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Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Psalms 131:1
We’ve all met that person. You know the kind. The person that always interrupts you to tell you that they ‘know what you mean’.
Another variation is the person who always knows exactly what you should do in ever situation because they have been there and ‘this is what they’ve done.’ If you don’t know anyone like that it may be because you ARE that person.
King David, mighty and powerful as he was, didn’t hesitate to admit that he didn’t know everything. Humble people aren’t people who degrade themselves, they are people who realize their own limitations and would rather listen than talk because they know that they will gain more knowledge by listening than they will by talking.
In a culture where many get their information from social media, truth becomes more clouded. Yet David implies in this verse that he won’t get involved in arguments he knows nothing about, but will put his faith in the knowledge he gets from God.
In spite of the many Biblical resources we have available to us, we are more and more Biblically illiterate! The source of all knowledge needs to come from God’s word and not social media.
Be careful who you listen to. The only real source of truth is madly in love with you and has promised that the closer you draw to him, the more you will be able to discern truth.
Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. Psalms 116:7
We carry a variety of burdens every day. Physical burdens of exhaustion, sore muscles, illness, or the inevitable ‘old age.’
The emotional burdens we carry are legion. Relationships that are difficult. Our kids make choices we never raised them to make. The rising cost of living seems out of control. Politicians talk about solutions but never act on them. Our minds never seem to stop reminding us of all the struggles we have.
Spiritually, we struggle with doubt. We struggle to understand. We struggle to pray and read as we know we should. We struggle to have the desire to spend time with God. We never seem to be able to fill this void in our lives that leads to true happiness and fulfillment. We long for rest, but it seems just out of reach like the gold ring on some maniacal carousel.
Jesus calls us to rest in him in the midst of our struggle. In Matthew 11:29 he calls us to “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Sometimes the best rest we can have is worship.
True Worship draws us into rest at every level (physical, spiritual, emotional/mental). Jesus is humble and humble people don’t judge. Jesus is gentle and gentle people understand and aren’t critical.
When we focus on worship, the distractions can become less as we rest on the promises, presence and peace of Jesus.
After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River— the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” Genesis 15:17-21
Some think Grace is a New Testament thing, but Grace is a thread that begins in Genesis and will continue through all eternity.
The story in these verses is one of grace. God seemingly randomly calls a man named Abram to a new land of promise. Abram was anything but perfect, yet he believed God and God credited it to him as righteousness. Grace. It’s about believing, not action.
God tells Abram to cut up two animals and lay them in such a way that there was a walkway between them. Later, God appears in the form of a smoking fire pot and flaming torch. In ancient days, a covenant was finalized by both parties passing through the carcasses, but here, only God passes through.
Grace isn’t a two-person event, but God reaching down to mankind knowing full well he could not fulfill his end of the bargain. If you know the history of this Abram (later Abraham) you know his descendants constantly rejected God and his ways. They rebelled. They fought against each other (the ultimate family feud) they worshipped other idols.
But God’s grace continued to put up with them, and in Jesus their salvation was complete.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. My chains are gone. I’ve been set free! You are always within the reach of God’s grace. His covenant promise is for all eternity.
May he reign under God’s protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him. Psalms 61:7
Have you ever noticed how people slow down when a police officer is behind them? Maybe it’s just me. I don’t drive fast, at most I’m 4-5 MPH over the limit. But when a police car is behind me I tend to drive at order a couple MPH below the limit!
Why is that? Because we are being watched! You may see that at the workplace as well. The old adage “When the cats away the mice will play” has real meaning when the manager/boss steps out or leaves for the day.
In Psalms 61:7, King David continues his prayer to God, asking him to protect David in his daily activities, whether in the palace, on the battlefield or in his personal time.
He acknowledges that God watches over him, “…May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him”, but asks that the watching is covered in love and faithfulness.
God is not some angry cop hoping we step out of line so he can ticket us. He’s not a micro-managing boss that doesn’t trust us and is always worried about the bottom line.
He’s a loving father that has promised to love us unconditionally. He’s a loving father that keeps his word. He’s a loving father that always has our best in mind.
May you feel his love today in whatever you face. May you be reminded of his faithfulness in the past as you look into an uncertain future!
For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name. Psalms 61:5
Ever made a promise to God only to fail to keep it? Afterwards you may struggle with guilt and shame. You may wonder if this Christian life is really worth it because your prayers don’t seem to do any good and try as you might to be better you still lose your temper, say words you regret, and have thoughts and attitudes you can’t seem to get rid of?
David writes about his struggles with knowing for sure that God hears him. While he attests to God’s protection and security, he knows he is unable to uphold any part of a bargain he may have made with God. Still, he knows God’s love goes beyond his ability to deserve it.
As he continues his prayer before God, he writes, “For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.” (Psalms 61:5) He asks God to remember the vows he made, even though he knows he’s broken those vows many times.
He thanks God for the inheritance reserved for him because even in his failures, he reveres God. He knows his value isn’t dependent on his vows but on His God.
Don’t let your failures in life keep you from remembering your inheritance! Through Jesus your salvation is secure.
