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Daily Devotionals for May 23-27
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As we prepare for the next message in our "Present Help in Present Trouble" series on Sunday -- and Pastor Rob's return from Israel -- we are focusing this week on Psalms 121, 122, 123, and 124, psalms that affirm God's presence in our lives and His sovereign involvement in our world.
We thank Mark Irvin, a member of WBC's Shepherding Team and a regular teacher in our Genesis Adult Class, for preparing this week's devotionals. |
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MONDAY, MAY 23
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| | Today we are reflecting on Psalm 121, and what it tells us about God as Our Help on our daily journey (reading from the New International Version, ©2011):
A song of ascents. 1I lift up my eyes to the mountains -- where does my help come from? 2My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3He will not let your foot slip -- he who watches over you will not slumber; 4indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD watches over you -- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7The LORD will keep you from all harm -- he will watch over your life; 8the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
To really understand the intent of the writer of this psalm, we have to travel almost 3,000 years back in history and view Psalm 121 from the perspective of the children of Israel. This psalm is the second of fifteen in a group of "psalms of ascent" or "pilgrim psalms" -- psalms would have been sung by the Israelite people on their journey up to Jerusalem (up on a hill) three times a year to worship God at various feasts. (Eventually, these psalms became linked to the fifteen steps of the temple and may have been sung by the priest as they ascended the stairs of the temple during feasts.)
As we reflect on this psalm, take a few minutes to read it again, this time highlighting the words and phrases that refer to God's protecting and keeping of His people. As we do that, the theme of this psalm quickly becomes clear.
The writer wants us to know both something about God and about what He will do in our lives. Just as God calls us to be different from our culture, God showed the Israelites how different He was from the gods that neighboring countries worshiped. Israel's neighbors worshiped idols that needed to be cared for. These idols needed sleep, food, and the kind of care you would give an infant. The psalmist holds our God up in contrast to the gods of Israel's neighbors.
We worship the One True God, Who created everything around us. This same God stands ready to be engaged in our lives and to help us. When we are in trouble it is good to pause and remember that our God is all powerful. Genesis 1 tells us He created everything from nothing. In light of that, my trouble is surely something He can handle. In contrast to the idols we mentioned, our God needs nothing. He does not need us to feed Him or care for Him and He does not need to sleep. You will never go to God in prayer and find Him saying He is too tired to help you. He is so far above what we can imagine that He needs none of the things that you and I need.
Our God, the psalmist reminds us, will keep us from falling, provide for us, keep us from all harm, and protect our lives. The psalmist sums this up in verse 8 by saying that God will protect your every moment (our coming and going) forever. Wow -- what a truth to embrace! This doesn't mean that we will not encounter hardship. We live under the curse of sin and the fall, and life will be hard. BUT, we can always count on an all-powerful God to be right there with us every step of the way. All we have to do is look to Him for our help.
Father,
Please forgive me for trying to do too much of life on my own. Thank You that You are far above any other god in whom I could put my trust. Help me to celebrate the times You have helped me in the past. Give me hope and joy to go out into this week and trust that you will be with me every step of the way as You help me do life.
Amen
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TUESDAY, MAY 24
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| Today we turn to Psalm 122, and what it teaches us about God and about the journey on which He is leading us. The text below is taken from the NIV ©2011, but feel free to read from the translation of your choice.
1I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." 2Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. 3Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4That is where the tribes go up -- the tribes of the LORD -- to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. 5There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. 7May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." 8For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." 9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.
The book of Deuteronomy (16:16-17), provides a meaningful context for this Psalm, helping us understand the significance of the Israelites' journey to Jerusalem, and why they were going to "the house of the LORD."
In Deuteronomy, we learn that while the children of Israel were in the desert, they were told that when they arrived in the land that God had for them, they were to take three journeys each year. On those occasions, all the men were to go to the "place God would choose" for the celebration of three festivals. [This was before they knew where the temple would be built. Once God chose the place for his temple, David drew out the plans for it, but wasn't allowed to build it. That task was saved for David's son, Solomon. It took seven years and 30,000 men to build God's temple. Once it was dedicated, God took up residence there in the "holy of holies." It was the singular most important sign of God's presence with His people. That is why they called it the house of the Lord (v. 1). It was God's house on earth.]
They were to go there to celebrate the three feasts and remember what God had done and was doing for them. In the spring, they were to celebrate how God had set them free from Egypt (Feast of Unleavened Bread). Then in early summer, they were to go and celebrate the first part of the harvest as God's provision (Feast of Weeks). Lastly, in early fall, they were to celebrate how God led them in the wilderness (Feast of Tabernacles).
That journey -- to celebrate the feasts as God had instructed them -- explains the "why" of Psalm 122. Their destination -- the house of the Lord in Jerusalem -- explains the "where" of verse one. It is with the backdrop of these pilgrimages to the temple -- to God's house -- that we look at this psalm, helping us to understand the psalmist's excitement about going up to Jerusalem.
For many of these pilgrims, that would be quite a journey, on foot, of 30, 60, or even 100 miles! That didn't matter to them. They were going to the place God had chosen for His presence on earth. God told them to go and to remember what He had done for them as they went. And how did they go? They went gladly. They went rejoicing.
This causes us to stop and think: How do we go to church -- today's "house of the Lord"? Do we understand that God's presence will be there in a unique and powerful way? Do we go rejoicing in what He has done for us this week? Do we remember the bondage from which He has set us free? Do we celebrate how God has led us during the last days, weeks, and months, in good times and in desert times?
Let's take a moment to step back from our hurried lives, and slow down long enough to see the big picture of how God is at work in our lives. Let's head into this coming Sunday rejoicing that we have the privilege of going to God's house, anticipating the celebration of who God is and what He has done for us. It is what the God of the universe calls us to do as we enter His presence each week.
Father,
I so often fall short of the vision You have for how we will come to Your house. If I am honest, sometimes I even question if I want to go to church. My motives are far too often about me and what I can get out of church. I need to come ready to give You a sacrifice of my praise. When I think of all You have done for me, I am in awe of Your goodness to me. Help me to walk into Your presence at church and celebrate all that You are and all You have done. You alone are worthy of my devotion.
Amen
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 25
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| | This week we are focusing on psalms that will help prepare our hearts for Sunday's message, as we continue in the Present Help in Present Trouble series. Today, we are turning again to Psalm 122, reflecting on how God is our Glory in the journey.
1I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." 2Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. 3Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4That is where the tribes go up -- the tribes of the LORD -- to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. 5There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. 7May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." 8For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." 9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.
Yesterday we looked at how we can enter into the Lord's house rejoicing. Today we will resume looking at Psalm 122, starting in verse 5. The psalmist starts by looking at the fact that the king's thrones of judgment also reside in Jerusalem. We don't think of thrones or judgment much today, but in ancient times, a king had several roles to perform. First, he was viewed as the representative of his
god on earth. A big part of that role was to be just. This was also true for the nation of Israel. When the psalmist thinks of Jerusalem, he thinks of David's thrones of judgment.
You may be thinking, okay, but how does the psalmist make the connection to talking about peace? The Bible is clear. God wanted the kings of Israel to be just and to fight for the oppressed. God is always the champion of those less fortunate. God wanted his king to fight for justice for the oppressed as well. The thinking of that day was that when the king advocated for the oppressed, the nation would experience peace. For Israel, following God and showing godly judgment and justice did lead to peace. When the king did not practice God-honoring judgment and justice, they experienced a lack of peace as a people.
In many ways the same is true for us. If we know God as our Savior, it should affect our judgment, and our desire to see justice done. Since we have Christ as Lord of our lives, we should also show godly judgment -- which includes hating the things that God hates and fighting for the oppressed. If we don't know Christ, we will never experience the peace for which the psalmist is praying.
We are encouraged by this psalm to pray for peace for God's people. While we don't have a city like Jerusalem that is God's chosen city, we do have the church which is God's chosen bride. For the sake of the church, we should seek to practice justice and pray for peace for the church.
We can pray in two ways. First, may there be peace inside the church. In the New Testament, Paul talks about praying for the unity of the church. We can choose to not tolerate gossip or slander in the church. We can also pray that the church would have peace in the community. We are fortunate to be able to worship God openly without fear of the authorities. We should not take that for granted. May we practice what Hebrews 12:14 instructs: "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy."
Father,
I pray for good judgment for those You have put in leadership in Your church around the world. I pray for unity in the church and that our church would have favor in the community. Help me to show good judgment and to fight for the oppressed. Forgive me, Lord, when I do not. I ask that Your Holy Spirit would convict and guide me to be in line with Your Word and Your will.
Amen
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THURSDAY, MAY 26
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| | Today we are turning to Psalm 123 and what it says to us about God's mercy.
A song of ascents.
1I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
2As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
Today we are looking at Psalm 123. It is another psalm of ascent. (See Monday's devotional for more information.) This psalm may best be understood by starting in the second half and working our way back to the beginning. In verse 3, we see that the psalmist has a problem: He has endured much contempt. Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines contempt as "being despised" or "a lack of respect." And not only has he experienced contempt, in verse 4 he tells God he has been the object of "ridicule from the proud" and "much contempt form the arrogant." The psalmist has not just had a bad day, he has been the object of being kicked when he is down and trampled on. In today's vernacular, we might say he has every right to be depressed. Ever found yourself in that kind of circumstance? If so, this psalmist can relate to what you are going through and what you have to deal with.
The question then for the psalmist is: what to do with this set of circumstances? For the answer, we go back to verse one. He turns to God. He raises his head, by an act of his will, and turns his gaze to his God. He acknowledges that God is King of the universe, sitting on a throne in heaven. He compares himself to a slave or a servant girl and how they can only turn to their master for justice. He presses into God in the same way that a slave would, and he doesn't stop until God shows him mercy.
Why does he seek mercy from God? Because the psalmist knows that he has no right to approach God on his own merit. God has every right to turn around and punish him for his sin. But the psalmist trusts in the mercy of God -- that he would not get the punishment he deserved, but rather that the Father, who is rich in grace, would allow, even encourage him to turn in his distress to the One "who sits enthroned in heaven."
The psalmist knows that God's mercy and His grace trump man's contempt every time. Christians down through the ages have taken great comfort in this truth in times when they dealt with the worst that man (and Satan) could throw at them. (Hebrews 11:32-38 describes some of these people, and after describing all they endured, the author of Hebrews says, "the world was not worthy of them.") We can take great comfort from the reality that no matter what the world throws our way, our God is stronger -- and through the blood of His Son, He gives us open access to come to him in our time of need.
Father,
I thank You for Your mercy and grace as evidenced at the cross. I praise You because You are more powerful than anything man can throw at me. Your mercy is new every day. I simply need to intentionally turn my head toward heaven and lift my eyes to You. Thank You that You never turn me away. Thank You that true comfort and peace can be found in You. Please remind me of that today and every day.
Amen
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FRIDAY, MAY 27
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| | Today we are reading Psalm 124, and reflecting on what it teaches us about God as our Deliverer.
1If the LORD had not been on our side --
let Israel say --
2if the LORD had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5the raging waters
would have swept us away.
6Praise be to the LORD,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler's snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
So far this week, we have read three psalms that point to God as our Helper, our Glory, and our merciful Father. Have you every paused to think what life would be like without God "on our side"? That's what the psalmist contemplates in this psalm -- giving visual images of what life without God would be. He sees that his enemies would literally have swallowed him alive. He compares them to a raging flash flood -- like we see in Colorado or Nevada that comes down a mountain and could sweep over us, even sweep us away. He imagines himself in danger of being consumed, being torn apart by jagged teeth, or trapped in a snare -- if the LORD had not been on our side.
Like the psalmist, you and I are involved in a spiritual battle that is raging around us. Our enemy roams about like a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). It brings to mind that scene in every epic battle movie, at a moment when the fighting is at its worst -- and the enemy appears as if they are just about to win. Just then, the reinforcements rush in, the secret weapon comes along, and the good guys win.
Our God is all that and so much more! He doesn't wait until we are almost defeated to step in. He is always fighting on our behalf. Romans 8:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit is constantly interceding for us and that when we cannot even find the words to speak for ourselves, the "Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
So we are faced with a question. Do we believe 100 percent that God is on our side fighting for us? I fear we while we may say yes, our actions betray us. If we truly believed this 100 percent, what might that look like? Might it mean that while we still have to do our part, that we would stop fighting as if it all depends on us? Could it mean that we would spend more of the battle on our knees in prayer, recognizing that our help is in the powerful name of the God who created heaven and earth?
Amidst the battle, with God on our side, we have an opportunity to trust Him and learn more about Him. Then with the psalmist we will say, "Praise be to the Lord" and "Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Father,
I thank You for being on my side. Like the writer of this psalm, I can only imagine what it would be like if that were not the case. I can only compare it to being overcome by a natural disaster or deadly animal, but You ARE on my side! I praise You that I have not been consumed by my enemies. Forgive me for times when I act as if I was alone in the battle. Thank You for revealing Your love for me in the way You protect me. You are the only true God, the only one worthy of my praise and adoration.
Amen
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