Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 5 & Psalm 81

When God's People Won't Listen

God longs for His people to listen to Him. It breaks His heart when they don’t – or worse, won’t. Here in Psalm 81, we are admonished by the Lord to listen to His voice or face unpleasant consequences if we don’t. It is a sad and tragic thing when the very people whom God has chosen, called, and adopted as His own children refuse to listen to Him.

In Psalm 81, the Psalmist Asaph is speaking during one of Israel’s national festivals. During these times, the people assemble to worship God, offer sacrifices to Him, and hear His word. At the beginning of this Psalm, Asaph calls the people to gather and blow the trumpet and sing praises to Yahweh. He reminds them of the great works the Lord has done on their behalf and exhorts them to remain faithful and devoted to Him. As the Psalm progresses, Asaph turns to a discussion of their failure to listen to the Lord and His commands. He declares that God is speaking but the people are not heeding His voice.

This was the great tragedy. God was ready to fill the listening and open hearts of His people, but they would not listen to or obey Him. They had become complacent in their faith and their ears had turned away from God’s voice. He charges the people of Israel with not listening and not submitting to the very God they claim to worship. Their hearts had grown cold. Their faith had lost it’s vigor.

This is why it is so important to keep our hearts tender towards the Lord and our inner-ear always open to His words. As time goes on for some believers, they begin to drift away from a passionate relationship with the Lord – just a little bit at first. Eventually, a little distance from God becomes greater until the point that life has become so entangled with other pursuits and other priorities that they shut out the Lord’s voice altogether. They become stubborn.

When this happens – watch out! Your God will not force His will upon you. If you choose to drift away from Him and become stubborn and stop listening, He will eventually give you over to your stubborn choices. He is so very patient, but there can come a time when He can be patient no longer. That’s what happened to Israel – God “gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.” It is a tragic moment when someone forsakes the flawless and powerful counsel of God to walk in their own ways and listen to their own counsel.

So make sure that you are diligent to keep your heart tender and open to Him and His voice. He wants to speak words of peace, grace, wisdom, and faith to you. Listen with your heart turned toward Him and you will hear!

 

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 4 & Psalm 77

The Prayer of Jabez

Buried amongst the family names and genealogies in 1 Chronicles 4, is this hidden gem of a prayer. If you skim over this chapter, you might miss it as it is only one verse long. It is called the prayer of Jabez, written by a Jewish descendant of Abraham. It is short but powerful. As with many prayers found in the Bible, this prayer provides us with an excellent model we can follow in our own prayer lives.

Little is known of Jabez, other than he was a from the tribe Judah, he was an honorable man, and his mother named him “Jabez” (meaning “sorrowful” or “painful”) because his birth had been notably painful.  Can you imagine naming your child “sorrow” or “pain”? As Jabez prays, he “calls upon the God of Israel” and places five requests or petitions before Him.

First, he requests God’s blessing. Jabez acknowledges that the God of Israel is the source of all blessing, and he asks God to make sure that those blessings fall his way. He longed to be “under the spout where the glory comes out!”  What a great way to begin our petitions before God – Lord, make me the recipient of your blessings.

Second, he asks the Lord to “enlarge his border.” By this request, Jabez is asking the Lord to give him a large territory of both land and influence. As followers of Christ, we should be constantly seeking to increase our influence and our impact on the world around us, Have you had the blessing of serving Christ in ministry? Pray for God’s success on your ministry and that He would enlarge your border to bring greater impact for His kingdom.

Third, he makes sure that God’s hand will be with him. This was Jabez’s way of asking for the guidance of God and His strength to be evident in his daily existence. He wisely realized that he doesn’t need or want a larger territory or ministry unless the Lord is there with him. This is similar to Moses’ prayer in Exodus 33:15, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” A larger ministry is a terrifying thing if God isn’t in it! Pray that the Lord’s hand be with you every step of the way.

