Author: pastorjonathan

Christian,Husband, Dad, Pastor, Mentor, Volunteer.

God’s Word is Consistently True (Psalm 12)

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PSALM 12

1 To the Chief Musician. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David. Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. 2 They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; [With] flattering lips [and] a double heart they speak. 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, [And] the tongue that speaks proud things, 4 Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips [are] our own; Who [is] lord over us?” 5 “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set [him] in the safety for which he yearns.” 6 The words of the LORD [are] pure words, [Like] silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. 7 You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation forever. 8 The wicked prowl on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

PSALM 12:1-8

GOD’S WORD IS CONSISTENTLY TRUE

We live in a world where it seems like it is becoming more difficult just to find someone who will tell you the truth. Gone are the days of decent, good and unbiased reporting. We have news stations that report down political lines and share mostly commentary. If you want conersvative news go to FOX News and read the Wall Street Journal. If you want liberal news go to MSNBC or CNN and read the Washington Post or the New York Times. The same event will take on two different meanings as everyone dissects it and talks about it from their angle. Everyone puts their spin on it. We quickly pick our sides and line up. 

Sometimes I think finding truth can be like going to a maze of mirrors at the carnival!  Some make you look tall, some make you look short, some make you look fat, some make you look skinny, some put your gut up in your chest, some make your head fat and lots more in between.  Somewhere in the middle of it all there is a real mirror, but you don’t know which one is telling the truth. We live in a culture that believes it can cut and resize the truth to its own liking. 

In the midst of such corruption we can wonder,  how do we get right side up again? What can we trust? Do we just buy any old lie or do we become so jaded and bitter that we refuse to trust anything that anyone says. What do we do? 

Have you ever been disoriented? David is looking for where to go when His world does not make sense.  I am told that there are conditions that a pilot can fly in that become very disorienting and they can’t trust your feelings. In those instances they have to trust their instruments. No matter what their gut tells them, the instruments are what will get them home safely.  

David looks to God. The pure promises of God’s Word are what will guide him home. He can’t put his trust in what others around him might say. This is the way out of this mess! God sees through it all! Through all the lies, the misinformation and the propaganda. God will preserve his people!

The other day our cat was watching TV. Our youngest daughter was watching Frozen and every once and a while you could see that cat jut out his paw as if he were trying to catch a snowflake on the television. For all his effort, he didn’t have any luck catching anything. There was a lot more between the cat and the snowflake than he could comprehend. 

David reminds us that though we live in a world filled with wicked falsehoods and it may seem that it is getting worse and worse. That there is a lot more between the lies that swirl around and the believer than we could even imagine. So while the wicked plot and prowl, God’s eternal purposes will be fulfilled. His word stands forever and he will preserve his people from falsehood.  

So What is Psalm 12 saying to us? 

  • Lets not look to our culture for truth.
  • Let’s not look to studies, statistics, science, (those things are useful tools, but not indicators of truth. 
  • Let’s not look to politics.
  • Let’s not look to our neighbors. 
  • Rather, Let us look to the Pure Word of God.

PRAYER

Father, I confess like David, I need help! It seems a lot harder these days to know who is telling the truth and integrity has gone out of style. I ask for your wisdom and discernment in my life. Help me to see the truth in every area of my life. I cling to your word and ask that I would walk with integrity because I know it and I know you through it. I pray that you would preserve me from the wickedness of my generation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Don’t Forget To Trust In The Lord On Hard Days Too (Psalm 11)

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PSALM 11

1 To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David. In the LORD I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee [as] a bird to your mountain”? 2 For look! The wicked bend [their] bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do? 4 The LORD [is] in His holy temple, The LORD’s throne [is] in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. 5 The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind [Shall be] the portion of their cup. 7 For the LORD [is] righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.

PSALM 11:1-7

DON’T FORGET TO TRUST IN THE LORD ON HARD DAYS TOO

David begins this Psalm by stating his explicit trust in God. You don’t have to question him. You don’t have to wonder. It is not ambiguous. He declares it from the get go. He puts his trust in the LORD!

What do we trust in? Where is our hope? Who do we cling to and what do we depend on? It’s one thing to say we trust God. That looks good on paper. It sounds good coming from our mouths. It’s different to actually trust Him. What about when life meets conflict. When there is turmoil, where do we turn? 

