Psalm 38 - Sin's Sickness

LINK: Psalm 38 (Amplified) & Psalm 38 (The Message)

BACKGROUND

This is another "penitential psalm" of David. It is very similar to Psalms 6 and 32 that we will read tomorrow.

"No soundness of flesh" (38:3) means "no health in my body" (NIV).

During my last day of prayer, I meditated on it in the Amplified Bible because I loved the imagery that it evoked. The Message also does a good job. Imagine "arrows" of conviction from the Lord or His hand pressing You because of your sin. What would it be like to have a "flood wave" of iniquity crashing over your head? Meditate on this and imagine this in your meditations. (Then you can imagine a "flood wave" of love because God wants your repentance to be wrapped in His love!)

David's sin led to many health problems, it separated him from God and others, and caused him to be very lonely!  Sin is not something to hold on to. We need to confess and let it go.

REFLECTION

Sin can sometimes make us sick! Not all sicknesses are caused by sin, but some are. Why do we sin then? 

Ignatius of Loyola had a very interesting perspective on the reason for sin:

God is the generous giver, showering us with blessings like the sun shining on the earth. If we truly understood this, we would return God's love with love. We wouldn't sin. Gratitude is a good word for this fundamental quality of our relationship with God. Ingratitude, our blindness to who God truly is, is thus the root of all sin. 

(God Finds Us: An Experience of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, p. 61)

Simone Weil, philosopher, mystic, and activist (1909-1943) said:

"Every sin is an attempt to fly from emptiness." 

I think they both are related. I think Ignatius had it right at the root, and I think when we have an incorrect view of God and his ability to be a generous giver, we feel empty, and we do things that try to fill that emptiness apart from God. It relates to 2 Peter 1:2-4. The New American Standard Version translates it best:

Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 

True and accurate knowledge of God (the Greek word implies personal, true, and correct with an understanding of the benefits of that). So if we really understood God as the generous giver. We would be less inclined to sin.

I remember exactly where I was in the 80s when this hit me. I had struggled for a long time with a besetting sin, and God gently showed me more of his character through these verses.

Praying we fly TO the Generous Giver of everything we need for life and godliness. The only One who can fill that emptiness! 

APPLICATION

Take time today and ask God to reveal your emptiness to you and how you are trying to fill that void.  

In Your presence is FULLNESS of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 16:11

A daily Examen helps you to respond in gratitude to God and his generous gifts of that day, helping you to see where He has been with You. Then, you can see where you did not respond to Him. It puts sin in the "bubble wrap" of His love. He wants to see you partake of the divine nature. He really does!

PRAYER

Lord, bring us back to Your presence and right hand. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Psalm 51 - Removing the Blot

LINK: Psalm 51  

BACKGROUND

The next four days of "penitential psalms" are perfectly timed because, if you are reading according to the Bible Book Club schedule (and it is OK if you are NOT), it is the Jewish month of Elul.  It is a time of repentance in preparation for the "High Holy Days" or "Days of Awe" between Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).  As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming one. How appropriate that we would be here during this time of year.  Even though we do not follow the Jewish calendar, September is usually like a new year as everyone changes from the lazy days of summer to a regular routine of work and/or school. Let it be a time of repentance, examination, and stocktaking for you as well!

Psalm 51 is directly attributed to David's sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12). David called on our merciful, compassionate, and forgiving God when he was exposed by Nathan. David acknowledged that ultimately sin offended God more than anyone else (51:4).

Hyssop branches (51:7) were mentioned for cleansing.  In our reading earlier this year, we learned that these branches were used to put blood over the door frames in the Passover ceremony (Exodus 12:22). When this was done, the angel of death "passed over" the house, the wrath of God was averted, and the firstborn were spared.

David asked God to not take the Holy Spirit away (51:11).  The Holy Spirit came upon David when Samuel anointed him (1 Samuel 16:13). The Holy Spirit had left Saul when he sinned (1 Samuel 16:1, 14; 1 Samuel 7:15), and David did not want that to happen to him too.  Today, the Spirit does not come and go like in the Old Testament times. Once we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to abide with us forever (John 14:15-18).  Remember this when you use this psalm as a model for confession.  Even though we cannot lose the Holy Spirit, we can grieve (Ephesians 4:30-32) and quench Him (1 Thess. 5:19) by deliberately sinning and not regularly confessing and repenting of sin and yielding to the Holy Spirit in our lives (51:12).

After David had asked for cleansing (51:1-7) and restoration (51:8-12), he asked for God to use him in teaching sinners the good and right way (51:13-19).  He wanted to turn it all around for God's glory!

