Tag: Alabama

Taking My Complaints To God (Psalm 64)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 64

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. 2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, 3 Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend [their bows to shoot] their arrows–bitter words, 4 That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. 5 They encourage themselves [in] an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “Who will see them?” 6 They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.” Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep. 7 But God shall shoot at them [with] an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded. 8 So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; All who see them shall flee away. 9 All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing. 10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory..

PSALM 64:1-10

TAKING MY COMPLAINTS TO GOD

Sometimes the things that other people do upset us. Then when we are upset, we are tempted to complain. Complaining may not always be wrong, but it depends on how and who we complain too. When we complain, we may just be fishing for someone to agree with us that injustice has been done and certainly the world is filled with injustice. Sometimes we need to hear that what has happened to us was wrong and then hopefully our counselors point us to the Lord.

Sometimes though, we want to harm people by our complaints. We campaign and spew venom against them. The people we complain to may have nothing to do with the situation, but they appear to be a sympathetic ear. We envision that they’ll look at the people we’ve complained about differently now that we’ve bent their ear. This is gossip and it’s not godly.

There is one place we can go with out complaints though… We can go to the Lord who hears every idle word we speak anyway (Matthew 12:36). He is able to hear our complaints and He is the only one who is fit to truly judge the hearts and actions of men. He sees and knows the injustices we have suffered and he sees and knows our hearts.

When he does render judgement, it will be right, true, and holy. But we should note that the justice that He renders will come in one of two ways. Either we will pay with our souls forever in a place called hell or He will have paid for our sins by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross.

David knew where to go with his complaints. He took them to God. He knew that God would hear, see, and know the acts of the wicked in his life and give them a just penalty. Indeed, David noted that often those who do pursue wickedness in laying a snare for others often spring a trap on themselves. God is big enough to carry our prayers of complaint about the wickedness of the world.

PRAYER

Father, You are holy, pure, and just. You can hear our complaints against the wicked and judge rightly. We know that you alone are able judge the actions of men. We don’t always see things rightly. Forgive me of where I try to take things in my own hands. Guard my lips and posts on social media. Guard my heart from pride or folly. 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.

My Heart Is Steadfast (Psalm 57)

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PSALM 57

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.

PSALM 57:7

MY HEART IS STEADFAST

This Psalm is tied to the one we looked at yesterday. David was facing some serious crisis moments in his life. He didn’t necessarily feel like singing praise to God. Perhaps he was even sliding into a depression (you know stress can trigger that sort of thing).

Sometimes it’s hard to feel the weight of worship when we are so burdened by our present circumstances. We know that we should rejoice in the Lord for all of his goodness, his greatness, and for his glory, but our hearts just don’t feel it. Our present circumstances seem to fight against it. Some times in those situations we can look to other places to blame. Maybe it’s the music? Or the preacher? Or the church we are in? We blame something externally for the thing we feel internally.

The reality is the God hasn’t changed, regardless of how we feel, or the circumstances we face, He is worthy of worship! David recognizes this in his own heart and so chooses his attitude in worship (Did you know that you could do that?) It’s not being fake to let your will lead your emotions. It’s shallow to let your emotions lead your will! David doubles down on trusting God in the middle of his fear. He confesses that he is steadfast twice! He sings in the middle of his depression because God is worthy! In the next verse he even goes as far as to say he is waking up his soul to sing to God. Sometimes when we feel the most Blah, is the time that we need to sing to the Lord the most!

Who need this encouragement today? I’m publishing this on a Sunday morning. Are you going to church today? I hope you have an opportunity to go to church somewhere and worship the Lord, He is worthy of praise! Go even if you don’t feel like it. You may find in the midst of your blah feeling that being with God’s people is the exact place you need to be. Go with the attitude and intention of worship. Let your heart be steadfast today!

PRAYER

Father, YOU are worthy of all Glory, Honor and Praise! You are worthy of all our worship. Sometimes my body feels tired and I don’t feel like singing your praise. Sometimes I am stressed and I find it hard to focus. Sometimes my soul is tired. Today Lord, let me be steadfast. I offer you praise because you are worthy, not just because I enjoy the company of my neighbors. I am leading my feelings with my will. I’m not allowing my feelings to run the show. So dear Lord please meet me as I gather to worship today! Please awaken my soul to your glory and your goodness! You are worthy of all my praise! 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.

Whenever I Am Afraid, I Will Trust In You (Psalm 56)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 56

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

PSALM 56:3

WHENEVER I AM AFRAID, I WILL TRUST IN YOU

David was on the run for his life from Saul. He ended up in the town where Goliath (the giant he killed) was from. It was a horrible situation. He certainly had cause for anxiety and fear. He is running for his life from the king of Israel and he ended up in the hometown of a hero to the Philistines, whom he happened to have killed. His life is in danger from all sides.

How do you begin to sing praise to God when you are afraid for your life? How do you deal with the mounting pressure that seems like it will never let up? How do you handle the stress of having so many enemies? Somehow David finds a place to pen this prayer and song to the Lord.

Verse three summarizes everything beautifully, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you.” David knows where to go when his life is filled with stress and anxiety. He goes to God confidently knowing that God is for him (see verse 9) and so his cause won’t fail. He is seeking God with his whole heart. We fight anxiety by faith in God. He knows that bringing his anxiety to God will help him face his fears.

And it worked. There would be other days of fear and anxiety in David’s life, but he knew where to take it all. He prayed and he trusted the Lord. God’s promises held firm. God’s word held true for David and it holds true for us today when we trust him.

What we read in God’s word is multiplied when we share it with others. Who needs this short verse of encouragement in their life today? Who can you encourage?

PRAYER

Father, I am grateful that you are “for me.” You have called me, chosen me, set me apart, that through Christ I might become on of your children. As Paul says in Romans, If you are for me, who could be against me? So today I am placing all of my fears and anxieties in your hands. When I feel afraid, I will trust in you. Let this be the one things my mind and soul cling to more than any other. Thank you for your overwhelming grace and kindness to me. 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.

Cast Your Burden On The LORD (Psalm 55)

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PSALM 55

1 To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. 2 Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily, 3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me, And in wrath they hate me. 4 My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me. … 22 Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

PSALM 55:1-5, 22

CAST YOUR BURDEN ON THE LORD

I was at the beach the other day loaded down with all of our beach gear. I somehow had managed to try and carry/ pull an ice chest, along with some beach chairs, a bag of toys, towels, etc… I was barely making progress to the spot my wife picked out. I didn’t start out with the intention to get loaded down. I started out with the intention of having a fantastic day at the beach. As I loaded up I didn’t ask for help, I just started carrying everything (Which was so much easier when everyone was little). Finally my family must have noticed my struggle and before I knew it, everything was off of me and on to them and the journey became much more bearable.

Sometimes we go through life like that. Along the way we pick up burdens or problems and we think we have to carry it all. It’s at this point that David reminds us to cast all our cares on the LORD! We are given the freedom to give our problems over to God. Indeed, if we don’t take them to God, where are we taking them? We don’t have to carry our troubles on our own, we can cast our burdens on the LORD. We can trust Him to take care of our issues and challenges. He is more than able to handle it.

I know I feel a lot better about an issue after I’ve prayed over it and placed it in the Lord’s hands. I am grateful that he encourages us to carry our problems to him. We come to him not as perfect people who can carry everything, but as those changed and changing by grace who trust him to carry all of our burdens and challenges.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you that we can cast all our cares on you. I am grateful that you hear me when I pray for those who I am worried about. I know I bring many requests each day for health and healing of loved ones, for those who don’t know you, and your grace to develop leaders. Thank you that you see and know the burden I carry and you have bidden me to cast my cares on you. I trust 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.

God Disciplines And Delivers The Ones He Loves (Psalm 38)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 38

1 A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! 2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down. 3 [There is] no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor [any] health in my bones Because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds are foul [and] festering Because of my foolishness.

PSALM 38:1-4

GOD DISCIPLINES AND DELIVERS THE ONES HE LOVES

David has two problems that he shares in this psalm. 

The first is that he has sinned against God. He knows it because he is experiencing the discipline of God. The chief aim of discipline is for our good! Discipline may hurt temporarily, but the aim is to protect and shape us. A toddler might receive a sharp, “No” or a small slap on the hand for trying to touch something like a hot stove. The word, “No” and the sting on their skin may hurt for a little while, but that isn’t the end purpose of discipline. It is ultimately to save such a small one from hurting themselves in a much greater way.  

The second problem that David faces is that his enemies have multiplied and are ready to attack. They are ready to kick him while he is down.  He needs deliverance.

The Lord, like a good shepherd provides both discipline and deliverance in the life of David. I still can’t help but think of sheep and the patience of a good shepherd from back in Psalms 23. Sometimes we get in trouble because it’s our own fault. We sin, we stray, and at the end of the day when we wonder why we are in such a mess the only one we have to look it is ourselves. How kind is a good shepherd to pursue and find a lost sheep, to bind his wounds so they will heal, to correct his error, to discipline so that he’ll know not to go that way again.

