Psalm 113:7-9 – “Nothingness”

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

⁷Raising [the] poor from the dust, He raises [the] needy from the dung pile,

⁸to make [him] dwell with nobles, with the nobles of his people,

⁹making [the] barren [woman] to dwell [in] the house, the mother of the sons,

    joyful.

Praise the LORD.

Isn’t it interesting to note who it is that God “raises?” He raises the poor, the needy, and the barren!

The Lord, of course, cares about everyone, but it is the unchanging character of His grace that He favors the poor. “For God resists the proud, but gives His grace to the humble.” It is possible (though extremely rare) to be rich in this world and yet be “poor in spirit.” Jesus accosted the wealthy Laodiceans in Rev 3:17, “You say, ‘I am rich …,’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” Their problem was that they let their outward prosperity blind them to their spiritual reality. “Nothing in my hand I bring, only to Thy Cross I cling.”

In some cases, this Divine favor of “the poor” is quite literal – “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith?” As I’ve noted many times before, it is and always has simply been true that faith belongs mostly to the poor of this world. Like the Laodiceans, most people, as they become more wealthy, find less and less need of a God of grace. It is sad but true that human misery helps us to see our need of God.

But the real “poor” and “needy” and “barren” which the Lord sees is in our hearts, not our bank accounts. It’s when we know that we’re “poor” and in “the dust” that the Lord can raise us up. “For this is what the high and exalted One says-- He who lives forever, whose Name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the hearts of the contrite ones” (Isa 57:15).

What a wonderful God we serve! “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither My ways your ways.” In our world, the people who get “noticed” and favored are the ones who are “mighty” in some sense – the rich, the powerful, the talented, the athletic, the beautiful. We then easily imagine that somehow the Lord just can’t possibly be too interested in me. Of course He can’t use me for much. There’s simply not much to use. I’m “none of the above.” Yet, here in Psalm 113:7, we find the High One stooping down, not to find the mighty and make them more mighty, but to raise the poor and needy! To raise who? Those of us with “not much to offer!”

And then think about this: What does He raise them to? In verse 8, He “seats them with nobles, the nobles of their people.” Once again, in our world, how common is it that people will “raise themselves” and maybe they really do “rise” to something, yet they achieve it in dishonor. There are, of course, many rich people, who may in fact get rich, but everyone hates them. There are people who rose to some high accomplishment but did so neglecting their family, only to have children who bring them disgrace. Such is all too often the world we create for ourselves. But what about our Lord? When He raises us up, even in the raising, He gives us honor. “The blessing of the Lord makes us rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (Prov 10:22). “A good name is more to be desired than riches” (Prov 22:1). David time and time again would not “raise” himself (as in not killing Saul or Nabal) and when God did make him king, he could hold that position with a clear conscience. “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it” (Prov 15:16).

All of this just makes my head spin. What a wonderful God He is. He is the very God we all so badly need. I so don’t deserve the least of His kindness. I certainly don’t deserve that He should actually notice me or help me or use me for anything. And I’m so deeply aware there’s not much here to use. Everywhere I look there are people way more capable than me. What He really should do is just step His foot down from Heaven and squash me like a bug on the sidewalk. That is seriously what He should do. But, as I sit here in all my miserableness, my heart says, “But I don’t want Him to. I do want to live. I do want to be loved. I do want to believe I can actually be part of something important.” And what do I find as I read His Word? “He raises the poor from the dust and the needy from the dunghill to seat them with nobles!”

The truth is that I am the only “me” He can use. I have no one else to offer. I’m the only “me” that can go to work today, the only “me” who can even try to love people and make any difference at all. This psalm gives us all the wonderful news that the High One of Heaven is okay with that. The “me” you are is all He’s asking for. Poor? Needy? Barren? You’re in fact the very people He’s looking for.

God help me today to fall into the arms of Your grace, to let You accept me “just as I am” and to let You do whatever You see fit with the so little I have to offer. Help me to be confident in You and not be overwhelmed with my own nothingness. Jesus, be my Savior. Spirit, be my strength. And somehow may the wonder of who You are shine out of my heart.

Psalm 113:7-9 – “Good Management”

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

⁷Raising [the] poor from the dust, He raises [the] needy from the dung pile,

⁸to make [him] dwell with nobles, with the nobles of his people,

⁹making [the] barren [woman] to dwell [in] the house, the mother of the sons,

    joyful.

Praise the LORD.

These are amazing verses. Who knows? I might have to write several blogs to cover all I think I’m learning.

In verses 4 and 5 we praised the Lord because He is the High God, the One who sits enthroned above everything. In verses 1-3, we acknowledged this great God is worthy of praise from everyone, everywhere, all the time. He simply is El Elyon, the Most High God.

Then in v6 we marveled at the fact that this Most High God stoops down to observe what is happening here. As I said earlier, that is so unlike humans who, as they rise “higher,” get more and more inaccessible. It is and always has been endearing to any people where their rulers “come down” to actually be with their people and care about them.

That reminds me of a very large factory where several friends of mine worked, the Braun Corporation in Winamac, Indiana. Ralph Braun started the business in his garage and, over the years, turned it into a massive international business. One day my friend was relating, with obvious affection, how for years Ralph had made it a point from time to time to simply travel around the plant and visit with his workers, listen to them, encourage them, and be aware of their needs. Those memories brought a big smile to my friend’s face, then suddenly his face fell, and he said sadly, “He doesn’t do that anymore.”

Such is our habit as human beings and sadly so.

Wonder of wonders is that the Most High God isn’t like that. He “stoops down” to see us.

“But,” someone might ask, “What does He stoop down to see? What does He stoop down for? Why does He ‘visit’ us?”

What does He stoop down for? I think this is precisely a point of profound consequence. What is your answer or mine? What, in your heart of hearts, do you believe He “stoops down” for? I fear that too many people, if they were honest, would say they fear He stoops down to look at their life and judge them. He stoops down to see their faults and failures, to punish them for their sins. In their heart of hearts, they would prefer He just stay up in Heaven and not be stooping down. Would I be wrong to suggest that is how most people see God – that that is the very reason why they keep Him at arms’ length, why they shut him out of their thoughts – because they fear He will only criticize them? Who hasn’t heard preachers warning them, “God is watching you! You’d better do what’s right!” And granted there is an element of truth to that statement. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But it is only the beginning. The end of wisdom is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength and your neighbor as yourself.

And what Psalm 113:7-9 would teach us, I believe, is precisely this, to love the Lord our God.

How so?

Look at the passage. When our God stoops down, what does He do?

He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
He seats them with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Grace. Grace. Grace. Our God stoops down to do us good! Isn’t that precisely what He said? “For God sent not His Son to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:17). When God Himself stepped down and walked in our world, what did He do? He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk again, and died on a Cross to save us from our sins! Our God is to us a Rock, a Refuge, a Shelter in the time of storm. He would whisper in our ear, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to do you good and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.”

Someone might ask, “But what about like Sodom and Gomorrah? God stooped down to see them and rained fire and sulfur to destroy them. Yes, that is true. But “even in judgment, He remembers mercy.” Read Psalm 113 again and realize that judgment is not what He lives for. He is love. He would have far rather seen them repent and, like Jonah and Nineveh, He would have spared them and blessed them instead.

I am marveling in these thoughts this week. I thought a lot about the High God earlier. I don’t know that I’ve ever been impressed before with just how high He is, that His infinity stretches out to the furthest star and down to the tiniest atom. But then to think that same God stoops down to care about me? That He stoops down not to judge me – which I deeply deserve – but rather to love me and do me good???? Mi-cha-el?? Who is like our God?? Amazing grace. How sweet the sound!

But while I’m marveling in who God is, my heart turns to who we are. Having studied this, I think I now really, really understand why it so saddened my friend’s heart, “He doesn’t do that anymore.” Do you see what I see? It is godly to stoop down and care about the people “below” us. What Ralph was doing was right. We should “get around” and see “our” people. We should not let our “position” make us inaccessible, but instead use it to do good to our people. That is good management. It is good rule. And it is good because it is godly!

I guess what is impacting me most is simply seeing this quality in God. No wonder the people loved Diana. As always, here I sit at His feet, seeing Him in His glory, and I understand in a new and deeper way who I want to be – and why. Oh, to see His face, how different would we be as managers and teachers and parents – to have hearts filled with grace that long not to condemn our world, but to save it through Him? – to make it a point of our everyday lives to use “position” (whatever that might mean) to do people good???

No wonder His name is Redeemer. “O, to be like Thee.”

Psalm 113:5,6 – “Stooping”

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

⁵Who [is] like the LORD our God, causing to be high to dwell,

⁶the One causing to be low to look on the heavens and on the earth?

Verse 5 asks, “Who is like the LORD our God?” That is one of my favorite questions. It is actually the meaning of the name Michael – Mi-cha-el = Who?-like-God? I’ve always found it interesting that is the name of the good angel Michael – Who is like God?, while Satan, the bad angel, says in his heart, “I will be like the Most High.” A part of Satan’s downfall was that he could not embrace that he was not like God. That leads my own heart to the conclusion this is no trivial question. Who is like God? There needs to be in our heart of hearts the settled conclusion that, in fact, our God is high above all else, that there is no one like Him, that He is God and we are but angels and men and raccoons, always, always, always dwelling ourselves in a very small, very limited perspective of the totality of reality.

I sincerely believe all of this is fundamentally critical to a right view of our existence. However, having said that, I acknowledge I could have derived all those observations from verse 4, ^“High above all of nations [is] the LORD, His glory above the heavens.”  Verses 5 and 6 would consent to all of this but then lead us on to one of the most sublime truths our hearts can ever ponder.

And what is that? Can this High God ever trouble Himself with anything so mundane as our pathetic little world? “Surely not,” some would say. The deists of old held that the Lord simply set in motion the laws of nature, then retreated back to His high and lofty home to see how it would all work out. Such is invariably the case with men. The “higher” they rise, the less willing or interested they become in the affairs of those “below” them. One of the things that endeared Diana to the British people was that, though herself a princess, she seemed to care about common people. But notice that Her gentle, genuine, and personal attention endeared her specifically because it was so unusual. Men simply aren’t usually like that.

Is our God? Can He who sits infinitely high above all nations, who spoke a universe into being, genuinely care about the minor details of that universe? Hear what He says, “For this is what the high and exalted One says -- He who lives forever, whose Name is Holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the hearts of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15). “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26). “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” (Psalm 145:16-18).

So says our passage before us today, “Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?”  The “High One” stoops down! Yes, He does care intimately about the most minute and seemingly mundane details of not only our existence but even that of birds and flowers.

Wonder of wonders! He who is infinitely great extends that infinity not only to the furthest star of our universe but also to the smallest atom. He who minds the spinning of galaxies knows the number of hairs on each of our heads!

How can this be? Because He is God, not man. We are incorrigibly prone to measure Him by us, to only understand Him in light of understanding us; but to others He has said, “You thought I was such a one as you are!” He is not. He is God.

Our God is not only great, greater, and greatest, He is so great that His greatness reaches back to include us.

And what is the supreme example of this High God’s “stooping down?” Is it not when “God so loved the world, He gave His only Son” … when “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” – Jesus, our Immanuel, the One who “was with God and was God” but “thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself nothing” and was born a helpless baby, one of us, to live with us, to walk with us, to die for us, to be our Savior? Jesus ought to be the end of any doubts the world ever entertained whether the High and Lofty One still cares about His universe.

This all leads me to conclude we really, seriously have nothing to worry about! It is one of the wonders of grace to know that our God infinitely cares about the most minute details of our every second. As I sit here, my heart tells me, if I could just keep this view of God in my head, I could lay worry aside forever and live out my days in endless joy. And I should. I’m also quite sure I won’t pull it off. If somehow in His great grace, He would grant such a change in me, it could happen in a heartbeat. But I have no confidence in me. God help me. I do believe; help my unbelief.

Who is like the LORD, our God?

