Mercy Above The Heavens

“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” (Ps 103:10-11 AV)

 

The statement here is a remarkable one.  As far as the heavens are from the earth, that is the amount of mercy God shows us.  Putting it another way, we deserve the judgment of God to the height of the heavens but we only get the height of the earth.  When we think of that which we deserve and that which the LORD retrains, we cannot help but feel the blessed love of God shed abroad in our hearts and on our lives.  When we stop and take stock in how many ways and how many times we have failed to live up to the wishes of our Father, it gets easily overwhelming.  The vast wickedness of the human heart is beyond computation.  What we shall do is ponder the wonders of mercy without allowing the condemnation of sin to overshadow that mercy.

When I look over my life, I can remember many times the mercy of God came down when I deserved to suffer much greater consequences.  That which I remember the most are the times I transgressed the law as an adolescent and for whatever reason, I did not reap that which my evil required.  There were times I threw snowballs at cars and never got caught.  Or, the one time I did, the driver cursed us.  But he did not press charges.  There were a couple of times I shoplifted and the store manager never pressed charges.  There was the time I broke windows in an old factory and the police simply asked us to move along without informing our parents.  There were many times I failed to obey a teacher, religious leader, and my parents; yet they did not come down hard.  There were those several times I got a ticket for one thing or another and the court let me off.  When I look at all that I have done, it befuddles me why the LORD didn’t let the hammer fall.  I have done all those things and much, much more.  Some are so horrible they are not appropriate for public knowledge.  All this and more, yet the LORD forgives and restores.  There were a couple of times I got into fights.  Two in the neighborhood and one at school.  Those involved could well have tried to charge me with assault, even though I was defending myself.  So many times I did the wrong thing.  Yet God, in His patience and mercy, brought correction equal to what I could bear and not equal to what I did.

Often we can allow the mercy of God to be forgotten simply by the sheer amount that we need.  Paul tells us the goodness of God leads to repentance.  As we realize just how much God has forgiven and how restrained He has been, the Holy Spirit works on our proud and rebellious heart that we might yield even more to the control of the Spirit.  By yielding to Him, we overcome that which plagues us most of all – sin.  But it starts with a heart of understanding and gratitude at just how much mercy God has shown.  The other day, I took my in-laws to Port Washington, WI.  There is a public park on a bluff that overlooks the lake.  We talked about how far it was the horizon.  Some have told me that at level with the sea, seventeen miles is how far you can see.  That is a long way off.  Yet, the mercy of God is far beyond that.  No manmade telescope can find the edge of the universe.  To our ability, the universe is unbounded.  That is how much God loves us and forgives us.

Blinders

“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” (Ps 101:3 AV)

The first part of the verse above is rather familiar to most.  David writes this psalm after an event of personal failure.  Some attribute his statement as a response to David’s failure with Bathsheba.  That most certainly could have been the case.  Regardless of what motivated the vow above, what we can discern is the level of purity is far and above what most are willing to promise.  We do not have a problem vowing and striving for purity in our public life.  We don’t want to suffer the consequences that come of it.  Where we struggle is purity in our private life.  David may well have been speaking of his literal house here.  His palace.  He domain.  Within those walls, he would not allow impurity before his eyes.  We are not limited to our homes.  Our privacy extends to anything or places wherein we can exist privately.  Our phones and computers come to mind.  A secluded place like a bathroom, study room, or the great outdoors could also be a private place.  Anywhere that humanity cannot observe you would be considered one of those places.  It is in those places which David promises that not one wicked thing would pass before his eyes.

The statement above is easier said than done.  We live in a wicked world and avoiding eye contact with any and all that is wicked is nearly impossible.   However, that does not mean we are to surrender and take it all in because it cannot be avoided.  We have all had eye exams at one time or another.  There are so many aspects of eyesight which the doctor examines thoroughly.  When I was about thirteen or fourteen, my mother took me to an ophthalmologist as opposed to an optometrist.  I am not certain of the specific difference.  All I know is the latter is far more exhaustive when he examines his patient.  The doctor which I visited had his office in his house.  One test, in particular, reminded me of flying at warp speed through the stars.  These very small white dots of light flew by my peripheral vision.  It was like I was watching the Enterprise go into warp speed from the observation deck.  One of the standard tests they administer is to read the number that is hidden in the middle of colored dots.  This test looks for colorblindness.  To see the numbers, our brains differentiate the different colors and sort them out to make sense of that which should be there.  It focuses on the right dots and ignores the wrong dots.  It all depends on what our brains choose to dwell on regardless of what is there.

