Psalm 123

Despite the sequential number of this psalm, this is no "Sesame Street" experience. This is a heavy psalm, full of anguish and honesty. Eugene Peterson's book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction has been very helpful with the other Songs of Ascents, but not this time. Peterson calls this an "instance of service." In my view this is a psalm of desperation.

Here's my translation:

A song of the festival caravans.
To You I lift my eyes--
the One dwelling in the heavens.
Now, just as the eyes of servants on the hand of their masters,
just as the eyes of a maidservant on the hand of her mistress,
in that exact same way are our eyes on the LORD our God
until He is gracious to us.
Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us,
for we have had more contempt than we can handle.
The derision of those who are at ease and the contempt of the proud
are too much for our soul.

To me this is a desperate cry. Those speaking have been bent to the point of breaking, and they cannot take any more. I really appreciate the honesty of this psalm. Robert Alter translates: 'Grant us grace, LORD, grant us grace, for we are sorely sated with scorn.' It is good to know that other faithful members of God's family have been pushed to the very edge, too. And yet, despite their dire situation, they respond by turning to the LORD. The psalmist lifts His eyes to God. And He who dwells in the heavens is there...as always. He sees all. He knows all.
And so the child of God turns to Him.

In a way, this psalm is an appeal to the character of God. You see the trouble we are in, Lord. You are good. You are able. You love us. Help us! We will not turn away until you do.

Two well known teachers, John Calvin and Charles Spurgeon, comment on this Godward look. Calvin sees this as a look of emancipation. To me, Spurgeon's description is more exact. He sees the psalmist as one who is looking reverently, obediently, attentively, continually, expectantly, singly, submissively, and imploringly.

How many times have you been desperate? Have you responded with such faithfulness? Spurgeon continues:

Blessed are those servants whom their Master shall find so doing. Waiting upon the Lord is a posture suitable for both earth and heaven: it is, indeed, in every place the right and fitting condition for a servant of the Lord. Nor may we leave the posture so long as we are by grace dwellers in the realm of mercy. It is a great mercy to be enabled to wait for mercy.

Nobody wants such mercy. Waiting in desperation is a miserable place to be, but it's somewhere that most of us will probably spend some hard time. The good news is that Jesus has been there...and abides there with us even now. I close with a quote from Amy Carmichael's book His Thoughts Said...His Father Said:

But still the son felt like a long shore on which all the waves of pain of all the world were beating. His Father drew near to him and said, 'There is only one shore long enough for that. Upon My love, that long, long shore, those waves are beating now; but you can be one with Me. And I promise you that there shall be an end, and all tears shall be wiped from off all faces.'

God is faithful. He lives to "grant us grace."

Look to Him.

Advent (3)

"I light the candle on the third Sunday in Advent to remind us that the angels said, 'We have news of great joy!'"

As my six year old son, Joshua, read these words tonight, he burped somewhere after the word "news," bringing a sudden surge of joy to him and his 3 year old sister!

As we open our hearts to welcome the love of Jesus, we are filled with joy.

I'm glad we stop to remember that the coming of Jesus brings great joy. Too often Christians live austere lives and forget to celebrate the wonders we've been given. Christmas is the D-Day in the War against sadness, suffering, and sin! A great light has shone in the darkness--the Light of life, hope, truth, love, and joy everlasting!

"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." --Matthew 2:10

May you also see something that leads you to Jesus this Christmas...
and may you too be overjoyed!

Psalm 122

I started to do a series on the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134) quite some time ago. I have been at a crossroads of sorts throughout the past year, and I believe the Lord has impressed on me the image of our whole life as a pilgrimage. We are on a journey--a "going up," an ascent. We don't make a decision and then suddenly arrive. We walk it out. We walk with the Lord.

This is post #3 of 15. Eugene Peterson calls Psalm 120 a "Psalm of Repentance," Psalm 121 a "Psalm of Trust," and Psalm 122 a "Psalm of Worship." The delay in writing this blog entry does not reflect depth of engagement or struggle. Rather, it reflects being busy (and scattered?). In fact, the only reason I'm writing now is that I've put it off too long. As I begin, I'm not even sure I have much to say.

Well, now that you're on the edge of your seat (HA!), here's my translation of the psalm:

A song of ascents. Of David. I rejoiced with those saying to me,
“To the House of YHWH we go!”
Our feet were standing at your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city that is joined together as one whole.
There the tribes ascend, the tribes of the LORD, a reminder to Israel to praise the Name of the LORD.
For there remain the legal seats, the thrones of the House of David.
Desire the well-being of Jerusalem. May those that love you take it easy.
Wholeness be within your wall of defense, quiet unconcern within your palace.
For the sake of my relatives and my friends, I will now say, “Peace be within you!”
For the sake of the House of the LORD our God, may I seek your good.

Isn't there a wonderful sense of excitement and expectancy in this Psalm? We're going to the House of God! REJOICE! I love it! What an honor and a privilege.

Worship, and the assembly of saints, plays an important part in our journey. We are not alone. We walk as a company. We have a destination: Jerusalem, the heavenly City of God. Worship is our destiny. When we pray "Thy Kingdom come...", we're praying for heaven to become manifest now.

How many of us get reconnected through worship and through fellowship with brothers and sisters who love the Lord? In worship we become God-centered, develop a healthy God-esteem, and see things aright. We get a proper perspective. Our wounds are healed, our hope is renewed, our love is rekindled.

Peterson, commenting in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, admits that we often don't feel like worshipping. But feelings, he says, are "great liars" and "completely unreliable in matters of faith." "Worship," explains Peterson, "is an act which develops feelings for God, not a feeling for God which is expressed in an act of worship." (All quotes are from page 50.)

So, in other words, we need worship. We need the assembly, thus Hebrews 10:25. As we meet together in Jesus' Name, He fulfills His promise to be among us. As we live in unity, God is glorified. As we love and pray for one another, we grow up in Him.

Psalm 122 is a love song for God's House, for God's City, and for meeting with Him in the company of His people. It is a beautiful thing! We, who are being built into God's House, will one day see Him there face to face. And until we do, we pray for the well being of His Kingdom and seek its good.

Worship is an essential part of the journey--a time when we regain our bearings, heal our wounds, recommit, sharpen our swords and come together as one. Worship whets our appetite for our hearts' true home.

May God bless your times of corporate worship this month. As we honor His Coming to us, may we be faithful in our going to Him as His people.

I rejoiced with those saying to me, "To the House of YHWH we go!"

"Peace be within you, Jerusalem!"

Advent (2)

This Sunday begins the second week of Advent. The candle we lit at our table this evening represents love.

Isn't that what the incarnation of God is all about? Isn't that what motivated Jesus to become one of us? Christmas is all about the amazing love of God.

We erred. We were lost. And He came...what love!

The most unlikely, amazing Rescuer ever. An embryo in the womb of a teenage girl was entrusted with saving the world.

"I light this candle on the second Sunday in Advent to remind us that Jesus came to earth to 'show and tell' us of God's love" (Celebrating the Christian Year, Zimmerman--see last week's post).

Thank You, Lord, for Your Gift of Love. May we love one another as we revel in it.

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:5, NAS)

And may the Lord make your love to grow and overflow to each another and to everyone else, just as our love does toward you. (1 Thessalonians 3:12, TLB)

Have a great week. Make room for the Love of Christ to come anew in your hearts and homes. Continue to wait with hope and expectancy.

Spread the love!

He loves us! It's what Christmas is all about.

Advent (1)

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. During the last couple of years, my family and I have been celebrating by lighting the candles of an advent wreath and focusing on key aspects of the holiday. As a boy, I had no idea about Advent. I didn't grow up in such a church tradition. In college, however, I began attending an Episcopalian church to participate in their holiday services. Ever since, I have tried to incorporate certain church traditions into my own devotional life.

So, if you too are unaware, Advent is a season of preparation for Christmas. Just as the Old Testament believers awaited the coming Messiah, we too await the Savior's return. Throughout Jesus' teachings, He implores us to be ready. And so, as Christmas draws near and we remember His advent (or coming) among us, we also look forward to His imminent future advent.

But that is not all. We are also able to prepare our hearts and our homes for His coming now. Thus, Advent is a season of examination, humility, repentance, and of "preparing a way for the Lord." Emmanuel--God is with us. "I light this candle on the first Sunday in Advent to remind us that we must prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child" (Celebrating the Christian Year by Martha Zimmerman, p. 45--a great book).

The focus of this first week--the meaning of the first candle--is that of preparation. We become watchers and waiters, people marked by hope and trust. It is a time of expectation. Naturally, this should be our mindset always, but the Advent season gives us a special opportunity to refocus on this aspect of our faith.

I don't always live in expectancy. The return of Christ doesn't have the sense of immediacy that it should. And so, with a repentant heart, I turn tonight to face the Lord who humbled Himself to become a helpless baby, and say:

O come, o come Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
Who mourns in lowly exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

All Saints' (28) Catherine de Hueck Doherty

This is the last of a series of quotes from saints who have gone before us. I wanted to take the whole month to celebrate All Saints' Day, mostly as a reaction to the over-the-top emphasis on Halloween that completely overshadows this holiday.

I have enjoyed gathering and posting these quotes. It has been good to see how the same Spirit dwells in so many different holy people throughout the ages, inspiring them to a common love and devotion. It is also inspiring to know that He lives and works in me! So, here's the last quote. Glad to be a part of such a beautiful family.

"Deserts, silence, solitude.

For a soul that realizes the tremendous need of all three, opportunities present themselves in the midst of the congested trappings of all the world's immense cities. But how, really, can one achieve such solitude?

By standing still!

Stand still, and allow the strange, deadly restlessness of our tragic age to fall away like the worn-out, dusty cloak that it is--a cloak that was once considered beautiful. The restlessness was considered the magic carpet of tomorrow, but now in reality we see it for what it is: a running away from oneself, a turning from that journey inward that all men must undertake to meet God dwelling within the depths of their souls.

Stand still, and look deep into the motivations of life.

Stand still, and lifting your hearts and hands to God pray that the mighty wind of His holy Spirit may clear all the cobwebs of fears, selfishness, greed, narrow-heartedness away from the soul: that His tongues of flame may descend to give courage to begin again."