Nov 19 - Psalm 17:14a (1)

Save me by

your mighty hand, O Lord,

from those whose only concern

is earthly gain.

Psalm 17:14a

There are two "worlds" and two perspectives. The first "world" is heaven. The second is earth. 

In fact, the simple confession of "I believe in God" is by definition a confession of the reality of these two realms: the physical ad the spiritual. 

Now here are the two perspectives: Do we live as if there are two "worlds" or just one? 

Those who don't believe in God obviously behave as if these's only one world. As today's Psalm says, their "only concern is earthly gain."

Sadly, way too many believers live this way too.

 

·       We focus on possessions. 

·       We chase after temporary pleasures. 

·       We're more concerned with the opinions of people than the standards of God. 

·       We excuse sin. 

·       We spend more on vacations and conveniences than we give to the church. 

We may say that we believe in God, but we act as if there's only one "world" and one "life."

In Christ's Love,

a guy who believes

this C. S. Lewis quote:

"Aim at heaven and

you will get earth thrown in.

Aim at earth and you get neither."

Nov 18 - Psalm 17:7a

Show me your unfailing love

in wonderful ways.

Psalm 17:7a

Yesterday we talked about how to literally HEAR God. It's a topic we dare not let go too quickly. 

Yesterday we said the secret was listening. And listening. And listening. 

It takes, honestly, lots of scripture reading so that, first, you learn to hear God's general voice. Reading scripture helps you know what he values, love what he loves, and see how he consistently and generously works. 

Then it takes lots of prayer ... and not just talking to him, but listening and listening as you just sit with him in silence and solitude. 

The ancient "Desert Fathers" -- early Christian monastics -- fled to the desert to, first, silence the world. Then they sat alone -- often for years -- to silence their own desires.

We don't have to literally flee to the desert to hear God, but we'd do well to recognize that there are two powerful noises that we must silence if we truly wish to hear from God -- the world's noise (which nowadays is incessant, and to which I must confess that I'm addicted) and then our own desires. 

I have a friend right now who's counseling everyone she knows to spend just five minutes a day in silence. Even in her tight-knit small group, basically no one can do it. We're addicted to noise. We're driven to doing. 

Today's verses don't tell us how, but they do tell us of the fruits. 

·       The more quiet time you spend with God, the more you will know that you are "8 the apple of [His] eye" and therefore, you are "8 guard[ed]."

·       The more time spent in solitude with God, the more you feel the protecting "9 shadow of [His] wings," 

·       The more you escape from the harsh realities of this world and discover the more real and more permanent spiritual world around you, the more you will feel truly "9 protect[ed from the] enemies who surround [you]."

If you ever want to know God's "7 unfailing love in wonderful ways," don't cry, "7 show me," just learn to sit there and sit there and sit there. Looking, listening, reading God’s Word, asking, seeking, knocking, he will delight to show you. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who's running so fast

that he often runs right past

God's simple presence

your unfailing love in wonderful ways," God is 

You save with your strength those who seek refuge from their enemies.8Guard me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.9 Protect me from wicked people who attack me, from murderous enemies who surround me.

Nov 15,16 - Psalm 17:4

I have followed your commands,

which have kept me from

going along with cruel

and evil people.

Psalm 17:4

One of my favorite verses of scripture is Proverbs 20:29b ...

the gray hair of experience

is the splendor of the old.

Nowadays, I resemble that remark! I look splendiferous ... or maybe ... I'm just thankful for the hard earned wisdom that comes from experience.

I say this, while I'm not that old, I still have enough of a vantage point nowadays to look back on my younger years.

By now I've had lots of experience in following my wisdom vs. following God's.

I'm blessed to say that my parents put me on a sure enough path that I didn't "go[] along with [many] cruel and evil people." Nevertheless, I must also admit that I was blind enough to follow too many wayward ways and selfish desires. I did what the world promoted. I lived the way I wanted to live. And I justified it all by going to church on Sunday and saying, like Little Jack Horner, "What a good boy am I."

As the years went on, I became a parent. I wanted better for my boys than some of the mistakes I chose for myself. I learned, as my wife likes to say, that "God's way is the best way." I was a way better way of figuring out how to raise kids -- clear, consistent, and life-giving. And it turned out to be a clearer, more consistent, and rewarding way for me to live too.

I knew God from my youth, but with each gray hair, I learned to "follow[ His] commands." I learned that there's more freedom, joy, and reward from not "going along" with the world, not being led by my desires and emotions ... and going His way instead.

In a sense, life is easy now. And that's NOT because circumstances are easy. But because with each gray hair I've learned a little better how to walk in His footsteps.

And when I'm going His way, the road is easy (or at least much easier) and my burdens are light.

In Christ's Love,

a prince whose

silver hair is his crown

translation: a child of

the true King (thus a prince)

who has learned to trust

his Father as he's aged

Nov 17 - Psalm 17:6a

I am praying to you because

I know you will answer, O God

Psalm 17:6a

Do you know that God will answer when you pray?

One of the most frequent complaints in the journey of faith is the (supposed) silence of God. As humans, we're accustomed to dealing with our five senses:

·       We want to see God.

·       We want to audibly hear him.

·       We want to feel his arms around us.

·       We want to do much more than figuratively "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps 34:8).

·       And we want the literal aroma of Christ to surround us instead of the constant stench of sin and corruption.

As Christians, many of us are dutiful. "I KNOW he answers," we say with more bravado than belief. "Sometimes God says, 'No,'" we say as a way to excuse the continued silence.

After walking this Christian journey as a pastor for many years and listening in on the prayer lives of hundreds of people, I can say one thing for certain: God does speak.

The second thing I can say for certain is that those who pray frequently, intentionally, regularly hear God the most clearly. And actually it's more than that. The ones who hear God are the ones who sit and listen for hours. Day after day. They are comfortable with silence -- like David the Psalmist was a shepherd boy alone in the fields with no one to talk to but sheep and God.

Most of us are too busy for much of God on a daily basis, and then wonder why he's silent in a time of trial. Those who hear from God learn to listen ... and they do it everyday ... so that when a time of crisis comes, God's presence is already personal and familiar. And these are the ones who can confidently say, "I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God."

In Christ's Love,

a guy who needs to

slow down more and

listen more fully

Nov 14 - Psalm 16:2

I said to the LORD,

"You are my Master!

All the good things I have

are from you."

Psalm 16:2

Perspective.

In America, we were once taught to pull ourselves up from our own bootstraps. With that in mind, fill in this sentence: "All the good things I have come from _______."

The way the world fills in that blank is "from me, myself, and my own hard work."

Hard work matters. It's a Biblical value. But ultimately, Scripture urges us to fill in that blank in another way: "All the good things I have are [ultimately] from you."

·       God gives us life and breath.

·       He gives us each day.

·       We can't take one of these physical blessings with us into heaven.

·       Therefore, everything we have on earth is on loan from the permanent owner -- God.

·       Thus, a proper perspective on every gift, treasure, and blessing is: "All the good things I have are [ultimately] from you."

And as a result, we are called to be thankful and generous, rather than prideful and stingy.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who reads this verse again

and realizes that God is the Master,

the landowner (or heaven and earth),

and I am just a servant and a steward

tending -- well or poorly -- to his creation

Nov 13 - Psalm 15:1

Who may worship

in your sanctuary, Lord?

Who may enter your presence

on your holy hill?

Psalm 15:1

The answer to that question is ... 'not me.'

Imagine trying to stroll right into the White House, to walk right up to the President, to talk to him about your day. Do you have that privilege, to barge right in?

No. On our own, we don't have the credentials ... to waltz right into the White House ... or to "enter [God's] presence."

Wait ... how many of us in our world understand that we don't have a right to just bustle right up to America's Commander and Chief to complain about every big and little thing ... but we think we're totally entitled to assail the throne room of heaven with yells, screams, and complaints about how the Creator of All Things runs His Universe.

It's a funny world. We have more respect for the local mayor's privacy than God's sovereignty.

"Who may enter [God's] presence ...?"

The Old Testament, from which the Psalms come, had a simple answer: those who are "2 blameless." (In other words, "not me" nor any fallible human.)

The New Testament has the same -- and yet totally different -- answer. "Who may enter [God's] presence ...?" The one who is "2 blameless." And there was precisely one who was blameless -- Jesus Christ. And this blameless one allows believers to "wear" His righteousness and enter the throne room of God.

Through Christ, I have the credentials. Through faith, I can enter the throne room of God. I can talk directly to the Creator.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who starts

his prayers, therefore,

with awe and thanksgiving

Nov 12 - Psalm 14:2-3

The LORD looks

down from heaven

on the entire human race;

he looks to see if there is

even one with real understanding,

one who seeks for God.

But no, all have

turned away from God;

all have become corrupt.

No one does good,

not even one!

Psalm 14:2-3

When you read verses like these, it almost makes you wonder if David was reading today's headlines.

Corruption, murder, scandals, and wars were as rampant on the pages of the Bible as they are on our front pages.

I guess David's son, Solomon, was right, "History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new" (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

So let me ask a question: If the headlines from 3000 years ago match the headlines of today, don't you think we need a worldview that reflects that human hearts and motives and desires are broken ... rather than improving?

The dominant worldview in America today --and promoted heavily in media and academia -- is that people are basically good. The idea is that if we can just throw off a few old and repressive thought patterns, we'll evolve to a higher state.

When one nation recently attacked another nation, a chief American official said, "This is not how we act in a twenty-first century world." The Bible could have asked, "Mr. Secretary, did you miss the last 30 centuries? ... 'Nothing under the sun is new.' ... We were sinful, we are sinful, we will always be sinful and warring."

The Bible says, "No one [is or] does good, not even one!"

And we argue with that! "I can point to plenty of people who do good," the average person says.

Scripture's answer is that we're using the wrong scale. If we compare ourselves to one another, there are certainly levels of better and worse. But we're not the standard. God is the standard. “Good” is as high as heaven. And the best of us are only better than a few other sinful human beings.

Here's the problem with the modern worldview -- If there is no God, there is no standard higher than a nice person. And if we all try to be nicer, we figure that the world will evolve into a better place.

I'm all for niceness! But at the same time, the headlines haven't changed in 3000 years. We sin and keep sinning. We fall far short of God's glorious standard; nevertheless, we keep comparing ourselves to nothing hirer than our neighbors. And compared to the guy next door (or the dictator in a neighboring country) (or the blowhard in the opposing political party), we consider ourselves good.

But that's not the standard. Indeed, we'll never know how good we are (which isn't very), until we know how good God is.

As G. K. Chesterton says, "Our problem today is not that we have lost our way. Mankind is forever losing his way. Our problem is that we have lost our address."

Ignoring that our address, identity, standard, and life are in God, we compare ourselves to other human beings ... which occasionally makes us feel better about ourselves, but never changes the headlines.

If we want to change the headlines, we must put away foolish notions of our own goodness, humble our foolish pride, get down on our knees, repent of our human-focused quests for solutions, invite God to rule our world (starting with our own lives), and very humbly invite our neighbors to do the same.

In Christ's Love,

a sinner, praying for

a dusty knee revival

Nov 11 - Psalm 13:5

But I trust in your unfailing love.

I will rejoice because you

have rescued me

Psalm 13:5

This is a "how long?" song.

David cries things like ...

·       "2 How long must I struggle ... with sorrow in my heart every day?"

·       "2 How long will my enemy have the upper hand?"

That's his present situation -- enemies, struggles, and sorrows.

And yet in today's verse, he reveals that there's more to his present situation. There's enemies, struggles, sorrows ... and hope. David hopes because David trusts. And David trusts because of God's unfailing love.

That's his present situation – it’s a faith and trust that's bigger than his worldly circumstances of enemies and sorrows.

And there's one more piece. It's part of the secret to faith, trust, and prayer. David says, "I will rejoice because you have rescued me."

Look at the verb tense. Though David is [currently] beset by enemies, his faith knows a bigger truth: "you have rescued me" ... indeed, "you [O Lord] have [already] rescued me."

Knowing God and his character brings trust and hope … because in the midst of temporary worldly circumstances, David knows a bigger truth: No matter what, he is safe, secure, and protected. With God on his side, he is [already] victorious.

When you pray for victory, hope, and rescue, do you pray as if it's a present reality? That's faith. We may not immediately see the reality in the momentary, but faith points us to a bigger reality.

In Christ's Love,

a present tense victor

because I know

the present and

future tense God

Nov 10 - Psalm 12:7

You, O Lord, will protect us;

you will guard us from

this generation forever.

Psalm 12:7

Last Friday, I started by confessing that I sound like an old guy who longs for a simpler time. I lamented that it sometimes seems like "1 there is no longer anyone who is godly."

I'm not alone in my lament over culture. David lamented his generation -- hence this Psalm. Even Jesus – the Christ -- lamented his era, saying, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I ... put up with you?" (Matthew 17:17).

But sad laments are a hopeless place to leave things, aren’t they?

So today, let’s focus on the hopeful side of this equation, based on today's verse: How will God guard and protect us from this (and any) generations lies, temptations, and evils?

·       Wisdom: Major portions of the Old Testament are called Wisdom Literature. Wisdom flows throughout the New Testament too. Wisdom sets our feet on a solid, safe path, even when the world wants to tempt us down dark detours.

·       The Law: Similarly the law can guide us and convict us and channel us again down the right path.

·       The Armor of God: When we put on God's protection, clothing ourselves in things like his truth and his brand of righteousness, we again are safer. And the helmet of salvation might be the most important of all. When we're absolutely confident of our eternal destination, we're much less worried about what this world can do to us. ("What's the worst you can do? Send me to heaven a day early? Ha!")

·       Jesus: Jesus is, of course, the best answer. Not only does he forgive our sins and give us life (life eternally ... and life for today), but part of his reason for coming was to model a way of living and success, even in a corrupt, perverse, and murderous (toward him) generation.

·       Prayer: If God -- the Capital King of creation -- gave us dominion over the earth (He did in Genesis 1) ... and if we gave authority of this world over to Satan (we did in Genesis 3, which is why Satan is called, in scripture, the lower-case ruler of this world) ... then prayer is us inviting God back into our world and into our lives. Yes, God is the Capital King. He can do whatever he wants. But generally he waits for us to invite him into our situations -- including to "guard us from this generation."

In Christ's Love,

a guy who's

engraving invitations

Nov 8,9 - Psalm 12:2

Neighbors lie to each other,

speaking with flattering lips

and insincere hearts.

Psalm 12:2

We may not "officially" tell lies to our neighbors. Nevertheless, most of us lie all the time.

How? We wear masks. We project a false front. We reveal only the glimpses of reality that we want our neighbors to see.

And then we go behind closed doors.

·       For some, that's when the fangs come out. There may be “flattering lips” in public. But how often is it a saccharine "bless his heart" that masks our venom.

·       For others, the façade we wear in public is … a brave mask. In reality, we are dying inside. We are lonely, defeated, and depressed. But we keep a stiff upper lip … because what else are we going to do?

·       Others of us are one pay check away from disaster. We are hanging on by our fingernails. We are worried. But we too but on a brave face.

Is it anger, fear, insecurity, addiction, loneliness, depression, lusts, or jealousy that leave you wearing a mask?

Or is it pride?

That’s the worst mask. We’re so conscious of our image that we never really let people in. We’re afraid that if they really knew us, they wouldn't really like us.

In the garden -- before sin -- people were "naked and not ashamed." Now, don't just think physical nakedness. There were no personal, interpersonal, psychological, or emotional worries. There was literally nothing to hide.

And best of all ... there was no fear of judgment from others.

But with sin, came judgment and shame. And the immediate cover-up began. Masks. Adam wore a fig leaf to hide from Eve. Adam hid in the bushes, thinking he could escape from God's sight.

Today, my goal is to get you -- one -- to admit that wearing the mask is not for protection. Masks are because of sin. Hiding doesn't make you or anyone safer. It only isolates the hider and exacerbates the problem. (Which is precisely where the serpent left Adam and Eve and wants to leave you.)

My second goal is to get you to find a Christian brother or sister that you can trust enough to lower your mask in front of. Your mask feels safe. It's really a prison. Find a Christian friend. Join the supportive fellowship of a confidential small group. Ask for a Stephen Minister (that is one of the greatest gifts of freedom our congregation can offer). Talk to a pastor.

In Christ's Love

a guy who's had to learn

that its not the superheroes

who wear masks

... rather its the people

who lower the masks

who are the truly brave

Nov 7 - Psalm 12:1,8

Help, LORD,

for the godly are no more;

the faithful have vanished

from among men.

The wicked freely strut about

when what is vile is

honored among men.

Psalm 12:1,8

I sound like an old guy. "Things are falling apart. But I remember back in the good old days when ..."

Honestely .. in our generation, things ARE falling apart.

BUT it's nothing new.

I'm guessing that David wasn't even an old guy yet, probably not even 30, when he was saying, "I remember the good old days when ... But nowadays, 'the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished.'"

What should this tell us? Humanity's a mess. Always has been. Always will be.

The modern myth is that humanity is evolving morally. No. Just read the headlines.

Our hope doesn't come from us. Just as David knew that it didn't come from himself or his generation.

As another Psalm says, "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." ^{Psalm 121:2.} As this Psalm says, "7 You, O Lord, will protect us; you will guard us from this generation forever."

In Christ's Love,

a guy who needs his heart

protected from the obvious

evils of a generation,

but needs his heart protected

more from a generation's

subtle temptations

Nov 6 - Psalm 11:2-3

The wicked are

stringing their bows ...

They shoot from the shadows

at those who do right.

The foundations of law

and order have collapsed.

What can the righteous do?"

Psalm 11:2-3

My son Jay was a Revolutionary War re-enactor. He wore a bright red coat. The British marched in precise columns and fought in the open. It was a matter of honor, and they were appalled at an uncouth enemy who would "shoot from the shadows."

But this was nothing new. Every side tends to view every enemy as uncouth. And according to this Psalm, "shoot[ing] from the shadows" has long been a tactic of the underdog. 

David wrote this Psalm at least 3000 years ago. Therefore, it's been consistently true for millennia that “those who do right" are consistently aimed at.

 

And three thousand years later -- and specifically in this generation -- it is increasingly true that "the foundations of law and order have collapsed." And “those who do right,” those who appeal to timeless standards set by God, feel increasingly aimed at, indeed.

 

That’s life in a sinful world.

 

So … before you cry, "What can the righteous do?" remember what I said earlier: "shoot[ing] from the shadows" has long been a tactic of the underdog. 

Why do I call the steadily advancing enemies in our world " the underdogs," especially when their arrows are increasingly stinging? Well, before you despair, read verse 4 ...

 

the LORD is in his holy Temple;

the LORD still rules from heaven.

He watches everything closely,

examining everyone on earth.

 

Though the enemy is still shooting, the victory has already been won. Stand firm.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who doesn't

like an enemy who

"shoots from the shadows";

so I cling instead to the cross

which is the sword

that opened the gate

to the ultimate victory

 

 

Nov 5 - Psalm 10:12

Rise up, O Lord;

O God, lift up your hand;

do not forget the oppressed.

Psalm 10:12

 

I remember when we had our first little baby. Along with much excitement, we were often exhausted and overwhelmed. Something magnificent had taken place in our household … something profound and overwhelming was washing over us … and yet the rest of the world was going on as if nothing had changed.

 

The same is true with grief and death. Our hearts are breaking. We feel like we’re falling into a canyon of despair. A tidal wave has swept over our family and we wonder if we’ll ever breathe again … yet … the rest of the world is going on as if nothing has changed.

 

And then there’s evil that sometimes nips at our heels. For example, in today’s Psalm, David was crying about …

 

·         ² wicked people viciously oppress[ing]

·         ³ too much "brag[ging] about ... evil desires"

·         ⁷ foul "mouths ... full of cursing, lies, and threats"

·         ⁹ people like "lions [who] crouch silently, waiting to pounce on [David himself and] the helpless.

 

Sometimes the world carelessly (and uncaringly) passes us by in the midst of the most monumental events in our lives. And we wonder if we’re forgotten.

 

Sometimes the world even attacks us. And we wonder if we’re forgotten by God.

 

"Why?!" we cry. "13 Why do the wicked get away with cursing God?” Why am I, you servant, so apparently forgotten and oppressed?

 

That’s a human cry.

 

But unlike too many of us humans, David didn’t cry as one without hope. As we talked about in yesterday’s devotion, David was accustomed to hearing God in the midst of the ordinary everyday situations. He knew God's voice and presence intimately, so that when he fell into the valleys, he could say with confidence, "14 But you do see the trouble and grief they cause. 17 Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless."

 

Therefore, he was bold enough to cry to his friend, “Rise up.” And he was confident that his Lord would answer.

 

In Christ's Love,

a very confident man

(precisely because I’m not

confident in myself!)

 

Nov 4 - Psalm 10:1

O Lord, why do you

stand so far away?

Why do you hide when

I need you the most?

Psalm 10:1

Have you ever been there?

Life is caving in all around you. Losses are mounting. Fear is rising. Grief is real. And when you finally cry out, heaven seems silent.

Have you ever been there?

Let me tell you partly why this is ...

Sometimes life seems likes a roller coaster. Lots of ups and downs (and hopefully more ups). Yet there are lots of average, ordinary days too. But most of us wait until a crisis to begin truly crying out? Why?!

Here’s one of life’s great secrets: We need to practice communicating with God by crying out first on ordinary days!

We need to practice talking to God on the ordinary plateaus. Even more so, we need to learn to listen for God amid the basic everyday journey.

