Tag: Bible Study

The Cup Of God’s Wrath (Psalm 75)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 75

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare [that] Your name is near. 2 “When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly. 3 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved; I set up its pillars firmly. Selah 4 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’ And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn. 5 Do not lift up your horn on high; Do [not] speak with a stiff neck.’ ” 6 For exaltation [comes] neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. 7 But God [is] the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another. 8 For in the hand of the LORD [there is] a cup, And the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth Drain [and] drink down. 9 But I will declare forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 “All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off, [But] the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”

PSALM 75:1-10

THE CUP OF GOD’S WRATH

Some Psalms are Messianic Psalms in the fact that they prophesy about the first coming of Christ. Some Psalms, like this one, look even further down the time line to Christ’s immanent return. When He comes in power and judgement to usher in a New Heaven’s, New Earth, and a New Jerusalem where justice reigns and the curse of sin is no longer found.

That all happens according to God’s time table, not ours. Sometimes it is difficult for us to grasp why God is patient. It’s so hard to simply and actively wait on the Lord. We can mistake His patience as a lack of concern for all the evil in the world. We want God to act and move swiftly to right all the wrongs and to ring the bells of justice now. We long to see the wrongs righted. Yet, we wait upon the Lord and His timing because His patience has a purpose, “The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

But one day, His patience will come to an end and His justice will flow. There will be no time in that time to find repentance. Only those who come through Christ will escape the wrath of God that will be poured out. This is often referred to as “the cup of God’s wrath” or “wine of God’s wrath.”

The urgent message that every believer in believes and proclaims is that, “Jesus drank the cup of God’s Wrath so you don’t have to. Those who have come to Him in repentance receive forgiveness and have eternal life!” Indeed, read how the gospel writer Matthew wrote about Jesus’ prayer in the garden on the eve of his crucifixion: “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You [will].” … Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done“(Matthew 36:39, 42).

Yet when God’s patience comes to an end. Jesus will step up and open the scroll mentioned in Revelation and the judgements and justice of God will roll and three times in the book of Revelation we will read hear about the cut of God’s wrath:

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives [his] mark on his forehead or on his hand, “he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

…Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.

… “Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her”

– Revelation 14:9-10, 16:19, 18:6

Only those in Christ will escape the wrath of God for he has paid the penalty for our sin. We will be washed clean from our impurities and dressed in the righteous robes of Christ.

On a side note: We often don’t grasp what this wrath of God is. We might be tempted to think that its just His anger being poured out, or maybe it’s like a chaotic and emotional tirade, or maybe like a bowl of molten lava… but God’s wrath isn’t illogical, out of control, or just tangible heat, it’s far worse than that! The wrath of God is the absence of His love. It’s abandonment. It’s leaving you in your sin. There is no more umbrella of common grace. The wrath of God is the grace, love, mercy, kindness, hope, etc. of God removed. He will not spare you anymore.

PRAYER

Father, How great and terrible will the day be when your wrath is revealed against all those who have rejected You. Part of me longs for the day when you usher in a New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem, the other part of me is holy terror for the great revelation of your wrath that must come at that time. I am grateful for your patience that lead me to repentance and trust that in your sovereignty you will act at the exact right time. I am grateful for Jesus Christ who took on the wrath that I was due so that I might experience your grace, mercy, and kindness. I pray that I would be fervent to tell others about your grace and mercy today so that they too might find salvation in Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

There is a good Children’s Book by R.C. Sproul that deals with the Cup of God’s Wrath. You can find a brief review here.

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 Prayer Of Faith In The Midst Of Hard Times (Psalm 74)

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PSALM 74

O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever? 11 Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? [Take it] out of Your bosom and destroy [them]. 12 For God [is] my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13 You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. 14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, [And] gave him [as] food to the people inhabiting the wilderness. 15 You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers. 16 The day [is] Yours, the night also [is] Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. 17 You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter. 18 Remember this, [that] the enemy has reproached, O LORD, And [that] a foolish people has blasphemed Your name. 19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever. 20 Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty. 21 Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name. 22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily. 23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.

