Psalm 43:5 – The Good Fight

As usual, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

⁷You were running well. Who cut in [on] you to not be obeying the truth? ⁸This persuasion [is] not out of the One calling you. ⁹‘A little leaven leavens the whole lump’. ¹⁰I am persuaded concerning you in the Lord that you will think nothing differently but the one troubling you, whoever he is, will bear the judgment. ¹¹But, brethren, if I am yet preaching circumcision, why am I yet being persecuted? Consequently the scandal of the Cross is negated. ¹²O that the ones opposing you would castrate themselves!

In my last two posts, I looked at verses 7 & 8. I also want to record some thoughts from the little proverb in verse 9, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump”. My impression is that this was a fairly common proverb in the ancient world, much like our “What goes up must come down.” Like them, we all “know what it means” and we can use it to apply to many different situations. I would also observe that the proverb itself apparently possessed no connotation negative or positive. Jesus quoted it in Matthew 13:33 as an illustration of the Kingdom of Heaven: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”  Paul quotes it here and also in I Cor 5:6 in the context of the immoral church member: “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” 

Obviously, it was simply a way of pointing out that seemingly small influences often can grow into pervasive impacts. Jesus was saying the Kingdom of Heaven can be that way; and it is certainly true that one person’s good influence can transform an entire family, a business, a church, even a nation. On the other hand, as Paul uses it in I Cor and here in Galatians, he is applying it to evil influences, which can themselves grow to corrupt entire people groups.

As I have pointed out earlier, it seems to me Paul is no longer writing in any kind of smooth logical flow. He has already built his case logically over five chapters and now, in verses 7 through 12, his passion seems to erupt in a series of exclamations, this proverb being one of them.  I think it is fair to say the consensus would be that he has in mind the teaching of the Judaizers, that in his mind there are only a handful of them, or perhaps he is thinking of their emphasis on the rite of circumcision – as if that were the “only” requirement the Galatians will have to submit to – when, as he has pointed out earlier, once you embrace legalism there will be no end to it.

Regardless, Paul’s point, Jesus’ point, and the point of our proverb is that we should ever be aware, both for better and for worse, that small influences should never be discounted or underestimated. Here in Galatians, the point is obviously, one way or another, the influence of false doctrine, and this is precisely where my blog devolves into more questions than answers.

Here’s my rub: on the one hand, it makes perfect sense to me that we must ever be on our guard against doctrinal error. Truth is truth, and, as I have said before, to be in error will be at least frustrating and may in the long run prove fatal. On the other hand, there is some measure of wisdom in knowing what “truth” is worth fighting for and what “truth” can be delegated to the realm of giving others the space to learn themselves. As a Christian, I have been “learning” for over 30 years. I don’t even agree with me from a month ago, much less from 5 years ago, or 10 or 20. And it should be that way. God help us if we can be around the Bible and Truth and not be constantly learning. But to learn is to realize I’ve been wrong. Was it “okay” that I was wrong? Was it “okay” that I myself had to learn to get where I am today? And then, what about the people around me? When is it okay for them to be wrong? When does the “wrong” call for correction? When is the “wrong” the little leaven that (dangerously) may leaven the whole lump?

What particularly brought this to mind was reading Marin Luther’s comments on this passage. He makes the statement, “This goes to show again how much importance Paul attached to the least points of Christian doctrine, … What right, then, have we to make little of doctrine? No matter how nonessential a point of doctrine may seem, if slighted it may prove the gradual disintegration of the truths of our salvation. Let us do everything to advance the glory and authority of God’s Word. Every tittle of it is greater than heaven and earth. Christian love and unity have nothing to do with the Word of God. We are bold to curse and condemn all men who in the least point corrupt the Word of God, ‘for a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.’”

Again, on the one hand, what Luther is saying makes perfect sense. Truth is truth. What isn’t truth is error and may grow into the very destruction of an entire people group. But where is the balance? “No matter how nonessential a point of doctrine …,” Luther said. Is that true? Hmmmm. While I deeply appreciate Luther and Calvin and their championing of the Scriptures such that there could be a Protestant Reformation, I am utterly unimpressed with the vituperative spirit they all seemed to do it with. If you go back and read their writings and the history of the Reformation, you will find they all hated and cursed each other. Luther tacked up his 95 theses on the Wittenberg Chapel door in 1517, and only 10 years later, in 1527, the first protestant was martyred by protestants. Felix Manz was drowned because he differed with them on the mode of baptism. Drowned? Executed? Really? Go back up to the last paragraph and read again what Luther said. Would he have someone executed because they differed with him on the mode of baptism? Yes.

Once again, I can read what Luther is saying and it can make perfect sense. Yet, somehow, I cannot and will not accept such a condemning spirit. Yes, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump;” but which leaven can be left to the process of sanctification in others’ lives and which leaven is worth going to the mat over?

Frankly, I don’t think I know the answer to these questions. I hope I will always be a champion for truth; but somehow I also want to live out the graciousness of a God who’s big enough to give me space to grow and still love me through it all.

For whatever it’s worth, I think the issues I’ve raised are of monumental significance. As I would live my faith, I have to live it in a world that is broken. The best anyone (including me) can be is learning. The best anyone can be is to be about the business of trying to fix the brokenness. So therefore there is no perfect church or church group. There are no perfect Christians to fellowship with. Therefore, and I think this is an enormous “therefore,” I cannot take Luther’s position to “curse and condemn all men who in the least point corrupt the Word of God.”  Somehow grace must be willing to overlook much, much, much in my church, my immediate Christian acquaintances, and even in the broader circle of who I align myself with – not to mention the non-christian world I live and work in.

On the other hand, the devil, like a roaring lion, still wanders about, seeking whom he may devour. A little leaven still leavens the whole lump. Error is still in the short run frustrating and in the long run fatal. To be wrong is still a dangerous thing. As in Paul’s case here in Galatians, sometimes error is serious enough to get a godly man into an emotional froth – to even start proposing castration! Love of people sometimes gives them room to grow, but it may also need to call error error and sin sin. How can we, for the love of grace and truth, determine where to draw these lines?

Once again, I don’t think I know the answers to these questions. Guess that is where I’ll have to leave this one. God grant us the wisdom to live, to love, and to fight well.

Psalm 43:5 -- The Real Battle of Faith

O my soul! Why are you downcast? And why are you groaning within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, the salvations of my face and my God.

As I study Psalm 43:5 I enjoy the advantage that Psalm 42:5 and 11 and essentially identical. So when one goes to read the thoughts of all my old buddies, I can go to three different places to see what they said. I am enjoying feasting at such a sumptuously set table! One commentator who very often speaks directly to my heart is John Calvin. His comments on these words as they're found in Psalm 42:5 are so thought-provoking, I would like to record them in their entirety here. If you find yourself discouraged and your soul groaning within you, if the troubles of this life seem currently to be robbing you of joy, read slowly and thoughtfully what Calvin has to say. Every single line is another pearl on a string of help and hope:

"O my soul! why art thou cast down? From this it appears that David contended strongly against his sorrow, lest he should yield to temptation: but what we ought chiefly to observe is, that he had experienced a strong and bitter contest before he obtained the victory over it; or we might rather say, that he was not delivered from it after one alarming assault, but was often called upon to enter into new scenes of conflict. It need not excite our wonder that he was so much disquieted and cast down, since he could not discern any sign of the divine favor towards him. But David here represents himself as if he formed two opposing parties. In so far as in the exercise of faith he relied upon the promises of God, being armed with the Spirit of invincible fortitude, he set himself, in opposition to the affections of his flesh, to restrain and subdue them; and, at the same time, he rebuked his own cowardice and imbecility of heart. Moreover, although he carried on war against the devil and the world, yet he does not enter into open and direct conflict with them, but rather regards himself as the enemy against whom he desires chiefly to contend. And doubtless the best way to overcome Satan is, not to go out of ourselves, but to maintain an internal conflict against the desires of our own hearts. It ought, however, to be observed, that David confesses that his soul was cast down within him: for when our infirmities rise up in vast array, and, like the waves of the sea, are ready to overwhelm us, our faith seems to us to fail, and, in consequence we are so overcome by mere fear, that we lack courage, and are afraid to enter into the conflict. Whenever, therefore, such a state of indifference and faint-heartedness shall seize upon us, let us remember, that to govern and subdue the desires of their hearts, and especially to contend against the feelings of distrust which are natural to all, is a conflict to which the godly are not unfrequently called. But here there are two evils specified, which, however apparently different, yet assail our hearts at the same time; the one is discouragement, and the other disquietude When we are quite downcast, we are not free of a feeling of disquietude, which leads us to murmur and complain. The remedy to both of them is here added, hope in God, which alone inspires our minds, in the first place, with confidence in the midst of the greatest troubles; and, secondly, by the exercise of patience, preserves them in peace. In what follows, David very well expresses the power and nature of hope by these words, I shall yet praise him; for it has the effect of elevating our thoughts to the contemplation of the grace of God, when it is hidden from our view. By the term yet, he confesses that for the present, and in so far as the praises of God are concerned, his mouth is stopped, seeing he is oppressed and shut up on all sides. This, however, does not prevent him from extending his hope to some future distant period; and, in order to escape from his present sorrow, and, as it were, get beyond its reach, he promises himself what as yet there was no appearance of obtaining. Nor is this an imaginary expectation produced by a fanciful mind; but, relying upon the promises of God, he not only encourages himself to cherish good hope, but also promises himself certain deliverance. We can only be competent witnesses to our brethren of the grace of God when, in the first place, we have borne testimony to it to our own hearts. What follows, The helps of his countenance, may be differently expounded. Commentators, for the most part, supply the word for: so that, according to this view, David here expresses the matter or cause of thanksgiving — that yet he would give praise or thanks to God for the help of his countenance This interpretation I readily admit. At the same time, the sense will not be inappropriate if we read the terms separately, thus: helps or salvations are from the countenance of God; for as soon as he is pleased to look upon his people he sets them in safety. The countenance of God is taken for the manifestation of his favor. His countenance then appears serene and gracious to us; as, on the contrary, adversity, like the intervening clouds, darkens or obscures its benign aspect."

May we all today find His countenance serene and gracious and may the joy of the Lord truly be our strength!

Psalm 43:3,4 – With Him

As usual, here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:

³Send forth Your light and Your truth. Let them guide me. Let them bring me to the mountain of Your holiness and to Your dwelling places, ⁴and I will come in to the altar of God, to God the joy of my rejoicing, and I will praise You with a lyre, God my God.

In my last post I noted how the Psalmist here desired to be in God’s presence. Verse 4 adds, “And I will come in to the altar of God …” Once again, note that the context of this psalm is trouble. Yet, while the psalmist wants the trouble to end, it makes his heart long for God’s presence.

It is interesting to me to realize that first of all God wants to be in our presence. He wants us with Him. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2,3). “…that you also may be where I am”-- There is no question Biblically speaking whether God wants to be with us. The question is whether we want to be with Him! In a sad sense, hell is God giving people what they wanted all along – to get away from Him. Thankfully, a believing heart has been redeemed from such eternally fatal foolishness. But still, the business of “practicing God’s presence,” of deliberately seeking His presence, is a learning process. What trouble does is jumpstart that business. As long as this world is all pleasant and wonderful, we can simply leave God out. When someone throws us in a lion’s den or a fiery furnace, all of sudden it is easier to treasure God’s presence! But I would suggest that maturity is to learn to value His presence whether in trouble or not. Maturity is desiring to be with Him constantly. He wants to be with us. Maturity is when we begin more and more to want to be with Him.

It is interesting to note in verse 4, the name God is used four times. There’s certainly no question where is this psalmist’s focus!

It is also interesting to note how he sees God. He calls Him, “the joy of my rejoicing.” The Hebrew here uses two words that are different yet very close synonyms. You could translate it, “joy of my joy” or “rejoicing of my rejoicing,” “delight of my delight,” or any combination thereof. I think we get the picture! He has grown spiritually to the point where it really is true that God is a delight to him. Once again, it is Biblically apparent that God delights in us: “The Lord your God in the midst of you is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over you with singing” (Zeph 3:17). Zephaniah uses the same two Hebrew words which occur in our passage. It is simply a fact, the Lord delights in us. The only question is whether we delight in Him! As soon as we do, the feelings are mutual. And that is exactly the relationship He intended from the beginning.

As with Adam and Eve, sin clouds that relationship. Our sins and our sinful nature leave us with a twisted view of God, seeing Him in some way as sinister or threatening or disinterested. But as we allow the blood of Jesus to wash those sins, as we hear Him calling to us to come boldly before the Throne of Grace, as we feed on His words and grow to truly know Him, we find Him everything our hearts ever desired. We find Him to be the “the joy of our rejoicing.”

One sad interjection here is to note that when we allow legalism to be our sanctification, it also clouds our view of God. Just as with the Pharisees, we may make up rules which appear very religious, which appeal to the others in our group, and which allow us to feel we’ve attained quite a level of spirituality. The problem is they’re not God’s rules. They’re not His truth. When we believe they came from Him we think they reflect Who He is. But He isn’t. He is YHVH, “I am that I am.” He is who He is and any other view of Him is simply in error. Legalism eclipses the face of God. The only hope is to diligently read and study and and let the Bible say what it says. Let it tell us Who God is, what He’s like, and what in fact He expects from us. When Jesus was here, He spoke to some of the most legalistic people who ever lived and said, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). I would suggest His “rest” comes from truly knowing Him for who He really is – this God who delights in us and Whom we will also find a delight to us, the more we truly know Him.

The key is to be “with Him.” He is with us. He said He’d never leave us. The only question is whether we’re with Him. To see Him as our psalmist sees Him, as the joy of our rejoicing, is the privilege and the end of a believing heart. In fact, Heaven itself will be the consummation of such a relationship here on earth. There we’ll forever be with Him, delighting in Him as He delights in us.

Here on earth, our adversities move us to desire His presence. Here in our psalm, the writer’s affliction moves Him to desire God’s dwelling place and His altar. But may the relationship we find there continue on, even after “these calamities pass by”.

Isn’t it great we can enjoy such a relationship now? Lord help us know You better and better and may it be true that whether in adversity or not we find in You “the joy of our rejoicing.”

Psalm 43:3 – His Presence

As usual, here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹Judge me, O God. Plead my cause against an unloving nation. Against a man of deceit and injustice deliver me, ²because You [are] the God of my fortress.  Why do You reject me? Why do I walk to and fro mourning in oppression of a hostile one?

³Send forth Your light and Your truth. Let them guide me. Let them bring me to the mountain of Your holiness and to Your dwelling places.

In my last post I focused on the first phrase of verse 3, “Send forth Your light …” Of course what the Psalmist asks is for God to send forth His light and His truth.  I could expound for hours on the subject of God’s truth, but I’ve done that many times so I won’t here. Suffice it to point out that God’s truth is the only absolute truth. It is the bedrock upon which life, even civilization must be built. All other “truth” must bow to His. It is one of the challenges (and pleasures) of human existence to seek out the truths of our universe, that which we properly call science. But as much as I love science (and I do), even that is always subject to the limitations and errors of perception. Only God’s truth is absolutely “true.”

Note too that specifically the Psalmist wants God’s light and truth to guide him. He could have asked that God’s light and truth exonerate him or expose the villain. People often want God’s light and truth simply to add to their store of knowledge wherewith to impress their Sunday School class. But this psalmist’s passion is not just to be intellectual. He wants to walk with God. He wants God’s light and truth to be immediately practical. Guide me. Help me to know the way wherein I should walk. Help me to know how to think about this situation, what to do about it, how to respond to it. I would suggest it becomes particularly important to pray like this when we’re being treated unjustly precisely because we ourselves are sinners and prone to respond badly.

Interesting to note, too, that he specifically asks, “Let them bring me to the mountain of Your holiness and to Your dwelling places”.   I think it irrelevant whether he is referring literally to Jerusalem and the Temple or whether he is speaking spiritually of God’s presence. Either way it is the same in the end – it is God’s presence he desires. David longed in Psalm 23 (before there was a Temple), “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” In Psalm 61 he prayed “I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.” In Psalm 27 he prayed, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple”.

“To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord”. I think I am just beginning to really understand and experience what David and the psalmist of our passage are talking about. All through my life, it has been a considerable comfort to be able to go to the Lord with my every trial, my every fear, my every need, to learn and to feed on the truth that He loves me and cares about me and wants to use those troubles for my good. I think underneath it all, part of the comfort was knowing that the trouble would end, wanting it to be over. Yes, I wanted to learn His lessons, grow closer to Him, and the like. But mainly I wanted it to be over. “Deliver me, O God!” And there is certainly nothing wrong with any of that. The writer in Psalm 116 praised God saying, “For You, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling …” Even here in Psalm 43, in verse 1 he prays, "Against a man of deceit and injustice deliver me." But I think I’m learning something even better, what he expresses here in verse 3 – the desire to see His face even in the trouble and to even find joy in seeing His face, in a sense oblivious to the trouble and whether it will or will not soon end. “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.”  One thing I ask. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord … all the days of my life.  Here in Psalm 43, the same sentiment is expressed, “Let [Your light and Your truth] guide me” not “out of this trouble” but rather “to the place where You dwell, into Your presence.”

In Psalm 27, David prayed “My heart says of You, ‘Seek His face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.” I think, I hope I’m finally learning what David means. To see His face is the best thing of all. As long as I can see Him, I find hope and strength to live by. I find the strength to love and to rise above myself. As long as I can see His face, He really does lift me up. When I can’t see His face or when I lose sight of it, that’s when my world, my heart goes dark. To see His face, to be in His presence, to be where He dwells, those are the greatest gifts to enjoy in this world. And again, what amazes my heart is how I can actually enjoy those things even while I’m suffering the slings and arrows of this world’s misfortunes.         

May I see Your face clearly all day today. Whether in trouble or not, may Your light and truth guide me each step of the way. And may my best destination be not to escape my troubles but rather to find myself enjoying Your presence. “… and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 43:3 – Light and Darkness

As usual, here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹Judge me, O God. Plead my cause against an unloving nation. Against a man of deceit and injustice deliver me, ²because You [are] the God of my fortress.  Why do You reject me? Why do I walk to and fro mourning in oppression of a hostile one?

³Send forth Your light and Your truth. Let them guide me. Let them bring me to the mountain of Your holiness and to Your dwelling places.

What a verse (3, that is). Eleven words in the Hebrew original exploding with galaxies of hope and peace and strength. I think I could type on for hours. Where do I even begin? Hmmmm. Maria and the children sing, “Let’s begin at the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start!”

Seriously, let’s begin at the very beginning. And what does it say?

"Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." (Gen. 1:3-5).

Our glorious God has been sending forth light and dispelling darkness for a very long time! And though light vs. darkness means nothing to Him (Ps. 139:11,12) , in His love He knows they are literally “night and day” to us. He Himself of course is “the Light of the world” and in His heaven “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Rev. 21:23).

Charles Wesley captured the intensely personal meaning of God’s light in his old hymn, “And Can It Be?”:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature’s night,

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light!

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee!

