Into Deep Waters. Psalms 107-108; Hebrews 4

May the mumbling commence!

There are certain scriptures that will forever remind me about special times in my life – in Greek those “kyrios” moments.  This passage from Psalm One-hundred Seven is one of those. 

It reminds me of the time I was preparing to leave for seminary.  It reminds me specifically how I was preparing myself to leave my home community and my home church.  I was setting out for deep waters, having faith that God would protect me.  Read it below:

Some went off in ships, plying the trade routes of the world. 

They, too, observed the Lord's power in action,

his impressive works on the deepest seas. 

He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves. 

Their ships were tossed to the heavens and sank again to the depths;

the sailors cringed in terror. 

They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits' end. 

" Lord, help!" they cried in their trouble, 

           and he saved them from their distress. 

He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. 

What a blessing was that stillness 

            as he brought them safely into harbor! 

Let them praise the Lord for his great love 

            and for all his wonderful deeds to them. 

Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation

and before the leaders of the nation.  (Verses 23-32)

Going into the deep waters of life is not for the faint of heart.  Terror will come.  Wit’s end is never far away.

So what do we do?  We go anyway, trusting in the Lord.  When the seas rage, what do we do?  We remember the Lord and cry out to God for salvation.

And God is faithful to save.  The Lord of all creation can calm the storm and still the waves.  I cannot help but think of Jesus doing just this for his disciples.

It is the blessing of stillness and safe harbor.  Thank You, O God!  We know that we can come to Jesus with our worries.  Jesus understands.  He’s been there and conquered that.  Read from the end of Hebrews chapter four:

That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him.  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. (Verses 14-16)

Boldly, we come to find mercy and grace through our Great High Priest, Jesus.  And they are amazing.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Don't Forget. Psalms 105-106; Hebrews 3

May the mumbling commence!

Want the perfect way to lose sleep?  Want the guaranteed way of not living a life centered on rest?  Do you feel weary and heavy laden?  Want to know the antidote?  Remember.  Remember what the Lord has done for you as you live your life day to day.  Read from Psalm One-hundred Six:

Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done!

They wouldn't wait for his counsel! 

In the wilderness, their desires ran wild,

testing God's patience in that dry land. 

So he gave them what they asked for,

but he sent a plague along with it. (Verses 13-15)

What happens when we forget God?  We refuse to wait.  Our desires rule over us.  We test God by going to the latest craze so that our desires might be met more quickly.

And God gives us what we ask for… and the plagues that go along with it… the natural result of our excesses.

Do you doubt it?  Read from Hebrews chapter three:

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.  You must warn each other every day, as long as it is called "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.  For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.  But never forget the warning:

"Today you must listen to his voice.

Don't harden your hearts against him as Israel did when they rebelled."

And who were those people who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Weren't they the ones Moses led out of Egypt?  And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn't it the people who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  And to whom was God speaking when he vowed that they would never enter his place of rest? He was speaking to those who disobeyed him.  So we see that they were not allowed to enter his rest because of their unbelief. (Verses 12-19)

The key to rest from weary and burdened lives is to remember what the Lord had done for us.  Remember and believe.  Know that God will continue to care for us.  Remember, believe, and obey.

If we do these things, we will rest well.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

FROG! Psalms 103-104; Hebrews 2

May the mumbling commence!

Here is your FROG lesson for the day – Fully Rely on God.  Make no mistake – all creation is dependent upon God.  Read from Psalm One-hundred Four:

O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!

In wisdom you have made them all.

The earth is full of your creatures. 

Here is the ocean, vast and wide,

teeming with life of every kind,

both great and small. 

See the ships sailing along,

and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea. 

Every one of these depends on you

to give them their food as they need it. 

When you supply it, they gather it.

You open your hand to feed them, and they are satisfied. 

But if you turn away from them, they panic.

When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust. 

When you send your Spirit,

new life is born to replenish all the living of the earth. (Verses 24-30)

God has created us.  We belong to him.  Everything we need (and many things we want) is supplied by the Lord.  When God withholds from us, we crumple and die.  Where the Spirit of the Lord moves, new life is born.  There can be no denying it.

We depend upon our High Priest, Jesus.  Thank the Lord that his obedience was complete and his experience aptly suits him to have compassion on us.  Yes, thank and praise our Maker.  Read from Hebrews chapter two:

Because God's children are human beings – made of flesh and blood – Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death.  Only in this way could he deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. 

We all know that Jesus came to help the descendants of Abraham, not to help the angels.  Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.  Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.   (Verses 14-18)

Yes, Jesus has been there and conquered that.  Depend upon him.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Looking for a Mighty Good Leader? Psalms 101-102; Hebrews 1

May the mumbling commence!

What is the proper deportment for leadership?  Check out what King David listed for those who would serve alongside him.  Read this passage from Psalm One-hundred One:

I will keep a protective eye on the godly,

so they may dwell with me in safety.

Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. 

