Psalm 94

"Holy Superheroes!"

I can't help but read this Psalm through the window of the book I've just been reading. Greg Garrett's Holy Superheroes is a Christian examination of the "theology" behind our most popular comic books. For the most part, these "comics" and graphic novels emphasize two truths: First, evil exists. Second, good must have a code of justice.

Superman is this code's fabled ideal. At the time when the Nazi party was beginning it's dark march across Europe, Superman was first drawn by two Jewish teenagers as, in part, a symbol of truth, justice, and "the American Way." America, like its superheroes, used, essentially, the old Jewish code of justice: We are compelled to stand up against evil, but we must not cross the ethical line. Jewish justice, for example, did not allow the vengeful taking two eyes in exchange for the loss of one. It drew an ethical line against disproportionate revenge.

That, however, is not the only American story. America also had its wild west and vigilante justice. And Batman is the symbol of this edge of justice. The Caped Crusader has always walked a tightrope on the darker edges of that ethical line. Avenging the murder of his parents is what propels the Batman. In general, then, Batman always flirted with that line ... but stayed just. Newer comic creations, however, have flirted with that line and crossed it in terms of revenge.

Today's Psalm reflects pieces of this comic code. "3 The wicked ... gloat." "4 Evildoers boast." And "6 widows [and] orphans 5 [are] oppress[ed]." Faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive, it's natural to want "1 the God of vengeance [to] 2 arise." We send up "the Bat Signal." We pray fervently. But when "13 relief" doesn't come immediately, do we think that "7 the God of Israel doesn't care"? We wonder, "20 can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side?"

The Psalmist says, "8 Think again, you fools! 9 Is the one who made your ears deaf? Is the one who formed your eyes blind? 10 He knows everything."

There is no easy answer to the problem of evil. As long as there is sin, there will be evil. And as long as there are people, there'll be sin. Eliminating people, therefore, wouldn't be my first choice for eliminating evil ... because I'd be eliminated along with it ... and so would you.

What's our hope, therefore, in times of trial?

A simple prayer: "22 the Lord is my fortress."

God answers our deepest concerns in several ways:

+ The first is emotional comfort. When we ally ourselves with God, "19 your comfort [O God, will] g[i]ve me renewed hope and cheer." When God is our fortress, we will never be alone, and hope will cheer us.

+ The second is intellectual comfort. The last sentence started with, "19 when doubts filled my mind." How many of us find that the worst part of any trial is the doubts and worries that constantly assail us. We don't want just our hearts to be less troubled, we want our minds to be freed from worry and fear.

+ The third answer to our concerns is discipline. That's usually not our favorite answer; nevertheless, it's one of the most helpful. Evil wants to tempt us toward revenge. Evil wants us to join evil by joining in the dismemberment. The problem is that what we're dismembering is our own souls. Therefore, "12 happy are those whom you discipline, Lord." Being guided back to God's path -- truth, justice and the American, no, Godly way -- is a powerful answer to our concern about evil.

+ The fourth and final answer to evil found in this Psalm is justice. The Psalmist says, "23 God will make the sins of evil people fall back on them." In other words, although it's tempting to have a short-term perspective, faith calls for a long-term view. Why? Because God traffics in the eternal, and good will absolutely and always triumph in the end. "23 Sins ... [will] fall back on ... [the] evil," and grace will abound for the good.

Lord,

I don't understand evil.

But I do understand

[and trust]

that you are good.

Let me let you

be my fortress

instead of anger

and revenge.

Psalm 93

Do you know what I was hoping for today? One of the many Psalms that had us "crying to God in worry and in hope." In fact, I wanted an excuse this morning to apologize for not being more prompt with these devotions.

It's been a long summer ... and much longer for Mary Louise than for me. Healing takes a toll on the body, setbacks take a toll on the psyche, and all the options and decisions take a toll on the mind. We've been blessed. We've received mostly good news (including and especially "no need for chemo"). But it's tiring. Therefore, yes, I was looking forward to one of the many Psalms that had us crying to God in worry and in hope. It would have been easy to write on today.

What did I get instead?

Something better.

Psalm 93 is a wonderful reminder that 1) I don't have to be in change and 2) the one who is in charge is "4 might[y]," "5 hol[y]," and "2 everlasting." Chris Tomlin's song "How Great is Our God" begins with echoes of this Psalm's beginning. When Chris Tomlin and the Psalmist sing essentially, "The splendor of a King, '1 [Clothed] in majesty.' Let all the earth rejoice, All the earth rejoice," I am reminded that cancer is small and "the world ... cannot be shaken" and I need to rejoice.

Let me say that again. When I says that "I need to rejoice," I don't mean that I simply "ought" to rejoice -- even though I surely ought to. But I NEED to. I need to focus above the cancer, above "3 the mighty oceans," above the "4 raging of the seas," above the "3 thunder" in the skies, and discover ... again ... daily ... "4 the Lord who is mightier than these."

In last Sunday's sermon we recalled a recurrent New Testament theme that led to our old Lutheran Confession: "We confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean." This Psalm reminds us of the antidote to our brokeness: "5 The nature of your reign, O LORD, is holiness forever"

(For our nature see Joh 2:25 - Ro 1:20 - Ro 7:5 - Ro 7:18 - Ro 7:25 - Rom 8:1-9 [Show Context] - Ro 8:12 - Ro 9:5 - Ro 11:24 - 1Co 5:5 - Gal 5:13-19 [Show Context] - Ga 5:24 - Eph 2:3 - Eph 4:22-24 [Show Context] - Col 2:11-13 [Show Context] - Col 3:9-10 [Show Context] -- for God's nature see also Ro 1:20 - Show Context)

Our nature is broken and sinful, cancer-ridden and sick, angry and addicted, prideful and judgmental. If there is to be any hope, we must look up! "5 The nature of your reign, O LORD, is holiness forever." "Let all the earth rejoice, All the earth rejoice!"

Gracious Lord,

thank you for taking care of me, my wife, and my family

through this journey of illness and uncertainty.

I thank you for a wife that constantly looks up.

Her spirit buoys mine.

Keep me ever pointed upward

and save me from any worries, brokenness, or sin.

Psalm 92

Hard times ... then glimpses of grace ... and victory ... and hope.

That's how I envision today's Psalm.

"11 Enemies" and "9 evildoers" reflect the hard times, but "12 with my own eyes I have seen the downfall of my enemies."

What's the fruit of victory and hope? "1 Sing ... 1 thanks[giving] ... 2 unfailing love ... 4 thrills [and chills] ... and 4 joy!"

Perspective is another fruit. After the victory, the Psalmist cheers, "15 The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is nothing but goodness in him!" But what's the perspective before the victory?

How many of us suffer hard times, hard times, hard times, and see very little grace. It doesn't take too much imagination to know that some people's lives are filled with one enemy after another. Sometimes the enemies are people (think oppressive governments), sometimes the enemies are vile sins (torture and rape), sometimes the enemies are systemic (hunger in a world of plenty), sometimes the enemies are demonic (it wouldn't serve us well to miss the root cause of so much suffering).

What hope do such people have?

Some days their only hope is a bigger truth. If "15 there is nothing but goodness in [God]," then hope is a longer term perspective -- "7 although the wicked flourish like weeds, and evildoers blossom with success, there is only eternal destruction ahead of them."

Hope is not in the day to day.

Hope is at the finish line.

Hope is in the stories of others who've seen seasons of oppression and moments of hope ... and still somehow "1 sing praises."

None of us is alone in our trials. But we'll feel even more alone if we don't find some angle in which to gain a little more perspective on the God of grace and his "13 goodness."

Lord, I pray today in the midst of my trials.

"13 [T]ransplant [me] into [your] own house.":

Help me "13 flourish in the courts" of your hope

Give me perspective that surpasses circumstances.

Give me patience that transcends the suffering.

Give me a long-term trust that reminds me

of the finish line and of your eternal blessings,

instead of the momentary crises.

Indeed, help me "1 sing ... thank ...

4 thrill [and chill]...

[and discover your] 4 joy"

... daily!

Psalm 91

Nine years ago, a massive forest fire swept through the town I lived in. 400 of the 6000 homes in town were destroyed. Stress!That was one of the biggest consequences of the fire. Stress, stress, stress!

Everyone said, "Wasn't it wonderful that no one died in the fire?" It was a blessing, indeed. But the next year -- in a church that averaged three funerals a year -- we did a dozen funerals. And it wasn't until nine months out that I did a funeral for someone who was in their eighties instead of someone in their teens, twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties.

Stress, stress, stress. It pulls marriages apart, sends kids to counseling, plunges good people into depression, spurs addictions, and increases the rates of illness and death.

We noticed something in that town over the next few years. In general, the people who truly "1 live[d] in the shelter of the Most High [found] rest" in the days and months and years to come. In general, the people who did not have a vibrant faith, spent the next few years angry and bitter and looking for someone to sue.

Why do I bring this up? Because a few months ago the economy crashed, and there's been a lot of stress in our world lately, and it pulls marriages apart, sends kids to counseling, plunges good people into depression, spurs addictions, and increases the rates of illness and death.

Having faith doesn't make us immune to the trials of the world, but "1 those who live in the shelter of the Most High [are more likely to] find rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Bad things happen to good people, but for those who choose God as their 1 refuge, ... 4 he will shield [them] with his wings." The "5 terrors of the night [and the] fear [of] dangers" is real, but "14 the Lord says ... 'I will protect those who trust in my name."

My two favorite words in this whole passage are two of the shortest -- "am" and "if." Verse 5 doesn't just say, "I trust in the Lord"; it says, "I am trusting him." "Am trusting!" It's active. It's daily. It's a conscious decision. Every moment something else says, "Trust in me." We want to trust in our money, our jobs, our spouse, the government, and social security. But "am trusting" is a conscious decision. Day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, I "am trusting" in the one who "15 will be with [us] in trouble, [who] will rescue [us] and [even] honor [us]."

