Monthly Archives: August 2019

Psalm 22

Jesus spoke this Psalm while dying (see Matthew 27:45-46). Uttering these words as He hung between life and death, His Father and the Creation He created and sustains, in unimaginable pain, Jesus spoke powerful words of thought-provoking praise.

We don’t often associate pain with praise. We generally associate praise with celebration, with winning. Rarely do we see sports teams, for example, exhibiting praise after losing crucial games. We generally see tears, frustration, and evidence of physical pain.

Maybe we’ve been wrong all these years. We often sing and shout praise when good is happening in our lives. We often praise when everything moves according to plan (at least, our plan). Maybe we have it backward.

Praise during pain? Obviously NOT. Lament, anger, and frustration (I’ve been hobbled since August 10 with a ruptured Achilles tendon- in a cast till September 10), YES. But praise? Not so much.

And yet, here we are given words to express praise in the midst of pain and agony. We are given the tools we need to re-order our patterns. We know God has answered prayer, we know God has rescued our ancestors and even our own lives. We know how God’s story ends – in assured and certain victory. We know, as the psalmist states, For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He did not hide His face from him (the one experiencing affliction) but listened when he cried to Him for help (Psalm 22:24, HCSB).

Praise when things go well? YES. Praise when in pain? YES.

Psalm 21

“May He give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose.” (Psalm 20:4, HCSB) and “You have given him his heart’s desire and have not denied the request of his lips.” (Psalm 21:2, HCSB). What we seek we find.

Sometimes what our heart desires does not align with God’s purpose. What then?  Perhaps the answer is found as we pause and ask ourselves, What is God’s ultimate purpose? Are the victories we celebrate really all about us? Are the enemies we stand against truly arrayed against us and us only?

I can’t help but read the Psalms in the context of my other regular reading of God’s Word. Currently, I am reading in Ezekiel, whose messages are primarily about judgment, about how God will act against His people for the sake of His name (see Ezekiel 20).

Yes, we celebrate victories. We honor those who stand firm against the enemy. However, what we are to find is summarized in these words:

“Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your might.” (Psalm 21:13, HCSB)

Psalm 20

According to one website, 30 countries are currently experiencing some kind of warfare (www.warsintheworld.com). Perhaps believers in some of these countries are using the words of this Psalm as they live in the midst of continual conflict.

For me, however, the conflict is internal. As John, one of Jesus’ earliest followers describes, For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions … (1 John 2:16 CSB) is my adversary. Since rupturing my Achilles tendon and living with a cast on my left ankle, the enemy has changed tactics. Busyness was a constant enemy. I was overscheduled. Now, with limited mobility, I find myself battling different enemies – doubts about my worth (after all, even showering requires assistance), anxieties about my ability to serve as pastor (aren’t pastor’s supposed to be in their study 40 hours a week, and visiting all the folks in the church 40 hours a week, and visiting lost people sharing Jesus for some hours during the week, as well as leading prayer meetings, worship services, counseling people, making hospital visits…), and frustrations about just getting around (getting from my home to my study is an interesting experience).

However, the Psalmist’s prayer resonates deeply in my heart and sould:

Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.  They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm.   Lord , give victory to the king! May he answer us on the day that we call.

Psalms 20:7-9 CSB

Psalm 19

What do you hear when you are outside? I’m sitting at my dining room table, leg elevated (I fell and ruptured my Achilles tendon and am in a cast for nearly a month), listening to the sounds of the neighborhood. It’s quiet. Most of the neighbors have left for work or running errands. If I listen carefully enough I can hear the sky proclaiming the work of God’s h hands, or so the psalmist claims. If should be able to hear the joy of the sun as it runs its course, according to the psalmist.

I am not proficient in listening to the sound of the sky or the joy of the sun. Yet God speaks whether I hear or not. I am an expert in discerning the stars and the messages they proclaim.

So, God speaks through His Word. In the Holman Christian Standard translation of the Bible the psalmist reminds me that God gives instruction, He testifies, He expresses precepts, He gives commands, He communicates ordinances. These I can hear. These I can train myself to hear, analyze, examine, remember, and think upon.

The psalmist closes with a prayer:

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14, HCSB)

For my words to be acceptable, for my thoughts to meet His criteria challenges me to learn to listen to the sky, listen to the way God speaks through the natural environment. God’s word, revealed in what we call ‘The Bible’ serves to underline what God is saying – even if we aren’t proficient in listening to the sky, hearing the joy of the sun.

Psalm 18

If this was the only written prayer of King David’s we’d think that he experienced some temporary trouble and then God intervened in some powerful and unpredictable way. Starting in the depths and rising to the heights this prayer celebrates David’s victory over Saul and the forces that had sought to keep him from ascending the throne as God had promised.

But, (and you knew this was coming) this momentary victory gives way to family fractures, desperate acts of deceit, and constant challenges to his leadership from enemies within and without.

Some seasons last too long. Others don’t last long enough. Psalm 18 celebrates the end of a long season in David’s life. Saul and his son Jonathan have died as a result of a battle. David could step into the role that God had anointed him to fill. The season of David’s life from his anointing to claiming the throne was confusion and uncertainty that deepened as the years passed. Now, David remembers how God as rock and shield has delivered.

Seasons come and go. Seasons of victory are sweet. The songs of our faith can be sung with exuberance and enthusiasm. But seasons change regularly. Be prepared for the change.

Psalm 17

In one 24 hour period two cities have been devastated by mass casualty events (El Paso, TX on Aug 3, and Dayton, OH early morning of Aug 4). Almost four years ago Douglas County was rocked by a mass casualty event at our local community college (Oct 2015). The psalmist, though living in different times knew what it was to live in violent times.

Our hearts are broken by the violence surrounding us. For some, the violence destroys the very fabric of their families as loved ones are killed, injured, or severely traumatized. How do we pray in violent times?

Cry out to the Lord, acknowledge that God indeed has investigated the true motives of our heart. Choose to live differently than those surrounding us.

Call out to God, certain that He hears and that He will answer. Trust that He will do as promised, even as violence rages around us and even when violence disrupts our own life.

Let God confront those who plan and devise violent. That doesn’t mean law enforcement officers must stand back. As Paul wrote in the NT, they carry weapons for a reason (Romans 13:4). The psalmist knew that God uses human means to advance His cause.

Calm your heart with the certainty that God’s presence is enough. Even when our fears overwhelm our hearts God’s promise stands constant. We will see Him. And that will be enough.