Ps 73:21-26 "When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. 23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." NIV
Grief and bitterness are like a poison working in the spirit of man. It is natural to suffer grief at the loss of a loved one or some other tragedy but there is a normal healthy process we are intended to go through to allow that grief to work through us as we find comfort in the Lord. In psalm 73 the psalmist is reflecting on what his bitterness and grief had produced in his heart. It made him senseless and ignorant, even beast like in his attitude before God. Bitterness clouds how we think. Rationality is pushed aside and a strange force darkens our thoughts as we tend to let accusing or depressive thoughts gain influence for a season in the flow of our minds. It is during this process that we must wrestle with our thoughts and fight to replace the darkness of this bitterness with the light that comes from God’s word.
Bitterness is deeply associated with a sense of loss; whether a lost loved one, lost opportunity, lost resources, lost relationship, lost respect or some other form of loss. When we are struck by a painful disappointment such as these many times our perspectives about the future are equally damaged resulting in a loss of hope. The scriptures refer to the impact that this has upon the heart in Prov 13:12 which states “Hope deferred makes the heart sick,” and it is this heart sickness that when left unchallenged by meditation upon the scriptures grows up into bitterness and grief. In Psalm 73 the psalmist describes a bit of his struggle as he has wrestled with the pain of a bitter spirit. The good news is his story does not end in bitterness. Though he has tasted a season of pain he is restored to his confidence in God. He maintains a positive confession that is centered around his hope in the Lord. In Verses 23-26 the psalmist writes “… I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” This confession has six tremendous assertions of faith that are hope builders. Confession one: “I am not alone because I am with you.” Confession two: “God, you are in charge, you have me by the hand”. Confession three: “My life still has direction, because you are guiding me.” Confession four: “There is an even greater eternal destiny awaiting me.” Confession five: “I am an eternal being and that is where my life focus is.” Confession six: “Even though I may struggle in my human emotions for a season I will find my strength in the Lord.”
When our lives have been touched by pain it is vital that we learn to fight for the focus of our thought lives. During times of trial it is a common occurrence to be tempted by bitter or hopeless thoughts. In those times we must remember these confessions and direct our hearts towards God. We cannot allow our minds to be overcome by our grief. Turn to the Lord in your pain and be strengthened by the riches of his word. Trade heartsickness for hopefulness, mourning for joy! The ministry of the Holy Spirit of God into your life is the same today as it was in the time of Christ which he spoke of during his earthly ministry: Isa 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning.” Turn your eyes to the Lord and your heart towards His word and He will meet you with gladness that can overcome any bitter thought or painful grief and restore you to a life full of hope and meaning.
Monday
Psalm 71:18-21 - July 27, 2009
Ps 71:18-21 “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come. 19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. 21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once again." NIV
In our last devotional we considered the psalmists reflection on his past, present and future in the Lord and the testimony that flows out of a life that has developed a history in God. This continuation of the verses in psalm 71 adds to the flavor of the psalmist’s reflection. In verse 18 a father’s heart emerges as the psalmist looks beyond this current generation to express his desire to pass on what God has done in his life. This is the true nature of spiritual fatherhood and mature Christian experience. The psalmist’s vision does not stop with himself. His longing is to pass on what the Lord has imparted to him over the years and he is turning that desire into active prayer. “Do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation…” During a time when it is many people’s vision to retire and to think of self this psalmist’s life vision is to persevere as a mentor to build faith in the younger generation even when he is old and gray. Lord raise up this kind of heart in our day and age!
After this appeal concerning his future role as a father to the next generation the psalmist continues to lift up his confident praises and a confession of his certainty of God’s faithfulness. His praise for the Lord is the message that he desires to impart to the next generation. Righteousness that reaches to the skies, God of power and might, God who is beyond comparison, this is the message that he desires to implant in future hearts. One of the powerful considerations of this passage is that the psalm itself is what God used to fulfill the psalmist own prayer. Even today, thousands of years later the psalmist’s prayer is still being answered as he instructs the generations to come through this very psalm itself. Our hearts are strengthened in their knowledge of God and the psalmist’s prayer is fulfilled as we learn from his testimony of God. It is truly awesome to understand the reality that God answers many times progressively and to a much larger scale and scope than we could have imagined when we pray them. This knowledge should encourage us to pray bigger prayers and believe for even bigger answers from a God who has prepared for us more than we could ask, think or imagine!
