Month: June 2020

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A Mighty Fortress is our God!

Ps 46 and 47 Today we are losing the rich heritage of our hymns. How many of us know the backdrop of this hymn?

Martin Luther composed this hymn based upon Ps 46 as he faced numerous threats and dangers from the pope and his forces regarding his stand “salvation is by grace and faith alone.” When the enemy of fear came calling, Martin Luther would say to his friend and co-worker, Philip Melanchthon, “Let us sing the 46th Psalm.” Luther’s composition declares one’s absolute reliance on God and His power and is still a comfort to believers today.

Martin Luther noted God is our refuge (a place of safety, thus the mighty fortress), He is our protector; He is our Commander in Chief, the Lord of Hosts (Jehovah Sabaoth) and He commands His armies to fight for us. God is with us “in” times of trouble.

Principle: If we don’t know God in times of peace, we will not recognize Him in times of trouble. We should know that God is all around us. He is on our side. He goes into battle with us and commands His heavenly armies to fight for us and with us. We are never alone! He is our ever-present help in times of trouble. “A Mighty Fortress” is Our God, A bulwark never failing, Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing; For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; ….The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.

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Hang in there…we aren’t at the finish line yet

Psalm 43 to 45 On a scale of 1 to 10, how is your day going? Are you among those who grumble and complain about life and wish you could go back to the “good old days?” But how good were they? Reviewing history, we recall that in the twentieth century, there were two world wars. Yesterday was the 76th anniversary of D-Day, where 4000 men lost their lives on Normandy’s beaches. Children contracted polio and spent their days in an iron lung. We could go on and on, yet in all of that, know this: God was still on the throne.  He is sovereign and in control. He knows the beginning and the end.

Stop and consider this; God has placed us, in this century, at this time, just as he did, King David and Queen Esther and Nehemiah and Cyrus and many more.  He chose this time for us because, He has plans “not to harm ‘us’ but to give ‘us’ a future filled with hope.” It may seem like God has taken his hand off the world, but the psalmist reminds us to “wait for God for his saving intervention.”

As we walk and talk through each day, we should praise Him because we now have the privilege to “confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace whenever we need help.” Like the saints of old, we can praise Him because God is in the business of granting continual blessings for his children.

We can praise Him for each new day because God is not finished yet.

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Do You Have God’s eyes to see?

Ps 41/Ps 33 “The Beatitudes of the Psalms.”

As a tax collector, Matthew was monetarily rich, and yet his heart was empty until Jesus called him. He left behind his riches to follow Christ and later recorded the teachings of Jesus that his fellow Jews might see the promised Messiah. Matthew 5 reveals what the world sees as upside-down theology. Instead of focusing on self first; focus on this principle: “So the last will be first, and the first last.” God looks at the heart and the actions that come from it. The principle is: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Centuries before Matthew wrote, David noted: “How blessed is the one who treats the poor properly!” These are the merciful, the compassionate, and the gracious. They pray not only for God’s eyes to see those in need, but then to treat them with grace.

Catherine Martin writes: “You can always spot those who know life in the garden of grace, for they act with unusual mercy and love, and they speak out of kindness and compassion rather than resentment and vengeance.” [1]

Psalm 41 ends: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.” Earlier David noted that God watches from heaven; he sees all people and takes note of all their actions.

Today ask the Lord to give you His eyes that you may see, minister, and be blessed. 

  1. Martin, Catherine, A Woman’s Walk in Grace, 2010 Harvest House Publishers
  2. Photo: Dreamstime

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Is”fretting” a biblical response?

Psalm 37/Romans 13  Does the news cause you to fret? Yes, some of it isn’t reassuring. We find that we are asking ourselves: How did we get to here? Today’s psalm is a guide for how we are to respond to these events.  Listen to the wisdom that David shares. “I was once young, but now I am old…”. David shares some wise counsel to the younger generation, and it fits today right here and right now.  Like Job, David was noting that wisdom is found among the aged and that long life brings understanding.  One lesson David has learned and now is sharing is that fretting—”being worried or distressed or even resentful“—does not solve all of life’s problems. Instead, when we are fretting, we are seeking to play God not trusting Him to bring about His plan. David’s reminder: “God’s got this.”

David has learned many lessons from his long life and many years as a servant, a shepherd, and a king. Paul reminds us that there is no authority except by God’s appointment, he has instituted these, and they are God’s servants. Therefore, pay respect for whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.   The government’s sword is not just seen but is to be used to keep the peace.

