Any time we talk about God's plans for us we get into the discussion about predestination and free will. If God has plans for us, where is our free will? If we don't want to go along with God's plans, what happens to them? Well, I believe God has plans and we have freedom of choice about whether or not we participate in them. We are always free to say no and God can look for someone more amenable. Psalm 138:8 says, The Lord will fulfill his plan/purpose for me. That's a twist we may not often think about - God working out his plans on our behalf. It's not all our responsiblity. God is helping to see that everything goes right. Sometimes you hear it said as, "If God called you to it, He'll see you through it." It's a reassurance that helps to keep us going. If you are walking in God's plan, he'll help; he'll walk with you. Verse 3 of Psalm 138 provides another assurance, When I called you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. To all the bold and stouthearted people of God, carry on. God is with you to work out his plan on your behalf.
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Let's take a different approach today and instead of looking at one particuar Psalm, let's look at how God is portrayed in the Psalms in general. God is: all-knowing and ever-present, beautiful and desirable, creator, good, generous, powerful, loving, faithful, righteous, just, holy, a strong tower and a place of refuge. If we change this to God, you are . . . we have a prayer of praise. God, you are all-knowing and ever-present, beautiful and desirable. You are creator of all that is good; you are generous, powerful, loving and faithful. You are righteous, just and holy. You are my strong tower and my place of refuge. Thank you for always being there for me. Thanks to NASA and the Hubble telescope we now have pictures that more adequately represent the universe than we ever had before. Who would have thought that there were so many galaxies, or that black holes existed, or that there were such complex designs? They show us how amazing God's creation is - the extravagance of his creative power. And what are we compared with that? We are specks on one little planet in one galaxy. Yet he thinks of us. We are of great value to him, and he has given us responsibility over his creation. In response, let us pray with the Psalmist, O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! After yesterday's post about David in the desert, I started thinking about other people in the Scriptures who spent time in the desert and experienced temptation there. The Hebrew people with their 40 years in the Sinai came to mind, of course. They were tempted. Their response was to grumble and complain which led to them succumbing to the temptation. Grumbling and complaining typified that people's time in the desert. David, however, during his time in the desert, praised God and used that praise to overcome the temptation to question God's presence in his life. Praise typified David as much as grumbling and complaining typified the Hebrew people in the desert. Jesus spent time in the desert also. He too was tempted. He overcame Satan by citing Scripture. The Word of God quoted the word of God. From these examples, how do we best overcome temptation? Grumbling and complaining don't work. Let's praise God and learn the Scriptures. These are two proven methods for people who want to be overcomers and progress in the spiritual life. So much is conveyed in 7 short verses. This Psalm was written to be sung. It looks like the chorus was May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. May they praise you because you rule with justice, because you make known your ways of salvation throughtout the world, because the land yields an abundant harvest and we are blest. Is the psalmist considering just the current times and the grain harvest or is he/she looking forward to the end times and the final harvest of souls? Are the people urged to praise God for a past harvest, the current one, or the great harvest to come? Or is it an if . . . then situation? If the people praise God, then God will bless them and the land will yield its harvest. If the people praise God, then all the ends of the earth will fear him (v7). Any one of those interpretations is possible. Why don't we pray the Psalm and see where God leads us. Recently I was talking with a woman who has a long-term illness. She was telling me she is tired of the illness, tired of being sick, and fed up with the medicine, the treatment and the limitations. I asked her, "Have you told God how you feel?" "Can I do that?" she asked. "You're already thinking it, aren't you?" She laughed. Why is it that we think (1) We can't talk to God about anything and everything and (2) He doesn't know what we're thinking? God wants to talk to us about whatever is on our minds - even if it is just the weather. Jesus will sit and have a chat with us or take a walk with us. He is always available. The Psalmist says: You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. What an awesome thing it is to have the Almighty know us that well. And there is nowhere we can run or hide to get away from him. You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. . . Where can I flee from your presence? He's not too busy. He's not far away. Call him. Psalm 51 is the obvious choice for prayer today, Ash Wednesday. It is King David's prayer of repentance after the prophet Nathan faced him with the fact of his adultery. David truly was crushed when he realized what he had done (let the bones you have crushed rejoice). But I find it curious that he says he has only sinned against God (against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight). Hasn't he sinned against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah? Because of David's position, Bathsheba had no option to refuse him. When she conceives David's child, David hatches a plan to have Uriah sleep with his wife so that Uriah would think the child was his. His plan failed and so he had Uriah killed in battle instead. David's sin kept multiplying, and it is a sordid tale even today. Although David repented and God forgave him, he still suffered the consequences of his sins. God told David, again through Nathan, that the son conceived in adultery would die. Though David fasted and wept and pleaded with God, God's mind was not changed. The child died (2 Samuel 11 - 12). So what is the key to understanding this Psalm, the story of David and relating them to our Lenten practice? Although God is merciful and forgiving, slow to anger and rich in mercy, it is better not to sin in the first place. It is from sin that we should fast. One of the common themes in the Psalms is of singing. So I think singing praises must be very important to God. But often people at church say, "I can't sing." My response to that is "God gave you that voice. He must be happy with it." Psalm 33 is one of those happy Psalms about singing joyfully to God because he made us and he made the universe. Furthermore he is dependable, faithful and true to those who put their trust in him. He loves righteousness and justice. He keeps watch over those who fear him. So while we wait in hope for the Lord, we sing (even if it is a joyful noise) and we pray, "May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." We have probably all had times when we felt like everyone was against us, we were being persecuted, life was worse than unfair. And if things didn't change soon, we didn't know what we would do. Unfortunately, many people feel that way today. They have lost their job, defaulted on the mortgage, run out of unemployment benefits. What to do now? Prayer changes things. Sometimes it just changes us, but that is better than nothing. When we cry out to God in our misery, circumstances are not necessarily better by the time we finish praying. We don't magically have a new job, the mortgage lender doesn't call and announce a refinancing opportunity, money doesn't fall to the floor in front of us. But, even so, we feel better. God has heard us. God has listened. God has identified with us and brought us some measure of comfort. How he does that I don't know, but he has saved me more than once. When we cry out, "No one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life," he responds, "I am concerned for you. I am your refuge; I care for your life." He sets us free from our prison of despair (verse 7) and lifts up our head and our spirits. If you are in this state today, cry out to God. He will not fail you. (I'm late posting today. It's a good thing God doesn't go home at the end of the day.)
For our Psalm today I've chosen 103, which is a little longer than the others we have looked at so far. What intrigued me is in verse 2: Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Then it lists various benefits for which we should praise God just in case you can't think of any yourself. So if you have had a long, hard day, and you are stressed or depressed, this Psalm's for you. The author (pehaps David) must have been having a bad day because in this Psalm he is talking to himself. "Praise the Lord, O my soul." He is giving himself a pep talk. We all have days like that. Everything has gone wrong. So if you've been talking to yourself and no one is giving you the pep talk you need, this Psalm's for you. A few of God's benefits - he forgives all of your sins, heals all your diseases, and redeems you from the pit. He is slow to anger and quick to love. If you are oppressed, he works for righteousness and justice. He keeps his covenant. He satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed. So if you are feeling old, sick and tired, this Psalm's for you. There are a lot more benefits listed than can be covered here. So read it for yourself. This Psalm's for you. |
AliceI started this website and blog on May 1, 2012. I am a Catholic who has been in ministry for many years. I first developed what I would call a close relationship with Jesus in the early 1970s. Ever since then I have been praying with people for healing and other needs. It is because I have seen so many of these prayers answered that I am so bold as to offer to pray for you individually through this website and phone line. Archives
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