The Greatest Gratitude

“You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.”  Isaiah 25:1

 

Tis the season to be thankful, but somehow my scripture readings are in the middle of a major prophet and are filled with the failure and fall of many nations.  Babylon will be swept with the broom of destruction (Isaiah 14:34).  Assyria will be trampled and crushed on a mountain (Is 14:25).  The Philistines will be destroyed by famine (Is 14:30).  Moab’s survivors will be few and feeble (Is 16:14).  Damascus will be filled with disease and pain (Is 17:11).  Egypt will be dominated and desolate (Is 19:4).  And Jerusalem will be battered and beaten (Is 22:5).  Chapter after chapter details doom, devastation, and death, and the repetitive rebellion against God becomes depressing.  But each time I start to despair, verses of hope, nestled between woes of war and wrath, breathe courage and faith into my faltering heart.  “Oh Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago…On this mountain you will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; you will swallow up death forever.  The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.  The Lord has spoken”(Is 25:1, 7-8).  

Those were good words to grab onto in those days, and those are good words to grab onto in these days as the current headlines repeat the harsh and horrid consequences of choosing ourselves over God.  “Five are killed in a California rampage.” Nightclub shooter used online dating to cheat on wife.” “Parents sentenced to 130 years for child abuse.” “Molestation accusations haunt Senate campaign.” “Ex-major gets five years in prison for misconduct.” And today is sadly not an anomaly.  Each day, as Jesus said, has enough trouble of its own.

So why should we be thankful when we feel like those in Isaiah’s time who “will look toward earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom”(Is 8:22)?  Because the story didn’t stop in the dark.  What God told His prophet would happen has happened.  “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders.  And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”(Is 6:1-2,6).  Those verses are most often reserved as Christmas prose—printed on cards or sung in cantatas, but don’t save them for the next season. Savor them during this one, for true thanksgiving begins with gratitude for grace.  We were dark.  We were dirty.  We were desolate.  We were doomed.  But our God, who does marvelous things planned long, long ago, “made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”(2 Cor 4:6).  

As we begin these days of heightened appreciation and notice a bit more the blessings which abound in our lives, let’s make sure our gratitude starts with our greatest need.  We are thankful for much, but we are thankful for Jesus the most.

The Storm

We had a storm. 

The wind blew fast.  The rain blew sideways.  Roofs blew off.  Trees blew down.  Windows blew in.  And hearts blew wide open.  They called it a hurricane, but it was more like a “here-God-came.”  I know He never left, but some days we see Him bigger and brighter, and those days have been this past week.  Just as when the prophet Elijah cowered in his mountainside cave, God’s presence showed up in my little town more in the small and simple than the large and powerful. 

God’s eyes were here the morning after as folks walked streets littered with limbs and downed lines of several kinds to check on those next door and those not so near.  God’s hands and feet were busy as neighbors who saw needs tapped on tarps, hauled off limbs, bagged leaves, chain-sawed trees, sat in long gas lines, and shared generators.  People emptied freezers and fridges and cooked meals for themselves and any they found who were hungry.  Restaurants hooked up generators and prepared meals for little or no cost.  Churches pooled resources and provided food and water, and just as our great Shepherd goes searching for the lost, many traveled paved streets and dirt roads knocking on door after door to find and feed the elderly who couldn’t get out and the immigrants who were too scared to ask for help.

Though during the first few days, all had no power, few had running water, and gas was a scarce and valuable commodity, a request by our police chief for someone to drive a family with a sick child to a town forty miles away was met with thirty responses in only a few minutes.  God’s smile grew even bigger as neighbors whose lives had been too busy to step beyond a casual wave and common greeting pulled up lawn chairs and had long conversations.  Families whose lives had been consumed by cell phones broke out board games and yard games. Kids (and adults) discovered outside again.  Lakes and pools became bathtubs; bathing suits became appropriate attire for any occasion, and a grilled hot dog tasted better than anything gourmet.

As power slowly began to return, the first blessed offered warm showers and washing machines to those still in the dark.  Ladies lined up late at night to retrieve the sweaty, smelly uniforms of non-local power linemen and have that laundry back in their hands before sunrise.  And the supplies began to arrive from afar—blessings of diapers, ice, Ravioli, and bananas—lots and lots of bananas!

