pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Monthly Archives: May 2024


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God’s Unfolding Love

Readings: Psalms 54-56

‭Psalm 56:3-4 – “Whenever I’m afraid, I put my trust in you… I trust in God; I won’t be afraid. What can mere flesh do to me?”

Our three Psalms today focus on rescue from enemies. In Psalm 54 it is the proud who have come up against the psalmist. In Psalm 55 it is first in the words of the wicked and then of a friend that has brought “fear and trembling” upon the psalmist. And Psalm 56 there are “so many enemies” that bring misery upon the life of the psalmist. In all three Psalms we find requests to “bring disaster,” to “let death devastate my enemies,” and to bring them down “in wrath.”

At times we feel attacked. It can be with words and/or actions. We can feel our hearts pounding. We can wish to “fly away and rest.” We’ve experienced a friend turning on us. It hurts – bad. We can connect to the emotions running through these passages. As the attack or abuse continues and continues, we too can near the prayers that are rained down on the psalmist’s “enemies.” We can want God to wipe them out so that our hurt goes away. Or… we can punch back, hitting them harder, seeking to end the situation by our own hand or words.

In these Psalms we see again and again a trust in God. It wavers at times, as evidenced in the key verse above. Fear is the antidote to trust and vice versa. Fear can play all kinds of games – buckling our trust, leading us to wish ill on our enemies, tempting us towards revenge. Today, though, my thoughts are drawn to the gospels. My heart is drawn to words that speak of loving our enemies, of blessing those who curse us. As the story of God’s love continues to unfold and as it is more deeply revealed in Jesus Christ, may our faith and trust grow as we really live into the psalmist’s reality check: “What can mere flesh do to me?”

Prayer: Lord God, as we read and work our way through your word, help us to keep in mind the overarching story of your love for all of humankind. May this big story and its revelation in Jesus counter our human tendencies towards hate, revenge, and other forms of evil. Help us not to fear but to instead trust in your bigger, better plan for our lives and for your world. Amen.


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The Path of God and Salvation

Readings: Psalms 50-53

‭Psalm 50:3 – “Our God is coming; he won’t keep quiet. A devouring fire is before him.”

Today’s first two Psalms focus on divine judgment and forgiveness. The second two focus on wickedness and unbelief. Asaph begins with God’s voice and presence. He warns: “Our God is coming; he won’t keep quiet. A devouring fire is before him.” The fire devours evil and it devours the sin in our lives. In Israel’s life one sin is going through the motions. God desires that their sacrifices come from the heart, not from the routine. The Psalm closes by addressing the behavior of the wicked. They hate both discipline and God’s word. They are given a choice: choose the correct path of God’s salvation or “I’ll rip you to pieces.” This is their choice. We too face this choice: life or death?

David chooses the path of salvation in Psalm 51. He has walked about as far from God as one can: lust, adultery, murder. In the opening verses he begs for God to wash him of his sin. He admits his guilt and asks God to purify him, to allow him to “hear joy and celebration again.” David asks God to “create a clean heart… a faithful spirit” within him. From this place of brokenness and contrition David will once again praise the Lord. It is a good and honest and right place to go. It is part of choosing the path of salvation.

Psalms 52 and 53 paint evil for what it is: bragging, deceptive, destructive, corrupt, selfish. It comes from both the words of the tongue and from the deeds of the hands. Evil words and deeds result in shame and in being uprooted by God. This sounds bad. Really bad. Yet at times we do make the choice to sin. When we do, may we remember David’s acts of confession and repentance and may we offer his words of prayer: “wash me… whiter than snow.” Then God’s love and mercy will purify us once again. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, the right path is clear. The poor choices are obvious. Yet we stray and sin and fall. Lord, remember your great love, that which is far greater than our sin. Restore us as we confess and repent. Consume the sin in our hearts, leaving us with clean hearts and hands. Amen.


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What Promise, What Hope

Readings: Psalms 46-49

‭Psalm 47:2 – “Because the LORD Most High is awesome, he is the great king of the whole world.”

Photo credit: Ricardo Gomez Angel

Our first three Psalms are about trusting God and celebrating God’s power and might. Psalm 49 comes as a warning about trusting in something other than God. While this Psalm is about the danger of trusting in wealth, we could substitute self, status, power, beauty, fame, possessions… There are more than a few false gods that we can worship instead of the one true God.

Psalm 46 celebrates God as our refuge and strength – always. Storms will come. Some are powerful. Life will rain on our parade. Yet God is always there. God won’t crumble. God is our place of safety. This theme is picked up in Psalm 49, except this one is about physical safety. God is in the very walls of Jerusalem. The city is a place of safety and security. Within the walls one also finds God’s righteousness and justice. These too dwell in the city of God.

Psalm 47 celebrates God as “the great king of the whole world.” God subdues the nations and chooses Israel’s inheritance. God will subdue the forces of this world too. God will reign over all those voices that clamor and vie for our attention and allegiance. It is a choice we all must make: to listen or not.

Psalm 49 addresses this choice. The author begins, “Listen closely… rich and poor alike.” He or she offers this wisdom: “Wealth? It can’t save a single person!” By the way, the psalmist says, the wise die too. But those who “do right in their heart” – the psalmist(s) declare, “God will save my life from the power of the grave.” What hope, what promise. May we set our hearts on doing right.

Prayer: Lord God, there are many choices about what or whom to follow, on what to be consumed by. O Lord our God, be our consuming fire. Like a moth to a flame, draw us into your presence. Refine us in your fire. Draw us into the power of your love. It has the power to save. Guide us deep into that love. Amen.


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God’s Power Alone

Readings: Psalms 42-45

‭Psalm 44:25-26 – “Look: we’re going down to the dust… Stand up! Help us! Save us for the sake of your faithful love.”

Psalm 42 expresses a longing for God’s presence. This longing is something we’ve all felt. We all have dry seasons when our “whole being craves you, God.” Our tears too have been our food. In those moments it is important to remember God’s faithful love in the past. It is important even then to lift a song of praise to God. As the refrain says, “Hope in God! Because I will again give him thanks, my saving presence and my God.” God is unchanging. This truth will ever be true. God is our hope.

Psalm 43 is a continuation of Psalm 42. It closes with the exact same refrain. The writer calls for God’s light and truth. These will guide the psalmist; they will guide you and me. They lead to God, “my joy and my delight.”

Lament returns in full force in Psalm 44. It is a communal lament. The psalmist begins by remembering God’s guidance and provision in the past. This recalls Joshua’s conquest of the Promised Land, when God went before Israel. There is a recognition that it was God’s power alone that brought victory. It is the very thought that they count on now that they’ve been “rejected and humiliated.” When we struggle we too can draw upon God’s power, upon our memories of when God made a way. Remembering is a form of praying our faith forward. A desperate plea closes Psalm 44: “Look: we’re going down to the dust… Stand up! Help us! Save us for the sake of your faithful love.” Oh how we’ve prayed these words in our own translation. And may we pray them again and again.

As I began reading Psalm 45 at first I thought: “What?! A love song?!” Why, yes, a love song of God to God’s people. An invitation to celebrate, to be, to live out grace and beauty, truth and righteousness, humility and justice. From one generation to the next may our whole being embody, reveal, and bring praise to God forever and ever.

Prayer: Lord God, a song echoes in my mind: “Oh no, you never let go. In every high and every low, Lord, you never let go of me.” In seasons of disconnection, in times of suffering, in the valleys and on the mountaintops, may we declare your glory with our lives. May we trust daily in the only one who saves, in you, our God and King, our Lord and Savior. Amen.


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Listen, Save, Deliver

Readings: Psalms 37-41

‭Psalm 37:37 – “Observe those who have integrity and watch those whose heart is right because the future belongs to persons of peace.”

As we close our Book 1, today’s Psalms have a more personal, more intimate feel. Psalm 37 lifts up the life of righteousness. I love verse 3: “Trust the Lord and do good… farm righteousness.” What a great image – plant it, water it, feed it, tend it, nurture it, produce a crop. There’s an honest admission in verse 23: the righteous will trip up. But they won’t be thrown down because God holds their hand! We find great advice in verse 37: “Observe those who have integrity and watch those whose heart is right because the future belongs to persons of peace.” And let us tend to the other side of this equation too: may we model the faith well; may we be persons of peace in this world.

Psalms 38-41 all share connected themes. They speak of the consequences of our sin, of God’s forgiveness, and of the brevity of life. In Psalm 38 the writer acknowledges that the weight of our sin is “way too heavy for me.” Psalms 38 and 41 speak of how people abandon us when we struggle in our sin. In Psalm 40 their wrongdoings have caught up with them. We too have played this game. Psalm 41 begs for healing from their sin. These Psalms also express a strong belief and trust in God’s forgiveness and restoration. There is a deep confidence in God’s unconditional love. Psalm 40 closes with these words: “You are my help and rescuer. My God, don’t wait any longer.” Save me NOW!

Sitting in the middle is Psalm 39. It is a reflection on the brevity and difficulty of life. The psalmist tried holding their tongue to avoid sinning. It did no good. Sin resides in not just our words. The psalmist compares our lives to “a puff of air.” Our blip is just that on God’s eternal timeline. Yet, even so, the psalmist says to God, “Please don’t ignore my tears.” They matter to us, each day. God, don’t ignore our tears either. Listen to our cry. Deliver us, O God.

Prayer: Lord God, what are we, really, that you are mindful of us? Our lives come and go with a blinking of your eye. Yet from our perspective, our years hold meaning. Moments and seasons matter. Teach us to value our time, to use it wisely, to live it all for your glory. Be our helper and rescuer, O God. Hold our hand. Walk with us each of our days. Amen.


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Always There with Us

Readings: Psalms 33-36

‭Psalm 36:6 – “Your righteousness is like the strongest mountains; your justice is like the deepest sea.”

Photo credit: Lidia Nikole

Our readings today begin and end with two Psalms of praise. Psalm 34 begins with praises for God’s goodness and faithfulness, for God speaking creation into being. The psalmist celebrates God’s rule over all the earth. Kings and warriors aren’t saved by their strength and power (and neither are we!) No, the psalmist says, put your hope and trust in the Lord alone. Psalm 36 does begin by recognizing the evil and wicked choices of the sinful. But the psalmist quickly shifts to praising God for God’s faithful love and for “Your righteousness is like the strongest mountains; your justice is like the deepest sea.” God is worthy of our praise! Yes, we take refuge under God’s wings. Yes, God’s light is our light!

Psalms 34 and 35 speak of the good and evil that is present in our world and in our lives. Psalm 34 begins with blessing and praising God for answered prayers and for deliverance. Then the psalmist offers a warning and also some words of encouragement: keep your tongue from evil, do good, seek peace. The author declares that “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed.” Note the present tense of these verbs! These warnings, the hope, the encouragement – they apply to our lives too!

Psalm 35 begins with pleas for God to act: “Stand up and help me!” Rescue is needed from those who want to humiliate, shame, and harm. We too have lifted these calls. The psalmist laments that even though he or she fasted and grieved when “they” were sick, now they rejoice in his or her stumbles. The psalmist cries out, “How long…?”

The Psalm closes with renewed requests for justice, for the enemies to be the ones who are disgraced. Then, then the psalmist will praise the Lord. Then… When we are hard-pressed, when we feel the full assault of evil, then, yes, it can be hard to praise the Lord. Yet, as the song goes, “May we praise you in the storm.” May it be so because God is always there with us.

Prayer: Lord God, we so want justice to be served, to see wrongs made right. When we are tempted to execute our justice, pause us and remind us first of your grace that covers us. And then, then remind us that you alone are the judge, that you alone know true justice. Help us to trust, O God, in your strong righteousness and in your deep justice. Help us to stand on that mountain, to wade into that deep sea, for you alone are God. Amen.


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Never Fails, Never Wanes

Readings: Psalms 29-32

‭Psalm 32:7 – “You are my secret hideout! You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of rescue!”

Praise for God’s power and glory flow from Psalm 29. The likely inspiration was likely a powerful storm rolling in off of the Mediterranean Sea. God’s voice is over the waters, it is strong and majestic in the rolls of thunder. It is visible and tangible in the flashes of lightning. The power of God can be felt, literally, in the storm. Yes, God is enthroned! And, yes, may the God of power and might bring strength and peace to us, God’s people today.

This spirit is continued in Psalm 30. It is a Psalm of thanksgiving. God is exalted for hearing the psalmist’s cry, for bringing him back to life. There is rejoicing that God’s anger lasts “only for a second” and that God’s favor “lasts a lifetime.” These words contrast our momentary existence relative to God’s eternal existence. As such, God sees the big and long picture. From this perspective, and out of God’s great love for us, God changes our “mourning into dancing,” our sorrow to joy.

Psalm 31 is a prayer for refuge. It moved between pleas for God’s help and praises for God’s rescue. Back and forth, back and forth – such is our rhythm of life too. Our lives are filled with ups and downs. At times we find ourselves as David does here in the Psalm, feeling alone as the community has withdrawn. It is if our sorrow or grief was contagious. God remains present, though, right there by our side. God responds, providing an example for the community that tends to shun or even intentionally ignore the weak and the suffering.

We close with a Psalm of instruction. David begins by sharing that the forgiven are truly happy (or blessed.) He contrasts this with times when he has withheld his confession. He was “worn out” as “God’s hand was heavy upon me.” Admitting his sin he was restored to God’s presence. Here David teaches by example. He then declares, “You are my secret hideout! You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of rescue!” May it be so for you and for me too!

Prayer: Lord God, oh the ebb and flow of our lives and of our faith. So strong in some moments, so weak in others. Not you, O Lord. Your love never fails, your might never wanes. Because of who and what you are, we have hope. Be present to us in our imperfections and failures, picking us up, walking beside us, loving us anyway. O Lord, how majestic is your name, how deep is your love! Amen.


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The First Steps

Readings: Psalms 25-28

‭Psalm 25:10 – “All the LORD’s paths are loving and faithful for those who keep his covenant and laws.”

Photo credit: David Brook Martin

Psalm 25 is a prayer for forgiveness and protection. The psalmist’s declaration of trust is followed by a request to prevent any shame from coming their way. The psalmist edges up to asking God for forgiveness – don’t remember my sins. Verse 10 sums up the psalmist’s belief and what they hold to be true: “All the LORD’s paths are loving and faithful for those who keep his covenant and laws.” If one is faithful, one experiences God’s love. That is the hope. Closing the Psalm, because he or she looks to the Lord, well then, God should forgive their sin and end their suffering. Save me God – because I seek you.

The next Psalm declares the author’s innocence. There are echoes of the book of Job in Psalm 26. Give me justice, God, because I have integrity. Examine me, God, because I’m innocent. I don’t spend time with the wicked. No, I love being in your presence, God. So save me! As was the case with Job, we too feel injustice when good people suffer – especially when it is us.

Psalm 27 is a song of hope during suffering. There is a trust in God’s light and salvation. It is a trust that counters fear. Again the psalmist seeks to be in God’s presence. There God will shelter us, will hide us, and will set our feet high upon a solid rock, above the storms of life. The Psalm closes with a “sure faith” that he or she will experience God’s goodness. In our storms, may this be our hope and our trust.

We close today’s readings with a petition that God would hear and respond. Psalm 28 begins by saying “don’t refuse to hear me” because “you are my rock.” Today I read this and other parts of these Psalms as transactional. I too can treat God that way at times. Returning to the text, a request is made to give the wicked what they deserve. This too would bring relief to the psalmist. The Psalm closes with a declaration of hope, trust, and rejoicing.

Throughout these four Psalms there is a common theme. We must be faithful to and connected to God if we desire for God to hear and respond to our prayers. While this is true, it pre-supposes a relationship as the first step. I am also struck today by the lack of introspection, confession, and repentance. These are essential elements – steps – for a healthy relationship with God. May we take these first steps today. It is where our relationship with God begins anew each day. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, you’ve created us in your image, designed us to live in a relationship with you. We can sense this connection, this call. But we are not always faithful. We stray and we fall short. Have patience. Build our trust and faith. Guide our steps. Order them according to your heart. Bless us as we seek to walk daily with you. Amen.


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Clean Hands, Pure Heart

Readings: Psalms 21-24

‭Psalm 22:19 – “But you, LORD! Don’t be far away! You are my strength! Come quick and help me!”

What a range we have in today’s four Psalms. Psalm 21 celebrates God’s protection of the king. Psalm 22 begins as a desperate plea for help and turns into praise. Psalm 23 is all about trusting in God’s care. Psalm 24 celebrates God’s control over all things.

Psalm 21 begins with thanksgiving for all that God has done to establish the king. There is a two-way street: the king will not stumble because he trusts the Lord. The psalmist returns to thanksgiving in verses 8-12. This thanks is for God’s protection against enemies. There are parallels with Psalm 23 abounding here in this Psalm. Praise be to God!

Turning to Psalm 22 the immediate question is, “Where are you, God?!” The psalmist cries out day and night. Although faithful since birth, the author is now “poured out like water.” These words and others in these four Psalms echo the scene of Jesus on the cross. The cry to the Lord is renewed in verse 19: “But you, LORD! Don’t be far away! You are my strength! Come quick and help me!” This cry, however, is quickly followed by words of praise and proclamation. It is as if the psalmist of verse 4 (“Our ancestors trusted you”) has reconnected to the Lord our God. Psalm 23 speaks deeply of this trust and connection. This Psalm reminds us of the thoroughly sufficiency of God’s care for us in all of life.

Psalm 24 takes the themes and ideas of Psalm 23 and makes them corporate. All is God’s. The God who walks with us “through the darkest valley” is also the God who is strong and powerful in battle. Psalm 24 reminds us that “only one with clean hands and a pure heart” can ascend to the mountain of God. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, how glorious, how mighty, how majestic, how powerful are you, O God. And yet you hear our cries in the night and our pleas by day. All-powerful yet personally intimate. You hold our hand in the valleys. Your hand anoints us with the oil of blessing. You are the king of glory! You are our God. Amen.


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True and Perfect

Readings: Psalms 17-20

‭Psalm 18:30 – “God! His way is perfect; the LORD’s word is tried and true. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”

Photo credit: Rainier Ridao

There is a familiarity of themes and of some verses/phrases in today’s readings. Psalm 17 and 18 touch on the theme of obedience/blessing and disobedience/consequences. In Psalm 17, for David, a right heart and a sinless mouth means that God should “tilt your ears towards me now.” He seeks refuge in God from those who speak arrogantly, who want to “put me in the dirt.”

Psalm 18 begins with some wonderful descriptors of God: strength, solid rock, fortress, rescuer, refuge, shield, salvation, place of safety. These are words that we too can claim. David cries out for help and God responds in power and might – thunder and lightning, hail and coals. God’s power is both majestic and frightening. Verses 20-24 remind me of Job. God rewards because David is righteous. God restores because David’s hands are clean. Verse 30 is a great summary verse: “God! His way is perfect; the LORD’s word is tried and true. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”

Psalm 19 continues the praise of God that ends Psalm 18. The heavens declare God’s glory. The law is perfect, faithful, right, pure, correct, and true. It brings wisdom and gladness and light. One is given “great reward” by keeping the law. In verses 12 and 13 David seeks forgiveness for accidental wrongs. Psalm 19 closes with familiar words: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart…”

In our last Psalm for today the focus shifts to the other. The prayer is for God to answer “you” when in trouble and for God to fulfill the desires of “your” heart. This is a prayer that we can pray over others. Who might you pray verses 1-5 over today?

Prayer: Lord God, your way is true and perfect. Your will guides us to light, love, hope, peace. We are faulty and imperfect. On our own, O God, we’d be helplessly lost. Surely those cords of death would entangle us. But we are not alone. You are right there beside us. You are our strength and our shield, our rock and our defender, our God. Thank you. Amen.