Burunche’s Blog

Prayer in Time of Chastening

A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.

”O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and Your hand presses me down. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.

Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart pants, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me. My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, and my relatives stand afar off. Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, and plan deception all the day long.

But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; and I am like a mute who does not open his mouth. Thus I am like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no response. For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.” For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.

But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; and those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
Those also who render evil for good, they are my adversaries, because I follow what is good. Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

 “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and Your hand presses me down. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin.” We don’t know what David has done; we only know that he has done something that is blocking his relationship with God. Guilt is weighing David down, and he doesn’t know what to do.

“For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.” Did David write this psalm after his affair with Bathsheba when he had Bathsheba’s husband Uriah murdered? Whatever David has done, guilt is making his entire body sick.

“Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart pants, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me. My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, and my relatives stand afar off. Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, and plan deception all the day long.” As a leader, David always has people ready to criticize and attack him for any failing. David has essentially handed his enemies his head on a platter.

“For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.” For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.”  “But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; and those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied. Those also who render evil for good, they are my adversaries, because I follow what is good. Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” David is already sick over his sin and now his enemies are taking full advantage of his failure. While acknowledging his sin, David is begging for God’s help.

APPLICATION: Live long enough and you will mess up big-time. Those of us who have had this experience can testify that we may feel sick for weeks as we review our mistakes and the point at which things went sour. We might obsess on our failures, mentally beating ourselves up and agonizing over our stupidity.

What can we do when we have made a terrible mistake? Copy David and beg God for help. One writer on missionary stress tells the story of a time when she was handling a mixed staff at a mission hospital in India and made a complete ass of herself. Finally, this lady had to pray for God to “do a Malchus ear” on the situation. Who was Malchus? “Malchus was the servant of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas who participated in the arrest of Jesus as written in the four gospels. According to the Bible, one of the disciples, Simon Peter, being armed with a sword, cut off the servant’s ear in an attempt to prevent the arrest of Jesus.” (Wikipedia) Jesus reached out and healed Malchus, restoring his ear.

Peter sliced off Malchus’ ear and it went flying! Now Malchus was minus an ear and was bleeding all over the place. But Jesus pitied Malchus and healed him. When we ask God to do a “Malchus’ ear” healing, we are asking God to heal a situation over which we have no power. The marvelous thing is that God really does this stuff and He will restore situations over which we have no control.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel that we have failed and we wondering if you will still love us anyway. Restore our confidence in You. Heal those situations over which we have no control. Give us Your peace that passes all understanding. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked

A Psalm of David.

“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.

For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord,
they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more.

But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives. For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; and his descendants are blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell forevermore. For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
and his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.”

Ever wonder WHY do wicked people prosper? WHY doesn’t God just WIPE OUT THE WICKED RIGHT NOW??? Hamas attacks a peaceful music festival and kibbutzim that were doing no harm, slaughtering innocents and taking hostages. Why doesn’t God just send a few lightning bolts and take care of the whole mess? Is it really worth it to live righteously and peacefully? This psalm gives us both answers and encouragement.

“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” Sounds great, right? But what if I DON’T get the desires of my heart? What if everything I desire fails? One of the most common expressions here in Ghana is “Exercise patience.” I mess with three different tribal languages, and each of them has a phrase with this meaning. Part of our problem may be that we want things that are bad for us or for someone else. Many of our desires are selfish, and God can’t bless “me-ism.” A second problem is timing. We want immediate answers while God is working things out on an eternal time line, a much different proposition. Sometimes God needs to work on us until our wants match up with His perfect will.

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.” Let’s face it, fretting and fussing can have serious health consequences-stomach ulcers, angina, heart attacks, palpitations, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and depression. Worrying leads to stress and stress can have terrible physical consequences.

Now there are many other causes for these problems as well, so if you suffer from one of these issues, don’t feel that I am grossly simplifying or dismissing your health challenges by claiming they are all due to your attitude! Most health problems have many causes, and oversimplifications are very hurtful. (Personally, I bear up under fibromyalgia that began when I had typhoid and dengue fever simultaneously many years ago. God has healed me from chronic depression; however, I still must be vigilant to avoid triggers that might send me spiraling downward.)

The rest of this psalm is equally encouraging. “But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.”

“A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.” Notice the psalm does NOT say that the righteous will dodge either evil times or even famine, only that the righteous will be not be ashamed and that they will be satisfied. There is no mention of the righteous living luxuriously while others starve, for then they would not be righteous.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” Again, notice that a good man might fall, but that such people will not be “utterly cast down.” Bad things happen to good people, and God isn’t promising otherwise; however, God will uphold those who love Him.

At this point, you might well ask, “But what about all the areas where people are starving in refugee camps? What about the carnage unleashed in several parts of Africa? What about the horrors in Ukraine? What about the innocent Israelis and Palestinians caught in the middle of the current war? God is not Santa Claus, and terrible things can happen. But we cannot see how God is working in each of these situations. We do not know human hearts while God does. At the end, as one pastor friend used to say, we are only in advertising; God is in management. Even in the midst of tragedy, God is still working. Only in heaven will we hear the rest of the story.

The final verses of the psalm bring our conclusion: “But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.” God might save by physical deliverance, but He might also save by allowing the righteous to die and be with Him in heaven forever, free from all pain and suffering.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we don’t understand why righteous and innocent people must suffer. It’s hard for us to believe that You are still working, even in the midst of tragedy. Help us to trust where we cannot see. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.

“An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. He devises wickedness on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not abhor evil.

Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.

Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
There the workers of iniquity have fallen; they have been cast down and are not able to rise.”

“There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. He devises wickedness on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not abhor evil.”

Of all the psalms, this is one of the most inspiring. First, David describes the wicked in great detail. But David only describes the wicked so that he can contrast them with the utmost righteousness of God.

“Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast.” David struggles to describe the enormity of God’s faithfulness, comparing it to the biggest things he can think of, the heavens and the mountains. David also rejoices in the wisdom of God’s judgements that preserve all of creation.

“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” These words might be among the loveliest David has ever written. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all; therefore, He truly is the fountain of life and light.

“Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
There the workers of iniquity have fallen; they have been cast down and are not able to rise.” As David has done so many times, he now begs God to protect him from the wicked and to punish the wicked as they deserve.

APPLICATION: There is a popular saying that “When you’re up to your rear end in alligators, it’s difficult to remember that your original objective was to drain the swamp.” It’s easy to allow problems to overwhelm us to the point that we are unable to either pray or worship; yet, that is the very time when we need to do both. The psalms are useful for many reasons, and this is one of them. When we feel helpless and inundated by trouble, David’s prayers are there for us, and this psalm is one of the most useful.

“Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast.” We need to remind ourselves that no matter how bad things are for us personally, God is still on the throne. Even if we feel totally inadequate, God’s mercy, His faithfulness, His righteousness, His judgments, and His preservation never change.

Worship draws us out of ourselves and shifts our focus from our anxieties to God’s greatness. We are prone to behaving as if we think everything depends on us, when in fact, everything actually depends on God and His faithfulness, not ours.

Do you feel stuck in a horrible situation with no escape? Feeling lower than a ditch digger’s boots? Read Psalm 36 to yourself out loud slowly at least five times. You will find your spirits lightening and hope moving in your heart.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are down and discouraged. Help us to remember that it’s not all up to us and that we can piggyback on someone else’s faith when we read the psalms. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

A Psalm of David.

“Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help. Also draw out the spear, and stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life; let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt. Let them be like chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord pursue them. For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, which they have dug without cause for my life. Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, and let his net that he has hidden catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall. And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation. All my bones shall say, “Lord, who is like You, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”

Fierce witnesses rise up; they ask me things that I do not know. They reward me evil for good, to the sorrow of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; and my prayer would return to my own heart. I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother. But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together; attackers gathered against me, and I did not know it; they tore at me and did not cease; with ungodly mockers at feasts they gnashed at me with their teeth.

Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, my precious life from the lions.
I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.
For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against the quiet ones in the land. They also opened their mouth wide against me, and said, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it.”

This You have seen, O Lord; do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me. Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, to my cause, my God and my Lord. Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.” Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion who rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who exalt themselves against me.

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long.”

If you were to graph the emotions depicted in this psalm, the results might look like an EKG of someone with ventricular tachycardia with alternating highs and lows. “Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me; fight against those who fight against me.” David is under attack, and he is begging God to protect him.

“Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life; let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt. Let them be like chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord pursue them… And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation.” David recognizes that he needs divine help and divine protection and promises God to be grateful for the help.

“Fierce witnesses rise up; they ask me things that I do not know. They reward me evil for good, to the sorrow of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; and my prayer would return to my own heart.” Nothing is so painful as being betrayed by those whom you have previously helped. When David’s accusers were sick, he prayed and fasted for their healing; now the same people are doing everything they can do to bring him down.

“Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, my precious life from the lions…This You have seen, O Lord; do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me. Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, to my cause, my God and my Lord. Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.” Nothing is so frightening as being caught in a crisis with no means of escape and no signs that God is paying the slightest attention. We can identify with David as he demands, “God! Where are You? Why aren’t You acting? When are You going to deal with these people?”

“Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long.” This psalm ends on a high note, with David affirming hopefully that God WILL deliver him.

APPLICATION: As long as David was simply herding sheep, the only threats he had to worry about were physical threats to the sheep and attacks by wild animals such as lions and bears. But once David became a warrior, King Saul viewed him as a threat to be eliminated as quickly as possible. Repeatedly, David and his men would fight to protect a city, only to have its citizens sidle off to King Saul to report their whereabouts in hopes of of gaining influence with Saul.

Just assume a position of leadership, and you immediately will find you have a target on your back and no shortage of people willing to attack you! One of the challenges of managing any group is to remain flexible and honest while also seeking to follow God’s leading. If we pray this over ourselves, we must first ask God to search our hearts and show us if there is anything we need to confess before we can ask God for justification.

As I am writing this, things continue to heat up in the Middle East. One week ago, Hamas attacked Israel, and now Israel is retaliating. Innocent civilians on both sides are suffering and dying. Cities are being destroyed. How can we possibly apply this psalm under such conditions?

• Remember that God KNOWS human hearts; He knows the righteous.
• We can pray this psalm over all the innocents caught in this conflict.
• We can pray for righteous leadership on all sides.
• We can pray for peace that only God can give.
• We can also beg God to guide us so that we will pray the prayers He wants prayed. God moves in response to our prayers, not to our wishes.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, Your people are dying in a horrible conflict. We pray for all the righteous innocents, that You will protect them. Please bring peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God

(A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.)

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.”

(A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.) This is the subtitle given to this psalm by one online Bible source, but which story supports this? 1 Samuel 21:12-15 tells the story, although the king mentioned there is Achish, king of Gath, not Abimelech. Saul is pursuing David to kill him, and David flees to Gath. But King Achish recognizes David, and his warriors warn him that David too is a mighty warrior. To escape, David pretends to be mad so that Achish demands David be thrown out of the kingdom. David leaves, continuing to flee from Saul. You would think that under such circumstances, David might settle for hiding; instead, he writes an incredibly optimistic psalm.

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.” David was in fear of his life, and God delivered him. Achish could just as easily have killed David, but he did not.

“This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” David realizes God has intervened to save him.

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.” David is still rejoicing over his deliverance.

“Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” This is David’s conclusion: the Lord is a redeemer and will help those who trust Him.

APPLICATION: This is a wonderful psalm, one from which countless posters and praise songs have been generated. But what about the Israelis who are under relentless rocket fire? What about the hostages being held by Hamas? Can this psalm still apply to us when we are caught in a crisis that won’t go away and we might die at any moment? How can we avow that “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them” under such circumstances?

These sentiments seem ridiculous unless we really examine David’s situation. David didn’t write this psalm when everything was going well; he wrote this psalm after attempting to take refuge in Gath, only to be thrown out of the kingdom and having to take refuge in the cave of Adullam. But David’s brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard where he was and joined him. “And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. “(1 Samuel 22:1-2) What appeared to David to be a total disaster resulted in his first band of 400 volunteer warriors.

Look at David’s situation: David was a fugitive, fleeing from a vicious king who viewed him as a threat. Even though Samuel had already anointed David to become the next king of Israel, Saul was attempting to crush David so that his son Jonathan could succeed him. David never knew when someone might betray his location to Saul in hopes of a reward or political favor.

Not every psalm can fit for every occasion; however, we must realize that having the angel of the Lord with us to deliver us may mean something apart from physical deliverance. Even if we have been captured by terrorists and are being held as hostages, God’s presence can still comfort us and deliver us from fear. Extreme terror can kill people by giving them palpitations, causing them to hyperventilate, and even constricting the arteries in their hearts. 

There are always two sides to every psalm, a physical one and a spiritual one. The conclusion to this psalm says, “Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” Notice that it does NOT say, “none of those who trust in Him shall die a horrible death at the hands of terrorists.” Innocent Jews and Palestinians are dying at this very moment. Children who have been discarded as human shields are being beheaded. But the Lord IS a Redeemer. Terrorists have made evil decisions, and the blameless are dying; however, God will not condemn these blameless ones. On the other hand, God will condemn those who have begun this war by attacking a peaceful music festival.

How can we use this psalm? We can pray this psalm over ourselves and our families. But given the recent events in the Middle East, we should also be praying this psalm over all the innocents caught in this terrible conflict. Pray that “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” Pray for the deliverance of the children and elderly who are being used as human shields! Pray for the deliverance of the innocents, whoever they are! Pray for healing of injuries, physical and spiritual! And remember also to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for God has promised to prosper those who love Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6)

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we pray earnestly for peace in the Middle East! We beg You to sovereignly intervene and to deliver the innocents on both sides of the conflict. We beg You to send Your lasting peace into that troubled area. And we beg You to expose all those who are funding this conflict while claiming that their hands are clean. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Sovereignty of the Lord in Creation and History

“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.

 For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance. The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He look on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.

No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.”

“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.” David was a harp player and a singer, but what about those of us who are not musicians? God is wonderful; He hears the cries of our hearts, including any sour notes we might hit and is thrilled anyway. God hears the love. God wants OUR praise, not somebody else’s.

“For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.” When the psalmist says that God LOVES righteousness and justice, it means that those who do justly and walk righteously have God’s full and complete approval. God is looking on with pride, saying, “That’s my son! That’s my daughter!”

 God’s creation is amazing in its infinite variety and its complexity. The astonishing thing is that nature works well, as long as people don’t mess it up by trying to fix things. Even the events that we consider tragedies such as hurricanes or tornadoes follow precise rules. As a surgeon, I am amazed daily at the beauty of the human body and all its elements.

“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.” There is a saying that if you want to hear God laugh, make plans without asking Him for guidance. Ultimately, God is the One who directs things.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance. The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He look on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.” God knows the thoughts of our hearts better than we do ourselves. Even though God fashions our hearts individually, we still have free will and can choose to behave righteously or wickedly.

“No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” No weapons, no matter how sophisticated, can protect us from all threats. Each time a nation invents a new weapon, an opposing nation will invent a new weapon to counter it. Even in the days of the ancient Egyptians and the Hittites, there were arms races involving chariots and compound bows.  Only God is sufficient for all threats.

“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” The psalmist concludes by encouraging all believers, reaching a helping hand out to us from across the centuries. But is God’s mercy really working when thousands of civilians die from terrorist attacks and rockets in Israel and Gaza? Sometimes we must trust God, even when all looks dark and nothing appears to make sense. Our view of things is limited, we have no idea of where and we only stand on the human side of death while God knows the end from the beginning.

APPLICATION: For many believers, Biblical prophecy appears to be coming to fulfillment right now. But what can we say about the thousands of innocents who are dying apparently needless deaths? These most recent attacks are forcing mainstream media pundits who have opposed Israel for years to reevaluate their positions. Nothing less than the horror of these attacks could possibly force mainstream media to speak out against such terrorism.

Has God forgotten Israel? NO! All of God’s promises regarding Israel are still working. The more urgent question is this: Has Israel forgotten God? Again, the answer must be NO! There are millions of believers trusting in God in Israel. Were these attacks in God’s perfect will? No, God forbade killing millenia ago. But God is sovereign and He knows human hearts. When these attacks were being planned, God was there watching. God has always had to use fallible humans to carry out His purposes, and recent events are no different. Are we on the brink of World War 3? We cannot tell. But one thing is certain: God is still on the throne and God will not allow His purposes to be thwarted. We can still pray with the psalmist, “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.”

The Joy of Forgiveness

A Psalm of David. A Contemplation.

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah

I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”

This is one of my favorite psalms for many reasons. First, the psalmist describes a time when he committed some kind of sin and suffered for it. “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.” There’s nothing so heavy as the weight of unconfessed guilt.

“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” When we confess our sins, God will forgive us completely. Psalm 103:12 tells us, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” One pastor of our acquaintance is fond of saying that God throws our sins into the sea of forgetfulness and puts up a “No Fishing” sign.

“For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him.” Because of God’s forgiveness, we can pray in emergencies and trust God to deliver us.

“You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”No matter what we are suffering, we can still turn to God as a spiritual hiding place.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,

else they will not come near you.” We can confidently claim God’s guidance, no matter what the situation. But we must be willing to be guided. Rebellion gets us nothing.

“Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” For David, God has forgiven and is guiding and he is rejoicing.

APPLICATION: As I am writing this, I am watching CNN coverage of the war in Israel and the Israeli response. How can we possibly apply this optimistic psalm to such a horrific situation? What about those who have been slaughtered? Were these people particularly sinful that they should die in such a horrible fashion? What about those who have been taken hostage and are being killed one by one as Hamas attempts to use their lives as bargaining chips? Have they done anything to deserve such a terrible fate? One family member whose mother is a hostage has described his mother as a wonderful woman whose only interests have been to help the underprivileged. How can we say that such a woman deserves to suffer in this fashion?

One of the wonderful things about the psalms is that they don’t sugar coat the facts of life. The writers of the psalms don’t pretend that everything is fine; some of the psalmists practically scream “Why?” at God. Bad things happen to good people and the righteous can be slaughtered by the wicked. Life does not come with guarantees that all will be well. Bad things happen-accidents, cancer, strokes, loss of a job, loss of friends or relatives. But even when terrible things happen, we can still turn to God and trust in Him. Even when everything is collapsing around us, God is still there and God remains sovereign.

The attacks on Israel are only the most recent in centuries of such attacks. But how can we affirm that God is our hiding place when we have been carried off by terrorists? How can we trust God’s guidance when we don’t know whether or not we will live to see tomorrow? Even when the worst happens, God is still there and He will give us the strength and the courage to endure whatever comes.

Perhaps you feel that you are at the end of your rope and you can’t endure any more suffering. Turn to God. Let God be your hiding place spiritually and emotionally. Trust Him; He is able.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all who read these words to put their trust in You. Give them Your assurance in their hearts. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

“In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

I have hated those who regard useless idols; but I trust in the Lord.
I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body! For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. I am a reproach among all my enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and am repulsive to my acquaintances; those who see me outside flee from me. I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. For I hear the slander of many; fear is on every side; while they take counsel together against me, they scheme to take away my life.

But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
save me for Your mercies’ sake. Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You; let the wicked be ashamed; let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the Lord, for He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! For I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to You.  Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”   

Once more, David writes a psalm that echoes down the ages to all the righteous who have ever found themselves attempting to clean up a mess, only to face vicious opposition from those who have created the problem in the first place. If you’re not up on your mythology, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary has this explanation: “Augean stable most often appears in the phrase “clean the Augean stable,” which usually means “clear away corruption” or “perform a large and unpleasant task that has long called for attention.” Augeas, the mythical king of Elis, kept great stables that held 3,000 oxen and had not been cleaned for thirty years – until Hercules was assigned the job. Hercules accomplished this task by causing two rivers to run through the stables. The word Augean is sometimes used by itself, too – it has come to mean “extremely difficult and usually distasteful.” We can refer to “Augean tasks,” “Augean labor,” or even “Augean clutter.”

Despite the Bathsheba incident and its results, David is a righteous man, if a flawed one. We can’t be certain which crisis in David’s life has prompted this psalm, but we can certainly identify with its sentiments and make David’s prayers our own as well.

““In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” Start cleaning up corruption, and those practicing it will form cabals and begin scheming ways to take you down. Those plotting such things will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. Only God knows the human heart and only God knows all the ways such people can lay traps; therefore, only God can save us from such evil.

“I have hated those who regard useless idols; but I trust in the Lord. I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place.” Then, as now, there were those attempting to gain power by spells and enchantments and political influence. When we are in the midst of trials, many friends suddenly disappear, leaving us to fend for ourselves. But God knows our souls in adversity and He will NOT shut us up into the hand of the enemy unless He has a plan for redemption of the enemy as well.

One missionary in South America who was captured by guerilla fighters wound up leading many of his captors to the Lord. God’s plans and purposes are far greater than anything we can imagine. But no matter what happens, if we are trusting in God, whether we live or whether we die, we remain the Lord’s. The Auca Indians killed five missionaries who had come to tell them saving truths; however, the wives of two of those missionaries returned to the tribe. The result was salvation for that remote tribe.

“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body!” Grief can do terrible things to our immune systems, leaving us open to all kinds of illnesses, including cancer.

“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. Make Your face shine upon Your servant; save me for Your mercies’ sake.” Notice what David does NOT say. David does not say, “Redeem me because I’m such a good guy.” David is trusting in God’s mercy, not in his own righteousness.

“Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.”

One of the worst things to face is slanderous attacks and whispering campaigns. Physical enemies are far easier because they are obvious; however, “they say-they say” can lead you down rabbit holes. Rumor mongers will never own up to the damage they have caused; meanwhile, your reputation might lie in ruins. One of the most frustrating things about vicious rumors is the willingness of most people to believe that there must be some basis in fact for them. “Oh, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Not if the smoke is coming from a smoke screen! Little wonder then, that David prays, “Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.”

“Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”  This psalm has an encouraging ending, one that gives us hope. It’s as if David is reaching down through the centuries, calling to us and waving us onward.

APPLICATION: As you might have guessed, many of my comments have come from extensive experiences in fighting corruption. Even now, I am at the fringe of some “Augean Stable” situations, and we can only pray that God will send a Holy Ghost river to cleanse them! Most of the time, we don’t ask to be in such situations and we would happily let someone else fix all the problems, if someone else was available and willing. But God calls us because we have made ourselves available and willing to do His will. Once we have said “yes” to God, we cannot go back and re-negotiate!

I am re-reading The Bible Jesus Read by Philip Yancey. The descriptions of Moses and his struggles leading the Israelites are priceless; unfortunately, they also sound eerily familiar. The Israelites never left all the Egyptian gods behind and given the slightest provocation, they were more than willing to throw an orgy, hence the incident of the golden calf. Surely there were many days when Moses wished he were back in the wilderness herding sheep; after all, sheep never manufactured idols, nor did they threaten to stone him!

You can break this psalm down into verses and pray individual verses, claiming those promises for yourself. But no matter how you treat this psalm, remember the last verses: “Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”  God is our stronghold and our protection. And God DOES preserve the faithful and fully repays the proud person. Think on that and be glad!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, let everyone who needs this psalm take the verses that help them most to heart. We bless Your Holy Name and we magnify You for Your great works and for Your mercy! Help us to trust in You, even when all looks dark. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Blessedness of Answered Prayer

A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the house of David.

“I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me. O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.” Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. I cried out to You, O Lord; and to the Lord I made supplication: “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!”

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”

Psalm 30 is another short power house of a psalm. You can take every verse of this psalm and make it into a separate praise chorus.

“I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me.” When we trust God, He will protect us and justify us. We don’t have to obsess about critics and slander, for God will clear our names.

“O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me. O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.” How many of us have found ourselves in dangerous situations from which God has delivered us miraculously? There is a British TV reality show entitled “Close Calls on Camera.” This show documents all kinds of emergencies-parents stricken with heart attacks or diabetic comas, climbing accidents, walkers accidentally wandering into deep mud, traffic accidents, etc. In each situation, those involved survive with the help of family members, passersby, or emergency crews. Sadly, only a few of these people stop to thank the God Who sends help in all those forms, although they do mumble something about the miraculous.

“Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”  When we remember all the wonders that God has already done, we find encouragement and hope. Does God become angry? Yes. A holy God cannot tolerate sin, but when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive them. And God’s favor lasts a lifetime. Many of us have found ourselves spending sleepless nights wondering what will happen, only to find new hope when morning comes.

“Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.”  Live long enough and you realize prosperity is a poor thing to rely on. Investments can evaporate, and companies can go belly up. One of our friends went to work one morning as the head of a large division in his company, only to leave that afternoon without a job, forced into early retirement as the company suddenly announced a move to a larger city several hundred miles away.

“Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. I cried out to You, O Lord; and to the Lord I made supplication: “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!” When the things on which we have built our lives are crumbling, God is the only true Helper.

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” At the end of this psalm, God has triumphed, the singer has been delivered and is dancing and leaping and shouting for joy. If there were fireworks available, the fireworks would be going off!

APPLICATION: This psalm runs the emotional gamut from dark despair to giddy celebration. Are you spending a lot more time slogging away at jobs that are less than inspiring? Do you feel you are spending more time on the near-despair end of the emotional spectrum than on the celebration end? Welcome to the human race; most of us need all the celebrations we can get.

We had one of those celebration moments a few days ago. One little girl had been admitted with seizures and malaria; she was so pale we had to transfuse her immediately. Then it took several days before the little girl woke up. But suddenly she went from being comatose and barely responding to pain to sitting up and demanding rice! And two days later, the little girl walked out of our ward, climbed on her dad’s motorcycle along with her mom, and the family returned home rejoicing.

Are you feeling lower than a ditch digger’s boots? Do you feel that your situation is hopeless? Hold on! Joy comes in the morning, and you too may find your mourning turning to dancing.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, speak to the hearts of all who are reading these words. Let them put their trust in You and give them Your peace and Your joy. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Praise to God in His Holiness and Majesty

A Psalm of David.

“Give[ascribe]unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare; and in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”

The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.”

“Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” How can we possibly give anything to God, the All-sufficient One? This psalm makes more sense if you substitute “ascribe” for “give.” God is already strong and glorious. For us to ascribe these qualities to Him is merely to recognize that these are part of His nature. The term “ascribe” here can be defined as “regarding a quality as belonging to.” When we give God glory, we are simply recognizing His nature.

How can we “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness?” While we are not holy, God is holy. When we begin to praise God for His holiness, God gives us more grace so that our worship increases exponentially. Worship takes us outside ourselves into a higher dimension.  

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is over many waters.” Anybody who lives close to a river that floods seasonally knows the power of water. Floods come when they will, and nobody can prevent them. The area in which we live and work is near a river that floods in rainy season, and if the other streams also rise, we can become a giant island. Under such circumstances, it is comforting to know that God is the One who is over many waters.

“The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.” Here the image is that of whirlwinds tossing huge trees around like so many bowling pins.

“The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare; and in His temple everyone says, “Glory!” God is both all-powerful and all-gentle. God’s power causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and yet, God also causes deer to bear their young.

“The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever.” The flood referred to here is the flood in the time of Noah. God sovereignly flooded the earth, wiping out sinful people. No matter what happens, God will remain King forever.

“The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” Strength and peace! We all need both.

APPLICATION: This psalm is one of the most wonderful descriptions of God’s might and His glory. Worried about floods? Earthquakes? Tornadoes or hurricanes? Other natural disasters? No problem! God is bigger than all of that.

 The sheer power of a large volume of water must be seen to be understood. People who live in areas prone to flash flooding must be cautious about driving into running water. A few years ago, a woman in our regional capital was driving her big SUV through a rainstorm to collect her daughter from school. Despite the objections of a huge crowd of onlookers, this woman insisted on driving her vehicle into fast-moving water that had risen twenty feet to cover a bridge over the water way. The video on social media showed her vehicle as the water pushed it off the road and into the stream, tumbling it for several yards. The woman did not survive.

Personally, one of the most comforting verses for me is the last one. “The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” So many times in my career in a remote bush hospital I have felt totally inadequate. No matter how much experience one has, medicine furnishes an unlimited number of opportunities to be confused or bemused. As the only doctor for more than 100,000 potential patients, I have frequently had to beg God for additional strength to meet the needs of my patients. And when things have not gone as I have hoped and prayed, I still need God’s peace so that I can go on and try again tomorrow.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we praise You for Your glory and Your might! We thank You for Your precious promises. And we claim Your promises of strength and peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

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