God is good

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  As soon as you read these words and if you are familiar with this song, it is likely that you found yourself singing the rest of it.  In Psalm 107, we actually discover the original version of the phrase “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it.”  In verse 2, the psalmist sings “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”  But what is it that we are to say?  Look at verse 1.  He is good.  His steadfast love endures forever.  One of my favorite things as a follower of Christ is to listen to others share of how good God has been in their lives.  How God has proven to be faithful.  The psalmist, redeemed himself, spends the rest of the psalms explaining how God is good and how His steadfast love endures forever.  Most people when given a chance to give a testimony do not know what to say or do.  Psalm 107 is actually a great standard to follow when giving a testimony.  Think about it, the premise of every testimony is to testify that God is good.  In verse 4-7 we find God is good because He brings satisfaction to the soul.  In verses 10-16, God brought salvation to the slaves.  Verses 17-22, we see that God brought healing to the stubborn. In verses 23-32, God brought strength to the scared.  In verses 32-42 is an incredible list of why God is good but the premise of these verses is that He brought something to someone.  And not all of them was necessarily positive. In the first four points, there is a before and after.  A closer look also reveals a connective point.  When you read Psalm 107, did you notice it?  It is found in verse 6, 13, 19, and 28.  They cried to the Lord in their distress and He delivered them.  Therein lies the reason the psalmist confesses that God is good.  He heard them.  He delivered them.  When we testify, we testify that God is good because in our time of distress, we called out to Him and He delivered us.  He saved us from our sins, our sickness, our stress, and our situations.  Yes.  God is good.  Tell someone about it.  Don’t just say He is good.  Tell them why He is good.  What has He done for you?  Your family?  Your friends?   At the heart of your story is God's story and what He did for you, He can do for others.

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Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!

 Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;

 Redeemed through His infinite mercy,

 His child and forever I am.

Redeemed, redeemed,

 Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;

 Redeemed, redeemed,

 His child and forever I am.

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At an annual Bosses' Night dinner for Helena, Montana, lawyers, sponsored by legal secretaries, it was time to announce the Boss of the Year.

 The master of ceremonies began: "First of all, our winner is a graduate of the University of Montana. So that already eliminates some of you as candidates.

 "Our winner also is a partner in a downtown Helena law firm. That eliminates some more of you.

 "Our nominee is honest, upright, dedicated..."

 A voice from the audience cut in: "Well, there go the rest of us!"

Why Worship?

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Easter.  Churches across the world experienced an uptick in their attendance.  Such was the case at our church here in the “hollers.”  Of course, many of these individuals will probably not darken the church doors until Christmas or they may even wait another year before returning.  They could be coming for the choir special.  It could mean that they are simply spending the day with family and this is their family tradition.  However we look at it, the premise of worship in the Psalms remains the same.  In both Psalm 103 ad 104, we find this phrase “Bless the Lord.”  It is mentioned 6 times in Psalm 103 and twice in Psalm 104.  The psalmist is actually encouraging this response of praise due to two things.  Let’s take a look at two significant passages in these two psalms and see if we can grasp these two reasons.
Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.   (Psalm 103:1-5)

The first reason to respond to God in worship is because of what He has done.  At the heart of this Psalms is God’s graciousness and mercy in forgiving us for our sins.  In a recent conversation with some who were new in their walk with Christ, the one constant theme to what He has meant to them since entering that relationship is they have been given hope.  I can sit here and share countless times in which “God showed up” in my life and in my hour of need and took care of me or my family or even the church.  When we sit back and think about what God has done for us, a chain of events that began way back in Genesis, there must be a sense of awe and wonderment to what He has done that leads us to a sense of deepest praise and worship.  Now let’s look at the second significant passage of Scripture.  This one is found in Psalm 104:

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. (Psalm 104:1-2)

Now this one is going to be a little bit different to understand.  The reason is because we usually associate praise with accomplishments.  However, in this psalm, the psalmist is encouraging praise and worship based not on what our Creator has done but who He is.  We have the tendency to believe that what He has done is what makes Him God.  Yet it was not the splitting of the Red Sea that makes Him God.  It is not the flooding of the world that makes Him God.  It is not the 10 plagues, the water from the rock, the manna that fell from the sky, and the incredible accomplishments that He worked through the nation of Israel that makes Him God.  It is simply who He is.  All these incredible demonstrations of power is simply a revelation of His nature.  From holiness, omnipotent, omniscient, and the list goes on.  God is God simply because that is who He is.  That alone should drive us to a deep sense of praise and worship.

