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Psalm 77 – Turning Point

Throughout the book we see the Psalmist on an up-and-down journey. We see psalms of victory riddled with praise, we see psalms of discouragement reflecting dark days of the soul, and most often we see psalms with elements of both. The only thing that seems as consistent as this reality of a roller-coaster type journey is the obvious “turning point” found in each. It’s the attitude expressed that always seems to get them over the hump.

“I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” – Psalm 77:12

This is great instruction. When we focus on the bad, we spiral down. When we meditate on the loss, we suffer more loss. When we consider our works and deeds, they are always second (or worse) to someone else’s out there.

But, when we focus on the greatness of our God, when we meditate on His great victories, when we consider His works and His mighty deeds. Things change.

Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
You are the God who performs miracles; 

You display your power among the peoples.
With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

Selah

Psalm 77:13-15

Psalm 76 - God's Got Game

Guest Post: Tray Pruet

"You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains, rich with game." - Psalm 76:4

Well I actually added that last comma….sorry God, but he does have game….and it’s rich.

I was just amazed yesterday, and I was searching for words to describe God….but realized that any word used, falls short. Not that ‘resplendent with light’ came to mind….but I realized that all these descriptions, are merely words trying to capture the glory of the Creator. All the Psalms, 150 in all…..with all the words contained, still fall short. Yet we live as though we are serving a finite God. We give Him a Sunday or two every now and then to hold him at bay.

I read yesterday that in recent years, via the Hubble telescope that it is (conservatively) estimated that there are 350,000,000,000 galaxies….conservatively estimated! Why? Why did our Creator create things that no one in history knew about until recently. Maybe he is wanting us NOW to know….even with your fancy computers and telescopes....you cannot fathom the depth of me. You could spend your whole life trying to describe me…and still fall miserably short, not even scratch the surface.

God forgive me for not giving you my all, and forgive me for thinking you are smaller than you are.

Psalm 75 – Approachable

I’ve enjoyed being married to an author and communicator. It’s interesting to me to see how people interact with Jen depending upon how they know her. If you were to watch those who first met Jen through one of her books or from the audience of a conference she was speaking at, you’d think she hung the moon (Which I’m pretty convinced she did). It’s fun to listen to the emails that come to her saying “I know Jen probably isn’t the one who checks all the emails” as if she has a team of assistants doing it for her. It’s flattering to see women at the “signing” table, wanting to grab a quick picture with her, and give their 15 second expression of how much they appreciate her work.

It’s fun to hear the stories because to me, to her kids, and her friends, she’s just Jen. The gal we love, adore, and appreciated just as much even before the first book was published. To us, it’s no surprise her fan base is growing. We’ve been fans for years. The more you know her, the more comfortable you are around her, the more you know you can be yourself, the more you know you can trust her, the more you know… she’s just Jen. (Sorry Jen, if you somehow found this, I know you’re embarrassed that I’m even writing this.)

Each of us has experienced our own level of “celebrity status”. Most of us with crowds like our third grader’s classmates, because we brought the cup cakes. Regardless of who’s expressing it, it feels good to be appreciated. And it feels good to express appreciation to others… especially those we hold a high opinion of.

In Psalm 75, the Psalmist gives us some insight to how we can interact with a really big God. It reminds us that we don’t have to be star-struck or deal with a personal assistant whose job is to keep you from wasting His time.

“We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.” – Psalm 75:1

I was captured by this phrase, “Your Name is near”. So I did some research on why the Psalmist chose to use the word “near”. What I found is that it’s also the Hebrew word commonly used for “neighbor” and is meant to communicate a close physical proximity in where we intentionally take residence. Its root means “to cause to approach” or “to be approachable”. So it’s not just talking about a neighbor… it’s talking about a good neighbor… an approachable neighbor.

This is the gift of God. That who He is… all He has done… and that His name literally represents a close proximity and personal presence. That closeness is because HE caused it and because He willed it. No wonder Jesus calls us to remain in Him. It’s His very nature to do the same. It’s the reason He came to earth and put on skin.

I’m thankful today that we don’t just have a God of the universe, we have a personal God, who is close and who we can call daddy. A God who is approachable. What does that change? Everything. And as the Psalmist says (twice in one verse), we should give thanks.

Psalm 74 - Devastating

I'm reminded today how we often let the physical and temporary things in our life become central and therefore seem critical. When they are taken away or even challenged it can quickly feel like a devastating loss. In chapter 74, the Psalmist reminds us that while we may be derailed by what we consider a "devastating loss", a sovereign God cannot be contained. No matter the temporal object destroyed, an eternal God is still in control.

They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.

They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!"
They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

But you, O God, are my king from of old;
you bring salvation upon the earth.

Psalm 74:7-8, 12

Psalm 73 – Order Now

Guest Post: Mike Kilbane

It’s interesting to look at life and see how often we reflect on what we lack. We obsess on what is absent from our lives and imagine that all of our problems and anxieties would be resolved if that one element was changed. For the cancer patient it is the desire to be healthy again, for the unemployed it is a job, for the poor it is wealth, for the single it is marriage, for the childless it is to have a child, for the overweight it is to be thin, for the jailed it is freedom.

Some of these are huge barriers and issues. They are factors that if resolved would truly change the trajectory of a person’s life. But, others are just things we like to blame any unhappiness in our life on. It’s easier to point at an external factor as the cause for our poor attitude, than to take responsibility for our actions and behavior. When these feelings take root, envy is not far behind:

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles’ their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. (Psalm 73:3-5)

Through infomercials, magazine articles, and other media we are led to believe that this sentiment is true. Celebrities, executives, and trust fund kids don’t have any of the burdens that plague man. We are told if we just had more money, looked better in a bathing suit, or had a nicer car, our troubles would melt away. But, it is all just a fantasy. True peace comes from the King. His offer isn’t good for the “first 100 callers”, it is good for an eternity, and the benefits start today. Order now, callers are standing by.

Psalm 72 – Taking Lead

We all have a following. It may be as simple as an individual child, an employee, a friend, or someone we’re mentoring. It may be as vast as a company, a team, an organization, or even a church. While the scope in which we lead may vary greatly, we’re constantly in a position of influence.

Leadership has become quite an endeared term to us, and honestly, rightfully so in many cases. However, when we allow the idea of leadership to surpass the significance of what or whom we are leading, and what we represent, we run the risk of losing what makes it special.

David understood this. When praying for his son, and future king, he prayed knowing the benefit of yielding his leadership completely to the path of the one who “spoke and it was”. Here’s what he prayed for and the appropriate response that comes with it.

“Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.” – Psalm 72:1-2

A look into the Hebrew shows that this request was for God to offer a divine level of discretion (justice) and that He would grant him the ability to lead with His righteousness. The word righteousness is the Hebrew word “tsdaqah” which can be applied in a number of ways, each of which are amazingly appropriate: That he would lead with rightness (abstractly), rectitude (subjectively), justice (objectively), virtue (morally), or prosperity (figuratively).

It was a given that if granted, Solomon would then lead with a “straight course”, not veering to the right or left, and offer justice to the “afflicted” (humble, lowly, needy, poor). What a great example to us all, as a praying parent, a dependent leader, and as a developing child (His child).

“This psalm belongs to Solomon in part, but to Christ more fully and clearly. Solomon was both the king and the king's son, and his pious father desired that the wisdom of God might be in him, that his reign might be a remembrance of the kingdom of the Messiah. It is the prayer of a father for his child; a dying blessing. The best we can ask of God for our children is, that God would give them wisdom and grace to know and to do their duty.” – Matthew Henry

Psalm 71 – Drowning

When I was in high school, I went swimming with a group of friends in a pond near my house. After a couple of hours hanging out, one of my friends started flopping around and yelling for help. He wasn’t a very good swimmer and it was obvious he wasn’t playing around.

I remember swimming out and trying to help, only to be rewarded by him pushing me under the water, trying to lift himself up by pushing on my head. It was a short struggle, but we eventually made it to shore. It’s amazing we didn’t both drown.

“Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.” – Psalm 71:2

Lately, I’ve been drawn to studying world religions again. Specifically the difference between what and who they claim Christ to be, and what and who Christianity claims Christ to be, it’s THE difference.

All other religions place the responsibility on the believer to save themselves through a form of their own “righteousness”. It’s a journey to somehow earn a salvation through righteous acts. In contrast, Christianity is the only religion that depends completely on the righteousness of God, not man’s righteousness, to save us.

Just like a drowning person who simply cannot swim, we need someone else to pursue and rescue us.

This is a crude illustration and certainly doesn’t fully grasp the doctrine of substitutionary atonement, but it certainly reminds me of what the Psalmist is praying for in verse 2 and explains how I can have peace and joy knowing that it’s not my righteousness, it’s his. Not only is it His righteousness, it’s His rescuing, it’s His delivering, it’s His turning, and His saving.

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” – Isaiah 64:6

The quickest way to a miserable life filled with doubt, worry, guilt, and condemnation is to think that our righteous acts had anything to do with our salvation. When it’s His grace from the beginning… it truly can be a wonderful life resting in Him alone.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – Jesus (John 10:10)

Psalm 70 – EmUrgency

Guest Post: Tray Pruet

"Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; 
O LORD, do not delay.

Was David literally poor or needy?" - Psalm 70:5

I’m thinking this posture of David is one that we all need to take. David could have said….Lord I got this world on a string….I am it’s king…what do you have to offer me, or better yet….what can I do for you today if I have time? Though that was never David’s heart….is it ours? We would never say that…. But I wonder if sometimes in our hearts that isn’t exactly what we give or say. And I love that David seeks God’s urgency. I’ve done this so many times….but my prayers aren’t always answered in the manner or timing that I would have preferred.

As a parent, its one thing to be sitting in the living room watching the TV or talking to our wives….and one of the kids says…mom/dad can I get some help with this homework. We might say….give us a minute, or wait until the commercial. But one of our kids is hurt, or in trouble, or scared…..we drop everything to get there “without delay”. David seeks God’s urgency….because he is in need.

As a Sovereign God, when we seek God urgently…and he responds to us, in his timing…..I wonder what that says? Maybe he is teaching us to wait on Him, maybe he is telling us He’s got this, maybe He is teaching us patience.

Psalm 69 – Not Inoculated

Guest Post: Mike Kilbane

Growing in faith is an example of something where we want the result, a stronger faith, without having to go through what it takes to get there. When it comes to faith, I wish the growth process were like an inoculation: you get one shot of faith and it protects you for life. Kind of like a measles shot. That way, we could suffer through the stretching, waiting and anxiety one time and be set from then on. Rather, as we grow in Christ we learn that faith is a muscle, not an antibody. The closer we get to Christ, the more our faith muscles are worked. Even David was continually stretched:

I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail looking for my God. (Psalm 69:3-4)

Throughout his life, David found himself in situations that continued to develop his faith in God’s deliverance. From his start with Goliath to being pursued by his own son, he found the trials he faced continually increased in complexity and required him to turn more and more over to God. While it’s frustrating at times to think that our walk will never get easier, that God will continue to push and stretch us to help us grow, I find comfort in knowing that He does it out of love for us and because He knows that the discipline and strength that we develop during these times brings Him even more glory.

Psalm 68 – Feels Good

There are certain things that are just good things. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize them. Even a child can tell. One of the most obvious good is realized when providing for those who are in need. And while you can’t always trust your feelings, it certainly feels good to help.

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing.” – Psalm 68:5-6

God is a good God. While God is just, he is certainly a God of compassion. In the middle of a life filled with amazingly high highs and low lows, David remembers and worships this God of Goodness.

“But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds - his name is the LORD - and rejoice before him.” – Psalm 68:3-4

I love what Matthew Henry writes today: “God is the joy of his people, then let them rejoice when they come before him. He who derives his being from none, but gives being to all, is engaged by promise and covenant to bless his people. He is to be praised as a God of mercy and tender compassion. He ever cares for the afflicted and oppressed: repenting sinners, who are helpless and exposed more than any fatherless children, are admitted into his family, and share all their blessings.”

Psalm 67 – Me Church

Several years ago I had some conflict with another person on my leadership team. To be honest with you, it was a really tough time. While it wasn’t about something that was intended towards them, they took it personally. I found myself really struggling with wanting them to see that it wasn’t about them, and if they could just see that, we could both get over it. All along I was asking God for His blessing and favor for myself. It wasn’t until God told me, “Brandon, this isn’t about you either”, that I started to realize that I had taken something that was supposed to be about Him and was making it about me.

We’re a pretty selfish people. It's our nature… which makes it hard to put others first. It’s also the thing that makes it hard to put God first. This is a big problem in the Church. Most of the time we don’t even realize when we’re doing it. Selfishness causes much strife and tension. When we make it about us, our agenda and our comfort, instead of Him and others, we are simply going and pointing others in the wrong direction. We make it “Me Church” instead of “His Church”. This is what I thought about when I read Psalm 67:

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us (Selah) that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” – Psalm 67:1-2

David is praying for God’s graciousness, His blessing, and His favor. This is a good thing. The difference between what David was saying and what we typically pray for is found in verse 2: “That YOUR ways may be known”.

Father, we desire your grace, blessing, and favor. Of course we do. Teach us to desire it not for our name to be known, but for yours to be known, and that others might come to know you as well. Amen.

Psalm 66 - Abundance

This week my ANC Restore Community (Community Group) had the opportunity to hear from the National Director of Habitat for Humanity Egypt. He was a humble man with a huge heart. He started the evening by explaining what he would mean by “substandard housing”. It was obvious that he felt it an important obstacle to cross with Americans to define what that means. He did so by telling stories of families of 12 living in houses 8 x 10 ft. One family he met lived together with 23 people in a house that was 400 SF. He capped it off by telling us how $1300 would be enough to build them new homes and literally change their lives. Even better, since the original $1300 would be reinvested, it would build 10 houses for ten families over the next 30 years.

It reminded me of a conversation I had earlier in the week with Steve Fitch (Eden Projects in Africa) about their upcoming trip to Ethiopia when he mentioned the “minus” four-star hotels they’d be staying at. I mentioned being at some pretty lame motels, to which he replied, “Bro, until you’ve been in a bad motel in a third world country… you have no idea what I mean.”

Then I think about those who lost everything they had in the apartment fire in the St. John’s district in Austin this week. When I first got the email about what had happened from a pastor friend in town, they described the people as losing everything they had. Very few if any have renter’s insurance. Very few if any have extra money in savings. Few have family they can move in with long term. And most have no “Plan B”.

These were three reminders for me this very week, each one of them offering some perspective. Each brought a lesson through the lens of contrasting abundance. Abundance is defined as an “extremely plentiful or over-sufficient quantity or supply”. Supply of what?

Enter Psalm 66… David Says that God brings us to a place of abundance:

“For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads, we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” (Psalm 66:10-12)

With all the wealth, power, and position David had, he still found himself on the run for his life, living in caves, being slandered by those he valued. Yet he always found a reason to worship God and was known as a man after God’s own heart. While he certainly took moments to genuinely express his times of struggle, the overwhelmingly majority of his Psalms were wrapped in remembrance of God’s faithfulness and hopes for His promise to come.

So where does he find abundance? Let’s skip ahead to Psalm 62. It leaves no doubt.

My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; 

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God; 

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people; 

pour out your hearts to him, 

for God is our refuge. 

Selah

Lowborn men are but a breath, 

the highborn are but a lie; 

if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; 

together they are only a breath.

Do not trust in extortion 

or take pride in stolen goods; 

though your riches increase, 

do not set your heart on them.

One thing God has spoken, 

two things have I heard: 

that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving.

Psalm 62:1-2,7-12

I had a conversation last week with a friend about the authority of Scripture. I was sharing with him how over the past year or two, while I’ve always known it, God has shown me how all of scripture points towards a singular theme: The Cross (our desperate need for it and God’s Kingdom come and eternity through it).

That being true, it exposes my nature to constantly place my mind on the temporal, especially on the topic of abundance. Abundance is not what we have physically. Abundance is what we have eternally. If we believe the Gospel, we must believe this. We have hope abundantly through Christ. While it’s true that we have so much, it should not be the source of our abundance. While we should be thankful and even humbled, we should consider it nothing compared to His unconditional love.

“But God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” – Psalm 66:19-20

God has not withheld eternity. Through His mercy and grace, He has offered life abundantly. Of all the days I’ve read Matthew Henry, I think today’s writing on David’s prayer in Psalm 66 nails it:

“It was not prayer that fetched the deliverance, but His mercy that sent it. That is the foundation of our hopes, the fountain of our comforts; and ought to be the matter of our praises.” – Matthew Henry

Abundant indeed.

“Through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” – 1 Peter 1:2-3

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” – 2 Peter 1:2

“Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.” – Jude 1:2

Psalm 65 - Praised

Just a few thoughts from Matthew Henry today on Psalm 65:

6 who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,

7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.

8 Those living far away fear your wonders;
where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy.

9 You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it. [a]

10 You drench its furrows
and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers
and bless its crops.

11 You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.

12 The grasslands of the desert overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.

13 The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.

"All the praise the Lord receives from this earth is from Zion, being the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, and acceptable through him. Praise is silent unto thee, as wanting words to express the great goodness of God. He reveals himself upon a mercy-seat, ready to hear and answer the prayers of all who come unto him by faith in Jesus Christ. Our sins prevail against us; we cannot pretend to balance them with any righteousness of our own: yet, as for our transgressions, of thine own free mercy, and for the sake of a righteousness of thine own providing, we shall not come into condemnation for them. Observe what it is to come into communion with God in order to blessedness. It is to converse with him as one we love and value; it is to apply ourselves closely to religion as to the business of our dwelling-place. Observe how we come into communion with God; only by God's free choice. There is abundance of goodness in God's house, and what is satisfying to the soul; there is enough for all, enough for each: it is always ready; and all without money and without price. By faith and prayer we may keep up communion with God, and bring in comfort from him, wherever we are. But it is only through that blessed One, who approaches the Father as our Advocate and Surety, that sinners may expect or can find this happiness." - Matthew Henry

Psalm 64 - iPhone Cowboy

The other day I saw an old cowboy sitting in the back of his Ford F-350. He was a leathery faced, cowboy-hat-toting, old school cowboy. He was sitting on the edge of the pickup bed, pretty sure he had a big dip in his mouth, and was sharpening his knife like he was on the North 40 about to skin a rabbit. The irony was that he was sitting in the parking lot of Starbucks, with his triple venti latte next to him, his earbuds lodged in his ears, talking on his iPhone.

Somehow grouping a knife with Starbucks and technology seems a bit random. They just don’t go together.

I’ve typically felt the same way when reading scripture about sharp objects and our words. Intellectually, I can easily make the connection. But I think in application, most of us fail to couple the two together. We treat them as unrelated. Somehow we forget that the two go naturally together. And when that reality is neglected, it’s usually a really bad thing that results.

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
from that noisy crowd of evildoers.

They sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim their words like deadly arrows.

Psalm 64:2-3

David reminds us that his enemy’s conspiracy and evil talk are intentional daggers against him. Throughout scripture we are reminded that it’s not just our enemies that do so, we must be aware, we do it as well:

Help, LORD, for the godly are no more;
the faithful have vanished from among men.

Everyone lies to his neighbor;
their flattering lips speak with deception.

May the LORD cut off all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue that says,
"We will triumph with our tongues;
we own our lips - who is our master?"

Psalm 12:1-4

Father, Your Word tells us that our tongue is like a ships rudder. Such a small thing turns the entire ship. Many times we are sabotaged by our own tongues. We betray ourselves. We betray others. We do damage beyond what our heart intends. Help us God. If what comes out of our mouth is a true overflow of our hearts… please help us. Help us to pray the claim of Job, “my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit.” We cannot do this on our own. We need a new heart. We need a new mind. Help us in Jesus name, Amen.

Psalm 63 – Starving

Fun Friday. That’s what I call it.

