Psalms

A Matter of the Heart: El Chapo or El Grande

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seanpennWhen I heard the sarcasm in the voice of the news reporter, I paused long enough to hear him say: “He’s a man’s man.”   I wasn’t surprised to learn he was was speaking about Sean Penn’s debacle with the diabolical Joaquín Guzmán or El Chapo.

Neither one of the two come to my mind when I think of a “man’s man.”  One is a misguided political activist and lousy actor while the other is an infamous drug king pin.

When God sent Samuel to the home of Jesse to find and anoint a new king, Jesse gladly showed him his sons who were fine specimens of manhood.  Even though each of them had some physical characteristics that were desirable, Samuel was to consider more than just their strength.

Before this selection process began, God had reminded Samuel that the “Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (I Samuel 16).”

Only one of Jesse’s sons had the “heart” that met the criteria, and his name was David.  This young sheep herder would become a successful King of Israel and the author of many of the Psalms.

When you read the Psalms, several verses speak of the qualities God desires in a person.  Psalm One is perhaps the most familiar, but there are many other verses that speak of a man’s attitude and his relationship with God:

  • The man whose life is out of hand due to his arrogance and unrepentant heart (Psalm 6:2-6).
  • The man who thinks he has the world in his hand (Psalm 30:6).
  • The man who is right because he’s never left God out of his life (Psalm 16:7-11).
  • The man who walks hand in hand with God and recognizes Him as the Lord, relies on His strength, and rests in Him as a personal refuge (Psalm 18:1-3).

When people observe you, do they see a person who has a heart for God, and one who is walking hand in hand with Him?

The Master Weaver: God At Work

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quiltSob stories are often used to persuade people.  Some are brief like a short story in Readers Digest, while others are epic sagas.

Epic doesn’t do justice to the sob story I told in 1972.  The barracks I was housed in was a World War II structure that must have been built without any insulation.  It was as drafty as a tent with the flap up, and the cold wind blowing off the snow covered mountain peaks was a frigid and unwelcome guest—It visited too often and stayed too long.

With chattering teeth and artic adjectives, I began to spin a tale to describe my sorrowful plight.  My sob story had a clearly defined plot designed to convince Mom that I needed her to relinquish one of her beloved quilts.

To say that I wanted one of her quilts for the warmth it would provide, would be true; however, I also wanted one because it would have the loving touch of Mom’s hand on it.  Every square of her quilts were carefully stitched together to produce a beautiful piece of art that was also a piece of Mom.

I was reminded of my sob story while I was reading the 139th Psalm this morning.  Two words of the Psalm, “knitted” and “woven,” caught my attention and reminded me Mom.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Psalm 139:13-15

The quilts that Mom made were no accident.  They were carefully designed and crafted out of many separate pieces of cloth that had been saved for the purpose of creating a tapestry of love; likewise, you are no accident.

God loves you, and He is intricately  weaving  you for a purpose.  You may not understand how and why things happen, but God is at work in your life.  This is the message of the Master Weaver:

Our lives are but fine weavings that God and we prepare,

Each life becomes a fabric planned and fashioned in His care.

We may not always see just how the weavings intertwine,

But we must trust the Master’s hand and follow His design,

For He can view the pattern upon the upper side,

While we must look from underneath and trust in Him to guide…

Sometimes a strand of sorrow is added to His plan,

And though it’s difficult for us, we still must understand

That it’s He who fills the shuttle, it’s He who knows what’s best,

So we must weave in patience and leave to Him the rest…

Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly

Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why —

The dark threads are as needed in the Weaver’s skillful hand

As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

~Author Unknown

That’s No Lie

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Promises_of_God_BannerAfter hearing the latest political sound bite without a bit truth, I was reminded that the Apostle John said, “We must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words.”  Promises and sincerity go hand in hand, and a promise is only as good as the object in which it is placed.

The object of my faith and hope is God, and His promises are more than egg shells and jell-o—they’re rock solid.  Moses said, “God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn’t change his mind. When he says something, he does it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it (Number 23:19).”

You can trust the promises of God for several reasons:

  • You can trust the truthfulness of His Word: “God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what (The Message, Hebrews 4:12-13).”
  • You can trust His faithfulness knowing that, “ Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock, gathering the lambs in his arms, hugging them as he carries them, leading the nursing ewes to good pasture (The Message, 40:11).”
  • You can trust Him because He loves you: “Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children (I John 3:1).”

To keep a promise, a person must have the strength and resources to fulfill the commitment.  There are several places in the Bible where God is referred to as the “Almighty God.”  He is no puny 90 pound weakling, but the Almighty God and the Great I Am. Psalm 91 confirms this: “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

I’ll close with these words from D.L. Moody: “God never made a promise that was too good to be true.”

The Hand of Conviction and Comfort

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handConviction and comfort:  These two words appear as the underlying theme of much of the Bible.  I’m never too fond of the first, and I can’t seem to get enough of the last.

I like the comfort of verses like Isaiah 41:13:  For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”  When I read this verse yesterday, it occurred to me that as long as God has my right hand, I won’t land in the wrong place.

This is why we are encouraged to, “Come, and worship Him and to bow down and kneel before the Lord who made us. For He is our God and we are His people, the flock of His pasture, His sheep protected and nurtured by His hand.”

Notice the benefits of being “nurtured by His hand:”

  • I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. ~ Psalm 16:8
  • You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. ~ Psalm 16:11
  • You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. ~ Psalm 18:35

When you think of these benefits, it’s easy to, “Clap your hands, and raise your voices joyfully and loudly. Give honor for the True God of the universe; Here’s why: The Eternal, the Most High, is awesome and deserves our great respect. He is the great King over everything in this world.” ~ Psalm 47:1-2

Just before I posted this, I was reminded of an old song called “Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man.”  You can listen to it by clicking here.

Hope At High Tide

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HopeEver have one of those days when you’re feeling down and out?  I have to admit that I do once in a while.  A sure cure for my “woe-is-me” mentality is a section of Scripture from Lamentations where Jeremiah said:

“I’m the man who has seen trouble, trouble coming from the lash of God’s anger. He took me by the hand and walked me into pitch-black darkness. Yes, he’s given me the back of his hand over and over and over again. He turned me into a scarecrow of skin and bones, then broke the bones. He hemmed me in, ganged up on me, and poured on the trouble and hard times. He locked me up in deep darkness, like a corpse nailed inside a coffin.” ~ The Message

After I read Jeremiah’s depressing account of his trials and tribulations, my troubles don’t seem quite as bad, and I feel even better when I read what Jeremiah said later in this chapter:  “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3).”

When Jeremiah began to focus less on his problems and more on God, his perspective changed.  He began to realize that the high tide of God’s hope has a rhythmic presence that’s just as certain as the appearance of the moon in the night sky.  He also concluded that the faithfulness of God is as cool and refreshing as an artesian well that never runs dry—it’s “new every morning.”

Whenever you try to view the world through the lens of personal pain, your comprehension will be skewed, and you’ll turn a blind eye to the potential of His promises. The riddles of life can never be solved through the emptiness of the world, but through the fullness of God’s blessing.

When the Psalmist was deluded by the dilemmas of life, he said:  I did not understand, “until I went into the sanctuary of God.”  He then offered this conclusion: “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever . . . it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Your works.”

If you feel like your heartache has caused you to “fall away from God,” it may be time to “draw near” to Him again.  He’s right where you left Him and He is waiting to embrace you with open arms.  Run to Him now—“His compassions fail not!”

You are a God full of compassion, generous in grace, slow to anger, and boundless in loyal love and truth.  ~Psalm 86:15

More Than A Smudge

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fingerprint_scanThey do more than just give birth to dirty little smudges.  Your fingerprints are unique to you, and they are the means by which you are identified.  With the advance of technology, fingerprints are now being used as replacements for computer passwords and to unlock gadgets such as your smart phone.

The Office of Personnel Management has reported that in a recent cyber-attack, 5.6 million people’s fingerprints were stolen.  The Washington Post reported on the significance of this data theft:  “Breaches involving biometric data like fingerprints are particularly concerning to privacy experts because of their permanence: Unlike passwords and even Social Security numbers, fingerprints cannot be changed. So those affected by this breach may find themselves grappling with the fallout for years.”

Just as your fingerprints can’t be changed, neither can your spiritual identity once you join the family of God.  Have you ever given much thought about who you are in Jesus?

  • Ephesians 1:4: He has chosen you in Him and you are without blame before Him in love.
  • Ephesians 1:7: In Him you have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
  • Ephesians 1:11: You have an inheritance in Him.
  • Ephesians 3:12: You have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
  • Colossians 2:7: You are rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith.
  • Colossians 2:10: You are complete in Him.

The words of the Psalmist are a fitting conclusion to this discussion:  “You are blessed because you have put your trust in Him (2:12).”

Daring and Desperate Determination

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When you read the Old and New Testaments together, you will find some companion verses.  These Scriptures complement each other.  Even though there are hundreds of years between the times of their writing, they state the same timeless truths.

Notice the words of the Psalmist and the Savior:

  • Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
  • Matthew 6:33: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Do you “delight” yourself in the Lord as much as you delight yourself in your children and grandchildren?  Do you seek God’s kingdom and righteousness as much as you pursue your passions in life?

I think of these verses when I read the story of a woman in Matthew 15.   She cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is possessed by a demon. Have mercy, Lord!”

customoko-its-time-to-have-bold-faith-kids-tshirt-featured-imageThis woman was persistent and kept on seeking and asking and knocking until she got the attention of Jesus and His disciples.  This woman was daring, desperate, and determined in her quest to request divine intervention on behalf of her daughter.

Because of her faith, Jesus responded and blessed her with the desires of her heart.  How daring and determined are you in your life of faith?

Someone Is Watching

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When I woke up this morning, I was thinking of God and how He watches over us and cares for us.  I realize there are those times of heartache, and we wonder where He might be, but life is not a Wizard of Oz experience. We can’t peak behind the curtain to see who is pulling the strings that form and fashion our lives.

If you think God is good and God is great in the wonderful moments, how great is your faith when pain causes you to doubt?  In times of trials and temptations,I find comfort in knowing that God is the Someone watching over me:

  • Chronicles 16:9:  For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him
  • Psalm 34:15:  The eyes of the Lord are on those who do what is right and good. His ears are open to their cry.
  • Proverbs 5:21:  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths.
  • I Peter 3:12:  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Three quick thoughts from the verses above:

  1. God is always watching you.
  2. God is always ready to hear your prayers.
  3. God always has enough power to give you the strength you need to manage your situation.

At times I’ve prayed:  “God I don’t understand the why and what-for of my situation, but I know that you know and I see that you see, so I’ll not fear because you hear–you are attentive to my prayers.”

Apples, Tomatoes, and the Curse of God

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fruitYou’ve probably heard the story.  It’s the one about Adam, Eve, and the tree of knowledge, and it took place in the Garden of Eden.  In an act of disobedience, Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit, and they were banned from and booted out of the Garden.

The myth of that Eden experience is that Adam and Eve ate an apple, but the Bible doesn’t specifically name what it was that they ate.  I disputed the apple assertion earlier this year after I had purchased a tomato.  It had such a deep red and luscious appeal that promised a taste bud-tingling-experience.  I took it home, sliced it, and added it to a sandwich.

After I took one bite of this fine-looking tomato, I drew a deep theological conclusion.  When God cursed the Garden, He must have also cursed a certain variety of tomato.  I’ll call it the supermarket variety because they all have one dominant and pervasive feature:  They are tasteless.  There is no flavor to savor.

The dilemma of tasteless tomatoes is explained in part by author Mark Schatzker in The Dorito Effect.  According to Schatzker, for the past 70 years commercial horticulturists have been focused on yield, pest resistance and appearance at the expense of flavor.

While store-bought tomatoes are no longer tasty, manufactured flavor has been added to Doritos and your munchies, so you’ll crave more.  Schatzker says: “Synthetic-flavor technology makes bland ingredients attractive without supplying the myriad benefits of the real thing. The twin forces of flavor dilution and fake ­flavor have short-circuited the biological basis for mutable appetite . . . Our bodies learn to draw connections between flavors and the physiological responses they signal . . . We can seek out and find what we need, nutritionally, and stop eating once we get it”

Schatzker seems to suggest that it’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature.  I would add that perhaps we shouldn’t try to improve on the design of the Master Designer.

Psalm 84:11

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

It’s Good!

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il_340x270.582953616_9yvjSome of the books of the Bible have certain words or phrases that are frequently repeated.  While reading the Psalms, I began to notice how often the word “good” appears.   In the NKJV translation, it is mentioned 80 times.

I have selected five of these that speak of “good” in the context of your relationship with God:

  • Psalm 54:6: I will offer a sacrifice as a special gift to you. I will thank you, Lord, because you are good.
  • Psalm 69:16: Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
  • Psalm 73:28: As for me, to draw near to God is good; I have put my hope in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
  • Psalm 92:1-2: It is good to praise you, Lord, to sing praises to God Most High. It is good to tell of your love in the morning and of your loyalty at night.

Some Scripture is so full of meaning, so rich in content, and so easily understood that it needs no commentary.   This is the case with the verses above, so I will close with this quote from the Psalms:

“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations . . . Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Ps. 100:5; 136:1).”