Psalm 73

I’ll admit I’ve wrestled with God.  I’ve doubted His goodness, His will, His ways, His lack of judgment… I think from time to time we ALL scratch our heads and wonder what possible good He could bring from a particular situation.  When a tragedy strikes it’s normal for us to be shaken and wonder why God allowed that event.  But even in the day-to-day dealings of our lives we can be tempted to second-guess God.  How is our faith affected when we don’t understand what God does or allows?

Do you know anybody who seems to live a charmed life with no troubles or cares, but who couldn’t care less about the troubles of others?  Who seems to be successful in every business venture they pursue, but for the sole purpose of having bigger and nicer homes, cars and vacations?  Who has plenty of money and power and influence, but use it to advance their own personal agenda at the expense of whoever happens to be in their way?

Psalm 73 is an honest look at one man’s struggle with the prosperity of the ungodly.  The psalmist Asaph was appointed by King David as a worship leader in the Temple.  Some event, or some series of events, came about in his life that caused him to doubt God.  Deep down he KNEW God was good and faithful and just, but he just couldn’t quite grasp how ungodly people could go on, day after day, with no consequences.  Asaph grew to envy those people because he was striving to live faithfully and honor God with his life but he didn’t seem to be prospering.  Instead he was having difficulty and hardship and confusion, and it caused him to DOUBT.

The psalm lists the things Asaph saw happening in the lives of the ungodly:  no health issues, plenty of money, no responsibilities, always carefree…  He saw their arrogance and contempt for God.  He saw them increase in power and influence, and watched curiously as people flocked to them in droves.

Asaph felt that his godly lifestyle was of no consequence.  Every day he woke up to a life of troubles and trials, and God was allowing it!  And God was allowing the ungodly to oppress the less-fortunate, manipulate justice, and worst of all – blaspheme His holy Name!  Asaph wondered why HE was losing and the bad guys were winning!

Because of Asaph’s position in the Temple, he quietly wrestled with his doubts.  He knew that a public declaration of his private ponderings would have misled those who looked to him for leadership.  Asaph understood that he had a responsibility to point others TO God and not AWAY from Him, so he prayed and contemplated and waited on God.

Worship remained a part of Asaph’s life and one day the Lord gave him some insight – the prosperity of the ungodly was temporal.  In the end it would all be swept away and NOTHING would remain.  But as for those who were upright and faithful to Him, God would bless and guide and provide both here on earth AND in Heaven.  Asaph understood what the apostle James would write several centuries later, our lives are like a vapor – here one minute and gone the next , so the godly must persevere and be patient until the Lord returns (James, chapters 4 and 5).

Asaph then recognized his twisted logic, confessed it to God, acknowledged Him for who He was, and his faith was restored.  The last line of the psalm is profound, “I will tell of all Your deeds.”  Now that Asaph’s private struggle with God had come to an end – an end that was TRUE and RIGHT – NOW it was appropriate for Asaph to share with the masses.  Even though Asaph wrestled with what God allowed, he came to the point that he could trust God because of Who He is.

All of us have been through a struggle that caused us to question God, and because we live in a fallen world we will continue to have struggles.  They may come in the form of a storm that crashes over us and turns our lives upside down, they may come in the form of a dry period in our lives when God seems to be silent, they may come in any variety of ways but they WILL come.  And the longer they go on, the more tempted we can be to doubt God and feel like giving up, so it’s important for us to have a strategy in place so we can remain faithful.

1. Understand that while our perception is our reality, our perception is not FACT.  Many factors influence our reasoning: past experiences, attitudes, biases, what we notice, what we ignore… any NUMBER of things can cloud our perception and influence how we feel and react.  In any given situation, there is always more than meets the eye, and GOD is the only One who sees and knows the full TRUE picture.
2. Realize that the longer the struggle, the harder it can be to stay focused.  Because our enemy wants to steal our joy and peace and confidence (John 10:10), we need to be careful about what we let fill our minds (2 Cor 10:5).  We live in an age with so many good Christian resources – books, music, tv, movies, Bible studies, counseling, worship opportunities… One of the best ways I’ve found to stay focused is to keep praise music playing in my house.  Invariably a song will get stuck in my head and I’ll end up singing it all day long.  While that may irritate my family, it inspires me!  BTW I’ve learned to hum quietly while I’m around them and save the vocals for when I’m alone ;)
3. Last but not least, DON’T WALK AWAY FROM GOD!!  That will grieve His Spirit and cause the enemy to dance, so determine to grieve the enemy and let God dance!!  Stick with (or find!) a group of trustworthy Christian friends who will pray for you and walk you thru the struggle!!  Keep going to church!!  Guard your time in the Word!!  Confess your doubts and fears to Him and ask Him to strengthen you.  And when He does, tell of all His deeds.

Life is hard.  Troubles come.  Crazy things happen.  But always remember, God is in control.  He sees and He knows and He is working in ways we can’t begin to comprehend.  And even though we may NEVER understand what God DOES, we can ALWAYS trust Who God IS.

Psalm 56

The word for my weekend has been FEAR. I attended a retreat sponsored by the women’s ministry at my church and the theme passage was Luke 12:32-34 which begins “Fear not, little flock…”. I went to a breakout session that my friend Althea led and she taught from 2 Chronicles 20 which has a verse that has recently become a favorite of mine, “… For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” (v12b). I went to Bible study Sunday morning and my friend Bill taught a great lesson on Psalm 56. Verse three of that Psalm is one I learned as a child, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”

David was running for his life when he penned Psalm 56. He sought refuge in a variety of places, always looking over his shoulder in an attempt to stay one step ahead of King Saul’s bounty hunters. (Think of Harrison Ford in “The Fugitive” and you get the picture.) Even though David was often in danger and was often just plain discouraged, he modeled the right response in verses 4 and 20, “[I will trust] In God, Whose Word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid…”.

What do you fear? That's an easy one for me – snakes and rodents. I know they are part of God’s creation and important in the food chain but those are two links I can do without, thankyouverymuch. But deeper than personal phobias, we fear things like losing our job, losing family members, national security, the future, ungodly leaders, the unknown, health problems, financial woes, CHANGE… the list is potentially endless!

One of the things we discussed was how fear affects us. It is interesting to study our physiological response to fear: increased heart rate and respiration, release of adrenaline, changes in blood circulation, etc. The “fight or flight” response is an amazing thing God wired in us, but beyond the initial bodily reaction, the way we respond to fear speaks volumes about our faith.

It’s perfectly normal to be emotionally-shaken when the storms of life come crashing down on us, but we need to remember that we don’t face them alone. When a violent storm arose on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus’ disciples did what we often do – they managed on their own until things got out of control, then they looked for Jesus. Imagine their disbelief when they found Him ASLEEP in the stern! The anxious disciples woke up the snoozing Savior and said, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38). Interesting that they didn’t ask him to help reef the sails or bail water, they asked if He cared about their situation. It’s easy for us to fall into that same trap of wrong-thinking, “God, don’t You CARE that I’ve got cancer? Don’t You CARE that I lost my job? Don’t You CARE that…”

The answer to that one is easy, YES. Yes, God DOES care when the storms of life come because it’s in the storm that we look for Him and where He reveals Himself to us in a way that we’ve never before seen. When Jesus came up on deck, He rebuked the wind and said to the waves “Peace. Be still.” and the disciples witnessed a demonstration of His awesome power in a way they wouldn’t otherwise have seen. And I bet Jesus cast a reproaching glance toward His frantic friends as He spoke to the elements because then He turned to them and asked, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Feelings and emotions are powerful and they have the potential to send us spiraling into a pit of despair, but we can have command over them by the power of God’s SPOKEN Word. I’ve collected scripture over the years that address specific situations and when I begin to feel strangled by my emotions, I confess “This is what I FEEL (fear, anger, doubt, despair…) but this is what I KNOW (insert applicable verse here!)” and I continue on, reciting His attributes: goodness, faithfulness, compassion, love, grace, mercy; He is all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present… Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people, so when we open our mouths to declare His praise, we open the door for His presence to wash over us with a peace that is incomprehensible.


Something else that I’ve found helpful is to ask myself, “What is the WORST thing that can happen to me?” and then remember that regardless of what happens and where I end up, God will BE THERE! That path may be steep and rocky and treacherous, but He will have walked EVERY STEP of that path with me and will have a PLAN for me THERE! And His plans are designed for our good and for His glory so FEAR NOT, little flock!!

Psalm 51

Ahh, it's always nice when you can identify the author and approximate timing of a psalm... and how nice it is for us that David was so transparent in this one. Psalm 51 was written after his confrontation with the prophet Nathan, who boldly exposed David's sin with Bathsheba. Not only did David commit adultery with her but he attempted to cover his tracks by plotting against her husband Uriah, one of his top military commanders. When Uriah remained true to his task he was rewarded with leading a venture that, unbeknown to him, was designed specifically to lead him to his death. Now how's THAT for rewarding loyalty?

A year passed before David's sin came to light. I wonder how he tried to excuse his behavior in those months... "well, I'm the king and everything in the kingdom is MINE... I didn't actually shoot the arrow that KILLED Uriah... others have done a whole lot WORSE..." Isn't justifying our actions one of the ways Satan deceives us?

Whatever his thoughts, David was eventually slapped in the face with the reality that what he had done was a slap in the face of his God, who had graciously blessed him with EVERYTHING he had. 2 Samuel 11-12 records the entire account, but several things stand out to me in that passage: "The thing David had done DISPLEASED the Lord... If all [the kingdom] had been too little, [God] would have given you more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in His eyes?"

These words rang in David's ears and penetrated his heart, and his response to his colossal mess was Psalm 51. Listen to the words he uses as he remembers God's attributes: unfailing love, great compassion, right, justified, desires truth, teaches wisdom, saves, cleans, purifies, restores, doesn't delight in sacrifices or take pleasure in burnt offerings. David knew that there was no sacrificial provision for adultery or murder. What did the Law demand for those two sins? Death. No lambs or doves or bulls... David deserved to die and he cried out to God with a broken heart and spirit.

These are the words David used to acknowledge what he had done: sin, transgression, evil, iniquity. He didn't make excuses or try to sugar-coat it, he saw it for what it was. His confession continued with phrases like "I know my transgressions... My sin is always before me... I have sinned against You... I have done evil in Your sight..."

Then David asked God to forgive him, and boldly asked God to bless him and restore him. And God, in His rich mercy and infinite grace, answered David's prayer. But his sin wasn't without consequences, and it set the wheels in motion for calamity in his family and eventually for the entire nation of Israel. Sin ALWAYS has consequences.

Thank God that He delights in restoring His children after they've stumbled, but isn't it worth considering how He might delight in not HAVING to always restore us? As we grow in Christlikeness, shouldn't we be learning some skills about AVOIDING the stumble? Wouldn't THAT delight Him as well??

What if we understood ourselves well enough to know that we get distracted and temptation finds its way into our lives? Instead of stumbling into sin (or worse, choosing it!), what if we prayerfully stopped and took a spiritual breath? Could we ask God to show us where we are weak and to reveal what's beneath the immediate temptation? If we could see underlying desire, wouldn't God show us a choice that honored Him (1 Cor 10:13)?

This psalm deals with David's adultery and murder, but we can apply it to ANY sin. For example, stealing. If someone is tempted to embezzle from their company, what is the underlying desire? Is it wanting more money to buy more stuff (greed - bad) or is it wanting the money to pay overdue medical bills (providing for their family - good)? Is the underlying desire evil or godly, and how do we deal with that? Or better yet, how do we let God deal WITH US in that area? We will always face temptation of SOME kind, but let's ask God to examine us and show us the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of ourselves so we can do what is right and avoid getting into a colossal mess of our own.

"Create in me a pure heart... renew a steadfast spirit within me... grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." God answered David's prayer and He will answer ours. With a pure heart we can see and discern our true desires, with a steadfast spirit we can recognize and stand firm against temptation, and with a willing spirit we can DESIRE to do what is right. Now wouldn't THAT please our Lord?

Thanks to Adean for this fabulous Donnie McClurkin link:

Create in Me a Clean Heart

Thoughts on Psalm 23

“The Lord is my Shepherd…” What familiar and comforting words!

I find some Psalms are a challenge to teach because so many of them have unnamed authors and were written at unknown times. While we don’t know the time that Psalm 23 was written, we do know it was a psalm of David and it’s his description of the Lord as his Guide. This psalm of comfort and assurance is commonly heard at funerals, but it’s a great daily reminder that our Lord is always near and caring for us.

Psalm 23 is so familiar that it's easy to overlook something profound: It is one of the few passages in scripture where we can see each of the Old Testament names for God. We see Jehovah Jireh (Provider), Jehovah Mekaddiskem (Sanctifier), Jehovah Nissi (Banner), Jehovah Rapha (Healer), Jehovah Rohi (Shepherd), Jehovah Sabaoth (Lord of Hosts), Jehovah Shalom (Peace), Jehovah Shammah (Companion), and Jehovah Tsidkenu (Righteousness). Some are obvious, others require some pondering, but if you look carefully and thoughtfully you’ll see they’re ALL there.

Sheep are curious creatures. Once you study them and their characteristics, it’s easy to see why Jesus compared us to them. Sheep are helpless, defenseless, easily distracted, prone to wander, don’t have keen vision, they are easily frightened in new situations (especially the dark), and when they are injured they often roll over on their backs and can’t get up!

Philip Keller’s book “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23” is a wonderful book that describes the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep. Good shepherds were totally devoted to the care of their flock because the sheep were so highly valued. They were the preferred animal of sacrifice, they were a sign of wealth, they were a source of milk and their wool brought a considerable profit. Because the sheep were so special the shepherd gave them individual names, and the sound of the shepherd speaking gave them a sense of comfort and well-being. The tender voice and gentle touch of the good shepherd was all that was needed to bring calm and contentment to an agitated sheep.

Some notable Old Testament shepherds included David, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his 12 sons, as well as Moses; but the task of shepherding flocks was one of the lowliest of all jobs. It was hard work that required round-the-clock attention, they were often in danger, their accommodations were simple & sparse, and they were often dirty and smelly. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus, Who embodies the fullness of our holy and eternal and unimaginable God, is referred to as a lowly shepherd? It’s my personal opinion that it has more to do with us being like sheep than it does Him being like a Shepherd!

A good shepherd cares for his flock in a variety of ways: he provides a safe & comfortable place to rest, he keeps the sheep healthy and free from parasites and disease, and he makes sure they have plenty to eat and drink. He is faithful to examine the sheep to determine their needs, and then he does what is necessary to keep them healthy and well. Jesus cares for us in the same way: He examines us and then does what is necessary to keep us growing in Him.

Perpetually wayward sheep are a problem for a shepherd, and it's believed that a shepherd will wrap the sheep and draw it close to him so he can break it's leg. The shepherd then carries the sheep on his shoulders until it heals. During that time the sheep learns to recognize the shepherd's voice and through his gentle care grows to trust him and then obey him. The shepherd knows this relationship can't happen any other way, so I'm guessing it's a kind of ovine 'tough love.'

Hopefully we aren't so stubborn we need to have our legs broken, but sometimes He allows circumstances in our lives so we can adjust our focus to see ONLY Him. Sometimes He needs to “fleece” us to reveal what’s beneath the surface or to remove the things in life that weigh us down. Sometimes He takes us through a valley to protect us from something we can't see. Sometimes He disciplines us with His rod and sometimes He rescues us with His staff, but He ALWAYS has our well-being in mind and is ALWAYS working in our lives to draw us closer to Him. His love for His followers is a testimony to an unbelieving world, and His “Name’s sake” or His reputation is proven in the way He cares for us. It's important to remember that our response to Him during our trials is also a testimony to the world.

It’s interesting to note that in the Old Testament the sheep died as a sacrifice for the shepherd. In the New Testament the Shepherd died as a sacrifice for His sheep and then gave us His Spirit to live within us and give us comfort in any circumstance. I love the outline that Canadian evangelist J.R. Littleproud gave this psalm:

The Secret of a Happy –

Life: every need supplied
Death: every fear removed
Eternity: every desire fulfilled

But these promises are reserved for those who follow Jesus and boldly say, “The Lord is MY Shepherd.” Can you?