It’s only been a week.  Life is not back to normal.  The homes of some have been destroyed.  The homes of most have been damaged.  Many still do not have power.  School hasn’t started back.  Lots of businesses are boarded up.  And the look of the town is different.  It’s beaten and battered, but it’s brighter. Some might say it’s because the lack of trees lets more light in, but I believe the glow comes from God’s love pouring through hearts willing to step in, step up, and share.

The storm was nasty, and none of us want to do it again, but neither do we want our bigger hearts and closer connections to diminish as the recovery increases.  God has been too real and too right here for us to live distant from Him or from each other anymore.

Light does glow brightest in the dark, and this week, Lake Placid has been ablaze.

May God hold and help and keep our hearts wholly His.

The Days Of Our Lives

“Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days….”  Psalm 34:12

Wanna better day?  A better life?  Apply this advice from a sane guy who pretended to be crazy.  “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.  Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it”(vs 12-14).

Times were rough when David penned these phrases.  With a jealous King Saul hot on his trail, David fled to enemy territory and sought refuge with the Philistines.  When his attempt at incognito failed, David faked insanity so the local ruler wouldn’t want him around.  As he praised God for his escape, David called close those who would hear his instruction.  “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord”(vs 11).

“Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days….”  Aren’t we all in that audience?  Don’t we want the days of our lives to be joyful and pleasant?  Don’t we desire to minimize the bad and maximize the good?  To love life and not loathe it?  Then we should listen up and live this out:  “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.”  The biggest mess comes from our mouths.  Watch your words and why you say them.  Trouble turns up when we don’t tell the truth, and life goes south fast when we speak in selfishness or anger.

Correct actions require constant effort, so “turn from evil and do good.”  Though the bad may be tempting, don’t indulge.  You always have a choice, and your decisions determine your days.  “Seek peace and pursue it.”  Resolve to live at peace with God and others. Guilt makes us restless and agitated, so seek peace by shunning sin—and by shutting up.  Every argument isn’t yours to win.  Every discussion doesn’t need your last word.  Staying cool when things get hot is best for all involved.  David knew the pain and the price of evil words and angry actions, and he begs us to be different.

Manage your mouth.  Eliminate the lies.  Abandon what’s wrong.  Embrace what’s right.  And go after peace, even if it means letting go.

Days make up our lives. 

Make the most of both.

Why Holiness?

“Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”  Psalm 29:2

What if He wasn’t?  What if God wasn’t holy?  Would it matter?  Would it make a difference?  David’s instruction to “Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness” invokes images of majesty and glory, but what’s really so splendid about holiness?

Perhaps if God wasn’t so perfect, the pressure on us might be less intense.  If His standards weren’t set so high, we might not need so much help.  God’s demands would surely decrease if He slipped up every now and then.

But is that really what we want?  A God who isn’t always good?  A Father who isn’t forever faultless?  If God isn’t holy, He isn’t God at all, and we are left to wonder and wander in a world of variables with no absolutes.  God’s holiness is what makes right, right and wrong, wrong.  His holiness gives us hope, for only a holy God can serve justice and share grace.   Without God’s holiness, the world would be helpless—and hell.

But God is holy, and heaven rejoices.  The myriad of praises around His throne harmonizes with the relentless rhythm of “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty”(Rev. 4:8).  This ceaseless exclamation is a never-ending declaration of God’s never-faltering perfection.

He is flawless, and we are thankful.  He is beyond our best, and we rejoice.  His character is immaculate, and His actions are impeccable.  “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all”(1 John 1:5).  How holy.  How splendid.

“Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”

There really is no other way.

The One Thing

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”  Psalm 27:4

Pretend you’re standing on a beach holding a brass lamp found buried in the sand.  Its shape hints at its secret, and a hopeful rub will produce a genie and a granted wish.  What would you ask for?  What would you want?

While the scenario is silly, the question is serious.  What is your greatest desire?  What is the one thing you would request if you knew for certain you would receive?  Though life is rarely so straightforward, our response reveals much about our passions and priorities.   Our answer indicates what’s in our hearts and on our minds.

David offers his reply without hesitation in Psalm 27.  “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple”(vs 4).  In short, David desired God.  No one else and nothing less would do.  Though delightfully aware of the blessings those who seek God will find—soul safety, protection, and security (vs 5-6)—David’s focus was not God’s hands but His face.  He wanted to live with God, look at God, and spend time with God.  “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek” (vs 8).

In the eyes of many, David already had it all.  He had climbed the ladder of success from shepherd to sovereign.  He was popular and powerful.  His home was fancy; his bank accounts full. Women adored him, and men admired him.  David had fame, fortune, and a family, but they weren’t enough.  Only God would do.

David wanted to be up-close and personal with this God who was his light, salvation, and stronghold (vs 1).   He wanted to move in to God’s presence and never move out.  He wished to be where God was.  In David’s day, God’s residence on earth was a gold-plated wooden box—the ark of the covenant.  David had moved the ark to Jerusalem and placed it in a special tent so he could be near God’s presence, but he longed for so much more.  He yearned for the day when the barriers would be obliterated and he could see his beautiful God face to face.

David’s desire should inspire us, for his dim glimpse of God hardly compares to our bright panorama.  Bethlehem’s star lights the path to His glorious cross where we’re stunned by the mixture of justice and mercy.  The empty tomb shatters the dark dread of death, and we see in living color the promise of eternity.  God’s presence is our present—the gift of His Spirit until we get home.  “God who said, ‘Let shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6).  In the face and grace of Christ we see the beauty of God, and we should never look away.

Don’t want more from God; want more of God.

You always get your wish when God is your desire.

Soul Sharing

“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.”  Psalms 25:1

While all of us share some with some, most of us tell all to none.  The reasons vary.  Too risky.  Too redundant.  Too revealing.  But just because we don’t share, doesn’t mean they aren’t there—those hopes, fears, and feelings which mix in our souls and make us who we are.

Our lack of disclosure is often wise (everybody doesn’t need to know everything), but there is One to whom we can divulge all the details and it still be good.  “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul,” David declares(vs 1). “In you I trust, O my God,” he exclaims(vs 2).  Those around David didn’t understand how he felt.  They didn’t sense his fears or know his faults.  David was lonely and troubled (vs16).    He was miserable and had messed up (vs18), so he looked to God and lifted up his soul.  “My eyes are ever on the Lord”(vs 15).

“Pour out your hearts to him,” David instructs us, for God can be totally trusted(Ps. 62:8).  He won’t turn on us or against us.  He doesn’t shame us or shun us.  He listens; He loves; He will never leave.  Such security gives us confidence to confide in Him, to disclose our anxieties, ambitions, and inadequacies.  We don’t do life well on our own.  God knows we need His help, so admit it and ask Him.  “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long”(vs 4-5).

Be honest about who you are, and be honest about what you’ve done.  God knows all your sin—past and present.  In the goodness of His grace, He has wiped it away, so don’t let guilt get in the way. “Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good.  For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great”(vs 7,11).  Since you can’t hide your wrong from God, hand it to Him and let Him handle it.

You will never tell God anything He doesn’t know, but He will tell you much you need to know.  “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them”(vs 14).  God whispers Himself to those who are close, to the ones who communicate with Him and cherish Him.  Such intimacy is not awkward but amazing, and is the deepest desire of both God’s heart and ours.  Lift up your soul and be fully known and fully loved.

Do some soul-searching about your soul-sharing.

Life is best when lifted up.

Ultimate Ownership

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.”  Psalm 24:1

It’s all His.  Every acre, every account, and every asset.  Everyone you can hold and everything you can have all belongs to God.  His ultimate ownership has existed since creation, and no desire or design of man can alter the arrangement.  It’s all His.  Princes and paupers both need the reminder.

When we’re concerned about cash to cover the bills or a roof to cover our heads, knowing it’s all His brings comfort and confidence.  The previous psalm (Psalm 23) aptly declared that if God is our guide, our needs will be supplied.  “Do not worry,” Jesus said, “about what you will eat or drink or about what you will wear. Your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things”(Matt 7:25,32). He distributes His wealth as He wishes and will always care for His own. Through various manners and methods, resources will be provided for the essentials of life.  (It’s good to remember that the extras are optional, so if we are required to let go of a possession—or if we never acquire one we really want—it obviously isn’t a necessity.)  The One who owns the riches of the universe will see to it that we have what we need.  It’s all His.

