Psalm 67 - Firstborn

Psalm 67:1-2, 4, 6-7 NIV

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—

 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. 

May the nations be glad and sing for joy,

 for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. 

The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. 

May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Chosen nation status is not what you think. Some think that God choosing Israel over all other nations is like parents playing favorites with their kids. It doesn't seem fair.

Do you recognize that the firstborn get many privileges that younger siblings do not? Firstborn have their parents all to themselves for a year or more. They develop quickly and mature sooner than the younger children, generally speaking. It is because their earliest development was totally consumed by mom and dad. The younger did not get this. They are loved, but time is split with other siblings and other duties around a growing family.

But with the privilege of being first comes the responsibility of being first. The firstborn inevitably helps to care for the younger siblings by feeding, teaching, playing with them, and even cleaning their diapers.

Israel is God's firstborn among the peoples of the world. Abraham was the first to trust in the name of the one true God, Yahweh. Abraham was obedient to God and fully trusted in God's promises. Therefore God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Take a look at God's covenant with Abraham.

Genesis 12:2-3 NIV

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

God chose Israel because Abraham, the father of that nation, was first to love God. And God chose Israel as a means to bless all peoples on earth with the knowledge of God.

As Israel continues in obedience to God, they receive blessing. They prosper and live in peace. They are joyful and healthy. The blessed community of Israel is meant to be a light and an inviting sign to the rest of us. By noticing the blessed state of the people of God, we should be drawn to serving God as well.

Psalm 67 celebrates the special relationship Israel has with God. They pray for the Lord's continued blessings so that all the world might join in praising God.

Have you considered your faith a privilege and a responsibility? As Christians you are blessed with the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. You have received eternal life through Him.

John 17:3 NIV

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

How is your life and the example of your congregation a sign to others, inviting them to the light of Christ?

Psalm 66 - Tell Your Story

Psalm 66:1-9, 16-17, 20 NIV

Shout for joy to God, all the earth! 

Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. 

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! 

So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. 

All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you,

 they sing the praises of your name.” 

Come and see what God has done,

 his awesome deeds for mankind! 

He turned the sea into dry land,

 they passed through the waters on foot—

 come, let us rejoice in him. 

He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations—

 let not the rebellious rise up against him. 

Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;

 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. 

Come and hear, all you who fear God;

 let me tell you what he has done for me. 

I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. 

Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

Psalm 66 is another pure praise liturgy. The psalm invites the praises of all the earth. He acknowledges God's awesome power and His sovereign rule over all His creation. God keeps an eye on the Gentile nations as well as His chosen nation, Israel. In thanksgiving, the writer of the psalm celebrates God's deliverance of the people of Israel from captivity in Egypt. He recounts how God led them across the Red Sea with a miraculous show of power. He remembers how God led the people of Israel through the desert. God used the desert to refine them, to prepare them as a people ready to take possession of the promised land. He recounts God's faithfulness to them, watching over them as they journeyed 40 years in the wilderness.

But then the psalm turns personal. I love how the psalmist connects God's history with Israel to his own personal story. God's action to rescue Israel from slavery means that God acts to save him too. God's faithfulness to Israel in the desert means he can expect God to be faithful to Him as well. God is leading all who love Him to a promised future.

The psalmist shares this invitation.

"Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me." (Psa 66:16)

What is your story? How has God delivered you from slavery to sinful habits and attitudes? How has God shown faithfulness to you in your life's journey? How does the Lord give you hope for the future?

The apostle Peter told the church to be prepared to tell others your story.

1 Peter 3:15 NIV

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...

Celebrate openly the faithful love of God. Trust His divine reign over all creation. Hope in His promises for the future. And tell your story of God's good work in your life.

Psalm 65 - Presence in Praise

Psalm 65:1-13 NIV

Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. 
You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior,
 the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,
 who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,
 who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves,
 and the turmoil of the nations. 
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
 where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain,
 for so you have ordained it. 
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
 you soften it with showers and bless its crops. 
You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain;
 they shout for joy and sing.

Psalm 65 is a beautiful liturgy of praise. There's no asking here. There is no complaint, no lament. There is only the celebration of the God known to Israel.

