Psalm 33:1-12
Common English Bible (CEB)
All you who are righteous,
shout joyfully to the Lord!
It’s right for those who do right to praise God.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre!
Sing praises to him with the ten-stringed harp!
3 Sing to him a new song!
Play your best with joyful shouts!
4 Because the Lord’s word is right,
his every act is done in good faith.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the Lord’s faithful love fills the whole earth.
6 The skies were made by the Lord’s word,
all their starry multitude by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathered the ocean waters into a heap;
he put the deep seas into storerooms.
8 All the earth honors the Lord;
all the earth’s inhabitants stand in awe of him.
9 Because when he spoke, it happened!
When he commanded, there it was!
10 The Lord overrules what the nations plan;
he frustrates what the peoples intend to do.
11 But the Lord’s plan stands forever;
what he intends to do lasts from one generation to the next.
12 The nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom God has chosen as his possession,
is truly happy!
*******************
I do some good things. I do some not-so-good things, too. I try to do more good than bad, and I think I, overall, do a pretty good job in that effort. But I'm not perfect.
Verse 4 here says that God's every act is done in good faith. Every single act is good, and it's faithful to who God is. It's rooted in love and compassion and mercy and grace, and it's all done in hopes of bringing people to God. Every. Single. Act.
Such a God should cause us to praise him. A God who does everything for our ultimate good is worthy of our praise, and if we keep him as our Lord, we will truly be ultimately happy. It may mean we have to sacrifice some things in the short-term, but true happiness is found only in the good who does everything in good faith.
May you lean into the promises of God today.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Psalm 32
Psalm 32
Common English Bible (CEB)
The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered over, is truly happy! 2 The one the Lord doesn’t consider guilty— in whose spirit there is no dishonesty— that one is truly happy! 3 When I kept quiet, my bones wore out; I was groaning all day long— every day, every night!— 4 because your hand was heavy upon me. My energy was sapped as if in a summer drought. 5 So I admitted my sin to you; I didn’t conceal my guilt. “I’ll confess my sins to the Lord, ” is what I said. Then you removed the guilt of my sin.
6 That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times, so that a great flood of water won’t reach them. 7 You are my secret hideout! You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of rescue! 8 I will instruct you and teach you about the direction you should go. I’ll advise you and keep my eye on you.
9 Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule, whose movement must be controlled with a bit and a bridle. Don’t be anything like that! 10 The pain of the wicked is severe, but faithful love surrounds the one who trusts the Lord. 11 You who are righteous, rejoice in the Lord and be glad! All you whose hearts are right, sing out in joy!
**********************
Secrets fester. When we bury things inside us, they never go away. The tug at the corners of our souls, affecting our entire lives. Their power is only broken once they are exposed to the light.
With sin and shame, we often bury them within, believing that we aren't worthy of God's forgiveness or afraid to admit our imperfections to God. We feel like we should know better, and so we cover our sins with our shame and let them torment us.
When we let them into the light of God's grace, confessing our sin to God, we break their power. They no longer can control us, but are shattered on the cross, and we are free to live as God intended us to live. God wants you to confess, because God is eager to forgive, because God wants you to live free, not captive to the power of sin.
May you experience freedom in Christ today!
Common English Bible (CEB)
The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered over, is truly happy! 2 The one the Lord doesn’t consider guilty— in whose spirit there is no dishonesty— that one is truly happy! 3 When I kept quiet, my bones wore out; I was groaning all day long— every day, every night!— 4 because your hand was heavy upon me. My energy was sapped as if in a summer drought. 5 So I admitted my sin to you; I didn’t conceal my guilt. “I’ll confess my sins to the Lord, ” is what I said. Then you removed the guilt of my sin.
6 That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times, so that a great flood of water won’t reach them. 7 You are my secret hideout! You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of rescue! 8 I will instruct you and teach you about the direction you should go. I’ll advise you and keep my eye on you.
9 Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule, whose movement must be controlled with a bit and a bridle. Don’t be anything like that! 10 The pain of the wicked is severe, but faithful love surrounds the one who trusts the Lord. 11 You who are righteous, rejoice in the Lord and be glad! All you whose hearts are right, sing out in joy!
**********************
Secrets fester. When we bury things inside us, they never go away. The tug at the corners of our souls, affecting our entire lives. Their power is only broken once they are exposed to the light.
With sin and shame, we often bury them within, believing that we aren't worthy of God's forgiveness or afraid to admit our imperfections to God. We feel like we should know better, and so we cover our sins with our shame and let them torment us.
When we let them into the light of God's grace, confessing our sin to God, we break their power. They no longer can control us, but are shattered on the cross, and we are free to live as God intended us to live. God wants you to confess, because God is eager to forgive, because God wants you to live free, not captive to the power of sin.
May you experience freedom in Christ today!
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Psalm 31:19-24
Psalm 31:19-24
Common English Bible (CEB)
19 How great is the goodness that you’ve reserved for those who honor you, that you commit to those who take refuge in you— in the sight of everyone! 20 You hide them in the shelter of your wings, safe from human scheming. You conceal them in a shelter, safe from accusing tongues.
21 Bless the Lord, because he has wondrously revealed his faithful love to me when I was like a city under siege! 22 When I was panicked, I said, “I’m cut off from your eyes!” But you heard my request for mercy when I cried out to you for help.
23 All you who are faithful, love the Lord! The Lord protects those who are loyal, but he pays the proud back to the fullest degree. 24 All you who wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage.
**************************
One of our human traits is the ability to underestimate the distant future and overrate the present. We convince ourselves that present joy is more important than future joy, and so we do things in the present that compromise our ability to enjoy the future. We don't discipline ourselves because we believe the present is the most important thing.
I'm not here to say that we can't enjoy the present, but we do need to be reminded that the future is so much more glorious than we can begin to imagine. When we talk about the honor and glory and greatness of God, our very best words fall short of describing one-tenth of 1% of God's glory. This glory is worth striving for, worth sacrificing for, worth living for.
The promises of God are all true, and God will be faithful to them. Let us put God first in all things, recognizing that it is worth whatever sacrifice we must make in order to bring honor and glory to God.
May God's glory guide you today
Common English Bible (CEB)
19 How great is the goodness that you’ve reserved for those who honor you, that you commit to those who take refuge in you— in the sight of everyone! 20 You hide them in the shelter of your wings, safe from human scheming. You conceal them in a shelter, safe from accusing tongues.
21 Bless the Lord, because he has wondrously revealed his faithful love to me when I was like a city under siege! 22 When I was panicked, I said, “I’m cut off from your eyes!” But you heard my request for mercy when I cried out to you for help.
23 All you who are faithful, love the Lord! The Lord protects those who are loyal, but he pays the proud back to the fullest degree. 24 All you who wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage.
**************************
One of our human traits is the ability to underestimate the distant future and overrate the present. We convince ourselves that present joy is more important than future joy, and so we do things in the present that compromise our ability to enjoy the future. We don't discipline ourselves because we believe the present is the most important thing.
I'm not here to say that we can't enjoy the present, but we do need to be reminded that the future is so much more glorious than we can begin to imagine. When we talk about the honor and glory and greatness of God, our very best words fall short of describing one-tenth of 1% of God's glory. This glory is worth striving for, worth sacrificing for, worth living for.
The promises of God are all true, and God will be faithful to them. Let us put God first in all things, recognizing that it is worth whatever sacrifice we must make in order to bring honor and glory to God.
May God's glory guide you today
Monday, April 7, 2014
Psalm 31:9-18
Psalm 31:9-18
Common English Bible (CEB)
9 Have mercy on me, Lord, because I’m depressed. My vision fails because of my grief, as do my spirit and my body. 10 My life is consumed with sadness; my years are consumed with groaning. Strength fails me because of my suffering; my bones dry up. 11 I’m a joke to all my enemies, still worse to my neighbors. I scare my friends, and whoever sees me in the street runs away! 12 I am forgotten, like I’m dead, completely out of mind; I am like a piece of pottery, destroyed. 13 Yes, I’ve heard all the gossiping, terror all around; so many gang up together against me, they plan to take my life!
14 But me? I trust you, Lord! I affirm, “You are my God.” 15 My future is in your hands. Don’t hand me over to my enemies, to all who are out to get me! 16 Shine your face on your servant; save me by your faithful love! 17 Lord, don’t let me be put to shame because I have cried out to you. Let the wicked be put to shame; let them be silenced in death’s domain! 18 Let their lying lips be shut up whenever they speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt!
*********************
I'm willing to bet we've all been there, in that dark place consumed with sadness and overwhelming pain. Our self-esteem is awful, as we believe that even our closest friends judge us when they see us. There seems to be little hope.
Yet, even in the midst of such darkness, the Psalmist looks to the light. It is God's ability to triumph over such powers of pain that inspires the Psalmist, and should inspire us, too. God never promises that we will never experience pain. Rather, he promises that he will bring us through pain into new life. When we look to God in the midst of our pain, we are reminded of God's promise, of God's faithfulness, and God's power.
In the midst of pain and sadness, we don't believe we have the power to escape its clutches. But God has the power to lead us through, and so looking to God is the wisest thing to do. He will transform our suffering.
May you be inspired by the power of God today.
Common English Bible (CEB)
9 Have mercy on me, Lord, because I’m depressed. My vision fails because of my grief, as do my spirit and my body. 10 My life is consumed with sadness; my years are consumed with groaning. Strength fails me because of my suffering; my bones dry up. 11 I’m a joke to all my enemies, still worse to my neighbors. I scare my friends, and whoever sees me in the street runs away! 12 I am forgotten, like I’m dead, completely out of mind; I am like a piece of pottery, destroyed. 13 Yes, I’ve heard all the gossiping, terror all around; so many gang up together against me, they plan to take my life!
14 But me? I trust you, Lord! I affirm, “You are my God.” 15 My future is in your hands. Don’t hand me over to my enemies, to all who are out to get me! 16 Shine your face on your servant; save me by your faithful love! 17 Lord, don’t let me be put to shame because I have cried out to you. Let the wicked be put to shame; let them be silenced in death’s domain! 18 Let their lying lips be shut up whenever they speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt!
*********************
I'm willing to bet we've all been there, in that dark place consumed with sadness and overwhelming pain. Our self-esteem is awful, as we believe that even our closest friends judge us when they see us. There seems to be little hope.
Yet, even in the midst of such darkness, the Psalmist looks to the light. It is God's ability to triumph over such powers of pain that inspires the Psalmist, and should inspire us, too. God never promises that we will never experience pain. Rather, he promises that he will bring us through pain into new life. When we look to God in the midst of our pain, we are reminded of God's promise, of God's faithfulness, and God's power.
In the midst of pain and sadness, we don't believe we have the power to escape its clutches. But God has the power to lead us through, and so looking to God is the wisest thing to do. He will transform our suffering.
May you be inspired by the power of God today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)