2 Chronicles 35

2 Chronicles 35 It is the glory of God to let us hear his voice. Certainly if we saw His face we would die (Exodus 33:20). But He has condescended to allow us to hear His voice. As a matter of fact, one of the descriptions of being one of His sheep, His children, is that we hear His voice (John 10:27). If we do not hear His voice and follow, we are none of His. But what about Josiah? Here is a man who intently followed the Lord. There are few other kings who can compare to the revival that Josiah led in Judah! Yet in the end, he met an early demise because He did not listen. But what a strange place to hear the voice of the Lord, the mouth of Pharaoh! Verse 22 tells us that he did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. The result was that he died fighting a battle that was not his to fight. Certainly it appeared that he ought to oppose Necho. Isaiah, less than a hundred years before him, had continually spoken to the kings against allying with Egypt in order to fight the kings of the north. On the surface it might appear that to allow Pharaoh’s army safe passage would be tantamount to allying the nation with Egypt in its fight with Babylon. I think Josiah operated in the natural-that which appeared to be the right thing to do. God spoke to him through the unrighteous mouth of Necho, but Josiah was not in a place to listen. How often do we do the same. How many of our churches are running ‘successful’ programs that are really contrary to the voice of the Lord. O sure they attract people, sure they are to some degree popular, but are they really what the Lord wants? In the natural it may appear so, but have we stopped to truly hear the voice of the Lord? It may well be that we reach an early demise, or worse yet, live a life of ineffectiveness for the Kingdom, simply because we have not stopped to listen for the voice of the Lord and obeyed. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 20

Psalm 140 Early teen-aged-years are a very volatile time in life. In my experience it was a time filled with pride filled remarks, both giving and receiving. The insecurity of growing up and not really knowing who one is leads to some very proud comments on one’s own part and against others. Most early teens mask their insecurities with proud statements or statements of sarcasm toward others. I had one or two acquaintances who never grew out of that. I saw one at our 20th year high school reunion. His first comment at the reunion toward me was very negative. I hadn’t even had a chance to greet or offend him, before it was out of his mouth. He had become a pretty successful surgeon. I guess what Matthew Henry says about this Psalm aptly described him, “Proud men, when they prosper, are made prouder, grow more impudent against God and insolent against his people . . . ” Although I noted the sarcasm, I just ignored it. I figured that he just hadn’t grown up. My best friend from high school was standing there, heard the comment, and came to my rescue with a retort that made our acquaintance know that his comment was out of line. So how does the glory of God fit into this? The wicked advance themselves by tearing others down. For one who knows who he is in relation to the glory of God, the evaluation of others, no matter how successful they are, is of little importance. Even if that evaluation is able to bring harm to one’s life, it matters little because what really matters is the evaluation of the Almighty God. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:3–4:

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

He is the Almighty God and will safely bring us into His presence. Not so with the wicked. They will have many challenges to face in the presence of the Holy God. I am confident that the Lord will handle it justly and well. So when others slander me out of their own insecurities, it is best for me to do as the Psalmist has done, and let the Lord take care of it. After all, He is the judge, and that is His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 19

Psalm 139 She looked kind of frumpy. At forty-seven-years-old, she certainly was not the kind of woman that you would expect to see on the cover of any beauty magazine. She was 50-75 pounds overweight. She wore no visible make-up and did not shape her eyebrows; they were rather thick. Her hair was kind of Medusa looking. Her dress was plain. Britain’s Got Talent host asked her what she hoped to accomplish by coming on the program. She replied, “I have hopes of becoming a professional singer." Immediately, snickers appeared on the face of each panelist. Her name was Susan Boyles and she sang I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables. After the first line, the camera angle switched to the panelists. The astonishment was clear upon their faces. Boyles gave a flawless performance, turned and began to march off the stage. The crowd and two of the panelists rose to their feet in a standing ovation. Clearly they had misjudged Ms. Boyles. We all long to have someone of significance know everything there is to know about us and still desire us and think that we are wonderful. Our great God and Savior is that person. He knows all there is about us. He has studied us completely. Nothing is hidden from His sight. He is knows our thoughts and our words before we know them. His Spirit is ever with us, and like Jonah we cannot get away from Him. He knows even the agony of the inhabitants of those in hell. He knows where dark things sleep in the depths of the sea and in the sordid depths of our minds and souls. He knit us together in our mother’s womb. In light of all this knowledge, David asks the Lord to search him and reveal any wicked way. Indeed God does have this kind of knowledge about our lives. For those of us who are born again, not only does He know everything that there is to know about us, but He also is delighted with us. Like the panelists with Susan Boyles He jumps to his feet in feeling His pleasure in us. There is a difference with us though. Ms. Boyles walked away from the stage still looking frumpy, nothing had changed about who she was before or after her encounter with Britain’s Got Talent. We step back from our encounter with the Creator forever changed for the better. We become new creatures when we meet Him. He purifies us of the things He doesn’t like and gives us the things He does like. He gives a flawless performance in changing us and then stands back and applauds us, His work. Such knowledge for us is difficult to attain, but it should motivate us to step back and return the applause to the One who changed us. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 18

Psalm 138 I remember being in the second grade, sitting in my room and thinking, “What if everything around me isn’t really what it seems. What if I am actually on some sort of stage and everyone around me is some sort of actor? What if there are some kind of beings out there that are just enjoying me perform, and everyone else is an actor? What if everything that happens to me is to provide some kind of entertainment for those beings.” Well, I knew you thought I was kind of strange. Yes, I occasionally have some really weird thoughts. Maybe I watched too much Twilight Zone as a kid. Consider this first verse from Psalm 138, “I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.” But I thought David believed in only one God! Certainly the word ‘gods’ here is translated from ‘elohim’, which is regularly used for God and is plural. The word can mean rulers, judges, divine ones, angels, or gods. When used of the One True God, it is a plural of majesty, an intensive singular. It allows for the Trinity, but doesn’t necessarily demand it. Elsewhere in the Psalms David teaches that all the other gods are mere idols, statues, the work of men’s hands, non-entities. So just what does David mean by this? In 1 Corinthians 8:4–6 Paul says:

4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

Later in 1 Corinthians 10:19–20 Paul continues saying:

19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.

Now couple that with what Paul says in Ephesians 2:7 “That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” To whom is He showing those riches? Well, read a little further in Ephesians 3:10, “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” So, what does David mean by ‘the gods?’ He could mean the mighty rulers with whom he is constantly engaged in battle. He could mean the angels. He could mean the spiritual principalities and powers ruling in the heavenly places. Maybe he means all of them. I really don’t know. But I do know that when you fuse this Psalm with the theology revealed through Paul, there is a very real sense that we all have become actors on a stage. In this play in which we are unwittingly participants, God is seeking to reveal the various aspects of His wisdom, not just to us, but also to a spiritual audience. Perhaps David was well aware of the spiritual battle raging in the universe. Perhaps he was aware that he was a player on stage observed by more than this physical world. What is it that he wants to praise or magnify? Well, look at verse 2, “I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” What does it mean that God has magnified His word above His name? Psalm 8:1 informs us, “O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!” The glory of our Lord is majestically proclaimed throughout the earth through His creative acts. Everywhere we look, His creative power is displayed in glory around us. It is a constant sermon of the greatness of His name, particularly the judgment aspects of His Name. The beauty of the creation constantly proclaims His mighty power. But, as beautiful as is His work of creation, the creation itself screams, “We have been cursed!” Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, lightning, droughts, famines, floods, diseases etc. all constantly scream at us, “We have been cursed!” They tell us that something is wrong, and we have been damned! Who is this God who creates such beautiful things but slams us with judgment? Ahh! That is where the exaltation of His Word above His name comes into play. His Word is He Who came from eternity past; through Whom He made all things; without Whom nothing was made that has been made; without Whom there is not light or life; without Whom there is only judgment. His Word brought us grace and truth. Moses’ law explained the judgment of a righteous God upon His creation, but His Word triumphs over His judgment, for He has made His Word judge of all things. His Word has shown us that God has not just performed this great act of creation, judged us and left. His Word has entered His creation and become the atoning sacrifice for our sin. This Word He has exalted above every name that is named. This Word is Jesus! He will not leave us in the judgment of the sin of our past. He calls us out of that sin. He enables us to walk free of that sin. As 2 Peter 1:3–4 says:

