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