Tag: Psalms

Devotional – Finding Wholeness

“Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

who greatly delights in his commandments!” Psalm 112:1 (ESV)

I’m taking some time this week to disconnect from my normal pace and schedule to get alone and get away in an attempt to hear from the Lord. This year I’ve been doing some introspection, learning about myself, how I’m wired. I’m trying to get a handle on why I allow certain things to frustrate me, why I tend to wear down carrying the burdens of others, why I’m struggling during this season with patience.

The Bible speaks to the heart, mind, and soul of the human condition. It tells us why the world is so messed up. It tells us why we are so messed up. But unlike a social media rant it doesn’t end there, it gives us the solution. What we would call wellness, wholeness, or contentment the Bible often calls being blessed. While there are many passages which speak to this idea one in particular, Psalm 112:1 gives three characteristics of the person who would be blessed.

1. The Blessed Live A Life of Worship. The Psalm opens with the exultation, “Praise the Lord!” Or just straight from the Hebrew, “Hallelujah!” The Psalms themselves were originally composed as songs of praise. We are left with the lyrics, but not the tunes. What a joy it is to join with the community of faith and sing praises to the Lord. How awesome is it that the Spirit is still inspiring new songs of worship and praise. In what feels like eons ago I was privileged to lead one of the most energetic southern baptist choirs. Back in those days sheet music was printed and bound and shipped to you. We subscribed to several worship clubs that several times a year would send huge boxes via UPS filled with CD’s a samples of new music. It would usually be this time of year (August) that the anticipated Christmas box would arrive and beach week would involve listening through several different musicals in order to make a final decision. We are one experiencing an explosion of God-centered, gospel proclaiming worship music. We now live in an era in which songwriters and artists can instantly share their creations with the masses. With digital distribution we can hear a song for the first time one day and share it with our particular church the very next. With our magical mobile devices we can carry this music with us everywhere we can and whether we are in the car, on the bus, at the coffee shop, we can fill our hearts with God’s praise and make a joyful noise as we go. Let’s praise the Lord.

2. The Blessed Live A Life of Reverence, or as the Pslamist says, “fears the Lord.” Fearing the Lord in Hebrew isn’t abject terror or an irrational fear, but closer to the ideas of respect, honor, or awe. This idea of reverence is to be placed on its object – the Lord. What does it mean to live a life of reverence to God? While it led some in the ancient church to go out in the desert and live in caves and it led others to shun the world, shave their heads, and take monastic orders, I think in todays time it takes multiple forms. I believe a life of reverence to God means waking up each morning and putting God first in your life-no matter what the day brings. I believe a life of reverence to God means taking what God has spoken over us with us when we go to work, to school, or to play. God is not a component of our life-He is part of our real life.

3. The Blessed Live A Life of Faith. Here the Psalmist says that the blessed “greatly delights in his commandments.” When we read commandments in our culture what might be conjured up are a list of rules, of do’s and don’ts. When the psalmist says “commandments” he is using a synonym to mean God’s Word, or His truth. To greatly delight in God’s Word means not just taking in God’s Word-by reading the Bible, prayer, meditation, listening to sermons and podcasts. If we fill our minds with all the knowledge that Scripture has to offer, but do not put it into practice we may have orthodoxy, but a dead one. The Blessed fill themselves with God’s Word and then seek to live it out! One activity I’m doing right now as I read Scripture is to write down either God’s promises or the truth that He speaks over me. In an age of trolls, social critics, and a terrible amount of just overall negativity I’ve found it helpful to my soul to hear what God says about me, that I’m loved, forgiven, redeemed, strengthened, and encouraged.

My prayer is that you may find peace and contentment that can only be found in following Jesus.

Overcoming a Critical Spirit

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! – Psalm 107:1 (ESV)

A negative or critical spirit is something that can quickly wrap itself around you. I’m reminded of my time as a kid playing in the woods and very early becoming aware of the offensive nature of toxicodendron radicans or as its more commonly known, poison ivy. It’s an innocuous looking plant, blending in with the foliage of the forest, but its oily coating can cause a little reaction. At first one may seek a little relief from scratching the itchy rash, but before long, depending upon the spread and exposure, you might be itching, scratching, and burning all over your body. The old camp song calls for calamine lotion, which only helps if you don’t scratch it off!

I’ve found a critical spirit can infect us in the same way as poison ivy. It actually feels good at first to scratch the itch, so to speak, but before long, if we aren’t careful, it can really take us over and cause a lot of pain in the process. The best cure I’ve found in those moments and the best way to counteract it, is to heed the Psalmists advice, to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Even in the direst of situations we can find ways to be thankful, to remind ourselves that God is ultimately good, and that though the whole world may be against us, His love, His steadfast love endures forever.

If you are stuck in a critical mindset or with a critical spirit, let’s break the chain today!

True Safety and Security

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1-2

The Psalmist looks out to the hill country. He sees the safety and security of the mountains. In Israel’s history whenever they would be invaded by a hostile nation the people would flee to the hills. It was a place of refuge, of strength, and of security. The temptation here is to put our faith and trust in these places or things. While good for us he rightly points out our true safety and security is not in the hills, but in the One who created them, the “LORD, who made heaven and earth.” So the next time you are tempted to put your faith in your home, your family, your possessions, your job, your position, your abilities-whatever it is-give thanks to God who has provided those things in your life and place your faith and trust in Him.