A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 [It is] like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. 3 [It is] like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing–Life forevermore.
PSALM 133:1-3
Supernatural Unity
I live in the south, but I grew up in the north. The summers are hot in both places, but the humidity is a real difference maker. The altitude can also make an impact.
Last summer we went to see some of the mountains where I grew up. We drove one of the scenic highways and found snow a few hundred yards off the road. We got out, hiked up, and had a snow ball fight in the middle of summer! It was incredible and refreshing.
This summer we didn’t go to the mountains. We stayed close to home. We saw some of the hottest days at the beach. The fair skinned part of my family came home with sunburns so bad I teased them for looking like lobsters (it was bad). Then a picture popped up of our snowball fight on the mountain. I thought, how refreshing would that be right now!?!
Of course I knew it was an impossibility, the mountain we had seen the year before was a hard four day drive away. But really though, how cool would it have been to experience both the beach and the mountain top in the same day. If it gets to hot at the beach you step out to 12,000 feet on the mountain and if it gets to cold there you step back on to the beach.
That’s kind of the picture here in verse 3. Hermon is the tallest mountain in the region and is in the far north of Israel. The air is cold at the top. Zion is the hill where Jerusalem is and it is quite often arid and dry. They are so far apart that the “dew” of Herman can’t really water Zion. But that is the point of what the Psalmist is saying. When we dwell in unity (v.1) it’s like all the geography between us doesn’t matter. It’s like being refreshed by cool mountain air in the desert.
Unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ is something we should strive for. Even when it seems like it’s a long way off, in God’s timing it may be closer than you think. God blesses the unity of his people. Today I am reminded that unity is worth striving for. It doesn’t take any effort for people to become at odds with one another, but unity takes work.
(On a little bit of a side note, Psalm 133 is perhaps my favorite Psalm to preach outside of Psalm 23. I shared some more detailed notes and illustrations here).
PRAYER
Father, Thank you for those incredible days that I enjoyed with my family. One at the beach and one on a mountain top. I am grateful for both experiences and how they have taught me about geography and more importantly about unity in the local church body. I pray that we would be a united people. I pray that we would look out for one another’s interest and seek each other’s well being. Give us insight into our neighbor’s lives and how we might bless and encourage them. 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 Song of Ascents. LORD, remember David [And] all his afflictions; 2 How he swore to the LORD, [And] vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, Or go up to the comfort of my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes [Or] slumber to my eyelids, 5 Until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” 6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; We found it in the fields of the woods. 7 Let us go into His tabernacle; Let us worship at His footstool. 8 Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. 9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy. 10 For Your servant David’s sake, Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed. 11 The LORD has sworn [in] truth to David; He will not turn from it: “I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body. 12 If your sons will keep My covenant And My testimony which I shall teach them, Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.” 13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired [it] for His dwelling place: 14 “This [is] My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15 I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17 There I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed. 18 His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”
PSALM 132:1-18
I JUST WANT TO BE CLOSER TO YOU
I have a little girl. I love her and she loves me. At dinner time she often clamors to have the seat right next to mine or across from me so she can see my face. She loves to be right next to me. I enjoy putting my arm around her. I love talking with her. I love hearing about her day. I love her fun little questions and jokes. We really like hanging out together.
That’s the way David felt about the Lord. He loved the Lord. He wanted to be near the Lord. He spent great effort to prepare a place for the temple. He wanted to be physically near the Lord’s presence as he possibly could (God is present everywhere, but he was specially present with the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle and later the temple) .
The psalmist uses the name, “Mighty One of Jacob,” which recalls another Old Testament character. Jacob wrestled with God (Gen. 32) and from that day forward he walked with a limp (and probably a smile)! This Psalm is all about the intense desire to be in the presence of God, even when it costs you something (and the subsequent blessings of being near God as well!)
I got to thinking, I love Sundays because I love the LORD. Its a day that we get to draw near in a different way than we do through out the week. I love reading God’s word and studying with many of you. Because in God’s word I hear from Him and meet with Him! I love studying, preaching, giving, and living out my calling because I love God. Like David I want to be near him in every way I can. Like Jacob, I’ve been touched by him in a way that causes me to never walk the same.
I understand burnout in ministry. I imagine I’ve been closer than I’d like to admit. There were moments where the load was too big to carry on my own, but it didn’t stop me from trying. Burn out is what happens when we forget to go to the spring for ourselves and we get tired and thirsty trying to carry living water for everyone else. It’s ministry from bottom of a dry bucket rather than ministry from the overflow of what God is doing in our lives.