3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

So David agrees with Peter when he says, “8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” I am on a stage acting out the marvels of His grace. I am playing to an audience around me upon this earth, in the heavenly places and even to God Himself! In order to give me a perfect performance, He is working in me to accomplish perfection. Praise the Lord! Mercy has triumphed over judgment! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 14

Psalm 134 We would walk through the hallways in the dark feeling our way to the sanctuary. All the fears of the dark would come to my mind. During my high school years, we fairly regularly made the trip to pray together. My college-aged brother was somehow able to gain a key to the church building, but it was to the educational building, not the sanctuary. Hence, the long trip through the darkened hallways. The mental practice of walking through the dark hallways was somehow a good preparation of time of prayer in the sanctuary. The sanctuary had an all wood roof and ceiling construction, so the cooling off of the wood at night time brought on a lot of creaking and cracking noises that increased the hallowed atmosphere of the building. We left the lights off for several reasons: 1) We did not want our presence to be an added expense to the church. 2) We really did not want to be interrupted by members of the church who were driving by wondering why the lights were still on. 3) We just liked the atmosphere of praying in the dark. On occasion the presence of the Lord was such that it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Currently, we don’t have a night guard at our church building. Of course, we lock our building up at night. There isn’t any interest in people coming to the building after midnight. The Law made provision for the Levites to stand guard at the tabernacle/temple 24 hours per day. One might suppose that the reason would be to provide protection against vandalism or theft. However, with the presence of the glory of God dwelling in the holy of holies, I am not sure that would have been necessary. It was definitely to ensure that no outsider entered the courts of the Lord. It might have been to provide protection for people who might ignorantly wander into the sanctuary and be struck dead by a holy God who does not allow the unholy in His presence. The law also gives an answer. The Levites were to ensure that the fire of worship never went out. The Levites cared for the ‘things’ of worship. Our Lord is worthy of 24/7 worship. See 1 Chronicles 23:25–32 for David’s job description for the Levites. Interesting, other places in scripture indicate that the Lord is worshipped non-stop in heaven. Consider:

Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Revelation 7:15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. Revelation 21:24–26 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

What would these who stand all night in the house of the Lord do? For starters, they made sure everything was ready for the early morning sacrifice. Second, they sang praise to our God. Third, they made known that the Lord was the maker of heaven and earth. Fourth, they lifted up holy hands in prayer. Wouldn’t it be awesome if every congregation had 24/7 praise ascending to our Lord? I know that with a congregation the size of mine, it would be a physical impossibility. There are not enough people to sustain it. However, in a small city of 50,000, (about the population of Jerusalem when this Psalm was written) we have enough professing Christians to sustain it. No one congregation could do it, but together we could. What a demonstration of unity behind our Great and Glorious King that would be. Hmmmm. . . There is at least one thing we could all agree on—the greatness of His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 11

Psalm 131 When our oldest was a couple of months old, Laura and I went to my grandfather’s farm for the afternoon. Plenty of aunts and grandmas were there so we took advantage of the time went for a walk in the woods with some of my cousins. I guess we were gone too long for the baby. He was throwing a fit, and he did not want the backup bottle. I never will forget the look on the face of one of my aunts as we walked up to the house. It was a look of simultaneous desperation and relief. His crying had caught everyone’s attention for the last 15 minutes because no one could quiet him. In a culture where baby bottles, formula and sippy cups did not exist, this Psalm probably made a lot more immediate sense. But anyone who has raised children from birth can relate to this. A new born has only two ways to communicate to his mother that he is hungry. He can root around with his mouth looking for a place to latch on, or he can cry until he gets fed. Weaning came a little later in Biblical times, often around three years of age. By that time a child had gained the ability to eat solid foods, and the ability to wait until the appropriate time to eat. Meals were more laborious to prepare than in our society. Snacks were not as common, and refrigerators non-existent. When an un-weaned child wanted food usually only one person could satisfy him. Woe be to those watching the child until she is available to satisfy him! The weaned child, however, has learned not to be so demanding. Physically he does not need to be fed on demand. He can quiet himself just by being held by his mother. He knows that food will come at the appropriate time. If he needs comforting, his mother’s embrace is enough. As you know, the New Testament likens our spiritual life to being born again (John 1:12; 3:1-18; 1 Cor. 3:1; Heb. 5:13; 1 Peter 2:2). When we receive Jesus, we need the milk of the Word to cause us to grow. Receiving the milk on a regular basis enables us to grow. When the growing pains of the hunger of life tie our spiritual stomachs in knots, it is the milk of the Word that comforts us. But it is sad when something happens to a child so that he never grows up. We need to be weaned. We need to learn to eat solid foods: For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:13,14 Using the milk of the Word, application, enables us to eat the meat of the Word which is a discernment of good and evil in relation to Scripture because the Holy Spirit has empowered us to obey the Word. Consequently, when hunger pains of life assault our stomachs, we can come to the Lord and quiet our souls in Him knowing that the appropriate time is coming when those pains will be relieved. We have experienced His glory enough to know that only He will satisfy, and He will satisfy at the appropriate time. We need not be frantic when life does not roll as we think it ought. We learn to be comforted by just His presence. Nor should we be frantic when spiritual babes are crying their heads off for milk. We just take them to the milk of the word, and try to help them understand how to use it in their situation. That is His glory! He causes us to grow and to be quieted in the pains of life! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 12

Psalm 132 Does God get tired? This Psalm implies it, but is that what it means? It would appear that this Psalm was written by Solomon near the time of the dedication of the temple. The core of the psalm can be found in 8-9 & 13-14 concerning the resting place of God upon the ark of the covenant: 8Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. 9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy. . . 13For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 14“This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.” How is it possible that the Eternal God needs a place to rest? It isn’t. The concept of resting comes from the wilderness wandering experience. In Numbers 10:35-36 find the explanation of how the Children of Israel knew when to break camp and to make camp. When the pillar of cloud/fire (the visible manifestation of God’s glory) rose off of the ark/tabernacle, the people would know that it was time to break camp. When the pillar came to a standstill, the people knew that it was time to make camp. The people knew that they could now rest. Soon Moses began the practice of poetically pronouncing what was happening: 35 So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.” 36 And when it rested, he said: “Return, O LORD, To the many thousands of Israel.” With the building of the Temple, there was no longer a constant wandering of the ark, but rather there was a permanent home. God’s people no longer wandered around, but could build homes and rest from their journey. But there was more symbolism than that! The ark is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Hebrew word for ark translates as “ark” 195 times, “chest” six times, and “coffin” once. Consider that! The word could also be translated as “coffin!” The Ten Commandments were placed in the ark, the coffin. On top of the ark was placed the golden mercy seat. Once a year on the day of atonement, the blood of the sacrificial goat was sprinkled on the mercy seat. When the blood was sprinkled on the seat, His people received mercy. When Jesus went to the cross, our sin was placed upon Him. God’s wrath was poured out upon Him against our sin. His blood was shed on our behalf. When we trust in Him, His blood brings us mercy from God. It is in the presence of the living ark, the Lord Jesus Christ that we experience the presence of God. And He gives us rest. This is the way into true rest. This is the way into victory. This is the message of the Bible. Our great God became flesh to give us rest. Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him. Now that is glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