PSALM 74:10-23

A PRAYER OF FAITH IN THE MIDST OF HARD TIMES

There is a prosperity gospel out there that is no gospel at all. It tells you that God wants you healthy, wealthy, and independent. The proponents voice that all you need to do is to “name it and claim it” in Jesus name. If you have enough faith you will be healed or “financially” healed, etc. They day God wants you to live your best life now…. And while I understand that there is a measure of truthfulness in the sentiment that life with Jesus is better than life without him, but what this false gospel of prosperity often fails to take into account is that God’s purpose is greater than than just our comfort or material needs in a sinful world. Indeed, He promises one day to remove sin from the world in a new heavens and a new earth and you can’t tell me that life with sin on this earth is better than eternity where the curse is undone!

The Psalmist writes his lament about things he saw happen that he never thought would happen. The temple was destroyed. God’s people were taken into captivity. It’s not a name it and claim it kind of moment. Everyone is mourning the loss of someone they know. Everyone is mourning the loss of their nation, the loss of their identity, and the loss of a place that was the center for worshipping God. The feeling in the air is one of being deflated. How do they possibly move on from here? How do they go, grow, and prosper after such a horrible devastation.

Praise God that his gospel is bigger than just health and wealth for a fallen world. Praise God that he is moving even in the hard times. Praise God that he hears our prayers and tears of brokenness. Praise God that we can call out to him with real and raw emotion because that is exactly what the psalmist does here. He laments just how broken and fractured his world is. He doesn’t blame God, he knows the sins of his nation have lead them to this point, but he does ask God how long until they will be restored.

Indeed in the very presence of devastation, in the middle of his prayer there is a sense of holy discontentment. That discontentment is expressed in the reality that God is not through yet. His promises still remain. There is a dissonance that we feel in the middle of brokenness while holding on to the promises of eternal holiness. While the psalmist is walking through the rubble, he already knows the promises of God and so he cries out in faith! Faith that God will accomplish all that he said he would, faith that takes God’s promises to the bank and asks for action, faith that acknowledges sorrow in the present, but also joy for tomorrow. Romans 8:28 faith. Genesis 50:20 Faith. Faith.

PRAYER

Father, No matter how dark the night, we wait for the dawning of a new day knowing that you have promised us, a new heart, a new life, a new body, a new heavens, and a new earth. All things new! We know that what is broken by sin must be healed and redeemed. We are reminded that while we live in a fallen world there will be brokenness and that brokenness will hurt. It seems almost unbearable on some days. We hold to our confidence in you to bring all things to a rightful conclusion in Jesus Christ. We hold to your word, to your promises, to your abundant life even in the midst of trials and travails. 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 Am Prone To Envy (Psalm 73)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 73

A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God [is] good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I [was] envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For [there are] no pangs in their death, But their strength [is] firm. 5 They [are] not in trouble [as other] men, Nor are they plagued like [other] men. 6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them [like] a garment. 7 Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. 8 They scoff and speak wickedly [concerning] oppression; They speak loftily. 9 They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth. … 23 Nevertheless I [am] continually with You; You hold [me] by my right hand. 24 You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me [to] glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven [but You]? And [there is] none upon earth [that] I desire besides You. 26 My flesh and my heart fail; [But] God [is] the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. 28 But [it is] good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

PSALM 73:1-9, 23-28

I AM PRONE TO ENVY

I went on a vacation a few years ago at the beach. We checked into a nice condo. Everywhere I looked I saw nice cars and nice boats. We ran into some people who lived at the condo (part time) and I overheard them talking about how many nice things they had, nice dinners they ate, and the people they got to hang out with. I couldn’t help but hear about how they talked about all the folks who didn’t have what they had. Somewhere in the middle of their life of comfort and ease they had begun to think that they were self-made. I confess, before that trip I thought my life was pretty great, but then, even in the middle of a pretty great vacation I found myself becoming miserable. Especially when I internalized that I must have spent my life pursuing the “wrong things” because I didn’t have much to “show for it.”

