Tag Archives: the LORD

On the LORD’s Side

03 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by in Psalm 124, Psalms

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Reading:                                         Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

If the LORD had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
if the LORD had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
 the raging waters would have swept us away.

Praise be to the LORD,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth (NIV).

Reflection

We live in a highly competitive world, and I’m not just talking about sports. Businesses compete for customers; advertisers compete for eyeballs; corporations strive for a competitive advantage. Nations jockey for leadership and influence on the world stage.

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Anderson Lake, Saltcoats, SK — photo by David Kitz

Now here is a question for you. In all this does the LORD take sides? Is he rooting for my football team—my business—my city—my country? Is he a Patriots fan or is He rooting for the Falcons? Will He be tuned into the game?

Let’s tackle the easy question first. Yes, the LORD will be tuned into the Super Bowl game. But He will also be watching a cricket match in Mumbai and a pick-up hockey game at an outdoor rink in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Oh, and let’s not forget that newborn taking its first breath in a tin-roofed shack in Tanzania, or the grandma drawing her last breath in a hospital in Sweden. The LORD will be watching it all.

Yes, but whose side will He be on? Actually, according to Psalm 124, that too is an easy answer. The LORD is on our side. If the LORD had not been on our side—let Israel say—if the LORD had not been on our side when people attacked us… the raging waters would have swept us away.

The LORD is always, always, always on our side. He is rooting for you. Three iron nails in a wooden cross drive home that point far better than words on any page. The real question is, and always has been, whose side are you on?  Are you on the LORD’s side? Are you His man? Are you His woman?

Response: LORD God, I am so thankful that you are on my side, on the side of your redeemed people. This is my confession: Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Amen.

Your Turn: Will you be watching the Super Bowl LI? Are you on the LORD’s side?

I Lift Up my Eyes to You

02 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by in Psalm 123, Psalms

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Reading:                                        Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud (NIV).

Reflection

Like every parent, I have had moments when I have needed to correct my children. In my professional life as a teacher, correcting a child’s behavior was a daily, sometimes minute-to-minute occurrence. In such situations eye contact is crucial. If the child does not make eye contact with you, you are wasting your breath. Your advice—your admonition—your warning—is going nowhere. You might as well speak to the wind. But in such situations, it is essential that you speak to the heart of the child.

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Creek side, Grand Prairie, Alberta — photo courtesy of Morris Burgess

The eyes are the window of the heart. When someone is avoiding eye contact, in reality they are hiding their heart. They are closing their heart to you.

Of course the same principle is true when we consider our relationship with God. We need to make eye contact with the LORD. That’s why there is something truly intimate about this psalm. It’s all about making eye contact with God. It’s about opening your heart to the LORD and exposing what is deep inside you. You are showing when you lift your eyes to Him that you are ready to receive instruction. Yes, and correction too, if that is needed.

So the psalmist speaks these words: I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. He takes the position and the posture of a slave—a humble servant. He is looking for mercy—hoping for grace and blessing from the hand of His master.

This is perhaps the most intimate of the Songs of Ascent. Having come a great distance, the pilgrim is now in the LORD’s house. He has drawn nigh in the fullest sense. The pilgrim lifts his eyes—not to an idol, but to the LORD—the One who fills all, formed all, and transcends all. With eyes wide open he exposes his heart to God. He waits expectantly for the LORD’s instruction.

Prayer at its best is modeled for us in this psalm. It’s prayer with our eyes wide open to God.

Response: Father God, I come before you now. I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. Be merciful to me. Speak to me. Correct me, if I need correction. Give me direction. I am ready to receive instruction from you. I am your servant. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you drawing nigh to God? How do you make eye contact with God?

The House of the LORD

01 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Psalm 122, Psalms

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Reading:                                       Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the LORD—
to praise the name of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel.
 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity (NIV).

Reflection

This third psalm in the Song of Ascents series is a psalm of arrival. The pilgrims have arrived at Jerusalem the destination of their pilgrimage. The following statement makes it clear that the weary travelers have arrived: Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up—the tribes of the LORD—to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel.

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Landestreu sunrise — photo courtesy of Donald Adam

It should be noted that this pilgrimage to Jerusalem was not merely an event for the occasional tourist. As the psalmist states, he came to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. In fact, this pilgrimage to the holy city was required according to the Law of Moses. Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 34-23-24).

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, frequently made this journey to fulfill the requirements of the Law. The first reference to this pilgrimage is found in the account of the twelve-year-old Jesus remaining in the city after his parents had left to return to Galilee (Luke 2:41-50). His last pilgrimage to celebrate the Passover ended with his crucifixion and resurrection.

With the psalmist we join in praying for the peace of Jerusalem, and peace within the church of God.

Response: Father God, we pray for your peace—the shalom of God. May your peace come to Jerusalem, and to all of Israel, and especially to all the followers of your dear son, Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you regularly pray for peace in the house of the LORD our God?

Shout for Joy!

29 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by in Psalm 100, Psalms, Sunday's Psalm

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I will praise Him!

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Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, Ottawa, ON — photo by David Kitz

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

(Psalm 100:1-5, NIV)

Humble Prayer

25 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Psalm 119, Psalms

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Reading:                                        Psalm 119

ר Resh

(Verses 153-160)

Look on my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law.

Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise.

Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees.

Your compassion, LORD, is great; preserve my life according to your laws.

Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes.

I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey your word.

See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, LORD, in accordance with your love.

All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal (NIV).

Reflection

As we draw near to the end of Psalm 119, I have a confession to make. Though in general, I love the Book of Psalms, Psalm 119 did not rank high in my affections. Though my views have changed, bear with me now as I attempt to describe why I disliked this Psalm.

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Chateau Montebello, Montebello, QB — photo by David Kitz

In my opinion the author of this psalm spends too much time posturing. He continually reminds God how good he is and how disgusting others are. Statements like this one set my teeth on edge: I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey your word. See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, LORD, in accordance with your love.

Words like these remind me of the Pharisee bragging in the temple while the tax collector humbly calls out to God for mercy. Jesus concludes that the tax collector “went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:14). I’m left wondering, how did the author of Psalm 119 return home? Was his prayer heard and accepted by the LORD?

The answer must be a resounding yes. Psalm 119 would not be in our Bible’s if was not the divinely inspired word of God. So this question remains. How does the psalmist get away with using the sort of comparison that drew Jesus condemnation in his description of the Pharisee and the tax collector?

I believe the answer lies in posture. Psalm 119 is best prayed from a kneeling position. The psalmist is humbly—even desperately—calling out to God. The posture we assume influences the prayers we pray.

Response: Father God, teach me how to pray with a humble heart. Any righteousness or goodness I have comes from you. I will brag about your goodness and unfailing love for me. You are true. Amen.

Your Turn: What posture do you assume when you pray? How does your posture reflect your heart?

Gold Refined Seven Times

22 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by in Psalms, Sunday's Psalm

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I will praise Him!

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Silver and gold — photo courtesy of Liz Kranz

“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
    I will now arise,” says the LORD.
    “I will protect them from those who malign them.”
And the words of the LORD are flawless,
    like silver purified in a crucible,
    like gold refined seven times.

(Psalm 12:5-6 NIV)

My Promise

09 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by in Psalm 119, Psalms

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Reading:                                        Psalm 119

ח Heth

 (Verses 57-64)

You are my portion, LORD;
I have promised to obey your words.
 I have sought your face with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.
 I have considered my ways
and have turned my steps to your statutes.
I will hasten and not delay
to obey your commands.
Though the wicked bind me with ropes,
I will not forget your law.
At midnight I rise to give you thanks
for your righteous laws.
I am a friend to all who fear you,
to all who follow your precepts.
The earth is filled with your love, LORD;
teach me your decrees (NIV).

Reflection

I just got a phone call from a friend that left me rather embarrassed. I was embarrassed because I had promised to call this friend, but I didn’t follow through. I can think of a half dozen excuses I could offer, but none of them hold much water. I can claim that I’m too busy, but I find time for what I consider important. To make matters worse, this forgetting to call is a recurring problem. To put it bluntly, this friendship is in jeopardy because I have repeatedly failed to keep my word.

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Snow covered pines — photo by David Kitz

My relationship with God also suffers when I make promises to the LORD, and then fail to deliver. I have wonderful intentions to pray—to seek God’s face—to read my Bible. But follow through? Not so much. There’s often a big gap between what we promise and what we actually deliver. The shortfall is often enormous. Of course we have our excuses—a flimsy fig leaf to cover our shame.

Today’s reading from Psalm 119 also begins with a promise: You are my portion, LORD; I have promised to obey your words.

If I were to speak those words, in the back of my mind I can hear a voice saying, “Yeah, Yeah. I’ve heard you say that before. When are you going to deliver?”

The brutal truth is I can’t deliver. On my own I cannot obey God’s word. I’ve tried and it’s impossible. I desperately need the Holy Spirit to help me day by day and moment by moment. St. Paul gives us this reminder: it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose (Philippians 2:13).

Response: Father God, help me. I want to obey your word. I want to live out the words of this psalm. I can only succeed by your grace, so give me the will to do your will. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you promised more than you can deliver? Who will help you keep your promises?

He Makes the Clouds Rise

08 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by in Psalms, Sunday's Psalm

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I will praise Him!

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The LORD does whatever pleases him — photo by David Kitz

I know that the LORD is great,
    that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The LORD does whatever pleases him,
    in the heavens and on the earth,
    in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
    he sends lightning with the rain
    and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

(Psalm 135:5-7, NIV)