Read this first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+26&version=NIV

This is a psalm that makes sense best if Jesus is praying it, but even then there are some issues.
“I have led a blameless life, treat me with respect God” seems to be David’s cry. I don’t know if that is a great prayer. It sort of makes sense if Jesus is praying it in the garden of Gethsemane asking for the cup to be taken from him, but then he says I don’t sit with the deceitful nor the hypocrites. Jesus certainly did this.

I would disagree with this being a model for prayer- it may be an honest prayer, but it doesn’t seem like one best to repeat. However even if our prayers are wrong it’s good to know God still hears them. And even in this not the greatest prayer- there’s still a gem. Verses 8 and 12 stand out: Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells. My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the Lord.

We want to be back in church with others praising God. Now in the old days this would have taken place in the tabernacle and the temple. But today there is something about meeting in a church that’s different than elsewhere. I haven’t had the most amazing worship experiences at church, it’s rare that God speaks to me directly during a service, part of it is I’m putting on the service. Mostly the church enables all of the other opportunities where God does show up. It all stems from the service itself and there’s something about singing and communion with others that I know is huge for others, but of which are missing now. Small group Bible study, service, and relationships is where I see God showing up to speak to me.

But I can tell you the idea of a full congregation singing in church sounds amazing and the idea that we’re longing for that is a good sign. And I wonder if that longing is something that should be with us for even more. The Jews long for a temple to be back to worship in again in Jerusalem. We long for worship with Jesus face to face like the disciples last had at the Lord’s supper. This longing is a good longing that will last beyond quarantine. I suppose in a sense this life is quarantine as we deal with the sickness not of covid but of sin. We’re waiting for something better and our sin holds us back from better relationships not only with God but with each other.

I long to speak with you in person. We long to see God in person. He longs to see us in person through Jesus too!

Read this first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25&version=NIV

This is a psalm of confession and it’s a psalm of trust in God. There’s no shame if you trust in God because you know what you’re doing is for him. That’s the start of it!

Show me your ways and teach me your paths is what resonates with me- it may remind me of a song that I have searched the internet for and cannot find. But still it’s interesting that the psalmist immediately follows that up with – oh forgive me for what I did when I was younger. It’s very honest. All of us have things in our past that haunt us. God allows us to let that stuff go so we can move forward with him. In fact it’s necessary to do so.

We should be looking to God for instruction. There are many things in scripture that are hard for us as a society to follow. We want God’s instruction to match what our culture is saying and often what we think. But that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s supposed to be the opposite. God’s word is supposed to change me which then changes the culture. Tim Keller says something to the affect of if your God says exactly what you want and thinks what you think- then your God isn’t God. Your God is you. There’s truth to that.

This prayer goes back to the idea that prayer is supposed to change us. It’s not supposed to change God. I often forget this and think my prayers are about what I want changed in the world and my friends lives. The truth is it’s about changing my life and perhaps through that changing others.

Show me your ways oh Lord. Help me be like you.

It’s Friday! We’ve almost made it to the non-existant weekend. Yeah!

Read this to start: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+24&version=NIV

Psalm 23 is pure Gospel- it asks nothing of the sheep. Psalm 24 asks a whole lot! But first it tells us the whole world is the Lord’s and that we can’t go to God unless our hands and heart are pure. It sounds very Disney fairy tale like. Well your heart is pure but your hands aren’t purelled. If only some woodland creatures could lick your hands clean. But I digress. It also tells us to lift up our heads and praise and seek God.

All of these things make sense in the natural order of the psalms we’ve heard. In 22- We hear of Jesus giving us his life and his love. 23 continues the vein of what God, the good Shepherd, has done for us. 24 is what’s our response to all of that? Clean and contrite hearts and hands- certainly- how does that happen? That’s what the shepherd does. He cleans the flock and restores it. If you want an illustration of that watch this lovely video I made last week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1CmuTk9o0Y&t=29s

It tells us to seek after God but then wonder about God. Who is this king of glory? Which reminds me of the old Third day song… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqo-adRyM_k

Then it uses some poetry I haven’t heard before. Not just lift up heads to God but lift your ancient doors. What does that mean? Open all those things that block us from God. Maybe it’s busyness that prevents us from seeing God or apathy or stubbornness or doubt. Let that stuff go. Open your heart- open your doors to the king of glory. Let go and let God! Someone better than you cares for you more than you do! Let God tear down your walls and doors you’ve locked from the inside. May he clean your heart and your hands so you may look up to Him with confidence and give him glory!

Read this here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+23&version=NIV or you know recite it by heart.

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.

Why? Because your shepherd gives you all you need. Relax! A kid once told me this is the best passage to put in the kitchen to stop your wanting of more and that has stuck with me.

He makes me lie down in green pastures and still waters. He guides me along right paths for his names sake.

That sounds nice. Often we think of God’s demands as being painful but the truth is his burden is easy and his yoke is light. Ever work too hard for too long? Do you know what happens. You get sick and are forced to stay home and watch the price is right. We were designed to work a lot but also rest a little. That’s what the sabbath is about!

Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

What does this mean? If I am in a bad spot that doesn’t mean God isn’t there. No that’s when we need and have his protection most as the footsteps in the sand poem has taught us too well. I have spent the last week thinking about the rod and the staff. Is that two things or one? It sound like it’s one. The rod beats off the bad things and the staff or shepherd’s crook brings us comfort. Defend and comfort. Serve and protect. That’s what our God does! Get yourself a God who does both!

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

This is the most interesting passage. We’re served a meal before our enemies. Jesus does this with Judas on Maundy Thursday. Jesus does this with us at every last supper! Images of wars stopping on Christmas day for both sides to come together to have a meal and the reminder that there is humanity at both sides of the fight.

A meal before our enemies. This is life. It sucks. Yet God is good and God serves us He send his light his sun, and his son to give light to all. There’s beauty in this life but it’s only a glimpse of the goodness to come. The challenge is to enjoy it now because there’s some great stuff ahead and even now there’s always something to be thankful for. Life in a sense is a war between good and evil. Yet with God on our side we know who’s won. So pass the wine and let’s eat!

Surely your goodness and mercy will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Goodness and mercy- comfort and protection. Rod and staff. We need both. Goodness will be with us all the time in this life and the one to come.

It’s interesting how this follows Psalm 22 one of the darkest psalms with one of the lightest. It also leads to a discussion about this life and the next- valley of the shadow of death, eternity to come with God. 100% understandable why this would be read at funerals. It’s hope for us now and hope for us later.

Remember it’s not about the sheep it’s about the shepherd!

Read this first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+22&version=NIV

Psalm 22 may be the most fascinating chapter in the Old Testament. Luther has called the Psalms a little Bible in that in 150 chapters you can find the whole Bible in it. If that’s true, then Psalm 22 is definitely good Friday and 23 is the glorious Easter account to come.

Everything in here points to the crucifixion. It’s nearly impossible to read this psalm without thinking of Jesus on the cross. Perhaps David went through some anguish as well but it’s hard to compare it with what Jesus went through.

The very first words, “My God My God why have you forsaken me?” are some of the last words Jesus said on the cross. The psalmist does add- and “yet you are enthroned as the holy one” When one in the new testament quotes one passage in a the old testament they’re quoting the whole thing so even on good Friday when Jesus says this- there’s an and yet. No matter what is happening- and yet God is still on his throne.

The psalmists talks about being looked at and mocked- garments being taken, being thirsty, bones being out of joint but still countable so not likely broken, the person has pierced hands and feet. The only thing added is this discussion that we aren’t told about on good Friday are animals circling him- Ox, lions, and dogs. Now that doesn’t mean they weren’t at the crucifixion- it seems like a dog would have been there, lions and oxen a different story.

Verse 24 though is so insanely hopeful- For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one. He has not hidden his face but heard his cry for help. So even when God the Father has turned his back on Jesus he still hears him. All will bow before God. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn.

So even in the good Friday of the old testament there is hope God brings good news through Jesus on the cross to a people yet unborn- that’s us! No one thought that 2000 years ago that the message would still be spreading, yet God did! Praise him for that! Praise God that he abandons no one. We can only abandon him. We are not forsaken our God is faithful and he is with us even on our darkest days. Amen!

Read here first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+21&version=NIV

I would say this is another intercessory psalm and prayer. It’s in a sense praising the king and praying for him. It starts by talking about all the great things God has done for him- longevity, victory in battle, a crown, blessings. I could easily say similar things- I’m thankful for my health, life, home, continued longevity in ministry perhaps not in life yet, but still most folks don’t seem to last that long in the youth ministry world.

It even switches at one point into praying and asking for God to have victory. Which in a sense seems silly. We know God will have victory. But the last couple psalms have made we wonder should we be praying for God? It would make sense to do so but it feels wrong. How could we contribute to making God somehow better? Yet the idea of caring for God does make sense.

There’s a difficult passage about destroying enemies. If this is a psalm for David it seems out of place but understandable in his position. It’s not the same as asking for the death of my enemies: Comcast, verizon, and robots in phone trees who put me on hold in the wrong phone space. But psalms also can be prayers that focus on Jesus and his prayer for the church. Do we want Jesus to defeat his enemies of sin, death, and our sinful selves? Well yes. That makes this more palpatable. But before when it discusses joys, golden crowns, and endless victories I’m not certain you can say that about Jesus 3 years of earthly ministry.

Be exalted in your strength, Lord;
    we will sing and praise your might.

That’s a simple prayer for God. May God be made known throughout the earth- is a prayer for God but also for the earth. I would say most praise songs have some version of this prayer- be exalted in me- be praised by all I do. Those are prayers for God and they’re prayers that change us. So this isn’t as uncommon as I was thinking.

So perhaps the best thing to do is end in prayer- God may you be glorified may you be known and praised by all on earth. May you do that in some small way through me. Amen!

Read this first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+20&version=NIV

How are you doing? I’m not certain how these are dated but it’s already May 4th. I don’t know how that’s possible and covid exhaustion where everyday feels the same has set in. What are those things that are keeping you going right now? Faith, food, friends, fitness, and creativity have been keeping me going. Sadly creativity killed my alliteration but it’s the proper term. Perfectionism in work is something I’ve had to give up. When you’re video editing for 7 weeks there’s things you have to give up or I’d spend all my time working. If you’re living alone I’m sure that’s a temptation for you. If you have kids I pray to God they’ve made you give up perfection long ago. Just enjoy the time as best as you can regardless of the state you’re in.

Regardless chapter 20. As it’s star wars day- May the fourth be with you- it is interesting that each line in the first half of the Psalm begins with May. It’s a prayer for someone else. A prayer likely for the king. Who do you need to pray for right now? Pray for my friends Gary and Grace. Both had issues that came out of nowhere last week. One was sleeping and one was just getting out of the shower and then they had unknown medical issues that meant they passed out. Hospital visits happened for both. Both made it back home by the end of the day but both are scared as to why. They’re doing fine now. So what happened what brought this on. I’m sure you have people you need to pray for too. It’s helpful to pray for others. The fancy church word for it is intercessory prayer and at times in my life they’re the most common and other times they’re the least common. Prayer can become a list for friends. Prayer can also become a list for yourself. Neither is great, but both can be good.

Intercessory prayer means we’re thinking beyond ourselves. When we get stuck praying for our crap it’s helpful to pray for others. It changes our perspective and can move us to action. To text or talk to our friends in need.

This psalm does have a balance of the two parts prayers for others that’s like a benediction- what we might see at the end of a service and then there’s the prayer for the king and in a sense his nation and then what we know God will do for the king. This is a very true pattern for my prayers. I typically start with what I want then switching to what God wants. It’s a natural pattern. It’s one of the big reasons prayer is super helpful for me. I almost always begin with a need. What I need from God or what a close friend needs from God- healing or insight or a change of their spirit. But then the more I pray the more I realize it’s not about my needs but Gods. And sometimes I realize God’s ways through it.

(Here’s how out of it I am. The more I’ve written here- the more I’ve realized I already wrote this devotion on Saturday. Somehow it never posted. I’ve had technology issues for all of last week so I have no idea how that has happened. Yet this isn’t that big of a deal. The song- be kind to yourself by Andrew Peterson has been replaying for a while to help me on a spotify playlist that I love: the song is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYiM-sOC6nE The playlist is called “Ultimate Christian Alternative” and is like made for my musical tastes.)

Anyway Psalm 20 it starts with a prayer than moves to a proclamation of what is known about David or whomever is being spoken to- and here’s what it says: God gives victory to his anointed. I just did a google search and found no evidence that David ever lost a battle, except for the one he had to keep his son with Bathsheba. He did lose his best friend Jonathon- but I can’t think of any other examples- I’m curious about that. Can you think of a time David- the anointed one lost a battle? If not this prophecy also points to him, but I think it’s more fulfilled in Jesus our anointed one. Christ is unstoppable. In Christ we are more than unstoppable more than conquerors! That doesn’t mean we will win every basketball or that every meal we make will be tasty- but it does mean that when we fail that is not the end of the story. We’ve already the victory and the win knowing Christ is by our side. Lord give victory not to us nor to America, but give victory to the true king of kings- you. Amen.

Read this first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+19&version=NIV

The heavens declare the glory of God- he sends the sun to bring the earth it’s warmth. Sunbeams are transcendent, the path of the milky way is a ridiculous image that stirs the soul. Rainbows remind us of joy and God’s promise. The sky makes us feel small and a reminder of just how grand God’s design is. The sky in creation is where I’ve seen God the most. I’ve asked people where they see God and they mostly agree with that. The second place they’ve seen God the most is in the birth of their first child. I haven’t experienced that but I’m sure they’re right so my answer is the sun and the moon and the stars. God comes in the big and the small and yet most don’t think much of first born and they likely don’t even acknowledge that the sun and the stars exist. In the city you can go months without seeing the sky. You can go years without realizing that other people are a gift. A miracle and the fact that every human exists out of some form of love is a crazy beautiful thought.

God gives us the sun to bring warmth. He gives love to all to bring warmth. He brings his son to bring warmth as well. All warmth comes from God and originally from his voice. Creation speaks his name in this psalm.

Then the psalmist moves from discussing creation to the rules and laws of God. We don’t much about the cosmos- but we do know that they’re run by a mathematician. There are rules to where the stars shine, how they move, even how the stars and planets interact with each other. The universe runs like a clock with orbiting hands keeping everything in it’s place. People dedicate their entire lives to learning the math of the universe. Wise men have done this for eons. Astronomers I’m told are the most religious of all the sciences. There is an order to the way things run and the God of the universe also has rules to dictate our lives as well.

Then the psalmist narrows in and begins discussing the joy of the law of the Lord. We talk about the joy of the gospel- but the Jews to this day delight in the rules of God. Why because they show the love of God too. They show the ways of life- how to love God and love your neighbor. We often think about them as being taken away on the cross but no Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. To do everything exactly as God said we should. We are to strive to do the same and perhaps with the Spirit’s help begin to walk in step with our Shepherd.

Then the psalmist turns from the universe to God’s laws to themselves. They ask to follow God’s laws and that the words of their prayers and thoughts would be acceptable to God. We went from universe, to laws, to my words. The God who spoke everything into being cares about your words in prayer and otherwise. He cares about your innermost thoughts, knows them, and cherishes them. To an outsider these seem like giant leaps from the cosmos to the firing of our inner neurons. To a Christian this is logical. God’s love is there in the vastness of the night sky, but also in the smallness of your infant child, the smallness of your heart and your mind and your day. God’s love is with you in the big and the small. See the glory of God and his handiwork in everything and show it in all you do!

First read here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18&version=NIV

When I went to read this morning I opened my real ESV Bible and thought I was on Psalm 17. Read it and had a bunch of questions and was getting ready to type my blog when I realized I had already done Psalm 17 yesterday but I used the NIV. It felt like a completely different Psalm. The older I get the more I love my NIV. I really think the ESV puts things in ways that are incomprehensible at times and not readable. Anyway, that brings us to 18- it feels like the longest psalm we’ve had thus far and where does it begin?

With the words I love you Lord. The simple start to a child’s prayer but words we should say more and more. Supposedly this was written when Saul fell and that’s his response. I love you Lord. May all our days begin with such words!

It uses the imagery of my rock and my fortress but that I’m told is from Psalm 46- the same imagery is used repeatedly in psalms so that makes sense. Then he goes into his great need for God then we hear of God coming! The imagery he uses is like Smaug the mighty dragon coming up from his layer not to destroy hobbitses but to defend them! It’s an amazing showing of God fighting for his people. God rescued me because he delighted in you. That’s an amazing phrase to take delight in someone. We could all use a little delight right now. It’s a word that’s under used. Paddington- the 2014 movie- is a true delight. Children are a delight. Coffee and a sunrise. Homemade guac with homemade chips are a delight. Something you love that’s just a bit out of the ordinary. I’d like to think that’s the way God thinks of me and you.

Then God rewards us according to the cleanliness of our hands. I don’t want to think that way- even with all this talk of hand washing when you live alone that doesn’t inspire me to wash your hands that much. Yet my hands aren’t clean because of many of the wrong things I’ve done.

Then he shows off all the amazing things that he has done. How he rewards and equips for battle and destroys our enemies. Oddly- David never did that to Saul. I supposed you could say he allowed God to take care of Saul and eventually he did. It’s not ours to avenge and even though it sounds otherwise here.

“People I have not known served me” What an interesting verse. That’s a crazy cool way to be honored. Try to see if you can do that to someone else today- that’s Jesusy! When you serve someone you don’t know- give them an honest welcome or a starbucks giftcard from no where people are taken a back. If they don’t know who it is coming from- they assume it’s God. That’s a pretty cool thing.

The Lord Liveth and blessed be the rock and may the God of our salvation be exalted- did you just sing that? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maWha2xM_Rs That song comes from Psalm 18. Brings back many a campfire singing in a round.

The Lord brings salvation to me is how the psalm closes. That’s something we can take delight in!

Read Psalm 17 first here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+17&version=NIV

Three verses stand out to me so I’m going to focus on them today:

Show me the wonders of your great love,
    you who save by your right hand
    those who take refuge in you from their foes.

I pray this prayer often. I just want to see God’s hand more. Yet every day a sunrise and a sunset. I’ve spent more time watching them over the last couple months in quarantine than I ever have. It’s the reward you get from stopping working on your computer just look up! God’s putting on a show, but it’s quiet and easy to miss. I think that’s the issue God’s goodness is all around us so it’s easy to forget. Like a fish forgets how important water is until it’s gone or how we feel about air or breathing we never think about it or give thanks for it, but it’s vitally necessary!

¹⁴ By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
    from those of this world whose reward is in this life.

Too often I look for rewards that only exist in this life. Money and marriage are on the top of my list. Though I’m not married I’ve wasted a lot of my last decade in relationships that went no where. I’ve wasted time trying to figure out how to save my church from going broke, how to play the stock market best, but God seems to make things work.

There are times at work I wonder if I’m making a difference. I seem to make youth groups smaller. I would say I make them tighter and more like a family but not typically larger. I’m typically sharing God’s word did lead to something happening, but I do have a track record of making 20 something year old athiests, but I still have hope God will turn many of them around. This year I had my first teenage baptism. I have youth with deep faith who still reference not just youth trips but youth Bible studies from decades ago. And only if one kid is changed that should be enough for me yet I still wish I was more effective. But the reward isn’t here. The reward is in the next life and many of those things I can’t see until the next year.

¹⁵ As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
    when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

The psalm ends in this glorious knowledge that we will see God’s face. Now we see dimly but some day we will see face to face. I’ve had moments where I’ve come close to seeing God’s glory. I’ve seen him show up in crazy ways yet there will be a point where his glory will be so much greater. The same is true for you. There is hope- there is always hope!