December 11

Proverbs 11 It has been said that in a democratic society, the people get what they deserve in an elected government. Obama has been elected to a second term. What is he like in terms of Biblical values? Let’s see, he is for unqualified support for abortion no matter how late and for the government paying for it. The final straw that caused Israel to be kicked out of the land was when her kings began shedding much innocent blood by causing their children to pass through the fire (child sacrifice). It seems we have that again in a president. Do we deserve it? Since 1973 our people have murdered 50,000,000 babies in the abortion chambers of America. Looks like we deserve it. But murder is not the only Biblical value. "You shall not commit adultery,” is the negative statement of the positive command to protect the institution of marriage. Biblically marriage is one man, one woman for as long as they both shall live. Obama is on record for redefining marriage to include homosexual couples. Do we deserve that? Well since the early sixties the church has been letting sexual mores slide. We look the other direction when our people divorce and remarry, but hammer homosexuals for their ‘sin.’ Looks like we deserve Obama. “You shall not covet,” is the negative statement of “having food and clothing, with these be content.” One third of the world goes to bed hungry every night. America controls the majority of the world’s resources; we are the most giving nation in the world. Yet we could give so much more. Evangelical Christians alone could easily give double what they give to the Lord’s work, yet we do not give it. What we do give, we spend more than ninety percent of it in the USA, while billions enter a Christ-less eternity. Obama loves to hammer the rich that they should be paying their fair share, but the record shows that before he ran for president (2000-2004), Obama gave very little to charity. As a matter of fact, before he ran for president, I gave more to charity than he did. Considering my salary in 2004 and his salary in 2004, that is not saying very much for him. Sounds like we deserve him. How did we get in this position? Well verse 3 says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” Sounds like when we went to the polls our integrity guided us corporately. We got what we deserve. The Lord hates dishonest scales and perverse hearts. Oh Lord change me so that I am honest in all of my communications with others. Untwist my heart so that it might be pure in all of its dealings. Let the truth of Your being and the purity of Your life shine in me. Yes, the glory of the Lord shone in the elections. We got what we deserve. Oh Lord, we would have preferred mercy, but we received what we deserve. Have mercy upon us. We pray for the president whom we deserve. Change our hearts and his heart. Incline them toward true righteousness. Let us/him repent of shedding innocent blood. Let us/him repent of our attitudes toward your design for marriage. Let us/him repent of our lack of contentment toward this world’s goods and giving to those in true need. You are glorious in that You shed Your own blood, so that we would not have to die eternally. You are glorious in that You are eternally committed to Your own bride, the church. You are glorious in that You are content with simply who You are, and gave up your riches in heaven to humble Yourself as a servant in order that we might experience Your riches. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 4

Psalm 125 Last summer Jesse and I possessed the good fortune to stand in the midst of the city of David. It certainly is not the highest peak around. The Mount of Olives towers to the east. Mt. Moriah and Scopas tower to the north. Other peaks loom on the west. To the south reach peaks, which on the other side lays Bethlehem. I suppose that those mountains afforded some protection for the city of David. But I guess the issue is not how much protection the mountains provide, but that they surround the city. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people. He surrounds me. Because He surrounds me, the rule of the wicked cannot remain in my life. He will not allow it. The wicked may touch and rule elements of my life briefly, but it cannot rest there, for evil cannot remain in His presence. He will cause the wicked to leave in order keep me from falling into his snare. Sometimes it feels like evil surrounds me completely, but if I look out into the distance, I see His peaks towering in the distance. He still surrounds me. He still is working to remove the scepter of the unrighteous from my life. He won’t let iniquity rest in me. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 3

Psalm 124 We always wanted Steve on our side. When dividing up sides in grade school for football or baseball, it was always advantageous to have him on our side. He was strong, athletic and fast. Usually, whichever side had Steve was the side which won. What a contrast to myself. I remember clearly times in ninth grade basketball when we would divide up sides to scrimmage; a groan was usually let loose by the team when they found that I was to be appointed to their side. Anyway, it was always good to be on the side of the talented and able guys. Isn’t it good to know that we can be on the Lord’s side? I want the Creator of Heaven and earth to be on my side when I am in the midst of a Hurricane Sandy. Then I know that I will either come through it victoriously, or I will be heaven with Him. No flood or wave can defeat me. No emotional turmoil will overcome me. Yes, it will be hard, but He will save me. After all, His very name, Jesus, means Yahweh saves. I will hide in His name, because there I will find salvation! If He can make heaven and earth, He can save me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 30

Psalm 120 Clint was a lot bigger than me. He was the biggest guy in our 5th grade class. Normally he was of great humor and fun to be around, usually pretty nice. One day during recess, he came to me saying, “John, I have a surprise for you that I want to show you, but you have to close your eyes and follow me.” “How can I close my eyes and follow you at the same time?” I responded. “Oh, just put your hands your head, and I will put my hand on your hands and guide you.” He was bigger than me and kind of insistent, so I complied. We walked out of sight of any teachers. He said, “Keep your eyes closed. Here is the surprise.” The next thing I felt was his fist striking me in the stomach. “Stay away from Genevie!” he commanded as he stomped off. I lay on the ground sucking for air as I wondered what that was all about. Apparently, he thought I had been flirting with her. Well, I enjoyed teasing girls in the fifth grade, but I had never considered it flirting. Some of the others in our class had told him that I was flirting with her. In fifth grade I still didn’t get the boy/girlfriend thing, so I was glad to oblige. I stayed away from Genevie. Later Clint came to me and apologized. He said that some others had told him that I was flirting with Genevie, and now he realized that they were lying. Nevertheless, I continued to stay away from Genevie, and I did not trust Clint again after that. Lying tongues, it’s the stuff soap operas are made of. The fact that the soaps make money off of it is an indicator that it is a common problem in the human race. It is what makes espionage difficult. It often fuels war. Hey, if Clint had just come and talked to me before hitting me, I would have stayed away. He was a lot bigger than me, and I really wasn’t interested in Genevie. But what if I had been interested, and what if I had been closer to his size? There might have been war between us. Lies are what fuel wars between countries. Lies are what elect politicians. During this current election time, how do we sort out lies from the truth? It is a difficult proposition. Lying lips in life often cause distress. Satan is the father of lies, and he tells them smoothly and often enough to keep us in distress. In our distress there is ultimately only one thing we can do. It is to call out to the Lord for deliverance. Only the author of truth can sort out the lies from the truth. That is why we must daily call out to Him. He is the only true beacon that can guide us through the fog of lies. But what if He cannot hear us? The infinite God can hear us, and if we are willing to do His will, He delivers us through the circumstance of the lying tongues. Now that is glory! Let us seek Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

October 29

Psalm 119:113-176 My wife and I have bought 5 houses in our lifetime. Each time we had to put down earnest money. That was money that we gave to the realty company which would show our good intentions about purchasing the home. In return for the money, the house was taken off the market until the purchase was complete. Once the seller accepted the contract and the money, they were not allowed to sell the house but to anyone but us. Even if someone came along and offered more money, the seller could not legally sell to them because he had already entered into a contract with us. On my part, if I reneged on the deal, the seller would keep the money because he would perhaps have lost the ability to sell to someone else while the house was off of the market. Another word for earnest money is surety. In verse 122 David asks the Lord, “Be surety for Your servant for good; Do not let the proud oppress me.” Does he have the same concept in mind here? I believe that he does. David knows his own heart. He knows what is in his heart. At the time of writing this Psalm, he knows the value of the word of the Lord. He knows the richness of the pleasure of walking with Him. He commits to His word and to Him. But he knows his heart. He knows that he will waver and flip flop. He asks the Lord to put down earnest money on His soul. He wants to know that God will be faithful to complete the deal when he wavers from the path. The blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the surety, the guarantee for us. Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 1:13–14:

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

David knows that he will need help to keep his end of the deal. He cannot do it without the direct intervention and help of the Lord:

133Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. 154Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word. 159Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness. 176I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

This great Savior of ours is the One who enables us to keep our commitments. That is what the Spirit does in our lives. As we commit ourselves to His word, He makes it live, gives us life, gives us power. It is our responsibility to rendezvous with Him in His word, to listen to the voice of His Spirit and to yield to His Spirit. It is his responsibility to empower us. What a deal! What glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

October 28

Psalm 119:57-112 On Christmas in 1961, my parents gave my brother and I a portable Roy Rogers stereo record player. My 11-year-old brother thought it was awesome. In my 6-year-old mindset, I was not so impressed. He offered me one of his other gifts if I would relinquish my portion of the record player. I was impressed with the offer, so I gladly took it. He became the sole possessor of the record player, and I became the possessor of toy doctor’s kit. At the time we were both delighted with our exchange. As the years progressed, I began to think less of the exchange and to realize that I had thought too little of my portion of the record player. God’s law is more than a list of His commands of how He wants us to live and not to live. Rather, His law is a reflection of what He is like. So, the keeping of His law is not a “do and don’t” proposition. It is learning to dwell in His presence in such a way that we delight in what He is like. He remains our portion. Notice some of the things that David says about the law of the Lord:

72The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver. 75I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. 92Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.

When He becomes our delight, He becomes our hope and He enlightens our life (vs. 81 &105). That hope and enlightenment produces strength in adversity. Look at verses 61 &62: “The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments.” While the New Testament writers did not interpret this as a reference to Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, it sure is reminiscent of their experience. These two men were preaching the good news in Philippi and having great success. As a result of that success, they were beaten and thrown into the dungeon. Most people who would be beaten and imprisoned for exercising free speech would be rather depressed, but not Paul and Silas. Why? Because the law and the gospel was more than a concept for them. It was a relationship with the living God! It was a delight to enjoy His presence while they suffered! At midnight, bruised and bleeding, fastened by chains to the dungeon floor, they joyfully raised up songs of praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because the law and the Gospel was the presence of Jesus Christ. His presence was delight! Often I think too little of my portion of the Lord. I trade His presence for the toys of this world. When will I ever learn? O Lord, teach me your judgments, knowledge and commandments for they are more than words on paper. They are what You are like. You are a delight! That is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

October 27

Psalm 119:1-56 A few years ago when my granddaughter was born my son and daughter-in-law asked what I wanted my grandchildren to call me. I told them, “Grumps.” I thought it matched my mental state at times. From time-to-time if find myself getting rather dour. What causes that state, and how do I get out of it? I know what causes it. Usually it is because I think things are going the direction that I would like them to go. It can be a variety of things. I suspect that you could identify a few points where the same thing begins to happen to you. My focus gets off of the Lord and on to my desires. I begin to get grumpy. When it happens, I almost feel like I need a cleansing. How can I, an old man, cleanse my way? It is the same way a young man cleanses his way, Verse nine says, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” One of His glories is that His word cleanses us. It can cleanse us of great moral failures and it can also cleanse us of the little things that nip at us and make us grumpy. When I ask Him, He will open my eyes to see the wondrous works of His hands. He uses His word and His Spirit to do it. He lifts me up! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

October 19

Psalm 105 “Keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold, and I’m growing old. . .” If you’re old like me, you probably remember that song from the early 70’s. I’m old enough to have watched a number of entertainers go through cycles of trying to find truth and meaning in life. Probably the classic is Bob Dylan. Often celebrated as one of the greatest song writers of the 60’-80’s, he ran the gambit of religions and philosophies. Of course during his “Christian” period, he wrote Gotta Serve Somebody and Man Gave Names to All the Animals. To the best of my knowledge, he currently does not claim Christianity. There is Kris Kristofferson who made a lot of noise about Jesus, especially with his song Why Me Lord? I am not sure where his public stand is right now. There was B.J.Thomas, Rain Drops Keep Fallin on My Head. He professed Christ for a while, then backed off. I think I heard that he is back with Jesus now. Of course there was Jane Fonda. What a radical! She made a few ripples a decade ago about possibly being a follower of Jesus, not sure where she stands now. People keep blindly searching for the truth. Why is it that when they find it, they back away? Oh there are several answers to that question. The motivations are varied within the same individual and often unknown to the seeker. But I think this Psalm reveals one of the reasons people fall away. Verse 3 commands, “Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!” I think the reason the seeker often falls away is a failure to make this his/her motivation. Often we, as seekers, are seeking in order to advance our own glory or our own pleasure. If our own glory or pleasure is not advanced, then we fall away. What does it mean to glory in His name as opposed to my name? Why should I have to be commanded to rejoice when I seek Him? Should it not come naturally as I pursue the One who created all things? The Psalm is replete with the history of God’s redemptive plan in Israel. Many of those acts go beyond His work with Israel. They are types of what God was going to do in Jesus the Messiah in order to deliver us out of the kingdom of darkness into His Kingdom of Light. The Psalmist recounts the many acts that God did before He made them into a great nation. They include the humbling and raising of Joseph, the plaguing of the land of Egypt before their departure, the destruction of the firstborn, the plundering of the Egyptians on the night of their deliverance, the protecting pillar and cloud of the Lord for the nation, the miraculous providing of bread and quail for the sustenance of the people. It is as though the Psalmist is saying, “Connect the dots! These times of suffering and deliverance show the glory of the Lord, not our own glory. Therefore, when suffering and deliverance occur again, connect the dots! God is about to once again reveal His glory! Therefore, let your heart be glad! Rejoice!” Maybe a reason we have so many people fall away is because we have won them with a promise of glory, but have not helped them to connect the dots of God using the redemptive acts in their lives of suffering and struggle to bring Himself glory in our lives, by our redemption. Therefore, when we continue to suffer or struggle, rather than rejoicing in another opportunity to show His wondrous works, we give up. We thought it was solely about our comfort and redemption. Connect the dots! God used the suffering and discomfort to bring us to Himself. Because of the hardness of our hearts, he must continue to use suffering and discomfort to keep us glorifying Him. Hmmmm. . . Have I connected the dots of suffering and pain that lead me to a knowledge of him? Let my heart rejoice as I seek Him for when those times of pain and suffering come it is another opportunity for Him to display His wondrous works and how glorious He is! He alone can keep me searching for a heart of gold. He is that gold. He alone is our reward. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

October 18

Psalm 97 “Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” Why clouds and darkness? Listen to what these other verses say of Him: Exodus 19:9 And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD. Deuteronomy 4:11 “Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. 1 Kings 8:12 Then Solomon spoke: “The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud. Psalm 18:11 He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. Consider what we read a few weeks ago in Exodus 33:20, “But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’” One of the ways that we define God is that He is eternal. Eternality is more than just time. Another word for it might be infinitude. God is infinite in all that He is. So, every attribute that He has is infinite. His love, His hate, His justice, His mercy, His holiness, His compassion, His wrath, His power, His ability to restrain His power, they are all infinite. Obviously we are not infinite; we are finite. How can I, as a finite being, ever fully experience the infinitude of each or any of His attributes? Logically, I cannot! First, the metaphor of darkness must refer to the fact that I can never comprehend, understand or fully know the Infinite One. Second, the metaphor of darkness must refer to the fact that if I, a finite being who has transgressed His law, were to enter into the presence of His infinite justice, I surely would immediately be judged and rendered to nothing. Third, the metaphor of darkness must refer to the fact that if I, a being of finite power, were to step fully into the presence of infinite power, I would immediately be disintegrated (v.5). It would be like me stepping into the middle of a nuclear reaction. Unless He restrained Himself, I would immediately be undone. We could apply this to every attribute. It is no wonder that Isaiah in His midst called out,

“So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

He covers Himself in darkness for our protection! Consider that out of that darkness comes lightnings to light the world (v.4) and light is sown for the righteous (v.11). Consider Psalm 104:1–2

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

How can He surround Himself with darkness and cover Himself with light at the same time? What does the combination of these two metaphors teach us? The darkness is the protection He wraps around Himself so that we may be protected from what He is like. Out of the darkness comes light so that we may understand a little bit about our reality and some of His attributes. When He sends that light, we can see His glory (v.6). Even though we are still in sin, we can see some of His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John

October 17

Psalm 108 There were only 6 teams in the league. We played 10 games each season. We had a spring season and a fall season. In this soccer club, I was my son’s coach. That was kind of a laugh. At the beginning of the first game, I had never observed a soccer game in its entirety. The club had sent me to a coaching clinic to teach me how to coach youth soccer. It was a good clinic. It emphasized making soccer fun for the kids while teaching them the basic techniques for developing good soccer skills. There was a marked difference between what I was taught in the clinic and what I had experienced as youth baseball player. Yet there is still that competitive spirit in me that desires to win. While the years progressed, I progressed as a coach. I certainly wanted to make the experience fun for the kids and to help them increase their skills in soccer, but part of the game being fun is that you win on occasion. It’s no fun to be constantly beaten. In terms of win loss, the first season was a disaster. But I think we did win the recognition of the most improved team. As the years progressed, the core kids on the team progressed along as a team. The kids improved in their soccer skills, and we began to win a little more. Most of the teams remained intact as we aged. There was one coach whose team I never could beat. I remember after the 4th or 5th time that his team beat us, it had been a very close game, instead of what had been a rout the first time we played them. I went to him after the game to congratulate him on another victory. I could not resist saying, “One of these days we are going to win.” He just smiled and walked on. A good coach wants his players to develop to their fullest potentials, and he wants them to win. He rejoices when they are having fun and are victorious over their opponent. God rejoices in our victories. “I will rejoice (God speaking). . . over Philistia I will triumph. . . Through God (David speaking) we shall do valiantly.” When we are victorious, it is really His doing. Verse one says, “O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” What is his glory? He would have no glory if the Lord had not worked through him. David is recognizing the source of his glory; it is the Lord. He trains us for life. He trains us for victory over sin. He trains us to triumph. If we respond to Him, He develops us to our fullest potential. He causes us to win for His glory, and He rejoices in it. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

October 16

Psalm 107 REDEEMED. Redeemed is word Christians throw around quite frequently, but how often do we stop to think of the import of the word? A few who read this have had the personal privilege of never having known the bondage of debt. Most who read this are from the middle class. Your debt has extended at least to the mortgage on your house. You know the tension of what might happen if you lost your job. Your house is just 6 months away from foreclosure. Perhaps a few of you know all too well the sinking feeling of having more debt than you could ever pay. Health problems combined with a low paying job and no insurance have financially sunk you. Even if you worked every day of your life and properly budgeted your money and lived to be 100, you would still never pay back what you owe. In the Psalmist’s day, most everyone reading this would understand the danger of such debt. In his day you would be sold as a slave in order to pay your debt. The United States no longer permits people to be bought and sold on the market as slaves; although, we still illegally have slaves through human trafficking. The closest thing that we have to a debtor’s prison are the laws we have for not paying child support. When I was involved in jail ministry in Brunswick County, about 1/3 of the people in jails on misdemeanors were there for not paying child support. For many of them, it was willful. For many it was a matter of economics. They did not make enough money to support themselves and the children they sired, who lived in a different household. What do you do when your debt owed is greater than your ability to pay? In the Psalmist’s day, someone who needed to be redeemed was someone who owed more than he had ability to pay. In such a case, first his lands would be sold off. If there were still money owed, that person’s family and even himself could be sold as a slave. But God had made a provision for such circumstance and instructed the nearest of kin to come in and buy back the person in debt. That act of buying back is redemption. The nearest of kin was a redeemer. The Psalmist calls the redeemed to declare the goodness of the Lord. Why? Because He has bought us back out of the slave market of sin and given us our life and land back. Many, either living in or having come through the degradation of living as a slave, focus upon the horror of slave life: —hunger—either physically, spiritually or emotionally, —darkness—physically, spiritually or emotionally, —bondage—to sin or in some cases physical jail, —death—separated from the life of God to know only the misery of this life. Jesus seeks to set us free from them. It is our privilege and duty to declare His goodness for setting us free from the slave market of sin. We can participate in His glory. What a joy to declare His goodness in doing so! I was hopelessly lost in the consequences of my sin, and He died in my place. He paid the price for my redemption. I love the words of the old song written by the blind composer Fanny Crosby:

1 Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed thro’ His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am. 2 Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus, No language my rapture can tell; I know that the light of His presence With me doth continually dwell. 3 I think of my blessed Redeemer, I think of Him all the day long: I sing, for I cannot be silent; His love is the theme of my song. Chorus Redeemed, redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! His child and forever I am

. When that song is on our lips, we are obedient to the command of this Psalm, and we have seen His glory! OH Lord, how great is Your goodness toward me for buying me back out of the slave market of sin! I was there of my own doing, yet You bought me back anyway! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

October 15

Psalm 106 God is full of lovingkindness and mercy, but He is also full of justice. It is His glory to reveal both. His lovingkindness and mercy postpones the day of judgment that we might have time to repent and receive a greater measure of mercy. The history of the nation of Israel, recited in this psalm, is an example of God’s mercy extended over centuries of waiting for the corporate repentance of the nation, but finally the day of judgment had to come. That day was foreshadowed in the wilderness:

They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul.

I often marvel at how quickly they forgot His works. They were less than a week into the desert, after the miraculous Passover, when they forgot those works. They lusted exceedingly for water (Exodus 15:22-26), meat and bread (Exodus 16:1-16). Those are things that every one of us would call the basic necessities of life. Each of us would have lusted for the same. Rather than wait for His counsel, they murmured against Moses. Why would they not wait for His counsel? They forgot His glory. The focus on their desires instead of His glory spiraled into murmuring, testing God. When His glory appeared, it was not enough for them. He gave them the manna and quail. Greedily they gathered and ate the quail (Numbers 11:31-34). They received the meat they wanted, but their souls were dry. Hmmmm. . . God’s glory is constantly available for me to gaze at in His word. His Spirit is ever present to illuminate it. Are my requests of Him for the increase of His glory, or are they for the fulfilling of my desires? Maybe that is why my/our prayer life exhibits a leanness of soul. O sure, He does grant requests in prayer. They are indeed ‘blessings,’ but do they bring a fatness or leanness of soul? Do the requests of my/our prayer life bring an increase to His glory or my/our desires? O Lord, let my gaze and desire be upon You and Your glory! Satisfy me only with Your glory and not my desires! “Save us, O LORD our God, . . . To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.” Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

October 13

Psalm 104 Light, what is it? The website Oracle Think Quest Education Foundation defines light as “simply a name for a range of electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by the human eye.” But what is electromagnetic radiation? At this point I begin to have difficulty grasping all of the concepts involved. But this I understand, God created the human eye and light. Both were created so that His creation might be able to know and understand the reality around them and to interact with it. While light has many more functions than revealing reality, in relation to the eye, light helps the brain of an organism understand reality. But light has more functions than that. The light from the sun brings life. Without sunlight we would die. It provides heat for our planet. It provides energy so that plants can do photosynthesis to convert light into food. The Psalmist says, “You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.” Now on the one hand, God’s word is always scientifically accurate, but on the other hand, the main emphasis of a passage is not always the scientific import that the words project but the effect of the image that the words project. What does the image, “You cover Yourself with light as with a garment,” project in your spirit? Well, the first image that I get is brilliant terror. Then the science behind the word sends my mind reeling in several directions. The first is that in His presence, His light, reality is truly found. I live in the darkness of world that shade reality. What I often think is a true description of my world, I often later find to be skewed by my nature, my worldview and my enemy. All of these are contrary to His marvelous light. The second is that in His presence, His light, energy is created in my exhausted life. His light comes under my wings lifting me up to soar as the eagle. A third is that His light brings me emotional warmth. There is nothing better than basking in the sunlight on a cool day. So too, there is nothing better than basking in the light of His presence in the dinginess of this sinful world. The Psalmist uses many other images as well, such as clouds and wind. As I write, there is a thunderstorm going on outside. Nothing provokes the image of raw power in me as does an electrical storm. A moment ago a sudden surge of wind swept through the window next to me. An electrical bolt accompanied by a shock of thunder boomed through the neighborhood. Was He riding by on His chariot? Was He walking on the wind? He is certainly an awesome God of power! His angels are ministers of fire. He created the foundations of the Earth! He sets the boundaries of the oceans! He keeps the water cycle, cycling! He keeps the food cycle going! In short He holds life together. Without Him, there is no life! This is His glory! The light of His glory lights up my life. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

October 12

Psalm 103 Regularly we must remind ourselves of the benefits of following the Lord. Otherwise, we get wrapped up in our challenges and forget to bless Him. If we took the time to find an example of each of the things David mentions, the result would be a lengthy book. But we should do a few anyway, in so doing we see His glory and bless His holy name. He forgives all my iniquities. Dare I air my dirty laundry? Before Him I have confessed them. If I commit public sins, I will confess them as sin publicly. If I commit private sins, I will confess them privately to God. If there is a sin that seems to have a bind on me, I will find a partner to whom I can confess and who will help me in the struggle of overcoming. (Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much James 5:16.) Suffice it to say that, according to God’s standard, I have broken every one of the Ten Commandments multiple times. Apart from His forgiveness, I stand condemned before a holy God. Yet, He has forgiven me because He died and rose again on my behalf. I could stop the list right here and that would be enough to bless Him for eternity. He heals all my diseases. In the past He has healed me of Pneumonia, flus, colds, back injuries, ankle injuries, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, mononucleosis, ear infections, but on this earth He will not heal me of all diseases. I will still age; I will still die. That is one thing that I have in common with all who can read or will read this book. We will age and die, but as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the right to come before His throne and ask if He might heal us now. He might say, “Yes.” He might say, “No,” or “Not now.” But as a believer in the Lord Jesus, He will one day grace me with a new body that will never see disease. He redeems my life from destruction as described in the last sentence, but He also has redeemed me on other occasions that are now past. Laura and I were driving on I-70 in the middle of the night. We hit black ice. There was a semi in front of us and behind us. The car began to spin out of control at 65 mph. Somehow we ended up in a snow bank with absolutely no injuries. Snow was packed up around the engine under the hood. A Highway patrolman appeared almost immediately, helped dig us out and sent us on our way with this instruction, “The highway is covered with black ice between here and the state border. Take the next exit and find a motel.” I don’t think our missing the semis or his appearance were accidents, rather they were His hand of redemption from destruction. He crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies. On a few occasions in my life, I can recall where His Spirit has whispered to my spirit, “I love You.” They were those experiences where words cannot express the bliss of the experience. I would walk through hell to experience it again. He satisfies my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s. You know, sometimes I get really weary. I just want to lay down and quit. But He won’t let me. In the nick of time, He always provides what I need. It might be a vacation; it might be a retreat; it might be a prayer summit; it might be an encouraging friend; it might be just His refreshing presence. I am 57 years old. My life has been brief and will soon be over. Fifty-seven years from now, my grandchildren might think of me on occasion, but they will probably be the only ones. One hundred years from now, no one on earth (if it is still here) will think of me or remember me, or care, but the Lord will. As the flowers which I buy for my wife today will be gone tomorrow, so I will soon be gone. But He will call me to His eternal home, and there I will literally dwell with Him forever. Bless the LORD, O my soul! LORD, You are glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