It’s the first night when Jen is speaking at an out-of-state conference and I turn into “Super Dad”. Fun Friday usually entails a dinner out on the town, some type of entertaining event like a movie or putt-putt, and wraps up with a shake from Fran’s.

A couple of months ago, I had a bit of a busy Friday, and “Super Dad” was running a little late on delivering the Friday fun. To which the kids quickly pounced claiming they were “starving”.

Feeling a little under the pressure, I entered into a lecture on how none of them have ever known what it feels like to actually be “starving”. I went on to tell them that from now on, “starving” is not a word we are allowed to use. You can say, “I’m hungry”, but never “I’m starving”.

The reality was that I was starving too. And it was making me a bit cranky.

It’s amazing what we’ll say and do when we’re in need. It takes us to a place of vulnerability that we cannot easily hide. Eventually it shows up in our words, demeanor, and even actions. Sometimes it can be a good thing. Sometimes it can be bad.

David was in the desert when he wrote Psalm 63. He was in need. He might have been a little desperate. Probably a bit vulnerable. And for him, it was a good thing, because He leaned on the strength of God’s faithfulness and goodness:

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you. – Psalm 63:1-3

Matthew Henry wrote, “When faith and hope are most in exercise, the world appears a weary desert, and the TRUE believer longs for the joys of heaven.”

While Henry was speaking mostly of life after death, I think the true believer longs for the joys of the Kingdom of Heaven today. It’s the realm, that because of the cross, breaks through in our lives when we are desperately seeking God and His will becomes ultimate in our lives. It’s the perspective that manifests when we are starving and looking only to God and His goodness to fill.

Father, David wrote that his soul “clings to you” and “your right hand” holds him up. Help us to find this confidence and place. We so easily deceive ourselves and misread our own motives. We so naturally stay self-sufficient. In a “dry and weary land, where there is no water”, thank you for your continued grace and mercy. Amen.

Psalm 62 - Muscles

Guest Post: Mike Kilbane

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Do not trust in extortion, or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. (Psalm 62:5,6,10)

What are we willing to do to find rest? Where do we go when we need rest? Whether it is physical, mental, or spiritual, there comes a time when we need to either catch our breath or unplug our muscles, brain, or spirit from the grind.

It’s well known and documented that muscles actually grow during recovery and rest. The stress of exertion and exercise actually breaks down the fibers and that during the healing process they grow stronger. I think the same holds true with our brains. As we work, think, and imagine, we create new connections in our mind that, as we learn new things and activities, they grow stronger and better connected. However, as in school, you can’t turn on learning 100% of the time. At some point you need to shift to application and reflection. When we take this time to apply something we’ve learned and reflect on why it worked out the way it did, we actually grow stronger.

What about our spirit? I think it is governed the same way and God directs our paths so that when we follow Him we have adequate time and opportunity for spiritual development, application, and rest. That rest is to be found in Him and is the time when our spirit recovers and is strengthened. If we are constantly pushing, trying to find new opportunities to serve, study, worship, and give more, we risk burn out and fatigue from not listening to the Spirit reminding us that we are to “Come to me, you who are weary, and I will give you rest.” Serving, studying, worshiping, and giving are all important, but we can’t fall into the trap of societies motto that “more is better.” Our Spirit is a muscle and we must learn to listen to it, just as we listen to our body after a workout, and keep a balance between overtraining and letting it atrophy.

Psalm 61 – Day by Day

Guest Post: Tray Pruet

"Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations. May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him." - Psalm 61:6-7

I was talking to my daughter the other day and she revealed to me that she wanted to live to the oldest woman ever. My thought was…I sure wouldn’t want to live to be that old. I’m not really sure of her motivation….but I would bet that it revolved around the idea of just NOT DYING.

David here isn’t selfishly asking God to increase the number of day his life for his own glory….but so that he could serve Him, to fulfill his vows before God.

One thing that I love about this passage is the correlation between David’s words in verse 8; “Then will I ever sing praise to your name and fulfill my vows day after day.” And the passage in Luke 9:23-25 when Jesus is talking to his disciples “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”

It is truly a daily journey, one with choices…and like David, we can choose to honor God or choose not to. Another great verse, Joshua 24:15 say that you must, “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD”