150 Days of Psalms - Psalm 38

The title of this Psalm in my Bible is "Prayer of a Suffering Sinner."

It was common thought in these days that if you were suffering it was because of sin in your life. Job's friends were quick to tell him he was a sinner and needed to confess. The Jesus' disciples asked "¹Rabbi, who sinned, ²this man or his ³parents, that he would be born blind ?" (John 9:2)

But Jesus explained that not all suffering is because of sin. 3 Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so ⁴that the works of God might be displayed in him."

That being said, the man in this Psalm WAS a sinner. He knew that his problems and suffering were because God was punishing him for his sin. Too often in America these days we make excuses for sin. We ignore the consequences of sin. We dismiss our own suffering and claim it has nothing to do with sin. We like to quote all of the "God is love" verses and ignore the ones where He says that He hates sin, pride, rebellion, etc.

this art is for sale

So I think the thing to take away from this Psalm is that it is important to admit sin, to ask for forgiveness and admit our guilt. We have this promise.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NASB

150 Days of Psalms - Psalm 37

How to get whatever you want!

Oooo. That sounds awesome doesn't it? Unfortunately, many people view God as kind of a Genie in a Lamp. You don't need to bother Him when things are going well. Then when things go wrong, or maybe just when you want something nice that you don't have, you rub the lamp, out pops the genie and you get to make a wish!

I don't want you to think I am comparing rubbing a genie's lamp and making a wish to praying to God and getting the desires of your heart. A genie in a lamp is totally make believe, but you really can get your heart's desires. Here's how it works.

Do not envy those who do wrong v.1
Trust in the LORD v.3
Do what is good v.3
Take delight in the LORD v.4
Commit your way to the LORD v.5
Trust in Him v.5
Be silent before the LORD v.7
Wait expectantly v.7
Turn from evil and do what is good v.27
Wait for the LORD and keep His way v.34

Delight in the LORD.
Have you ever watched a groom as the wedding was beginning. He comes out of the side door and stands there at the foot of the altar waiting for his bride. He looks a little nervous - maybe like he's going to be sick. He looking intently at the back door of the sanctuary. There might be a little drop of sweat on his brow. His complexion is a little pale.

But then the door opens! Everyone turns to see the bride, but many times I keep watching the groom. He lights up! His eyes sparkle. The color rushes back into his cheeks. He breaks out into a funny grin. He is totally delighting in the sight of his bride. (Excuse me for a moment while I chase a rabbit. THAT is why the bride and groom aren't supposed to see each other before the wedding. Not for good luck or to prevent bad luck, but so the two of them will have that wonderful "THERE YOU ARE!" moment on their wedding day - and everyone gets to see their joy and gets to celebrate with them.) The grooms delight is not in what the bride may give him. SHE is the gift. SHE is his joy.

So anyway... all of that to give an example of someone delighting in someone. If I truly delight in the Lord then my desires will be His desires. I'll pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The things I will ask for will be the things that God wants to see happen. My delight won't be in the things I may receive or even in the answer to my prayers. My delight will be in the Giver - not the gift.

Then God isn't a genie in a lamp - He is the One I delight in. I want to be with Him. I will be able to say with the psalmist "The little that the righteous man has is better than the abundance of many wicked people" (v.16) because being a righteous man - having a relationship with God - is far greater than the riches of the world.

God promises: the desires of our heart v. 4, for our steps to be established v.23, He will not abandon His faithful ones v.28, the righteous utter wisdom and speak justly v.30, and more. Read through this Psalm again and see how God blesses. But delight in HIM, not His blessings.

150 Days of Psalms - Psalm 36

Psalm 36 is a contrast between the wickedness of men and the lovingkindness of God.

The words describing the wicked are very strong here. It reminds me that we are no match for those who are wicked and evil. We may want to rescue or intervene in their lives, but in reality, when someone is abusive and dangerous, deceitful and lying, and is actually flattered by others knowing how wicked he is, we have to stay away from someone like that. Only God can intervene. Only God can change a heart. But this Psalm says that a person like this has no fear of God. Nothing we can say can change a person like that.

In contrast, God's lovingkindness reaches to the heavens.

The psalmist is comparing God and His wonderful attributes to the grandest things he can see.
5 Your ⁸lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 6 Your ⁹righteousness is like the mountains of God ; Your ¹⁰judgments are like a great deep.

Third Day used this psalm as the basis for this great song.



Spend some time today thinking about God the way He is described in this Psalm. How will this change how you live your life this week?

150 Days of Psalms - Psalm 35

I don't really have a bunch of personal enemies. Well... at least they haven't told me about it if I have them. But I was thinking about how our Lord Jesus Christ and Christianity have a LOT of enemies. Our society is turning more and more hostile toward Christians. Even organizations which at their beginning were Christians organizations have turned their back on faith and have many times even become hostile toward Christians.

I read articles on Fox News or other places with many examples of this and I'm interested in the comments left by other readers. But something I've noticed is that the comments left by Christians - directed to comments left by non-Christians - is often as hateful and mean and rude as those left by unbelievers. This should not be so! These comments are a very poor reflection of Christ and His church.
I like David's approach. He looked to God. And he displayed the attitude Jesus asked from us. He turned the other cheek.
13 But as for me, ²³when they were sick, my ²⁴clothing was sackcloth; I ²⁵humbled my soul with fasting, And my ²⁶prayer kept returning to my bosom. 14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I ²⁷bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.

I don't know about you, but it is extremely difficult for me to be sad for someone who has made himself my enemy. The only way David could pray for and enemy when he was sick was to let God's Spirit work in his heart. It doesn't say that here in the Psalm, but that is the only way we can do godly things - especially when our enemies are involved.

Here are Jesus' words found in Luke 6
30 "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 "¹Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 32 "²If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 "If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 "³If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 "But ⁴love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return ; and your reward will be great, and you will be ⁵sons of ⁶the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Now go out there into the mean ol' world and live like sons of the Most High. God's Spirit working through you is the key.

150 Days of Psalms - Psalm 34

As I was reading Psalm 34 several different songs came to mind. I always like this song that Sandi Patty made famous. (I'm late posting today because I spent the day getting reeady for 11 H.S. Jr.s and Sr.s who are spending the weekend at our house for DiscipleNow.)

Hahaha. I thought this YouTube of  "O Magnify the Lord" was Sandy Patty singing it. (I rather good assumption since it has her name right there on it.) But it ends up it's some guy doing a "Karaoke performance at Greenfield's Pub in Barrhaven, Ottawa, Canada." hahaha



There are so many great verses in this psalm that we like to quote - some for happy occasions, some for sad occasions. So I think maybe the thing to draw from that is that we are to praise and magnify the Lord in the good times and the bad times. Here are some of those verses that have inspired song writers and painters and preacheres over the years.

1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. 3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.

 4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

And this verse were quoted by John telling why Jesus' bones were not broken when He was crucified.
20 He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.

John 19:36 NASB For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, "NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN."

150 Days of Psalms - Psalm 33

Rejoice!
Praise!
Make music!
Sing!

From verse 4 to the end of this Psalm we see reasons to praise the Lord.
Here are just a few:
His word is right
His works is trustworthy
He loves righteousness and justice

The earth is full of His unfailing love
He made the heavens and stars with just His breath
He spoke and the world came into being
His counsel stands forever
He observes everyone
He watches over those who fear Him
He is our help and shield

I know I left things out.

The first 3 verses - and of course I'm going to say this, but I would think this even if I wasn't the Worship Pastor - the first three verses say, well, here, I'll just put them here on the blog for you to read rather than try to summarize them.

1 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful. 2 Praise the Lord with the lyre; make music to Him with a ten-stringed harp. 3 Sing a new song to Him; play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout. NASB

Not only are we instructed to rejoice and sing and make music, but the psalmist says to do so "skillfully."
I don't watch American Idol anymore. It was starting to annoy me. But I think we've all watched enough of "idol" to see that music that is not done skillfully isn't something that will help others worship or that will bring glory to God.

At Hilldale we have opportunities for people to grow in their musicianship, to become more skillful in their playing and singing. We do this through our graded choir program and through lessons we offer through our Fine Arts Academy.

Here is a partial schedule:
Children's Choirs - Wednesday nights from 6:00-6:45
Youth Choir (preparing for the Passion Play) - Sunday afternoons beginning Feb. 12 at 4:00 - led by Angie Thomas
Adult choir - Wednesday nights @ 6:30
Adult handbells - meeting in February on Sunday afternoons - contact me if you are interested in playing
Children's handbells - homeschool children meet on Thursdays @ 1:00

Guitar and voice lessons - Andrew Smith
Violin and string lessons - Lyndel Littleton
Coming soon
Kindermusik - for preschool children and their moms - Calli Smith
Piano lessons - these aren't an official part of our Fine Arts Academy, but all of our church pianists teach - Michelle Dickerson, Mary Beth Mathews, Gena Tate and Kim Morton all teach in their homes. Their schedules are often all booked up, but contact them if you are interested.

My plan is to offer other "Fine Arts" things in the near future like art lessons and dance classes.

Play skillfully!
Praise the Lord!

150 Days of Psalms - Psalm 32

The joy of forgiveness!

Psalm 32 is an easy Psalm to understand and it has a truth that can be easily applied to your own life. Basically, when you try to hide your sin you start wasting away. When you acknowledge your sin and ask for forgiveness  you experience joy, your transgressions are forgiven and covered. The notes in my fancy Holman Study Bible say, "forgiven literally means 'lifted up' and emphasizes the burden of sin being lifted from the person... covered means to hide or cover something that is offensive...and...charge can mean'reckon' or 'regard,' but in legal contexts means to reckon as liable for punishment." Now look again at verses 1-2 with these definitions in mind.

1 How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!
2 How joyful is the man
the LORD does not charge with sin
and in whose spirit is no deceit!

How did David get to this place?

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You
and did not conceal my iniquity.
I said,
"I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"
and You took away the guilt of my sin.

The Apostle Paul said this,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

On another note (double meaning intended) Andrew and Calli sang a beautiful!! arrangement of Psalm 32:7 - "You Are My Hiding Place" - on January 8. I'll work on getting their singing of it on YouTube so I can add it to this post. Hmmmm, Or I'll just do another post when I get it.