Psalm 10

Why do good things happen to bad people?

Why do liars get away with it? Why do the bullies never get punished, the greedy never have a bad day with their money?

It's frustrating. And it is very much the way of the world today. People are growing angry about it- just look at the state of politics or the Occupy (insert location) movement. People are tired of the people they perceive as wicked getting away with it. But they feel helpless.

And perhaps the most maddening thing of all is when it seems that these people don't care if they get caught by God- or don't think they will.

It's maddening because, at least to us, it seems they are right. For every Bernie Madoff that gets caught- how many more guys like that get away with it? Sure, we don't see what happens when they come face to face with God, but for us- here and now- we want to see justice.

So did the psalmist. He starts by asking why God seems distant when times are tough. Why does it seem God is far from us when we face trials or we are the victim? Why does God 'delay' His justice?

The psalmist reminds us that God DOES see our afflictions, He does notice our pain. And, He acts. It may not be on our timetable, but He does act. I find myself asking these questions lately- God, why can't we seem to get a leg up on our finances? God, why do we keep having bad things happen? God, why can't I get relief?

God does hear this, and He does act. But He also allows us to learn in the painful times. Sometimes it just depends on how long it takes us to learn.

Psalm 9

Vindicated.

That's the word I'd use to describe what the psalmist wants God to be. I agree with him. It really does seem like more and more, bad people are getting away with stuff. It seems injustice in all corners of the world is on the rise. We believers in Christ keep saying that "God is good." "God is just." "God will take care of us."

But the world doesn't see it.

David has, and that's why he recognizes and praises God for His justice and mercy- on the righteous. And that's why I listen to David, but get super irritated with the 'sunshine and rainbows God' of a lot of Christians. They say those things above, but it comes across as more of a "Well, this is what I think He is, though I've never been tested and tried enough to see it for real." I listen to David because he balances his unbounded optimism with realism. He recognizes there are going to be bad times, he's been in them. And because he has seen God's rescue, God's justice on his enemies first hand, David can offer a hope founded in personal experience.

David shares his failures as openly as his victories, it's why his "God is good" doesn't ring hollow. There is something for us all there to learn.

Psalm 8

I can't help but here the old hymn when I read these verses.

The funny thing about the majesty of God- at least in this psalm- is that none of the things that make God majestic are things we call majestic. Beautiful, inspiring, and joyous- yes. But majestic? Maybe the moon and stars thing.

What I notice is that the first thing we really get to see that makes God majestic is that He has built a stronghold against His enemies. It's made not of God's might, power, or strength. It's made of the praise of children and infants. If you're not a parent, you don't understand that, not completely. A few weeks ago, at church, Kristin (my wife) nudged me and nodded at Leslie and Kenna, our kids. They were both singing along with the song. This was new- and it WAS majestic. A few days ago, Leslie, our oldest who is turning into an avid reader, asked for a Bible. (The one she has is one of those Gideon's type new babies get, and the writing is tiny.) I understand much better as a parent why Jesus would later say that unless you believe like a little child, you'll never enter heaven.

A child's faith is majestic.

And hard to tear down if you're the enemy.

Psalm 7

I like hearing about God as a warrior- an avenger.

Truthfully, I feel like life in general can be a bully from time to time. Actually, a gang of bullies called Finances, Stress, Temptation, Satan, Jerks, Oppressors, and the IRS. It'd be nice to know that someone has your back, someone steps in and rescues you by laying waste to the bullies.

David believes God is that rescuer. God is armed and dangerous and after the bad guys.

But, as we get a description of God prepping for battle, David reminds us of something about evil and wicked people: They do more damage to themselves than God will.

"Whoever is pregnant with evil
conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit they have made.
The trouble they cause recoils on them;
their violence comes down on their own heads."

What an image! When we are wicked (and yes, you and I are often the people referred to here) we are pregnant with evil (vile desires), conceive trouble (sin) and give birth to disillusionment (we stop walking with God...and sometimes take others with us). Not only that- we fall into our traps- traps we lay for others that get us. Lies we tell to hurt others but get found out. Enticing others to sin- yet we ourselves get caught in it.

We would do well to remember this. Not only when evil comes after us (evil will get it's justice, either by its own hand or God's), but also when we are caught up in our own wickedness. We also would do well to remember that God is righteous, and all that goes along with that.

Psalm 6

I remember once, when I was in elementary school, a game of tackle football. I was tiny, by any standards, and somehow ended up on the bottom of a pile of a half dozen kids- which included a nine year old pushing 175. I still remember the feeling of being trapped. You wanna talk about crying out?

As an adult, and especially this last week, I've felt that crushing weight of being trapped in a pile. Only this time, the weight comes from the burdens of adulthood and assaults of a spiritual nature.

I've felt just as trapped as when I was 9.

There have been nights with little sleep, there has been brokenheartedness. Some of it brought on by outward assaults, some brought on by the sin I've engaged in. I wonder- "How long, LORD, how long?"

I love that David suddenly changes his tune in verse 8. He goes from a total lack of hope, to the surety that God has heard his cries. He is confident, he is bold.

Because he believes God has heard him- and trusts God will act.

When people finally got off me in that pileup, and I could breathe freely again, I too was encouraged. I knew I was free, and I knew I'd live. For David, it's as if God waded in and started pulling the pileup off of him- not one burden at a time, but all at once. From crushing weight to breathing free all at once.

It offers you and I hope, for sure.

Psalm 5

It really makes for great theater, this image of a person screaming out to God.

Lt. Dan on the mast of the Jenny in Forrest Gump is a great example. But it's just one of many. There is something about seeing a person broken and needing God that makes good drama.

Until that person is you.

Then, it hurts.

This psalm is about a man who sees and is pursued by wicked people. He calls to God to be God- in other words, punish the wicked and reward the righteous. He asks God to be just. He wants the wicked to be "destroyed" and "banished." We don't see a lot of mercy in David's initial requests from God about his enemies.

Then, in verse 11, there is grace.

"...let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy."

There is hope. I take this to mean that those who David have just prayed to be crushed, even they, if they choose to turn to God, can find refuge. David would know. He has been arrogant and wicked and lied, he has engaged in intrigue. Bloodthirsty and deceitful? Let's just ask Bathsheba's husband. Oh, that's right, David had him killed to hide his infidelity with the man's wife.

Yet, David says he can enter God's presence. Why would a man as vile and as wicked as a murderous adulterer be allowed in God's presence?

Because God is as merciful as He is just. David got that.

We need to get it as well.

Psalm 4

I've been doing a lot of verse 1 lately:

Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

I know God is aware of me, and I know He is constantly so. Yet, even David felt the need to give a kind of "Hey God, over here- I need you to pay attention to me!" It's not wrong to ask- even demand- God's attention. But I think maybe it's more for us to feel better than it is to actually change the attention God is giving us. He's pretty invested and interested already.

I also share David's frustration with people turning to anything and anyone else for security. I'm kind of a political watcher, and I've been noticing a trend that people think a politician can make things better. In fact, there is a very loud cry in America right now like in verse 6, "Who will bring us prosperity?"

David's answer is not a president, or business man, or an economic plan. Really, his answer has nothing to do with prosperity as we'd like it, but rather seeing and knowing God. There we find a different kind of prosperity. And peace.

David concludes again that he will sleep well. You've heard 'sleep of the just' and 'sleep like a baby.' David sleeps like the safe. Rescued by God, and guarded.

Better than Ambien.

Psalm 3

David was a man at war.

He had been all his life. Saul, the Philistines, now his own family. People wanted him dead. But it wasn't just these enemies 'foreign,' David had internal enemies as well.

It's this that I can relate to. Sure, I feel from time to time that someone is out to get me- the IRS, other drivers, the cat- but mostly I feel the attacks from the enemies within me and the unseen enemies. Things like anxiety, fear, spiritual oppression, temptation, and doubt keep me up at night.

Which is the take-away I got from this Psalm. In verse 5, we read:

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

It is so nice, and so important that I get a good night's sleep. But when I am besieged by enemies and anxieties, I do not sleep well. David trusted so much in God that in the midst of being pursued and attacked, he could sleep. And when he woke, he still trusted in God, and called for Him to "break the teeth" (ouch) of the wicked.

David believed God fought for him.

Maybe we should as well.

Psalm 2

The image of God on His throne, laughing at the plans of the "power players" is an ... interesting one. It's also comforting.

Lately, it seems a lot of news is about political leaders making plans. With an election year ahead of us, lots of promises are being made and plans being tossed around. They talk like they are saviors, that they are coming to rescue us. At least, that's here in America. In other parts of the world the politicians and leaders threaten those who call on Christ. Just a few weeks ago I saw a story that claimed there were no public Christian churches in Afghanistan, due to leaders 'making it more difficult' for Christians.

'Kings' with plans.

On a personal level, I make plans. Actually, I make demands. I plot and conspire ways to manipulate God to do what I want Him to. I maneuver and move to control God. It is all about me. Narcissist.

And like with the plotting kings, God laughs.

The irony is, my plans would succeed if they were merely subjected to God's will. If my endeavors (and the endeavors of the leaders of the world, for that matter) were for the sole purpose of glorifying God, they would exceed my wildest dreams of success. Because God wants to "make the nations your inheritance,the ends of the earth your possession."

You want that? I do. The way to get it is simple: Kiss the Son. Pledge yourself to God, bend your will to Him, respect Him.

Or He will laugh as He crushes your rebellion, no matter how small it is.

Psalm 1

You know how you should kinda ease your way into new things?

Well that didn't happen.

On day one of the Psalm experiment, I woke up to a faith sledgehammer in the face of how far from living out Psalm 1 I am. Before I got to work (a 15 minute drive) I'd walked in step with the wicked by getting angry at bad drivers, and sat in the seat of mockers by making fun of the Prius driver holding up traffic.

The first thing I learned from that was that the first Psalm is about habits. Those I have are bad ones. They start by just one day of letting a temper get the best of me, or a small slip of the tongue or glance of the eye. Subtly, the instances have grown, and now they are habits.

Which led me to the second lesson of the day: I am not righteous.

Sure, we all know this, but when it is placed in the context of this Psalm, it's very evident. This Psalm says that the righteous will be prosperous in all they do. Today, everything I did turned to crap. Bills came in that weren't expected, a full jar of jelly was dropped and shattered by one of the kids, more business red tape for the Gate came up- I was totally overwhelmed, and I cracked. I got angry. I got frustrated. I got kinda depressed.

Then, in the midst, God said, "See, you're not so good after all."

Not in the "Gotcha!" way, but in the "It's time to wake up and see what's going on" way.

So, that's day one. Let's hope day 2 is just as informative and challenging.

But, maybe a little more happy?

One Thing

The other night, I couldn't sleep.

Anxiety, stress, temptations, and a little too much caffeine probably had a lot to do with it. In any case, I found myself looking at the Psalms, and while searching for a totally different verse, came across Psalm 27:4- one I've heard so often, it tends to lose its impact. This time, it didn't.

One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

I wondered at the simplicity of it, that longing to be with God, to be in worship with God, communion with God, daily.

Then, I wondered at how little I actually do seek Him daily. Sure, I read the Bible, I pray, but that "One Thing," that consuming desire to be with Him? That's been absent, or on low levels for some time.

Then the thought struck me: The Psalms are some of the clearest forms of worship we know. What if seeking God could start with trying to live out that worship, as shown in the Psalms?

So, beginning Sunday, October 16, I will read Psalm 1 in the evening, before bed. then, on Monday, I will seek to live out this Psalm. Then, Monday evening I will blog about my experiences and lessons learned through the day. I'll read Psalm 2 that night, then apply it on Tuesday...and so on. I will attempt to do Monday- Friday for the application days- because weekends often find me unable to get online for various reasons.

But why share just my experiences? What if other people wanted to take up this challenge and then share what God is doing with them? Ta-daaa! The blog has a comment section, AND I've set up a Facebook page for the blog (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rescue-From-Lesser-Things/121565491284646). Just 'like' it and share in either place.

I don't know what will come of this. But it will, in theory, put God on the forefront of our minds during the day. Maybe it will clean up our messy lives, maybe it will get us seeking God more. Definitely, it will put us on the path to seeking that "One Thing" that matters most.