Psalm 18 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 18)

God is worthy of our adoration.  Scripture says “I love You, O LORD, my strength” (v 1).

I feel that this verse could stand alone as a meditation for our souls.  For what more does our soul need but more of God?  I’ll point out only a few things about this verse.

First of all is that David starts out the Psalm with these simple words “I love you, O LORD…”  Of all that he could have said to begin this Psalm, these three words were first on his lips.  I love You…  Of all that is dearest to our hearts to hear from those whom we love, are these three words, I love you.  Of all of those things that would be for our encouragement, strength and help are these three words, I love you.  Of all that would express our greatest passion, our deepest desires, our highest delight over some One, it would be summed up in these three words “I love you.”  For David, a man after God’s heart, a man who sought God’s heart; these three words were meant to express his tremendous gratitude to the LORD for His deliverance.  I love You.

The older I get in the LORD, the more I realize that the true prize of my faith is not what I know, but is how well I know it.  And how well you know a thing is determined by whether or not it has penetrated your heart.  I may know my favorite football team, but I do not know them well.  Thus my enjoyment of them will only go so far.  I know my neighbors, but I do not know them well, thus my desire to be with them, to have company with them will only go so far.  I know many of my extended family, some better than others, and to the degree that I know them I will desire close fellowship with them.  I know my wife.  And I know her well.  And the longer we walk together in this life, the more we communicate, the more we experience together, the more difficulty we have to endure together, to more we are able to rejoice together, I will get to know her better and my love for her will grow.  I love my wife now and I will continue to grow in my love for, desire for and appreciation for my wife.

I know much about scripture, perhaps more than many others who have not had the privilege of theological education.  But knowing about scripture does not equate to loving the LORD.  What I know about the LORD must penetrate my heart, I must know the value of Him, I must see the wisdom of His ways, I must experience His word at work in my life, I must go through difficulty with Him, and experience the joys of knowing Him and obedience before what I know will be of any value to me.

When David says I love You O LORD, he says this to express a heart which has known both cognitively and experientially the goodness of the LORD.  Just read the rest of the Psalm and you will understand what I mean.  He has experienced the LORD at work.  And in experiencing Him at work, his head knowledge moved his heart.  Job said “I had heard about you by the hearing of my ear but now my eye sees You…” at the end of all of his struggles.

Second, David says “I love You, O LORD...”  I think that we can easily forget that the name LORD is not a casual title to be used in the place of God.  It is in fact the name by which the Hebrews came to identify their God from any other God.  He is the LORD.  He is the “I AM.”  He is the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end.  He is who He is without the help of anyone or anything.  He is the I AM.  This is the God to whom David prayed.  This is the God of scripture, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This is the One True God, apart from whom there is nothing, and in whom we live and move and exist.  He is the LORD, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.  And He is the One to whom David prays I love You, O LORD.  Learn His name, seek His face.  Call upon Him, pursue Him, forsake any other.  And you will not be ashamed.  The One True God, the LORD is His name.

Third, David calls this God, the LORD, his “strength.”  David is known as a mighty King, a great King.  One of the greatest in Israels history.  And yet this man who would afford great fame among his people reduces himself, humbles himself by not boasting in his accomplishments nor in his own abilities but by boasting in the LORD, his God.  He says You, O LORD are my strength.  He goes on to describe the LORD as his strength in terms of Him being his “rock,” his “fortress,” his “deliverer,” he says that God is the One in whom he takes “refuge.”  When the battle wages on, the storm rages about him, the waves break over him, David calls upon the LORD, His God and takes refuge in Him.

O, taste and see that the LORD is good.  Pursue a deeper love for Him this year.  Make your every ambition to grow in the knowledge of Him.  Dig deep, sweat and labor to know Him and you will never be ashamed. You can have a close and personal fellowship with the One True God and Creator of Heaven and Earth.  His name is the LORD.  And He invites you to come to Him.  He invites you to take refuge in Him.  He invites you to become strong in His strength.  And He makes it possible in the One whom we call Lord, Jesus Christ. Through Him, this can be the prayer of your heart, “I love You, O LORD, my strength.”

“For scripture says ‘whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed’…for ‘whoever will call upon the name of the LORD will be saved.’”

 

Psalm 17 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 17) Part 3

God is generous.  David’s prayer here is against the ungodly.  It is against the “wicked who despoil” him.  It is against his “deadly enemies who surround” him.  They have “cold unfeeling hearts, their mouths speak proudly, they surround him in his steps, they set their eyes to look down upon him.“  Have you ever known people that way?  They set traps for you.  They speak proudly over you, as if they are better.  They seek your position, your job, your possessions, your life to destroy it.  They speak harmfully against you and look at you with condescending and proud eyes.  They seek you as a lion lurking about in the fields waiting for its prey.

How do you respond to such?  Those who seek to defame your name, though it may be righteous.  Perhaps they don’t seek to defame you directly, but they seek to harm your family, your kin, your close friends and loved ones.  How would you respond then?  What if you had unlimited power, unlimited resources and infinite wisdom in order to dispose of such people?  How would your respond then?

David speaks of God in this passage, seeking justice from Him, knowing that He is just, that He is righteous, that He is all powerful, that He has all of His infinite resources available and all wisdom in order to use those resources to the best of His ability in bringing justice upon those who would strike out against the “apple of His eye.”  And yet this all powerful, fully sufficient, all wise God does not strike back first.  Certainly there are many cases in which judgment comes swiftly to those who seek to defame the good name of the Lord or His people.  But for others the mercy of God is seen in His long suffering.  Even in His generosity by which He grants good to all of mankind.

And what greater good can God grant than the precious gift of children.  Children to love, children to nurture, children to inspire, children to revitalize, children to carry on their name.  And God in His general mercy to all, provides children to those who are His enemies.  This is what David speaks of when he speaks of the “men of this world, whose portion is in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your treasure, they are satisfied with children, and leave their abundance to their babes…”  For the ungodly and profane, this is their portion.  And it is a great portion in deed.  Children are a blessing from the Lord.  The fruit of the womb is a reward to men under the Sun.  And yet for those who seek to harm the righteous, those who are called by the name of the LORD, it is their only portion.  They may enjoy the satisfaction of the womb while they continue under the Sun.  But once they breathe their last, their enjoyment will be complete.

For in the afterlife, there is no more mercy available to those who scorn the name of the LORD.  There is no more grace.  There will be no chance nor opportunity for penance.  There will only be judgment.  And in this the righteous, even as David does here, may find comfort.  That God is not unjust so as to forget the hardships that His people endure at the hands of sinners.  Even in seeing the prosperity that they seem to enjoy in this life.  Even the prosperity of having their wombs filled with His treasure, little children.  Even when there are many who do believe and who are faithful, who may go a lifetime without such treasure.  It is the goodness and generosity of our God, the LORD that allows for this.  He grants them treasure on this side of eternity, He suffers long their arrogance, their self seeking and sinful indulgences.  He allows for them to persist in their constant belligerence towards His people until the day that He choose to “arise, to confront them [and] to bring them low.”  On that day, they will sleep and awake to His judgment.  In His generosity towards those who love Him, His promise to them is not necessarily that they will visibly see His judgment of the ungodly on this side of eternity.  But that there will come a day when we “shall behold His face in righteousness, [when] we shall be satisfied with His likeness when we awake.”

While it is still today, let us walk as children of our gracious and merciful heavenly Father.  Let us seek to do good to those who seem to desire harm for us.  Let us seek to show love to them, generous and abundant; though in their sin they may seem to escape the judgment of God here and now, though in their sin they may seem to enjoy much of what our hearts may desire, let us seek to be generous in our love now.  If perhaps God might grant them repentance.  Because we know their end.  We know that in the end the judgment of God will come swiftly and without mercy.  And let us persist in our love, however it may be rejected, entrusting ourselves to the God who has promised to refresh us in the end with His abiding righteousness, with the satisfaction of His likeness when we awake.

Make that your ambition this new year.  Not to harbor feelings of resentment or anger towards those who have wronged you, and who seem to prosper in what they do.  But to rejoice in a generous God who is leaving room and time for their repentance.  Entrust yourself and your generosity towards them to Him who judges rightly and who will ultimately reward you with His good grace.

Maranatha!

Psalm 119 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 119) pt 12

Psalm 119:88-96

Lamedh.

89 Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.  90 Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands.  91 They stand this day according to Your ordinances, For all things are Your servants.  92 If Your law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction.  93 I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me.  94 I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts.  95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me; I shall diligently consider Your testimonies.  96 I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

God is eternal. Our eternal God has eternally set His Word above all other things, such that His Word can never fail.  Men promise.  Men swear by heaven above, earth below and all things in between.  And yet their promises fail, either for lack of strength, wisdom or will.  But never so for God.  His Word is as eternal as He.  And just as it can never be said that God is not, for to be is a part of His essence – if He is God, He must be – it can never be said that His Word has  failed.

And on this basis, the Psalmist expresses great confidence in God.  That in the midst of his turmoil, he cries out to God for strength.  His own strength has failed, his enemies have overwhelmed him and at his lowest, he cries out to the eternal God who has promised to be a shield and refuge to all who call upon Him.  He cries out to this God because He alone has forever secured His own word in heaven.  Thus there is no one who can thwart His promise.  There is no one who can stay His hand of grace upon those who are His.  There is no one who can deter Him from lending help to those who are humble and contrite before Him.  All who are His shall be saved!