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O that with yonder sacred throng

 we at his feet may fall!

 We'll join the everlasting song,

 and crown him Lord of all.

 We'll join the everlasting song,

 and crown him Lord of all.

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        A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside.

      The Pastor said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"

      My friend replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor." Pastor questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?"

      He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service."

The East and West

I could not leave Psalm 103 without mentioning one other incredible point that the psalmist makes about forgiveness.  Especially the forgiveness that God gives.  Have you ever felt like you have to spend your whole life trying to live down your past mistakes?  Others simply find it way too easy to bring up your past, even if it is years ago and you have genuinely and repeatedly asked forgiveness.  Sometimes, it forces you to a point where you are spending more energy avoiding individuals for the sake of avoiding the awkwardness of the guilt trip that occurs because of their constant reminder of your failures.  Bless the Lord, O my soul.  God is not like that.  The psalmist reveals: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11-12).   There is an amazing illustration that has been used to demonstrate just how incredible this is involving a globe.  If you were to take a globe and put your finger on your current location and go north, when you reach the north pole, you will begin to go south.  If you were to go south and reach the south pole, you will begin to go north.  However, if you were to go east, you will always be going east and the same is said about going west.  Now let’s bring it to a perspective of the psalmist’s words.  The finger going east will never reach the point of going west unless they decide to turn around.  The finger going west will never go east unless they turn around.  God removes our sins so far from us that it is not a part of our lives.  That is the forgiveness he has to offer.  While others may bring our failures to light, over and over again.  In the eyes of God, when we have sought His merciful forgiveness, those sins that we have sought for.  Hopefully with this thought in mind, we can get a sense of how excited the psalmist was concerning God’s grace and mercy in light of his forgiveness of sins.  People are a more difficult critic than God.

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Would you be free from the burden of sin?

 There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;

 Would you o’er evil a victory win?

 There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r

 In the blood of the Lamb;

 There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r

 In the precious blood of the Lamb.

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Three priests were sitting around discussing how things were going at their respective parishes.

 The first priest complains of a terrible bat infestation at his church, and it is soon apparent that this is something of an epidemic at all three parishes. After much discussion of all matters clerical, they go home for the night.

 After a week or so, they meet again and discuss the bat problem.

 Priest-1: I tried to get rid of my bats this week. I shot at them with my shotgun, but I think I damaged the belfry more than the bats! I still have no way of getting rid of them!

 Priest-2: I tried another way. I couldn't bring myself to shoot them, after all they are God's creatures, so I went up with a big box. I knocked all the bats into the box with a stick and drove out to the forest where I released them. But they were back at the church before I was!!

 Priest-3: I've solved the problem. I did much the same thing. I had all the bats in the box, but before I released them, I baptized and confirmed every one of them, and they have not been back since......

Bless the Lord

I am an avid fisherman.  One of the joys of fishing is the exhilaration of reeling in a catch.  No matter what size it is.  Harkening back to the day when I caught my biggest bass ever (7 ½ lbs), I remember shouting loudly from the banks of the farm pond in western Illinois and dropping to my knees whole clutching the lunker to my chest.  What an excitement.  There are moments in our own lives when we can remember the excitement of something good happening in our lives.  When those exciting moments occur and we feel the excitement surge within us, there leads a tendency to share the news with others.  In the very first verse of Psalm 103, you get the sense of exhilaration from the psalmist: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”  The word “bless” implies a sense of praise.  There is something significant about the use of the word “soul” here.  In fact, a return to Genesis will demonstrate that usage.  The word translated “soul” in verses one and two is the exact same one found in Genesis 2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (KJV).  How did we, shaped from dirt, become a living soul?  By having God breathing into our nostrils.  Usually when the human body is described, you hear it described as body, mind, and soul.  Our soul is the very breath of God, the best of who we are.  When the psalmist shouts “Bless the Lord, O my soul” he is shouting that the he must praise God with the very best of who he has and what he has.  God deserves the very best of who we are and the very best of what he has?  Why?  Verse 2 tells us because of his benefits.  What benefits?  That answer can be found in the following verses: who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalms 103:3-5).  Yes.  Salvation.  Redemption.  Forgiveness for our sins.  There have been many excitable moments in our lives.  But nothing compares to the free gift of salvation that offers redemption and forgiveness for all our sins richly and lavishly given to us by God.  Does His forgiveness still excite you?

