Psalm 144 - If Trump had a Favourite Psalm

If President Trump had a favourite psalm, I think it would be Psalm 144. If he was looking for a biblical text to defend his current stance on immigration and refugees, I believe this would be his go-to prooftext to bolster his base. 

I came across this psalm during my devotional readings and couldn't help but notice a parallel to Mr. Trump's agenda to "Make America Great Again". This psalm seems to touch on many of the major themes of his immigration and refugee platform: the fear of foreigners and their lies and deception;  the belief that things will be great again once the foreigners have been dealt with; a reference to a wall that can no longer be breached; and a "God bless America" kind of verse at the end.  

I say this to highlight the dangers of taking Holy Scriptures out of their original context and then seeking to apply them to a current situation without first interpreting the text within its biblical context, then the lens of God's new covenant established through Jesus Christ, and finally through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

This psalm reminds me that the emotions of fear, anger and the desire for vengeance or victory are a poor foundation upon which to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ's life, teachings, death and resurrection.

Psalm 144:10b-15 (NIV)  [bolded italics mine]

"From the deadly sword deliver me; rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields; our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets. Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the LORD."

Psalm 131 - A Psalm of Contentment

"My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content." (Psalms 131:1–2)

I want what he's got! That experience of contentment in all things. That absence of worries and the presence of joy in all of life. Content like a weaned child with its mother; No longer bound to God for survival yet still content in her presence, empowered to venture beyond the breast into the world knowing that she is nearby.

However, the psalmist David cautions me, for contentment comes from recognizing that there are "things too wonderful for me" and I'm O.K. with that.  At some point we all need to learn to be content with what we have in Christ, no longer feeling the need to strive after that "next wonderful thing". We can't have everything we want, and contentment comes to those who are O.K. with that.  Embracing contentment is not an act of surrender but rather and act of humility and wisdom and maturity.  Contentment is not a consolation prize for those who have given up on their dreams, but rather the very gift we spend much of our lives searching for.

If I am indeed in Christ, then I already have everything I need or desire. Yes, some things are "too wonderful for me" and I'm O.K. with that. 

Psalm 130 - The Waiting Game

"I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." (Psalms 130:5–6)

When I served in the infantry on field training exercises, one of our tasks was on keep watch over the battlefield from our trenches, taking shifts through the night. Some undertook this responsibility rather lightly while others recognized the gravity of this task. Those who took it lightly often fell asleep on their watch, while the rest of us fought hard to stay awake and vigilant. Our "whole being" waited and watched in case the enemy took advance of the cover of darkness to mount an attack.  Now the thing about keeping watch at night is that you can become too attentive. I remember many occasions where I managed to convince myself that there was trouble lurking in the bushes within my arcs of fire. The more I looked the more I became convinced there must be someone there until, I realized there wasn't.  A drink of water, a self-inflicted slap on the face would wake me from my delusions as I realized that, maybe, I had been too attentive to the potential dangers.

While waiting with a zealous passion may be admirable and praiseworthy, it can also lead to tunnel vision, deluding us into seeing what we want to see. Expecting success at every turn can lead us to see success where failure lurks, and likewise expecting the worst can lead us to see problems where there are none.  

The psalmist invites us to wait with hope - a hope which is to be found not in the strategies of worldly success, but rather in wholeheartedly waiting upon the Lord with God's word and voice to guide us.

Oh LORD, teach me the skill of diligent, mindful, hopeful waiting upon you. Amen.

Psalm 128 - Grandparents Rejoice

The psalmist writes: "May you live to see your children's children." (Ps 128:6)

By the way, did I mention, I'm going to be a "grand-papa" in August (Lord willing)? I'm so excited at the thought that the psalmist's blessing might be addressing me. 

God has blessed me with a desire to "walk in obedience to him" (v. 1) wherever that may lead me.

God has blessed me with "the fruit of my labours" (v. 2), over 26 years of pastoral ministry.

God has blessed me with a wonderful wife and two children I adore (v. 3).

And now, yet another blessing, "to see my children's children" (v. 6).

I want to say, "Today, I give thanks to God for the little things in life", but I can't say that for each of these are awesome, exquisite blessings. 

By the way, did I mention I'm going to be a "grand-papa"?

Psalm 127 - A Good Night's Sleep

"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves." (Ps 127:2)

What keeps you up at night? Household chores, kids, late night projects, homework, a crying baby, hot flashes, cold sweats, emails, Facebook, video games, worries ...?

