God Centered Life

The psalm starts with an insistence that all of us would do well to recall and regularly recite: “Not to us” but to God’s name be the glory (115:1). Service to God is not to be self-service. Ironically, sometimes it is possible to seem as if we are serving God, but really we are serving ourselves. Let us then this morning begin by stating it in the negative: not to us be the glory. And then affirm the positive: to God be the glory. The psalm then seeks to show God’s glory by comparing him to idols. The pagan “nations,” meaning those who do not know God, complain that God cannot be seen—he is not visible. Their idols, meanwhile, are physically present. But, the psalm retorts, idols can do nothing! “They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not hear” (115:5). In other words, though they are physically made and visible, they are truly inanimate and not in any sense alive. They are merely statues, however gaudily painted or impressively daubed. Note this: “Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them” (115:8). We have many idols still today. Idols of commerce. Idols of entertainment. Idols of corporate business. Their statues and symbols are all around us all the time to be seen. They promise so much—wealth, power, sexuality. And yet they deliver so little—disappointment and lost-ness. What is more, those who worship such “idols” (including the idols of our own day) inevitably take on the characteristic of that which they worship. Those who worship money become as spiritually thin as a dollar note, with little to no substance to them beyond the bottom line. Those who worship fame become as superficial as a new haircut and a new outfit, with little to no reality to them beyond their appearance. Those who worship themselves become isolated and as lonely as those with no community and divine communion can be. Therefore, the psalm is arguing that we are to flee from idols. Would you turn from idols in your life and instead trust in God? That is what the psalm now urges the reader to do: “O Israel, trust in the Lord!” (115:9). Would you trust in God? If so, he will “remember” you, he will “bless” you (115:12), and you will praise or “bless” the Lord “from this time forth and forevermore” (115:18). #godcenteredlife #devotional #psalms

This year, we are embracing a personal mission: helping others discover Jesus, grow in their faith, and impact the world for Christ. #GodCenteredLife #Discipleship #DiscoverGrowImpact #MakeDisciples #FollowJesus #ChristianLiving #FaithInAction #ChristCentered

There are lots of theories around about how to be “successful.” Perhaps one of the most famous is called “how to win friends and influence people.” Another is called “the seven habits of highly effective people.” This is a mere taste of the numerous books, online resources, and seminars that exist to tell us how to be “successful.” Has anyone ever thought the Bible might have something to say about that? This psalm first gives the condition for such success, and then redefines what the nature of real success is. The condition is simple: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord.” The fear of the Lord is the golden key to the palace of blessing. Whoever seeks to do well (truly well; we will redefine success in a moment) must first of all unlock that door to divine approval, and it can only be unlocked by what the psalmist here calls “fear.” To fear God is not to be scared of God—though when we know who God is, there is ample reason to be scared. But neither is it merely a mealy-mouthed “respect.” To fear God is to treat God as he deserves as God. To fear a mountain is to treat the mountain with appropriate care and deference. To fear God is to treat him in accord with his nature. In particular, then, it means to “greatly delight in his commands.” Fear, in this sense, is not then the opposite of loving God, for it includes the more emotive or affective element of delighting in God. All this fear is necessary if we are to receive from God the blessing of God. Whom do you fear? People? Failure? Poverty? Sickness? The one way to cast out our fears is to fear the good God. So if you wish to be blessed, learn to fear God by delighting in his Word. But what then of the nature of success? It is marked by these 8 characteristics: ▪️"The righteous will never be moved.” It means stability. There is a balance and rootedness to the personality of the one who is righteous, that is who fears God. ▪️“He will be remembered forever.” Not only do those who fear God leave a legacy of respect after they die, they also are a part of God’s eternal legacy in the presence of God after death. ▪️“He is not afraid of bad news.” Because you fear God, then any other calamity is no longer frightening to you. ▪️“His heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.” The fear of God gives a firmness of purpose, and is rooted in a personal trust in God. This is not self-righteous or legalistic works. This is a reliance upon God through trust, thereby to fear God for who God truly is. ▪️“He looks in triumph on his adversaries.” Victory over sin is a gradual process through this life. But the one who fears God will not waver from the purpose of holiness until he or she is finally glorified in heaven. ▪️“He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor.” The one who fears God is open-handed with his resources to others. ▪️“His righteousness endures forever.” While those who fear God are still sinners, their righteous purpose will stand, through faith in Christ, for eternity. ▪️“His horn is exalted in honor.” There is a respect and an honor that comes to the one who fears God. Whereas those who do not fear God, “the wicked,” see all this blessing and become angry. And the desire of the wicked will perish. In other words, the key to real, God-defined success is not merely canny relational skills, brilliant network, or subtle sales techniques. There is a place for technique and wisdom in dealing with people, of course. But the root of all true success is found in the man or woman of God who trembles at the presence of God in their lives. Who lives coram Deo (“in the face of God”), to the honor of God, for the glory of God. Such a man or woman is revealed in private on their knees praying. They know the eye of the Lord is on them, and they live their lives for the joyful delight of following God’s Word. And such a person will experience true blessedness to a measure in this life (along with sufferings), and fully and completely throughout eternity. Therefore, give yourself to the fear of the Lord! --- #devotional #godcenteredlife #psalms

What do you do when people lie about you, deceive you, turn your words into weapons against you, and generally attack and betray you? What is a Christian to do in such situations? Our Lord Jesus teaches us that we are to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.” All well and good—hard enough to achieve—but what of our feelings and of our wrestling with doubt and difficulties internally? Where do we turn when we are angry beyond words or reason; to whom may we utter the words in the dark that we dare not utter in the light of day? Psalms like this one give us an example of using the intimacy of our relationship to God to tell God exactly how we feel. Does David here step over the line at times in this expression of his anger against those who have betrayed him? Perhaps. But then David, as king of God’s people, was acutely conscious of the relationship between his role and the honor of God. If any wonder whether David as a personality was given to venting and easy recriminations, then merely reflect on the years he spent in the wilderness. And how he did not dare touch the anointed Saul, his enemy, despite three times having him at his mercy. No, David is not a naturally angry or vengeful person. But he understands that those who were seeking to undermine him—as the king of God’s people—had a bigger rebellion in mind: undermining the rule of God himself as that was expressed through David. And, here again in this psalm, David also shows the “theo-therapy” that the Psalms offer to us. Take those doubts, those fears, that anger, that desire for vengeance, and bring it all to God. Yes, perhaps some of it is sinful; well, then, confess your sins as you confess your anger. Be angry, and sin not. Do not act on unrighteous anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. And by the end, you may be able to say as David did: “With my mouth I will give great praise to the Lord…For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death” (109:31). --- #devotional #godcenteredlife #psalms

“Whoever is wise let him attend to these things.” What things precisely? This psalm is a fairly lengthy one, but it has a simple and straightforward—and very important—message. The pattern goes like this throughout the psalm: A: Some do various foolish, sinful, rebellious, even evil, things. B: They cry out to God for help. C: God rescues them. D: They give thanks to God. Over and over again, this A-D pattern is repeated throughout the psalm. In a sense, the psalm is saying this is the standard pattern of God’s people. We are rescued people. We are a people who when we cried out to God to rescue us, he came and rescued us. And we are therefore to be a grateful people. The psalm is also saying that if this is a standard pattern, it is also not one that we should endlessly repeat. Let us be faithful to God today, and not go off to some foolish lifestyle or activity that is rebellious against God. But then, also, let us remember that if we come to God humbly, with full sincerity of heart and genuine repentance—if we cry to God, he will hear our cry and come and rescue us. Therefore, as you read this psalm this morning would you: ▪️Cry out to God to rescue you ▪️Give thanks to God for his rescue of you ▪️Be faithful to God in gratitude for what he has done --- #devotional #godcenteredlife #psalms

Surely few, if any, would write a song like this one today, or include its emphases in their annual report! This psalm starts out traditionally enough (“Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever”), but it soon goes to unfamiliar territory. When the psalmist asks that God “remember” him with “favor,” it is quickly followed by a litany of the sins of God’s people! Not normally the subject of a song that we would write for praise today—all the mistakes, sins, rebellion of the people of God! The psalmist recounts their sin before they crossed the Red Sea, their sin in the desert, and their sin making a golden calf as an idol. It would be like writing a song today that instead of celebrating all the great and good of past Christian ages, told the story of all the wrongs that the church has done. Why does the psalm “praise the Lord” by recounting all the sins of God’s people? For at least four reasons: ▪️It is unhealthy to photoshop out the mistakes and sins of our heroes. That does not mean that we should be quick to eviscerate every error that a Christian leader makes; far from it. But it does mean that we should be honest about the fact that in years gone by, Christians have not always done what is right. How are we to learn from our failures if we do not even acknowledge that they are failures? ▪️It is healthy to recount sins because it gives God’s people an appropriate humility. We are not called to grovel in the dust, but we are called to remember that only God can save. Self-righteousness is no more to be a bed-fellow with a Christian than bed bugs, lice or locusts. The Christian, if anyone, should be humble, for the Christian is the person who has recognized that he needs saving. ▪️It is honoring to God to recount the fact that is God who did it—not we ourselves. Too many of our perspectives on the great moves of God are human-centric not theocentric. We rejoice at hearing of the story of some church growing exponentially, and prominent in the story will be the brilliance of the key leader. There is no doubt that God does use some men and women in extraordinary ways. But the emphasis must be that it is God who does it—even if he chooses to use frail, broken jars of clay. ▪️It is good to have a holistic view of the Bible whereby we see the Old Testament as a story of God’s rescue, not merely a record of unattainable and unrealistic rules. The more we can see the human, rebellious note that runs throughout the Old Testament, the more we will understand the necessity of grace, the work of God’s Spirit, and be moved towards dependence upon God. So praise the Lord! Give thanks that he is good. Especially because his steadfast love endures even through the failings and faults and depravity of humanity, even of his own people. Let that encourage you, sinner, that God can use you too. --- #devotional #godcenteredlife #psalms

We sometimes think that “giving thanks” is mainly a personal or emotional activity. Some people are more thankful than others by temperament. Others of us need to learn to be thankful. But in either case we are dealing with something that is internal, emotional—albeit able to be disciplined—but mainly related to the subjective, the personal. Here in this psalm, however, the thanksgiving is rooted in the objective work of God. We are to “give thanks” to the Lord because of his “deeds” and his “wondrous works.” And more specifically it is God’s work of salvation. The psalmist has four main lynchpins of such thanksgiving that fuel his praise. ▪️From verses 8 to 15, he recounts the story of Abraham to particularly emphasize that God made a promise to his people to give them the land of Canaan. This reminds them that God’s covenant promise is utterly reliable. ▪️From verses 16 to 25, he recounts the story of Joseph being sold into slavery and then rescuing God’s people. This reminds that God is a God of rescue. ▪️From verses 26 to 42, he recounts the story of Moses rescuing God’s people from Egypt, leading them in the desert, and then finally God’s people entering the promised land. This, verse 42, “he remembered his holy promise and Abraham his servant.” Then comes the conclusion: “He brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. And he gave them the lands of the nations . . . that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws” (verses 43-44). This is the kind of God he is! He has done wondrous deeds. Therefore, there is ample reason to “give thanks”! Or, as he concludes, “Praise the Lord.” Next time you think that praising God or giving thanks to God is difficult, spend some time following the pattern of this psalm. Think about what God has done—ultimately, what he has done in raising Christ from the dead and giving his own Son to rescue us from our sin. Whatever else might be happening in your life, that “wondrous deed” is more than enough to cause us to “give thanks”! #devotional #godcenteredlife #psalms

One of the great challenges of some songs, and some published prayers, is that they give the impression that life as a Christian is one long feast of rejoicing and celebration. But while a song of triumph has its place, triumphalism is rarely warranted. Even in the midst of a celebration of a great event of kingdom advance, some will be mourning over a deceased husband or child. And too often when we look out at the morning we are unsure how—in our own human strength—we will be faithful to the evening. The psalmist of Psalm 102 is in great difficulty. It is the “day of my distress” (102:2). Perhaps you sense that for yourself today, or over the last few weeks or months. What do you do about such feelings, or when you are facing those kinds of circumstances that cause you real and great distress? The psalmist begins by praying: “Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you!” (102:1). Too often, we turn our afflictions into complaints; let us instead employ the alchemy of prayer to reconstitute our legitimate moaning into the gold of godly Christlikeness. How does he pray, then? What sort of prayer is this? First of all, it is painfully honest. He is honest about his physical ailments. “My days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.” Does he have cancer? At any rate, he is facing real physical suffering. There is some coronary problem too: “My heart is struck like grass and has withered.” It has affected his appetite: “I forget to eat my bread.” He is losing weight alarmingly: “My bones cling to my flesh.” He cannot sleep: “I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.” But he is honest not only about his physical ailments, but also his relational difficulties. It is a sad truth, but so often physical suffering is accompanied by relational challenges. People do not understand what you are going through. Those who never liked you make hay while the sun shines to do you down, to talk badly about you, when you are not around to defend yourself. Tolstoy has a short story about the death of his protagonist. He tells the story starting from the point that he is already dead. With biting sarcasm, and all too acute observation, Tolstoy begins with someone saying, “He’s dead, you know.” “Really,” the other replies, “I hadn’t heard.” And then they go on to wonder who has got the job of the deceased person. Even someone’s death becomes hardly a momentary pause in our ambitions for personal success and achievement. And on top of his physical and relational problems, there is a third—perhaps the cruelest of all. He is depressed (who could blame him?). “For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink.” Is he turning to the bottle to self-medicate his depression? Or can he simply not get through a glass of water with weeping into it? At any rate the saw-dusty description of losing appetite and uncontrollable weeping is all too real a description of some sort of depressive experience. And then comes verse 12! “But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever.” So the prayer is first of all painfully honest, but then it moves to look at God and who he is. Anyone who thinks that theology is for the impractical and theoretical has not yet suffered much. I have had some of the most profound conversations with people facing death. Of course! We want to know for sure who this God is! But in particular, the psalmist comforts himself with two thoughts about God. One, that God is sovereign: “you, O Lord, are enthroned forever.” Two, that God cares about his people: “You will arise and have pity on Zion.” In other words, if God is sovereign, and if God cares for his people, and if I am a part of that people for whom he cares, then God must have a sovereign plan of compassionate care for me. Whatever you are facing, remind yourself not only that God is sovereign, but also that he is covenanted by his own promise to protect and shepherd his people. Then the psalmist turns his mind to the evangelistic and discipleship benefit of him being healed or recovering. “Let this be recorded for a generation to come…that he looked down from his holy height.” One of the great, surprising truths is that our difficulties are not only teaching moments for us, but also teaching moments for others. There, in the fire, people see what we are made of—and they discern Christ in the blaze and learn themselves to trust him. Still, though he has this vision for how God as sovereign could use his suffering, he refuses to retreat to pious platitudes. “He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. ‘O my God’ I say ‘take me now away in the midst of my days” (102:23-24). It does not help people if we pretend that suffering is not suffering. For then they are less likely to see Christ at work through such suffering, if they do not know that it is suffering. He continues with his view that honesty is the best policy regarding what he is going through. And yet this has not left him faithless, or finally shaken, but rather confident. “You are the same, and your years have no end.” He may die, but “The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.” So if this is your “day of distress,” take this psalm and turn it into your prayer. #devotional #godcenteredlife #psalms

A model prayer for any leader follows. David begins with praising God for his covenant love. All godly leadership is rooted in a personal relationship with God. Many leaders get into trouble when their leadership demands outstrip their spirituality roots. Make sure that you have a deep relationship with God, cultivate that relationship, nurture it; that relationship with God is the foundation for everything. But while it is foundational, a personal time of quiet with God is not enough. That relationship must produce real integrity of heart. And integrity of heart at home, “within my house.” No Christian leader will long remain effectual if his public persona is divorced from his private life. One key way to maintain such private faithfulness is to be careful what we look at and where we look. “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless” (101:3). This commitment is especially relevant in the day of the Internet. It is all too easy for a Christian leader to look good on the outside, but then to be looking at things that he or she should not be looking at when they are alone and on their own. Such hypocrisy does not please the Almighty who sees all and knows all. Repent of such deceit and determine to set no “worthless” evil before your eyes. Foundational relationship with God, personal and private integrity—these are essential building blocks for a godly leader. But there is another step. And that is a public and brave pursuit of what is right (even if that pursuit comes at personal cost). David will not put up with those who “slander” nor with those who are “arrogant” (101:5). And instead he will look with favor on “the faithful in the land” (101:6). It is not sufficient to be pious as a Christian leader. One must also be brave, to stand up and be counted, to argue for righteousness, to speak out against wickedness, to protect the godly. If you are a Christian leader, ask yourself whether you are doing enough to defeat evil and safeguard good. Finally, on top of a foundational relationship with God, personal and private integrity, and public bravery for what is right, there comes the sheer dogged, daily ongoing battle: “Morning by morning” (101:8). Note it is early. Which effective leader has ever not begun his working day early? Each day, the fight goes on. #devotional #godcenteredlife #psalms

