Dec 9 - Psalm 23:2a

He maketh me to lie down

in green pastures

Psalm 23:2a

 

Sheep don’t sleep laying down.

 

They can. But they usually don’t.

 

Why? Because sheep are skittish. They only lay down if they feel completely safe. Barns and fenced fields are pretty safe. The wilderness is not. And “the valley of the shadow of death” definitely is not. Therefore, sheep often sleep standing up. “With one eye open,” as the old saying goes.

 

This Psalm tells us, however, of the blessing of a good shepherd. Not only does he lead us to a green pasture that is good for grazing, but in his care, we feel so safe that we can lay down and close our eyes and truly rest.

 

What’s worrying you in your life right now?

 

Worry is a sign that we’re carrying this burden too much on our own. It’s time to hand it more fully over to the Good Shepherd. Indeed, as God-the-Son says, “Come to me all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

 

Rest. It’s time. Will you trust God enough to close your eyes, lie down, and truly rest?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s writing this

in his pajamas.

Good rest is my good gift

from my Good Shepherd.

 

Dec 8 - Psalm 23:1b

I shall not want

Psalm 23:1b

 

I am Frankenstein.

 

It’s a startling confession. But like the infamous doctor from literature and cinema, I am responsible for creating a monster. Actually … three monsters.

 

Whenever we took our three little boys shopping, we would say, “If you are good, we’ll buy you a Matchbox car at the end of the day.” And our three little monsters learned quickly how to play the game.

 

Every parent has heard the cry, “I want.” Our family inadvertently put “wanting” on steroids. We made gifts an entitlement. And we have a tub-full of toy cars to prove it.

 

“I shall not want” is an attitude that every wise parent wishes they could engrain in their children. We try, indeed, to teach our children the difference between “selfish wants” and “legitimate needs.”

 

Ironically, though, the more we have, the more we often think we “deserve.” A pastor from Africa spoke to our children at church recently. He said children in his villages often have no more than one toy – and usually it’s one they made themselves. As a result, though, they don’t spend their days expecting more toys like my three little monsters. These little African children, often with little to eat, have learned the difference between selfish wants and legitimate needs.

 

Have we?

 

When we pray Psalm 23, I urge you to pray it as a confession and a reminder. “God, I confess that I am covetous. I want what I want and expect what I don’t really need. Help me, Lord. I resolve to define myself less by selfishness and wants, and I commit myself to trusting you. Provide me with only what I truly need … in your time. Amen.”

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants his heart

to translate this Psalm like the

New International Readers’ Version:

“The Lord is my shepherd.

He gives me everything I need.”

 

Dec 6,7 - Psalm 23:1a

The Lord is my shepherd

Psalm 23:1a

 

Psalm 23 is the most famous of all the Psalms. Each petition, therefore, deserves a quick glance.

 

So… what does the very first line tell us?

 

It's an analogy. Sheep were valuable and vulnerable, and God-our-protector (the shepherd) views us as valuable, even though we are generally weak and vulnerable. "Harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" is how the Son of God often viewed his people (see Mt 9:36).

 

Perhaps the best commentary on sheep and shepherds – and God’s care for us – is from Jesus' description of his own role in John 10 ...

 

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 ... and I lay down my life for the sheep.

How valuable are you in God's eyes? The Good Shepherd laid down his life for you.

 

And it’s not because you’re good enough to deserve it. No, “God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Indeed, even if God had ninety-nine obedient sheep, he’d drop everything to go and search just for a wayward you (see Luke 15:4).

 

But to get to enjoy the fullest blessing of his grace, we need to claim the forgotten word in today's verse: "my."

 

Yes, God is indeed "a" shepherd. And that’s a nice (impersonal) truth. But when you claim that little word "my," you will discover the joy and freedom of a personal relationship with the King of Love.

 

In Christ's Love,

a thankful sheep who

loves “my” shepherd

 

The king of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
And he is mine for ever.