September 24

Psalm 85 Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed (10). What happens when mercy and truth do not meet? Or, what happens when righteousness and peace do not kiss. Yesterday I read an editorial in the News Press by a national columnist. It addressed how Obama was losing in the swing vote states because of his radical pro-abortion stand. It seems that the word is finally leaking out that three times as an Illinois senator, he voted against a law which would grant full constitutional rights to a baby who survived an abortion attempt. He has publically stated that he will not back down on his stand for abortion rights. I hope you understand what that means in terms of righteousness. There are few people with more potential and less vulnerability than a new born baby. To refuse rights to a new born infant has to be one of the most visible transgressions of righteousness that exists! Who among us would walk away from a newborn leaving him or her to die unattended? Or actually kill the child? That kind of behavior should make us angry and wrathful against the behavior! But when righteousness does not step up to the plate when unrighteousness rears its ugly head, that kind of behavior is what results. What was it that pulled the trigger when God declared that Judah must be kicked out of the land? It was unrighteousness manifested in child sacrifice. Listen to this passage in 2 Kings 21:14–16:

14 So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies, 15 because they have done evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.’ ” 16 Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD.

Or listen to this passage 2 Kings 24:2–4:

And the LORD sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servants the prophets. 3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the LORD would not pardon.

It was the shedding of innocent blood that pulled the trigger of God’s righteousness when He drew the line and said, “No more!” Sure, that was not the only issue. There was a multitude of other issues, but that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. What was the shedding of “innocent blood?” Listen to what 2 Chronicles 33:1–6 has to say:

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6 Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.

Unrighteousness had reached its fullness in Judah under Manasseh’s reign. It was just a matter of time before the hammer fell. The Lord’s anger had been torched. He was aflame with wrath, and it was a righteous wrath. There comes a point when if righteousness does not step up to the plate, then all righteousness becomes a mockery, and one wonders if it even exists. Wrath expressed by God against unrighteousness is a good thing. It must necessarily exist for goodness to exist. If it did not exist, then moral good would be meaningless. Righteous anger must be expressed. Judah felt it. That is what this Psalm is all about. But, the Lord’s anger is not like mine or other humans. His anger is just, and He forgives. When we repent, He relents in His anger. His mercy is extended! A peace treaty is signed. He turns his wrath away. He restores us. How can mercy and peace come forward without violating His righteousness? That is what His glory is all about! Consider Ephesians 2:14–18:

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

He is our peace. He fulfills for us the righteous demands of God’s holiness. Can it get any better than that? The truth of the standard of His righteousness is fulfilled, and His mercy and peace are extended toward us! Righteousness and peace have kissed! He will revive us again! When righteousness and peace do not kiss, one of two extremes happens. Libertarianism or license overtakes the moral climate. Ungodliness rules the day. Pleasure masquerades as a “right.” Babies are murdered in the name of a right to privacy. Or, mercy is forgotten. Peace is lost and chaotic justice rules the day. Justice masquerades as a vigilante. Abortion clinics are bombed. But our gracious King has intervened. By the power of His cross and resurrection, He rules the day! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John

October 10

Psalm 101 David declares that he will sing of the mercy and justice of the Lord, and then he says nothing directly about them. The rest of the Psalm talks about what he will do to ensure that justice rules in his life and in his land. He addresses some pretty basic levels of justice in this Psalm. First, in his own home he commits to walking with a perfect or blameless heart. What does it mean to walk blameless in my own home and what does that have to do with justice and mercy? If mercy and justice are realities anywhere in my life, it has to begin in my own home. It seems to me that David was a real loser here, more than eight wives, committed adultery which led to murder, failed to discipline his children (Amnon, Tamar and Absalom etc.). Wow, how could a man, who has committed to walking blameless in his house, setting no wicked thing before his eyes, and putting away a perverse heart, blow it so badly? Second he commits to justice and blamelessness in his neighborhood. He vows to not put up with those who slander his neighbor, or who looks on a neighbor with a proud heart. Is that what he was doing when he took his neighbor’s wife? Finally, he commits to executing justice in the land. He wants to destroy the wicked out of the land. What does any of this have to do with singing of the mercy and justice of the Lord? When did David write all of this anyway? Was it before his fall with Bathsheba? If so, then boy, did he blow it! Was it after his fall with Bathsheba? If so, then wow, what a recommitment and repeated failure. If man whom God calls, “A man after my own heart,” blows it so badly, is there any hope for me? Maybe by singing this, he is a living example of God’s mercy. Yes God’s mercy and justice should motivate us to walk with a blameless or perfect heart, but we are going to blow it. When we do, we need to repent turning to Him to receive His forgiveness. I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus, the Nazarene, And wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean! Oh, how marvelous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be, How marvelous, how wonderful, is my Savior’s love for me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John

October 5

Psalm 78 A trite but true saying applies to this Psalm, “The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history,” (attributed to Friedrich Hegel.) Asaph says that he will open his mouth in a parable and utter a dark saying of old, and then he seems to recount the history of Israel. So what is the parable? For decades now the Biblical literacy of our young people entering Bible colleges has been dropping. Many of them are ignorant of most of the Bible Stories and can hardly trace the history of the nation of Israel. Why is that? Certainly we can place some of the blame at the feet of the organized church, and certainly we can place some of the blame at the feet of fathers who fail to do even simple things such as read the Scripture to their children. There is a necessity of one generation proclaiming the deeds of God’s glory to another generation. How can that be done aside from consistently reading and praying God’s Word with our children in a family situation. In some sense the church has failed. Perhaps we have failed because we usurped the parental responsibility by assigning the task to be performed solely by ministries of individuals in the church, rather than coming alongside parents in challenging and equipping them to proclaim God’s glory to their children, we have farmed it out to the ‘gifted’ people. It begins with reading Scripture with our children, then praying back opportunity for the child to see that Scriptural principle happen in our lives, then as that prayer is answered we point out the answer to our children and grandchildren. God’s glory is then revealed in our lives. It becomes caught more than taught. Whe would we want to do this? So that: They may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God. In so doing we can break the cycle and actually learn from history. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