And this too is our confidence beloved.  We have no need to be ashamed when we look upon His law.  When we gaze upon His ordinances, when we proclaim His Word in the streets, we have no need to shrink away.  Because God’s Word is forever established in Heaven!  He does hear your cry for help.  He does see your turmoil and distress.  And He will answer.  He will not abandon your soul to Sheol.  He has safely hidden your life in Himself in Christ.  And as sure as His Word is to His Son “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.  “Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee With the oil of gladness above Thy companions.” And, “Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Thy hands;   They will perish, but Thou remainest; And they all will become old as a garment,   And as a mantle Thou wilt roll them up; As a garment they will also be changed.  But Thou art the same, And Thy years will not come to an end” so sure is His Word to us “you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

Deuteronomy 33:27-29  27 “The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, ‘Destroy!’  28 “So Israel dwells in security, The fountain of Jacob secluded, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens also drop down dew.  29 “Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help, And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies shall cringe before you, And you shall tread upon their high places.”

2 Samuel 22:1-7  And David spoke the words of this song to the LORD in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.  2 And he said, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;  3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, Thou dost save me from violence.  4 “I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; And I am saved from my enemies.  5 “For the waves of death encompassed me; The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me;  6 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.  7 “In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yes, I cried to my God; And from His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help came into His ears.

Psalm 5:11-12   11 But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And mayest Thou shelter them, That those who love Thy name may exult in Thee.  12 For it is Thou who dost bless the righteous man, O LORD, Thou dost surround him with favor as with a shield.

Proverbs 2:1-8  My son, if you will receive my sayings, And treasure my commandments within you,  2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;  3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;  4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;  5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD, And discover the knowledge of God.  6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,  8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.

1 Peter 1:23-25   you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.  24 For, “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off,  25 But the word of the Lord abides forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you.

Psalm 17 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 17) Part 2

God is just. How can the righteous cry out to God for justice?  Hear the words of David “give hear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips…you have tested my heart, you have visited me in the night, you have tried me and have found nothing.  I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress…” How can the righteous cry out for justice?

God is a just God and His eyes behold good and evil.  His eyes are on the righteous and the unrighteous and it i s this that the righteous have as their confidence, that He beholds their righteous deeds.  The righteous would have no confidence whatsoever before a just God to cry to Him for help on the basis of nothing.  Certainly God is merciful to sinners.  Those who are contrite in heart and who humble themselves before Him, He accepts.  However the confidence that the righteous have is that they are in pursuit of His righteous standard.  Our hearts may condemn us in many things.  Even our works may condemn us when we make wrong choices and allow the desire of the flesh  to rule over us.  However our confidence stands, even if it be within our own hearts, before a life of purity and holiness to the Lord.  The Lord is greater than our hearts and knows all things.

However we cannot expect to have that confidence to approach the Lord of glory, the righteous Judge if our lives are also not righteous.  God has sounded forth His call from Zion, “be holy for I am holy.” The call to holiness is not in vain.  The integrity of God and His name are at stake.  Not that He needs us to uphold His holiness, but certainly our example before an unholy and perverse generation is a glory to Him and a shame to them.

What confidence would we have to approach God without holiness?  What confidence would we have to accuse the wicked or to cry out for justice if we ourselves are not maintaining His standard of righteousness?  We must pursue the righteousness of God if ever we are to stand before God, with confidence in our hearts and to cry out for His justice.  But even in our weakness, even when we fail, we know that we have an advocate.  We know and are confident ultimately that it is not our own power or might but God’s grace which is at work within us to conform us to the image of His Son’s righteousness.  And we may say with David “uphold my steps in your paths, that my footsteps may not slip,” not only in defense against the ungodly but in confidence that He who has begun His good work in us will complete it.

Psalm 17 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 17) Part 1

God is Just. Why should we cry out to the Lord in our distress?  Because God is a God of justice.  His eyes are upon the righteous and righteousness.  And His ears attend to their cry.  God desires justice from His creation because He is just.  Justness is a  part of His essential character.  There is no falsehood with God.  There is no partiality.  There is no turning of the eye to oppression.  God is just.  And because He is essentially just in His character the righteous have great reason to come to Him for justice.  This is in fact the great confidence that the righteous have, that their righteousness has not fallen on deaf ears and blind eyes.  That in the end they will be repaid for their righteousness even as the wicked are repaid for their wickedness.  Of course the righteousness of the righteous is not their own for they would have no reason to cry out to God for vindication.  But it is His righteous standard that they uphold.  It cannot be their own righteousness for why would God then fight on their behalf?  Where then would be His glory?  What then would be His praise?  He would be nothing more than a body guard.  One whose job is to protect the glory of another.  Neigh but the righteousness by which the righteous is called is God’s righteousness.  It is His name, it is His glory.  And that is also their confidence and their hope.  that His righteousness shall be in the end vindicated.  That He will pursue the vindication of His own righteous standard.

God’s justness shall prevail and His righteousness shall be vindicated.  This He has made clear in many other ways.  The glory of His name and His holiness is His great passion.  Thus to pursue His glory in our own lives is the wisest course of action.  And it is an action which again will yield great reward.  The righteous may unashamedly pursue God’s righteous standard because He will vindicate it Himself.  And in vindicating His righteous standard, they will be vindicated.

