God. It is that terror that teaches us that we are but mere men. As we grow in grace, may we keep a sense of that terror. Even as we flourish in the wonderful awareness of God’s love, acceptance, dignity, and value of us as His children, may we avoid the conceit that marginalizes Him and maximizes our own importance. We are only human. That is not an excuse and not a put-down; it is basic truth. We do not overcome sin in our own strength. We do not grow in Christ because we have the best motives, the purest thoughts, and the most attractive personalities. We are absolutely, utterly dependent upon God. We are but men – male and female. It is a life-affirming and esteem-building exercise to realize this in the light of the truth that God, who also knows this, chooses to love and grace us.
“…Casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you.” - I Peter 5:7
Imagine yourself adrift upon a sea of trouble, tossed furiously by its waves and sinking under the load of care. Along comes Jesus inviting you to cast every care upon Him and guide your ship into the current of His protective care. What nobility would there be in continuing your present course, in being capsized by the waves, or sunk by the load? It would be presumptuous and foolish to refuse His rescue, but we so refuse throughout the course of our lives preferring to carry our concerns alone as if there were some reward for useless anxiety at the end of the journey.
No one is totally exempt from anxiety. Some people have learned to manage it while others ignore it. Still others labor under its oppressive load and are haunted by its tormenting voice. Anxieties, worry, and care haunt those who lives are dominated by worry and compulsively dwell on “negative faith.” It is negative because it focuses on the worst. It is faith because it believes that no matter what, that which is most dreaded will come to pass.
The answer to anxiety is neither management entirely, willful ignorance nor oppression. The answer is to cast it upon the loving, strong arms of a God, who cares for us and is adequate to meet all of our needs in spite of us,
This great word of comfort is preceded by verse 6 and can be accomplished only by first doing what it commands.
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time..." - I Peter 5:6
It is a call to humble ourselves under God’s almighty hand so that the lifting up can and will be done by Him. When I walk among the wonders of nature, I become aware of two great theological truths. First, there is a God. Second, it’s not me. I must come to understand my inadequacy to change the circumstances that are beyond my control and agonize my soul.
Once I have come to grips with that reality and humble myself in His presence, He can lift me above the fear to positive faith where I can know the joy of the companion verse to this:
"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."- Psalm 55:22.
The Hebrew word for cast means to dispose of something - to throw it out - to toss it.
The psalmist knew that when the humble person casts his or her burdens on God, His sustaining power kicks in and the righteous simply do not fall. We may be shaken, bombarded, assaulted, beaten, bent, swayed, scarred, and wounded, but we remain standing.
We cannot close out the world. Geo-politically, it is impossible. Economically, it is disastrous. Technologically, it is absurd. More important, for the Kingdom-focused follower of Jesus, it is antithetical to the Missio Dei.
At any and every crisis, a crossroads emerges: perpetual isolation in fear or growing cooperation in hope.
The early church struggled with shaking the bonds and extending the boundaries created by nationalism, cultural-ism, racism, and religious chauvinism.
They built bridges and tore down walls.
In extending its own reach and embrace, there needed to be an accumulation of defining moments, lived-out stories, and expanding relationships infused by manifestations of the Holy Spirit at work among people groups that were outside the original disciples' comfort zones.
The patience and systematic workings of God exceed ours by far, but this is how the church became an international movement, indigenous in every culture where it was planted.
We are still working on this, but there was a time and have been times when it really worked.
This is the missional movement and moment.
It was preceded by crisis and it created a crisis of its own.
Acts 10:46b-47:
" Then Peter said, 'Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?'”
Peter sensed that racial, national, and cultural exclusivity, privilege, and chauvinism was not only an offence to humanity, but a hindrance to God and God's purposes and mission.
"How could I ... ?"
That was the awakened response of a man whose eyes were being opened to a mission that was much larger than his own context.
Acts 11:16-17:
"And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God? "
Psalm 17:1 - Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer-it does not rise from deceitful lips.
One might think that the psalmist had stepped out of his time and looked upon ours to offer his commentary. The repulsive sight of the wicked strutting about in impunity is and always will be a source of grief to those who love God and His truth.
The deeper indignity and affront to God is that what is vile is honored among men as noble, good, true, artistic, or benevolent.
Little has changed. The values of society, left to its own devices, have always been at odds with God. We must carefully examine all that we place upon our cultural pedestals and pay homage to. God’s standards are different than those of the larger world.
We value what may contain a grain of truth, but it is so often distorted and ignoble.
The numerology of apocalyptic literature takes the number 6 and repeats it three times in contrast to the holiness of the complete Trinity. Thus, 666 represents the fullness of evil. The curious thing is that the number 6 is only one whole number shy of 7 – the number of perfection.
The lesson is almost hidden, but clear: That which is repugnant may be something that is very close to the truth (for instance, the devil quotes scripture and believes in God), but veers off the path of truth in a small way that is significant enough to altar everything.
It should be easy for the Christian to detect the blatant and flagrant abuses of truth, but be cautious that you are not caught up in the frenzy of honoring that which is popular just because it has an outer veneer of righteousness.
Psalm 17:2 - May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
In the first place, we must note that he is wrong about being abandoned and forgotten by God.
That is how he feels, but not the truth of the situation – and he most likely knows it in the depths of his being.
In the second place, it is OK for him to express this feeling to God because it is about emotional disclosure – not about theological accuracy.
Do not allow your desire to be theologically sound inhibit your honest prayers to God in the secrecy of your heart before Him.
Trust Him to correct any misconceptions you have.
He can do that as you address Him. You are not praying before an audience – not even an audience comprised of yourself and God.
Get out of the way of your prayers and pour out your soul before God.
He can hear you whenever you earnestly seek Him. He knows your heart, your frailties, and your strengths. He loves you and has not left you alone. If you feel He has hidden His face from you – tell Him. He loves the fact that you long for Him and desire to know Him, see Him, and experience Him at a deeper level. Get real in your prayers and God will transform your life through them.
Psalm 17:3 - Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.
Unfortunately, we sometimes have to wrestle with our thoughts and we are not exempt from sorrow of heart. Sometimes, for the moment, our enemies triumph over us and the pain of it seems open-ended.
“God,” we pray,” how long will this go on? I have nearly reached the end of my rope.”
And God either gives us more rope or extends our patience, or, in some cases, gives us a glimpse of an end in sight. Our defeats are temporal and transient. Our victory is eternal.
Our wrestling thoughts and deep sorrows do not overwhelm us for we have rest in Jesus. He is our comfort. The psalmist is not lecturing us about how to deal with eternal pain, doubt, and conflict; he is modeling it. He shows us the way out by living it out.
He prays – honestly and frankly to a God he trusts and knows. The author is identified as David, so we know that these are his sentiments, and this is his prayer. He was called a man after God’s own heart. Imagine that - God loves to hear from His children even when they are bringing Him their deepest conflicts. Pray.
Psalm 17:4 – As for the deeds of men-by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
This is the desperate plea of a man who knows that His only hope is in God. It may be true that our prayers will never be highly effective until we come to terms with this reality in our lives. The submission to God’s will is present in the mode of address, “O Lord, my God.”
The relationship is personal and vital. The prayer is for light. Eyes never see without light. David goes further – no light, no life.
“I cannot live without you,” he implies.
“If I cannot see from your perspective, I will simply die.”
He longs deeply for truth and for God. We cannot learn to pray like that from outside instruction; we begin with that part of our soul that knows it is weak and desperate and begin – and God teaches us to dig in and cry out to Him. Ask Him to be your teacher: “Lord, I don’t know where to begin with You, so begin with me where I am. Teach me to pray, O Lord, my God. Teach me to pray.”
Psalm 17:5 - My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
We need to get used to the fact that our enemy does not have our best interest at heart. Satan knows that we do not always believe this and capitalizes on our naiveté. He suggests thoughts and deeds that seem pleasant and alluring and, when we fall for the temptation, shouts with glee, “Ha! I’ve got him (or her)”
And then he throws a party to rejoice in our fall.
Enemies cannot be trusted. Evil cannot be trusted. If we flirt with sin, we will find ourselves entrapped. People may look at us and watch for an opportunity to ridicule us in our weakness because our stand for righteousness is so strong and open.
Do not be afraid of their laughter for our defeat is not final and their approval is not necessary. Only God is necessary for our lives. Affirm that in prayer today and notice with indifference the scorn of the wicked.
Psalm 17:6 – I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.
Yes! This is the resolution.
Whatever the trouble, doubt, or scorn of enemies, God’s love does not fail, and His salvation is sure.
From the same lips that cry out with impatient agony before God, the psalmist reaffirms his joyful faith in God. As a response to this joy, we are reminded to REJOICE.
Philippians 4:4 calls us to “Rejoice in the Lord always.”
And then, Paul emphatically repeats himself, “I will say it again: Rejoice!”
God, all that He is and all that He does, is enough for us. His salvation lifts us out of the doldrums of defeat and translates us into the kingdom of His dear Son.
There is not enough we can say about the wonder of this level of comfort and assurance. To rejoice in the midst of persecution is the greatest statement of defiance we can make in the face of evil. It declares, “You have no power over me!”
Take some time to rejoice today.
Psalm 17:7 - Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Go ahead and sing.
So, you think you have no voice. Very few people – whose larynx's have been removed for instance – have no voice. You most likely do – and the voice was made for singing. Everyone can sing. Everyone is called upon to sing to the Lord.
Worship through singing is not an optional exercise for trained soloists; it is a mandate for every believer. If you feel that your singing is offensive, learn to sing naturally without offense, but do not withhold your praise from God.
This business is intrinsic. God’s goodness brings a song to our hearts. If you have a song in your heart, simply release it. Do it without fanfare or expectation of praise. Do it without a motive to be accepted or admired – sing unto the Lord and unto Him only. Begin in your devotional time alone with Him. He has been good to you. Sing to Him.
Psalm 17:8 - Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings…
There are many reasons why this statement is so obviously true.
Denial is not a river in Egypt. Denying God will not make God go away. Whether or not you believe in God or confess Him as God will not change who He is and that He is the sole determiner of what is wrong or right, corrupt, or authentic, pure or vile.
The fool, according to the psalmist, is not a theoretical atheist or philosophical agnostic. It is not someone who is struggling with the existence of God on the intellectual level, but the man or woman who has, in his or her heart, determined to be a practical atheist – to live as if there were no God or as if His existence did not matter.
He is concerned with how this statement of the heart manifests itself in our lives. Now the question: Is there some area of your own life, where in your heart, you are declaring, “There is no God?”
Have you pushed Him to the side in your deliberations and decision-making? Have you excluded His influence in areas where there is conflict with your own desires and lusts? God calls that foolishness and identifies the results as corrupt and vile- rotten and degraded to the core. Do business with God today in this area of your life and allow Him to scrutinize you and bring you healing grace.
Psalm 17:9 – from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.
Well, what does He find in me?
That is the question I must answer. That is the question you must ask yourself. When he looks down upon me, does He find understanding and seeking?
Some do not understand and don’t know that they don’t understand. Some understand and have locked their understanding into a formula and have stopped seeking. Others know that they don’t understand but have acquiesced to a position of irrational hopelessness and have given up seeking.
None of these responses pleases God when He looks down upon the sons of men. There are others who both understand and seek. They understand enough to know that there is much that they do not understand and so they seek in those areas.
When God gives some understanding, they do not stop seeking and become self-satisfied with their limited knowledge, but they keep seeking – even more earnestly. That pleases God so very much. Examine your heart today using this criterion and keep seeking God – more and more.
Psalm 17:10 - They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.
It is the universality of the fall and of sin that the psalmist is struggling with here. We were not designed to be corrupt. We were created in the image of God. But sin corrupts us to the very core. The rottenness of perverted intentions stains our lives beyond repair.
We cannot fix ourselves.
Our attempts at doing good to win some favor with God are also corrupt and drive us deeper into separation from God. Not even one person does good. That is amazing. But it is the reason why Jesus came and died, rose again, and returned to the Father to send His Spirit to indwell us.
We need the righteousness of Christ to be imparted and imputed to us. And we need His presence within us to work His goodness out through us.
These words are a reminder to long-term believers not to become proud, boastful, or self-righteous. If our salvation and acceptance by God depended upon our own goodness, we would be hopeless. But God sees us not looking down from above. He looks upon us directly through the face of His Son. Thank God today, as you pray, for His mercy.
Psalm 17:11 - They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
We are flabbergasted at the inability of some to learn the futility of their ways. We are surrounded by masses who do not call upon the Lord and who devour believers in many ways The temptation is to bulge out our chests and lift our noses in pride proclaiming, “I’m glad I’m not like that”
That’s the wrong approach. The response of faith would be to look within with the searchlight of God’s truth and pray, “Lord, is there an area of coldness and rebellion in my heart where I am refusing to learn? Am I devouring the person you made me to be?”
What distinguishes and delivers the believer is that he or she calls upon the Lord.
Psalm 17:12 – They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.
Sooner or later, even the wicked come to their senses, sometimes too late, and realize that God is present in the company of the righteous. That realization brings dread unless the message of God’s love and forgiveness intervenes.
Some will fight it. Others will flee from it.
But there will be some who, out of the fear and dread of judgment, will come into the flow of grace through repentance and faith.
The plight of the oppressor is far worse than that of the oppressed. Therefore, we must pray for sinners to come to a knowledge of truth and live out the credibility of the gospel so that we never bring discredit to Name of Jesus. Pray today for someone who is overwhelmed with dread and examine your own life as well.
Psalm 17:13 – Rise up, O Lord, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword.
The complaint of the poor man is often that, as hard as he tries, he just can’t get ahead. Something or someone is always thwarting and frustrating his efforts. So, it is with anyone who tries to “get ahead” spiritually on the clout of his or her own spiritual reserves.
Our plans come to naught because they are wrought in the flesh and human effort. God is our refuge. That is a constant. In Him we have hope and a future. In Him, we are rich beyond our dreams. His resources cannot be depleted. Jesus said, “blessed are the poor.”
The poor in Christ know where the riches lie and rely upon God’s storehouse to supply all that they need. They trust all their plans to Him and rely on Him for every breath.
Psalm 17:14 - O Lord, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.
The psalmist prays for His people and, perhaps unwittingly, all who will be blessed by them.
Indeed, the salvation of Israel and all people has come out of Zion and David’s longing prayer is answered in Jesus Christ.
Today is a day of worship and praise. We pray for the day when Jesus comes again to set all things right. May the words of this psalm evoke deep praise and anticipatory joy in our hearts, and we lay ourselves bare before God.
What fortunes of spiritual treasure would you have Him restore for you today?
What is the longing for His presence in you that is most personal for you as you pray?
Psalm 17:15 - And I-in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
The grand question introduces the next set of lessons from the psalms and sparks the imagination of all earnest seekers.
As believers in Christ, we have the answer in the gospel, but the very asking of the question is a matter of opening to God for all that He desires to teach us. Do not take truth for granted or treat it as if it were not ever new and renewing.
Allow the question to move you to the next level of seeking as you go before the Father in prayer today.
There are not two sides to an issue. There are at least 360. Most issues are more circular than linear.
Civility is a science & an art. It is digital & analogical. It produces positive results & it helps make life worth living.
Lord, put those obstacles in my path today that cause me to trip over that which must not be ignored or avoided.
In this world of sun and rain, the more you give, the more you gain.
Our values will drive our politics and we will have integrity (whether or not we agree) OR our politics will drive our values and we will have nothing (whether or not we agree).
Content over context contextualizes conviction consistently.
Sullied soteriology nullified his sanctimonious theology.
When he awoke from his despair, Daylight spoke; the sky was fair. April pierced the winter night. Faith had come, restoring sight.
________________________
Fret Not
We only have so much mental, physical, and emotional energy.
If we spend it, it is spent. If we spend it fretting about something that takes care of itself, then we have wasted it.
Evil doers, their successes, their deeds, and their devices have an expiration date. We all do. They, as we, set their courses by choices. We do not have to supervise their outcomes to insure that evil is not rewarded or that it is left unchecked. It is not our job to meddle and it wastes our energy. While we are called to work for justice for others and to hold out the way of righteousness, repentance, and grace, it is not our assignment to exercise judgment - even within our own minds and hearts.
If a man we once knew to be evil turns, it is because something wonderful has happened in his heart. If not, it is deeply sad, but our ultimately sadness is for him and for the God who grieves for His loss of one He has loved and invited to return - a faded blade of grass and a withered herb,
"Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb." -Psalm 37:1-2 (ESV)
________________________
Banishing Tyranny
What do tyrants do? What does the psalmist say>
Psalm 52 Quid gloriaris? (NRSV)
1 You tyrant, why do you boast of wickedness against the godly all day long? 2 You plot ruin; your tongue is like a sharpened razor, O worker of deception. 3 You love evil more than good and lying more than speaking the truth. 4 You love all words that hurt, O you deceitful tongue. 5 Oh, that God would demolish you utterly, topple you, and snatch you from your dwelling, and root you out of the land of the living! 6 The righteous shall see and tremble, and they shall laugh at him, saying, 7 This is the one who did not take God for a refuge, but trusted in great wealth and relied upon wickedness. 8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. 9 I will give you thanks for what you have done and declare the goodness of your Name in the presence of the godly.
The psalmist says that tyrants do these things:
They boast of wickedness. They speak against the godly. They plot ruin. They speak with razor tongues. They deceive. They love evil. They love lies. They hurt people with their words.
But ... they do not and cannot destroy the work and people of God.
Before I get too arrogant and self-righteous, let me check myself for the tyrant in me.
________________________
Upon thinking that his thoughts were words, He thought again and thought that none existed Apart from thought so that ... The thinking of them might have created them and That in thinking not of them, they might Become as naught, but then, he thought That he could not undo a thought and thus A word once spoken would exist whether he thought it Or not.
Picture From French Wikipedia: Photographer: Karlyene Photo from CSI* Chalais (France) 2006
Revised from 2010
"Lord, put those obstacles in my path today that cause me to trip over that which must not be ignored or avoided."
I can be absent minded and highly distracted. This insight into my own spiritual need for reminders emerged from the realm of the mundane.
On a day like today, some years ago, I was feeling absent minded. I did not want to forget the fill my gym bag with the clothes from the dryer to take with me. So I placed the bag in the doorway of the hall through which I pass on the way to my car.
I would either trip over it or take care of business (or both).
I do that. I put my car keys on my wallet because I cannot go anywhere without the keys and should not without my wallet.
I can set up some spiritual safeguards, but the really big ones require outside help.
So I pray things like,
"God, make me nauseous over the sin in my life," and "Lord, remind me of why I am really here when I start thinking it is all about me."
It seems to work ... most of the time.
However, sometimes I need stronger prayer and stronger intervention. I need the "trip me up" level of praying. I can be stubborn at times.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." - Proverbs 3:5-
Funny how it takes both trust in God and rejection of my own self-sufficiency. I sometimes get stuck in a thinking loop of my own invention and fail to see outside of it. But sometimes, I doubt the quiet promptings of the Spirit to move forward.
Some trust , but continue to lean on their own understanding. Others lean not on their own understanding, but don't trust God either.
The first group gets bull-headed and everyone does what they want to do. As a result, they sometimes miss the subtleties that only God sees.
The second gets frozen by fear and does nothing.
It takes both trust in God and rejection of my own stubborn inclinations to move in the God is leading.
At least, I find that true in my own life having been both bull-headed and frozen from time to time.
So, I need to refine this walk a bit and, until I "get it" fine tuned, I need some "reminders" along the way.
" and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts." -Psalm 119:45 (ESV)
Where is the wide place, the place of latitude, creativity, individual expression, freedom, and joy?
It is not in the realm of structure-less ambiguity or undefined purpose. It is within the safety and stability of truth.
There we find a wide place.
So, what of the times when we stray?
Meditating on Psalm 38
"O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!
When the grain came to the temple as an offering, a tenth of it was burned on the altar as a memorial offering. The rest was consumed by the priests. This was a song to be sung for the memorial offering.
I am confused, I must say, not by the offering and not by the sentiments of the psalm, but by the point of connection.
Of these words and emotions, Matthew Henry comments, "Nothing will disquiet the heart of a good man so much as the sense of God's anger. The way to keep the heart quiet, is to keep ourselves in the love of God. But a sense of guilt is too heavy to bear; and would sink men into despair and ruin, unless removed by the pardoning mercy of God."
So, what is a good man or woman to do?
He or she runs to God in worship -- whatever outlet of worship is available and thrusts the guilt and all the accompanying insecurity, despair, depression, feelings and reality of persecutions, and anything connected or perceived to be connected to sin before God.
The direction of the psalmist's life was toward God. The path was crooked and broken, but the direction was consistent.
He dealt honestly with his failures and his guilt and never grew callous or insensitive toward his flaws. Nor did he take God's mercy for granted or ever think, for a moment, that he could live without it.
"O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me."
"There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me."
"My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart."
"O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off."
Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.
"But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes."
But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!”
" For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good."
"Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!" - Psalm 38 (ESV)
It is in grace that we find the wide place ...
... a place where God's Torah still graciously guides us. It is a place where we follow, sometimes tumbling, sometimes straying, sometimes staggering, but always, though faltering, aware and committed to returning to the way ,,, the way of gracious guidance.
This is a new day and a new week. We can start it right or drag along. We can lift our heads and lift others' spirits. We could also choose to bring them down. It will be our choice. We can be critical or affirming. We can build or destroy. We can heal or hurt. We can wallow in the past or embrace the future. We can live by faith or fear. We can help or not ...
"Vanity of Vanities," said the preacher in Ecclesiastes, "All is vanity and striving after wind."
Living in vain appeals to no one and is not necessary for us to do. We can live on purpose.
I Corinthians 15:58 - "Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
We gathered in the shade of an old oak tree that stood sentinel over the neatly placed markers that signified the lives of ten or twelve souls whose earthly remains were interred beneath its shadows. We joined hands as we sang together, God be with you till we meet again, till we meet at Jesus feet.
Minnie had labored hard for many years in God’s vineyard. It was time to say goodbye and consign her to that sacred place of memory that occupies such precious real estate in every person’s heart. Her soul was safe. She had committed that decades before to the care of a redeeming Savior. Her body, beyond our care, we committed to the earth.
I opened her well-worn Bible to a passage she loved. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
Thoughts of her unsung heroism passed from one person to the next with memories of kind words and deeds, encouraging notes, and humble service. Minnie had achieved neither fame nor fortune in this life. She had written no books, created no fine art, or founded any great institutions. She had simply loved those who came across her path and lived a life of quiet devotion to God and others. This was her life’s work; this was her great contribution and even now, it was bearing fruit in the lives of those who would carry forth her legacy from this place.
God loses nothing. He wastes no effort, no labor, and no tear. Not one moment of our lives. We who honored Minnie that day were reminded, by her example, to be steadfast, consistent, and abounding in God’s work.
Her labor in the Lord was not in vain; nor is yours.
This is a new day and a new week.
We can choose what to make it ... and the rest of our lives.
Common, the rapper, nailed something the other night on One World: Together at Home. He connected the dots between our global health crisis and the realization that the world is a very small and connected place. For the first time, we are coming to realize, through our separation, that the problems in one corner of the earth call for our love, compassion, attention, and involvement because what happens in one place touches us all eventually.
We cannot isolate ourselves ultimately in terms of our concern, from the suffering of humanity.
We cannot live with a "me-me" attitude toward our neighbors far and wide.
We cannot exclude ourselves from the human community.
We cannot survive alone.
MLK said we asked the wrong question when we inquired, "What will happen to me if I help?"
He said the right question was, "What will happen to my neighbor if I do not help?"
As Common suggested, most of us are getting it these days. For that, we are grateful. In fact, I am impressed, blessed, and strangely unstressed.
There is no room for political posturing and grandstanding. There is no place for favoritism or nationalism. There is no time for pettiness or classism. It is not an occasion for conspiracy theories, misinformation, opportunism, or profiteering.
This is a time for teaching and being taught the meaning of the Golden Rule and for living it out.
What a shame that, after all the world wide and localized tragedies of the last decades, it takes one that threatens us all to get our attention. But if that is what it takes, let us learn the lesson and live the lesson after the crisis passes.
Love is the only bond that will ever tie us together and make us strong as one. The apostle Paul said that it is even greater than faith and hope in its enduring quality. It is the simplest definition of God in the Bible - a God who defies definition.
I say thank you to all who are living love in these hours, showing love, giving love, and loving by receiving love. Let us love one another.
“This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.” – John 21:14
My favorite event in the early years of my schooling was neither recess nor lunch; it was “Show and Tell. “Students would bring objects from home and tell stories about them.
I loved to show and tell my own interests and observe the presentations of others. Something about that activity captured my imagination and played to my basic curiosity about life and all things related to life.
John, the Apostle, valued what the followers of Jesus had seen, heard, seen, looked upon, and handled, according to his first epistle. Early in his gospel, he remembered Jesus inviting the first disciples to “come and see,” and then one of them using the same words to invite another.
“Show and Tell” was an effective tool of Jesus for teaching throughout His life. That is why He called people to follow Him as a full-time vocation. He walks, ate, and rested with His disciples. They were always with Him observing His life and hearing His words.
Then they watched Him die. He showed them the full measure of His love in His sacrifice.
They saw it with their own eyes and were forever marked with the memory of the cross.
As they sat by the water, after His resurrection, He showed Himself to them yet again. In His post-resurrection appearances, He bolstered their faith visible and brought verbal perspective to what they had experienced. It was “Show and Tell.”
Jesus wants to impress upon us that His life is more than a curiosity. He has called us into a grand demonstration of God’s love and power, to receive His witness and to demonstrate it to others as well.
Memories gather around this week and are sharpened by the perplexities of our moment.
Thirteen years ago, Virginia Tech had its heart ripped out by a random shooter.
Seven years ago, yesterday, the Boston Marathon Bombing, tore at the soul of the nation.
Today in Hungary, it is Memorial Day for the Victims of the Holocaust.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, it is a day of Remembrance of Chemical Attack on Balisan and Sheikh Wasan.
That recounting is far from exhaustive in terms of human suffering and inhuman injustice.
In America today, and in the world, we are embroiled in a planetary pandemic that has ravaged countless lives, disrupted and devastated economies, and revealed inequities on an international scale.
The world have turned on its axis again.
It was also on this day, in 1963, that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote one of the great theological and ethical essays on the intersections of suffering, spirituality, social action, and philosophy ever composed, In his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, he said,
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
We are all, always, connected.
After Boston's tragedy, I went to sleep with a concern and awoke with it as I reached for the news on radio and television, less shocked, absorbed, and indignant than usual (I thought) --- and that worried me. I thought I might do an essay on it, but decided to make it a prayer. This is my prayer of that day.
Perhaps it will apply to this day and any day. The difference today is that we are more than just emotionally connected. We are all effected.
Let Us Pray ...
Father, in the light of all that has happened and is happening, I am at loss. I want to say that I am shocked, dismayed, disgusted, indignant, sorrowful, grieving, broken, and horrified. What bothers me most is that I am not ... not the way I think is appropriate, not enough to keep me from going about my business or considering my own trivial concerns.
Oh, I am all those things, but not to the degree that I was at the first words of so many other tragedies, travesties, and unspeakable events. Why not? Lord, do not let me lose my capacity to be shocked. Lord, grant that I will not establish some new "norm:" in my heart where I begin to accept the unacceptable as normal.
We want to be unshakable people, Oh God who cannot be moved. We want to be a people, and may we be a people, God of Strength, who cannot be terrorized by terror and terrorists. That is your promise again and again.
But, oh God of Compassion, Justice, and Truth, whose heart can be broken, who chose to be vulnerable in Jesus, who offered Yourself and emptied Yourself to walk with us and wept over the city, may we not lose our ability to be there with our neighbors and be touched by their pain, outraged by atrocity, and stunned by violence.
Our neighbors around the world, Dear God, our neighbors in Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, all over Africa, all over the world, our neighbors, are suffering violence every day and we have been lulled to complacency. We pass by such news to the national news and, when that is too disturbing, we focus on the local and now, now, our local news is filled, daily with local violence.
And we come, Dear God, we come to a new equilibrium. God, don't let us settle into such a pattern. Boston is our back yard. Egypt is just down the street. Pakistan is a short walk. Keep our emotions a bit fragile that we will have to cry out to You for peace. Keep us tender that we might always fall to our knees in prayer and hurt for those who are in pain and shock. Fill our hearts with love for our neighbors and love for our enemies so that we find it hard to imagine how a sweet little baby could be born into a world of wonder and grow into an instrument of violence.
We pray for those who might grow to accept such options as a means of redress of injustice perceived or real, or as a way of exorcising personal demons. We pray for divine and human intervention in their lives sufficient to turn around their thinking before it is too late. May we work to create just societies and peace on earth and may we never tolerate what is intolerable.
May we continue to reject violence in all forms and may we always hate, despise, and be adamantly opposed to the senseless taking of life.
Perplex us Oh God. Keep us perplexed because these things should not make sense and must not be accepted.
Why am I not more badly shaken and preoccupied? Why am I not desiring to be there in the thick of it bringing Your grace and love to the city?
Have I thrown up my hands in resignation?
No ... but I am still bothered ...
Why could I sleep so well? Well, maybe 2 hours is not so well. Maybe I am shaken but a bit calloused. Maybe I am preoccupied. Maybe this is just a new level of reception of such news the likes of which we keep hearing ... from schools and shopping centers and streets. Maybe we cannot live in a constant state of horror or indignation and maybe we are called to be present ... present to be, in whatever way we can be, part of the solution, part of the compassion, part of the intercession for our neighbors.
For our neighbors, I pray, Lord, God. Grant them shalom. Grant them shalom. Grant them shalom .... and healing and grace and mercy and perspective and courage and strength.
Thanks You for the helpers, for the brave and courageous helpers who arrived quickly and served when they did not know if the danger had passed.
Help folks to find some rest.
Shut us up when we start to pontificate and capitalize on these events, Father. Stop us from being "know-it-all"s. Dissolve our party lines. Fade our red-blue divides into obscurity. Fill us with Your love.
Let us be neither complacent nor terrorized.
Let us neither be settled nor disturbed.
Let us be neither indifferent nor obsessed.
Let us be neither detached nor co-dependent.
Let us neither be accepting of evil nor vengeful.
Let us not be tempted be consumed with anger nor overwhelmed by grief. We need the mind of Christ in these days. We need resolve and courage. We need wisdom. We need guidance.
We cannot fix everything or everybody and we cannot enact any policies or extract any justice that will make this right. Nothing can make this right, but You, Lord, can enter in and redirect the negative energies of those possessed by evil intentions to bring good and glory in some mysterious way, through some gentle touch, and with Your leading hand of grace.
I come to You, my Father, as a follower of Jesus, asking You for Your grace to follow Him into the dark places today with His mind in my mind, His heart in my heart, His Word on my lips, His love flowing through me, His tears in my eyes, His steadiness in my responses, His grace, Your grace, in everything I do or say. And I pray this for people everywhere who will meet hurting, broken, wounded, worried people and seek to bring them hope.
With much more on my heart to pray and continuing to pray, I pray these things ...
Let all of your contacts know. Do not accept a friend request from ...
You're being bombarded and it is getting worse.
I get hundreds of messages a month that fall under one or more of these suggestions.
The level of spam has, as expected, escalated due to the current world-wide pandemic. Crisis brings out fake news, fake requests, misinformation, disinformation, and poor advice. Most of these messages are constructed, worded, and propagated in such a way that they do not contain links or other means to verify sources and the veracity and credentials of those sources.
We have to do our homework and read the URLs on web pages.
Remember that an impressive name that sounds like something with which you are familiar may not be credible.
Am I using the word "credible" too much?
Good.
I know you have all been waiting for this. I have been using these policies quietly and respectfully for a number of years and they have served me well.
These are some steps I take to resist being a conduit for both innocent and intentional falsehoods.
Policy #1
Never pass on a message that begins with, "Hi, I'm Mark Zuckerberg The Director of facebook.."
It is obviously not from him.
That is not his title.
The company's name should be begin with an upper case, "F."
Policy #2
Never pass on any message that comes by way of "Messenger."
Policy #3
Never pass on a message that requires cutting and pasting it as if it came from you rather than using a "share" function. It is almost always indicative of chain letter or scam. Besides that, there are no links to verify. It does not matter if you trust the person who sent it. They sent it because they trusted the person who sent if who trusted ... WHO WAS ASLEEP!
It goes too far back to trace. That is why people still feel threatened by Madeline Murray O'Hair who has been dead for decades.
Policy #4
Never pass on any message that says that 9 out of 10 of you will not pass it on. Overcome your guilt and trust the wisdom of the crowd on this one. Stand with the 9.
Policy # 5
Never pass on anything that you are prompted to pas on via guilt. Guilt is always a poor motivator and is associated with shame which abandons reason and god judgment.
Policy #6
Never pass on requests for money not attached to reputable non-profits with a professional website and the ability to process credit cards and generate receipts. Exception - "Go Fund Me" accounts and that sort of thing which have public/transparent accountability. Even then, check things out and make sure that people are not capitalizing on someone's tragedy to put money in their own pockets.
Policy #7
If someone sends you a message saying that FB is censoring them, would one not ask why, if it were true, that the message making that claim was not censored and why we have access to so many messages that criticize them for that reason?????
Policy #8
Get all of those pet peeves off your mind and then, move on. We are all human.
Policy #9
Don't announce you are fed up with all the hypocrisy online and dropping your account. Your absence will deprive us of your good influence, especially if you have rid yourself of all hypocrisy. We could really benefit from your insights.
Final (for now) Policy #10
Don't take it personally when someone sends you some sort of spam. They've been tricked too.
And, of course, if these seem credible and useful, feel free to pass them on ... but use a SHARE button so I can be tracked and take responsibility for what I wrote.
Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.
Faith and identity bloom in the soil of suffering and hardship. It is not the soil that evokes gasps of wonder and appreciation, but the flowers that emerge from it.
I am still not quite sure what we, as followers of Jesus ought to call ourselves. I am not sure it matters. What he calls us matters. Also, what others call us matters to the extent that, intentionally or by accident, they stumble upon some truthful witness of who we are and who we represent.
Only three times does the New Testament use the word "Christian," not that we should never use it. Both times, it referred to other people calling the believers by that name - probably as an insult.
They embraced it .
We must find ways to embrace the insults. It is a form of mental and spiritual "judo."
The first time the name was used was at Antioch. The book of Acts records it. The diaspora followers of Jesus had become refugees there, scattered by persecution and violence in Jerusalem inflicted by warring political factions. They were called "little Christ people," and they accepted it.
Since "Christ" is a Greek translation for משיח or Moshiach, Messiah, or "Anointed One," it might be suggested that "Christian" be translated, "Messianic."
We are the people of the Anointed Messiah, the Christ, the Promised Savior-King.
Yet, if we follow the tracking, we still might find it was a term of derision.
The second time was when Peter twice refers to believers being persecuted under that same name, "Christian/Messianic" and advises the people to rejoice in it.
Isn't it strange that we would adopt that name in our cries for our rights and privileges as some sort of "majority" with a legitimate claim of protected status?
Do we think we are more persecuted in these days than other believers and non-believers in the world? Can middle class Christians stake a claim on suffering day in and day out for their faith?
In some places on earth, they do.
However, many people suffer out of conviction, because of their pigmentation, or because of their language, culture, or status.
Jesus called all such people, "the least of these, my brethren."
We need to find ways to stand with the most maligned, marginalized, persecuted, scattered, insulted, misunderstood, oppressed, and dehumanized people we can find because that is what Jesus did and continues to do --- and that is what Jesus did for us and that is from whence we came.
We should seldom speak of our rights and violations of our rights without two things being in place:
1. We have already spoken many times for the rights and against the suffering of others.
2. We have embraced the insults with joy knowing that we do so followers of Jesus, identifying with His suffering.
Then we can bloom and rejoice because we have been identified more closely with Jesus.
Then we can exude the fragrance of his grace in a world where those who receive and those who inflict suffering on others need to discover his love.
Then, we should continue to do good.
--------------------------------------------
1 Peter 4:7-19: The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.
Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.
Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ.
To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.
If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.
For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
And "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?"
Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.
When we have a diet of manna we are tempted to think that we work for it.
We sink into the assumption that our efforts are indispensable
We cover our minds with forgetfulness that every day, manna is a gift.
We turn legitimate work ethic into work ego.
We need rest from that -- a day of utter dependence.
We need a day of emptying, releasing, and reflecting.
"See the LORD has GIVEN you the sabbath."
Yes, it was a specific gift to a specific people, but it was also a broad principle for humanity.
The story is a lesson for living and the law is a sign-post for eternal and temporal truth.
When we live off yesterday's manna, we are reminded that today's manna fell from heaven and all we did was gather it.
It expands our hearts of humility, generosity, and trust.
We can engage in futile arguments over calendar questions, definitions, and fine points of interpretation or we can embrace the gift and lesson of sabbath rest ... and enter in.
You will have a sabbath whether or not you observe one. You will either die early of stress or lose years to anxiety, and unproductive flailing in an effort to create manna that only God can give.
Exodus 16:22-36
On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, two omers apiece. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the LORD; bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.'"
So they put it aside until morning, as Moses commanded them; and it did not become foul, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is a sabbath, there will be none."
On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. The LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and instructions? See! The LORD has given you the sabbath, therefore on the sixth day he gives you food for two days; each of you stay where you are; do not leave your place on the seventh day."
So the people rested on the seventh day. The house of Israel called it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, in order that they may see the food with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'"
And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD, to be kept throughout your generations."
As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the covenant, for safekeeping. The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a habitable land; they ate manna, until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. An omer is a tenth of an ephah.
Psalm 16:1 - Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.
Never separate the two parts of this prayer or you will diffuse its power. The first part is a request made in faith. The second is a declaration of faith upon which every request is made and in which our confidence resides. Safety, in and of itself, is of limited value. We are safe from what and for what?
The end and the means are the same here. We are made safe by abiding that we might safely abide in Christ. If God is our refuge, that is enough to say. It is an end in itself. To be in Christ is the end that brings every new beginning. Where is your principal residence in this life? All anxiety and discomfort are addressed by the answer of faith. If you reside in God and take refuge in Him, then rest in Him and abandon all concern for safety from that which you cannot control. God is in charge.
Psalm 16:2 - I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
This is so very important! First, we must recognize that to say “Lord” is not just to utter a religious word or to speak with respect toward our chosen deity. In the naming of God as Lord is a relinquishment of every other value, treasure, and prize. It is to acknowledge Him as Supreme Master and to render everything else in our lives as valueless apart from Him. It is in acknowledging Him as the source of every good gift that those gifts have worth. It is in knowing Him that every other vision fades in importance and takes its place in His court as subservient to His will.
Psalm 16:3 - As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
One of the great privileges of the new birth is that we are born into a family of saint with whom we can associate and in whose fellowship we can delight. To be a saint is to be separate, holy, and dedicated to a particular function. That function, for the Christian, is the praise and glory of God. In one sense, it is not a mysterious or otherworldly thing to be a saint.
In another sense, it is to profoundly embrace a mystery that we can never fully understand and be apprehended by a world far beyond our reach in these mortal bodies. If one is a saint indeed, one loves other saints because, in them, we see God’s face as clearly as possible in this life –even among those who dwell in the land.
Psalm 16:4 - The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.
Today, we join the eternal chorus of welcome as the Lord Jesus Christ enters into our consciousness as the King who comes in the Name of the Lord. He is the Prince of Peace and righteousness. His Kingdom comes with glory and praise, but also with a cross of pain and disgrace. Yet, He willingly enters into the sphere of time, space, and judgment to face whatever stands between Him and His mission to bring all who welcome Him into eternal fellowship with the Father. Let us lift our voices in worship as we worship Him.
Psalm 16:5 - Lord, you have assigned my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
God is righteous. That means that everything about Him is fully integrated into His holy character – He is 100% pure truth, love, goodness, and holiness. There are no contradictions in God – except those that we contrive in our own misunderstanding of Him. He loves justice. His heart delights in seeing things set aright. He loves consistency in our lives. He takes joy when His truth is integrated into the loose dimensions of our lives and we come into right relationship with Him. There is a promise in this verse, that the upright will see His face.
What a glorious affirmation! The more we seek Him, the more our hearts are changed by His power within us and the clearer our vision of Who He is becomes. We can see God. His grace in Jesus Christ removes the scales from our eyes so that we may have a glimpse in this life and the hope of full disclosure in the life to come. Let that truth sink into the pores of your being today and celebrate it as you walk through the maze of confusing messages and distorted truth. You can see God.
Psalm 16:6 - The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
Do you feel alone in your spiritual journey? Do you imagine that you are the only person in your school, workplace, or neighborhood that desires the things of God or seeks after His will? Do you wonder if there is even one other person who will stand with you for truth and righteousness? Are you overwhelmed by the loneliness of solitary seeking? Do you even wonder if the psalmist was somehow transported out of his time to speak of ours?
Things have not changed that much have they? We all look back on better times when we were sure that there were more righteous and earnest people living among us and compare those times with our “todays.”
We conclude that we are alone and that no one else is godly or faithful. While that is not true in every sense, it is in one. “There is none that is righteous, no not one.” We are indicted by that statement and must include ourselves among the number of the “no more” who have “vanished from the earth.” From God’s perspective and standard of perfect holiness, no one measures up. Then Jesus Christ enters the picture and He alone stands for truth. Our only hope is in Him and in Him we are not alone. Consciously align yourself with Him today and allow God to flush away that sense of “aloneness.”
Psalm 16:7 - I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
If you can’t trust a compliment, what can you trust? The psalmist has had it with flattery. He is discouraged over the tendency of his neighbors to use speech only to manipulate and deceive. We ought to develop that same level of disgust with untruth because all lying, and falsehood are at odds with a God who is truth. Pretty lies are no better than ugly lies. Lies are lies and they are dark and dismal.
Ask God to fill your heart with truth today and with a love for that truth so that whenever you would tell yourself a lie, you would immediately appeal to the God of truth and be rescued. Whatever urge you may have to be hard on your neighbors, start first with yourself and let God’s grace fill you and change you.
Psalm 16:8 - I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
First, consider this on– praise and flattery met Jesus upon His entry into the Holy City. “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord,” they cried and most likely meant what they said. Is it possible that some of those who praised Him on Sunday cursed Him on Thursday evening when He was arrested and brought to trial? Could it be that some who praised Him were seeking to manipulate Him for their own ends and to triumph with their tongues, even to co-opt Him for their own causes? Is it even possible that some that welcomed Him with their lips retained no sense of responsibility for their words beyond themselves?
We see ourselves as masters of our words whenever we refuse to submit ourselves, body, soul, and spirit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus went to the upper room and took the role of a servant. With His words and deeds, He offered His body and blood for the redemption of lost men and women. He emptied Himself and held nothing back. His words are truth and love. Let us bring ourselves and our words to Him in that same spirit. If possible, find a place this day to partake of communion with other believers and remember the sacrifice of Jesus and be reminded of His gracious words.
Psalm 16:9 – Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,
God saw the oppression of the weak and heard the groaning of the needy, bound in the chains of sin and wickedness. Thus, He came to us as a man among men. He arose and took upon Himself of a lowly servant, He emptied Himself and became obedient unto the death of the cross. (Philippians 2)
He identified with us completely, yet without sin and became our protector and deliverer from sin. God has always been the champion of the weak and needy. The Christ-event and the passion of the cross make it clear that every man, woman, and child is in need of a savior. We are all oppressed – even if we are oppressors. We each writhe in agony for someone to intervene in our darkness and bring us into the light. Friend, the cross, was, is, and always will be for you.
Spend some time today meditating on it. Seek out other believers with whom you can worship in wake of Calvary. Get alone with God and thank Him for remembering you on the cross. Do not let this day pass as any other.
Psalm 16:10 - because you will not abandon my to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
Oh, precious words, flawless, pure, beautiful in their refined glory. God’s words stir the soul, comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable, and pierce the heart with divine truth and brilliant light. On that dark Saturday between the cross and the resurrection, the disciples had only the remembrance of His words. What would they have meant to you in such an hour? What have they meant to you in your darkest hours?
After the resurrection, Jesus would meet men on the road to Emmaus and remind them of His words and those that the Father had spoken over the centuries through the scriptures. He would bring them new meaning and their hearts would burn within them. Let Jesus apply all of God’s words to your heart in the darkness of death from the place of resurrection. We can never fully visit the despair of that bleak Saturday, but we can enter into our own darkness with the flawless Word of God to comfort our souls.
Psalm 16:11 - you have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
What a pointless prayer this would be divorced from resurrection truth! Without the resurrection we are exposed, vulnerable, and unprotected. If Christ were not raised, we would be as Paul said, “still in our sins (I Cor. 15).”
We could not expect help in the onslaughts of wicked and violent people or non-human forces from a dead and powerless God. Prayers would be futile attempts to feel better about our miserable circumstances. Compliance with ethics would be fruitless acts of legalistic compulsion if not overwhelmed by a dynamic conviction that God can raise the dead and thus, protect, deliver, and save. God raised Jesus from the dead and pronounced the death sentence on death. He is alive and brings to life all who trust in Him.
Celebrate!
The Lord is risen!
He is risen indeed!
"Start by doing what's necessary, then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - Saint Francis of Assisi
Psalm 22:1 - My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
We have the retrospective luxury of knowing the messianic significance of this psalm in. It is messianic because the Messiah took these words to the cross as He identified with the sinfulness and despair that were already resident in humanity. He expressed the root of our hopelessness: abandonment - the awful sense that the God whom we ourselves have forsaken has forsaken us. To be separate from God is to be isolated and alone. It is the very terror of the night and it is the chief horror of the cross, which Jesus bore for us that this statement might never need to be ours again.
Psalm 22:2 - O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.
It is the hallmark of persistent prayer that it perseveres in silence. It is neither required nor assured that the believer will always “sense” the presence of God. What is called for is that we will remain faithful and not be silent when God is silent. In fact, God is not quieted. He is merely speaking on a frequency that we are not, at some given point in time, receiving. Keep praying – even amidst despair and doubt. Faith is found in the persistence and assurance and awareness emerge from the process. No matter how you feel about life, yourself, God, or others today, pray on!
Psalm 22:3 - Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.
Immediately, out of dark despair, the worship leader of the psalms teaches us what drives persistent pray: It is the knowledge of the Holy One who is Other than us, enthroned, exalted, and worthy of praise. God does not need to earn our faithfulness in prayer and praise by making regular payments of blessings to our accounts. The starting point is that praise is due Him because He is the praise of Israel and the United States, the world, and the universe. If we can but come to some understanding that God is God no matter what we think or feel, we will begin to become messianic people.
Psalm 22:4 - In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
History is an anchor that stabilizes faith by reminding us that God can and does act to deliver His people. He, who never changes, takes a personal interest in those who trust in Him. He is a faithful God. We can count on Him to do again what He has done before. The heritage we receive from our believing fathers and mothers is a legacy we must pass on to our own children. It is an inter-generational gift that passes through our hands. Take courage from the experience of others, but never let that experience substitute for one of your own relationship with God. Build on their stories.
Psalm 22:5 - They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
What was it that our fathers did that brought them into the experience of God’s deliverance? It was very little and very much. It was very little of human effort or initiative. However, it was a great expression of faith in two parts. First, their attitude was one of trust – that resolute act of resting on God’s grace. Second, the volitional action was crying out for mercy, help, and salvation in desperate resignation. We who scatter ourselves about in frantic frenzies of futile flailing exclaim, “Is that all? It can’t be!” It is. Unless it becomes that alone, nothing we DO matters. Only God saves.
Psalm 22:6 - But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
Maybe today is your worm day. You have adopted the vision of yourself that you perceive others to have of you. You have resigned to the world, the rather than to God. It has become vitally important to you what others think of you and you are devastated. If, at any time, you allow yourself to be defined by others or even yourself, you will be depressed. Jesus identified with our struggles to understand self but overcame the temptation through a strong sense of who He was in relationship with His Father. We have the same mirror to our souls available, filtered by grace and the love of God.
Psalm 22:7 - All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
Consider Jesus today as you evaluate the evaluations of others and deflect their insults. Rather than lash out in reactionary anger or retreat in despondent silence, look to Him who endured. He was never shaken within by the opinions of people. He never lost His sense of standing with the Father or His assurance of His mission. He did not come down off the cross, nor can we. Our lives are nailed there, and our identity is securely fastened to His. Bathe in His love and acceptance when friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers mock your motives. You are cherished by Him.
