Another great psalm that I have fixed in my memory SO THAT I have a better chance of not “forgetting all His benefits!” I actually found 20 of them in this song! Want to know what they are? Sorry, you’re going to anyway! J

1. He forgives ALL my sins
2. He heals ALL my diseases
3. He redeems my life from the pit
4. He crowns me with love and compassion
5. He satisfies my desires with good things
6. He renews my youth like the eagle’s
7. He works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed
8. He is compassionate
9. Gracious
10. Slow to anger
11. Abounding in love
12. He will not always accuse
13. He will not harbor His anger forever
14. He does not treat me as my sins deserve
15. He does not repay me according to my iniquities
16. As high as the heavens are above the earth so great is His love for me when I respect Him (ever thought about how high that is?)
17. As far as the east is from the west so far HAS He removed my transgressions from me (ever thought about how far east is from west? Why didn’t he say as far as the north is from the south?)
18. As a father has compassion on his children so the Lord has compassion on me when I respect Him
19. He knows how I am formed, He remembers that I am just dust (and treats me that tenderly)
20. From everlasting to everlasting (and that’s a pretty long time!) His love is with me when I respect Him

That’s quite a list—and three times the “prerequisite” of sorts is that I “respect Him.” And at the end, faithful to my belief in the clarity of God’s word for everything important, David finally defines what he means by “respecting God”:

1. Keeping HIS covenant
2. Obeying HIS precepts

And it begins and ends with, “Praise the Lord O my soul.” It seems that whenever I start to run dry on reasons to praise God, or the ones I rely on start to get stagnant I return to Psalm 103 and remind myself of all the amazing things God wants to do for me when I focus on obeying Him and keeping His covenant alive in my heart.

Just a little sidelight to think about over break—I am becoming more and more convinced that the solution to retaining a vibrant and living Christianity has a lot to do with having and using a regular outlet to my experience with God. If I consume and retain I will stagnate. If I consume and deliver to someone else, in whatever way I find available to me then I have a new hunger, consume more, give back more, and come back for more. The key I believe to retaining and growing in my Christian experience is giving it away, doing something with it, acting on what I have found—NOT keeping it within or preserving it for a more needy time!
Experience + output = living Christianity
Experience – output = stagnant and ultimately death to Christianity
So where are we in these spiritual equations?!

Have a great day finding reasons to praise AND THEN praising by my output to Him,
Pastor Rich

David again put quite an emphasis on his commitment to the God whom he was directing his praise to. It was more than a “feel good” emotional response even as depicted on Monday as I wrote about the elements of good praise music. It appears that David’s music was the response of a heart dedicated 100% to God. Not only is he going to “sing praises” TO God; he’s also making a strong statement about the rest of his life given to his Creator:

I will be careful to lead a blameless life
I will set before my eyes no vile thing
I will have nothing to do with evil
My eyes will be on the faithful in the land
He who walks blameless will minister to me

And the list goes on, just a bit more subtle and not quite as direct! Singing praises to God appears to be just a type of response to living a life committed to God. And the living part seems just as passionate at the singing part!! Those are pretty strong commitments, probably made after he had fallen into and been forgiven for his terrible sins of adultery and murder. He understood, I believe, that one cannot play around with the worldly, sinful, or leading to sinful things and still make sense out of Christianity. What if I said:

I’m going to try and be sort of careful and to lead a semi-blameless life- I mean, after all, I’m only human and I’m a sinful human being at that!
I’m going to try and not watch REALLY vile things but I can’t protect myself from EVERYTHING vile! Actually some of it is pretty funny and laughter is good for the soul, right?
I’m going to try not to mess too much with evil but man alive, it’s everywhere—what’s a guy to do?
My eyes will prefer, most of the time, to at least glance at the faithful in the land to see how I should be, but I have to live in this world too!
I probably should prefer good people to be my support system but that’s being pretty closed minded and I’m a very open person and feel comfortable seeking wisdom from all areas of life.

I wonder how successful my life would be as compared to David who was called, “A man after God’s own heart?” If I want to be after God’s heart it sounds like I better make a few concrete commitments in my life!!

Have a great day committing,
Pastor Rich

Another great song that I have fixed in my memory because of all the ways it helps me to worship. I’ll let it speak for itself (almost):

“MAKE a joyful noise- to the Lord
SERVE the Lord with gladness
COME before him with joyful songs
KNOW that the Lord IS God
He made us
We are His
We are His people, the sheep of HIS pasture
ENTER His gates with thanksgiving
ENTER His courts with praise
GIVE THANKS to Him
PRAISE His name

Why? Because:
HE is good
HIS love endures forever
HIS faithfulness continues through all generations”

So in this short 5 verse song I find why to go to church, what to do when I get there, what should happen to me while I’m there, and how my life will change as I leave because of being there. All in just 5 verses! J It does expand the possibilities when I memorize scripture and then have it available to meditate on day and night!

Have a great day discovering YOUR reasons to worship God,
Pastor Rich

So I wondering this morning, what IS that “new song” we are supposed to sing? Does it have to be new or could it be an old one with a new motive? I love to sing. I didn’t say I was good at it. I just said I love to sing. Songs stick in my mind for a long time and I find myself repeating them, sometimes outwardly and sometimes just in my heart. Because of their “stickiness” I personally have a hard time exposing myself to very much secular music because of the lasting impact it has on my optional time. If something just comes up from my inner being I want it to be about Jesus and not about the themes of music without Him. That’s just my way of dealing with music.

I also am a lover of hymns– acapella hymns– by choirs! That’s my first choice in music. But it became my first choice because of my ever expanding love for praise music– contemporary praise music– praise music that is presented with guitars and EVEN percussion– as long as they don’t overpower me or distract me from the message of the song or my opportunity to only direct my thoughts through the song to Jesus. I feel the same about the organ!! OK, off my soap box and into the psalms for today!

“Sing to the Lord a new song.” This phrase is repeated several times in the upper 90s of the psalms. I don’t know what the new song is but I do find several qualities of it that might help me know if I am finding it in my worship:

It should praise HIS name
It should proclaim HIS salvation
It should ascribe the glory due HIS name
It should be done with splendor and holiness
It should be sung because HE has done marvelous things
It should be done joyfully and with jubilance
It should be done with harp, singing, trumpets and ram’s horns (and stringed instruments- maybe like the guitar?! 144:9)
It should cause the rivers to clap their hands and the mountains to sing together for joy (and since that MUST be a metaphor maybe I should think about that emotional of a response from myself!)
It should exalt the Lord for HE is holy
It should be done skillfully and with a loud sound! (I searched “new song” and found a few more characteristics) 33:3
It should come FROM God and cause others who hear it to worship God (40:3)
It should be a congregational thing (149:1)
It should be, according to Revelation, sung TO Jesus about HIS worthiness (5:9)
The ultimate “new song’ will only be able to be sung but those who have been redeemed (Rev 14:3) (so maybe I should start practicing for heaven as I gain confidence in the assurance of my redemption from Jesus alone NOW!)

Wow, I can’t wait for next Sabbath so I can “sing a new song” or sing an old song a new way, TO God, BECAUSE of HIS greatness, WITH joy, BECAUSE I am redeemed! Why wait until Sabbath, I’m going to get in the shower right now (well, maybe I’ll wait until after my treadmill experience) so I can sing my new song to Him right away (and in the safest place for me to sing!)

Have a great day discovering YOUR new song to the Lord,
Pastor Rich

I didn’t have any trouble finding something to write about this morning. The first verse I read I was hooked again on the importance of an emotional, exciting, powerful experience called worship!

What?
“It is good to praise the Lord”
How?
“Make music to His name”
“Proclaim His love in the morning, His faithfulness at night”
“Sing for joy”
“Come before Him with thanksgiving”
“Bow down in worship, kneel before the Lord our Maker”
“When you hear His voice don’t harden your hearts but respond”

Why?
“For You make me glad by Your deeds”
“Great are Your works; profound are Your thoughts”
“Though the evil flourish for a time on this earth, the righteous flourish forever in the courts of God”
“The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved”
“The Lord is the great God, the great King above all others”

Application
Praise music should be about HIM not me- I’ve come to worship HIM not worry about me
Sing joyfully and thankfully, kneel reverently, respond faithfully- at Him, before Him, and to Him

That’s what I found AGAIN today as I realize more and more the importance of worship being about HIM and not me.

Have a great day discovering the real joy of worship,
Pastor Rich

Another psalm that I have committed to memory because it is so rich in promise and assurance—and reality. “He IS my refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.’ BECAUSE (according to the song):

He will save me
He will cover me
His faithfulness is my shield
He will command His angels concerning me
He will guard me in all my ways
He will rescue me
He will protect me
When I call on Him He will answer
He will be with me in trouble
He will deliver me
He will honor me
With long life He will satisfy me
He will show me my salvation

Wow! When I make a list out of the song that’s a pretty impressive reason to trust in Him as my “refuge and fortress!” And all this because I, with confidence and trust as the psalmist did, say to the Lord, “You ARE my refuge and fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Confession of who God is and what my connection to Him is seems to be the prerequisite to gaining access to all that is listed above. By the way, His refuge is “under His wings.” Like a baby chick runs to safety under mother hen’s wings so I must realize my need of protection and safety and it come only when I trustingly “flee” to Jesus for his protection and not try to survive life on my own. And the fortress is “His faithfulness.” If only I could learn that lesson quicker—and better—how much better my life for Him would be.

Have a great day knowing the best Refuge and Fortress,
Pastor Rich

A theme I observed this morning as I read through several similar songs was this:

Life does not go the way I want it to, most of the time, because what I want and what God wants are not always the same. God’s response is to remind me of His faithfulness, His covenant (promise), His righteousness, justice and love. My response is simply faithfulness to Him.

This lesson is not an easy one to learn because of the gulf that sin has caused between us. And from the context of it all this morning I was reminded that God’s solution to helping me “bridge that gulf” is to remember that I am NOT God (“from everlasting to everlasting YOU are God”), that I am human (“teach me to number my days aright”), and in doing so I will be better able to understand more of how God works (“that I may gain a heart of wisdom.”)

And because “a thousand years in Your sight are like a day” (90:4) timing is everything. And this timing is God’s timing not mine. In that lies the wisdom of understanding the God I am finding. He is loving and faithful, His promises are true, and He rules with righteousness and justice; but He does it in HIS way and in HIS time. My faithfulness, developed through the hard times, is what provides me with a clearer and clearer picture of how that all works; and I become “wise” in my heart and not just my head. Head wisdom may be intelligence but heart wisdom is relationship—knowing Who is in charge, Who is faithful, Who is loving, Who is righteous and just—and then learning how to be faithful to that “Who.”

Have a great day in faithfulness,
Pastor Rich

“Hear me, O Lord and answer me….” That’s how David started his prayer this morning. And it caught my attention—I wonder what he wanted God to “hear” and what kind of “answer” did he expect? Here’s what I found:

Guard my life—because I am devoted to you
Save Your servant—because I trust you
Bring joy to me—because I lift up my soul to you

The five statements of confidence:

Because You are kind
Because You are forgiving
Because You are loving
Because when I call You answer me
Because great and marvelous are Your deeds and You alone are God

Then two more requests:

Teach me your way—and I will walk in your truth
Give me an undivided heart—and I will respect, praise and glorify Your name forever.

Three things he’s figured out, five things he’s thankful for and two things he’s still working on. And NONE of them are really about him; their all about God and David’s desire to connect with Him. I like that prayer! I wonder if my prayers focused more on what God can do for me SO THAT I can love and serve Him better rather than on so that I can have what I want, if prayer might be more effective? Just a thought! 

Have a great day learning what to talk to God most effectively about,
Pastor Rich

It took three chapters today until I found something to write about. As I read psalms 79 and 80 I was rather shocked at the attitude I saw represented in their verses. To me it sounded like people telling God, “IF you will take care of all our problems, kill all our enemies, destroy everyone who speaks against us, and make us prosperous again, THEN we will praise you forever.” What a deal for God! But song 81 had exactly the opposite message—God said, “IF you would but listen to ME, and follow my ways, how quickly THEN I would subdue your enemies and turn My hand against your foes.” 81:13

“Don’t be silent God, defend the cause of the weak… rescue us… deliver us… let them know that you are Most High God over all the earth.” That’s the highlights of psalms 82 and 83. Again—do it for us God and we’ll love you. And psalm 84—“I’ll withhold NOTHING from you IF you follow ME and trust me,” says God. It’s almost like a spiritual battle of priorities between God and His people in these psalms. The people saying- “do this for us and we’ll love and serve You.” And God saying—“Love and serve Me and I’ll do this for you—and more!”