This psalm should challenge us to examine our lives and our routines. Are we just going through the motions? Do we invest in our relationship with God merely when it is convenient or do we sacrifice (Discipline ourselves) for the sake of growing in our relationship with God? It takes sacrifice to be consistently with the people of God, it takes discipline to draw near to God on days that it would be easier to skip reading in the scripture. It is all so much easier when your endgame is just to sit a little closer with the Lord because you love him.
PRAYER
Father, I just want to be near you! I just want to draw close to you today. So often when it seems like you are far off and I think you’ve moved on me, I pick up my head and notice that I’m the one who is out of step with you! Thank you for your incredible grace and mercy that is so abundant in my life. There are moments where I just have to confess that all I can see is your blessing and unmerited favor. Keep me from trying to deliver to others that which I haven’t taken time to experience myself, Renew me each day in your spirit. Energize me in your grace. May my passion burn hot for 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.
A Song of Ascents. Of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me. 2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child [is] my soul within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.
PSALM 131:1-3
A SIMPLE TRUST IN THE LORD
It has been a whirlwind of a week. I’ve had a lot on my plate. I am teaching, preaching, or speaking 7-9 times a week and that takes a lot of preparation. I’ve got kids in elementary, middle, and high school and they all take time and attention in different ways (Not to mention my wife who deserves the best of me and my time). There were also some church members who had big needs come up this week with grief, health, and other spiritual concerns (it’s always my heart to be there for our folks and walk with them through trials). All that to say that I found myself this morning with a whole lot on my plate and no end in sight. In that kind of a state it is easy to be rushed and frazzled. I already feel behind on everything and I really don’t like that feeling… I probably could have skipped my devotion today. Those of you who read it would have given me a pass. I mean I’ve studied and written out of the overflow for 131 days.
but then I wouldn’t have come to this psalm at just the right moment that I needed to read it. I would still be torn by the chaos of the “what ifs” and expectations of myself and others. I would still be frazzled. Yet, my frazzled heart was brought to peace today by a few simple verses that reminded me that true contentment comes from resting in the Lord.
As a pastor it is easy to read the word and ask for a “word from the Lord” to give to others, because you are responsible for that sort of thing. It can be easy to see scripture as a means to an end. You can start looking to God for what you get, rather than finding your own peace in him. I know men who have lost their way with God while trying to serve him and pastor a church. It seems contrary to nature. Indeed one of the reasons I wanted to blog part of my personal quiet time reading and reflections each day was for the accountability to be in the word daily for myself first and others second.
In verse two, David talks about how his soul is calmed in the Lord like a child who is resting content in his mothers arms. He isn’t begging for milk. He isn’t reaching for something he wants. He is just contented in her. He isn’t reaching or striving. He is just safe in her arms.
I needed to read that and be reminded of that today. I need to rest in the Lord and what he has done. The rest of the day will flow smother when I’m not striving to do it all in my own strength and power but rather trusting in the loving care and strength of the Lord.
I think it was Martin Luther who once said something to the effect of, “The day is so busy, I must spend an extra hour in prayer.” A good sentiment and thought for today. I’m also remember Psalm 127 (often attributed to Solomon I’m told) where we are told that unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labor in vain.
PRAYER
Father, Thank you for a good and timely word from the Psalms today. I needed every word and I need to apply it to my life. Too often I am guilty of striving after things that are bigger than me rather than resting content in the biggest blessing I have ever been given (Knowing you and experiencing your love). Thank you for letting me draw from your word today so much personal application to my own heart and life. I continue to be in awe of your sovereignty and your timing. Intellectually I know that you are in control of all things, but I do not experientially know what your sovereignty is like so I struggle and marvel when I see it displayed in ways big and small in my life. Thank you for your grace and calling me your son. I am choosing to rest content in you 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.
A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD; 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. 3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But [there is] forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. 6 My soul [waits] for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning–[Yes, more than] those who watch for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD [there is] mercy, And with Him [is] abundant redemption. 8 And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities.
PSALM 130:1-8
THERE IS FORGIVENESS WITH YOU
I’m a little tired and scattered this morning so I’m shooting more from the hip today. This is a little bit about how my brain works as I read through this passage. The questions I asked and general questions that arise as I look for how this applies to me:
The undertow pulls you out further than you ever wanted to go. The water covers your head. You are stuck and can’t get yourself out of it. Where do you go? (v1) Like Jonah caught in the terribleness of his sin. Running from God. Thrown overboard. Swallowed by a whale, sometimes we are in the depths, over our head with problems!
Where do we turn when we are in the depths? Drugs? Alcohol? Pornography? Self-destructive behavior? Food? Relationships? Gossip?… or do we turn to the LORD?
How do we deal with Sin? Denial? Lie about it? Cover it up? Blame others? Blame God? Claiming that it’s not a big deal?… or do we come to God for forgiveness?
How do we respond to the offer of forgiveness? Entitlement? Denial? Pride? Resentment? Or Do we respect GOD all the more (v. 5-6)?!
What is the Psalmist waiting for? He is already forgiven! I guess being forgiven and feeling forgiven are two different things? At least sometimes that’s the way it is in my experience. I know God forgives, but I don’t always feel forgiven. I need that security that comes from a renewed relationship with the LORD. You know Saul didn’t wait on the LORD and it turned into a disaster. He had a false security.
Do We Take God at His Word? Do we bank on His promises? Do we cling to Him with a stick-to-it-iveness? Like Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego. “If God delivers us fine, if not fine, but we trust the one true God and we won’t bow down to your stupid statue.”
Now the Psalmist has to get others to trust in God’s forgiving nature! His voice alone isn’t enough! He goes and get’s the whole nation (v. 7-8).
Do we invite others to worship God for His attributes? Do we tell them of his attributes? Don’t they need forgiveness too? Don’t they need mercy too?
He Redeems Israel! (Who once was called Jacob)! What beauty for this name to appear here. Jacob was the trickster who’s name was changed by God to Israel. Jacob was the one who was unworthy of the promise, but was the choice of God. Jacob was redeemed, had his sins forgiven, waited on the LORD. We too shall be redeemed if we come through Christ! We too should sing his praises!
PRAYER
Father, Thank you for your incredible grace that extends to even the depths of my problems. I have often been caught in the undertow taken deeper into my sin than I ever wanted to God and you have rescued me. You have heard my prayer. You have given me more grace and help than I have ever deserved. Let me take you at your word today. Trust in your promises. Wait on your deliverance and even entice others to sing of your goodness! You are worthy of all worship and 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.
1 A Song of Ascents. “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,” Let Israel now say– 2 “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; Yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 The plowers plowed on my back; They made their furrows long.” 4 The LORD [is] righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked. 5 Let all those who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned back. 6 Let them be as the grass [on] the housetops, Which withers before it grows up, 7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms. 8 Neither let those who pass by them say, “The blessing of the LORD [be] upon you; We bless you in the name of the LORD!”
PSALM 129:1-8
LOOK TO THE LORD FOR JUSTICE
I can’t imagine the world of pain that some people have endured. At some points in Israel’s history they were slaves to other people. They were struck, hit, whipped, and abused by cruel masters. They were forced into compliance to do things like bake bricks and plow fields (v 3). They didn’t experience freedom to do many things, including to worship the Lord.
The Psalmist cries out about the injustice served upon him and his people by oppressors. His prayer for them is that the injustice should cease and that those who have been persecuted by their hand will receive justice! This reminds me of the martyrs we see in the book of Revelation calling out to God for Justice
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Revelation 6:9-10
This reminds me that we serve a God of justice. We should seek justice where it can be found. We should seek to right the wrongs done to other, but not the same way the world often does. We should seek for God to bring true and right judgment to each unjust situation (v.4).
We also look to Jesus for ultimate justice. When we suffer injustice we must know that he had his own back plowed by the whip and shred into red rows for the sake of God’s justice on our behalf.
[Isaiah 53:5] But He [was] wounded for our transgressions, [He was] bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace [was] upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. [1Pe 2:24] who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.
PRAYER
Father, Thank you that you are a God of justice! I am grateful for your mercy poured out in my life. I am grateful that Jesus went to the cross for my sins. I am grateful for opportunities to seek justice and show mercy to others. I have been given so much grace, let me live in it and show others of your mercy and kindness today. Bring the world to justice and right every wrong. (Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven). 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 Song of Ascents. Blessed [is] every one who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. 2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You [shall be] happy, and [it shall be] well with you. 3 Your wife [shall be] like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD. 5 The LORD bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life. 6 Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace [be] upon Israel!
PSALM 128:1-6
BLESSED WHEN WE FOCUS ON THE LORD
We live in a culture that is enamored with health, beauty, and wealth. We are intrigued by articles that tell us about antioxidants, vitamins, probiotics, etc. that all seem to be the key to good health. We are told to do the crossword puzzles or play music to keep us from getting dementia (or at least keep it at bay). Magazines demonstrate what a better home and garden really look like or how we should organize our plate for health. They all seem to be aiming for a long and healthy life. But what if God has something better for us… What if we are intended to live a well ordered life.
What if the secret to fulfillment isn’t wealth, fitness, or beauty. What if the secret is really having everything in our lives in a right relationship to Go?
Happiness doesn’t come from wealth, health, or power, but comes from a spiritual perspective. I am most happy not by my work, but by Who I worship! We are blessed when we fear God. The word fear here is to indicate respect. We have to ask ourselves the question. Do I respect God?
When I was a kid and I used to go hunting with my dad there were folks who would let us hunt on their land, but they had a few rules. If for example, they had a log for us to sign in and out when we came on and off the property, we had to go sign the log even if it was inconvenient, because we respected them and were honored with the privilege of hunting there. It was there property.
If we respect God, we will walk in his ways. We will honor him by our thoughts and our deeds. If His way is to honor the wife of my youth. Then I should honor the wife of my youth. From that flows blessing to my children, described as olive shoots (who incidentally don’t grow on a vine, is this a nod to adoption? or I think perhaps something spiritual like being born again!)
Honoring God provides blessing not only in our homes but grows to other generations. What a blessing indeed it is when the blessing and favor of God rest on a family for generations.
PRAYER
I’m not sure the original context of this prayer, but I had it down as an illustration for how God takes the challenges of life and makes something good out of them. I think in the original illustration a deacon is praying. But I saw it today as I glanced back a file of notes I had for this Psalm and I thought it was a fresh way of praying and looking at things so I included it today in the prayer section. (It is not original with me and I don’t know where I got it from).
“Lord, I absolutely hate the taste of buttermilk. You know that about me. And I hate lard. You know that, too. And you also know that I don’t like the taste of raw, white flour. But Lord, when all of these bad-tasting things get mixed together and baked, they make for delicious biscuits, and You know that I do love my wife’s biscuits. So, help us all to understand, Lord, that when things happen that we don’t like and we don’t know why You aren’t rescuing us from them, we just need to let You finish Your mixing and baking. If we will do that, the biscuits You’ll have for us in the end will be absolutely delicious. In Jesus’ name I pray, 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.
1 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. 2 [It is] vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; [For] so He gives His beloved sleep. 3 Behold, children [are] a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb [is] a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So [are] the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy [is] the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
PSALM 127:1-5
RAISE YOUR KIDS TO LET THEM GO!
I first really came to this Psalm years ago before I was married. I was intentionally hanging out with another young man who was growing in the Lord. We were taking a shot at discipleship and accountability to grow in our relationship with God. We didn’t really know a lot about what we were doing, but we were fumbling our way through it. One of the things we decided to do was to memorize scripture. Somehow we came to this passage and we started to see who cold memorize it first. I was so saturated in these verses that by the time it came time for him to marry his sweetheart that these were the words of blessing I found for his family. Then when I got married they become words of blessing on mine. I said them when I first held each of my children and I held them up to the Lord and offered them to Him. (They are never really ours, we are just stewards you know).
Children are like arrows. I joke with my older kid in moments of tension between us that its supposed to be this way for now, because God is preparing her to go out from among us and into the world. But not to worry, I am doing my best to shape her and I won’t let her go until it’s time. Our kids were never meant to be kept but to be let go or released into the world, but not without purpose. They are to be aimed, sharpened, honed, and prepared for the task at hand.
What a big job it is to raise a child and what a blessing each child is. We are all shaping our kids for something. Whether we are intentional or not. Where they end up usually has something to do with how and when we let them go. Are they ready to face the world ahead? Do they know how to discern what is going on?
Another part about this passage that always seems to bless me is the part about how the Lord blesses us with sleep. It’s a blessing to close my eyes at night even when the world is full of anxiety and know that the Lord watches over his sheep. If I belong to Him, no matter what comes my way, I am confident that God watches over us. I wrote a little bit about anxiety and sleep before on this blog when I was going through Philippians. Can you imagine the peace Paul had even while chained next to a Roman guard awaiting your possible execution?
PRAYER
Father, Thank you for this short Psalm today. Children are a blessing! Whatever we put our hands to, if you are not in it, it is in vain. So let us seek after you. Let us follow you and we pray even now for your kingdom to come and your will to be done. Oh, what peace is ours when we pray that way, When we trust you with our anxieties and see your will. We aknowledge that children are a blessing and a responsibility. Let us be dilligent to shape the lives of our kids in ways that bring you honor and glory. Help us to balance the tension as children grow older and become ready to leave the home. Give us grace in knowing when to let go, when to hold on just a while longer. We thank you Lord for your incredible mercy and 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.
A Song of Ascents. When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 3 The LORD has done great things for us, [And] we are glad. 4 Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South. 5 Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 6 He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves [with him].
PSALM 126:1-6
OUR TEARS WATER THE LAND BETWEEN DREAMS
Imagine with me that Farmer Joe is out in the field. He inherited this place from his grandparents who had to abandon it 70 years ago. He’s heard the stories of the ‘good ole days on this farm’ all his life. The men who tell those stories were just boys back then. Uncles, cousins, and family friends who remember it well as a land that brought forth crops in abundance. They are all too old to push a plow, chop the wood, or be of much use in the way of hard labor. However, where their muscles are weak, their minds are sharp, and they remember just how easy it used to be to till the soil and how large the harvests were.
But 70 years of neglect have left this place a wilderness. The ground is hard and rocky. The soil hasn’t been busted loose in seventy years. The fields that once held grain are fallow and overrun by small trees and weeds. The orchards and vineyards that used to be the pride of this land have rotted with blight and vines have overgrown the artifacts that reveal that this place was ever once inhabited. The old barn has been eaten by termites and wild animals have made it their home. It is more than apparent that this place has seen better days. When old farmer Joe came back to this land, it was the worst condition it has ever been. It didn’t fall into disrepair by neglect, but from absence. His family has been gone for more than a generation!
But Joe isn’t there to wail and bemoan the better days, He has a vision. He’s heard the stories of the good ole days and he longs for even better, fuller days ahead, but it’s going to take a long time to get there. There are too many chores to do. And chores that used to be easy are difficult, painful, and time consuming these days. It’s not a matter of days before this place reaches its former glory, it’s a matter of years, maybe even decades.
So he goes out, hitches up the mule and gets to work. The ground is hard, it doesn’t move easy. He works each day in a matter of inches and yards not acres as his ancestors had. His progress on the rows comes with so much hurt and pain. He is frustrated, his muscles ache with an agony of toil and despair, his emotions boil into tears that pour hot and heavy down his face.
As his tear ducts release the tears as he prays. He prays for God to move. He prays for God to restore what was lost. He holds on to a hope of what the future holds. He dreams of a different time. A time that all of this sowing and crying will produce a harvest. These seeds that will bring forth joy are sown in the rain of his pain, agony, frustration, worry, and hope.
This Psalm resonated with me in many ways today. I often hear about the good ole days. All the dreams about the abundance of years past is often prone to a selective memory (which I understand, who wants to hold on to the bad memories?). Sometimes we unintentionally lump twenty successful years into one year and multiply it back by twenty to remember what life was like. We share stories that were 20 years in the making like it all just sort of happened.
For those brave enough to plow the fields of today, there is often a burden of labor that is doubly intense because the ground has changed and you have the dream given to you by people who have unintentionally been making apples to oranges comparisons. The fields have been fallow, not for neglect, but that the culture has changed. (While we are using agricultural analogies, the top soil of gospel in culture has eroded.) The average person in the community has less gospel knowledge and fluency than any generation before. In some sense it is harder to work the fields today than it used to be. (I’ve seen that in 20 years of ministry).
But the truth or myth of how things used to be doesn’t accomplish any of the actual work today. Hard ground or soft, the fields need plowing, the seed needs planting. If there will ever be a harvest again on this ground, the backbreaking work of sowing must take place. The new vision and dream arises about what will the Lord produce through the seeds that are going out today! Seeds sown in hard times watered by the tears of desperate, humble prayers. Those seed will yield fruit in due season and this is the dream we cling to! The dream we hope to be there to see. The dream of what might God do with just a few faithful believers living on vision for Him? A dream that pictures a brighter tomorrow for all the adversity we face today! A dream founded on the past but with real vision into the future. What keeps a tired farmer/pastor in the field broadcasting seed? The HOPE of and KNOWLEDGE that our best days are still ahead of us!
As I reflect on where we are in our cultural moment, I think it is easy for some of us to wonder why the Lord don’t move in our lives like he did back in the good ole days? We can often look back and see that He hasn’t changed, but somewhere along the way, we have. We stopped showing up to pray. We stopped being faithful in our attendance. We stopped reading our bibles. If indeed we stopped doing the things we did when He was working miracles among us, is it any wonder we see less of Him today?
The Apostle John tells us of a church who had lost their love for Jesus to repent and go back and do the things they did when they were first in love with Jesus: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place–unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:5).
PRAYER
Father, Thank you for opportunity to minister your word to others. Thank you for the easy opportunities and thank you for the opportunities that are not easy. I am reminded that you are the LORD of the Harvest. I am just a laborer that you have called to the task. I ask of you that I would be found faithful to the end in all that you have called me to do. 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 Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the LORD [Are] like Mount Zion, [Which] cannot be moved, [but] abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. 3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity. 4 Do good, O LORD, to [those who are] good, And to [those who are] upright in their hearts. 5 As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity. Peace [be] upon Israel!
PSALM 125:1-5
TRUST GOD
On a bend of the Marias River near where I grew up there is a steep bluff made of shale rock. In the rock you can find all sorts of fossils of leaves and sometimes critters. When I was a kid we would climb up the steep bank and look for fossils.
The only problem was that often the debris from the crumbling shale would pile up and it didn’t make a good foothold on a steep bank. We had a special way of walking across, but sometimes even if you did everything right, you would still slip down the bank.
Sometimes you would climb a few feet only to fall a few feet further. We’d call this back sliding. Instead of making forward and upward progress, you’d fall back. Of course the real danger was that you’d fall so far that you’d end up in the swift moving current of the river bend.
In the Christian life we also have something called back sliding. I have friends, people I know who were once so on fire for the Lord that have slid back in their relationship with God. For some it just seems as though things have cooled, for others it seems as though they never really knew the Lord.
I’ve got friends and family members who we would say have backslidden. They are wounded and hurt, maybe even because of their own foolishness, but for whatever reason they have fallen back or fallen out.
In theology we have all sorts of debates and denominations over the question, can you backslide so far that you lose your salvation? In today’s text we will see the Hand of the Lord on the Nation of Israel. The Song that is sung here is that of rejoicing that it’s not our hands that saves us or keeps us, but it is the hand of the Lord that has kept His people. Had we been trusting in our own strength surely we’d fail.
The image we get is of geography and politics. Back in those days they settled politics by the machines of war. If someone rolled in with a massive army, they would fight a battle and lay siege to a city. When they won the battle, they would be the new ruler.
Jerusalem was a particularly difficult city to capture this way. It was a hill surrounded by hills. The only way to get to Jerusalem was through a pass. It was an easily defensible place because of the mountains surrounding the city. The Psalmist reminds us that just like mountains surround and therefore protect Jerusalem, the Lord surrounds and protects those who belong to him!
Stability doesn’t mean that we don’t grieve or weep when we go through the trials of life. It means that as we face them we do so with an abiding hope and confidence in the Lord.
Throughout the history of the Nation of Israel, when they pressed into the Lord and trusted Him, He always came through, He never let them down. When they got full of themselves or hired foreign armies they would trust in false gods, or chariots, they became captive to their enemies.
Two things we should note: Jerusalem will stand forever more. God loves this city and it’s people that all throughout scripture his hand is all over it, protecting it, preserving it. There will be a time when my town, Flomaton, doesn’t exist anymore. There will never be a time when there is no Jerusalem, even when Jesus returns in all his glory in the book of Revelation, he is bringing a new Jerusalem! God will always surround his people.
The second thing we should note is that there were times that Jerusalem was taken captive by foreign kings. The people went into a 70 year captivity, but then the Lord brought them back. He never forsook them, even though they had forsaken Him.
I believe that if someone is genuinely saved they cannot lose their salvation. There may be times in their life when they backslide and forsake God even… but God hasn’t forsaken them. He may let them wander off into the far country until they come back to their senses but he hasn’t forsaken them. They will know they should return and repent. They may wander in sin for a season, but they will never truly comfortable with it. When they come to a place of repentance there is always a way back home.
PRAYER
Father, Thank you for your never stopping, never giving up, always and forever love. I don’t deserve your grace, but you have poured it out on me in abundance. I rejoice to know that I am surrounded by your love and your protection. Keep me from backsliding and trusting in false god’s and empty promises. Let me face whatever adversity comes my way with a real and secure hope in you. I pray today for those who I know who are living in sin and misery and are backslidden. Bring them back again to repentance and in the fold with 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.
A Song of Ascents. Of David. “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,” Let Israel now say– 2 “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, When men rose up against us, 3 Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us; 4 Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; 5 Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.” 6 Blessed [be] the LORD, Who has not given us [as] prey to their teeth. 7 Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped. 8 Our help [is] in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
PSALM 124:1-8
IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE LORD
Have you ever tried to convince your kid to do something that they didn’t want to do? Maybe it looks scary or dangerous like a roller coaster, but you knew if they go on it! You knew that they would have the time of their life! So maybe they get on it for the first time and then once they go for a ride they have the time of their life! Just when it looks like your going to crash into a wall the coaster turns and just when you can’t go any higher it spins you into a loop and at the end of it all the kid is jumping up and down saying… “I want to go again!” And they recount everything that happened. We saw this and then this happened. We saw that and then that happened!
Here the Psalmist are on a pilgrimage. They have been traveling and there are all sorts of dangers along the way. And with excitement they reflect on the journey and what it would have been like if God had not been on their side.
They play the what if game, but in a good way. They ask what if God hadn’t been there on my side how would it have all happened then?
The vivid imagery of things they have seen on their journey become a metaphor for what would have happened to them. It’s like when you are frustrated at the car moving too slow ahead of you only to realize that had you been going the speed limit (or a little faster) you would have been involved in a major wreck. In a sense you note that Lord had kept you from that.
Sometimes our problems come at us and threaten to swallow us whole. The troubles that we experience come from a source that is out to get us. They come from an enemy who seeks to devour us. Like a snake or a large fish that opens its mouth to swallow its prey whole while it is still alive. “If it hadn’t been for the Lord we would have been eaten alive by our enemies!”
Sometimes the problems we face in life come like a flood that is rising all around us. Our lives are threatened to be submerged in chaos. No matter which way we turn there doesn’t seem to be a way out of it. There is no dry ground to crawl to. The water is rising. It’s not over our head yet, but our problems soon will be. Is there anything so helpless as seeing things work against you and not having the ability to do anything about it? Maybe it’s a job loss, or it’s medical bills that pile up, or past mistakes that are catching up to you.
Sometimes our problems come on us all at once. Like a flash flood. It’s not just that we’ll be over our heads soon, but that the waters threaten to sweep us away.
In parts of Israel there would be dry places and when the summer rains would come the dry stream beds or wadis would fill up quickly causing a flash flood to happen. Jesus alludes to this in the sermon on the mount when he talks about the wise man building his house on the rock and the foolish man building his house on the sand. The rains would come and there would come with the rains a mighty torrent.
Sometimes in life it feels like all of our problems are rushing at us all at once. That they threaten to move us or shake us from our foundation. Maybe it’s an unfaithful spouse. Maybe someone is suing you. Maybe you just found out your child is facing addiction.
Praise God that he delivered us when he did! Rather than those hazards doing us in, they have made us more confident in the LORD.
Imagine how many skeletons and scattered bones of dead animals these pilgrims saw on their way to Jerusalem. Now they are praising God that their carcas wasn’t one of them. They may have been pursued but never caught and it wasn’t because of their speed, but because of the LORD.
Our testimony is that when the jaws of the jackals came after us that we were delivered. God didn’t abandon us to our enemies. He was there, He was always with us and He never left us.
This Psalm doesn’t mean that we won’t have problems in life. Indeed it is a testimony that we will face all sorts of problems in life, but it is a song of praise and remembrance of the one who has helped us through every instance of our lives. That even when the waves were crashing all around us. Even when the enemy had us in his clutches. Even when it looked like it was all over, it wasn’t, because the Lord was on our side.
PRAYER
Father, You watch over us! I can look back over my life and I see your hand with me through all the things I have faced. You have guided me through adversity and guarded me, even from my own foolishness at times! I am grateful that you look out over us. I can only imagine what calamities might have come my way in greater abundance or disasters might have been my undoing, if it weren’t for the fact that you were there for me. Thank you for you abundant grace and mercy poured out on my life! 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 Hill House 