For me it's usually church work and spiritual devotions. To tell you the truth, as a pastor, sometimes I can't tell the difference: morning devotions, evening prayers in bed for those on my mind, late night sermon preparation and early morning sermon amendments, evening church-related musings while watching TV, checking Facebook and reading blogs.

Lack of sleep can catch up to you overtime. The dedicated 16 hours of dreaming up goals, strategies and tactics, in addition to daily concerns for the well-being of my family and those whom I pastor, can leave me longing for the good night's sleep that never comes. 

And then the wise psalmist Solomon reminds me that all this busy work I value as devotion to my LORD might actually be in vain. 

"Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain." 

As I get older I am beginning to realize that even great accomplishments for God will only last a season unless God builds it, watches over it, and sustains it.  If I could only embrace this divine reality I might indeed get a good night's sleep.

"LORD of Jacob, David, and Solomon, make me vulnerable and trusting enough to sleep soundly under your loving, watchful care. Amen." 

Psalm 119 - For the Love of Rules

I've always had a nostalgic attachment to Psalm 119 (the longest of the psalms with an impressive 176 verses). When I was 13 years old, Psalm 119:9,11 was given to me to cherish as my baptismal verse: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. ... Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (KJV)

However, during my most recent rereading of this psalm, I was saddened by the rule-bound nature of the psalmist's relationship with God.  It is all about his love of God's rules rather than his love of God. In the 176 verses of Psalm 119, the psalmist makes 163 references to his relationship with God's laws (45), word (30), statutes (23), decrees (22), commands (22), and precepts (21).  Of the 18 references to "love", 7 affirm God's love for him/us and 11 affirm the psalmist's love of God's rules. In this psalm, the psalmist seems to seek comfort in the law of God rather than God himself.  It lacks the intimate loving mutual relationship we see evident in David's psalms. Meanwhile, the Law of Moses, itself, in the Shema affirms OUR love of God as the basis for our relationship with him: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5)

I am so glad that God offered us a new covenant rooted in a personal relationship with him through Jesus Christ, for my journey of faith did not arise from a love affair with God's law but rather a deep encounter with Jesus Christ. And while Scripture continues to inform my faith, it is my loving relationship with God in Christ that sustains it. My faith, in good time and bad, is made real and tangible not by laws and statutes but a crucified and risen Christ and the God whom I love.

Psalm 112 - The Fear of Bad News

Concerning the righteous, the psalmist writes:

"Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD." (Psalms 112:6–7 NIV)

Google defines ANXIETY as "a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome."

Dictionary.com defines ANXIETY as "distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune"

Here, the psalmist describes it as "the fear of bad news"

It is the fear that something bad is going to happen, a constant worrying about what might go wrong.  I used to be quite good at managing bad news. As an infantry officer, my job was to anticipate problems, actively contemplate on what might go wrong and then come up with a plan B and C and D, in case plan A failed. I brought this skill with me into pastoral ministry. But this constant focus on what might go wrong can wear you down over time. It used to be fun (like solving puzzles). But overtime this constant worrying became stressful. I began to fear "bad news": fear disappointing God and others, fear not meeting our church financial budget, fear of saying the wrong thing from the pulpit or during a funeral, fear failing my family, my church, my God.  For me, ANXIETY had become "the fear of bad news", the fear that the problems I'd anticipated might actually occur and I would be ill equipped to address them. 

The problem is, as the psalmist so rightly highlights is that at the root of such ANXIETY is a lack of trust and reverence (fear) for God.  If we do not revere God enough to know he is in control, then we are left feeling unstable, uprooted and anxious in the face of bad news.

Yet the psalmist reminds us that if we are indeed counted among the blessed "who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands" (Ps 112:1) then so also shall we be counted among the righteous who "will never be shaken" and "have no fear of bad news", whose "hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD." (Ps 112:6-7)

Now, that's Good News!

Psalm 107 - The Recurring Pattern of Stubbornness

Here the psalmist highlights for us a recurring pattern of stubbornness which usually begins with God's children launching out on their own to do their own thing: "some wandered the desert" (v. 4), "some sat in darkness" (v. 10), "some became foolish" (v. 17), "some went out on the sea" (v. 17).  And each time, the world around them eventually spirals out of their control ... UNTIL, as a last resort, they "cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he [delivered / saved / brought] them out of their distress" (Ps 107: 6, 13, 19, 28)

God intervenes, making their way straight (v. 7), bringing them out of darkness (v. 14), healing them (v. 20), stilling the storm (v. 29). 

Each time, the cry of despair is transformed into an expression of thanksgiving: "Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind," (Ps 107: 8, 15, 21, 31).

