Psalm 26
After the startling claim of blamelessness (verse 1), the Psalmist proceeds to describe it. It then appears to be less a matter of moral perfection, which no one can claim, as of integrity, which is achievable. As in other psalms, this asking to be examined in the context of the temple is probably in response to a specific accusation from some enemy or enemies. He is blameless not in comparison to the perfection of the Lord. The claim is rather that his whole life speaks of innocence concerning whatever sort of accusation is made against him. He conducts himself in a consistent manner concerning the company he keeps and the influence others might have on him (verses 4-5), his specifically religious activities (verses 6-8), and in keeping from such immoral practices as are all around him (verse 9-11). Verse 11 underlines that by blameless he cannot mean moral perfection, since he also asks the Lord to redeem him and be merciful to him, words which suggest to me more than just rescue from immediate circumstances of accusation. His feet stand on level ground because he can claim a life of integrity; one part is consistent with another.
Likewise, we cannot claim moral perfection. Integrity, however, is achievable. I ought to be the same person with my wife and boys as I am with a colleague, the person at the drive-through at Tim’s, with a person I’m visiting in the hospital, or the service manager presenting me a bill for work on my vehicle. It is possible, though not always true, that I look back at the end of the day and say that I have been ‘blameless’ in my dealings with all people.
Today I will strive for that.
Prayer:
Lord, may I be as bold as the psalmist to invite your examination, and may you find that I am honourable in every kind of dealing, in every relationship encounter through the day. Through Christ. Amen.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Put Together
Psalm 25
This Psalm is structured in such a way that each verse begins with a succeeding letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Maybe because of the self-imposed constraint of the structure, the thought does not proceed all that neatly. Or maybe we should see what happens as having its own meaning. By that I mean there is this seeming disorder of thought – here a plea, then abruptly an expression of confidence in the Lord. But that is often the condition of our heart isn’t it? And aren’t we supposed to be able to bring to the Lord whatever honestly is there? The God who brought beauty and order out of chaos and darkness to begin with can surely do that in our lives.
If this time is hectic, stressful and chaotic for you, remember to bring it all to the Lord. It’s amazing what even a moment or two spent with him can do for your calmness of spirit.
Prayer:
Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble;
Don't let me down when I run to you.
Use all your skill to put me together;
I wait to see your finished product.
Psalm 25:20-21 (The Message)
This Psalm is structured in such a way that each verse begins with a succeeding letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Maybe because of the self-imposed constraint of the structure, the thought does not proceed all that neatly. Or maybe we should see what happens as having its own meaning. By that I mean there is this seeming disorder of thought – here a plea, then abruptly an expression of confidence in the Lord. But that is often the condition of our heart isn’t it? And aren’t we supposed to be able to bring to the Lord whatever honestly is there? The God who brought beauty and order out of chaos and darkness to begin with can surely do that in our lives.
If this time is hectic, stressful and chaotic for you, remember to bring it all to the Lord. It’s amazing what even a moment or two spent with him can do for your calmness of spirit.
Prayer:
Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble;
Don't let me down when I run to you.
Use all your skill to put me together;
I wait to see your finished product.
Psalm 25:20-21 (The Message)
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Who may stand?
Psalm 24
We might prefer that the worshiper be seen as growing beyond whatever state his/her heart is in at the time of approaching worship, but this seems to require something more for entry into the temple (verses 3-4). Maybe we should see it, however, as something more personal than mere membership in a larger group. The worshiper is expected to examine his/her own heart, rather than being just part of a collective religious culture.
The occasion may be a procession to the temple with the Ark of the Covenant – which would explain what is meant by the entrance of the Lord into the Temple (verse 9). The overall effect that comes through to me is that a chunk of what worship is about is that we fully anticipate experiencing the presence of the Lord, and that cannot leave us the same.
Prayer:
I praise you, God, that what you require of me you empower me to do. You give me strength and support for how you direct me to live. Purify us all in heart, mind and bodily life, as we approach the celebration of your Son’s birth. In His name. Amen.
We might prefer that the worshiper be seen as growing beyond whatever state his/her heart is in at the time of approaching worship, but this seems to require something more for entry into the temple (verses 3-4). Maybe we should see it, however, as something more personal than mere membership in a larger group. The worshiper is expected to examine his/her own heart, rather than being just part of a collective religious culture.
The occasion may be a procession to the temple with the Ark of the Covenant – which would explain what is meant by the entrance of the Lord into the Temple (verse 9). The overall effect that comes through to me is that a chunk of what worship is about is that we fully anticipate experiencing the presence of the Lord, and that cannot leave us the same.
Prayer:
I praise you, God, that what you require of me you empower me to do. You give me strength and support for how you direct me to live. Purify us all in heart, mind and bodily life, as we approach the celebration of your Son’s birth. In His name. Amen.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Overflow
Psalm 23
“Abundance” is not a word in normal use these days, at least not that I hear (or use). If we think of the concept of abundance, or “plenty”, it often has to do with ‘negatives’ – an abundance of bills, plenty of worries, lots of ice on the roads, etc.
This psalm celebrates the God of abundance. With him, there is nothing I shall want. I lack nothing. Both the shepherd language of verses 1-4 and the royal court language after that exude abundance. The Lord is our provider, guardian, and supplier of all needs, to overflowing. It all fits with the life of David, to whom the psalm is ascribed. What David would have found, through deprivation while on the run from Saul, through confronting giants, and through his own rebellion and sin, was that what the Lord provides above all, in abundance, is grace (see the opening of Psalm 51 and its superscription – the sort of sub-heading before verse 1).
Prayer:
Lord, let me dwell a lot more on what you supply in abundance, and a lot less on what I think I lack. Through Christ. Amen.
“Abundance” is not a word in normal use these days, at least not that I hear (or use). If we think of the concept of abundance, or “plenty”, it often has to do with ‘negatives’ – an abundance of bills, plenty of worries, lots of ice on the roads, etc.
This psalm celebrates the God of abundance. With him, there is nothing I shall want. I lack nothing. Both the shepherd language of verses 1-4 and the royal court language after that exude abundance. The Lord is our provider, guardian, and supplier of all needs, to overflowing. It all fits with the life of David, to whom the psalm is ascribed. What David would have found, through deprivation while on the run from Saul, through confronting giants, and through his own rebellion and sin, was that what the Lord provides above all, in abundance, is grace (see the opening of Psalm 51 and its superscription – the sort of sub-heading before verse 1).
Prayer:
Lord, let me dwell a lot more on what you supply in abundance, and a lot less on what I think I lack. Through Christ. Amen.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
New Order
Psalm 22
This Psalm is especially precious to Christians because Jesus used on the cross the same words with which the Psalm opens.
We don’t detect the specific event or condition that leads to the outpouring of the Psalmist, but it seems it is not so much the physical suffering itself, however great, that has brought the psalmist to such depths, as the anguish of mind and heart caused by it. That anguish has at its heart a spiritual questioning concerning the presence and care of God.
There are two distinct parts. There is the prayer of lament (verses 1-21) with all its emotional turmoil and highly charged, sensory language; and a section of thanksgiving (verses 22-31) with a more ordered feel to what is now an outpouring of joy. Apparently there has been an answer to the prayer of the first part spoken into the heart of the psalmist, and so the last part is a response to that answering of prayer.
Prayer:
God, thank you that I don’t need to put my thoughts together in flowery language to come to you, that instead I can just pour out my heart, even confronting you with thoughts about you! Lead me then to new insight, assurance, reverence and strength, so that I too may bring some peace and order to any confusion in my life, and praise you to others. Through Christ. Amen.
This Psalm is especially precious to Christians because Jesus used on the cross the same words with which the Psalm opens.
We don’t detect the specific event or condition that leads to the outpouring of the Psalmist, but it seems it is not so much the physical suffering itself, however great, that has brought the psalmist to such depths, as the anguish of mind and heart caused by it. That anguish has at its heart a spiritual questioning concerning the presence and care of God.
There are two distinct parts. There is the prayer of lament (verses 1-21) with all its emotional turmoil and highly charged, sensory language; and a section of thanksgiving (verses 22-31) with a more ordered feel to what is now an outpouring of joy. Apparently there has been an answer to the prayer of the first part spoken into the heart of the psalmist, and so the last part is a response to that answering of prayer.
Prayer:
God, thank you that I don’t need to put my thoughts together in flowery language to come to you, that instead I can just pour out my heart, even confronting you with thoughts about you! Lead me then to new insight, assurance, reverence and strength, so that I too may bring some peace and order to any confusion in my life, and praise you to others. Through Christ. Amen.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The King's Blessing
Psalm 21
Behind this Psalm is the recognition that the king rules only by permission of the Lord. The people recognize this connection in the moment of the king’s coronation (verse 3). The next verses describe the implications of the blessing involved in that coronation, for the life of the land and for the king personally. The sense is actually that the life of the land is happy because of the the Lord’s blessing on the king. This kind of assumption would have made things very awkward for kings who presided over hard times!
The reality is probably a mixture of the two. I mean, I’m not going to contradict the inherent theology here which assumes the spilling over of personal blessing on the king. But subsequent Scripture gives us warrant to believe what we would suspect: that it is not that simple. We don’t have to travel to the New Testament to find challenged the simple assumption that the righteous prosper and the evil suffer. On the contrary there is a good deal of faithful angst over why the opposite happens, even within the psalms.
It is too easy to fall into the assumption that things go well for a person/leader/ruler- whatever, because s/he has the ‘blessing of God’ – while, I guess, those who struggle do not. This is just so wrong. We have no idea what is going in the spiritual realm affecting our endeavours: when troubles are sign of wrong direction or sin somewhere, or is it a test of some kind, evil forces attempting to thwart the Lord’s work, etc, etc. We are just incapable of discerning all this. So what do we do?
1. We don’t presume to judge anyone’s degree of blessing from the Lord, especially our own.
2. We pursue what we prayerfully together discern to be the Lord’s will, to the best of the ability he gives us to do the mission he commands, praying constantly.
3. Trust God for the results.
For whatever you pursue in faith, you can take these words as being directly for you:
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
- Deuteronomy 31:8
Prayer:
Lord, let my constant concern be to do your will, for you alone are my God. In Christ. Amen.
Behind this Psalm is the recognition that the king rules only by permission of the Lord. The people recognize this connection in the moment of the king’s coronation (verse 3). The next verses describe the implications of the blessing involved in that coronation, for the life of the land and for the king personally. The sense is actually that the life of the land is happy because of the the Lord’s blessing on the king. This kind of assumption would have made things very awkward for kings who presided over hard times!
The reality is probably a mixture of the two. I mean, I’m not going to contradict the inherent theology here which assumes the spilling over of personal blessing on the king. But subsequent Scripture gives us warrant to believe what we would suspect: that it is not that simple. We don’t have to travel to the New Testament to find challenged the simple assumption that the righteous prosper and the evil suffer. On the contrary there is a good deal of faithful angst over why the opposite happens, even within the psalms.
It is too easy to fall into the assumption that things go well for a person/leader/ruler- whatever, because s/he has the ‘blessing of God’ – while, I guess, those who struggle do not. This is just so wrong. We have no idea what is going in the spiritual realm affecting our endeavours: when troubles are sign of wrong direction or sin somewhere, or is it a test of some kind, evil forces attempting to thwart the Lord’s work, etc, etc. We are just incapable of discerning all this. So what do we do?
1. We don’t presume to judge anyone’s degree of blessing from the Lord, especially our own.
2. We pursue what we prayerfully together discern to be the Lord’s will, to the best of the ability he gives us to do the mission he commands, praying constantly.
3. Trust God for the results.
For whatever you pursue in faith, you can take these words as being directly for you:
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
- Deuteronomy 31:8
Prayer:
Lord, let my constant concern be to do your will, for you alone are my God. In Christ. Amen.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
More Prayer, Less Griping
Psalm 20
In the seventies my father had sign on the back of his truck that said, “Don’t blame me – I voted Conservative.” When we are in our grumbling mode, as often we are, we Canadians like to think of voting as our right to complain. Maybe if we prayed more for our leaders, we wouldn’t feel the need to claim that right, or we would at least see and engage in the whole process more positively.
One might feel uncomfortable with the militarism of Psalm 20 (and many others), but what I do find quite moving is the prayer bond that exists between people and ruler. So how often do we pray for our leaders? How much do we pray for the character of our national life, even while we complain about the exclusion of Christ from Christmas, Christianity in the schools, etc. (real concerns) – my current concern is to engage in conversation with my sons’ principle about a planned school excursion to see The Golden Compass (see Christianity Today article).
Anyway, today’s little thought is to pray, and be engaged in things more, and gripe less. And that’s first of all a note to self.
Prayer (I know there are international readers of Open Journal, so please substitute names/offices as fitting):
Lord, sustain and bless Prime Minister Harper, and his cabinet. Watch over and encourage our federal representative, Bruce Stanton. Guide them according to your wisdom in framing the law and character of our life, that those laws and our life together will reflect your law, kingdom, justice and love. May we pray for, work for, engage together in the ‘shalom’ that is peace that is more than absence of strife. Guide the work of Premier McGuinty, the provincial cabinet, Garfield Dunlop and other MPPs. Thank you Mayor Downer and other town council members. Prompt me to show appreciation to any and all who represent us and lead, and commit to ongoing prayer for them. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the seventies my father had sign on the back of his truck that said, “Don’t blame me – I voted Conservative.” When we are in our grumbling mode, as often we are, we Canadians like to think of voting as our right to complain. Maybe if we prayed more for our leaders, we wouldn’t feel the need to claim that right, or we would at least see and engage in the whole process more positively.
One might feel uncomfortable with the militarism of Psalm 20 (and many others), but what I do find quite moving is the prayer bond that exists between people and ruler. So how often do we pray for our leaders? How much do we pray for the character of our national life, even while we complain about the exclusion of Christ from Christmas, Christianity in the schools, etc. (real concerns) – my current concern is to engage in conversation with my sons’ principle about a planned school excursion to see The Golden Compass (see Christianity Today article).
Anyway, today’s little thought is to pray, and be engaged in things more, and gripe less. And that’s first of all a note to self.
Prayer (I know there are international readers of Open Journal, so please substitute names/offices as fitting):
Lord, sustain and bless Prime Minister Harper, and his cabinet. Watch over and encourage our federal representative, Bruce Stanton. Guide them according to your wisdom in framing the law and character of our life, that those laws and our life together will reflect your law, kingdom, justice and love. May we pray for, work for, engage together in the ‘shalom’ that is peace that is more than absence of strife. Guide the work of Premier McGuinty, the provincial cabinet, Garfield Dunlop and other MPPs. Thank you Mayor Downer and other town council members. Prompt me to show appreciation to any and all who represent us and lead, and commit to ongoing prayer for them. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
to whom surrender joyfully is due
Psalm 19
It is universally observed that Psalm 19 has two distinct parts. Verses 1-6 praise God perceived in the natural world. The theme of verses 7-14 is the Law of the Lord. Together they celebrate that the God of the universe also acts in the human story.
In the first part the sun has special mention. The language is often observed as being similar to that of Babylonian or Egyptian hymns to the sun. But there is a very important difference here in that the sun is not a deity but part of the created order.
In the second part, the theme changes, and also the name used for God. We have moved from referring to God as "God" (El), a name giving emphasis to divine power; to “the Lord” (See Exodus 3 and post on the giving of The Name). The latter name is connected with the giving of the Law and the presence of the Lord in historical acts. “The Law” has a number of connotations: It is instruction for God’s people; it is testimony to God’s character and will; and, with all the things it is, it instills respect and reverence for the one who gives it.
All this praise leads the psalmist to humble self-awareness. He knows that he cannot live up to God’s standards. And yet, with God, he attains to a life of high expectations, counting on God to cover even sins he himself does not discern.
Preachers sometimes use the concluding request (verse 14) as prayer before preaching. He addresses God as his rock, acknowledging his power; and as his redeemer, the one by whom his imperfect but surrendered life can make a difference in this world.
Prayer:
Given your wonder and glory, your awesome power and your extravagant, redeeming love, what is my life to be, Lord, but a matter of complete surrender to you? I give it all up to you this day. Through Christ. Amen.
It is universally observed that Psalm 19 has two distinct parts. Verses 1-6 praise God perceived in the natural world. The theme of verses 7-14 is the Law of the Lord. Together they celebrate that the God of the universe also acts in the human story.
In the first part the sun has special mention. The language is often observed as being similar to that of Babylonian or Egyptian hymns to the sun. But there is a very important difference here in that the sun is not a deity but part of the created order.
In the second part, the theme changes, and also the name used for God. We have moved from referring to God as "God" (El), a name giving emphasis to divine power; to “the Lord” (See Exodus 3 and post on the giving of The Name). The latter name is connected with the giving of the Law and the presence of the Lord in historical acts. “The Law” has a number of connotations: It is instruction for God’s people; it is testimony to God’s character and will; and, with all the things it is, it instills respect and reverence for the one who gives it.
All this praise leads the psalmist to humble self-awareness. He knows that he cannot live up to God’s standards. And yet, with God, he attains to a life of high expectations, counting on God to cover even sins he himself does not discern.
Preachers sometimes use the concluding request (verse 14) as prayer before preaching. He addresses God as his rock, acknowledging his power; and as his redeemer, the one by whom his imperfect but surrendered life can make a difference in this world.
Prayer:
Given your wonder and glory, your awesome power and your extravagant, redeeming love, what is my life to be, Lord, but a matter of complete surrender to you? I give it all up to you this day. Through Christ. Amen.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Praise Among the Peoples
Psalm 18
This psalm is also found in 2 Samuel 22. It is introduced there as a song David sang in response to deliverance from enemies. There is general thought that it was used by subsequent kings in temple worship, in grateful response to victories.
Verse 7 begins a section with the Lord’s own response to David’s thanksgiving. It is described in terms of supernatural appearance, in images associated with the Lord’s coming in judgment.
Toward the end, the grateful king states that he will praise the Lord among the nations (verse 49). Paul quotes this at Romans 15:9 as he celebrates God’s design to reach beyond Israel to all peoples. The essence of this vision is already in the Old Testament – and so Paul is building on something already present – since the rulers believed to have used this psalm were considered ‘messiahs,’ or ‘anointed ones,’ from would come a greater messiah who would summon all people to accept his reign a part of a whole new order of things.
This psalm that starts as a king’s response to victory becomes a reminder for us that the one whose coming we celebrate brings something far beyond the usual sentiment and nostalgia of the season we are now coming into.
Prayer:
Thank you for the old carols, Lord. Just don’t allow me to let their familiarity get in the way of the message, and its power, they are supposed to point to. Through Christ. Amen.
This psalm is also found in 2 Samuel 22. It is introduced there as a song David sang in response to deliverance from enemies. There is general thought that it was used by subsequent kings in temple worship, in grateful response to victories.
Verse 7 begins a section with the Lord’s own response to David’s thanksgiving. It is described in terms of supernatural appearance, in images associated with the Lord’s coming in judgment.
Toward the end, the grateful king states that he will praise the Lord among the nations (verse 49). Paul quotes this at Romans 15:9 as he celebrates God’s design to reach beyond Israel to all peoples. The essence of this vision is already in the Old Testament – and so Paul is building on something already present – since the rulers believed to have used this psalm were considered ‘messiahs,’ or ‘anointed ones,’ from would come a greater messiah who would summon all people to accept his reign a part of a whole new order of things.
This psalm that starts as a king’s response to victory becomes a reminder for us that the one whose coming we celebrate brings something far beyond the usual sentiment and nostalgia of the season we are now coming into.
Prayer:
Thank you for the old carols, Lord. Just don’t allow me to let their familiarity get in the way of the message, and its power, they are supposed to point to. Through Christ. Amen.
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