But then there are the binds we find ourselves in that are not of our own making. We are in a bind because someone has set their heart against us. They have laid a trap that we walked into. The seek to destroy us. And how kind is a good shepherd in that instance. He comes running to the rescue. He steps between the predator and the sheep.

Then there are the moments where both seem to be at play. We do something stupid and the enemy sees a chance to kick us when we are down. It’s comforting to know that in such moments that the shepherd doesn’t abandon the sheep and say, “Well you brought it on yourself. You deserve it.” But to think that He still steps in, maybe even with more haste (if that were possible) because he knows the direness of the situation.

Today I am marveling and praising God all the more for the times he has disciplined and delivered me. I am grateful for how he moves in my life despite my failures and mistakes. I repent of the times I believed lies about his character. The times that I thought he would abandon me because I deserve it. I am confronted now with the truth that he loves us enough not only to discipline us, but to deliver us.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for your discipline and deliverance. I am grateful that even in my sinfulness, my mess-ups, my mistakes, that you love me enough to deal with my self caused pain. Thank you for the grace that is poured out in how you love me and take care of me. I humbly ask that I’d have that same grace to show others and pour out in their lives. 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.

Worthy Of All Our Worship (Psalm 33)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 33

1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! [For] praise from the upright is beautiful. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the LORD [is] right, And all His work [is done] in truth.

PSALM 33:1-4

WORTHY OF ALL OUR WORSHIP

New Song! We are growing in our relationship to the Lord and so a new song is fitting! It doesn’t need to be too old and too familiar. We need to be stretched in singing so we think what we are singing about.   A New Song is a song of something new and fresh that God has done. Same God, new sin forgiven, new rescue. It’s the same old Truth with a new fervor of fresh experience. It’s new words that highlight the paise worthy character of never changing God.

We are to offer God our skill. Not just our “good enough,” but our best! We spend time developing skills to use for the sake of praise. Both a Harp and a lyre are stringed instruments that had 10 strings. We are to work together to bring the Lord paise like an orchestra or symphony works together to share great works of music. Each one in synch, in beat, on time with the other. Here it says to praise the Lord with 10 strings! All 10 strings we are to be singing his praise! The whole instrument is to be used in singing God’s praise, the whole realm of melody, not one note left missing. Not one string standing still, All plucked, strummed, stirred by the worthiness of our Lord. Some of us in our praise for God is a 2 or 3 string day. We need to praise God with all 10 strings! It is both instrumental and vocal! He is worthy of all of our praise. 

 You don’t praise God for what you feel, you praise God for who He is. You enter with gratitude for all the gifts of Grace He has given you. Often we don’t offer God all of our praise, because we covet and so we are not content. We forget our blessings and cry for more gifts, while ignoring the giver.  We don’t stop and thank him for the blessings we have. We have become entitled. We think we need material stuff, because we think the more we consume, the more we will be happy…. but the truth is the more we recognize God’s goodness in our lives, the more we return praise, the more we find ourselves not only contented, but elated in worshipping Him alone. He is worthy of all of our praise.

PRAYER

Father, You are worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. Before I lived a single day, you knew them all. You know not only my thoughts, my desires, my actions, but even the things hidden from me in my very own body. You know my pulse, breath, my life. I ask that today that I would worship you fully with all that you have given me. Let my breath utter out your praise. Let my eyes delight in the marvel of your creation, let my hears inform my heart of the goodness and pleasantness of a melody. Let all of me be offered in praise for you are worthy of it all. 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 LORD Is My Light (Psalm 27)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 27

[Psa 27:1-14 NKJV] 1 [A Psalm] of David. The LORD [is] my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD [is] the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I [will be] confident. 4 One [thing] I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, [when] I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 [When You said], “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 [I would have lost heart], unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

PSALM 27:1-13, NKJV

THE LORD IS MY LIGHT

David knew God personally! He knew God by name! Everywhere you see capital L-O-R-D the divine name of God appears in scripture. David said that the LORD is “My” light and ‘My” salvation. And strength of “my” life! He wasn’t some foreign entity, He was close, He was personal, He was familiar. David had been on many adventures with the LORD before. 

My son used to be scared of the dark. It wasn’t really the dark that scared him, but it was the unknown. It was the mystery of what might be out there. His mind filled the darkness with monsters. So we gave him a light… and do you know what? Those monsters became shirts hanging in the closet, a ball cap on his shelf, a stack of books on his night stand. The light revealed the way things really were. 

When David says, “The LORD is my light.” He is saying, God is the one who makes sense of the word. 

The famous author, C.S. Lewis, once said, “I believe in Christ as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” 

The Lord himself is my LIGHT! This is not that God provides the light, but that God is the light. It is interesting to note that when you read about the days of creation that on the first day God made light, but He didn’t make the sun until the fourth day. Some theologians say then that God Himself was the light of the first three days. We are also told in Revelation that the sun and moon will be no more! Where then will we get our light.. God Himself is the light in heaven. 

[Rev 21:23 KJV] 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.

[Rev 22:3-5 KJV] 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

In fact that is part of what makes heaven heaven. There is no darkness. Nothing is hidden. Everything is revealed. It is filled with grace upon grace. Goodness upon goodness! 

We didn’t get very far in meditation on this Psalm today, but there is lots to it. How about you? What jumped out to you today in your reading of God’s word?

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for being the Light of The World! I am grateful that through you and by you we see the world as it is. Thank you for your grace for the things we do understand. We pray for grace and patience for the things that we struggle to see. We are grateful for your kindness to us and we look forward for the day when our faith will be by sight. 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.

Who Can Dwell With God? (Psalm 15)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 15

1 A Psalm of David. LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? 2 He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; 3 He [who] does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; 4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He [who] swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 He [who] does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these [things] shall never be moved.

PSALM 15:1-5, NKJV

WHO CAN DWELL WITH GOD?

I kicked a man out of my house one time. I told him, he had to go. He had gotten too comfortable with my family, it was late, he hurled a backhanded insult and I had had enough. Admittedly he was like a puppy breaking in his baby teeth, he didn’t know that his comments packed such a bite. He was intending it as playful, but it hurt and I let him know by kicking him out. It wasn’t acceptable to “play” that way in “my” house. When it comes to considering the house of the Lord, since we are all sinners, are there character issues at stake for who is welcome in the house of the Lord? Would he turn anyone away? Lots to ponder as we jump into this passage this morning.

This song address the question of what kind of worshippers are welcomed in the house of the LORD. It was sung by travelers with anticipation and education in mind. The children as well as the adults would have been involved in singing and meditating on God’s word all along the way. Their hearts were being prepared for worship. I think one of the things we miss by traveling the way we do to church these days is that we have little time to prepare our hearts for worship.  

The question that is asked in this Psalm is very real, but in a poetic sense is something like this, “Who can go to God’s house and be invited to stay as a guest? or, Who does God want to come over? or, Who gets to stay at God’s house?” 

Growing up my in-laws used to have all sorts of people over at the house. If you were going to come over and stay, you had to abide by a few simple house rules. They weren’t anything crazy, but if you were going to be there you were going to abide by a few ground rules. You had to wear a shirt to dinner, wait until after the blessing to eat, etc. In a much more serious way, this Psalm asks the question, “what kind of characteristics must I have if I am going to dwell in the house of God?” 

It is important to notice that these are not the means by which we are saved, but rather what it means to be saved (Sam Storms). It’s not what we do to get through the door, but what kind of company we are once we are saved. We are not saved by our good works, but we are saved to good works. The question isn’t so much, “who makes it into heaven?” as much as it is, “what kind of people are in heaven?” The answer flows in verses 2-5. We must be people of genuine integrity. This is the work the Lord must be doing in our lives. This must be the work we are willing for the Lord to do in our lives.

PRAYER

Father, thank you for the invitation to salvation by grace through faith in you. Thank you that we are not saved by our works, but thank you that You do work in us to be more and more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. I pray that I would fit the description laid out in this Psalm today. I need to be a man of integrity, reflecting your goodness to those around me. I want to feel comfortable in your house because I have been more and more conformed to the image of Jesus. Thank you again for your overwhelming grace and goodness. 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.

A New Song From Old Pieces (Psalm 14)

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PSALM 14

1 To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David. The fool has said in his heart, “[There is] no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. 2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; [There is] none who does good, No, not one. 4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people [as] they eat bread, And do not call on the LORD? 5 There they are in great fear, For God [is] with the generation of the righteous. 6 You shame the counsel of the poor, But the LORD [is] his refuge. 7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel [would come] out of Zion! When the LORD brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice [and] Israel be glad.

PSALM 14:1-7, NKJV

A NEW SONG FROM OLD PIECES

One of the churches I used to serve had a woman who would make a “breakfast cake” every week and set it out in the foyer with doughnuts. Every week the cake was the same shape and size, it had the same general texture, but it was almost always a different cake than the week before. Sometimes it had a banana-nut taste, other weeks it was pumpkin, still other weeks I’m pretty sure I tasted bits of apple or pear, then there were weeks that it definitely had chocolate chips. Then someone told me the secret, the cakes she made were, “whatever is on hand cakes”. She used the same base of flour, eggs, oil, or whatever and then would see what she had “on hand” to make the rest of the cake. If it was baking with apples earlier in the week, we got an apple cake. If she had done a banana nut bread earlier, we had a banana-nut cake, etc., etc. Sometimes the cakes had peculiar combinations that somehow seemed to work really well (my favorite, banana-nut-chocolate chip!).

That’s kind of what we have with this Psalm here. It’s got the basic set up of a good Psalm. All the structure, theological depth, etc. is there, but it seems like many of the ingredients were borrowed. Not only that, but some of this Psalm is quoted later in the New Testament.

It reminds me of the first time I had a real conversation with a friend about Jesus. I had never lead someone to faith in Christ before. I didn’t know that there are different “approaches” to sharing my faith, we simply had a conversation and I presented the gospel in a way that I understood it and it made sense to me. It wasn’t a cookie cutter approach. We didn’t walk down the Romans Road, or go over the four spiritual laws (different approaches to sharing the gospel). I just simply quoted the verses I knew about the things we were talking about. It was encouraging to me because I was seeing how to apply scripture to a given situation and it was helpful to my friend.

David writes a new song with familiar words that in several generations will become an old song with familiar words. God uses the lyrics of this song throughout the scripture because they carry key truths about who he is and who we are. They are relevant for worship in every generation because they speak to the greatness of God and our desperate need of Him.

I can’t help but think of all the old songs, made new in my generation. I love it when a musician plays an old tune or sings an old lyric for modern ears. I can’t help but think of what Chris Tomlin has done with Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for this old song made new. We all truly stand in desperate need of you. Let us not brag on our positions in life as though we have achieved something great. Let us walk in humbleness and holiness because of your great work in our life. It is you the preserved the Nation of Israel in the Old Testament and it is you who preserve those who trust in you even now. We are saved by grace, through faith, not of our selves. So let us sing with confidence today of your great grace and goodness. 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.

Feeling Helpless But Not Hopeless (Psalm 13)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 13

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, [Having] sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider [and] hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the [sleep of] death; 4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; [Lest] those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

PSALM 13:1-6, NKJV

FEELING HELPLESS BUT NOT HOPELESS

Have you ever had a terrible no good, dirty, rotten day? Ever had a week of those? Every had a month? Dare I say a year like that?

It can be hard to see people. They want you to smile and say everything is fine, but the truth is it doesn’t feel fine. Things are broken and you FEEL it. Sometimes the temptation can come to push down those feelings, run from them, and try to hide them (Usually by hiding from people). You feel as though it is not an appropriate attitude to wear at church. 

What a relief it is to see this Psalm. We must keep in mind that this is a song that was meant to be sung in worship. This Psalm made it to the Hebrew Hymnal because even in our depression there is a way to worship God. We need this and the conversations that it might provoke. We need to know how to approach God when it feels like He is absent!

David cries out, “How long” four times in the beginning of this song. He isn’t a kid in the back seat impatiently trying to wait for the trip to be over. He is feeling the absence of God. He wants/ needs God to move in his life. He needs to hear from Heaven. He feels like he is losing…. yet for all this feeling, he knows that God is not absent and so he prays further than his eyes can see and his heart can feel. He simply asks God to hear his prayer and enlighten his eyes. And he comes to settle on God’s mercy and his own testimony of how God has dealt with him in the past.

Sometimes that’s the best medicine for a troubled heart is to bring our brokenness to God in prayer and to understand that who God is through His word, and be reminded of his faithfulness both then and now. Sometimes it’s too easy to forget all that God has done for us and the blessings we have in Christ. It is good to practice remembering the answered prayers.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you that you are not just God in the mountains, but you are also God in the valleys. I’ve been through some harsh times of depression. I am grateful that even in the midst of my fears and worries that you are good and you are God. Thank you that even when you feel absent that I can call out to you with a confidence that you hear the prayers of your saints. Let me never tire of recounting the moments in my life where I saw you most clearly at work. I need this and others need it as well. 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.