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul he leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me,
And on his shoulder gently laid,
And home rejoicing brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no I'll
With thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

 

Dec 5 - Psalm 22:1a (2)

My God, my God!

Why have you

forsaken me?

Psalm 22:1

From the cross, Jesus cried out in anguish …

“Psalm 22!”

I mean that literally. His mouth might have said, “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?” but perhaps what he was saying was something much bigger than that.

As I understand it, there is an old Hebrew tradition that reveals something interesting about Jesus’ cry from the cross. Scholarly Jews – for example, a rabbi like Jesus – would know the Psalms by heart. And sometimes (especially if they were weak or sick), they would cry out just the first line of the Psalm and it would be assumed that they were praying and claiming every petition therein. 

For example, rather than reciting all six verses of Psalm 23, a weak and disheartened soul might simply cry, "the Lord is my Shepherd."

And what would that mean?

Well, from the midst of "the valley of the shadow of death," a faithful person would be reminding themselves to take courage because God's mighty hand was surely and safely shepherding them.

From the midst of their sickened condition, they would be comforted by the Lord’s promise of "green pastures," “still waters,” rest, peace, and provision.

Indeed, even though the fiery trials of their current situations, they would be reminding themselves to be confident because they would surely "dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

All that from one line – the Lord is my shepherd.

Therefore, when Jesus cried, “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?”, he was not only reflecting his anguish as sin and death were crushing him on the cross … but he was crying so much more …

What else was Jesus crying when he shouted, “Psalm 22”?!

22 I will declare

the wonder of your name ...

24 for he has not ignored

the suffering of the needy. 

He has not turned and walked away.

He has listened to their cries for help. ...

And then think about the cross. Can’t you hear Jesus prophesying the fruit of his life-giving sacrifice …

27 [Then] the whole earth will

acknowledge the Lord

and return to him.

People from every nation

will bow down before him. ...

30 Future generations

will also serve him.

Our children will hear

about the wonders of the Lord. 

31 His righteous acts will

be told to those yet unborn.

They will hear about

everything he has done.

The cross was indeed an utterly God-forsaken moment. And yet Jesus, even in his pain, was celebrating the victory too.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who needs to remember

that even his most seemingly

God-forsaken moments

should end in praise

Tomorrow we'll focus on Jesus' literal

Dec 4 - Psalm 22:1a (1)

My God, my God!

Why have you

forsaken me?

Psalm 22:1

From the cross, Jesus cried out in anguish, “My God, my God!”

Indeed, he quoted and cried the opening words of this powerful Psalm.

Have you ever stopped to think about the God-forsaken anguish that Jesus must have felt in this moment?

When our Lord came down from heaven, he emptied himself (see Philippians 2:5-8). Totally. He took off his robes of light. Stripped himself of his divinity. And became fully human. 

He walked like us. Talked like us. Wet his diapers like us – which is part of the Christmas story. He was fully human.

Nevertheless and throughout his life, Jesus knew (and had only known) God's powerful, personal, and intimate presence. Why? Because the human Jesus fostered this connection. (Jesus’ life shows that for humans an intimate connection to God is available for all people, but only Jesus nurtured this relationship is such a powerful, personal, and intimate way.)

Jesus knew the Father … through the human activity of prayer. Furthermore, at his baptism, the Holy Spirit came upon him in power. (This indwelling presence in Jesus’ life prefigured the Pentecost gift of the Holy Spirit that would be available to all would follow the Son of God and believe in his name.)

The point is this: God was powerfully, personally, and intimately connected with Jesus and no human ever had experienced the closeness of God as Jesus did!

Therefore, with these words from the cross, we feel Jesus’ moment of agony God when God removed his presence from Jesus. It was necessary. The Savior came to understand, to die for, and to conquer all that life without God was like. And it must have felt like a vacuum in Jesus’ heart … a black hole which was collapsing in on itself. The weight of the entire world shrunk down to this moment in the heart of this man. And God allowing his Son to be crushed for our iniquities.

“My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me.”

Jesus may have come for this moment … he may have willingly undertaken this destiny … but nothing could have prepared him for having the weight of the world hung upon … along with the suffocating absence of God.

“My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me.”

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who cries with him today

Dec 3 - Psalm 21:12

For they will turn and run

when they see your arrows

aimed at them

Psalm 21:12

There are two ways to read this passage.

First, as this Psalm is clearly a song of victory, David is crediting God with making him king and helping his armies prevail. Therefore, he is confident that the enemy "will turn and run" when they see a successful human army have their "arrows aimed at them."

Yes, God might have been the author of Israel's success, but aren’t the arrows that the enemies "see" are human arrows?

That's one interpretation. And it’s certainly accurate in many degrees! Nevertheless, I want to suggest a second -- and deeper -- interpretation. And let me begin it with a story from 2 Kings 6 ...

The king of Aram was angered. Israel was always a step ahead of him in battle. Did he have a traitor in his midst, revealing his plans to the enemy? No, insisted his advisors. Rather, a prophet of God knew the future -- "9 immediately," it says, "Elisha, the man of God, would [know Aram's plans amd] warn the king of Israel."

Therefore, the angry Aramean king mounted a great army and set out to take down this one troublesome prophet.

Thus, early one morning the servant of Elisha awoke early to find an army at their door. Afraid, he turned to the prophet. "15 Ah, my lord, what will we do now?"

"16 Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!"

I'm sure the servant looked at Elisha incredulously. "The old man's daft. It's me and him against a mighty army."

But "16 then Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!' The Lord opened his servant's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire."

When we believe in God, we are making a statement of faith. We are saying that we believe in two "worlds." There's the physical realm that we can see and the spiritual realm that we can't physically see. Scripture tells us that this spiritual realm is alive and active and that we are involved in a spiritual battle.

In Elisha's case, the army that was for him (though unseen) was greater than the army against him (even though the king of Aram's swords and chariots looked rightly formidable).

Could that be what David is really talking about? The earthly enemies of God's people might not ever have their eyes fully open and they might not literally see "your arrows aimed at them"; nevertheless, enemies knew that David somehow always "outnumbered" them, "out-gunned" them, or "out-strategized" them. They clearly sensed God's arrows and God's power aimed at them -- whether they literally saw it or not.

Our enemies may not literally "see [God's] arrows aimed at them." And yet God often makes his presence known. The earthly enemies of God may come up with worldly explanations for why their plans keep getting thwarted -- outmanned, out-gunned, out-maneuvered ... or simply unlucky. But maybe it's time for you to begin to claim -- and operate in confidence that -- "there are more on our side than on theirs!"

In Christ's Love,

a guy who may appear

to be standing by himself,

and yet I’m part of a great majority

Dec 2 - Psalm 20:7-8

Some nations boast of

their armies and weapons,

but we boast in the Lord our God.

Those nations will fall down and collapse,

but we will rise up and stand firm.

Psalm 20:7-8

"Boasting" is a bad word in today's vernacular. It's prideful. It tends to be excessive and self-focused. It's basically "talking trash."

But in a more old world sense, "boasting" is "expressing confidence in something." A runner may express confidence in his ability. A fan may express confidence in his team. A police officer may express confidence in his bullet-proof vest. And a soldier may express confidence in his king or country.

But today's Psalm reminds us that there's really only one true thing worth expressing ultimate confidence in. David says essentially, "we [should only] boast in the Lord our God."

As an athlete ages, his boasting fades. When a pass is dropped, the fan turns fickle. What if the criminal aims not at the bullet-proof vest, but the police officer's head? And even strong "armies and weapons [and] nations [occasionally] fall down and collapse, but" -- as the Psalm goes on to say -- [those who boast and trust in the Lord] will rise up and stand firm."

In Christ's Love

an appropriate boaster

Dec 1 - Psalm 20:1

In times of trouble, may

the Lord respond to your cry.

May the God of Israel keep

you safe from all harm.

Psalm 20:1

Benediction. 

It's a word that means: an utterance of good wishes, an expression of hoped for blessings. 

In a church, it is often the final words a pastor says before the congregation is sent forth into a world that is potentially dangerous. For example, the pastor might quote Numbers 6:24-26. "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine on you and be gracious unto you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace."

Now, when a pastor says a benediction like this, is it merely an expression of well-wishes, like, "I hope you have a good week"? No. 

A Christian benediction reminds us of how God has already promised to be with us. It's claiming his promises as we march off to battle -- even if it seems like the biggest battle we'll undertake this week will be rush-hour traffic. 

Today's Psalm begins with a benediction -- a reminder of God's character and a claiming of God's promises to us. Let's hear Scriptures benediction over your days ...

·       "1 In times of trouble, may the LORD respond to your cry." God is the God who hears. Be reminded to cry out to him. 

·       "1 May the God of Israel keep you safe from all harm." God is our protector. Venture forth boldly into your days. 

·       "2 May he send you help from his sanctuary." Sanctuary is not only the place where God is worshipped, but it's a place the implies peace. Thus, we are praying, "May the peace that God enjoys flow directly into the situation in which you need help."

·       "3 May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings." This could be a scary benediction to many: "May God be as faithful to you as you've been to him."

·       "4 May he grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans." God won't grant anything contrary to his plans. So what this petition is really saying is, "May your heart align with God's heart, may you desire what he desires, and may God bring to completion his plans." 

·       Indeed, in that way, we claim one more benediction: "5 May the Lord answer all your prayers."

After being reminded repeatedly of God's presence and power through these repeated benedictions, there's one more phrase in this Psalm that begins with "may." This one is our response to all the blessings God has poured on us ...

“5 May we shout for joy

when we hear of your victory,

flying banners to honor our God.”

In Christ's Love,

a guy who pronounces

this benediction:

May the Lord remind you

daily of his faithfulness

Nov 29,30 - Psalm 19:1-2

The heavens declare

the glory of God.

The skies display his

marvelous craftsmanship.

Day after day they

continue to speak

Psalm 19:1-2

There is a haunting question. I hear it pour forth from loving people all of the time: What about those who don't know God? What about those who don't believe in Jesus Christ? What will happen to them?

Their logic is this: I love these people. Doesn't God love them? Are you telling me he'll just cast them away?

No!

Nothing could be further from the truth.

If you love -- you who are a mix of godliness and sin -- don't you know that God loves these people a million times more. God is love. He's their Father. God the Son died for them. He casts no one away.

God, indeed, speaks to everyone. That's what today's verses are all about. They're saying that we can't not know God exists. "The heavens declare" his existence. "Day after day they continue to speak" to every person on earth.

We can't not know! That's the message of scripture. We can't not know ... unless we harden our hearts. Unless we are proud -- thinking our knowledge is above God's, thinking we're more loving and compassionate than the Father, thinking the world would be a better place if we were in charge.

We know ... unless we don't want to know. That's the consistent message of scripture. All we have to do is look at the vastness of the sky. That's what this Psalm says.

The Apostles put it like this -- Romans 1:19-24 --

For the truth about God

is known to them instinctively.

God has put this knowledge in their hearts.

From the time the world was created,

people have seen the earth and sky

and all that God made.

They can clearly see

his invisible qualities --

his eternal power and divine nature.

So they have no excuse whatsoever

for not knowing God.

Yes, they knew God,

but they wouldn't worship him as God

or even give him thanks.

And they began to think up

foolish ideas of what God was like.

The result was that their minds

became dark and confused.

Claiming to be wise,

they became utter fools instead.

And instead of worshiping

the glorious, ever-living God,

they worshiped idols ...

So God let them go ahead

and do whatever shameful things

their hearts desired.

We can't not know. It's instinct. We have a God-shaped hole in our hearts. God himself put it there. "Day after day [God and his creation] continue to speak."

We can't not know ... unless we don't want to ... unless we are proud and choose not to listen ... unless we close our eyes and shut our hearts and walk away.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who hates the inevitable downside

of a human invention -- light pollution.

Because have you ever stood

in a truly dark place -- like northern Canada –

and seen the Milky Way so thick

that its more real than the clouds in the sky,

and the stars number in the millions

and not just the dozens?

"The heavens [truly do] declare

the glory of God"

Nov 27,28 - Psalm 18:18 (T)

They attacked me

at a moment

when I was weakest,

but the Lord upheld me.

Psalm 18:18

There is a rumor. Turkey is bad for you. It makes you weak.

Now … we've been studying for these last few days how to combat the "moment[s] when [we are] weakest." We've been warned that we should never let us get ourselves too (H)ungry, too (A)ngry, too (L)onely, too (T)ired.

Therefore, we should never eat turkey.

Why? Because it has a chemical in it that causes sleepiness. Tryptophan. Beware!

T

But if a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, then (T)iredness is the fourth and final weak link that we'll be discussing.

When we're tired, we don't keep our guard up.

Therefore, we're likely to give into too many questionable things.

Think about it ... Isn't this when you tend to give in to too many dangerous things? For example, when we're tired -- and stressed -- isn't this when we go off our diet and eat a whole bag of potato chips? When we're tired, we snap at people more quickly. When we're tired, we make bad decisions. (How many "impulse buys" have you regretted.) People make excuses when they're tired. They lie. They cheat. They're even more likely to cheat on their spouse.

When we're tired, we're vulnerable. We go back to the old, the familiar, the comfortable. For example, an alcoholic is more likely to pick up a drink to just "settle things down."

When I'm tired, I play more games on my phone -- dumb, silly, but mindless. That's all it seems like I can do.

But here's the problem: In our world today, busyness is often worn as a badge of importance.

It's wise to realize, however, that busyness is usually a sign of improper priorities. God's plan is simple -- Jesus, Others, You. Forget the "me time" and focus on spelling JOY -- Jesus, others, you.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who hopes

you get a nap

this afternoon!

Nov 26 - Psalm 18:18 (L)

They attacked me

at a moment

when I was weakest,

but the Lord upheld me.

Psalm 18:18

HALT!

It’s the acronym – and reminder – to avoid the "moment[s] when [we are] weakest" by not allowing ourselves to get too (H)ungry, too (A)ngry, too (L)onely, or too (T)ired.

Today, we focus on …

L

Belonging is one of our greatest human needs. We need love. We crave community -- even if its just a few treasured friends.

Think about so many of the problems that teens face -- not fitting into peer groups, gossip which isolates them, bullying which denigrates them, parents that are too busy, abandonment caused by divorce. Our kids are a microcosm of loneliness, and everything from joining the wrong peer group, to self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, to suicide are dangerous coping mechanisms.

Adults may mask the hurts of loneliness better; nevertheless, the sting of loneliness is no less real for grown-ups.

And it’s cyclical. When we feel alone, we retreat even further from life.

So what’s the antidote? Faith! It’s the first, best antidote. It’s the first line of defense.

Faith gives us several great blessings.

·       First, faith is the conviction that God is on our side. Literally, on our side. He is beside us. With us. And when we have faith, we are never fully alone. (Now, this doesn’t fully eclipse the human longing for human relationships; nevertheless, it’s a powerful help!)

·       Second, the blessing of faith should also connect us to God’s community – called the Church. Though cliques and judgment and drama can enter a church -- just as surely as it can enter a high school (we're annoyingly human after all) -- church should be a place for grace ... and welcome ... and acceptance … and community … and handshakes … and hugs.

In Christ's Love,

the guys

(I guess I’m plural

… since God is always

with me)

Nov 25 - Psalm 18:18 (A)

They attacked me

at a moment

when I was weakest,

but the Lord upheld me.

Psalm 18:18

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link"

That was our theme from yesterday. It was the warning that we are most vulnerable precisely at the "moment[s] when [we are] weakest."

To HALT our vulnerabilities, we are called to not let ourselves get too (H)ungry, too (A)ngry, too (L)onely, too (T)ired. Today we focus on ...

A

Anger is a sign of being driven by psychological or spiritual wounds.

And when does it flare up? Usually when our worth, our word, our competence, or the things we value have been called into question.

"Nothing's going right!" we may shout.

Anger comes (generally) from it's our inability to control events, people, or situations and events.

Control and worth are the twin pillars of most psyches. But that's an utterly worldly perspective. When we submit to God and trust that he's in control, then we don't have to fret so much over control (or our anger-producing lack of it).

Furthermore, when we deeply and truly realize that Jesus values us enough to die for us, then we see our value from his perspective and we quit having to depend on other people and the success of events to define our worth. And thus, judgmental people, unfavorable events, and personal insecurities have an increasingly declining ability to ramp up our reactions.

For those who know me, you may find it hard to believe that I used to have a pretty fiery temper. It was mainly insecurity. As my faith has grown and my identity has been more defined by Christ's assessment of me, I've become more secure and much more mild-mannered.

How about you? Do you see a trigger-point in today's discussion?

We all need constant reminders to find our identity in Christ.

In Christ's Love,

a former volcano

(usually quiet but with

occasionally embarrassing

eruptions)

Nov 24 - Psalm 18:18 (H)

They attacked me

at a moment

when I was weakest,

but the Lord upheld me.

Psalm 18:18

When are you most vulnerable?

Like the old saying -- "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link" -- we need to be aware that we are most vulnerable at the "moment[s] when [we are] weakest."

So ... when are you most vulnerable?

Here's an acronym that might help -- HALT. It reminds us that we should never let us get ourselves too (H)ungry, too (A)ngry, too (L)onely, too (T)ired.

H

This is a warning against letting physical urges control you.

·       Hunger is just one of them, though many people use food as a substitutional comfort instead of dealing with problems directly.

·       Others drink or do drugs (or increasingly take an excess of prescription medication) to mask stresses and hurts.

·       Sex is a major physical motivator, representing one of the most life-destroying (and family-weakening) forces in our world today.

The warning is, first, "don't let yourself get too hungry."

The deeper warning is, "when physical urges manifest, stop (halt) and analyze what is psychologically -- and spiritually -- driving you.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants an appetite

for the things of God

Nov 22,23 - Psalm 18:20,22

The Lord rewarded me

for doing right; I have never

abandoned your principles

Psalm 18:20,22

Let me start by saying it clearly -- our works don't save us.

Faith, instead, is the key to salvation. As it is quintessentially put in Romans 3, "we are justified by God's grace ... effective through faith ... apart from works prescribed by the law."

We are all sinners. Works don't save us. And yet ... according to this Psalm, God nevertheless blesses works.

Like a good parent!

We don't love our kids less when they're ornery and rebellious. (We may like them less momentarily! Exasperation brings little joy. But we don't love them less.)

But here's a basic truth of children and parenting: the more trust they earn by "doing right," the more they are "rewarded" with freedoms and privileges.

Stewardship is an important biblical concept -- and I'm not talking at all about money. The social structure of Biblical times included lots of servants. Some were "good and faithful," others were "wicked." And those with greater capacity to serve were entrusted with increasingly greater freedoms, privileges, and responsibility. (Think of Joseph's increasing responsibility in the house of Potiphar in Genesis 39, or Jesus' parable of three servants being entrusted with different amounts of gold according to their capacity to manage an estate -- see Matthew 25.)

We are God's servants. And his children. And like a good Father/master, it is natural that he will "reward[ us] for doing right." Indeed, the freedoms, privileges, and responsibilities grow as our faith -- and our capacity to steward his blessings -- grow.

The question, though, is this: How much can God trust you? Can you say with David, "I have never abandoned your principles."

Let me interpret quickly that last line. Number one, we all sin. But sin is not necessarily abandoning God's principles. Sin is falling short of the goal. While it is missing the target, at least we still know the target, the true principles, the goal. Our world tries to get us to abandon God's principles, to choose the world's twisted principles instead. David is not saying that he has never sent. Rather, even as an imperfect human he is still aiming at the right target. He has never abandoned God's principles

Therefore, when we aim in the right direction and work to the best of our ability, we are increasingly likely to hear Jesus' benediction at the end of his parable in Matthew 25:21 ...

"Well done, good and faithful servant!

You have been faithful with a few things;

I will put you in charge of many things.

Come and share your master's happiness!"

In Christ's Love,

a guy who yearns

for that benediction

over my life

Nov 21 - Psalm 18:3,46

I will call on the Lord,

who is worthy of praise,

for he saves me

from my enemies.

The Lord lives!

Blessed be my rock!

May the God of

my salvation be exalted

Psalm 18:3,46

Do you remember the pictures from the streets of New York when our victory in World War II was being celebrated.

The iconic picture shows a sailor dipping a pretty young lady and planting a victory smooch upon her lips.

Celebration.

This Psalm is a victory celebration. It is a song of triumph. It is unvarnished praise. In fact, it's joyful enough that Christians still sing these words to God's victorious provision.

In Scripture's small print notation that begins Psalm 18, this song is labeled:

A psalm of David,

the servant of the Lord.

He sang this song to the Lord

on the day the Lord rescued him

from all his enemies and from Saul.

Sing! Praise! Victory! Yes, God is good.

But for how long do you tend to sing? Do you focus on the blessings or defeats? Is your glass half empty or truly full with God on your side?

Do you take God's blessings for granted?

That's one of the points of a famous story in ----. Jesus healed ten lepers. Only one came back to say thanks. "Where are the other nine?"

As a reminder to sing praise and quit taking our blessings for granted ... Don't be like the one leper who waited to see if the healing was real. Don't be like another who wondered if they ever really had leprosy in the first place. Don't be like another who figured he'd find a more convenient time to say thanks. Don't come up with any of six other six or sixty other excuses. Just praise!

In Christ's Love,

a guy who is praising

(the morning I'm writing this

is the morning I'm finding out

Pastor Nate and Greer's

baby was born, and

every ten seconds

I'm hearing Mary Louise's

text message "bing" sound,

as ML and Greer's small group

celebrates the good news)

Nov 20 - Psalm 17:14a (2)

Save me by

your mighty hand, O Lord,

from those whose only concern

is earthly gain.

Psalm 17:14a

Yesterday we focused on half of these words from Psalm 17. Today we focus on the rest.

Psalm 17 is filled with enemies and persecutions. So is life. There are trials. Frustrations. Crippling diseases. There are enemies outside of us. And there are enemies and temptations within.

Do you want to be saved by God?

Absolutely.

The question is "How?"

Most of us want a big miracle and a mighty hand.

Sometimes we get that! God can and does answer in extraordinary ways. (In fact, I suspect when we get to heaven, we're learn about all the ways that God intervened that we didn't even notice. Extraordinary!)

Most of the time, however, I believe that God intervenes in ordinary ways. How? He tells us to put on faith ... and truth ... and righteousness. He calls us to clothe ourselves in these disciplines like armor (see Ephesians 6).

It's something the do ourselves, yes. It takes time and discipline. BUT when we allow him access to our lives, God does more than help! He teaches us truth. He guides us in righteousness. His Spirit fans our faith into flames.

And honestly, that's no less extraordinary!

It's nice to have a superhero God who can tackle the giants. But it's even better to also have a saving, empowering friend who walks beside me daily to equip me to meet the daily trials.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who is armed

with a divine friend