Fourth, he prays that God would keep him from harm. Realizing that without the Lord as his Protector and Defender, he risks the peril of harm. But if God is for him and with him, nothing can truly harm him. The Lord promises that “no harm will befall” His children (Psalm 91:10). This doesn’t mean that we are exempt from trials and challenges and injury. It means that whatever we go through with God on our side will not harm our eternal spirit.

Finally, Jabez requests that he, himself, would do no harm. In this final petition, he plays on his name, “Sorrow” or “Pain” and prays that it would not be so. He longs for his life to make a positive influence on others and to ease their pain. So, he says, “Lord don’t let my name become reality.” As followers of Christ, we often come across sensitive situations where doing the wrong thing, or saying the wrong thing, could bring someone else pain or, worse yet, keep them from coming the Christ. We must pray that this is never the case.

 Take a moment and pray this prayer for yourself right now.

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 3 & Psalm 73

 When the Ungodly Prosper

Asaph, who wrote Psalm 73, was one of David's worship leaders in Israel’s tabernacle choir. He was a skilled singer and a poet and a man of faith, who acknowledged that God is good to Israel and to all who are pure of heart. But, as all humans are inclined to do, Asaph became discouraged and found that his faith wavered when he constantly saw how wicked men seemed to prosper and get away with all sorts of evil practices.

Life seemed so unfair to this man and his faith in God was seriously tested, when he saw how the ungodly prospered and increased in riches and popularity, despite their oppressive ways, crooked schemes, arrogant attitudes, and foul mouths. To make matters worse, the ungodly often seemed to hold public office and be in places of leadership. Asaph knew that he had led a decent, honest and respectable life by comparison with these ungodly shysters. Life seemed so cruel and unfair to this man of faith. The question on his mind was, “why does God allow the ungodly to prosper while the godly are unjustly persecuted?”

It can be discouraging to any of us when we see ungodly and arrogant people prosper. Especially when they hold public office and are in places of leadership. We see them day in and day out promoting ungodly policies and pushing immoral positions. This can be especially frustrating when we long for and pray for God’s righteousness to restore our nation and yet see lifetime politicians continue to expand their non-Christian ideologies.

It was only when Asaph sought God in His holy sanctuary that he started to find answers to his dilemma. There, he realized how short-sighted he was being, looking only at temporal positions. He had the wrong perspective. He needed to get his thinking straight by viewing life through the lenses of eternity. Once he did that, he realized that the ungodly person’s prosperity is only temporary. One day, he/she will have to meet their Maker. On that day, their position and power on earth will mean nothing. God will call them to account for their life and if they haven’t made peace with Him, their future is bleak.  The plans, privileges, prosperity, and pride of the wicked will one day evaporate while those that trust in the Lord will be held steady by the strong arm of our God, guided by His counsel, protected by His grace, and at last received into glory. Our future is bright!

In verse 26 of this Psalm, Asaph joyfully declares that he has found the “secret” to his dilemma – the strength of God. He declares that, although he experiences temporal failure, he has a God who is rock-firm and faithful. This God is his portion forever. We, as followers of Christ, have our Lord's assurance that the sufferings of this present life cannot be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us, for we have a blessed hope that is anchored in Christ and an inheritance that is secured for us in heaven. No amount of earthly prosperity can compare!

Today's Reading: Psalm 85 & 87

He Will Speak Peace to His People

Peace. What an amazing word. And an amazing experience!

There are a few different definitions for the word “peace.” One definition is “absence of war or conflict.” This definition can apply to individuals, political parties, or nations at war. When the conflict has ended, we say there is “peace.” Another definition simply means “quietness or silence.” This use of the word can come from frazzled parents who say to their noisy child, “I need some peace and quiet.”  A third definition of “peace” has to do with our inner soul. In this context it means “tranquility of soul, serenity; absence of inner conflict.” This is the type of peace that all human beings long for. We desire for the anxiety, worry, angst, and fretfulness in our hearts to be replaced with peace, sweet peace. This is the type of peace that God promises to His saints.

The Bible speaks of this type of inner peace as “the peace of God.” In Philippians 4:7 we are told that this peace of God transcends human understanding. We can experience it, but we don’t understand it. God’s peace is a state of tranquility or quietness of spirit that transcends circumstances. You can be going through the most difficult and discouraging circumstances of your life, but the Lord can still keep your heart at peace. God’s peace is not the absence of conflict. God’s peace is serenity in the midst of conflict. It has been said that God doesn’t always calm the storm, He calms His people in the midst of the storm.

We first experience this amazing peace when we initially place our trust in Christ for salvation and our conscience is cleansed. After that initial experience, His peace in our hearts grows as we get to know Him better. When we grow in understanding of the depths and riches of God’s love toward us, our minds and spirits begin to rest in His power and wisdom. We begin to understand that He really will make all things work together for our good and, with that understanding, our hearts can rest in Him.

If you are experiencing unrest in your soul, or anxiety, or fretfulness – God can fix it! He can replace your angst with his peace and calmness. This type of peace comes only from the Lord. When we hear what the Lord speaks, and take it to heart, our inner turmoil gives way to God’s divine peace. Notice what our key verse for today says, “When the Lord speaks to His people, He will speak peace.” If the voices you are hearing are causing anxiety or conflict in your soul, it is probably because you have let the voice of the Lord get drowned out by other “voices.” If the words you hear in your heart are causing restlessness, it is time to pay attention to the Lord, His “still, small voice” will speak peace to His people. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you!

 

Today's Reading: Psalm 49 & 84

Fainting for the Courts of the Lord

Psalm 84 is set in the context of Israel’s annual pilgrimages to God’s Temple, and it goes to the very heart of what the journey was all about: longing for heaven and longing for God. If Psalm 84 teaches us anything, it’s that this world is not our home; we’re “just passing through” and there’s nothing on this earth that can satisfy our soul. The people just couldn’t wait to get to God’s house to, once again, get their hearts filled with His joy, peace, and satisfaction.

Have you discovered this truth – that spending time worshipping in the house of the Lord far surpasses any other human experience? As one paraphrase puts it, “One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.*” The sons of Korah had discovered the soul-satisfying experience of entering the presence of the Lord. In Psalm 84, they express how much they long for a repeat of their encounter.

Your soul never will be satisfied without God. Our soul’s need for God is enormous, and that neediness only is what invites more of God’s grace into our lives.  When we acknowledge our basic need for His presence, our soul begins to grow in God. The Lord has hardwired every human spirit with a hollow void than can make us feel meaningless and unfulfilled. It is only by experiencing the Lord that this emptiness can be filled. And once you taste of God’s Spirit satisfying your soul, you long for – even faint for – the presence of the Lord. Augustine wrote, “O God, you made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.”

The Hebrew word for “faint” in this verse carries the meaning of “coming to the end; to be finished.” The sons of Korah use this word to describe the depth of their longing for God and for being in His courts (a reference to the Temple courts). They don’t just long for God, they come to the end of themselves and “faint” with the intensity of their longing.

Notice how the Psalm ends with a focus on God more than the Temple: “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise.” Heaven is a praiseworthy place, but only because it is inhabited by a praiseworthy Person—God. That’s why this Psalmist finds God’s dwelling place so lovable, because the Lord of hosts, the living God, lives there. Heaven is only heaven because of who’s there.  Does your soul long for - and faint for - the experience of heaven on earth? You don’t have to make a pilgrimage to a church or temple to find satisfaction for your soul. It is available right now to every Christ follower in the quietness of their own prayer closet.

*© Eugene H. Peterson ; The Message; by NavPress Publishing

 

Today's Reading: Psalm 44 & 45

 By Whose Arm?

In Psalm 44, the Sons of Korah are feeling left out by God. They remember the stories that their parents and grandparents have told them of how the LORD fought for Israel in the past, and they are feeling a bit unloved and neglected.  Have you ever felt like that? You hear of God’s miraculous works in the lives of past generations, but you just don’t see it in your own generation? Perhaps you’ve heard of great revivals where God’s Spirit swept over the land. Or maybe you’ve heard of miraculous healings that God performed in the past, and you wonder why you’re not seeing the same thing in your church or community. It is human nature to wonder if God has neglected us or forgotten us.