I will not allow deceivers to serve me,

and liars will not be allowed to enter my presence. 

My daily task will be to ferret out criminals

and free the city of the Lord from their grip.  (Verses 6-8)

Leaders need to be above reproach.  They can neither deceive nor lie.  Why?  Because their purpose is to ferret out criminals so that the city may be free from their grip.

May we choose our leaders both in and outside the church well.  May we choose them better than we have!

May we also know the timeless nature of Christ.  According to the author of Hebrews (my favorite letter in the New Testament), Psalm One-hundred Two speaks about that (Verses 25-27 of the Psalm).  Read from the quote in Hebrews chapter one:

"Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands. 

Even they will perish, but you remain forever.

They will wear out like old clothing. 

You will roll them up like an old coat.

They will fade away like old clothing.

But you are always the same;

you will never grow old." (Verses 10b-12)

Now compare it with the actual passage from Psalm 102:

In ages past you laid the foundation of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands. 

Even they will perish, but you remain forever;

they will wear out like old clothing.

You will change them like a garment,

and they will fade away. 

But you are always the same;

your years never end. (Verses 25-27)

There are some minor differences.  The first one is really minor difference.  It could be simply a different translation.

The second and third differences are more in line with the general message give by the book of Hebrews.  They emphasize the old nature of the former way.  They emphasize this point to lead us into the new way of Christ, who indeed remains forever. 

The second change gives more detail to the change that God works on the old garment.  It’s rolled up.  Hmm…  Rolling something up doesn’t quite change it that much.  Here we find the emphasis on the continuity of the two ways… which are actually one – if we understand them rightly.

Let us choose Christ as our ultimate leader.

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out

Proper Attitude for Worship. Psalms 99-100; Philemon

May the mumbling commence!

Every day is a day to worship the Lord.  Every day, if we find the right attitude, is a day to enter the courts of the Lord with thanksgiving and praise.  That is why I adore Psalm One-hundred.  Read it below:

Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth! 

Worship the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing with joy. 

Acknowledge that the Lord is God!

He made us, and we are his.

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

go into his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him and bless his name. 

For the Lord is good.

His unfailing love continues forever,

and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

What should our attitude of heart be to enter daily into the presence of the Lord?  Have an attitude of joy.  Be glad. 

How do we cultivate these attitudes?  Acknowledge that the Lord is God.  Take off your plate those things you cannot control.  Give them to the Lord.  They will be in good hands.  The Lord is good… all the time.

When we are joyful in all circumstances other attitudes will grow… attitudes of thankfulness and praise.  We are blessed by the Lord… and we want to pass these blessings to other people.  By blessing people around us, we bless the Lord.

Where will we see our Lord Jesus?  Keep your eyes peeled.  You will find Jesus in the people you know and in the people you don’t know who cross your path unexpectedly.

So be joyful and glad.  Be thankful and extend the blessing you have received to others.  These are the gates into the presence of the Lord.  Enter through these gates and discover how to worship the Lord every day.

And sometimes this worship will entail sacrifice for the benefit of other people.  That’s the kind of sacrifice the Apostle Paul was offering to Onesimus through his letter to Philemon.  Read a portion of that brief letter below:

Perhaps you could think of it this way: Onesimus ran away for a little while so you could have him back forever.  He is no longer just a slave; he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a slave and as a brother in the Lord. 

So if you consider me your partner, give him the same welcome you would give me if I were coming.  If he has harmed you in any way or stolen anything from you, charge me for it.  I, Paul, write this in my own handwriting: "I will repay it." (Verses 15-19 a)

Charge the errors of my beloved brother to me.  I will pay the debt… no matter how steep.  And in the case of a runaway slave, that price would've been steep.  The penalty would have been death. 

Joy and thankfulness and blessing can lead to the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for the people you love.  That is the ultimate worship of the Lord God.  It’s patterned after the Way of Christ Jesus.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Remember, Shout & Sing. Psalms 97-98; Titus 3

May the mumbling commence!

Remember the Lord God Almighty.  Sing a new song to the Creator of everything.  Shout the praises of the Lord.  Bow down and be humbled by the justice and fairness of the Lord God.  These are the things that Psalm Ninety-eight calls us to do.  Read it below:

Sing a new song to the Lord,

for he has done wonderful deeds.

He has won a mighty victory by his power and holiness. 

The Lord has announced his victory

and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! 

He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.

The whole earth has seen the salvation of our God. 

Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! 

Sing your praise to the Lord

with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, 

with trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn.

Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King! 

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Let the earth and all living things join in. 

Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!

Let the hills sing out their songs of joy 

before the Lord.

For the Lord is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice,

and the nations with fairness.

Sing and shout to the Lord.  Praise God with all your might and all your talents.  When we do, we join all of creation in praising the Creator.

God has been faithful.  God is faithful.  God will always be faithful.  God remembers.  The victory is God’s.

So, let’s humble ourselves before the majesty and justice and fairness of the Lord.  Sing a new song.  Sing old and familiar songs with a new awareness… in a new way.

Let us leave our foolishness and disobedience behind us.  Let’s take an active part in claiming the salvation that Christ has worked for us.  Read from Titus chapter three:

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled by others and became slaves to many wicked desires and evil pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy. We hated others, and they hated us. 

But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love.  He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit.  He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did.  He declared us not guilty because of his great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life.  These things I have told you are all true. I want you to insist on them so that everyone who trusts in God will be careful to do good deeds all the time. These things are good and beneficial for everyone.  (Verses 3-8)

Thank you, O Lord, for your mercy and great kindness.  Thank you for the eternal salvation that you have won for us through Jesus Christ.  Help us to actively receive it and leave behind our former ways.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

The Essentials of Worship. Psalms 92-96

May the mumbling commence!

Listen and obey.  That’s worship.  Plain and simple. 

Sing songs of worship to the Lord.  Hear the sermon.  Know the greatness of our Lord Jesus. 

But listen and obey.  That’s worship.  That’s entering into the rest that the Lord provides.

Read Psalm Ninety-five:

Come, let us sing to the Lord!

Let us give a joyous shout to the rock of our salvation! 

Let us come before him with thanksgiving.

Let us sing him psalms of praise. 

For the Lord is a great God,

the great King above all gods. 

He owns the depths of the earth,

and even the mightiest mountains are his. 

The sea belongs to him, for he made it.

His hands formed the dry land, too. 

Come, let us worship and bow down.

Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, 

for he is our God.

We are the people he watches over,

the sheep under his care.

Oh, that you would listen to his voice today! 

The Lord says, "Don't harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah,

as they did at Massah in the wilderness. 

For there your ancestors tried my patience;

they courted my wrath though they had seen my many miracles. 

For forty years I was angry with them,

and I said, 'They are a people whose hearts turn away from me.

They refuse to do what I tell them.' 

So in my anger I made a vow:

'They will never enter my place of rest.'"

Worshiping the Lord is more than going through the motions – even though going through the motions can carry us through difficult times.  You know, singing the songs and recognizing the great deeds of the Lord. 

But the imperative of worship is listening to the Voice of God.  The imperative of worship is to obey the Voice of God.  As the old song says, “trust and obey cause there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”

Let’s rest in the Lord the Sabbath day.  Let’s listen and obey – the only essential imperatives of worship.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Make the Days Count. Psalms 90-91; Titus 2

May the mumbling commence!

Time.  We each have twenty-four hours in each day.  And those days add into weeks and years.  The average lifespan is seventy or eighty years long.  It is a finite amount of time.  May we use it wisely.  May we use it for the Lord and for the people we love in our lives.  Read from Psalm Ninety:

Seventy years are given to us!

Some may even reach eighty.

But even the best of these years are filled with pain and trouble;

soon they disappear, and we are gone. 

Who can comprehend the power of your anger?

Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. 

Teach us to make the most of our time,

so that we may grow in wisdom. (Verses 10-12)

Yes, even our glory days aren’t as glorious as we remember them.  The “good ole days” had their share of pain and trouble.  How do we make the most out of a situation like that?

The psalmist talks of the powerful anger and wrath of the Lord.  I must admit – I am NOT comfortable with that image of God.  I gravitate to the God of compassion, mercy and unending love. 

But we must remember that the Hebrew way of thinking is that everything comes from the Lord – good and bad.  I like to think that the bad comes from Satan and his emissaries of darkness.  I like to think my bad attitudes and thoughts and choices have more to do with evil in the world.

But the past is in the past.  Nothing can change it.  Today is important.  How will I take advantage of this day?  How will I make the most of my time from now on?  That, in a nutshell, is true wisdom.  Where do we go for that wisdom?  Read from Psalm Ninety-one (one of my favorites because it reminds me of my next-door neighbor, who prayed me to salvation… it was one of her favorite psalms).

If you make the Lord your refuge,

if you make the Most High your shelter, 

no evil will conquer you;

no plague will come near your dwelling. 

For he orders his angels to protect you

wherever you go. 

They will hold you with their hands

to keep you from striking your foot on a stone. (Verses 9-12)

We go to God Most High in our times of pain and trouble.  God is wisdom, refuge and shelter.  Though Satan tried to pluck the end of this passage out of context, we can claim the protection of the Lord if we run to God for refuge and shelter.  That is wise to do.  Then we can learn God’s Way and use our extremely limited time well.

It’s about walking the walking and talking the talk of the Christian life.  Read from Titus chapter two:

In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely in all they do.  And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good deeds of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.  Let your teaching be so correct that it can't be criticized. Then those who want to argue will be ashamed because they won't have anything bad to say about us. (Verses 6-8)

Follow Jesus in your attitudes, thoughts, words and deeds.  Jesus set the bar extremely high, but if we attempt to follow his Way, the world will notice and the critics will be left with very little to criticize.

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out