Psalms 5--Pray Early in the Morning

David appeals to God in Psalms 5 for defense against those who do evil; he appeals to God to hear his prayer and consider his lament. David lived in a society of people who sometimes called on other gods and who were often filled with wickedness. He did not seek vengeance, but he sought God's guidance to lead him, to defend him from the deceit of those who were arrogant.

David prayed in the morning and laid his requests before God waiting expectantly for guidance. He proclaims God's rejection of evil and arrogance. He says God hates the bloodthirsty and deceitful. He does not count himself in the number of those men. He can come into the house of the Lord because of God's great love and bow down in worship.

In verse 8 he returns to the theme of his prayer: Lead me O Lord in your righteousness because my enemies are untrustworthy and tell lies. Make your paths straight for me. Let my enemies' evil come upon them and let their intrigues be their own downfall. Banish them for their many sins.

Let all who take refuge in you be glad. In this section he sees God as a shield of protection. David has been a man of war and he is well acquainted with the benefits of a shield and how to use it. He praises God for his favor and blessing and claims it for those who are righteous.

May we also be devoted to God and seek his righteousness early in the morning and his shield of protection from those who practice evil.

Psalms 4

^{This Psalm is unusual. The Living Bible paraphrase confirms my opinion: It is a conversation between David and God. It begins with David crying out for God to hear his prayer
1}Answer me when I call to you,
    my righteous God.
 Give me relief from my distress;
    have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

In the next section God calls the people, and apparently David, to account for their neglect of praise and worship.

² How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
    How long will you love delusions and seek false gods^[b]?^[c]

In Verse 3 David  claims God's provision for himself joins in God's reproof.

³ Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
    the Lord hears when I call to him.

In Verse 4 he refers to how the quality of sleep is affected by the spiritual condition.
 

⁴ Tremble and^[d] do not sin;
    when you are on your beds,
    search your hearts and be silent.

In verse 5 I can't tell whether it is David or God that calls us to offer "righteous sacrifices," but in either case we are counseled to "trust in the Lord." 

⁵ Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
    and trust in the Lord.

In Verse 6 the speaker is David.  He knows that God is our only help in times of difficulty and he seeks the light of his face.
 

⁶ Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
    Let the light of your face shine on us.

 

 

 It is God's joy David seeks more than the sustenance of grain or the refreshment of wine.

⁷ Fill my heart with joy
    when their grain and new wine abound.

David again refers to the sustaining nature of peaceful sleep being assured that God provides for his safety.
 

⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, Lord,
    make me dwell in safety.

Psalms 1

Psalms 1 presents the message of righteous behavior as a lesson in what people are not supposed to do. The first verse lists things to avoid. He begins with walking. Don't walk like the wicked do; don't stand like they stand; don't sit in their circle  to mock and demean others. Those who behave like this are not blessed of God.

The one who is blessed is the one who delights in God's law and finds  beauty and joy in it throughout the day and into the night.
There are other signs that he is blessed. He is like a tree that is planted by a river that does not wither when there is no rain. Everything he does prospers.

The wicked do not enjoy these benefits. No, those who do not observe his laws are like the chaff of the grain  that is blown away by the wind. They make no lasting contribution and have no value.

The ungodly shall not be able to face judgment, nor find support from the righteous. God discerns who obeys his laws and who does not. It is not God's judgment that dooms the wicked, but his own behavior and attitude.

Read Psalms 1

Why Consult the Dead?

What do you think about Mediums? Have you been tempted to explore the world  of séances and visions from people who claim extraordinary powers? It is a very innocent looking pastime as long as you don't invest money or make important decisions based on faulty or inaccurate information.

I must confess I sometimes enjoy the extravagant and entertaining TV show aired on TLC called "Long Island Medium." Her name is Teresa Caputo, and she seems to pick up pieces of information about people's lives randomly everywhere she goes. She says she is able to talk to people "who have crossed over" meaning they are dead and wish to share information about their loved ones. Sometimes Teresa is invited to a home or gathering for the purpose of the reading, but many times, the event is spontaneous. I wonder if the random nature of these experiences is a marketing technique. 

God's guidance in the Bible does not condone this method of seeking knowledge. He says in Isaiah 8:19 When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

In other places the command implies bad consequences for such behavior. Leviticus 20:5-7 compares seeking mediums and spiritists to idolatry. We are commanded not to resort to them. Throughout the Old Testament God ordered cleansing of the land and expulsion of mediums and spiritists. I don't find any reason why he would change now.   

Teresa does acknowledge God in a passive, non-committal manner when she says she hopes her readings bring peace and comfort to all the participants, but she does not profess faith in God or seek God's blessing or help. She addresses the source of her power as "Spirit", but she does not view "Spirit" as Holy or in any way akin to God's Holy Spirit.

Teresa does not seem to be very confident of her information or her connection to  "Spirit." Maybe the shocked reaction when she questions the subjects and finds that her guesses are correct are just acting for the camera. It's still not what I would expect of someone who knows the future. She does seem to have a genuine concern for the people she deals with, but that may just be a good understanding of psychological impact of the situation.

Bottom line--Don't go to the mediums and fortune tellers; but just go to God in prayer and read your Bible daily. Seek counsel from a pastor or Christian friend, and avoid those with "special powers."

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6


                       

They Had Been with Jesus

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

 

Sometimes there are people who change us simply by their presence. Jesus was like that. He didn't require any uniform or marching songs or extravagant rituals. He taught in various ways: sometimes he preached to crowds; sometimes he just took people with him as observers; sometimes he just fished, or ate, or conversed with them. Yet he always had his eye on the purpose--revealing himself to those who were around him. 

He still wants to draw us to him, to hear his message, to experience his life. He calls us to read his words and dwell on them and make them paramount in our lives.

But be aware his life and influence will change us just as it did the Disciples.  How will being with Jesus change us? Will we begin to share his truth or love his people? Will we walk in his ways and yield to his claims? How has being with Jesus changed you?           

                          

 

Word Study For Easter

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

Ephesians 1:7 NIV


I generally think of redemption in regard to reclaiming items that have been pawned, but redeeming often refers to deliverance and rescue. Maybe I should focus on how I'm using the word. Is it a valuable item I need to get back?  Or does is refer to release from personal sin?

When I analyze the situation, I find that sin is  the factor that put us in jeopardy. We become debtors in the grip of sin until Jesus pays for our redemption. His blood is the price of our release from the grip of Satan. For this glorious sacrifice Jesus requires only our faith; we must believe in him without any work or promise of payment. We don't have to make converts or raise money; We only have to believe in his life and his message.   

Is it too easy? Do we want to show how good we are? We sometimes feel we need to deserve salvation, but Jesus "died for us when we were yet sinners." There is nothing we can do to deserve his grace. It is free and available to all who believe. Only believe.

Maybe we need to repeat the first lessons and understand the words. Just come to him and believe what he says to you. Just believe.

Come, See A Man . . .

Jesus and his Disciples were traveling back to Galilee from Jerusalem through Samaria. It was noon and they were hungry and thirsty so Jesus sent the others into town to get something to eat while he waited at the well to get some water. A woman was there. This was not the usual time women went to the well; mostly that was something they did early in the morning before it got too hot. Jesus asked her for a drink.

She immediately became confrontational: "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan. You shouldn't even be talking to me."

He responded in a similar tone: "If you had asked, I could give you water that will refresh your soul."

She said, "You don't have anything to put water in. You can't even get it."

"I'm talking about a different kind of water, water of eternal life," he said. "Call your husband and I will share with both of you."

"I have no husband. I don't have anyone to call."

"Well, now you are telling the truth. You have had five husbands and the man you live with now is not even married to you." He spoke the facts without accusation.

The information he recited about her opened her eyes and she recognized that he was a prophet. He spoke of the place to worship, and of salvation, and of the Spirit, and of Truth. She knew the truth of the coming Messiah. Jesus declared, "I am he."

She left her water jar and ran to tell the people in the town who he was. Her testimony was compelling. They followed her urging to "come see a man who told me all I ever did." She was convinced and thrilled to hear him and understand the wonders he told her. She learned where and how to worship. She learned the meaning of "water for her soul." She learned the value of her own witness. 

And when she went home, she knew the meaning of salvation.