How privileged we are that our God, our Creator, is, even in His infinite greatness, love personified. He is infinite love, great enough to create a beautiful universe, and great enough to include the tiniest atom – and somewhere in the middle there, to actually care about rebellious, broken worms. The High One stoops down!

No wonder the Psalm begins and ends with “Praise the LORD!”

Psalm 113:4 – “Getting High”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of this verse:

⁴High above all of nations [is] the LORD, His glory above the heavens.

The Biblical concept of “high” has always fascinated me. It is actually a concept of considerable importance to us earthbound human beings. “High” is almost always a good thing while “low” is typically bad. People rise “higher” in their workplace. Some students rank “high” in their class. When someone is happy they’re “riding high.” We pretty much all enjoy going to the mountains and getting “way up high.” Kings are called “your royal highness.” One of God’s names El Elyon means “Most High God.”

What amuses me is that, in a sense, there is no such thing as “high.” As long as we and our thoughts are earthbound, “high” makes sense. But, what if two people were standing on opposite sides of the earth, one at the North Pole and one at the South. What if you asked them to point “up?” The two would be pointing in opposite directions! If they both climbed in rockets and went “up” they would travel in opposite directions! What is “up” to one is “down” to the other. The direction of “high” to one is “low” to the other.

So what really is “high?”

It is actually a completely earthbound term and is, in fact, totally relative to where we happen to be standing at the moment. It only “works” when you’re standing on a planet (or moon) with gravity, so that “down” is in the direction of the gravity and “up” is away from it. The term is inherently relative. You could almost say it is anthropocentric. In order to mean anything, it requires the presence of a thinking human being, who is actually (and even unknowingly) defining the term entirely from his own perspective. As a kid, my cousins and I would climb Mt. Moosilauke in NH which rose far above the surrounding landscape to a height of almost 5000 feet. That was “high.” Yet, now my son lives in Colorado where they climb the “14-ers,” the mountains that reach up above 14,000 feet. When you’re up there “Rocky Mountain high,” the top of Moosilauke is way down “low.”

It occurs to me as I type, perhaps that is the problem with people who want to rise “high.” It is always relative. No matter how high I rise in the company, there’s always someone “higher.” And if I rise to be the CEO of the company, then there’s another company worth more money, so their CEO is “higher” than me. Napoleon was a genius of administration and could have left France (and Europe) with a heritage of good government, but he got it in his heart he wanted to rule all of Europe. It wasn’t enough to have become the emperor of France. He wanted to rise higher, and so, instead of good government, he plunged Europe into years of horrific war, bereaved hundreds of thousands of families of their sons and husbands and fathers, and left behind a memory of a cruel dictator hated by everyone.

I guess that’s why people are always “stepping on each other.” They all want so much to be “higher.” But, again, “high” is inherently a relative term, so there’s nowhere to rise to and then be content. No matter how “high” you get, up is always “higher.”

This verse before us says, “High above all nations is the Lord…” Once again, interesting that one of God’s names is El Elyon, the Most High God. In order to know Him, we have to accept that He is “higher” than us – and always will be. We have to accept that He is “high” and that makes us “low.” Part of Satan’s fall was he wanted to “… ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God … I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” He couldn’t accept that he had to be “low.” Perhaps in all of this, we find the reason why a genuine Christian can actually be a decent person – because they’ve stopped trying to be “high.” They’ve accepted that God is and always will be “higher” and so it’s okay if other people seem to be “higher.” They don’t always have to “win.” I believe this is the thought buried in the Hebrew of Psalm 91:1, which says in English, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” The idea in Hebrew is that the person who actually chooses to remain (dwell) under the rule of Elyon (the Most High) will rest, will enjoy the benefits of living under Shaddai (the One who does exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think).

Our God is the “High” one. He is “His Most Royal Highness” and everyone, all nations, all rulers, all people everywhere are “under” Him. To accept that is to accept reality. To fight it is to live in a fantasy and will finally land people in the place prepared for the devil and his minions, the lowest of lows, the pit called hell. Those who accept it will be “raised” to the highest heavens. As Jesus said, “He who exalts himself will be humbled while He who humbles himself will be exalted.”

“High” is totally a relative term, yet even its relativity ought to teach us one of the most important lessons of life – I need to be content where I am. “Promotion comes from above.”

Psalm 113:1-3 – “All the Time and Everywhere”

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

Praise the LORD.

  ¹Praise, [O] servants of the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD.

 ²Let the name of the LORD be blessed from now and until ages.

 ³From sunrise to sunset, the name of the LORD being praised.

This has been an interesting couple of weeks since I posted thoughts on verses 1&2 and expressed my own desire to be a “walking psalm.” As is usually the case, I’ve been anything but! I was studying verse 3 and resolved to live verses 1&2, but got clobbered again at work. I already felt overwhelmed and was trying to trust God that it is all His work and that somehow it will all get done. Then it seemed like every day more got piled on. And then more. And then more. I felt so deeply buried there’s no possible hope I can do it all. And yet, underneath it all, I do believe it’s all from Him, that He’s just wanting to stretch me and teach me. I want to be confident in Him. I want to live in praise. But I was not. I was living in absolute terror (as usual).

Things have improved a little, so I’m not quite as overwhelmed. But then all that means is, as usual, I’m being “brave when the battle is distant.” When it’s in my face, I retreat in terror.

Sigh. I do want to be confident in the Lord. I honestly don’t know how to flip that switch – to be able to stay calm and clear-headed even in the face of fear. I know it’s possible. I just can’t seem to get it. It’s like someone pointed out how natives in the jungle are often terrified by an eclipse of the moon. We all would see that, chuckle to ourselves, and tell them, “It’s okay. You don’t need to be afraid.” We know it’s just an eclipse. To us they’re being silly … even childish. “All that emotional energy and drama is so totally unnecessary,” we would say. But then how am I any different? “Be still, and know that I am God.” “Fear not, for I am with thee …” Verse 3 says, “From sunrise to sunset, the name of the LORD being praised.” He’s got it all covered. “The flames will not hurt thee, I only design, thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.”

Sigh. All I know right now is, even in the fear, to keep trying to do what I should, keep trying to be loving to the people with whom I interact (perhaps even those who contribute to my terror), and keep praying, keep telling the Lord I know I’m filled with fear but I should (I want to) live in faith, to keep begging His help and strength. He knows my heart. He knows whatever it is I’m missing. And He knows when and how He’ll help me see it. Of course, even seeing it, involves facing the terrors.

I don’t know. It’s all crazy. But since He’s in the middle of it all, I’m back in the fray. I guess knowing it’s all Him is what gives me hope. I certainly have none in me. Of course I’m not alone. I know others struggle with exactly these same issues. I like what Shana Schutte said,

“In 2 Thessalonians 1:11, the following phrase grabbed me, “. . . and that by his power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by faith.” … I began this calling in faith but later allowed fear and pride to take over. So I tightened my hands on the reigns of my life, and I tried to control outcomes. Instead of trusting God as I worked, I trusted in myself. I forgot that it was my job to act “by faith” but God’s job to fulfill those actions by “His power.” Indeed, we fulfill all of our “good purposes” by His power, and every act prompted by our faith is fulfilled by God. We take the first step(s) but the fulfillment and completion of those steps belong to Him. The good works assigned to us originated with Him and they will be completed by Him.”

Yes.

Before I close, I want to note that verse 3 says the Lord is being praised from sunrise to sunset. One can ask if the point of that is to say He’s being praised “all the time” or “everywhere?” I lean toward the latter. If it were time and we said, “From sunrise to sunset,” one could ask, “and what about night time?” On the other hand, in the Hebrew mind, the words translated “sunrise” and “sunset” also mean “east” and “west.” In that case, the verse would say He’s being praised “from east to west.” That would mean “everywhere.” So then we would have verse 2 saying He deserves praise “both now and forever more” (all the time) and verse 3 saying He deserves praise “from east to west” (everywhere). The two together then are saying (poetically) that our Lord is deserving of praise all of the time and everywhere. And He certainly is.

… even when we’re facing fears.

He is wonderful. I am so thankful for His never-ending kindness, that He never gives up on me, that He’s always there, smiling, gently encouraging me, and somehow, underneath it all – all of my endless drama – He keeps my heart knowing He’s above it all, He’s using it for my good, that it will end, that somehow it will all add up to making me more like Him, a better person, maybe even a braver, calmer person (some day). He’s there – all the time and everywhere.

I don’t know how anyone survives without this hope, without Him.

Hebrew 13:15,16 -- Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Psalm 113:1,2 – “A Walking Psalm”

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

Praise the LORD.

  ¹Praise, [O] servants of the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD. 

 ²Let the name of the LORD be blessed from now and until ages.

It would be easy to read these verses and say, “Right. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord,” seeing them as “good” words but really just more Christian clichés. I used to think like that. I remember the first few times I read through the Bible, I would dread coming to the Psalms, just for that reason. It seemed like it was just “praise the Lord” over and over again for 150 chapters. Then I read a book about a guy named Henry Venn. He was an English minister back in like the 1600 or 1700’s.

The book was actually a compilation of letters he wrote to people throughout his life. What struck me most about him was that the man was literally a walking psalm! He seemed to breathe the psalms. As he wrote to people and talked about life, the psalms were woven into everything. The man seriously praised the Lord all day every day. He saw all of life as praises to the Lord. He totally transformed my attitude toward the Psalms. After reading that book, I began very deliberately memorizing psalms and looked forward to every chance I could get to open this wonderful book and be reminded what a wonderful God we serve.

The passage before us is a prime example. For myself, I have just studied through the previous two psalms, 111 and 112. The first, 111, was about what a great God He is and then 112 was about how blessed I am to know Him. I honestly cannot think of a more fitting conclusion to that entire study than Psalm 113:1,2. “Praise the Lord … Let the name of the Lord be blessed, both now and forever more!”

There is so much to praise Him for. No wonder David wrote at the end of his life on earth (I Chron 29:10-13),

Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;

For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.

In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.

Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.

Like Henry Venn, David had spent his life walking with God in this real world, facing all the troubles and pain and failures of his own, and what did he become? A walking psalm.

That is exactly who I want to be.

What struck me most about these first two verses was the words, “Let the name of the LORD be blessed, both now and forever more.” “Both now and forever more.” As I contemplate my incessant problem with worry and fear, I read those lines and it occurs to me that I have no problem seeing the Lord has been worthy of praise my entire life. Looking back, even the intensely painful times I can now see were blessings from the Lord. I can say without hesitation, “Let His name be praised through all those moments. All day, every day He was doing great and awesome things.”

Then there is the “now.” Right now, at this minute, I do believe He is working all things together for good, that He is wisely and kindly ordering the universe to accomplish the greatest possible good. But what about the “and forevermore?” What about the future? What about tomorrow? I live under this dark cloud of worry and fear. Of what? Will the name of the Lord be worthy of praise tomorrow? The next day? The next? Will there ever be a second when He isn’t worthy of praise, when He isn’t totally in control and working all things together for good? Then why am I so afraid? What am I afraid of?

It occurred to me some time ago that worry is actually imagining a world without God. It’s leaving God out of my future. I could see that, but somehow I couldn’t get it to “stick” in my brain.

I think this helps me. “Both now and forever more.” I do believe in my heart that He will be worthy of praise every second of every day of the rest of my life. I just don’t do a very good job of appropriating that truth as I face all the problems and fears and issues.

I Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

I want to be a walking psalm. The Lord deserves a walking psalm. I can see though, that only really works if I will trust Him not only with my past and present but also with my future.

Such a change is utterly beyond me. Worrying over the future it seems is just a part of who I am. But then I know it’s not. I was created in the image of God to “show forth His praises.” Everything less than that are the perversions and twistings of sin in me. Still I know I cannot make such changes. But there is a Redeemer, Someone who began a good work in me. Jesus died specifically “to save His people from their sins.” Do your redeeming work, Jesus. Make me a walking psalm. You deserve it.