Psalm 45 -- Not Just A Secular Love Song

I agreed with my commentary – wondering why a secular love song would be used in the worship of the Lord at His Sanctuary?  And I could see that these weren’t merely words to David or Solomon but to Jesus Christ.

My commentary saw four pictures of Him in this chapter:  The Gracious Son of Man, The Victorious Warrior, The Righteous King, and The Glorious Bridegroom, and they all fit our risen Lord.

Some truths I particularly liked:

“As the gracious Son of Man, Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him, which was the joy of presenting His bride to the Father in glory.”

Regarding the victorious warrior, my commentary said, “We live in a day when the militant side of the Christian faith is criticized and even eliminated, an attitude that is both unbiblical and dangerous … Jesus suffered and died on the cross, not only to save sinners but also to defeat Satan, and one day He will return as a warrior and defeat His enemies and establish His righteous kingdom.”

“In ancient times, a Jewish bridegroom went to the bride’s house to claim her and then took her to his own home, and Jesus will do that when He returns to claim His church … As the queen waits … she must forget the past, submit to her Husband the King, and seek only to please Him.  What a word for the church today!”

Father, I thank You for all You’ve done for me all these years, and particularly this past week.  I’ve witnessed Jesus in these roles, and I’m glad to take this fresh look.  What perfect advice for my sons and me right now – to forget the past, submit to Christ, and seek only to please Him!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 44 -- Any Way To Talk To God?

The sons of Korah wrote this psalm when they couldn't understand why Israel had lost a war.  I understand their questions, but I almost cringed at how they asked God questions.

They first acknowledged that God alone was the source of their strength, that He had acted on Israel's behalf in the past, and that they trusted Him to do so again.  "You were with [our ancestors] because You loved them."

They praised God even when they were defeated, saying, "We will praise God every day; we will praise Your name forever."

And after the praise comes the questions....

"But You have rejected us and shamed us ... You made us a joke to our neighbors ... But You crushed us ... and You covered us with deep darkness."

They don't attribute their defeat to any possibility of unpreparedness for battle or wrong strategies.  In fact, they had examined their lives and found no conscious sin that would have caused defeat:  "All these things have happened to us, but we have not forgotten You or failed to keep our agreement with You.  Our hearts haven't turned away from You, and we haven't stopped following You ... If we had forgotten our God or lifted our hands in prayer to foreign gods, God would have known, because He knows what is in our hearts..."

This gives them the boldness to ask, I guess:  "Wake up, Lord!  Why are You sleeping?  Get up!  Don't reject us forever.  Why do You hide from us? .... Get up and help us.  Because of Your love, save us."

And because of His love, He did answer that last plea, and sent His Son.

Father, I know You don't abandon me.  You do take me through trials to build my faith, but You don't give me more than You have grown me to handle.  Keep watching closely, Father. 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 42-43 Longing For, Remembering, and Trusting God

It’s important to remember that these two psalms, which many believe were once combined, became an expression of worship, though they represent a time of depression and inability to worship.  There is desperation of a soul who can’t get to worship, remembering the times when he could.

In a prior quiet time, I’d read and noted in my Bible, “God wants to bring us back to the place of worshipping Him far more than we want to get there.  He’s pulling on this thing from the other end!  God will put a smile on your face again, whether in this life or the next.”

The commentary I’m now using saw the writer passing through three stages before he comes to victory and peace:

First, longing for God.

Second, remembering God.

Third, trusting God.

I loved these truths from my commentary:

“The living God was the God of his life, and he could not live without Him … without worship, life to him was meaningless … Memory can be either a blessed medicine for the troubled heart, or it can open new wounds and keep the pain fresh… He confronted himself and admonished himself not to be downcast but to hope in the Lord and wait on Him … God was still on the throne.  God’s presence was with him, and he would yet have the joy of worshipping God … He made a wise decision when he decided to remember God and not the good old days … God was in command, a new day would dawn, and the situation would look different … In verse 8, he used Jehovah instead of Elohim, and this was the turning point in his difficult experience.  Jehovah is the God of the covenant, the faithful God who cares for His people.  He is the God who showers His people with lovingkindness, gives them promises they can claim when they pray, and hears them when they praise and worship.  Everything might be changing, but the Lord was still his Rock – stable, strong, and unchanging … By the end of Chapter 43, his focus is no longer on himself, his disappointments, or his circumstances, but on the Lord his God, and that makes all the difference.”