The folly of the wicked is in assuming that their own glory is necessary.  It is assuming that their own standard of righteousness is enough.  However their own standard of righteousness is as transient as their own lives.  It will in the end be cast aside.  God will bring it to nothing.  It cannot stand in comparison to His own holy and righteous Word.  They may have their “portion in this life” but in the next their portion will be to drink the cup of God’s wrath and indignation against those who have scorned His righteousness and His righteous ones.  Thus the wicked are short sighted.  They fail to see past the reality of the moment to the reality of the next.  Consequence has become an illusion to the wicked.  It has dropped out of their vocabulary along with absolute and even God.  For them there is only the moment of pleasure without the thought of consequence.  If there were no consequence, the righteous might fail in heart however the righteousness of God reminds us that it is only His great mercy which has thus with held the flood of His wrath upon this earth.  It is His mercy which has stayed His hand this long in the condemnation of the wicked.  It is not for their glory.  It is not for their cunning or wisdom which has wrought them success.  It is the merciful hand of their creator which ought to lead them to repentance, but which because of their hard hearts has led many to both mock His very existence – by whose mercy they stand – and to mock His holy and righteous ones.

What then is the final hope of the righteous?  The punishment of evildoers?  No.  It is our expectation but it is not our hope that they should meet what demise they are sure to who mock the Almighty.  Do we seek the vindication of our own name or righteousness?  No.  Before God, there are none who have reason to boast in any righteousness of their own doing because before His standard we are all guilty.  What then is our final hope?  Our final hope is that the pursuit of God’s righteousness in this life will not be for naught.  Our final hope is that because of His righteousness, “we shall see His face…[and] we shall be satisfied when we awake in His likeness.”

Psalm 16 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 16)

God is faithful.

This Psalm is considered by many, myself included, a Messianic Psalm.  The reason why for this, in part, is the NT interpretation that it’s reference is not David – its author – but in fact Christ the Messiah.

The Psalm itself drips with an overwhelming confidence in the faithfulness of God towards His people.  David calls the Lord “my Lord” and says that he has “no good besides [Him].” That is the height of confidence and trust.  No only to declare the LORD, “my Lord” – my master, my sovereign King, but also to declare that there is no other good on earth or in heaven besides Him.

What other confidence do we have really?  What other thing is there that one might place their confidence and trust in?  When you look around at the things of this world, what is there that is completely trustworthy?  What thing is there that will not rust, spoil or fail?  After all, why would you put your confidence in something that is bound to fail you?

Furthermore what man can you look to who will not ultimately fail you?  If not for their lack of faithfulness, lack of strength, or for their lack of ability to preserve their own life will sooner or later fail you?  Who do you have as your confidence and trust?  David’s confidence and trust was none other than the Lord.  To trust in anything else, to him, was foolish.

He called the LORD “the portion of [his] inheritance and [his] cup.” Not only is there none in the present who may satisfy, there will be none in the future to sustain him but the LORD. And indeed, he has seen the fruit of trust and confidence in the Lord already for he says “the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places, indeed my heritage is beautiful to me.”

He says further “I will bless the Lord who has counseled me, indeed my mind instructs me at night.  I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” What confidence, what trust, what hope do we hear in this description of David’s Lord.

This, however, is where David’s voice ceases…this is the extent of the Psalm which can rightly be ascribed to David.   The interesting question in many of these “Messianic Psalms” is how much or at what point does the Psalm cease to be about David and start to be about the Messiah?  Is there a single intended reference or can it be with reference to both David and the Messiah?  In many of these such Psalms, some have sought to figure out what danger or issue David may have had in mind when he penned this Psalm in order to make it fit both him and the Messiah.  For the New Testament writers, however that is not an issue.  For them it was clear.

Both Peter and Paul ascribed this Psalm to Christ.

Peter says in Acts 2:25-32 “For David says of Him, ‘I was always beholding the Lord in my presence; for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken.  Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; moreover my flesh also will abide in hope; because thou will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow thy holy One to undergo decay.  Thou has made known to me the ways of life; though will make me full of gladness with thy presence.’  Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried and his tomb is with us to this day.  And so because he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants upon his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neighter abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.  This Jesus God raised up again to which we are all witnesses.”

And Paul Acts 13:32-37 “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus as it is also written in the second Psalm ‘thou are my Son; today I have begotten thee’ and as for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no more to return to decay, He has spoken in this way ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm ‘though will not allow thy holy One to undergo decay.’  For David after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation fell asleep and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo decay.”

According to both Peter and Paul, David could not be the reference to these final verses because David’s body has undergone decay.  However Christ, having been raised from the dead on the third day, did not undergo decay.  He, having been raised, has brought fulfillment to God’s promise (establishing God’s faithfulness to His people and to David) and also signifies, by His resurrection, the future fulfillment of God’s judgment and reign over all the earth (Acts 17).

God is faithful.  He is faithful to Himself, in fulfilling His purposes.  He is faithful to His Holy One, both to David and to Christ.  And He is faithful to His people, in meeting their greatest need by sending His Son Jesus, to redeem us from our sins and to rescue us from the wrath which is to come.

If He has thus proven Himself faithful in these great things…what reason will we ever have to worry?

Psalm 15 – 150 Days of Purposeful Medidation (Day 15)

God is Holy.   There are many who recognize God, in theory, as love, all that is pure and right and perfect.  And this is something that they aspire to.  Perhaps they desire his goodness and rightness as an end.  In other words, they desire to have his goodness and rightness in their end.  At the end of their lives they want the security of knowing that they will be in another much better place than the present.  The present is wrought with difficulty and chaos.  Confusion and strife, at every turn.  And people long for rest.  They want the rest that they know that no matter how hard they try and no matter what they try, they will not find in this life.  And so people envision “god” and/or heaven as the epitome of perfection and goodness and rest.  However their conception of their god is so far below the truth that they will never come to fully grasp the truth of who God is nor will they be able to fully please God according to that truth.

God is holy.  He is not just a concept of goodness and rightness and rest that we can come to enjoy at the end of our lives while living any way that we want or conceive of on our own apart from Him.  God is holy.  That should mean something.  David asked “who may sojourn in your tent, who may dwell on your holy mountain?” He doesn’t just call it a holy mountain.  He calls it literally “the mountain of your holiness.”  It is a mountain and it is holy, but it is holy because it belongs to God.  It is holy because His presence is there.  And therefore the question is rightly asked “who may sojourn…who may dwell” in such a place as that which is holy by virtue of God’s holy presence.  Who is fit for such a thing?

David goes on to take that thought to its logical end.  He doesn’t stop like so many others who would suppose that it is their right to dwell on God’s holy mountain simply because He is love.  They don’t presume upon God’s love or justice as if He were obligated to be loving toward them.  Rather, he observes the fact of God’s holiness and supposes that anyone who would enter into His holy presence, must himself also be holy.  Listen to the description…

“He who walks soundly, the doer of righteousness and who speaks truth in his heart.” I think that we could stop there.  Perhaps there are some who consider themselves sound in their lives…one who does acts of supposed righteousness and piety for others to see.  But how many can say that they speak truth in their hearts?  And how many acts of righteousness, and how many words of truth would that same one have to do in order to be considered “holy” enough to dwell on the mountain of God’s holiness.  His holiness is essential to His character.  There isn’t a time at which it could be said that He isn’t holy.  He doesn’t take a time out.  He doesn’t get tired.  He doesn’t have an off day.  He is Holy.  The very definition of holiness…the standard by which holiness is measured, is God.  That could never be said of the common man.  The common man is at times holy, does “righteous” acts, and perhaps occasionally has pure thoughts…but this is certainly not the rule for man.  We can sometimes fool other men who cannot see our hearts, but God is certainly not fooled.  The intents and thoughts of man’s heart in God’s eyes, is continually wicked.  Just look back at Psalm 14.  Already he is disqualified.  Though he would wish to sojourn and to dwell in God’s Holy mountain at the end of his life, he has no merit nor inherent holiness in himself to be fit to dwell there…and that’s just verse 2.

“He does not slander upon his tongue, nor do harm to his friend, nor lift up a reproach upon his neighbor.” The simplest way to understand this is to ask how your neighbors would classify you.  Not your family, but those who you live around.  This is somewhat different for us because our society is not as communal as it is for so many other societies in the world and as it was for Israel.  The neighbor would have been another Israelite and so their relationship to their brother in the flesh would have either glorified the God whom they worship corporately or brought disrepute to His name.  The closer correlation would probably be for those in the Church and how we either love or do not love one another.  We are all called by His name and therefore we all ought to show love for one another in His name.  But whether it is a fellow believer or not, the principles are the same.  Do you openly, or in your heart, curse your neighbor?  Do you look for opportunities to bless your neighbor or do you look for ways to take advantage of them?  Would your neighbor say that you are clean, loud and obnoxious…or would they say that you are generous and loving?  How would they characterize you?  Are you “me” centered or “others” centered?  Christ is the perfect example for us in His self-less display of love for us on the cross.  He exemplified that humble others-centered attitude that we ought to imitate in all of our relationships and especially within the body of Christ (Phil 2:3-4).

“In whose eyes the reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord, He swears to his own hurt but does not change.” Here we see that this one who is worthy to dwell on the holy mountain of the Lord despises those who are reprobate…and this is most likely reprobate in the eyes of the Lord in contrast to those who fear the Lord and are therefore accepted by Him.  Some revel in the wickedness of others.  Perhaps they themselves are not wicked but they enjoy and feed off of the lasciviousness of others.  Let me be more specific.  There are some who would not themselves fight…but who rush off to witness the fight.  There are some who would not themselves make coarse and inappropriate jokes, but who themselves would listen to and laugh at such joking.  There are some who would not…at least not normally…conceive of or commit adultery or fornication, but who would easily watch others do the same.  Do you love holiness enough to despise the wicked for their wickedness?  Do you love the holiness of God enough to hate the wickedness of wicked men who by their actions defame God’s holiness?

Conversely, do you love those who fear the Lord?  Do you…perhaps to your hurt (which may or may not be the intent of the last phrase of this verse)…intentionally honor those who live uprightly before the Lord?  Loving righteousness is not popular.  But perhaps more than that is loving others who openly stand for righteousness.  Would you associate yourself with those who call upon the Lord even when those are despised and rejected by others?  I remember the common thought about those who were virgins in high school…those who had kept themselves pure…that they were insignificant and foolish for doing so.  Furthermore those who didn’t go to all the parties and clubs were dishonored.  And anyone who associated with them…and in fact none of the “cool kids” would associate with them.  Maybe for you its a situation at work where someone, in their integrity, have made a decision that makes a lot of people upset.  And therefore are being ostracized and/or have lost their job.  Would you take your stand with this person who on account of their fear of the Lord has made an unpopular decision at the risk of your own job?  Paul said “all who desire to live godly will face persecution.”  Would you face persecution to live a holy life before your God, knowing that He is the Judge?

The third phrase of this verse speaks to his faithfulness and integrity.  “To his own hurt, he swear.”  He will not change his mind regardless of the cost to him.  He has decided upon following the Lord, upon upholding those also who follow the Lord and he will not allow the ostracizing of his peers, financial or physical harm to deter him.  Will you honor the Lord and those whom the Lord honors?  Will you pursue what the Lord honors even when its not popular…and even when it hurts?

Finally, this one “does not put out his money at interest, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent…”   Are you generous with what God has blessed you?  Do your finances control you or do you control your finances?  Paul said that the “love of money is the root of all evil.”  Money is not the root of all sorts of evil…the love of it is.  Those who would love money and the comforts that it gives would have no desire to share it with others.  And if they did share it with others they would have no desire to give without interest.  Is it inherently wrong to give out money with interest?  No.  But which demonstrates grace, to give out money with interest for the sake of gain, or to give out money without interest for the purpose of helping one who is already down?

Furthermore…and perhaps this speaks more to the judges of the land…would you take a bribe to sentence one who is truly innocent?  In other words, in spite of the facts, would you side with someone who can provide you with some benefit or service without thought to justice or truth?  The root of this issue is not so much with the act of a judge taking a bribe as it is with the heart which seeks its own gain at the expense of another, and at the expense of God’s justice and righteous standard.  Again all holiness and righteousness is measured against God’s standard, but men have perverted God’s standard for their own gain.  And the heart which accepts bribes is the heart which does not accept God’s standard.

So how does your heart measure up?  How does your life measure up to God’s standard?  In all of these things, in this description of a man who is fit to dwell on God’s holy mountain, where do you stand?  “He who does these things will never be shaken.” Why is that true?  It is not true because these are a list of things that you must do in order to be good enough.  It is true because these things show a heart and a life which has been transformed by God’s grace to exemplify His holiness.  All men sin.  All men are “worthless” in God’s eyes, according to Psalm 14.  Therefore the man who would desire to stand on God’s holy mountain…the man who would desire to see rest and the goodness of God in His life must be made worthy.  And the only way that a man can be made worthy in God’s eyes and according to God’s will is to submit to His Son Jesus who has cleansed us from our sins and has given us a new life, with a new heart which is able to live according to God’s holy standard.

“He who does these things will not be shaken eternally” because they will be in the hands of Him who is eternally strong to save.  “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them…by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified and the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying ‘ this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days says the Lord, I will put my laws upon their heart and on their mind I will write them.’  He then says ‘and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’”  (Hebrews 7:25; 10:14-17)

If you do not know Christ, then you have no hope of dwelling with God once your life is over.  If you do know Christ, and He has become your salvation, then live like it.  Forsake the idols of your heart and walk in His holiness, with thanksgiving.  Rejoice in the confidence of one who rests in the unshakable grace of the Almighty.

Psalm 14 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 14)

God is true…and every man is a liar.  Not only is every man a liar…every man…but every man has rejected God in his heart.  Not only has every man foolishly rejected God in his heart, but every man has gone after his own way and has become completely useless to God.  “They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds.  There is no one who does good…they have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

You may think of yourself as “religious.”  You may attend church regularly…or at least on the big holidays.  You may occasionally dust the cover of your Bible off and set it on the coffee table for visitors to see.  Or perhaps you find your way to the floor to utter a prayer once in a while for God’s protection or help in your time of distress.  But you have not genuinely and truly sought after God in your heart.  God is “with the righteous generation.” God is a “refuge” for the afflicted.  Have you made God your refuge?  Does He walk with you…or do you merely visit Him when its convenient for you?

“The fool says in his heart, there is no God.” You may consider yourself quite wise according to the worlds standards.  But if you have ever uttered those words “there is no God;” then you are a fool in God’s eyes.  Furthermore, the utterance of those words may be at a volume such that no other human being ever hears…it may be the meditation of your heart…but the Lord knows.  He knows that you have not truly sought after Him.  He knows that you do not accept nor regard His standard.  He knows that you truly are a stranger.  He knows that you have made money, sex, food, self-image, and/or power and the esteem of men your refuge.  They are your hope.  Those things are what you seek after in life, and not Him.

God is not fooled with your external piety nor more than He was fooled by the nation which had been called by His name…Israel.  So He judged them for their false religiousness…so He sentenced them to shame and captivity in a land which was not their own.  And so He will abandon you to your shame, the mystery of your sin and your way, should you continue to seek refuge in the comforts of this world.  He will abandon you to your shame in this life and in the life to come, He will abandon you to the consequence of your shame, which is eternal torment and judgment away from His presence.

“Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!” As the Lord continues to look down upon the hearts of the children of men, what will He find?  Will He find you continuing to reject Him in your heart?  Will He see you continuing to ignore His Holy standard?  Will He see you continuing to do life your way?  Or will He find you seeking refuge from the coming storm of His wrath and indignation in the forgiving arms and cleansing blood of His Son?

Turn “to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” I Thessalonians 1:9-10

Psalm 13 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 13)

God is a Merciful Savior. How can a man endure strife and difficulty from among his peers/enemies?  How can a man endure heartache and sorrow to such a degree that sinks him into great despair and depression?  By remembering that God is a merciful Savior.

Hear the cry of the Psalmist “how long O Lord, will you forget me forever…how long will you hide your face from me?” How long will God be far from me?  Hear the despair in his heart.  Hear the rejection.  He has been wronged by his enemies.  They have fought against him and seem to be prevailing.  God is his hope and this he knows for certain.  But it seems that his God has turned his eye from the situation temporarily.  In moments of despair, we can certainly feel that way.  Particularly those of us who know God and who maintain our integrity before Him knowing that He is the “rewarder of those who seek Him.” We are those who seek His righteous face in righteousness and so to experience such heartache and despair, such torment from one’s enemies can be utterly confusing to us.  We ask, why?   Why now, why us? If God is for us, then how can this be against us?  And how long will He cause me to remain in this distress?

Furthermore, he says “how long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily.” From this we notice two things.  First is that despair can cause one to feel alone.  And second is that this despair often lasts for days on end.  That it makes him feel utterly alone daily, we notice that he says “how long shall I take counsel in my soul…”  He takes counsel in his own soul, perhaps to just cheer himself; but most likely because there are no others for him to turn to.  Perhaps he feels that no one else can fully understand his struggle. He is alone in his distress with no one to call upon.  And so within his own heart, he sinks and sulks.   That the despair seems to last for days on end, he says “how long shall I…have sorrow in my heart daily?” This despair is constant and pressing.  Day after day he awakes to it.  It walks with him through the day.  It beckons him moment by moment.  It causes him to recall his every action, every thought, every deed to know whether or not he has mistakenly wronged another; that perhaps the attack is justified.  Sometimes perhaps it causes him to wonder why he should care to uphold his integrity at all.  And why should he be so concerned with striving for righteousness if this is his lot.  Or perhaps it causes him to justify himself within his own heart like Job, as if he does not deserve such an attack and as if God doesn’t have any right reason for it.  Of course God doesn’t need to justify Himself any more to us than He did to Job.

He pleads with God for relief as he says “consider and hear me, O Lord my God, enlighten my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say ‘I have prevailed against him;’ lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.” At times this distress causes us to plead with God to hear our cry.  And yet it seems that he doesn’t.  We ask for him to vindicate us lest those who “trouble” us rejoice at our fall.  We ask for God to “enlighten” us so that we may know the reason for such distress; but it never seems to come.   (Though we know that knowing the reason for the trial will probably not bring us comfort.)

So how does this man overcome despair?  He says “But I have trusted in your mercy, my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me!” First, we notice that he overcomes because he is one who trusts in the mercy of God.  In his heart, he knows that God is a God of salvation.  It is only those who are truly the Lord’s possession who can say this.  It is only those who have this type of faith who speak of the Lord as One who is a merciful Savior.  Furthermore, in his heart, he knows that because God is a merciful Savior and because God desires praise from His people, that God will bring salvation to him.  We see this from his choice of words I “have trusted…my heart shall rejoice…I will sing…”  These are words of one who is assured that the God whom he serves is a Savior who is able to bring salvation according to His mercy to those who are His.

Evil does abound.  Attacks come from all sides.  We may be tempted to think that when we are attacked, that it is personal.  Particularly if the attack is personal.  That is, if it is done through a trusted and close relationship.  However, we must remember that God is sovereign, even in our suffering.  And that even in those personal attacks, He has purpose.  I know a brother who is under such an attack.  And it is in the context of relationships that were trusted to him.  At least some of those relationships were very dear to him.  And for that reason, these attacks have caused him great distress.  But to him, I would say that difficulty of this sort is never merely about him.  And though it be personal, and though it be difficult (I speak this as one who has never experienced what he has); this particular difficulty has a greater scope.  For it involves the body of Christ and the body of Christ is always under attack by the evil one.  And though we don’t like to think that our brothers and sisters can be used by the evil one for his purposes; we must recognize that he will use any and every opportunity to attack the people of God and men of God who stand before the people as an example daily.  With that said, as difficult as these trials are he/we can persevere and we shall persevere because God is a merciful Savior.  And He is One who is able to accomplish His salvation plan for His people regardless of what may occur in the process.  Furthermore, that He may and does use these difficulties in our lives to continue to shape and mold our hearts to trust Him as the merciful Savior that He is.  And not only to trust Him; which would be enough, but to long for His eternal rest, which He has promised to those who trust Him and who also endure.  That our hearts would continue to be prepared, not for the temporary rest that we may enjoy here, but for His eternal rest.