The beginning of this psalm makes a fascinating contrast with the start of Psalm 97. Psalm 97, verse 1: “The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice;” Psalm 99 verse 1: “The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!” Both are appropriate responses to the reign of the Lord. It is appropriate to rejoice with exuberance because of God’s rule. It is also appropriate to tremble with fear. In fact, our joy is never so complete as when it is a fearsome joy. The man who rejoices at a pancake has significantly less joy than the man who rejoices at the top of Mount Everest. There is more fear at the top of the mountain, but also more joy. And so with God his fearsome reality is not conflicting with the joyful experience of him but confirming. Neither is it wrong to emphasize his fearsomeness. God is to be feared; indeed, let the peoples tremble! Why? Simply because of his holiness. “Holy is he!” (99:5). The holiness of God, his utter otherness, his purity and ethical shining brilliance, that he is something else, extraordinary, utterly other, is enough to make any sane man quake. Is this how you think of God? Or do you think of him as a Santa Claus figure? Benign, nice, but basically ineffectual. This psalm is calling us to recognize the holiness of God. Certainly, godly men pray and God answers them. “They called to the Lord, and he answered them” (99:6). There is a present compassion, a love, a prayer-hearing character, to the living God. We should not make the trembling fear of God to be akin to seeing God as nasty or vicious. He is holy; but he is also loving. Nonetheless, it is the holiness that is on display in this psalm (and the holiness of God that is so often downplayed today). God was a “forgiving God” to Moses and Aaron and Samuel. But he was also “an avenger of their wrongdoings” (99:8). Christian, do not think that your status before God as a Christian means that you are immune from receiving discipline. Indeed, God, like a father, disciplines the child he loves for their good. Fear God and run from sin. “For the Lord our God is holy” (99:9). #devotional #psalms #biblereading #godcenteredlife

Once more the psalmist calls us to sing in joy to God! We are to sing a “new song.” It is easy to begin to go through life with furrowed brow and hunched back, looking down at your feet and smiling with the corners of your mouth turned down! Such ravens of religion, squawking their disaffection in melancholy tones, do nothing to commend the God they serve. Christians are to be joyful people, singing people. We all have times when we do not feel happy, and sadness, even depression, is an experience that is commensurate with genuine Christian faith. Christ was a man of sorrows himself. But the Christian is to sing! How strange it is to gather together in worship and for there to be no singing, or for the people not to sing at all. We who follow Jesus sing with delight and devotion, duty and joy, to the one who saved us! We sing “for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation…” There is enough to sing about in the conversion of one person to keep you in full voice for all eternity! Sing to God because he is a God who saves. Also sing to God because, “He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness” (98:3). God is a faithful God, a compassionate God. He is not quick to anger. He is filled with mercy. His faithfulness to his people is a covenant promise for all eternity. Certainly, God is holy. And that beautiful holiness is expressed in covenant love and faithfulness to his people. “Make a joyful noise, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” (98:4). The singing grows in volume and exuberance, “Let the sea roar…let the rivers clap their hands…let the hills sing for joy together” (98:8). This is the kind of praise to God that is massively profound and majestically voluminous! And the psalm ends as we would not: “he will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity” (98:9). In a world of injustice, it is greatly to be praised that when God comes he will judge with pure justice. He will right every wrong. And those who follow him will find that there will be no more crying or weeping or mourning there, for the old order has gone and the new has come. #devotional #psalms #godcenteredlife

In today’s culture, authority is often seen as something to resist. We assume that the word “authority” carries with it connotations of dictatorship, naked power, illegitimate control, even abuse. But the Bible looks at authority quite differently. Certainly there can be abuses of power and authority. But authority itself is not always bad. In fact, the nature of authority is set up by God, and God’s authority is always good. The original lie in the Garden of Eden was that obeying God was bad for you. And the gospel of Christ sets us free from sin by setting up Christ on the throne of our hearts, that his gospel might gradually permeate every corner of our existence and transform us more and more into his likeness. This psalm celebrates the “reign” of God. “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice” (97:1). Our joy comes out of the rule, or authority, of God; the joy that we long for is connected to the increase of his kingdom in our lives, and all around the world. Having set this proposition about the goodness of the authority of God, the psalmist then, from verses 2 to 6 shows this rule is discernible in the natural world all around us. “Clouds and thick darkness are all around him” (97:2); “Fire goes before him” (97:3); “his lightnings light up the world” (97:4); “the mountains melt like wax before the Lord” (97:5—perhaps this verse is referring to a volcano). The drama and power of nature is a wonder to behold; next time you watch a thunderstorm, think this is just a pale image of the power of God who creates and sustains the universe. And so as the psalmist says in verse 6: “The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.” The world around us witnesses to the reality of God. Or as Paul puts it, “his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20). This means that those who worship idols are “put to shame” (97:7). Once you realize that the visible world witnesses to the invisible power of God, then it is obvious that it is foolish to worship idols. They are objects that are made by the Creator! Why worship money or possessions or sex or power or the sun or having that corner office—when all this is made by the Creator! But then those who trust in God hear this voice of God and rejoice. “Zion hears and is glad” (97:8). The psalmist then concludes with an exhortation. Because of these truths—that God’s rule is good, that his rule is proclaimed in the natural created world all around us, that it is therefore foolish to worship idols—you who love the Lord, “hate evil!” (97:10). God, this great God, “preserves” and “delivers” his people. Plus, insight or “light” comes to those who follow God, as well as “joy” (97:11). So finally, verse 12: Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! #devotional #psalms #godcenteredlife

