7 That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments…
He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind. 27 He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; 28 And He let [them] fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings. 29 So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire. 30 They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food [was] still in their mouths, 31 The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice [men] of Israel.
PSALM 78:7, 26-31
GETTING WHAT YOU WANT CAN BE A CURSE
Remember the time when Israel was being set free from slavery and they complained to God that there wasn’t any meat on the menu (Numbers 11)? Then God gave them what they wanted in abundance but it seemed like once they had what they wanted it wasn’t enough and so God’s wrath was kindled against them! Asaph knew that story and he wanted to remind Israel of it in Psalm 78.
Sometimes we want, crave, or desire something more than we desire to obey God. Often what we crave won’t bring us the happiness that we long for, but will bring about hurt and pain. I remember days as a young alcoholic where I envisioned how wonderful life would be if I could just drink all day. Somehow in my brain damaged mind, I pictured the good life as one where I was drunk all the time… Praise God that he didn’t give me the desires of my heart back then!
Adam and Eve so desired the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they disobeyed God’s command. They got what they wanted, but then they got more than they bargained for and we have been plagued by the curse of sin ever since. God’s commands aren’t burdensome, they are protective. What God has forbidden, he has forbidden for our own good. It’s a curse when we finally grasp the things we think will make us happy apart from God.
Psalm 78 as a whole is the testimony of God’s grace to the nation of Israel. A reminder to parents to not let their children go blindly in to the world pursuing their own sinful desires but to teach the the law of God. The law that is God’s protection and provision. The law that points them to a savior and is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Father, Thank you for your incredible mercy and grace! You have been patient with me. I pray that I would delight myself in you! Guard me from complaining about your provision. Let me rejoice and be thankful for all things that come from your hand. Keep me from pursuing worthless things that do not satisfy. Let me be satisfied in you alone. 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.
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. I cried out to God with my voice–To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me. 2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted. 3 I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah 4 You hold my eyelids [open]; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5 I have considered the days of old, The years of ancient times. 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, And my spirit makes diligent search. 7 Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? 8 Has His mercy ceased forever? Has [His] promise failed forevermore? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah 10 And I said, “This [is] my anguish; [But I will remember] the years of the right hand of the Most High.” 11 I will remember the works of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. 12 I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds. 13 Your way, O God, [is] in the sanctuary; Who [is] so great a God as [our] God? 14 You [are] the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. 15 You have with [Your] arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah 16 The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were afraid; The depths also trembled. 17 The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. 18 The voice of Your thunder [was] in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. 19 Your way [was] in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known. 20 You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
PSALM 77:1-20
PRAYING IN THE DARK
NOTE: I’ve woven today’s prayer in the text of the devotional writing.
When we are born into this world, the very first thing we do is cry. As soon as we breath we are already offering a cry back to our Maker. It is safe to say that perhaps the first emotion we feel in this world is sadness. We are no longer next to the heartbeat of our mothers.
All of us in our lifetimes will experience sadness. There are moments that cause us grief. We feel lost and we feel loss. We feel depression. It is okay to feel sad. It is ok to grieve. It is okay to mourn. Sometimes it is even okay to complain. But We need to be careful how we do that.
In Psalm 77 Asaph shares his lament with us and I believe it offers us a healthy guide to vent our sadness to the Lord. Asaph says he cries out to God, so you know that he is sad. Yet even in his crying, he is confident that God will hear him. He knows that if he pours out his heart to God that God will listen…. But then it doesn’t seem like God is listening.
Have you ever been talking on the phone to someone and the other end is eerily quiet. You might even stop and ask, ”Hey are you there?” This is Asaph while he is talking to God. He is saying, “God I know you are there, but I feel like I’m having a hard time getting through tonight. I wonder if you are hearing me?” He has confidence, but he also has doubts.
Have you ever been so frustrated you didn’t know what to say… So sad, so mad, so upset, so unhappy and words can’t express it. Asaph amps up his search for God in all of this. He rehearses his bible stories. He knows about how God moved in the past. He reminds himself of who God is and how God interacts with his people.
Asaph has trouble sleeping because of the problems in his life, he remembers another time when he had no trouble staying awake, but it was to praise the Lord. God I sang your songs in the night. I didn’t want it to stop. I Didn’t want to let go. He remembers how close he was to the LORD and he is wondering where God is now? THE DOUBT And ANXIETY CREEPs IN. He asks a series of questions. The obvious answer to these questions is no, but this is what bubbles to the surface of his heart as he prays.
Here we might pause and say, “Can you say that to God?” I’d say, “Yes, he can take it.” God is big enough for our doubts and questions. The real problem is when we think these things but never give them a voice. When we struggle like this and never complain, as it were. We hold these thoughts in and only grow bitter and cold.
If we were going to pray behind Asaph here, we might say something like. “God I’m really trying to get to a better place between us. I’m doing the right things. I’m reading my bible. I’m praying. I’m singing songs about you, even when I don’t feel it… and that’s the problem. I don’t feel it. I feel like a phony and a fraud because part of me wonders if you are even listening? I know that in the bible you show up and you perform miracles. I have been close to you before. I thought you’d show up for me here as I’ve seen you show up before. What is wrong? Have you changed? Are you not who you said you are? Is it me? Have I angered you?”
Our personal experiences with God isn’t enough. We must build our prayers and our life on a surer foundation. We must have the word of God. our feelings fade, they betray us. We are not always right in how we feel.
Asaph doesn’t stay content to complain for long. He knows the answers to his questions. He knows that God has not changed. So he goes back and says that he will remember the works of the LORD. He notes specific attributes of God that he continues to see in the scripture. He is reminded that God is holy, God is all powerful, and God redeems his people.
Holy -God is perfect. Morally pure. There is no hint of error in all of his ways.
God is all powerful – There isn’t anything that God can’t do if He determined to do it. God can do what He wants, He is God. He could have done something different.
God redeems – God delivered His people time and time again. He uses the illustration of Jacob and Joseph. Both are men in history of the nation of Israel who found themselves in trouble time and again and the Lord brought them through. He delivered them. He redeemed them…. Maybe too this is where we get a glimpse of Asaph’s trouble. He calls out a father and a son. A father who mourned the loss of his son for decades thinking he was dead (Genesis 37:35).
LORD, I have no course but to consider that you are holy. There is no error in you. You know what you are doing. I must confess that you are all powerful and that you can do what you want. I also know that you are one who redeemed his people. Your heart towards me is one of redemption. So as hard as it is, I defer to you. You know what you are doing even when we cant see it.
Asaph remembers how God delivered Israel from Egypt. Israel didn’t go around the sea. They didn’t go over the sea. They didn’t stay and fight off the enemy. When all was thought to be lost, God took them through the sea! Those who were there could look and see the clouds, they could feel the rain, see the lightning, hear the thunder, anticipate the whirl wind, feel the earth shaking under their feet, and even while they didn’t see God… they knew he was there!
There was another moment like that has come since the time of Asaph. The devil was winning the battle.
Jesus was betrayed by one of his close friends.
The disciples abandoned Him.
The soldiers mocked Him.
Witnesses lied about Him.
They marched Jesus, naked down the streets of Jerusalem.
They beat Him and whipped Him.
They made Him carry a cross.
They hung Him on the cross.
Passers by mocked Him.
Even one of the thieves dying next to Him mocked Him.
They spit on Him.
He was in pain and agony.
Jesus even cried, “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” from the cross!
It looked like all was lost. It didn’t look like God was working. It didn’t look like God was moving. God couldn’t be seen. God was silent. Heaven was quiet. There wasn’t an answer. Many asked and questioned… God how could you do this? Surely you could stop it? Surely you could do something?
But was God really not there? No wait! He was! He was there all the time! His way was through the cross! Just when we would have been ready to accuse him of abandoning his people he was delivering them.
Even though God wasn’t visibly present he was leading his people like a good shepherd leads his sheep… And this is where it ends! It ends in faith!
Why didn’t Asaph just tell us to have faith? Because faith, real faith, isn’t the kind of thing that is conjured up. It’s the kind of thing that is worked out based on reality. It isn’t a leap in the dark. It’s a leap in the light to greater light. Trust God, because you have good reason.
So how do we pray this psalm now?
We pray… God I don’t know what you are doing? I feel lost. I feel like you are absent. I don’t feel your love right now. I know that you love me. I know that you care. I know that you are often moving in ways that I cannot see or feel. I can’t imagine how you might be working in my life in this moment, but I trust 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.
To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. In Judah God [is] known; His name [is] great in Israel. 2 In Salem also is His tabernacle, And His dwelling place in Zion. 3 There He broke the arrows of the bow, The shield and sword of battle. Selah 4 You [are] more glorious and excellent [Than] the mountains of prey. 5 The stouthearted were plundered; They have sunk into their sleep; And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands. 6 At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep. 7 You, Yourself, [are] to be feared; And who may stand in Your presence When once You are angry? 8 You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still, 9 When God arose to judgment, To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself. 11 Make vows to the LORD your God, and pay [them]; Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared. 12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes; [He is] awesome to the kings of the earth.
PSALM 76:1-12
THE GOD WHO FIGHTS FOR US
I love the account of Judges chapter 4-5. I won’t recount it all like I did here, but I’ll give you the highlights. The people come into the land of Canaan but they don’t really take it over like they are suppose to because the people of the valleys have the superior weaponry know as chariots. Then finally Deborah tells Barak to get ready for Battle and even though Sisera has the superior technology of chariots everyone gets ready to fight. Then it’s hinted at in chapter 5 that God comes and fights the battle…
what does he do? how does he show up? He sends a thunderstorm that muddies the watershed in the valley and the chariots get stuck! The superior technology of chariots completely backfire and become liabilities. Israel get’s the victory and God get’s the glory!
And you know, it’s not the only time he did it. The Old Testament is filled with accounts of how God fought for His people! The entire Egyptian army, the supper power of the day, drown chasing the Israelites through the Red Sea! The Assyrian Army turned on itself and fled during the middle of the night when the angel of the Lord walked through. Story after story, testimony after testimony of how God fought the battle and won victory for His people.
We need praise like this! We need songs that remind us that it is God who fights for us. Sometimes we don’t take the Lord into the equation at all. We estimate how we can do something or accomplish something and we don’t trust in the Lord. We need to be reminded that from saving our necks to saving our souls the Lord has always fought for His people. We should not be afraid to trust Him when things get serious, but rather we should trust Him all the more. This is when his work is seen most clearly. We simply need to trust him and take him at his word. So easy to say, so hard to do sometimes.
PRAYER
Father, Thank you for your incredible grace and mercy that have been multiplied in my life. How quick I am to forget that you are the one who fights for me. You went to the cross for my sin! I am redeemed by you and for your glory! As I pray over my day I ask that I would be aware of your grace in my life. I confess that too often I have taken your grace for granted. Let your praise be on my lips all day long as I recount of how you saved me and directed my steps. 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Hill House 