Unfaithful

Psalm 12:1-8

          Some of the deepest wounds in life come because someone we trust lies to us. These wounds can penetrate so deeply that we begin to not trust anyone. And as that mistrust settles in we can begin to believe that no one can be trusted ever. Sometimes the mistrust settles in and we begin to believe that we are the problem, that I am not worthy of trust.

          The writer of our Psalm speaks about one of those moments when someone has broken trust with him. In making his feelings known, David makes universal statements about humanity’s inability to be faithful. In doing so he includes himself in the lot with the unfaithful. So if we took his words literally, he would be saying that he isn’t faithful either. I don’t think this was his intent.

          This use of the language of universality is a literary device used to express the magnitude of the hurt, but not the literal numbers involved. David has been hurt deeply by the betrayal.

          People often use the words ‘always, never, every, and none’ when high emotions have been activated. In marriages these types of words often come out during an argument. They are part of a criticism volleyed back and forth, one accusing while the other is defending. And the usual counter-accusation and denial follow.

          Often lies come in the form of flattery. Always be aware of flattery. Flattery often hides a motive that is just under the surface. And once a person has started with the small lies, it can be hard to tell lies from truth. That is why these types of wounds can be so deep. If they lied about that, what else are they lying about!

          The LORD gets involved: He speaks. The rare times when the LORD speaks are valuable. David illustrates their value by comparing them with silver and gold, refined to purity. They are worth collecting, worth protecting, worth saving. We must remember that much of the world today, and even hundreds of millions of Jesus-followers, don’t have a personal copy of the Scriptures in their own language. Because of poverty, political and religious oppression, and even a lack of available translation keep people from having a copy.

          So for David, the response from the LORD was just what he needed. The LORD had heard his cry for help. The LORD didn’t answer because of David, but because of the poor and needy. David was king, after all. He was in a position of power. He had influence. He had the means to bring comfort. But the poor and needy only had the LORD.

          I am glad there is someone to stick up for those who can’t stick up for themselves. One of the reasons the Gospel is such Good News is that we now can exhibit this same care and concern for the needy and downtrodden that the LORD does. We can be His hands extended.

          The wicked will not stick up for these people. They instead dance on them, using them to lift themselves up. We see this in the million dollar parties to benefit some charity. They sip on Champaign while decrying the poverty of the poor. They put on a music event to raise money which costs more to put on than is given to the poor. They could just write the check themselves and the poor would come out ahead. But instead they put on the grand gesture to make it seem as if they care. This isn’t true of every event, but of many.

          We are called to be as David, standing before the LORD on behalf of the poor and needy. And then to respond to the LORD’s direction, meeting the need if asked to.

Relief from Enemy Pursuit

Psalm 9:1-12

      Sweet relief! Nothing can feel quite as wonderful as when the pressures of life suddenly lift. It is as if the weight has been lifted off your shoulders. You energy level increases and you fell a spring in your step again. Those around you notice the change. Sleep returns to normal. Instead of being one edge every moment, you find the time and space to relax. What a wonderful feeling.

      And when that relief comes, and you know it was the LORD who brought you relief, you want to tell people about what happened. You want to share the goodness of the LORD with others. The relief is so sweet, that you just have to tell people about it. You can’t keep that kind of joy bottled up.

      I think it is this kind of experience that the Psalmist was trying to record as he wrote today’s section. The joy was bubbling up. He gives thanks with all his heart, not just part of it. It is really wonderful to have someone truly grateful for a gift. You can see it in their eyes. They overflow with a genuine heart of thanks. You can also tell when someone is just being polite in their expressions of thanks. The Psalmist is bubbling over. He wants to tell other people about what the LORD has done for him.

      He feels vindicated. He was right all along. Their evil has come back to haunt them. And this is the work of the LORD. There is nothing David could have done to bring this about. It was the LORD who did it. He turned them back from their pursuit of David. He has passed judgment on them. He rebuked the nations.

      What I find interesting is that most of the nations that attacked Israel at that time in history have faded from the world stage. There are no groups of people who claim these nations as their own. Israel is unique in that they survived intact. There have always been a people since that point in history who called themselves Jews. But no peoples call themselves Hittites, Ninevites, Amorites, Canaanites, or any other group. They have all vanished from the active pages of history. We only know of them from the pages of history and the sifting screens of archaeologists.

      The response to the LORD’s intervention in the writer’s life is worship. He has felt the pressure of his enemies weighing on him. And now he feels relief. He doesn’t pat himself on the back and claim the victory for himself. He could have run a Twitter campaign of self-congratulatory words. But instead, he breaks out in worship. He gives the LORD all the credit.

      One of the downfalls today of individuals and society at large, is that we try to take credit for the good things that happen, and pass the buck when things go wrong. But our writer acknowledges that the LORD is in charge. He is on the seat of power and authority. He rules as a fair and just ruler, something rare in today’s world. Those who are the weakest can know that they will be protected by Him. They can find refuge from the onslaught of attack.

      If we know the LORD, we will trust in Him. And He will never forsake us. So let’s take this message to the world. This is the kind of news that needs to be spread to the nations. This is Good News.

Hands On

Mark 10:13

      Most parents want what is best for their children. However, often times what they think is best is not really the best. Many parents want to spare their children from all pain and suffering, thinking it will protect them and help them to grow up.

      One example of the over-protection came out in the news recently. A study found that households that used more sanitizing solutions around the house and with their children, that those children were sicker in the long run than households that didn’t over sanitize. It appears that kids need to get small sicknesses in order for their immune system to develop properly. They need to eat dirt! Well, maybe not, but you get the picture.

      Kids need to learn to push and shove, and how it feels to be pushed and shoved by another. They need to be on both ends of the equation, pusher and pushed. It helps to build empathy, an essential element in all human relationships. We need to learn how the other person feels by feeling it ourselves.

      Some parents were bringing their children to Jesus one day. They recognized that Jesus was someone special, that His touch did something to those on the receiving end. They wanted their children to get the benefit of His touch. It sounds like they were great parents, wanting what was best for their children. Who could fault them for that? The disciples did.

      The disciples saw this action by these parents and didn’t understand it. They wanted to put a stop to it immediately. I am not sure why. Did they think the kids were not worth bothering with, that Jesus was wasting His time with them? Were they jealous of Jesus’ attention? Had they bought into the values of their day, the values Jesus was going to challenge? We don’t know. We do know they tried to stop the parents.

      It seems as if the children were relatively healthy children, no mention of healing is given. These were not desperate parents with children dying of chronic diseases or conditions. It seems as if these were pretty spunky kids. I get the picture of these kids running and jumping on Jesus, dog pile style. I see a smiles and giggles abounding. I don’t picture a scene like Santa Claus at the mall, slowly waiting in line with the disciples playing the part of the helpful elves.

      And Jesus blesses them, not from a distance, not with a word, but with His hands on them. This is a person, involved, interactive experience. Jesus didn’t wave His hand for silence, stand up and wave His hand in some grand gesture of blessing. He is not apart from them. He is right there, putting His hands on them and blessing them.

      I like have a God who puts His hands on me and blesses me. Some days I feel as if I am in the palm of His hand, His blessing being so evident in my life. It can be overwhelming to realize all the blessings He pours out on me. I am blessed.

Donut Shop

Proverbs 16:17

      If I have a problem with alcohol, I should avoid bars. A problem with internet porn, unprotected computers. A problem with impulse shopping, shopping alone without a list. Controlling my calorie intake, a $6.95 all-you-can-eat buffet. We all have some things that are hard for us to resist. We are all sinful. We live in a broken world, a world where the values contradict the values of the Gospel.

      The path we choose to walk makes a big difference, not only in the destination, but the journey. There are multiple ways to get to San Jose. Some would require only a few turns, a few changes of road, difficult to get off track. Some would be very complicated and involve many chances to get lost. We often get a choice of path to a destination. Which one we choose and why says a lot about us and our character.

      Our proverb states something directly about the paths that people seeking to live in line with the character of God walk. They purposely avoid evil. They don’t even go near it. They guard themselves against these influences. And in the process they preserve their life. They protect themselves from the things that would pull them down.

      I don’t know what things pull you down. For every one of us the combination of temptations is different, but we all have them. None of us is exempt. So we each have to be aware of our weaknesses and walk accordingly. I personally have to avoid donut shops. Really! I love donuts. If I let myself, I would have a couple every day, and I would soon look like a donut! But I can’t afford them because of their cost, both monetary and calorie costs.

      What circumstances do you need to avoid? What one should you have been avoiding, but you haven’t been? Now would be a good time to start to plan your life differently. You may have to recite this proverb when you pass by your donut shop temptation, but you can overcome and preserve your life.

The Twenty-Plus-Three’s

Psalm 23, 53, 83, 113, 143

Psalm 23 is perhaps the most familiar psalm in all the psalms. What powerful and comforting words! Because the LORD is in charge of my life, I have no need that He doesn’t satisfy. Provision for body and soul. Guidance. Protection. Empowerment for the task at hand. Blessing. His presence. No wonder this psalm means so much to so many.

There is only one hope, and it doesn’t lie with the atheists (Ps 53:1). The sad thing is that there are so few people who really serve the LORD. Many have the appearance of a spiritual life, but spiritual is not good enough. I love verse four. “Do all these evildoers know nothing?” It is as if the psalmist is saying, “You have got to be kidding! You are going to continue to try and deny God’s existence and His authority over your life? How stupid is that!” Evil people don’t really know the stakes at hand. They think that if they ignore God they won’t have to pay the consequences for their wicked ways. The psalmist hopes that the LORD will restore His people and bring victory.

Psalm 83 is a prayer of petition. The writer wants the LORD to act, to get involved on his behalf. He wants the LORD to get involved as He has so many other times in Israel’s history. The word pictures of God’s judgment that are painted capture the vivid imagination and depth of emotional involvement of the writer. And all this to the end that the LORD’s fame would be universally understood, that they would know that He alone is God.

The universality of the message of the Scripture is capture in Psalm 113. The whole earth is His domain (v3). All nations, even the heavens themselves are nothing compared to the LORD. He is exalted above them all (vv4-6). No one is too lowly or insignificant to garner the LORD’s attention. Notice verse nine. Even the childless woman, someone at the bottom of the social ladder of her day, gets the privilege of raising children. No one gets overlooked.

The Psalmist in Psalm 143 has a picture of God, an accurate one I might add, that when the LORD turns His back on people, life is as good as over (v7). They desperately want the LORD’s answer (v8). When was the last time you desperately wanted or felt you needed the LORD’s answer? That sense of desperation can be crippling if we try to deal with it absent from God’s presence. The secret that the Psalmist discovered was to take the struggle directly into God’s presence. There he could find an answer that could satisfy.