Do we trust God on just the good days? Days when everything is going our way? Days when there is more paycheck than problems? Days where we are comfortable? Days when our teams win? Days when the sun shines? Days when the biggest buck comes out to our stand? Days when others honor us? Days when we are well known and respected? Do we trust God then? 

What about the bad days? What about when hurt arises? What about when we feel pain and we don’t know why? What about when we miss our loved ones who have gone on? What about when we have been injured by the senseless action of others? What about when we have been hurt and betrayed? Do we just trust God then? 

David puts no qualifier on his statement! He simply states that it is the LORD who has all of his trust! And why shouldn’t God have all of his trust? It was God who sent Samuel to anoint a little shepherd boy. It was God who looked past the outward appearance and saw the heart. It was God who defeated Goliath through the hands of David in the Valley of Elah. God has lead David through trouble in the past, He will lead him now! 

So David is troubled by the good counsel, but not Godly counsel that his friends offer. They beg him to flee for his life. Live to fight another Day. But David won’t have any of it. If we trust God in the green and grassy meadows, we must also trust him in the valley of the shadow of death and especially in the presence of our enemies.

We are reminded that it is Jesus who promises us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. It is the Good Shepherd whose presence comforts us when we go through the valley of the Shadow of Death. He is the one we trust. He has never truly abandoned us. He has always been with us. Even when we couldn’t see.

PRAYER

Father, I am reminded of your goodness to me. I don’t have the same story as David, but I do know that there were several moments where I put my trust in you and I saw your greatness displayed in my own life. I confess there is a time and a place to make sure that I’m not being reckless, but there is a time to step into adversity with boldness knowing that you will hold me up. Help me to know the difference. I pray that I would never miss a Goliath moment in my life because I thought too much or me and too little of you. I put my trust in you LORD! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

The Enemy Is Still Out There (Psalm 10)

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PSALM 10

2 The wicked in [his] pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. 3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; He blesses the greedy [and] renounces the LORD. 4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek [God]; God [is] in none of his thoughts. 5 His ways are always prospering; Your judgments [are] far above, out of his sight; [As for] all his enemies, he sneers at them. 6 He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity.” 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue [is] trouble and iniquity. 8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. 9 He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net. 10 So he crouches, he lies low, That the helpless may fall by his strength. 11 He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.” 12 Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.

PSALM 10:2-12

THE ENEMY IS STILL OUT THERE

Psalm 10 is a broken psalm. It doesn’t have an introduction. It is written in an acrostic style that somewhat completes psalm 9 but it has letters missing and out of order. Even in the chaos of it’s organization it reminds us that we live in a broken world. There is much that needs to be fixed. 

In verse eleven we get a glimpse into the sinister mind of the wicked man. He thinks God doesn’t know or doesn’t care about what he does. He uses the seeming inactivity of God as a reason to figure and devise more wicked schemes. 

At this point we have to ask ourselves why does the psalmist feel so much need to give us so much detail about the wicked man? Why is he so concerned that someone is out there prospering by doing wicked things and setting his heart against God? He is reminding us that we cannot coast because the enemy is still out there!

History is filled with moments where a city was under siege or a war was being waged, but those in official power were drinking and celebrating their victories early. They fell into laziness or unconcern and later lost the city or the war because they celebrated before it was all finished. The psalmist is saying, “We can’t truly celebrate yet because wickedness still prevails!”

Part of the point of this Psalm is to register such a dissonance that we cannot slumber on wickedness. We must remember that our lives are always at odds with the wicked and how they would live. Isn’t the news we hear of wickedness winning in our own day something that drives us to prayer? When we hear of those who have taken advantage of others, doesn’t that drive us to intercession? 

 The Psalmist cries out to God to put things right. We know that there will come a day and time when God will set all things right. All injustice will be settled in him. We know that day is coming. Sometimes it just seems so far away. 

Notice the prayer in verse 17 for the orphan and those who are oppressed. “Prepare their heart” or strengthen their heart. Even when we don’t see justice in this moment or in our day. Set it right in my heart that I might bear up until I see your final justice. Give me grace and strength and hope in YOU until that day comes. 

