Ordering Our Way Rightly!

Reading:  Psalms 50, 51
My Verse:  "The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
                        to one who orders his way rightly
                        I will show the salvation of God!" (50:23)

Many want to say and believe that there is no one right way to live.  They seek the kind of life that promotes oneself and strives for a "good time."  Even many "Christian" groups promote this kind of life - the "wealth and health" seekers.  But it is all surface.  You, LORD God, want more from us.  You demand more from us.  We are to be as the one "who orders his way rightly."

You seek out our hearts - our innermost being.

     "Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
          and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart" (Psalm 51:6).

Avoiding You, LORD God plays itself out in our lives badly.  This is so evident in the lives of many in the Bible.  King David wrote this Psalm after he put You aside and sought after his own selfish personal and brief pleasure.  The consequences of his straying were to be quite devastating.  And this is what happens in most lives.  Without You as our moral compass we cannot live as we ought.  We quickly spiral downward.

This is true even of countries - without a moral compass that gives them the structure to order their way rightly they will founder.   David Brooks wrote an article for the New York Times entitled "The Spiritual Recession".  He speaks of what happens when we, as Americans, let go of our faith in the basic tenets upon which our country, the U.S. A.,  was founded.  "Without vibrant faith, there is no spiritual counterweight to rampant materialism. . . . Without faith, leaders grow small; they have no sacred purpose to align themselves with. . . the country grows strangely indifferent to democratic heroes."  He states our country's goals were based on "the idea that biblical morality is necessary precisely because people are selfish and shortsighted . . . "  One needs only to read our constitution to see how very lofty were the ideals of those that crafted it.  Our constitution basically implores its citizens as You LORD God call us here to be as one "who orders his way rightly."

By not ordering our way rightly we miss the mark of a truly wonderful, purposeful and good life - the kind of life You would have us to live, "a full and abundant life" (John 10:10).

Brooks ends his article with, "But if America isn't a champion of universal democracy, what is the country for?  A great inheritance is being squandered . . ."

I try to watch the news to be aware of what is happening but it makes me so sad when I see bad legislation being passed, legislation that goes against Your laws, LORD God.  It makes me sad when I have so little to choose from in electing our leaders - because they all seem so lacking in strong moral fiber and courage to do the right thing.  How we as a country, as citizens need to look to You, LORD God for our salvation.

Thank You, LORD God, for this reminder of Your call to us to look to You for our moral compass!  Without You we cannot order our way rightly.  Without You we are lost.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Pomp Without Understanding!

Reading:  Psalms 44 - 49
My Verse:  "Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish" (Psalm 49:20).


These Psalms speak to the futility of life without You, LORD God.  Man in his pride or pomp will go to the grave as all living do and cannot take anything with him!

"For he sees that even the wise die;
     the fool and the stupid alike must perish 
     and leave their wealth to others.
 Their graves are their homes forever
     their dwelling places to all generations,
     though they called lands by their own names.
Man in his pomp will not remain;
     he is like the beasts that perish" (Psalm 49:10-12).

I am often amazed when I see characters that have great wealth and fame, squander themselves as if there is no tomorrow.  It is truly sad.

Blaise Pascal spoke to this:  "We are fools to depend upon the society of our fellow-men.  Wretched as we are, powerless as we are, they will not aid us.  We shall die alone."

This thought is echoed even in the ancient story of Beowulf as Tolkien explains the main theme of the  story being that Beowulf the hero is after all just a man:

     "And that for him and many is sufficient tragedy. . . 'life is transitory; light and life together hasten away.'  So deadly and ineluctable is the underlying thought, that those who  are in the circle of light . . . do not look to the battlements, either do not regard it or recoil.  Death comes to the feast" (Beowulf:  The Monsters and the Critics).

And so . . .

     "Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
          when the glory of his house increases.
     For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
          his glory will not go down after him" (49:16,17).

And because of this Pascal pleads with man to wager for life!  His argument is that because we are in this life - we are fools to not search out the truth!  "We should seek the truth without hesitation; and, if we refuse it, we show that we value the esteem of men more than the search for truth."  He goes on to argue that one should admit his inability to believe and basically take small steps toward faith by acting out those steps as outlined in Your Word, LORD God.  I truly like how he responds to his character, that admitted being transported and charmed by his argument.

"If this discourse pleases you and seems impressive, know that it is made by a man who has knelt, both before and after it, in prayer to that being, infinite and without parts, before whom he lays all he has, for you also to lay before Him all you have for your own good and for His glory" (Pascal's Pensees)

I echo Pascal's prayer for loved ones still avoiding to seek out Your truth.  For those that continue to look to pomp rather than understanding!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!




   





  

Why Are You Cast Down, Oh My Soul?

Reading:  Psalms 41, 42, 43
My Verse:  "Why are you cast down, O my soul,
                        and why are you in turmoil within me?
                   Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
                        my salvation and my God" (Psalm 43:5).

Just out of curiosity I looked up how many people suffer depression or excess stress at any given time.  One survey by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) states that 1 out of 10 adults report depression.  The USA Today reported that at least 20% of Americans report that they are dealing with high stress.  The main factors said to cause high stress are work, money, and relationships.  "Why are you cast down, O my soul?"

The statistics are  worse when one looks at how many people experience trauma at some point in their lives.  The PTSD: National Center for PTSD reports that 60% of men and 50% of women experience trauma at least once in their lives.  Not all go on to develop PTDS (post traumatic stress disorder).  But the statistics for PTDS are not good.  7-8% of the population will have PTSD at some point in their lives.  About 5.2 million adults will have PTSD during a given year. (ptsd.va.gov)
"Why are you cast down, O my soul?"

Because we live in a fallen world, Christians are not excluded from suffering this malady.  LORD God, You do not gloss over this particular problem in Your Word.  But the wonderful  thing is that we do have hope and help!

The Psalmist  reminds himself to "Hope in God." As a follower of You, LORD God I need to remind myself of this often for You are, "my salvation and my God."

"Send out your light and your truth;

     let them lead me;

let them bring me to your holy hill

     and to your dwelling!"(43:30)

I can and I must rest on Your promises!  You alone are the true and steadfast Hope!

Yes, I will be cast down.  Sadly, it is part of the human experience.  Especially if we are aware and alive to what is happening around us.   But I will come out of that "cast down" state of being by reminding myself that You, LORD God will send Your light.  You will lead through the darkest valley and bring me to Your dwelling place.

Thank You, LORD God, for this.  I need to be reminded to look to You when I find myself asking that question.  "Why are you cast down, O my soul?"

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

How Fleeting I Am!

Reading:  Psalms 38, 39, 40
My Verse:  "O LORD, make me know my end
                        and what is the measure of my days;
                        let me know how fleeting I am!"  (39:4)

Dear LORD God, how I need to be mindful of the brevity of life.  You tell us throughout Your Word how very fleeting our lives are.   I am so fleeting - I am but a breath!

"They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow" (Psalm 144:4).

"For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14).

It is a paradox that life at times seems to last forever!  We hear the phrase - "time is just dragging by!' And often we feel that, especially when we are suffering or bored or waiting for something to happen.  This is something that I have had to learn and am still learning, to be patient, to trust in Your timing for things.  It isn't easy.

We want things to happen immediately.  We busy ourselves with, well, with busyness!  What becomes of all the striving of man?  All the fighting and cheating and pushing and shoving to get merely physical things?  Is it truly all just foolishness and vanity as Solomon said?  "I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

Oh, LORD God, only You are forever.  Only Your love for us will stand the test of time.

"A voice says, "Cry!"
     And I said, "What shall I cry?'
 All flesh is grass,
     and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades
     when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
     surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
     but the word of our God will stand forever" (Isaiah 40:6-8).

Psalms 90:12 tells us. "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom." You remind us of the brevity of life to help us to be wise with this gift of life, to make the most of each and every moment.  Even if it is to just to be still and savor the stillness and Your love for us!

Thank You for this reminder of how truly fleeting my life here is!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Fretting Leads To Evil!

Reading:  Psalms 34 - 37
My Verse:  "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
                        fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
                        over the man who carries out evil devices!

                    Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
                         Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil" (Psalm 37:8,9).

How I need this reminder!  Fretting is easy to do.  I can get so caught up in fretting over this and that.  You, LORD God know this about me, about us!  You know how we think we can affect things by fretting.  When in reality all we do is make ourselves ill.  Fretting only leads to adverse physical symptoms in our bodies.

Medical research shows how fretting, being anxious about things, leads to all kinds of physical ailments, even to the point of death and/or mental illness if we don't stop it.

Psalm 31:15 states.  "My times are in Your hand . . ."  Oh, LORD God, how I need to keep this at the forefront of my mind!  What a freeing thought!

I also like what Job said in Job 14:5.  "A person's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed."  Here you tell us there is no point fretting about our age or lifespan because we have no say in that!  You determine that!  I especially like that You "set limits he cannot exceed."  This is so reassuring for those that love You, because it tells me that You protect us from ourselves.

Finally, in Your own words You tell us:

     "Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.  For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds!  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, 'O you of little faith!'" (Luke 12:22-28).

This is by no means permission to live life as if we cared about nothing.  On the contrary, You want us to live full meaningful lives, caring for those around us.  To not be anxious frees us to live as You would have us!

Being anxious is a major drag on our emotions, our energy!  LORD God, thank you for this message, this reminder.  Life is not only a gift but it is also short  - help me make the most of it!

"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" (Psalm 39:5).

Help me, LORD God to not be fretting today!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Peace Peace and There is No Peace!

Reading:  Psalm 31, 32, 33
My Verse:  "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
                        whose sin is covered.
                    Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
                         and in whose spirit there is no deceit" (Psalm 32:2).

For so many, peace like happiness is a most elusive sense of being.  We strive after it in so many ways - meditation, relationships, money, power, the esteem of others, health fads, etc.  Many give up and go to alcohol and drugs to try to drown out that deep longing and need.  We want so much to have this sense of stillness within, a sense of well-being, a sense that we are really okay.  We cry out for peace but cannot find it!

Guilt is "a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes - accurately or not - that he or she has compromised his or her own standards of conduct or has violated a moral standard,and bears significant responsibility for that violation." (en.wikipedia.org)

The interesting thing is even very small children demonstrate guilt when caught doing something wrong.  Also very interesting is that the absence of guilt has been determined to be a dysfunction and those who are diagnosed as psychopathic are shown to "lack any true sense of guilt or remorse."

You, LORD God created us to know right from wrong.  Guilt is really a most important emotion.  Lack of peace should indicate to us that we are somehow off - something in our lives needs correcting or fixing.

You, LORD God tell us in Your word that we need to be ever mindful of our hearts, our souls.  You tell us that we must not be stubborn.  "Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with a bit and bridle . . ."(Psalm 32:9).

You also tell us that You will "instruct . . .  teach . . . the way you should go;  . . .  counsel  . . .with my eye upon you" (Psalm 32:8).

Yes, You allow us this sense of guilt in Your great wisdom!  You also promise to lead and guide us out of and away from the many dysfunctional symptoms that constant guilt can inflict on us.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any hurtful way in me.  And lead me in the everlasting way" (Psalm 139:23).

Thank You, LORD God for Your many promises.  Thank You for always providing solutions to the many dilemmas we place or find ourselves in!

Only in You can we find true and everlasting peace!

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (John 14:27).

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

"For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6).

There is peace to be found!  It is found in You, LORD God!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Joy Comes In The Morning!

Reading:  Psalms 28, 29, 30
My Verse:  "For his anger is but for a moment,
                        and his favor is for a lifetime.
                    Weeping may tarry for the night,
                        but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5).  

I have admired those individuals  that seem to have this great calm about them.  I would sense a strength in them.  They  deal with the wild storms that course  through their lives with great equanimity.  They seem to have an extra dose of grace!  In reading this Psalm I think I see what it is they have.  They have learned that "joy comes with the morning!"

You, are a most holy God.  You cannot and will not allow for sin.  The angels declared this.  "And they were calling to one another;  'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven's Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!" (Isaiah 6:3).  You, yourself tell us.  "For I am the LORD your God.  Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.  You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground" (Leviticus 11:44).  I Peter 1:16 emphatically states this. "Because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

So we do incur Your anger when we sin.  But You chastise us to bring us back to You.  Your anger and chastisement does end - "for his anger is but for a moment."  We need to remember that You love us more that we can ever understand.  You want us to be happy, to be strong, to be at peace.  We cannot have any of this with sin in our lives and so You will in Your great love be angry with us for a time.  We just need to remember that it is only for a time and if we respond as we should to Your discipline "joy comes with the morning!"

We also endure pain not because of our own sin but because we live in a fallen and sinful world.  You do not always spare us from the travails and consequences of the sins of others.  But even in this we need to try to hold onto the truth in this psalm.  "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning!"

Oh, LORD God, thank you for this!  Help me to have the courage to keep my eyes on the horizon.  Help me to be ever mindful of the fact that there is a new day coming!

"Arise, shine, for Your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the people, but the LORD rises upon you and His glory appears over you.  Nations will come to Your light, and kings to the brightness of Your dawn" (Isaiah 60:1-3).

What a beautiful image to hold onto!

   "Because of the tender mercy of our God, 
        by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven" (Luke 1:78).

You encourage us with Your Word, with all these wonderful promises.  Thank You, LORD God!

Joy will come in the morning!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Yet I Will Be Confident!

Reading:  Psalms 25, 26, 27
My Verse:  "Though an army encamp against me,
                        my heart shall not fear;
                     though war arise against me,
                         yet I will be confident" (Psalm 27:3).

Oh, LORD God, what a beautiful Psalm this is.  It is a song that encourages, builds up and edifies.  How the Israelites must have found comfort and courage through the singing of it!  I can only echo their heartfelt cry and pray that I too "will be confident" in You and in Your deliverance from all that comes at me in this life!

"Though an army encamp against me" and "though war arise against me"  encompasses all and the worst that can happen to us.  During our most dreadful times of anguish we need to look up and remember that You are there LORD God.  Help me  to remember the experience of Elisha's terrified servant when they were surrounded by the enemy.  Elisha asked You to open his eyes so that he might see that "the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha"  (2 Kings 6:17).  Oh, LORD God, open my eyes to see You when I am in distress!

Another beautiful Psalm echoes this thought.

     "God is our refuge and strength,
           a very present help in trouble.
     Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
           though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
     though its waters roar and foam,
           though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah" (Psalm 46:1-3).

John 14:27 tells us, "let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

This is a hard thing, LORD God.  We are ever so fearful!  It does  not take much to put us into a state of trembling anxiety.  Thank You for the Psalms.  Thank You for reminding me of how very much You care, of how very real and near You are.

I pray this prayer today for myself and all those out there that belong to You, LORD God.

"I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
     in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD
      be strong, and let your heart take courage;
      wait for the LORD!" (Psalm 27:13,14)

Only then can I be confident in Your keeping of me!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Who Goes To Heaven?

Reading:  Psalm 22, 23, 24
My Verse:  "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
                        And who shall stand in his holy place?
                    He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
                        who does not lift up his soul to what is false
                        and does not swear deceitfully"  (Psalm 24:3,4).

This is such a fascinating concept.  Who gets to "ascend the hill of the LORD?"  Who gets to enter Your kingdom, LORD God?

Man has made such a botch of things.  We have complicated this beyond recognition.  Yet, it isn't  complicated at all.

You, LORD God tell us that one who goes to heaven must have, "clean hands."   What exactly does it mean to have "clean hands?"   The ESV study notes say that the Hebrew word for clean can also be translated to mean innocent.  So the term refers to "those who have acted innocently toward others."

We must also have, "a pure heart" to go to heaven.  Again the ESV study notes states that he who has a pure heart is one "cleansed of all unworthy motives toward other people."

The third requirement is one, "who does not lift up his soul to what is false."  Ahh, this cuts to the quick doesn't it?  We must hunger after You only, LORD God.  People seek any way into heaven but through You!  But, You and You only are the way!

"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

When the learned and scholarly man, Nicodemus came to You and asked how one gets to heaven, You answered him thus. "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. . . Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3:5,7).

All those things listed as requirements to get into heaven; clean hands, a pure heart, not lifting ones soul to what is false and not swearing deceitfully, are impossible on our own.  It is only through Your indwelling and constant presence in our lives that we are able to meet these high standards.  We live in a fallen world.  We are susceptible to the fallen way of thinking.

But You, LORD Jesus made it possible for all to go to heaven.  It comes down to a very simple choice.  We each need to make that choice to believe Your word and what You tell us in it.  We need to believe in You, LORD Jesus  - that You and You only can save us from eternal damnation!

Thank You, that I will go to heaven.  I have Your blessed assurance of that!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

I Shall Not Be Moved!

Reading:  Psalms 20, 21
My Verse:  "For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved" (Psalm 21:6).

This is a characteristic we all aspire to - steadfastness!  We want to be surrounded by those we see as being steady, dependable.  You tell us here, LORD God that it is only through Your steadfast love that we are able to stand - "not be moved."

We lost our dog a couple years ago.  She was one of the most loyal and steadfast dogs ever!  I think that is why we like dogs so much, because they do not stray from us - once they attach themselves to you they remain steadfast in their devotion - right to the end.

Just out of curiosity I checked out what was the most admired and/or desired trait looked for in friends,  the top one seems to be integrity - which is basically what is required to be steadfast.

"The true definition of integrity comes from the Latin word integritas, which means “whole” or “intact.” It encumbers all the traits that make a truly “good” person, such as honesty, being incorruptible, straight and morally upright.

A person with integrity won’t lie, will keep their word and won’t screw you over. They won’t go behind your back, badmouth you, go after another person’s partner or cheat on you, and they adhere to a code of ethics that may make them predictable, but safe to the heart and one’s sanity. No unpleasant surprises come from someone with a high sense of integrity. They follow a code of ethics that tends to be, as the word suggests, incorruptible, and they adhere to principles of common decency."   (http://blog.californiapsychics.com/)

This is what You, LORD God meant for us all to be to each other and to You!  You meant for us to be able to stand firm.  "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13).

You mean for us to not be easily moved or swayed by worldly thinking.  "So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Ephesians 4:14).

This is especially what You expect from us in our relationship with You!  Oh, LORD God, help me to be steadfast.  Help me to not be moved from my position of faith in You.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!