However some of us are too stubborn to recognize this painful recurring pattern in our own lives (by "us" I mean "me"). We keep launching out on our own without God thinking we have everything under control. It is only when we find ourselves broken and desperate, that we cry out for God to rescue us. And as promised, God's unfailing love reaches into the depth of our despair and  transforms it into on outpouring of gratitude.

"Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD" (Ps 107:42)

Psalm 96 - Why a New Song?

"Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples." (Ps 96:1-3 NIV)

In the Bible we find 9 references to singing a "new song" to the LORD [Psalm (6), Isaiah (1), Revelation (2)]. BUT why a NEW song? Why not limit ourselves to the sacred Book of Psalms or the great time honoured hymns of the faith, or maybe the top 100 CCLI contemporary worship songs selection. Wouldn't it be easier to sing the songs we know? Why a new song?

Could it be because we must find our own words to express the faith we have received? We must find the lyrics that bear witness to the unique relationship we have with our LORD both as individuals and as a collective body of worshippers. New songs, new lyrics, new tunes, new musical instruments and arrangements give new and fresh expression to our experience and understanding of the reality of God's transforming revelation in our individual and collective lives. 

Without new songs, we are merely repeating and transmitting our knowledge and data about God. New songs give fresh expression to the Gospel as it is revealed to us day by day. It is not that God has changed and thus needs to be redefined but rather our context, our language, our relationship with God has changed and thus needs new lyrics, and new sounds to express it.

New songs do not stand in opposition to the old but rather carry forward the psalmist's mandate to bring together God's people to "sing to the LORD a new song."

Psalm 77:10-12 - Is this my fate?

"And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.” But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works." Psalms 77:10–12 (NLT)

When life stinks, the future looks bleak and God seems absent, Asaph counsels us to look back and reflect upon those times when we experienced God wonderfully, mightily at work in our lives. Some might call this focusing on the positive (or positive self-talk), but it is more than this. It is not about wishing things better; it is about patiently, faithfully anticipating God's intervention once again, for God will indeed reveal himself anew.

Psalm 73 - "But as for me"

"Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. BUT AS FOR ME, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the property of the wicked." (Ps 73:1-3)

I admit it. I envy my neighbours: their strees-free jobs, their weekends off, their pensions, their perfect lives, their "successful" churches and their LAWNS. Their grass is so much greener than mine. Why do I get all the weeds and dandelions? They must be cheating: using chemicals or something. Maybe they have a landscaper on speed-dial. All kinds of money to invest. But I want my lawn to be green like theirs. NO! Greener! I deserve it. God owes me. O God, answer my prayers and fulfill the desires of my "pure" heart. ... And then I hear God say: "Stop it! You're losing your foothold. Grab hold of my hand. I am here. I am near you."

And so, I calm down and like the Psalmist Asaph I conclude:

"BUT AS FOR ME, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." (Ps 73:28)

Psalm 71 - A Psalm for the Aging

"Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone." (Ps 71:9)

In this high-octane, youth-glorifying, purpose-driven, results-focused world we live in, it is easy to feel cast away and no longer useful or relevant as the effects of aging begin to affect our strength, stamina, productivity, effectiveness, clarity of thought, memory, creativity, physical mobility, social influence, etc. We begin to feel that we don't matter, or at least, we don't matter as much. We feel forsaken, for the world, our children (and the church) have moved on, leaving us feeling redundant, unhelpful and unneeded. The fear of being forsaken for no longer being able to "do" life and church leaves us crying out to God for a sense of purpose in our declining years. And yet, by the time we get to verse 18, the psalmist's pleadings with God leads him to discover purpose even in his waining years.

"Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come." (Ps 71:18)

You do matter. You are needed. The church needs you. The next generation needs you. Thank you for your service to Christ.

Psalm 69 - "May our hearts live"

Now Psalm 69 is indeed a dark psalm, even by Ash Wednesday standards (The day when we are reminded that "we are dust and to dust we shall return"). David describes a level of anxiety and panic (a feeling of drowning) I have never experienced yet I am sure many others have.

"Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God." (Psalms 69:1–3)

Add to this a debilitating fear of disappointing others:

"Lord, the LORD Almighty, may those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me; God of Israel, may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me." (Psalms 69:6)

What a double burden to carry? I'm not sure if this psalm offers any great encouragement amidst such despair, yet what it does offer is an invitation to be like the "little drummer boy" and offer whatever gift of praise and thanksgiving we can muster, for this courage to seek after God does indeed please God more than we could ever imagine:

"I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves. The poor will see and be glad— you who seek God, may your hearts live!" (Psalms 69:30–32)

"MAY OUR HEARTS LIVE" indeed. Amen