When I saw it in this contrasting illustration I thought this morning- some things NEVER change! I think I’ve been just like that sometimes in my spiritual journey. Maybe you can’t relate! When it appears so contrastingly clear it’s almost a no-brainer! I wonder which way would work better, my way or God’s? No I don’t!

I wonder if the essence of Christian living is the process of learning to choose the better of these two approaches. Psalm 84:11 is still one of my favorite promises in Scripture (ok, I have a LOT of “favorite promises” but this one is especially favorite!) “No good thing does the Lord withhold for those who walk uprightly.” I can only conclude as I read this promise that if I focus on connecting with God so I have His strength, grace, and mercy to assist me in “walking uprightly,” then I can have confidence that I will receive whatever “good thing” the Lord has in store for me (AND to develop confidence that if I do not receive it it must NOT have been a “good thing” for me!) It’s NOT “If I receive all good things THEN I will walk uprightly.” It’s, “IF I walk uprightly THEN I’ll receive all good things!”

And the song ends, “Blessed is the man who trusts in You,” NOT “Bless me and THEN I will trust in You!”

Have a great day deciding which option makes more sense in your journey with God (but I HOPE you already know!),
Pastor Rich

This rather lengthy psalm is quite a summary of the history of God’s dealings with His people as remembered by a human being (a significant insight for me this morning as I wrestled with some of the things attributed to God!) It was the “typical” God loved them- they rebelled- God disapproved- they repented- God blessed- they forgot- God reminded- they whined- “yet He was merciful—to a point………! I was especially taken by verse 34 and its description of how hard-headed we must be some times and to what extremes God has to go to get our attention. “Whenever He slew them, they would seek Him!” J And the rest of the story pretty much supports that idea of stubbornness on the part of His people!

So what were the characteristics of those people who just didn’t get it?! What I saw this morning focused around stubbornness, rebellion, and a lack of loyalty. And what were God’s qualities (as described and defined by Mr Asaph the human author? Faithfulness to a fault, frustration, and mercy. The trouble as I saw it in my journey through the story this time was that the people had short memories, and an inability to respond appropriately to their Master. When he would bless they would forget; when he showed mercy they would capitalize on the opportunity to get selfish and forgetful; but when He got angry they reacted but not permanently because when God would then “repent” and bless they would forget again! What’s a God to do?!

Even when they whined and complained in the desert about being thirsty and God brought water gushing from a rock they responded, not with thanksgiving but with complaining—“so now where is the food!?” Read it for yourself in verse 20! Poor God—though I personally do not subscribe to the idea that God causes bad but rather that He sometimes steps back from His merciful protection in response to my rebellion and allows the devil to do what he does best, it appears that that was the only way He could get their attention! How sad! I come back to the three qualities that I saw that described those people because IF I can focus on not having those qualities in my life then MAYBE I’ll be more attentive to His leading and more appreciative of His blessings. Stubbornness- I want it my way, now. Rebellion- I don’t care what You want I’ll do it MY way. And lack of loyalty- this one stood out most clearly to me today. Loyalty for me is a kind of trust and faithfulness in the “team” that keeps me going with the team even when things might not look so good. I’m afraid that is the quality I see lacking so often—sometimes I want to be “free” and able to pick and chose what I want in life and with God. Loyalty suggests that maybe I am better off being faithful than being free. And that was the quality I saw more often in this chapter as the determiner of success. I don’t want to be stubborn and I don’t want to be rebellious, but even more I want to be loyal to my God and faithful to Him as He decides the journey. He’s been faithful to me; I want to be loyal to Him.

Have a great day in loyalty,
Pastor Rich