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What can wash away my sin?

 Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

 What can make me whole again?

 Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow

 That makes me white as snow;

 No other fount I know,

 Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

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The elderly pastor was searching his closet for his collar before church one Sunday morning. In the back of the closet, he found a small box containing 3 eggs and 100 $1 bills.

      He called his wife into the closet to ask her about the box and its contents. Embarrassed, she admitted having hidden the box there for their entire 30 years of marriage. Disappointed and hurt, the pastor asked her, "WHY?"

      The wife replied that she hadn't wanted to hurt his feelings. He asked her how the box could have hurt his feelings. She said that every time during their marriage that he had delivered a poor sermon, she had placed an egg in the box.

      The pastor felt that 3 poor sermons in 30 years was certainly nothing to feel bad about, so he asked her what the $100 was for.

      She replied, "Each time I got a dozen eggs, I sold them to the neighbours for $1."

There is None Like God

There is none like God.  Constantly looking for satisfaction, answers, and hope, society seeks to find their fulfillment in various resources offered in the secular and the spiritual.  From the Psalmist we learned that there is none like God.  "There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours" (Psalm 86:8).  It is in the previous verse that the psalmist reveals that because there is none like God, he will call upon him in the day of trouble.  If you have ever looked on bulletin boards filled with advertisements, you will most likely find self-help guidelines promising help 24/7.  There will always be someone there to listen.  Verse 7 shows that God not only hears but also answers.  Isn't it great to have that someone that we can always go to in our time of need and know that they are there for us.  That is God.  In fact, there is none like God because for Him, we do not have to go far.  He is there.  So how is there none like God?  The psalmist explains further.  Here is a brief list:

There is none who can work like God (v8)
There is none who is as great and can do the wondrous things like Him (v10)
There is none with the steadfast love toward us (v13)
There is none as merciful and gracious to us (v15)
There is none who is as slow to anger (v15)
There is none who is as faithful (v15)
There is none who can help and comfort like God (v17)

There really is none like God.  In the day of trouble turn to Him.  Trust Him.  Rely on Him.
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Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God

Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God

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A teenager who had just received her learner's permit offered to drive her parents to church. After a hair-raising ride, they finally reached their destination.

The mother got out of the car and said, "Thank you!"

"Anytime," her daughter replied.

As the woman slammed the door, she said, "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to God."

Defined by Belief

          The Old Testament is filled with the wonder and the awesomeness of God.  In Psalm 78:1-31, the psalmist highlights some incredible moments in the history of Israel.  Yet, during this wonderful display of God’s power, there is a discouraging response from the children of Israel.   In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. (Psalm 78:32).  However, even today we find the same disappointing response to the evidence of God’s power, holiness, and grace.  All around us is the insurmountable evidence of God’s work.  Remember the psalmist who said that the heaven declares God’s handiwork?  There is even evidence among people who have experienced the life changing Gospel and have been transformed by it.  As a pastor I have simply been in awe of how lives have been drastically turned around when they have experienced God’s grace personally.  Yet, despite the continued evidence…there are those who continue in their life of sin…their unbelief.  What we really believe defines how we live our lives.  In verses 31-55, we read the tragic tale of unbelief.  Instead of being faithful to God and to the covenant, they continued their acts of transgression.  However, we must not miss one encouraging factor in these tragic verses.  It can be easily missed amid these disappointing circumstances: “Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath” (Psalm 78:38).  Yes, God still gave them a chance.  Then it gets discouraging again.  They continued to test God over and over and over.  He remained faithful.  After a few days of encouragement, why this seemingly disappointing psalm?  It serves as a reminder that if we truly believe God is what the Scriptures reveal about Him and we focus on the insurmountable evidence of God’s power, that belief must change the way we think and act.

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Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

 Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

 Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

 Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

 Great is Thy faithfulness!

 Morning by morning new mercies I see.

 All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

 Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

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Late one night a burglar broke into a house and while he was sneaking around he heard a voice say, "Jesus is watching you."

He looked around and saw nothing. He kept on creeping and again heard, "Jesus is watching you."

In a dark corner, he saw a cage with a parrot inside. The burglar asked the parrot, "Was it you who said Jesus is watching me?"

The parrot replied, "Yes."

Relieved, the burglar asked, "What is your name?"

The parrot said, "Clarence."

The burglar said, "That's a stupid name for a parrot. What idiot named you Clarence?"

The parrot answered, "The same idiot that named the Rottweiler, Jesus."

Our God is an Awesome God

There is an old chorus I remember singing once at camp.  The lyrics basically were “Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from Heaven above with wisdom, power, and love, our God is an awesome God.”  The more I spend with God and the more I walk with Him, the more I am convinced that these words are true.  Even the psalmist of Psalm 66 agrees.  In verse 3, he sings “Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you” (Psalm 66:3).  Again he repeats the theme of his psalm in verse 5 when he testifies of God’s awesomeness that can be found in his actions toward His people.  One of these actions that the psalmist uses as an illustration is a part of Israel’s history that we are familiar with.  The crossing of the Red Sea.  But there is so much more the psalmist illustrates when he sings of God’s awesomeness.  One encouraging passage that the psalmist reveals to us is that God is faithful (v9).  So how should the awesomeness of God move us to respond?  Testify about it!  The psalmist says “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16).  Is God awesome?  Has he been faithful to you no matter what you have done or been through?  When was the last time you told someone?  God is faithful.  I simply love the way the psalmist closes out this portion of the song “Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” (Psalm 66:20).   In this closing thought, the psalmist really highlights the awesomeness of God’s faithfulness.  God listens to our cries and hears our prayers (v19).  His love for us is steadfast (v20).  Our God really is an awesome God.

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And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

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The woman's husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day.

One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer. As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, "You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side. And you know what?"

"What dear?" she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.

"I think you're bad luck."

When You Are Driven to a Cave

It is said that Psalm 57 was a song of David while he was hiding in the cave from Saul who was pursuing David.  If you know the story, you know that Saul was jealous of David.  It was a jealousy that arose after David killed Goliath and Saul overheard the nation of Israel singing songs that acknowledged David’s exploits by singing that while Saul had killed his thousands, David killed his ten thousand.  That certainly did not go over well for Saul who was the king.  When you understand the story of Saul, then you begin to understand a man who was full of pride.  He wanted to rid his life of David.  After all, David was a threat to his throne.  Yet, despite David’s constant hiding and living a life on the run, he remained faithful to God.  A few days ago, I pose this question to the church “Do you trust God?  Or do you say you trust God?”  For you see, there is a difference.  Things are easier said than done.  It is easy to trust God when life is a cakewalk and we are walking on cloud nine.  But what if the bottom falls out?  Will that trust still exist?  Twice in Psalm 57, David says “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!”  Even in the cave David trusted that God was still in control and would take care of the matter.  Even in the cave, David acknowledge God’s love was everlasting and evermore.  Even in the cave, David vowed to give God thanksgiving and to testify of His goodness by praising God among the nations.  Yes, even in the darkness of the cave, comfort is possible.  But how?  I think verse 7 is the key.  I actually like the King James rendering of this verse that translates this verse as “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise” (Psalm 57:7).  Fixing our eyes on God instead of our circumstance goes a long way to our response and reactions in the midst of the cave.  In the New Testament, Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the storm and began to sink.  The Apostle Paul was beaten, bloodied, and bruised and cast into prison but yet managed to sing praises to God in the midnight hour by being fixed on God.  Even in the midst of our own caves when driven there by situations beyond our control, praising and exalting God is possible….By being fixed on Him.

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Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

 But His smile quickly drives it away;

 Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

 Can abide while we trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

 To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

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A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside.