Even though God forgave David's sin, there were consequences to his sin that we will learn about in 2 Samuel 12:13-14.

REFLECTION 

1 Kings 15:5 says that David did what pleased the Lord, except with "Uriah the Hittite."  What a blot on his life! But David knew the only way to remove that blot was through confession and repentance.  Psalm 51 is a model of confession for us all.

APPLICATION

Daily examination and confession of sin are a good way to start and end your day. Examen Prayer can be wonderful for this (as well as looking at where you did not turn away from God and experienced His presence). 

I also like to ask the Holy Spirit to fill and control me.  Here is another excerpt from the "Morning Affirmations" in  Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship:

Examination
Holy Spirit, search my heart and reveal to me any unconfessed sin you find in me: 

Search me, O God, and know my heart; 

Test me and know my anxious thoughts. 

See if there is any offensive way in me, 

And lead me in the way everlasting. 

(Psalm 139:23-24) 

*Now spend some time praying through Psalm 51* 

Lord, I thank you for the forgiveness you promised when you said:

“Come now, let us reason together: 

Though your sins are like scarlet, 

They shall be as white as snow; 

Though they are red as crimson, 

They shall be like wool.” 

(Isaiah 1:18) 

Filling of the Spirit 

Holy Spirit, control me and fill me today: 

I was once darkness, but now I am light in You, O Lord.  

May I walk as a child of light 

(for the fruit of the light consists in all 

goodness and righteousness and truth), 

learning what is pleasing to You. 

(Ephesians 5:8)

As I walk in You, O Spirit, 
I will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. 
For the flesh desires what is contrary to You, and You, 
Holy Spirit, desire what is contrary to the flesh; 
for you oppose each other, 
so that I may not do the things that I wish.  
But if I am led by You, I am not under the law.  
(Galatians 5:16) 

Since I live in You, Spirit, 

may I also walk in You. 

(Galatians 5:25)

2 Samuel 11:1-12:13a "You are the Man!"

LINK: 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13 
(Read this over the next two days.)

BACKGROUND

2 Samuel 11-24 marks a new stage of David's life: sin, suffering, and struggle! David was given rest from every side with the exception of the Ammonites. Instead of going out to battle like other kings, David sent Joab out to battle to finish them off. This successful siege put an end to Ammonite power, and they were subject to Israel from then on. 

While idle in the palace, David yielded to the temptation of a beautiful woman and committed adultery with Bathsheba, and she became pregnant. Then, he tried to cover it up with lies and deceit (by calling Uriah home from the battlefield and trying to get him to lie with his wife) and eventual murder! How far he had fallen from just a few chapters earlier when he had expanded the kingdom and expressed kindness to Mephibosheth!

David's sin was uncovered by the prophet Nathan through the story of the rich and poor man and the little ewe lamb. David's response to this story was to tell Nathan that the rich man deserved to die, and Nathan's response was swift and to the point:

"You are the man!" (12:7)

David was convicted by Nathan's words and immediately repented:

"I have sinned against the LORD" (12:13a)

I had you stop in your reading at David's repentance in 12:13a because we will go into the Psalms typically associated with David's repentance of his sin connected with Bathsheba and repentance in general (51, 38, 6, 32, and 103).

Sadly, Nathan prophesied tragic and far-reaching consequences that could not be reversed and would plague David until the day he died. Stay tuned.

REFLECTION

When things are going well, we can be most vulnerable to sin and temptation! We can get lazy about little things in our life. 

For some of us, pride may slowly slip in, and we might say, "Well, aren't I special! Look what I have done with my life." Sometimes we fail to recognize that it is not because of anything we have "done" but because of what the Lord has done through us. We can slowly slip away from a tenacious dependence on God.

Then, we fall.

Also, there are times when we are "in the groove" with the Lord, and we become a "high maintenance" project for the enemy. (We are low maintenance when we are doing nothing of significance that would threaten the havoc he wreaks on the world.)  
One of my dearest friends tells me that I am a major target for the enemy. I do not like to think that way because it seems pretty boastful, but sometimes the Lord does amazing things through us, and the enemy wants to stop that from happening. So, he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour those whom God is choosing to work through (1 Peter 5:8).

David may have been approaching rest on every side from his physical enemies, but he would never have rest from his spiritual enemy and neither do we!

I have learned that the best way to fight temptation and stave off our spiritual enemy is to KEEP MY ARMOR ON! I pray through "Morning Affirmations" almost every day. They are Scriptures that remind me who the Lord is, who I am, who the Holy Spirit is, and how I can be protected from the enemy. When I get to the spiritual armor part, I visualize myself putting on every piece of armor. Then, I am ready to face the day.