If you are His and you are enduring such an extraordinarily difficult trial in which you may feel that God has temporarily turned His back on you, that this trial is unwarranted, that your attackers do so without cause,  and perhaps that there is no one who can truly relate to what you are experiencing; then I exhort you to remember in whom you have trusted.  He is a “Wonderful, Merciful Savior”…a “precious Redeemer and Friend” as the song says.  He is the Creator of the World, and yet is One who has chosen to forgive our transgressions against Him and to live in our hearts.  If He has done this; what ultimate good would He withhold from you?  And if this has befallen you; then you must trust that this is a part of His plan to bring about your ultimate good.

Perhaps you who endure such a trial are not ones who must be reminded to forgive.  Perhaps you are not ones who must be reminded to forget…or even that you are ones who need to be reminded to endure.  You’ve learned a great many lessons.  You have maintained your integrity before the Lord in this situation and even in handling the trial which has resulted.  But perhaps you could use the reminder that the God whom we serve is a Wonderful, Merciful Savior. And that this is His plan for you, and anyone else involved.  And therefore, perhaps what you have done is not the problem.  Perhaps who they are and who you are is not the problem.   But rather, this is about who He is and what He is doing in this situation for all who behold it.

Will you praise Him for it?  Do you believe that He is a Wonderful, Merciful Savior?  In this situation, which you know is His doing, is He still wonderful?  And do you believe that He is a Merciful Savior to you?  If you do; then you must rejoice!  You must sing!  Because He will deal bountifully with you.

Psalm 12 – 150 Days of Purposeful Meditation (Day 12)

God is faithful to His word.  His Word is trustworthy.  That is the message of Psalm 12.

The “faithful” of the Lord, the “afflicted” are devastated.  They perish from the earth.  The wicked increase.  They continually “speak falsehood…[and] speak [of] great things [such as] with our tongue we will prevail, our lips are our own, who is lord over us?”

But they will be cut off.  The Lord will not allow their “vileness” to continue forever.  He has determined to keep the “generation” of His faithful ones “forever.”

It is interesting to me how much the saints of old were concerned for the destruction of the wicked and the preservation of the righteous.  Now; however, that doesn’t seem to be much the case.  Certainly it is the case that those who are righteous long for deliverance from God.  But it is not often a deliverance that speaks of the contrast between the righteous and the wicked.  It is not a deliverance that is concerned with the vindication of God’s righteousness in the earth.   We are often shortsighted.  We are too often concerned with our day to day dealings, day to day issues and stresses.

The Psalmist repeatedly cried out for salvation from God…for “help” because of the greatness of transgression and wickedness around him.  Certainly he needed immediate help because of intense persecution that he was under.   But overall he was more concerned with the definitive judgment of those who are wicked in the earth.   Perhaps part of the problem for us is that our society is so much more tolerant and so we don’t face the same type of persecution that he did.  But should that make a difference?

Shouldn’t all of God’s people be more concerned with the vindication of God’s righteousness?  The ungodly of the earth certainly continue to boast of great things…claiming that there is no one who is lord over them.  The godly among the sons of men certainly seem to be wasting away.  There are not many faithful ones, who continually seek the favor of God and who submit to His Lordship over them.  Why then are we not more concerned for God’s glory than our own, in this day?  Perhaps we are too used to ungodliness.  Perhaps we are too used to the wickedness around us, and we have grown to accept it as a natural part of life.  For sure, the Evil one controls the world.  Certainly sin prevails over all the earth.  But where are those who would speak out against evil?  Where are those who would cry out to God for deliverance from this wicked age and vindication for the righteousness of God’s people?  Where are those who live righteously and who trust in God’s promise to bless those who are righteous; who are persecuted for living righteously and who therefore long for God’s righteousness to be vindicated?  Where are those who love the name of the Lord and who place their whole trust in the Word of the Lord, that it is “pure, as silver tried in a furnace on the earth refined seven (seven indicating completion) times” and who long to see His name and His word vindicated?

Do you trust God’s word?  Do you believe that He is faithful to His word?  Are you one of His faithful ones?  If you are then your heart will long for the vindication of His name, His Word and His righteousness on the earth.  And not just by the means of some political activism or philanthropic endeavors; which many who do not acknowledge Him as Lord also adhere to.  But by means of His supernatural and final intervention into this world…when finally the wicked will be cut off and the “righteous will shine forth as the Sun…”  You will long for it and you know in your heart that it will come to pass because it is the Word of the Lord.

Matthew 13:41-43

41 “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,  42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  43 “Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.