PRAYER

Father, thank you for this psalm and all the chaos it presents. It doesn’t wrap up neatly in a bow and it reminds me of the messiness of life apart from you. In the celebration of your goodness it can be easy to forget we still live in a sinful and fallen world. Help me not to be content while wickedness prevails around me. Guide me in my community and my moment in history to stand against wickedness and intercede for victims of injustice. Don’t let me be idle while others are suffering. Thank you for your grace in bringing this to our attention to read and meditate on today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

I Will Praise The Lord With My Whole Heart (Psalm 9)

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PSALM 9

1 To the Chief Musician. To [the tune of] “Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David. I will praise [You], O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

PSALM 9:1-2

I WILL PRAISE THE LORD WITH MY WHOLE HEART

A few years ago I was very sick. I didn’t know what was fully going on. I would start projects but was too sick to finish. I would be wiped out by two or three in the afternoon. I was fatigued and had a fever every day for over 100 days. I’d had chest pains and been to the ER several times. I went to doctors, we ran tests, and eventually it was discovered that I had a condition with my heart that would require surgery. I know what it is like to have a sick heart that isn’t acting in full capacity.

David says that he will praise God with his whole heart. While David isn’t talking about his physical heart, he is referencing that his praise come from all of who he is and from the place that wills. Often times someone will say that their “heart” isn’t in it. That doesn’t mean that their organ stops beating, but rather that they weren’t fully committed, they showed up and may have been physically present, but their will wasn’t fully in it.  David says that his is fully committed to praise God. He isn’t divided. He isn’t riding the fence. He isn’t hot one minute and cold the next. He is all in on praising God and he tells us How his whole heart is in it!

David is going into worship with an attitude of gladness and rejoicing. He can’t help but get that way when he tells of all of God’s works (This is good medicine for those who are downcast). David is committed to singing God’s praise. He extols God’s attributes, especially God’s goodness, justice, and strength. He takes his refuge/ shelter in the Lord and pleads his cause looking to the Lord for Justice!

Sometimes I confess that I get off center. I don’t approach the LORD the way I should, with my whole heart. I want to hold some part back. Sometimes I need a check up and I need to get the medicine of God’s word to remind me of who He is and what He does. Sometimes I need the Holy Spirit to operate on me and diagnose my condition. I want to always praise God with my whole heart.

PRAYER

Father, thank you for saving my life in the midst of physical heart issues. I am forever grateful of your grace and I am grateful for the good health I experience today. I ask for my spiritual heart today. Don’t let me approach you in a cold or indifferent way, I always want to be all in with you! As I recount my testimony, I am grateful for your presence in my life all along the way. If there is anything holding me back from worshipping you with my whole heart, I pray that you would address it. In Jesus name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

On the Instrument of Gath (Psalm 8)

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional2 Comments

PSALM 8

1 To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, How excellent [is] Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! 2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all [things] under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen–Even the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, How excellent [is] Your name in all the earth!

PSALM 8:1-9

ON THE INSTRUMENT OF GATH

The address to the Chief Musician reminds us that this isn’t just a private musing of David, but one that he thinks is fit for others to join in as well. It bares David’s name, because he is the author, but these words that have given voice to his awe and wonder of God are suitable for others to use as well. Praise God for musicians who have the skill in penning notes, thoughts, words and have given us expression to praise God! There is no higher vehicle for music to transform us than when we sing praise to God. 

On the instrument of Gath. We remember that Gath was a Philistine Territory in the days of David. It was where Goliath was from. A little coastal village along a creek bank. What kind usefulness could come from Gath? Apparently there was an instrument there that the Hebrew folks took over and used in worship to the LORD!

Wasn’t the Lord worthy of Praise even from this instrument formed by Philistine hands? The Philistines may not have recognized the LORD, but He had made them just the same. He knit them together. He marked off their dwelling. He gave the spark to their creativity. He formed their human ears. He set forth the arithmetic of melody. Surely this instrument had been used for lesser worship of lesser god’s who were at best just stone and at worst demons. Now in the hands of a skilled Israelite musician this instrument would reach forth to it’s fullest potential and be redeemed for use in praising the one true God, the creator of heaven and earth.

