Who is like the Lord?

"My whole being will exclaim, Who is like you O Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them." Psalm 35:10

David had more enemies than anybody else I have ever heard about. Whether he was doing right or doing wrong, he always seemed to have several people who had it in for him. He was dogged by his mistakes and also persecuted for his faithfulness. David could easily have said, "I can't win!" Yet he realizes that like the poor who are destitute, he too was impoverished in the spirit and plagued by worries, fears and trouble that were overwhelming. He was robbed of his joy, peace and sense of respect. I am often impressed by his amazing ability to deal with all the obstacles in his life.

Filled with Joy

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11

Whenever the opportunity arises to talk about Joy, I find it an easy assignment. If you have truly experienced the "Joy of your Salvation", you can easily get in touch with what the meaning of joy is. When faced with the task of writing a song about Joy, I once came up with this verse that really captures the essence of Joy.

Sowing and Reaping

"Remember this; whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." 2Corinthians 9:6

Recently I was reminded of both sides of the law of reciprocity. You have no doubt heard that 'what goes around, comes around' or, 'For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction'. As long as physical laws do not contradict God's principles, they are true. I believe all truth emanates from God and whatever is true has it's basis in God.

His Forgiving

"You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you." Psalm 86:5

Ever wonder what God thinks of you? Sometimes I have strong feelings about what I think He should think of me, especially when I mess up, but I have to be careful not to forget that God's essential feeling towards us is forgiving and good, abounding in love. Wow does that make me feel good to be reminded of that truth. I know that intellectually, but sometimes I don't feel very deserving of such love, goodness and forgiveness. I'm sure you know the feeling of when you see yourself pretty clearly and you begin to question just how much grace you should expect? His grace is always sufficient, fueled by this deep devoted love and merciful goodness that He has for us.

What He Does

"Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD-- that you alone are the Most High over all the earth." Psalm 83:18

This is the last of the Psalms penned by Asaph. I think I know exactly how he feels. I know sometimes I feel like calling on the wrath of God to come down. How about His justice rolling down, or God to pull out the big guns and show everybody a thing or two. Just like He did with the Egyptians in the Red Sea, just like He did with satan during the temptation and just like He will do regarding everything, eventually. Oooooh… How I'd love to see Him get even or take care of business. What a day that would be.

Heaven

"Glorious things are said of you, O City of God.." Psalm 87:3

The city referred to in this Psalm is Zion, the holy mountain, Jerusalem and it's beautiful temple there. This picture represents the future community of all believers. The writer is looking ahead to the Holy City of God in Revelation 21:27. The honor of living there will be granted to all whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. All believers will dwell in this place forever. We most often refer to it as Heaven. We don't talk about Heaven very often, but it is as real as hell and eventually everybody will end up in one place or the other. When I hear the word Heaven, I automatically am taken back to childhood and youth songs that talk about a wonderful place. So today I will share a few lyrics and a little about heaven. Here is a short list of my memory songs about Heaven.

In the Shadow of the Almighty

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Psalm 91: 1-2

These maybe some of the most beautiful words in the Psalms. What a wonderful picture. If asked what I need the most and if I were to be most honest I would probably say peace or rest. Since I want true rest so much, these verses can show me how to get it. I must dwell in the shelter of the Most High. What does dwell mean? It means to live, to abide, to take up residence, to hang out there most of the time. To hang out in the shelter of the Most High means that I must truly be focused on Him. My thoughts, actions and motives must be founded in Him and abide in Him.

Seek Restoration

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." Psalm 51:10-12

David is writing here and is doing so; after the prophet Nathan came to him and told him a story about a man who had done terrible things, and David was incensed about that man's moral failure and suggested he be punished by death, and then asked Nathan who the man was and Nathan told him it was him. Oh the impact when you don't see it coming. You know the story; he had an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, and then murdered her husband to cover it up. No sin is too great to be forgiven.

Consider Meditation

"I will meditate on all your works and consider all you mighty deeds." Psalm 77:12

When we need comfort, encouragement , strength, and hope, two processes in particular can help us move forward even when we feel totally immobilized. Each day we should take appropriate time for meditation and consideration. But, in order for them to work, consideration must be longer than a fleeting thought and meditation must involve the truths of the Word of God.

Telling His Story

"What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide it from their children, we will tell the next generation." Psalm 78:3-4a

Who do you think is going to tell the next generation? 'Who' is the 'we' that Asaph is referring to in this long Psalm? Is he saying that the priests (or the pastors) are going to carry the primary responsibility to tell the story of God's unmerited grace? Well, as best I can tell, people are not exactly flocking to churches very regularly to hear the truth, no matter how it is presented. How about small groups? Aren't we all supposed to be in one? I don't hear of loads of people coming to Christ in all the small groups that are being formed every day. How about Christian TV or radio? I haven't heard of any mass conversions, at least not in the U.S., and what is being aired isn't exactly the burning conversation topic out there of cutting edge transformation experiences. Maybe the internet is the answer. Lord knows we are all trying to stay up with the latest technology for spreading the gospel, but I don't hear of overwhelming results there either. Hey.... maybe some big church will come up with a program that we can all copy that will turn the corner on the next revival. Probably not, to tell you the truth.