Th0se same three words which bring peace in our austerity also bring purpose in our abundance, for if we’re honest, rarely is the cupboard bare, the closet empty, and the garage able to be described as sparse.  Most likely we have a surplus of stuff which overflows from dressers, attics, and sheds.  A culture of acquisition influences our homes and our habits, and we often find ourselves figuring out how to get more.  

Loads of money and lots of things aren’t always bad as long as we understand they’re part of a time-share.  During our time on earth, God shares some of His stuff with us.  Before we arrived, someone else managed it.  After we’re gone, He’ll pass it on to others.  But for the few years in between, He entrusts us with treasure to enjoy and employ.  You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead, so “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven”(Matt. 6:20).  Use your possessions and your pocketbook well.  Always put people before things, spend and share your resources to deepen relationships with others, and support God’s work locally and globally.

If having more in your name brings glory to His, sign away, but remember Who holds the deed.  It’s all His.

Hold on loosely.

Use it wisely.

Invest eternally.

We couldn’t have a better landlord.

The Song of a Happy Sheep

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd.  I will never lack anything I need.

In Him I find rest, satisfied and secure in His lush goodness.  In Him I am refreshed as my desires are fulfilled by His purity and perfection—not with the stagnant or toxic reservoirs of this world.  In Him I am restored, for each time I fall, He gently picks me up, brushes me off, and sets me back on my feet.

Every moment of the day He leads me along the path that is best for me and brings Him glory.  Even as I travel through life’s deep, dark valleys, I am never alone.  Tears may fall from anguish and grief but never from being abandoned or forgotten.  The rod of His Word comforts and corrects me.  The staff of His Spirit connects and counsels me.  He keeps me close, and I know all will be okay.

He goes before me and gets the future ready.  Those who want to bring me down see His preparation and power, and they stay away when He is near.  He coats me with the oil of His presence, for His love, joy, peace, and patience help repel irritation and reduce confrontation.

Just as a cup spills out when filled beyond its brim, my heart overflows with the Lord’s abundant blessings.  Each day of this life, I can leave behind His goodness and love everywhere I go, and in the next, His home will be my permanent address—forever.

Living Proof

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”  Psalm 19:1

It’s very obvious that God is. 

Only the blind can’t see His beauty.  Only the deaf can’t hear His voice.  Each morning cries out His character, and each evening exclaims His praise.  “The heavens declare the glory of God…Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge”(vs 1-2).  Everyone everywhere should be listening for “there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world”(vs 3-4).

On a canvas of sky God has written His works.  Like a happy man on his wedding day, the sun beams as it steps onto the horizon.  Like a champion racer who loves to run, this blazing fireball zips around its track.  Just as none can escape the sun’s heat, no one has a valid excuse for a hard heart “for since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and his divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (Romans 1:20). Creation is our first clue that God is real and really cares.

What He says is our second.  On a canvas of stone God wrote His words—for Moses to pass on to us.  His perfect law, trustworthy statutes, right precepts, and radiant commands, give us life, make us wise, bring us joy, and help us discern.  More precious than gold, His sovereign law, and the rest of the Scriptures, are sweet and nourishing.  “By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward”(vs 7-11).  What God says shows us who we are and shows us who He is.

And on the canvas of our souls God writes His will—His desire for us to be His and His alone, His passion for us to live in His grace and His strength.  In Him we find forgiveness—“Forgive my hidden faults”(vs 12).  In Him we experience victory—“Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me”(vs 13).  And in Him we discover the reason and the purpose for every word we say and every thought we think—“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer”(vs 14).

The One who lit the sky is our Lord.

The One who wrote on the rock is our Rock.

The One who rights our wrongs is our Redeemer.

May our lives declare His glory. 

May our lips proclaim His praise. 

May we be living proof of His power.

And may we never be silent.

The Perfect Love Song

The Perfect Love Song

“As for God, his way is perfect.”  Psalm 18:30

Finally. After years of being threatened, trailed, badgered, and battled, David was finally free—free from “the hand of Saul and all his enemies.”  When the Lord delivered David from his foes, he sang a song to God, a love song with lots of verses.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength,” the ballad begins(vs 1).  This adored Deity is David’s rock, his fortress, his deliverer.  He is David’s refuge during the rough times and his protection during peril.  David’s relationship with God didn’t shield him from danger or difficulty, but it did guarantee he had someone to turn to when life turned south.  “The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me…In my distress I called to the Lord….My cry came before him, into his ears”(vs 4-6).

With the most picturesque description of power in the Bible, David then sings of God’s salvation. The earth trembles from divine anger as our fire-breathing God splits the sky and soars to earth.  Swathed in darkness and shouting thunder, God’s lightning arrows scorch His enemies while a blast of His breath scatters the sea.  “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of the deep waters.  He rescued me,” David exults(vs 7-17).

Such deliverance inspires confidence and incites praise.  “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall,” David boldly exclaims(vs 29). “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!  Exalted be God my Savior!” he joyfully revels(vs 46), and, in unashamed amazement, David declares the mind-blowing truth, “You stoop down to make me great”(vs 35).  

Had David been allowed to edit his own life story, he would surely have erased the times of trouble, the years of being a fugitive, the many confrontations with his enemies and adversaries, but instead of complaining about past circumstances, David rejoices in his rescue and rests in God’s sovereignty.  As he looks back on his journey of struggle and salvation, he can only sing, “As for God, his way is perfect” (vs 30).

God stooped down to make us great.

God stooped down to give us grace.

The least we can do it lift up our love.

God and the Good

“I said to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”  Psalm 16:2

God and good go together and can’t be split up.  No matter how hard we try, it’s impossible to have one without the other.  If you have God, you have what is good for “the Lord is good” (Ps 100:5). If you have something good, God is involved because “every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17).  If you take GOD out of GOOD you’re left with O—nothing. This truth is not a clever play on words but the striking reality which prompted David’s admission and submission in Psalm 16. 

“I said to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing”(vs 2).  Faced with this fact, David bowed his heart and said, “God, You are the ruler of my life. There’s nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to where I can find anything of lasting value or worth.”  Though we know this to be true, the siren song of distractions and desires is strong, but when our chasing of dreams or delights pulls us away from God, we only catch heartbreak and hurt, for “the sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods” (vs 4). 

To avoid the pain of vain pursuits, vow with David, “I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips” (vs 4).  In other words, make sure your worship and your words aren’t giving your best to what isn’t best because only God has “made known to you the path of life”(vs 10), only God “will fill you with joy in His presence”(vs 12),  and only God has prepared for you “eternal pleasures at His right hand”(vs 11).

God isn’t only in the good; God is the good.  Submit and stay close.

There’s nothing good about not being near God. 

Still Standing

“The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne.”  Psalm 11:4

A quick look or listen to media of any sort makes obvious the fact that glorifying God and enjoying Him forever is not the goal of the majority.  Most are focused on self-promotion and self-gratification with little consideration of the One who created and sustains them.  Sadly, the relentless pursuit of power, treasure, and pleasure leads them to not only discard the boundaries God established for our protection and delight but also to disdain those who hold to such unchanging truths.

Ours is not the first generation to face a degenerating social and spiritual culture.   Almost three thousand years ago, David felt the fire of being surrounded by an enemy aiming flaming darts at the very center of who he was and what he believed.  “Look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart”(Ps 11:2).  And David ran—straight to the One who is truth.  “In the Lord I take refuge”(Ps 11:1). 

Traditions, standards, and even laws shift and switch with the whims of man, so much so that we feel (and fear for) the earth trembling beneath our feet.  Sensing this terror in his time, David wondered, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”(Ps 11:3), but he answered his own question with the assurance that the true foundation will never crack or crumble. “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne”(Ps 11:4). He is the same almighty, holy, righteous, compassionate, gracious, and good God—yesterday, today, and forever, and though heaven and earth may pass away, what He has said will remain past time (Matt 24:35).

Two thousand years ago, the apostle Paul encouraged his friend, Timothy, that though many around them had twisted the truth of Christ, the basis of their belief was a “bulwark never failing.”  “God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription, ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness’”(2 Tim 2:19). The two statements complement and complete each other.  The first declares our salvation—God knows His own.  We need not need fret about our eternal security for our relationship with God depends solely on His righteousness and not ours.  The second denotes our sanctification—God is transforming His own.  The result of that relationship is progress in the process of following Christ daily.

A growing understanding of the grace we’ve been given should encourage us in the power of the gospel to bring about change that is good—one person at a time.  We should be informed and engaged, holding unswervingly to our faithful God and His truth, and knowing without doubt that though the temporary may topple, “I lay in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a  sure foundation; the one who trusts in Him will never be dismayed”(Isa 28:16).