David makes a promise here.  He wasn’t always successful.  There were times his eyes dwelled upon things they should not.  The promise still stood.  Much of our difficulties could be mitigated by controlling our input.  If we take a bit of care in that which enters the eyes and ears, we wouldn’t have to battle nearly as many battles as we do.  If we knew where our enemies were and avoided them, then perhaps we wouldn’t get hurt so much.  It is surprising how much we put before our eyes which we don’t really need.  This takes planning and foresight.  This requires one not to be naïve, understanding wickedness is ever before us.  David makes a vow that he will deliberately control that which he allows his eyes to become drawn to.  In doing so, he saves himself from the trouble he would otherwise have to battle.

Light In The Darkness

“Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” (Ps 97:11 AV)

The word ‘light’ is used here metaphorically.  The word means a luminary.  Like the sun, moon, and stars give their light for a reason, God does the same for us.  The psalmist is not speaking of God’s provision of those sources of natural illumination.  He is not sharing the wonderous truth that God provides candles and lightbulbs.  This light, like all light, is the source of life, growth, direction, and hope.  This light is that provision that enables us to journey through an environment filled with darkness.  This light is promised to the righteous and upright in heart.  This truth is that truth that enables the saint who walks with God to endure through very difficult times whereas those who live in darkness are subjected to the effects of darkness.  As long as we walk with God in righteousness and an upright heart, there is hope and life to be found.

A thought occurred to me.  Since we live in the day and sleep in the night, we are unaware of how dark creation truly is.  If we could travel as they do in science fiction movies or shows like Star Trek, we would notice a truth that escapes us here on earth.  We truly dwell amid the darkness.  The stars, sun, moon, and galaxies may pierce the darkness, but the universe is pretty dark.  There is more darkness than there is light.  We can travel out of the well lite city and notice in the night sky how illuminated it is with all the stars God has placed there.  We can travel a bit farther, escaping all the smog and even pick up the Milky Way galaxy.  But the vast majority of the sky is taken up with darkness.  Darkness is our abode.  This doesn’t mean we have to be subject to it.  We enjoy the darkness, but we cannot permanently dwell in it.  We need a source of light.  A flashlight, a headlamp, or the moon itself is welcomed as we travel along our path.  We need that light to function.  And when there is a light source that pierces the darkness and gives us direction and hope, we are very glad for that light source.  As has happened many a time, a deer hunt in the evening hours can become a challenge.  As night falls and we make our way back to the truck, it is often those lights in the distance that informs us we are traveling in the right direction.

God does not leave His faithful saints in this dark world without hope and life.  He gives the light of His word.  He gives the light of His Spirit.  He gives us the light of His people.  He gives all sorts of sources of light.  The thing is, we can become so accustomed to the dark that we avoid those sources of light that bring hope, peace, and joy to the soul.  We turn off the flashlight as we head to the truck because we enjoy the darkness, and invariably step in a hole, spraining our foot.  Or we shut out all light so we can sleep, but then hear a noise and begin to worry.  Light offers more information.  More input into our brain brings more definition in the darkness.  Light eases the anxiety brought about by ignorance.  Light offers perspective.  Light provides truth.  When God created, the first thing He created was light.  Before He created those natural sources of light like the sun, moon, and stars, He created light.  He foreknew sin would enter His creation and He gave a source of hope and life that would pierce through the darkness of sin to give those who love Him all they need to flourish amid that darkness.  Praise be to God.

It Is Due Him

“Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.” (Ps 96:8 AV)

Names have meaning.  In this verse, the name of God is the reputation of God.  The word for glory means to bring weighty honor.  Honor in abundance.  Not mere passing honor, but honor that is heaped and stacked.  Honor without measure.  Honor that cannot be contained.  There is no limit to the honor owed to the God of all creation.  When the phrase ‘…due unto His name…’ is added, we get the picture this honor is overwhelmingly large.  His name is His reputation.  This honor is due because of what God is, apart from what He has done.  Even if God hasn’t done a thing but created all, we still owe Him glory and honor.  Even if the deists are right, God still deserves all praise.  Even if we are an enemy of God and plan on rebelling all the way to a devil’s hell, He still deserves all the honor we can muster.  Why?  Because God is God and we are not.  Because He has a reputation of grace and benevolence.  Because He has the reputation of love beyond comprehension.  Because God is who and what He says He is, He deserves all the honor we can produce with lips and life.

