Today's Reading: Psalms 95 & 97

Let Us Stoop Down

Psalm 95 is an invitation to come before God and worship Him.  Sadly, the meaning of the word “worship” has been degraded over many generations. In our day, it has come to mean “that portion of our church service where we sing songs together.” In many churches, you will hear the pastor say something like, “let’s worship,” as the musicians start into the melody and lyrics of a song for the congregation to sing. But worship is more than a “sing-along.” Way more!

The original Hebrew word for “worship” used in verse 5 is, “Šāhâ.” This word literally means “to stoop down.”  In verses 5 & 6, we are exhorted to bow down and prostrate ourselves as an act of reverence and worship to our Creator. By this act of stooping down, we are expressing the superiority of the One to whom we bow. Yes, this stooping down can be done with song. But it can also be done in complete silence. In reality, worship is not an expression of our voices, it is an expression our soul declaring the worthiness of our God. By our bowed hearts, we are acknowledging the glory and greatness of our Creator.

Why should we worship Him? This Psalm gives us several reasons as the basis of our bowed hearts. First, because He is great – “For the Lord is a great God” (V3). The word “great” means to be massively large in magnitude, extent, intensity, and importance. We stoop down to God because He is enormously great.  Second, because no one compares to Him – He is “a great King above all gods” (V3). People worship many so-called “gods,” but not one of them is the true and living God. There is only one true God – and nothing compares to Him. He alone is worthy of our worship. Third, we worship Him because of His creative and sustaining power – “In his hand are the depths of the earth… his hands formed the dry land” (V5). It is right to bow down to the One who made the universe and who sustains it with the might of His power. Finally, we worship Him because He is our Great Shepherd – “we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand” (V7). This mighty and great Creator with vast and endless power is the very One who cares for us with His deep love – as a shepherd cares for his sheep. For these reasons, and more, we stoop down before Him with our heartfelt expressions of worship.

So, today if you hear His voice – don’t harden your heart! Instead, turn your heart toward Him and stoop down in His presence. He is a great God and worthy of your worship!

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 23

Light to Rule Justly

We are nearing the end of king David’s reign and life. In fact, verse 1 of chapter 23 tells us that “these are the last words of David.” A person’s last words can be anywhere from poignant to mysterious. In David’s case, these words are reflective words and wise observations – the culmination of his life and his service to Yahweh. As someone through whom God spoke on many occasions, David’s words carry deep meaning for God’s children. The last words of great and good people are worthy of our attentive observation.

In verse 3, David talks about a ruler's responsibility to rule justly. Anyone who leads or rules over other people must do so in justice and the fear of God. To do otherwise always results in unjust and corrupt leadership. David’s observation here tells us that when a ruler submits to God and His ways, that God will shed the light of divine wisdom on his/her decisions.

If you are in a position of leadership to any extent (whether over one person or tens of thousands), it is critical that you rule in the fear of God. This means that you reverently take God’s truth into account and consider the effect of your decisions from the perspective of His truth.

To an unbeliever, “the fear of God” means to fear His judgment and His power to sentence them to eternal death. The only ones who are to "fear" God in the sense of "being afraid" are those who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ. To the believer, on the other hand, “the fear of God” is something much different. To us, it is our reverence, respect, and awe of Him. A proper view of God includes a deep reverence and respect for our Creator and Savior. In Christ, we need not be afraid of God, but we are to fear Him and deeply respect His revealed truth.

To fear God as a ruler means to submit your leadership and your decision making to the truth of His word. It means not being prideful or self-exalting and not relying on your own human judgment. To fear God means to respect Him and His ways so deeply that you submit to His leading rather than your own whims or human intellect or popular opinion. The ruler that is submitted to God’s will in this way will discover a wonderful experience – God’s wisdom will dawn on him like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning.

 

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 22

God Makes No Mistakes

In chapter 22, we have the words of David singing a song of deliverance to celebrate being rescued out of the hands of his enemies by the LORD. A variation of this song is also recorded for us in Psalm 18.

David began this song by praising God who constantly answered his prayers and saved him from death. He is awestruck by God’s almighty power over earthquakes, wind, rain, lightning, thunder and darkness. And he is most-humbled by the fact that God used these powers on David’s behalf. In verse 31, David sings about trusting God saying because He is perfect in all his ways. Because God is perfect and His word is true, David could always depend upon Him.

As David looks back in celebration, he also looks forward with joy and confidence. He assures himself of the kindness God has in store for him and for all those whose hearts are right with Him.

