Burunche’s Blog

We are about to begin studying the Book of Proverbs. This book is a tough one because every chapter may include several different topics. The Book of Proverbs contains 31 chapters; personally, I read one chapter each day throughout the month. But for purposes of this study, we may break up chapters, depending on the topics. Who wrote the Book of Proverbs? Proverbs is a compilation of traditional wisdom, sayings of Solomon, and additional Rabbinic wisdom. Here is what Chuck Swindoll says on his Insight for Living website.

Who wrote the book?

Proverbs, like Psalms, names multiple individuals as the authors of its various sections. Solomon was uniquely qualified to serve as the principal author for this book of wise sayings. First Kings 3:5–9 recounts Solomon asking God for wisdom in his reign over Israel, a request God eventually granted (1 Kings 4:29–31). In fact, Solomon identified himself as the source of most of the book. His name appears at the beginning of three distinct sections—Proverbs 1:1, 10:1, and 25:1—covering almost all of the first twenty-nine chapters of the book.

A short section consisting of Proverbs 22:17–24:34 expresses “the words of the wise” (Proverbs 22:17), which Solomon may have compiled from various sources. Evidence that Solomon drew on multiple sources appears in Proverbs 24:23, where Solomon used the plural noun for “wise” (also translated sages) to describe the authors of this section. Also, due to the book’s similarities with Mesopotamian and Egyptian collections of proverbs such as “The Instruction of Amenemope,” it’s possible that God inspired Solomon to record this section based on wise sayings he had been exposed to throughout his life.¹

The final two chapters identify Agur (30:1) and Lemuel (31:1) as their authors, though the identities of these men remain mysterious in history.

Where are we?

The composition of Proverbs remains one of the most difficult questions about the book. Its strong association with Solomon means most of its contents were completed prior to his death in 931 BC. Clearly the book stayed in the southern kingdom of Judah, as Hezekiah’s men compiled more of Solomon’s proverbs in Proverbs 25–29. This indicates that the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC.

Why is Proverbs so important?

Proverbs accomplishes something no other biblical book does: it simply compiles numerous short instructions for living an effective life on earth. While other books articulate profound theological truths, lengthy narratives of triumph and failure, or prophetic preaching to a disobedient people, Proverbs concerns itself completely with instructing people in the path of wisdom. The writers of the book recognized the varied circumstances of a person’s life and provided principles to apply in a variety of situations rather than instructions to follow in only a few specific instances.

What’s the big idea?

Proverbs states its theme explicitly very early in the book: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). The fear of the Lord refers to our viewing Him with the respect He deserves. It means living our lives in light of what we know of Him, holding Him in the highest estimation, and depending on Him with humble trust. Only then, Proverbs teaches, will we discover knowledge and wisdom (see also 9:10).

In writing the Proverbs, Solomon hoped that his readers would attain practical righteousness in all things and that we would do this by living our lives under the authority and direction of God. He specifically explained the book’s purpose in 1:2–6, focusing on imparting understanding that would impact every facet of our lives. Much of the book emphasizes listening to others so that we might learn from them and apply the combined knowledge of those who have gone before us—such as parents and elders—to the unique circumstances of our own lives (1:5, 8). Wisdom then involves appropriating a measure of humility, first before God and then before others. If instead, we decide to speak rashly rather than listen attentively . . . well, Proverbs deals with that too (12:15; 13:3). 

How do I apply this?

Read it! Then live it! Proverbs contains some of the most applicable nuggets of truth in all of the Bible. Most of the proverbs are pithy statements brimming over with imagery from the real world. This approach allows us to see very clearly how any particular proverb might be applied to any number of everyday situations we encounter—from getting out of bed in the morning to building a strong foundation in our relationships with others. Proverbs reminds us that God concerns Himself not just with the big, cataclysmic events of life but even those mundane, “invisible” moments in our lives as well.

Are you following God, even in those seemingly “small” circumstances? Allow Proverbs to refocus your attention on all the hidden moments of your life.

Allen P. Ross, “Proverbs,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old Testament, abridged ed., ed. Kenneth L. Barker and John R. Kohlenberger III (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 938.

Copyright ©️ 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, as we study Proverbs, help us to allow Your words to speak to our lives and to bring light to the dark corners. We ask this in the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the LORD

“Hallelujah! Praise God in His sanctuary.

Praise Him in His mighty heavens.

Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him for His excellent greatness.

Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre.

Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute.

Praise Him with clashing cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!

Hallelujah!”

Is there ever a place where we cannot praise the Lord? No. Is there ever a time when we cannot praise the Lord? No. Do we have to be famous or handsome of talented to praise the Lord? No. Do we have to be musically talented to praise the Lord? No.

