Tag: Right

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Elegant clarity of God’s Law.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

King David, one of the favorite patriarchs and most beloved leaders of Israel writes this extraordinary Psalm. David’s personal life was filled with drama, trauma, failures and beauty. David was a prolific songwriter and psalmist. His humble beginnings, heroic acts, desperate evasions running from Saul, rise to power, despicable behavior as the highest authority in the land and highly dysfunctional household all make for an honest story to tell in the book of Psalms.

This psalm was inserted at the end of David’s life, so there is no real way to determine when it was written. Maybe when David was young and hungry for nothing but God’s presence. Or, maybe looking back at God’s faithfulness, even though David’s life may appear to be a disaster. Either way, this psalm captures the elegant clarity and resilience of God’s Law.

These words like perfect, trustworthy, joyous, clear, pure, true and fair are abundantly descriptive of God Himself and reflected in God’s Law. These words immediately make me feel defensive of God when He is wrongly blamed for being evil, blind, slow, unjust or unmerciful! Since God is perfect, it surprises me that we, as warped, broken human beings can’t see that maybe, just maybe, all the atrocities we blame God for are actually not from Him at all. I know that causes us to scream, then “why does God allow evil to prevail?”

Let me ask another question that is much more complex, “why does God let us choose anything?” “Why does God give us free will?” For God to rid the world of evil, wouldn’t that also mean ridding the world of YOU, or ME… and our choices! We are really addicted, obsessed and fixated on our own free will. We love our choices to do what we want, when we want and do not want anyone telling us differently. Anyone ever think that evil and awful atrocities have something to do with US and not God? We are quick to say, “they shouldn’t be allowed to __.” But we think twice about someone stopping us from doing what we want. Choices! We have them and we do whatever like. Why doesn’t God just stop the really bad things from happening? Hmmm, what would those “really bad” things be? Murder? Mayhem? War? Infanticide? Genocide? Cruelty? Racism? The list goes on.

At some point we should see the problem with eliminating some choices, but allowing others. And that’s just with humanity alone. This doesn’t even account for a real, living entity called Satan, the rebellious angel that hates humans and wants to destroy every single one of us! What about that? What about Satan’s free choices? Should he be allowed to do whatever he wants?

Back to God’s law and His perfection. Looking at God’s way, His rules, my hope is that we can see that God is good and His love for us is good as well. When I can’t see the “why” behind a tragedy, a diagnosis, or an atrocity – I can still trust that God is good and absolutely knows the person, circumstances and struggles behind each situation. God is eternal, and wise – our perspective is so limited and our understanding of all things is bound by those limitations. My trust in Him is resolute, no matter what I see or feel.

Prayer

​Dad,
I am so limited on what I know, see and feel. My trust in you, however, secure. I have seen your work and will among us for much of my life and I am convinced that you are exactly what this broken king David said you are – perfect. And your law, rules and ways are perfect as well. Thank you for continued mercy and patience with me and all of us who wait for sin to be no more and justice to prevail over all things.

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When nothing seems to go right.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads. I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalms‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As we read the Psalms, they are often used for comfort, encouragement or even sung as expressive praise to God. Each one of these Psalms were written by individuals for specific circumstances that they were going through at the time.

David writes this Psalm as he is running from his own son, Absalom. David and his men happen to run into a village that was “pro Saul.” The backstory of this Psalm is called “the reproaches of Shimei.” Who is Shimei? ‭‭

2 Samuel‬ ‭16‬ captures the drama. “As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. “The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!””

Abishai offers to cut off the heckler’s head, but David turns and corrects his own general, ““No!” the king said. “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the Lord has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?” Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.”” These verses in Samuel capture David’s humility, but the Psalm captures his true feelings of being hunted by wicked men, both Saul and Absalom. Of course Saul was dead, but David was not the one who took his life. Neither would he take his own son’s life.

Samuel captures the situation, but Psalms captures the turmoil of being constantly pursued by evil. Have you ever felt like David? You’re trying to do everything right and it seems like nothing works. And worse, you are being attacked or harassed by people or circumstances that just continue to hurl rocks and curses at you! David’s behaviors are a good example of what to do in this case! Be humble. Don’t retaliate. Pour out your heart to God and let him deal with evil plans and people. Let God judge correctly and be your justice. And, thank God for He is just! Oh, by the way, Shimei continued to chase David and his men all the way out of town – “So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David.”

Prayer

Dad,
It’s wild when we try to do right, live right, and things just keep going wrong! It seems incredibly unfair. It makes it so much harder to do what is right while people critique and criticize every decision, every action. Apparently doing right does not mean we are given a public parade filled with poseys! Evil people be evil. Ol’ Shimei had been cheering for a wicked King and didn’t even know it. And he was hurling rocks and insults at the guy you chose to be on Israel’s throne! What a mixed up world when right and wrong are entwined with people’s opinions. I trust that truth and justice are best applied by your hand!

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Perfect plans

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord.” Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is both comfort and mystery in this Proverb. It is a mind-boggling proposition to think of the entirety of human existence and total creation of all that exists being examined, challenged or micro-managed from our limited vantage point. Actually, it’s hubris to imagine that we could even begin to understand it. These concepts come under huge words like omniscience, omnipresent, and omnipotent – all knowing, all present and all powerful. The sovereignty of God!

These are big words to understand by us as eternal beings, who are very limited to our physical experience here on earth as created beings. God’s full foreknowledge of everything from OUR physical beginning to our physical end is nearly impossible for us to grasp. Super smart folks can think about someone or something outside of time itself, because time is also a created construct, but honestly, I can’t.

God being above or outside of all creation, means that everything is NOW. All our past is now, our present is now and our future is now. And, I’m not talking about my past, present and future, I’m talking about all of creation! Right there, just thinking about God being outside of time gives a glimpse of the mystery of this proverb. No human “anything” can stand against the Lord. And, neither can any other created thing or being stand against the Lord – even created angels for example. Angels, Satan being one of those, are created beings! They are not omni anything. This word, sovereignty, has been argued about and misapplied for eons! Does God’s foresight and foreknowledge mean that He made it happen – that God determined that it happen? That’s the big question of God’s sovereignty versus humans free will. The theological understanding of eternal security verses human choice or the ability to not believe nor submit to God’s will is a difficult conundrum. This paradox appears to look like God predetermined His acceptance of some and rejection of others.

You should see how this verse touches on this very old argument about God’s sovereignty! If God’s will is that you be saved, can you reject Him? If God’s will is that you be rejected, can you be saved? Hard huh? There are whole groups of people, whole denominations, that are oppositional on this very thing. And they’ve been arguing, disagreeing and divisive about it for hundreds of years.

Where am I on this? What do I believe? I believe in God’s total sovereignty! There’s no way I see the Bible declaring anything contrary. However, I believe in foreknowledge, God’s total knowledge of all things, all decisions. This does not mean that God forced, or made humans to decide one way or another. This comes up most often with two characters in the Bible, Pharaoh and Judas! Moses told us that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and the gospels pretty much tell us that Judas was born to betray. Ah, but who knows the human heart and the decisions that those men made at the time. Only God knows that. Who’s to say that they made decisions against God’s will while God continued to convince them otherwise, right up the end of their life. Sooner or later, everyone who believes in God must reconcile this question of how God’s sovereignty works in our our lives beyond just salvation. It should also be settled in our everyday occurrences of pain and suffering. Is there determination behind our tragedies? Is there purpose in our loss and grief when unfathomable evil snatches our loved ones from this planet? I have settled such questions, have you?

Prayer

Dad,
I am thankful that I have only had to settle two big thoughts about your sovereignty. One, I believe you are always right, true and just. And two, I believe I can trust you no matter what circumstances or culture says about who you are. You have always been good and faithful in my life and I have no reason to doubt you in my future.

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Some things you just never forget.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭86‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

King David, former shepherd, former Saul’s melody-muse, former man-on-the-run, reflects on his past as much as he does his future. From humble fields to giant-killer fame, to promised heir-apparent, David lived the full gamut of a colorful life. But in those bold snapshots of highs and lows there is a common theme – he always loved God and wanted to please him.

From his confident bravado on the battlefield, and awkward patience waiting for Saul to die a natural death. His rise to power, and then colossal failure as a man, a husband and leader. He always held onto his relationship with God. It’s admirable to understand that God wanted us to know so much about this man. It feels so authentic to see the circuitous paths it took to get David to be a “man after God’s heart,” and be able to judge his behaviors thousands of years later.

This psalm, in the book of Psalms, was inserted towards the end of David’s life. It reminds me of this struggle to be a faulty human AND be good. Not just momentarily human or situationally good, but to be both over a lifetime. Who really can judge us properly? Who can see the totality of earnest desire to be pure, to be good, yet consistently fail at it. What small slice would be observed in my life, or yours? The good slice of a worthy moment, where I served, loved and chose well? Or the humiliating one, where I selfishly or angrily lost my sense of perspective and choose poorly? Which moment would I chose to be remembered by, judged by? The good of course!

David’s prayer encourages me to keep choosing to believe, to pray like this psalm, “teach me, grant me purity of heart… so that I may honor God.” I too must hold on to the moments God rescued me, saved me. But I must also hold on to the moments where I made good choices, not bad. Moments where I pursued God, not failed him. So that I can also praise God will ALL my heart.

Prayer

Dad,
To be human means that I carry both memories of wretched failure and soaring sainthood. Through all the moments of highs and lows, you were always there. Whether proud or patient, you saw it all. In fact you see the beginning, the present and tomorrow all in an eternal moment of now! You see my choices tomorrow and how my life here eventually comes to an end. After all that is sorted, I hope you know that I do love you and I am so very grateful for everything you’ve done in my life. Your mercy and kindness to me has been overwhelming and unending. Thank you.

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Everything is good when God is at home.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness. You have acted with justice and righteousness throughout Israel. Exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!” Psalms‬ ‭99‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This Psalm is one of the expressions of the Ark of the Covenant being moved back into the tabernacle – God’s mobile home. In other words, coming home. God set this system up where he had Israel’s top craftsmen make a beautiful, gold covered box, filled with a few powerful reminders of God keeping his promises. Hebrews 9:4 says the ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. The manna was added later, after the contract and budding staff. Why the ark? It was a representation, filled with memory-reminders, that God makes and keeps his promises. He also shows up to come through for his people. A few Psalms, 97-100, are the celebrated passages of God not just “coming home,” but also gives a sense that everything is right and in its proper place. These two verses capture the essence or feelings of Israel’s leadership and the people of this now great nation. I must remember this Psalm is just a snapshot, a moment in place and time, but it’s these moments that are highlights of how things should be, could be when God’s people simply follow his ways.

The Psalmist boldly repeats this theme – God loves justice! God established both “shaphat” – good judgement or government and “yashar” – fairness, to be straight or equitable. God created humans and the rules of how all life should be lived. When those rules were broken by US, there were consequences. God would not be just or fair if he just flippantly let go of even one infraction. If, even once, God were to wink at it or just pretend he didn’t see it, he would not be just at all. God is either right, just, fair and true or he is not! The first humans broke the one rule God gave “Don’t eat,” and there were eternal consequences. He made several contracts with Israel, his own beloved people group (then and now). They broke the rules (chasing other loves) and there were consequences. God delivered discipline, correction and forgiveness over and over again with Israelites.

These verses acknowledge what every human soul introspectively understands, if they will just quit making excuses and get super quiet to listen to their God-given conscience! God always acts with justice and righteousness. Our lack of perspective and complete knowledge and wisdom of how everything works is no excuse to judge God’s character or intentions. It would be more honest for me to say, “I know God is always right, just and true, I just don’t LIKE it!”

This is what the Psalmist helps us with… fixing our perspective and our posture. He declares to us, still today – EXALT God, for He is always good! And bow low before his feet, for He is always holy (pure, sacred and beyond our complete understanding). When we don’t know or understand something (or truly know and understand so little), get this… God is trustworthy and right every time, all the time! Welcome your own amazing box of memory-promises into your home, your heart to remind you as well.

Prayer

Dad,
We may not have a beautifully crafted box of memories like the ark of the covenant, but we do have plenty symbols and memories of our own to regularly remember your goodness and mercy in our lives. I not only want to bring those memories into my heart, my home, but I also want to keep my heart open and clean for your Holy Spirit to reside there.