“Light and darkness” is one of the enormous and fundamental fractals of our created existence.  The good guys dress in white; the bad guys in black. Bright sunshine is cheery and healthful; darkness is gloomy and dank. When I don’t know, I’m “in the dark;” when I figure it out “the lights come on!” In bright light I can see even minute details; in the darkness we’ll run into a wall. I have noticed for years that this contrast of light vs. darkness is a constantly recurring theme in the Bible. Once I set about to study it, then realized it was way too big a subject to even try to address with a single study. Now I know that is because it is a fractal. It is a pattern which bears upon our lives in a million different ways on a million different scales, but always that same pattern: light is good/ darkness usually bad.

And so, in our passage, the Psalmist pleads the Lord to “send forth Your light!”

Well would we pray that. Back in Psalm 36:9, David said, “In Your light, we see light.”

It is always true that we need God’s light to walk by. I need His truth to be “a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Ps 119:105); but we acutely need His light during those times of trial and trouble. Here in our Psalm, we’re dealing with those situations where we feel we are being unjustly mistreated, when others or even someone in particular is inflicting some misery into our life. How should I respond? Should I try to defend myself? Do I need to? How do I get this anger and hatred out of my heart? How can I return good for their evil? How can I even make myself want to? Why is the Lord allowing this? When will it end?

In all this confusion and emotion, we can pray, “Lord, send forth Your light!”

I have found over the years that at those times my evil heart doesn’t want to pray those words because way down deep I doubt it will do any good. My evil heart can’t imagine how God could send any light, so it persuades me, “Why bother?”

But when I gather up my faith and pray it anyway, it has always amazed me how He has, in fact, answered. I like Micah’s retort to his evil heart, “Rejoice not against me, my enemy, when I fall, for I shall arise; and when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto me” (Micah 7:8). Notice those words: “…for I shall arise; and when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto me.” Those are faith words and good medicine for believing hearts.

So let us ask, that we might receive. Lord, send forth Your light. 

Psalm 43:1,2 – Wrestling in the Darkness

As usual, here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹Judge me, O God. Plead my cause against an unloving nation. Against a man of deceit and injustice deliver me, ²because You [are] the God of my fortress.

 Why do You reject me? Why do I walk to and fro mourning in oppression of a hostile one?

Continuing from the last post, Psalm 43 was written in the context of some kind of injustice. In some way, the psalmist feels he is being treated unfairly or wrongly. It’s probably safe to say there’s never a time in our lives when we don’t feel we’re being treated unfairly or wrongly in some way or another. But then there are those times where the wrong is particularly painful, when it seems to be the main course in our meal of life. What are we to do? As in the last post, I am thankful the Lord included this passage of Scripture and others like it in the Bible. We have here recorded the prayer of a godly person as they face exactly what we do sooner or later. Hopefully as we study a passage like this, the Lord will help us be better equipped and able to respond to injustice in a mature and godly way.

Notice in verse 1, the focus is on the offender, the man of “deceit and injustice.” The psalmist asks the Lord to plead his cause against such a person. As we progress into verse 2, he gives the grounds of this request: “… because You are the God of my fortress.” In this world we may or may not have any human recourse to address the wrongs we suffer. Sometimes we do but I would contend that usually we do not. As I said before, in my experience it has generally done little good to try to defend oneself. Accusers, slanderers, and those who hurt others generally have little concern for truth. They have some other axe to grind or some personal gain they’re grasping for. Our “case” or our “truth” simply gets in the way of their evil. Again, there may be steps a person should take when under injustice. But even if there are, a believer soon realizes he is pretty much helpless in a world of trouble.

As in this Psalm, such realizations drive us to the Lord. Yes, it is true. He is the God of my fortress. Ultimately He and He alone can truly defend me and deliver me. Like Jesus, we must “entrust” ourselves “to Him who judges justly.” He is our strength and our strong tower. What that means to me is that I don’t have to let myself wallow in anger or self-pity. I can go on loving, being kind, even being joyful whether the immediate injustice is resolved or not. I am free to go on loving God, loving people, and honestly loving life, because I know that God is my fortress, He is in this for my good, and that the very best “deliverance” is when I let Him change me through it all, when I allow Him to make me better because of it..

As in this Psalm, however, before I get there, I may have to work through some more emotional turmoil. Notice, while the psalmist started his prayer feeling mistreated by another person, in verse 2 he turns the hurt toward God Himself. “Why doYou reject me?” It is worthy of note that the Hebrew word translated “reject” is a very strong word. It’s like taking a drink of milk only then to realize it is seriously spoiled. How violently do you spit it out? That’s the picture. And that is the intensity of the emotion the psalmist is feeling.

First we see how we’re being treated; in this case mistreated. We feel the pain and see the person(s) who seem to be inflicting it. But then, because we believe God controls everything, our hearts go to the fact that He is allowing it. “Why?” we ask in our grief! It seems that God has turned against us too! “Why do You reject me? Why do You allow this pain that makes me go to and fro mourning, being oppressed by this hostile person, this man of deceit and injustice, this unloving nation?”

Jesus cried from the Cross, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

Job said, “Even today my complaint is bitter; His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.

 If only I knew where to find Him; if only I could go to His dwelling! But if I go to the east, He is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. But He stands alone, and who can oppose Him? He does whatever He pleases. He carries out His decree against me, and many such plans He still has in store. That is why I am terrified before Him; when I think of all this, I fear Him. God has made my heart faint.”

In Psalm 88, the psalmist complains, “My soul is full of trouble … I cry to You for help, O Lord. Why do You reject me and hide Your face from me? I have suffered Your terrors and am in despair. Your wrath has swept over me. You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.”

It used to puzzle me to hear such things. “Where is their faith?” I asked myself. Then I realized the very complaint is an expression of their faith. The very fact they are praying to God in their struggle is because of their belief that He is in charge. As David said, “I believed, therefore I said, ‘I am greatly afflicted!” Now it is certainly possible to question God in unbelief. From unbelievers, we read and hear such things often, like “If there is a God, then why does He allow so much evil in the world?” In their case, the question is an expression of their unbelief. But, as in the Scripture passages above, Jesus, and Job, and the Psalmist, and even we can wrestle through the emotional turmoil of our pain “questioning” God. What’s important here is that we’re talking to Him.

Charles Spurgeon said, “He who is the Author of a mysterious trial can best expound it to us.” I believe we can say with confidence, based on the Scriptures, that it is permissible, even good, to inquire of God regarding our trials, even if at the time our emotions are raw and our questions even appear to be challenging Him. He’s a big God. He can handle it. And He “knoweth our frame, that we are but dust.” Though He must allow the trouble to accomplish some good in our life, yet in His compassion He sees our pain, He feels deeply for us, He pities our helplessness, as a mother loves and pities her helpless little baby. And so He is not offended by our seeming accusations and challenges. He wants us to talk to Him, regardless of, (yea, because of!) our current emotional state.

He is the very One who said, “No trial for the present seems joyous but grievous; but afterward yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are exercised by it.”

So then, in the pain of our injustice, in the pain of being mistreated, even before we “get our head straight,” let us take the matter to our God. Let us fire away all the anguish and confusion and hurt, even if it seems to be aimed at Him. He can handle it. He wants us to talk to Him. And He alone will prove to be “the God of our fortress” before it is over. He alone can “fix” us. He alone can give us wisdom and strength. He alone can even give us joy in the midst of the storm.

Let us pray our hearts away! Like Jacob, let us wrestle with Him in our darkness and say, “I will not let You go, lest You bless me!”

Psalm 43:1 – Injustice?

  Here is my literal translation of the opening verse:

¹Judge me, O God. Plead my cause against an unloving nation. Against a man of deceit and injustice deliver me.

The context of this verse is immediately an unpleasant subject: injustice. What do we do when we sincerely feel we are being treated unjustly?

Now, any true Christ-follower is a person who is sincerely trying to have good relationships in this world, trying to do good to the people around them, to be faithful in their duties, to deal honestly with people, and the such. However, as my boss often quotes, “No good turn goes unpunished.” It’s true. No matter how sincerely one tries to do right, no matter how hard we work for the good of others, we live in a malevolent world that will often hate us for it. Sometimes we may simply be misunderstood but then, on the other hand, there really are sinister people who would deliberately ruin our lives, no matter how hard we’re trying to be the best we can be. Matthew Henry said, “As long as there are such bad men out of hell, and nations of them, it is not strange that good men, who are yet out of Heaven, meet with hard and base treatment.” All Jesus ever did was love people and they crucified Him for it.

How can a believer keep on keeping on in such an unjust world?

Again, it is an unpleasant subject, but sadly it is reality. And when injustice comes crashing through my life, how can I respond? What can I do? Fortunately the Lord included this Psalm, and others like it in the Scriptures, where we can find a godly person’s prayer in the midst of just such a situation.

So what does he do? Note first of all here that he calls God to be his judge. Herein is probably often times the very reason God allows us to suffer injustice – to remind us Who’s opinion really matters anyway. There is, in fact, enormous comfort in realizing that God knows our heart, that He knows that our motives were pure, that we did do it out of love. Even if others falsely accuse us, impugn our motives, and slander us behind our backs, we need to find solace is the Lord’s approval.

The other thing it can do is provide a platform for some serious self-evaluation. No matter how malevolent others may be, it is always possible (if not likely) that there is some truth in what they’re saying. That is also part of asking God to judge us. “Lord, if there is any truth in what they’re saying, open my eyes to see my faults. Even if they’re totally wrong in how they are attacking me, still I want to grasp every opportunity to see myself for who I truly am and allow You to change me.” What is good here is that we can count on the Lord to be accurate and fair in His assessment, to be gentle in His correction, and to be sincerely interested in our good – regardless of the malevolence of others and … regardless of the tyranny of our own cruel consciences. Oh wretched man that I am – my evil pride may hide my faults but my legalistic conscience clutches every opportunity to bludgeon my feeble heart. I can’t trust others’ evaluations but I can’t trust my own either. When under attack from without, I may yet prove to be my own worst enemy. More on this later.

But back to our Psalm, it is always possible that I genuinely have done nothing wrong (in this particular instance), that I do not deserve the ill-treatment I’m receiving. The Psalmist asks God to “plead my cause.” Sometimes one needs to defend himself. But it has been my experience in life that this usually accomplishes nothing. The people who accuse us usually have no interest in truth. They only want to “win.” Defend yourself if you should but I would say usually the Psalmist’s approach is best – just ask God to do the defending. He can “bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy justice as the noonday sun.” If, rather than trying to defend ourselves, we just continue to respond in integrity, maturity, and kindness, the Lord can make sure the right people see through all the smoke. Sometimes “If a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

So ultimately our case is really with the Lord anyway.

I like what Paul said in I Corinthians 4:3,4:

“I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.”

As I alluded to above, sometimes the malevolence is from without, but unfortunately it can come just as viciously from within. Paul’s total comfort is in to rest in God’s judgment – not even his own (!).

And, particularly regarding those assaults from without, thankfully we have Jesus’ example as noted in I Peter 2:21-23:

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.”

“… He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.”

As unpleasant as injustice may be, it is good for our souls to kneel beside Jesus and pray, “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” Sometimes it takes injustice to get us there.

Psalm 86:16,17 – Conclusion of the Matter

As usual, here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹⁶Turn to me and be gracious to me. Give Your strength to Your servant and deliver the son of Your handmaid. ¹⁷Make with me a sign to good and ones hating me will see and be ashamed because You LORD have helped me and comforted me.

This entire prayer has been motivated by a particular incident in David’s life where the hate-brigade has him in their sights. No one knows exactly what is the particular nature of their hatred but, for the sake of Scripture, that really isn’t important. Obviously David’s prayer is suited for any such attack, whether it be the hate-brigade, the devil himself, or whatever kid of threat it might be.

David prays in conclusion, “Turn to me.” One should remember that the Lord is a great King with many, many people seeking audience with Him and with many matters of great import demanding His attention. In the midst of all of that, David asks Him, “Turn to me.” “In the midst of all Your kingly business, I would ask a moment of Your attention.”

And then he implores, “Be gracious to me.” The Hebrew word translated “be gracious” is exactly that, the act of a superior granting favor (not necessarily merited in any way) to an inferior, as a king granting to a subject or a master to his servant. That is truly what each of us needs. We need the great King to grant us acts of favor, regardless of whether we deserve it or not. We simply need it.

The particular grace David asks for is the Lord’s strength and deliverance. Strength is certainly what we all need to face the trials and threats and challenges of our life. I so easily lose sight of love. I so easily lose sight of treasuring relationships. I so easily lose sight of the things that really matter. And I am so easily confused. I so easily give up. Lord, grant me the strength to keep my gaze fixed on Jesus and to be Your representative, no matter what it costs or what I have to fear.

He adds that he is the “son of Your handmaid.” In the times of slavery, if a child was born to a master’s slave-girl, he automatically became the servant of that master. He could potentially be seen as especially valuable to his master since he was actually born in his house. If he had some need, he could remind the master that he was not just a slave who had been bought along the way, but actually born in his house. So David alludes, apparently, to his own mother. This is, as far as I know, the only allusion in the Bible to David’s mother’s character. I don’t believe we are ever given her name. His father was Jesse, of course, but I don’t believe we’re ever given his mother’s name. But here, apparently, David reminds the Lord that his mother was a godly woman, and that being the case, he was then “born in the Master’s house.” Certainly anyone who can attest to godly parents and grandparents can certainly bring that before the Lord as further reason for Him to come to our aid. He wants to bless “thousands of generations of them that love Him.” Godly parents and grandparents invest a lifetime of prayers and heartlove for their children and grandchildren. Whether they are still living or not, it is a kindness of the Lord that he will bless their children for their sake, just as He blessed many of Israel and then Judah’s kings “for the sake of my servant David.” So may we implore that blessing if we’ve enjoyed the benefit of godly ancestors.

Finally David asks the Lord to help him in such a way that his enemies will see it and somehow know that it was the Lord who helped him and comforted him. I don’t know how much other people have been able to see “it was the Lord who helped me” but I am certainly aware of many, many, many times when He has helped me face whatever He put in front of me. At 55, I am amazed how much he has helped me at work. He has made me way better than I am. I have faced so many problems and projects where I really didn’t know what I was going to do, or where things could have gone really badly or really well. And again, and again, He has helped me. And once again, what I see is that He has made me way better than I am. I’ve accomplished so much that really was far beyond me. But again, and again I am very aware of specific ways and instances where he stepped in helped me see something I could never have seen, helped me figure out something I could never have figured out, moved other people to do things I could never have somehow extracted from them, made things work that were simply far out of my control.

He is just so good that way. I am just floored by His kindness. Like David, every time I face new challenges, I need to remember all that past kindness and be the more determined to be loving and faithful right through it, no matter what.

I think that is the big point of Psalm 86. We need to keep in the very focus of our minds that our God is gracious, compassionate, forgiving, faithful, and abounding in loving-kindness. Then as we face our various challenges throughout our day, big or small, we need to keep on loving, assured that our good God will giv us joy and strength and help at just the right times.

He’s that kind of God. May our hearts be so full of His love that we find trusting Him habitual. He certainly deserves it.

And now, unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we could ask or think, to Him be the glory throughout all the ages, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 86:14,15 – Contrasts

As usual, here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹⁴O God, proud ones rise against me, and a group of violent ones seek my soul, and they have not set You before them, ¹⁵but You Adonai [are] a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and great [in] loving-kindness and faithfulness.

Last post I noted the existence of the hate-brigades, the people who will oppose you no matter how good or right your cause. As I noted there, unfortunately, if we don’t vigilantly, prayerfully guard our own souls against the sin of pride, we actually ourselves become the hate brigade for someone else’s good cause. The problem with us people is we’re just a fallen, wrecked bunch, all desperately in need of a Redeemer.

But, against this backdrop of human maliciousness, in verse 15 David contrasts it all with who God is: but You Adonai [are] a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and great [in] loving-kindness and faithfulness. Wow. What a combination of attributes. What more could we ask for? Just pause a moment and think about these five qualities and then marvel that this is who our God is! It is the very salvation of our souls that our God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and great in loving-kindness and faithfulness. If He was anything less we’d have all long since dropped into hell. But thankfully for us, He is who He is.

What better God could we ask for? And what better friend? What better Father? If only we could get this knowledge, this image of God fixed in our minds. If only we could so believe it and embrace it by faith that our minds never lost sight of such divine beneficence. Then we’d have no trouble trusting Him implicitly. I’m reminded of the words to the song, “You’re everything I’ve hoped for; You’re everything I need. You are so beautiful to me.” I would pray again, “Lord, unite my heart, give me a single focus, to see You clearly for who You really are. May my heart never lose sight of the wonder of Your compassion, graciousness, patience, loving-kindness, and faithfulness.

Incidentally, I just want to interject that the Hebrew word translated “compassionate” is from the same root letters as the word for a mother’s womb. In Hebrew, the idea of compassionate includes the whole picture of the very deep love, the affection, the feelings of a mother toward her tiny baby. Again, pause and consider that is how our God sees us. Amazing love. How can it be?

Back to the contrast, what is both sad and encouraging is that we were made in God’s image. We were made to be like Him. It is sad that people are proud and violent and inject misery into each other’s existence, when from their very creation they were intended to be compassionate, gracious, patient, and great in loving-kindness and faithfulness. But there is a Redeemer! And He came to redeem! That very God of compassion, graciousness, patience, loving-kindness, and faithfulness came to earth to be our Savior, to redeem our broken perverted race, to call us to Himself, and to restore us into that image. And for those who embrace that love, He promises that all things will work together for the amazing good that we should be conformed to that image – the image of Christ – the One who is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and great in loving-kindness and faithfulness!

Oh that we would be that kind of friend, that kind of parent, that kind of boss and co-worker. Oh to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer. Adam’s image now efface, stamp Thine image in its place.

On the one hand, for now reality has to be that I simply cannot expect to escape people’s meanness and cruelty. But even as I see it and suffer from it, may my heart be all the more enamored with the wonder of who my God is. And as I learn to fix my gaze on Him, may He change me into His likeness.

Second Adam from above, reinstate us in Thy love!

Psalm 86:14 – Opposition

As usual, here is my fairly literal translation of this verse:

¹⁴O God, proud ones rise against me, and a group of violent ones seek my soul, and they have not set You before them.

Hmmmm. Several thoughts cross my mind. First is that Jesus Himself could have prayed this exact prayer. We shouldn’t be surprised to suffer the same fate. Jesus never did anything but love people. He taught them the truth, healed them, fed them, and sought always to do them good. Unfortunately there was a group of proud, violent men always waiting in the shadows for a chance to kill Him! And kill Him they did.

It has long been my observation in this world that no matter how good a cause you may champion, no matter how worthy a project you might try to implement, no matter how sincere your love for a group of people, there will always be fierce, mean, hateful opposition. A man told me once about a particular issue which he felt he should confront and asked my opinion. I told him he was right but, if he chose to pursue it, he should realize that, before it was over, it would cost him his life. If it was worth that, then, yes, he should dive in. I didn’t say that to discourage him, but only to make him count the cost. Too often people (including myself) dive into such things imagining that a good cause will enjoy the support of most people. Instead, you get seemingly nothing but opposition and hatred. The better part of wisdom is to realize that going in.

When we see that is what Jesus got, it should sober us all. No more imagining ourselves carried along on a wave of adulation. Even when we do seem to enjoy widespread public support, we’d better remember that’s what Jesus got on Palm Sunday. Less than a week later they crucified Him.

I’ve heard them called the “hate-brigade.” In one town, the clerk told me they are the C.A.V.E. people – Citizens Against Virtually Everything. No matter what you try to accomplish, they are always there, fighting against you.

David was a good man. He was a good king. He intended to do his people good. Yet here we find him deeply afflicted by his own personal hate-brigade. It is interesting to note that his response was not to give up the cause but rather to take the matter to the Lord in prayer. Just like Jesus.

A disturbing thought is to realize the very people who opposed Jesus and who were in fact responsible for His murder were the religious establishment of His day. The very group from which Jesus should have enjoyed the most sincere support instead were His most bitter enemies. The Pharisees were the “fundamentalists” of their day – the people who seemed most committed to the Scriptures and to living a religious life. But the truth is, as much as they all impressed each other, their religion was a totally external sham, a religion of do’s and don’ts, of legalistic self-righteousness, and devoid of any real relationship with God. As a result, they had no heart for a man like Jesus, a man who was too busy loving God and people to pay any attention to their “rules.” So they crucified Him.

The scary fallout from this is to realize that, even if we think we are the champions of faith in this world, we’d better take serious stock of our hearts before God. David exposes in this verse the root problem – pride. Presumption, arrogance, insolence. The most hideous thing about pride to me is that, even though it is horrifically ugly, if it’s my problem I can’t see it. Pride blinds me to itself. I never detect it because I see it in my life. I first detect its symptoms, then as I pray for God’s help, I will actually finally see it, so I can repent of it. But it is an elusive evil. The Pharisees didn’t think they were proud. They were quite sure they were right! Yet they crucified the Messiah Himself.

If we are not vigilant, if we don’t sincerely try to guard against this subtle sin, then one way or another we will join the hate-brigade. Yes. Us. We need to beg God to deliver us from the sin of pride. Even the religious establishment itself becomes satan’s minions when their hearts are full of pride. God help us.

So, as I live my life, even if I think I’m pursuing good causes, I shouldn’t be surprised when I get not adulation but rather bitter opposition. Before I take up a cause, I should honestly count the cost – am I willing to endure the opposition? Can I proceed expecting it? And will I stay the course to the end, regardless? Rather than giving up in the middle, can I resolve to take the opposition to the Lord in prayer?

Secondly, God deliver me from the sin of pride. I don’t want to join someone else’s hate-brigade. Obviously from this verse, if I allow myself to live in the sin of pride, one way or another I will become one of the “violent” ones and fail to set the Lord before me. I will one way or another oppose someone sincerely trying to do good. I could even end up crucifying the Messiah! I DON”T want to do that. I don’t want to be that kind of person. Yet pride is the very skin I live in. Good thing His name is Jesus. “… for He shall save His people from their sins.”

Lord help us to stay the course even when proud people oppose us – even if it is the very religious establishment itself – and God deliver us from our own pride, lest we become the opposers. Give us the grace instead, to truly be supportive and encouraging to those who are trying to do right.

Psalm 86:11-13 – The Anatomy of Trust

 As I included in my last post, here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹¹Teach me Your way, LORD. I will walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your name. ¹²I will praise You, Adonai my God, in the all of my heart. I will honor Your name to ages, ¹³because Your lovingkindness [is] great toward me and You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.

As I said last time, as I study these verses, so many thoughts flood my mind. I’ll try to record a few more here:

In verse 11 David prayed, “Unite my heart to fear Your name.” In verse 12 he goes on to say, “I will praise You, Lord, with all my heart.” First he wants his heart united, then he would praise the Lord with all of that heart. All our heart. That is what the Lord desires and certainly what He deserves.

I’m reminded of the Rio Grande River which flows down through the West and into the Gulf of Mexico – except for one problem. It never makes it. All along its path, so many people draw out its water that it never reaches the Gulf. So like our hearts. We would praise God with all our hearts except that after so many other allurements we never quite make it to His throne. Lord, deliver us. May we not squander our hearts gathering straws but rather give them totally to You. Grant us grace to rise above ourselves so that in fact we truly can praise You with all our hearts.

David then adds that he would “honor Your name to the ages.” Back in verse 9, he noted how all the nations (the Gentiles) would honor His name. But David would not be left behind. He too has every intention of joining that happy throng of angels, Israelites, and Gentiles as they honor the Lord’s name together one day. And he intends to start the practice now. In verse 11 he desired the Lord to unite his heart to “fear Your name.” Here he would “honor Your name.” Fearing, honoring, praising – they all coalesce in the wonder of who God is.

Perhaps from a slightly different angle, honoring the name of the Lord is a very immediate and practical affair. We want not only our words but our lives as well to bring Him honor. I want to always be aware that the choices I’m making, the words I’m saying, the way I’m living is all something that can actually honor the Lord’s name. So much of what supposed Christians do actually dishonors God’s name in this world. It’s a wonder that anyone ever comes to the Lord. But I am certainly no different. I am deeply ashamed of what an idiot I have been. Proud, self-righteous, arrogant, cruel legalist. I’ve been way too much of that. Like I said, it’s a wonder anyone ever comes to the Lord when we believers live such dishonorable lives. If we’re the only Jesus they ever see, it is an eternal tragedy they don’t see who He really is.

But God help me (us). I (we) would be different! I want my life to honor Him. God help me as I go to work that love and faithfulness would never leave me. As I interact with my family and friends, may I be a loving, forgiving, encouraging person. Take this feeble twisted wreck of a soul and truly let Jesus live through me.

Then David goes on to explain himself. He has said he would praise the Lord with all his heart and honor His name to the ages. Then he adds “because …” These are always blessed places to pause. David was a man after God’s own heart. He was a genuine believer. As I have related above, I can concur with David in his desire to praise and honor the Lord. Those things I understand. But when one of God’s people says “because…” we are offered the unparalleled treasure of knowing their heart. Why, David? Why exactly are you moved to want to praise and honor God? What in particular moves you? All we have to do is keep reading. When he says, “because…,” he is about to share his heart with us!

So “because” why? Why would you praise and honor God? Read verse 13 again. It is because “great is Your loving kindness to me and You’ve delivered my soul from the deepest Sheol.” Back in verse 3 David said he would lift up his soul to the Lord “because You are good and forgiving and abounding in loving kindness to all who call on You.” Pause and think about this. What David is saying is that love begets love. What we have before us is a real relationship. I suspect that for too much of my life and for too many people, we think we should praise God simply because we should. It’s the right thing to do. Or perhaps in some people’s heart of hearts they see Him as sitting on His throne demanding it. Praise Him or else. But this is something so much better. David had it and we can too. A real relationship with God. A love relationship. A mutual love relationship. I feel like in a lot of ways I’ve just begun to understand this in the last few years.

I know I should trust God. I want to trust Him. But I am more and more convinced that trust should be born of love. On the one hand I can try to “trust” Him because I know the facts – that He is great and all-powerful, that He is omniscient, that He has promised to do me good, etc., etc. But how much better to constantly feed on His great love, His great goodness and forgiveness, the amazing deliverance I’ve already enjoyed in so many ways. When I am seeing His love for me, the way He has already delivered me, why shouldn’t I trust Him?

Perhaps this is part of the united heart, the single-mindedness, the fixed gaze. As discussed above, we need to be looking to Him. But who is the Him we’re looking to? What are we seeing when we’re “looking”? I would think that, when Peter was looking at Jesus, he was seeing Him, that he was seeing the assurance of His great love. As long as he saw that, he could walk on water. To look away and see the wind and waves wasn’t just “looking away” but it was actually losing sight of this great love that would have carried him.

Right now, in my own life, I am under an enormous amount of pressure coming from several different directions at once. Way more than I’ve ever experienced in my life. I am quite sure without God I simply couldn’t handle it. But I want to do more than just “handle” it. I want to enjoy life and enjoy God even as I work my way through all of it. I know the key is to trust Him. But that seems like a very fragile grasp for me. I suspect herein is at least part of the answer – what I need to do is try to constantly feed on His great love. I need to try to keep my mind filled with it. And when I see the wind and the waves, it is this great love I need to look back to and cling to. If I’m seeing this great love, then it isn’t that hard to trust Him.

Lord help me be like David. Help me praise You and lift up my soul to You because You are good and forgiving and great in loving kindness to all who call on You, because I already know You’ve delivered me from the deepest Sheol.

I’m really going to try to keep this focus. The particular pressures I’m under right now are probably going to be here in raging intensity for at least a couple or three months. I know I’m going to fail. Like Peter I will see the wind and waves and lose it. But I pray for the grace to get up again and again and keep trying to focus my mind of this great love. When this is over, may it be true that I trusted Him because I love Him, because He loves me. And may it be true that I learned to trust Him – and to love Him – more than I ever have before!

Psalm 86:11-13 – Students

As usual, here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹¹Teach me Your way, LORD. I will walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your name. ¹²I will praise You, Adonai my God, in the all of my heart. I will honor Your name to ages, ¹³because Your lovingkindness [is] great toward me and You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.

As I study these verses, so many thoughts flood my mind. This section will take more than one post, I’m sure. Here are some thoughts to start with:

In verse 11, David says, “Teach me Your way, LORD. I will walk in Your truth”. Remember that the context here is that David is in trouble of some kind. He could simply pray, “Lord, get me out of this!” Instead, he prays, “Teach me Your way.” As much as I may want to “get out” of my troubles, it is actually far more important that I let God teach me through them. Although He may have other purposes, it is generally true that He allows trouble in my life specifically because He is trying to teach me something. So am I a willing student? Or am I too busy whining to see the value in what is happening? The greatest regret from any trouble will not be that it happened but that I failed to learn what the Lord could have taught me. Lord help me be a willing student in Your school of life.

Then David adds, “I will walk in Your truth.” Shifting gears a little, when it comes to God’s teaching, the appropriate response is that we should walk in the truth He teaches us. Herein is a great deficiency in our sin-sick souls. Like the “Sower and the Seed,” so much teaching falls on bad ground. Apparently, one of the deepest traps is, having heard teaching, we therefore think we’ve “got it” and go merrily along. It is beyond shocking to me how people can spend years and years in church, hear sermon after sermon, sometimes three or four (or more) a week, and be utterly unchanged. Perhaps they attend church simply as a religious checklist. Just being there makes them “okay.” Perhaps they’re so mired in the politics and relationships and programs of the church, they simply don’t hear what’s being taught. There are no doubt as many explanations as there are sin-cursed hearts. But here is one sure remedy – that we would sincerely pray, “Lord, teach me Your way and I will walk in Your truth.” Always our hearts should be intent on application as we sit under Bible teaching, and as we read and study our own Bibles.  We should have a holy discontent until the “lights come on,” until we see clearly how this teaching affects my daily life. We should say, “I want God to teach me His way, but that job isn’t done until I can actually walk in that truth.” God deliver us from our sin-sick heart and the ignorant stupor it breeds. May our hearts truly remain restless till they find rest in Thee.

David goes on to say, “Unite my heart to fear Your name”.  Ah, here we have another affliction of our fallen souls. Double-mindedness. Hebrews 12 urges us to have our “gaze fixed on Jesus.” The only rightful place to fix our gaze is on Jesus. He alone deserves our undivided allegiance. Looking at Jesus, Peter could walk on the water. It was when he looked instead at the wind and the waves that he began to sink. In Isaiah 41:10, we are instructed to “Fear not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God.” The phrase, “Be not dismayed,” could actually be translated, “Don’t be furtively glancing around.” “I am thy God.” “Look at Me.” “Look to Me.” “Whatever it is you’re fearing, quit focusing on it. Quit glancing around hoping for some other deliverance. Look at Me.”                      

This is what our hearts need. Singlemindedness. “Unite my heart to fear Your name,” David prays. Our sinfulness can be described as pride or as selfishness or a lot of other things. But “fearfulness” is another way of seeing it. When we don’t fear God aright, then our poor hearts get slain by a million other lesser fears. And sinful fear drives us to make very bad decisions, which only get us into deeper trouble, which only leads us to fear more, which only leads to more bad decisions … What I need is a heart that single-mindedly gives fear only to Him who deserves it. And fearing Him liberates me from all those other fears. It gives me a clear mind to make good decisions, even when seemingly drowning in troubles and threats. Fear makes us sniveling, pathetic creatures. A right fear of God will raise us up into courageous, resolute people who can face trouble head on and standing up straight. None of us wants to be like the double-minded man in James who is “unstable in all his ways.” But unfortunately, our very existence as believers is a war between our flesh and the Spirit. We must be resolved to let the Spirit win, but first, we must realize our utter helplessness and cry out to our Deliverer, “Unite my heart to fear Your name!” Give me an undivided heart. Help me to be single-minded. Left to myself, I am a hopeless mire of pride, selfishness, and fear. Raise me up. In those moments of decision, give me a heart to walk in Your truth. When I fail, forgive my foolishness and raise me up stronger. Unite my heart, O God.

May You find us willing students. May you find us practicing students. And may You find us single-minded students. You certainly deserve it.