He Is Holy.

Psalms 98-99

Exalt the LORD our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy! ­– Psalm 99:5 NLT

Let's be honest. Most of us seem to need a good reason to worship God. And it usually has more to do with us than with Him. We'll worship Him if He has been good to us. We'll worship Him if He has met our expectations and fulfilled all our desires. We'll worship Him if our life is going the way we expected it to go. But let one thing go wrong and all bets are off. We find it hard to worship God in the midst of difficulties. It's difficult to sing His praises when we're busy singing the blues. But the Psalmist reminds us that our praise of God has little or nothing to do with what He has done for us lately. It has everything to do with who He is. He is God and He is holy. So we should exalt or lift up and extol His name, simply because of who He is. Our praise should be motivated by His character and essence, not His ability to meet our laundry list of needs or wants. The Psalmist reminds us, "The LORD is king! Let the nations tremble! He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the whole earth quake!" (Psalms 99:1 NLT). Listen to how The Message paraphrases that verse: "God rules. On your toes, everybody! He rules from his angel throne - take notice!" He is KING! He is mighty, majestic, powerful, and deserving of our honor, respect, fear, awe, obedience, gratefulness, and worship. Worship is really just a recognition of who God is. It is an awareness that He is God and I am not. When I come to God for only what I can get from God, that is the farthest thing from worship. In doing so I turn Him into a glorified slot machine. I pull the handle hoping to hit the jackpot. I want Him to deliver on my desires for happiness, success, popularity, peace, comfort, and contentment.

But again, the Psalmist remind you and me, "Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem, for the LORD our God is holy!" (Psalm 99:9 NLT). We are to worship Him simply because He is holy. He is set apart, distinct, different, sacred, one-of-a-kind, unique, and without equal in all the world. And if that doesn't get us to worship Him, then the Psalmist reminds us that one day God is going to judge the earth. He is going to send His Son back to set things right and restore the earth to its original splendor. He will judge the nations. He will judge all mankind. He will put an end to sin and establish His kingdom on earth. That's the God who deserves our worship, praise, honor, glory, and full attention.

"Shout your praises to God, everybody! Let loose and sing! Strike up the band! Round up an orchestra to play for God, Add on a hundred-voice choir. Feature trumpets and big trombones, Fill the air with praises to King God. Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, With everything living on earth joining in. Let ocean breakers call out, "Encore!" And mountains harmonize the finale - A tribute to God when he comes, When he comes to set the earth right. He'll straighten out the whole world, He'll put the world right, and everyone in it." (Psalm 98:4-9 MSG).

Father, You deserve my praise and worship, not because You do things for me, but simply because of who You are. Forgive me for the many times I hold back on my praise because I am waiting for You to meet my needs on my terms. I fail to recognize Your holiness and so I fail to give You the honor You so rightfully deserve. Open my eyes to the reality of Your uniqueness. Let me see You in all Your splendor and holiness, and shout Your praises simply because of who You are. Anything You do for me is like icing on the cake – an extra bonus from the hand of the Almighty God. Amen



The Worthiness of Worship.

Psalms 95; 97

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the sheep under his care. Oh, that you would listen to his voice today! ­– Psalm 95:6-7 NLT

So how's your worship today? What's your view of God like even as you read this? For many of us, worship has become a ritual we practice on Sundays. It is an activity we participate in one day a week, but even then it may not be what the Bible refers to as worship. We may sing songs, pray together, listen to a a message from God's Word, and even tithe, but all the while never really worship God. Because worship is more about an attitude than an action. Singing, praising, giving, and listening to God's Word being taught are anything but worshipful, if we do them with a wrong attitude or a heart that is far from God. If we fail to give Him the attention and reverence He deserves, He will fail to see our efforts as worshipful.

The authors of today's two Psalms understood the concept of worship. It is all about recognizing God's worth – His worthiness to receive our praise, attention, dependence, and expressions of love and thanksgiving. For the writer of Psalm 95, worship is a reaction to the greatness of God. He says, "Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us give a joyous shout to the rock of our salvation! Let us come before him with thanksgiving. Let us sing him psalms of praise. For the LORD is a great God, the great King above all gods" (Psalm 95:1-3 NLT). He is a great God. He is a great King. He is unique and the only true God. This is a recognition of what is often called God's transcendence – His otherness. He is nothing like us. He is so far beyond us, it is even hard for us to comprehend. That is why the Psalmist tended to see God in nature, in the thunder and lightning, the mountains, storms, and majestic splendor of the earth. They were reminders of the majesty and power of God. The greatness of nature reminded him of the greatness of God – the one who created it all.

The Psalmist invites us to bow down, kneel down, and worship before God. He reminds us that we have been created by the same God who created all we see. But not only is He our maker, He has chosen to be our shepherd. He has made us His people. We belong to Him. Like the Israelites of the Old Testament, we as believers have been chosen by God and made His special people. We have His favor. We have His protection. We have His promise of eternal life. So why wouldn't we come before Him with thanksgiving, joy, praise, and a certain degree of respect and awe – each and every day of our lives?

Worship is a full-time job. It is something we need to practice every day. In fact, it has been said, that anything we do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. When we live our daily lives in submission to His will, we are worshiping Him. When we stop and thank Him for a meal, we are worshiping Him. When we recognize His creative handiwork in a sunrise or sunset, we are worshiping Him. When we gladly serve those He has placed in our lives, we are worshiping Him. Again, worship is more about attitude than anything else. "May all who are godly be happy in the LORD and praise his holy name!" (Psalms 97:12 NLT). Do we find joy in the Lord? Does He satisfy us? Even when we have little, are we able to recognize that we have a lot in the Lord? That is worship. But probably the greatest form of worship is obedience – doing what God has told us to do in His Word. Do we obey Him? Do we listen to what He has told us to do and do it? To come and sing praises on Sunday, then go our merry way and do our own will the rest of the week is not worship. True worship is about submission and obedience. It is acknowledging God's greatness and willingly listening to His what He as our creator asks us to do. We show His worthiness by obeying Him. "Oh, that you would listen to His voice today?" (Psalm 95:7 NLT).

Father, may I learn to worship You more. May I learn to recognize Your greatness in the world around me. Open my eyes so that I might see You more clearly and more often. And give me the strength and determination to obey You. An obedient heart is a worshipful heart. Amen



Faith In God's Faithfulness.

Psalm 57

I will thank you, Lord, in front of all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. ­– Psalm 57:9 NLT

This Psalm tells us exactly where David was when he wrote it: In a cave in the middle of the wilderness hiding from King Saul, who is out to kill him. David is living the life of a fugitive, running and hiding from Saul and his force of 3,000 armed assassins whose soul reason for being is to bring back the head of David. Yet here is David hiding in a remote cave writing a song about the faithfulness of God! And that's really what makes this Psalm so significant. David didn't write it AFTER he got rescued from God and was sitting in the luxury of his palace in Jerusalem. He wrote it in the midst of the trials of his life, long before God had delivered him from the attacks of Saul.

What jumps out at me in this Psalm is David's faith in God's faithfulness. Throughout the Psalm he speaks in future terms. He says, "I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples" (Psalm 57:9 NIV). What he seems to be saying is that his confidence in God's faithfulness is so great that he knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the day is coming when he will be able to praise God surrounded by people in the city of Jerusalem. David's current circumstances were less than ideal, but his future was bright – because he trusted in God. "He will send help from heaven to save me" (Psalm 57:3 NLT). "My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness" (Psalm 57:3 NLT). David had so much faith in God's faithfulness, that he was able to say, from the hidden recesses of his cave, "My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises!" (Psalm 57:7 NLT). "For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds" (Psalm 57:10 NLT).

David was confident even in the midst of conflict. He trusted God completely. He knew that God's love and faithfulness were immeasurable and unstoppable. Present circumstances were no match against future deliverance at the hand of God. So David was able to sing the praises of God even in the darkest moments of his life. "Wake up, my soul! Wake up, O harp and lyre! I will waken the dawn with my song" (Psalm 57:8 NLT). He would start each day with songs of praise, based solely on his faith in God's faithfulness and his firm belief in God's future deliverance.

Father, I want to have the kind of faith David had. I want to sing in the middle of the trials of life, rather than stand around waiting to see something happen first. I want to have so much confidence in Your love and faithfulness that I sing Your praises before I have even seen You do anything worthy of praise. Your character speaks for itself. You don't have to prove Yourself to me. Your faithfulness has stood the test of time and Your love for me has never failed. Your promises for me are sure. You are faithful, so my faith should be firm – no matter what happens around me or to me. Amen



God: The Spiritual Thirst-Quencher.

Psalms 41-42

As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and stand before him? ­– Psalms 42:1-2 NLT

We are spiritual beings, and as such, each of us has a soul that sometimes suffers from spiritual thirst. The heat of life can leave our souls dry and parched – in need of spiritual refreshment. Even those who have no relationship with Christ and don't believe in God suffer from spiritual thirst. And when it happens they, like those of us who are Christ-followers, seek out a way to satisfy their thirst. But there do they turn? If the thirst is minimal they will probably turn to the things that tend to satisfy their tastes, not their thirst. It's a lot like when you or I find ourselves a bit thirsty in the middle of the day. I'm talking about average thirst here, not your heat-of-the-summer-working-in-the-yard kind of thirst. When we are slightly thirsty, we probably think of grabbing a cold glass of our favorite soda or iced tea. In other words, we attempt to settle our thirst by satisfying our desires. But most of our choices don't end up taking care of our real problem. They taste good for the moment, but they make lousy thirst-quenchers. But if we find ourselves really thirsty, like we can get after a hard workout or a day of yard work in ninety degree weather, we usually crave one thing and one thing only – a glass of cold water. Our bodies are wired that way. We seem to know that nothing else will satisfy. No other drink or beverage appeals to us like water does in those moments. We crave it. We have to have it. Like a man in the desert dying of thirst, we dream of satisfying our need with cold, refreshing, life-giving water.

There is a similar reaction wired into every human being when they face real spiritual thirst. We are all programmed to seek the one thing that will satisfy that need – God. But because of sin, we are prone to seek replacements. Our sin nature tempts us to find something else to meet our need. So we turn to sex, success, alcohol, popularity, or a thousand other God-replacements. Our desires tell us that these things will satisfy our thirst. But like an iced-cold Coke on a hot summer day, they only mask our real need. They temporarily seem to satisfy our thirst, but leave us craving more. And despite what Coke may tell us – when it comes to spiritual thirst – it is NOT the real thing. David seemed to know that there was one place and one place only for satisfying real spiritual thirst, and that was God. He described his soul as longing for God, like a deer that pants for a cool, clear stream of water. During the difficult days of life, when things seem to be going against him, David longed for God. He knew nothing else would satisfy what was really going on in his life. More power, more money, more sexual satisfaction, more of anything would prove to be a faulty substitute for God. Which is why he said, "Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again -- my Savior and my God!" (Psalms 42:11 NLT). When his soul became thirsty, he was going to seek out God as his thirst-quencher. But where do we turn when spiritual thirst hits us? What do we long for? Like David, we need to learn that nothing satisfies like God.

Father, spiritual thirst hits me on a regular basis. But at times I still tend to seek out things that satisfy my sinful desires rather than You. I allow the enemy to tempt me into believing that other things can satisfy the thirst of my soul, when only You can. Thank You for using the difficulties of life to remind me that there is only place to satisfy the thirst in my soul, and that is in You. Amen



Confession Isn't Just Good For The Soul.

Psalms 5; 38

But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done. ­– Psalms 38:18 NLT

In Psalm 38 David talks openly about the effects of his own sin. He describes the suffering, the sorrow, and the pain he is undergoing. And he acknowledges that what he is experiencing is the result of his sin and the rebuke of God. "Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins. My guilt overwhelms me -- it is a burden too heavy to bear" (Psalms 38:3-4 NLT). David doesn't tell us what he has done, but he fully believes that his sin and God's anger over it are the cause for his distress. Now while this Psalm does NOT teach that all suffering is the result of our sins, it does make clear that sin has consequences, sometimes very harsh consequences. David's suffering is real. "I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart" (Psalms 38:8 NLT). "I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain" (Psalms 38:17 NLT). He is racked with pain and guilt. He longs for release and relief. So what does he do? He confesses his sin before God. He admits what he has done before the one against whom he has sinned. He simply agrees with God that his guilt is justified because his sin is real. David knows that confession is the key to restoration – both physically and spiritually. But his confession is more than just an admission of guilt. It is accompanied by sorrow for having sinned against God. "But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done" (Psalms 38:18 NLT). The actual word used there can be translated "concerned, worried, or anxious." David wasn't just sorry, he was literally bothered by what he had done. His own sin had made him uncomfortable. It had internal as well as external consequences.

So often, it seems that our sins fail to bother us. We can appear unconcerned about what we have done to offend a holy God, and suffer anxiety over the results of our sin, but not over the sin itself. But David was bothered by his sin. It disturbed him. It is only when our sin begins to worry and concern us that we truly confess it to God. Confession is not a magic elixir we drink or incantation we speak that mysteriously reverses the negative conditions we face. It is an honest acknowledgment of our own guilt and culpability. It is a point we reach when our sin bothers us as much as it does God. Our own sin concerns us and we become repulsed by it enough to confess it before God. The word "confess" simply means to make known, declare, or acknowledge. It's to verbally declare before God what you have done to offend Him. It is to put into words what you have done and take ownership of it. David knew that confession was the key to his restoration and he was willing to wait on God to receive it. "For I am waiting for you, O LORD. You must answer for me, O Lord my God" (Psalms 38:15 NLT). But why is it so hard for us to confess? What is it about our sin that makes it difficult for us to simply admit it? Could it be that our sin doesn't really concern or bother us? Have we learned to rationalize our behavior and minimize our own sin? Confession is good for the soul, but according to David, it was good for a lot more than that. Many of us suffer because we refuse to confess. And we refuse to confess because we aren't really bothered by our sin.

Father, don't let me focus on the consequences of my sin, but on the sin itself. Let it bother me. May I truly be sorry for my sin because I realize the damage that it brings into my life and the lives of others. Forgive me for the many times I want to minimize it and rationalize it away. May I learn like David to feel sorrow over it and turn that sorrow into an open confession before You. You want to restore. You desire to bring healing and forgiveness. But it has to begin with confession. Amen



My Salvation Comes From Him.

Psalms 61-62; 64

I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him. ­– Psalms 62:1 NLT

Where does your salvation come from? Or better yet, where do you think it comes from? For the answer to those two questions, consider where you turn when things get tough. When you run into difficulty where do you tend to run for help? Your checking account? Your own intelligence? Your problem-solving skills? Is the remedy you seek earthly or heavenly? If we're honest, most of us would have to admit that we have a lot of sources of salvation in our lives. Or at least we think we do. Even though most of them fail to deliver what they promise or what we expect, we keep going back to them – hoping that they can protect us and provide for us what we need.

But David said he was going to wait quietly before God, because he knew that his salvation was going to come from Him and nothing else. Look at how many times he made this point in Psalms 62 alone:

"I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken." – Psalms 62:1-2 NLT

"I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me." – Psalms 62:5-7 NLT

David's hope was in God. Not in money, success, popularity, prosperity, fame, or fortune. David was a man of action. He was a military leader and a warrior. He was not afraid to go into battle or make a decision, but he was learning to wait on God. Impulsiveness can be a costly temptation for the believer. In our desire to get out from under pressure or escape trials, we can be tempted to take matters into our own hands. The enemy doesn't want us to wait, he wants us to act – impulsively and independently. He wants us to be our own gods, our own saviors. But a big part of worship is submission and dependence. God gets glory when we rely on Him. He is honored when we look to Him for shelter and protection. Trials and troubles are often nothing more than opportunities to trust in God and honor Him with our admissions of need for protection and salvation.

But as David was learning, a big part of trusting God is sometimes learning to WAIT on God. No demands. No dictating what you want done and when. A big part of trusting God is relying on Him to make the best decision and provide the best timing. He will do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. The more we lean to trust Him, the more we will find ourselves rejoicing in Him, because God is always faithful. "The godly will rejoice in the LORD and find shelter in him. And those who do what is right will praise him" (Psalms 64:10 NLT).

Father, I am not the most patient person in the world. I am impulsive, reactionary, and prone to take matters into my own hands. Difficulty tends to make me respond impulsively. I want the problem to go away. I want to get out from under whatever is hanging over my head. But You want me to learn to trust You, to turn to You, and to wait on You. May I learn to see trials as opportunities to see You work. May I see difficulties as reminders of my need for and dependence upon You. I am weak, but You are strong. I am needy and You are abundant. May I learn to wait on You, because You alone are my true salvation. Amen



He's Thinking About Me!

Psalms 26; 40; 58

As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord is thinking about me right now. You are my helper and my savior. Do not delay, O my God. ­– Psalms 40:17 NLT

The Lord is thinking about me right now. What a thought. What an encouragement. But do I really believe it? Do I live as though it is really true? I am convinced that David believed it to be true in his life. That is why he kept turning to God in the midst of all his problems. He knew that God was watching over him, even thinking about him. David's God was sovereign, in complete control and fully aware of all that was going on his life, every second of every day. God was thinking about him constantly. And David talked about God constantly. "I have not kept this good news hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness" (Psalms 40:10 NLT). David talked about God to others. He bragged about God. He boasted in God. He wanted everyone to know about God's unfailing love and faithfulness.

But sometimes I can spend more time complaining about God than bragging about Him. Sure, I do it subtly. I don't complain DIRECTLY about God. That's too dangerous. I just complain about my circumstances. I complain about the situations I find myself in. But if God is in complete control, then I am really complaining about Him. I am saying that He doesn't know what He is doing, that He is not faithful and loving. That somehow He has made a mistake and allowed things into my life that I do not deserve and that will not end up doing me any good. But David said, "I have told all your people about your justice" (Psalms 40:9 NLT). David had learned to accept the good with the bad. He knew that he could trust God and therefore every circumstance in life was there for a reason. God was going to use it to bless David and bring glory to Himself. Even in the midst of negative circumstances David was bragging about God's faithfulness and love. These three Psalms reveal that things were not necessarily going well for David when he wrote them. He still had problems. He still had enemies. Life was not easy. But he still managed to brag on God as he cried out to God. He still kept telling others of God's trustworthiness even when things weren't going quite the way he wanted them to go. Do I do that? Do I brag on my God even when things aren't quite to my liking? The honest answer is NO. But I want to learn to do just that. He is thinking about me. He loves and cares about me. I must convince myself of that truth. He has done so much to prove it to be true. But I must learn to dwell on the reality of His unconditional love and acceptance of me. Then make it a habit to brag about Him. To tell others about Him, even in the midst of the tough times. Because He really is there, just as much as when things are going well. He is thinking about me!

Father, what an amazing truth. You are thinking about me – every single day of my life. You are never NOT thinking about me. You are never NOT aware of what is going on in my life. And You always love me. You have my best in mind all the time. Thank You for that reminder. Help me to live as if I believe it. Help me learn to brag on You every moment of every day. Because You deserve it. Amen



With-full Thinking.

Psalms 60; 75

With God's help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes."­– Psalm 60:12 NLT

Things didn't always go well for David. His reign wasn't always easy. It was marked with war and not all the battles went his way. And there were times when he wondered just exactly what God was doing, what He was up to. Psalm 60 records just such a time. From David's perspective, it felt as if God had turned against him.

You have rejected us… (Vs 1)

…broken our defenses… (Vs 1)

You have been angry with us… (Vs 1)

You have shaken our land and split it open… (Vs 2)

You have been very hard on us… (Vs 3)

But in spite of the circumstances surrounding him, David fell back on the promises of God. He placed his hope in God's faithfulness. He called out to God and reminded Him of His promises to the people of Israel. "Use your strong right arm to save us, and rescue your beloved people. God has promised this by his holiness : 'I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. Ephraim will produce my warriors, and Judah will produce my kings. Moab will become my lowly servant, and Edom will be my slave. I will shout in triumph over the Philistines.'" (Psalm 60:5-9 NLT).

David knew he needed God's help. He knew the answer to his problem was God and God alone. No mere man was going to be able to deliver him. His hope was to be found in God. "Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless" (Psalm 60:11 NLT). David feared the rejection of God. He knew just how serious that would be, so he refused to take God's presence for granted. He was fully aware just how vulnerable he and his kingdom would be without God. So he appealed to God for His help. David knew that WITH God, all things were possible. There was no predicament too difficult or foe too strong. "With God's help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes" (Psalm 60:12).

It reminds me of the words of Paul to the Philippians: "For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need" (Philippians 4:13 NLT). Do we believe that? Do we live our lives as if that is a fact and not just some empty statement we quote to someone else when they are going through difficulty? Paul believed it, just as David did. They both knew that with God all things were possible, but that without Him they were weak, vulnerable, exposed, and incapable of surviving in this world. As believers, sometimes our life with God is nothing more than our hope of eternal salvation. We believe, and rightfully so, that because of what Christ has done on the cross, we are assured of our future salvation and a place in heaven. But we tend to live our lives in this world without God. It is as if we believe that we are on our own as long as we are living on this planet. We make decisions without God. We plan our days and our lives without God. We do battle with the enemy without God's help. We raise our children without God's wisdom. We celebrate our successes without giving God thanks or credit. We suffer setbacks and trials without calling out to God for help or deliverance.

But the Psalmist knew that life without God is no life at all. Paul knew that success and survival were both dependent upon God. With God's help, we can do mighty things. We can do all things with the help of Christ. For the life of a believer, the word "with" is more than a preposition. It's the key to living the life we've been called to live. With God, a life of holiness is possible. With God, sinful habits can be defeated. With God, joy can be a reality. With God, Satan can be resisted. With God, abundant life can be experienced. With God, trials can be rejoiced in, not just endured. A life with God is a full life. So why not include Him in yours today?

Father, I tend to live my life too much without You. Please forgive me. Today's reading has been a reminder of just how much I need You. But that thought needs to permeate my thinking each day, all day. Continue to remind me just how much I need You. Amen



Attitude Vs. Actions.

Psalms 50; 53

I don't need the bulls you sacrifice; I don't need the blood of goats. What I want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High. Trust me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. ­– Psalm 50:13-15 NLT

We can get so busy doing things for God that we actually lose sight of God. We think we are giving God what He desires – acts of service, attending Bible studies, having out quiet times, going to church, giving money – but all our busyness isn't what God needs or desires. What He wants is our hearts. He wants a relationship. According to the Psalmist, God wants our thanks. He wants us to recognize who He is and all that He has done for us. It is our thanksgiving that should produce sacrifice. Our gratefulness will result in genuine acts of service to Him. Gratitude is an attitude that results in actions. We will love Him more when we realize just how much He first loved us.

Over in Psalm 51, the writer reminds us of something else God desires from us, and once again, it isn't our actions and efforts.  "Unseal my lips, O Lord, that I may praise you. You would not be pleased with sacrifices, or I would bring them. If I brought you a burnt offering, you would not accept it. The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:15-17 NLT). God wants a humble, repentant heart. He wants an attitude of humility and brokenness before Him. Yet what we tend to do is just get busy for Him. We do more. We sacrifice more. We get involved in more. We may even read our Bibles more, all in an attempt to please Him. But there have been plenty of times when I have read my Bible more out of duty than out of delight to hear from Him. I do it as a chore to be done, something to check off my to-do list. The same can be true of attending church. How many times do we go, but never hear from God. We sit in services and sing songs, pray prayers, and listen to sermons, but we walk away having never really heard from or having met with God.

It is this attitude that Jesus despised in the Pharisees of His day. They were the kings of religious ritual and going through the motions. Yet Jesus said of them, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away." (Matthew 15:8 NLT). They were religious superstars, but didn't have a heart for God. They were outwardly religious, but inwardly distant from God. Their actions did not stem from a right relationship with God.

It seems that God wants our thanksgiving and our obedience. But He wants our obedience to come from a right heart, not just some sense of religious rule keeping. Because God knows we can DO all the right things, yet have hearts that are far from Him. In fact, the Psalmist indicates that a day is coming when God will judge those who pretend to be religious: "Recite my laws no longer, and don't pretend that you obey me. For you refuse my discipline and treat my laws like trash. When you see a thief, you help him, and you spend your time with adulterers. Your mouths are filled with wickedness, and your tongues are full of lies. You sit around and slander a brother -- your own mother's son. While you did all this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn't care. But now I will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you" (Psalm 50:16-21 NLT). God knows our hearts. He knows when our actions are just that – actions without the right attitude. He knows when we are going through the motions – acting religious, yet living lives that reflect a double-standard. We pretend to be in love with God, but in reality we're in love with the world and the things it offers.

God wants our hearts. He longs for our attitudes to influence our actions. He doesn't need our sacrifices. He desires our hearts to desire Him. "But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me" (Psalm 50:23 NLT). Thanksgiving is a reflection of our understanding and appreciation for who God is and all that He has done for us. Obedience is an action that flows from a right attitude. We obey Him because we love Him. We serve Him because we appreciate Him. We serve Him because we are grateful to Him.

My lips will praise You,

for You are holy;

My voice will ever rise before Your throne.

My heart will love You,

for You are lovely,

And You have called me

to become Your own.

– My Lips Will Praise you, Twila Paris

Father, You deserve my thanksgiving. You deserve my praise. You deserve my obedience. May I learn to serve You more out of gratitude than some sense of obligation or duty. Don't let my relationship with You turn into religion and ritual. I want to praise You with my life and my lips. Amen



A Healthy Fear of God

Psalms 33; 36; 39

But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. ­– Psalms 33:18 NLT

The fear of the Lord seems to be something we are afraid to talk about in the church today. I guess it just sounds so foreign to us. Fear is something we run from, not embrace. It doesn't fit with our sanitized concept of God. Our God is loving and kind, gentle and forgiving. He is more like a kindly old grandfather figure who doles out treats to his grandchildren than a holy, righteous, and sometimes wrathful God who can and does get angry and hates sin. So we choose to reject any concept of fearing God. It makes Him seem too unapproachable and unattractive. Yet the Psalmists seemed to talk about the fear of the Lord a lot. And it seems to be a theme within the three Psalms in today's reading.

So what is this fear of the Lord? And do we experience it? If not, why not? The Psalmist says God watches over those who fear Him, and that fear is linked to a reliance on God's unfailing love. So the fear of God and the love of God seem to go hand in hand. They are not mutually exclusive. The Psalmist goes on to say, "For the word of the LORD holds true, and everything he does is worthy of our trust. He loves whatever is just and good, and his unfailing love fills the earth" (Psalms 33:4-5 NLT). He then goes on to talk about God's creation of the world. "Let everyone in the world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command" (Psalms 33:8-9 NLT). God is great, mighty and awesome. He is the creator God, who brought into existence everything we see. There is no other god like Him. That fact alone should create a fear and awe of Him. He is not ordinary and pedestrian. He is not normal and run-of-the-mill. He is extraordinary.

And the Psalmist goes on to speak of God's power over the nations. "The LORD shatters the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes" (Psalms 33:10 NLT). He is greater than any human power has ever been. He is more powerful than any nation on earth that has ever existed. And recognition of that fact changes how we view God. "We depend on the LORD alone to save us. Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone" (Psalms 33:20-22 NLT).

A healthy fear comes from an understanding of who God is and what He has done and is capable of doing. He is all powerful. He is in complete control. He is capable of shattering mountains and nations. He created all things and He can destroy them. And yet, He has chosen to have a relationship with mankind. He has chosen to show His love to men and women, and extend to them His love, mercy, and grace. The Psalmist recognized and appreciated this. "What joy for the nation whose God is the LORD, whose people he has chosen for his own" (Psalms 33:12 NLT). That God would show love to any of us should blow us away. My love for God is directly linked to my fear of God. That a God this powerful, holy, righteous, and just should love me should astound me. And it should set me apart from those who do not love the Lord.

The Psalmist describes those who do not fear the Lord in sobering words. "Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God to restrain them. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are. Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do what is good. They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their course of action is never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil" (Psalms 36:1-4 NLT). With no fear of God, they have nothing to restrain them. They fear no consequences. Even if they believe in God, they do not think He is going to do anything. Their attitude is a lot like those described in the following passages:

"'The LORD isn't looking,' they say, 'and besides, the God of Israel doesn't care.' Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on? Is the one who made your ears deaf? Is the one who formed your eyes blind? He punishes the nations -- won't he also punish you? He knows everything -- doesn't he also know what you are doing? The LORD knows people's thoughts, that they are worthless!'" – Psalms 94:7-11 NLT

"'Do you people think that I am some local deity and not the transcendent God?' the Lord asks. 'Do you really think anyone can hide himself where I cannot see him?' the Lord asks. ''Do you not know that I am everywhere?' the Lord asks" – Jeremiah 23:24 NET

It is our fear of God that prompts us to obey God. It is His love for us that empowers us to obey us. Fear alone will not last. But if I can comprehend His love and balance it with my fear of Him, I will respond in grateful love and obedience in return. Without fear, I will live in open rebellion. Without an understanding of His love, I will live in guilt and with a sense of burden. But when I recognize that the holy, powerful, all-knowing God has extended His love to me, I should respond in love. My fear of Him does not go away, but it will be coupled with an astounded and grateful love for Him.

Father, may I never cease to fear You so that my love of You is never superficial and maudlin. I don't want it to be a sentimental kind of love, but one that understand who You are and all that You have done for me. Amen



A God Worth Worshiping.

Psalms 25; 29

Show me the path where I should walk, O LORD; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. ­– Psalms 25:4-5 NLT

Where do you turn in times of trouble? David turned to God. Why? Because He knew that God would hear him and answer. He knew his God to be compassionate, kind, loving, good, upright, truthful, trustworthy, wise, and forgiving. He knew God would lead him, teach him, and show him the right path to follow. And in the end, God would save him – from whatever difficulty he found himself in. David also knew that his God was a forgiving God who, although holy and righteous, would forgive David's sins time and time again. Which is why David could pray, "For the honor of your name, O LORD, forgive my many, many sins" (Psalms 25:11 NLT). David had confidence that he could come to God with his sins, confess the, and God would forgive him – each and every time. In his times of difficulty and trouble, David knew he could come to God and call out for help. "Turn to me and have mercy on me, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins. See how many enemies I have, and how viciously they hate me! Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced, for I trust in you" (Psalms 25:16-20 NLT).

David had no problem worshiping God because he trusted in God. He had learned the compassion and mercy of God firsthand. God had proven Himself to David time and time again. David had been in trouble before, and God had delivered. David had been in distress before, and God had answered him. David had needed direction before, and God had provided it. For David, worshiping God was like appreciating a warm jacket on a cold day. It was like experiencing a cool drink of water when dying of thirst. David had experienced the character of God firsthand. He had felt the compassion of God. He had enjoyed the forgiveness of God. He had benefited from the wisdom and direction of God. This was not some esoteric and academic understanding. It was real. It was real life. And David couldn't help but worship.

Father, may my experience of You become increasingly more real and not just academic. May I trust You more and more because I have trusted You. May I turn to You more and more because I have proven You trustworthy time and time again. May I come to You for forgiveness regularly because You always provide it faithfully. May my worship of You be based on my experience of You. You are active in my life and I am grateful. But let me express it more because I realize it more and more. May I learn to give You the honor You deserve. Amen



An Obedient People

Psalms 101; 105; 132

All this happened so they would follow his principles and obey his laws. Praise the LORD! ­– Psalms 105:45 NLT

God's lovingkindness, faithfulness, righteousness, truth and strength have been established. He is the covenant-keeping God whose word can be trusted. He is the God who calls and delivers. He has chosen His people and He has communicated His plan for them. And all along the way, He has kept His end of the bargain. So what does He expect in return? Obedience. He set them apart in order that they might live lives set apart. They were to be different. They were to live to a different set of standards – His. In Psalm 101, David makes it clear that he understood this. He knew his reign as king was to be different from that of Saul or any other king of any other nation. He said, "I will be careful to live a blameless life … I will lead a life of integrity in my own home" (Psalm 101:2). David wanted nothing to contaminate himself or his kingship. "I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all crooked dealings; I will have nothing to do with them" (Psalms 101:3 NLT). He didn't even want to have those who disobeyed God in his presence. He knew that he was to live a life that was truly set apart, obedient to the commands of God.

God is a faithful God. He keeps His word. But He also expects His people to keep His Word as well. "The LORD swore to David a promise he will never take back: 'I will place one of your descendants on your throne. If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant and follow the decrees that I teach them, then your royal line will never end.'" (Psalms 132:11-12 NLT). God is a faithful God, but He also expects His people to be faithful to Him. He demands obedience. And as Christ-followers we are also expected to live set-apart, obedient lives. Not only that, He has given us His Holy Spirit to make sure that we are able to do so. Because without His indwelling presence and power, we would be incapable of keeping a single letter of His Word – just like the Israelites. We can live obedient lives. We can live differently. We can live distinctively. We have the capacity. But do we have the desire? Is it a priority for us? Are we willing to remove those things from our lives that prevent us from living the lives He has called us to live? Is His faithfulness to us enough to make us want to be faithful to Him?

Father, may we be a people who understand that obedience is not an option. You require it. You demand it. You are holy and righteous. You expect Your people to live holy and righteous lives. And You have given us Your Spirit to make it possible. Yet we still live according to the flesh and according to the world's standards too often. Open our eyes and let us see just how faithful You have been to us so that we might be encouraged to be faithful to You. Amen



The Worthy God.

Psalms 89; 96; 100

Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. ­– Psalms 100:3 NLT

Lovingkindness. Faithfulness. Righteousness. Truth. Strength.

These three Psalms give us a glimpse of what it means to worship God. It is less an activity than an awareness of God's character and attributes. It is a recognition of who He is, what He has done, and what He is going to do as a result of His unchanging character. God is loving and kind. He is holy and righteous. He is powerful and completely in control. What He says He will do, He will do. He can be trusted. As we saw in Friday's readings, He is reliable. Even when things do not appear to be going as we expected, and God seems nowhere in sight, we can trust that He is there. How? Because that is His character. It is consistent with His behavior. It is in keeping with His word. If we do not truly know who God is, we will never truly worship Him. It is the reality of HIS faithfulness that allow us to be faithful to Him. If we doubt that He can be trusted, we will not trust Him. We will doubt Him. If we do not believe His promises, we will never rest in them.

Our worship is fickle and feeble at best. It tends to be based on present circumstances. If things are going well, our God is good and we will praise Him. If things are going poorly, we begin to doubt Him and even complain about our lot in life. We even turn worship into an activity only participated in on Sunday. It has been relegated to a worship hour and a particular music style. If we enjoy ourselves in our worship service of choice, if we like the music that is sung and the message that is given, then we believe we have worshiped. But we can go through that entire process and never acknowledge God's lovingkindness, faithfulness, righteousness, truth and strength. We can feel good, but feel nothing about or towards God. In essence, the worship service becomes more about us than Him.

These three Psalms remind us that God is to be our focus. Not because of what He is currently doing for us, but simply because of who He is. He is God and there is no one else like Him. He is God and He is completely trustworthy and true. He is God and He is powerful, capable of doing whatever He chooses to do. And if He is not doing what we THINK He should be going, He has a very good reason. If He is allowing difficulty into our lives, He is not asleep, apathetic, or impotent; He has a plan. He made us. We are His sheep. We belong to Him. He knows what is best for us. But do we trust Him? Do we believe He is strong enough to meet any and all of our needs? Do we comprehend just how much He loves us? The Psalmist reminds us that when God made a promise to David that his kingdom would endure forever, even the unfaithfulness and disobedience of the people could not alter the reality and reliability of that promise. God's word endures. His faithfulness is unfailing. His lovingkindness is everlasting. His truth never falters. His strength never diminishes.

Tell the nations about his splendor! Tell all the nations about his amazing deeds!For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise; he is more awesome than all gods. – Psalms 96:3-4 NET

Father, so often I attempt to worship who I do not know. I try to sing the praises of a God I don't fully understand or appreciate. I tend to sing only when I feel like it. I praise You only when I feel like You have done something for me that I deem worthy of praise. Yet You are worthy of praise all the time. You are loving and kind, righteous and holy, true all the time, and powerful to save. Help me better come to know You so that I might better worship You. Not just for what You do but just because of who You are. Amen



The Reliable God

Psalms 22-24; 47; 68

The Lord deserves praise! Day after day he carries our burden, the God who delivers us. Our God is a God who delivers; the Lord, the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death. ­– Psalms 68:19-20 NET

In these five Psalms we see what appears to be a dramatic span of emotions and opinions from the writers. There are shouts of praise for God's power and might. But then there are questions regarding God's lack of activity and seeming indifference suffering. There are reminders of God's powerful acts of deliverance in the past and cries for God's help in the present. But the one consistent theme throughout is that God is reliable and trustworthy. The very reason the Psalmist is crying out in Psalm 22 is because He know that God has a reputation for answering the cries of His people. He has proven Himself reliable. So even though it appears as if God is far away and not listening, He cries out. He makes his request known to God, because he believes God is reliable and will answer Him. These Psalms all speak of the attributes of God that make Him reliable and trustworthy.

He is the King of all the earth. (Psalms 47:7

He reigns over all the nations from His holy throne. (Psalms 47:8)

Our fathers cried out to Him and were delivered. (Psalms 22:5)

He is my shepherd. (Psalms 23:1)

He restores my soul. (Psalms 23:3)

He is strong and mighty. (Psalms 24:8)

He is a father to the fatherless. (Psalms 68:5)

He is a judge for the widows. (Psalms 68:5)

He daily bears our burdens. (Psalms 68:19)

He is the God of our salvation. (Psalms 68:19)

He is the God of deliverances. (Psalms 68:20)

He gives strength and power to the people. (Psalms 68:35)

God is the one we should cry out to because God is the one who can make a difference. He can deliver. He can restore. He can provide a solution. Because He alone is God. He is worthy of our praise AND our cries for help. He is worthy of our pleas for assistance and our praises of thanksgiving. These Psalmists knew this about their God. Do we? Have we found Him to be reliable?

Father, You have never shown Yourself to be unreliable to me. You have always been there for me in every situation. Yet I still doubt. I sometimes refuse to call out to You. I try to solve my own problems and be my own savior. Yet You have always been faithful. You have proven it time and time again. May I continue to learn to cry out in times of need and shout out Your praises when times of deliverance come. Amen



The Approachable God

Psalms 1-2, 15

O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. ­– Psalms 15:1-2 NASB

In Psalms 1, we read these familiar words, "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night." (Psalms 1:1-2 NASB). I don't know about you, but when I read these words I get a little nervous. Why? Because there are days when I actually walk in the counsel of the wicked, I stand in the path of sinners, and I sit with the scoffers. There are days when I don't delight in the law of the Lord. And as far as meditating on it day and night, well, I fail that test miserably. But when you read these Psalms, you could easily become defeated because it seems to paint a picture of God being in heaven and holding out some fairly unattainable goals for us as His children. The blessings seem so conditional, and I tend to fail to hold up my end of the bargain so often. The standards of God are high. And the ability of man to meet those standards has always been low. In fact, it is impossible for any of us to meet the righteous requirements of God.

But then I remember that it is because of Christ that I am able to approach the throne of God. It is because Christ has paid for my sins on the cross with His own life that I am reckoned as righteous before God. I have access to the Father not because I can keep His holy standards, but because Christ has done it for me. I am the recipient of Christ's righteousness. These Psalms remind me that my God is holy and that He has high standards. He blesses the righteous and condemns the wicked. But I can rest in the knowledge that I AM righteous before God because of all that Christ has done. My sins have been forgiven. My debt has been paid. I stand before God uncondemned and clean. I do not have to EARN His favor, it has been freely extended to me. Now, any efforts at make at living a holy life are done out of love, not obligation, and they are made possible by the Holy Spirit living within me. I don't have to muster up the strength to live a holy life. God makes it possible through His Spirit. Paul reminds me of this fact. "I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20 NLT). Even though I sometimes find myself still walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the path of sinners, and sitting in the seat of the scoffers, I have the ability to choose differently. And more often than not, I do. Why? Because God has made it possible for me to live a righteous life. He has given me the power to choose His way over mine.

Father, thank You for grace. I would have no hope if You had not sent Your Son to die in my place. There is no way I can keep Your standards. I can't measure up to Your righteous requirements. But because of what Jesus did, I don't have to. He did it for me. And now You have given me Your Spirit to make it possible for me to live a life that brings glory and honor to You. Amen



O Come Let Us Adore Him!

Psalms 103-104

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. ­– Psalms 103:1 NASB

When's the last time you expressed your love and adoration to God? I mean, really let Him know how much you love and appreciate Him? These two familiar and incredible Psalms of praise to God ought to remind us just how infrequently we verbally let God know how much He means to us. In both Psalms, David speaks to his soul. He reminds himself to praise God because of who He is, for all that He has done, and all the myriad ways He shows us His love, mercy, and grace each and every day. Because God is out of sight and out of mind for most of us as human being – in other words, we can't see Him – we have to make an effort to think about Him and look for His activities and actions in and around our lives. For David, it was to put it in song. For you and me, it might be a favorite CD with some songs of praise to God that we listen to regularly and that remind us of His goodness and grace. It might be that we start each day by reading these two Psalms

Let's fact it, most of us take God for granted. We rarely think about the fact that each breath we take is a gift from Him. Unless we happen to be standing at the brink of the Grand Canyon looking out over its majestic landscape, we probably don't get blown away by God's creative handiwork too much as we drive to work or mow the yard. But if we could train ourselves to think "Godly" thoughts, to look for Him each and every day in the world that surrounds us, we would probably be more grateful and a lot less grumpy!

So come let us adore Him. Sing His praises. Shout about His incredible mercies. Remind one another of His limitless love. We have a lot to adore, and there's more to come.

Father, give me eyes to see You, lips to praise you, ears to hear you, hands to serve you, feet to follow you, and a lifetime that is filled with adoration for who You are and all that You have done. Amen



Some Things Never Change.

Psalm 102

But You, O Lord, abide forever, and Your name to all generations. ­– Psalms 102:12 NASB

This is one of those Psalms most of us can relate to. We've all had times in our lives where we felt just the Psalmist did. He is crying out to God. He is asking God to hear his prayer, but he feels as if God has turned a deaf ear to his plight. Things are so bad, he can't sleep, he's lost his appetite, and he feels like everything is caving in on him. Sound familiar? It does to me. The fact is, we all go through moments like that, because it is part of living in a fallen world. We are surrounded by hurt and heartache. People do mean things to other people. Difficulties and trials come, and seemingly, always at the wrong time. It was true in the Psalmist's day and it is true in our day. Some things never change.

But right in the middle of this Psalm of lament, we read the word "But," and with it, the Psalmist takes a slightly different direction with his message. He reminds himself and us that God is also unchanging. In the midst of all the suffering and sorrow of life, God is a consistent and constant presence. For the Psalmist, the temple in Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God's presence. It was there that He met with His people. But God is also enthroned on high and from His unique vantage point He can look down on the sufferings of mankind and act. He hears the groanings of the prisoner. He sets free those doomed to death. God is not bound by time or limited in how He can deal with the difficulties we encounter in this life. The Psalmist compares the brevity of his own life to the eternalness of God. He is finite. God is infinite. God will outlast the very world He created. He will be around long after we are gone. His years will not come to an end, but ours will. And while my life may end, God will still be there faithfully and sovereignly interacting with those who follow after me. Suffering is a part of life. So is the sovereignty of God. So when we think everything is out of control, we need to remind ourselves that He is not.

Father, help me to continue to learn to focus on You and not my surroundings. You are the unchanging one. You are the ONLY thing I can count on in this life. You are consistent and constant, faithful and unfailing. And Your eternalness reminds me that I have a secure future – forever. This is NOT all there is. Amen



He Offers Forgiveness.

Psalms 120; 130

Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. ­– Psalm 130:3-4 NLT

What an unbelievable reminder. Our God is not some kind of a cosmic score keeper, keeping meticulous track of all our sins and waiting for us to balance our good behavior with our bad behavior. He's not "making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice." If God kept track of all our sins, we'd all be in big trouble, because our sins would far outweigh any righteousness we might have to offer. Isaiah put it in these graphic terms: "We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind" (Isaiah 64:6 NET). But instead of keeping track of our sins, God offers forgiveness for our sins. Why? So that we might learn to fear and reverence Him. When we understand the magnitude of our sinfulness, His forgiveness will mean so much more to us. But for many of us, we don't tend to think we're all that bad. We seem to think that our sins are somehow not so glaring as somebody else's. Our need for forgiveness is not that great, so we fail to appreciate the gift of forgiveness and the one who has given it.

David seemed to understand both the magnitude of his sin and the magnificence of the one who offered him forgiveness. He goes on to say, "O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. He Himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin" (Psalm 130:7-8 NLT). Unfailing love and overflowing redemption. God was ready to redeem Israel in spite of their sin. He was ready to rescue them and forgive them in spite of them. That is an amazing reminder to us all that our God offers us forgiveness from every sin, large or small, through His Son Jesus Christ. That should cause me to stand in awe and reverence of Him. It should draw me to Him, not push me away in fear. He should be where I run for hope and healing. He will not reject me because of my sin, but instead will welcome me with open arms because He wants to forgive me of my sin and restore me to a right relationship with Himself.

Father, thank You for Your unfailing love and limitless forgiveness. Forgive me for not taking advantage of it and for sometimes thinking I don't even need it! If You kept track of all my sins, I would be without hope. But instead, You offer me forgiveness and healing. Never let me forget that. Amen

Looking For God.

Psalms 121; 123-125

I look to you, heaven-dwelling God, look up to you for help. ­– Psalm 123:1 MSG

Where do you look when things are looking down? What about when things are looking up? David looked to God. In these four Psalms, labeled Songs of Ascent, David reveals his awareness of God as his source of strength, salvation, and grace. "So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us" (Psalms 123:2 NASB). Where we turn out attention during times of testing is a great revealer of our faith and in what we put our trust. In financial difficulty do we look to our bank accounts or our ability to generate income? When we face relationship difficulties do we look for a little time to pass to get us through the uncomfortable moments? When our health suffers to we look to the wonders of modern medicine to give us hope and healing? Where do we turn our eyes in the hard times and in the good times? When all is well, do we look to ourselves as the source of our abundance and blessing – do we take credit for our seeming success?

David had been through some tough times, and it had taught him to turn to God. Tough times have a tendency to do that. But now his fortunes were about to change. He was moving from the cave to the palace. He was finally going to be the king of Israel. But the lessons he learned on the run from Saul were going to pay big dividends now that he was on the throne. He had learned that God was the source of his comfort, hope, protection, and success. "If the LORD had not been on our side when people rose up against us, they would have swallowed us alive because of their burning anger against us" (Psalms 124:2-4 NLT). David knew where to look. When a child is in trouble, where do his eyes go first? To his mom or dad. When he is fearful, where does he turn his attention? To the ones who have proven themselves trustworthy and helpful in the past. That is what David had learned about God. He knew that God was trustworthy and faithful. He had proven Himself so time and time again.

We have a lot of things distracting our attention away from God these days. Sometimes we are like small children whose attention is easily distracted by the toys and trinkets of life. We stop listening to God. We stop paying attention to Him. And we stop turning our eyes to Him. Satan knows how to distract us. He turn to the TV for comfort and a false sense of happiness. We turn to the news for an accurate depiction of what is going on in the world, instead of God's Word. We turn to the "experts" of this age to gain insight into everything from money and marriage to health and fitness. To look to God is a sign of our dependence upon God. We look to Him because we know we need Him. We look to Him because we know He will provide – and He is the only one who can. So where are you looking today?

Father, teach me to look to You. Help me keep my eyes focused on You and You alone. Don't allow me to be distracted by the things of this world. They never deliver. They can't. But You can and always do. Amen

How the Mighty Fall.

1 Samuel 30-31; Psalm 18

So Saul, three of his sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day. ­– 1 Samuel 31:6 NLT

As we come to the end of 1 Samuel, we come to the tragic end of Saul's life. Abandoned by God. Driven by jealousy and fear. Characterized by disobedience and a self-centered, me-focused mindset, Saul ends his life by taking it. He is not even willing to allow God to act as His judge and executioner. Instead, he begs his armor bearer to kill him. When he refuses, Saul takes matters into his own hands again and commits suicide.

What a sad ending to a life that started out so well. He had been given an opportunity by God to serve Him and live as His representative here on earth. But Saul was NOT a man after God's own heart. He did not share God's passions. Saul was obsessed with Saul. His will held sway. His desires ruled his life and determined his actions. His death is tragic. You can't help but feel sorry for him as you read of the last moments of his life and the degrading treatment of his corpse by the enemy after his death.

Yet, at the same time we see David being blessed by God – even in his disobedience. David had been given the town of Ziglag by Achish, king of the Philistines. Located in Philistine territory, David had used this town as his base of operations as he ran secret raids back into the land of Israel, wiping out the enemies of Israel. But the whole time he was hiding his actions by allowing Achish to think he was actually attacking the enemies of the Philistines. God had not told David to hide out in the land of the Philistines. This was David's decision. But even in his disobedience, David was still trying to serve God by protecting Israel. His heart was right even though some of his decisions were wrong. And those decisions would have negative ramifications. Living in the enemy's camp was going to be costly. God had already protected him from having to fight against Israel side by side with Achish and his armies. But now, when David returned home to Ziklag, he found it burned to the ground and everyone and everything taken captive by the Amalekites. Things were so bad that David's men are ready to stone him! They had all lost their wives, children, and possessions. All because David had decided to hide out in the land of the Philistines.

But once again, God steps in. David seeks God's favor and counsel. He turns to the one he knew he could trust. And God answers. God had stopped talking to Saul a long time ago, but He was still talking to David. And He tells David to go after the Amalekites and that everything would be returned. And it all turns out just as God had said. They catch up to the Amalekites, wipe them out, and get back every person and every possession that had been taken. God intervened once again in the life of David.

David knew that God was with him. He recognized the hand of God in his life. Psalm 18, written at this same time reveals David's understanding of God's presence and protection, and His sovereign involvement in his life. All his victories in battle were the result of God's divine enablement. And success David had experienced was attributable to God and no one else. God was David's deliverer and his delight. David owed all he was to his God. His life was in God's hand. His future was in God's hand. His kingdom was in God's hand. Which is why he could say, "Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord, and I will sing praises to Your name." – Psalm 18:49 NASB).

Father, may the words of David be my words. I want to give thanks to You because of all that you have done, are doing, and will do in my life. I owe all that I am to You. I am nothing without You. You have always been my deliverer, but I want You to be my delight. Amen