We have a God who hears us.
Psalm 61
1 O God, listen to my cry!
Hear my prayer!
2 From the ends of the earth,
I cry to you for help
when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
3 for you are my safe refuge,
a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
safe beneath the shelter of your wings!
I love Psalms; they are a beautiful reminder of how we can come to God with our pain. Psalm 61 is an example of coming to God in despair and knowing where his refuge is found. In an overwhelmed state, David asked God to listen and protect him. This verse includes my favorite picture of the Lord's protection of His children; that of a hen lifting her wings for her chicks.
We all have and will have our share of challenges in life. No matter how much we prepare, the unexpected happens. Scripture informs us that, in this life, we will have trouble. It is in these times our faith is tested, strengthened, and purified. 1 Peter 1:7 says, “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
It always amazes me that in times of great challenge, the wisest response is to drop to our knees. Our Father in heaven hears our cries, even when we cannot udder a word, we are heard. It is in these times, through these refining fires, when we run for the comfort of His wings, we learn true power of prayer.
Psalm 107:28-30
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
Week of 2/9/20 - Pages 50 - 63
Sin always starts off fun. I have said this more times than I can count. Because it rings true. The enemy does a great job of packaging sin to look like a gift in some cases. Lies and deceit can come easily.
Such is the case with David. He is on the roof and sees Bathsheba bathing. He had a choice to either keep looking, start to fantasize and let his imagination roam or he could have seen Bathsheba bathing and turned away. I imagine he said to himself, “What’s the harm in looking?” How different things would have been if David had turned away. And not just for him. We know the story. We know what happens.
Psalms 51 – David is now begging for God’s mercy, compassion and to be washed free from his guilt. David’s rebellion haunts him day and night.
When I think of how I ask God to forgive me of my sin it is so simple. God please forgive me for …
I respect David’s confession here. He truly acknowledges what he has done. The ripple effect of his actions, the chasm he has brought between himself and God. The despair is too much for him to take. The separation from God is more than he can bare. He is willing to do anything to repair the tear.
My prayer is that God would reveal my sin to me and that I too, can fall before the Lord with a repentant heart. That I would recognize the destruction that my sin causes to myself, those around me and most of all to my relationship with the one who loves me the most.
Week of 2/2/20 - Pages 37 - 50
The Psalms have always been one of my favorite books of the Bible for they authentically express many of the thoughts and emotions that we as humans experience. When I was in seminary the Psalms took on even greater meaning for me. I remember looking at how David (who wrote approximately half of the 150 Psalms) grew up in a home with no voice. He was despised by his brothers (1 Samuel 17:28-29) and forsaken by his parents (Psalm 27:10). When the family held a great feast, David as the youngest is not even invited (1 Samuel 16:11). But in the midst of his loneliness and struggles, David learned to pray. God gave him a voice. These prayers eventually became Israel’s hymnal and were memorized by almost every Jew through their daily singing. The Psalms became Israel’s voice to God for generations. But even more amazing is that David’s voice taught our Lord Jesus how to pray and gave him words to express his deepest emotions during his darkest hour:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1)
“Into your hands I commit my spirit” (Psalm 31:5).
The apostle Paul encourages us to use the Psalms as a vehicle to give us a voice and to teach us how to pray: “…be filled with the Sprit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18-19).
So as I read this week’s Psalms, I am reminded of the unpredictability of life and how often we may not understand the circumstances we face. Like the Psalmist, we may feel overwhelmed, experience times of discouragement and grief, feel forgotten, or unable to see a way out. The Psalmist teaches us, however, that we can bring all of these things to God in prayer and in doing so, we will not be disappointed. For as we come to Him, we will experience His faithfulness, tender mercies, and unfailing love. We will come to know Him as our refuge, strength, and protector. And as we trust in the Lord and put our hope in Him alone, we can declare with the Psalmist: “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress” (Psalm 46:11).