Father, for almost two years now, my focus too has been on myself, my disappointments, and my circumstances, yet I still trusted You and I know You are in control.  You have been active and are changing circumstances even this week.  Please help me to praise and worship You no matter what, even in bitter pain, for You are the God of my life and God my exceeding joy, and God, my God!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 41 -- Taking A Spiritual Inventory During Difficulty

My commentary says, “When we find ourselves in difficulty, we may use this psalm to take an inventory of our spiritual condition by asking and answering four questions:

First, Integrity:  How do we treat others?  Before we can claim God’s promises, we must examine our own hearts to see if we have sincerely met the conditions the Lord has laid down.

Second, Treachery:  How do others treat us?  It wasn’t enough that David was sick in bed, but he also had to deal with treachery among his own family and friends … but David was gifted at reading people and knew the truth.

Third, Mercy:  How does God treat us?  God in His mercy doesn’t give us what we do deserve, and God in His grace gives us what we don’t deserve, and He does this because of Jesus Christ His Son who died for us on the cross … More than anything else, David wanted to please God.

Fourth, Glory:  How do we treat God?  The main thing in our lives must be the eternal praise and glory of the Lord.  ‘Hallowed be Thy name’ is the first request in the Disciple’s Prayer, and it governs all the other requests.’”

David prayed for mercy and healing and admitted that he had sinned against God.  Because of his repentance, he could say, as we can, “I know that You are pleased with me.  Because I am innocent [his sins had been forgiven], You support me and will let me be with You forever.”

That’s what I want, Father.  Help me to have integrity in the way I treat others.  Protect me from the treachery of others, and if they do not see me as You see me, change their views of me.  Thank You also for Your continuing mercy given freely to me, as undeserving of it as I am.  And help me to give You all glory for what You are doing in the lives of my sons and me.  I love You, Father!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 40 -- For My Son

David readily acknowledged all that God had been actively doing in his life:

                He turned to him.

                He heard his cry.

                He lifted him out of the pit.

                He stood him on a rock.

                He made his feet steady.

                He gave him a new song.

                He glorified HIMSELF by doing all of this.

David realized that true happiness in life comes from trusting God with our lives.  “The honor of proud men is not important.  The false gods of materialism, pleasure, and sexual indulgence cannot SATISFY the human heart.  Only God can.”

David described a common event at that time – the piercing of a slave’s ear to denote permanent servanthood – “my body and life are Yours … My God, I want to do what You want.  Your teachings are in my heart.”

Because of all God had done for him, David would tell his story to others, glorifying God.  Our reaction should be the same.  We are to tell OUR story – how God actively intervened in our lives – to glorify Him.

David readily admitted that he sins.  He wasn’t going to claim otherwise.  Therefore, he asked God never to hold back His mercy.

As the king, David had access to everything he’d ever need, but as a man, he knew he was poor and helpless without his God – his Helper and Savior.  He asked for God never to wait to help him and save him.

My commentary boiled it all down to three instructions for difficult times:

                Praise God for all He has done.

                Give God all that He asks.

                Trust God for all that remains.

“God wants our hearts first of all, then open ears to hear and obey His will … an open ear means a yielded will and a surrendered body.  When the heart delights in God’s law, the will has no problem obeying … Worship is not an escape from life, but the opportunity to honor God and be equipped to face life and live for His glory … David couldn’t see what lay ahead [and neither can we], but God knew the future and He had everything under control.”

Father, I think of my precious son as I read these words.  I pray that over the past two months You have opened his ears and his heart to these words and given him strength to face life, tell his story, and live for Your glory.  Watch over him, Father!  Do not wait!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 39 -- God's Timing -- Parallels With David's Life

It’s amazing how some things in David’s life has paralleled events in my own life lately.  I know it’s Your timing, Father – perfect as always.

My commentary started, “David was attempting to remain silent in a time of trial, lest he say something that would offend believers or give ammunition to unbelievers.”  I too have found myself wanting to say some things, yet fighting not to say them and invite blowback that would cause dishonor to God.  Like my own feelings, David felt “this restraint only made his heart burn with intense pain … David didn’t even say good things; he just kept quiet as long as he could.”

“When we find ourselves burying our true feelings and creating physical and emotional pain for ourselves, then it’s time to talk to the Lord and seek His help,” my commentary added.  David’s heart was burdened at this point.  But in verse 7 it all begins to turn.  David recovers his believing heart.  “If life is short and goes past so swiftly, what am I waiting for?” he says.

Once David humbly asks for forgiveness, his broken heart is healed.  “We don’t know the particular sins that brought this stroke from the Lord, and we don’t have to know.  We do know that God listens to the cries of the brokenhearted and forgives when we confess.”

“David then prayed for God’s direction … His closing prayer was that God would turn away His frowning face and give him strength to return to life with its duties and burdens and then one day enable him to pass into eternity … dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.”

Oh, how I’ve also held back, Father.  My heart has been burdened.  It is a believing heart, for I know You are in control and that You will win.  I too seek Your direction.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 38 -- Three Responses To God's Chastening

“David’s sins had brought God’s chastening to his life … David doesn’t question the legitimacy of his suffering, for he admitted his sins, but he wonders why his suffering is so severe … David wanted God to remember to be merciful … For God to remember someone means that He begins to act on their behalf and meet some need,” my commentary said.

It also said, “When God’s people suffer the consequences of sin and feel the chastening hand of God, they must choose one of three responses:
    1)      We can focus on ourselves and experience sin’s painfulness;
    2)      We can focus on others and experience sin’s loneliness;
    3)      We can focus on the Lord and experience sin’s forgiveness.

I loved several truths that my commentary brought out:

“If we don’t listen to the words of His heart, we will feel the weight of His hand.”

“We are free to disobey the Lord, but we are not free to change the consequences.”

“David took his eyes off his own suffering and looked to the Lord, knowing that God saw his heart and knew all his longings.  God knows what we want, but He also knows what we need.  Then why pray?  Because God has commanded us to pray, and ‘you do not have because you do not ask (James 4:2).”  LET’S ASK!

“He wanted God to work so the enemy couldn’t use him as an excuse for sinning.  When they slandered David’s name, they also slandered the Lord, and David wanted to honor the Lord.”

“Confident that the Lord had forgiven him, he closed his prayer with three requests:  Be WITH me, Be NEAR me, and Be FOR me and HELP me.”

Father, I loved the truths You showed me this morning.  Please help me to quickly come to You in confession and repentance when I sin so that I won’t be separated from You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 37 -- Reassurance When The Wicked Seem To Be Prospering

My commentary said that when it seemed that the wicked were prospering and God wasn’t doing anything about it, the righteous could:

n  Fret over the problem

n  Leave the Land

n  Or go on being faithful, trusting the Lord to keep His word.

“David took the long view … and evaluated the immediate and the transient in terms of the ultimate and the eternal… He gave four assurances to believers who question how God is running His world” or His church:

n  The Lord can be trusted

n  The Lord understands your situation

n  The Lord blesses His people, and

n  The Lord judges the wicked.

There were several truths I saw as my commentary discussed these assurances:

“For us to get upset because of the evil schemes of the ungodly is to doubt the goodness and justice of God.”

“Meekness does not mean weakness.  It means force under the control of faith.”

“Eventually the wicked will be cut off, which in Israel usually meant exclusion from the covenant community.”

Father, thank You for reassuring me.  It’s tough to feel like things are wrong and feel in the middle of it all, doubting my own assurances from You.  Thanks for the booster shot.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 36 -- What IS God Telling Me?

I've sensed God showing me something over the last several days, and these verses seem to back that up.  Father, let me not misunderstand what You are saying.

"Sin speaks to the wicked in their hearts ... They think too much of themselves so they don't see their sin and hate it ... What they do leads to nothing good.... Lord, Your love reaches to the heavens, Your loyalty to the skies.  Your goodness is as high as the mountains ... Your justice is as deep as the great ocean ... Your love is so precious! ... Your light lets us enjoy life.  Continue to love those who know You ... Don't let proud people attack me and the wicked force me away."

And then the assured promise -- "Those who do evil have been defeated."

I have watched and listened as I have ministered this week.  Yet something doesn't seem right and true.  Some reactions don't line up with what I've read in the Word that Jesus would have done.  It's not just this week, but for some time now.

I loved what our new friend "A" said about first building relationships with unbelievers before we earn the right to share the Gospel with them.  That's what I've always been taught.  Relationship building is what opens doors.  The love of Christ didn't drive people away.  Yes, salvation is our intention, but it is accomplished in God's timing, not our own.  The horse is led to water, not bloated with a fire hose.

That's something that we need more of at home.  We impact lives by first building relationships.

Verses 5-9 reveal the Lord's ways which are higher than ours -- His love reaches to the heavens.  Where is ours?  His loyalty to the skies.  Where is ours?  His goodness is as high as the mountains.  Ours?  His justice is as deep as a great ocean (where He buries our sins, never to have them surface again.  Is our justice shallow?  Do we demand compliance?  His love is precious.  Is ours hypocritical?  His light lets us enjoy life.  Ours? God shows us His will for our lives.  If ours doesn't happen to sync with someone else's, that's not particularly wrong.

Don't let the proud people attack me, Father.  If they think too much of themselves, help them to see their sin and hate it.  Your light leads to enjoyment, not being put down.  I know that You have not suddenly changed what You have shown me and taught me over the last 23 years.  Point out the problem, Father.

Psalm 35 -- David's Cry In Less Than Ideal Circumstances

David cries out for God to battle those who battle with him.  In his longing for God's help, he cries, "Tell me, 'I will save you.'"

Some of these people may have been his friends, thinking they were right and he was wrong.  I've been there, Father.

"For no reason ... for no reason they ..."  David can't understand why he is being attacked so.  But he knows His Lord, and says, "Then I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy when He saves me.  Even my bones will say, 'Lord, who is like You?'"

David continues about his enemies -- "They repay me with evil for the good I have done, and they make me very sad.  Yet when they were sick, I put on clothes of sadness and shaved my sorrow ... I acted as if they were my friends or brothers ... But when I was in trouble ... they gathered to attack before I knew it...  Lord, how long will You watch this happen?  Save me from their attacks ... My God and Lord, fight for me! ... defend me ... they were happy when I hurt ... they thought they were better than I was."

But David knows God will win, and looking forward to that day, he says, "May my friends sing and shout for joy.  May they always say, 'Praise the greatness of the Lord, who loves to see His servants do well.  I will tell of Your goodness and I will praise You every day."

Father, do this for me.  You know the circumstances.

Psalm 34 -- Confirmation from God

I'd wondered if we would have troubles here, but it has been great.  So what I read today was like a confirmation from God:

"I will praise the Lord at all times ... His praise is always on my lips.  My whole being praises the Lord ... Glorify the Lord with me, and let us praise His name together ... I asked the Lord for help and He answered me.  He saved me from all that I feared.  Those who go to Him for help are happy ... The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear God, and He saves them.  Examine and see how good the Lord is.  Happy is the person who trusts Him ... Those who fear Him will have everything they need ... Those who look to the Lord will have every good thing ... The Lord sees the good people and listens to their prayers ... The Lord hears good people when they cry out to Him ... The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and He saves those whose spirits have been crushed ... People who do what is right may have many problems, but the Lord will solve them all."

Father, thank You for watching over my boys while I've been gone.  Thank You for lifting their spirits.  Thank You for reinvigorating my spirit and giving me kids here to get to know and love and tell about You when I can.  Bless us as we finish this week of ministry, and use it to grow Your kingdom here.

Back from our Central Asian trip & catching up some -- Psalm 33 -- Away From Regular Worship

Away from normal Sunday worship, how special this psalm is:

"Sing a new song to Him; play well and joyfully."  Being on the other side of the world, 12 time zones away, I loved reading this:  "The Lord's love fills the earth... All the earth SHOULD worship the Lord; the whole world SHOULD fear Him ... The Lord upsets the plans of nations.  He ruins all their plans.  But the Lord's plans will stand forever; His ideas will last from now on...  The Lord looks down from Heaven and sees every person.  From His throne He watches all who live on earth.  He made their hearts and understands everything they do ... We rejoice in Him, because we trust His holy name.

Lord, show Your love to us as we put our hope in You on the opposite side of this planet.

Psalm 32 -- The Blessing of Confession

What an awesome psalm!  We all dread having to confess to God what we’ve done – David waited almost a year to do so – and here he tells us of “the freedom of forgiveness” he experienced.

My commentary called verses 1-2 “The Blessing of Acceptance”.  God blesses the disobedient who have been forgiven, my commentary said.  “When we confess our sins, God cancels the debt and it’s no longer on the books … Jesus paid the debt on the cross, and His blood cleanses the record AND the heart of the offender.”

It calls verse 3-4 “The Folly of Impenitence”.  “David honestly admits what a fool he had been to hide his sins for almost a year … God does not permit His children to sin successfully… Sin is a serpent, and he that covers sin does but keep it warm, that it may sting the more fiercely, and disperse the venom and malignity thereof the more effectually.  The Lord chastened David … and made him miserable until he stopped lying, humbled himself before God, and confessed his sins … God’s chastening is proof that He loves us and that we are genuinely His children.”