Asaph confesses in this psalm that he struggled with the same ideas (Has the world really changed that much). He knew that God was good and that God was good to him, but when he let his heart be tempted towards envy he found himself in a bad place. He was also bothered that folks had taken the blessing of God for granted and appropriated it as their own effort or work… but can we really blame them? Do we not often do the same thing? How often do we thank God for the blessings we take for granted? I’ll be honest and say that sometimes I don’t recognize the blessings God has given me until they go missing? Like a healthy heart, etc.

What is the remedy for an envious heart? What is the remedy when we so clearly see the sins of God-forgetfulness in others who want to take pride in their position as if they had accomplished anything without God’s grace? It’s God! It’s pressing into the Lord and counting what you do have. It’s going back and doing the algebra of thankfulness. Gratitude in God combats envy all day long. It’s counting your blessings and naming them one by one and oh by the way don’t forget the biggest blessing of a real and right relationship with God himself!

Don’t miss it, Asaph has a lot to say in this whole Psalm! When God is all you have, you have everything you need. When stuff is all you have, stuff won’t last and you will find yourself boasting in emptiness. There is a day coming when what we believe and where we have put all our confidence will be made clear. On that day it is far better to have nothing this world has to offer and a relationship with Jesus than it is to have everything this world has to offer and not have Jesus.

So everyday, choose to count what you do have, not what you don’t have. Choose to be grateful not hateful. Choose contentment over envy. For it’s in contentment where joy is found not the seeming success or stuff of others. Some days we just need to adjust our attitude for gratitude.

PRAYER

Father, thank you for your incredible mercy and grace! You have been better to me than I have ever deserved. I confess that Along with Asaph I am prone to slip on Envy. I often see what others have and wonder that I might be missing some sort of blessing. Help me to recognize it as the same sin that caused Adam and Eve to eat the fruit. They lusted, coveted, wanted, and envied and here I am so many generations later still a product of the fall. I pray that you would let me find contentment in you! You are the give of good gifts. Help me to even recognize the many you have already blessed me with just by knowing you as my Lord. Guard my heart from envy, I want to honor you in all things! 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 Good Government (Psalm 72)

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PSALM 72

[A Psalm] of Solomon. Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s Son. 2 He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice. 3 The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness. 4 He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor. 5 They shall fear You As long as the sun and moon endure, Throughout all generations. 6 He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers [that] water the earth. 7 In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more.

PSALM 72:1-7

A GOOD GOVENMENT

I’ve been a few places outside of the United States and seen how a few different countries are governed. Sometimes the people have a voice in who will be the president or leader, other times they have no real voice. I’ve witnessed poverty in lots of places. Sometimes that poverty was caused by injustice that was unaddressed by the “rulers” and in some instances it was even caused by the “rulers.” Such instances should cause us to pause and consider what is a “good government?” Even in America there is turmoil and strife over how our country is run and for those who cry out for justice. It only makes it more evident that we live in a fallen world.

Solomon writes this Psalm calling out to God to bless him to be a good leader and ruler of his people. He doesn’t have a small job, it’s a big one. He is the first in the Davidic line of kings behind his father David. He wants to judge justly. He wants to honor God as king. And as we read through the scriptures we notice that he does several things right… but then we also note that he does several things wrong or not as rightly/ fully as he should. (It’s easy to see his mistakes from the outside, but I wonder how he felt when he was making them?)

The truth of the matter is that Solomon was a good king, but the end of his Reign not only had he built the temple to God, but he had build several places for idol worship in the land of Israel. We see he was wise and just, but he also had oppressed and perhaps overworked the people of the northern ten tribes to the point that they are willing to rebel when his son takes over.

We marvel at the Davidic line. How can someone who is said to be a man after God’s heart go an commit adultery and kill another man? How can a man be called the wisest man who ever lived and yet be at the center of rampant idolatry worship in Israel? We could probably say similar things about the people who have held office in our cities, states, and nations. We need a better leaders. We don’t just need sometimes godly leaders, we need God as our leader…. Enter Jesus Christ.

I’m convinced that our complaints of injustice can only be met when Jesus is king. Indeed we are taught to pray, “Thy Kingdom Come.” We are recognizing that as good as our politicians and leaders might be in their own generation, there is only truly ever good king and his name is Jesus. Only He can deliver us from sin, and death. He is the one who can undue the curse.