Week of 1/26/20 - Pages 26 - 37
As I look at this group of Psalms (Psalms 27 - 36), 3 common themes stand out to me. (1) God's character is completely trustworthy and is the bedrock on which His children must build their lives; (2) God's people can and should take refuge under His wings when the storms of life rage around; and (3) God's people do have real enemies in this life, and God can handle them too.
Time and time again in this group of Psalms, the Psalmist is contrasting the challenges in this world with the peace that comes with placing our complete confidence and faith in God to both protect us in the short term, but also to cause us to prosper in this life for the long haul. I find this to be tremendously helpful and accurate advice. ,I have lived long enough now in this life to have experienced "long" seasons of job instability, major immediate family health challenges, and income challenges for instance. I have also experienced seasons of trying to handle these stresses too much in my own strength and also seasons of leaning more on the Lord than my own strength. The net result, is that the former is very hard - really unsustainable, and the latter is so much more peaceful - very much sustainable.
The more I can actually live as the Psalmist calls us to live, the more clarity I have, the more insight I have, the more peace, and the more I have the capacity to live for others - even in the midst of the storm. This does bring joy in the midst of the storms.
My only regret is that I am not able to live as the Psalmist calls us to live more days of the month than I do right now.
Still, a very important first step is the DESIRE to do so, and when we can keep stoking that fire of DESIRE to follow the Lord, each day really does feel new and fresh, even when life is hard. This concept comes across strongly in these Psalms. The Psalmist conveys a strong DESIRE to know and walk with the Lord closely and there seems to be in the Psalms almost a self-perpetuating element to this seek-desire-seek rhythm. The more we humbly seek after the Lord and obediently follow His direction in our lives, the more He shows up, and this in turn adds fuel to the fire of DESIRE for Him. I do appreciate the fact that sometimes "life" knocks us to the ground and maybe we have gotten out of this rhythm. When this happens it can sometimes seem like there is an inertia fighting against us to get started again. And remember, in addition to our own feelings of tiredness or frustration, there is a very REAL enemy fighting against us finding that rhythm again. In those cases I think we need to remember the 3 themes I stated at the top of this post. God is trustworthy, God WILL protect us as we run to Him, and let God take care of our enemies as we rest under His very large and strong wings.
May our great God reward you as you earnestly seek to draw close to Him.
Week of 1/19/20 - Pages 14 - 26
Amidst many chapters of praise and worship there is one chapter this week that the author’s tone changes. Chapter 22 rests between some renown chapters in Psalms. The author exclaims that God feels absent or far away. He prays day and night and hears no answer. He feels no relief. There is urgency and worry felt when one reads this chapter. When we are in the valley we often find ourselves crying out to God and receiving only silence. We tire ourselves out trying to change our circumstance.
But in the very next chapter, chapter 23, the author states, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me.” This is what stands out more than anything else. In chapter 22 I believe the writer is in the valley and it is hard to see much in the valley. I imagine myself standing in Yosemite Valley with looming granite cliffs reaching far into the sky. It seems impossible to escape. However, in chapter 23, the author now has some perspective. His vantage point has changed. He’s learned to be thankful for the valley because it has taught him a great thing. God has taught him perspective.
God often makes me feel small. This shrinking feeling I get is not one I dread but instead one I love. I love the feeling because it instantly shapes my perspective. It instantly puts God where He belongs. When I am small, I am weak, fragile, and delicate. Therefore, I need the God who created the universe. I need that God to guide me, lead me, and sometimes carry me through what seems like an insurmountable difficulty. Lean into God and He will allow you to see Him for who He really is.
Week of 1/12/20 - Pages 1 - 13
“Gut-Level Honesty and Passion”
“Prayer is elemental, not advanced, language,” writes biblical languages scholar Eugene H. Peterson. “It is the means by which our language becomes honest, true, and personal. In the original Hebrew, the Psalms are not genteel—they’re earthy and rough. They are not the prayers of nice people, couched in cultured language. But they have an immense range of gut-level honesty and passion that provides them with terrific energy.”
