Proverbs 5-8: Who is Wise?

With me are riches and honor,
   enduring wealth and prosperity.
My fruit is better than fine gold;
   what I yield surpasses choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
   along the paths of justice,
bestowing wealth on those who love me
   and making their treasuries full.
“The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works,
   before his deeds of old;
I was appointed from eternity,
   from the beginning, before the world began. -Prov. 8:18-23 NIV

Wisdom speaks and declares that it has been with God all along.  Wisdom was there when the earth was created.  Perhaps that is why so few of us are endowed with wisdom...it is a God given, a God ordained thing and most of us eschew anything that would even appear to be god-like.  We want to do it on our own and think we are so smart, but in the end, most of us pay for our own foolish actions and seldom reap any of the benefits of God given wisdom.

Look around...how many people do you know who are truly wise...not just book smart or technologically savvy, but truly wise.  I don't know if I've met very many in my life time, and most of those I have known experienced a period of folly in their youth.  What could they have become if they had been guided by wisdom all of their lives.  Is it ever too late to ask for wisdom?  Do we get a second and third chance with it?  If we seek, will we find?.

2010 Post - Proverbs 5-8:  Don't Be Seduced

Proverbs 3-4 The Path of the Righteous

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
   shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
   they do not know what makes them stumble. - Prov. 4:18-19 NIV

My favorite time of day is the early morning, just as the sun begins to rise.  There is little mischief about.  The only companions are the early rising birds who from the sound of their morning songs, have little to fear as well.  All the threats of the previous days have vanished and peace has once more settled.  I can believe anything, hope for anything in those dawning hours.

As the writer of Proverbs says, there is hope in righteousness as opposed to the darkness that follows those who would do evil.  A threat worse than mischief, the threat of very grave danger, follows those who seek the cover of darkness; those who crave the excitement of deeds not fully seen.  There is no peace in the fulfillment of hidden passions, only danger, no safe walk when one cannot see the end clearly. 

This all sounds so preachy, so self-righteous, but I have seen both sides and I will always choose dawn over the night.

2010 Post - Proverbs 3-4:  The Wellspring of Life

Proverbs 1-2: The Fear of the Lord

for attaining wisdom and discipline;
   for understanding words of insight;
for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
   doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to the simple,
   knowledge and discretion to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
   and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,
   the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
   but fools despise wisdom and discipline. - Proverbs 1:2-7 NIV

For all the knowledge and information that is available today, everything that science and technology has provided, we are still lacking wisdom.  Our lives could not be described as being disciplined or prudent.  In fact they are anything but.  We may thing we are sophisticated, but we are really a very simple lot.  We mimic what we see.  We accept what the media and technology throw at us as truth and reality.  We think we are so wise, but we are only fools and although we would be loath to admit it, our lives demonstrate that we despise wisdom and discipline.

Only lives led in holy fear of the Lord God, the creator or the earth and sea, have any hope of attaining wisdom.  That's it.  Without him, without lives led in reverence, awe and even abandonment to him, we have no wisdom, we have no knowledge.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

2010 Post - Proverbs 1-2:  -The Beginning of Knowledge

Psalms 144-150: Praise the Lord!

Praise the LORD.
   Praise the LORD from the heavens,
   praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels,
   praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon,
   praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens
   and you waters above the skies. - Ps. 148:1-4 NIV

There's a storm blowing in this morning with the wind shaking the windows as I write. Another day, another exhibition of God's power.  Another day, another cause for praise.

Most of the time, we wait for an answered prayer to praise the Lord.  We praise him for what he has done for us, but in truth, all of our praise should be solely because he is.  In our modern world, it has become easy to reduce God down to our size.  We no longer think of him as the one who said to Moses, "I am that I am.".  But He has not changed and while we may not recognize who he is, the heavens, the sun and moon, the angels and heavenly hosts know him.  Only a few through the years, like the Psalmist, have caught a glimpse of him and were able to say 'Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.'  Everything, sun, moon, stars...everyone, kings, priests, shepherds, let every thing praise the Lord!