My second favorite word is "if" -- "9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter." Again, our temptation is to focus on money, jobs, spouses, people, governments, and social security, and we put a few eggs in each of those baskets, including a few eggs with God. We spread our trust along with the risk. But God says essentially, put all your eggs here, trust only in me, because "9 if you" do, "4 he will shield you ... shelter you ... protect [and] rescue you," and in the end, he will "give [you his] salvation." This world will pass away. That promise won't. But we leave it all to chance and fallible human being if choose any path other than that "if."

Lord, all of us have stress.

I give you mine. I hand it over.

Starting now, no more "ifs,"

I "am trusting" in you.

But Lord, help me! I can't do it alone!

Psalm 90

What is the difference between a house and a home?

A house is wood and nails. A home is wood and nails AND family and memories.

"Home is where the heart is," as the old saying goes. Therefore, when we pray, "1 Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!" we are saying that we entrust our hearts to God. Just like we recline and rest in our home, we are saying that we find rest and peace in the presence of the Lord. In his kitchens, we are nourished. In his gardens, we are blessed. In his presence, we are whole.

As children, home is a place of comfort and protection. But as children, it is also a place of teaching. No wonder the child of God who wrote this Psalm prayed, "12 Teach us ..." Indeed, "12 Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom."

Good parents also discipline, and the Psalmist reflects that too. Like the mother who seems to have eyes in the back of her head, "8 You spread out our sins before you, [O Lord,] ... you see them all. 7 We wither beneath your anger." Though all of us surely and often prayed that we'd never get caught, getting caught and withering beneath a good parent's discipline is actually -- if we're honest -- what helped us grow.

"1 Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!" The first word that struck me was obviously the nurturing of "home." But another series of words also strikes me in that verse -- "through all the generations." In one sense, "through all the generations" reflects the sweep of time that is in God's hands -- "2 Before the mountains were created ... you are God. [You] are without beginning or end. [And at our end,] you turn [us fragile and temporary] people back to dust."

From God's side, "through all the generations" is but a moment and a twinkling of an eye. "4 For you, a thousand years are as yesterday!"

But let's talk about our side. "1 Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!" But what about in this generation? In every generation, faith in God is in jeopardy. In every generation, people choose to follow themselves or the ways of the world. In every generation, people want their ears tickled, their consciences placates, and their selfish desires met. "10 Seventy years are given to us! Some may even reach eighty. But even the best of these years are filled with pain and trouble." Pain and trouble and blaming God for pain and trouble cause millions in every generation to doubt and slip.

Think of it: We make our homes on this earth. We give our hearts to the ways of the world. We reject pain and suffering and discipline. Therefore, the church is always one generation away from extinction.

Therefore, when the Psalmist prays, "1 Lord, through all the generations you have been our home," he's really prompting a question: "Is God your home ... today?"

As children, we like to turn to the Lord for comfort, but do we turn to him for discipline? A good parent loves ... and challenges ... and teaches ... and encourages ... and judges ... and nurtures ... and protects ... and pushes. Do we let God be our Father ... or not? Indeed, is God your home ... today?

Lord be my home.

Do not let be comfortable anywhere else

but in your hands.

Psalm 89

Long Psalm. Two parts ... plus what I'd call an unexpected ending.

The first part is praise. "1 I will sing of the ... mercies of the Lord forever!" is the most famous refrain. Those words, in fact, are the basis for a famous '80s praise song. Praise song, indeed! "5 All heaven will praise your miracles ... 6 for who ... can compare with the Lord? 7 [Even] the highest angelic powers stand in awe of God ..."

But the heart of this Psalm is this wonderful beatitude: "15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship." True worship is truly stirred by a joyful call and holy desire. And the fruit is happiness, blessedness, "7 awe," and joy.

I want those words -- happiness, worship, and joy -- therefore, the question that needs to be my constant companion is: How do I weave these blessings more fully into my life?!

The second part of this Psalm is the celebration of the reign of King David. "19 [God has] selected him from the common people to be king ... 20 anointed him with holy oil ... 21 and ... ma[d]e him strong." God in his grace "25 extend[ed David's] rule from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the east." And the joyful question is: Which came first: David's joyful cry, "26 You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation" and then God's blessing ... or ... God's blessing and then David's cry? Like the chicken and the egg, it doesn't really matter does it? God's blessing and David's praise were intimately intertwined.

The key phrase for me in this second section is in verse 24: "[David, King David] will rise to power because of me." "Because of God" ... that's it! Happiness, worship, joy, and blessing are the hearts of sections one and two because "15 happy are those" -- including you me and David -- "who hear the joyful call to worship."

And then comes part three. Then comes the surprise. Then comes the opposite of happy blessings -- "38 ang[er]," "39 renounce[ment]," "40 ruins," "41 mock[ing]," "45 disgrace[]," and "47 futil[ity]."

The blessed King David faced two humiliations in life. Both of them were caused by sin. (See if either of these describe the greatest hurts and humiliations in your life.)

The first sin was his own. Don't David's adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the murderous tactics he employed to cover it up deserve a little "38 ang[er]" and "45 disgrace[]". Sometimes, we bring "40 ruin[]" on ourselves.

The second was the sin of another. In David's case, David's own son, Absalom, rebelled against him. The great king had to flee his own city. In the end, Absalom is caught and killed by David's general, but there is no victory or rejoicing in the face of sin and rebellion. There's only a tears, "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I could have died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son."

God blesses. Sin kills. That's the reality of our world. And in the end, I hear this as the point of this Psalm: "15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship," and cursed are those who give in to the siren call of sin.

Lord, draw me from sin

and draw me to you.

Help worship be

the joy of my heart.

Psalm 88

"My life is full of troubles, and death draws near."

That's verse 3.

More importantly, both halves of that verse are all too frequent cries in our world today.

I heard a wonderful scholar recently talking about "3 li[ves] full of trouble" and the "problem" of evil. Doubters and skeptics throw the problem of evil at believers like they're throwing down a trump card. "If your God is a just God and all-powerful God, how can there be evil. Ta-DAH!" And Christians all too often go on the defensive, trying to justify "the problem of evil."

"Why?" asks this man of faith. It's Christians who do have clear answers to the evil in this world, and the world and its philosophies that really have no answer. We ought to be saying, "I'd be glad to explain. But first, let's hear you explain evil within your worldly, philosophical framework."

Scratch them very deep, and the dominant philosophies of the world say that "man is essentially good." "Fine," we ought to say, "Turn on the news. Where do the daily, horrible, violent, abusive, and corrupt headlines come from?" "Individuals are basically good," will come the answer, "but systems and cultures (and religions) are bad." "Fine," we ought to say again, "but who makes up the systems and cultures and religions? People! From us flows all kinds of corruption!"

Our answer is simpler and clearer and explains the world much better: "people sin." Think about it ... each day's unpleasant headlines come from what? People. And sin.

The world doesn't want to hear about sin. The world wants to justify itself by saying "I am 'basically good'; therefore, I can do what I want." The celebrating the self leads to a blaming of systems and cultures ... and eventually God himself. Therefore, if "3 my life is full of troubles, and death draws near," the rational, worldly solution is to blame God.

Ultimately, it's a hopeless ideology ... and yet it's so pervasive of a worldview that we're all conditioned to buy into it a little bit.

Fortunately, the Psalmist doesn't.

Yes, he is hurting badly. He feels "4 dismissed" and "5 abandoned." He'll even throw much of his frustration straight at feet of God -- "7 your anger lies heavy on me" and "6 you have thrust me down to the lowest pit." But what is he really saying when he says, "15 I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors"? Isn't he saying, "I stand helpless before YOU"? Isn't that a statement of faith ... even in the face of life's trials.

As a pastor, I watch that every day. People stand before a grave. On the one hand they're crying "9 [O Lord,] my eyes are blinded by my tears. 2 Listen to my cry [because] 15 I stand helpless and desperate before [You]." On the other hand, they sing praises of hope along with Job: "19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives ... 26 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God."

This psalm is a prayer of both frustration ... and faith.

It's a prayer that acknowledges that there is sin and hurt and tragedy in this world. And yet, it's a prayer that celebrates that on the other side of feelings of forsakeness (see verse 5) and in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death (see verses 6, 10, and 11), there is God's enduring "5 care," "10 miracles," "11 faithfulness," "12 righteousness," and "11 unfailing love."

It's a prayer that responds forcefully to the problem of evil. When "3 life is full of troubles and death draws near" -- and it will -- we can turn to the philosophies of the world (which can only blame and can ultimately offer nothing more than an acknowledgement of troubles and the reality of death), or we can turn to God who hated sin enough that he sent his only son to die to conquer it and promises an eternal solution on the other side of death.

Gracious heavenly father,

full of "10 miracles," "5 care,"

"11 faithfulness," and "11 unfailing love,"

I ask the question along with the psalmist:

"10 do the dead get up and praise you?"

My answer / my prayer is this:

"Let me not be dead like the world

and let me simply praise you.

Help me find the answers to life

-- abundant life -- within you.

Psalm 87

Home. One of my "homes" over the years was my grandfather's farm. My mom was literally born IN the house. When an old car died, grandpa would park them behind the barn. By the time I became a young man, a big tree grew out of the windows of an old Plymouth.

In today's Psalm, "7 the people ... sing, 'The source of my life is in Jerusalem.'" Like the old tree growing out of the Plymouth, I had some of my roots grounded on that old Ohio farm. But what if I said that the source of my life is there? Grandpa's been buried in the earth for about ten years now. A tornado has since demolished all but the old house. If I had determined that the source of my life was in that ground, then where would I be?

What does it mean when the people of God proclaim that the source of our life is in Jerusalem? Well, consider the time when this Psalm was written. It was either written during the time of King David -- when God was showing up in mighty ways -- or it was written a few generations later by people who yearned for God to show up again. They weren't worshiping a particular patch of earth, they were celebrating a God who has, will, can, and does show up.

When it says, "2 [God] loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel," more than any other city in the world, I don't think it means God loves area more or any people less. Rather, I think that God has declared Jerusalem as a place of intersection. God has proclaimed -- and subsequently shown -- that heaven and earth and the divine story will keep intersecting on this particular patch of ground.