I didn’t start out as a Christian. I came to a place where I put my hope and trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. There have been a lot of words that I have uttered that were not praise worthy, nor did they extol the grace and mercy of God. Yet, God in his grace and providence has called me to be an instrument in his hands for his praise and glory. I am grateful for this small line in this wonderful psalms that reminds me today that God redeems.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
  Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
  Call for songs of loudest praise.

Robert Robinson in the Hymn, “COME THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING”

PRAYER

Father, You are worthy of all praise, honor, and glory! The details of your creation amaze me. From Astronomy to Oceanography our lives brim with testimony of design. From the smallest of cells the the most complex of eco systems the world testifies to your goodness. Thank you for letting me join in the chorus of your praise. I am grateful that you are a God who redeems. In Jesus Christ, Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Prayer For When I Am Being Slandered (Psalm 7)

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PSALM 7

1 A Meditation of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. O LORD my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me, 2 Lest they tear me like a lion, Rending [me] in pieces, while [there is] none to deliver. 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this: If there is iniquity in my hands, 4 If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, Or have plundered my enemy without cause, 5 Let the enemy pursue me and overtake [me]; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, And lay my honor in the dust. Selah 6 Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for me [to] the judgment You have commanded! 7 So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; For their sakes, therefore, return on high. 8 The LORD shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me. 9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. 10 My defense [is] of God, Who saves the upright in heart. 11 God [is] a just judge, And God is angry [with the wicked] every day. 12 If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. 13 He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts. 14 Behold, [the wicked] brings forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit and dug it out, And has fallen into the ditch [which] he made. 16 His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown. 17 I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

PSALM 7:1-17

PRAYER FOR WHEN I AM BEING SLANDERED

All we really know about Cush the Benjamite is that he was a Benjamite who seemingly was slandering or oppressing David. He probably afflicted David during the reign of Saul (Who was also a Benjamite) and possibly was one of the members of Saul’s inner circle. When others were chanting, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands,” it is possible that this fellow Cush was helping to excite the jealousy that was already there in Saul’s heart. 

This Psalm is a very emotional prayer in the midst of a very trying time in David’s life where is facing persecution in the form of verbal assault that was probably inciting and ramping up the persecution of those who were already against David. I’m sure it felt like David had enough going on without someone slandering him and inciting others against him. Yet, here this man makes it into David’s prayer and song because he has made himself David’s enemy, which poses a very interesting question, “How do we pray when we are being slandered?”

Part of us really want’s to slander those who have been slandering us. We want to settle the score ourselves. However, David offers Cush the Benjamite up in prayer. He simply brings him before the Lord like he is pleading a case. David confesses something like, “look at my heart in this matter, I am innocent. Now also look at Cush’s heart, is he innocent? If not, I ask you to give him the justice that this case deserves. Not an ounce more, not an ounce less.”

David trusted God to be God. He knew that God was just and that whatever David or Cush did in this matter, they would report to God. David trusted God to examine his own life and he trusted God to take care of whatever wrongs Cush had committed. It takes a lot of courage to do the right thing in the midst of adversity, especially when someone is going around slandering your name.

PRAYER

Father, We ask that we would walk with integrity in the midst of whatever situations we find ourselves in. We trust that you are not swayed by compelling speeches or the slander of our enemies but you see the truth of the matter all the way down to each individual heart. We ask for you to uphold the righteous and render just verdicts against those who senselessly oppress your people. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

He Hears The Prayers of Troubled Hearts (Psalm 6)

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PSALM 6

1 To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure. 2 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I [am] weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled. 3 My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD–how long? 4 Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake! 5 For in death [there is] no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks? 6 I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies. 8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. 9 The LORD has heard my supplication; The LORD will receive my prayer. 10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back [and] be ashamed suddenly.

PSALM 6:1-10

HE HEARS THE PRAYERS OF TROUBLED HEARTS

Grief is never an easy thing. It turns us into a mess. Our world is suddenly disordered as we try and make sense of the chaos that has entered our lives. It comes at us irrationally. It invades our thoughts with terrible anxieties and causes us pain in places we didn’t know that we could hurt. What must God think of our grief stricken prayers? We know they aren’t very eloquent, we don’t have time or sense for how our words should form sentences that are pleasing to the ear. We just hurt, so we weep and we wail. We know that the theology of our words is probably off center. We want to understand God aright, but all we can see of his beautiful world is the brokenness this side of eternity and so it is with teary eyes we look up to see a blurry vision of who He is?

Does He think we are pathetic? Does he refuse such supplications based on their lack of clarity? Does he tell us to dry up our faces and come back and try it again?

To be honest, sometimes in our grief, He seems silent. A little voice creeps in and whispers, “He doesn’t care about you!” Sometimes it says, “He has abandoned you.” Some times it tells us that we must have brought this all on ourselves, we are to blame for the trouble we see today and if that is the case, why would he ever care to listen to our prayers anyway?

David sees past all these voices that call out to him from the dark night of his grief and trouble. He prays with tears, but also with confidence that God hears his prayers. What a great encouragement it is to know that when we come to God, in the midst of our grief, that He has a way of still hearing our prayers.

PRAYER

Father, thank you that in the midst of our grief and anxieties that you hear our prayers. Thank you that in the moments where I feel near and in the moments that I feel far away that you are present. Give me grace to trust you further than what I can see. Give me grace for the good days when everything is going well and it looks like victory is around the corner. Give me grace for the bad days and sad days when I feel alone and rejected. More than what I feel, I need you to hear my prayers. Thank you the confidence that you do. Thank you for your word that reminds us of who you are on days we are prone to forget. In Jesus Christ, Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Start Looking For God’s Will Early In The Morning (Psalm 5)

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PSALM 5

1 To the Chief Musician. With flutes. A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct [it] to You, And I will look up. 4 For You [are] not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. 8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face. 9 For [there is] no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part [is] destruction; Their throat [is] an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue. 10 Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, For they have rebelled against You. 11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as [with] a shield.

PSALM 5:1-12

START LOOKING FOR GOD’S WILL EARLY IN THE MORNING

In one of my jobs I was tasked with assembling a large desk for our office. I unloaded the boxes got all the pieces sorted and made sure we had the tools we needed to start. Then I laid the plans aside and started to put the desk together. It wasn’t until about midway through that I realized we were in trouble. I thought we were going by the plans, but I was just eye balling the pieces and putting them together, I wasn’t checking for the important letters and numbers listed on each piece. Somehow I had placed piece J where G should be and to further complicate it I had H on backwards… We had to undo most of our work to go back and set it up right.

I reckon some of us try and go through life like that. We get all the pieces together and try to figure it out. We know enough about God’s word to assume we’re ok. But to say that we were looking for God’s will for our lives in any given situation might be a stretch.

David says here that he isn’t taking anything for granted. He is seeking the Lord in the morning. He is seeking after God’s will. He doesn’t want to make a mess of things and then go back and have to figure out how to straighten it out. He wants to follow the Lord’s will from the get go. There is too much at stake to not seek after God.

“I’ve got so much work to do today that I must spend at least three hours in prayer.”

Attributed to Martin Luther

What a great sentiment and it rings truer than we’d like to admit sometimes. Our days start off better if we are grounded in God’s word and Prayer. I learned the hard way that the instructions are there for a reason and there is an order to things. We should look to the instructions first and then construct the desk. Yet so often we attempt to live our life eyeballing the pieces thinking we don’t have time to pray and seek the Lord’s will and guidance. The truth is that when we are busiest we need to seek the Lord the most.

PRAYER

Father, thank you for a full schedule. It is a blessing to have so much to do. I bring my schedule to you today and ask you Lord for your hand of guidance on my life. You know what is most important here. You know the details of this day before it has even happened. So I ask that you would guide my steps. Keep me from temptation, use me for your kingdom and your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Prayer for an Angry Son (Psalm 4)

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PSALM 4

1 To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in [my] distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. 2 How long, O you sons of men, [Will you turn] my glory to shame? [How long] will you love worthlessness [And] seek falsehood? Selah 3 But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him. 4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD. 6 [There are] many who say, “Who will show us [any] good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. 7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. 8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

PSALM 4:1-8

PRAYER FOR AN ANGRY SON

Three pastors were gathered together to share their perspectives on the best position for powerful prayer. There also happened to be a fellow from the phone company working in the background of the office where they were meeting. The first pastor said, “I think the best position for prayer is to have your hands pressed together pointing upwards.” Another pastor interjected, “That’s good and all, but I’ve found that I’m the most powerful prayers I’ve prayed are when I’m on my knees!” The third pastor said, “I used to pray on my knees, but I’ve had a lot of success lately in getting on my face and laying on the ground before God in prayer.” … finally the phone guy couldn’t stay quiet any longer, he said, “The most powerful prayer I ever made was when I was dangling upside down by my heals, from a power pole, suspended forty feet from the ground!”

David finds himself in a “dangling upside down from a power pole,” type situation as he pens this song and prayer. He is on the ropes from Absalom. He is in danger of losing the kingdom, his son is leading an incredible rebellion against him, and there is no really good outcome that can come from any of it. Where else could he go, but to the Lord.

The fourth verse really stands out as David reminds us that sometimes anger is legitimate but it does not make our sin acceptable. Anger is never an excuse for sin. David confesses that there are things that may have happened to provoke his son to anger, “be angry.” But that our flared tempers shouldn’t lead us to sin, they should lead us to contemplation and meditation upon the character of God who will one day right all wrongs. We should put our trust in the Lord to lift up our faces from anger. Who knows, but perhaps David remembers moments of his life where he was right to be angry and was about to sin, but a calmer voice prevailed (1 Samuel 25).

PRAYER

Father, there are many things in this world that make us angry. Sometimes we are angry because we we misunderstand a situation, but sometimes we have a legitimate right to be angry because injustice has been done. I pray that even in the midst of righteous anger that we would not take in our hands that which belongs in yours. Keep us from sin in our anger, give us wisdom and grace to go to you in the midst of our angered and anxious minds that we might fine peace to sleep by trusting in you to guide our paths. We seek your will in every area of our lives, even our emotions like anger and how it is expressed. In Jesus Christ, Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Help for Troubled People (Psalm 3)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 3

[Psalm 3:1-8 NKJV] 1 A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son. LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many [are] they who rise up against me. 2 Many [are] they who say of me, “[There is] no help for him in God.” Selah 3 But You, O LORD, [are] a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. 4 I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah 5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set [themselves] against me all around. 7 Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8 Salvation [belongs] to the LORD. Your blessing [is] upon Your people. Selah

HELP FOR TROUBLED PEOPLE (Psalm 3)

The other day my daughter had a bad day at the ball park. She fell on her scooter and scraped her knee. Then on her way to get help, someone borrowed her scooter and she couldn’t find it. So finally she fell down and just started to cry. I found her, picked her up, and helped her figure out if she was just scared, hurt, or anxious (seems like she is all 3 when blood is involved). I bandaged her up, walked her through her emotions, and found the kid who borrowed her scooter and thanked them for watching it for her.

There is no telling what would have happened if I hadn’t intervened. Perhaps she’d still be crying. She’d probably be bitter. There is no telling if she’d have ever found her beloved scooter, etc. But because I helped her she didn’t face any of those things alone, she had an advocate that met her where her needs were and walked with her through the trama.

We all get hurt sometimes. We all have bad days. There are moments where it seems like the world is out to get us. On those days, especially, we need an advocate. We need a safe place to go. We need shelter from this world, someone who understands our pain and help us see things the way they are. We need Him every day, but especially on bad days.

David was having a bad day. He was crying in the dark because his son Absalom was after him. He had fled Jerusalem. He had been mocked. Many of his trusted royal friends had betrayed him. And on top of that his son had made himself his enemy. There was no real way to get through this without tears. So he called out to God, the God who saves, and he put his hope in God.

Prayer

Father, thank you for psalms like this where we are freed up to just pour our heart out to you. Sometimes the world doesn’t make sense and this side of heaven we are sure to face sad days where we are uncertain about what to do. Sometimes it feels like we are stuck in a no-win situation. I am grateful that you meet us in the midst of our adversity, dress our wounds, and heal our hearts. Thank you that you aren’t just a God of the mountains, but that you also lead your people through the valleys. Strengthen us today as we draw our hope in you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here