No Room for God?

10 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Psalm 10, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 10

(Verses 1-11)

Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God (NIV).

2018-03-09

Earl winter snowfall — photo by David Kitz

 Reflection
As I write these thoughts on Psalm 10, outside my window snow is drifting down and ready or not, we are rapidly careening toward a rendezvous with Christmas. Ah, Christmas! What a mangled wreck—what a gross distortion—this celebration of Christ’s birth has become. For many this commercial bonanza is completely void of any spiritual meaning. It is nothing more than a buying and selling frenzy—a pursuit of trinkets signifying nothing.

In this psalm we see the signs of the season. Through clever advertising and marketing schemes we too are hunted down by the top-level merchants of this world. We are caught in the schemes they devise. Rather than being a season where we seek the LORD, we fall into a trap. We can find ourselves boasting about the cravings of our heart. As the Psalmist says, we bless the greedy and in so doing, we revile the LORD.

The words of the Psalmist ring true, “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”

No room for God… In a perverse way it seems rather appropriate. There was no room for God in Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. No room for God… no room for the Maker and Saviour of the universe! For you and me, it doesn’t have to be that way. While there was no room for God incarnate in Bethlehem, the magi were busy seeking Him. Set your heart to be a God seeker this Christmas season.

Response: Jesus, I seek after you. Open my eyes to see you today. I wait expectantly for you. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you seen Jesus in others? How can you seek God this week?

Assigning Blame or Assigning Praise

09 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by in Psalm 9, Psalms

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Reading:                                             Psalm 9

Verses 11-20

Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.

LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion,
and there rejoice in your salvation.

The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
The LORD is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.
But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
Strike them with terror, LORD;
let the nations know they are only mortal. (NIV)

Reflection

If only life was easy; if only life was just and fair! But it isn’t. Life is filled with struggles and difficulties. I’m not always treated fairly, nor are you. Here in this psalm David cries out, “LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!” You can sense the frustration in his voice. Though these words are not recorded, in the midst of his troubles he might have added, “This isn’t fair, LORD. You aren’t being fair!”

But David doesn’t say that. He assigns blame where blame is due. He blames his troubles on his enemies—his human oppressors—not on the LORD. By way of contrast, David has nothing but praise for the LORD. He declares, “Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.”

If the source of your affliction is human, why are you blaming God for it? We need to always keep this statement in mind. The LORD is known by his acts of justice. In this life we may not always see His justice prevail, but rest assured on that great final Day, He will prevail. Ultimately, His justice will be seen and known by all.

In times of trouble God is our source of help and strength. We can wrongly blame Him for our troubles, or we can run to Him for help. We must keep this promise in mind: God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

Response: LORD, in times of trouble, You are my help. I lay my troubles and my requests before You. I wait expectantly for You. I praise You for Your goodness to me. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you been blaming God rather than thanking Him?

The Warrior King

06 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by in Psalm 9, Psalms

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Reading:                                         Psalm 9

Verses 1-10

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.

I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.
For you have upheld my right and my cause,
sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.

The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.
He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. (NIV)

Reflection

Without question David was a man of war. After all, this was the man who as a strapping young teenager slew Goliath, the gigantic champion of the Philistines. Later he led King Saul’s army as they went out to do battle with the enemies of Israel. Eventually when David became King, he secured Israel’s borders and greatly expanded its territory through conquest. David knew a few things about bloodshed and war, and he had more than a few enemies.

It should not surprise us then that the language of warfare and talk of enemies and destruction should appear in the psalms that he wrote. David wrote, sang and spoke of the things he knew and experienced. He was personally involved life and death struggles. Consequently, he was a man of violence, who lived and survived through violent times.

But he loved God. Sometimes it’s hard to reconcile the slay-my-enemies David with the LORD-is-my-shepherd David. It’s as though two contradictory Davids are living in one body. But then I look at myself—deep within myself. Am I any different? There are more than a few contradictory elements at work within me. The real warfare is within the human spirit. Will I yield to the Spirit of God, or to the foul spirit of this world, or my own selfish pride?

Like David I simply need God. I need to praise and exalt Him over all else. When I do that I gain perspective—the right perspective. With David I can say, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

Response: I praise you, LORD. I seek you, LORD. Be the master within me. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you yielded to the LORD? Is He winning the warfare within?

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Big God—Little Me

05 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by in Psalm 8, Psalms

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Reading:                                        Psalm 8

For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David.

LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth. (NIV)

 Reflection

There’s something exquisitely beautiful about this psalm. Yes, in it we see the glory of the heavens, the sun, moon and stars—the vast array of heavenly bodies. But there’s more to it than that. This psalm is more than a pretty poetic picture of the heavens.

It’s about perspective. In the grand scheme of things David grasps his true size—his insignificance. Beneath a canopy of stars, he has a transcendent moment—a God moment. He realizes the immensity of God. In the material realm you and I are just a transitory flicker across the face of time. That’s why David asks, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

In the vastness of the universe, what am I but a speck. Why would God even consider me? But He does! That’s the wonder of this psalm, and the wonder of our God. He is mindful of you and your concerns. God has crowned human beings—you and I—with glory and honor. When did that happen you might ask?

Well, it happened at creation. God placed humankind as the rulers of all creation. That’s a huge responsibility, a responsibility we have often failed to fulfill. But God reaffirmed His love and commitment to us at the cross. Jesus considered you so significant that he bled and died for you. Now that’s significance—eternal significance in the face of God’s own Son.

Response: Heavenly Father, Creator of the universe, thank you for considering me. Thank you for being mindful of my daily concerns. I bring them to You. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you had a transcendent moment—a God moment? How did that happen?

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Wile E. Coyote and the Scales of Justice

04 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Psalm 7, Psalms

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Reading:                                         Psalm 7

Verses 10-17

My shield is God Most High,

who saves the upright in heart.
God is a righteous judge,
a God who displays his wrath every day.
If he does not relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.

Whoever is pregnant with evil
conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit they have made.
The trouble they cause recoils on them;
their violence comes down on their own heads.

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.

 Reflection

Ah justice, sweet justice! When we take justice into our own hands, it always has a boomerang effect. I am reminded of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner when I read these words: Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.

In those Saturday cartoons of my youth, poor Wile E. must have dug a hundred pits and he fell into them every time. Every clever scheme backfired catastrophically. The Roadrunner always escaped. To paraphrase the words of this psalm, the trouble Wile E. caused recoiled on him; his violence came down on his own head. Even now can you picture the anvil falling on the hapless coyote, as he lies in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the canyon? The cartoonist and the psalmist must have been reading from the same script!

Somehow we often have the mistaken impression that getting even works—that scoring points at the expense of our neighbour elevates us somehow. If snide sarcasm and putdowns elevate us, then it’s the kind of elevation we often see in cartoons. Our clever remarks run us out off the edge of a cliff, and like the cartoons, there we stand in the middle of thin air—the last one to realize we are heading down fast. That’s justice, sweet justice, Psalm 7 style.

If as this psalm states, God displays his wrath every day, it’s because we reap the reward of our sinful actions. In our selfishness, we harm instead of building up those around us. We try to pull ahead by pulling others down. It’s a strategy that’s doomed to failure. God and the Roadrunner will see to that.

Response: Heavenly Father, today show me how I can build others up instead of tearing them down. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you encouraged someone lately with a positive word? Did that bring a reward?

Transparency before God

03 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Psalm 7, Psalms

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Reading:                                            Psalm 7

Verses 1-9

A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

LORD my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
or they will tear me apart like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands—
if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe—
then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust.

Arise, LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.
Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.
Let the LORD judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, LORD, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts. (NIV)

 Reflection

Have you ever been falsely accused? Have you been accused of wrong doing by someone you consider a friend? That can be a deeply hurtful experience. In the context of this psalm, that’s the situation that David finds himself in. He stands accused of repaying his ally with evil.

How did David respond? Did he strike down his accuser? Remember that David is the king. It is within his power to act – to unleash his vengeance. Is that his just and righteous response? No, he takes his case before the LORD. In prayer he declares, “Let the LORD judge the peoples.” He invites God to judge him. He presents his case before the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.

That takes some courage; that takes some integrity. That takes a level of faith and transparency that we often see lacking in men of position and power. Are you willing to let God probe your heart and your mind? What might He find hidden away in there?

The writer of the Book of Hebrews reminds us about the power of God’s word, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

David was a man of God. He submitted his heart and mind to the all-seeing eye of God. He wanted the sin source cut off within him. Righteous judgment begins when God and His word gain entry to your heart.

Response: LORD, I open my heart and my mind to your probing. Help me repent where needed. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you transparent before God? Why do we think we can hide something from God?

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A Solution for Spiritual Constipation

02 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by in Psalm 6, Psalms

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Reading:                                            Psalm 6

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.

LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint;
heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.
My soul is in deep anguish.
How long, LORD, how long?

Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.
Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
Who praises you from the grave?

I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.
My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.

Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame. (NIV)

 Reflection

The life of a God-follower isn’t all happy days and sunny skies, as some preachers might have you believe. On the contrary, hard times and grief may frequent our way. Does that mean we are out of the will of God? Has God abandoned us during these times of inner turmoil, struggle and hardship?

Judging by the life and experience of David as expressed through the psalms, the answer is a resounding, “No.” God has not abandoned you.

David met with God during these times of difficulty. He poured out his complaint before the LORD. He pleaded with God; he held nothing back. Take a look at some of the key words in this psalm: agony, anguish, groaning, weeping, tears, and sorrow. David experienced all these emotions. He didn’t bottle them up. He poured them out before the LORD in prayer.

Many believers suffer from a form of spiritual constipation. They are filled with anger, hurt and bitter disappointment. Life has been hard, but they are afraid to take their anguish before God. They put on a brave face for the world and the church, but inwardly they are dying. They need a massive dose of the Psalms of David—psalms of self-emptying.

Fear not; God can handle your anguish and anger. He won’t smite you dead for being honest about your feelings. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Then take heart from what David says in the conclusion to this psalm, “The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.“

Response: Dear God, I pour out my problems, hurts and struggles before you. Hear my prayer. Amen.

Your Turn: Do some Christians suffer from spiritual constipation? Does prayer heartfelt bring relief?

Does God Hear Your Voice?

29 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by in Psalm 5, Psalms

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Reading:                                          Psalm 5

For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.

Listen to my words, LORD, consider my lament.
Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
with you, evil people are not welcome.
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong; you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, LORD, detest.
But I, by your great love, can come into your house;
in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple.

Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies—
make your way straight before me.
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.
Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you. (NIV)

 Reflection

Are you a morning person? Are you most productive in the morning hours? Or do you revive after the sunsets? Our bodies move according to their own internal rhythm. Some people love to rise with the chirp of the first songbird, while others are true night owls. Often my wife catches her second wind in the evening as I’m fading into sweet oblivion.

It would seem that David was a morning person. Here in Psalm 5, we read these words from David, In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

David was one of those early birds that began calling out to God at the break of day. He knew God was listening. He made sure that the LORD heard his voice.

Is the LORD hearing your voice in the morning? Are you calling out to Him? Of course, your heavenly Father is pleased to hear your voice at any time, day or night. Is He familiar with your call?

But there’s more to this than just calling out to God and laying out your requests. David waits expectantly. He expects God to respond. He is listening, watching and waiting for the LORD’s reply. Have you built some wait time into your prayer time?

Response: Heavenly Father, I call out to you. I lay out my requests. I wait expectantly for you. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you set aside a regular prayer time? What time works best for you?

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The Shining Face

28 Thursday Nov 2013

Posted by in Psalm 4, Psalms

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Reading:                                              Psalm 4 

Listen to Psalm 4:

Listen to Psalm 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the LORD hears when I call to him.

Tremble and do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the LORD.

Many, LORD, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
Let the light of your face shine on us.
Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.

In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, LORD,
make me dwell in safety. (NIV)

Reflection

Where are you looking?

Think about it for a moment, where you look is where you go. If you are walking, you are looking where you are going. If you are driving, you are looking where you are going, and if you don’t fix your eyes on where you are going, your journey will surely come to an abrupt end—an accident. As you move through your day—as you move through life—where you look is where you go.

If you look to the internet for porn, you are sure to find it, and be trapped by it. If you look to television for entertainment, you are sure to find it. It too in subtle ways can ensnare and deaden the spirit. If you look to others, they will often disappoint you. As David points out in this Psalm, all too often we love delusions and seek false gods. We are looking in the wrong places and consequently we steer our life into the ditch.

In Psalm 4, David’s approach is totally different. He is looking to the LORD. He is calling out to God. He fears the LORD (trembles and does not sin). In silence he searches his heart and encourages us to do the same. Have you offered a sacrifice of righteousness recently? Right living has a cost. But it also pays a dividend.

As we trust in the LORD and look to Him, as a loving Father, He turns His face to us. The light of His face shines on us. Wow! That fills my heart with joy.

Response: Heavenly Father, today let the light of your face shine on me. Amen.

Your Turn: Has the light of God’s face shone on you recently? What was that like?

Confidence in the Midst of Adversity

27 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Psalm 3, Psalms

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Reading:                                                  Psalm 3

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.”

But you, LORD, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
I call out to the LORD,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

Arise, LORD! Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.

From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people. (NIV)

 Reflection

When do you most need God?

The answer to that question is easy—when I’m in deep trouble. It’s natural to call out to God when I’m in some great or urgent need. A returning veteran from the First World War said it best, “There are no atheists in the trenches. When the artillery shells start exploding to the right and left, even unbelievers discover how to pray.”

The context of Psalm 3 is of great significance.  David finds himself in the midst of a life threatening tragedy. He is fleeing from his palace in the nation’s capital, because his son is conspiring to murder him and seize the kingdom from his hands. Here is the great delta—the extreme low point in David’s life.

How does David respond? With utter confidence in God! Yes, he calls out to the LORD for deliverance, but he does so with complete assurance that God will answer. There isn’t the slightest hint of doubtful desperation in his voice. Having prayed to the LORD, he boasts in his ability to sleep, because he knows God will answer.

How could David be so confident—so self-assured? Actually, David’s assurance rested entirely on the LORD, not on himself. David had a wealth of experience with God. In his mind the LORD was tried, tested and true.

He knew something you need to know. God will come through. He will bring salvation and deliverance!

Response: LORD, save me from all my troubles. I put my confidence in You. Amen.

Your Turn: Reflect on the goodness of the LORD. Has He saved you from deep trouble in the past?