APPLICATION/PRAYER

Here is a portion of the "Morning Affirmations":

Protection in Spiritual Warfare 

O Lord, guard my heart against the temptations of the world and renew my heart and spirit: 

Since I have been raised up with You, O Christ, I will keep seeking the things above, where You are at the right hand of God. I will set my mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2) 

I will be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving I will let my requests be made known to You, O God. And Your peace, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-8) 

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise, I will let my mind dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:9) 

O Lord, guard my heart against the weaknesses and temptations of the flesh so that I may reckon myself dead to sin: 

Father, I know that my old self was crucified with Christ, so that I am no longer a slave to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin. I will reckon myself as dead to sin, but alive to You in Christ Jesus. I will not present the parts of my body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but I will present myself to You, O God, as one alive from the dead, and the parts of my body as instruments of righteousness to You. (Romans 6:6-7, 12-13) 

O Lord, guard my heart against the attacks of the devil and give me the strength to resist him: 

As I submit myself to You, O God, and resist the devil, he will flee from me. (James 4:7) 

I will be of sober spirit and on the alert. My adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But I will resist him, firm in my faith. (1 Peter 5:8-9) 

I will take up Your full armor, O God, that I may be able to resist and stand firm. I put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness; I put on my feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; and I take up the shield of faith with which I will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. I take the helmet of salvation and the sword of Your Spirit, which is Your Word, O God. With all prayer and petition, I will pray at all times in Your Spirit and be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13-18) 

(Reprinted by permission from Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship by Kenneth Boa, pp. 7-9)

 

Psalm 44 - God Our Help in Ages Past

LINK: Psalm 44

BACKGROUND

You know that Sesame Street game that had the song "One of These Things is Not Like the Others."  Well, what is different about this Psalm? 

It is not written by David!  It is a "contemplative" song of the Sons of Korah.  They were temple assistants who were descendants of the Levites. "The 'sons of Korah,' who formed a leading part of the Kohathite singers (2 Chr. 20:19), were intrusted with the arranging and singing of Ps. 42, 44–49, 84, 85, 87, and 88" (Easton's Bible Dictionary). 

Even though it is not a psalm of David, I put it here because it is about military defeat and victory. Also, it has many parallels with Psalm 60. Compare:

44:3 with 60:5
44:5 with 60:12
44:9, 23 with 60:1,10

This psalm is a lament of the nation during a military defeat. It is a plea for victory. In this psalm, past victories are remembered, and confidence is asserted in God and a prayer for victory is given.  

REFLECTION

This afternoon, I took a long bike ride and then swung around to pick up George on campus. As I entered the campus Wi-Fi, I heard a "ping" telling me that my wireless iPod had a Facebook message.

It was a "distress signal" that read, "I'm totally freaking out! Sigh." 

As I lay on the grass, looking up into the summer sky, I prayed for this young woman. I wish I could make it all better for her. She moved up here six months ago for more training in ministry. God had provided a job, but she lost it about a month ago due to budget problems. She is very discouraged. I do not blame her. I am forced to trust right along with her. 

This psalm is perfect for her dilemma. The sons of Korah remind us that God was faithful in the past, and He will be faithful in the future even though the present seems to be filled with defeat. 

Pray for this dear, young woman. Pray that she would come out on the other side strengthened in her faith.

2014 Update: She has been serving God in East Asia for the last two years. God has greatly strengthened her faith since then!

APPLICATION

Does your present look bleak, and do you see no hope for the future?  Make a list of God's faithfulness to you in the past and praise Him!

PRAYER

I keep thinking about the old hymn, God Our Help In Ages Past, while meditating on this Psalm. Let this be your prayer today. God is truly our help in the past and will continue to be in our future!

Psalm 60 & 33 - Trust and Hope in Our Great God

LINK: Psalm 60 & 33 (read over the next two days) 

BACKGROUND

Psalm 60

2 Samuel 8 and 2 Samuel 10:6-18 (also 1 Chronicles 18:1-13 and 19:6-19) contain the background to this Psalm.

While David was fighting the Arameans (Syrians) in the north, The Edomites attacked from the south. Joab and Abishai (1 Chronicles 18:12) were dispatched to defeat the Edomites in the Valley of Salt (south of the Dead Sea). Commentators think that David wrote the psalm after hearing news of Edom's invasion.