The example of Paul and Silas being imprisoned without cause is an example for us to follow. As they sat in that dank dungeon cell, they did not fret but praised God. They knew that “God’s got this.”

If you are fretting, take a lesson from Paul and Silas and the wise counsel of David.  

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Anchors

Psalm 34-36 In times like this what or who is your anchor?

Anchors only work if they are digging deep into the earth. They must dig in and then hold the ship. Right now, just like David, we are in a battle and we need a strong anchor. One thing he knew is that “In times like these you need a Savior. In times like these you need an anchor, Be very sure, be very sure your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!   This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One.”

Where do you find peace? Where do you go in times of danger or crisis?

Just like the words of the hymn, David’s anchor was the Lord. He wrote: I sought the Lord, and when I sought him, he answered and delivered me from all my fears. God’s ministering angels came and encamped around me. This one thing I know: The Lord hears the cries of the godly, He is near to the brokenhearted, and when I am discouraged, I can trust that God will be my deliverer. Isaiah also knew, “You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith…for they trust in you.”

The world would have us look everywhere but to the Lord. Have you tried other ways? Is Christ your anchor?

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Be Thou my Guide O thou great Jehovah

Psalm 31-33, Is God silent in your life right now? If you think he is, then you have missed the spiritual markers of his character in the OT, such as in these three psalms. Beloved,

Read the OT to learn about His character..

Read to learn about His heart.

Read to learn about yourself.

David is in, as we say, a “whole heap of trouble.” His path seems strewn with the foes that are on his trail. He needs to find safety and security and so he turns to God because he knows and trusts Him.  He knows that God is his protector. He believes God to be his stronghold, where he can be safe!

Like David, others may see us as worthless and empty like a broken jar, but God sees us through His eyes.  He looks carefully. His eye is as much on the sparrow as it is on us. Therefore, we can trust Him.  Kings come and go, warriors are strong for only a season, horses can only deliver as the horseman guides. But, God is sovereign; He is strong. He is our deliverer. Wait on Him. He knows the path we should take. It is in Him that we find peace and contentment, safety, and security. Pray as David prayed: Guide us this day.

William Williams penned these words:

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah; pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak but you are mighty, hold me with your powerful hand.

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Thunderstorms…Majesty and Grace

Psalm 29 Thunderstorms here in Texas are something to behold, but imagine if you were out in the wilderness with David and his sheep. David saw the power of the lightning and heard the power of the thunder. In a thunderstorm, we can see the trees sway under the control of the wind and the clouds race across the sky.   How far is the storm? They say you can count between the thunder and the lightning to know. The storm comes with power, and then as quickly as it happens, it recedes to the quiet and the fresh rain saturates the ground. As David sat out on the hillside with his sheep, he may have chosen this time of reflection about God.  Perhaps as he was sitting with the sheep, he reflected and recorded these words for us.

Truly God is majestic; He is sovereign, He is mighty. His voice is so powerful it can shatter the most towering cedar in Lebanon. He allows us a glimpse of His majesty in the thunder and lightning. And often God allows us to see the rainbow as a reminder of His grace. When the storm subsides, we are left to hear the quiet and smell the odor of the freshness it brings.

It is in the quiet we should stop and give Him praise for His protection, and acknowledge Him as Lord God Almighty, the one who is sovereign overall.

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Come Apart with Me…

Our world is reeling and in disarray. Our souls have been revealed and we are found wanting. Yet in all of this God is still there, waiting on us to come to Him that He may teach us about Himself and about who we are..

Psalm 24-27 King David is the writer of many of the psalms. David’s prayers are an open window to learn about God, His attributes, and His ways. Through his eyes, we are given prayers to a holy God that demands holiness. Again David introduces us to the lessons of how to wait for His answers. We become acquainted with His character and His ways of blessing those who are humble. If we really want to know God, we must fear him both literally and figuratively. Then you can, like David, say “one thing I have asked of the Lord, one thing I seek…”

What is the one thing you seek?

Warren Wiersbe says that this is the first time God is referred to as “light.” Jesus came and said “I am the Light of the World.”

One thing David reminds us is that God is God, and there is none like him. He will protect us and conceal us from the enemies around us. God is immutable—that is, He does not change. He is the same yesterday as he is today, as he will be tomorrow. 

God’s character shines through David’s prayers. We learn of His righteousness, His discipline, His lovingkindness. We learn that if we are patient, God will come to us to respond to our needs.

BUT….We cannot know God unless we are reading His love letter to us. 

What has God revealed to you this day?

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