I will praise Him!
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Skaters on the Rideau Canal beneath the Highway 417 bridge, Ottawa, ON, 02-18-2017, photo by David Kitz
Sing to Him a New Song
24 Friday Feb 2017
Posted in Friday's Focus, Psalms
Tag Archives: justice
Time for God to Act
19 Thursday Jan 2017
Tags
dictators, God's judgment, judgment, justice, lawlessness, plutocrats, sexual perversion, warmongers
Reading: Psalm 119
ע Ayin
(Verses 121-128)
I have done what is righteous and just;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
Ensure your servant’s well-being;
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
My eyes fail, looking for your salvation,
looking for your righteous promise.
Deal with your servant according to your love
and teach me your decrees.
I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may understand your statutes.
Because I love your commands
more than gold, more than pure gold,
and because I consider all your precepts right,
I hate every wrong path (NIV).
Reflection
Do you have a negative view of judgment—God’s judgment? Do you cringe at the thought? If you are guilty of wrongdoing, you should cringe. But if you have been harmed by wrongdoers you have solid grounds to welcome God’s judgment. Our sense of justice calls for the intervention of a righteous judge.
Making me whiter than snow — photo by David Kitz
There is none more righteous than the LORD—none more worthy to sit as judge. For this reason the psalmist calls for God to act. It is time for you to act, LORD; your law is being broken.
As we look about our world, as we listen to newscasts, it becomes increasingly apparent that it’s time for God to act. Lawlessness and violence abound. Sexual perversion is promoted—gets top billing—is openly applauded. Plutocrats with their extravagant wealth rule the roost, while the poor struggle to feed their families. On the international stage dictators and warmongers parade about freely, while oppressing their own people and slaughtering any who would dare to oppose them.
Where is the justice? Where is truth and right judgment in all this? Where is the LORD? Daily, the prayer on our lips should be this: It is time for you to act, LORD; your law is being broken.
It’s time for evil and crooked dealings to be exposed. It’s time for the light of day to reveal what has been done in secret. It’s time for the righteous Judge—the Judge of all the earth—to act.
On a personal level, like the psalmist, let this be the cry of our hearts: Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees. The prophet Hosea also has a fitting word for us. But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always (Hosea 12:6).
Response: LORD God, I see the corruption that is in the world. Keep me from it. It is time for you to act, LORD; your law is being broken. Please show mercy and grace to those who call out to you. Amen.
Your Turn: Are you troubled by the lawlessness and injustice in society? Where do you turn?
The Fountain of Life
11 Sunday Dec 2016
Posted in Psalms
Tags
abundance, faithfulness, fountain, fountain of life, justice, Orleans, Petrie Island Park, river of delights
I will praise Him!
Marsh flowers, Petrie Island Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
(Psalm 35:5-9 NIV)
Include Me
08 Tuesday Nov 2016
Posted in Psalms
Reading: Psalm 106
(Verses 1-5)
Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right.
Remember me, LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise (NIV).
Reflection
Let’s face the truth. We all want to live a blessed life. We desire God’s blessing, whether we clearly state it in those terms or not. In today’s reading, the psalmist begins Psalm 106 with a flurry of praise for the LORD. Then he makes this statement: Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.
Hot air balloons over the Ottawa River — photo by David Kitz
I confess that I have a problem with that statement. I am certain there is great blessing in acting justly and doing what is right. My problem is with the word always. I’m not an always kind of guy. I would be far more comfortable if the verse read like this: Blessed are those who act justly, who ‘usually’ do what is right. I think I can achieve ‘usually’, but ‘always’ is setting the bar higher than I can achieve. I would like a little wiggle room, LORD.
It would appear that the psalmist was of a similar persuasion, because in the following verse he asks for the favor of the LORD. We desperately need the LORD’s favor because we cannot always achieve the high mark of God’s righteousness and justice. We fall short.
Consider the psalmist’s plea: Remember me, LORD, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.
In reality, this is a prayer for inclusion. The psalmist wants to be included with all those who experience the salvation and blessing of the LORD. He wants to be one of the chosen ones. I am reminded of the words of that old gospel spiritual ‘When the Saints Go Marching In.’ O Lord, I want to be among the number, when the saints go marching in!
Our shortcomings or sins exclude us, but it is the grace of God—His unmerited favor—that includes us. It has always been this way. We are a people—a nation—in need of God’s favor. Our efforts and good intentions fall short. We need to rely on God’s favor. He is the true source of blessing.
Response: Father God, I call on you. Look on me with favor. I know I fall short of your standard. I call on you. I depend on you. I know my efforts are inadequate. I rely on your grace. Amen.
Your Turn: Are you an always, a usually, or a sometimes kind of person, when it comes to doing right?
A Blameless Heart
12 Wednesday Oct 2016
Tags
blameless, goal setting, goals, holiness, justice, legalism, love, personal standards, the LORD
Reading: Psalm 101
Of David. A psalm.
(Verses 1-4)
I will sing of your love and justice;
to you, LORD, I will sing praise.
I will be careful to lead a blameless life—
when will you come to me?
I will conduct the affairs of my house
with a blameless heart.
I will not look with approval
on anything that is vile.
I hate what faithless people do;
I will have no part in it.
The perverse of heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with what is evil (NIV).
Reflection
Psalm 101 is a call to action or commitment. David, the author of this psalm, commits himself to a course of action. In this short opening portion of the psalm, David makes seven ‘I will’ statements. Each commitment is life altering in some way.
Reflection — photo by Donald Adam
The first commitment David makes is to sing of the LORD’s justice and love. He is determined to praise his God with a full, joyous awareness of the LORD’s character. This is the true starting point of any sustained relationship with God. The LORD is both loving and just. If we emphasize aspects of God’s justice too much, we risk becoming legalistic. If we focus only on the love of God, His holiness is ignored resulting in a break down in personal responsibility. Within the Godhead there exists a perfect tension between His justice and His love. As God’s servants, we do well when we recognize and maintain that tension.
Twice David uses the word blameless. I will be careful to lead a blameless life—when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. With these words, David has set for himself a high standard—an impossible standard. Did David succeed in reaching his lofty goal? The biblical record leaves no room for doubt. He failed miserably. In his affair with Bathsheba, King David was guilty of both adultery and murder.
Well, what good is there then in setting lofty goals? Why make any ‘I will’ statements, if I am doomed to fail? Why not freely look on the vile and indulge in it?
Actually, despite David’s stunning failures, there are many sound reasons for calling ourselves to a high standard. To put it bluntly, God expects it of us. He demands holiness from us—always has—always will. Will we succeed? Of course not. That’s why there’s the gift of repentance. That’s why there’s a Savior named Jesus. He’s the blameless one. I need his sinless record applied to my account.
Response: Dear God, I want my will to be conformed to your will. I want to lead a blameless life. By Jesus’ blood, grant me a blameless heart that is determined to love and serve you for all my days. Amen.
Your Turn: Should we set goals for ourselves? How do you measure the progress in your love for God?
The Foundation of Your Throne
05 Monday Sep 2016
Tags
authority, faithfulness, God, God's throne, Grey Nuns Park, justice, love, Righteousness, the LORD
Reading: Psalm 89
Verses 14-18
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
They rejoice in your name all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.
Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel (NIV).
Reflection
Yesterday afternoon at about 4:30 my wife and I got a call from my son. He found himself in a difficult spot. He and his wife had just bought two swivel chairs. He had wrongly assumed that both would fit into the trunk of his car. Despite his best efforts the second chair would not fit. Could I come, pick up and deliver the second chair to their home?
Weeping willow, Grey Nuns Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
My wife had a batch of homemade buns rising in the oven, so she was not available. The delivery task fell to me. So off I drove in a torrential downpour through heavy rush-hour traffic to pick up this chair. Did I resent this interruption in my schedule? Did I get all steamed up about the inconvenience? Was I upset that I was a few minutes late for dinner? No. In all seriousness, none of this bothered me because I love my son and his wife. I was glad to help. I even took a minute or two to sit in that comfy chair and appreciate their new purchase.
Today’s reading from Psalm 89 is all about a chair—a special chair. It’s called the throne of God. Unlike the rollers on the bottom of the chair that my son purchased, this chair has a foundation. It’s immovable. The psalmist makes this statement. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.
The throne of God speaks of His authority. God’s authority rests squarely on His righteousness and justice. This has always been so and will be so forever. Righteousness and justice are foundational to all authority. When authorities in this world go astray and engage in unjust and immoral behavior, we find this abhorrent. We question the legitimacy of such authorities. We say they have lost the moral authority to govern.
But God does more than just sit on His throne and govern. He moves out from that throne. Again the psalmist states, “Love and faithfulness go before you.” God is active in this world. Daily the LORD demonstrates His love and faithfulness to His people and also to those who do not call on His name. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). Furthermore, our heavenly Father is eager to do these things because He loves us.
Response: Heavenly Father, you are good and kind to all. I thank you for your love and faithfulness. Today, I want to walk in the light of your presence, LORD, and rejoice in your name all day long. Amen.
Your Turn: Can you testify that on various occasions God’s love and faithfulness have gone before you?
Poetic Romance in the Psalms
30 Saturday Jul 2016
Food to the Hungry
06 Wednesday Apr 2016
Posted in Mid-Week Medtiation, Psalms
He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free (Psalm 146:7, CEV).
Ottawa River as seen from Greens Creek Point — photo by David Kitz
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is hunger.
Our Lord taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
As I think over my life, I can’t think of a single day when that prayer has not been answered. In other words, the Lord has had an unbroken record of faithfulness. I have never gone to bed hungry except by my own choice.
Today’s verse from the Psalms reminds us that God is the one who daily supplies our needs.
He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free (Psalm 146:7, CEV).
The Lord’s provision goes beyond physical needs. As the psalmist declares, the LORD also provides justice and sets prisoners free. Worry often holds me as a prisoner. What about you?
But when I consider the LORD’s faithfulness, there is no place left for worry. He banishes hunger along with worry. We have this assurance: God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:19, CEV).
Response: LORD God, thank you for your daily provision of good things. You have been more than faithful. My heart overflows with thanks for your goodness. Amen.
Your Turn: Has God been faithful in providing for you? Has He come through for you?
Justice and Mercy
25 Monday Jan 2016
Posted in Monday Meditation, Psalms
The LORD will bring justice and show mercy to all who serve him (Psalm 135:14, CEV).
October glory – photo by Karen Kitz
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is mercy.
Can there be justice without mercy? The opposite question is also valid. Can there be mercy without justice?
When I have been wronged, I call out for justice. When I am the one who has committed the wrong I call out for mercy.
It takes a wise judge to bring both justice and mercy together in the decisions he or she renders. Fortunately for us, the LORD is a wise judge. The LORD will bring justice and show mercy to all who serve him (Psalm 135:14, CEV).
The question we need to ask ourselves is, “Am I serving Him or am I serving myself?”
Response: LORD God, give me eyes to see your mercy and justice at work in my life and the lives of others around me. Give me a willing heart to serve you. Amen.
Your Turn: Is there a time you remember calling out for justice? Do you remember asking for mercy?
Every Bone in my Body
22 Friday Jan 2016
Posted in Psalms
Every bone in my body will shout: “No one is like the LORD!” You protect the helpless from those in power; you save the poor and needy from those who hurt them (Psalm 35:10, CEV).
Sunset Glory – photo by Eric E. Wright
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is salvation.
God, help the poor. It seems like no one else will.
Of course that statement is an exaggeration, but there’s an element of truth to it. In a world where extreme wealth and extreme poverty live side by side, one wonders at the lack of care that we show for our fellow travelers on the road of life.
We find this advice in the Book of Proverbs: But you must defend those who are helpless and have no hope. Be fair and give justice to the poor and homeless (Proverbs 31:8-9, CEV).
Do we give more than a passing thought to refugees fleeing war, or youth on the run from domestic violence? Ask yourself, am I reflecting the care the LORD has for the poor and needy?
Response: LORD God, no one is like you. You protect the helpless and save the poor. In my thoughts and conduct help me to be more like you. Amen.
Your Turn: Is there someone in need that you can help today?
I love the Psalms 