Expect Him to Show Up and Do Great Things

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—Whom shall I fear?   God is my safe place!  My refuge and fortress.  I will dread no man!

When evil came against me to devour me, the enemy stumbled and fell.  Even when an army surrounds me, my heart will not fear.

Though a war break out against the saints, even in this situation I am confident.  

For I have asked one thing of God.  There is only one thing I want.  I want to live in the house of the LORD forever.  I want to be in His presence all the days of my life.  I want to see Him with my own eyes and look upon the wonders of Heaven and witness the majesty of the LORD.

For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter.  In the secret place He has set aside to protect His children, I am safe.  He has a house made of granite that I will live in all the days of my life.  I am safe in this indestructible house on the Rock. 

My vision extends beyond the trouble.  I see above my enemy's heads.  I see God the King in charge of who seems to be in charge.  I will sing of Him!  I will sing of Him and be glad that He is the King of kings.  There is nothing to dread. 

Hear my prayer, O Lord my God.  Be gracious and compassionate to Your people and answer our cries.  You told us to seek Your face in prayer and that our greatest need was Your presence.  The Deep in me responded to Your call for me to go deeper and I said, "Indeed, Lord, I will seek Your face."

Please do not hide Your face from me,  I know that I am undeserving on my own but I ask for You to be my help.  To make up for my weakness.

Do not abandon me and leave me on my own.  I am nothing without You, God of my salvation!

Even when some parents abandon their own children I know that You will have adopted me and will never abandon me.

Teach me to be like You.  Never to abandon someone.  Teach me Your ways, Lord.  Help me walk a level path.  Some days I walk through dangerous territory.  Do not give up on me.  Do not let my enemies triumph over me.  They will even conjure up false witnesses against me and try to take me down.  Do not give me up to them, Lord.  Be merciful to me in because of these violent, bloodthirsty foes.  I cast my self at your feet.

If it wasn't for You and Your goodness and kindness that You have shown me over the years I would have despaired.  But I believe in You.

So my brothers and sisters that live in this dark world with me.  Wait for the Lord.  Be confident in Him.  Be strong and let your heart take courage.  Expect Him to show up and do great things. 

For He will.

You Are the Path I Walk and My Destination

Prove to my enemies that I am not like them.  That I walk my talk and live the life.  I have trusted and relied on You.  I am confident in You, LORD.  You are my Rock.  I am on solid ground. I will not slip and fall.

Examine my heart, O LORD.  Keep me humble and vigilant.   Test my heart and mind.  Let my mind and heart be fixed on You.

Fixing my eyes on You isn't hard when I think about You and how kind and good You are.  You are the path I walk and You are my destination.

I will not sit with deceitful and unethical people.  I will not live a worthless life like so many.  I will not seek friendship with pretender and self-righteous hypocrites.  I have always been sickened by evil.  I will not take part in it.  

I will wash my hands in innocence when I come to You.  Cleanse me of all sin and make me new. Help me maintain a stainless soul.  When I come to You in prayer let me come with a sincere heart and not a heart of hypocrisy that longs for human recognition.  All that matters is that You hear my prayer.  It does not matter what man thinks of me.

From the place of forgiveness I will proclaim in public thanksgiving that I am free because of all the work that You did for me.  I will declare Your wonders out loud, in public for all the hear. 

O Lord, I love being in Your living room, the place where Your glory dwells.  There is no other place I want to be.  You are my fortress.  Keep me here.  Do not let me be pulled down into sin.  Do not sweep my soul away with sinners.  Keep me set apart from a life of bloodshed.  Please keep me from falling into the traps of the men with wicked schemes of getting rich. 

I want to walk like You.  I want to be a man of integrity.  I want you to constantly redeem me from the pit.  I'm asking Youto be merciful to me, a sinner.  Be gracious to me. 

I feel like I am standing on level ground.    From this stance of freedom and grace I will bless Your Name in the Congregation.

PSALM 26

We Trust the Trustworthy God

January 25, 2016 - Psalm 25

In You alone, do I put my trust. I trust in You the trustworthy God of Heaven who has never let us down.  I will not be put to shame. Do not let my enemies triumph over us. I believe that those who hope in You will never be put to shame but instead shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.

Show me Your ways, Lord God and teach me Your paths. Guide me in truth and help me avoid the path of the liars. You are my God and Saviour and high tower. My hope is in You! Show me Your Ways. Guide me in truth all of my days! My hope is in You!!!

Remember, Lord, Your Love and mercy to me a sinner. I am undone in Your presence and I long for your merciful touch. Do not remember my sins and my rebellious ways. Forgive me and be gracious to me. Remember that I am mere mortal dust without You. Bring me life.

I know that You are Good and Upright and I long to be like You in these ways. Instruct this sinner who prays to You. Teach me Your ways, LORD God. I humble myself before You and ask You guide me to the right path. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful towards those who keep the covenant with Him.

For the sake of Your great Name, Lord, forgive my sin, though it is great. 

Who then will take heed and fear the LORD? I will. Instruct us in the ways that we should choose. In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. You are my Hope that one day we will live in prosperity and our children will inherit this land.

The LORD confides in those who fear Him and are humble before Him. He makes His ways known to them. Therefore, my eyes are ever on Him. Only He can help me navigate this world and avoid the traps that are set for me.

Turn Your face towards me, LORD and be gracious to me, Your servant, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the burdens of my heart, O King of Kings. I cannot keep up with the people that You have given me charge to lead. There are too many needs and too much to do. If there were two of me I would still not be able to keep up with the needs of the many. I know that I am not alone in this, but today I feel like I am.

Please relieve the troubles of my heart and let me rest in You. Free me from this anguish. Take my burdens from me. Most of all take away my sins. Cleanse me afresh. Wipe away my stains by Your atonement, Lord Christ. Give me a pure heart.

See how many of our enemies are upon us and how fiercely they hate Your people. Guard us and rescue us! Do not let Your people be put to shame any longer for we take refuge in You. My integrity and uprightness protect us because our hope is in You. And in You alone. Deliver Your people from the hand of ISIS and others who would kill them.

Bring peace to Your people, O LORD!

The Prayer of Jesus from the Cross

January 22 2015  -Psalm 22

My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?  Why have you left me on this cross?  You are so far from helping me.  You do not hear my cry for help.  

You are my Father and I have called out to You by day, but You didn’t answer.  And by night, I find no rest for my eyes and no quiet for my soul.

But You are Holy and enthroned in the Holy place where the praises of Your people are heard.  You are high above us.  And I know You know what You are doing.

For so much longer than I our fathers have trusted, leaned one, relied on and were confident in You.  They trusted You in the darkest of times and either here or there with You, You rescued them.

They cried out to You and were delivered; they trust in You and they were never disappointed or ashamed.

But here I am on this cross, dying.  Treated as a worm, insignificant and powerless, not treated with dignity as a man should be.  I am the scorn of these men and despised by these people I created.  All who see me laugh at me and mock me.  The openly insult me, they shake their head, saying, “He said He was the Son of God.  He committed Himself to his ‘Father’ in heaven and trusted Him.  Let His Father save Him now.  If He is loved by God then let God save Him.”

Yet I know, Father You are He who pulled me out of Mary’s womb, You made me trust in You when on my mother’s breasts.  I was in Your arms at my birth.  Since I was a newborn You have been my God.   Do not stay far away, for trouble is near me and there is no one else to help.

Many enemies surround me like they are vicious herd of bulls.  They roar at me like a hungry lion.

My life is poured out and ebbing away, soaking into the earth.  My bones are all out of joint and my heart melts like wax by the heat of the anguish within me.  My strength is dried up like a piece of broken, jagged clay and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.  

You have laid me in the dust of death.

This pack of dogs has surrounded me and this brutal gang of thugs has encircled me.  

They have pierced my hands and feet.  I can feel the ache of each of my bones.

The crowd just stares.

They are so callous as they watch me die that they even gamble for my clothes.  

But I know that You are still there. You are my Help.  Come quickly, Lord to assist Your Son.  Rescue me from this death by their sword.  The executioner thinks he has the ultimate power over me but with You by y side I know that he does not.  Save me from the lion’s mouth.  Save me from the horns of the wild oxen.  You will hear my cry and deliver me from death.  I will tell Your Name to my countrymen!  I will praise You in the midst of an unbelieving crowd.  

You who fear the Lord with awe-inspired reverence, praise Him!  All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him.  Submit Your lives to this Great King in wonder, all you children of Israel.

For He has not despised nor detested the suffering of the afflicted.  No has He hidden his Face from the tortured.  But when I cry to Him for help He hears with heard of compassion.  

My praise will be about You!  When I am resurrected I will celebrate in the House of my God.  I will pay my vows which were made in the time of trouble before those who reverently fear my God.  

Those starving now will eat and be satisfied.  Those who do not give up and who diligently seek Him and require Him as their greatest need in life will be the ones staniding on their feet praising the LORD.  

May your hearts live forever!  You will celebrate with people all over the earth as we all remember to turn to the Lord.  All the families of all the nations will bow down and worship before You, For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.

All the one who prosper in the Lord will will eat at a lavish banquet and and worship Him!  All those who go down to the dead now will be raised and will bow before Him, even he who cannot keep his soul alive right now.  Posterity will serve Him and the resurrected one will tell of the Lord to the next generation.

And when the next generation heard of all that God has done they will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born—that God has done it.

And that it is finished!

Some Trust in Their Army - We Trust in God

May the LORD answer us in the day of trouble.  May the Name of the God of Jacob secure us on the high ground, the Rock Fortress where we will be defended in the battles that face us this day.  

May our Lord God send us help from Heaven and support us with His might and His angels and strengthen us with His Spirit and angelic power.

May You remember our offerings, as small as they are and accept our sacrifices of worship.  May You grant us our heart’s desire to see the Kingdom of God spread to where it has not yet taken hold.  May our plans to conquer the darkness succeed.

We will sing joyously over the victory of Your Light over the darkness.  We set up the banners that proclaim “Our God is great!”, “King of kings!”, “Jesus is LORD!”    

Hear our prayers, O Lord and free the captive!   Hear our prayers for the evil ones to fail in their plans to destroy lives and enslave them.  

I know that the LORD saves His Anointed One!  You have answered Your Son’s prayers for the Kingdom to come and Your will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven!  You have answered with the saving power of Your right hand!

Some trust in their armies and tanks and planes and ships and drones and money but we trust in the Name of the LORD our God!

Some trust in their elected officials, some in their political hopefuls. Donald Trump trusts in himself.

All those puny men will bow down and fall before the LORD.  But we who bow now will be raised to new life, raised to our feet to stand before our dance before our King!

O LORD God, save Your leaders and answer Your army in the day that we call You!

AMEN

The Brilliance Behind the Brilliance of the Sun

The heavens tell the story of their Creator.  They express His glory in vivid detail.  The vast expanse of the universe declares the artistry of His hands.

Morning by morning, night after night the knowledge of the LORD is revealed. The stars do not speak audibly but in their shining silence they proclaim His might so loud that there is nowhere where their voice is not heard.  Their words heard and understood by every tongue and tribe and people and nation.

The solar system is a house for the sun who rises like a man crawling out of bed every morning.  Then we watch it race across the sky like an olympic runner on his course.  It rise from one end of the heavens to the other and nothing can escape its light and heat.  

Then God took the unspoken language and wisdom of the universe and wrote it down in His Word.  He took the brilliance behind the brilliance of the Sun and wrote it down for us.  The Bible is flawless in its ability to restore and refresh my soul.  The written law of God is reliable and trustworthy and takes the simple man and makes him wise.  

The precepts of God are totally right and bring joy to the heart.

The commandments of the LORD are pure and bring light to dark eyes.

The fear and respect and reverence for the LORD is clean and will endure forever.  

The judgements of the LORD are true and perfectly right.  

His words written down for us are more valuable than the purest gold.  His words are sweeter than the honey from the honeycomb.  

By these written words I am warned to stay away from the traps that are set for me.  I am reminded of what is right.  I am illuminated by them.  I am instructed by them.

And if I follow them there will be great reward.

Who can understand what he is really like deep inside the soul?  This word has shown me what I am like and now I can come to You for forgiveness and an acquittal of even my unconscious and unintended faults.  Please, LORD, keep me from the presumtuous, deliberate and willful sins.  Let them not control me and rule me.  Make me blameless and complete in You.  I want to be free.

Let the words of my heart and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You and may my mind and words please You.  

You, O LORD, are my King and Master.  You are my firm and immovable Rock and my Redeemer.

AMEN - Psalm 19

The Character of God's Children - PSALM 15

O LORD my God.  Am I welcome in Your house?  May I come and sit with You where You live and get to know You?  May I know You today better than I knew You yesterday.  

The ones who are welcome in Your house are the ones who live like You, Jesus.  The ones who walk the talk with integrity and strength of Character and work out a life of doing what is right.  The people who are truly Your children and who belong to Your family are the ones who have hearts that are true and speak the truth.  Let my heart be true.  Let my heart be undivided.  Let it be aiming for You more than anything else.

Let Your heart in me be the source of my words.  That my tongue wouldn’t slander.  Let Your heart in me be the source of my gestures and what I do with my hands that I would never do evil against my neighbour or speak evil against my neighbour.

The people who don’t want You aren’t welcome in Your house and family because they hate You.  But the ones who honour You and fear You and obediently worship You with awe-inspired reverence and respect are the ones who are Your children.  They see You with eyes of wonder and they gladly bow before the King of Kings.    

The ones who love You keep their word even when it hurts and do not flake out for their own benefit.  They even lend their money interest free to a family member and would never take a bribe to bear false witness against someone who is innocent.  For money is not the god of Your children.  You alone are God and King.

The people who live with this DNA of their Father in Heaven will never be shaken because they build their lives on The Rock.  

Let us see You for the awesome and glorious Life Giving King that You are.  Let us be people who prove our family bloodline by our actions.

The One Who Ignores God

January 14 2015 - Psalm 14

If you ignore things that are obvious fact you can become ignorant of them and you can become darkened in your thinking.  God is real.  The truth of His existence is like the existence of oxygen in that He is invisible but there. He is not measureable in density but He is verifiable in evidence.  The magnificent world that He has made tells of His greatness.  From the ant to the eagle to the mountain to the clouds to the stars there stretches a masterpiece of his creativity.  

So when David writes of the person who has ignored the spiritual spiritual source of this universe he describes such a person as a fool.  He says, the spiritually ignorant fool has said in his heart, “there is no God.”   David goes on to say that the ones who ignore their Creator become corrupt and have committed themselves to repulsive and unspeakable deeds.  Actually, the desire to do whatever we want to do is the reason we kill God.  Then no one can tell us what to do.  In his letter to the Roman church Paul echoes David’s words that of the fools who ignore God there is none who do good.  

Verse 2 says, “The LORD has looke down from heaven to see if there are any who act wisely and live to seek Him, longing for His wisdom and guidance.  David concludes that God can’t really find anyone who cares about what is doing right.  Together the people of this Earth have all become corrupt to the point where there is no one who does good on his own anymore.  We have all gone dark without Him.  We have all become ignorant of Him and His nature.  

David goes on to say that we have all become like dogs in this dog eat dog world.  We devour each other as easily as we devour bread.  I see that kind of man in the mirror.  Someone who one minute says he wants to be like Jesus and the next I am devouring a brother in condemnation and in gossip with a dog’s attitude.  I do not call on God on my own.  If it wasn’t for His Spirit’s calling to me I would just ignore Him and not talk to Him or listen to Him.  I act like, “I got this” when I don’t.

But David says there is a remnant of people that want more than this world.  They may have even tried the world’s pleasures and found them to be wanting.  The sin around them no longer tastes good.  It is slop.  And when these people see the corruption around them they tremble with fear because they know God is holy and that this challenge to Him will not end up well for the challengers.  But David says that God will be with those who seek Him.  The ones who seek Him will find what they look for and He will protect them and save them.  David says, God is with the consistently righteous generation.  That would be the people who seriously want Him and they demonstrate it by being consistent in their pursuit of Him.  That is a good point because we seem to think we can fool God and go to church but never really want Him or ever really change.  That isn’t a consistent pursuit of Him.  That is religion.  

David warns that evildoers who shamefully plan against the poor will lose to the poor because they are safe in God and they will eventually be the ones who rule over them.  The LORD is the poor man’s refuge where money is the rich man’s refuge.

David longs for that day when he says, Oh, that the salvation of God’s people would come soon.  He wants that day of justice to come where the Lord will release the captives and all who belong to Him will be glad when freedom hits the streets and joy is the air we breathe.

But that will come for those who do not ignore their Creator.  The fool will not be happy on that day.  

PSALM 13 for JANUARY 13th

Dear Lord

This is a crazy world.  I thank You for still being in charge of history.  Lord God, come and fix this mess. I pray for wisdom as I navigate it.  Lead me.  Help me see things right.  Help me be like Christ in my speech and reaction and vision.  I pray for forthrightness and yet control over my tongue.  I do look at the world and ask for You to return to end the suffering.

1 How long, O Lord?  Will you forget us forever?  Because it feels like You aren’t ever going to come back.  It messes that there is nothing but darkness.  I know that we are not looking hard enough for there are glimpses of You in the mist.  Help Your people to look for You in the darkness and notice that candle that is burning off in the distance.  2  My soul speaks to me in desperation and carries sorrow every day.  I ask myself how long will these enemies of darkness prevail against those who are good?  They seem to have the upper hand.  Their triumph over Your people seems like it is everywhere.  3 Consider Your people, dear Lord.  Help us.  Give light to our darkened vision or we will lose hope and languish.  We will give up if You do not give a light at the end of the tunnel to us.  4  If this keeps up the enemy may even think that they have won the day.  I do not want the armies of darkness to overcome the soldiers of light.

5 But I know that ultimately they will not win!  I know they will lose!  I know they will be triumphed over by Your plan.  Even in the midst of darkness I know that Your plans will succeed.  For they are mortal and created beings who will be ruled over by their Creator.  There may be battles lost and a present darkness lingering over our planet but I have trusted and relied on and been confident in Your lovingkindness and Your faithfulness.  My heart still rejoices and delights in your salvation!  6  So I will sing to You, Lord because You have dealt with me in such amazing grace!  

Amen

PSALM 9 for JANUARY 9

JANUARY 9 2015 - PSALM 9

1 I will be a thankful man.  I will praise You, Lord for You have given me so much in this life.  My heart is full.  I will tell aloud the wonderful and great things You have done.  2 I will rejoice in You and I will sing to You.  I will sing Your praises because You are something to sing about.  3  When I see my enemies flee before Your presence and stumble in panic before You, I say, “That is my God!”

4 For in Your justice, You have always been more than fair to me and You have been the strength in my cause.  5  You rebuke the nations who have chosen to side against You.  The ones who are stiff necked in their pride will not be able to stand against You.  Their names will be wiped out forever and ever, their regimes of evil will not stand the test of time.

6   The enemy of all that is good will be cut off from his life source.  He will crumble like a ruined castle before You and sit there as a disintegrating pile of rubble.  The enemy’s city has been ripped from its evil foundations.  Their grand edifices lie in a forgotten heap of rocks.  No one remembers them.  7  But Your reputation will shine like the sun forever and ever.  You sit on Your Throne and no one will ever remove You from it.  From your mighty seat of power You will perfectly execute judgment.  You are right in all Your judgments of us.  Fair every time.

9  You, O Lord will also be a refuge and a stronghold for the oppressed.  A refuge in times of trouble.  And those who know You and who have experienced Your precious mercy, will continue to put their confidence in You.  10 You have never abandoned me.  You have never disappointed me.  11 That is why I will sing Your praise.  To the King in Zion, I will sing.  In the hearing of the people who surround me I will lift up a song of Your goodness and Your might.  You are my God!  I will say, “That is my God and my God did that!”  

12 You will stick up for the innocent.  The ones who flee disaster are on Your radar and for them You will exact justice.  You will not forget their cries.

13 Have mercy on me and be gracious to me, O LORD.  See how I am afflicted by sin in this world.  See how the enemies of goodness hate me and torture me.  You lift me up from the gates of death that I may shout Your praise.  14  Save me so I can sing Your praises loudly in Your city.  I will rejoice in Your salvation.  I will be glad that in the end You will help me.  I know that help is on the way.  15  The consequences of evil’s actions will be the quicksand they sink in when it is time.  Their own net will trip them up.  16   You will make Yourself know.  You will execute judgement when the time is right.  17 The destination of the wicked who forget God is the land of the dead.  18 The poor will not be forgotten forever, their burdened will not perish in the end.  You hold their hand.

19  Arise, O Lord, do not let these evil men prevail.  Let the nations be judged by You and put in their place.  Let them fear You and see Your might and tremble in their human frailty.  May they remember they are mere mortals but You are God!

PSALM 8 FOR JANUARY 8

January 8 2015 - Psalm 8

When I got out of the shower this morning and heard Your Name, the music ripped me out of the morning fog that I was in.  My wife was listening to a song about Your different Names.  Elohim, my Creator.  Adonai, the Lord of Hosts….I come.  I ask You for Your presence.  I need to torn away from myself and this world and hear how great You are.  You are the King I need.  My Lord and my God.

1-2 How majestic, O LORD my Lord, is Your Name in all the Earth.  There is no one else like You.  You are what we need.  You have displayed Your wonders above the Earth.  Even in the clouds we see Your majesty and in the stars we see Your splendor.  2 Out of the mouths of infants Your praise echoes in the strength of their voices.  Their young cries shout Your victory over Your enemies.  You will silence Your foes and they will see Your glorious vengeance.

3 When I see and consider the vastness of Your universe, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars suspended in space that You keep there, I shrink in humility,  Who am I, in all my smallness, that You are mindful of me, and the son of an earthborn man that You care for me?  Especially when I think about how my nature has been in opposition to You from the time I was an infant.  Yet You have forgiven me.  You have restored me to being Your son.  I am made in Your image, just a little lower than You.  And You have crowned me with glory and honour.  

6 I am so privileged to have been given dominion over the wonderful works of Your Hands; to manage the part of the earth that You have given me.  You have entrusted me with so much.  Forgive me when I have let You down by not managing Your Earth well.  Help me, in Your patience give me wisdom to manage it better.

7  All these wonderful creatures that roam the earth are magnificent.  The Sheep and oxen, the mighty lion and fast cheetah, the majestic elephant, 8 the soaring eagle, the swift salmon in the sea, the giant whale who glides along the ocean floor.  9  O LORD my Lord, how majestic and excellent is Your Name in all the Earth!  

What You have done is amazing.  I am in awe of You.  I seek Your face.  Help me as I stumble towards You.  

Amen

PSALM 7 FOR JANUARY 7

JANUARY 7 2015 - PSALM 7

I take my refuge in the rightness and justice and integrity of God and His reputation. Not my own...

1 O Lord, in You I take refuge.  Save me from the evil ones who pursue me. 2 My enemies want to tear me limb from limb.  3 O Lord, if I deserve their attacks because of some injustice in my hands 4 If I have done evil who trusted me 5 or ripped someone off then let me overtaken and let them trample my life in the dust. I want to be a man of honour.  I pray for that.  I seek that.  I long for that.  I want to make You proud.

6 But You know my heart so arise in Your anger and rebuke my enemies.  You have said that You will vindicate me.  7  Let the nations gather around You and then may You return for all to see.  Return from on high.  You are the only judge, the only one who sees things accurately.  8 Judge me, O Lord, and grant me justice according to my heart condition.  I am not perfect but You know my heart is toward You.  9 Let the wickedness of the evil ones come to an end and establish the right  For You know men’s hearts.  10  My shield and my defense depend on You, not me.  Not my reputation.  You.  You alone save those whose hearts belong to You. 11 You are the perfect judge.  You are are indignant every day against the evil that You see.  12 I know that if we do not repent then we have it coming.  You sharpen Your sword against the arrogant. You have strung Your mighty bow and have made it ready for war against evil.  13  Your weapons are deadly against sin.  Your fiery arrows will burn through the pretense of men who are proud and fake.

14  I see the wicked men who give birth to nothing but more insolence and sin.  They generate nothing but lies and deception.  But they are not fooling You!  15  THey have dug their own grave and they will fall into their own trap. 16  Their mischief will boomerang and their own violence will come crashing down upon them.  A landslide, an avalanche of sin upon their own head.

17  I will give thanks to the Lord because He is the Good and Righteous King.  He is Justice.  And I will sing a song to this awesome Lord Most High.

AMEN

PSALM 6 FOR JANUARY 6

January 6 2015 - Psalm 6

O Lord, do not punish me in Your anger.  2 Have mercy on me and be gracious to me, for I am a weak man with feet of clay.  3  I feel like my bones are turning to dust.  I am discouraged.  My heart is broken.  My will is beaten down by this world around me.  

Can I ask the honest question of when You are going to step up and fight for me? 4 Please come back into view.  Rescue my soul.  I believe in Your unfailing and steadfast love.  5 It’s just that if You don’t save me from death how will I be able to sing your praise.  Dead men can’t voice praise.  Save me because of Your unfailing love.  6 I am worn out from crying all night long.  Sleep evades me. 7 My eyes are sore from tears.  Grief clouds my vision.  My enemies seem to have the upper hand at every turn...I am surrounded.

8 Get away from me all you evildoers.  Back off!  My Lord has heard the voice of my cry.  9 The Lord has heard my prayers...my cry for grace.  He receives my honest prayer into his heart.  10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and terrified Let them turn back and be overtaken by their shame like a flash flood.  Let them lose heart and be ashamed of what they’ve done when they realize that justice is on its way.

Sometimes when we have had a bad day we think that God is mad at us.  That He is a Karma God and our misdeeds have caught up to us and, even though we tried, we somehow screwed it up and He is gonna smite us.  

But then when we take a step back and calm down a little maybe we realize that we live in a broken world and there are actually broken people all around us.  And some of them are so broken that they want to break more things and the people around them. David had some of these destructive people after him.  They wanted him dead.  

We may not have people after our very lives but they would like to hurt us. They would like to take away our joy.  They would like to keep us down.  

This world can wear us out and suck the vitality right out of us.  We can be exhausted emotionally from just navigating the storms that come our way.  

And we ask the question, “God, are You even there?”  The delayed response is very delayed.  And we are worn out out from the unresolved conflict and the walking on eggshells and the stress and the pain.

But when I look back to what God got me through before I am reminded that His love is unrelenting and He is good and He knows what He is doing.  And that His justice will prevail.  That He will show up and that every enemy of His will be ashamed at the sight of Him.

PSALM 5 for JANUARY 5

JANUARY 5 2016  - PSALM 5

When I was a kid we sang the King James version of this Psalm.  It still sounds beautiful when sun. “Give ear to my words, O Lord.  Consider my meditation.  Hearken unto the voice of my cry….my King and my God.  For unto Thee will I pray.  Thy voice shall I hear in the morning. O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer and unto Thee I will look up.”  

If I got that all right then it is a testimony to the power of putting the Bible to music so we can hide the Word of God in our heart.  The song is sung is minor notes until the end where it resolves.  

When David wrote this song I do not think he was having a good day.  And it seems from the wording that he did not have a good night.  One of those nights where sleep is evasive and the worries and anxieties are paramount in the brain.  

He says, Please listen to me, Lord.  My heart is aching.  Please hear me and respond, my King.  You are the only God I have so I pray because I don’t know what else to do.  

It is morning.  I have to face this day so please hear my voice crying to You for help in these next hours.

I pray to you and sacrifice my pride because I am telling You that I know that I cannot conquer this day or these circumstances alone.  I will watch for Your signs and pointers and wait for Your voice to speak into my heart.  Please speak to me.

You are not a God who allows evil to reign in my life.  The boastful and arrogant will not be able to stand.  You destroy untruth.  You hate lies.  Please Lord, make me a person of truth.  

You will not be able to work with anyone who is bloodthirsty and deceitful.  So I want to be like You and not the angry crowd out there.  So I choose You.  I choose to live in Your house  this day.  The House of God where there is an abundance of steady love and tender mercy.  In this temple I will bow obediently to You.  And You alone.

Please make my path straight through the minefield in front of me.  Protect me from my enemies because I have enemies that want to take me down.  Lead me down the right path.  There is nothing about this world that I can trust.  It is all smoke and mirrors.  They would just lead me down the garden path to destruction.

I’m praying for justice again, Lord.  When I see evil men following the evil prince of this world I ask for their plans to be the very thing that brings them down.  May the tires fall off their cars on their way to do harm.  Please displace these would be kings of the Earth.  For they are mindless rebels.

But let all who take refuge in You, be glad and not lose their trust in You and Your goodness and ability to prevail against the dark. Help us sing because You are our covering and shelter.  Let those who love You be joyful in a world of sorrow.  For You are a God of justice and I know that You bless those who love and honour You.

Please surround us with Your favour as a shield.

Psalm 4 for January 4

January 4 - Psalm 4  

1 Answer me when I call, O God.  You are my Justice!  You have freed me when I was cornered.  You brought me relief when I was distressed.  Be gracious to me and please respond to my prayer.  

Have you ever prayed to God and just hoped He would answer sooner than later?  I sure have.  I know we all have.  Time and again.  But He has promised that ulimately help is on the way.  We may not get the help every time down here and now but He will save us and make it right.  For HE is JUSTICE.  Justice will come for all the people who count on Jesus to save them and vindicate them.  It will all be made right at the appointed time.  Many times God does give us justice this side of heaven but for the times it is delayed we must hold on.

Justice is coming.

2 O evil sons of men how long will you mock me?  You live worthless lives.  You chase the futile winds of nothingness  You pursue the empty things of this world.

3 But know this.  The Lord has set apart the people who honor Him.  The people with His character.  The ones who seek justice.  Now or later the Lord will respond to the prayers of that type of person.  

4 So tremble with fear before God, you evil ones.  Respect Him.  Stop sinning while you still can.  Think about this.  Turn away from your evil ways.  5 Sacrifice your arrogance on the altar and trust in God rather than your own paltry might.  6 Many are saying, “I can’t get enough.  Give me more and more.” They live lives of lust and materialism.”

7 But I say, “Show me Your face O God for You put true joy in my heart.  You satisfy my soul more than all the pleasures and riches of this world.  8 You let me sleep in true peace.  For You alone stand guard over me and make me live in safety.  I trust You.

So when justice seems a million light years away think about the fact you are on the winning team and in the end God will save you and justice will prevail.  Trust Him.  No human can do this for us.  Only Jesus.  Sacrifice your pride on the altar and tell God you trust Him.  I am reminded of what Paul said in Philippians 4:6-7:  Don’t worry about anything.  Instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience His Peace which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.