this morning I read psalm 142-144.  I came across these verses…

[Psa 144:12-14 ESV] - May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace;
may our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!

Visiting the farm this week and the surrounding farmland and communities where my dad and mom grew up brings some of this to light.  However, for most of us, the references to farming and crops and livestock go over our head.  We don’t really have a clue about the importance and life dependence on these things, mainly because we get our stuff from a grocery store.  We are still dependent up on these things, it is just that we are often removed from them in this day and age and we purchase with desk work rather than land work in many ways.

As a parent,  I grapple with how to raise my children.  even  verse 12 is difficult for these days.  We don’t often see the importance of the health of a plant or the pillar in a palace.  A healthy, mature plant is not easily taken down by pests and pestilence.  It is strong and healthy, drawing deeply from it’s roots.  We don’t frequent palaces, but corner pillars support the building, these mentioned are polished and beautiful.  more on this later, the children (speaking of) just woke up… think about your children, now, or grown or future… how do you desire them to be raised?  It doesn’t happen by chance, but by a plan.

this morning I read from about Psalm 120-141.  This past week I was working pretty long hours to get ready for vacation and getting all my hours in and all that. I was up early and getting to bed late.  Most of my time was spent with my audio bible (ESV-Max McLean) in Exodus and Leviticus because that is where Brighton and I have been reading.  That had enough quandries of it’s own that I’ve been wrestling with.  More on that later.

As I finished up reading today in Psalm 141, I again am alerted to David’s continual pleas to the Lord to save him and keep him .  check it out…

[Psa 141:3-4 ESV] - Set a guard, O Lord , over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!  Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!

Let us as well ask for similar protection and keeping from evil.  Like Daniel, let us not partake of the delicacies of the world, that we are to be set apart.  Let there be a clear difference between us and the world.

Let our hearts not incline to evil.  Set us apart.

this morning I read psalms 120-134.  Many of them are songs of ascents.  I need to figure out what exactly that means.  My guess is songs sung on the way to the temple.

Here is something that caught my thoughts, especially in this culture of distraction.

Psalm 131

A Song of Ascents. Of David. O Lord , my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

Who of us has calmed and quieted our soul, that our hope would be in the Lord forevermore.  Things rage before me, taking my attention.  Think about the picture of the weaned child.  Weaning is a process that eventually goes cold turkey.  The weaned child no longer wants the breast, but is calmed on his own.  Have we weaned ourselves from the world and it’s things so that all we want now is God?

Sometimes I think I have and then sometimes I find that I have not.  May we be weaned of all that distracts and keeps us from being satisfied in the Lord alone.

this morning I read Psalm 119.  The writer covers so much in this longest of psalms.  The thing that stood out to me this morning is the different ways the psalmist gives his pleas to God as he worships Him.  The Psalmist clearly states the things that we should do in efforts to keep God at the center of our lives.  Meditating on His word, delighting in His word and His law, seeking him in all things.  So one might think that the psalmist is giving a prescription of things to do.  The psalmist is also speaking of his enemies and also speaking of his own righteousness and right living.  Again, this makes one think that this could be a relationship with God based on works and on behavior and obedience.  Yet  when you read through it there is something else that is sprinkled throughout the psalm…

[Psa 119:33 ESV] - Teach me, O Lord , the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.
[Psa 119:34 ESV] - Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
[Psa 119:35 ESV] - Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
[Psa 119:36 ESV] - Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
[Psa 119:37 ESV] - Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
[Psa 119:38 ESV] - Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared.
[Psa 119:39 ESV] - Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.
[Psa 119:76 ESV] - Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.
[Psa 119:77 ESV] - Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.
[Psa 119:116 ESV] - Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
[Psa 119:117 ESV] - Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually!
[Psa 119:132 ESV] - Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name.
[Psa 119:133 ESV] - Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
[Psa 119:134 ESV] - Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts.
[Psa 119:135 ESV] - Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.

throughout the psalm, you see this.  An asking for God to intervene, to work in the heart, to act on our behalf.  A knowledge that we cannot do it alone, the goodness we have is HIS.  The love we have is because of HIM and our position before HIM is by HIS work.

My favorite verse today:

Your promise is well tried,
and your servant loves it. - [Psa 119:140 ESV]

I have rested on God and found him trustworthy, I have found Him true and I have found Him beautiful.  I love the promises of God and I love God.  Not perfectly, not as I will one day, but as He has enabled and drawn, I love Him.  I cannot fathom the why, for there is no reason other than grace and mercy. Yet, He has redeemed me, of this I am confident and He keeps me secure.  I love because I am loved and loved very well.

peace!

Today I read Psalms 108-112

A few verses in Psalms 110 and 111 gave me pause.  You will have to read it for yourself  ( Psalm 110 and Psalm 111).

I guess what really hits me is that we (the collective American we) get all wrapped up in the fact that the Lord is Love.  Yes, the Lord is Love.  But if we stop there, then we are in danger of leaving that at our definition of Love which is often more fickle and based on feelings.  The Lord is Love and the Lord is many other things like Just, Pure, Holy, Perfect.  Without these and other characteristics and attributes, then we can’t understand or even fathom who He is or what He does, especially if we consider ourselves pretty good and not the sinful wretches that we are.  (one of my favorite shirts is the one that says “I am the wretch that song talked about”.

Look at verses 110:5-7.  God has wrath in store for the world, the nations, the kings, the people.  Not because He is cruel, but because He is perfect, we are evil and we have gone against Him, and in face, rejected Him at every turn (we is the collective we of the people of the earth, some people are redeemed and at peace with God and will enter eternity while still experiencing some of the earthly wrath here that the nations are subject too, subject for another day).

Psalm 111 is titled Great are the Lord’s works.  Yes, great they are.  His redemption of Israel from Egypt (the time of Moses).  God pretty much destroyed Egypt, or rather, it’s military and king at that time.  We reading Exodus say Yay! for the Israelites, but how do we feel about the plight of the Egyptians.  Likewise, other nations will be subject to destruction and shattering.  111:9 says that God sent redemption to His people; He has commanded his covenant forever.  He gave grace first.  People miss that and screw everything up.  God didn’t say “Do what I say, then I will save you!”.  No.  Absolutely No.  God saved them and then gave the command.  Likewise, we cannot step into His presence and say “I was good, I followed your rules, you have to save me”.  For one, we really haven’t.  And for two, if we depend on that, we are accountable for all the law, even one transgression.  No.  God has sent His redemption in Jesus Christ, the fulfiller of all the Law for us and has told us to follow Him and trust in Him, not our inability to fulfill the Law and by this, God saves us. Not by our following of the rules.  His redemption came first.  When we accept His redemption (Christ) He changes us that we are then able to please Him in what we do.  We don’t do it perfectly, but Christ covers our sin with His perfection.

just some thoughts.  By what do you believe you will be redeemed? Your good works and noble life? Or Christ Jesus who lived perfectly, Died horribly and paid your penalty due for your sin that you would be redeemed?

Peace.