Seeking the Life in Christ: February 2023

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

His Greatness Is Unsearchable

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 28, 2023

His Greatness Is Unsearchable

The Lord is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

The Lord is good to all,

and his compassion is over all that he has made.

Psalm 145:8-9 (NRSV)

Psalm 145 is the last of the acrostic psalms in which the first verse begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each succeeding verse begins with the next letter in the alphabet. (Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119 and 145) The style is so much more than a literary technique, and this is especially so in Psalm 145. As you read the psalm and consider the exuberant praise from beginning to end, you can get a sense that by following the Hebrew alphabet, the psalmist is praising God through every conceivable sound his mouth can make. Psalm 145 is complete and total praise because, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3 NRSV).

As the psalmist praises God, he also encourages us to share our experiences with the goodness, the faithfulness and the love of God with others: “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness. All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign” (Psalm 145:4, 7, 10-12).

In the following half-dozen verses, the psalmist helps us articulate our experiences with God’s unfailing grace:

“The Lord is merciful and compassionate,

slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

The Lord is good to everyone.

He showers compassion on all his creation.

The Lord always keeps his promises;

he is gracious in all he does.

The Lord helps the fallen

and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

The Lord is close to all who call on him,

yes, to all who call on him in truth.

He grants the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cries for help and rescues them”

` Psalm 145:8, 9, 13, 14, 18, 19

My Takeaway: In response to our reading of Psalm 145, let’s identify which portions of Psalm 145 affirm our experience of God? Then let’s share them with friends and family.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life. The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Monday, February 27, 2023

Joyful Indeed!

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 27, 2023

Joyful Indeed!

“May there be no enemy breaking through our walls,

no going into captivity,

no cries of alarm in our town squares.

Yes, joyful are those who live like this!

Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD.”

Psalm 144:14-15

“You can believe what you want to believe, but what is, is.” This was the favorite saying of my old friend, Fred. I thought about his rustic wisdom this morning as I read Psalm 144. Sitting near my desk is an olive wood carving of the Good Shepherd. That vision of God’s Kingdom is the one I prefer. My favorite psalm is the 23^rd. My favorite NT text is Romans 8:1-2. I love to plumb the depths of Paul’s assertion in Romans 8:35-39 that there is no power that can separate me from the love of Christ. However, as much as I prefer the surety and gentleness of God’s love, there is also another reality at work in our world: the reality of the forces of evil that oppose God. As much as I may want to deny this reality, what is, is. The Bible lifts this reality front and center, so that the wonder of God’s grace may be measured in the face of a reality that is so hostile to God’s love. Even Psalm 23 recognizes there is a valley of death, and that it is God’s presence, protection, and comfort in the face of my enemies that delivers us from the fear of evil. Romans 8:1-2 proclaims that through the power of God, I have been delivered from the forces of evil that held me in slavery to sin and death. Paul’s great soliloquy concluding Romans 8 draws its eloquence from a listing of the forces and dangers that have been defeated by the love of Christ.

Psalm 144 is a companion to Psalm 18, which the writers of the New Testament believed was fulfilled when God’s Kingdom was inaugurated through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I noted in my meditation on Psalm 18 that we long for the day when the rule of the evil one, who has devastated God’s creation, will be put to an end, and God’s love, mercy and justice will flow like rivers of living water. Both Psalm 18 and 144 give us a glimpse of what it will be like to live in God’s Kingdom, when evil has been vanquished and the people of God are fully vindicated.

My Takeaway: As we look forward to that glorious day, we affirm our hope and faith,

“May there be no enemy breaking through our walls,
    no going into captivity,
    no cries of alarm in our town squares.
Yes, joyful are those who live like this!
    Joyful indeed are those whose God is the Lord.”

Psalm 144:14-15

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, February 24, 2023

My Faith Rests on The Faithfulness Of Jesus

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 24, 2023

My Faith Rests on The Faithfulness Of Jesus

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

listen to my plea!

Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.

Psalm 143:1

Sometimes I really must stand back from David’s psalms and take my time processing through them. If David were living in our culture, he may well be diagnosed with a personality disorder because he is so quick to self-disclose his emotions and problems. My background is such that I am very reticent to disclose my personal feelings. I am very guarded about when, where, and how much I will share about my life. If I am not careful, I am put off by David’s lament that he has been knocked to the ground, forced to live in darkness, is losing all hope, and paralyzed with fear as his depression deepens.

As I read back through the psalm, I see two important insights to David’s relationship with God. These are qualities in their relationship that I want to emulate in my walk with God. First, David’s God is a BIG God. There is nothing too big, or too small in David’s life that he withholds from God. In my life, I would do well to have a running dialog with God, as I share with Him everything I see and feel, and then open myself to receive God’s perspective, God’s wisdom, and God’s direction for my life. More and more, my prayer request each day is for God to order my steps.

The second insight is essential to living my life in Christ. The foundation of life in Christ is grace. From the beginning of our relationship with God, to our receiving the crown of righteousness, our life in Christ is all about grace. The world in which we live is diametrically the opposite of grace, as our world is steeped in performance-based acceptance. When I pray to God, first, last and always I come to Him, not through anything I can ever offer, but always because of His faithfulness.

David makes clear in Psalm 143 that it is God’s goodness and faithfulness that is the basis for David’s hope: “Answer me because you are faithful and righteous; May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing; for the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life; Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress; In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies” (Psalm 143: 1, 10-12).

My Takeaway: As we live life in Christ, our faith rests completely on the faithfulness of Jesus. (See Philippians 2:6-11)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, February 23, 2023

You Are My Portion

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 23, 2023

You Are My Portion

Then I pray to you, O Lord.

I say, “You are my place of refuge.

You are all I really want in life.

Psalm 142:5

“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). God created humankind to be in community, to be in relationship with Him, and with others. Steeped into the DNA of humans are the needs to be loved, to be accepted, and to have a sense that our life matters. Within human experience, there is perhaps no greater fear than rejection and abandonment. In our human experience, we strive to have these needs met through our relationships with others. Some people are satisfied with the extent these needs are met by others; however, I believe the experience of most people is marginal, at best.

A postscript was added to this psalm telling us this psalm is about David’s experience in a cave. First Samuel 22 and 24 tell of David seeking refuge in a cave when he was being pursued by King Saul. In his later years, King David was pursued by his son Absalom after he usurped his father’s throne. David certainly experienced times of abandonment and rejection in his life.

Saint Augustine wrote, “Our heart is restless until it rests in you.” This was David’s experience, and we too can find our peace, our rest, in the unconditional love and acceptance of God, our Savior. The NLT renders verse 5, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.” I’m not sure that translation fully reflects David’s sure confidence that God was both his refuge, and the One who meets all his needs. I prefer the NRSV translation because the word portion connotes, as a present reality, the sufficiency of God to meet our needs: ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’

Perhaps you are struggling with fears of rejection or abandonment. Perhaps you are struggling to find your rest in God, to trust that God will meet your needs for love and acceptance. In times of loneliness, you can pray Psalm 142 as your own personal prayer to God.

My Takeaway: When we pray Psalm 142, let’s add this benediction to our prayer,

God my Abba will take care of me. He will supply all my needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to me in Christ Jesus. Amen. (Philippians 4:19)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Don’t Let Me Refuse It

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 22, 2023

Don’t Let Me Refuse It

Let the godly strike me!

It will be a kindness!

If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.

Don’t let me refuse it.

Psalm 141:8

In a manner like Psalm 140, the psalmist here is petitioning God to be his defender. The psalmist is praying that his enemies will “fall into their own nets” (v. 10). There are two other aspects of the psalm that are worth a closer look.

The first is the value the psalmist places on accountability:

“Let the godly strike me!

It will be a kindness!

If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.

Don’t let me refuse it.”

Psalm 141:5

His use of hyperbole, “Let the godly strike me!” indicates how important it is to him to have friends who will help him stay focused on his priorities.

The second aspect is the way the psalmist involves all of himself in worship. In verse 2, the psalmist invokes the visual, the sense of smell and the demonstrative as he writes, “Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering.” The Jews were taught to burn incense in their evening prayers, “And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation” (Exodus 30:8). The Book of Revelation reveals to us the significance God places on this act of worship: “The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out” (Revelation 8:4).

The Apostle Paul also taught his church to raise their hands when praying, “In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God. . .” (1Timothy 2:8a). The early church modeled this form of prayer because it represented Jesus’ outstretched arms as he prayed on the Cross of Calvary.

My Takeaway: Raising our hands in prayer and worship is an act of adoration as we reach toward God; it is also an affirmation that but for the cross of Jesus, we would be forever separated from God our Savior.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Listen, O Lord, To My Cries for Mercy!

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 21, 2023

Listen, O Lord, To My Cries for Mercy!

O Lord, rescue me from evil people.

Protect me from those who are violent,

those who plot evil in their hearts

and stir up trouble all day long.

Psalm 140:1-2

Psalm 140, and others like it, can offend our sensibilities. There is so much violence, and the psalmist seems to be seeking retribution which we have been taught is not in our purview, but the Lord’s. As we consider current events, at home and abroad, it seems little has changed since the time of the psalmist. The people seem to first turn to violence and revenge as the means of settling their differences. When we read this psalm within the context of the prevailing culture at the time of its writing, it may not seem so offensive. We even find some redeeming qualities within the psalm.

We will also do well to realize that within our own culture, there is much intrigue, corruption, dishonesty and almost zero tolerance for those who may have a different opinion. Just because we may not be as quick to turn to violence against our neighbor, it does not mean we can dismiss the relevance of Jesus telling us to not worry about a speck in our neighbor’s eye when we have a log in our own eye. (Matthew 7:3)

Two aspects of this psalm will always be helpful to us. First, the psalmist is petitioning God to be his defender; he is not taking matters into his own hands. Secondly, Jesus teaches us the Godly principle that the standard we use in judging others is the standard by which we will be judged. (Matthew 7:2) We see this principle played out in the book of Esther, when Haman’s demise is carried out by the means he had planned for Mordecai. The psalmist is asking God to allow his adversaries to be caught in their own dishonesty and corrupt lives.

My Takeaway: How different might our lives be if we took all of our troubles to the Lord and trusted God to deal with our adversaries?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, February 20, 2023

How Different Might Our Life Be?

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 20, 2023

How Different Might Our Life Be?

For it was you who formed my inward parts;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

that I know very well.

Psalm 139:13-14 (NRSV)

God loves us with an everlasting love!

God accepts us unconditionally, just as we are!

God embraces us with tenderness beyond our comprehension!

If we truly believed God’s love for us, if we truly accepted God’s acceptance of us, if we truly reached out to “press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of (us).” (Philippians 3:12 NRSV), how different might our life be?

Our God is multifaceted in His splendor. Most often, God’s attributes are identified as omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (unlimited power), and omnipresence (present everywhere). He is also omnibenevolence (perfect goodness). Psalm 139 extols all these virtues of God, our Savior.

The daily devotional, Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young is an outstanding resource to help you live each day in the glory of His embrace.

My Takeaway: When we truly believe, accept and embrace the truth of God’s love for us, we will join the psalmist in an invitation to God, our Father,

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139:23-24

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, February 17, 2023

Why Do We Worship God?

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 17, 2023

Why Do We Worship God?

I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;

I will sing your praises before the gods.

I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.

I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;

for your promises are backed

by all the honor of your name.

Psalm 138:1-2

Psalm 138, in a manner like Psalm 135, addresses the question, ‘Why do we worship God?’ Psalm 135 identified several attributes of God, who is worthy of our praise. Psalm 138 centers on two virtues of God: His Word and the fulfillment of His purpose.

Within every church, there is an underlying theme that permeates their public worship services. For some churches, the theme centers on the act of worship, whether joyful and full of energy, or thoughtful and steeped in the traditions and harmonies of ages past. Others may focus on summoning the Army of the Lord to overcome the evils of society through ministries of peace and justice, while others will seek to rightly divide the Word of God through preaching and teaching the Bible.

Many in the congregations specifically chose their church because of the attraction of the theme, while many others gather out of habit, and may not be consciously aware of the worship theme. Psalm 138 can serve as an invitation to examine your heart. How do you understand your experience of God? How does your understanding of God’s nature lead you in worship? If you feel uncertain in answering these questions, I encourage you to turn in your Bible to the magnificent fortieth chapter of Isaiah. Read the chapter aloud, purposefully. I am convinced your heart will resonate in awe of God, our Savior.

A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms,

Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name;

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40: 3,8,11,26,28,31 (NRSV)

My Takeaway: As I read this chapter aloud, purposefully, I my heart resonates in awe of God, our Savior.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, February 16, 2023

A Song of Rejoicing All Because Of You

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 16, 2023

A Song of Rejoicing All Because Of You

By the rivers of Babylon—

there we sat down and there we wept

when we remembered Zion.

On the willows there

we hung up our harps.

Psalm 137:1-2 (NRSV)

In 586 B.C., Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, and the Jews were taken into exile. Psalm 137 is a remembrance that the Babylonians taunted the Jews by demanding they sing songs of praise for their Temple and Jerusalem, both of which had been burned and destroyed. The psalmist records that the Jews could not sing, and instead wept and hung their harps in the poplar (willow) trees. Although the psalmist says they could not sing to a Temple and city that no longer existed, they vowed never to forget Jerusalem. The Jews also petitioned their God to destroy their captors. The closing line of this psalm is quite harsh, even repugnant to us. However, it is metaphor and not meant to be taken literally. Their petition is that the destruction of their captors will extend through the next generation.

We all experience times where we do not feel like singing praises to God. However, unlike the Jews who had no choice but to endure their captivity and hope God would someday redeem them, we can rejoice that God has already redeemed us. Our captors, that is our separation from God by sin and death, have been defeated by Jesus. This is why we can gather at funerals or memorial services and sing some of the greatest hymns of our faith: How Great Thou Art, Hymn of Promise, For All the Saints, and Amazing Grace.

The victory of Jesus over sin and death is not theoretical or philosophical; it is absolute fact! As I am writing this, I remember receiving news several years ago that a young woman, injured in an automobile accident while on the way to a Christian concert, had died. During the week after the accident while she clung to life in an ICU, almost ten thousand people joined a Facebook page devoted to prayers for her. Certainly, the morning she died her family and friends were devastated with sadness and grief. However, a few days later they gathered at her funeral service and sang joyful songs of praise. How could they?

My Takeaway: Because,

"The eternal self existent God,

the God who is three in one,

He who dwells in the center of your being

is a powerful, valiant warrior.

He has come to set you free,

to keep you safe and to bring you victory.

He is cheered and He beams with exceeding joy

and takes pleasure in your presence.

He has engraved a place for himself in you and there

He quietly rests in His love and affection for you.

He cannot contain Himself of the thought of you

and with the greatest of joy

spins around wildly in anticipation over you

and has placed you above all other creations

and in the highest place in His priorities.

In fact He shouts and sings in triumph,

joyfully proclaiming the gladness of His heart

in a song of rejoicing.

All because of you. "

Zephaniah 3:17

Paraphrase by Dennis Jernigan

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

His Faithful Love Endures Forever

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 15, 2023

His Faithful Love Endures Forever

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords.

His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 136:1-3

Many churches include a reading of the Psalms in their worship services. In this liturgical setting, a lyrical response can be sung by the congregation at various intervals in the reading of a psalm. This format is like the structure of Psalm 136 in which the lyrical response, “His faithful love endures forever,” is included at the end of each verse.

This response in Psalm 136 is another example of Bible translators struggling to find the best English words to convey the meaning of the original Hebrew language. Translators have used words such as, faithful love, mercy, love, steadfast love, and loving-kindness to express the Hebrew expression, “covenant-love.” For the Old Testament Jews, their covenant with God was the very heart of their relationship with God, just as justification by faith is the heart of the Christian’s relationship with God. How do you express the covenant-love of God? In Psalm 136, the psalmist took twenty-six verses to plumb the depths of such love. The first three verses call Israel to worship God. The next six verses extol God as their Creator. The next sixteen verses praise God’s redemptive love that brought the Jews through the Exodus, from a life of slavery in Egypt, and established them in the Promised Land. The psalmist then closed with a reaffirmation of his call to worship.

This structure of Psalm 136 is like the Apostles’ Creed, which begins with praise for our Creator God, then affirms God’s redemptive love in sending Jesus Christ to be our Savior and closes with praise for the ways God has provided for His people to live together.

The Gospel writers described Jesus as the redemptive love of God, leading people on a new exodus to escape slavery to sin and death. In Psalm 136, as you read of God’s faithfulness in redeeming Israel, keep in your mind thoughts of God’s faithfulness in redeeming you from sin and death. You may well stand up and sing, “His faithful love endures forever” before you are finished reading.

My Takeaway: I have bookmarked Psalm 136. Its twenty-six praises of thanksgiving to God and twenty-six affirmations that “His faithful love endures forever” is a great prayer in times of distress.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

We Dress for The Occasion

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 14, 2023

We Dress for The Occasion

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;

celebrate his lovely name with music.

Psalm 135:3

Every day, we dress for the occasion. Whether we are working in the garden, an office, traveling, or going to the grocery store, we dress for the occasion. Our manner of dress says something about how we perceive ourselves, and the others around us. As I write this, I am remembering a bygone era of fifty years ago, when men and women wore their Sunday best, or business attire when traveling by air, or even by the Greyhound bus. This Sunday, before you leave home, take a few minutes, and think about how you are dressed. Consider what message your attire sends about where you are going, what you are preparing to do, and who will be with you.

When you arrive at Church, take a few minutes to consider what your demeanor, your conversation, and your actions may communicate to others. If there was a stranger present who was unfamiliar with your community, and your form of worship, what might they conclude from observing you?

All these considerations revolve around the basic question, why do you worship God? Psalm 135 opens with an imperative statement,

“Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you who serve the Lord,”

The psalmist then gives instructions on why and how to worship God, and concludes the psalm by repeating verse 1, “Praise the Lord!”

As you read through the psalm, make a list of the characteristics, or attributes of God that are illustrated by the psalmist, such as: good, great, sovereign, defender, just, faithful, eternal, and alive. Next, make a list of characteristics, or attributes of God that you have personally experienced in your life. If you have been seeking the life in Christ as your way of life, I suspect you will include many of the attributes the psalmist extoled, and I know you will sing along with Mary, the mother of our Lord, and proclaim, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! (Luke 1:46-47).

My Takeaway: As a matter of self-examination, I ask myself, “Are the attributes of God, that I have graciously experienced, reflected in my public worship of God?”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, February 13, 2023

Lift Up Holy Hands In Prayer

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 13, 2023

Lift Up Holy Hands In Prayer

May the Lord, who made heaven and earth,

bless you from Jerusalem

Psalm 134:3

Psalm 134 was written to encourage the priests on night watch in the Temple. The priests were in the Temple to serve the Lord 24/7. During the times of festivals, the Israelites would also be in the Temple during the night, and they would join in worship of the Lord. However, often the priest would be alone in the Temple. Nighttime can be scary, especially if we are alone. The psalmist is encouraging the priests to continually “Lift up holy hands in prayer, and praise the Lord” (v.2). Psalm 134 was good counsel for the priests then, and it is good counsel for us today.

We all go through periods of darkness, sometimes literally, and sometimes the sense of darkness is brought on by great emotional distress. Praising God through the darkness will help us hold on to the truth of God’s faithfulness. In the fourth chapter of Second Corinthians, the Apostle Paul teaches us that the gift of God’s presence in our lives is a great treasure hidden within our mortal bodies, or as he refers to them, clay pots: “For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

There are times when we are so distressed, we do not know how to pray. In those times, we remember “the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will” (Romans 8:26b-27).

My Takeaway: In times of distress, I often go here for hope and comfort:

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1 (NRSV)

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, February 10, 2023

What's Wrong With The World

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

February 10, 2023

What's Wrong With The World

How wonderful and pleasant it is

when brothers live together in harmony!

Psalm 133:1

When John Wesley sent his Circuit Riders to America, he told them their mission was to save souls and spread scriptural holiness across the land. By scriptural holiness, Wesley meant harmony with God. As Jesus prayed for his disciples, and us, he prayed for our unity, our harmony with God, so that our lives would be a witness to the world that Jesus is the Christ: “I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me” (John 17:23). I believe Jesus may have had the words of the psalmist in mind when he offered that prayer, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” (Psalm 133:1).

The Apostle Paul teaches that“God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). Through the Holy Spirit, God gives us “the mind of Christ” so we can understand and follow God’s work within us (1 Corinthians 2:16). The Apostle Peter gives us the practical application of Jesus’ prayer, “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude” (1 Peter 3:8).

The overwhelming evidence, over two thousand years, is that the Christian church has failed miserably in following the teachings of Jesus, Paul, and Peter. Why is it so difficult to follow this basic and seemingly simple teaching? It is because the nature of our sin that Jesus took to the cross is so insidious. Apart from Christ in us, we are completely self-centered. God’s will for us is that we would live self-sacrificing lives, focused on the needs of others, while we trust God to meet our needs. Our reality is that we live lives seeking personal gratification, as our lives are curved in on ourselves. It is for this fact of life in the flesh, that the Apostle Paul taught that our life in Christ comes only when we can affirm our “old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

My Takeaway: It may have been for the lack of harmony with God and within our churches that G. K. Chesterton wrote, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." (Chapter 5, What's Wrong With The World, 1910)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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