Verses 6-7 are called “The Way of Deliverance”.  I read, “David’s confession ‘I have sinned against the Lord’ was answered with, ‘The Lord also has put away your sin.’ … all he had to do was sincerely confess his sins, and the Lord forgave him … Guilt is to the conscience what pain is to the body:  it tells us something is wrong and must be made right, or things will get worse … we must confess our sins immediately, when we find them out and while God may be found.”

Finally, verses 8-11 are called “The Joy of Obedience”.  One sentence said it all – “God doesn’t forgive us so that we can go back and sin.”

Father, I know what it’s like to labor under the weight of unconfessed sin.  I thank You for making me uncomfortable until I do confess it to You.  Thank You for not allowing me to sin successfully and for reminding me that You don’t forgive me so that I can go back and sin.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 30 -- A Day Late, But Worth Sending

God had rescued David.  From what he wrote, it was a dangerous situation, but we don’t know exactly which one.  He was near death, and God had been angry with him.  It apparently involved disobedience.

David learned that God Himself sometimes lifts us out of our depression.  God’s grace is the source of His help.  My commentary also said, “God doesn’t replace sorrow with joy; He transforms sorrow into joy.”

David needed a new heart because pride had done a number on his old heart.  God was teaching him humility.  My commentary said, “Prosperity is a constant temptation to believers.  God permits trials so that we might not get comfortable in our faith and stop growing.”

Another thing it pointed out was the seven times David said, “Thou hast …”, “Bearing witness to the strong and gracious hand of the Lord working on his behalf.  Even God’s chastening of David was an expression of His love.”

Rather than having a pity party when hard times come, instead, David wants us to focus on “the lifetime of grace God gives to prepare us for an eternity of glory.”

Father, thank You for walking through the hard times with me, for lifting me out of my own emotional pit and for giving me a reason to praise You.  Help me not to forget Your love and not to doubt Your rescue is always on the way.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 31 -- Asking God For Mercy

David faced a time when everyone was against him, and Christ echoed these words on the cross.  My commentary listed three valuable lessons David learned: 

                When others do evil, trust God for His strength.

                When others cause pain, ask God for mercy.

                When others see victory, give God the glory.

“The emphasis is on trusting (taking refuge) in the Lord, no matter how difficult the circumstances might be … Along with God’s protection, David needed God’s direction so he would avoid the traps the enemy had set for him.”

Because he was having to endure such a huge assortment of attacks, David asked for the mercy he desperately needed – asking God to give him ease from his depression caused by these attacks.  “He had committed himself into God’s hands, and now he committed his circumstances into God’s hands,” my commentary noted.  “We would say, ‘All the affairs and details of my life are in the Lord’s hands.’”

In verse 22, David may have been ready to give up.  “I am cut off from Your sight.”  “It wasn’t the enemy that frightened him but the thought of being abandoned by the God he trusted and served.  He did what all of us must do when we sense that God is no longer near:  he cried out to the Lord for His mercy, and the Lord answered.”

Father, I’ve felt overwhelmed lately myself.  I know that I trust You.  I know that You will not desert me.  Yet You use trials like this to build my faith.  Please show me Your mercy, too, Father.  I know You will answer.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Psalm 28 & 29 -- God's Delays Are Not God's Denials

My commentary spoke of David’s concern about unanswered prayer in verses 1-5  “In verse 1 he called on the Lord, and in verse 2 he cried out to Him in desperation, but the Lord didn’t answer.  The unchanging Rock had changed … According to God’s covenant with Israel, David’s idolatrous enemies should have been judged and condemned, but the Lord was doing nothing.  How could God treat His appointed king like a criminal?  (Remember He did the same to His Son to save us.)  David’s prayer was not an expression of personal revenge but a call for God to fulfill His covenant and bright righteousness and peace into the land.”

His whole attitude turns on a dime in verses 6-7, and we hear:  “My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.”  My commentary said, “Faith in Jehovah made all the difference …When David believed God and lifted up his hands in prayer, then God’s hands went to work and met the need.  Faith moves the hands of God, and God’s hands control the universe … His testimony was clear:  ‘God heard me and God helped me!  I trusted Him and now I praise Him!’  David now had the strength to obey God’s will, no matter what the enemy might do.  He also had the Lord as his shield.  David had God’s power and protection … God has not forsaken His people.”

Father God, I thank You for taking me to see my son this weekend and for showing him, in his anxiety, everything that You have done for him despite his rebellion.  Like David he was feeling powerless and needed to be reminded that the powerful God of the universe had been personally intervening in his life for years.  Heal him, Father.  Let him experience the joy that David rediscovered himself in this chapter.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford