How easy it is to fall into the trap of “ritual religion”! So many Christians know little of a vital, fresh, day-by-day relationship with the Lord. I did not say an inactive relationship. Christians have never been more active! The tyranny of the urgent is no theoretical problem. Many a believer jumps off the Sunday treadmill of activities only to hop on the weekday treadmill
Read MoreTag Archives: Psalms
God’s Deliverance
The final verse of Psalm 54 describes a sudden reversal. The first verses describe a dire situation, prompting David to plead for God’s help. By verse 7, his despondency has turned to triumph. His declaration, “He has delivered me from all trouble,” is past tense. Hebrew literature often uses the perfect tense to declare a future event “as good as done.”
Read MoreRest in God’s Faithfulness
As David’s lament (Psalm 54) over the grind of difficult people draws to a close, he turns from bitter resentment to find rest in God’s faithfulness. David has named his enemies and acknowledged their sins, and he has surrendered his right to justice, placing them in God’s hands. As a result, David finds peace.
Read MoreLeave Vengeance to God
David could have written a whole book of poems lamenting the host of enemies surrounding him. Enemies in Saul’s court. Enemies among the priests. Enemies in the surrounding territories. Enemies everywhere! But in Psalm 54, he devotes only three lines (54:1–3) to naming his problem people. He, instead, quickly turned his mind’s eye to focus on his divine advocate.
Read MoreConsider the Source
Imagine David wilting under a bush or slumped in a cave, pouring out his feelings in Psalm 54, begging the Lord for help. The first three verses are a prayer with emphasis on the enemy. The spotlight then turns to the composer’s divine defender as the next two verses form a picture. The last two verses are words of praise as David focuses on his own history with God.
Read MorePeople Problems
For many years, I opened the daily newspaper looking forward to another dose of wisdom from the mind of Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic strip “Peanuts.” In one particular scene, Lucy chides her little brother Linus, “You a doctor! HA! That’s a big laugh! You could never be a doctor! You know why? Because you don’t love mankind, that’s why!”
Read MoreComfort in God’s Strength
If Martin Luther’s great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” is any indication, he often turned to Psalm 46 for comfort. When you read his story, you can appreciate why. In 1520, after more than three years of conflict with the Church in Rome, the Pope warned Luther in a public letter that he would be excommunicated if he did not recant his teaching that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.
Read MoreCease Striving
The psalmist’s inner battle with the grind of personal weakness, recorded in Psalm 46, ended with a truce. He arrived at a critical decision that required every ounce of faith he could muster. He decided to withdraw from battle. I Will Not Strive. The last four verses of his song (Psalm 46:8–11) are nothing short of magnificent.
Read MoreI Brake for Christmas
A FEW DECEMBERS AGO, I saw something that I won’t soon forget. The bumper sticker on the back of the car in front of me caught my eye. It made me think. And it even aroused some guilt. I was on the freeway as the car was pulling off. Like many December days, my day so far had been full, and it was far from over. Stuffed in my pocket was a shopping list, most of the items not yet purchased.
Read MoreGod in Your Midst
The psalmist’s reaction to nature in upheaval was, “I will not fear” (Psalm 46:2–3). His response to feelings of personal weakness continues in Psalm 46 with a change of scene, which prompts another resolution. I Will Not Be Moved. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
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