This portion of psalm 71 also contains within it a powerful reflection on God’s faithfulness in the context of a life that has tasted pain. The psalmist acknowledges that his life has tasted pain, that God has allowed him to experience trouble. He is not naively confessing that God would never allow such things to touch his life. Where his faith is directed is to the reality that even though his life has been touched by hard things God will be faithful to restore! The psalmist is able to confidently declare his assurance of the final destination. God will restore his honor. God will again bring comfort. This is faith. Not denial of reality, but assurance of outcome! Though the road may pass through the “valley of the shadow of death” it will not end there!!! This is the assurance of faith. It is confidence in the final state that carries us through the rocky road! This is the faith that the psalmist has learned over a life spent with God. Don’t set your eyes on the mountain that you face today. Lift your eyes up and look upon the promise that is waiting for you in God!
In our last devotional we considered the psalmists reflection on his past, present and future in the Lord and the testimony that flows out of a life that has developed a history in God. This continuation of the verses in psalm 71 adds to the flavor of the psalmist’s reflection. In verse 18 a father’s heart emerges as the psalmist looks beyond this current generation to express his desire to pass on what God has done in his life. This is the true nature of spiritual fatherhood and mature Christian experience. The psalmist’s vision does not stop with himself. His longing is to pass on what the Lord has imparted to him over the years and he is turning that desire into active prayer. “Do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation…” During a time when it is many people’s vision to retire and to think of self this psalmist’s life vision is to persevere as a mentor to build faith in the younger generation even when he is old and gray. Lord raise up this kind of heart in our day and age!
After this appeal concerning his future role as a father to the next generation the psalmist continues to lift up his confident praises and a confession of his certainty of God’s faithfulness. His praise for the Lord is the message that he desires to impart to the next generation. Righteousness that reaches to the skies, God of power and might, God who is beyond comparison, this is the message that he desires to implant in future hearts. One of the powerful considerations of this passage is that the psalm itself is what God used to fulfill the psalmist own prayer. Even today, thousands of years later the psalmist’s prayer is still being answered as he instructs the generations to come through this very psalm itself. Our hearts are strengthened in their knowledge of God and the psalmist’s prayer is fulfilled as we learn from his testimony of God. It is truly awesome to understand the reality that God answers many times progressively and to a much larger scale and scope than we could have imagined when we pray them. This knowledge should encourage us to pray bigger prayers and believe for even bigger answers from a God who has prepared for us more than we could ask, think or imagine!
This portion of psalm 71 also contains within it a powerful reflection on God’s faithfulness in the context of a life that has tasted pain. The psalmist acknowledges that his life has tasted pain, that God has allowed him to experience trouble. He is not naively confessing that God would never allow such things to touch his life. Where his faith is directed is to the reality that even though his life has been touched by hard things God will be faithful to restore! The psalmist is able to confidently declare his assurance of the final destination. God will restore his honor. God will again bring comfort. This is faith. Not denial of reality, but assurance of outcome! Though the road may pass through the “valley of the shadow of death” it will not end there!!! This is the assurance of faith. It is confidence in the final state that carries us through the rocky road! This is the faith that the psalmist has learned over a life spent with God. Don’t set your eyes on the mountain that you face today. Lift your eyes up and look upon the promise that is waiting for you in God!
Sunday
Psalm 71:17-18 - July 26, 2009
Ps 71:17-18 "Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. 18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come." NIV
These two verses capture the span of a life spent serving God; a reflection on the journey past, a testimony of God in the present and a prayer for the journey future. Imagine growing up with the Holy Spirit as your teacher. This is the psalmist’s journey past. This verse illustrates the reality that God is reaching for us even in our youth and if our hearts are open to Him He will instruct us in His ways even from the earliest years of our lives. Samuel was a boy when he first heard the voice of God, Josiah became king at 8 years old and was used to restore the nations spiritual health and Jesus was already confounding the priests in the temple as a 12 year old boy. Look back across the years of your life and if you are honest with yourself and thoughtful concerning your younger days you will see moments when understanding beyond your years touched your heart. God speaks in many ways; dreams, visions, impressions, the instruction of a friend or authority figure. What sets those moments apart is not the source but the light that comes inside of us. When God speaks it is deeper than just a transfer of knowledge. Truth touches our spirit and something changes inside of our emotional makeup because of that momentary encounter.
When a life has been touched by the voice of the Spirit of God in this transformational way it secures the sense of relationship with the Lord if we have truly recognized that it was the Lord talking and not simply a natural source or psychological phenomenon. As we distinguish that God has really been talking to us faith rises in our hearts and the comforting knowledge that God is with us and involved in our lives anchors us on a deeper level than ever before. Imagine the impact on the heart of the disciples who had been walking on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-32 when their eyes were opened to realize that the one who had been there instructing them in the scriptures was actually the Lord himself speaking to them. They knew that their hearts were burning from the words of the one who had been speaking to them but it was not until their eyes were opened that they realized that it was the Lord speaking. This is how it is when God is speaking to us today. The words of an individual, a dream a sudden flow of inspired thought, or some other form of communication burns in our hearts and moves us deeply but it is not until our eyes our opened that we realize that it has actually been the Lord talking to us through that means.
The more we live in this place and acknowledge these experiences for what they are the stronger our faith becomes and the result of a blossoming faith is a compelling need to tell others of the good things that God has done for you and said to you. This truth is expressed very clearly in the continuation of Luke 24. After Jesus disappears suddenly the disciples are so impacted by both His words and the experience of His presence that they immediately had to return to Jerusalem and testify to the other disciples of what God had done
for them.
These two verses capture the span of a life spent serving God; a reflection on the journey past, a testimony of God in the present and a prayer for the journey future. Imagine growing up with the Holy Spirit as your teacher. This is the psalmist’s journey past. This verse illustrates the reality that God is reaching for us even in our youth and if our hearts are open to Him He will instruct us in His ways even from the earliest years of our lives. Samuel was a boy when he first heard the voice of God, Josiah became king at 8 years old and was used to restore the nations spiritual health and Jesus was already confounding the priests in the temple as a 12 year old boy. Look back across the years of your life and if you are honest with yourself and thoughtful concerning your younger days you will see moments when understanding beyond your years touched your heart. God speaks in many ways; dreams, visions, impressions, the instruction of a friend or authority figure. What sets those moments apart is not the source but the light that comes inside of us. When God speaks it is deeper than just a transfer of knowledge. Truth touches our spirit and something changes inside of our emotional makeup because of that momentary encounter.
When a life has been touched by the voice of the Spirit of God in this transformational way it secures the sense of relationship with the Lord if we have truly recognized that it was the Lord talking and not simply a natural source or psychological phenomenon. As we distinguish that God has really been talking to us faith rises in our hearts and the comforting knowledge that God is with us and involved in our lives anchors us on a deeper level than ever before. Imagine the impact on the heart of the disciples who had been walking on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-32 when their eyes were opened to realize that the one who had been there instructing them in the scriptures was actually the Lord himself speaking to them. They knew that their hearts were burning from the words of the one who had been speaking to them but it was not until their eyes were opened that they realized that it was the Lord speaking. This is how it is when God is speaking to us today. The words of an individual, a dream a sudden flow of inspired thought, or some other form of communication burns in our hearts and moves us deeply but it is not until our eyes our opened that we realize that it has actually been the Lord talking to us through that means.