·       Day-by-day-by-day talking.

·       Day-by-day-by-day listening.

·       Day-by-day-by-day walking beside the Father -- learning his ways, discovering what pleases his heart, feeling his touch, and learning even from his loving discipline.

Why? Because then when the inevitable happens – and life IS hard -- then we're already prepared to hear.

Honestly, the reason that we feel like God stands so far away … is because we ignore him most of our day(s). We don’t know him, because we haven’t taken the time. We can’t hear him, because we haven’t really slowed down to listen. And then the crisis happens … and we blame him for our ongoing absence.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants you to grow …

rather than beat yourself up

for what you’re not doing perfectly …

therefore, a guy who …

celebrates that you're reading

this in the day-to-day

(Did you hear him?!!

What’d he say?!!)

Nov 3 - Psalm 9:20

Make them tremble in fear, O Lord.

Let them know they are merely human

Psalm 9:20

Pride. It's addicting. We want to be in charge of our own destiny. We want to do what we think is right. (And we definitely have our own opinions.)

There's a part of most of us that's altruistic. We’re often helpful and kind. But if we’re honest, there's another part of us that is very self-interested and self-centered.

We want what we want.

We do what we want. 

We wouldn't call it "playing God," but that's what it is. In our desire to be in charge of our our actions and our own destiny, we become our own gods. In practical terms, when we value no authority higher than ourselves, we -- as the ultimate authority in our own life -- are our own god.

And there are only two checks to our personal authority. The first is the extent of our personal "power." An impoverished person has little "power." An hourly worker has to submit to her boss. Thus, as we climb the human ladders of "power," our pride tends to swell.

Perhaps that's one reason that God so highly esteems the poor -- see verse 18. Without personal "power" the poor and humble are the few who are wise and faithful enough to consistently bow to God's true authority.

In this Psalm, however, David is talking about prideful kings and conspiring nations. In human terms, kings and generals have indeed lots of "power." In their conceit they "play God." Kingdoms are their chessboard and people (and not just soldiers) are their pawns. So David calls for a true show of real POWER: "Make them tremble in fear, O Lord. Let them know they are merely human."

On this earth, as I said, there are two checks to our personal authority. The first is the extent of our personal "power," and the higher we are on that ladder of success, the more human "power" we think we have and honestly, therefore, the harder it is to humble ourselves enough to worship.

So what's the second constraint to our own illusions of power?

Death.

In our funeral prayers, we recall that the kingdoms "rise and pass away before you[, O God]." Rich and poor, kings and peasants, workers and bosses, privates and generals are all equal in death. Earthly power is an illusion. And the sooner we "tremble in fear [before the] Lord" and come to "know [that we] are merely human," the freer we will be.

And this is a strange and wonderful freedom.

In submitting our lives to the true and eternal king, the almighty King emancipates us. He gives us his power, his authority, his freedom, and his grace. 

Those who submit are called children of God. Literally princes and princesses! To the extent that our heart is bowed, we are nobility. And when submitted, we can then wield the power of the Servant-King.

In Christ's Love,

the jello-pudding guy

(I wiggle and giggle and

tremble before God)

Nov 1,2 - Psalm 9:13-14

Snatch me back

from the jaws of death.

Save me, so I can

praise you publicly

at Jerusalem's gates

Psalm 9:13-14

Have you ever been in a situation so dire that you cried out desperately?

You're sick. Your mom is dying. Your child is in trouble. And you cry desperately … something like: "Snatch me back from the jaws of death."

Have you ever been in a situation like that? That's question one.

Question two is this: When crying out desperately, have you ever made a promise to God? "If you save me, I will ... a) give more ... b) go to church more ... or c) eat mor chikin (as Chic-fil-A suggests)."

That's the theme of this verse. Not eating more chicken, of course ... but what we should always do in response to any answer to prayer. "God you ... a) comforted me ... b) encouraged me ... c) 'snatch[ed] me back from the jaws of death ... therefore, I will 'praise you publicly.'"

Isn't that the prayer? Shouldn't that be the purpose of our life?

a)      'Save me!' ... so I can praise you publicly.

b)      ‘Help me!’ ... so I can praise you publicly

c)      ‘Forgive me!’ ... so I can praise you publicly.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who doesn't want to

make his proclamation conditional

-- no, "if ... then will I proclaim you."

No, I'm a guy who just wants to

proclaim Him unconditionally