Of all the depths of Holy Scripture, the Psalms have unequivocally been the bottomless well from which I have and continue to drink most often and most deeply. I know of nowhere else to go but to these prayers and songs to find comfort, understanding, and an authentic way of communicating to God that nothing other than the spiritual language of the Holy Spirit exceeds.
To all the challenging seasons of my life (divorce, health issues, parenting, financial and vocational failure, sin patterns and addictions, hurtful offenses, depression, disappointment, betrayal, etc.) the psalms speak. They have never failed to deliver words that resonate on a profoundly personal level and leave me with an unshakable faith that my experiences are legitimate, and more importantly, that God both cares about my struggles, and will not abandon me to them.
For the last decade, Psalm 3, which I wear on a chain around my neck, has been a particularly powerful reminder and trust-builder in my relationship with God:
Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”[b]
3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.4 I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
7 Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
8 From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
This psalm may seem excessive or harsh, but I am reminded that my true enemies are not people. My foes are Fear, Anxiety, Hopelessness, Offense, and an Enemy that attempts to assault me daily with thousands of arrows aimed at my mind and heart. This passage gives me resolve and strength like few others can. It is one of my most often used warring passages – that helps me to “take every thought captive” and “stand firm” in the battle (2 Cor. 10:5; Ephesians 6:10-18).
The Sons of Korah – a modern Australian musical group whose entire anthology is devoted exclusively to the Biblical psalms has helped me over the years to feel the emotional energy, and to experience them as they were meant to be heard. Below is their rendition of Psalm 3. I regularly listen to this song before sermons, and in preparing my heart and my courage as I face earthly challenges and spiritual resistance in living the Christian life and pastoring a Life Together community of which I’ve been entrusted. I hope you find it as invigorating as I do.
Blessings and Happy Reading!
Pastor Lee
Week of 12/22/19 - Pages 256 - 271
King Hezekiah, encouraged and strengthened by the prophet Isaiah, trusts in the Lord, and God miraculously defeats the Assyrian army, removing the military threat. King Hezekiah is described as the most godly king in Judah’s nearly 350-year history (II Kings 18:5). However, after his death, Manasseh, his son, becomes king and is considered by many to be the worst Jewish king ever. He leads the nation into idol worship and Judah sinks to new lows. King Manasseh sacrificed his own son in the fire of idol worship. He practiced sorcery and divination and consulted mediums and psychics. He did much that was “evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
King Manasseh is succeeded by his son, King Josiah, who tries valiantly to return Judah to a true worship of God. He orders repairs be made to the temple, and in the process of repairing the temple, the book of Deuteronomy is discovered. King Josiah reads it and realizes how serious their sin and attempts to remove all pagan worship and renew the covenant with the Lord. After the death of King Josiah, Judah degenerates quickly as the few remaining kings all did “evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
Finally, the Babylonian army overruns Judah and eventually destroys Jerusalem completely. For the first time since Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, at least 600 years earlier, the Jewish nation ceases to exist. It will take another 50 years until the Jews are allowed to return from exile.
This story repeatedly informs us that this destruction and exile was because of Judah’s great sin against God, especially the idolatry. It teaches us a lot about sin and its consequences. If people repeatedly and continuously disobey God and refuse His calls for repentance, then they can expect to experience judgment. We learn that we can remain faithful to God even if the entire society becomes hostile to God.
Week of 12/15/19 - Pages 224 - 255
Wow this week reading was a roller coaster of good kings and bad kings. Some younger than others. Some started out with obeying God’s instructions yet ended their reign in utter disobedience. Some Kings just never gave credence to God’s ways at all. There were a few that obeyed throughout their entire reign and with those I whispered a little yipiee! But always there was a punishment from God when His ways were not heeded.
In 2 Kings 17 it says…
“Again and again the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah; “Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees – the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets”. Then ends with, “You must worship only the Lord your God.”
A king’s disobedience was met with punishments that were severe and swift. Yet God did take pity on His people and, in His time, would woo His people back to Him, always giving His Grace and Mercy.
As we are in the midst of this Advent season, how can this week’s reading touch us and teach us? My thoughts lead me to think of our savior and King. Our King was born human and walked the earth human. He understands and lived the frailty of being human. Yet, how blessed are we to have our King bore our sins? How blessed are we to have a King stand in the gap for us? How blessed are we to have a King leave us the Holy Spirit that guides us and lives in us? How blessed are we to have a Heavenly King.
God allowed His people to choose earthly kings that ended up failing Him. Yet, by His grace gave a Heavenly King, Jesus. During this season of celebrating Jesus’ birth we can ponder the words God spoke to His people… “You must worship only the Lord your God.” Ask God…” Is it truly only you Lord I worship? Hmmmm??? …. Perhaps there might be some pondering to do….
Merry Christmas!
Week of 12/8/19 - Pages 232 - 244
I have read through my designated section a number of times and did not find that a profound statement was going to come out of me regarding this reading.
It’s good to be the king-sometimes the saying goes. Not always the case. In the reading for this week, it goes through a succession of kings (Ben-Hadad, Aram; Hazael, Aram; Jehoram, Judah; Joram, Israel; Ahazian, Judah; Jehu, Israel; Joash, Judah)
All of them seemed to start out well, but did not really deliver in the end. They did not destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, did not destroy pagan shrines, collected money to repair the temple but failed to follow through for 23 years. They all seemed to meet an untimely end, in battle or by assassination. King could prove to be a fairly untenable position.
Elisha, on the other hand, pretty much weathers the storms and seasons of the various kings. Elisha did some amazing things because he put his faith in God and God supported him in all that he did (relayed Aram King’s plans to the Israelites, blinded the king’s army when they came to capture him, ended the famine in the city under siege, foretold that Hazael would become king, informed Jehu that he would be king).
The kings, outwardly the most powerful people during their reign, were really small potatoes compared to the influence that Elisha wielded. Kings come and go, but I guess in reality it was good to be a prophet and reap the rewards and consequences of a life of faithfulness to the Lord. Still holds true today, there are a lot of people who have the outward appearance of success and riches but have no happiness in their heart. Need to do a reality check of what inspires them and what they value.
Week of 12/1/19 - Pages 220 - 232
There was a lot going on in this week’s reading. What I noticed was the way God used his prophets Elijah and Elisha. I was so curious about how and why God had them do the curious things they did. Some of their actions seemed so random and mystical—Elijah rolling up his cloak to strike the river and part the water. Then Elisha uses salt to clear up rank drinking water, calls forth bears, throws flour into a pot to neutralize poison, and makes an axe head float. Without insight into any dialogue between prophet and God, these things seem to come directly from the men themselves. I realized I was thinking of them almost as magicians—like the power came from them instead of God.
It’s not like God’s use of power makes a whole lot more sense when we’re given insight. No fewer than 400 prophets—Jewish prophets—give Ahab the go-ahead to attack Ramoth Gilead. Micah is the sole dissenter, and only when pressed. We learn that God has allowed, even sought, a spirit to entice Ahab to his doom. What’s that all about?
It seems that what it’s all about is what it is usually all about: God accomplishing his purpose, his way. We see him totally win Naaman over: the man has to be convinced to swallow his pride and do something he appears to see as not worthy of his time, in water that suffers in comparison to his native waters. But the process makes a devoted follower out of him—and it is to God that he gives the glory, not to Elisha.
In most of these situations, people have to choose. Ahab and Naaman have the choice to believe the prophets, even when they don’t like what they have to say. Others have the choice to believe that the prophets are sent from God and can help them purify their water, save their son, save their scarce meal. Did the third captain who begged Elijah for his life and the lives of his fifty men have faith, or merely fear? Either way, it was a healthier response than the boys who taunted Elisha.
So, what does this mean for me? To be honest, I want to see cool miracles. I also want to believe that if I were there, I’d place my trust in the Lord, not in the man. Thousands of years later, I’m still called to do the same thing.