Psalm 49

Psalm 49 really is a very direct and powerful message.  Bottom line – we are all going to die.  The writer here gives us some important things to consider about that reality and the life we have before we experience death.  First – we are implored to LISTEN.  “All together now: listen”.  So often we are going so fast in life trying to manage the chaos that we fail to hear the things that are important to us.  And the writer tells us that there is much truth coming because of “plainspoken wisdom…..heart seasoned understandings…..fine tuned my ear to the sayings of the wise….solve life’s riddles”.  There is much for us to learn and understand.  And where is the source of that truth?  God and His Word.  We need to get our arms around that.  If we want to know truth we have to get into God’s Book – the Bible.  That is where truth comes from – the very heart of the Father. 

 Second – we are told the source of all POWER.  It is God and He alone.  “There’s really no such thing as self-rescue, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps”.  That sort of goes against the popular thinking of the day doesn’t it. If you have been in a bookstore recently you know there are aisles and aisles of self help books.  The TV is full of programs teaching self help methods.  We are told over and over that it is all about me trying harder and following this plan.  Not really.  Not God’s way at all.  Yes we have to take initiative and do things.  We have to seek His guidance and follow His direction.  But the power to change and to move from where we are to where He wants us to be comes from Him, not me.  It isn’t about digging deeper and trying harder.  It is about recognizing His power and asking Him to work in my life.  God is the One who makes it happen.  Life is not about me.  Change is not about me either.  It is all about me lining up with God’s plan and letting Him work in me.

 Third – the reality of DEATH.  “Anyone can see that the brightest and best die, wiped out right along with fools and dunces”.  There is one place where all people will have the same experience – we are all going to die.  It is a reality we cannot avoid.  Are you ready for that day?  There is no guarantee that you will ever see tomorrow.  “We aren’t immortal.  We don’t last long”.  We have to accept the fact and live like that day may be today.  We need to get relationships right and be ready.  That begins with our relationship with God, and continues into our marriage, relationship with our kids, extended family, friends, and neighbors – everyone we touch.  “We age…..and weaken……and die”.   It is that simple.  We are going to “move into their new home, the coffin, the cemetery their permanent address”.  Of course that is where our physical body gets planted, but the reality is that our spirit will reside either in heaven with the Father or in hell away from Him.  As for all our stuff – well “they can’t take it with them”.  It all gets left behind and eventually burned up.   All the things we spend so much time accumulating and trying to achieve – it all gets left.  We can’t take it along.  We need to be very intentional about how we spend our 168 hours in light of this reality.  “They’ll never see sunshine again”.  Death will come and end life as we know it, transitioning us into eternal life where we will spend eternity.  We need to make sure we are ready for that as eternity is a very long time.  Are you ready?  Have you dealt with the future?  Nothing today is more important than making sure Jesus is your Savior.  Anything else will lead to an eternity you won’t like.  Deal with it today. Tomorrow may not come…..

Psalm 47/48

Psalm 47 and 48 talk about the awesomeness of God.  “Applause…bravo…..shout…..songs”.  God is magnificent and worthy of our praise.  “God most high is stunning”.  Have you stopped to consider it lately?  Have you pondered His creation and the wonder of His power?  God is omnipotent.  He is all powerful.  “He crushes hostile people, puts nations at our feet”.  God is not limited by the things we might consider to be limiting.  He has no limits. He is able to deal with every situation.  This is the simple fact we must remember: “He’s Lord over earth”.  No exceptions – no areas escape that truth.  God is Lord of all.  There are many who may not have figured that truth out quite yet, but it doesn’t change the reality.  God is in control.  Of you, me and everything around us.  We can try and deny it, pretend it isn’t so, but that doesn’t change truth.  God is who He says He is.  “The powers of earth are God’s”.  He is in fact, in control of it all.  We need to recognize it and understand just how great God is.

 Chapter 48 begins by reminding us “God majestic”.  He is worthy of our praise.  How does your prayer life look?  Does it begin with adoration and praise?  That should be our first response to entering His presence.  Too often we come with Him with a boat load of things we want and expect, and never even acknowledge how awesome He is.  We enter into His throne room and just dump our requests.  Not the way it should look.  When we seek God’s face, it should “evoke a train of hallelujahs” and cause our hearts to rejoice in thanksgiving.  We need to approach Him as who He is – the creator of the universe and power of everything that happens.  We are again reminded that we need to keep track of what God is doing.  “Then you can tell the next generation detail by detail the story of God”.  What has He done in your life?  Can you give me a list of 5 things He did recently that impacted your life?  How can we tell the details if we never write them down?  It is only when we are disciplined to capture His stories about what He does in our lives that we will effectively share it. I can’t encourage you enough to keep a journal of His faithfulness so you can pass that blessing on to those who follow.  What a legacy to be able to hand your kids a list of all the ways God has answered prayer in your life.  Want to make an impact for eternity – keep track of God’s faithfulness and share it.  No one can dispute what God has done in your life.  It is the most powerful gift we can ever share!

Psalm 45 & 46

The sons of Korah write two very different psalms in chapter 45 and 46.  In the first chapter, they are writing about the king and his wedding.  They “pour it out in a poem to the king” – lots of praise and adoration.  “God has blessed you, blessed you so much”.  They are giving praise and honor.  Then they talk about his demeanor and say “ride….ride…..ride…..ride”.  Why is this king so blessed?  Because he “loves the right and hates the wrong”.  Scripture tells us “that is why God….poured fragrant oil on your head”.  God blesses those who love Him.  God knows how we live and is blessing this king.  The last part of the chapter talks about the love between the king and his bride.  “She is led to the king, followed by her virgin companions…a procession of joy and laughter”.  He is enjoying life and living big.  God has blessed him much because of obedience and willingness to live God’s way. 

In the second chapter, we learn that “God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him”.  God provides stability in the “seastorm and earthquake”.  He is our only rock and place to cling to.  We need to remember that “God lives here….God at your service from crack of dawn”.  God is always there to be involved in our lives.  He is a place for us to run to.  “God fights for us…..protects us”.  He is our intercessor and protector.  I love what scripture also tells us as He is “above politics, above everything”.  We serve an amazing God.  He loves us, He fights for us, He protects us, He is our safe place to hide.  God is all we need.  Are you running to Him when you face challenges in life?

Psalm 43/44

Psalm 43 and 44 are from the sons of Korah.  They are struggling with people who are after them and trying to knock them down and take them out.  As they seek God, they have three things they ask God for:

1. “Lantern
2. Compass
3. Map”

Why?  “So I can find my way…..to the place of your presence”.  They realize that the secret to dealing with struggles and issues in this world is to move into the presence of God.  It really is a pretty simple formula.  We need a lantern to light our path, a compass to give us direction, and a map to show us the destination.  God’s Word fills all those things.  It is the light to our path, the direction for our life, and clearly gives us the destination we need to seek.  Are you in God’s Word so you have your lantern, compass and map?  Are you equipped to be able to get to the end point swiftly and quickly?  God wants us to make it all the way without getting lost along the path.  But if we don’t have the right tools to stay on target, we run into problems and bumps along the path.

 These guys also give us a very important look into their past.  “Our fathers told us the stories that their fathers told them”.  Have you been given stories of truth and light from your parents and grandparents?  Are you passing them on?  We have a responsibility to share truth with our kids and grandkids and any others we may be mentoring or helping learn God’s plan.  We are told over and over in scripture to share what God has done….to remember and tell the story.  To do that we need to write it down or record it so we have the facts and details.  These stories in this chapter were about God’s past faithfulness to their previous generations.  It compared the way God dealt with evil, versus how He helped their ancestors:

1. “Weeded out the godless…..planted us
2. Sent those people packing…..gave us a fresh start”

As the stories are recalled, it gives comfort that God is there and will take action.  They know that “it’s you, you who saved us”.  Their history and heritage was not the result of things they had done but what God had done for them.  That is the reality of life.  God is in control but our responsibility is to tell the stories to those who follow so they know that God is their source of power and truth.  Do you know that God is your only dependable source of security and victory?  He is and is waiting for us to figure that out and turn it over to Him.

Psalm 42

The writer in chapter 42 reveals the reality of life.  It is a series of ups and downs.  Not a steady course of always good news, but reality is we all have good days and bad.  We learn here one of the secrets of having more good than bad.  The psalmist tells us “I want to drink God, deep draughts of God.  I’m thirsty for God”.  Does that describe how you seek God – can’t get enough time with Him.  Can’t be in His presence enough?  That should be our desire – to spend as much time with the Father as we can because it is the source of every good thing.  Too often though I find, and I am speaking to myself here, that I squeeze God in as an afterthought or another thing on my list.  I don’t do a good job of making Him the main thing in my day.  The writer tells us to “fix my eyes on God”.  That should describe how we relate to Him.  We should be focused on His love and the goodness He brings into our lives.  Why?  “He puts a smile on my face….He’s my God”.  Wow – God is personal and He wants to be in that kind of relationship with us.  He is my God and He wants to know me but wants me to get to know Him as well. 

 Is it worth it?  Does that investment of time and energy into a relationship with God make sense?  We are all very busy people after all.  We have lots of places to go and people to see and things to do.  But yes – without a doubt it is the best investment we can make.  We should spend as much of our 168 hours each week in relationship with Him as possible.  How do I know?  I have experienced it personally but scripture also tells us here: “God promises to love me all day, sing songs all through the night”.  What a promise.  God will love us and does love us round the clock.  He loves to be smack dab in the middle of our lives.  That is His rightful place.  His ask from us is “emptying out the pockets of my life”.  He wants us to come to Him with all our concerns and needs.  He wants to be in the middle of all our decisions and providing guidance for all our needs.  God wants a relationship.  If we make Him priority, we will be blessed indeed.  We will be overwhelmed by His love and goodness.  Don’t miss that promise.  Make Him a focus each day!

Psalm 41

Psalm 41 is a short chapter that has a few promises we need to keep top of mind.  The psalmist tells us that “God looks after us all”.  He is paying attention all the time and is actively watching our lives.  When we are sick, we are told He “nurses us back to health”.  Even when “my sins have torn me to pieces”, God stands ready to help us.  Do you realize that God has put a plan in place to restore us from the wrath of sin.  When we fall short of God’s expectations and commandments, there is a price to pay.  Sin always requires punishment.  It cannot be ignored because of the very nature of God.  There is a penalty for sin – and scripture tells us that the “wages of sin is death”.  But God has put a plan in place to deal with it. Jesus wen to the cross to give us a way to overcome sin and be set free from the punishment that is due us.  We just need to receive that gift of grace and make it our own.  Sort of like sitting on a chair.  We can believe the chair will hold us, but until we actually sit on it with all our weight and put our belief into action, well we just haven’t made that truth out own.  The same is true of Jesus.  We can believe He will save us from sin, but until we have a personal relationship and make that relationship personal and our own, it is just a thought.  Have you dealt with that decision in your life?

 The writer also makes it clear that “you know me inside and out”.  God isn’t surprised by anything we do, good or bad.  After all, He created us.  He knows every detail of our life.  And since He knows us as He did, we can claim the promise of this truth: “you hold me together….you never fail to stand me tall”.  God comes to our aid and is involved in our life.  He loves to help us overcome.  He loves to help us become someone who “can look you in the eye”.  We can only look God in the eye when we have dealt with the thing that separates us from Him – sin itself.  Then we will call Him blessed and enjoy our time with Him.  God is intimately acquainted with us and wants us to know Him as well.

Psalm 40

Psalm 40 is a powerful chapter that reminds us of the awesome God we serve.  The writer reminds us that “the world’s a huge stockpile of God-wonders and God-thoughts”.  We can see God everywhere if we just look.  He has made Himself known.  It is a matter of us slowing down and actually looking for His presence and power.  “Neither numbers nor words account for You”.  We can see Him all over our world if we will stop and observe.  And the psalmist tells us what we need to do with that information.  “I didn’t keep the news of your ways a secret, didn’t keep it to myself…..how dependable you are, how thorough”.  Do you keep the truth of God to yourself?  Do you hoard what you know about the Father?  Or do you freely share it with all those around you and make it known just how wonderful God is.  Scripture tells us to “sing and be happy”.  Is that a description of your life and day?  We are told to “let those who know what you’re all about tell the world”.   We aren’t here just to observe and take from God?  We are part of His plan to let the world know who He is and to share life with people as we allow them to see His handprints on our lives. 

We learn a couple key things in this chapter about our relationship as well.  “I waited and waited and waited for God”.  Things happen on His timeline, not ours.  God has a perfect plan, and we won’t derail that by trying to rush how things happen.  We are very impatient people today.  We have moved into a world that expects instant action in every area of life.  That isn’t exactly how God works.  His vision and plan are eternal in nature, not constrained to the timeframe we want to live in.  He will not be rushed, because time is not an issue that contrains Him.  We need to understand this truth: “blessed are you who give yourselves over to God”.  We need to be willing to put life in His hands.  Not just the problems and the things we don’t want to deal with.  We need to understand that giving ourself to Him means giving ALL of us – not bits and pieces – our entire being and life.  That is what a relationship with God through Jesus requires.  We can’t sort of become a Christ Follower.  It is a lot like being pregnant – you either are or you aren’t.  There is no trial period or paritial commitment.  You either allow God control of your life and put Jesus on the throne, or you don’t.  We are told here a little of what that looks like: “turn your backs on the world’s sure thing, ignore what the world worships”.  The world has it all wrong for the most part.  Too much of life is about “being religious, acting pious – that’s not what you’re asking for”.  God is not interested in turning us into religious people that act a certain way.  Here is the essence of his desire: “when God’s Word entered my life, became part of my very being”.  God wants to become central to all we are and do.  He wants to move in and take the wheel – for Jesus to become Savior and Lord and drive our lives.  It isn’t a little external paint job – it is complete life change He desires.  Have you let God into your life?  Is He in control?  Really?

Psalm 39

Psalm 39 is a chapter that really nails the reality of life.  The writer describes just how short it is, and how seemingly insignificant we really are in the grand scheme of God’s universe.  These words cut through me and made me realize just how I really am compared to the vastness of God: “we make our pile, and then we leave it”.  That is the sum of a human life on earth. We live some years, accumulate some stuff, and then we are gone.  We don’t even get to take our pile with us.  It is all left behind.  It all goes up in flames.  It is irrelevant and lost forever when we die.  Scripture is very clear that only two things will remain for ever – people and His Word.  The rest of it goes away.  So the question I wrestle with, and hope you do too, is knowing that as truth – how should I spend my 168 hours each week.  If all the stuff I work for will be burned up, how much of the precious time God has given me should I spend on accumulating stuff?  Hello!  It all goes away.  It is a big pile that we don’t get to take with us.  I can already hear the justification coming.  We need stuff so we can live.  I can give it to my kids when I am gone.  Buying stuff is what keeps us all employed.  There are a thousand reasons we all spend our time and money on earthly stuff.  I get that because I do it too.  But at your funeral, are the people in your patch going to say “I sure wish he would have spent more of his life making a pile of stuff”.  I don’t think so.  But they likely will say “I sure wish we would have had more time together”.  Stuff gets in the way of what is important in life folks.  It is a distraction and it won’t matter in the end!

 The writer tells us that he is “determined to watch steps and tongue so they won’t land me in trouble”.  There is some wisdom in how we should live.  We need to watch what we do and say.  It matters.  That is one of those things that will last.  We leave a legacy whether we are trying to or not.  And how we live will have a lot bigger impact than the pile of stuff we have accumulated.  The reality is that we are all like the psalmist: “I don’t know my way”.  We need to make sure we are focused on the right things.  Finding out how to live (steps) and what to say (tongue) need to consume our time and energy.  We are given the example of how here: “Ah God, listen to my prayer, my cry….open your ears….purge us from sin”.  We need to be on our knees before the God of Creation and asking what to do and how to do it.  We need to realize that time is our biggest resource and use it wisely, and honestly, that is not for the accumulation of stuff to go on our pile.  He with the biggest pile does not win, contrary to the way most of us live.  He with the deepest relationships and most people in their life will truly be the blessed ones.  Life is not about stuff.  It is about relationships – starting with God through Jesus Christ – and then with the people in our patch.  Is that what your life shows?  Is that the way your eulogy will read?  He spent his life investing in people.  Or will it be about your investment in business and the stock market and the pile you built.  Life matters – live it God’s way!

Psalm 38

Psalm 38 is a desperate plea to God for restoration.  The writer has been in the middle of a rough spot.  Under punishment and rebuke by God for the way he has lived.  And it appears he knows why – “because of my sin”.  God has been disciplining this fellow: “my backside smarts from your caning”.  The chapter is pretty much about the impact that sin is having and how the writer spends time “feeling sorry for myself morning to night”.  So what can we learn?  That how we live matters.  There are consequences to the way we live and what we do.  When we have “lived so badly” that we violate God’s laws there is a price to pay.  Somehow in our world today we seem to have lost the connection between sin and punishment.  If we push God by ignoring His instruction and just living however we want – we should not be surprised when we face problems and some corrective guidance from the Father.  God does require us to live according to His rules.  Scripture is not optional – take what you want and just ignore the rest.  The Bible is the instruction manual for how life will happen.  Our opinion does not factor in here.  God has already written the book and it is not a democracy based on how we want it to be.  So often I hear people in the midst of their life consequences still justifying their actions.  They spend time trying to make their case.  God isn’t interested in whether we agree with His Truth or not.  It is as He has given it and our sole responsibility is to understand it and live by it. 

 The writer does begin to understand that a little further into the chapter.  “I…..wait for my Lord, my God….you will answer…..I wait and pray”.  That is the right response to the struggles in life.  Not accusing God of being unfair or not coming to our aid.  Not justifying our actions and trying to make a case as to why this shouldn’t be happening.  Not telling the world just how mistreated we may think we are.  The right response is to seek God.  We need to come to Him “no longer smug in my sin”.  Repentance means we admit we have sinned and turn and go the other way.  We run to God and seek His forgiveness and restoration.  That doesn’t happen while we are still trying to justify our actions or explain our decisions.  It only happens when we admit that God is God and we have fallen short of His requirement to obey.  Are you tired of continually struggling with life because you just won’t let go of something you know is wrong and sinful?  God won’t give up in bringing us back to His standards.  His punishment won’t end until we get things right.  Get the attitude of the psalmist here: “hurry and help me”.  Listen to God’s instruction, seek help from others that know His Word, and get right with Him.  Until you do there will be some rough spots that just don’t go away.  He loves us and is waiting for our request.  Don’t be stubborn and insist on continuing to wade in your sin.  It won’t get better by ignoring it!

Psalm 37

Psalm 37 is a great contrast between the plight of good and evil.  It is clear that those who are evil will “shrivel like grass clippings and wilt like cut flowers”.  It is sometimes hard to keep perspective on their future.  They seem to get away with it – and may – in the short term.  But the reality is that scripture tells us over and over that “what they do won’t soon be forgotten”.  God doesn’t miss anything.  He knows exactly what is going on.  And the direction He gives us here is very clear: “turn you back on evil, work for the good and don’t quit”.  It can’t be a lot clearer than that.  We need to focus on living life His way.  We need to “keep company with God” and be focused on knowing His ways.  So what does that look like?  Check these things out: “righteous gives and gives…..generous gets it all in the end……stalward walks in step with God…..righteous chews on wisdom”.  We need to live righteously, generously and in lock step with God.  And there is a very good reason – I love how the Message puts it – “not once have I seen an abandoned believer”.  If we put our faith and trust in God through Jesus Christ – we will never be abandoned.  He never leaves nor forsakes us – ever.  We have a firm future.  The end of the Book has already been written.  So it comes down to our choices around how then we shall live.

 The psalmist gives us some great thoughts on that very subject.  “Open up before God, keep nothing back”.  What does your prayer life look life?  Are you open and transparent with God?  He already knows your inner thoughts anyway.  So why do we think we can hide our feelings from him?  “Quiet down before God”.  Hard to really get connected in the midst of chaos.  Do you have a time to just sit quietly at the foot of the throne and seek His face?  We need to do that daily. We need to be in His presence.  The writer describes it this way: “his heart pumps God’s Word like blood through his veins”.  Does that describe you?  Are you so full of God’s Word that it flows in you and through you like your blood – pervasive in every area?  That is such a great word picture.  We are told to not “bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top”.  They aren’t going to be there in the end.  We have to keep our priorities right and on track.  We have to remember we serve “God…alert…is also on watch”.  He is in control and “has a grip on his hand”.  We don’t have to wander aimlessly. God is reaching down to help guide us each step.  And more importantly, “He’ll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval”.  Have you been validated and stamped with God’s approval?  Do you know you have?  That is what happens as we walk with Him. We all need validation on a very regular basis.  Too often we look the wrong places to get it.  God is ready to validate us. And we also are promised that “the spacious, free life is from God….it’s also protected and safe…..when we run to Him, He saves us”.  We serve a God who truly loves us.  The question then comes down to how we respond to that love.  Do we run to it, or run from it?  Where are you running?