Psalm 27 -- A Worship Time This Morning

I worshipped as I read this chapter!  It’s hard to choose what to write about! 

“I ask only one thing from the Lord.  This is what I want:  Let me live in the Lord’s house all my life [eternity].  Let me see the Lord’s beauty…”  That’s what will happen when God calls me home!

I thought of my boys when I read verse 10, for it has already happened!  “If my father and mother leave me, the Lord will take me in.”  God sent me to get them for Him!

My commentary had several great things to say:

“The secret of David’s public confidence was his private obedience:  he took time to fellowship with the Lord and get directions from Him.  David knew that the most important part of his life was the part that only God could see, and this was one priority he would not negotiate… David took time to meditate and to contemplate the wonders of God’s grace.  He came away from his times of worship feeling the rock under his feet and seeing above and beyond the enemy to the victory God had prepared.”

“When David cried out, God answered him in his heart and said, ‘Seek My face.’”

“David believed that God’s goodness followed him and also anticipated him, that God stored up goodness to use when it was needed.  God’s goodness never ran out, for David could go into God’s presence and receive all he needed.  The key was faith in God.”

Father, thank You for this fresh reminder of Your love and watchcare over me and Your sufficiency to be everything I need.  Thank You for this worship moment.  You teach me here not to fear the circumstances around me, my potential failure, or my future, because You have conquered them all.  Thank You for being my God!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 26 -- Again, God's Perfect Timing For Me

My commentary explained the situation:  “Not all who gathered to worship at the sanctuary were sincere in their walk or their worship, and some of them were openly disobedient, and spread lies about the king.  It was this situation that led to the writing of this psalm.  David makes three requests of the Lord.”

Vindicate Me

From my commentary:  “’Vindicate’ means ‘give me justice, defend my reputation.’  David was a man of integrity, a fact that was affirmed by the Lord Himself.  The people attacking him were ‘dissemblers’ … His life revealed a balance of faith (“I have trusted”) and works (“I have walked”) … When your character and conduct are attacked, it isn’t wrong to vindicate yourself, as Paul did (2 Cor. 10-12), or to ask the Lord to vindicate you.  We aren’t just defending ourselves; we’re defending the name of the Lord whom we serve.  Our vindication is for His name’s sake.”

Examine Me

“The Lord was faithful to His covenant and David was faithful to the Lord.  Though David occasionally fell, AS WE ALL DO, the HABITUAL BENT of his life was toward the Lord and His Word … The wicked came to the sanctuary to hide their sins.  But David went to the sanctuary to worship God and bear witness to His grace and mercy.”

Redeem Me

“David couldn’t stop the hypocrites from joining the worshipping congregation, but he could help from becoming like them; so he asked the Lord to deliver him from THAT sin … The godly must constantly beware of the evil influences of the world and especially of those who profess to love God, but are using religion as a cover-up for their sins.  To remain faithful, we must also ask God to be merciful to us and help us to maintain our integrity.”

Father, You have examined me.  You know that like everyone, I occasionally fall, but You know that the habitual bent of my life is toward You and Your Word.  You know I’ve had to vindicate myself lately.  Please vindicate me for the sake of Your name.  Please show others the truth of these words and restore my joy.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 25 -- Perfect Timing, Father!

Such absolutely perfect timing as always, Father!  Exactly what I was needing to hear.  My commentary said that David knows he is a sinner who doesn’t deserve God’s help, but he relies on the goodness and mercy of the Lord.  He held to three unwavering assurances:

The help we need comes from God

He therefore waited on the Lord, worshipped, and confidently asked for help.  “He desperately needed wisdom … he prayed with assurance and faith.  But he also prayed with contrition, confessing his sins to the Lord.  He had regrets about some of his youthful omissions of obedience or commissions of sin, and he wanted forgiveness,” my commentary said.

Our God can be trusted

“If we submit ourselves to Him in meekness, He will teach us His ways … Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control.  God can be trusted to guide those who obey…”

Trusting God brings us victory

David again prays, mentioning to the Lord “the special burdens that beset him, the dangerous enemies without, and the distressing emotions within …”  God helped him conquer danger, loneliness, a broken heart, regrets, fear, and despair.  “Whatever lies the enemy was spreading about him, David knew that the Lord saw his heart and approved of his character.”

