Burunche’s Blog

God the Refuge of the Righteous

“O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs—O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render punishment to the proud. Lord, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?

They utter speech, and speak insolent things; all the workers of iniquity boast in themselves. They break in pieces Your people, O Lord, and afflict Your heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, ”The Lord does not see, nor does the God of  Jacob understand.”

Understand, you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge?

The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. Blessed is the man whom You instruct, Lord,
and teach out of Your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance. But judgment will return to righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence. If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.

Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, have fellowship with You? They gather together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood. But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge. He has brought on them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; the Lord our God shall cut them off.”

“O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs—O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render punishment to the proud. Lord, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?” It’s an age-old question: Why does a just, holy, and righteous God tolerate wickedness? Why doesn’t God just zap the wicked with a lightning bolt and get it over with?

“They utter speech, and speak insolent things; all the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.” God sees everything and knows everything, so why do the wicked think they can get away with terrible deeds?

“The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. Blessed is the man whom You instruct, Lord,
and teach out of Your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance. But judgment will return to righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.” God is intimately involved in the lives of the righteous and will instruct anyone willing to listen. But eventually the wicked will pay for their sins.

“Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence. If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” What an amazing and wonderful statement! How many of us are assailed by “multitudes of anxieties?” How many of us are desperate for comforts, particularly those that will delight our souls?

“He has brought on them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; the Lord our God shall cut them off.” God has the final say, and He knows how to deal with the wicked far better than we can.

APPLICATION: As I am writing this, the fighting in Israel and the Gaza strip and in Ukraine rages on. Innocents on all sides are suffering while the wicked persist in their evil. International news media are choosing sides; however, news broadcasters are still human and lack spiritual insight, no matter their claims at neutrality. Only God can truly sort out motives.

While we would like God to interfere to fulfill our desires, we are still living in a fallen sinful world, a world in which terrible things do happen to good people. We cannot demand that God deliver us while leaving everyone else to suffer. So what’s the point in trusting in God?

We can trust that no matter what happens, God still loves us and still cares about us. Even if we are very anxious, we can trust that God can still comfort us and be with us. We can also trust that ultimately God will settle things with the wicked. But we must remember that “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) God gives each one of us the opportunity to repent. But when people persist in rejecting God, they will be cut off.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust that You know us better than we do ourselves and that You will meet us at every point ot danger. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Eternal Reign of the Lord

“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea. Your testimonies are very sure; holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forever.”

“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.” This psalm is a short one but a powerful one. To be clothed with something is to be wrapped in it, so that it covers you. God is so majestic and strong that when we encounter Him, we feel that majesty and strength. God existed before He created the world, and He will always exist.

“The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.” We live in an area close to a river that floods each rainy season, swelling to many times its size in dry season. At the same time, tiny streams that may dry up completely during dry season suddenly become so large that people must cross them in canoes. Anyone who has lived through a hurricane or a typhoon can testify to the incredible din that represents the “noise of many waters” or “the mighty waves of the sea.”  

“Your testimonies are very sure; holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forever.” When we say that God is holy, we mean that God is perfectly pure and righteous without any trace of wickedness whatsoever. When we speak of God and His righteousness, we are speaking truth that cannot be changed.

APPLICATION: Steve Harvey is a well-known American comedian; however, in 1991, Mr. Harvey was struggling to jump-start his career and living out of his car. Mr. Harvey is also a Christian. In a recent video, Mr. Harvey describes a time when he was ready to give up completely; his money was nearly gone and all he had was a dream of going on television. Then Mr. Harvey got an invitation to appear on a famous amateur program at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in New York City. But Mr. Harvey was stranded in Pensacola, Florida, nearly 2,000 miles away. That’s when God miraculously opened the way for Mr. Harvey to do two shows at a comedy club in Florida, giving him enough money to fly to New York.

When Mr. Harvey arrived, he was the last act to appear for the night and had to spend all day in the theater for lack of anyplace else to go. Then two highly successful comedians appearing ahead of him got booed off the stage. But the same God who had opened up the opportunity for Mr. Harvey to come to New York gave him favor with the audience. That appearance launched Mr. Harvey on what has become a highly successful career.

In the video describing this experience, Mr. Harvey gives complete credit to God. Only an Almighty God could so perfectly orchestrate all those events, including Mr. Harvey receiving the phone messages from the Apollo Theater and the comedy club in Florida.

Do you feel as if you’re caught in a flood and all you can hear is the noise of waves beating over you? Take heart! The same God who plucked Steve Harvey out of obscurity to launch his career can still help you as well. But don’t overlook any small opportunities. Mr. Harvey learned about those openings when he called his phone number to collect his voice messages. Had Mr. Harvey failed to collect those messages, he might have wound up working some menial job for minimum wage. The Bible tells us that God has not despised the day of small things; however, we frequently overlook small details, believing that God will only do something big and showy.

We are about to celebrate Christmas, when God sent His Son as a helpless baby. Very few people in Bethlehem would have been impressed by a poor family from the hill country and their newborn baby; yet, God was at work in that situation.

Today, God may be working in your situation, but you may not be aware of it. Ask God to open your eyes to see if there are any small things He has asked you to do that you have ignored, thinking they were too insignificant.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You that You are truly magnificent and holy and for You there are no details that are too small. Help us to listen for Your voice and obey, even if we think You are asking us to do something petty. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Praise to the Lord for His Love and Faithfulness

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound.

For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this. When the wicked spring up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever.

But You, Lord, are on high forevermore. For behold, Your enemies, O Lord, for behold, Your enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies; my ears hear my desire on the wicked who rise up against me.

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

 “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound.” Why is praising the Lord and thanking Him such a good thing? We become what we focus on. When we focus on God and His goodness, His mercy, and His grace, we are uplifted and our whole bodies respond positively. Whether or not you can play any instrument or sing, you can still speak out the praises of God. Your body will thank you!

“For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this. When the wicked spring up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever.” Face it, most of us think shallow thoughts much of the time. But when we focus on God and His creation, there are no end to the wonders. Sometimes we feel frustrated and angry; why should wicked people prosper? But God wants all to come to repentance, and eventually the wicked will be caught in their own wickedness.

“But You, Lord, are on high forevermore. For behold, Your enemies, O Lord, for behold, Your enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies; my ears hear my desire on the wicked who rise up against me.” In Biblical times, horns represented power. For the psalmist’s horn to be exalted like a wild ox means that that God is giving him renewed power and strength. When God anoints with fresh oil, He gives new strength, new hope, and new inspiration so that we are able to fulfill His perfect will for our lives. We should never allow ourselves to get caught up in games of revenge, for God can deal with our enemies far more effectively than we can.

“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” It is not God’s will for the elderly to dwindle, wasting their days thinking about what might have been. If we have been allowing God to use us, the older we get, the more God can demonstrate His love through us. Our horizons should be expanding, not contracting.

APPLICATION: The older I get, the more I treasure the last few verses of this psalm. As a physician, I have always enjoyed older patients who are vitally interested in everything and everybody around them. Many of my older patients have served as inspirations.

Spoiler alert: Retirement is not in the Bible. Moses was 80 when God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and he only died at age 120 because his work was done. One of my favorite Bible characters is Caleb. When Moses sent twelve men to spy out the Promised Land, Caleb and Joshua were the only ones to bring back a good report. All the others terrified their fellow Israelites with tales of giants, and paid for their faithlessness by dying in the wilderness. But when the Israelites were moving into Canaan, Caleb demanded that Joshua allot him the city of Hebron, where there were still giants. Caleb was then 85 but he told Joshua that he was just as strong as he had been 40 years earlier. Caleb marched in and conquered those giants, no problem!  

In Africa, elderly are still respected for their wisdom and experience. Personally, I desperately miss my late stepmother Mary. Mary raised five great kids under very difficult circumstances and forged a highly successful career for herself as a newspaper woman in the process. No matter what problem I would throw at Mary, she would always have an insightful and encouraging answer. Even when Mary’s health was deteriorating and she was house-bound, she still served as one of my major advisors. I would call her several times a month from Ghana just to hear her calm advice and her warm chuckle as she pared my problems down to size. The last time I spoke to Mary from Ghana was only a few days before her death. I miss her still.

What can you do as an elderly person? Exercise, even if it’s chair yoga. Chair yoga works just fine, incidentally. Spend time with kids, especially reading to them and with them. While completing my Master’s degree in public health at Tulane University, I volunteered in a reading program for inner city kids. Once a week, I would go to a grade school and snuggle on a couch with three fourth grade girls. My girls would read specially planned selections to me and then I would read books they had chosen to them. Those children now have children of their own, and I hope they are reading to them.

You can write notes, send cards or e-cards, and emails, texts, etc. You might man your church’s prayer chain or a ministry to shut-ins. If you like to cook, the possibilities are endless. The most important thing is to be passionately interested in others. If the passion is there, God will guide you into the ministry He has for you. Just ask Him to show you what to do.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, may everyone who reads these words take them to heart. Your Will for us is that we always be fruitful for You and Your people. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.”

Recently, various parts of the world have been convulsed by devastating earthquakes, forcing survivors to dig through the rubble seeking family members and friends. Buildings thought to be secure have crumbled. But when we seek refuge and shelter from God, we are assured that refuge will be earthquake proof and bomb proof. Fowlers catch birds by laying hidden snares-loops of string or wire to catch the birds’ legs once they step in the wrong place. After the COVID pandemic, nobody requires an explanation of a perilous pestilence; we are all witnesses. God’s truth will serve as our large shield and also as our buckler, a small more portable shield for repelling sudden attacks from strange locations. The idea here is that as long as we know God’s truth, it will protect our hearts and minds from all satanic attacks.

“You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.”  At this point, you might well ask, “But what about believers slaughtered in Israel and Palestine and Ukraine? Surely those people who have died were just as sincere as I am.”

The key here is fear. In Romans 14:8 Paul tells his readers, “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” At the time, Paul had already been beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and assaulted by robbers on many occasions. Paul was fully aware that he might eventually be killed by the Roman rulers. This statement was not made by some positive thinking feel-good guru, but by a man with a firm grasp on the dangers of his situation. Some people live in fear of things that will never happen to them; Paul lived in faith that God would take care of him, even if he died. Eventually, Paul was beheaded for his faith, but not before writing much of the New Testament. Saint John exhibited this same faith while exiled on the island of Patmos, a bleak place riddled by salt mines manned by prisoners of the state.   

 “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” The most famous person to quote these verses is Satan, who tried to use them to convince Jesus to throw himself 400 feet off Herod’s temple in Jerusalem. “Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” (Matthew 4:7) While there are many instances of angelic deliverance, we are never to deliberately place ourselves in danger just to see if God will pull us out of it.

“You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”

Does this mean that all believers will live a long time? Not necessarily. In the city of Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana, there is a statue at the Choggu roundabout to “Dr. Choggu,” Dr. David Abdulai. Dr. David Abdulai was a Christian physician who founded two charity clinics in Tamale and who had a special ministry to mentally ill and to street people. David was a very humble man who did not seek notoriety. By the time David died at the age of 65, he had helped thousands if not millions of poor and destitute. Although David’s life was cut short by cancer, God poured out His love through David, multiplying his effectiveness beyond all bounds.

APPLICATION: One of the slogans on small buses called tro-tros in Ghana is “Nowhere Cool!” No matter where you live in the world, you remain in danger. Several years ago, one of our Ghanaian friends flew back into the country after traveling to Europe. As our friend went home, he failed to realize that armed robbers were tracking him, noting his residence. Two weeks later, his family and he were attacked in their house, despite burglar proof and a watchman. It was when our friend’s daughter called on Jesus that the burglars scooped up what they could and fled. (Many of these people do juju before going to rob in hopes of protecting themselves. The Name of Jesus repelled them.)

We all need this psalm and the comfort it brings. Life does not come with guarantees, and we can be attacked just as our friend and his family were. But no matter what happens, we can still “abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please help all who read these words to trust You and to run to You as their Shelter. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

The Eternity of God, and Man’s Frailty

A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

You turn man to destruction, and say, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night. You carry them away like a flood; they are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up: In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers.

For we have been consumed by Your anger, and by Your wrath we are terrified. You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your countenance. For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; we finish our years like a sigh. The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days! Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, the years in which we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.

This psalm might be one of the loveliest ever written. This is the only psalm attributed to Moses, and he has written it out of long experience. We don’t know how old Moses was when he wrote this psalm, but we do know that Moses lived a total of 120 years. Moses might have written this close to the end of his life when he was reflecting on everything that God had done for him.

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” In the poem “The Death of the Hired Man,” Robert Frost observes that “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” Although we can’t force God to do anything, God out of His graciousness offers us refuge.

“You turn man to destruction, and say, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night. You carry them away like a flood; they are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up: In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers.” During Moses’ long life, he has watched thousands if not millions of friends and loved ones die. Life expectancy during Moses’ time is roughly 35 years; hence, all those who have refused to believe God will lead them into the Promised Land die during the 40 years’ journey through the Wilderness.  

“For we have been consumed by Your anger, and by Your wrath we are terrified. You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your countenance. For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; we finish our years like a sigh. The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” If ever there were a group of people who witnessed God’s wrath first-hand, it was the Israelites under Moses! Rebellious priests were consumed by fire from heaven or even swallowed up as the earth opened under their tents. The Israelites watched in horrified fascination as God inundated the most powerful army on earth, sweeping them away. When God descended on Mount Sinai, the mountain was covered with smoke and fire and earthquakes shook the land. Little wonder then, if Moses begs for God to give hearts of wisdom after all these events. If you can’t learn anything from all this, there’s little hope for you.  

“Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days! Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, the years in which we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.” Nobody has witnessed more of God’s miracles or His wrath than has Moses. But God has already warned the Israelites through Moses that they will fall away from Him into idolatry. Moses must be wondering if there will be anything left after all his toil and suffering. Little wonder then, if Moses begs God to “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us…”

APPLICATION: The older I get, the more I can identify with Moses in this psalm. We have spent decades working in remote hospitals in northern Ghana with mixed results. The older we get, the faster time passes until it seems to be whizzing by at warp speed. In these last few years we have lost many long-time friends and co-workers, some of them younger than us. At times we have watched in horrified fascination as well-intentioned people have demolished accomplishments that have taken us years of work.

We have no home in America; our only home is a house in our little village, and even that is hospital property. In the last few months, two ladies who have previously offered hospitality in America have gone to be with Jesus. We have to remind ourselves that God has been, is, and will be our dwelling place for all generations.

“ Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days! Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, the years in which we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.” As we age, this is our prayer.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we lift our lives up to You and lay them in Your hands. Thank You that You ARE our dwelling place, a refuge and a shelter in troubles. Lord, help all who read these words to trust You, for You alone are worthy of that trust. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Remembering the Covenant with David, and Sorrow for Lost Blessings

A Contemplation of Ethan the Ezrahite.

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.” “I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: ‘Your seed I will establish forever, and build up your throne to all generations.’ ” Selah

And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him.

O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them. You have broken Rahab (Egypt) in pieces, as one who is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them. The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name. You have a mighty arm; strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face.
Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance.
In Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength, and in Your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one, and said: “I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found My servant David; with My holy oil I have anointed him, with whom My hand shall be established; also My arm shall strengthen him.

The enemy shall not outwit him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him. I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague those who hate him. “But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, and in My name his horn shall be exalted. Also I will set his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers. He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’ Also I will make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. My mercy I will keep for him forever, and My covenant shall stand firm with him. His seed also I will make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

“If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgments, if they break My statutes and do not keep My commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail. My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me; it shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah

But You have cast off and abhorred, You have been furious with Your anointed. You have renounced the covenant of Your servant; You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground. You have broken down all his hedges; You have brought his strongholds to ruin. All who pass by the way plunder him;
he is a reproach to his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice. You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and have not sustained him in the battle. You have made his glory cease, and cast his throne down to the ground. The days of his youth You have shortened; You have covered him with shame. Selah

How long, Lord? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is; for what futility have You created all the children of men? What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah

Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses, which You swore to David in Your truth? Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants—How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples, with which Your enemies have reproached, O Lord, with which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed. Blessed be the Lord forevermore! Amen and Amen.”

This psalm constitutes an emotional roller coaster. The psalmist begins by expressing some of the most glorious praises ever and proceeds to remind God of His promises to King David. Then just as things appear to be going so well, the psalmist begins complaining that God has abandoned Israel. What has happened? Idolatry has happened. God has repeatedly warned the Israelites of the consequences of rejecting Him or compromising and worshiping idols, but the Israelites have persisted, deluding themselves that God will give them a free pass. Wrong! God doesn’t hand out free passes; He hands out the consequences he has promised for generations.  

APPLICATION: God is looking for people who will follow Him whole-heartedly. How can we possibly think that we can fool the Ruler of the universe who knows us better than we know ourselves? The question for us is this: Do we want to find ourselves described in the first part of this psalm or in the second part? Do we want to be among those who are blessed and praising God, or will we find ourselves complaining because we aren’t getting blessings to which we feel entitled? A holy God is not impressed by anybody’s sense of entitlement but by humble hearts of repentance.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Help us not to compromise and to repent when we find ourselves rejecting You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

A Prayer for Help in Despondency

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A Contemplation of Heman the Ezrahite.

“O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave. I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength, adrift among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, and who are cut off from Your hand. You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the depths. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah

You have put away my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot get out; my eye wastes away because of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You. Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah

Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But to You I have cried out, O Lord, and in the morning my prayer comes before You.

Lord, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught. Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have cut me off. They came around me all day long like water; they engulfed me altogether. Loved one and friend You have put far from me, and my acquaintances into darkness.”

“O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave. I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength, adrift among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, and who are cut off from Your hand.” The psalmist is beyond depressed and frustrated! Everything is going wrong, and the psalmist feels as if he’s already dead and completely cut off from God.

“You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the depths. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah You have put away my acquaintances far from me;  You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot get out; my eye wastes away because of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You. Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah

The psalmist is certain that he has already suffered everything he possibly can. How can he possibly stand anything else?

“Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But to You I have cried out, O Lord, and in the morning my prayer comes before You.

Lord, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught. Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have cut me off. They came around me all day long like water; they engulfed me altogether. Loved one and friend You have put far from me, and my acquaintances into darkness.” The psalmist feels totally abandoned by everyone, including God.

APPLICATION: One of the wonderful things about the psalms is that there is a psalm for every occasion. There are psalms for celebration and psalms for those who are in despair. If ever there was someone in despair, it is the writer of Psalm 88. Why would God allow such a psalm to be included?

No matter what we might think, God has never abandoned His people and He is always there. Why should God allow His servants to suffer so much? When disasters happen, we always demand to know why God would allow such horrific events. We want to believe that God will deliver us from every kind of problem, so why would God refuse to do so? Psalm 88 expresses that question.

We are living in a fallen sinful world, one in which bad things do happen to good people, and one in which bad people make terrible decisions that endanger others. In addition, there have always been natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and tornadoes.

But Psalm 88 is still a statement of faith; why? The psalmist has not given up on God, nor has he lost his faith. The psalmist trusts God; that’s why he is so angry at God for apparently abandoning him. The psalmist has expected God to move in and do something to change his circumstances and the hearts of his friends. If the psalmist were to lose his faith, he wouldn’t bother to reproach God.

This year has been a very difficult year for many of our patients. We have seen more terrible complications from typhoid perforations this year than ever before. Prices of drugs and consumables have soared while insurance payments have become more difficult. We have had personal struggles as well. There have been times when we might easily have agreed with Psalm 88. But we continue to trust God, just as the writer of Psalm 88 is doing.

Perhaps you feel that this psalm is really for you. Perhaps you have lost loved ones or pets. Perhaps your job has evaporated. Perhaps the last thing you want to do is to join in jolly Christmas celebrations, pasting a fake smile on your face when you really want to go off in a corner and howl in despair.

Jesus came as a baby into a world dominated by the Roman Empire with a local ruler who was power-drunk. Jesus’ parents were forced to deliver him in a stable instead of a nice clean room, and there were no village women to assist Mary, only Joseph, who was undoubtedly inept and terrified. That first Christmas could have been a disaster, but it wasn’t; instead, God orchestrated everything perfectly, including inviting a group of shepherds to come to the stable.

We don’t know what happened to the writer of Psalm 88, but we assume that eventually, things improved. God can deliver in your situation as well. Trust God, even when things appear bleak. God is the Master of second and third chances, and He can still deliver, no matter what happens.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please strengthen and comfort every person who reads these words. Help them to trust You to deliver them, no matter the circumstances. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 

 The Glories of the City of God

A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.

“His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah

“I will make mention of Rahab (Egypt) and Babylon to those who know Me; behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’ ” And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; and the Most High Himself shall establish her.”

The Lord will record, when He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.” Selah

Both the singers and the players on instruments say, “All my springs are in you.”

“His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah” If there’s one thing in abundance in Israel, it’s stone of various kinds. The city of Jerusalem glows with a singular light because its buildings are made of Jerusalem stone, the particular kind of limestone portrayed in this photo. There’s also a special spirit about Jerusalem that division, dissension, and conflict have failed to erase. Once David conquered the Jebusites and entered Jerusalem, true worship began there and has never really died out ever since. Even though God withdrew the Shekinah glory from the temple after centuries of idolatry, His Presence remains in Jerusalem.

“I will make mention of Rahab (Egypt) and Babylon to those who know Me; behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’ ” And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; and the Most High Himself shall establish her.” Those coming from Jerusalem are particularly gifted people and the favor of God continues to rest on them. Israel is dotted with tells-those heaps of rubble that once were thriving ancient cities. Jerusalem survives despite all attempts to destroy her; truly, if not for God, Jerusalem might simply be one more tell with markers explaining things for tourists.

“The Lord will record, when He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.” Selah Both the singers and the players on instruments say, “All my springs are in you.”  Those born in Jerusalem are special people, and God is fully aware of every one of them. To this day, Jerusalem continues to inspire musicians and artists from around the world.

APPLICATION: I have a doctor friend who was born in Jerusalem but whose family fled to Egypt when he was quite young. My friend schooled in Egypt and later immigrated to America, where he continues to practice surgery. My friend’s family is Palestinian, and they resettled because of the confusion surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. From my friend, I learned of the suffering they endured trying to decide whether or not to remain in Israel. Nothing is simple.

Anyone wishing to apply simplistic solutions to the current conflicts fails to understand the complexity of the situation in Israel. But despite all the problems, God continues to show favor to Israel and He continues to move in that situation.

Recently, many Christians have begun wondering if we are in the end times because of the Biblical prophecies regarding international attacks on Israel. Can things get any worse? The short answer to that question is “Yes, things might get much worse. Only God knows His eternal time clock.” What do the current attacks on Israel mean for believers? We must redouble our efforts at faithfulness, realizing that the time to tell the world about the One True Living God is dwindling. What do these attacks mean for non-believers? WAKE UP! God is calling you to worship Him today, not at some vague time in the future!

At some point, God will call an end to the world as we know it; on that day, will you be serving God or Satan? “But,” you reply indignantly, ”Just because I am not actively serving God does not mean I’m serving Satan.” Oh? There is no such thing as  neutrality in the spirit world; you are either serving God or else serving Satan by your neglect to serve God. You don’t have to be practicing dark Satanic rituals to serve Satan; you only have to refuse to accept God’s offers of mercy, love, grace, and forgiveness of your sins through Jesus Christ His Son. Today is the only time you have to choose. Choose wisely, but realize that as you choose, you are choosing for all eternity.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, my heart is breaking for those who will read these words and casually dismiss them, assuming they are simply the opinions of some crank. Let Your Holy Spirit move in the hearts of all who read these words so that they will come under conviction and will turn and follow You whole-heartedly. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Prayer for Mercy, with Meditation on the Excellencies of the Lord

A Prayer of David.

“Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; For I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You! Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works. All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.

Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

O God, the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life, and have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your maidservant. Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.”

“Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; For I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You! Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” Once more, David is under attack in some form and is crying to God for help and deliverance. Notice David’s premises: he is poor, needy, holy, and trusting in God to save him. We can understand David’s statements about being poor and needy, but how can David claim to be holy? Holiness is a matter for God to handle, and David is trusting that God has made him holy because he has consistently followed God.

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.” David is not basing his pleas on his own righteousness but on God’s goodness and mercy. Notice David says that God is ready to forgive and abundant in mercy to ALL those who call upon Him. God does not play favorites; God stands just as ready to forgive and deliver us as He was to forgive and deliver David. David has already spent years fending off attacks from wild animals with God’s help; this experience allows him to confidently say that God will answer his cries for deliverance.

 “Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works. All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.”  Here David is referring to the entire pantheon of pagan deities worshiped by the nations surrounding Israel. Sadly, many of the Israelites have gotten involved in such worship also, particularly when it involves fertility rites with sex with ritual prostitutes of either sex. But David knows that these deities are actually demons whose power is nothing compared to the power of the One True Living God.

“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” What does David mean when he asks God “unite my heart to fear Your name?” Oswald Chambers points out that many of us have spiritual measles; we look really good in spots, but only in those spots. David is begging God to help him to be whole-hearted in his worship.

“O God, the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life, and have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” For much of David’s life, he has been surrounded by jealous men who would love to eliminate him. But David knows that God’s nature is totally different, and he is counting on God’s mercy and truth.

“Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your maidservant. Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” So many times, we would love to have God show us some kind of sign indicating that He is really interested in our lives. We also hope for God to do something that will cause our critics to retreat in confusion.

APPLICATION: What do you do when you beg God for a sign and nothing seems to be happening? This last week, I operated on two young people, both of whom were draining feces from their abdomens. In each case, I did my very best; nevertheless, the repairs seem to have failed. In both cases, I begged God for healing, and I continue to do so. God knows I am not begging Him to do something so that I will appear successful; my only concern is for these two teens to heal and go home.

If you are familiar with David’s life, you know that he had many close calls and was nearly captured and killed many times. David remains a hero of faith because he continued to trust God even when things appeared hopeless.

Decades ago, there was a popular song entitled “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.” God has never promised us that things will run smoothly simply because we are following Him. Sometimes it seems that the more we pray, the worse things get. But eventually God delivered David from his trials, and God continues to make a way for us as well. So I persist in prayer, trusting that God loves my patients more than I possibly can and that He WILL heal as only He can.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You, even when things appear bleakest. Thank You for Your abundant mercy, Your goodness, and Your grace. Please move in our hearts and lives, doing signs and wonders as only You can. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Prayer that the Lord Will Restore Favor to the Land

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

“Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah
You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger. Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.

I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.

Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the Lord will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.”

“Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah”  The psalmist begins by recounting God’s faithfulness in freeing the Israelites from slavery and bringing them into the Promised Land.

“You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger. Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.” The Israelites have repeatedly rejected God, only to repent when they have reaped the results of their unfaithfulness. And each time the Israelites have repented, God has forgiven them. But once more, the Israelites are reverting to idolatry, while righteous believers watch in horror. The psalmist is begging God for revival, for he realizes that only divine intervention can deliver his people.

“I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.”  God is always speaking to His people, but God’s people are not always listening! And God’s people are VERY easily distracted by the first attractive cult that comes along, turning back to folly in an instant. God’s salvation IS very near; however, God doesn’t force salvation on anybody. The entire universe tilts on the axis of free will: we are free to accept God’s will for our lives or to reject it.

“Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the Lord will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make his footsteps our pathway.” If God’s people will only serve Him, God will send His mercy and truth, righteousness and peace. When truth springs out of the earth, the land will yield abundantly. If we will serve God faithfully, we will find ourselves walking in God’s footsteps. But we can refuse God and suffer the consequences, something many people are doing.

APPLICATION: God is not a vending machine, nor will He be manipulated. God knows our hearts better than we do, and He knows whether or not we are sincere. Everything this short psalm describes is absolutely true. When we choose to follow God’s Will and serve Him only, God will heal our land and bless it. But when we turn away from God, we bring curses on ourselves as well as on our land. Fertility deteriorates and the spiritual atmosphere becomes oppressive.

I was part of a short-term mission group visiting Haiti in 1986. As we were flying into Port au Prince, we could feel the spiritual atmosphere becoming heavier and heavier. Originally, Haiti was a French colony with one of the most oppressive slavery systems in the Western Hemisphere. When the slaves rose up in 1797, hacking their masters to pieces with machetes, they established a society based on voodoo, or juju, to use the West African term. Despite a number of Christian missions and much sacrificial service, Satan’s hold on that country has never been broken. The country of Haiti only occupies half of the island of Hispaniola; the other half is occupied by the Dominican Republic. Crossing the border from Haiti to the Dominican Republic is like going from night to day. While the Dominican Republic has problems, they pale in comparison with those of Haiti. The Dominican Republic is predominantly Christian, with over 90% of the population practicing Catholicism.

There is no such thing as spiritual neutrality anywhere in the world. When we accept God and His commandments and follow Him, He will bless us. But the reverse also is true. The choice is ours. Choose wisely.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Thank You, that You will help us and bless our lands if we will only follow You. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.