The Psalmists take up this matter of feeling neglected by realizing that God is big and God is powerful and His arm is more than able to save. They appreciate that neither they nor their ancestors conquered the land they now possess by their own power or strength. It was a gift from God, who gave it with great delight. It wasn’t their sword or the strength of their own arm that won the land – it was God’s strong arm and His right hand, and the “light of His face” which brought victory. As the Psalm progresses, the Psalmists acknowledge that if they are going to defeat their present-day enemies, they must rely fully on God and His great power. Their Psalm ends with a plea to the Lord to come to their aid. Get up and come to our rescue just as you have in the past.

It can be frustrating to hear of God’s amazing works in the past, but not see them in the present. There are three things we should remember in these moments: First, that God has not forgotten you nor forsaken you. He has promised to be “with you always” even to the end of the world. So, be assured that He is here. Now. He has not gone on a faraway trip and forgotten you. Second, remember that all moves of the Holy Spirit are governed by His sovereign will and He will act when the time is right. There are times of great victory and revival and healing. And, by God’s choice, there are other times of less spectacular workings of His Spirit. Don’t be impatient. He will act in due time. Finally, you must rely fully upon Him in the present moment. It is only by our trust in Him that we can experience His supernatural peace and joy in moments that seem like we’ve been left out. You have not been left out! Put your trust fully in Him. Continue to call out to Him for the “mighty rushing wind” of His Spirit in your life and community. After all, whose arm is stronger?

Pray as the Psalmists prayed, “Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!” (Psalm 44:26)

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 2 & Psalm 43

Send Out Your Light

In Psalm 43, the Psalmist is going through a period of discouragement and turmoil in his life. Biblical scholars are not certain as to who the author of this Psalm is, nor exactly when it was written. Perhaps that is good for us, as it may help us see that the Psalmist’s prayer applies to our own situation as we, too, go through periods of discouragement and turmoil in our own lives. In this case, the Psalmist seems to be hindered in his ability to go to the “holy hill” and worship at the “altar” of God. This greatly saddened him because it was during times of praise and worship that he had found the greatest joy in his life.

In this moment of distress, the Psalmist cries out for God to come alongside him and to turn his sadness into joy and his mourning into rejoicing. He prays that God would send out His light and His truth. When we are in darkness and distress, this is what we also need - God’s light and God’s truth. The reality is that we don’t need to go to a specific locality to praise and worship our Lord. We simply need Him to come to us wherever we are with His light and His truth. God’s light will illuminate our way back into His holy presence regardless of our situation or location.

The Hebrew word translated “light” here is “‘ôr” and it means, illumination or luminary. This word is often used to refer to the shining presence of God’s face. Oh, what a joy it is when the light of God’s face shines upon us. In the great benediction and blessing found in Numbers 6, we read “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” When God’s face shines upon us our discouragement and turmoil turns into His peace. 

The word translated “truth” here is “eh'-meth” which means firmness, faithfulness, unbendable certainty. When we are in times of distress, what a blessing it is to have something firm and steadfast to fall back on – God’s truth. In John 17:17, Jesus declared that “[The Father’s] word is truth.”  God wants our lives to be built on His truth. Because our beliefs determine our perspective, they impact how we react to criticism, respond to a crisis, and navigate daily life. The goal of the Christian life to conform our thoughts to God’s thoughts. Just ask yourself WWJT? What would Jesus think? What does His word say about you and your distress? Discouragement is a sign that we are not believing God’s truth.  This is why we need to be reading God’s Word under the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Meditating on it. Listening to the Lord’s “still small voice” and receiving a word from the Word.  We must simply pray for God to reveal His truths to us. There is no place for discouragement and turmoil in our lives when God’s word resides in our heart and mind.

O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling!