The Solid Rock
(ESV) Ps 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD.
When I read this scripture I am immediately reminded of the hymn “He Brought me Out” written by Henry Zelley in 1898.
My heart was distressed ’neath Jehovah’s dread frown,
And low in the pit where my sins dragged me down;
I cried to the Lord from the deep miry clay,
Who tenderly brought me out to golden day.
Refrain:
He brought me out of the (deep) miry clay,
He set my feet on the (solid) Rock to stay;
He puts a song in my (happy) soul today,
A song of praise, hallelujah!
I love the old hymns of the church that are so grounded in scripture. I often sat in church between my aunts, one who sang soprano and the other alto. I sang these songs with gusto, but admittedly as a four year old I did not grasp the full meaning of the lyrics.
This song echoes the theme from Psalm 40 where David is rejoicing after receiving deliverance from God. When we are in trouble we do feel as though we are mired in a bog.
A few years ago I was playing golf and hit an errant shot. I went to retrieve the ball which had landed in a muddy area that was out of bounds. I took a step and without warning my leg sunk into 3 feet of muck. I was stuck. Finally my husband wondered where I was and found me. With much effort, he freed me.
We all know that God accepts us where He finds us. But praise God He does not leave us in that condition. When Larry freed me from that bog, I was still covered in mud. We had to use both golf towels and bottled water to restore me to a semblance of cleanliness. But when God pulls us out of our sin, we are made spotless. And, we are given a new song! A song of praise, hallelujah!
May we be so in tune with God that we avoid the muddy bogs and walk hand in hand with our Savior on solid ground.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thirsting for God
(NIV) Psalm 42,
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
I am certain you have heard the phrase “desperate people do desperate things.” In Psalm 42 we find that David is, indeed, desperate to be in fellowship with God. When I read this Scripture II understand that David’s longing to be in fellowship with God is visceral. He never takes his time with God for granted.
Then I begin to wonder if I allow the cares of everyday living to rob me of the joy of my salvation. Do I take every opportunity to seek hard after God, or am I sometimes too casual in my approach to spend time with the One, True and Living God?
I think of scriptures advising me to seek God early while He may be found. And I can sense David’s anguish as he feels isolated from God. Did David only feel God’s presence while in corporate worship? Do I?
But then I realize that we are so fortunate to experience God differently than those in Old Testament times. Since Pentecost the Holy Spirit has operated differently, dwelling within each Christian so that we are never separated from God’s presence.
May we have such a hunger and thirst for God that we cannot be satisfied unless we are drinking daily from the fountain that emanates from His holy throne.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son,, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lead Me to the Rock
Psalms 27:1-5 (NIV) Psalm 27
Of David.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation —
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
Psalms 61:1-4 (NIV) Psalm 61
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
The older I get, the greater my need to rely upon my Savior and my Lord. For you see, it is my Savior who redeemed me, but it is my Lord who leads me. When King David was running from his son, Absalom, he understood that
He needed the protection that can only come from God.
I am reminded of one of the conversations between God and Moses, and Moses was told he could view God as he walked by from the cleft of a rock. No one could look upon the face of God and live and so God provided a hiding place for Moses from where he could safely view God from the back.
We, too, need a space that only God can provide, a hiding place when we are suffering from chronic pain, or perhaps a debilitating illness from which there seems to be no cure. Our hiding place has always been, and will always be, Jesus. Jesus is the rock, and when we turn to Him we find a blessed peace.
May we each recognize our need for a Savior and a Lord, and may we rest in the security and safety found only in the Rock
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Casting Your Cares
1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,
1 Peter 5:7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. [Ps. 55:22.]
1 Peter 5:8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
Today I used the Amplified Bible for one of my favorite Scriptures. I should note that this particular Bible is not a word for word translation, nor is it a thought for thought translation. However, I enjoy reading it occasionally because I get a better sense of the depth of God’s great love.
We are told to cast our cares upon God, all of them, once and for all. When I read this additional explanation, I am consoled that if I humble myself before the Most High God, He will care for me. I love that this translation reminds me to cast ALL of my cares, not picking them up again, but committing them to my Heavenly Father.
Then I am reminded to stay vigilant against the attacks by the enemy. When? At all times. How? By remaining restrained and cautious.
May we be assured that we can turn over our cares and concerns to our Father, knowing that He is faithful to aid us, and when the enemy attacks we have an advocate.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Clothed in Kindness
(NIV) 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
I have always loved the image of clothing ourselves in righteousness. Isaiah said in Chapter 64 that our righteousness is as filthy rags. So, for years I have talked about putting on the cloak of righteousness which is just a visual reminder that we need Christ every day.
Paul says we should clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. These characteristics are strikingly similar to the fruits of the Spirit which become manifest in us the longer we walk with God. After years of being a Christ follower, I have recognized that few of these qualities are inherent in me. Therefore, I must go before God daily to ask for a fresh anointing by the Holy Spirit.
Why daily? Because just as God provided the Hebrews who wandered in the desert for forty years daily manna, and just as Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread, we must learn to rely upon Jesus daily. I do not wait until my gas tank is almost empty to get more fuel. Likewise, I do not wait until my spiritual tank is on empty to approach the throne of God.
May we each begin our day with “just a closer walk” with Jesus, reading Scripture, perhaps singing a song of praise, living in peace and thanksgiving. And may we take the name of Jesus with us, sharing Him with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 