September 28

Psalm 89 We used to joke in our Theology Proper class that the final exam would consist of one problem: “Define God and give two examples.” Who is like the Lord? By definition there can be no other being like the Biblical God. There is only One uncaused being. There is only One who can hold all things together by the word of His power. There can only be One who is Almighty, for if there were another as strong as he, then he would not have power over him. He would not then be almighty. Every time that I look at pictures of the Hubble telescope, I am struck with awe of our creator God. If you were to hold a quarter out at arm’s length to the night sky, in the area that the quarter covers, the Hubble telescope could find a thousand galaxies (not stars), and that scenario could be replicated throughout the sky. The vastness, precision and order that our Creator has created is beyond my little mind. If we would turn our telescope in and turn it into a microscope, the results would be equally amazing. It has taken vast teams of scientists untold hours of research to unfold the complexity of a simple DNA strand. Yet that DNA performs functions which we cannot explain or replicate. The Almighty is far beyond anything to which I may compare Him. But for the sake of helping mere men understand a little of what He is like, the Psalmist ventures to offer praise to His name. Unlike pagan gods, the Lord is faithful in His mercy, which He abundantly pours out upon us. He stills the raging sea. When we encounter times in our lives when it seems that we are about to drown in the circumstances of life, when there is just no more breath to be had, He stills the sea. When foes rise up against us and destroy our jobs, our lives, our families, our marriages, He scatters our enemies. When righteousness, justice, mercy and truth seem to be devoid in our government and culture, He at long last will arise and will prevail and will restore justice, mercy and truth. The Psalm is universally considered by Jew and Christian alike to be Messianic. It clearly celebrates the David Covenant and God’s faithfulness to that covenant. Here are the essential elements of the covenant: 29 His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven. . . . 33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail. 34 My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. 35 Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: 36 His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me; 37 It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah The seed (singular) of David will rule upon David’s throne. His throne will be established forever. What then are we to make of the Babylonian destruction and the Roman destruction of the nation? What happened to David’s throne? Jesus could trace His lineage to David, but after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., we can no longer trace the lineage of David. Only Jesus is qualified to fill that throne. There is some question of who is Ethan the Ezrahite mentioned in the title. If the Ethan in 1Kings 4:1 and 1 Chronicles 15 is the same Ethan, then they indicate that he is a contemporary of David. That would place the writing of this Psalm after the time when David brought back the ark to Jerusalem, at the height of David’s rule. But the end of the Psalm seems to indicate that it was written at the time of the exile. The term “Ezrahite” is misleading. To the English speaker it would indicate that he was a follower of Ezra. But actually it means, “‘A descendant of Zerah,’ or ‘arising out of the soil.’” The Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906 says: The name occurring in Psalms lxxxviii. and lxxxix. (in the titles); I Kings iv. 31; and I Chronicles ii. 6. In the last-mentioned passage the Authorized Version gives "son of Zerah." It is not probable that the Ezrahite of Kings, who was famed for his wisdom, was the author of a psalm of the tenor of Psalm lxxxix., which, moreover, must have been written during the Exile, when the crown of the Davidic family was, as it were, broken (Ps. lxxxix. 40). In the superscription to the preceding psalm, the Korahite Heman, also, is called "the Ezrahite"; that is, a descendant of Levi is spoken of as if he were a son of Zerah, who belonged to the tribe of Judah. The addition of "the Ezrahite" to the names of Heman and Ethan in the superscriptions to Psalms lxxxviii. and lxxxix. is due to an error. Whether or not this name is an error is a whole other topic, outside the scope of this meditation. But this Psalm must have been written after the fall of Jerusalem, simply because that is the best way to make sense of verses 38-51. So the Psalm is a celebration by faith that the throne of David will be restored and the seed of David will sit upon it. Wow! In the darkest of circumstances, Ethan celebrates the promises of God. At a time when Israel had been faithless and it would appear that God had abandoned His covenant (and indication of faithlessness), Ethan takes his stand on the faithfulness of God and celebrates the faithfulness of the Lord! Last night I watched on video the remarks of Benjamin Netanyahu to the UN in reply to Ahmadinejad’s remarks earlier in the week. Clearly we are on the brink of international disaster. Dark circumstances loom before us. Ahmadinejad has made it clear that his country is moving toward the extermination of Israel. Netanyahu has made it clear that some kind of intervention will have to be initiated within the next nine months. Revelation 11:16–18 says: And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” Jesus will return when we will be on the brink of the destruction of the world. Hmm. . . He will set up His throne in Jerusalem and fulfill His promise to rule upon the throne of David. Whether or not you agree with that interpretation, you have to admit that it appears that we are on the brink of what could be one of the darkest hours of world history. Will we take our stand with Ethan and proclaim, “The heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.” Even if this does not happen to be the final apocalyptic battle, there are still events in our lives and communities that call upon us to stand and proclaim the faithfulness of the Lord in the midst of the darkest of circumstances. Yesterday at Stillwater Junior High, a young man took his own life on campus. For family, friends and community this is a very dark circumstance. Can we stand together and proclaim, “Lord, by faith we announce Your faithfulness to us!”? We should be able, for He is indeed faithful, and that is His glory! In His time, He will calm the raging sea! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John

September 27

Psalm 69 One summer I worked briefly with two other guys trying to clear stumps from the stream bed in a swamp. The objective was to drain the swamp. Frequently we would be up to our necks and water while our feet would seek deep into the mire. It stank. The biting flies were horrid. We even got to the point where we would smear the stinking mire on our exposed skin. The flies wouldn’t bite where the mire was covering our skin. After a week of stinking labor, the boss called a halt to the project. The neighbor, of the land through which the stream would run to drain the swamp, objected to the project and threatened lawsuits. But we were at it long enough to experience what it was like to be in mire. Sometimes I feel like I am in a mire now. “Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, Where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, Where the floods overflow me.” Lord, I have blown it with my wife. I have blown it with my children. I have blown it with the ministry in which you placed me. Should I even be a pastor? I am in mire up to my neck. I want to quit, but where shall I go? “O God, You know my foolishness; And my sins are not hidden from You. Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me; Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.” To whom shall I turn? This Psalm just drips with prophecy of the Lord Jesus! David, writing 1000 years before Jesus, accurately sees in himself things that will belong to his descendant, his Lord. It is quoted no less than 4 times in the New Testament. Plus, there is a clear reference to it at least once and many other veiled references. Look at this! Psalm 69:4--John 15:25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’ Psalm 69:8--Mark 3:21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” Psalm 69:9--John 2:17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” Psalm 69:9--Romans 15:3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” Psalm 69:19--Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. When I am stuck in the mire, there is One who has been there before me, so that He could pull me out. There is One to whom I can turn. There is One upon whom I can call. He has been in the mire for me. He was there upon the cross. He drowned in the morass of my sin and foolishness. But that foolishness and sin, He removed. He came alive again leaving the sin and foolishness in the grave. When I die with Him, he raises me up. When I bring it to Him, He washes me clean. I don’t stink anymore, at least not to Him. Lord Jesus, I was stuck in the stench and foolishness of my own sin. I was dying in it. You took it upon Yourself. You died because of it. But You overcame it and rose from the dead! You have given me Your righteousness, Your cleansing! You have placed me on the solid ground of a river of living water instead of stinking, stagnant swamp water. Thank You! I love You because of this! I receive You as my King and my brother. I take Your Zeal for prayer as my own. I gladly identify with Your reproaches! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John

September 21

Psalm 49 I once learned something which I repeatedly learn again. Sometimes when I stop and think about it, I feel really stupid. God doesn’t need me to earn a lot of money in order to meet my needs. Seems like a simple concept, but I have to keep learning it. The first summer that Laura and I were married (1977), I worked my tail off and only made $300 per month. Yet we had all of our needs met. The next summer I had no job, yet all of our needs were met. In November of 1980 we moved to Portland, Oregon. I had no job. By January 1, I was out of money. I did not get a decent paying job until the end of March/ beginning of April, yet all of our needs were met. All through seminary and my first ten years of ministry, we lived below poverty level income, according to government standards. We never received food stamps; although, we did sometimes receive WIC food. All of our needs were met. In 1981 I obtained a loan to purchase a car. From that experience I decided that I would never again take a loan for transportation. Since then the Lord has given me a vehicle or the money to buy a vehicle without having to borrow. I have owned 10 different vehicles that way. The Lord provided each one. But still when money gets tight, and there is not enough to buy what I want, rather than just what I need, I get nervous. I start scheming ways to get what I want. The Lord has to teach me again. Why do I have to keep relearning? Maybe it has to do with my seeing His glory. Perhaps I have reduced Him to a giant banker in the sky. Maybe I see Him as the ultimate cashier or auctioneer. Perhaps He is a cosmic vending machine. If I just put the right currency in the slot and hit the right combination of buttons, then I will receive exactly what I want. Is the Mighty Creator of the Universe such a trivial exchange artist in human currency? 6Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, 7None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him— 8For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever— That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit. Gold is just a common element to our Creator. It is no more or less difficult for Him to create than helium, carbon, silicon, iron or platinum. Why should He ever be interested in me giving Him gold in exchange for something? For me to think that I could give Him anything, which He would consider to be valuable, is to demean who He is! There is only one thing that I can give Him, which He cannot more easily create, my trust. Oh sure, He could force my affections, but He has chosen allow me to choose trust or mistrust. There is no amount of currency that can buy my or any other person’s redemption. He simply wants our trust in all areas of our lives. We cannot categorize our lives separating our spiritual life from our financial life. He wants our trust in all areas of our lives. Why? Because He wants us to realize the greatness of His glory! Why do I keep learning the same lesson over and over again? Because I keep forgetting the greatness of His glory! He is more than everything! That is why I must seek Him daily! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