We know that is true because when the Son of God came to this earth, more than half the Gospel occurred after "[Jesus] set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). The place where the life of the Messiah would culminate was in "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it" (Luke 13:34 and Matthew 23:37 which continue with Jesus saying,) "How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!"

Jerusalem also plays a crucial role in the final showdowns of Revelation, and even more important, Jerusalem is the Revelation 21 intersecting point for "1 a new heaven and a new earth." As John recorded, "2 [Then] I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them."

That's why the Psalmist cries, "7 The source of my life is in Jerusalem." It's not because God loves people more or less based on their proximity to this hillside town, it's that they were hungry for a point of intersection -- like Jerusalem -- with God. We want to claim the promise that "God himself will be with them ... indeed, with us.

Just as I look for points of intersection where I can feel the earthly ties of family like I once experienced them on my grandfather's farm. We are invited to look for points of intersection with God -- maybe even daily points of intersection. Fortunately, we don't have to go looking for distant city or a blessed patch of earthly ground. Jesus tells us -- Matthew 18:20 -- that wherever two or three are gathered in his name he is there among us.

Gathering in Jesus' name -- small groups, worship, prayers with a spouse or a friend -- that's holy ground.

Jesus, I give you thanks

for those Jerusalem moments in my life.

The times where I have gathered with others

in your name, and known your presence.

Draw me closer to those who love you

and in so doing, draw me closer to you.

Psalm 86

"I tend to work the nightshift." Those were the words of a man who said he stayed awake too many nights worrying. Those long nights, he said, were his laboratory. It was there he learned to trust all things to God.

Tonight, I too am working the nightshift. Five feet away is my wife who is peacefully asleep. Surgery for her went well today.

Therefore, the nightshift tonight (4:39am) is not worrying ... but thankgiving!

"10 [O Lord,] you are great and perform great miracles ... 12 With all my heart I will praise you ... I will give glory to your name forever."

That's the thanksgiving report from today's nightshift! Thank God for his graciousness. Thank YOU, dear friends in Christ, for your prayers ... and hugs ... and cards ... and flowers ... and food ... and heartfelt offers of support. And thanks be to God for the care of our surgeon. Yes, this night, the report is thanksgiving.

But tomorrow might be different, mightn't it?

Tomorrow, the pain medication may wear off and a new dose of reality may set it. Next month chemo may exact a steeper toll than even a surgery. Instead of "Thank you, Lord!" what can you imagine us crying on other nights?

+ 1 Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help.

+ 2 Protect me, for I am devoted to you.

+ 3 Be merciful, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly.

+ 4 Give me happiness, O Lord, for my life depends on you.

+ 6 Listen closely to my prayer, O LORD; hear my urgent cry.

+ 16 Look down and have mercy on me. Give strength to your servant ...

+ 17 Send me a sign of your favor ... O Lord, help and comfort me.

Throughout the Psalms, King David constantly oscilates between hope and fear ... trust and doubt ... pleading and thanksgiving. A directory of human emotions plays out on every page of the Psalms -- just like it plays out on every page of our lives. Today, for my family, the morning's concern has given way to this evening's thanksgiving. Tomorrow, our thanksgiving may just as likely give way to a new round of concerns.

And suddenly, I'm truly beginning to understand the full weight of Jesus words, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today" (Matthew 6:34).

In fact, suddenly, I'm beginning to understand the full meaning of the verse right before that too: "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).

When God is sought and when God is first ...

hope is mingled in with our fears ...

joy is sprinkled alongside our tears ...

love is stirred into our lonliness ...

healing battles earthly illness ...

light conquers darkness ...

forgiveness defeats sin ...

and life doesn't have to be

the sum of our worries.

Thank you God for the healing of today.

Please continue to pour upon us

hope and joy, healing and light.

And thank you, Lord, for dear friends in faith

to walk this journey with.

Psalm 85

At our house, we have a stack of blankets.

And one of the favorite things for each of us to do is curl up on the couch. Covered! Warm! Cozy!

Other than rhyming, "quilt" and "guilt" have nothing in common. But can't you imagine God laying a warm, comforting quilt over us when the Psalmist says, "2 You have forgiven the guilt of your people -- yes, you have covered all [my] sins." Covered! Forgiven! Quilt instead of guilt.

Indeed, when the Psalmist says, "1 you have poured out amazing blessings on your land," can't you almost imagine the aerial photos of the farms in summer. When God blesses the land, the fields are almost a patchwork quilt of different plants and different colors. Covered! Wrapped up in "1 amazing blessings."

At our house, we keep the thermostat low in the winter. Therefore, one of things that makes us cringe is when a corner of the blanket is pulled up and our toes are exposed. Life too has chilly times, and so we pray like the Psalmist. "Cover us back up" is really "4 turn to us again, O God of our salvation." And "warm us back up" is really "6 revive us again [and] 7 show us your unfailing love."

What happens when "10 unfailing love and truth me[e]t together"? What happens when "10 righteousness and peace kiss[]"? We are covered. "12 The Lord pours down his blessings [and] our land will yield its bountiful crops."