In a generation of consumers, branding is everything.  Producing a product of great quality used to be sufficient.  It is not so much the case anymore.  Beyond quality and accessibility, a brand name and reputation are what sell a product.  After a while, consumer loyalty takes over where branding started.  In our little community of Milwaukee, two major coffee houses are vying for customer loyalty.  There is the national brand of Starbucks.  Then there is a local roaster called Colectivo.  Colectivo had about six brick-and-mortar stores and two of them have roasting stations.  The customers can watch the master roasters at work.  It is really cool.  These two coffee houses strive to build a brand.  Colectivo may not have the presence of Starbucks, but they are very popular.  They do not advertise outside of their own store advertisements and promotions.  Yet, they built a brand that is synonymous with the city of Milwaukee.  They go hand in hand.  It’s all about the brand.  The name itself sells the product.  The more we are pleased with the brand, the more we brag about it to others.  One doesn’t have to sell the qualities of the product once the brand is established.

We can brag about our favorite coffee.  We can brag about our favorite sports team.  We can brag about our favorite line of fashion.  We brag on a lot.  And not without reason.  We have learned over time those things we brag about have never failed to meet our needs or desires.  When it comes to the LORD, there is no need for Him to brand Himself.  He is the Creator.  No need to sell Himself.  The point is if we are willing to brag on brand names of things that have earned our loyalty, why are we not even more faithful to brag on a God who never needs to prove Himself.  His reputation deserves our praise.  He never fails.  God is always merciful, gracious, and longsuffering.  He has created us to know us and He does so merely by His grace.  The command above is not unreasonable or arrogant.  If we are willing to give praise for material things, it stands to reason we should give glory to God.  Even more so!  No creator or creation should ever receive more glory than God does.  We can favor our favorite brands.  We can recommend our favorite brands.  When it comes to honor, God deserves it all!

Comfort In Mental Discomfort

“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.” (Ps 94:19 KJB)

 

This verse is a bit vague.  We are missing information.  What kind of thoughts is the psalmist having?  Is he having troubling thoughts that require the comfort of God to overcome?  Or, is he having thoughts of comfort which the LORD uses to comfort his soul?  Are these happy thoughts upon happy thoughts with no negative thoughts whatsoever?  Do the thoughts of comfort combat thoughts of discomfort?  If so, how does this work?  The mind can be our greatest enemy.  It is an amazing organ.  Here are some fun facts regarding the brain’s ability to think. “Each neuron can transmit 1,000 nerve impulses per second and make as many as tens of thousands of synaptic contacts with other neurons.  Brain information travels up to 268 miles per hour.  According to the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California, the average brain generates 48.6 thoughts per minute. This adds up to a total of 70,000 thoughts per day.” - Edited and medically reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC | Written by Deane Alban, https://bebrainfit.com/human-brain-facts/.

It is amazing just how much the brain can be deceived.  There was a program on TV called brain games.  It was fascinating.  Each episode concentrated on a specific function of the brain.  In general, these were cognitive functions.  The perception of time, the power of suggestion, or visual acuity were among the varied topics.  The hose would explain the function, but would also illustrate it with normal people on the street.  It was amazing science for the unlearned.  One such episode was on the power of suggestion.  I still remember it well.  The premise was a subject could be guided to make a predetermined choice which the examiner had already set up.  They used a car dealership.  The objective was to have a random test subject choose a particular make, model, and color of a car they might buy.  The ‘magician’ did not use high-pressure sales tactics.  He mere place all around the test subject very subtle suggestions.  As they talked, he inserted very subtle hints.  Perhaps he mentioned a specific color over and again as he described a trip out west.  If he wanted the subject to choose a certain make or model, he would use references to it also embedded in normal conversation.  When the choice was made, it was the exact make, model, and color intended by the host.  Our brains can be manipulated and controlled.  Having an anchor is the best way to safeguard it.  As an absolute point of reference to which all other thoughts are subject to examination.  This is what the writer is referring to.

The misnomer of modern science and counseling is we are helpless victims to our brains.  If we have thoughts, we cannot control those thoughts.  We are helplessly victimized by random thoughts that come into our minds and there is nothing we can do about it.  If they terrorize us, it is something to which we are completely defenseless to combat.  This is not true.  Listen to Paul.   “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2Co 10:5 KJB)  Paul tells us we can control our thought life.  Knowing the triggers that bring those thoughts is the key.  If we could have an advanced warning, then we can stop a thought before it becomes one.  That is the first step.  The stopped thought must be replaced by a right thought.  And this is where the comfort of God to the soul comes in.  We need to replace those thoughts that trouble us with thoughts that that comfort us.  Only by the word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit can this comfort come.

