Out and Up

“But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.”  Psalm 3:3

The situation was scary and sad.  As a rebel army approached the capital city, David chose to flee instead of fight the enemy—his own son.  The fickle hearts of a nation had turned their allegiance to the suave and sly Absalom, so David ran.  With bare feet and a covered head, he wept as he climbed the Mount of Olives and headed to the desert.  An angry man from Saul’s family darted beside him hurling curses, dirt, and stones.  In his distress, David began to sing—a song of plea, peace, and promise.  “O Lord, how many are my foes!  How many rise up against me!  Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him’”(vs 1-2).

David began with the facts—the raw reality of his situation.  He had been betrayed by his subjects and his son, and though a few still stood by his side, most had turned from him and turned on him.  The general consensus was that this time even God wouldn’t help him out. 

But David knew better.  He knew his God better and he knew himself better.  “But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head”(vs 3).   The facts couldn’t drown David’s faith.  He wasn’t about to go under but was being lifted up by the One who protected him, who listened to him, who answered him.  “To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill”(vs 4).

In the middle of the treachery and terror, David could sleep.  He could rest in assurance that all would be well and that he would wake up.  “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.  I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side”(vs 5-6).

 “Arise, O Lord!” David cried.  “Deliver me, O my God!” he pleaded(vs 7).  And God did.  Absalom was defeated, and David’s kingdom was restored.  “From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people”(vs 8).  

No matter how deep or dark your current situation, know that no plans of man can overthrow God’s purpose or override God’s peace. Don’t let the facts drown your faith, and don’t let them scare you and steal your sleep. 

You’re not going under.  You’re being lifted up.
Rest in Him.

The Blessed Beginning

“Blessed is the man….”  Psalm 1:1

The psalmbook begins with a blessing (the positive) for what we don’t do (the negative).  “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers”(Ps. 1:1).  Since the progression is really a regression, let’s start with the best of the worst.

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.”  Note that the psalm-writer does not say, “Blessed is the man who does not walk with the wicked,” for each day we journey through life with both those who know Jesus and those who need to know Him.  Our circle of influence and affection should include the godly and the ungodly, for where else will they see the footprints of Jesus if not in our steps?  Love them freely and graciously for God loved us when we were far away (Ephesians 2:13).  No, the blessing does not come from lack of association but from lack of agreement.  Though bits of sound advice and surely some wisdom can be found among friends who lack faith, their counsel is never centered on God’s plan and purpose.  What they say may be common sense or even seem to make the most sense, but when we’re making a choice, which carries the most weight?  Their words or God’s Word?  The one who chooses God’s best over any else’s good will be blessed.

Blessing also comes when we don’t “stand in the way of sinners.”  If we’re standing, it means we’ve stopped walking.  We’ve halted forward progress to hang out with those who live in rebellion and without regard for God.  When we’re following God’s way, we don’t need to pause and check out a different path.  We’ve been down that road before, and the final destination isn’t so fine. 

Unless we’re careful not to walk in agreement with people who aren’t seeking God and not to stand around soaking in their habits and behavior, we will soon find ourselves sitting with those who scorn our precious Savior.  “Blessed is the man who does not…sit in the seat of mockers.”  We sit when we’re comfortable in our surroundings—when we feel like we belong and not just dropping by. We can’t be blessed by God if we’re busy bashing God, but before we hastily and haughtily denounce those who speak against Him, let’s be quick to remember that God can be mocked by more than a mouth.  Our actions and attitudes speak louder than our words.

The safeguard against this regression into unrighteousness is stated in the next verse. “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.”  We are blessed when we avoid what pulls us away from God and when we avidly pursue what draws us near—His Word.  God’s Word should delight our hearts and dominate our thoughts.  “The words I have spoken to you, they are spirit and they are life,” Jesus declared (John 6:63), and we should know them well.

If we do, we will flourish and be fruitful in all the seasons of life—“He is like a tree planted by rivers of water that bears fruit in season.”  We will not lack anything we need—“His leaves also will not wither,” and we will fulfill God’s purpose in all we do—“and whatever he does will prosper.”

God’s blessings begin but they never end.

Live blessed.

Summer Songs

“I will sing to the Lord all my life.”  Psalm 104:33

Something about summer makes us sing. 

From the rhythm of oldies hit “Sum Sum Summertime” through classic reminiscing in “Summer of ‘69” to recent exultations of “What Time Is It?  It’s Summertime!” the anticipation of relaxed schedules, lazy evenings, and fun vacations tempts even the least melodic among us to hum a happy tune.

“Is anyone happy?” James inquires. “Let him sing songs of praise,” he then advises(James 5:13). The joy in our hearts should flow through our mouths, and we should sing to the One who is worthy and wonderful and who has blessed us with abundance and delight. But music is not to be reserved for days of sunshine alone.  We should sing in the storms and in the rain, pouring out our struggles and sorrows to the One who is worthy and wonderful and who walks with us through the mud of this life and dries our tears in the next. As Elton John aptly crooned, “Sad songs they say so much.”

Never have happy or sad songs said so much as they do in Psalms—the hymnbook of the Bible. Through the verses and refrains in the 150 songs of Psalms, the cries and cheers of many musicians are recorded for us to read, hear, and take to heart.  Some stanzas were composed to celebrate a specific day or special circumstance.  Others were penned as learning aids of something new or as reminders of something old.  But most are the spontaneous offerings of honest hearts.  The words are raw with passion and pain, and the candid lyrics lace together the awe of God and the awfulness of life. This summer my prayer is that devotions about some of the Psalms will lead you to take a closer look at the entire album.  I pray that you will listen and learn.  And I hope that as their psalms become your songs, you will find yourself singing along.

During these days when the tilt of the earth invites longer and brighter rays from the sun, may the inclination of our hearts be the same.  May our delight and distress find harmony in the One who is holy. And no matter the season of our soul, may we sing.