A Song of Praise, Hallelujah!
(NKJV) Ps 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
“He brought be out of the deep miry clay,
He put a song in my happy soul today
A song of praise hallelujah.”
I remember singing this hymn as a child, long before I knew what the lyrics meant.
David had written frequently of waiting on God, but there were times when God was not quick to answer. This time, however, God bent down so that He could hear David’s cries, He answered and rescued Him!
When I was a little girl, Tarzan movies were on TV every Saturday. During each movie, someone was trapped in quicksand.
I would imagine miry clay is very much like quicksand. You are walking along but suddenly find yourself encased in a substance that serves only to draw you down to it’s very depths.
But in this case, the thing that trapped David was sin. And, just like quicksand, the bog of sin will drag us down unless we stay on firm footing with God.
Once we are pulled from the depths of sin, God gives us a new song, and we automatically respond with “hallelujah.”
May each of us be adept at sidestepping the bog of sin as we travel down this mortal highway.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
God, Our Very Present Help in Times of Need
(NKJV) Ps 61:1 Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.
Selah
I am so thankful that David penned so many prayers for deliverance. His life was clearly not simple, nor was it without trouble. Yet, he discovered early on that rather than rely on his own strength, his help was found in God.
The imagery in this Psalm, that of David being far away and seeking refuge, is powerful. David recognizes he cannot rely on his own strength and resources. Whether the rock he mentions is God, or a literal place where he can find protection and be positioned to see the enemy as he approaches, David knows from experience he can trust in God his father to keep him safe.
While we do not have to worry about being in physical battles like David experienced, many of us have ongoing struggles that would prevent us from living a life of purpose and joy. Whether we are facing health problems, are in a contentious relationship, or dealing with any myriad of life’s challenges, we need to follow David’s example and turn to God early and often.
May we know, believe and understand that God is greater than our difficulties and He cares for us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Waiting on God
(NRSV)Ps 25: 4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Make me, teach me, lead me, remember me.
Waiting on God is not easy. Ever. Whether we are waiting for healing, deliverance, peace—whatever is heavy on our hearts. The wait can seem worse than the circumstance in which we find ourselves.
A friend prayed, “Lord, give me patience—NOW.” While she was being facetious, her words were illustrative of the state in which we often find ourselves. We recognize our need for God, yet we cannot grasp the importance of just being still before Him.
So, we try to hurry Him along, help Him, and give Him suggestions on how He can best handle the situation that plagues us. Today I will truly wait, knowing that God who has promised to work all things for my good is ever faithful, ever true.
May each of us breathe a prayer of thanks, because the work has already been accomplished in the heavenly realm.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Lavishness of Grace
(NIV) Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment —to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
Can we take a few minutes to look at a few of the words Paul used in this scripture?
Redemption: Deliverance, buy back
Forgiveness: Pardon, exoneration
Lavished: sumptuous, generous
Paul tells the church at Ephesus that through Jesus’ blood, we have been bought back so that our sins no longer define us and we are not under the penalty of sin. God has pardoned us because of Grace, the unmerited favor that is only available through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. What is the penalty of sin? Separation from God and death.
But look at what else Paul says. He says that Jesus has lavished God’s grace upon us. He has been generous, pouring out the sumptuous or luxurious grace that comes only through God. Can I tell you no one has ever lavished anything upon me—not love, nor praise nor anything. Only Jesus. Paul said that Jesus was the mystery revealed to the Christ-followers. What a wonderful revelation of who Jesus is and who we are in Him.
And I have to say I have read this scripture countless times, but I don’t ever recall seeing the word “lavish” before. Of course, for years I read only the King James Bible and the word used there is abounded. But I have been in different translations for almost thirty years (NIV and NRSV) and the word “lavish” appears in both. It is one of the great mysteries of our faith that the Holy Spirit shines the light of truth upon the Word at the exact moment we need it. I needed to hear about the lavishness of God’s Grace today.
May each of us continue to seek after Jesus with our whole hearts, knowing that regardless of where we are, Jesus will hold us closely.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Grace, mercy and pardon
Grace, mercy and pardon
Titus 3:3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Are you familiar with Titus? Titus is one of Paul’s pastoral letters. The pastoral letters of 1 & 2 Timothy, Philemon and Titus are called that because, unlike the epistles, these letters are not written for the body of believers but instead, to specific leaders. But, although these letters are more personal in nature, we can still find inspiration and instruction.
Titus was the son of two Gentile parents and was converted when he heard Paul preach. He traveled with Paul and at some point they visited the island of Crete where the gospel message really took off. Churches started and Paul left Titus to choose leaders for the churches. The letter to Titus sets out the qualities of leaders, and reminds him of what we all were like before our salvation. Paul knew that sometimes Christ followers need to be reminded that God didn’t call us because we were righteous, he made us righteous after he called us.
So Paul tells Titus that God saved each one of us through grace, mercy and pardon. Grace always comes first. It is that wonderful free gift that we don’t deserve, yet God pours it upon us so that we can be reconciled to him through salvation. Mercy necessarily follows grace and if it did not, then grace would not be sufficient. But we know that cannot be—God’s grace is always sufficient. God will always show mercy to us, sparing us from the judgment we deserve. If God shows us mercy, then we must show mercy to others.
What follows grace and mercy? Pardon, where we are forgiven, and when we are forgiven we must likewise forgive. Forgiveness is not a choice for Christ followers. We forgive not because we feel like forgiving, but because we are told to forgive. We may not feel the warm fuzzies—it is not an emotional response but rather an act of obedience to God.
How much of this letter can apply to us today? All of it. We need to be willing to go to the cross as many times as it is needed. Why? Because it is in the shadow of the cross where our sins are covered, it is the shadow of the cross where we learn humility, and it is in the shadow of the cross where we receive our freedom.
I think of Fanny Crosby’s song, “In the Cross,” and recall that fourth stanza:
Near the cross! I’ll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever;
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.
It is not a matter of begging God for salvation repeatedly because our initial experience was not enough. The salvation available through Jesus is always enough. It is understanding that as long as we are on this earth, we are under the canopy of sin. Our sin problem was resolved on the cross, but our sin nature remains.
What is sin? Anything that separates us from God. But, the gulf caused by sin is spanned by the cross and access comes first through grace, and then through repentance. Not remorse, not regret, but turning away from sin and toward a holy God.
We are heirs to the promise of eternal life through Christ Jesus. Let us purpose to act like it.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