Happy Thanksgiving

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:” (Ps 92:1 AV)

Is this a proof text for the trinity?  The LORD and thy name.  The first is impersonal.  The second is not.  Perhaps the LORD is Jesus and the most High is the Father.  Just a thought.  The main idea here is thanksgiving.  We are celebrating our nation’s duty to thank God above for all the blessings of life.  Each year, the LORD has asked me to conduct a Thanksgiving eve vesper service.  In that service, we read accounts of the first thanksgiving.  It is amazing some of the facts that are revealed that we never knew before.  In between the reading of these passages, our congregation gives praise to God for that for which they are thankful.  Then we sing a verse or two of the testifier’s favorite hymn.  It is really a special evening.  Most are common testimonies.  Salvation and God Himself is the first and foremost of that for which we are thankful.  What we want to see above the first five words.  It is a good thing.  Giving thanks and appreciating what the LORD has done is a good thing.

Thankfulness has a benefit beyond recognizing God for what He has done.  It is the means by which we testify to the world of God’s love and faithfulness.  However, there is a personal benefit as well.  It does the soul good.  There was a perpetual pessimist in my last church.  All he could do is see the dark things of life.  He could not see there is always a positive side.  I challenged him to come up with any scenario where the outcome is only bad news.  Tried as he might, he could not.  Every time he thought of something, I would say, “Yeah, but…”.   A dog with rabies bites me while out soul-winning.  Yeah, but I was able to graciously give the owner a tract, tell them it was no big deal, and share the gospel with them as they were humbly apologetic.  You lose your job, house, and material possessions because your company went bankrupt.  Yeah, but not I am free from all earthly responsibilities and can be adventurous and start all over with a different life.  Your spouse has a serious ailment.  Yeah, but the grace of God which I never knew to be so strong is very real to me.  There is always an upside.  Something for which we can be thankful.

The more thankful we are, the less troublesome life will seem.  Thankfulness may not make the situation any better.  But it will change our experience.  As we look on that for which we are thankful, we will not resent that for which we mourn.  When Zackary left for the mission field and Joshua left for Ohio, those were tough times.  Then God called us to a new church and we had to say goodbye to Nathan.  My parents both passed away through all this as well as two close friends.  To say I lost a lot in a very short time is an understatement.  It tore me up.  However, Lisa and I talked and came up with a phrase that has helped us ever since.  Always be more grateful for what you’ve had than saddened over what you’ve lost.  The LORD may have removed the people, but He didn’t remove the experiences.  He may have sent them away, but they are serving Him or abiding with Him which is far better.  Yes, life hurts.  It always will.  But that doesn’t mean there is nothing for which to be thankful.  It is a good thing to give thanks.  It will heal the soul.

Our Secret Place

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Ps 91:1 AV)

This verse has always intrigued me.  The secret place is what really exercises the mind.  What is a secret place?  Why does it have to be secret?  From whom is it a secret?  If God wants all to experience His grace, why would He keep a place that is secret?  Does this secret place exist for all?  Or, just for a few?  Is this secret place a different place for each individual and is that why it is a secret?  We will consider this in a moment.  I do want to point out the suggestion that the secret place casts a perfect shadow.  In other words, if one is in the secret place, he is always in the shadow.  For this to be the case, the source of overbearing heat and light must be directly above.  This would suggest this secret place can protect in the hottest part of a trial or temptation.  So, what is this secret place that protects us from the harshest of all of life’s situations?  One hint is the meaning of the word secret here.  It means a private place.  It does not mean a place that no one else knows about.  This secret place is a place where one can be by oneself, or in this case, alone with God.

My father had some sort of office in the homes that he owned.  It varied from time to time.  In the house in which I grew up, his office transitioned from one room to the next.  I remember three locations.  The first was downstairs.  There was a mother-in-law apartment that was actually used as spare space.  This apartment had two rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen.  In one of those rooms was all my Dad’s music records as well as a piano and all our instruments.  That room was his office for a few brief months.  Then he moved upstairs to a space that joined two bedrooms.  Off of this space were the master bedroom and the girl's bedroom.  He remodeled this small space into his office.  This, too, lasted but a short while.  He turned that space over to a library.  Eventually, he moved his office into the master bedroom.  My mom was not too pleased.  Then we moved to a more modern house about two hours away.  Here, my Dad was able to claim a downstairs bedroom as his office.  He set up his multiple computers, his desk, all his assembled models, and all of his music collection.  Even though my father used several spaces as his office, there were some constants.  First, no one was allowed in that space unless they had my father’s permission.  Second, no one left anything in that space.  It was my father’s space, alone.  But there was another constant.  When someone was in with my father, we all knew it was a private moment.  Sometimes it was for correction.  Sometimes it was for mutual fellowship.  There were times when someone would enter because he needed permission or guidance.  Whatever the case, when someone went into my father’s office, he knew he instantly had privacy with Dad for whatever need was pressing.