The truth is that praise has very little to do with our ability and everything to do with our availability. The creation already praises the Lord; it’s only people who are dragging their feet and making excuses why they can’t praise God.

Are there any circumstances in which we cannot praise God? No. In fact, the more dire the circumstances, the more we need to praise the Lord. Can we stop praising the Lord if everything is going well? No. If we are blessed with good health and good fortune, we should praise God for our blessings. If we are struggling, we can praise God that He is capable of bringing perfect solutions to our problems.

APPLICATION: What if we are fine but our kids are caught up in drugs or alcohol? We can praise God for giving us those children and pray that He will deliver them from their addictions. The late Barbara Johnson and her husband Bill had a horrible series of incidents; yet, they used their experiences to praise God and to help others. First, Bill was nearly killed in an accident and suffered for years from a brain injury from which he miraculously recovered. Then the Johnsons lost their oldest son in Vietnam and the next oldest in a traffic accident. When their third son disappeared into the gay lifestyle, Barbara nearly committed suicide, but chose to give the situation to God.

Barbara began writing about their experiences. Her first book was entitled Where Does a Mother Go to Resign?  She followed up that book with a number of others, including Splashes of Joy in the Cesspools of Life, Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy, Fresh Elastic for Stretched out Moms, When Your Children Break Your Heart, and many more. Barbara also collected things that gave her joy and the Johnsons had an entire room in their home dedicated to things Barbara had collected and that others sent to her. The Johnsons started a ministry called Spatula Ministries after realizing how many parents were out there silently hurting. (They joked that when parents got bad news about their kids, it took a spatula to scrape them off the ceiling.) Barbara even made fun of her diabetes. Bill and Barbara Johnson turned their tragedies into triumphs by using the compassion God gave them to help others. And throughout their lives, the Johnsons continued to praise God.  

Although the Johnsons have gone to be with Jesus, Barbara’s books are still in print and are still helping lift people’s spirits. But spoiler alert: Barbara had a goofy sense of humor and loved puns and all kinds of corny cartoons. Her books are full of that stuff, but when you’re down, something will catch your attention and you’ll find yourself laughing.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us may feel that someone needs to take a spatula to scrape us off the ceiling. Many more of us may feel that we are in those cesspools and really need some splashes of joy. Thank You for sending people like the Johnsons who can show us ways that we can still praise You even when things seem rotten. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Sing to the LORD a New Song (Psalm 98:1-9; Isaiah 42:10-17)

“Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD a new song—His praise in the assembly of the godly. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with tambourine and harp. For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.

Let the saints exult in glory; let them shout for joy upon their beds. May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with shackles of iron, to execute the judgment written against them. This honor is for all His saints. Hallelujah!”

How can we sing new songs to the Lord? There are always new things for which we can thank God. We can rejoice that God is our Maker and that God is our protector. We can even dance and make music to praise the Lord. But what about the next part of the psalm?  

“Let the saints exult in glory; let them shout for joy upon their beds. May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with shackles of iron, to execute the judgment written against them. This honor is for all His saints. Hallelujah!” We can praise God at any time, even during the night when we are in bed. But what about this two-edged sword? When we praise God, God can do amazing things. Do we have to seize a sword and chase people with it? No. But we can use the Word of God to protect ourselves and our families. We can rely on God to protect us.

APPLICATION: There’s an old praise song that goes, “With the high praises of God in my mouth and a two edged sword in my hand, I will march right up to the victory side right into Canaan land!” I learned that song while I was preparing to sit my written boards in General Surgery. The exam was an exhaustive one, and many surgery residents from big name programs were failing their first time around. I had a number of obstacles to overcome and I was coming from a small community hospital-based surgery program. It was only a few years since I had battled severe clinical depression. That fall I found myself singing that song repreatedly as I studied and prayed. Blessedly, I succeeded in passing during my first attempt.

There are many times in our lives when we feel at an extreme disadvantage. The forces opposing us are enormous while we feel totally inadequate. But God is never at a disadvantage and He is never inadequate. We can praise God at any time, but nights are very special. At night, there are fewer distractions and it is easier for us to hear from God. We can concentrate on God more fully. If I find I cannot sleep, I simply get up and read my Bible and sit quiet before the Lord.

What if you don’t feel like praising God? You can always begin by chanting “Praise you, Lord! Praise you, Lord!” Another effective prayer is that of St. John of God, “Lord Jesus Christ, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Even if you feel ridiculous when you first begin repeating these prayers, continue. You will find things shifting spiritually and emotionally and you may find yourself being led to all kinds of other prayers as well.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that anytime can be prayer time and that You are always ready to listen if we will only seek You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Praise the LORD from the Heavens (Psalm 33:1-22)

“Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the highest places. Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts. Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars. Praise Him, O highest heavens, and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He gave the command and they were created. He established them forever and ever; He issued a decree that will never pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth, all great sea creatures and ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals, and all cattle, crawling creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth, young men and maidens, old and young together.

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens. He has raised up a horn for His people, the praise of all His saints, of Israel, a people near to Him. Hallelujah!”

“Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the highest places. Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts. Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars. Praise Him, O highest heavens, and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He gave the command and they were created. He established them forever and ever; He issued a decree that will never pass away.” God has created the heavens and everything in them, including all the heavenly hosts. When God’s creations fulfill their God-given purpose, they are giving praise to God by their very actions.

“Praise the LORD from the earth, all great sea creatures and ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, crawling creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth, young men and maidens, old and young together.” There is nothing on earth that that God has not created; therefore, God deserves praise from all his creation.

“Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens. He has raised up a horn for His people, the praise of all His saints, of Israel, a people near to Him. Hallelujah!” In the Bible, horns are a sign of majesty and power. God raises up a horn for His people to demonstrate that they belong to Him and that He is their Protector.

APPLICATION: In some translations, verse 8 reads, “Stormy wind fulfilling His Word.” On April 25, 1965, my family’s farm was hit by a tornado in the middle of the night. The vacuum in the eye of the tornado exploded a large barn over the heads  of 40 feeder cattle, who were found calmly munching hay the next morning. A large two-car garage next to the house and all the things stored there were reduced to splinters. Out in the hog pastures, huge pull together hog houses were tumbled about. There were also weird phenomena such as straws being driven through wooden fence posts. These posts were made from trees harvested from hedge rows and the wood was so tough that we could barely nail staples into them to hold up woven wire fence. Ironically, the house was in such poor shape that once a few windows had been sucked out, there was no more pressure differential and the house was spared.

I was away on a trip with my high school band. The next day when we returned to the high school, one of the neighbors was picking his daughter and me. In typical laconic farmer fashion, our neighbor said, “Well, we had some wind out our way, and your family was hardest hit.” I didn’t worry until I saw one neighbors’ car upside down amidst the wreckage of their garage. Before the storm, our yard enjoyed shade from ten large maple trees and those trees and our barn could be seen for miles; however, when we topped the rise just east of the farm and I looked west, at first I didn’t see anything-no barn, no trees!  

My family survived by sheltering in the basement, but this storm accomplished several things. We were in the process of buying the farm we had earlier lived on and renovating the house. Now we had additional reasons for quickly completing the house renovations and moving. The garage was full of books and other things we couldn’t fit into the house. When the garage was destroyed, we found we didn’t miss those things at all. We were already contemplating leaving the feeder cattle business, and this storm hastened that decision, a decision we realized later was quite wise. Some farmers who remained in that business longer later lost their farms when the price of farmland suddenly decreased by 50% overnight and banks called in the loans that had been secured with land as collateral. But after that, nobody in my family made any jokes about “heading for the storm shelter!”

When I was in surgery residency, we cared for a lady who had been riding in the back of a pickup truck when it crashed. Because we were concerned about chest injury, we got a CT scan. That CT scan revealed a mass that proved to be a thymoma, a very unusual tumor of the thymus gland and something that would have remained undetected had the lady not been involved in the accident. The lady underwent surgery and recovered nicely.

I have previously mentioned Chuck Colson. Colson was a lawyer who got caught up in the conspiracy to hide Richard Nixon’s wrong-doing and who went to prison. But it was while Colson was in prison that he became a Christian and it was those prison experiences that eventually led Colson to found Prison Fellowship. Over the years, Prison Fellowship has grown to become an international ministry to prisoners and their families. The Prison Fellowship web site says, “Prison Fellowship is the world’s largest Christian nonprofit organization for prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading advocate for justice reform.” All this happened because a smart Washington lawyer got hit by one of God’s stormy winds, and his life was changed forever.  

Perhaps today you feel as if you are caught in a tornado. Events are swirling around you, you are confused and distressed, and you wonder how God can possibly make anything good out of this situation. Take heart! God can use those storms that are buffeting you right now to accomplish great things in your life. Perhaps you are clinging to something just as we were clinging to all the stuff in that garage. God knows you don’t need those things and He is removing them so that your life will be less cluttered. Perhaps you need to take your business in a different direction just as we did with our feeder  cattle. God knows the end from the beginning and God can use His storms to force you to take a new path. No matter what you are enduring, you can still turn to God and say, “Hallelujah!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel we have been in storms for so long that there is nothing left. But You are the God of the storms and You can use events that frighten us to strip away anything that is not of You. Help us to trust where we cannot see. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

It Is Good to Sing Praises

“Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and lovely to praise Him! The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars; He calls them each by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. The LORD sustains the humble, but casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music on the harp to our God, who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the hills. He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.

He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the leg power of the man. The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, who hope in His loving devotion.

Exalt the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses the children within you. He makes peace at your borders; He fills you with the finest wheat.    He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs swiftly.

He spreads the snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts forth His hail like pebbles.(breadcrumbs) Who can withstand His icy blast? He sends forth His word and melts them; He unleashes His winds, and the waters flow. He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes, and judgments to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know His judgments. Hallelujah!”

“Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and lovely to praise Him! The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  The story is told in Jeremiah 39. Due to the stupidity and arrogance of King Zedekiah, the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem, burning all the palaces, looting Solomon’s temple, and generally causing havoc. This psalm has obviously been written after the destruction of Jerusalem  because it mentions the exiles who have been carried off to Babylon. Now the psalmist is praising God but also speaking by faith that God will build up Jerusalem and heal the broken hearted.

“He determines the number of the stars; He calls them each by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. The LORD sustains the humble, but casts the wicked to the ground.” We worry about ourselves, but meanwhile, God knows all the planets, the stars, and the galaxies, and He names them. But the God who names the stars understands everything and also cares for the humble and knows all the wicked. And that same God also knows each one of us as well.  

“Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music on the harp to our God, who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the hills. He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.” We worry about the essentials of life; meanwhile, God feeds animals and ravens.

“He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the leg power of the man. The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, who hope in His loving devotion.” No amount of strength impresses God; he looks at our hearts.

 “Exalt the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses the children within you. He makes peace at your borders; He fills you with the finest wheat. He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs swiftly.” Even though Jerusalem has been destroyed, the psalmist still encourages all the exiles to praise God, the only One who can help them.

“He spreads the snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts forth His hail like pebbles.(breadcrumbs) Who can withstand His icy blast? He sends forth His word and melts them; He unleashes His winds, and the waters flow. He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes, and judgments to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know His judgments. Hallelujah!” Not only does God control the weather but He also continues to declare His word, His statutes, and His judgments to Israel, despite their refusal to obey Him.

APPLICATION: The late Madeleine L’Engle used Psalm 147 as part of the basis of her book A Wind in the Door. L’Engle was a Christian writer who incorporated scripture in many of her books, but she did it so subtly that many readers probably had no idea of the origin of her stories. In this book, Progo, who is a cherub, tells Meg, the heroine how he was previously tasked to memorize all the names of the stars in a particular galaxy. Throughout the course of the book, names assume critical importance as Meg and Progo battle their way through a series of evil counterfeits to help heal Meg’s younger brother Charles. Charles is dying from mitochondritis because evil counterfeits are convincing the mitochondria in his cells that they don’t need to fulfill their God-given purpose, that they can forsake their own names and nature, abandoning themselves to entertaining themselves instead. Although ostensibly a children’s book, A Wind in the Door is actually an allegory that works on many levels.

If God determines the number of the stars and calls them all by name, we can trust that He also knows us and that He cares for us just as much as He does for those stars. Many of us toil in jobs that seem insignificant. We wonder if our lives really count for anything. But while God is naming the stars, He is equally aware of you, for “His understanding has no limit.” Take heart! God knows your name! God knows your struggles! God knows all your problems and He can give you the strength to endure. The same God who feeds ravens can feed you.

As I am writing these words, our hospital is about to undertake a major construction project. After years of chasing away animals, we are finally going to build a fence wall around the hospital to protect the property. The land to be enclosed is extensive, the cost of the project is daunting, and we are the major fund raisers for the hospital. We do not work with a large well-funded organization but with two faith-based missions. We already depend largely on donations for all our work, and most of our donors are people of modest means. Through our hospital chaplain, we are already helping a number of patients by giving them money for food, for medicines, and for other medical expenses. But we serve the God who determines the number of stars and names them.

Years ago, I earned my Master’s degree in public health at Tulane University. God gave me a scholarship for one third of my costs and donations from various sources covered the rest while my husband’s earnings from temporary jobs furnished our living expenses. At my graduation, the Assistant Dean went all around the room pointing me out as the woman who had come to Tulane on faith and for whom God had paid the bills. We are trusting that the same God who sustained us through my program at Tulane will furnish the money for the fence wall as well as for the other projects we are doing.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all who read these words to realize how much You truly know and love them. Lord, help us to trust You, even when things become very difficult. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Praise the LORD, O My Soul Hallelujah!

“Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save. When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He remains faithful forever, executing justice for the oppressed, giving food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free, the LORD opens the eyes of the blind, the LORD lifts those who are weighed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates. “The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Hallelujah!”

 “Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” Question: is there ever a time when we shouldn’t praise the Lord? Here the psalmist is promising to praise God as long as he is breathing. If someone sitting millenia ago could make such a promise, why can’t we do the same today? None of us has any idea how long we will live, so why don’t we praise God while we still can? There is a story about a man on his death bed who told a visiting pastor that if he could, he would shout “Hallelujah!” The pastor replied, “So why didn’t you shout while you had the breath to do so?”  

“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save. When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.” When I worked in West Virginia and my patients agreed with something they had heard, their instant reply was “Yeah, Buddy!” Reading this verse, that’s my instant response! How many people have taken positions, secure in the knowledge that those above them were good people who would treat them fairly, only to find that their company has been bought out and the new management is bringing in their own people? Bye-bye job security! God is eternal, while people are not.

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He remains faithful forever, executing justice for the oppressed, giving food to the hungry.”  God delivers and provides, even if He uses people to carry out His purposes. “But,” you ask, “what about famines? What about crop failures?” Good questions. God wants those with food to share with those who are starving. Sometimes people do well; however, many times they fail. But that is not God’s fault. The people in His supply system have noise-canceling headphones clamped firmly over their ears.

“The LORD sets the prisoners free, the LORD opens the eyes of the blind, the LORD lifts those who are weighed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates. “The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Hallelujah!” We read this and begin to sputter, “But! But! But!” because we can think of so many exceptions. But consider this: Chuck Colson would never have founded Prison Fellowship Ministry had he not wound up in prison himself. With nothing but time on his hands, Colson found himself reading C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity repeatedly until he finally yielded his heart and life to God. Only God knows the end from the beginning, and only God knows His plans for people’s lives.

APPLICATION: I entitled this study “OBSERVERS ARE WORRIED!” BUT SHOULD YOU BE? from a slogan I say on a Ghanaian tro-tro. The original slogan is “Observers are worried!” Tro-tro’s are the most common form of transportation in Ghana and are usually small buses crammed with passengers. The tro-tro slogans are snappy and catchy, designed to grab attention. I followed the slogan with a question for a reason. It’s likely that everyone in the world has worries of some kind. Even babies cry for their mothers to feed them. But if we are trusting in God, should we be worrying?

In the age of steam engines, many engines could either pour their steam out through the whistle, making a great deal of noise, or they could route their steam to the system that drove the wheels on the engine, but they couldn’t do both at the same time. If the engineer vented all the steam through the whistle, that power was lost without moving the train further ahead. When we worry, we are wasting all our energy in making noises, rather than accomplishing something positive.

 This meme is a powerful one. Why waste your sleep time worrying? Turn your worries over to God; He’s going to be up all night anyway. Psalm 121:3-4 tells us “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”  Isaiah 26:3 says, “God will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusts in Thee.”

The answer to the question I have posed is simple: No, you shouldn’t worry. Worry only damages your body by irritating your stomach lining, giving you spasm in your coronary arteries and palpitations. Worry wastes your energy, and diverts your attention from the only One who can help you, namely, God.  

But how do we keep from worry? The quote from Isaiah gives the answer: fix your mind on God.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to fix our minds on You and not on our problems. Thank You that we can discuss our problems with You, knowing that You can give us perfect answers to those problems. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

I Will Exalt You, My God and King A Psalm of praise. Of David.

(This is an acrostic psalm with each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.)

“I will exalt You, my God and King; I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation will commend Your works to the next, and will proclaim Your mighty acts, the glorious splendor of Your majesty. And I will meditate on Your wondrous works. They will proclaim the power of Your awesome deeds, and I will declare Your greatness. They will extol the fame of Your abundant goodness and sing joyfully of Your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion. The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made. All You have made will give You thanks, O LORD, and Your saints will bless You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might, to make known to men Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions. The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds. The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD; let every creature bless His holy name forever and ever.”  

“I will exalt You, my God and King; I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.”

Why praise the Lord? Does God really NEED our praise? The One who spoke the universe into being with a single word? Nope! Not really. So, if God doesn’t need our praise, why is praise such a necessary part of a vibrant positive life?

We are the ones who need to praise God. When we praise God, we shift our focus from problems we might not be able to handle to a God who can handle anything. When we praise God, we remind ourselves of who God is and how great He is. When we praise God, we are expressing gratitude for all God’s magnificent works. The more we praise God, the more our hearts and minds and bodies are transformed in a positive direction.

“The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.”  Face it, we all lose our tempers occasionally and we aren’t very gracious or compassionate. We may have hair trigger tempers that will go off without notice and our devotion might only be a few millimeters thick. But God is everything good and gracious that we-and our friends-are not. 

“The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions. The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”  There are times when many of us accuse God of being vicious and retaliatory-parents afflicted with cancer or dementia, children with cancer or severely injured in accidents, terrorist attacks on innocent people, etc. But we are living in a fallen sinful world and bad things happen. Sin has never been God’s plan for anybody’s life; however, sin is a fact. But God’s goodness and faithfulness is also a fact.

“The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds. The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD; let every creature bless His holy name forever and ever.” Notice something? These verses tell us that God is righteous in ALL His ways and kind in ALL His deeds and that God is near to ALL who call out to Him in truth. What these verses do NOT say is that God is righteous and kind and near to those who are perfect or incredibly faithful or who have earned high marks spiritually. If God’s righteousness and faithfulness and kindness depended on our being righteous and faithful and kind, we would all be toast! Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God.” The only requirement for God to answer us when we call is for us to call out IN TRUTH.

APPLICATION: I once heard the testimony of a guy who had been a member of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang on the West Coast of America. This man had a praying widowed mother 3,000 miles away back in South Carolina who kept storming the gates of heaven, begging God to deliver her son from the horrible mess he had made of his life. Finally, one day, God got hold of this man and he cried out to God and then called his mother from a pay phone booth. (This is America in the 1970’s, folks. No cell phones.) The gang was coming after him; however, as long as he was locked in the pay phone booth, he was safe. His mother told him to look at the phone book and find the nearest Assemblies of God church and call the pastor. When the man called, the pastor who came was a big muscular guy who looked like he could easily whip any gang member. The pastor rescued the man, took him home, fed him, gave him a bed, and heard his confession as the man turned his life over to Christ. Two years after hearing this testimony in a church in Charleston, WV, I met the man’s mother in another church in Charleston, SC, and she confirmed all these details.

Why tell this story? This man had made a complete mess of his life-drinking, drugs, managing a prostitution ring-you name it. The ONLY thing this man did right was to call on God in truth. But that was the key. Standing there in that phone booth, wondering if the pastor would arrive before the gang members tore the phone booth apart piece by piece, this man cried out to God and God answered spectacularly.   

The title of this Bible study is “GOD DOESN’T NEED OUR PRAISE-WE DO!” If we don’t remind ourselves of God’s nature, we will never call on Him. God doesn’t demand we clean ourselves up before we call on Him; God only requires us to call, and then He does a far better clean-up job  than we possibly can do.

The great thing about the psalms is that we don’t have to think up words of praise; David has already shared some great things with us. Remember that you don’t have to FEEL like praising; you only have to do it. If you will begin reading psalms out loud, you will find burdens lifting and your mind becoming clearer.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to praise You, even when we don’t have words. Thank You for hearing our prayers and for answering all who call You in truth, even when our lives are a mess. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Blessed Be the LORD, My Rock Of David.

“Blessed be the LORD, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold, and my deliverer. He is my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke. Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them; shoot Your arrows and rout them. Reach down from on high; set me free and rescue me from the deep waters, from the grasp of foreigners, whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.

I will sing to You a new song, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You—to Him who gives victory to kings, who frees His servant David from the deadly sword. Set me free and rescue me from the grasp of foreigners, whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.

Then our sons will be like plants nurtured in their youth, our daughters like corner pillars carved to adorn a palace. Our storehouses will be full, supplying all manner of produce; our flocks will bring forth thousands, tens of thousands in our fields. Our oxen will bear great loads. There will be no breach in the walls, no going into captivity, and no cry of lament in our streets. Blessed are the people of whom this is so; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.”

“Blessed be the LORD, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold, and my deliverer. He is my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.” Just as surgeons spend long years in training so that they can do delicate operations, so David has spent long years training as a soldier. That training began when David was herding sheep for his father and fighting off wild animals with a slingshot. Little does David know that all the time he has been shooting those lions and bears, he has been practicing to nail a giant and fight off a hostile king.

“O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke. Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them; shoot Your arrows and rout them. Reach down from on high; set me free and rescue me from the deep waters, from the grasp of foreigners, whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.” Here David uses some of the same phrases he does in Psalm 8. After years of herding sheep in the wilderness, David has seen lots of storms as well as flash floods. In Israel there are many wadis-stream beds that only have water during rainy season when floods can suddenly roar out of the hills without warning. These are the deep waters that David is comparing to treacherous foreigners.

“I will sing to You a new song, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You—to Him who gives victory to kings, who frees His servant David from the deadly sword. Set me free and rescue me from the grasp of foreigners, whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.” Exactly when David wrote this psalm is unclear; however, there were many times during the years David was dodging King Saul that David had to hide with the Ammonites or Philistines. An entire city of priests and their families died when Saul’s herdsman, a foreigner, reported that the priests had innocently assisted David.

“Then our sons will be like plants nurtured in their youth, our daughters like corner pillars carved to adorn a palace. Our storehouses will be full, supplying all manner of produce; our flocks will bring forth thousands, tens of thousands in our fields. Our oxen will bear great loads. There will be no breach in the walls, no going into captivity, and no cry of lament in our streets. Blessed are the people of whom this is so; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.”  Here David is describing a time of unparalleled prosperity and peace, one in which children will grow to be tall and strong and handsome while flocks and herds and fields yield bountifully. In that time, those who worship the Lord will dwell in safety without fear of attack.

APPLICATION: This psalm is particularly meaningful for me because I have spent most of my life as a surgeon. Looking back, I realize that even while I was growing up on a Midwestern farm, God was already training me to do medical work in places with few resources. My first patients were my father’s hogs and cattle and my brother’s sheep. While we had excellent veterinarians, no farmer would call a vet for a simple injection; they would buy the antibiotics and the syringes and do the injections themselves. My first delivery on a pregnant patient came when my brother and I delivered twin lambs in an unheated sheep house on a bitterly cold January night. After the delivery, we carried the lambs to our house and then chuffed the ewe through snowdrifts and into our basement where mama sheep could nurse her babies in relative comfort.

In those days, my friends and I were all in 4-H clubs where sewing for competition was a big thing. I  learned to sew so proficiently that I created much of my college wardrobe and all my own white uniforms when I began working on the wards in medical school. Perhaps the highlight of my career as a seamstress came at the end of my junior year of college. One of my friends was getting married and insisted that all seven of her bridesmaids should sew their own dresses. To complicate matters, we were combining two different patterns. Only three of us could sew well, and we three had to pull an all-nighter the night before the wedding to complete the dresses. I finished mine ten minutes before the wedding. I might or might not have put in the hem with Scotch tape. Fortunately, the wedding was in the college chapel, only 100 meters from my dorm.

God is not a God of confusion, but a God of peace. Many times, we endure all kinds of problems, never realizing that God is using those circumstances to prepare us for greater things. In David’s day, those proficient with slingshots were the equivalents of modern-day soldiers with high -powered rifles and scopes. The Bible notes in more than one place that there were entire troops of soldiers who were equally proficient with slingshots in either hand. Al llthe time David was out on those lonely hillsides playing his harp to comfort himself, God was preparing him to write glorious psalms. And each time David let loose with rocks against wild animals, God was sharpening his aim so that one day, David would take down a giant.

Perhaps you are struggling right now and you do not understand why things must be so tough. Why can’t you have it easy like those around you? But you have no idea what God wants to do with you. Be advised: You only think you are playing with a slingshot while God is preparing you to take down giants!

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust Your purposes for our lives and to faithfully follow Your leading, even when we don’t understand why we are enduring hardships. Help us to remember that we think we are playing with slingshots while You know you are preparing us to kill giants. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 I Stretch Out My Hands to You A Psalm of David.

“O LORD, hear my prayer. In Your faithfulness, give ear to my plea; in Your righteousness, answer me. Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You. For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead.

My spirit grows faint within me; my heart is dismayed inside me. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I consider the work of Your hands. I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land. Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)

Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who go down to the Pit. Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning, for I have put my trust in You. Teach me the way I should walk, for to You I lift up my soul.

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD; I flee to You for refuge. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me. In Your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble. And in Your loving devotion, cut off my enemies. Wipe out all who afflict me, for I am Your servant.”

“O LORD, hear my prayer. In Your faithfulness, give ear to my plea; in Your righteousness, answer me. Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You. For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead.”  David is under attack, probably from Saul and possibly from other directions as well. Sometimes leaders may feel as if they have giant targets all over them and everybody around them is shooting at them. Whatever is going on, David feels he is caught in a dark place with no protection. God doesn’t need reminding about His nature; however, David is desperately trying to remind himself of God’s faithfulness and righteousness. If God fails David, David will die quickly and painfully.

“My spirit grows faint within me; my heart is dismayed inside me. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I consider the work of Your hands. I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land. Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)” Which “days of old” is David thinking about? Perhaps David is remembering herding sheep in the wilderness, watching for wild beasts and composing songs to God. Given the chance, David would happily return to herding sheep; at least all he would have to worry about then would be wild animals and not treacherous people pretending to be friends while they conspire against him.

Stretching out one’s hands may carry a variety of meanings. We stretch out our hands in worship. If our favorite athletic team is winning, we wave our hands in triumph. But many times outstretched hands are a sign of begging and desperate petition.  If we are drowning, we will wave our hands in hopes someone will save us. In David’s day, it was common for those asking something from a ruler to prostrate themselves while stretching out their hands. This desperate gesture is what David is referring to here.

 “Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who go down to the Pit. Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning, for I have put my trust in You. Teach me the way I should walk, for to You I lift up my soul.” David has been hanging on to fraying hopes; however, he’s not sure how much longer he can continue. Confused and disillusioned, David really needs God’s guidance. David really feels that he’s at the end of his rope and the rope is about to fall apart.

“Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD; I flee to You for refuge. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me. In Your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble. And in Your loving devotion, cut off my enemies. Wipe out all who afflict me, for I am Your servant.” David is waving his hands at God again and begging for deliverance. Most of us can relate.

APPLICATION: Let’s face it, there are times when all of us feel as if we are drowning in minutiae, being stoned to death with popcorn. It’s not necessarily the big stuff that gets to us; it can be lots of little junk that builds up until we feel totally stifled. At such times, it’s difficult to know which way to turn. I have a friend whose beloved wife suffered a series of health catastrophes that forced her to stay in nursing homes for more than a year. During that time, COVID hit, and finding a place that could care for my friend’s wife became a daunting challenge. At one point, my friend found himself driving 40 miles one way several times a week to check on his wife, even while he battled his own health problems. Don’t let anybody lie to you; old age is most definitely NOT for sissies! Happily, my friend’s wife eventually made it home and is doing well, but during their ordeal, I’m certain they both felt like waving their hands frantically at God and yelling for help.

David’s psalms have helped and encouraged people for centuries precisely because David expresses his depression, his fears, and his feeling of being overwhelmed. It’s amazing to remember that this is also the same man whom God calls “a man after His own heart.” David’s psalms are proof positive that even heroes of the faith suffer their crises, and that God is the only reliable Source of help. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, wave your hands at God and yell for help. God will always answer.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel overwhelmed and in need of deliverance. Help us to turn to You for all our needs. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 I Lift My Voice to the LORD (1 Samuel 22:1-5; Psalm 57:1-11) A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.

“I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before Him; I reveal my trouble to Him.

Although my spirit grows faint within me, You know my way. Along the path I travel they have hidden a snare for me.

Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul. I cry to You, O LORD: “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

Listen to my cry, for I am brought quite low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me. Free my soul from prison, that I may praise Your name. The righteous will gather around me because of Your goodness to me.”

“I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before Him; I reveal my trouble to Him.” David is a young warrior on the run from King Saul, who is trying to kill David so that David cannot succeed Saul. David and his men are hiding in a cave and hoping nobody will betray them to Saul.

“Although my spirit grows faint within me, You know my way. Along the path I travel they have hidden a snare for me.”  After years of being on the run, David has few illusions left; he’s seen too many people try to get close to him only so they can betray him to Saul for a reward. David knows that only God has delivered him from the traps set by his enemies.

“Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul. I cry to You, O LORD: “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”  David is a realist; many of his men have joined him because they are exiles with no other place to go, not because they are so dedicated to David. If Saul were suddenly to announce an amnesty for anyone previously supporting David, David might fing himself without any supporters. God is the only One on whom David can rely.

“Listen to my cry, for I am brought quite low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me. Free my soul from prison, that I may praise Your name. The righteous will gather around me because of Your goodness to me.” David is sitting in this cave in the dark while his men sleep around him. What’s going to happen tomorrow? Will Saul finally capture David? If Saul captures David, how gruesome a death will David suffer? Are there really any righteous people left in Israel, or has everybody deserted God to follow Saul? Is God really going to deliver David, or has David made a mistake in trusting God?

APPLICATION: Why do people follow leaders? Many follow for personal gain. Some follow for political reasons. A few might follow because they share the same vision as the leader and believe in that call to leadership.

One challenge for any leader is handling all these various classes of followers, no matter their motivation. A second challenge is to encourage those who have mixed motives to commit to the leader’s vision. (Some days, this process closely resembles attempting to herd cats!)

These days, most organizations have both a mission and vision statement. The purpose of these statements is to focus the attentions of workers so they will hopefully work together for these common goals. But organizations are only as good as their leadership; no leadership means chaos! No matter how glowing the mission and vision statements are, if the uppermost leadership fails to fulfill them, the rest of the workers will ignore them. The Bible tells us that “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. “ (Proverbs 29:18)

What’s your mission in life? What is your vision for fulfilling that mission? By now, you might be scratching your head and saying, “I don’t have a clue!” Ask God. God has not created you by accident; God has wonderful plans for your life if you will only ask Him to reveal them. But be ready for the first suggestions to be simple ones. God can work in small details as well as big ones, and most of us are not rich, famous, or outstanding, apart from God. Let’s pray.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You for Your purposes for our lives. Open our eyes to see Your purposes and to fulfill them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.