The more we live in this place and acknowledge these experiences for what they are the stronger our faith becomes and the result of a blossoming faith is a compelling need to tell others of the good things that God has done for you and said to you. This truth is expressed very clearly in the continuation of Luke 24. After Jesus disappears suddenly the disciples are so impacted by both His words and the experience of His presence that they immediately had to return to Jerusalem and testify to the other disciples of what God had done
for them.
Saturday
Psalm 71:14-16 - July 25, 2009
Ps 71:14-16 "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. 15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. 16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone." NIV
There are times when we must stand in the face of every obstacle with a bold confession of faith. The psalmist is taking just such a stand as he confidently declares “as for me, I will always have hope!” What a powerful confession! These are the words of a resolute heart and they reflect a life that has learned to stand in the strength of God’s power. “I will always have hope.” This confession stands in the face of every trial, every hardship with unmovable certainty. This confession declares “I trust my God and I shall not be moved.”
Let every saint of God live with such assurance of faith. Let every heart sing God’s praise with this same boldness. The song of an experienced faith is a song that understands that there is no limit to the measure of God. When a life has been shaped by the experience of God’s power and faithfulness it cannot help but tell of the mighty things that the Lord has done. In every life God is at work to establish a testimony of His goodness. In every heart the Spirit of God is speaking, calling us to recognize the power of His invisible hand protecting and directing. When we have tasted of the depths of God’s goodness and power we cannot help but hope. We cannot help but praise! Once you have the taste of God in your mouth your confession is changed forever to stand as a voice to testify of God’s salvation for the generations to come.
Get the taste of God in your mouth. Press the limits of your faith in Him. Lean upon the Lord’s promises and move into the realms of the miraculous as you see the power of God breaking out on the right and on the left of you! The book of James says in James 4:2 that we “have not, because ye ask not.” KJV If we never apply the principles of faith by standing on the promises we will never get a taste of just how big our God is! Let today be the day that you through of the acceptance of a mediocre life and press into the abundant blessing that Christ has promise us by standing on the promises of God, then you will have a testimony that burns in you so brightly that you can’t stay silent!
There are times when we must stand in the face of every obstacle with a bold confession of faith. The psalmist is taking just such a stand as he confidently declares “as for me, I will always have hope!” What a powerful confession! These are the words of a resolute heart and they reflect a life that has learned to stand in the strength of God’s power. “I will always have hope.” This confession stands in the face of every trial, every hardship with unmovable certainty. This confession declares “I trust my God and I shall not be moved.”
Let every saint of God live with such assurance of faith. Let every heart sing God’s praise with this same boldness. The song of an experienced faith is a song that understands that there is no limit to the measure of God. When a life has been shaped by the experience of God’s power and faithfulness it cannot help but tell of the mighty things that the Lord has done. In every life God is at work to establish a testimony of His goodness. In every heart the Spirit of God is speaking, calling us to recognize the power of His invisible hand protecting and directing. When we have tasted of the depths of God’s goodness and power we cannot help but hope. We cannot help but praise! Once you have the taste of God in your mouth your confession is changed forever to stand as a voice to testify of God’s salvation for the generations to come.
Get the taste of God in your mouth. Press the limits of your faith in Him. Lean upon the Lord’s promises and move into the realms of the miraculous as you see the power of God breaking out on the right and on the left of you! The book of James says in James 4:2 that we “have not, because ye ask not.” KJV If we never apply the principles of faith by standing on the promises we will never get a taste of just how big our God is! Let today be the day that you through of the acceptance of a mediocre life and press into the abundant blessing that Christ has promise us by standing on the promises of God, then you will have a testimony that burns in you so brightly that you can’t stay silent!
Friday
Psalm 69:30-31 - July 24, 2009
Ps 69:30-31 "I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. 31 This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs." NIV
True worship is the praises of the lips rising before God. True praise is a thankful heart in every circumstance. True praise is the sacrifice of a life of obedience! God does not take pleasure in the blood of bulls and goats. The blood of His son was enough! The sacrificial system of the Old Testament was a type and a shadow of the greater sacrifice of the blood of Christ which has been shed as the atoning sacrifice for all sins, for all ages! In Psalm 50 Asaph makes a clear statement of God’s priorities: Ps 50:13-15 “Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." Lift up thanksgiving to the Lord and live a life that is truly dependent upon the Lord! This very act of dependence, when it is vindicated by His powerful interventions in your life brings Him honor before all men! When you are facing the fire and lean on Him instead of your own strength for your deliverance He is exalted in the eyes of all who see.
In Isa 1:1 & 15-17 Isaiah increases the clarifying of this principle: "The multitude of your sacrifices — what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats”. 15-17 “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; 16 wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, 17 learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” It is clear from these verses that God is more interested in clean hands and a pure heart offered as a sacrifice of praise than with the blood of animals offered in sacrifice instead. God states clearly that His pleasure does not come from the blood of animals. His pleasure comes from your upright life.
There is no gift that we can bring to God, no act of sacrifice that can replace the central priority of a surrendered life that worships from a pure heart that has said “yes” to God’s commands. In a confrontation with King Saul the prophet Samuel identifies God’s priority with great accuracy. 1 Sam 15:22 “But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” The greatest pleasure that we can bring to God is to listen to His voice and obey what He asks of us. Saul was full of compromise due to His fear of man that he held onto as a greater concern than a right fear of God. Imagine offering a sacrifice to God that is itself an act of disobedience. We cannot please God with an act of worship on one hand while holding on to an act of disobedience with the other. “Lord, give us a sensitive heart that will bring praise that is pleasing from an obedient heart!”
True worship is the praises of the lips rising before God. True praise is a thankful heart in every circumstance. True praise is the sacrifice of a life of obedience! God does not take pleasure in the blood of bulls and goats. The blood of His son was enough! The sacrificial system of the Old Testament was a type and a shadow of the greater sacrifice of the blood of Christ which has been shed as the atoning sacrifice for all sins, for all ages! In Psalm 50 Asaph makes a clear statement of God’s priorities: Ps 50:13-15 “Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." Lift up thanksgiving to the Lord and live a life that is truly dependent upon the Lord! This very act of dependence, when it is vindicated by His powerful interventions in your life brings Him honor before all men! When you are facing the fire and lean on Him instead of your own strength for your deliverance He is exalted in the eyes of all who see.
In Isa 1:1 & 15-17 Isaiah increases the clarifying of this principle: "The multitude of your sacrifices — what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats”. 15-17 “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; 16 wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, 17 learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” It is clear from these verses that God is more interested in clean hands and a pure heart offered as a sacrifice of praise than with the blood of animals offered in sacrifice instead. God states clearly that His pleasure does not come from the blood of animals. His pleasure comes from your upright life.
There is no gift that we can bring to God, no act of sacrifice that can replace the central priority of a surrendered life that worships from a pure heart that has said “yes” to God’s commands. In a confrontation with King Saul the prophet Samuel identifies God’s priority with great accuracy. 1 Sam 15:22 “But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” The greatest pleasure that we can bring to God is to listen to His voice and obey what He asks of us. Saul was full of compromise due to His fear of man that he held onto as a greater concern than a right fear of God. Imagine offering a sacrifice to God that is itself an act of disobedience. We cannot please God with an act of worship on one hand while holding on to an act of disobedience with the other. “Lord, give us a sensitive heart that will bring praise that is pleasing from an obedient heart!”
Thursday
Psalm 69:13-18 - July 23, 2009
Ps 69:13-18 "But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. 14 Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. 15 Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. 16 Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. 17 Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. 18 Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes." NIV
Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a situation that just kept getting worse, one that seemed to constantly be pulling you in further and further over your head? Well, you are not alone. Psalm 69 finds David crying out from this same sense of entrapment as he lifts his voice to God for mercy. Within the center of this cry for help David reveals the foundation of his peace; the great love of God. David is confident to cry out for help because he is confident that he is loved. It is truly amazing that even in the midst of a season where he feels this burden of decaying circumstances he is able to focus his attention of God’s favor and His love. He knows who he is before God and so he is able to cry out with confidence.
Listen to the language of his situation: "rescue me from the mire… deliver me from those who hate me…” floodwaters engulfing, depths swallowing him up, the pit closing over him. It is clear that David is feeling the pressure and pain of his circumstances and yet he is able to confidently turn to God and see past his circumstances to the great love and mercy of God. “Lord, give us those same eyes!”
David is very candid in regard to his need: “Lord do it quickly, I am in need!” The pain of life has a powerful way of stripping all of the extra words away at times. David needs an answer and he needs it now!! The comforting message held within the language of this prayer is that it is okay to feel this way. It is okay to talk to God that way. “Help me now Lord!!!” When we look at David we can see a man who is very intimate with the Lord but this intimacy is not wrapped up in flowery speech and religious jargon. David is intensely honest and direct with God. His heart is passionate and affectionate with the Lord but he knows the language of the street in his prayer life as well. This is such a great balance to the songs of other seasons in his life where he speaks majestically of God’s glory and revels in the majesty of God’s power and presence. In life it is important to know when to be a lover and when to be a fighter. The psalms of David are a great example of both. May each one of us learn to recognize which season we are in and give ourselves fully to the great needs of the moment that we are in!
Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a situation that just kept getting worse, one that seemed to constantly be pulling you in further and further over your head? Well, you are not alone. Psalm 69 finds David crying out from this same sense of entrapment as he lifts his voice to God for mercy. Within the center of this cry for help David reveals the foundation of his peace; the great love of God. David is confident to cry out for help because he is confident that he is loved. It is truly amazing that even in the midst of a season where he feels this burden of decaying circumstances he is able to focus his attention of God’s favor and His love. He knows who he is before God and so he is able to cry out with confidence.
Listen to the language of his situation: "rescue me from the mire… deliver me from those who hate me…” floodwaters engulfing, depths swallowing him up, the pit closing over him. It is clear that David is feeling the pressure and pain of his circumstances and yet he is able to confidently turn to God and see past his circumstances to the great love and mercy of God. “Lord, give us those same eyes!”
David is very candid in regard to his need: “Lord do it quickly, I am in need!” The pain of life has a powerful way of stripping all of the extra words away at times. David needs an answer and he needs it now!! The comforting message held within the language of this prayer is that it is okay to feel this way. It is okay to talk to God that way. “Help me now Lord!!!” When we look at David we can see a man who is very intimate with the Lord but this intimacy is not wrapped up in flowery speech and religious jargon. David is intensely honest and direct with God. His heart is passionate and affectionate with the Lord but he knows the language of the street in his prayer life as well. This is such a great balance to the songs of other seasons in his life where he speaks majestically of God’s glory and revels in the majesty of God’s power and presence. In life it is important to know when to be a lover and when to be a fighter. The psalms of David are a great example of both. May each one of us learn to recognize which season we are in and give ourselves fully to the great needs of the moment that we are in!
Wednesday
Psalm 69:8-9 - July 22, 2009
Ps 69:8-9 "I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons; 9 for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me." NIV
Passion for Jesus is the great dividing line in this life. What are you passionate about? What makes your heart burn? It is passion that separates mediocrity from a life of excellence, a life of vision. The Psalmist is speaking with a prophetic spirit in this passage as he speaks of his own zeal but is announcing the fire that would burn within the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. After driving the money changers out of the temple Jesus’ disciples remembered this verse as a prophetic statement about the passion that would drive the Messiah. This image of the fiery hearted savior burning with holy offense at the hypocrisy that was polluting the temple through the actions of the money changers surfaces another significant principle of rightly directed zeal. “The things that offend you are a reflection of what you are truly zealous about!” If the condition of the poor offends you, it is a token of your heart values. If the state of the church or the typical family is a burden to your spirit then that is where your zeal is centered. The common problem arises however when we discover that most people are not offended by such noble issues. True zeal is reflected by offense at the unjust or unholy conditions affecting the world around us that move our hearts to action, but many people carry little zeal for such issues. Their offense is primarily self centered not other centered and most often flows out of self-indulgent desires that others fail to provide for them; simply wanting and not getting! Paul lifts our eyes to a higher standard in Rom 12:11 as he challenges us to “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
The Lord was not understood by the members of his own household for a significant portion of His earthly ministry and much of this revolved around their perspectives in this very area. At one point his passion marked him so completely in the minds of his relatives that they considered the possibility that he had gone mad! At still another point of diverging from the common understanding of ministry found in John chapter seven his brothers are confused by his unwillingness to go and present himself publicly at the feast. Their concept of self-promotion was in direct conflict to the values system that lay behind Jesus’ zeal. His only ambition to be known was in context of the will of God. He was unwilling to “push” himself to the top of the pile using his great oratory skills and miraculous power. He was fully submitted to the will of the father in both destination and timing! His burning heart and surrendered agenda set Him apart in his own generation and for all generations to come.
How has your passion marked you in this life!? Are you living in a way that sets you apart from the crowd? We are called to be leaders in life! It is God’s desire to fill our hearts with a vision of Him that so compels us to live with a whole heart that we become an example to all of those who would be drawn to the fire that pours from our hearts. A life lived with passion causes people to have to make choices. The more completely we live for the high calling of God the more we become a sign post for the values and heart of God and others are faced with a direct revelation of the blemishes that mark both heart and mind in comparison to the purity of the Lord that is our standard and our goal!
Passion for Jesus is the great dividing line in this life. What are you passionate about? What makes your heart burn? It is passion that separates mediocrity from a life of excellence, a life of vision. The Psalmist is speaking with a prophetic spirit in this passage as he speaks of his own zeal but is announcing the fire that would burn within the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. After driving the money changers out of the temple Jesus’ disciples remembered this verse as a prophetic statement about the passion that would drive the Messiah. This image of the fiery hearted savior burning with holy offense at the hypocrisy that was polluting the temple through the actions of the money changers surfaces another significant principle of rightly directed zeal. “The things that offend you are a reflection of what you are truly zealous about!” If the condition of the poor offends you, it is a token of your heart values. If the state of the church or the typical family is a burden to your spirit then that is where your zeal is centered. The common problem arises however when we discover that most people are not offended by such noble issues. True zeal is reflected by offense at the unjust or unholy conditions affecting the world around us that move our hearts to action, but many people carry little zeal for such issues. Their offense is primarily self centered not other centered and most often flows out of self-indulgent desires that others fail to provide for them; simply wanting and not getting! Paul lifts our eyes to a higher standard in Rom 12:11 as he challenges us to “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
The Lord was not understood by the members of his own household for a significant portion of His earthly ministry and much of this revolved around their perspectives in this very area. At one point his passion marked him so completely in the minds of his relatives that they considered the possibility that he had gone mad! At still another point of diverging from the common understanding of ministry found in John chapter seven his brothers are confused by his unwillingness to go and present himself publicly at the feast. Their concept of self-promotion was in direct conflict to the values system that lay behind Jesus’ zeal. His only ambition to be known was in context of the will of God. He was unwilling to “push” himself to the top of the pile using his great oratory skills and miraculous power. He was fully submitted to the will of the father in both destination and timing! His burning heart and surrendered agenda set Him apart in his own generation and for all generations to come.
How has your passion marked you in this life!? Are you living in a way that sets you apart from the crowd? We are called to be leaders in life! It is God’s desire to fill our hearts with a vision of Him that so compels us to live with a whole heart that we become an example to all of those who would be drawn to the fire that pours from our hearts. A life lived with passion causes people to have to make choices. The more completely we live for the high calling of God the more we become a sign post for the values and heart of God and others are faced with a direct revelation of the blemishes that mark both heart and mind in comparison to the purity of the Lord that is our standard and our goal!
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