There is a place of prayer and devotion that belongs to you and God alone.  We may pray as a group when assembled to worship or fellowship.  We may share thoughts and concerns as we study the Bible together.  However, there are times (at least once a day) when the soul needs that private time with God alone.  The secret place.  Sometimes that private time includes a special place.  Sometimes it is merely in our living room reclining back.  Or, that secret place could be amid a congregation as the message is preached and the Holy Spirit does His work.  No matter where or when that secret place is, it is always a shadow of protection against the things that threaten us the most.  The choice is ours, though.  Notice our Psalmist uses the word, dwelleth.  To dwell somewhere means we have to travel and arrive.  Once arriving, we must stay.  God will not forcibly place us in the secret place.  We have to go there.  We have to open the pages of His word.  We have to commune with Him by prayer.  We have to open our hearts as we heard the word of God taught or preached.  This secret place has an invitation.  The door is open.  All we need to do is walk right in and stay there.

The More We Use, The More There Is

“For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.” (Ps 89:2 AV)

We have spoken much about the mercy of God.  We have been reminded to accept the mercy of God with humility and gratitude, believing that God loves us and forgives much.  Above, we are reminded that the mercy of God is infinite and is based on His attribute of faithfulness.  The speaker here is the Psalmist.  He is reflecting on God’s blessings to Israel as manifested in the provision of David as their king.  The words above are assumed to be the attitude of David on behalf of the Psalmist.  The Psalmist assumes, correctly so, that David thought and spoke the above words.  This is telling.  David, above everyone else, knew of the mercy of God.  His whole life is a testament to the mercy of God.  Just when he thought he had a handle on life, a challenge or temptation came around the corner.  He failed almost as much as he succeeded.  Every time he did fail, God’s mercy was always there to forgive or encourage.  When David says that mercy is built up forever, he isn’t kidding.

I watched a video the other day on the ballistics property of Oobleck.  Oobleck is an amazing substance.  In its inert state, Oobleck is as viscous as oil.  However, this substance becomes more solid as energy is added.  The more energy, the more it becomes solid.  The host of the video shot several different calibers into this material and it stopped everything he sent downrange.  The host showed, in slow motion so to speak, the nature of this substance.  There was a mess of it on a table.  It poured off the edge of the table as oil would.  He put his hand in the middle of it and it soaked his hand and ran off it.  However, when he punched it as it sat in a bucket, he couldn’t even break the surface.  As he wiped the material off the table, adding the energy of the wiping motion, it turned to a solid.  Then he ran through a bunch of it with his ATV think it might scatter like mud.  Instead, he stuck in between his tire treads like pebbles.  The more energy added, the more resistant it became.

Give that a think. Mercy builds up.  We think of things as being finite amounts.  The more you use, the less there is.  However, David says the more he uses, the more is built up.  This is an amazing thought.  I sin more than anyone else I know.  In our nature, we think the more we sin, the less mercy God has left.  This all depends.  If we are unrepentant, then mercy does run out.  However, no matter how much we sin, if we are repentant, not only do we receive the mercy we need at the moment, but the mercy of God is replenished and increased.  WOW!  What a truly merciful God we serve.  I cannot fathom the mercy of God.  That He would show mercy at all is beyond my understanding.  But, to add to that thought the reality that God adds to His mercy every time we ask for it, is something beyond human understanding.  Truly mind-blowing.  What should happen the more we accept this truth is a motive to make repentance more effective.  Knowing God will shower upon us mercy, we should be motivated to ask for it less.  Praise God for His mercy!  

No Voicemail in Heaven

“In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.” (Ps 86:7 AV)

I love the certainty of the psalmist here.  There is no doubt in his voice at all.  If he prays, he knows God will answer.  He doesn’t even mention being heard.  Being heard is taken for granted because if He answers, then He heard.  I just cannot get past the absolute certainty in the expression above.  God will not only hear.  He will answer.  Which, by the way, is absolutely true.  God always answers.  His answer is a yes, no, or maybe.  But there is always an answer.  Perhaps one of the reasons we do not seek the face of God is we do not want a certain answer.  If we want a yes and we think it is going to be no, then maybe we will not call upon God.  If we want a no, and there is a possibility the answer might be yes, then we may not call upon God.  Or, if we want a yes or no, and the LORD gives us a maybe, we may not think calling on God is worth the effort. One truth is certain.  We call on God because we are certain of an answer even if it is not the answer we were looking for.

I am old enough to remember when phone numbers did not come with answering machines or voice mail.  Back in the day, we had a party line.  This meant several houses shared a phone number and anyone on that party line could pick up the phone and listen in.  Then we got our phone number.  The phones themselves were rotary.  There was a dial with ten holes in it and you put your finger in the hole where the number appeared.   You turned the rotary dial clockwise to a home position and it would return to its original spot.  The distance your finger traveled would tell the phone what number you just dialed.  This was all before the push-button phones.  There were no machines to automatically answer the phone for you.  If the phone rang, it would continue to do so until someone answered or the caller gave up and hung up.  You assumed when you called, there would be an answer.  Today, one almost always assumes a call will go to voicemail.  Or at least half the time one calls.  Ignoring calls becomes all too convenient.  Yet this is not so with God.

Because we are so used to being forwarded to voicemail, we take this experience and apply it to the LORD.  We call on the LORD and we do not expect He might return the call and answer.  Doing so is not praying if faith.  Something James tells us is required to experience answered prayer.  With all that in mind, we can see why the writer is so certain that God was going to answer if he did the calling.  Of course, God will.  We have to see the eventuality of an answer as a guarantee.  If we can see an answer as a guarantee, then we will look for that answer.  God does not have an answering service.  He has no answering machine.  God does not have a voicemail.  God hears every word and He does answer.  His answer will be a yes, no, or maybe.  But there will be an answer.

Our Need For Mercy

“Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.” (Ps 85:7 AV)

Psalm eighty-five is a psalm of the penitent nation of Israel.  We don’t know the writer nor the specific circumstance that gave inspiration to this psalm.  And, in reflection, it doesn’t matter anyway.  Psalm eighty-five is the way of the child of God.  He fails.  God chastens.  He repents. God saves.  It may be this was written during the history of the Judges.  Who knows?  This psalm is a special one to me.  Particularly because I fail God a lot.  The flesh is a constant bane in my life.  It gives me fits and I yield to it far too much.  When I read this psalm and the pleading of the writer, I cannot help but feel that I, nor anyone else, is entitled to the mercy of God.  If it was written during the period of the Judges, it would be easy for the child of God to understand this struggle.  Paul described it in Romans chapter seven.  What must settle in the heart is our need for God’s mercy and the humility to accept it.  Sometimes, we are too proud.  We want to chasten ourselves.  Yet that is not on the table.  Pride is what caused us to fall and if we do not allow the mercy of God to have its work, pride will continue the fall.  Mercy is an important need of the human soul.  Without it, we could never succeed. 

One of the required classes for graduation from Bible college was Speech class.  Among other projects, we were required to amass a speech file.  This would be clippings from newspapers, articles from magazines, or typed-up illustrations or anecdotes.  A joke or two didn’t hurt.  This speech file was compiled over sixteen weeks and was actually quite significant.  At the time of this class, my wife was pregnant with our first child.  I was working two jobs and going to school full time.  Towards Lisa’s third trimester, she developed problems.  One of those complications demanded complete bed rest.  I can’t remember what that condition was called, but it was a rather common one.  What that meant for me was running the house and caring for a patient among working two jobs and going to school.  I dropped the elective classes but still took the required courses.  Speech class was one of them.  Compiling a speech file is not hard.  It is just time-consuming.  There is a lot of reading and organizing.  I started with good intentions.  But as my duties became more demanding, I found myself unable to complete the task.  So, I took my wife’s speech file from High School, required by the same instructor, and relabeled it as my own.  Sure, it was hers.  But we are talking about a collection of illustrations.  The words might be copyrighted, but the collection was not.  Technically, I did the task.  I just chose to go to one source rather than spend hours at a time at the library retyping news articles or passages from a book.  The instructor remembered my wife’s work of five years prior.  However, she was merciful to me and wrote a note that she knew where the file came from, and due to my circumstances, she accepted the work as a pass mark.  Did I need that mercy, or what?

Effective mercy depends on the humility of the receiver.  One needs to be humble enough to admit the need for mercy.  But he also needs to be humble enough to receive it.  And herein is the rub.  We fail so much that part of us desires to punish ourselves.  We want to be the executer of judgment when we fail to please God.  We refuse mercy in an attempt to please God by punishing ourselves.  We cannot understand the balance between justice and mercy.  Our crimes are hideous.  We deserve a devil’s hell.  And if we could send ourselves there, we would.  Yet this is not humility.  This is pride.  Our psalmist has no reservations that stop him from crying out to God for mercy.  He has no reluctance in accepting the mercy for which he cries.  He knows he and the nation stand in need of God’s mercy.  Without it, they will be defeated by their enemies.  So, he cries out.  He needs the salvation of God.  Because the old man is with us until we die, we too need the continuous salvation of God.  Not from hell.  That was settled once and for all.  We need salvation from sin.  For that, we cry.  This is our need for mercy.  This is our cry.  It is up to accept it.

God May Not be Silent At All

“Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.” (Ps 83:1 AV)

There is silence, and there is silence.  The writer here is comparing the perception of God’s inactivity to His silence.  It is not reality.  It is a perception.  Psalm eighty-three is a  psalm of reflection.  The writer, Asaph, is reflecting Israel’s earliest days as they cleansed the land of Canaan.  The early enemies are in view here.  The writer is listing them as he also described the details of their influence.  These enemies of God caused the people of God much trouble.  It took many generations to clean them out.  To cleanse out these nations, it took the entire book of judges plus Saul and David’s reign before there was lasting peace for the children of God.  Looking from the perspective of the writer, for the enemies of God to harass God’s children for 470 years.  For ten generations, Israel was invaded or pillaged by those around them.  Many came because they compromised and God ceased His protection.  This is why there is a misperception of God’s silence.  Other times, it was merely that God was requiring the people of God to fight a bit.  Rather than supernaturally intervening that Israel would not mature, God held back.  But He was not silent.

All silence is not equal.  Years ago, we lived in an apartment along a major road.  The traffic was literally non-stop.  It slowed down overnight.  However, ten seconds would not go by without something coming past our windows.  During the busy times, bumper-to-bumper was not uncommon.  We could always tell when there was a fresh snowfall outside.  Even though the amount of traffic never reduced, the silence was deafening.  Then there was the silence we enjoyed in our country home.  No traffic there.  However, there were crickets, birds, frogs, and other critters that made the presence known.  Barking dogs were also common.  Compared to city living, this silence we very appreciated.  It was quiet, for sure.  Compared to city living, one might say it was silent.  Then there is the silence that is so quiet, one can hear your own heartbeat and breathing.  My wife can be a bit vocal when we fall asleep for the night.  She has a hard time sleeping.  Pain management is the concern.  There is nothing I can do for her which really bothers me.  But I need to get my sleep as well.  So, I will use earplugs now and again.  Listing to my own breathing and heartbeat will induce me to deep sleep.  That is silence.  The reason we do not like perfect silence is perfect silence implies no activity.  There was a research facility that created a room that literally soaked up sound.  No matter the sound, inside or out, the material used soaked up all vibration so the sound could not reach the ears of someone sitting inside.  There is a standing dare.  The creator of this room dares you to sit in this room for one hour.  No one has made it that far.

When the writer is asking the LORD to cease His silence, he is implying God is not working.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  For God to cease working, He would have to die.  And since God is eternal, that will never happen.  Because God lives, He acts.  Because He lives, He is not still.  Much of what God does do goes unnoticed.  Unless what God does is overly dramatic, we usually miss His hand.  We often chalk the hand of God to natural forces or laws.  We assume all that we see occurs because it was put in force by natural events and continues to this day.  Paul tells us that by Christ all things consist.  Everything we see occurs because God directly caused it or allowed it.  His hand may not be as obvious as we would hope it would be, but that does not mean He is silent.  Perhaps what the writer is asking is for open eyes.  Maybe he is asking us to see what God was doing so that he could be encouraged that God was indeed doing something.  Silence suggests inactivity.  But as the snowfall outside was misleading, so to can the absence of God’s dramatic hand.  There is still traffic.  There is still activity.  It simply means we cannot detect it.

Prayer For A Leader

“Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.” (Ps 80:17-18 AV)

This psalm is written by Asaph.  Asaph was the songwriter and choir director assigned by David.  Asaph, being a servant under the auspices of David, felt very strongly for the king of Israel.  This psalm is a prayer for the nation and her king.  The two verses above show the love and concern this priest had for their most beloved king.  We don’t know exactly when this Psalm was written.  It could have been written for Solomon as well.  What struck me were the adjectives used to describe the king.  He is referred to as the right hand of God and the strength of God.  These adjectives might imply this man has no need for prayer.  This is not true.  No matter how strong the man of God might be, he desperately needs the prayers of the people whom he leads.