September 13

Psalm 43 Sometimes when you experience the rejection of a group of people, it feels like God has also rejected you. When you have been accused of motivations you did not have, of lack of production that really is not your responsibility, or even production that is ignored, you just want to scream out, “This is unjust! I did not have that motivation. That was not my responsibility! I did not cause that! I did produce this! Why can’t you see that!” In short, you want to be vindicated. You want God to stand up and declare the truth. In four other Psalms the Psalmist cries out, “Vindicate me!” David had reason to scream that. He was steadfastly loyal to Saul. For his victories over the Philistines on Saul’s behalf, he was hunted as a criminal. Everyone was told that he was in rebellion against Saul. I am sure that he wanted to scream out: But it was I who killed Goliath! I am the one sang and played the harp and lyre and lute and brought a soothing spirit to Saul. I have led Israel’s armies into battle and killed thousands of Israel’s enemies. I have brought increased security to Saul’s regime. I am Saul’s oldest son, Jonathan’s, best friend. I killed 200 Philistines in order to purchase Michal as my wife. I am Saul’s son-in-law! I have had opportunity to kill Saul with impunity. What do I need to do to demonstrate the loyalties of my motivations? What else can I do that shows I fulfill my responsibilities to Saul? What more do I need to produce to show that I am loyal? In such situations only God can vindicate. David felt rejected by the nation. He felt cast off by God. He asks for light and truth from God. Light enables us to see our surroundings. In the darkness of his downcast soul, David needed spiritual light to see the reality of his situation. He needed God’s truth to illuminate the emotional and mental darkness around him. He needed that light and truth to lead him into the very presence of God for it is in the presence of our Shepherd King that our downcast soul is set upright again. His presence gives us exceeding great joy. In His presence it doesn’t matter what our evil nation thinks; there is only One opinion that counts. That is His glory. When we experience the light and truth of His glory, everything else melts in His light. That is why seeing His light and truth and glory on a daily basis is so important. Only there are we truly vindicated. Only there can we find true joy and hope. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

August 27

Psalm 57 Can you imagine sitting in the cave of Adullam? 1 Samuel 22:1-2 says: David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. So here he is unjustly hunted as a criminal by Saul, living in a cave, surrounded by 400 discontented people. What a wonderful environment to practice the power of positive thinking! While I wrote that sarcastically, I also meant it literally. Keep in mind though that not all positive thinking is godly, but all godly thinking is positive. Ever been around people who are discontent? Can you imagine 400 hundred of them? So here is David living in a cave with 400 discontents. What do you suppose the conversation was all about? “Saul is really doing a great job at subduing the Philistines,” or “The economy is really booming right now. We are doing so well. I think will have to expand my barns for all the grain and livestock. Maybe the wife and I will expand our house for the children we are having.” I don’t thinks so. The conversation could probably be better described as, “My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.” On the one hand, David feels it is good to have the support of 400 men. On the other hand, it is negative support. These men want change. They are discontent. They want change that spears, arrows and swords can bring. They see in David their champion. They see in David the one who can vulcanize their corporate desire for change and produce a new regime. Well, David is headed there, but not in the direction they had expected. So if you were being pursued by Saul, if it were as though your pursuer had laid a net to trap you, if it were as though a pit had been dug for you, if you were among 400 discontents, how would you speak to vulcanize your followers in such a way that they would follow you to establish justice? Most of us would lay plans to bring down the evil regime and establish ourselves as the rulers. It is not so with David. He speaks of the glory of God! He cries for God’s mercy! He establishes his trust in God! He remembers that calamities, as evil as they are, are temporary! He calls out to the One who is almighty! He petitions Him to let mercy and truth be seen in their midst! He pleads for God’s Glory to be revealed to them! He makes his heart steadfast to sing the glory and praise of God! Oh Lord help me to trade my discontent for Your glory! Help me to lift up the praise of your mercy and power! Help me to be content only in Your empowerment! May Your mercy and truth ever be upon my lips! It is Your glory to work that work in me and in us! Establish it O Lord! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

September 10

Psalm 71 “Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me.” Throughout David’s life God had delivered him from many adverse situations. Now he is old. Once again he is in an unnamed tenuous situation. Once again he calls out to God for deliverance. This time he requests deliverance in God’s ‘righteousness.’ What does that mean? Does it mean that because God is righteous, then He ought to deliver David? The implication would be that God is righteous, and David is righteous, and God should deliver righteous people, and therefore He ought to deliver David. One of the problems with that logic is whether or not the second premise is true. At least twice in the Psalm, David refers to his old age. I am beginning to realize that I am rapidly approaching old age. I’m 57. I suspect that David was older than 57 when he wrote this Psalm. What was David encountering at my age? Absalom was born to David in Hebron to David’s fourth wife (I’m including Michal). That means that David was between 30 and 37 when Absalom was born. I’m guessing that David sired Absalom when he was 31 or 32. So Absalom was around 25 when David was 57, probably during the time that David was having problems with Absalom. David died at around 70 years of age. If I die at 70, I only have about 13 years left. My last child was born just 13 years ago. The Reese Chronological Bible dates David's death to 985 BC and Absalom's rebellion to 993 BC. That makes David about 62 when Absalom died. Absalom was about 30. This Psalm has the feeling that there has been some distance in time for healing from Absalom’s death. Yet David still has detractors that threaten him: Verses 12–13 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries of my life; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek my hurt. My guess is that David wrote this during the rebellion of Sheba. This rebellion came on the heels of Absalom’s rebellion. David was again threatened. He would have been at least 62, maybe older, definitely old age, less than eight years from death. In the midst of his trouble, David declares that he will sing in rejoicing and declare with his lips his own redemption and the righteousness of God. Hmmmm. . . One would think that after all the adversity through which David has come that at some point David would say, “Lord, You are not being fair with me! Don’t I deserve a break in my old-age? Why don’t you call off the dogs?” But what he desires more than anything is the nearness of God and the help of His presence! Why? Because he is grounded in the redemption and righteousness of God. I need to continually remind myself of redemption and righteousness of God. This is a great part of His glory! All that comes into my life is allowed because He is righteous! Indeed He is merciful because I deserve worse treatment than I receive. That is part of redemption. His blood was shed so that I might drink the cup of redemption, salvation. He is right all the time. He is also a sure help in times of trouble. I will declare His righteousness in all situations. How about you? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

September 7

Psalm 40 Yesterday, I was thinking of my wife. She is so sweet. I cannot believe she puts up with me. So on the way home I bought her one of her favorite chocolate bars and put it under her pillow with a note. She probably doesn’t believe it when I say that I think of her constantly. I guess my actions don’t reflect to her that I think of her constantly, but I do. Did you ever stop to think that the Lord thinks of you constantly? 5Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. . . 17 But I am poor and needy; Yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God. If the Lord thinks on me constantly, the next question is, “Are those good thoughts?” I am dreadfully aware of some of my sins and imperfections. Those could be motivation for the Lord to be angry with me all the time. Now that is cause for alarm! But tucked away between verse 5 & 17 are verses 6-8: Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.” The concept that God’s first desire wasn’t sacrifice and offering is found in 1 Sam. 15:22; Ps. 51:16; Is. 1:11; Jer. 6:20; 7:22, 23; Amos 5:22; Mic. 6:6–8. Then why did He command sacrifice and offering? Why does the book of Leviticus focus upon it? Why do major portions of Exodus and Deuteronomy focus upon it? What God really wants from us is to love Him. What I really want from my wife is for her to love me. Loving God is displayed by doing His will. When I do not love Him and obey Him, justice kicks in. His justice demands death for sin. His love demands mercy for sin. His justice and mercy are displayed when His Son chose to become flesh, live a perfect life in love and submission to the Father, die as a substitute for us on the cross, rise again on the third day being victorious over sin and death. He came as our substitute to enable us also to do the will of the Father. Hebrews 10:5-9 makes it absolutely clear that the purpose of Jesus’ coming was to do the Father’s will. He gave Himself to purify us of our sin. If we are pure of sin, His thoughts toward us are only pleasant. He purified us so that we could do His will. Now we who were unrighteous can proclaim His righteousness! His thoughts toward us, because of His will for us can now be continual thoughts of promoting our righteousness! Wow! He thinks continually of me, and it is good! Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john