This God – His way is perfect! This means that God makes no mistakes. If a person’s heart is right with God, and if he/she is trusting God’s loving guidance, there is absolutely zero chance of Him making a mistake with any aspect of their life.  God's way is perfectly wise and good and holy, perfectly adapted to fulfil the purposes of His love towards His children. Ultimately, His way leads to an end that is perfectly good – eternity in His presence! Never doubt your loving God’s perfect ways. Unlike Mary Poppins who was “practically” perfect in every way, your God is completely flawless and perfect in His ways and in His love for you.

His word proves true! Put it to the test. Scrutinize it. Analyze it. You will find that His word is impeccable and totally true. It can be fully relied upon and trusted. So, when His word says to you that, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6), you can rest assured that His word will come true in every way. “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).

The logical conclusion of these truths about our perfect God and His true word is that we can – and should – take refuge in Him. He is perfect – He is true – and He is safe. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him!

Today's Reading: Psalms 38 & 41

 

Be Generous - Be Happy

When my six year-old grandson was asked what he would do if he had ten thousand dollars, he replied, “I would buy two tents for the homeless and get them warm jackets and lots of food.” Boy, was I convicted! When considering my own answer to the same question, I was entirely selfish, focusing on my own needs and desires.

Here in Psalm 41:1, the Lord tells us that the one who considers the poor in their day of trouble will be blessed. The word “blessed” means “oh how happy.” This verse expresses the wonderful and happy experience of helping the poor in their time of need. If you’ve had this experience, oh how happy you must be! If you’ve not had this experience, I would encourage you to find a way to make a difference in another person’s life.

The word “consider” in this verse means to look upon, give attention to, to have insight. It expresses the opposite response many people have when they see the poor in their situation. Our fallen human nature defaults to “looking away” from them. Our selfish tendency is to turn away. What are we afraid of when we try to avoid looking a homeless person in the eyes? For some, catching their eye makes them feel obligated to do something their fleshly nature doesn’t want to do – give. One website I looked at actually said, “Stop looking at homeless people, the ‘bums’ don’t deserve your help.”  This approach is quite the opposite of what our God considers kindness and love toward others.

I’m not saying you should give to every poor person you see. You must use some divine discernment to give only to those truly in need and avoid those seeking money for drugs or alcohol or other inappropriate use. But I am saying you should go before the Lord and ask Him to search your heart on this matter. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you of any form of selfishness in your heart towards the poor and needy. Pray for a generous and open hand towards others.

If you give to the poor, it is YOU who will be blessed – perhaps even more so than the recipient of your kindness. Our LORD looks upon us when we look upon the poor. He makes us “oh how happy” when we yield to His leading to give to those in need. In Proverbs 19:17, it says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” When you give to the poor, don’t look for a return from them, but just look to the Lord to return it to you. Because really you are lending to the Lord, and He actually pays fantastic interest! You cannot outgive God! The blessings you receive will far outweigh the investment you make!

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 21 & Psalm 5

 

God Hears Your Groans

When we pray, we are accustomed to using words to express ourselves to the Lord. But did you know that God doesn’t need you to put your requests into words? In Psalm 5, king David asks God to listen to him. Specifically, he asks God to hear his words, his groaning (or meditation), and his cries.

There are times in all of our lives where we have difficulty putting our prayer requests into words. Perhaps because we don’t fully understand what to pray for, or perhaps because our heart is so burdened that words become nearly impossible and all we can do is groan or cry. Whatever the reason, be confident that God hears your groans and, in His wisdom, He can - and does - fully understand the deepest desires of your heart. We may not always know what to say, but God knows our hearts.

Interpretation of our groans and cries is one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:26, the Apostle Paul said, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” When we are wordless and don’t know what to pray for as we ought, the Holy Spirit intervenes, helping us to utter groans and sighs and cries that God will understand and respond to.

God hears our groans, and pays attention to our cries. Our prayer doesn't need to be understandable in human language, it just needs to be the expression of our heart. God can comprehend our nonverbal prayers. As David prays, “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (Psalm 139:4). 

Yes, God listens to the prayers we put into words. But He also hears every “wordless” prayer that our hearts cry out. He listens to your thoughts and yearnings as they happen. In Psalm 38:9, David acknowledges that “all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.”

So, dear follower of Christ, groan! Sit in the presence of God and pour out your heart. Use words if you can find them, but don’t stop there: groan, cry, sigh, yearn, grunt, or just whimper. The Lord will give ear to your words and will give attention to your non words.

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 20 & Psalm 42

 

Thirsting For God

Of all the Psalms in the Bible, eleven are attributed to the “Sons of Korah.” You may remember Korah as the man who led a revolt against Moses and lost his life when the earth opened up beneath him and swallowed him down into a sink hole. Several of Korah’s younger children were spared in that incident and found favor in God’s sight. Seven generations later, Korah’s descendants were appointed by David as the leaders of music in the house of the Lord. During their service under king David, they penned these eleven beautiful songs which express a deep spirit of gratitude and humility towards God. Their words express a spiritual thirst that they had come to learn could only be satisfied by a deep connection with God, Himself.

In Psalm 42, they depict their thirst for God as a dry and thirsty deer panting for the flowing streams of fresh water.  There is within every human heart a thirst for God. Down deep inside of everyone there is a dry soul thirsting after a meaningful relationship with Him. It is an internal sensation that causes us to know that we are lacking. We know that we need something more than what we have yet experienced. There must be more to life than this. In reality, it is God – and only God – that can truly satisfy the human heart.

“As a deer pants for water” describes the intensity of its thirst. It meant that he was becoming exhausted, worn out and depleted from being pursued by the enemy and he had reached the point inside of himself that he wanted to lay down and just give up.  For the deer, it was ‘find water or die’. It is the same for us, just as the deer intensely seeks water, we too must find spiritual ‘water for our soul’ or die.

Deer do not need to be trained to pant—and they do not need to be trained to drink water. Thirst, and a knowledge of how to satisfy that thirst, comes naturally to them. In the same way, the thirst of our soul for God comes naturally to us as well. Everyone is searching for a way to have that thirst satisfied. Some seek to satisfy that thirst in healthy ways, others in unhealthy ways (e.g. through sin, pleasure, education, entertainment, etc.). What this passage reminds us of is that not one of these unhealthy pursuits can truly satisfy our panting soul - there is only one true way to have our thirst for God satisfied.

Jesus gave us the answer to this deep thirst in the human spirit. He cried out, "If any man thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink. And he who drinks of the water that I give out of his innermost being, there shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38). It is only in Him that our spiritual thirst will ever be truly quenched. So, come to Him. Pant after him. Drink the living water that He gives freely to all who will come.

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 19 & Psalm 64

Rejoice – Take Refuge – Exult

Psalm 64 is a prayer of David. He is complaining about the dread of the enemy and the secret plots of wicked people. About halfway through this Psalm, David’s eyes turn off of his troubles and his enemies and back onto God whom he sees as the Helper who can defeat his foes. He concludes this prayer by saying rejoice, take refuge in the Lord, and exult.

Rejoice! The Hebrew word for “rejoice” means to gladden, cheer up, and become gleesome. It is a happy word that teaches us to celebrate the goodness of God – even when the pressure from our enemies is bearing down on us. Notice that he says, rejoice "in the Lord.” It is not always possible to rejoice in your circumstances or situation. Sometimes situations become hard and stressful. It is not reasonable to always be glad about your situation. But it is totally reasonable to always rejoice in the Lord. Gladden and cheer up – the Lord is here, and He never changes! Your God is always a cause for rejoicing, even when troubles and enemies bear down on you. He is worth being glad about. So, dear follower of Christ, REJOICE!

Take refuge!  “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” (Psalm 118:8) When you take refuge in something, you are hiding yourself in its protection. In a pouring rain, for example, you might take refuge under a canopy or umbrella. During a tornado, the wise person takes refuge in the storm cellar. And during the storms of life, the wise person finds his/her "safe place" in the protective arms of God. Taking refuge in Him is finding a safe place where He can protect you during the stormy moments of your life. Taking refuge in Him means to transfer your troubles and cares off of yourself and placing them in His care. He is a mighty refuge for those who hide in Him. So, dear follower of Christ, TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!

Exult! The Hebrew word for “exult” means to make a visible show of celebration. The root word carries the idea of being “foolish in your show of boasting and giving praise.” Once we have taken refuge in Him and transferred our care to Him, there’s nothing left to do but boast about Him, celebrate Him, and give Him praise. This verse exhorts us not to do so quietly or secretly, but to elevate our celebration to a public show of praise to our amazing God. Don’t be afraid to look “foolish” – just exult in Him with a great display of pomp. Become a spectacle in your praise that others can see. So, dear follower of Christ, LET YOUR HEART EXULT IN HIM!