      The Pastor said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"

       My friend replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor." Pastor questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?"

      He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service."

You have done wrong. Is forgiveness possible?

Do you ever wonder what repentance sounds like?  Do you ever wonder what it looks like?  Do you ever wonder if forgiveness is even possible?  A wonderful answer to these questions can be found in Psalm 51.  In fact, you get a beautiful picture of what repentance sounds like and looks like.  The Psalmist was David and he had been confronted by the prophet Nathan concerning his sin of adultery with Bathsheba.  In fact, the following chain effect of his actions led to the strategic murder of Bathsheba's husband.  While most people are sorry that they are caught, David’s repentance is genuine because he was sorry for his acts.  He was pleading with God to have mercy on him.  Why?  Because of the consequences of his actions had been spelled out to David by Nathan.  In fact, in David’s repentance, he recognized that his sin was ultimately in direct violation to God’s character.  This prayer is certainly an important standard for everyone who is seeking genuine repentance to follow, especially these verses:  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:10-12).  The consequences of our sins robs us of the blessings of a God who willingly gives grace and mercy when we genuinely asks for it.  In the first 12 verses of Psalm 51, we get an idea of what genuine repentance sounds like.  When we arrive at verse 13, we get an idea of what genuine repentance looks like: “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Psalm 51:13-15).  It motivate us to proclaim the truth, inform others of the grace and mercy that is available to them, and gives a reason to continually devote ourselves to worship and praise for the God who saves us, redeems us, ad forgives us.  Yes.  Forgiveness is possible.  An important ingredient that ensures forgiveness of all of our sins is revealed by the Psalmist: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).  Forgiveness does not come through throwing money at the problem or even in the amount of money you give.  It is not obtained by doing much good.  Forgiveness is possible only through genuine sorrow and repentance and recognition that you have offended God.  It is possible.  However, nothing else matters until we reach the point of genuine repentance.  May God create in each of us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us so that we can be more faithful in our life to Him.

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Create in me a clean heart, oh God

 And renew a right spirit within me

 Create in me a clean heart, oh God

 And renew a right spirit within me

 Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord

 Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me

 Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation

 And renew a right spirit within me

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Ethel’s daughter just had a baby and Ethel was babysitting the newborn while the mother got some needed rest. Many of Ethel’s friends come to visit and wanted to meet the newest member of their family. When they asked to see the baby, Ethel says, "Not yet, wait till the baby cries.” A little later they ask to see the baby again. Again Ethel says, "Not yet, wait till the baby cries.” Finally they say, "When can we see that baby?" And Ethel says, "I told you, when the baby cries." And they ask, "Why do we have to wait until the baby cries?" Ethel replies, "Because I forgot where I put it."

God is in Trouble

Your curiosity got the best of you didn't it?  You read the title and was expecting some deep lamentation, most likely political since it is an election year after all.  However, the title is meant to be an encouragement.  God is in trouble.  Our troubles.  He is there.  A wonderful revelation by the Psalmist in Psalm 46. 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

No matter what circumstances you are faced with today, God is there.  In fact, the Psalmist reminds us that God is a "very present help" in all of our troubles.  Surely we have spent the midnight hours fretting about the uncontrollable circumstances that surrounds us.  God is there.  His presence is immediate.  Much like the Psalmist said in the 23rd Psalm, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is with us.  It reminds me of the poem "Footprints."  The poem tells the story of a man who dreamed that he was walking on the beach with the Lord.  As he looked back on the journey, he noticed that in the difficult times of his life, there were only one set of footprints.  He questioned the Lord about it and the Lord responded that during those times, the Lord carried him through it.  Dear reader.....that is a beautiful picture of a "very present help."  So, if God is our very present help, our refuge, and our strength, what does that mean for us?  Verse two reveals the answer.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, (Psalm 46:2)

Oftentimes it is easier said than done.  How is that possible?  I believe that answer is found in the tenth verse:

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
(Psalm 46:10)

In a time where life seems to demand so much of our time and energy, in the face of difficulties, we simply need to atop.  Turn our focus to God.  That phrase "be still" is simply telling us to calm down.  You know the common response in the difficulties.  We fret.  We worry.  We overreact.  We get frustrated.  We get overly sensitive.  God is telling us to calm down.  He is a very present help.  Know Him.  Trust Him. Believe Him.  Why?  Because He is our help (v4), He is present (v5,7), He is powerful (v6), and He is sovereign (v8,9).  Yes, God is in trouble and that is a good thing.