God is praised first as praiseworthy. It's right that people gather to worship God at the temple in Jerusalem, at the site of His dwelling place on earth.
God answers the prayers of the people.
God forgives their overwhelming burden of sin.
Israel's God is the hope of all the ends of the earth. He is yours. He is mine.
God is praised as creator and sustainer. God formed the earth and filled it with wonderful works. He stilled the chaotic primordial waters, and He stills the chaos between nations. God cares for the land given to the children of Abraham, watering it and providing an abundance of life giving produce.
All God's creation sings with praise from the rising to the setting of the sun.

Look at the list of reasons to praise the Lord. What list would you make?

God manifests His presence in praise. Join the song! Join the worshiping throngs of the people of God throughout the world and down through the ages. Be blessed as His chosen and be filled with the good things of His house.

Psalm 64 - Wisdom Within

Psalm 64:1-2, 5-10 NIV

Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;

 protect my life from the threat of the enemy. 

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,

 from the plots of evildoers. 

They encourage each other in evil plans,

 they talk about hiding their snares;

 they say, “Who will see it ?” 

They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” 

Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

But God will shoot them with his arrows;

 they will suddenly be struck down. 

He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin;

 all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. 

All people will fear; they will proclaim the works of God

 and ponder what he has done. 

The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him;

 all the upright in heart will glory in him!

As I read Psalm 64 this morning I can't help but think of Jesus and His opponents in the religious leadership of Israel. They often set a trap for Him by challenging Jesus on points of religious law in front of His followers in hope of discrediting Him.

Once they asked Jesus a tedious question about a women with many husbands who each had died. The law states that the brother of the deceased shall take the widow as his wife (should she have no sons) and bear sons through her so that the name of the deceased man will remain in the land. This was so that the land apportioned to that man would remain in his family.

Luke 20:27-29, 31-40 NIV

Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. Finally, the woman died too. Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

There may be moments when those who oppose the gospel of Jesus Christ will try to discredit you in a battle of wits, and with sharp words. Jesus told His disciples to have no fear. The Holy Spirit will give them words to say. (Matthew 10:16-20) In other words, Jesus, the wisdom of God living in you, will speak through you. That is, if you are praying and not overcome with fear. Allow fear to give way to faith that God will act to steer you clear of the traps of the wicked. Rejoice and take refuge in The Lord.

Psalm 63 - Faith Defined

Psalm 63:1-8 NIV

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; 

I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, 

 in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 

I have seen you in the sanctuary 

 and beheld your power and your glory. 

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 

I will praise you as long as I live, 

 and in your name I will lift up my hands. 

I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;

 with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 

On my bed I remember you;

 I think of you through the watches of the night. 

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 

I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.

The New Testament provides a definition for faith. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) says,

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."

I kind of like the faith I see expressed in Psalm 63. It does way more for me than the book of Hebrews reference. It shows a deep desire for God and a bedrock trust in Him.

The faith expressed here is coming from experience. The writer has seen God in His temple. He has experienced God's glory and power. He knows the Lord's love is better than life. His worship and praise of the Lord is satisfying like fine dining. As he sleeps in bed he feels safe and secure in His knowledge of God's faithful love and protection.

I find this beautiful expression of faith deeply satisfying. How about you? How do you describe your faith? Faith is all about your relationship with the personhood of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Psalm 62 -Sabbath

Psalm 62:1-4, 7-8, 10-12 NIV

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. 

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; 

 he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

How long will you assault me? 

Would all of you throw me down— 

 this leaning wall, this tottering fence? 

Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; 

they take delight in lies. 

With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.

My salvation and my honor depend on God; 

 he is my mighty rock, my refuge. 

Trust in him at all times, you people; 

 pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. 

Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; 

 though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard:

 “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; 

and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”

Psalm 62 is perfect for my Sunday morning. The very first verse says it all.

Psalm 62:1 NIV

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.

Sabbath is for rest with the God who gives our souls rest. As we worship we celebrate God's faithful care for those who love Him. He is our safe place. When opponents wish our downfall we are not shaken. We know our God is on the watch.

This doesn't mean we are exempt from suffering. It does mean our souls take refuge in God during times of trial.

Go and worship God with the saints and pour out your heart to Him. Don't look for a quick fix. Don't lower your morals to find an escape or gain an advantage. Trust the power and unfailing love of God. Trust that you will see justice and peace in the righteousness of the Lord.

Trust, take refuge, pour out of your heart praise and petition, and receive rest for your soul.

Psalm 61 - The Rock

Psalm 61:1-8 NIV

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. 

From the ends of the earth I call to you, 

I call as my heart grows faint; 

 lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 

For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. 

I long to dwell in your tent forever 

 and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. 

For you, God, have heard my vows; 

 you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. 

Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations. 

May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; 

 appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him. 

Then I will ever sing in praise of your name 

 and fulfill my vows day after day.

Psalm 61 is a beautiful prayer lifted up on behalf of the king. I like to think that the writer was in Babylon in exile. It's not that I wish that someone was suffering, dragged off in servitude far from home. It's just that the psalm has the feeling that things are not good. Yet the prayer is filled with hope.

She prays with a heavy heart. She asks to be led to the rock that is higher than her. She's most likely asking for a lift in her spirits, poetically speaking. To get up on a higher rock is to get a better view, a birdseye view. Or is it that she wants to see a God's eye view?

How many times in life have I wanted to see things the way God sees them? How many times have I asked God, "Why?" The suffering of the world often causes us to yearn to know the reason for it.

But there's something else I cannot ignore when I read this cry to be lifted to a higher rock. That rock is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4) Jesus Christ is our king! When she prays for the King to have long life she's praying for a lengthy rule for God's anointed one. Under His righteous leadership the people of God will thrive. And if she is living in exile, she longs to return to Jerusalem with the king leading them.

The Messiah is the one and only Son of David who shall be king enthroned forever! His kingdom shall have no end and it shall reach to the ends of the earth. She is praying in a far away place. She feels far removed from home, far removed to the ends of the earth. She longs for the temple in Jerusalem, for the goodness and blessings you experience there. Whether she knows it or not she is praying for the Messiah. She is praying for the reign of Jesus Christ.

We are so fortunate to be living after the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are not living far removed from all things good and the blessings of God. The dwelling tent of God is our own bodies. For through Christ God pours His Holy Spirit into our hearts. The most holy place where God dwells is within us. Christ is enthroned in the heart of every believer. Heaven is as close as the prayer on your lips.

Yes, we are fortunate. For God has given to us, "the heritage of those who revere His name." (Psalm 61:5) Be lifted. Be blessed by the Rock.

Psalm 60 - Desperate Times

Psalm 60:1-5, 11-12 NIV

You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us; 

 you have been angry—now restore us! 

You have shaken the land and torn it open; 

 mend its fractures, for it is quaking. 

You have shown your people desperate times; 

 you have given us wine that makes us stagger. 

But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner

 to be unfurled against the bow. 

Save us and help us with your right hand, 

 that those you love may be delivered. 

Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. 

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

It must have been so difficult to live in the time of the ancient Israelites. Psalm 60 recalls a time when Israel was losing against enemies. David calls upon God to help them, acknowledging that only with the Lord would they be victorious against their enemies.

David describes the upheaval in Israel like an earthquake. The tectonic plates of political tensions between nations break and leads to war. Allegiances are torn. Diplomacy fails. People suffer.

David acknowledges that all the nations belong to God. He understands the Lord has His divine and sometimes hidden purpose. But he also knows God has promised Himself to Israel as a husband to a bride. God's bride suffers at the hands of enemies. Where is the protection promised in their covenant with The Lord?

David remembers and trusts in the covenant of GOD'S love for Israel. "His banner over me is love." (Song of Solomon 2:4) The steadfast and faithful love of God will save those who love God.

We may face desparate times together. Sometimes we can point to the sin of the nation and know why we're facing turmoil! Sometimes we have no idea. We must trust in the will of God and in his good and holy purposes. God is God of all nations, of all political parties, and of all races. Trust in the faithful love of your God to return to you and to your fellow citizens. Trust that peace, love, and security will once again be ours. Those who love God will always have hope.

Psalm 59 - Profanities

Psalm 59:1-4, 11-12, 14-17 NIV

Deliver me from my enemies, O God; 

be my fortress against those who are attacking me. 

Deliver me from evildoers and save me 

from those who are after my blood. 

See how they lie in wait for me! 

Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, Lord. 

I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. 

Arise to help me; look on my plight!

But do not kill them, Lord our shield, or my people will forget. 

In your might uproot them and bring them down. 

For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, 

let them be caught in their pride, 

for the curses and lies they utter consume them...

They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. 

They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied. 

But I will sing of your strength, 

in the morning I will sing of your love; 

for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. 

You are my strength, I sing praise to you; 

you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.

Psalm 59 is yet another psalm praying for justice against one's enemies. In this case there are threats and curses. While the psalmist says his enemies want his blood, they seem to be outside the city walls of Jerusalem hurling insults, threats and profanities.

Our society has grown increasingly obscene. When I was a child our tv programs never had any profanities I can remember. But then in the eighties it seemed like Hollywood's definition for drama was a foul mouth. There was hardly a movie that wasn't laced with filthy language. We seem to have moved beyond the shear volume of obscene language in current films, but our television programs are now using profane language. It's like we're so used to hearing it, we don't even blink an eye.

I doubt that King David, or whoever wrote this psalm, is talking about the kind of profane language we use in America. More likely they were cursing the God of Israel. More likely they were calling down curses upon David and the people of Jerusalem in the name of their own gods.

Christians today have enemies. Those who live by and promote the gospel always have. The gospel is offensive. It says that all of us are sinners. Most of us are not happy to hear that. Most of us don't want to change our sinful ways. We like our sins. In some foreign countries Christians are physically harassed and sometimes tortured or murdered because of their faith.

I don't know how you read this psalm. I can't help but think of Christians in countries where they are being oppressed, persecuted, tortured, imprisoned, and executed, and how they might read this psalm.

Several times the writer refers to God as his fortress. Christians today don't have the luxury of a walled city protecting them like Jerusalem did. They must seek shelter in the God who loves them and provides for them. Yes, some of them die. But we all know that death is not the last word. Death did not stop Jesus Christ! And death will not stop those who call upon the name of the Lord!

When you are threatened by curses, when you are surrounded by hostile people who shout obscenities, remember God your fortress. Let their profanities bounce off the protective walls God gives your heart and mind. Trust in God's strength. Let God's strength become your strength. While others shout profanities, you sing praises to God.

Psalm 58 - Hope in Justice

Psalm 58:1-5, 10-11 NIV

Do you rulers indeed speak justly? 

Do you judge people with equity? 

No, in your heart you devise injustice, 

and your hands mete out violence on the earth. 

Even from birth the wicked go astray; 

from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies. 

Their venom is like the venom of a snake, 

like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, 

that will not heed the tune of the charmer, 

however skillful the enchanter may be. 

The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, 

when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked. 

Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; 

surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

Psalm 58 is one of those brutally honest psalms that features a desire for justice in the form of bloody revenge. It's one of those psalms that is a bit embarrassing to read as a person who believes loving your enemies is the path to justice.

The psalm comes from the royal administration of King David of Israel. It's addressed to rulers. I'll assume it's directed at the rulers of other nation states or city states around them. It could be directed at local rulers of towns or regions within Israel.

A ruler has the responsibility of governing people for their benefit and for the security of their nation. But David feels that the rulers he is speaking about are wicked. They are wicked even from birth. He describes them as those who cannot be tamed. Their wanton lust for power and their evil methods go unchecked and unbridled. At least it seems that way.

We free people do not know what it's like to live under a dictatorship that rules by fear, intimidation, torture and murder. I remember hearing the horror stories of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq. I heard he literally put men through meat grinders alive and delivered a video tape of the gruesome death to their families.

The intertestamental book of 4th Maccabees tells another horrible story of an evil ruler. Antiochus the fourth, a Greek King, oppressed the people of Israel. One story tells of a mother with seven sons, in which he cuts them to pieces and fries their body parts in a massive skillet. He forces their mother to watch. His desire was to get them to recant their faith in the God of Israel. All her sons died a horrible death without surrendering their faith. She too was executed faithful to God.

I only share these awful stories to give you an idea as to why psalm 58 might be helpful to people who live under such horrid rulers. In what can one hope when an evil ruler seems to have all the power? Hope in God's ultimate justice can bring you through anything!

When God acts to bring you justice, whatever it may be, may you openly praise the God who still rewards the faithful. And may psalms like these help you express to God your rage at the wicked who oppress you and  may your rage turn to hope in justice.

Psalm 57 - Shivers

Psalm 57:1-3, 7-11 NIV

Have mercy on me, my God, h

ave mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. 

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed. 

I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. 

He sends from heaven and saves me, 

rebuking those who hotly pursue me— 

God sends forth his love and his faithfulness. 

My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; 

I will sing and make music. 

Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! 

I will awaken the dawn. 

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; 

I will sing of you among the peoples. 

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; 

your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; 

let your glory be over all the earth.

The other day there were strong and violent storms that ripped through the area. I was at a party on deck. We quickly ran to take shelter under the roof of the shelter. I was drenched and shivering. Psalm 57 has our writer fighting off the shivers. He's living among the enemy. He cries out to God for help.

Although it's poetry, he repeats his thoughts as if to console himself. Twice he asks for mercy. Twice he says his heart is steadfast. He looks to God for help and shelter. He looks to the God, who created heaven and earth, to send down his rescue, his justice.

The next time the storms of life threaten you, seek shelter in God Almighty. Remind yourself, twice if necessary, that the Lord is with you. There's no need to shiver. Be thou steadfast in the Rock, who is Jesus Christ!

Psalm 56 - Paranoia

Psalm 56:1, 3-4, 8-11, 13 (NIV)

Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; 

all day long they press their attack.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— 

in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll — 

are they not in your record? 

Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. 

By this I will know that God is for me. 

In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise— 

in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?

For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, 

that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Psalm 56 is another prayer for help against one's enemies. As I read this morning I couldn't help think that the psalmist sounded paranoid. People are plotting against him all day long. They watch his every step. They are just waiting for an opportunity to bring him down.

Paranoia can be just as real as an actual threat. The fear is so great that a body feels under attack. In such a state one can become paralyzed or lash out uncontrollably like a cornered animal desperate to escape a predator.

I love how the psalmist is so very clear how to deal with fear. "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." (Psa 56:3)

Last night we were working at Vacation Bible School, and we were discussing just how big God is. God fills the whole universe. That's beyond enormous! It's mind boggling! As I was asking the children about how big God is, one said, "I don't know I've never seen Him." The psalmist sees God, but not like one sees a person. The writer sees God in His word. In His word we meet the living God. And so the psalmist praises God for His word often in this psalm.

God's word includes promises. God's word includes narratives recounting His deeds among the people Israel. The reader of His word is encouraged and trusts God to do for them what God has done for His faithful throughout history. The psalmist sees God active in his life. He trusts that God knows his every tear and writes it down, keeping an account of the injustices he is experiencing at the hands of his enemies. He trusts that he will see God act to bring down his enemies. He knows God's word is more than ink and page. It is alive and doing God's will in the world.

With such trust in God the psalmist is certain he will "walk before God in the light of life."

Do you see God at work in your life? Can you account for the many times God has moved to act upon His promises for you? How will you respond to fear? Freeze? Fight? Flee? Or Faith?

Psalm 55 - Safe Place

Psalm 55:1-8, 12-13, 16-17, 19, 22 NIV

Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; 

hear me and answer me. 

My thoughts trouble me 

and I am distraught because of what my enemy is saying, 

because of the threats of the wicked; 

for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger. 

My heart is in anguish within me; 

the terrors of death have fallen on me. 

Fear and trembling have beset me; 

horror has overwhelmed me. 

I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! 

I would fly away and be at rest. 

I would flee far away and stay in the desert; 

I would hurry to my place of shelter, 

far from the tempest and storm.”

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; 

if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. 

But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,

As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. 

Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. 

God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change— 

he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God. 

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; 

he will never let the righteous be shaken.

I know Psalm 55 very well. It speaks to me on a deeply personal level. For anyone who has every suffered childhood abuse these words speak into our experience. The betrayal of those you should be able to trust causes a deep, deep scar.

Plagued by difficult memories, psychic trauma, and a difficulty trusting others is all part of the adult survivors experience. I encourage you to read Psalm 55 in its entirety. Here's a link.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+55

My drug and alcohol abuse and addiction were my way of running away, fleeing to a safe desert place. Pretending to be happy and cordial was another. Trying to please everyone was yet another means to protect myself from further harm. As time went on I had to admit how empty these are. I was so busy trying to be what I thought everyone else expected me to be that I lost all connection with my own identity.

It's been a long journey to come to a place of trusting fully in God and giving people another chance.

I praise God for healing and the continuing journey toward fullness of life. The malignancy of child abuse still threatens to come out of remission and I know to cast my cares on the One who cares for me. God is my safe place.

This psalm inspired a song I wrote back in my seminary days. Watch this video. Donna Templeton Howell performed with me at Zionsville United Methodist Church, in Zionsville, Indiana.

https://youtu.be/ATW6j-bzQXs

Psalm 54 - The Name

Psalm 54:1-2, 4, 6-7 NIV

Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. 

Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. 

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. 

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; 

I will praise your name, Lord , for it is good. 

You have delivered me from all my troubles, 

and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

Psalm 54 is another one of those psalms in which King David had been betrayed by people who gave his whereabouts to his enemy, King Saul. He was living among them seeking safety, but they sided with King Saul, hoping for reward. The song includes hopes that God would destroy these betrayers.

One thing that grabs me in Psalm 54 is the mention of God's name. God's name has power. God's name is good. King David trusts in the name of the Lord.

The name of Israel's God is Yahweh or, as the old English translations rendered it, Jehovah. Any time you see the English words The Lord, it is Yahweh. Jewish scribes so revered the name, they started using a substitute name so that they wouldn't misuse the name of the Lord. That substitute name is Adonai.

Names carry history. When you hear of someone named Elvis, you think of the king of rock 'n' roll. Jesus (pronounced Hey-soos) is a popular name among Latino familIes. We can't help but think of the King of Kings. There's a hymn entitled "His Name is Wonderful." It's wonderful because the name of Jesus has a wonderful history.

But history isn't simply old stories passed down from generation to generation. David has his own personal history with the Lord. The power of God's name is an immediate history of God's faithfulness, God's providing and protection in David's own life.

You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes. (Psalm 54:7)

What's your history with the name of the Lord? The name of Jesus means "Yahweh saves." How has the Lord saved you? And more importantly for what divine purpose has He saved you? What does the name of the Lord mean to you? Does the faithfulness and mercy of your creator cause you to want to give God glory with freewill offerings and praise for His name?

May your reverence for the name of the Lord sustain you always.

Psalm 53 - Dread

Psalm 53:1, 5 NIV

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 

They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; 

there is no one who does good. 

But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, 

where there was nothing to dread. 

God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; 

you put them to shame, for God despised them.

Psalm 53 is nearly exactly the same as Psalm 14. Verse five is different. Whereas Psalm 14 speaks of the unbeliever's dread in relationship to God's presence among His people, Psalm 53 mentions God destroying them.

I'm especially captivated by these words.

Psalm 53:5 NIV

But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread.

This is saying something about the human condition when we live estranged from God. Unbelief causes this inner dread, but unconfessed sin and disobedience to God's will causes this too.

When my wife leaves town for the week I feel the separation anxiety. I begin to feel the dread hours before she packs to go. In the same way when we sense a distance between us and God, it causes some level of emotional distress.

This is actually a good thing. This existence points to the reality of God. It's what the apostle Paul called the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience. (Colossians 3:6)

I spoke to an agnostic yesterday. The theological position on the existence and nature of God is, "I don't know." The atheist says in his heart, "There is no God." The rest of us who believe, and that majority shrinks with each generation here in America, need to realize we are no better. It is only through Christ Jesus that this dread is replaced with inner joy. It is only through faith in the good news that our estrangement from God is ended.

Ephesians 2:3-5 NIV

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

The next time you feel dread within perhaps you've drifted away from God. Perhaps your choices and your leisure distractions are building a wall between you and the Love that saves. Come home to your Father's house. He'll help you tear it down.

Psalm 52 - Rant!

Psalm 52:1-4, 8 NIV

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero? 

Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? 

You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; 

it is like a sharpened razor. You love evil rather than good, 

falsehood rather than speaking the truth. 

You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue! 

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; 

I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.

King David is an example to us on how to handle indignation and hostility toward those who abuse. David was on the run from King Saul who wanted him dead. David was betrayed by someone he had trusted, someone who gave to Saul his whereabouts. So David wrote a rant.

That's a lot of people ranting these days on social networks. The negativity is so prevalent folks are taking breaks from social media. It seems childish and adolescent to air your complaint for the everyone to see. What do we hope to accomplish? Are we searching for attention? Do we hope appealing to the public will bring us justice? Or is the rant on social network a veiled expression of a heart seeking God to act on their behalf?

David models for us the healthy response to our opponents. He trusts in God for justice. David knows God will act to stop his enemies. He knows he is under God's protection. David believes he will see the downfall of his enemy. He vents his anger with God. Because David was a musician he turned his cry for justice into song.

The next time you feel the need to rant, don't burden an unsuspecting public with a childish temper tantrum. Go to the One who can and will ultimately do something about it. Write God a letter, or a poem if you like. Trust in God's unfailing love. Then you will be firmly rooted in faith and not tossed about by your emotions.