Ear Guards

Mark 4:23-24a

      Have you ever found yourself singing a song that you don’t like? And then it gets stuck in your queue and you can’t seem to get it out of your mind. Over and over it rolls. This bothers me the most when the reason the song got stuck there in the first place was the fact that I disagreed with the message of the song.

      This is the reason I don’t like Country music. All the cheating and self-imposed heartbreak is too much for me. I don’t want to be thinking about my spouse cheating on me, or on the death of my dog. I want my mind to be focused on my goals and aspirations, on eternity.  I get enough heartache and tragedy in my life without importing it from the music I listen to.

      Jesus calls us to purposely listen to the good messages. He concludes the illustration of the lamp by using that familiar phrase, “If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” I hear Him saying that we must be deliberate about taking in the positive. We need to focus on it. We need to take time to digest it and incorporate it into our lives. You can’t have passive spiritual growth. We must be active in order to grow.

      On the negative message side, we have a responsibility to be careful about what we listen to. The old saying, “Garbage in, garbage out” comes to mind. That is why Jesus tells us to watch what we hear. We need to be aware of what we are taking into our minds. We should not be passive consumers of music or anything else. We need to be focused on what is coming into our lives. When things contrary to the Word enter, we need to be critical of it, take it apart, examine it, and refute it. We can’t eliminate junk coming in, but we don’t have to purchase an extra shed in the backyard to house it.

      I have met too many people with Country Music theology. Everything they know about the Lord comes from what they have heard over the radio, none of which is true. The Gospel gets reduced to a collection of clichés. There is no depth and very little truth. And there is a whole bunch of lies. Just so you think I am picking on country music fans, Gangsta Rap, Rock, Hip Hop, and even much of popular Christian music lacks fidelity to the Truth and spiritual depth.

      We have a responsibility to examine the life of the people delivering the message as well. The message of Jesus is intimately connected to the life of Jesus and to our lives. We are the vessel for the message. If our vessel is dirty, the message gets corrupted. If we speak about fidelity, but aren’t faithful ourselves, our message gets dismissed. We can’t be politically correct and be a Jesus-follower. Jesus was very politically incorrect. If the person giving the message, in word, music, art, or any other medium, and their life doesn’t match their message, don’t listen to them.

      Our lives must match our message.

The Thirty’s

Psalm 30, 60, 90, 120, 150

A man in relief mode. That’s what Psalm 30 records. Notice the bubbling over of emotion directed toward the LORD. He is so thankful to have been healed. While he was going through the suffering it seemed to last forever. But when he looks back at it, it is the LORD’s favor that seems to last (v5). When healing came the LORD is given the credit. The bubbling joy of verses 11-12 can’t be contained. Wailing turned to dancing. Life back, as it were, from the dead. He won’t stop praising. Just try!

Even in the most desperate times, the LORD provides us a rally point so that we can recognize His presence with us (Ps 60:4). So, in the middle of trouble look for that sign of God’s presence. It is there. The LORD promised to be victorious in battle (vv6-8), but the writer isn’t experiencing that victory. He can’t seem to find that rally point because the LORD is using the enemy to bring punishment for rebellion. But he still cries out for help, and speaks as if to create a rally point by his words expressed in faith (v12).

Psalm 90 declares in no uncertain terms that the LORD is eternal. We are temporary (vv5-6). We need to live our lives in recognition of the transient nature of our existence. We are only here for a short time, so we need to make our days count (v12). Living begins when we deal with our death. Nothing permanent, other than our place in eternity, is accomplished here on earth. It is only the LORD that makes things permanent (v17). When our hands are involved in eternal matters, they are established by the LORD as such.

Psalm 120 is the first Psalm of Ascent, those psalms sung as pilgrims travelled to Jerusalem, and especially as they went up the hill surrounding the Temple. What jumps out at me is the shortness of the LORD’s punishment (v4). When cooking as they did then with small sticks things cooked quickly. I like to think of it as flash cooking. The heat only lasts a few minutes, so you had better cook fast. The punishment is likened to the coals of the broom bush. These bushes never get much substance to them, so the stalks are thin, thus not lasting very long in a fire.

Psalm 150 has one theme. Can you decide what it is? I hope so! We are to use every possible means of praising the LORD. In every place (v1), for His power (v2), and with every musical instrument (vv3-5). And we are to join in as well, since we have breath (v6). Not much question here. So what are we waiting for?

The Twenty-Plus-Seven’s

Psalm 27, 57, 87, 117, 147

We could all use a bit more confidence! Psalm 27 tells of an unexpected source of confidence. The writer, facing an advancing army, draws in close to the LORD and recognizes that from that position, he has nothing to fear. Imagine that, an army coming toward you and you are not afraid! He recognizes that in the LORD is safety (v5). That does not mean that we will live forever without any pain or suffering here on earth. We live in a world marred by sin, and we get the effects of that brokenness in our lives, even when we are Jesus-followers. Even the writer has to focus his attentions of trusting the LORD (v8), and on patience (v14).

 A steadfast heart is what we need when we feel overwhelmed (Ps 57:7). It is easy to get distracted and look at all the troubles coming our direction (vv4 & 6). Twice in this psalm (vv 5 & 11) the writer say “Be exalted, O God.” Of course we know that He already is exalted, but the writer doesn’t see it. He wants that exalted position to be made evident in his life and his world. Do you need Him to be exalted in that way in your life? I hope so!

In the life of Israel Jerusalem held a special spot (Ps 87). When someone was born there it held special significance. Even Israel’s enemies at times acknowledged the special place of Jerusalem (v4). I have several places that hold special significance in my spiritual life. Maastricht Holland, Oberusel Germany, Allison United Methodist Church, Baghdad International Airport. Each hosted an event at the LORD’s invitation where I encountered Christ in a new way. Each brought death for me and life in Christ. Each involved more surrender and more filling. I am open to more encounters.

Sometimes I wish the Psalmists had written down the music they sang with the psalms that they wrote. I want to hear their rendition Psalm 117. This two verse psalm keeps me focused. Everyone praise Him because of his faithful love toward us. It is a simple message. Let’s do it.

Do enjoy praising God? We should (Ps 147:1)! The writer lists some things that he sees that give him reason to praise the LORD (vv2-6 & 8-9). He delights in us when we put our hope in Him (v11). We shouldn’t trust in our own resources to live our lives. No earthly entity, including the government, is our source of security, though they do play a role. We are to trust in the LORD. He brings strength and peace (vv13-14).