Psalm 22:8 – "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."
You can expect to be attacked in that area where you are most vulnerable – your faith. The world will taunt you with that which troubles you most within – the nagging suspicion that God will not come through for you. This is the real test of faith whether the taunts come from within or without: Can you withstand them and find your trust deepened? Your lips may declare firm belief that God can deliver you from and through any trial, but do you believe it for this current trial? The answer is that faith is, also, a gift delivered amidst fire. Receive it today in your present circumstances.
Psalm 22:9 - Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.
We started with a capacity to trust God because we had no other choice. As we experienced autonomy and choice, we chose to go our own ways as did our first father and mother. But the starting place was childlike trust. It is our first and greatest capacity and our one and only connector to God within our souls. It is the essence of the image of God within us - the plug through which He reconnects us in relationship within by His mercy, grace, and love. When we first chose to sin, we pulled the plug by trusting ourselves. Let God revive your trust today and choose to trust Him.
Psalm 22:10 - From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.
This is the psalm of the cross, which our Master chose to identify with us as He bore our sins. There were three great acts of emptying in His earthly life. The first was His birth. He divested Himself of all His self-sufficiency as God and became dependent upon God –even in Mary’s womb. The second was His baptism-temptation where He conspicuously stood in the place of sinners to face every life temptation and overcome only by the power of the Spirit and the Word. Finally, the cross – and there, He remembered who He was and who He trusted. We must trust God also.
Psalm 22:11 - Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
You will find yourself in circumstances, as did our Lord, where there are no solutions, alternatives, or assistance. There is no one and nothing to help. You are empty and alone. You cannot even depend upon yourself because your resources are depleted, and your energy is sapped. You can presume nothing in that moment. No one hears your plea, but God and your only non-negotiable request is that He remains near you. That is a powerful place in our lives. We cannot go on spiritually until we have been there. Embrace it and from that place, call upon God. You will find Him all-sufficient.
Psalm 22:12 - Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
The imagery may not be familiar, but it takes little imagination to see the precarious nature of these circumstances. What are yours? The idea of bulls surrounding you does not bring to mind the thought of a passive environment with benign enemies. These are angry bulls, poised for attack. They are frightening and intimidating, and they can do you great physical harm. But they cannot touch your soul. Only you and God know the depths of the battle you are in but know this: Jesus was there on the cross and He is with you now.
Psalm 22:13 - Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.
You can see the lions devouring their prey and their eyes are now on you. You envision yourself being eaten alive by the forces within you and outside you that attack without mercy. It is a helpless feeling. Jesus experienced it fully on the cross. He placed Himself in that position willingly. He emptied Himself and “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” We cannot choose our end, nor can we know if this crisis is our end, but we can know God in the midst of it and trust in Him. There is no lion, no problem, no weapon of Satan that can defeat God or destroy His child.
Psalm 22:14 – I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.
What do you trust in a practical way to make it through the day? Do you count on your human resources, talents, ingenuity, or personality? You can be poured out like water. Do you trust your physical strength and fitness? Every bone can be dislocated from the others. Do you trust the strength of your character, perseverance, courage, and inner strength? Your heart can melt like wax and you will be left with nothing but God. This is the cross and Jesus has gone before us to show us that we can bear through His resurrection. Do not despair. You may be empty, but you are not alone.
Psalm 22:15 - My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
The cross is not a position of personal strength. It was not for Jesus and is not for us. We come to the cross and are emptied as Christ Jesus emptied Himself. Speechless and helpless, we lie in the dust of death and somehow realize that a God of love has allowed this experience in our lives and brought us to this place that, out of death, we might find life. If you will know resurrection, you must be laid out as dead before God. There is no other way. Any attempt to circumvent this process renders the cross as useless in your life. Trust God in the dry places and you will live.
Psalm 22:16 – Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
Onlookers, men and beasts, are waiting for your last breath. They are convinced that you are defeated. Around the cross, they all gathered, certain that they were about to hear the last of Jesus. Your enemies assume that personal failure and death will overcome you as well. Pain, it is felt, will conquer the spirit of any person. Not so with you. You are dead already and your life is hidden in Christ. In Him, you live. Whatever the enemy could throw at Christ was thrown, but He “arose a victor from the dark domain” and so will you in Him. Cast off despair and celebrate life!
Psalm 22:17 - I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
Have you ever counted your bones? How emaciated from the struggles of life, temptation, and sin have you been? Have you ever felt like such an oddity that people would stare? Have you ever been so humiliated that your enemies – especially those within, would gloat over your seeming defeat? When God made the choice to incarnate Himself into human flesh, He knew that He would be casting aside His glory for the lowest state of all. Hebrews 12 reminds us to consider Jesus who despised the shame but pressed on for the glory set before Him. Let us press on as well.
Psalm 22:18 - They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
We like to think that we will have death with dignity. We must redefine dignity then, for what Jesus experienced can only be described in human terms, as humiliation. Nevertheless, human definitions do not rule the spiritual realm, nor can they rule our lives. If we must face such a cross where even our clothes are bartered among our enemies, then so be it. Either we can scream and protest for our rights and “dignity” or we can enter into a deeper experience of trust and obedience. It is a crossroads that we face. If we are to die to self that we might live, we cannot set the terms.
Psalm 22:19 – But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
We are moving from first to second to third person intentionally in these thoughts – keeping the focus on God. That is where Jesus kept His focus in His lifetime identification with humanity. He asked only that His Father be near and trusted only in His strength. When we are empty and helpless, that is all we have and that is a very fine position for our lives. All other strength is an illusion and the sooner we understand that, the better. We have only God – He is all we ever have had, and we did not realize it. Perhaps now, we are coming to understand. Perhaps, we are coming into real life.
Psalm 22:20 - Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Did you know that your life was precious to God? Grace yourself with the thought that God cares more for you than you care for yourself. Why then, do you exercise the exhausting effort of worry? God knows all about the sword. He sees and hears the dogs. He is not removed from your suffering and He intimately acquainted with your struggles. He has never abandoned you and He has a plan for your deliverance that He has already set into motion. Call upon Him. He is ready to take your hand and walk with you through this present fire.
Psalm 22:21 - Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
Once we have come to terms with the reality of our circumstances and ceased our fruitless debates over the fairness of our surroundings, we can get down to the relevant business of petition. God does not keep us out of the lion’s den or the path of wild oxen; but He delivers us. Deliverance is far better than avoidance because God gets the glory and we get the victory. Beside that, the world gets to see a demonstration of the power of God that exceeds the expectations of limited minds. Daniel’s victory did not rest in avoiding the conflict, but in God’s salvation in the midst. Resurrection!
Psalm 22:22 – I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.
We glory in the cross. We glory far more in the resurrection. Jesus came forth from the trial of the cross and the resurrection with a message of victory, redemption, and praise. We also emerge from our spiritual battles and, more importantly, the process of dying to self and rising to new life, with a message of hope. The faith-act of identifying with Jesus is what makes us evangelists. Good news permeates our beings so that our very lives are transformed into the gospel message. Like St. Francis, we preach everywhere and, when necessary, use words.
Psalm 22:23 – You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
Praise, honor, and reverence are the responses of all who know God as God. This fear of God is recognition of His utter divinity and absolute sovereignty. It is an awareness that is burned into our life through struggles and seared onto our hearts in crisis. It does not come easily. Do not associate praise with giddiness or shallow emotionalism. When it is refined, it flows from the very deepest places in our lives and transcend the moment, rises above circumstances, and soars to the heights of Heaven. It is a gem of great joy forged in the furnace of trial.
Psalm 22:24 - For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
The God we praise is a God of loving compassion. He knows. He cares. He heals. He listens intently to His people and He is near the broken. Jesus identified with our pain intensely and passionately. His participation in our suffering and affliction goes far beyond empathy. He entered in and continues to enter in. You can trust Him because He already understands and have your very best interest in His heart. When we back off from God., we do so in irrational ignorance. To really know Him is to trust Him profoundly.
Psalm 22:25 - From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
It all originates with God. If we think that we might like to organize our praise of God around ideas that intrigue us, we have missed the point. The very theme of praise comes directly from Him. It is about Him, from Him, and to Him that we praise. And, as we gather among those who know Him, this is understood. There are always personal and corporate dimensions to faith. There are individual vows that you make and fulfill to the Lord, but you do so in community among those who share a common vision of the God who is worthy of our praise.
Psalm 22:26 - The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him-- may your hearts live forever!
This is the grand turn-around. God feeds the poor. He fills the hearts of those who seek Him with praise. He brings life out of death and joy out of pain. He infuses our lives with such abundance that we cannot fully receive it. He lifts our spirits to heights we have never known. He fills our lips with praise and grants us eternal life. The present darkness is never absolutely dark because the light has already come to fill every crevice. We live now and always in the present reality of the resurrection and the future hope of Christ’s second coming. Seek Him and know this reality for yourself!
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple … - Luke 16:Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! – John 19:5
When I see purple, I think of Lydia who, in the book of Acts, was known as the dealer of purple.
Purple was a precious commodity, the garment of royalty, the symbol of wealth.
Purple is a featured color in the Lenten season as we meditate on the road to the cross that Jesus trod.
It is also an element of two of Jesus’ teachings, one that he spoke and another that he lived. One was a parable and the other was a reality.
Jesus spoke of a rich man, clothed in purple, who died and discovered that all he had valued and cherished in life was worthless in light of a Godless eternity. This man begged for a drop of water and someone to warn his brothers. He was simply called, “a certain rich man.”
Later, Jesus would also ask for a sip of water, from the cross. Just prior to that pivotal event in salvation history, Jesus was paraded before Pilate clothed in purple. The soldiers were mocking his message of a spiritual kingdom that transcended all human kingdoms.
Jesus wore the purple unwillingly on His willing path to bear the shame of the world for our salvation. The rich man wore it with a prideful heart proclaiming his superiority and gaining nothing.
One exalted himself and was humbled. Jesus humbled himself and was exalted.
And both wore purple.
------------------------------
Thus, all who follow him, take his robe and cross of shame to exchange, some day, for a robe and crown of glory.
“Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. “ – John 13:1
Jennifer was on the phone with her best friend, Lillian as her mother, Sue, decided to eavesdrop. The subject was the love lives of their friends and acquaintances. Amidst the giggles and gasps, hearing only one side of the conversation, a tapestry of love found and lost began to be painted.
John was in love with Sally even though he was in love with Myrtle last week. She told him that she was no longer in love with him so he had to find someone new. Sue blushed and considered the “talk” she would be having with her daughter later that evening.
Jesus was no faint-hearted lover. He was not subject to likes, dislikes, and mood swings. He did not start things and leave them dangling. He understood that human love could be flighty and fleeting. But His love was eternal and unconditional. He wanted His disciples to understand that and internalize it. If there was one message He wanted to leave with them, it was the message of His love.
So, he took a towel and washed their feet. It was not only a menial task, but one that could be tedious and disgusting. In the moments that followed, He taught them more about how to receive and give His love than they could absorb in one sitting. They would reflect upon His words and deeds for the rest of their lives as we do today.
Whenever we come to the Lord’s Table, it is a table of love. It is a reminder that having loved us, Jesus’ love continued to the cross and, from the cross, through the resurrection and into eternity.
O love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, That in thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be. - George Matheson
We fall; we rise. We are adjudicated and found guilty and then ... The Judge steps down from the bench to plead our case. It is as if we cannot lose; every loss becomes a win.
" Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication. - Micah 7:8-9 (ESV)
Last Supper, miniature from a Psalter, in Latin [Alsace (Strasbourg), c.1220-40] on vellum - This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer.
“Now is the Son of man glorified and God is glorified in Him.” – from John 13:31
You have to take it all as a package or there is no glory.
Jesus understood that these final days were one great redemptive event – from mingling with the crowds and teaching them, to provoking the Sanhedrin with His very presence, to the upper room, the washing of feet, the prayers in the garden, betrayal, denial, and on to the cross. It was the process of God glorifying Himself in His Son.
It was all part of the package: His life, death, and resurrection were one magnificent demonstration of the power of God.
Jesus had spoken similar words when some gentiles had come looking for Him. He responded that the coming of these men was an indication that He was soon to be lifted up from the earth and to draw all men unto Him. Lifting up could mean exaltation or crucifixion. In this case, it meant both. He moves from tragedy to triumph in a split second intersection of time and eternity.
This time he speaks of being glorified as he confronts the one who will betray him. This is strange to our warped thinking. But this is Jesus who donned the apron and wiped his disciple’s feet. This is the one who taught that the path to greatness is servanthood. This is the Master of great reversals.
Our Lord never lost sight of the big picture.
In John's portrait of Jesus, contrasting in emphasis from those in the Synoptic Gospels, the Passion is about glory, being lifted up.
Jesus didn’t stop with cross in his panoramic view of his mission. He didn’t even end the story with rising from the dead. He taught his friends that he was going to the Father through this path of glory and that he would come to them in a new way to indwell them, that they might do even greater works.
He promised further that He would come again visibly to introduce a grand new eternal day.
It was about glory.
It is still about glory.
Look ahead to Sunday without missing today, its reality, darkness, and profound sadness.
Look ahead for perspective.
Take a walk in the garden this morning where there is an empty hole in a rock, a barren place where death once dwelt.
What do you notice but emptiness?
He is not there. He is risen!
The work of redemption is done. It was worth it all. The pain and the suffering have accomplished their ends. He is alive and we can live also. What name do you give to your pain of the moment, your struggle of this hour?
Call it suffering or call it glory. It all depends upon whether you view it from the present or from the resurrection.
Now is the Son of man glorified
It is is a path he has walked and a way he has built for us to follow. The degrees of difficulty vary from person to person and from season to season.
The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary … – Isaiah 50:4
We are now into spring.
Where I live, it is rainy and still a little chilly.
It is an unusual spring, rather silent; there are no picnics. There is no visiting. The coffee shops and restaurants are empty. The churches are meeting in the seclusion of the individual homes of members. Commerce has almost halted.
But we celebrate and commemorate. It is Holy Week. The sadness of anticipated crucifixion is dulled by the overshadowing light of paradoxical hope.
We celebrate the beginning of spring in a pandemic. We do so with hearts ready for a change. We have grown weary of winter and are growing wearier of this unusual, bonus winter by the day. We are anxious for a change of seasons.
Spring is the season of hope and new life. It is a season of encouragement.
Will spring fully come? Will it be sooner, or will it be later?
Scripture reminds us often of the power of the tongue to build up or to destroy.
The tongue can certainly predict spring. But can it hasten spring?
What a gift to be able to use the tongue of the learned, as a gift from God, to encourage and strengthen a weary brother or sister!
Isaiah goes on to exclaim that God awakens him every morning with new instructions and wisdom – whatever the season.
We need tongues of the wise during this season that will be known as the time of the Corona Virus.
You can have the tongue of the learned if you will listen to God, read His Word, keep an open heart and mind, and be willing to share a word of blessing with those who have grown tired of living.
The greatest privilege in the world is found in lifting someone else up and moving them forward on their road to spiritual success. There is no greater honor or joy than to be a part of someone else’s life story of God’s blessings through grace.
Often, all it takes is a word to bring springtime to someone’s winter of discontent. To give it, we must be willing and ready to receive it from God, to listen intently, and share generously.
The psalms teach us to pray deeply and honestly without pretense or presumption. They just let it out and then let God sort it all our.
What if we did not judge or measure our prayers before we prayed them? What if we just let all of our negative junk out and laid it on the table before One who is wise, good, patient, loving, holy, and true and then .... well, then, we let that One deal with it.
"This stays; this goes; deal with this; I can handle this; don't worry about this; you might want to rethink this; I hear you. I understand I love you."
What if?
That is how the psalms sound to me. All the vengeful, angry feelings are brought before God before anyone else. All of the despondency we experience is brought to the front so that it can be addressed. All of our hopelessness and fear is exposed and God meets us where we are.
We see all of those heavy bricks of guilt and bitterness hanging on a cross and being demolished.
He knows we harbor hate in our hearts that is weighing us down. He knows that we struggle with temptation. He knows that we feel persecuted and alone. He knows and wants us to bring it to Him.
When we do, we are transformed as we are released from the power of those feelings. They only rule us when we cherish them in our hearts and guard them with all our might.
We may be afraid for people to know we are human, but it is useless to to try and hide that reality from God. He knows.
"Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away." - Psalm 31:9-10 (ESV)
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink ye all of it.” – Matthew 26:27
It was no time for waste. Nor was it a time to be sparing. There would be no holding back. Jesus was about to go the ultimate distance of sacrifice, give His whole body, and sacrifice everything He was for the redemption of mankind. He wanted His disciples to know that of all that He was giving, they would need all.
“Drink ye all of it,” He declared, not because they were thirsty for the fruit of the vine, but because they were thirsty for grace.
“Drink ye all of it,” because nothing less will suffice for the forgiveness of our sins than the total offering of Christ’s life for our lives.
“Drink ye all of it,” because we need to experience fully what it means to be absolutely dependent upon another to save us. We must realize in our own experience how desperate and depraved we are apart from the mercy of God in Christ.
“Drink ye all of it,” because it is all freely offered. Jesus held nothing back. He holds nothing back now.
“Drink ye all of it,” because it is a celebration of God’s transforming and unconditional love for us.
“Drink ye all of it,” because it is a reminder of His precious blood. There was a cost for our salvation. What has come to us without price was purchased at a heavy cost.
“Drink ye all of it,” because He wants to fill us completely with Himself.
“Drink ye all of it,” and celebrate the very presence of Christ as you remember Him.
It is the offering of reality that accepts the reality of our vulnerability, our flaws, our incapacity, and our wavering resolve in light of God's unwavering grace, mercy, and love.
It is the simple pathway through which pass on the way to and with the Way.
It is the hope that lingers after regret, the healing that follows our brokenness.
It is the tomorrow that follows a dark night.
It is the word that is spoken gently and immediately after the words,
"You will betray me three times before the alarm goes off tomorrow morning."
But the failure becomes a sacrament when Jesus enters into it with grace, mercy, and transforming purpose.
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going."
Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?'
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." - John 14:1-7 (ESV)
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here."
And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you."
So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again."
Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well."
Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. - Mark 10:46-52 (NRSV):
We have come to Jericho and we have always been in Jericho.
We are the church, the living and embodied presence of Jesus hearing the voice of the suffering one whom the crowds are turning away and silencing.
We are also the blind man crying out for mercy.
We are the prophetic voice calling him.
We are the crowd carrying the message to him to take heart because Jesus is calling.
We are the inquiring voice asking what the blind man desires.
We are the blind man asking to see.
We are the voice that says, "Go; your faith has made you well."
We are the ones who are healed.
We are those who follow on the way.
We are the broken, blind, beaten and restored healers who follow the Healer of wounded humanity.
Some Gleanings from Today in History with Some Sarcastic Comments and Some Serious.
On this day in ...
1768 – In London, Philip Astley stages the first modern circus. Though the word and concept was ancient, a new meaning began to emerge, giving rise to 250 years of political satire.
1796 – Georges Cuvier delivers the first paleontological lecture. In the first 30 minutes, he taught the audience how to pronounce "paleontology." Some attendees could not master the concept and simply learned to slur their speech when the need arose to use the word. Many of these became judges.
1814 – Napoleon abdicates for the first time and names his son Napoleon II as Emperor of the French. He then, took an extended island vacation, rewrote his own history, and prepared to return.
1841 – William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia, becoming the first President of the United States to die in office, and setting the record for the briefest administration. Vice President John Tyler succeeds Harrison as President. It is hard to make any sort of joke about that.
1850 – Los Angeles is incorporated as a city. It is hard not to make a joke about that, but I will resist since I really like Los Angeles.
1905 – In India, an earthquake hits the Kangra Valley, killing 20,000, and destroying most buildings in Kangra, McLeod Ganj and Dharamshala. Many have forgotten. Many never noticed. The people of India noticed. Distance, both geographical and cultural, often dims our view and stifles our concern. Yet, the world is getting smaller and what effects one effects the other more than in the past I wonder if that could ever be a bad thing.
1949 – Cold War: Twelve nations sign the North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They did this in spite of the fact that a future U.S. President might object and take it personally.
1967 – Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech in New York City's Riverside Church. It was a significant moment. Dr. King stepped out of perceived role as a single-issue prophet. He could not remain silent about an issue that he had come to see as one of the pressing moral concerns if the day.
1968 – Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a dark and dismal day for the planet.
1969 – Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart.
1973 – The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City are officially dedicated. They seemed so indestructible.
1975 – Microsoft is founded as a partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. If only we could have chipped in a dollar. Of course, in subsequent years, I have chipped in quite a bit more than that.
1984 – President Ronald Reagan calls for an international ban on chemical weapons. It was a start.
2020 – China holds a national mourning day for martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). There will be more such days. Let us take a moment of silence.
What will happen today that will be remembered one hundred years from now?
With grateful, longing, joyful, broken, wondering, wandering, hopeless, hopeful, needy, and full hearts we present our bodies, our minds, and our souls to You.
We submit our sinfulness to Your mercy.
We surrender our yesterdays, today, and tomorrows to Your grace.
We toss our lives into the arena of Your Love.
We lay our anxieties and every tormenting thought on the altar of Your refining fire.
We lay our sicknesses and vulnerabilities before you The Great Physician.
We receive Your peace.
We acknowledge and affirm that, every breath of prayer and every utterance of "God be with you" spoken as blessing and intercession includes all of these sentiments and petitions for our neighbors.
For our leaders who must navigate the ambiguities of our times and the rough seas of crisis.
God be with them...
For our helpers, our police, firefighters, and paramedics, along with, our doctors, nurses, health care providers of all kinds, sanitation workers, military, delivery people, postal employees, bankers, grocers, cooks, and all who must serve for us to continue to live with some normalcy and health.
God be with them...
For our near neighbors and our far neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, our classmates and all we see regularly when days are more routine ...
God be with them.
For our families, immediate and extended, those with whom we are in contact and those with whom we have lost contact ...
God be with them.
For our spouses and loved ones ...
God be with them.
For the vulnerable, the aged, the weak, the young, the exposed, the homeless, the poor, the under resourced and those who serve them ...
God be with them.
For the incarcerated, the prisoners, the detainees, the stranded, and the lost ...
God be with them.
For the forgotten and unmentioned ...
God be with them.
For the lonely, the broken, the suicidal, and the depressed ...
God be with them.
For the addicts who are struggling to maintain recovery ...
God be with them.
For those without families, for orphans, for widows and widowers, and those away from home and family ...
God be with them.
For the misunderstood and maligned ...
God be with them.
For those infected with this terrible virus ...
God be with them.
For the dying who are dying alone or just dying...
God be with them.
For the bereaved, especially those who cannot mourn with their communities ...
God be with them.
For prophets and priests, for saints and sinners, for everyone and for ourselves, we pray ...
It is easy and understandable to be discouraged, faint, and hopeless.
It is natural to feel the frustrations of all who are reacting to the times in which we are living. We are human, We are susceptible to losing heart.
That is why we are reminded and encouraged not to lose heart.
II Corinthians 4:16a begins with these words ...
For which cause we faint not …
Broken hearts can be mended. In fact, they can be made stronger in the broken places. Broken-heartedness is seen, at times, in a positive light in the scriptures.
Psalm 51:7 says that ...
the sacrifices of God are a broken heart along with a broken and contrite spirit.
There are many good reasons for having a broken heart. Show me your broken heart and I can tell what drives you and ignites the passions in you. It is only normal to have a broken heart for injustice in the world, for poverty of soul and life, and for suffering that we can prevent or alleviate. That kind of brokenness energizes us.
It is also normal to be broken within over the pain that we cause others and God through our own negative choices. That sort of brokenness leads to and predicts the possibility for change in our lives. Without it, we have lost some of our own humanity and pliability.
What we cannot afford is loss of heart.
II Corinthians 4:1 says that we faint not. In other words, do not lose heart even when our outer man is perishing.
Hebrews 12:3 reminds us not to lose heart when we face opposition and Hebrews 12:5 makes the same demand on us when we face correction by God.
So, the things that most commonly cause us discouragement are first, our own human frailty and limitations as expressed especially in aging and weakness.
Second, they arise from opposition from people, and third, from God’s correction in our lives.
Back in II Corinthians 4:1, Paul gives us one rationale for maintaining heart. It is our ministry. Because we have purpose and calling in our lives, we keep on keeping on.
The broken heart of calling becomes the heart that beats on when we might too easily become disheartened.
Furthermore, Hebrews 12 expands on that rationale with two admonitions: that we remember the example of Jesus and that we remember the love of God.
Losing heart is simply not an option - even when we know that the heart that can be warmed by a loving embrace can be broken by pain. No walls are allowed here. All protective devices are disabled. We must be vulnerable and valiant and that is the path of joyful calling.
Keep on keeping on!
5 words from II Cor 4:16: "... we do not lose heart ..."
Never lose heart.
To lose heart is to lose center and create vacuum which shall suck up something to fill itself. We may not want that calling the shots.
Losing heart is no option. Losing heart is placing our choices in the hands of chance. Heart is what controls us - center -core - choice.
Losing heart is not an emotional "emptying," but a void of choice, determination, and commitment.
Commitment drives when all else comes loose.
Our choice is to not lose heart, to maintain commitment to center, commitment to God, commitment to mission.
CHOICE is:
Calling
Hope
Obedience
Insight
Commitment
Energy.
Based on calling, with hope, in obedience, with insight, we commit to the energy necessary to choose => CHOICE!
Pro- Choice => CHOOSING not to lose heart in heartless deflating days of critical downturns.
Recession is no excuse to take a recess.
Choose to keep on. Choose to follow your calling to encourage others not to lose hope.
Choose to turn in the direction of hope when tempted and drawn toward despair.
Choose to obey the call to love when it is hard, when it is unrewarded, when the enthusiasm is just not there.
Choose to dig for deeper insight into the moments that are disturbing you and the realities that are rising up in rebellion against all positive outlooks.
Choose to commit, recommit, and follow your commitments be the difference in a world spinning out of control.
Choose to focus your limited energy on purpose and to draw upon an energy that must come from God.
Choose and be lifted.
May the God who made you for this hour, sustain you, strengthen your heart, and surround you with His love, grace, and peace. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.
I'm a Vogon when I'm off. I'm a Vogon when I'm on. I'm a Vogon when I scoff. As such, I make you yawn.
In the days of CompuServe's Issues Forum, maybe the early 90s, I was called a "Vogon."
I said, "Thanks."
I had not read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" at that Time, even though Doug Adams was an active member of CompuServe.
The accusation, intended, I think, as an insult, opened a new world to me. I discovered Doug Adams and that was a treasure.
I laughed at myself and I laughed with him. His absurdity struck a chord of truth in my soul and made me, not less wordy, but more so.
Since then, I have sought to apply this Vogon skill as often as possible when I have had a captive audience.
Then, we have this word of the day from Marriam-Webester: Pleonasm.
'Pleonasm' — Video Word of the Day 4/2/2020
noun - the use of more words than necessary
In the practice of such, I am quite well versed. In its performance, I am well rehearsed.
To read it from the horse's mouth, not that anyone would want anything from that nasty place, let Adams, himself, explain:
Here is what to do if you want to get a lift from a Vogon: forget it. They are one of the most unpleasant races in the Galaxy. Not actually evil, but bad-tempered, bureaucratic, officious and callous. They wouldn't even lift a finger to save their own grandmothers from the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal without orders – signed in triplicate, sent in, sent back, queried, lost, found, subjected to public inquiry, lost again, and finally buried in soft peat for three months and recycled as firelighters. The best way to get a drink out of a Vogon is to stick your finger down his throat, and the best way to irritate him is to feed his grandmother to the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. On no account should you allow a Vogon to read poetry at you.
And, concerning the larger implications of pleonasm, back to my own thoughts words, a Vogonistic utterances:
In honor of this word's essential meaning, And observing its implications to the letter, I'll be not wordy in hope of gleaning Reduced pleonasm - all the better.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Corinthians 3:17
Just what makes us free? Is it a declaration of principles or a treaty of surrender that marks great victories in battle?
Is it a Bill of Rights or a system of government? As glorious as these are, they are not the true source of our ultimate freedom. They are outward means for securing temporal liberty and they are highly valued and worthy of honor, but our true freedom comes from God and is activated by His Holy Spirit in our lives.
If the Lord is that Spirit, what sort of Spirit is He?
He is the Spirit that removes the veil from our hearts, which has obscured the truth for so long. He clarifies, amplifies, and signifies spiritual reality and causes us to see what is in a new and clearer way.
The Spirit of God helps us to know the truth that sets us free. In a free society, the free flow of information is vital. Among spiritually liberated people, truth flows just as freely. Blindness flees. New sight is available.
He is the Spirit who liberates us from the bonds of defeat and causes us to triumph through Jesus Christ. We are no longer captivated by an attitude that limits our potential or builds fences around our desire to explore new territory for God.
He is the Spirit who puts an end to condemnation in our lives. He informs us of the redemption and reconciliation that are inherent in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He applies the work of the cross to our lives in liberating proclamation.
He is finally, the Spirit who transforms us into the image of Jesus Christ as we behold Him. That is the goal of our freedom – the freedom to become more and more like Jesus.
