From Babylon, With Tears; Psalm 137, Proverbs 26

May the mumbling commence!

At one time or another, most of us at least feel like we live in exile.  In exile, tears and weeping are the rule.  So, what happens in our state of mourning that our captors ask for a mirth-filled song of the Lord?  For this psalmist’s case, it resulted in this cry of Psalm one-hundred thirty-seven. 

Some of these words were brought to base relief when they were put to modern Jamaican music.  Read the words from Psalm one-hundred thirty-nine:

By the rivers of Babylon,

There we sat down, yea, we wept

When we remembered Zion. 

We hung our harps

Upon the willows in the midst of it. 

For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,

And those who plundered us requested mirth,

Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 

How shall we sing the Lord's song

In a foreign land? 

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

Let my right hand forget its skill! 

If I do not remember you,

Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth –

If I do not exalt Jerusalem

Above my chief joy. (Verses 1-6)

I can almost hear the music now… “By the waters of Babylon, where we sat down… and there we wept, when we remembered Zion…  For the wicked carried us away, captivity required of us a song…  How can we sing our holy songs in a strange land..?  So let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O God.”

Yes, exulting Zion and Jerusalem is equivalent to exulting in the Lord to the Hebrew mind.  Even today, we as a people of God have certain locations that are important to our faith… like the Holy Lands or like denominational headquarters.  Think about those gathering around the Vatican grounds (some in the flesh many more in spirit) to pray for the leadership as they seek to choose a new pope.

Sometimes, we do feel terribly far away from the places where we are aware of God’s presence.  We feel like we are in exile.  How can we sing praises to our God in the midst of people how are crushing us spiritually and physically and socially?  Where is our joy and hope in situations like that?

Our chief joy and hope comes from the Lord.  From the Lord, we get our skill.  From the Lord, we get the expressions of our heart through our tongues.

Let us pine away for the City of our Lord.  Let us sing and live and pray our way closer to that City… the City of God.  It is a new Jerusalem, a new Zion.  How beautiful it will be!

Let’s not be consumed by our enemy’s hidden or brazen hatred for us.  Read from Proverbs chapter twenty-six:

He who hates, disguises it with his lips,

And lays up deceit within himself; 

When he speaks kindly, do not believe him,

For there are seven abominations in his heart; 

Though his hatred is covered by deceit,

His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. (Verses 24-26)

May we be consumed by the love of our Lord rather than the hatred of our enemies.

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Mother Hen; Psalm 91, Proverbs 25

May the mumbling commence!

There are many different images of God in the Scriptures.  One of my favorites (because it is unusual and telling) is of God being a mother hen wishing to protect her chicks.  Jesus refers to this image as he looked over Jerusalem (Mt. 23:37; Luke 13:34).  I think of these passages as I read this passage from Psalm ninety-one:

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence. 

He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (Verses 3-4)

Even when things seem to be going the absolute worst in our lives, we are covered by the feathers of God.  The wings of God spread out in defense of us.  Under God’s wings, we find refuge.  What a comforting truth! 

That is why I connect this passage with the words of Jesus linking God as a protective mother hen.  I know the psalm refers to God as “He” and “His”, but the tenderness and loving-kindness shown in this imagery likens better to a mother hen than a rooster.

Come to the Mother Hen for protection!  Have you ever gathered eggs from the hens?  They can be fierce and scary.  They will protect their eggs, their children, with their life.  How many times have you seen on the nature shows a bird feigning being hurt to draw a predator away from the nest, which is filled with vulnerable young?  How many of you have seen this in your own backyard?

What devotion and sacrifice!  I find great comfort in this image as God as the protective Hen.

So, as we benefit from the protection of the Mother Hen, let us not get caught up in our own glory.  Let’s, instead, give glory to the Mother Hen – who protects us with a fierce devotion and love and care.  Read from Proverbs chapter twenty-five:

It is not good to eat much honey;

So to seek one's own glory is not glory. (Verse 27)

Yes, if we want extra sweets on our plates, let us read the Word of God.  And the Word of God will lead us to glorifying God – not ourselves or others.  May it be so!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Do These Things; Psalm 91, Proverbs 24

May the mumbling commence!

Today and tomorrow, I want to revisit one of my favorite Psalms – Psalm ninety-one.  It is a Psalm that we want to look at in its entirety because there is much to learn and because it contains the verses that Satan took out of context during Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness.  Early in January, I looked at the first part of the Psalm.  Today I will look at the second part of the Psalm – with some overlap.  Read the passage below:

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 

No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 

For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways. 

In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 

You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. 

"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 

With long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation." (Verses 9-16) 

The portion in bold-italic underlined that is dark pink is the part that Satan misuses.  It is how Satan tries to tempt Jesus to jump from the highest point of the temple.  Take unnecessary risks to impress people… is that what God would want?  NO!  This promise is based upon some foundational actions.  Let’s list them:

1.)   Make the Lord your refuge and dwelling place.

2.)   Set your love upon the Lord.

3.)   Seek to know the Name of the Lord.

4.)   Call upon the Lord in times of distress.

Do these things, and the promises contained in Psalm ninety-one will be yours.  Evil will not be able to touch you.  God will deliver you from evil and temptations.  God will set you on high.  You will tread upon the lion and the cobra – the young lion and the serpent.  Is there any more obvious reason for Satan to strategically forget what comes directly after the verses he quoted?  It spells his own doom!

Do these things, and you will live a long and satisfying life.  Do these things, and the way to eternal life will be opened unto you.  Now that is exciting!  With these weapons of knowledge, you will be strong to fend off Satan.  The war that Satan wages against you will be to no avail.  Read from Proverbs chapter twenty-four:

A wise man is strong,

Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength; 

For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,

And in a multitude of counselors there is safety. (Verses 5-6)

Welcome to the safety of the Lord God Almighty! 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Waiting, Panting, Longing; Psalm 119; Proverbs 23

May the mumbling commence!

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you panted after the mere thought of it?  Such longing!  Such bittersweet waiting!  Read how the psalmist pants after direction from the Lord.  Read the stanza devoted to the Hebrew letter “PE”:

Your testimonies are wonderful;

Therefore my soul keeps them. 

The entrance of Your words gives light;

It gives understanding to the simple. 

I opened my mouth and panted,

For I longed for Your commandments. 

Look upon me and be merciful to me,

As Your custom is toward those who love Your name. 

Direct my steps by Your word,

And let no iniquity have dominion over me. 

Redeem me from the oppression of man,

That I may keep Your precepts. 

Make Your face shine upon Your servant,

And teach me Your statutes. 

Rivers of water run down from my eyes,

Because men do not keep Your law. (Verses 129-136)

The mouth pants with desire – longing for the Words of the Lord.  And the longing for the Word is fed by the need to have God direct our steps… to have God redeem us… to have the light of God shine upon us (What peace!)… to have God teach us.  How wonderful, bright and simple!

Tears run from our eyes.  They run for joy and for longing.  They run for hope.  They run to be steeped in instruction and knowledge.  Read from Proverbs chapter twenty-three:

Apply your heart to instruction,

And your ears to words of knowledge. (Verse 12)

Indeed!  Help us, O Lord to apply ourselves… to chase after Your heart.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Christians Are Strange; Psalm 119, Proverbs 22

May the mumbling commence!

People are strange.  Christians are strange, too.  Christians do not operate in the same was as other people.  They are strangers in the land… sojourners… resident aliens.  Open our eyes, O Lord, that we may see Your Way more and more clearly.  Help us to be strangers in the land.  Read from Psalm one-hundred nineteen the stanza dedicated to the Hebrew letter “GIMEL”:

Deal bountifully with Your servant,

That I may live and keep Your word. 

Open my eyes, that I may see

Wondrous things from Your law. 

I am a stranger in the earth;

Do not hide Your commandments from me. 

My soul breaks with longing

For Your judgments at all times. 

You rebuke the proud – the cursed,

Who stray from Your commandments. 

Remove from me reproach and contempt,

For I have kept Your testimonies. 

Princes also sit and speak against me,

But Your servant meditates on Your statutes. 

Your testimonies also are my delight

And my counselors. (Verses 17-24)

Open our eyes to Your bounty, O God of Hosts.  Your Word is wondrous and sure.  Use Your Word to guide us away from pride in our hearts.  Guide us forever on Your path.

Meditate on the Word of God and become stranger and more foreign to the world about you.  Delight in God – the Source of our hope and joy and bountiful spirit.  The counsel of the Lord will never lead us astray.

Open our eyes, O Lord.  Show us how and where to stand as followers of Your Way.  Give us courage to be stranger… to be foreign in a land of scarcity and fear.  We are resident aliens that know the way of plenty and hope.

And help us, O God, to know when we need to share our plenty so that everyone may have enough.  To share with others – that is a sacrifice that the Lord much desires from you and from me.  Read from Proverbs chapter twenty-two:

Do not rob the poor because he is poor,

Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; 

For the Lord will plead their cause,

And plunder the soul of those who plunder them. (Verses 22-23)

Equitable sharing – now, that is alien in our land!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Indulge in Sweetness! Psalm 119, Proverbs 21

May the mumbling commence!

Do you have a sweet tooth – perhaps a whole mouthful of them?  I do.  The Word of God is sweet – so sweet it brings light to our eyes, to our lives.  Read the ending of the stanza for the Hebrew letter “MEM” and the beginning of the stanza for the Hebrew letter “NUN” (They are consecutive verses.) from Psalm one-hundred nineteen.  You should recognize at the very least some of these words:

How sweet are Your words to my taste,

Sweeter than honey to my mouth! 

Through Your precepts I get understanding;

Therefore I hate every false way. 

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path. (Verses 103-105)

Oh, I’m sorry.  Did you give up sweets for Lent?  Sorry to bring up a potentially sore subject.  But console yourself with a couple of ideas:

1.     You can binge read of the Bible, God’s Word.  It will not break your Lenten devotion.  It has no calories.  It is not produced on the hard work of small children in sweat shops in two-thirds world countries.  It will not send you into a diabetic coma.

2.     The Lent season is forty days long.  If you do the counting, Lent is too long then!  That is because Sundays are not included in Lent.  If you dare, you can lay aside your Lenten devotion on Sundays!

How’s that for sweetness and light to the eyes?  Light for life, indeed!

And every time I read verse 105, I cannot help but think of that song…  “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”  I can hear that beautiful music in my head as I type.

Let us indulge in sweetness and enlighten our eyes!  The Word of God!  That is the most desirable treasure to be found.  Don’t squander it!  Indulge yourself.  Read from Proverbs chapter twenty-one:

There is desirable treasure,

And oil in the dwelling of the wise,

But a foolish man squanders it.  (Verse 20)  

Oh, YUMMY!  Let the buffet be served.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Judgement & Mercy; Psalm119, Proverbs 20

May the mumbling commence!

For the next four days, I will concentrate some on the longest chapter of the Bible – Psalm one-hundred nineteen.  It is an alphabet acrostic devoted the Law of the Lord.  As I read it this morning, I noted the references to the righteous judgment of the Lord.  There were many.  I also noted the references to the mercy of the Lord.  There were many of these, too.

It is hard to comprehend that both justice and mercy can live in the same sentence let alone in the same being.  How can God be both perfectly righteous in wrath and perfectly merciful in love?  It is something to wonder about – to meditate on. 

Today, we will look take a close look at one of the stanzas that holds both the righteous judgment and the great mercy of the Lord together.  Yes, there is more than one stanza that holds the judgment and mercy of God together.  Read the stanza devoted to the Hebrew letter “HETH”:

You are my portion, O Lord;

I have said that I would keep Your words. 

I entreated Your favor with my whole heart;

Be merciful to me according to Your word. 

I thought about my ways,

And turned my feet to Your testimonies. 

I made haste, and did not delay

To keep Your commandments. 

The cords of the wicked have bound me,

But I have not forgotten Your law. 

At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,

Because of Your righteous judgments. 

I am a companion of all who fear You,

And of those who keep Your precepts. 

The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;

Teach me Your statutes. (Verses 57-64)

You are our portion, O Lord – both in Your judgments and Your mercy. 

Can we admit the obvious in ourselves?  I think we can we see the obvious in the words of another – neither you nor me.  We beg for mercy most of the time only for ourselves.  We beg for righteous judgment only for other people – especially those who have made our lives miserable. 

We are always biased on how we plead.  How do we hold these thoughts and emotions in our hearts?  What do we do with them?  At the heart of this stanza, we have the psalmist grappling with this very question.  What are we to do with the Law of the Lord – with all the Words that come from the mouth of God?

Number One: Think about our ways in the light of the Lord. 

Number Two: make haste to respond to the light of God.  Do not delay or procrastinate. 

Number Three: Do not use hard times and difficult people as an excuse to forget our heavenly Father. 

Number Four: On sleepless nights, rise and give thanks for the judgments of God. 

Number Five: Be a companion to all who seek to follow God’s Way. 

Number Six: Remember that learning the Laws of God is a mercy.  Show hunger for that learning. 

Number Seven: Never forget who you are when you relate with other people and How you pray to God. 

Remember the nuggets of wisdom that Proverbs contains on this issue.  Read some of these nuggets from chapter twenty:

Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,

             But who can find a faithful man? (Verse 6)

Who can say, "I have made my heart clean,

             I am pure from my sin"? (Verse 9)

The writer wishes to lead the reader to the answer of both of these questions is “no one”.

Do not say, "I will recompense evil";

             Wait for the Lord, and He will save you. (Verse 22)  

And do not worry about your own wrath.  Trust in the righteousness of God.  Remember: we all depend on His mercy for life.  Wait for the Lord.  Waiting on the Lord is a reflection of what the Lord has done for us – in His great mercy. 

God will save us.  That is the meaning of Jesus’ name! 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

The Great Return; Ecclesiastes 3, Proverbs 19

May the mumbling commence!

Everything has its season.  So everyone has their season.  There is a time to live and a time to die.  I have been reading the blog that a friend of mine at seminary wrote as she approached her death due to cancer.

There it is – from dust we come from dust we return.  Many of us may have heard words like these ones this past Ash Wednesday.  It is this ultimate destination that preoccupies the author of Ecclesiastes in the last part of chapter three.  Read it below:

Moreover I saw under the sun:

In the place of judgment,

Wickedness was there;

And in the place of righteousness,

Iniquity was there. 

I said in my heart,

"God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,

For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." 

I said in my heart, "Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals."  For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity.  All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. 

Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?  So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? (Verses 16-22)

No one gets out of here alive.  What do we do with that truth?  It is true of all life.  Life and death are bound together.  Death to one means life to another.

It is no wonder that the author speaks of vanity.  If we only had this existence, then all would seem vain.  It is this existence and its eventual end that Christ rescues us.  Think you don’t need rescuing?  Think again.

As we walk this forty days of penitence that is Lent, let us journey toward the Way of Jesus.  The Way of Jesus does not respect Christianity as we know it.  It does not respect any one denomination or any church without denomination.  The Way of Jesus persistently asks us to FOLLOW JESUS.

In the Way of Jesus vanity is transformed into eternity.  Praise God.  Join the journey.  Follow Christ Jesus.

And let us remember from whence we came.  It will keep us humble – forsaking our own glory for the glory of the Risen One.  It will keep us from devising our own retribution and revenge that we try to cloak with the terms justice and righteousness.  Read from Proverbs chapter nineteen:

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,

And his glory is to overlook a transgression. (Verse 11)   

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out