Friday slowdown

Life may be short, but oh, how abundant it can be! Filled with the joy of the Lord and surrounded by the peace that passes all understanding.

Let's determine to make our lives count for our Lord!

A vapor or grass, continued (Psalm 39)

 

There are some times in our lives that we are brought face to face with our mortality. We run face-first into the wall of "I'm only here for a while." Or we stumble right into the sidewalk crack of "What just happened? I'm blessed to be alive!"

You know what I'm talking about, right?

One of those times is when you're sick. You're bopping along, keeping track of your diet, making sure you stay hydrated, and exercise like you should. You're sleeping the right number of hours each night. But in spite of your diligent care, an invisible germ creeps inside. That little invader starts to run amok and make more of itself, and (just like God designed it) your body turns up the heat to try and squelch the invasion. Your white blood cells are marching into the fray to kill the critters, and all of this hard work on the part of your body really does sap your strength! Down you go, onto the couch, with a fever and achy fatigue. You suddenly are aware of just how weak your body's defenses are, and how vulnerable you might be. Especially with the Covid virus flitting around (even though the survival rate is over 99%), your thoughts may be rather blue. You grab your Bible and it falls open in your hands at James 4:14 . . . . .

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 

Well, that's encouraging.

Or perhaps you've had the experience of a New Year's Eve that you don't have a whole slew of people around. The familiar "ball drop" is just not as much fun without a bottle of soda and your friends giggling and talking about resolutions to lose weight. Your eyes fall on the calendar affixed to the side of the refrigerator, so you reach over and turn the page to January 1. You're feeling kind of old. Kind of decrepit. The clock of life just keeps on ticking in your head. Reaching for your Bible, you lay it in your lap and it opens to the psalms:

My days are like the evening shadow;
    I wither away like grass. Psalm 102:11

Well, now I'm just smiling all over.

I AM being a bit tongue-in-cheek here, to make my point.....life IS short and goes by very quickly. What can we do to make the most of it? Nobody wants to think that their life is wasted. However many years we have here on earth by God's grace, we want to make them count for eternity.

But the question is HOW?

Psalm 39 allows us to peek in the window at the royal residence, as David struggles with just this problem. We read the emotions of a man who appears to have experienced a profound illness and realizes it may be God's discipline in his life. He knows that God is his only hope:

“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you. (Psalm 39:7)

Other places in scripture talk about how transient life is. Remember how Job was overcome by a severe illness, too? He got blue, too:

“Mortals, born of woman,
    are of few days and full of trouble.

They spring up like flowers and wither away;
    like fleeting shadows, they do not endure." (Job 14:1-2)

People nowadays don't talk quite like Job. But they might repeat the old adage: "Only one life, will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."

Life is transient. The dictionary defines that as "passing with time." Or (this sounds worse) "decaying with time." Oy vey.

Because life is short, we want to live it meaningfully. Productively. As we study David's words, we will discover that the key will be to live it for the Lord - always having eternity in mind. 

Join me next time as we dig into Psalm 39.

A vapor, or grass - Psalm 39

 

Life is short! 

That may be the three-word theme of Psalm 39, but there is so much more than those three words for us to study and learn!

I'm posting the psalm here and I hope that you will read and re-read it, in preparation for our studies this week . . . . 

I said, “I will watch my ways
    and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
    while in the presence of the wicked.”
 So I remained utterly silent,
    not even saying anything good.
But my anguish increased;
     my heart grew hot within me.
While I meditated, the fire burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;
    let me know how fleeting my life is.
 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
    even those who seem secure.

 “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;
    in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth
    without knowing whose it will finally be.

 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.
 Save me from all my transgressions;
    do not make me the scorn of fools.

I was silent; I would not open my mouth,
    for you are the one who has done this.
 Remove your scourge from me;
    I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
 When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin,
    you consume their wealth like a moth—
    surely everyone is but a breath.

 “Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;
    do not be deaf to my weeping.
I dwell with you as a foreigner,
    a stranger, as all my ancestors were.

Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”

Verses that inspire

 

Two passages to inspire us this week; one is from one of the "minor" prophets, Hosea, and the other from one called a "major" prophet - Ezekiel.

Take words with you
    and return to the Lord.
Say to him:
    “Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
    that we may offer the fruit of our lips." (Hosea 14:2)

And here is our passage in Ezekiel:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:25-26)

What a precious promise from our Father God!

Along with the forgiveness of our sins, He promises to give us a new heart . . . . a heart filled with desire to please God. Yes, it's "a hard row to hoe," as my grandma used to say, to follow the Lord in righteousness. But we have a God Who promises to not just forgive our sins, but also to give us a heart that longs to be close to Him. That heart will be given a fresh start with the Holy Spirit every morning when we open our eyes and climb out of bed (some of us more slowly and carefully than others!).

Praise God that He gives us His cleansing, His forgiveness, and a heart that wants to stay close to Him!

To sue or not to sue . . . .

 

Last week, we posed a question . . . what is the believer supposed to do about lawsuits, court cases, and all of that? Are we allowed to sue someone who harms us? Aren't we allowed to stand up for ourselves against false charges, and things like that?

I thought I would add my two cents worth. I guess it's worth more than two cents, since it is based on God's Word, right? (Grin)

Scripture makes it clear that believers in Christ should not be suing one another. Let's look at what Paul tells us in I Corinthians:

If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! (I Corinthians 6:1-6)

There are better ways to handle disputes among our Christian brothers and sisters! Mediation or arbitration through the church (or even a professional arbiter if the last resort) offer paths to reconciliation. These seem far more compatible with the principles that Jesus lays down in Matthew:

 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)

God is honored when Christians who earnestly desire to seek His will can sit down together and work out their differences in a respectful and peaceable manner.

What about lawsuits between Christians and non-Christians? Well, the easiest answer would be that if you are the one being sued, you certainly have the right (and probably the obligation) to defend yourself through the legal system. Of course, if a fellow-Christian is suing you, it's really preferable to work out something like arbitration, as we said above. But if you are sued by a non-Christian, you many not have an opportunity to seek reconciliation anywhere else but in the courthouse. And there is nothing in Scripture that forbids you from defending yourself in that situation.

Now, even though I put that out there in black and white, we are still not free from our obligation to reflect the love of Christ, and especially to unbelievers. We still are commanded to love our enemies. We should do all we can to try to resolve the issue without going to court. We need to remember to handle things with grace, patience, and self-control. And don't forget to pray. If there is any sinful attitude within us, whether pride, arrogance, spite, or whatever, we need to repent and turn away from these attitudes before we ever walk in that courtroom!

It's comforting if we find ourselves in this situation, to read Romans 13:1-3:

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good.  (Romans 13:1-4a)

Are we troubled that the ruling authorities (in this case, a judge) will not have our best interests in mind? God is still ruling. He is on His throne and will sovereignly use that judge to bring about His will. 
We also need to trust that our just Father God will bring justice. Psalm 37 promised us that will happen.

We can also pray for the Spirit to help us in court, to show a Christ-like attitude. God will be glorified by a godly, humble attitude, no matter what the outcome of the case may be. It's more important to be a witness for the Lord than to win our case.

Lastly, we can pray for the salvation of the unbeliever -- the best perspective to walk in with is an eternal one. When a non-Christian is suing us, if we feel a burden for his soul instead of for the case, we have displayed Christ to all who see us.

It's a unique situation. 

But these days, it seems that people want to sue others at the "drop of a hat." 

So we may find ourselves facing this sooner than we think. Let's pray that the Lord will give us strength, grace, and clarity for the days to come.

Friday - your turn to speak

 

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this question that came to mind during our study in Psalm 37. Please don't be shy; if you have something to say, let us hear from you!

Does trusting the Lord mean that we don't take any action? Can we trust the Lord and confront an evildoer? What about if we are taken to court? Can we stand up for our rights? What biblical principles apply?

Post your thoughts below . . . . if you'd like to think about it and look up some Bible references, take your time and post after you study on it!

Thank you for your comments in advance.

Bless you this weekend and we'll meet again to study on Monday.

Trust His timing

 

One theme that David hits several times in Psalm 37 is something that should surely give us hope. He says it in more than eleven of the verses!

In a nutshell, it is this: when the bad guys are winning, trust in the Lord to judge righteously - in His own timing.

Oh, there we go again. You mean I can't just call down fire and brimstone on 'em? Nope. 

If we have been treated wrongly, we need to keep the long-range picture in mind. 

God IS a God of justice.

He will right ALL wrongs. 

Have you ever noticed in the Book of Revelation how wicked Babylon is allowed to go on in sensuality and wealth until the last hour? The clock is ticking and ticking and ticking all the way to the eleventh hour -- it keeps looking like wickedness will triumph. Then in one day, in one hour, judgment falls! 

Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
    death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
    for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. (Revelation 18:8)

Don't be fooled.

Don't be discouraged.

In that final hour, God will act on behalf of all of His saints:

“Rejoice over her, you heavens!
    Rejoice, you people of God!
    Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
    with the judgment she imposed on you." (Revelation 18:20)

David's "bottom line" must be ours. Just look at the final words of this psalm:

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him. (vs. 39-40)

It's true! If we take refuge in God, we can trust Him to judge righteously for us. We can trust Him to vindicate us. We may be persecuted; we may be tromped on; but we have something while we wait. In this psalm (and in others) we see a recurring theme that the blessings of God on the righteous include that they'll inherit the land in peace. God's covenant promise to Israel was that someday, they would dwell peacefully in Canaan, the land of His promise.

To apply this to our lives, remember how the apostle Paul described himself? He said he had nothing, but possessed all things (II Corinthians 6:10). He knew how to be contented no matter what circumstances he found himself in (Philippians 4:11) so he could enjoy all that God richly supplies.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (I Timothy 6:17)

Do we remember the words of our Savior when Peter told Him that he and the others had "left everything" to follow Him?

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life."  (Mark 10:29-30)

Truly, when it comes to God's blessings and His peace, we "have it" now, and we will "have it" then! There is no guarantee that we will be exempt from persecutions, but we can trust in Him to judge righteously and to vindicate us. We know the Creator of the universe -- we can delight ourselves in abundant peace even when the bad guys win.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him. (Psalm 37:39-40)