pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Inner Strength

Readings: Psalms 137-140

‭Psalm 138:3 – “On the day I cried out, you answered me. You encouraged me with inner strength.”

Psalms 137 and 138 offer lament and then raise up thanks and trust. These two represent much of what we find in the Psalms and in all of life – highs and lows. In Psalm 137 the psalmist laments a hard experience in exile. Their “tormentors” wanted them to sing a joyful song. How could they sing joyfully in exile? The response, instead, is a plea for Babylon’s (and Edom’s) downfall. In Psalm 138 we see a better choice. The psalmist turns towards Jerusalem and the temple. Here we read, “On the day I cried out, you answered me. You encouraged me with inner strength.” God is faithful. God hears and responds. The Psalm closes with this plea to God: “don’t let go.”

Psalm 139 expresses a deep connection with God. The psalmist recognizes that God knows them inside out. This is at first overwhelming, “too much for me.” There is nowhere the psalmist could go to avoid this overwhelming knowing. Even darkness would be no relief. In verse 13 there is a shift. The psalmist realizes that God knit them together and that God has good plans for them. After a brief dive into hating evil and seeking their destruction, the psalmist returns to self, inviting God to know him or her even more.

Psalm 140 is a plea for protection. For those who plot evil,“spider poison is on their lips.” The psalmist cries out to God for help, hoping for evil’s downfall. In the end, the psalmist knows deep down in his or her heart, “those who do right will live in your presence.” Through all of the highs and lows, for all in between, may this too be our daily choice: to live right, to be in God’s presence.

Prayer: Lord God, through all of life’s ebbs and flows, you are there. Walk with us daily, keeping us from evil and defending us when it arises in our lives. Grow in us a trust in you as our knowledge of you grows in us. Grant us an inner strength in the trials and sufferings, a strength that clings to you. Amen.


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The Goodness of God

Readings: Psalms 102-104

‭Psalm 104:24 – “LORD, you have done so many things! You made them all so wisely! The earth is full of your creations!”

Psalm 102 begins in lament. The psalmist cries out for God to hear their prayers. Their bones are crushed; their heart is smashed. They eat ashes instead of bread. And then in verse 12 the psalmist remembers the God who reigns forever. Yes, God will stand up. Yes, God will look down, hear, and set free “those condemned to death.” Even though the psalmist feels like God is “cutting short my days,” the Psalm closes with a petition for God’s presence to be with his or her children and descendants.

The mood shifts in Psalms 103 and 104. These Psalms celebrate God’s love and care for all of creation. Psalm 103 begins with thanks for forgiveness and healing, for love and compassion, for the good things God provides. The psalmist celebrates God’s patience and mercy, remembering that we don’t get what our sins deserve. Instead, God removes our sins “as far as the east is from the west.” It is noted that this because God knows how we are made. God made us! And even though our days “are like grass,” God’s days are forever. The Psalm closes with a call for heaven and earth, for all of creation, to join the psalmist’s whole being in praising the Lord.

Psalm 104 continues this invitation. The psalmist celebrates God’s creative prowess. He or she recognizes the wine, oil, and bread that God provides to sustain and enrich our lives as signs of God’s goodness. The psalmist proclaims, “LORD, you have done so many things! You made them all so wisely! The earth is full of your creations!” What a celebration of who and what God is! In verses 29-30 we are reminded that God is the giver and taker of breath and life. Then at the end of this Psalm we find a request to “wipe clean from the earth” the wicked. When I read this it felt a bit out of place after all of the praise and celebration in verses 1-34. My Bible’s notes revealed this truth: these are those who seek to disrupt the goodness of God and God’s creation. Ah ha!

Prayer: Lord God, yes, we too have our days and seasons when we feel crushed, when we feel oppressed. In these times, Lord, remind us of your constant presence and of how you are faithful to hear and to respond. Bring to memory the healing and restoration we’ve experienced and lead us to trust into your love and compassion for us. From there may we respond with praise and thanksgiving to the one who creates and reigns wisely and faithfully. There may we celebrate the goodness of God. Amen


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Truths and Promises

Readings: Psalms 57-59

‭Psalm 58:11 – “Yes, there is a reward for the righteous! Yes, there is a God who judges people on the earth.”

Photo credit: Tyler Milligan

Psalms 57-59 are attributed to David, continuing the run that began with Psalm 51. All three of today’s Psalms contain the phrase “Do not destroy.” in the superscript. Psalms 57 and 59 identify Saul as the cause of the oppression and threats that David faced in these Psalms. In all three Psalms we find a confidence in God and in God’s sense of justice and righteousness. In the end, David trusts these will prevail.

The setting for Psalm 57 is when David fled from Saul, hiding out in the caves in the wilderness. David first seeks mercy and refuge “until destruction passes by.” His desire is to safely ride out this present trial. He is in “the middle of a pack of lions” – a great visual for being surrounded by Saul and his army. Verse 6 perhaps refers to when David cut off the corner of Saul’s robe, sparing his life (1st Samuel 24.) The Psalm closes with an “unwavering heart” that gives God thanks for God’s faithful love that saw David through this trial.

We return to the David-Saul conflict in Psalm 59. David cries out for deliverance from “enemies… evildoers… the bloodthirsty.” They lie in ambush outside of David’s house, waiting to attack. David’s response: “Get up when I cry out to you!” Come and act, God! But David does not wish for their deaths. He wants God to deal with them but also to leave them alive so that they can serve as examples for other traitors. The Psalm closes with singing and shouts of praise to God his shelter and stronghold when David was distraught. This God is our God too. So may we too stand on these truths and promises in our times of trial.

Prayer: Lord God, your faithful love always surrounds us. In the midst of the trial we can forget that you are all around us. Help us to remember that you hedge us in and form a wall of protection around us. Be our strength and stronghold. Be our refuge and fortress. From there, guide us to proclaim your faithful love to all. 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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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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A Just and Loving World

Readings: Psalms 9-12

‭Psalms 12:5 – “But the LORD says, “Because the poor are oppressed… I’m now standing up. I will provide the help they are gasping for.”

Today, as we read Psalms 9-12, there is an overarching sense that evil has its way in the world, taking advantage of the poor, ignoring or thinking God non-existent. Set against this, there is a hope in God and in God’s ability to bring justice to this world.

Psalm 9 begins with praise and worship of God for God’s “wonderful acts” and for God’s just rule from the throne. The psalmist declares that God is a “safe place” for the oppressed. Then there is a shift in verse 13. This makes it feel like verses 1-12 were groundwork, reminding God of who God has been, hoping that this God will return. The psalmist seeks mercy in his or her time of suffering. There is a parallel desire to see the wicked “go straight to the grave.”

Psalms 10-12 speak of a God who seems far away and of a God who needs to come and act justly. As the psalmist(s) look at the world they see evil and wickedness running rampant. The wicked are arrogant and they oppress the poor and helpless. God’s people feel powerless to act in the face of all of this evil. Sprinkled in amongst belief in God’s ability to act are many requests for God to do just that.

As one looks at our world in 2024, it is much as the world was in Psalms 10-12. Evil seems to be winning. God speaks in 12:5, saying, “Because the poor are oppressed… I’m now standing up. I will provide the help they are gasping for.” May it be so in our time too, O God.

Prayer: Lord God, today we cry out for justice and for an end to evil and oppression in our world. Yes, may it be so, but Lord, remind us of our role too. We are to be peacemakers and to be voices for justice. We are to stand beside the oppressed, looking evil in the eye. Empower us, encourage us, God, to be a part of creating a more just and loving world. Amen.


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Judge, Rescuer, Creator

Readings: Psalms 5-8

‭Psalm 7:8 – “The LORD will judge the peoples. Establish justice for me, LORD, according to my righteousness and according to my integrity.”

Photo credit: Michael Michelovski

Psalms 5-7 are Psalms of lament and sorrow. All three cry out to God, lifting cries for rescue, protection, deliverance – all from those who do evil, whether it is those in the world or if the evil is within us. The psalmist(s) cry out, “Hear my words, Lord!”… “Have mercy on me, Lord” … “Get up, Lord; get angry!” There is an urgency and there is a trust that God will act. This trust is built on God’s “abundant, faithful love” and on a God who is “a righteous judge.” In the end, there is a belief that our good, loving, just God will surely triumph over evil.

These Psalms also express a sure need for God. In Psalm 5: “Make your way clear, right in front of me.” We need guidance. In Psalm 6: “Come back to me, Lord! Deliver me.” We need God’s presence and God’s rescue. In Psalm 7: “Save me from all who chase me!” We need God’s deliverance. Each Psalm acknowledges that there is evil in the world that we cannot overcome on our own. We saw this in Job’s story. In 7:8 the psalmist writes: “The LORD will judge the peoples. Establish justice for me, LORD, according to my righteousness and according to my integrity.” Job could’ve spoken these words. We would like to be able to speak these words.

There is a strong shift as we turn to Psalm 8. It is a Psalm of Praise sprinkled in amongst the laments. It is needed after Psalms 5-7. The Psalm opens and closes by acknowledging the majesty of God. This is noticed in the night sky – the works of God’s fingers. The vastness and majesty of the stars and moon is initially contrasted with the smallness of humanity. The author asks, “What are human beings that you pay attention to them?” Well, they are divinely made in God’s image and they are tasking with caring well for God’s creation. Both of these are awesome responsibilities. In these roles may we strive to reflect God’s spirit, intention, and purpose in creation, shining brightly for all to see.

Prayer: Lord God, today we hear the cries of the psalmist(s) for your presence, for your justice, for your righteousness, for your power and might. When we are in need, remind us of these words and of the trust and faith contained in them. And, Lord, when we have the opportunity to care well for one another and for all other parts of your creation, may your generous love guide us. Amen.


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“Justice”

Readings: Job 22 through Job 31

‭Job 23:10 – “Surely he knows my way; when he tests me, I will emerge as gold.”

Eliphaz begins by listing Job’s sins. He is speculating about what Job could have done. He again encourages Job to confess and repent. Then God will again be Job’s “prized possession.” Job responds, declaring his innocence, desiring an audience with God. He then noted an absence of justice in the world. Wicked people move boundary stones and take the poor as collateral, “but God assigns no blame.” The wicked simply go on living and in the end, like everyone else, they die. Bildad then surrenders to this hopelessness too, calling humans and their children “worms… grubs.”

Job’s final speech to his friends runs from chapters 26-31. He does begin by acknowledging God’s “thunderous power.” In response to Bildad’s surrender, Job states that his lips won’t utter wicked words or deceit. He then returns to God, the source of true wisdom, the one who alone understands this wisdom. Job says the closest we can get to the wisdom of God is to fear the Lord. Job then reviews his former status and good deeds. This was how he lived out “justice” – caring for the needy, giving good advice to those who sought it. And now they all mock him.

Chapter 31 is Job’s closing argument. He is laying out proof of his innocence. He did not commit adultery. He did not receive others. He did not abuse his slaves. He did not ignore the needy. He did not worship gold or any other idol. He did not rejoice over his foes’ ruin. Job closes this list with a verbal signature. He wants his accuser (who he thinks is God) to write an indictment. An indictment is coming next. It’s not from God, though. That is yet to come.

Prayer: Lord God, you are indeed the source of all power and wisdom. You are far above us and our ways. We seek, as Job did, to follow your commands. We strive to avoid wickedness and sin too. In moments and seasons of trial, Lord, empower us through the Holy Spirit’s presence within us. Lead us to dive deep into that reservoir. Amen.


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One Problem

Readings: Job 1, Job 2, Job 3, Job 4, Job 5

Job 1:21 – “The LORD has given; the LORD has taken; bless the LORD’s name.”

Photo credit: Marek Pospisil

We begin Job today. Whereas in Esther there was a threat of suffering that prompted action, in Job the suffering comes – in one huge jolt. Both Esther and Job “argue” against the universally held belief of the time: obey God and be blessed, disobey God and be punished.

As Job begins the narrator makes a very important statement for us to hold to as we read this book: Job is honest and full of integrity; he fears God and avoids evil. Job is so righteous, in fact, he makes sacrifices just in case his children have sinned. Because Job is righteous, in ancient thoughts, he should not suffer. But suffer he does! At the hands of the Adversary, Job loses all his livestock, his servants, and all 10 children. This would lead a lesser man to curse God. Not Job. He says, “The LORD has given; the LORD has taken; bless the LORD’s name.” Job too operates, at least for now, under the blessing and punishment paradigm.

To further test Job’s faith the Adversary receives permission to afflict Job’s health. Severe sores cover his whole body. Job’s wife – who has also experienced this rush of loss and who knows herself to be innocent of sin – encourages Job to just curse God and die. Why fight it? But Job responds much the same way: how can one accept good from God but not bad from God as well? Again the paradigm.

Job’s three friends arrive. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar sit with Job for seven days. They too look at Job in his present state and assume that he is a great sinner. Why else would this happen to him? Job speaks first, rueing the day he was born. In the religious thinking of the day, there was no concept yet of an afterlife. The greatest gift of God was life itself. Job wishes that he had never received this gift. This is an indication of Job’s struggle to understand what is happening to him.

Eliphaz responds. He sees Job as a sinner who needs to repent. This drives all that he says. If one “plows sin” then one “sows trouble.” He encourages Job to put his case to God. He reminds Job that God wants to forgive and will bind up and heal. One problem: Job is sinless. What case can he possibly bring before God?

Prayer: Lord God, what wrestling we begin today! Suffering and loss continue to be a part of our lives and our world. Questions continue to abound! As we walk with Job, his friends, with you, help us to gain understanding and insight into who you really are: not the cause but the one who walks with us. Amen.


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Through It All

Readings: 2nd Chronicles 33, 2nd Chronicles 34, 2nd Chronicles 35, 2nd Chronicles 36

2nd Chronicles 34:2 – “He did what was right in the LORD’s eyes… not deviating from it even a bit to the right or left.”

Today we begin with Manasseh. The first part of his long reign is as evil as could be. He leads Judah to do great evil in God’s eyes. He is captured and hauled off to Babylon. There he repents and submits himself fully to God. Returned to Judah, he removes pagan worship and serves the Lord. Manasseh dies and gives way to Amon. He is so evil he’s killed by his own officials after just two years.

Josiah reigns for 31 years. Right away he has Judah purified of idol worship and he repairs the temple and its system. The priest Hilkiah finds the instruction scroll and it is read to Josiah. He tears his clothing, realizing that God must be furious. Josiah renews the covenant and celebrates the Passover. Josiah then interferes in Neco’s war, despite God sending the Egyptians to war. Josiah is injured and dies. Jehoahaz rules for three months and then is removed by the Egyptian king.

Jehoiakim and Jehoachin reign next. Both do evil in God’s eyes. The Assyrians come during Jehoiakim’s reign, conquering Judah. Hezekiah is appointed as a puppet king. He does evil. He ignores Jeremiah. He rebels against King Nebuchadnezzar. Assyria levels all of Jerusalem and hauls almost everything and everyone off into exile in Babylon.

Chronicles ends with two bright spots. Because of the exile, the land will lie fallow. This healing fulfills the words of Jeremiah. A new power emerges in the world scene: Persia. King Cyrus receives a word from God: build the temple in Jerusalem. Cyrus orders the followers of God to go back home. God is at work once again.

Prayer: Lord God, through the ups and downs, through the good and the bad, through it all – you remain present to the people of God. You do the same with us. Your love and faithfulness knows no bounds. Thank you, Lord. Amen.