When things seem to be crumbling on earth, look to heaven.

God’s sovereignty and His salvation are (and always will be) still standing.

The Living Will

“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart.”  Psalm 9:1

Sometimes after a loved one has been laid to rest, the rest of the bunch get restless.  How will the assets be divided?  How will the heirlooms be dispersed?   Battles are waged, families split, and courts get crammed with cases of people fighting for their fair (or unfair) share of what’s left—despite what might be right.  But no matter individual wants or wishes, the will determines what each will get.   

A written will expresses the desires of the deceased, but David begins this psalm by writing a living will.  “I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.  I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High”(vs 1-2).  David doesn’t wait until he’s gone to start giving. 

More than a plan for the future, David’s will states what’s going to happen now.  Right now.  He will praise.  He will tell.  He will rejoice.  He will sing.  He will give adoration and witness.  He will share his heart and lift his voice.  In spite of the difficult circumstances around him—“O Lord, see how my enemies persecute me!” (vs.13)— David chooses to bless the Lord and bless others with his generous spirit. 

As children of the King, we have access to infinite assets, and the legacy we leave behind is based on how we live before we’re gone.  Be intentional with your inheritance. Make out your will and state it clearly. Adore the Lord with all your heart.  Tell others the wonders of His love.  Be glad and rejoice in God.  And open your mouth and sing His praise.

The best wills aren’t about what we get but about what we give.  

Don’t wait until tomorrow; begin living your will today.  

Looking Up

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?”  Psalm 8:3

Ever looked up?  And just kept on looking?  During the day, billowing clouds silhouette against a monochrome canvas which transforms before dusk into a diverse palette of brightness and beauty.  As the darkness of night envelopes the sky, layers of stars twinkle far into the deep.  Planets glow, and the moon glistens.

But what lies way beyond the blue?  What’s behind this vastness we call space?  The answer is more who than what—God and His glory.  “You have set your glory above the heavens,” the psalmist declares(vs 1), and yet this infinite God, whose majesty explodes from all corners of the universe, pleasures in the praise of even His smallest creatures.  “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise”(vs 2).  

Why?  Why with a cosmos so majestic and bold does God even bother with us?  “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?”(vs 4)  Does God need us?  Is He deficient without us?  Not at all.  Our self-fulfilling, all-comprehensive God requires none to be complete.  It was not lack but love that drove Him to play in Eden’s dirt.  His desire for us and His delight in us compelled His creation of man.   

We may be small but we are special.  Swirling galaxies can never make God smile as much as our simple gratitude.  Exploding nebula can never lift Him higher than our joyous worship.  And the enormous cavern of expanding space can never hold more of God than our humble hearts. 

The next time you look up and wonder why God looks down, remember that you are the reason.

Trouble Tunes

“O righteous God bring an end to the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.”  Psalm 7:9

Most people who inspire songs are loved, admired, or at least respected, but not this guy.  He was angry, mean, and against David.  His name was Cush, and he was a Benjamite.  This kinship to King Saul made him consider the up-and-coming David a royal pain, and he set out in a rage to eliminate the competition—literally.

In terrible trouble, David composed a song “which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.”  The lyrics were neither sweet nor soothing but were desperate appeals of faith to the One who controlled David’s fate.  “O Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me”(vs 1-2).  As a shepherd, David had picked up mangled lambs after many lion attacks, but now he felt the horror of being hunted.

Cush wasn’t settling the score, for David was innocent of evil against him.  “If I’m guilty,” he cried to God, “then let my enemy overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust”(vs 4-5).  Since David knew he was not to blame, he begged for vindication.  “O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring an end to the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure”(vs 9). 

Haven’t we all sung that song before?  Aren’t we still singing it?  The innocent are often harmed.  The guilty evade justice.  Evil seems to triumph over good, and the ones who are right end up being wronged.  Yet, because of God’s ultimate authority and His incorruptible character, we can trust Him with the outcome and join with David on the final chorus. “I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High”(vs 17).

When something or someone bothers you or bullies you, sing to the Lord.  Seek His help, state your case, and stand strong in His sovereignty. 

The enemy may attack and roar, but he can never rip your soul to pieces.

Your tune in troubled times can always be, “It is well.”