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What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
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I’ve heard about a little six-year old boy who restlessly struggled to listen to a rather lengthy sermon. After the service, the little boy asked the question that sooner or later most "church kids" ask. "Dad" he said, "what does the preacher do the rest of the week?" The dad replied, "Son, he’s a very busy man. He takes care of church business, visits the sick, studies the Bible. . . and he has to take time to rest up. You see, preaching in public is not an easy job." The little boy thought about that and said, "Well, listening ain’t so easy either!"
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Have a blessed day!

When It Feels as though Everyone is Against You

It is kind of hard isn't it.  Sometimes we focus too much on trying to get everyone to like us.  Everyday, we focus on pleasing people.  Their words sting.  They talk about us behind our backs.  They paint us in a negative light.  They could care less about our feelings.  In place of comfort, we face condemnation.  The ones we consider our closest friends seem to have abandoned us.  Surely there are times where we get a sense of how the Psalmist felt in Psalm 41:

My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die, and his name perish?" And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. They say, "A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies." Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
(Psalm 41:5-9)

Yes, I have been there.  I have been hurt by those I have trusted and considered my dearest friends.  I have been the subject of ridicule.  I have been the topic of malicious gossip.  What do we do during those times?  In verse 10, the Psalmist shifts his focus to the graciousness and the goodness of God.  Instead on focusing what we can do to please people, focus more on how we can please God.  Focus on His goodness and His graciousness.  He is the one constant companion when it feels as though everyone rejects and abandons us.

But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them! By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
(Psalm 41:10-13)

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I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

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Sue Ellen, who lived in NC was on vacation in the depths of Louisiana. She wanted a pair of genuine alligator shoes in the worst way, but was very reluctant to pay the high prices the local vendors were asking. After becoming very frustrated with the "no haggle" attitude of one of the shopkeepers, Sue Ellen shouted, "Maybe I'll just go out and catch my own alligator so I can get a pair of shoes at a reasonable price!"
      
      The shopkeeper said, "By all means, be my guest. Maybe you'll luck out and catch yourself a big one!"
      
      Determined, Sue Ellen turned and headed for the swamps, set on catching herself an alligator. Later in the day, the shopkeeper is driving home when he spots the young woman standing waist deep in the water, shotgun in hand. Just then, he sees a huge 9 foot alligator swimming quickly toward her. She takes aim, kills the creature and with a great deal of effort hauls it onto the bayou bank. Lying nearby were several more of the dead creatures.
      
      The shopkeeper watches in amazement. Just then Sue Ellen flips the alligator on its back, and in frustration, shouts, "This one isn't wearing any shoes either!"

April 4, 2016

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
(Psalm 37:1-8)

It seems to be getting increasingly difficult to escape the appearance of evil.  Headlines from print and social media scream the days tragic results of evil.  As a follower of Christ, how must we respond?  An appropriate answer can be found in Psalm 37.  Actually, several responses are given within the first nine verses.

Fret not because of evildoers (v1)

Trust in the Lord (v3)

Delight in the Lord (v4)

Commit your way to the Lord (v5)

Be still before the Lord (v7)

Refrain from anger and forsake wrath (v8)

In the face of evil, our focus must not be on the actions of the evildoers.  It must be on God.  Why?  Because the evildoers will have their day in court (v9-10).  The Psalmist is singing a song of encouragement and comfort and providing exhortations.  Why?  God is still in control.

The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
(Psalm 37:12-13)

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O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

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A minister delivered a sermon in 10 minutes one Sunday morning, which was about half the usual length of his sermons. He explained, "I regret to inform you that my dog, which is very fond of eating paper, ate that portion of my sermon which I was unable to deliver this morning.”
After the service, a visitor from another church shook hands with the preacher and said, "Reverend, if that dog of yours has any pups, I want to give one to my minister."