PRAYER

Father, Your kingdom come. Your will be done. I am asking for good and godly leaders for our nation. I am grateful for so much that has transpired recently in my nation with the supreme court. While I ask for your blessing on our leaders and for your will to be done and executed through good and godly politicians who would seek after you, I also know that no one will be as good for the world as Jesus. So I look to you and pray that in your timing, your kingdom would come, and those in Christ would be ready. 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.

Worshipping God In My Old Age (Psalm 71)

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PSALM 71

I have become as a wonder to many, But You [are] my strong refuge. 8 Let my mouth be filled [with] Your praise [And with] Your glory all the day. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

… 18 Now also when [I am] old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to [this] generation, Your power to everyone [who] is to come. 19 Also Your righteousness, O God, [is] very high, You who have done great things; O God, who [is] like You?

PSALM 71:7-9, 18-19

WORSHIPPING GOD IN MY OLD AGE

In high school I ran track. Well actually I threw the shotput and discus, so I did the “field” portion of track and field. We were a small school and there was a meet where we didn’t have anyone running the 880 event. The coach asked me if I’d like to compete. I was relatively in shape and I thought to myself, “How hard can it be?” So I signed up to run. We lined up, the starting shot was fired and I took off in a full on dead sprint. I glanced behind me to see that I had taken a huge lead. I thought to myself, “I’ve got this in the bag.” Then as I was running out of steam near what I thought was the end, my team yelled to keep going!?! Come to find out the 880 was a two lap race… I had thought it was just one!

I wasn’t in such great shape that I could run two laps at a dead sprint, one was pushing it. So over the next moment as I pushed myself as hard as I possibly could to just finish I saw every other runner pass me. I came in dead last at a pace that was more suited for pulling a pan out of the oven than running a race. I learned a lot of valuable lessons that day. I learned to never count your chickens before they hatch and that it’s really not how you start the race that matters… it’s how you finish. You may faulter at the begging and still win, you may start out well and still lose.

The Psalmist discusses his youth and his age in Psalm we are looking at today. As I’ve crossed over the 40 year age mark I’ve begun looking more and more at the later laps of my life. I want to live well and run the race that God has set before me. That means that later laps matter!

Some people hit a certain age and slow down. They’ve raised their kids to a point of self sufficiency or they retire from work and so they seek to retire from worship and ministry as well. Or maybe they just coast. Who would blame them, they are tired and weary. There are plenty of young folks behind them who bring so much more energy… They all but quit right before the race is over.

The Psalmist prays today. Lord, Do not forsake me in my old age… in a sense don’t put me out to pasture yet. If I’ve got life, I want to give it in worshipping the Lord. I don’t want to slow down on the last laps of life, I want to kick it up. I don’t want to wane in my devotion to the Lord, I want to maximize what little time I have left so that others see the supreme value of worshipping the Lord. I want to run the race well and I want to finish well!

I know that we each run the race set before us. When we get to the later years of life the struggles are real. The issues with our health, mobility, and sensibility may be broad and challenging. But we should each ask ourselves, “What does it look like to run this lap of my life well?” How do we handle our trials? Do we see them as there to BREAK us or MAKE us (James 1:1-4)? What sort of attitude do we pass on to others? Do we celebrate the work of the Lord wherever we see it or do we curse the next generation under our breath? The Psalmist asks God that he wouldn’t be forgotten and in a sense that he wouldn’t forget his opportunity to still celebrate and worship the Lord. We should run the race with endurance!

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for all the blessings that come with youth and old age. There are so many things we are able to do when we are young and so many things we know by experience when we are older and some where in the middle of it all we hit an apex of both ability and knowledge. But don’t let my inexperience of youth nor my decreased ability in my old age become an excuse not to pursue you with my whole heart! Lord I pray that you would have all of me for all of my life. Please Lord let the last laps of my life be the best laps, let what I may lack in strength be supplemented with desire and a humble attitude of worship! You are worthy of all praise, honor, and 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.

Quick Prayers (Psalm 70)

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PSALM 70

To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David. To bring to remembrance. [Make haste], O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O LORD! 2 Let them be ashamed and confounded Who seek my life; Let them be turned back and confused Who desire my hurt. 3 Let them be turned back because of their shame, Who say, “Aha, aha!” 4 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified!” 5 But I [am] poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You [are] my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

PSALM 70:1-5

QUICK PRAYERS

Sometimes we have a lot to pray about. We take our time going over our prayer list. We make intercession for others. We pray for the events of our day. We ask for guidance and direction. We go on in our adoration and praise. We are grateful for God’s kindness, His goodness, the small things we see, the things we don’t see, the marvels of our world, etc. We have the time, we have the thoughts, we enjoy prayer and so it flows long. There isn’t anything wrong with long prayers…. but then there are the quick prayers. Prayers that get to the point. Prayers that don’t have time to follow the Lord’s prayer line by line or to follow the Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication formula or whatever other model you may use… The prayers for help and relief because you need help and relief QUICKLY!

Praise God for the quick prayers! Sometimes the quick prayers are based on the longer prayers we have already been praying. Much like the quick prayer of Nehemiah 2:4 was grounded in the prayer of Nehemiah 1:11. Or maybe they arise because of immediate trouble we find ourselves in like Peter who cries out, “Lord, Save me,” while sinking at the feet of Jesus in Matthew 14:30.

Yet, as short and as quick as these prayers may be, they all share one thing in common… The Lord is the only one who can answer. It is not for a change of wind, a different course, a different place, a different time that we pray, but we ask for God’s grace or God’s will in our very present circumstances and we go boldly, rashly, briskly, quickly, to ask what we need, for he alone can grant it! Oh the clarity that comes when we pray quick prayers! “Lord I need you!”

Praise God for how he answers! Sometimes even quicker than we have issued the request His ear has been to hear our plea. He has sent help, long before we asked, and His grace appears at just the right moment. We don’t always get the answers we want, but we do get the grace we need. There is no shame in praying quick prayers.

PRAYER

Father, Help! I am so utterly dependent on you! I am so grateful you hear our quick prayers. I am so grateful that you have grace and sovereignty even for the moments where I sense the most anxiety. I rest confidently in uttering my quick prayers, knowing that you hear. 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.

In The Fullness Of Time (Psalm 69)

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PSALM 69

But as for me, my prayer [is] to You, O LORD, [in] the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, Hear me in the truth of Your salvation. 14 Deliver me out of the mire, And let me not sink; Let me be delivered from those who hate me, And out of the deep waters. 15 Let not the floodwater overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up; And let not the pit shut its mouth on me. 16 Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness [is] good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. 17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in trouble; Hear me speedily. 18 Draw near to my soul, [and] redeem it; Deliver me because of my enemies. …

20 Reproach has broken my heart, And I am full of heaviness; I looked [for someone] to take pity, but [there was] none; And for comforters, but I found none. 21 They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

PSALM 69:13-18, 20-21

IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME

Timing is everything. My first hybrid-online class was a lesson in procrastination. I remembered at the last moment that I had an assignment due in just thirty minutes in the online portal for Hebrew class! I rushed to get to a computer, log in and remember as much Hebrew as I could before the clock expired. Sometimes we want to put things off, deadlines loom large, and we wish that the appointed hour wasn’t upon us. But then there are those moments that can’t get here fast enough. I remember being a kid at Christmas trying to pressure my parents into letting us open our gifts early! It seemed like the time between when the present was under the tree and we got to unwrap it took forever.

David knew a thing or two about timing. He was surrounded by his enemies. He had more enemies than he could count. As he figured it, the only way out of his situation was for the Lord to deliver him. Indeed the Lord was on his side, but he had to do the hardest thing which was to wait for the Lord. His timing is perfect. His deliverance happens at the exact right moment, He’s never late, but He is also never early! So David commits his prayer to the Lord and trusts in His timing.

In the meantime, David does more than he possibly knows. By penning his struggles of being chased down by Saul and others, he writes prophecy. While taking poetic license to his own struggles he actually vividly details a few of the details of the crucifixion of Jesus. David was in real trouble and needed a real deliverer, but one day God would bring a greater deliverance from a greater enemy!

God’s timing is everything. It demonstrates that our existence past, what we might call history, is in his hands. We might surmise that if our history is in his hands, then our existence future is also in his hands. Indeed we can trust that God has a purpose for us and is drawing all History to it’s rightful conclusion with Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and that will all happen in His time. Not a moment too late or a moment too soon, God is always on time. Now we have to do the hardest part, which is to wait, but like David our waiting can be active praise for God who is always on time.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you that you are always on time. Too often, like a young puppy I want to run ahead of the pack, I want to know the answers before I’ve asked the questions. I’m not comfortable in persecution. I don’t enjoy it when others speak ill of me or are mean to me. But like Paul, I am learning to be content in all things. I rest content knowing that you are God and you are in control and you are always on time. So I actively wait for you Lord! You are worthy of all glory! 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.

Burdened With Blessings (Psalm 68)

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PSALM 68

Blessed [be] the Lord, [Who] daily loads us [with benefits], The God of our salvation! Selah

PSALM 68:19

BURDENED WITH BLESSINGS

I’ve got a driver in the house who hasn’t been driving that much because the cost of gas is high and she doesn’t have a steady income to cover what her fuel bill would be. So I asked her the other day to run an errand for me using her car and her gas. I promised to cover her fuel expense and pay for her for her time. To be honest, I could get the errand done without her, but I wanted an excuse to bless her. So in one transaction I managed to burden her with an errand but also to bless her. Indeed the burden became the vehicle for the blessing.

I was fixated on this verse this morning and so I did a little digging. Translators have struggled on this verse. The words “with benefits” do not occur in the Hebrew. The idea is that even if the Lord were to load us with burdens daily, He is still worthy of our praise for all his blessings. Or perhaps even more clearly, day after day the Lord burdens us but carries our burdens for us. Similar to the situation with the young driver in our house, he burdens us with blessings and blesses us with burdens.

God has a way of doing that. He takes what we often consider a heavy burden and he turns it in to blessing. He did it in the life of Joseph (Genesis 50:20), According to the Apostle Paul he works all things together for good (Romans 8:28), and He displayed His infinite power on the cross where He took our ultimate burden of sin and blessed us with His righteousness.

Jesus calls out to us to follow after him: “Come to Me, all [you] who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke [is] easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Only when we take on the Lord’s burdens, will we truly understand the blessings in store!

PRAYER

Father, Thank you that you daily turn burdens into blessings. Help me to remember this truth the next time I feel burdened. Don’t let me try and carry the burdens alone, but to truly come to you and find rest, strength, and hope. Show me your blessing in the midst of my messes and help me to see your sovereign hand at work! 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.

Make His Praise Glorious! (Psalm 66)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 66

To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm. Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! 2 Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. 3 Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. 4 All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises [to] Your name.” Selah

PSALM 66:1-4

MAKE HIS PRAISE GLORIOUS

What is your standard of worship? Are you phoning it in? I’m not just talking about Sundays either. I mean what kind of worship do you offer God throughout the week? Is it all out? Is it full of life, joy, and celebration or is it barely there, if there at all?

Sometimes in life we are tempted to put off things. We’ll say something like, “I’ll get to that tomorrow.” or we’ll satisfy ourselves with less than our best effort. We may say something like, “That will have to do.” We do just enough to skate by. We do just enough to check the box that says present, but we didn’t really learn anything from class that day because while our body was there, our mind was somewhere else.

Sometimes we do have to put something off or put in less than our best. Hopefully in each of those scenarios whatever fell short on was worth the sacrifice. Maybe we put off a chore for the sake of sleep because we came in tired from a long day.

But the one place we don’t need to cut any corners on is the praise of God. Because He is so worth it. Indeed one of the things we miss the most when we fail to praise God is we lose sense of His weightiness (and our relationship to Him). When we worship casually, distracted, or as an afterthought we tend to miss the big picture on who God is (and who we are). Our day, our week, our month, our year becomes all about us instead of His Kingdom come, and will be done.

The Psalmist reminds us today at the beginning of this psalm that we are to make His praise glorious! He is worthy of our best effort. He is worthy of a little more time. He is worthy of digging in past our skeptical attitude and finding the joy that He brings to our lives. If we really want to be honest with ourselves, we need it too! We were created to worship God and when our private and corporate worship flounder it’s a good indication that we are broken.

So I challenge you to make His praise Glorious. There are practical ways to do this. We can plan for corporate worship to help us be fully present. We can make sure our schedules allow us enough time to sleep so we will be refreshed on Sundays. We can lay out clothes the night before so we aren’t rushed to get there. We can meditate on the songs we sing and scripture that is read. We can discuss the sermon. We can come prepared to give and give sacrificially. We can offer our humble voices in the singing of the congregation or choir. We can amen the points of sound doctrine that the pastor offers from the pulpit. We can share with others what the Lord has done in our life that week. We can be prepared to fellowship with others and have them to our house (hospitality) or meet them somewhere.

Privately we can read his word. We can pray. We can work as unto the Lord. We can sing songs. We can seek to share about God’s goodness with others. We can use the gifts he has given us. We can simply recount the things we saw God do each day in our lives.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for your word today. You are truly worthy of great praise and worship from me for all you have done. Though my body is often tired and my mind is prone to wonder, I pray that I save the best of me for worshipping you! You have done mighty things in my life. Your hand has been on mye from even an early age. You have been my sure foundation. You have guided my steps. Everytime the enemy thought to destroy me, you preserved me. I have been sick, but you have made me well. I have been sad, but you have restored my joy, I have been tired, but you have given me strength! You indeed are worthy or worship! 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.

Chosen By Grace (Psalm 65)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 65

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song. Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; And to You the vow shall be performed. 2 O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come. 3 Iniquities prevail against me; [As for] our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them. 4 Blessed [is the man] You choose, And cause to approach [You], [That] he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Of Your holy temple.

PSALM 65:1-4

CHOSEN BY GRACE

“Chosen.” Here is a word we don’t like to hear sometimes. We often kick against it or try and get it to mean something other than what it means. But it’s all through the scriptures and so it must mean something and we do well to seek to understand this word and the truth it reveals about God.

We often think that God gives us “grace” and we choose if we receive it. We like to think that we are independent and able in our own strength and ability to choose God. But if you think about it, you really can’t choose to receive grace. It’s not up to the receiver on if they get grace or not, its up to the giver. It’s kind of like a getting hit in paintball. The one doing the shooting does the choosing. If you get hit by the paintball, for all your choosing or lack of choosing, you are struck. Grace is given independent of how it is received otherwise it’s not grace… you have merited it by your response (see how hard we play this game to take even grace out of the hands of God?)

Grace is more radical than you might imagine because grace does all the work. Indeed we can’t “choose” grace because grace by it’s nature has chosen us! The fact that you even WANT to “choose” grace is a GIFT of God’s grace (see verse 4). Read Ephesians 2:8-10 with me:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.“

What is the gift? Grace? maybe… but maybe it’s also “faith,” that ability to trust in the Lord. What does it mean? Our lives (including faith) are a work of God’s hands! We are His workmanship! He is working faith in us! Read with me what Paul says in Philippians 2:12-13:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for [His] good pleasure.

We are to work out our salvation, but why? Because it is God doing all the work! Grace isn’t a purely external work, it is internal. Grace causes me to WANT to worship God. Grace fixes me from the inside out. Grace changes everything!

It’s early in the morning when I publish these posts and so it may be difficult to grasp, but God’s choice of you or me is a far greater gift of grace than many can even imagine. It is more real and more weighty than what we often give God credit for. It’s blessing after blessing poured out over and over. It’s a cup running over. It’s a heart seeking missel that can’t be shaken. David saw it and was provoked to praise the LORD. We should be too!

One of the best ways to understand grace is to give grace. Grace doesn’t mean that you just don’t hold a grudge. It means that you seek to bless a person no matter what.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for the grace upon grace that you have poured out in my own life. Thank you for your word that is truth. I am amazed this morning as we examine your utter and complete sovereignty. There is no better place for my future than in your hands. I am confident that you work all things for your glory and my good! today I marvel at your goodness poured out to even cause my heart to believe. I rest in the arms of your grace. 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.