Father, You know me and You know my heart for You.  I readily admit when I sin, and I ask You for forgiveness.  I know that You provide it, because I can trust You.  I also heard You reminding me this week to forgive “those who trespass against me”, and I need Your help in doing that right now, especially when the trespass comes from Your own children.  You know my heart, and You know that the motives and agendas that are being ascribed to me are untrue.  I have waited patiently and in meekness as it is described in my commentary today.  I need Your help, Father.  I wait on You.  I have hope in You.  I thank You for Your forgiveness and Your guidance.  Comfort my heart as I seek to do Your will and as I continue to see roadblocks being placed in my path.  Correct the thinking of those who do it, Father.  They are attempting to hinder Your work, thinking they are in Your will.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 24 -- Rejoicing In His Coming And Our Access To His Throne

“The earth belongs to the Lord and everything in it – the world and all its people.”  My commentary said, “All the people on earth are God’s, made in His image and accountable to Him … we are guests on His planet … Anything we give Him He has first given to us,” my commentary added.  I think it’s tough for many Christians today to think that all the people belong to God, especially with all the radicalism going on in the Middle East.  I suppose that those people appear to God much the same as a rebellious teenager would appear to us.  He still loves all people despite their rebellion and He wants all people to come to Him.

“Who may go up on the mountain of the Lord?  Who may stand in His holy Temple?  Only those with clean hands and pure hearts.”  My commentary said, “Clean hands speak of righteous conduct and a pure heart of godly character and motives … However, nobody on God’s earth is able to meet those standards … Only Jesus Christ qualifies to enter the Father’s presence, and He has gone to heaven to represent His people and intercede for them before the Father’s throne.  To  seek God’s face means to have an audience with the King, and this is now possible through the work of Christ on the cross.  God’s righteousness is a  gift, not a reward for good works.”

Thank You for allowing me to come into Your presence in prayer, Father.  I can only do it through the completed work of Your Son on the cross.  He died to give me access to You.  Forgive me when I sin, and help me to repent and return to You in humility and praise.  Who is this glorious King?  The Lord All-Powerful – He is the glorious King!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 23 -- A Fresh Look

I enjoyed reading this chapter in a different translation so I wouldn’t just spout it out from memory.  That went along with what my commentary said – “this isn’t David as a young shepherd, lying on his back in a pasture … in [this psalm] David deals with some of the difficult things he experienced during his long walk with the Lord … it’s a message for mature Christians who have fought battles and carried burdens … David explains that if we follow the Lord and trust Him, He will meet our every need, no matter what the circumstances may be.”

My commentary also pointed out how verses 1-3 discuss the adequacy of our Shepherd to take care of us.  “God cares for us because He loves us and wants us to glorify Him (for His name’s sake).”

It also points out that in verse 4 the personal pronoun changes from he to you.  David is not speaking about the shepherd but speaking to the Shepherd.  In the dark valley, He is not before us but beside us, leading the way and calming our fears … through life, as we follow the Shepherd, we will have many and varied experiences, some of which will be very trying, but none of them can take the Lord by surprise.  We may trust Him and have peace.”

Verse 6 reflects “eternity in the Father’s house,” my commentary said.  “As an old man, David looked back over his long life and gave thanks that the Lord had blessed him with goodness and mercy.  In spite of his sins and failures, he had been followed by goodness and mercy.”

Thanks for a fresh look at the 23^rd Psalm, Father.  I’m so glad You are never caught by surprise at what I do.  Thank You for being the Shepherd who loves me in every way, despite my failures.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 22 -- David's Take?

Although this is a Messianic psalm, I wanted to look at it from David’s personal point of view, given that he wrote it.  My commentary said, “We have a difficult time finding an occasion in his life that would call forth this kind of psalm.  According to the record, the Lord never deserted him in his hour of need … We may not know how this psalm related to the author’s personal experience.

So possibly David felt separation from the Lord due to something that happened in his life, which wasn’t every recorded in Scripture.  Of course, all of David’s sins could not be listed.  Whatever it was, this one broke his heart.  But it sounds like God was dealing with him directly and once David’s heart was broken, God was satisfied with his repentance.

Several times David spoke of trusting God and several times he pleaded, “Don’t be far away from me.”  My commentary said, “In verse 2 he wrote that God had not answered, but now, he almost shouts, ‘You have answered me!’ This is the turning point of the psalm.

Father, thank You for putting distance between You and me when You need to get my attention, too.  Thank You for teaching me to trust You.  Help me to do it all the more.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 20 & 21 -- Remembering Experiencing God

This psalm is special to me because it contains a verse that Henry Blackaby used in Experiencing God, a Bible Study that God used more than anything else to draw me back to Him:  “Some trust in chariots, others in horse, but WE trust the Lord our God.”

Although my commentary says that this is a prayer before battle, I like to imagine David saying it to me, reminding me of what he had discovered in his covenant with God.  “May the Lord answer you in times of trouble.  May the God of Jacob protect you.  May He send you help from His Temple, and support you from Mount Zion.  May He remember all your offerings and accept all your sacrifices.  May He give you what you want and make all your plans succeed … May the Lord give you all that You ask for.  Now I know the Lord helps … He answers … and saves … Some trust in chariots, others in horses, but WE trust the Lord our God …we march forward and win …Answer us when we call for help.”

Wow!  Powerful stuff today, Father!  I know that You watch over me and listen to my prayers.  You answer when I ask in Your will.  I trust You God!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 19 -- The Better Picture

What man sees in nature that reveals God is much like those older TV’s.  There is a limit to what we can see.  Yet by studying and meditating on God’s Word, in which He reveals Himself to man, we get an incredibly fuller picture of who God is and what He has done!

Those first six verses talk about the sun and what it is capable of doing (which is marvelous), but what’s described in the next five verses the sun can’t do:  It can’t give new strength, make plain people wise, make people happy, light up the spiritual way, or last forever. 

Verse 12 says, “People cannot see their own mistakes.  Forgive me for my secret sins.”  My commentary says these are “faults hidden to ourselves and others, but not to God.  Sin is sin, even if we are ignorant of it!  Confession should always cover hidden or secret sins as well.”

David specifically prays about sins of pride next, for pride is the parent sin of all other sins.  If we can keep ourselves mindful that we aren’t God, pride will be kept in check and prevent other sins from cropping up.

Finally, David prays, “I hope my words and my thoughts please You.”  My words and my thoughts need to match up or else God will be showing me where they don’t.  “The words we speak begin with the thoughts in our heart, so it’s important that we meditate on God’s Word and God’s works,” my commentary added.

Father, although You us creation to reveal Yourself to those who do not yet know You, Your Word is the primary tool You use to show us Yourself.  You never intended for creation to have the loudest voice.  Please help me to tell others about You.  Thank You for opening my heart and my head to You all those years ago!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 18 -- Praising God For All He's Done For Me

This may sound strange, but I couldn’t bear to read my commentary this morning, thinking that it might get into such depth that I’d be drawn away from the awesomeness of God that I read in David’s words this morning.  They so describe how God has worked in my life.  Here is just a sampling:

“I love You, Lord.  You are my strength … my rock, my protection, my Savior … my shield and my saving strength, my defender … In my trouble I called to the Lord.  I cried out to my God for help.  From His temple He heard my voice; my call for help reached His ears … He tore open the sky and came down … The Lord reached down from above and took me… He saved me … Because He delights in me, He saved me … My God brightens the darkness around me … God is my protection … You have stooped to make me great.  You give me a better way to live, so I live as You want me to … The Lord lives!  May my Rock be praised … So I will praise You, Lord, among the nations.  I will sing praises to Your name.”

Father, thank You for doing all of this and more for me.  Do it for those I love, too, Father.  I feel You working in both of their lives right now.  Draw them to You.  Cause them to recall what You have already done for them, and help them to want You in control of their lives.  I praise You, my God and my Rock!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 17 -- David's Prayer For God To Intervene And Protect

David prayed a prayer for protection in this psalm.  He begged God for fairness and asked for His attention.  David is not claiming to be sinless in verses 2-5, but blameless.  He’s speaking about a specific set of charges against him, not his whole life.

In verses 6-7, he’s positioning himself for God to work in him.  Imagine in verse 8, God protecting David as He would protect His own eye!

My commentary says that the image in verse 13 recalls God moving during the Exodus as the pillar of fire or cloud would move, directing the people to follow.  His enemies were only getting their reward in this life.  Verses 14-15 are one of the few places in the Old Testament that gave any hint of any afterlife.  “Because I have lived right, I will see Your face.  When I wake up [resurrection] , I will see Your likeness and be satisfied,” or in another translation, “I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”  How awesome that will be!

Father, I too have been attacked recently.  My name has been smeared and my motives have been questioned.  But like David, I can pray in this instance, “You will judge that I am right; Your eyes can see what is true.  You have examined my heart … You questioned me without finding anything wrong … I have obeyed Your commands … I have done what You told me; I have not failed …. Protect me …. Save me…”

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 16 -- David's Personal Hymn Of Joy?

I love this psalm!  David asks God to continue to protect him because he trusts in God.  He knows the Source of his blessings and he loved being around others who loved God.

God was active in David’s life, and David knew it and acknowledged it:  “He advises me …. I feel His leading … He is close by my side …. You will not leave me in the grave … You will teach me how to live a holy life … With You I will find pleasure forever.”

The pleasure we’ll experience in God’s presence is far beyond the greatest happiness we could feel here on earth.  My commentary added some thoughts:  “Our relationship to ourselves, our circumstances, other people, and the future depends on our relationship to the Lord … If Jesus is the Lord of our lives, then the possessions we have and the circumstances we are in represent the inheritance He gives us … The future is your friend when Jesus is Your Lord.”

Perhaps the telling questions I read were these:  “Do you anticipate being with Christ in glory?  Is He the joy of Your life today?”  Our lives with Him on this earth should be considered training for reigning, for eternal life starts now.

Father, thank You for that moment when I finally understood that my life was not about heaven someday, but instead, about understanding that my joy is in my daily conversations with You, learning more about You and watching You impact my life every day.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 14 & 15 -- Warnings For Those Who Claim There Is No God

“Fools say to themselves, ‘There is no God.’”  I’d written a quote in the margins from an earlier quiet time:  “The belief that there is no God is founded on the desire to lead a wicked life, or is embraced by those who in fact live such a life, with a desire to sustain themselves in their depravity and to avoid the fear of future retribution.”

My commentary calls them practical atheists.  “All that they are, say, and do comes from their arrogant (and ignorant) belief that there is no God … They ignore God.”  I loved this quote describing them:  “Sinners can’t find God for the same reason criminals can’t find policemen – they aren’t looking!”

“By leaving God out of their lives, they cause their inner person to become more and more corrupt … ‘Gone aside’ means they have turned their backs on God and refuse to fulfill the purpose for which they were created – to glorify God … The wicked have no future with the Lord because they preferred not to know the Lord or live for Him.  They lived according to the desires of their own heart, not to please the Lord and glorify Him.  Those who reject Jesus Christ will spend eternity apart from the Lord and will honestly be able to say in hell, ‘There is no God – here!’”

Father, thank You for pulling me away from my life like that – for loving me when I didn’t love You.  Thank You for not giving up on me.  Your persistence was what I needed.  Please keep it up with those I love, and lead them to know You as their God, too.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 13 -- Says So Much!

Six verses!  Just right!  My written summary in the margins from another time say, “David asks God, ‘How long?’ and expects (demands) an answer.  He changes his heart instead.”

My commentary fleshed it out some more:

“David was certainly disturbed by what the enemy was doing, but he was more concerned about what the Lord was not doing.  ‘How long?’ is a familiar question in Scripture and is a perfectly good question to ask if your heart is right with God … but now he felt abandoned … We must not deny our feelings and pretend that everything is going well, and there is no sin in asking, ‘How long?’  But at the same time, we must realize how deceptive our feelings are and that God is greater than our hearts and can lift us above the emotional storms of life … David finally replaced ‘How long?’ with ‘My times re in Your hands’ later in Scripture.  That is a lesson that all believers must learn.”

He prayed that God would look at him, fixing His eyes on him.  He wanted to see God’s face again.  He prayed for an encouraging answer.  He also prayed, “Give light to my eye,” which included spiritual enlightenment and physical and emotional vitality and strength, my commentary said.

He also became concerned about God’s glory again.  If David failed to become king as God had promised, God’s name would be ridiculed.

“David’s feelings had been on a roller coaster, but God was still on the throne, and His character had not changed.  God’s mercy (steadfast love) was all that David needed, for it would never fail … David’s circumstances haven’t changed, but the Lord had changed him, and that occurred when David stopped looking at his feelings and his foes and by faith started looking to the Lord.”

I’ve felt the same way lately, Father.  Thank You for the reminder.  I love You!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 10-12 Rise Up Lord, And Protect Me

“The wicked look for innocent people to kill … they wait in hiding like a lion … Lord, rise up and punish the wicked.  Don’t forget those who need help … Lord, surely You see these cruel and evil things; look at them and do something.  People in trouble look to You for help.  You are the one who helps the orphans.  Break the power of wicked people … Protect the orphans and put an end to suffering … I trust in the Lord for protection …The Lord is in His holy temple (within me) … He sees what people do … He hates the wicked and those who love to hurt others.  The Lord does what is right, and He loves justice, so honest people will see His face … Save me, Lord … The Lord says, ‘I will now rise up, because the poor are being hurt.  Because of the moans of the helpless, I will give them the help they want.’ … Lord, You will keep us safe; You will always protect us from such people.”

David’s prayers are mine today as well, Father.  You know me and You know my heart.  Please let others, who do not know me, know me as You do, Father.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 7-9 Just In Time Again, Father

God’s timing is perfect as always.  My commentary divided chapter seven into four sections, entitled: “Other People Judge Us Wrongly, We Judge Ourselves Honestly, God Judges Sinners Righteously, and Sin Itself Judges Sinners Ultimately”. 

For a week now, someone who hasn’t known me long at all has accused me falsely.  It sickened me that they have ascribed motives to my actions that are wrong.  I was on the cusp of attacking back, but God gave me His Word yesterday morning.  I decided to let this sit for a day before posting. 

My commentary said, “When today people falsely accuse us and create problems for us, we should follow David’s example and find refuge in the Lord.  But let’s be sure that we are suffering wrongfully and not because of our own foolishness or disobedience.  David affirmed his integrity before the Lord and asked the Supreme Judge to vindicate him because his hands were clean.  David wasn’t claiming to be sinless; he was stating that he was blameless in his motives and actions … he knew that his hands were pure … How important it is that we are open and honest with both our Lord and ourselves … David didn’t take the situation into his own hands; rather, he turned [it] over to the Lord.  Only God’s holy anger could truly vindicate David … ‘Let the Lord try me and prove to all that I am innocent!’”

Father God, You know the truth.  I know what You originally called me to do, and unfortunately, Satan is trying to halt those plans by striking fear in hearts.  I’ll keep on and let You defend me, for I know I’ve heart from You and that I’m doing exactly what You called me to do.  

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 4-6 -- Much To Learn

Psalm 4:

My commentary said, “David knew he didn’t deserve any help from the Lord, but he prayed on the basis of God’s mercy and favor … David gave six instructions when we find ourselves getting angry:

1)      Tremble before the Lord – believers who fear the Lord need not fear anything else.

2)      Don’t sin

3)      Search you own hearts

4)      Be still – be sorry for the things you say in your heart.

5)      Offer right sacrifices

6)      Trust the Lord

Psalm 5 – Where David prays for God to handle his enemies

My commentary said that John the Baptist (Matt 3) and Jesus (Matt 23) lifted up such requests as well, yet many don’t like think kind of praying.  C.S. Lewis said, “We don’t hate sin enough to get upset at the wickedness and godlessness around us” … we’ve gotten accustomed to the darkness.

This psalm teaches us to prepare to meet the Lord and to seek to please Him.  He prayed for guidance, justice, and God’s blessing.  “David came to the Lord with … awe … For believers to enter into the presence of God to worship and pray, it cost Jesus His life, and to treat this privilege lightly is to cheapen that sacrifice.”

Psalm 6:

The Pain of Discipline – “Sometimes God chastens us in order to deal with our disobedience, but at other times, He chastens us to prepare us for what lies ahead.  David asks, ‘How long?’  The answer to the question is, ‘I will discipline you until you learn the lesson I want you to learn and are equipped for the work I want you to do … what God seeks is submission… The Lord may not do what we ask, when we want it, but He will do what needs to be done and help us glorify His name.  The question we should ask isn’t, ‘When will I get out of this?’ but ‘What can I get out of this?’”

Father, I’ve lately found myself crying out like David does in these verses.  Help me to trust You and to see Your face and to learn what I need to learn from my circumstances.  Be sovereign in my life!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 1-3 Sin and Worship

“Sinners will not worship with God’s people.”  We are all sinners, but as Christians we are also God’s people.  It seems to follow then that when we sin, we are effectively cutting ourselves off from worshiping God.

Chapter 2 then says, “Obey the Lord with great fear.  Be happy, but tremble.  Show that you are loyal to His Son…”  Lack of obedience is the sin of chapter 1.  Obedience is the opposite of sin.  Sin is rebellion.  Obedience is loyalty.  Even when we obey, we should experience the awesomeness of all God is and realize how insignificant we are.  Our propensity to sin should cause great fear.  Our obedience results in happiness, but that propensity to sin also causes us to tremble.

Chapter 3 shows us the benefits of obedience and loyalty to God.  Despite being attacked, we have courage because we know that God is for us and in control of everything and that He protects us.  The assurance of His protection allows us to sleep at night and be refreshed and strengthened by it.  When David cries, “Lord, rise up!  My God, come save me!,” he isn’t worried that God may have become distracted or uncaring.  My commentary said these words reflected what was happing in the wilderness when God moved the pillar of fire or the cloud, signaling the people to get up and move with it.  David is expecting God to work.

Father, thanks for reminding me of how even the slightest sin can keep me from true worship.  Obedience is of utmost importance, for it glorifies You, and that is what our existence is all about.  It is worship.  Thank You for glorifying Yourself by rising up to protect me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford