THE STORY OF GOD

Posted on November 21, 2020 by randscallawayffm

Our praise should be ever on our lips, every day, through good times and bad, for we are more than conquerors who believe what God says, He will do!  “Yet will I praise Him”, says Job who was tested by fire.  God’s Story is revealed in every one who says yes to Jesus, His Son, who was sent to save ALL who believe in this world. 

Our hearty yes is believing Jesus died on a cross for our sins and rose again to claim believers as His brothers and sister, joint heirs with Him!  Our hearty yes is knowing God is with us always, even when we can’t feel Him because of this sacrificial act of extreme Love. 

Our yes is giving God total credit for all the ways he works in our lives and in the lives of other people who love Him, too.  Our yes is giving back to God, our very bodies, (heart, mind and soul), as a living sacrifice for only then can we know His pleasing, perfect will for us. 

Our yes means laying down self for Someone greater, much greater than ourselves, our Creator, God.  Yes, He is God and we are not.  God created all and is in all.  We bow down to God in our yes and ask what He wants each day because what He wants is always right, good and the best for us.  This is the story of God expressed in this psalm of praise to Him today.  Yes, and Amen!

Telling of what God has done, is doing, and will do, is what’s required and necessary to help others find and follow Jesus and be saved from death.  The telling is best shown by reflecting God’s character growing in us by His Holy Spirit in our daily walk.  Actions more than words draws people to Jesus’ saving grace.  Look closely, between the lines of this psalm, and you will see wisdom expressed.  Words are good but action is proof!

What we have learned over the past few days of psalm reading is this:  Be still and know that He is God.  We learn that “be still” really means to let go of self, to look up and focus on God, and to expectantly wait on God to do what He does best in us and for us.  We have learned to recognize that He fights our battles while we are humbly on our knees before Him.  We have learned to give God all the glory with our unwavering praise and gratitude with shouting YES and AMEN which comes like a closing argument of testimony to God in the court of justice.  Yes, and Amen—I believe. 

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 48, The Message

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah

48 1-3 God majestic,
    praise abounds in our God-city!
His sacred mountain,
    breathtaking in its heights—earth’s joy.
Zion Mountain looms in the North,
    city of the world-King.
God in his citadel peaks
    impregnable.

4-6 The kings got together,
    they united and came.
They took one look and shook their heads,
    they scattered and ran away.
They doubled up in pain
    like a woman having a baby.

7-8 You smashed the ships of Tarshish
    with a storm out of the East.
We heard about it, then we saw it
    with our eyes—
In God’s city of Angel Armies,
    in the city our God
Set on firm foundations,
    firm forever.

9-10 We pondered your love-in-action, God,
    waiting in your temple:
Your name, God, evokes a train
    of Hallelujahs wherever
It is spoken, near and far;
    your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action.

11 Be glad, Zion Mountain;
    Dance, Judah’s daughters!
    He does what he said he’d do!

12-14 Circle Zion, take her measure,
    count her fortress peaks,
Gaze long at her sloping bulwark,
    climb her citadel heights—
Then you can tell the next generation
    detail by detail the story of God,
Our God forever,
    who guides us till the end of time.

TRUTH: “…tell the next generation detail by detail the story of God, Our God forever, who guides us till the end of time.”  How are we doing in the showing and telling of God’s greatness, Jesus saving grace and the careful guiding of His Holy Spirit?  I wonder.

Proverb 18, The Message

Words Kill, Words Give Life

18 Loners who care only for themselves
    spit on the common good.

2 Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse;
    all they do is run off at the mouth.

3 When wickedness arrives, shame’s not far behind;
    contempt for life is contemptible.

4 Many words rush along like rivers in flood,
    but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs.

WISDOM:  Deep wisdom comes from God alone.  “Loners” find themselves in troubles than can not solve.  Jesus is the “artesian spring” of Living Water that finally and forever quenches our thirst.  Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life.

Abba Father, Savior and Lord,

You have provided all we need at the right time, in your best timing over all the years we have been on this earth loving You and saying YES to Your Story of Redemption.  You have brought me to far to let go of You now.  I will let go of what I think, what little I know, and the things of this world I tightly grasp.  I come to you with open hands, unclenched, to receive all that you are waiting to give.  Abide in me as I abide in you.  For this is the only way to live.  Great IS your faithfulness!  To You be all glory, honor and praise.  Yes!  And Amen.

In Jesus Name, Amen

YES, AND AMEN by Chris Tomlin

Father of kindness
You have poured out of grace
You brought me out of darkness
You have filled me with peace
Giver of mercy
You’re my help in time of need
Lord I can’t help but sing

Faithful you are
Faithful forever you will be
Faithful you are
All your promises are yes and Amen
All your promises are yes and Amen

Beautiful Savior
You have brought me near
You pulled me from the ashes
You have broken every curse
Blessed redeemer
You have set this captive free
Lord I can’t help but sing

Faithful you are
Faithful forever you will be
Faithful you are
All your promises are yes and Amen
All your promises are yes and Amen

Faithful you are
Faithful forever you will be
Faithful yes you are
All your promises are yes and Amen

I will rest in your promises
My confidence is your faithfulness
I will rest in your promises
My confidence is your faithfulness…

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THE CALL TO WORSHIP!

Posted on November 20, 2020 by randscallawayffm

Do you ever wonder why music is playing as you come into the church?  Do you wonder why the first song is an upbeat song of praise to the God who is, was and always will be?  Then wonder no more.  For centuries, what musicians were created to be and do has been written in the Psalms.  CALL all the people of God to worship!  This is the HEART of worship.  Raised hands, shouts of praise, smiles all around, sing the victory songs loud and strong to God and for God and no one else.  This is not a performance for each other; this call to worship is an admiration of praise to the One and Only we love first and most!  We were created to praise and worship our Creator! 

The promise of 46:10 is fulfilled in 47: “I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth”. Five times the people are commanded to “sing praises” to the Lord, who “reigns over the nations”.  This also makes it a messianic psalm, with an emphasis on the coming kingdom.  We see three declarations to God in this psalm, a call to worship to God with all we’ve got in us!

  1. Our God Is an Awesome King (vv. 1-4). We have moved from “Be still” (46:10) to shouting, clapping, and the blowing of trumpets. Jewish worship was enthusiastic, but they also knew how to be quiet before the Lord and wait upon Him…also worship.  Since the theme of the psalm is the kingship of the Lord, they worshipped Him the way they welcomed a new king.  “Clap your hands, all you people” was the joyous mantra!  The early church patterned its worship after the synagogue and emphasized prayer, the reading and expounding of Scripture, and the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. When the Jewish people clapped their hands and shouted, it was to the Lord in response to His marvelous works.  They did not do it to praise the people who participated in the worship service.  To know God is to know One who is awesome in all that He is, says, and does.
  1. 2. Our God Is a Triumphant King (v. 5). God fills heaven and earth, but when He acts on earth on behalf of His people, the Scriptures sometimes describe Him as “coming down.”  Then after victory “went up”.  From the human viewpoint, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a great defeat and tragedy, but not from God’s viewpoint. Jesus “came down” from heaven.  In His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus won the victory over the world and the Devil and satisfied the claims of God’s holy law so that sinners could believe and be saved. What a victory! He then ascended “went up” to heaven, far above every enemy (Eph. 1:19-22), where He sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:3).
  3. Our God Is King of Kings (vv. 6-9). A remarkable thing occurs: The rulers and peoples of the Gentile nations join Israel in praising the Lord Jehovah! He is not simply the God and King of Israel, but He is the “King of all the earth.” It was God’s plan when He called Abraham that Israel would be a blessing to all the earth, for “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).  Salvation came through Jesus for ALL nations.

Israel brought us the knowledge of the one true and living God, they gave us the Scriptures, and they gave us Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Today, Jews and Gentiles in the church are praising God together (Eph. 2:11.), and one day in the glorious kingdom, Jews and Gentiles will glorify and praise Him!

For God’s people, every day is Ascension Day as we praise and worship the exalted and ascended Lord.

THE CALL TO DEEPER WORSHIP…

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:1-2, NIV

Come, let us worship our King right now, today!

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 47, The Message

1-9 Applause, everyone. Bravo, bravissimo!
    Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs!
God Most High is stunning,
    astride land and ocean.
He crushes hostile people,
    puts nations at our feet.
He set us at the head of the line,
    prize-winning Jacob, his favorite.
Loud cheers as God climbs the mountain,
    a ram’s horn blast at the summit.
Sing songs to God, sing out!
    Sing to our King, sing praise!
He’s Lord over earth,
    so sing your best songs to God.
God is Lord of godless nations—
    sovereign, he’s King of the mountain.
Princes from all over are gathered,
    people of Abraham’s God.
The powers of earth are God’s—
    he soars over all.

TRUTH:  We are called to praise and worship the God of all, Who is in all and created all.

Proverb 17:24-28, The Message

The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard;
    fools look for it everywhere but right here.

25 A surly, stupid child is sheer pain to a father,
    a bitter pill for a mother to swallow.

26 It’s wrong to penalize good behavior,
    or make good citizens pay for the crimes of others.

27 The one who knows much says little;
    an understanding person remains calm.

28 Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise;
    as long as they keep their mouths shut, they’re smart.

WISDOM:  The perceptive find wisdom when they ask God for it.  For this alone, is worthy of God’s praise, love, worship and admiration.

Abba Father, Lord and Savior,

We praise you for Who You have been to Your people, for Who You are to us, and for Who You will always be, the great I AM.  You are the Creator and Sustainer of Life.  You are Savior and Lord.  You are the Victor over all evil.  You are Compassionate and Merciful.  You are the only one who has the right to judge, yet You are full of grace and help us through our messes.  You are King of kings and Lord of lords.  You are Healer, Protector, and Provider.  You are God and we are not.  We praise You and You alone.  You are the only One who is worthy to be praised!  Thank you for Your Presence.  We come to you with only thanksgiving and joyful praise this very hour.  We will worship you all day long by hearing your voice above others and obeying you quickly.  I give myself, all of me, to you.  I’m at your service.  Speak to my heart.  Show me your Ways and what you want from me today.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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GOD’S WITNESS PROTECTION PLAN

Posted on November 19, 2020 by randscallawayffm

FUN FACT:  The Witness Security Program was authorized by the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 and amended by the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984. The U.S. Marshals have protected, relocated and given new identities to more than 8,600 witnesses and 9,900 of their family members, since the program began in 1971.  The successful operation of this program is widely recognized as providing a unique and valuable tool in the government’s battle against major criminal conspirators and organized crime.  However, sometimes they were found out and it did not go well for the witnesses.

God’s witness protection program involves being given a “new identity”, too.  However, His protection is forever!  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16, NIV). When we believe and put our faith and trust in God, asking His Son, Jesus to forgive us, we become new creatures with souls that will live forever with him!  God’s protection involves tens of thousands of angel armies at our disposal here on earth when we call on Him for help!  Imagine the Creator of all, who knows all and is in all, protecting our precious souls because of His great love for us who believe? 

ENTER THE PLAN OF PROTECTION — “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT

BE THE WITNESS — “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”  1 Peter 2:9

Our new identity is Jesus Christ living in us, working on us, transforming us to be like Him in every way.  God protects us while this work is being done.  It will not be fully complete until we meet Him face to face in all of His glory. 

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:12-14, NIV

“Our God-of-Angel-Armies is always by our side”!  This song by Chris Tomlin is playing in the background as we read our next Psalm of praise to the God Who Protects.  He is ALWAYS by our side.  Sometimes, in the middle of pandemics, plagues, drought, hurricanes, financial ruin, lost jobs, lost loved ones, we don’t feel Him, but God is there.  Don’t trust your “feels” but trust that God is with you.  Call out to Him, He hears you!

You hear me when I call
You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It cannot hide the light

Whom shall I fear

You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my sword and shield
Though troubles linger still

Whom shall I fear

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind

The God of angel armies
Is always by my side…

Yes, to those who really believe what they believe to be really real, God is there.  We know He fights the battles that admittedly overwhelm us.  We know He hears us when we cry out to Him, for He is there.  We know to trust in Him alone for all that is going on around us.  We know that when we ask for wisdom to live skillfully in the world He created, we will receive it in abundance.  We know God will bring peace to our worried minds and troubled hearts…when we “stop and get out of the traffic of the world, be still to listen for God, know God and lean in to really hear God.

“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”  –Your Heavenly Father, God

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 46, The Message

A Song of the Sons of Korah

46 1-3 God is a safe place to hide,
    ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
    courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
    the tremors that shift mountains.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city,
    this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
    God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
    but Earth does anything he says.

7 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
    He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
    breaks all the weapons across his knee.
“Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
    loving look at me, your High God,
    above politics, above everything.”

11 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

TRUTH:  God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.  So, as His witnesses, we keep telling His Story of testimony to His Greatness.  Our witness is protected by God, guided by His Holy Spirit, in the Name of Jesus, His Son!  God in Three Persons is our God of Angel Armies.  THIS is who protects us because of His great love for us.

What if we die on earth because of our belief and in our telling?  Jesus promises He has a room prepared for us to live with Him forever. 

What if sickness overcomes us?  Earth is temporary.  Nothing on earth lasts.  Our bodies are temporary tents that house our souls.  Souls who believe and follow Jesus live forever! 

“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”

Proverb 17:22-24, The Message

A cheerful disposition is good for your health;
    gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.

23 The wicked take bribes under the table;
    they show nothing but contempt for justice.

24 The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard;
    fools look for it everywhere but right here.

WISDOM:  God is right here.  God is our wisdom.  Be still means to let go of the doom and gloom attitudes and know God is in control.  He never lets go of us!

Be still and know that I AM God

Be still and know that I AM

Be still and know

Be still

Be.

Abba Father,

You are here while I read Your Word and learn from it.  You are with us who believe in every place we reside.  You love us.  You hear our voice when we call and You know us by name.  You protect us and provide for all we need…even before we ask.  You are all I need.  You are everything anyone needs.  Continue to transform us to be all you created us to be no matter what is happening around us.  You remind me, that there will always be some sort of trouble in this world, but to be still and remember the God of Angel Armies is always be my side.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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THE BRIDE OF THE KING

Posted on November 18, 2020 by randscallawayffm

The story is told, from a time long ago, about a prince and a peasant girl who fell in love. This prince was a man who literally had the world at his disposal. Nothing about this man was common, and it would not be exaggerating to say that he was the perfect catch. The peasant girl, on the other hand, was nothing more than common, and at best it would be said that she was average. At worst, it was said that she was just plain ugly. There were times when she was moody, and cranky. She rarely ever lived up to her full potential to achieve all that she could. In fact, to look at her from the eyes of anyone else you would have never believed that this prince fell in love with this young girl. Yet, to see her through the eyes of the prince you would believe that she was, “to die for.”

This prince determined that he could not bear to live without her, so he asked her to be his bride. No one expected this, and the angels in heaven even listened as she accepted his proposal. The prince promised his bride that he would come back for her soon, and the peasant girl vowed to wait faithfully for his return.

You would expect at this point that the bride would always be thinking about the coming wedding, but instead she rarely even mentioned it. You would think that every waking moment would be lived out in anticipation, and preparation for the coming of her prince, but by the way she lived you wouldn’t even know that she was the bride of a perfect prince. More often than not, you could not even tell the difference between the bride and any of the other peasant girls in the village. There were even times when she could be seen flirting with the other men of the village, and many speculated and questioned what she was doing when no one was watching.

Can you imagine a peasant girl fortunate enough to have a prince such as this, offer her his eternal love? You would expect her to be overwhelmed by his love, and filled with a sense of gratitude that she was fortunate enough to be loved by him. You would think that she would be careful to remain pure in expectation of the return of her royal groom. Instead, to look at her you might wonder if she even remembered that she was engaged at all.

Is it possible for a peasant to forget about her prince?

Is it possible for a bride to forget her groom? That is a question that the Church of our day needs to answer because the story of the prince and his peasant bride is not a fairy tale or some story from medieval times. It is a story about the Church, because the Church of Jesus Christ is what the Word of God describes as the Bride of Christ. To be quite honest, much of what is passed off today as the Church of Jesus Christ appears to have forgotten about the Groom that we are committed to. This relationship is beautifully described throughout the pages of the New Testament. Understanding this relationship should give believers a better understanding of our future in Christ.

It’s clear that one “greater than Solomon” (Matt. 12:42) is present in this beautiful psalm, and that one is Jesus Christ, the King of Kings. If this were merely a secular love song, why would it be given to the chief musician to be used in the worship of the Lord at His sanctuary? That would be blasphemy. Solomon was not a warrior and certainly an inspired writer would not address Solomon as “God”. Hebrews 1:8-9 marks it as a messianic psalm, so whatever may have been the historical use of this psalm, the ultimate message is about Jesus Christ and His bride, the church (Eph. 5:23ff.; Rev. 19:6-21; 22:17). 

Do we really believe what we say we believe about Jesus is really real?

Worship and Wisdom, Psalm and Proverbs

Psalm 45, The Message

A Wedding Song of the Sons of Korah

45 My heart bursts its banks,
    spilling beauty and goodness.
I pour it out in a poem to the king,
    shaping the river into words:

2-4 “You’re the handsomest of men;
    every word from your lips is sheer grace,
    and God has blessed you, blessed you so much.
Strap your sword to your side, warrior!
    Accept praise! Accept due honor!
    Ride majestically! Ride triumphantly!
Ride on the side of truth!
    Ride for the righteous meek!

4-5 “Your instructions are glow-in-the-dark;
    you shoot sharp arrows
Into enemy hearts; the king’s
    foes lie down in the dust, beaten.

6-7 “Your throne is God’s throne,
    ever and always;
The scepter of your royal rule
    measures right living.
You love the right
    and hate the wrong.
And that is why God, your very own God,
    poured fragrant oil on your head,
Marking you out as king
    from among your dear companions.

8-9 “Your ozone-drenched garments
    are fragrant with mountain breeze.
Chamber music—from the throne room—
    makes you want to dance.
Kings’ daughters are maids in your court,
    the Bride glittering with golden jewelry.

10-12 “Now listen, daughter, don’t miss a word:
    forget your country, put your home behind you.
Be here—the king is wild for you.
    Since he’s your lord, adore him.
Wedding gifts pour in from Tyre;
    rich guests shower you with presents.”

13-15 (Her wedding dress is dazzling,
    lined with gold by the weavers;
All her dresses and robes
    are woven with gold.
She is led to the king,
    followed by her virgin companions.
A procession of joy and laughter!
    a grand entrance to the king’s palace!)

16-17 “Set your mind now on sons—
    don’t dote on father and grandfather.
You’ll set your sons up as princes
    all over the earth.
I’ll make you famous for generations;
    you’ll be the talk of the town
    for a long, long time.”

TRUTH:  Jesus Christ is King.  We are the bride of Christ as believers gathered as His church.  “A procession of joy and laughter, a grand entrance to the King’s palace” is a metaphor of all who believe being escorted into God’s Presence on that day of the return of the Groom for His Bride.  Are we ready?

Proverb 17:17-20, The Message

It’s stupid to try to get something for nothing,
    or run up huge bills you can never pay.

19 The person who courts sin marries trouble;
    build a wall, invite a burglar.

20 A bad motive can’t achieve a good end;
    double-talk brings you double trouble.

WISDOM:  Our behavior reveals our true identity in Christ.  Are we courting sin or the Savior?  What or Who are our motivations for living life? 

Do we really believe what we say we believe about Jesus is really real?

Abba Father, Lord and Savior,

We are reminded today that You are coming for your Bride, the church of believers, who love and live expectantly for your return.  Are we preparing for the “wedding” well, Lord?  Lord, help us to grow in our intimate love for you, not looking away at anyone or anything else but You.  Help us to point others to You.  Bring us all together in unity as we wait expectantly for you.  May what we say we believe be reflected in our behavior today.  We are the Bride.  You are the Groom, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Why turn away from life eternal with you?  There is no one like you!  And thank you for loving me–the mess with a message of your mercy and grace.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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GOD, WE HAVE QUESTIONS!

Posted on November 17, 2020 by randscallawayffm

As we move through this worldwide pandemic along with other disasters happening around us, we are unsettled.  Nothing is as it was.  Nothing, according to us, is as it should be.  We rebel against whatever is not our “normal’ while blaming whoever gets in our way of trying to maintain our normal.  The pandemic is affecting every part of our being and we are uncomfortable.  People are dying, but until it touches our family, we are only pridefully uncomfortable and we complain.  We complain about everything in the workplace, at home, and in our church, if we go there.  Our comfort level has been tested and we are not happy.  When this happens to humans, exhausted by blaming all the humans around them, we then question God.  Why isn’t HE doing something about our discomfort and the anxiety it is giving us in our unsettledness?

It could be worse.  If we set aside our pandemic complaining for a beat and think about the spreading virus of evil with resulting lostness of souls in our world, our questions might be different. Our perspective may change.  We might even begin to humble ourselves and pray for help from the God who saves us!

In our Psalm today, God’s people are being mocked, ridiculed, and beaten for believing in God.  They heard stories of better days with God leading them from their elders.  They are asking God why He can’t do something about their condition and quality of life now.  They are frustrated and fearful.  Does that ring true with us today? 

PAUSE TO PRAYFULLY CONSIDER…

  1. Do you sometimes doubt God’s presence? Do you think God is withdrawing His blessing from America, from the World? Explain.
  2. How might personal tragedy be one of the best things a believer can experience?

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 44, The Message

1-3 We’ve been hearing about this, God,
    all our lives.
Our fathers told us the stories
    their fathers told them,
How single-handedly you weeded out the godless
    from the fields and planted us,
How you sent those people packing
    but gave us a fresh start.
We didn’t fight for this land;
    we didn’t work for it—it was a gift!
You gave it, smiling as you gave it,
    delighting as you gave it.

4-8 You’re my King, O God—
    command victories for Jacob!
With your help we’ll wipe out our enemies,
    in your name we’ll stomp them to dust.
I don’t trust in weapons;
    my sword won’t save me—
But it’s you, you who saved us from the enemy;
    you made those who hate us lose face.
All day we parade God’s praise—
    we thank you by name over and over.

9-12 But now you’ve walked off and left us,
    you’ve disgraced us and won’t fight for us.
You made us turn tail and run;
    those who hate us have cleaned us out.
You delivered us as sheep to the butcher,
    you scattered us to the four winds.
You sold your people at a discount—
    you made nothing on the sale.

13-16 You made people on the street,
    urchins, poke fun and call us names.
You made us a joke among the godless,
    a cheap joke among the rabble.
Every day I’m up against it,
    my nose rubbed in my shame—
Gossip and ridicule fill the air,
    people out to get me crowd the street.

17-19 All this came down on us,
    and we’ve done nothing to deserve it.
We never betrayed your Covenant: our hearts
    were never false, our feet never left your path.
Do we deserve torture in a den of jackals?
    or lockup in a black hole?

20-22 If we had forgotten to pray to our God
    or made fools of ourselves with store-bought gods,
Wouldn’t God have figured this out?
    We can’t hide things from him.
No, you decided to make us martyrs,
    lambs assigned for sacrifice each day.

23-26 Get up, God! Are you going to sleep all day?
    Wake up! Don’t you care what happens to us?
Why do you bury your face in the pillow?
    Why pretend things are just fine with us?
And here we are—flat on our faces in the dirt,
    held down with a boot on our necks.
Get up and come to our rescue.
    If you love us so much, Help us!

TRUTH:  We can’t hide things from God.  Be honest before Him.

GOING DEEPER…(With help from Warren Wiersbe, Commentator)

The Jewish people sang praises to God after their great victories (Ex. 15; Judg. 5), but this psalm was sung after a humiliating defeat (vv. 9-14, 22). The four stanzas that make up this psalm reveal four different attitudes on the part of the people.  I think we can learn from how they prayed to God in their difficulties and defeat.

  1. Boasting in God: “You Have Helped Us” (vv. 1-8). Reviewing Israel’s history since the exodus from Egypt, the writer glorified God for all He did to defeat the Canaanite nations and enable Israel to claim their inheritance (v. 8). The Jewish parents were faithful to obey God and tell their children and grandchildren what the Lord had done. God had rooted out the godless nations, planted Israel in the land, and enabled the nation to take root and grow. All of this was done, not because Israel deserved it, but because of God’s love and grace. God’s power gave the victory, and His countenance smiled upon His people.  The psalmist affirmed that Jehovah was still their King and could easily command (decree) victories for His people. The nation wanted no glory for itself; they wanted the Lord to receive all the glory.
  2. Forsaken by God: “You Are Not Helping Us” (vv. 9-16). But the people were perplexed. If God gave them the land in His grace and enabled them to defeat their enemies, why was He now forsaking them and allowing the idolatrous nations to win the victories? Now He seemed to have forsaken His people and abandoned His covenant. Israel was God’s precious flock, but He was permitting them to be slaughtered by the enemy and treated as worthless.  Those prisoners of war who weren’t slain were sold as slaves and scattered among the neighboring pagan nations. These nations rejoiced that Israel had been humiliated by defeat, and they taunted and ridiculed the Jews. It was a dark day for the people of God, and they could not understand what the Lord was accomplishing. Dishonor and disgrace brought the people to the place of submission and intercession.
  3. Faithful to God: “You Should Help Us” (vv. 17-22). Whenever there was trouble in Israel, the first explanation was usually “Somebody has sinned.” But as far as the psalmist knew, there was no sin to be confessed because the people were faithful to the Lord. God could search their minds and hearts and not find any breach of the covenant. They were faithful to God, they had not turned to the idols for help, and now they were giving their lives to protect the land that He had so graciously given them. 

Paul quoted verse 11 in Romans 8:36 as part of his magnificent argument that nothing could separate God’s people from His love, not even defeat after a record of victories! The principle is the same for both God’s old covenant people and His new covenant people: Those who give their lives in His cause are conquerors, not victims; and God can be glorified even in seeming defeat. 

When the five young men gave their lives in Ecuador to help reach the Auca Indians, many people asked, “Why this waste?” But what looked like terrible defeat turned out to be glorious victory as many young people around the world felt the call of God and surrendered to serve Him. Israel’s defeat didn’t mean that God loved them less; it meant that He was permitting this to happen so that He could carry out a purpose known only to Him.

No matter how their lives may end, God’s servants never die like beasts, for “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (116:15 nkjv), even in a pandemic!

4. Trusting in God: “You Will Help Us” (vv. 23-26). In verse 23, the writer used the name “Adonai” (Lord) when speaking to God. This is the name that declares that He is Owner and Master of all, including the nations of the world. He is “Lord [Adonai] of the whole earth” (97:5), and the earth should tremble “at the presence of the Lord [Adonai]” (114:7).

The psalmist came to the place where he knew he could trust God to handle the defeats of life and ultimately turn them into victories. Yes, it seemed like God was asleep, and the nation had to awaken Him (7:6; 78:65), but “He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (121:4 nkjv). The people of Israel had come to the place that Job reached when he said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him” (Job 13:15).

We can’t always explain the so-called tragedies of life, especially those that happen to God’s people, but Romans 8:28 is still in the Bible. The prophet Isaiah gives us wise counsel in 50:10: “Who is among you that fears the Lord that obeys the voice of His servant, that walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God” (nasb). We may look like sheep for the slaughter, but in God’s sight we are “more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

Proverb 17:16, The Message

“Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.”

WISDOM:  Stay with God.  Through pandemics, hurricanes, and other storms of life, stick close together as believers of God.  The glue that holds together and never fails is the love of Jesus who died for all our sins, rose again defeating death, and is now our advocate in heaven who is preparing a “room” for us in God’s House.  Our forever home!

Abba Father,

We come to you today with gratitude and trust that you know what is best right now.  We repent of complaining and blaming.  We ask that you forgive our selfish pride and help us to be still and know You are God.  You will never leave or forsake us.  Your love never changes and your faithfulness is with limits.  Your love is unchanging and knows no bounds or conditions.  Thank you, Lord.  Thank you for saving our souls.  Thank you for being with us through floods and famines, pandemics and storms of all kinds.  We are more than conquerors because of your love for us.  Thank you for teaching us today, giving us more wisdom and insight to live well here while waiting to live with you there.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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CORRECTION IN DIRECTION

Posted on November 16, 2020 by randscallawayffm

Funny thing happened to us in the midst of a troubling day last week.  It was a day of problem solving, a day we didn’t plan, but never the less it came.  It was nothing earth shattering, just inconveniences that needed to be fixed or solved.  One of those problems was a very leaky faucet in the bathtub.  It required the shutting off our main water supply to the house so the leak could be fixed.  When we got into it, as go most household fixes at times, we saw quickly that more professional help was needed. 

We called a plumber that was recommend by family members, with the commentary, “he is a bit strange, but he is good”.  That was a correct evaluation.  This guy was likable, knowledgeable but lacked GPS abilities to get him from one job to another.  My husband had to go find him and bring him to our house, for example.  As our guy, who looks a lot like “Doc” in Back to the Future, is working on our leak, he discovers he needs a new part to fix the problem.  So, “Christopher Lloyd” leaves to get the part somewhere in the city.  He then calls from some unknown area that is unfamiliar to him.  He is lost.  Again.  My husband had to go find him and bring him back once more so he could finish the work.  By the way, this guy was a genius at his work!

We laugh about this now, but aren’t we like that with God?  I would answer, YES, and often!  “God, we are lost again, can you help us find our way back?”  “God, we are in unfamiliar territory, where are we?  “God, help me!”  Yes, we lose our way because we lay down our GPS…God’s Plan Secured…for our plan that leads to lostness and insecurity.  Just made that up, do you like it?  Better question, do you “get it”? 

We wonder why we end up in places that we shouldn’t be that lead to lostness.  We stop talking AND listening to God.  We stop reading and studying His Word.  We listen more to the world’s view of life than God Way of Life eternal.  We ultimately discover that we left the Lighted Path that leads to Life and went our own way, leaving our “GPS” behind. 

God has given us salvation through His Son, wisdom when we ask in conversation to Him, His Word to guide us in His ways, and His Holy Spirit to correct our direction when we make a wrong turn.  What more can we ask for in this life?  I really don’t know, is my answer.  God is more than enough.  God puts a smile on my face, too!

When troubles come, seek God.

When resolutions with peace abounds, praise God.

When we lose our way, ask God for correction in our Direction.

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 43, The Message

1-2 Clear my name, God; stick up for me
    against these loveless, immoral people.
Get me out of here, away
    from these lying degenerates.
I counted on you, God.
    Why did you walk out on me?
Why am I pacing the floor, wringing my hands
    over these outrageous people?

3-4 Give me your lantern and compass,
    give me a map,
So I can find my way to the sacred mountain,
    to the place of your presence,
To enter the place of worship,
    meet my exuberant God,
Sing my thanks with a harp,
    magnificent God, my God.

5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

TRUTH:  Fix our eyes on God.  He is our God of Direction to all things good and right. 

Proverb 17:9-16, The Message

Overlook an offense and bond a friendship;
    fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!

10 A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense
    does more than a whack on the head of a fool.

11 Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble
    won’t have to wait long—they’ll meet it coming and going!

12 Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs
    than a fool hellbent on folly.

13 Those who return evil for good
    will meet their own evil returning.

14 The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam,
    so stop it before it bursts.

15 Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people
    are equally abhorrent to God.

16 What’s this? Fools out shopping for wisdom!
    They wouldn’t recognize it if they saw it!

WISDOM:  Shopping for wisdom in the world is foolish.  Asking for God’s wisdom gives life, abundant and eternal.

Abba Father,

Give me a map so I can find my way to You, God!  I trust that you will Light the Path that is right and good for me.  You have a plan that is unique and best for me.  I want to follow your will and plan for your purposes to be fulfilled in me.  Correct my direction when needed as I follow you.  Forgive my missteps and correct my course.

In Jesus Name, Amen

And we sing…”Holy Water”…

God, I’m on my knees again
God, I’m begging please again
I need You
Oh, I need You

Walking down this desert road
Water for my thirsty soul
I need You
Oh, I need You

Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey
On my lips
Like the sound of a symphony
To my ears
Like holy water on my skin (hey)

Dead man walking, slave to sin
I wanna know about being born again
I need You
Oh, God, I need You

So, take me to the riverside
Take me under, baptize
I need You
Oh, God, I need You

Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey
On my lips
Like the sound of a symphony
To my ears
Like holy water on my skin
On my skin

I don’t wanna abuse Your grace
God, I need it every day
It’s the only thing that ever really
Makes me wanna change
I don’t wanna abuse Your grace
God, I need it every day
It’s…

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HE IS MY GOD, HE IS MY SONG!

Posted on November 14, 2020 by randscallawayffm

There are some D words that can utterly debilitate us, causing us to lose focus on the One who loves us first and loves us best.  The words that come to mind are down, depressed, derailed, dejected, discouraged, downhearted, downcast, disconsolate, destroyed and dispirited.  These words form into equally stressing descriptive phrases such as down in the dumps, down and out, and down for the count. 

But hold on!  What we have here is a vision problem.  We are looking in the wrong direction…down!  We should be looking up, right into the eyes of our Lord and Savior!  Up is always better than down, directionally, spiritually and emotionally speaking.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the Light of His glory and grace

This childhood chorus has pulled me out of the dumps more than a million times over the years of my life.  These simple words of Truth pull my focused vision back to Jesus who loved me enough to die for my sins.  My eyes look up for His direction, (a better D word!).  When I look up my ears suddenly open to hear His voice above all others with encouragement that defeats my foe of discouragement.  He lifts my broken spirit immediately when I look up humbly from bent knees.  My perspective changes because He is changing my mind.  He lifts me up and helps me stand on the solid rock of his love and grace.  Like David sings, He puts a smile back on my face! 

He IS my God!   

When people ask me, “where is this God of yours?”, like the enemies of Jesus asked Him on the cross, I sing the Song again, He is right here where He has always been.  Look up, focus and live!

Oh soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free

Turn your eyes upon Jesus…

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 42, The Message

1-3 A white-tailed deer drinks
    from the creek;
I want to drink God,
    deep draughts of God.
I’m thirsty for God-alive.
I wonder, “Will I ever make it—
    arrive and drink in God’s presence?”
I’m on a diet of tears—
    tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
All day long
    people knock at my door,
Pestering,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

4 These are the things I go over and over,
    emptying out the pockets of my life.
I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
    right out in front,
Leading them all,
    eager to arrive and worship,
Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
    celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!

5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

6-8 When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
    everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
    including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
    to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
    crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
    sing songs all through the night!
    My life is God’s prayer.

9-10 Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
    “Why did you let me down?
Why am I walking around in tears,
    harassed by enemies?”
They’re out for the kill, these
    tormentors with their obscenities,
Taunting day after day,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

11 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

TRUTH:  Fix your eyes on God and soon you will be praising again!

Proverb 17:6-8, The Message

Old people are distinguished by grandchildren;
    children take pride in their parents.

7 We don’t expect eloquence from fools,
    nor do we expect lies from our leaders.

8 Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone;
    any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.

WISDOM:  Do we get bitter or better with age?  Again, it’s how you see life.  Give, there’s real beauty in giving.  Leave a legacy of focused vision on God.

Abba Father,

My eyes look up to you for everything I need at this very hour.  You always begin my day with your love, mercy and grace.  Show me your ways and I will obey for you are the only one I trust with my life.  Thank you for changing my direction and saving my soul.  Thank you for not giving up on me when I am down.  Thank you for lifting me up as I look up.

In Jesus Name, Amen

AND then God gives us a NEW SONG…”Famous For” by Tauren Wells

There is no fear, ’cause I believe
There is no doubt, ’cause I have seen
Your faithfulness, my fortress, over and over

I have a hope found in Your name
I have a strength found in Your grace
Your faithfulness, my fortress, over and over

Make way through the waters
Walk me through the fire
Do what You are famous for
What You are famous for

Shut the mouths of lions
Bring dry bones to life and
Do what You are famous for
What You are famous for

I believe in You
God, I believe in You

Release Your love inside of me
Unleash Your power, for all to see
Spirit, come, and fall on us
Over and over, oh Lord

Make way through the waters
Walk me through the fire
Do what You are famous for
What You are famous for…

He IS my God!

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PUT ME TOGETHER AGAIN…

Posted on November 13, 2020 by randscallawayffm

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 41, The Message

A David Psalm

41 1-3 Dignify those who are down on their luck;
    you’ll feel good—that’s what God does.
God looks after us all,
    makes us robust with life—
Lucky to be in the land,
    we’re free from enemy worries.
Whenever we’re sick and in bed,
    God becomes our nurse,
    nurses us back to health.

4-7 I said, “God, be gracious!
    Put me together again—
    my sins have torn me to pieces.”
My enemies are wishing the worst for me;
    they make bets on what day I will die.
If someone comes to see me,
    he mouths empty platitudes,
All the while gathering gossip about me
    to entertain the street-corner crowd.
These “friends” who hate me
    whisper slanders all over town.
They form committees
    to plan misery for me.

10 God, give grace, get me up on my feet.
    I’ll show them a thing or two.

8-9 The rumor goes out, “He’s got some dirty,
    deadly disease. The doctors
    have given up on him.”
Even my best friend, the one I always told everything
    —he ate meals at my house all the time!—
    has bitten my hand.

11-12 Meanwhile, I’m sure you’re on my side—
    no victory shouts yet from the enemy camp!
You know me inside and out, you hold me together,
    you never fail to stand me tall in your presence
    so I can look you in the eye.

13 Blessed is God, Israel’s God,
    always, always, always.
    Yes. Yes. Yes.,

TRUTH:  God knows us inside and out and still loves us, protects us, nurses back to health in all kinds of ways, provides help and wisdom when we ask sincerely and forgives our sins and mistakes from disobedience to His perfect will and plan for us!  THIS is why we are grateful and shout His praises daily and forever!  Yes and Amen!

Proverb 17:1-5, The Message

A meal of bread and water in contented peace
    is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels.

2 A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child
    and is honored as one of the family.

3 As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan,
    so our lives are assayed by God.

4 Evil people relish malicious conversation;
    the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.

5 Whoever mocks poor people insults their Creator;
    gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime.

WISDOM:  God “assays our lives” to see what is real gold is in us.  Knowing this truth must lead us to think first then act.  Think first, then speak.  Is what I’m about to say, from my heart, Truthful, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary and Kind?  If the answer is no to any one of these filters, then it is probably gossip meant to selfishly build up ourselves not others. 

Abba Father,

God, help us.  Give us your wisdom daily, hourly if need be, until obedience to you is our continual habit of life.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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WHAT GOD WANTS FROM OUR MESS

Posted on November 12, 2020 by randscallawayffm

“ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, Paul would write later to the church.  No one knew this Truth better than Paul.  Paul, formerly Saul, one of the religious elite leaders, was the worst of sinners until Jesus came into his life.  Jesus’ words pierced Saul’s being and had to be heard for the Light of Jesus blinded the eyes of this highly legalistic, pious, religious fanatic–stopping him cold on his self-proclaimed mission to kill Jesus’ freaks.  As the story goes, Saul was headed down the road to yet another city, Damascus, to wreak havoc, killing and torturing all who believed in Jesus.  What a mess!  (See Acts 9)

Jesus’ words to Saul were and still are chilling to the bone. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” These words brought the mighty, arrogant Saul to his knees.  Saul, along with others, committed himself to ridding the world of these faithful believers of the One who died for their sins and rose again to complete the work of redemption for all who would believe.  What Saul thought he was doing for God was actually persecuting His Son, Jesus Christ all over again with the torture of each believer! 

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did unto me.”  –Jesus (Matthew 25:40)

Our mess affects everyone around us.  When we hurt ourselves and others by our mess, our sin, our pride and arrogance, we are persecuting the One who loves us most.  Jesus loves the people being hurt by our actions.  When we hurt his created, we are hurting him.  This breaks the heart of God.  Let that sink in.  Take all the time you need.

Saul was a mess.  Jesus transformed Saul’s mess into His Message! 

Saul became Paul, the Apostle, who loved Jesus Christ with all of his being.  Paul became a missionary who told the Good News of Jesus’ saving grace.  He was also a church planter, church renewal advocate, writer, and encourager for all who believed.  His God-given intelligence was now used to tell the Truth.  His tenaciousness and dedication to the Body of Christ, is the basis for our current church theology.  How to relate to each other in The Body of Christ, seeking God and finding out what HE wants, and loving each other “as if your life depended on it” is the thesis of the message of Paul in his letters to the church.

Before Saul/Paul, there was David, “a man after God’s own heart”, who also was a mess.  David wrote this Psalm admitting his messiness, leaning into God’s redemptive power while discovering what God really wants from all of us. 

It is in the middle of our messes that we learn what God wants.  Our messes can be God’s messages when we humbly repent and return to God’s will and plan for our lives.  Only God can turn our messes into messages of His Truth.  Then it’s time to praise Him with thanksgiving and adoration for all He as done, is doing and will do in our lives.  Tenaciously trust Him.  Jesus is The Way, The Truth and The Life…from messes to messages of how He saved us!

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 40, The Message

A David Psalm

40 1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God.
    At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
    pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
    to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
    a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
    they enter the mystery,
    abandoning themselves to God.

4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
    turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
    ignore what the world worships;
The world’s a huge stockpile
    of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
    comes close to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
    and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
    account for you.

6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
    that’s not what you’re after.
Being religious, acting pious—
    that’s not what you’re asking for.
You’ve opened my ears
    so I can listen.

7-8 So I answered, “I’m coming.
    I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I’m coming to the party
    you’re throwing for me.”
That’s when God’s Word entered my life,
    became part of my very being.

9-10 I’ve preached you to the whole congregation,
    I’ve kept back nothing, God—you know that.
I didn’t keep the news of your ways
    a secret, didn’t keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
    I didn’t hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
    let the congregation know the whole story.

11-12 Now God, don’t hold out on me,
    don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
    are all that keeps me together.
When troubles ganged up on me,
    a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt
    I couldn’t see my way clear.
More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
    so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene;
    hurry and get me some help,
So those who are trying to kidnap my soul
    will be embarrassed and lose face,
So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable
    will be heckled and disgraced,
So those who pray for my ruin
    will be booed and jeered without mercy.

16-17 But all who are hunting for you—
    oh, let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you’re all about
    tell the world you’re great and not quitting.
And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing:
    make something of me.
You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—
    but God, don’t put it off.

TRUTH:  What God wants, “Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God”.

WHAT GOD DOESN’T WANT…

Proverb 16:25-33, The Message

There’s a way that looks harmless enough;
    look again—it leads straight to hell.

26 Appetite is an incentive to work;
    hunger makes you work all the harder.

27 Mean people spread mean gossip;
    their words smart and burn.

28 Troublemakers start fights;
    gossips break up friendships.

29 Calloused climbers betray their very own friends;
    they’d stab their own grandmothers in the back.

30 A shifty eye betrays an evil intention;
    a clenched jaw signals trouble ahead.

31 Gray hair is a mark of distinction,
    the award for a God-loyal life.

32 Moderation is better than muscle,
    self-control better than political power.

33 Make your motions and cast your votes,
    but God has the final say.

WISDOM:  God has the final say.

Abba Father,

You are God and we are not.  You are in control of all that you have created.  Your love for us goes beyond our imaginations.  Your timing is perfect.  Your will is pleasing and perfect for each one of us.  Thank you for looking at the mess we make, forgiving us, while turning our mess into your message of Truth.  Thank for your patient lessons through it all.  Thank you for continually transforming us day by day as we lean into your wisdom, learning the beautiful rhythms of your love, grace and mercy.  Do what you want in and through me.  I’m yours, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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TAKE A BEAT, HOLD THE TONGUE

Posted on November 11, 2020 by randscallawayffm

This psalm of David needed some extra work on my part this morning so I did some digging around the commentaries to shed light on David’s current condition while wring this lament to God.  The following are excerpts of what we learn.

There is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Eccl. 3:7), and wise is the person who knows the difference. David didn’t argue with God (v. 9) or with those who reproached him, but he did pray to the Lord.

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. David knew that life was short and that the days would pass swiftly; he also knew that he was frail and that one day he would die. 

David compared life to an “empty show,” with shadow people bustling about, trying to get rich. Busy for what? Wealthy for what? Years later, Solomon raised the same questions (Eccl. 2:18-19), and Jesus emphasized the same truth in Luke 12:16-21. If you measure the length of life, you may become despondent, but if you look around you and measure the depth of life, you are appalled. Life is swift, life is short, and for most people, life is futile. In modern vocabulary, people are living for the image and not the reality.

Who are we and what are we living for?  Better question, Who are we living for?

Who can I talk to when evil is all around, mocking God, our Father and mocking what I do for God?  It is only God.  He can take it.  He has taken it since creation.  Wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent can only come from God.

“If life is short and goes past so swiftly,” asks David, “what am I waiting for? If the world is nothing but a shadow image, let me give myself to the Lord, who is the foundation of all that is real and lasting.” Today we would say, “The reality is … found in Christ” (Col. 2:17 niv). The main concern is not how long we live but how we live.

Life is measured, not by how rich we are in material wealth, but whether we have values that last. Are we living with eternity’s values in view? “He who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17 nkjv). In turning by faith to the Lord, David moved from hopelessness to hope and from paralysis to action.

We begin with David the sinner and listen to his prayer for forgiveness (vv. 8-9). Like every truly convicted sinner, his mouth had been stopped (Rom. 3:19), and he admitted his guilt before God (see 1 Sam. 3:18; Lam. 1:21). 

God listens to the cry of the brokenhearted (51:17) and forgives when we confess (1 John 1:9). David was especially concerned that he not give occasion to “the foolish” to ridicule his faith (14:1; 69:7; 74:22; 79:4). 

In his advanced years, David is recovering from a stroke.  C. S. Lewis was correct when he wrote in The Problem of Pain, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to arouse a deaf world.” The human body ages, decays, and dies; and the material wealth we gather gradually loses its value, like a moth silently destroying a garment. 

Jim Elliot’s oft-quoted statement certainly applies here: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Vanity of vanity, all is vanity–unless we put our faith and hope in God.

Warren Wiersbe states, “Finally, David the sojourner prays for God’s direction as he makes his pilgrim way through life with its joys and sorrows. The world is a “vain show” (v. 6)–John Bunyan called it “Vanity Fair”–and God’s people are aliens and strangers here (119:19; Gen. 23:4; Lev. 25:23; 1 Chron. 29:15; Heb. 11:13; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:11). We are not strangers to God, for He knows us and we know Him, but we are strangers with God as His welcomed guests (90:1; 23:6). 

God hears our prayers and cries, and He sees our tears. “In the world you will have tribulation,” Jesus told His disciples, “but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 nkjv). 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. The phrase “no more” doesn’t suggest annihilation or the absence of an afterlife, but that David would “no more” be on his earthly pilgrimage. “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (23:6).

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 39, The Message

A David Psalm

39 1-3 I’m determined to watch steps and tongue
    so they won’t land me in trouble.
I decided to hold my tongue
    as long as Wicked is in the room.
“Mum’s the word,” I said, and kept quiet.
    But the longer I kept silence
The worse it got—
    my insides got hotter and hotter.
My thoughts boiled over;
    I spilled my guts.

4-6 “Tell me, what’s going on, God?
    How long do I have to live?
    Give me the bad news!
You’ve kept me on pretty short rations;
    my life is string too short to be saved.
Oh! we’re all puffs of air.
    Oh! we’re all shadows in a campfire.
Oh! we’re just spit in the wind.
    We make our pile, and then we leave it.

7-11 “What am I doing in the meantime, Lord?
    Hoping, that’s what I’m doing—hoping
You’ll save me from a rebel life,
    save me from the contempt of dunces.
I’ll say no more, I’ll shut my mouth,
    since you, Lord, are behind all this.
    But I can’t take it much longer.
When you put us through the fire
    to purge us from our sin,
    our dearest idols go up in smoke.
Are we also nothing but smoke?

12-13 “Ah, God, listen to my prayer, my
    cry—open your ears.
Don’t be callous;
    just look at these tears of mine.
I’m a stranger here. I don’t know my way—
    a migrant like my whole family.
Give me a break, cut me some slack
    before it’s too late and I’m out of here.”

TRUTH:  Oh! we’re all shadows in a campfire.  Oh! we’re just spit in the wind.  We make our pile, and then we leave it.  “What am I doing in the meantime, Lord?    Hoping, that’s what I’m doing—hoping You’ll save me from a rebel life, save me from the contempt of dunces.  AND God does.  Every. Time.

Proverb 16:21-24, The Message

A wise person gets known for insight;
    gracious words add to one’s reputation.

22 True intelligence is a spring of fresh water,
    while fools sweat it out the hard way.

23 They make a lot of sense, these wise folks;
    whenever they speak, their reputation increases.

24 Gracious speech is like clover honey—
    good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body.

WISDOM:  Gracious speech is like clover honey, good for the soul, energy for the body.  Anything less takes our breath away, a word at a time, and leaves scars of hurt that only God can heal.

Abba Father,

You are God and we are not.  Our tongues need your control.  When I lay my life before you each morning, in includes my thoughts that could pass over my tongue at the wrong time, wrong place, with a bad spirit because of hurt and fear.  Help us, Lord.  Be our strength and wisdom in all of life.  Help us to first be silent before you.  Help us to bring all that bothers us about the world to you to solve.  Then help us to know when to speak your word in ways that build each other, not tear them down.  Give us righteous words, at the right moment from you.  Help us to make the most of every opportunity to point people to you.  Keep us from causing pain to anyone.  Use us to encourage.  Life is short.  Help us to fill each day left for your glory and praise.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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