Aram-Naharaim = Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia
Aram-Zobah = Arameans of central Syria

We first learned about Shechem and Succoth from our study of Jacob in Genesis 33:17-18. Succoth is where he made booths (and the historical background behind the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles that is celebrated in the fall). Shechem is where he settled in the land of Canaan. God had already defeated the nations in Canaan and divided the land among His people (Psalm 60:6-7, Exodus 15:3, 13-18; Joshua 18:10). Ephraim was a strong tribe ("helmet"). Judah was the royal tribe. ("scepter"). Moab (David related through Ruth), Edom (descendants of Esau), and Philistia were defeatable! 

Psalm 60:5-12 is identical to Psalm 108:6-13.

David concluded with trust and confidence in the Lord that He would give Israel victory even if attacked from both sides. He did!

REFLECTION (written in 2008)

Warren Wiersbe says that David "was the kind of leader who looked to the future and trusted the Lord" (Be Worshipful, p. 208). That hit me tonight as I have been hearing so much apprehension and fear about where our country might be going morally, socially, and economically. It seems we are being hit from all sides! I am not making a political statement one way or the other, but I think we need to look to the future and trust the Lord like David!

2023 Update: I never would have dreamed how much worse it could get in just 15 years. Fear gripped the world with the COVID pandemic.

APPLICATION

Do you have fears and apprehensions about your future? Is life "closing in" on you? Follow David's example and pray, trust, and worship the Lord.

Here are two great messages on fear versus faith that might impact you greatly; they speak to current events in the Middle East too:

"Serve to Win"

"The Other Side of Fear"

Psalm 33

This is a hymn of praise. Some commentators believe that it was a result of a victory. So, I put it after David's defeat of the Ammonites.

PRAYER

Lord, help us to know that You are a strong and mighty God. Give us the faith to trust You for our future. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

2 Samuel 10 - David Suspected of Wrong Motives

LINK: 2 Samuel 10

BACKGROUND

David wanted to show kindness to Hanun, the new Ammonite king because Hanun's father had been kind to him, but Hanun's advisers led him to believe that David had sinister motives for sending his men. So, David's men were humiliated by having their beards and garments cut. In Israelite culture, a full beard was a sign of maturity and authority. Consequently, what Hanun's men did to David's men was a great indignity. This was considered a declaration of war, and the Israelites responded by defeating the Ammonites.

REFLECTION (written in 2008)

Have you ever had anyone assume sinister motives or ill will on your part? Just last night, a friend reminded me of something that happened last year. This friend had asked me if another woman could be in our small Bible study. So, I asked the others in the study if that would be OK. They said great, and we invited her to be part of the study. She joined the study and things were going pretty well. So, I thought.

A few months into the study this woman called me to say how hurt she was that I did not want her to be in the Bible study.

I said, "But you are in the study. I heard that you wanted to be in it, and I asked the others in the study if it would be OK, and we invited you to join us. When did I not want you in the study?"

She said, "I asked ____ if I could be in the study in the spring, and I did not get in it until September." (I should say that there was NO STUDY to ask to be in during the spring. So, I am not sure what she meant by that).

I said, "Well, if you wanted to be in the study in the spring, I was not informed of that until September at which time I invited you to join us. Maybe you need to talk to ____ about that since she was the one you asked about being in the study."

Apparently, _____ does not remember this woman asking about being in the study in the spring. So, this woman thought I had "held her off" for six months. I could not hold someone off if I did not know she was asking, could I?

I assured her that I did not mean anything ill toward her, and we cleared up the misunderstanding. We finished the study year, and I thought that was behind us; but last night, my friend said this woman called her last week and wanted to talk about "me" and rehash the whole situation. My friend told this woman that if anyone was to blame, it was not me but her since she forgot that the woman had asked to be in the study. This woman still wants to blame me and talk behind my back though.

SIGH. :(

She is still assuming I meant ill against her.

Oh well. So much for thinking you are at peace with all people. :(

(2011 Update: We are at peace now after many months of talking it through.)

APPLICATION

If you have someone assuming ill will, pray about it and see what the Lord would have for you to do.

PRAYER

Lord, I thank You that You know the motives of our hearts no matter what people assume. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Psalm 8 - God Created, Cares for, and Crowns Us!

LINK: Psalm 8 

BACKGROUND

This is one of the "nature psalms" along with Psalms 19, 29, 65, and 104.  It is also considered a "Messianic psalm" because it is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 21:16, and verses from it are applied to Christ in Hebrews 2:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:27, and Ephesians 1:22. We became a little lower than Elohim. Some translations say "God" for this, but it can also mean "heavenly beings" or "angels."  

This psalm exalts God's majestic name and man's place in the whole scheme of things. As Warren Wiersbe says about this psalm, "God created us, cares for us, and crowns us"!

It is also interesting to note that David asks questions of his king like Mephibosheth did of his (2 Samuel 9:8 and Psalm 8:4).

REFLECTION

This Psalm always makes me smile. :) When I was a nanny in Spain in 1982, I would read a book called, Sing a Song of Gladness, which had Psalm set to poetry that little kids would understand. Those girls loved this book and asked me to read it over and over again. I think it benefited me even more than it benefited them because it instilled in me such a wonder of God and gave me such a heart of praise in the midst of a very difficult time overseas!

All the poems in it were priceless, and I wrote music to go along with many of the Psalm. I think my favorite was Psalm 8.  I remember singing it in Spain in 1982 and again on a moonlit beach in Thailand in 1988. I love the simplicity of this poem:

I look at the sky which You have made,
At the myriad lights glowing there,
And I ask, "What am I that You think of me? 
"Oh, Lord, what am I that You care? 
You've made me to rule this glorious world, 
You've crowned me Your child and heir. 
Oh, Lord, I can only sing Your praise 
When I see how much you care!

(Maybe, on some starry night, I will put a video of me singing it!)

APPLICATION/PRAYER

Go out under the stars and marvel at this big God who made you!

Psalm 145 - Proclamation of Praise

LINK: Psalm 145

BACKGROUND

I pray through this psalm during my "Morning Affirmations" from Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship on a regular basis. In addition, it was part of the prayer verses I prayed through today in the other section of this prayer book! So, God has given me a double dose of this great psalm in preparation for this post. It is a favorite to pray through because it is so majestic. It is such an "in your face" proclamation of the greatness of God!

By the way, I have been given permission by the author to make a copy of them: The handout is HERE. The audio is HERE. 

Psalm 145 is part of the set of "praise psalms" that conclude the book of Psalms. Psalms 144-146 are models of personal praise because we see the personal pronouns I, me, and my.  Psalms 147-150 conclude the book of Psalms with examples of corporate praise. 

Psalm 145 is one of my top five favorites (I know you keep hearing that, but most of my favorites are Psalms of David!). It speaks of the wonderful attributes of our great God!

REFLECTION/APPLICATION

I love what The Daily Walk says about this Psalm:

How many times did you worship God last week? Perhaps your first reaction to that question was to count how often you attended church: Sunday morning worship, Sunday evening, mid-week . . . but read Psalm 145 and you'll come away with a totally different picture of what it means to worship God. 

In verse 2, David describes worship as the daily joy of his life: "Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever." If David were alive today, this psalm might read something like this: "All through my day, as I drive on the road, work in the office, meet with clients, tend to the home, my thoughts will be on You and Your praiseworthy actions for me." 

Worship can take place even when you are nowhere near a church. You can worship God with your children at bedtime (145:4), \or declare His greatness on a crowded bus to those who do not even know Him (145:11-12). And if you think you've exhausted your thoughts about God or run out of things to worship Him for, remember verse 3: "His greatness no one can fathom." 

Using one of David's suggestions from Psalm 145, spend a few minutes right now worshiping God. (June 2008, p. 34)

  PRAYER

You know what to do :) I also heartily suggest praying through the "Morning Affirmations" that I linked to above on a daily basis!

Psalm 138 & 139 - God is Everything!

LINK/BACKGROUND 

Psalm 138 - This psalm may have been written as a result of the opposition of the kings in 2 Samuel 5 and 8:1-14. David had recently become king of both the northern and southern portions of Israel. The Jebusites, Philistines, and Moabites did not want a strong and united Israel, but David trusted God and wanted the pagan nations and their kings to know that Israel's God was the God above all gods.

Psalm 139 - David highlighted and acknowledged God's omniscience (all-knowing), omnipresence (everywhere present), and omnipotence (all-powerful) in this amazing psalm.

For poetry experts, Psalm 139 has four strophes of six verses each. A strophe is "a rhythmic system composed of two or more lines repeated as a unit; especially: such a unit recurring in a series of strophic units" (Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary, 10th ed.). It is similar to a stanza in music. 

REFLECTION

I remember reading through Psalm 139 with a Thai graduate student who had no concept of God prior to studying the Bible with me. She was so touched by the thought that God's hand would guide her. It was her first glimpse of God. It was exciting to experience this with her.

APPLICATION

For some, the thought that God would know everything about us is a scary proposition. What is it for you? 

Talk to God about it.

PRAYER 

Pray through these psalms making them personal for you.

2 Samuel 8 & 9 - Rest from Enemies and Kindness to Jonathan's Son

LINK: 2 Samuel 8 & 9

BACKGROUND

2 Samuel 8

The events in this chapter are a fulfillment of God's promise to David: that He would give him rest from his enemies (7:11). Israel had been warring with the Philistines for 125 years, and David attacked and defeated them. Next, he defeated the Moabites. The chapter mentions "lines." It was a practice of Eastern kings to have prisoners of war lie down in lines. Then they chose to kill a certain portion of them by lot or measuring line. We do not know why David would attack the Moabites since David had ancestral roots there and had been at peace with them (1 Samuel 22:3-4). Finally, he defeated the Arameans and the Edomites, and "the Lord gave David victory everywhere he went" (8:14) giving him rest from his enemies.

2 Samuel 9

David had pledged to Jonathan that he would never forget their covenant of friendship (1 Samuel 20:14-17), and he honored his promise by showing kindness to Mephibosheth, Jonathan's disabled son, by restoring Mephibosheth's property and allowing him to eat at the king's table.

REFLECTION

Last night, I got a distressed email from a friend pouring out her heart about things that are happening in her neighborhood. They have been slandered, misunderstood, judged, and shunned. It has been terrible.

I followed up by talking with her on Skype. It has been horrible. In addition, there are things happening with her parents and sibling that are yucky. It sounds like this friend has "enemies on every side." Yet, she was dealing with it in such a great way by:

1) Finding comfort in Scripture and standing on His promises,
2) Sending out an "SOS" (Supplication of Saints) and asking for prayer, and
3) Reading the book called Peacemaking Women: Biblical Hope for Resolving Conflict.

She and her husband are seeking "peace on every side" in a biblical way! Let's pray that they can find rest!

What a great feeling for David to be at rest from ALL of his enemies! I am so happy to say that, as far as I know, and "so far as it depends on me" I am at peace with all people (Romans 12:18). It was not always this way, but through the application of the principles from books like Peacemaking Women and The Peacemaker by Ken Sande, peace on all sides is a reality in my life!

It helps to be in a church that has a "culture of peace" because of godly and humble leaders who model it and teach it! (I give a "shout out" to Carey, one of our pastors, who was the mover and shaker behind the whole "peacemaking quake" at our church. YOU GO GIRL!)

Do not get me wrong. The people in my church still have conflict, but conflict is seen as an opportunity for growth and becoming more like Christ. So, there is an attempt to handle it in a Biblical, God-honoring way. 

Just this week, my husband, George, was able to help in coaching two parties toward resolving a conflict, and I got my feelings hurt and had to talk to someone about it. In a "culture of peace," all of this is OK and both situations ended up with misperceptions being cleared up! Peace was/is being restored.

APPLICATION 

Do you have peace on every side in your family? in your neighborhood? in your friendships? or in your church? If not, I heartily recommend that your application be to read these books. If you have to choose one, read The Peacemaker first. I try to read it at least once a year. It is THAT important!

God may even call you toward being the "mover and shaker" behind establishing a "culture of peace" in your church! See HERE for more information.

PRAYER 

Lord, sometimes we are weary from the battles that rage around us. I pray for "rest on every side" from those in whom we have conflict. I pray that You would speak to us about our own part in conflict and give us the humility and courage to go to others, in love (and not in the sword, like David), and make peace. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Psalm 110 & 19 - Jesus as King, Priest, and Messiah

LINK/BACKGROUND:

Psalm 110 - This is a "prophetic psalm," and is alluded to or quoted more in the New Testament than any other psalm (110:1 at least 25 times and 110:4 another five times). It is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22:43; 26:64, Mark 12:36, and Luke 20:42. It is also quoted by Peter in Acts 2:33-35. Another important quote is in Hebrews 1:13. David prophesied about the Messiah (Acts 2:30; 2 Samuel 23:2). He stated that Jesus was not only a king but a priest forever. This is a claim that no other Jewish king could make (110:4; 2 Chronicles 26:16-23, Zechariah 6:12-13). 

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

The reference to the "order of Melchizedek" refers to a story we read in Genesis 14:18 (Hebrews 7:1). Melchizedek was the king of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of the Most High God.  No priest descended from Aaron was also a king. In addition, the Aaronic priesthood was not eternal (Hebrews 7:21-26, 28). Since Jesus was not from the line of Aaron, His priesthood was like the king/priest position of Melchizedek. The writer emphasized four times that Melchizedek was a type of Christ (Hebrews 5:6; 6:20; 7:17, 21). 

Psalm 19 

“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more seriously reflection concentrates upon them: the starry heaven above me and the moral law within me.”   

German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)   
on Psalm 19 in Critique of Practical Reason, p. 2.

REFLECTION

I have been listening to Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis. What he says about Psalm 19, takes my breath away:

I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world. Most readers will remember its structure; six verses about Nature, five about the Law, and four of personal prayer. The actual words supply no logical connection between the first and second movements. In this way, its technique resembles that of the most modern poetry. A modern poet would pass with similar abruptness from one theme to another and leave you to find out the connecting link for yourself. But then he would possibly be doing this quite deliberately; he might have, though he chose to conceal, a perfectly clear and conscious link in his own mind which he could express to you in logical prose if he wanted to. I doubt if the ancient poet was like that. I think he felt, effortlessly and without reflecting on it, so close a connection, indeed (for his imagination) such an identity, between his first theme and his second that he passed from one to the other without realising that he had made any transition. First he thinks of the sky; how, day after day, the pageantry we see there shows us the splendour of its Creator. Then he thinks of the sun, the bridal joyousness of its rising, the unimaginable speed of its daily voyage from east to west. Finally, of its heat; not of course the mild heats of our climate but the cloudless, blinding, tyrannous rays hammering the hills, searching every cranny. The key phrase on which the whole poem depends is "there is nothing hid from the heat thereof". It pierces everywhere with its strong, clean ardour. Then at once, in verse 7 he is talking of something else, which hardly seems to him something else because it is so like the all-piercing, all-detecting sunshine. The Law is "undefiled", the Law gives light, it is clean and everlasting, it is "sweet". No one can improve on this and nothing can more fully admit us to the old Jewish feeling about the Law; luminous, severe, disinfectant, exultant. One hardly needs to add that this poet is wholly free from self-righteousness and the last section is concerned with his "secret faults". As he has felt the sun, perhaps in the desert, searching him out in every nook of shade where he attempted to hide from it, so he feels the Law searching out all the hiding-places of his soul. (p.53-55) 

Isn't that beautiful? (It took me a long time to grasp C.S. Lewis and his writings on faith, but it was well worth the effort.) 

APPLICATION/PRAYER

Allow God to search out all the "hiding-places" of your soul as you pray through both of these Psalms.

Psalm 68 - God's Power Praised!

LINK: Psalm 68

BACKGROUND

This psalm of David probably celebrated the triumphal ascent to Mount Zion. It is a song that may have been written when David captured the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites in 2 Samuel 5:6-8 or when he brought the Ark of the Covenant to Zion in 2 Samuel 6. It starts out much like Moses' cry in Numbers 10:35 when the Israelites followed the ark of the covenant.

The psalmist reviews the Lord's movement of Israel from the wilderness wanderings to His occupation and conquest of the land. If you have been with us from the beginning, isn't it great to know this history because we read through it this year? If you are just joining us, when you have time, go back and start from the beginning and read forward. It is great to learn the "whole counsel" of the Word of God! It helps you put everything in context because context is KEY in Bible study! The psalm ends with a triumphal praise to God for His power and strength!

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

Psalm 68:18 is paraphrased and applied by Paul to Jesus in Ephesians 4:8. 

REFLECTION by Pastor Steve

I love my pastor. I hope you do not mind me sharing his simple reflection on this psalm:

Good Morning Friends,
“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; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” (Psalm 68:4-6) 

God is a Father, even to the fatherless. Even to those whose fathers were not around. Even to those whose fathers abused them. He is the perfect Father: strong, compassionate, forgiving, always acting in the best interest of His children. 

God is a Husband to the widow. He will never leave them. He will never be taken away. He will protect and guard and guide and always love. 

God sets the lonely in families. A family is what He has designed His church to be. It is not always a perfect family. Actually, it never is, filled with humans, like you and me. But it is a family of people who care, who support, who are there when you need them. 

God sets the prisoners to song. He is the great Liberator. He can break every chain. He can disarm every captor. Sickness, death, alcohol, drugs, no captor is strong enough to overpower Him, or those who trust in Him. 

But the rebellious, they miss the blessings of God. It is those who trust Him who find Him a Father, a Husband, a Liberator.
His, by Grace,
Steve

APPLICATION (written in December 2008)

How often I lose sight of God's awesomeness in the everyday grind. I had an unexpected day of quiet reflection in the Word and prayer today while the kids and George were up at his mother's farm in Newberg. I was so blessed as I meditated on this psalm and the sun broke through the clouds and streamed glorious light into the living room and on my shoulder. I just had to get out and PRAISE GOD! So, I went out of my house singing a song I had written to Psalm 68:32-33 several years ago. (It has been so long since I have written a song for the Lord -- probably since the 80s! That needs to change! But I digress . . .) It was lovely.

I "wondered" from hill to hill (like Sinai to Zion) on my walk praising God. I often forget to sing to God in my personal devotional times. That is going to change!

Go out and sing to God today!

2014 Update: Wow! What a day for this Psalm again. God "thundered with a mighty voice" in the middle of the night with an amazing summer thunderstorm that made me get up and marvel at His great display. I posted on Facebook this verse in connection with the thunderstorm:

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,

And how small a whisper we hear of Him!

But the thunder of His power who can understand? NKJV Job 26:14 

Then I went out for a run and this is what I saw as I walked out my front door!

The view from my praise porch

Then I wondered from "hill to hill" today and ran most of the five miles in praise to God!

Then I go to update this post for this year, and I have another day where my husband and kids are gone (all working), and I have done something very similar to 2008 when I wrote the post for this Psalm. God's timing is always wonderful!

PRAYER 

Pray through this Psalm!

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,

sing praise to the Lord

to Him who rides the ancient skies above,

who thunders with mighty voice.

Proclaim the power of God

whose majesty is over all Israel

whose power is in the skies.

You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary;

the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people.

Praise be to God!
(68:32-35, NASB95)

Psalm 101, 15, 24, & 65 - Holiness is in the House!

LINKS/BACKGROUND

All these psalms center on holiness and are perfect for the time when the Ark, the symbol of the Lord's presence, was brought to Jerusalem. 

Psalm 101 - This psalm is full of David's intention for personal and corporate holiness during his reign. He sang of the Lord's love and justice (Psalm 89:14) and wanted to rule in like manner.

Psalm 15 - The Tabernacle dwelt on a holy hill, Zion, in the "city of David" (2 Samuel 6:10-12, 17) and David brought the Holy Ark to dwell in it. In this Psalm, David explained who could dwell and worship there. 

Psalm 24 - If this was written around the time of the Ark coming to Jerusalem (we are making an educated guess here), then the "ancient doors" referred to in 24:7 was the old fortress that received the Ark.  The psalm acknowledges the Lord's sovereignty over all things and who is worthy to enter the Tabernacle and worship. Tradition says that it was sung on the first day of each week in the temple services. 

The people outside would call to the temple gates to open up and let the King of glory in. From inside, the priests or another group would ask, "Who is this King of glory?" Outside, the people would respond in unison, "The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle," proclaiming his great power and strength. The exchange was then repeated (24:9, 10), and the temple gates would swing open, symbolizing the people's desire to have God's presence among them. (The Life Application Bible, p. 926)

And God's presence is definitely with all of us in Jesus! 

This psalm could also be a reference to the return to Jerusalem after a battle victory. Either applies to Jesus as He has won the victory over sin, darkness, and death through His resurrection from the dead! The suffering, silent Servant has become the Warrior King. WOOHOOO! 

Notice the word glory repeated over and over again in this Psalm. 

Psalm 65 - This psalm speaks of being brought near to God and the joy of being satisfied with the goodness of God's house (65:4)

REFLECTION 

David wanted to begin his reign with holiness on the brain.  All of these psalms speak of personal and corporate holiness.  I am centering on Psalm 15 because it was the psalm that every member of my sorority across the nation had to memorize and quote at the beginning of every weekly chapter meeting. It spoke of the characteristics of holiness of those living in community: honest and righteous with no slandering, doing evil to your neighbor, or taking up reproach against a friend. 

Our house certainly did not live up to these standards! Growing up as the only girl in my family, it was really difficult for me to adjust to living with the conflict generated by 70 women stacked three stories high! I was not above reproach and would get sucked into the petty factions too. 

Do not get me wrong: there were fun times, and I have made some really good friends as a result of my three years living in this kind of community, but it was REALLY TOUGH too. Corporate holiness is a great ideal, but it is hard when you have a bunch of sinners, like me, thrown together!

Fast forward that to a community that I lived with while overseas, we had this "rule" that we all signed on to. We were not allowed to say anything negative about any of the other members of the community behind their back ("He does not back bite with his tongue" [15:3]).  It was wonderful! Any conflict we had was brought up directly with the people involved or done in the group setting for all to hear. It was great and very healthy. Conflict occurs, but it can be biblical conflict.

APPLICATION 

Pray through these psalms and evaluate your own standards for personal holiness. Of course, only Jesus makes us righteous before God. Ask Him to help you to walk in holiness in all your relationships and spend some time praising God too! These psalms are full of characteristics of the great God we serve!

Also, many groups are starting up this fall. Pray about setting some standards for how you will relate in the group in terms of confidentiality and talking about others when they are not present.

PRAYER 

Pray responsively through one or all of these psalms. It will be a rich experience in God's presence.