The psalmist is calling us to sing, and to sing with joy (95:1-2). But why? What is it that should cause us to burst forth with songs of joy, to make a joyful noise? He gives two reasons and one consequence. The first reason is “For the Lord is a great God” (95:3). He is the King above all other kings. He made everything—mountains and valleys, land and sea. Therefore, we are to praise God. So part of the reason to sing praise to God is simply that he is is so great! The second reason is “For he is our God” (95:7). So not only is God great, he also is particularly our God. We are the people of his pasture the sheep of his hand. So not only are we to praise God because he is great, we are also to praise God because he cares for us. He knows. He looks after us. He shepherds us. So we are to praise God with joy because God is great and because God is our God. And there is a consequence to these truths. “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (95:7-8). The reference to “Meribah” and “Massah” contextualizes this warning to Exodus 17. There, despite God’s people having experienced God’s extraordinary rescue of them from Egypt, they doubted that he could give them water to drink in the desert. So because God is great and because he is our God, we are to praise. And the consequence of his greatness and his loving relationship with his people is that we are to trust him. When he speaks through his Word, we are to listen to it, trust it, and obey it. In particular, we are not to doubt that the God who rescued us through Jesus is able to provide for us and care for us through this sometimes troubled life. And, as the Book of Hebrews applies this passage, this means preeminently that we are to trust Christ, who is God’s last Word to us (Hebrews 1:2; 3:7; 4:7). Would you, then, this morning praise God with joy? He is very great and he cares for you! Would you also then listen and trust what God is saying to you through his Word, preeminently to trust in Christ himself! #devotional #psalms95 #godcenteredlife

I remember a song that was often sung when I was growing up called “Shine Jesus Shine.” It’s a good song in many ways, but I suspect this psalm is not usually what we have in mind when we think of God “shining.” When we think of God “shining,” we think of evangelism or social justice or blessing of some kind or another. But here in this psalm, for God to “shine forth” (94:1) means for him to enact “vengeance.” What sort of God is this? The answer to that, of course, is that he is a God who has his ears open and also his eyes (94:9-10). The world in which we live is filled with pain and anguish; it is also filled with people acting in sometimes diabolical ways. “They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless” (94:6). They do this because they think they can get away with it. If they can fool human justice, then God certainly will never notice. But how foolish they are! “Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools when will you be wise?” (94:8). Of course God sees! He made the eye and the ear! Rooted in the very nature of even the concept of God is that of God’s omniscience. To act as if God does not notice what we are doing is the highest of idiocy. Instead, “Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord” (94:12). Here is another strange thought. It is actually a sign of God’s blessing when we are disciplined. What it means is that God is treating us as a father treats his child. He has not abandoned us to our sins. He is correcting us. Pity the man who in sin seems to flourish; great vengeance is awaiting him unless he repents. No, “The Lord will not forsake his people” (94:14). He will protect them against these evils. The psalmist knows this by personal experience. “When I thought, ‘My foot slips,’ your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up” (94:18). Perhaps that is where you are this morning. You feel as if you foot is slipping (or “the cares of your heart are many,” 94:19); take comfort. God’s “steadfast love will hold you up.” He will not abandon you, O child of the King. He will protect and redeem you. Take comfort from the testimony of this psalmist. Whereas for those who reject God, “He will bring back on them their iniquity” (94:23). And therefore, take comfort, Christian. And for those who do not yet know Christ, repent and put your trust in him! --- #devotional #psalms

We live in times when floods rage and roar. There are wars and rumors of wars. There are difficulties in our own lives, and we read of race tension and struggles around the world. Such things are not unique to our age: perhaps every age has thought that it lived in both the best of times and worst of times. For by the same token, we also live in a time with unparalleled opportunity with the expansion of the Internet and the informational technology revolution. Whether you are feeling down in the dumps or up in the sky, you can take solace in the fact that God is in charge. That is the theme of this short but brilliant psalm: “The Lord reigns” (93:1). He is the king: “He is robed in majesty” (93:1). He assures that everything that happens in this world happens according to his divine plan: “The world is established; it shall never be moved” (93:1). Throughout this psalm, as so often in the Psalms, the Bible is speaking in poetic language. It is important to tune our ear to the music of the poetry of the Psalms, or else we will miss their voice for the language of engineering. And this last sentence of verse 1 was misused by some to try to disprove that the earth moved around the sun! Surely the Bible says, “it does not move.” But this is not scientific language; it is poetry. The point is that whatever befalls us in this world, there is a masterful plan behind it from the hands of the Master. Let that truth comfort you today. Even when the “floods” of negative circumstances “lift up” against you, even then he is “mightier.” “Mightier than the thunder of many waters Mightier than the waves of the sea The Lord on high is mighty” (93:4). In fulfillment of this truth, Jesus Christ himself stilled the raging storm with but a word of command. Jesus is Lord; he reigns. And his voice can still the storm at his command. Why does he sometimes allow storms? Why does he sometimes seem to wait to still a storm? Such imponderables of our own personal lives, and our attempts to “read” providence as the Puritans described it, do not counter the truth of his rule. For when he does speak, when he does act, then we see Almightiness at work. In practice, then, it means we can live our lives in trust of what God says in the Bible. “Your decrees are very trustworthy” (93:5). And not only can we trust the Bible, we can trust God’s people, his house, his church. “Holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore” (93:5). Whatever you are going through today, however much the thunder of many waters may roar, remember then that God reigns. And trust his Word. And live your life in the context of his people, the church. #godcenteredlife #psalms

Giving thanks to God can seem like a chore for some people. They look down when they are singing to God and rarely will offer any praise interspersed with their intercessions. But, says the psalmist, “It is good” to give thanks to God (92:1). Praising God is not only right, not only dutiful, it is pleasant, it is good. Indeed, God gives us gladness. “For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy!” (92:4). Delighting in God is a delightful thing to do! Gladness comes when we are part of his work! When we rejoice in him, we find we are in the presence of joy! But all this is too much for some people to understand. It seems too complicated, too obtuse, too obscure. “Your thoughts are very deep,” but “the the stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this” (92:5). People think that rebelling against God, taking moral shortcuts, emphasizing get-rich-quick schemes, and following whatever gives you the biggest high in the quickest amount of time is the way to be happy. They cannot see that “though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever” (92:7). Instead, for the follower of God, God himself has given him strength. “But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox” (92:10). Indeed, “The righteous flourish like the palm tree” (92:12). And, “They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green” (92:14). Therefore, it is Good to give thanks to the Lord! #devotional #godcenteredlife #psalms

There is a secret to safety even in the midst of danger. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty” (91:1). Whatever may befall us, whatever dangers we may face, those who make God their “dwelling” will find that God is their “refuge” and their “fortress” (91:2). There are great promises for those who dwell in the shelter of God. “You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day” (91:5). Why? “Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place” (91:9). Such confidence can be abused, as the devil twisted this Scripture (91:11-12) to tempt Jesus to put God to the test (Matthew 4:6-7). But still there is an eternal safety for those dwell with God. Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (91:14-16). How do you, then, make God your “dwelling”? First, real faith. “Hold fast” to God (91:14). The one who makes God his dwelling has given his life to God, and trusted God wholeheartedly. Second, fruitful love. “In love” (91:14). The one who makes God his dwelling has the fruit of the Spirit, primary among which is love. Third, personal relationship. “Because he knows my name” (91:14). The one who makes God his dwelling has a personal relationship with God. Fourth, confident prayer. “When he calls to me, I will answer him” (91:15). If God is our dwelling place, we will call out to God when we are in need. And what are the results of making God our “dwelling”? First, protection. “I will protect him.” Suffering is not excluded from the experience of Christians in this world, but final defeat is. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Second, help. “I will answer him” (91:15). God’s answers to our prayers are not always what we would want, but his answers are always for our best. Third, presence. “I will be with him in trouble” (91:15). God has promised never to leave us or forsake us. Fourth, salvation. “I will rescue him” (91:15). Those who trust God, those God will save. Fifth, honor. “and honor him” (91:15). The world does not always honor those who dwell with God, and sometimes even the church does not honor such people. But God does give honor to those who dwell with him. Sixth, life. “long life” (91:16). The Christian does not always live an extended period of time, but those who dwell with God do have “life to the full” or “abundant life.” Seventh, satisfaction. “I will satisfy him” (91:16). Those who dwell with God have deep, inner, true satisfaction. Eighth, eternity. “I … will show him my salvation” (91:16). Those who dwell with God have an eternity of salvation to look forward to. Therefore, follow the example of this psalm and make God your dwelling! How? Real faith, fruitful love, personal relationship, confident prayer. #godcenteredlife #psalms #dailydevotional

This, surely one of the greatest psalms, if not one of the greatest chapters in the whole Bible, resonates with the God-given wisdom of that man of God, Moses. And the essence of its wisdom? “You return man to dust,” and therefore “teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” It is part of the common parlance of folk wisdom, and the legacy of the Stoics, that we should realize that we are to die and therefore make the most of this life. Ancient Egyptians would hold parties with a skull’s head to ensure that people partied with sufficient vim given the reality of death soon coming. And the Stoic phrase “seize the day” (carpe diem) has a rather more sophisticated sounding, but basically similar, import. Yes, it is wise to make the most of each day. We do not even know whether we will have another one tomorrow. Seize the day, indeed. But Moses here is saying more than simply that. Note the oft-repeated, and surprising, word “wrath” or “anger” (90:7, 9, 11). Moses is not simply saying seize the day; he is reflecting on the reality of the brevity of this life and what that means for God’s relationship to his rebellious creation. We are, unless we are in Christ by faith in God, under the wrath of God. And the shortness of this time, with all its unexpected brevity, is an indicator of that basic reality. God is eternal—“a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday”—and we are not, and we are also, unless we are in Christ by faith in God, under his wrath. Therefore, doubly, trebly, infinitely so, seize the day! To do what? To bask in his love, and to work fruitfully for him. “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (90:14) And, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (90:17) #devotional #godcenteredlife #psalms

Following Jesus is not a sudden rush to the finish line. It is step-by-step progress in the life of discipleship, walking in the power of the Spirit. And that path is marked by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. #GodCenteredLife #Discipleship #WalkByTheSpirit #FruitOfTheSpirit #ChristianLiving #GospelTruth #ChristCentered

The vision and the promise are clear. But where are the results? This is a confusing disjunction with which to be faced at the best of times, but especially when the vision belongs to God (verse 19), and the promise is guaranteed also by God (verse 35). “But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed” (verse 38). We know that God’s “forever” promise to David was fulfilled in Christ’s “forever” kingdom. When God says that he will “establish his offspring [or “seed”] forever” (verse 4 and 29), we know that he is referring to the “seed” of Christ (Galatians 3:16). But we still have times when we wonder what God is up to. We still sometimes pray, “How long, O Lord, will you hide yourself forever?” At such times we can ask God to “remember” and also yet still praise God as “blessed.” We can ask God to “remember” how short our lives are (verse 47). God, of course, does not need to be reminded in the sense that he has forgotten. But in our appeal to God based on the brevity of our own lives, we are reminding ourselves in his presence that time is of the essence. The man who cannot manage time cannot manage anything – as a colleague reminds me that Peter Drucker used to say. Our days are indeed “vanity” if we are living for this life alone: for “what man can live and never see death?” (verse 48). God operates on the timescale of not just millennia but eternity. We are time-bound, and our days are brief. Therefore, ask God boldly to intervene now! But more than this, we can ask God to remember – here the reminder posed in the form of a question – his promises to his anointed king and his people. “Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?” (verse 49). The word of God is a powerful weapon in the hands of a praying saint. Jesus himself employed that weapon in his battle with the adversary (Matthew 4:1-11). Therefore, ask God boldly to intervene on the basis of his promises! We can also ask God to remember the way that his servants are “mocked” (verse 50). This is a reminder that God’s own honor is at stake. “Remember, O Lord…the insults…with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed” (verse 50-51). When God’s people are insulted, the insults are falling on God’s own head. Therefore, ask God boldly to intervene for the sake of his own glory! But these prayers – for God to work now, because of his promises, for his own glory – do not deprive the follower of God of joy and praise in the presence of God. “Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and amen” (verse 52). “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”(Psalm 50:23) In your praying, remember also to be praising. We bless God in the sense that we affirm that he is blessed. Bless God today, praise him for who he is even as you ask God to intervene now. #godcenteredlife #devotional #psalms