We think of our fathers as the strongest people alive.  We have seen our dads endure unspeakable circumstances.  I have seen my father go through unemployment with nine kids to feed.  I have seen my father stand up on principle and have to pay a heavy cost.  However, I have seen the most vulnerable time of his life.  Without revealing details, I have seen my father cry only once.  When he did, he let everything go.  The man that I thought was indestructible fell apart at a moment of weakness.  Knowing him as we did, we were not totally shocked, but it was a surprise.  Everyone else would break down as he did.  The loss he suffered was personal and everyone else would fall apart as he did.  But this is a man who never flinched.  He stared down adversity and kept going forward.  As strong as he was, he still needed strength.  Sometimes, we can take it for granted that the strongest people in the world can never be weak.  But they can.

Maybe our dads, civic leaders, or pastors seem strong.  But they are men, too.  They need our prayers.  Not just general ones.  But specific ones.  Prayers that specifically mention needs, vision, and enablement to do that which would make his calling successful.  Prayers for guidance.  Prayers for the Holy Spirit to be an overwhelming influence on his heart and will.  Prayers that open the meaning of the scriptures.  Prayers for help as Moses had Joshua and Aaron.  Prayers for personal holiness and integrity.  Prayers for increased love for those whom he loves.  This leader must be strong.  His people rely upon it. Without strength, the people we feel insecure.  His mind and heart have limits, though.  He can only face so much stress before it begins to wear on him.  He needs your prayers and the more he receives the blessings as a result of your prayers, the better he will be at what he does.  He may be the right hand of God.  He may have been made strong by the LORD to serve as he does.  But there is only so much he can endure.  Pray for your husband, father, civic leaders, and pastor.  He needs more than you will ever know.

What An Alarming Thought

“Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” (Ps 78:41 AV)

To me, this is an amazing verse.  In a negative sort of way.  When we consider exactly what this implies, it stuns the mind.  Let us remember God is omnipotent.  What He decides to do, He will do.  There is no greater.  Mankind, in His sight, are as nothing.  When the writer says the people of Israel limited the Holy One, he is reporting the people did something that kept an omnipotent God from acting.  Think about that one!  This is not a foreign concept.  This event happens quite frequently.  In fact, consider the following: “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Mt 13:58 AV) The context is the history of Israel while wandering in the wilderness.  Time and again, they rejected God’s direction.  They turned up their nose at the manna.  They failed to circumcise their children.  They murmured at the provisions of God.  Time and again they desired a return to Egypt.  Because that generation would not trust and follow God, there was little He could do.  They limited the Holy One.  But just to say those words seems a bit absurd.  To think that lowly mankind can limit an omnipotent God!  This is not to be seen as a good thing, though.  Most of the world sees it this way.  They feel a sense of self-sufficiency of self-determination in flaunting their will against God.  Yet, we want to consider what it means when the child of God does the same thing.

My dog, Toby, is a cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  A Cav, for short. Cavs are great dogs.  They do not bark all that much.  They love people.  And, they are content to do whatever their owners do.  They love to be loved on.  If I don’t have an opportunity as such, he is content to lay on the couch or on his floor pillow.  I have always wanted a dog that I can walk off-leash.  My son has a husky who is trained that way.  He rarely puts her on a leash.  She will obey his every command.  Not a Cav.  Cavs crave attention.  It doesn’t matter if it is human or beast, my Cav wants to be wanted.  When researching this breed, writers were adamant in advising the Cav always be on a leash.  Otherwise, he will chase after people or critters with reckless abandon.  This means, his world is limited to twelve feet in either direction.  His refusal to follow my instructions has shrunk his world.  He is limiting me in the ability to watch over him and keep him safe.  By exercising his will contrary to my own, he is limiting my strengths because he will not trust and obey.  By limiting me, he is really limiting himself.  He just doesn’t realize this.

In the same way, the child of God does the same.  When we will not follow the word of God, this limits the Holy One to a relationship of correcting His child.  Our actions do not make God any less God.  What our disobedience does do is to define the nature of our relationship with God so that He is limited to that nature.  If we refuse to trust Him, we limit that which He can do.  Since God requires faith for many things, He cannot do other things if we choose to abandon faith.  If He requires faith for salvation, choosing not to trust means He is limited.  He cannot save us.  If we refuse to trust Him with our needs, then He cannot fulfill those needs.  By the way, more times than not, we are living on the fruit of someone else’s faith.  The truth of the matter is, there is so much that we do not get to enjoy because we limit what God can do.  Or, we limit how God can do what God will do.  Our challenge is to yield.  Yield in obedience to the word of God.  Yield to the requirement to trust the LORD.  To do otherwise limits an omnipotent God in His options in how He interacts with His children.