2010 Post - Psalms 144-150:  Let Everything That Has Breath

Psalms 139-143: On Level Ground

Show me the way I should go,
   for to you I lift up my soul.
Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD,
   for I hide myself in you.
Teach me to do your will,
   for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
   lead me on level ground. - Ps. 143:8-10 NIV

We live in a town that is relatively flat like a lot of other towns in Kansas.  It's great for bicycling as seldom do you have to strain at a steep hill, but for a lot of people, it's rather boring.  It's that way with our lives as well.  Most of us go out of our way to keep from living boring lives.  That's especially true of the young and all of the self inflicted drama that patterns their lives.  While most people tire of the roller coaster life while still relatively young and settle down to lives of average boredom, some of us chase after the excitement well past our prime.  It doesn't make us more useful to God or even ourselves, our lives are just more challenging.  Then, one day we wake up and realize that excitement and drama are not the be all and end all.  In fact, that adrenalin rush we crave may become our downfall.

The Psalmist knew what he was talking about when he asked God to lead him on level ground.  That's where the solid footing is.  That's where we walk safely and effortlessly.  That's where we learn to submit totally to God's will and let him orchestrate our lives.  That's where the music becomes a symphony instead of a rock concert.

2010 Post - Psalms 139-143:  Surrounded

Psalms 133-138: The Work of His Hands

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
   your love, O LORD, endures forever—
   do not abandon the works of your hands. -Ps. 138:8 NIV

Everyone wants to live a fulfilling life.  Many think it is owed them.  But in the final outcome, it is not whether or not we lead fulfilled lives, but whether or not God's fulfills his purpose for us.  And that is a matter of the heart, not our abilities.  God is always willing to fulfill his purpose for us, but for many of us, that is the last thing we want.  So we lead lives on our own terms that seldom resemble what we could have been, that fall short of the promise with which we started. 

It's difficult to submit to become clay in the potters hand, but that's the only way we develop any worth at all.  To measure our worth by the world's standards, we sell ourselves short and become relegated to the dustbin with the other shards of pottery that refused to be molded.

2010 Post - Psalms 133-138:  His Love Endures Forever

Psalms 127-132: More than Watchmen Wait for the Morning

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
   to my cry for mercy.
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
   O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
   therefore you are feared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
   and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
   more than watchmen wait for the morning,
   more than watchmen wait for the morning. - Ps 130:1-6 NIV

Like the Psalmist, my soul waits for the Lord. Who else is there that knows me and all the going's on in my life:  the things others are aware of and the things they are not?  Who else is there than can deliver me from the depths of despair?  Who else forgives me?  Who else is there that can hear me?  Who else is there that can heal me?  Who else is there that can give me hope?  Who else is there that loves me?

So I wait for him, more than I wait for anything else in this life.  More than watchmen wait for the morning, waiting for the darkness to subside.  More than watchmen wait for the morning.

2010 Post - Psalms 127-132:  A Lord Built House

Psalms 120-126" Whereof We are Glad

When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. - Ps. 126 NIV

We're all captive at some point in our lives, bound up by forces, external and internal, that we seem to have very little power over.  It is true.  We have very little power.  It is only the Lord that can do such a miraculous thing as releasing the captives from their prisons.  Only the Lord can cause streams to grow in the desert.  Only the Lord can alter the most binding circumstance into one of freedom.  Only he can take our tears and turn them into rejoicing.  In times past, now and for all time to come, the Lord has done great things for us; whereof we are glad.  It is good to begin the morning with that song on our lips.

2010 Post - Psalms 120-126:  Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

Psalms 119: You are Righteous, Lord

You are righteous, LORD,
   and your laws are right.
The statutes you have laid down are righteous;
   they are fully trustworthy.
My zeal wears me out,
   for my enemies ignore your words.
Your promises have been thoroughly tested,
   and your servant loves them.
Though I am lowly and despised,
   I do not forget your precepts.
Your righteousness is everlasting
   and your law is true.
Trouble and distress have come upon me,
   but your commands give me delight.
Your statutes are always righteous;
   give me understanding that I may live. Ps. 119:137-144 NIV

Many times I feel like the Psalmist. I see something, know something that the world refuses to acknowledge: That God is righteous, in all his ways and that God's law is true. 

During the years I was in business I began to realize that there were certain unwritten laws in business that would have severe consequences if broken.  That precept is illustrated over and over again in the rise and fall of the mighty like Bernie Madoff.  Following the written law is not enough.  There is order to the universe, and even if we think we are more clever than any of those around us, violating those laws will bring downfall. 

The same is true of  God's laws.  It doesn't matter if the world acknowledges God or his laws.  They still stand inviolable.  Even should we see the world around us crumble at the hands of those who let God have no part in their lives, God's law stands and will be standing when all else falls.  God is righteous, his law is righteous.  That is the only way it will ever be.

2010 Post - Psalms 119:  A Blessed Life

Psalms 111-118: This is the Day

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
   the name of the LORD is to be praised. - Ps. 113:3 NIV

It's a beautiful morning.  Much cooler and less humid than it has been for the past week.  The windows are open and the wren is adding it's song to that of the robin and the purple martins.  Mornings were made for praising God.  Most of the time, we are so wrapped up in our lives that we don't praise him as we should.  The birds seem to know something that we don't.

 This is the day the LORD has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it. - Ps 118:24 NIV

Over the years, I have found that the days I begin in the Lords presence go much more smoothly than those I begin on my own.  A harried life is no excuse.  Without praising our creator at the beginning of the day, the days just become more harried.  So to begin this morning, I give the praise to the one it is due.

You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
   you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
   his love endures forever. PS 118:28-29 NIV

2010 Post - Psalms 111-118:  Not to Us O Lord, Not to Us

Psalms 107-110: He Gives and Takes Away

 He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;
 A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
 He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.
 And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; - Ps. 107:33-36 NIV

Seasons come and seasons go, nations rise and fall, lush valleys become deserts and the desert becomes a watered garden.  It is all at the hand of the creator, all in his time and of his choosing.  What we are responsible is much more finite.  While we may think we are in control, that we have the power to change things for the good, all of our efforts are temporary at best.  We can build dams to tame the rivers and water the desert, but while they may last for our lifetime, another generation will see their demise.  It's only when we consider the works of God's hand that we glimpse his infinite power and realize just how small our puny efforts are.  His power lasts forever, he gives and takes away and no one can do anything about it.

2010 Post - Psalms 107-110:  His Love Endures Forever

Psalms 104-106: Leanness In Our Soul

They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. - Ps. 106:13-15 NIV

How this sounds like so many of us today, even those who would call themselves Christians.  We forget all about the wisdom of God.  We think we know it all, we don't need to wait on the leading of God.  He's too slow for the breakneck speed at which we live our lives.  He's old school, almost obsolete.

If we choose to leave God in the dust, he will stand back and watch us go.  He will honor our request to do it on our own, but he knows that the end result, the result of a life without him is leanness in our soul. 

2010 Post - Psalms 104-106:  Bless Thou the Lord O My Soul

Psalms 100-103: Through Eyes of Love

He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;  - Ps. 103:10-17 NIV
 
When I think about it, I cannot comprehend the depth of God's mercy.  He knows everything about us.  Even things we don't recognize ourselves.  He knows all of our thoughts good and bad, selfless and selfish and yet he does not dwell on our shortcomings.  He sees us through eyes of mercy.  He looks on us, on all our failings and weaknesses, yet those who fear him are seen through eyes of love, not condemnation.  What a marvelous thing it is to be a child of the Lord most high.

2010 Post - Psalms 100-103:  From Everlasting to Everlasting

Psalms 94-99: God, OUr Deliverer

Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.
When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.
 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. - PS 94:17-19 KJV

For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.
Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. - PS. 97:9-10 KJV

Sometimes I think we lose something in translation.  The newer versions of the Bible may be more accurate as far as the specific meaning of a phrase or in making it more user friendly, but there is something in the poetic that speaks to us on a deeper level and that is especially true in the Psalms.

When the Psalmist says 'in the multitude of my thoughts within me' I know exactly what he means.  My thoughts tumble and rage; sometimes I can find no peace from all the worries and concerns of the day and the future.  It is then, if I will leave all of that behind and run to the Lord that I am comforted.  God preserves my soul.  Not only does he deliver me out of the hand of the wicked, but he delivers me from my self.

 2010 Post - Psalms 94-99:  Sing, The Lord Reigns,

Psalms 90-93: In the Shelter of the Most High

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”
 Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Ps. 91:1-4 NIV

God must laugh at his creation quite frequently, especially those that would call themselves by his name.  We say he is our refuge, yet we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to do his job.   There is always something looming on the horizon that is going to destroy our way of life.   Ten years ago, people were storing things up for the Y2K disaster and now there is increased agitation over the financial state of this country and the dollar in particular.  Where are we going to go?  There is no refuge here.  None.  Whatever we count on will only be a temporary solution.  That doesn't mean we should not be prudent and live as if there will be no tomorrow.  But we should rest from our concerns.  After all we are dwelling in the shelter of the Most High

2010 Post - Psalms 90-93:  Because He Loves Me

Psalms 84-89: How Lovely

 How lovely is your dwelling place,
   LORD Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
   for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
   for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
   and the swallow a nest for herself,
   where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
   LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
   they are ever praising you.  - Ps. 84: 1-4 NIV

This morning I walked down by the river.  The humidity had lifted and it was a beautiful June morning, cooler than it has been for the past week or so and everyone was enjoying it.  There were people out running or walking their dogs and one young woman was doing yoga at the bridge overlooking the river.  There was a beautiful sunrise as well that back-lit all of the bridges along the river.  It was the kind of morning you wished would last forever.

But this is not our home...it's a temporary stop and no matter how beautiful the day, there is something in us that continues to yearn for the courts of the Lord.  All we find here are momentary satisfactions, but our souls as the Psalmist says, cry out for the living God, the one that is bigger and more wondrous than anything we could experience on this earth.  How lovely is the place where he dwells.

2010 Post - Psalms 84-90:  Where is Your Love?

Psalms 79-83: The 'gods' Know Nothing

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.
   They walk about in darkness;
   all the foundations of the earth are shaken. - Ps. 82:5 NIV

Lest we think we are living in extraordinary times, these words of Asaph illustrate that nothing has changed over the centuries.  Even then, there were 'gods' who thought they had arrived.  They had the adoration of man but even with power and recognition,  they were powerless when it came to doing anything that a real god could do.  They could not even protect the people.  They could not create enough laws to keep everyone safe.  They could not keep the people or themselves from descending into depravity.  They could not save their dollar or their coveted life style.  They couldn't even protect them from the vagaries of weather.  Yet they walked around, basking in their own glory, as if they were gods.   In their penthouses, limousines and designer clothes, they were immune from the laws that the 'little' people were subject to.

But they could not even save themselves, let alone the people who followed after them.  When God chooses to shake the foundations of the earth, all are shaken.  The 'gods' know nothing, they understand nothing.

2010 Post - Psalms 79-83:  Israel Then and Now

Psalms 73-78: Through the Mighty Waters

Your path led through the sea,
   your way through the mighty waters,
   though your footprints were not seen. Ps. 77:19 NIV

I thank God that he goes before.  How lost I would be if I were trying to navigate through this life on my own.  Even though he occasionally must lead us through the sea, through deep waters where we often cannot see his footprints, his children are never out of his thoughts. 

All we have to do is consent to being led, a more difficult task than it needs to be because most of us balk at getting our feet wet, let alone wading into a raging sea.  But those raging seas are our deliverance, they are often the only thing that stands between us and our enemy. 

2010 Post - Psalms 73-78:  Surely God is Good to Israel

Psalms 71-72: Wondrous Things

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. - Ps. 72:18-19 KJV

We used to sing this chorus years ago, and whenever I read the 72nd Psalm, the words echo in my head.

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel
Who only doeth wondrous things
Who only doeth wondrous things
Blessed be his glorious name forever

Let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen,

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel
Who only doeth wondrous things
Who only doeth wondrous things
Blessed be his glorious name forever.

It's a fitting end to the prayers of David, the son of Jesse and a fitting end to all of our prayers.  God only does wondrous things.  He can only do wondrous things.  Whether we believe it or not, whether we recognize it or not, he only does wondrous things.  When we think we have been abandoned, when we think he is never going to move on our behalf, he still only does wondrous things.  And in spite of what our eyes, our ears, all of our senses would tell us, the whole earth is filled with his glory.  Blessed be his glorious name forever.

2010 Post - Psalms 71-72:  When I'm Old and Gray

Psalms 66-70: The God of the Weak

Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
   extol him who rides on the clouds—
his name is the LORD—
   and rejoice before him.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
   is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
   he leads forth the prisoners with singing; - Ps. 68:4-6 NIV

What a contrast!  God rides on the clouds and yet he is a father to the fatherless and a defender of the widow.  He cares enough for us that he sets the lonely in families and for those who have been oppressed either by others or their own actions, he leads them forth out of their prison with singing. 

God is mighty and will exact retribution from his enemies, yet is that any more impressive than the fact that he cares for the lowliest of the lowly, the weakest of the weak, the smallest of the small. 

2010 Post - Psalms 66-70:  An Answer

Psalms 61-65: Strength and Love

One thing God has spoken,
   two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving. - Ps. 62:11-12 NIV

My mind has difficulty grasping this concept:  that God is strong and at the same time loving.  Usually my awareness is of one side or the other of God's nature, not both at the same time.  When I consider his strength...the strength and power of one who called forth light out of darkness and created our known world out of nothing, I feel small, unworthy, insignificant and hopelessly lost.  When I think of his love, of his forgiving nature, of how he chose me for his own, I have a tendency to start feeling wise and strong in my own power.  So, I'm caught in that dilemma we all face between the law and grace.  It's only by acknowledging that both are true that I am set fee to be what he desired when he created me.

2010 Post - Psalms 61-65:  God Is Love

Psalms 56-60: Pursued by the Enemy

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
   for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
   until the disaster has passed.
I cry out to God Most High,
   to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.
He sends from heaven and saves me,
   rebuking those who hotly pursue me; - Ps. 57-1-3NIV

It's one thing to be pursued by your enemies as David was on many occasions.  It's another to be pursued by your own mind, but the evil thoughts and desires that would overtake us and result in an even more deadly ruin while thwarting God's purpose for our lives.  Some of us are haunted more than others, but we all have those evil thoughts cross our minds from time to time.  I take comfort in the fact that even the Apostle Paul was plagued by these warring factions.

For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? - Rom. 7: 22-24 NIV

And whether the enemy is real or just internal, our response has to mirror that of Paul and David.  Paul when he said, that it was Christ who would rescue us and David when he said  With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. (Ps. 60:12)  Instead of bemoaning the fact that we are constantly pursued on one front or another, we gain the victory by acknowledging that it is only God that can beat down all of our enemies.

2010 Post - Psalms 56-60:  Be Exalted O God

Psalms 51-55: The Joy of God's Salvation

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
   or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. - Ps. 51:10-12 NIV

Do I really want a clean heart or am I satisfied that everyone around me thinks that I am pure and good.  David was in a place where his sin was found out.  Not only was his sin not hidden from God, but it was exposed to the prophet Nathan as well.  Most of us are more fortunate than that.  Our sins, the most vilest sort as opposed to the obvious ones, remain hidden for the most part.  It is the secret sins of bitterness, pride, idolatry, hatred, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, and envy that usually remain hidden from most of those around us; yet they are the most egregious.

Regardless of what we may gain from these secret sins, they will never provide the thing we desire most, the joy of God's salvation.  To think otherwise is only one more self-delusion.

2010 Post - Psalms 51-55:  A Matter of the Heart

Psalms 47-50: Only God

Why should I fear when evil days come,
   when wicked deceivers surround me—
those who trust in their wealth
   and boast of their great riches?
No man can redeem the life of another
   or give to God a ransom for him— Ps. 49:5-7 NIV

Why should we fear?  I have to ask myself that question many times.  Why should I fear?  At first glance it looks like there is much to be afraid of.  The economy continues to struggle, the politicians are becoming more corrupt and if not corrupt at least confused.  It becomes very apparent that none of them, no matter how articulate they may be, can be trusted for the answer to any crisis.  Not only are the politicians becoming more corrupt, but even in what are considered the most civilized of societies, the average citizen no longer has any regard for his neighbor.   And, not just in this country, which has been hard set by natural disasters, but throughout the entire world there seems to be no sanctuary, no place that is immune from tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis and every other force of nature. 

But the Psalmist says 'Why should I fear...no man can redeem life.'  No wonder we feel so helpless.  It is not within our power to redeem life, to provide any answer.  Only God has the power to redeem our life, only God will 'take me to himself.'

2010 Post - Psalms 47-50:  Great is the Lord

Psalms 42-46: Our Refuge and Strength

God is our refuge and strength,
   an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging. Ps. 46: 1-3 NIV

This has been a bad year for weather, or as the meteorologists would frame it 'mother nature'.  Even with destruction all around from tornadoes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, I am sure of two things, it is not the work of Mother Nature, it is the hand of God, and that same hand that causes the earth to give way and mountains to fall into the sea will be our refuge and strength. 

A lot of the survivors of the tornadoes in the south, in Joplin, and in Reading, Kansas, the small town close to us, are aware of that hand of God.  The witness of many, as they have stared at a landscape devoid of life, has been that God is their refuge.  Those of us who have been spared should contemplate God's all encompassing help and strength for our circumstances as well.

2010 Post - Psalms 41-46:  Deep Calls to Deep

Psalms 37-41: Do Not Fret

Do not fret because of those who are evil
   or be envious of those who do wrong; - Ps 37:1 NIV

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
   when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
   do not fret—it leads only to evil. - Ps. 37:7-8 NIV
I was young and now I am old,  
   yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
   or their children begging bread. - Ps. 37:25 NIV

Over and over again, David stresses the point that we are not to fret because of those who do evil .  We can look around this world and see all the evil that exists and take to heart what he is saying.  All of the wickedness of this world will someday cease.  All the philandering, cheating, lying, suppression of the poor, all of the sins against man and sins against God will have to be accounted for.  Even more chilling, David was one who had been beset by evil at the hand of Saul, one that he loved.  But he knew that even that was not cause for worry.

David knew rightly, that the one thing that should concern us is our own sin.   Instead of worrying about the sins of others, what they have done to us or the overall wickedness of any generation, we are to worry about our own transgressions.  David knew what it meant to sin, he wallowed in the depths when his son by Bathsheba became sick unto death.  That was the point in his life when he felt the most helpless.  Not when he was hiding in a cave, being chased by Saul, but when he was shut in his own room hiding from the results of his own sin.

 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
   My hope is in you.
Save me from all my transgressions; - Ps. 39:7-8 NIV

2010 Post - Psalms 37-41:  Trust in the Lord



Psalms 32-36: The Blessed Life

 Blessed is he
   whose transgressions are forgiven,
   whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
   whose sin the LORD does not count against him
   and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent,
   my bones wasted away
   through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
   your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
   as in the heat of summer. 
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
   and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
   my transgressions to the LORD”—
and you forgave
   the guilt of my sin. - Ps. 32:1-5 NIV

David knew something that we often forget.  It's not our circumstances that determine whether or not we are blessed, but our if our transgressions have been forgiven.  Those of us who have found forgiveness, often forget what we are capable of and as David experienced, when we try to cover up those sins, to pretend that they don't exist, we become consumed by the very sin that we try to ignore.  And even worse, the 'hound of heaven' will not let us rest in peace until we acknowledge that sin and refuse to cover it up any longer.  In order to have our sins forgiven, we have to acknowledge them.  God is always aware of the state of our heart, we're the ones that don't want to see it.  It's only by confessing and asking forgiveness that we enter into the blessed life.

2010 Post -Psalms 32-36:  God's Limitless Love

Psalms 28-31: Out of the Depths

 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. - Ps. 30:11-12 KJV

Years ago, we sang an old chorus with these words.  Just as I no longer recall those old choruses, I often forget all that God has done for me.  There have been times in my life when I was clothed in sackcloth and ashes, when I was surrounded by depths of darkness so deep I saw no hope for survival.  But God did turning my mourning into dancing and has blessed me so richly that I seldom remember those days.  Unfortunately, I also forget the dancing days, the celebration, the gladness I experienced when God brought me out.  In that sense, I guess I'm just like the Children of Israel who forgot all about their deliverance from Egypt. 

There is no way I can ever repay the Lord for what he has done, for all the blessings he has bestowed, but, I can give thanks forever as David said:  I will exalt you, O LORD,  for you lifted me out of the depths . - PS 30:1 NIV

2010 Post - Psalms 28-31:  Ascribe to the Lord

Psalms 23-27: Whom Shall I Fear

Psalms 27 has been providing hope and strength to millions.  There have been many songs written to proclaim the words:

The Lord is my light and my salvation,
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life
Of whom shall I be afraid.

This is my favorite musical intrepretation of these verses and two more different versions follow:

&








What more need be said...The Lord is my strength and my salvation.

2010 Post - Psalms 23-27:  Timeless Praise

Psalms 20-22: “Eloi, Eloi,lama sabachthani?

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? - Ps. 22:1 NIV

As so often happens in Old Testament writing and prophecy, there is a forth telling and a foretelling.  There is a depiction of the situation in the present, in the near future, and in the future to come.  David penned these words from his own circumstances and yet they are a preview of the death of Jesus.  'They have pierced my hands and feet,' David says, 'They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.'  “Eloi, Eloi,lama sabachthani?  Centuries later, Jesus would echo David's words:

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi,lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" - Matt. 27:46 NIV

Down through the years, many of God's chosen, pilgrims and martyrs, all those afflicted with pain and suffering, have cried the same words.  'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  And the answer remains the same.

You who fear the LORD, praise him!
   All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
   Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or disdained
   the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
   but has listened to his cry for help. - Ps. 22:23-24 NIV

God has not hidden his face from those he loves.  Never.  He never has, he never will. 

2010 Post -Psalms 20-22:  Some May Trust in Chariots