Gracious God, cover me with your quilt.

Cover me with forgiveness and "1 amazing blessings."

Let my love be unfailing. Let me seek always your truth.

And help my human efforts meet your love which is truly unfailing

and your truth which is life's only accurate guide.

Bless me with your kiss of righteousness and peace.

Psalm 84

I like the image of a huge, old temple. Great columns. Arching doorways ... but no doors.

No doors?

Can't you just imagine a temple so busy that there's never a chance to close the doors?!

But ... no closed doors presents just one problem: birds! Arching doorways and no doors means "3 the swallow builds her nest ... at a place near [God's] altar."

How irreverent, right?

But only if you're legalistic. What if -- in the midst of your prayers in the temple -- you looked at the birds as a parable. Legalistic religion always teaches people to be afraid of God, but the song of these birds echoes Hebrews 4:16 -- "Let us therefore approach [God's] throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Jesus wound up putting it this way -- Matthew 6:26 -- "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

This is a Psalm of yearning: "2 I ... long[] to enter the courts of the Lord."

This is a Psalm of bold worship: "2 with my whole being" I will approach your throne of grace as "12 trust[ing]" as the birds.

This is a Psalm of joy: "2 I will shout joyfully to the living God."

Life is sometimes hard, but on the other side of "6 the Valley of Weeping," this worship "6 will become a place of refreshing springs where pools of blessing collect after the rains!"

Indeed, "10 a single day in [God's] courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!"

"5 Happy are those who are strong in [you, O] Lord ...

12 [H]appy are those who trust in you.

8 [Therefore,] hear my prayer.

11 [You are my] light and protector.

[You] give[ me] grace and glory.

No good thing will [you] withhold from those who do what is right."

Therefore, O Lord, I commit myself to your cause

and I humbly ask _______________________."

Psalm 83

Why do people pray?

And why don't people pray?

There are usually three motives for people to pray:

+ duty -- "I ought to / need to"

+ desperation -- "I have nowhere else to turn"

+ and belief

Belief is the one I want to focus on. Faith, if you want to call it that. Confidence, though, is probably a better word.

Some people pray because they honestly believe that God can and will and wants to change their circumstances. Other people don't pray because in spite of believe "in" God, that don't really believe "that" God. Deep down, in spite of what they verbally profess, they don't really believe "that God" hears, "that God" answers, "that God" intervenes.

They believe God cares, but he's ultimately like the watchmaker who created the watch (created the world), wound it up, and set it running, but since then doesn't really interfere with it's day to day operations. He can. He has in the past. But for the most part, he just lets the watch run ... so why pray?

I bring that up because that's the exact opposite of what is happening in this Psalm ...

+ The Psalmist knows that God acts. He's seen the enemies thwarted in ages past.

+ Now they rise up again ("3 They devise crafty schemes against your people. 5 They signed a treaty as allies against you.")

+ God is present and active and able to help ("9 Do to them as you did to the Midianites.")

+ But for some reason, God appears to be "1 sit[ting] idly by." Why?

It's that why that stalls even more prayers. God is able to help, so why not now? Why not me?

And there comes the need for faith again. Faith 101 is that God is. Faith 201 is that God is active and able. Faith 301 -- actually, faith in terms of graduate level studies -- is trusting in an active, able God, even when you can't understand the way he answers (or doesn't answer) prayer.

And so we turn to Faith 401. Prayer -- especially as it nears graduation -- is a multi-discipline course. It needs to be combined with history classes. History reveals that God has been faithful in the past. Prayer, therefore, believes that God IS being faithful in the present ... even when we don't see it.

Prayer also believes that it's okay to keep pestering God about our needs ... and reminding him of his faithfulness.

Prayer is persistence.

It is trusting so much that God is able and active that you're not going to stop until you see him act!

"1 O God ...

2 Don't you hear [my] tumult ...?"

Help me.

Heal me.

Guide me.

Set me free.

You know my deepest pray.

Act.

Today.

Let me see your glory.

Psalm 82

Have you seen the old movies?

A noble king dressed in red?

A towering throne made of gold?

Throngs of knights and noblemen fill a massive room? They line the edges of a marble floor. They form a gleaming pathway that leads straight to the foot of the king.

That's what I saw immediately when I read the first words of today's Psalm. And I thought, "1 heaven's court" is the place where God reigns! Saints and angels line the marble pathway, and I'm being ushered forward. I'm about to get knighted."

Yes, that's a little proud and presumptuous, but that's the scene I playing in my mind like glorious old movie flickering in technicolor.

But then I remember other old movies. Sometimes knights and noblemen watch as the newest knight is ushered forward. Other times the royal court watches as criminals are marched up the same marble pathway in dark and heavy chains. From the very same chair, the very same king pronounces some noble and just and other guilty and condemned.

Therefore, it didn't take long for my joyful thoughts of "1 heaven's courts" to dissolve into stormy clouds of "1 judgment." Soon other movies began to fill flicker through my mind. Have you seen the one where there's a nefarious plot against the good king ... an evil monarch seizes control and corruption reigns in every corner of every town?

Have you seen that movie? What is our obvious hope throughout the film? Justice! We want evil to be deposed and the rightful king to return to the throne. We yearn for "1 judgment on the judges 2 [who] shower special favors on the wicked," right?

Because "all [of us] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:22), we chafe at the word "1 judgment." A natural part of us ought to worry about whether we'll cross that marble floor in heavy chains or in towering hope. When we bow before the throne will we be gloriously knighted or eternally condemned? Therefore, "judgment" is always an uncomfortable word.

But think of the alternative to a God who is just. Do you want a King who is ... Corrupt? Fickle? Uncaring? Distant and detached?

The fact is that an evil king has grabbed the throne. Sin is a pretender king, and everyday it seeks to rule the world and govern our hearts. We ought to cheer constantly -- and pray continually (1 Thes 5:17) -- for the God who is just to ascend to the throne in every heart and be given more honor in our broken world. But we "5 are [still] in darkness [and] the whole world is [still] shaken to the core."

Now we know how the movie ends.

Evil nailed the Good King to the cross. Fortunately, the Good King has escaped the chains of imprisonment and death. In one sense, the Good King is already and absolutely on the throne. As long as the Good King is alive, there is no other king! But sin still pretends. And until the "clouds [are] rolled back like a scroll" and the end-of-the-movie credits roll, we're part of an ongoing movie where corruption still pretends to the throne. Will we side with the Good King and justice ... or with the sin and corruption?

We're still writing that script.

Gracious Lord,

help me turn away from sin

and turn toward you and life,

and help me be an instrument of your kingdom
by "3 uphold[ing] the rights of the oppressed and the destitute

rather than "2 shower[ing] special favors on the wicked?"

"8 Rise up, O God, and judge the earth."

Psalm 81

I thought for a moment, "How easy!"

I thought for a moment that this was a "1 sing - sing - 2 sing! - beat - the - tambourine - play - the - - lyre - and - 3 sound - the - trumpet" - kind - of - Psalm.

I thought for a moment that this was a "5 when - [God] - attacked - Egypt - [and] - set - us - free" - kind - of - Psalm.

I thought for a moment that this was a listen - for - the - still - small - "5 voice - that - said - 6 'Now - I - will - relieve - your - shoulder - of - its - burden - 7 You - cried - to - me - in - trouble - and - I - saved - you'" - kind - of - Psalm.

It thought, indeed, that this was a sing - saved - relieved - free - victory - Psalm.

But no ... it was ultimately a "8 Listen - to - me - O - my - people - while - I - give - you - stern - warnings" - kind - of - Psalm. It is a "12 blind - stubborn - living - according - to - [your] - own - desires" - kind - of - reminder. It is the oft repeated and fervent call from heaven that "8 You - must - never - have - a - foreign - god."

Don't you hate it when a perfectly good victory Psalm suddenly turns into a "8 stern - warnings" - Psalm?

Except, what are the stern warnings designed to do? Give us continual victory! "8 [F]oreign god[s]" will inevitably enslave us." Selfishness -- "12 living according to [our] own desires" -- is ultimately as frail as human life. (Think about it, how many tens and hundreds of generations have risen and fallen since the time of David.) "12 Blind[ness]" will leave us tripping, falling, and dying in a hole. "12 Stubbor[ness]" is going our own way, instead of being led by the God who sees the paths of eternity -- the paths that lead to life and the paths that lead to destruction.

This is, indeed, a celebration Psalm. There is a way out of bondage and a freedom from selfishness. There is path that leads to life, and there is a place set for us at the great feast, and there is a great God who says, "16 I [want to] feed you with the best of foods ... 10 Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things."

God fill me,

because I want to sing

more and more!

Psalm 80

In the translation I'm using -- NLT -- the word "vine" is used 28 times.

It is used most famously in John where Jesus says, "15:5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who [abide] in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."

It is used most frequently -- ten times -- in Ezekial: "17:7 the vine sent its roots and branches out toward [essentially another god, another king, another country, another priority] for water. 8 The vine did this even though it was already planted in good soil and had plenty of water so it could grow into a splendid vine and produce rich leaves and luscious fruit."

It is used most illuminatingly in today's Psalm too. Throughout the latter part of this Psalm, the vine is used again and again as a powerful symbol.

1) It is a symbol of God's care: "8 You brought us from Egypt as though we were a tender vine; you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land. 9 You cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land."

2) It is a symbol of Israel's success when they were following God, abiding in his love: "10 The mountains were covered with our shade; the mighty cedars were covered with our branches. 11 We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea, our limbs east to the Euphrates River.

3) It is also a symbol of the need for tender-hearted gardener ... and it reminds us what happens when the gardener takes away his hand of protection: "12 Why," asks the Psalmist, "12 why have you broken down our walls so that all who pass may steal our fruit?" Why? Perhaps another prophet answers the question -- Hosea 10 -- "1 How prosperous Israel is – a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit! But the more wealth the people got, the more they poured it on the altars of their foreign gods."

Think for a moment of the life cycle of a long-living plant. There are good years and bad years. There is sun and rain. There are caterpillars and drought. What do we need? A tender-hearted gardener. The history of Israel reminds us 1) that God cares. It reminds us 2) that when we abide in his love, we will flourish. And it reminds us 3) of what happens when we chase away the gardeners hand of protection.

Have you ever seen a tiny child chase away their parent's protection? "Do it m'self," is the toddling refrain. And so the parent steps back, knowing the perils, but always ready to catch them when they fall.

This Psalm isn't about a vine, it's about our need to quit chasing away our Father in heaven. It's about our need -- through the ups and down and successes and especially the perils of life -- to keep looking for God's nurturing hand. It's about our need to quit turning to other kings, other gods, other priorities. It's about our need to quit relying on ourselves and abide more fully in the care of the constant gardener.

The theme of this Psalm -- and it says it at the beginning and at the end -- is "3 and 19 Turn us again to yourself ... Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved."

Tender Gardener, Gracious God,

in the good years, prune my pride,

and in the seasons of drought,

help me know that when

I "5 drink tears by the bucketful,"

it's those tears -- and your grace --

that will heal the parched ground.

You are with me always.

Help me abide with you ... always ...

Amen.

Psalm 79

"8 Let your tenderhearted mercies
quickly meet our needs ..."

I love this prayer.

In fact, this whole verse is the prayer I need to pray today.

You've probably heard me or others suggest the ACTS model for prayer -- Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication (which is a fancy word that simply means "our prayer requests").

These eight words are the bookends to that ACTS model for prayer. Isn't it adoration, trust, and love when we pray to and trust in the God of "8 tenderhearted mercies"? And when we pray "8 quickly meet our needs," isn't that supplication?

This verse also includes confession -- "8 do not hold us guilty for our former sins!" I said moments ago that I need this prayer today. I hunger for God's tenderhearted mercies. I want him to quickly meet my needs and swiftly answer my petitions. But do you know what I also need? I also need to confess. How dare I think I can request God's blessings when I approach him with an impure heart.

Like every human being there are things I've done and plenty I've left undone. Like every human I've sinned against him in thought, word, and deed. Relinquishing my pride. Turning away from the sins that I excuse. Confession before supplication.

What are the "needs" that

you desire God to "meet" today?

Make a list.

But before praying that list,

spend a while confessing your sins.

And then spend a while

adoring our God of "tenderhearted mercies."

If you get to your list, fine.

If not, God knows the list anyway.

What he desires most is your

repentance and your love.

P.S. I couldn't completely resist the history in this Psalm. This is another "psalm of Asaph," and it causes me to ask the question again: Who is Asaph?

As we've discussed in previous weeks, Asaph was a priest and a contemporary of David ... AND ... the descendents of Asaph continued to serve in the temple for many generations. Therefore, did Asaph write this in the time of David or did those who followed in his line write it in much later generations?

Why does this matter? Because of how specific this Psalm is regarding the destruction of Jerusalem. If the original Asaph wrote about "1 pagan nations ... ma[king] Jerusalem a heap of ruin [and] 3 blood ... flow[ing] like water," then this Psalm is prophecy. However, if Asaph's descendents wrote it four hundred years later in the time of Babylonian invasion and the destruction of Jerusalem, then it's history.

Does it matter whether it's history or prophecy? In one sense, no. Whether the prayer is prophetic or historical, there are times when the enemy is at my door and I can pray along with whichever Asaph this was for God's "8 tenderhearted mercies."

However, in another sense, it really does matter. This issue is: Do I put God in a box ... or not? Do I say he could show Asaph (and us) a glimspe of our future ... or not? Do I say I demand that every answer be logical ... or do I permit a little faith ... and wonder ... and trust ... and hope?

Just so you know, here's my clue to when this was written. It comes from the first verse of another psalm of Asaph -- Psalm 76. Asaph says, "God is well known in Judah; his name is great in Israel." It's a simple phrase that apparently doesn't mean much ... until we realize that if these Psalms of Asaph were historical -- rather than prophetic -- then at the time of the Babylonian invasion and the destruction of Jerusalem, Israel would have already been defeated by the Assyrians one hundred years earlier.

Think about what that means.

God's name wouldn't have been viewed as great in Israel anymore ... because Israel simply didn't exist! Indeed, by the time of the Babylonian invasion, the people in those former territories of Israel had fully turned to other gods. But look even further, God's name hadn't been great in the northern kingdom Israel from the time the kingdoms of Israel and Judah unzipped. In fact, according to I and II Kings, about the last time God's name was great in the northern territories of Israel was when David was king of Israel. Which was when? At the same time the original Asaph was a priest!

To me, that says, let's allow a God of prophecy. Let's allow a little wonder. Let's bow before the power. And let us pray to our great God, "8 [may your] tenderhearted mercies quickly meet our needs ..."

What are the "needs" that

you desire God to "meet" today?

Make a list.

But before praying that list,

spend a while confessing your sins.

And then spend a while

adoring our God of "tenderhearted mercies."

If you get to your list, fine.

If not, God knows the list anyway.

What he desires most is your

repentance and your love.