Psalm 54 – Take Hold

Last night we celebrated the first year of Austin New Church. It was an amazing time of worship, reflection, celebration, and commissioning. As I sift through all my emotions, more than anything, I just felt comfort. Seemed strange to me really… I try to be really aware of “feelings”… and that’s honestly where I was. Then I read Psalm 54 this morning:

Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
Psalm 54:4 (NAS)

When I first read this verse, it sounded like the focus was on us... my help... my sustainer. It sounds as if it’s almost written to communicate God as fuel for our agenda. But it’s not. And since our nature is to so easily make things about us, I thought I’d dig in a bit

Here’s what I found:

The Hebrew word (azar) translated into the phrase “my helper” actually means to “surround and to protect”. The word “sustains” (camak) means to “take hold of” or to “uphold”. And if you look into the NAS instead of the NIV, you see that it says not only does the Lord, “take hold of” us, He takes hold of our “soul”.

The focus is celebrating God's effort, not ours. The emphasis is on His love nature and ability, above all others, to surround and protect. The victory is found when He takes hold of our very soul. This is where true comfort comes from. When God surrounds and upholds our soul. This is true sustenance.

Father, the word “sustain” has been a big theme for me lately. I know there are all kinds of surface things that keep that in my mind, some more selfish than they should be. But I also have a great desire to find my sustenance in you alone. I desire to find comfort in you. Thank you that you are able. Thank you that you are love. And thank you for making a way through Jesus to live in a restored relationship with you. Amen.

Psalm 44 - Helper

Yesterday at Austin New Church, we discussed the journey of Peter. We started at the unusual place in John 18 where he denied Jesus three times and worked our way back to the day he was called. He has quite an amazing story. When discussing the moment Peter walked on water, I paused for a moment and thought to myself, wow… I wish I were there. I wish I were able to see Jesus literally walk on water. Whether he called me to do the same or not, I just wish I could have seen this amazing thing.

I couldn’t help but think about the personal and spiritual fruit that would come from experiencing that type of revelation. While I feel I’ve had some amazingly direct revelation in my life, it just doesn’t seem to compare to these stories of old. According to how he opened Psalm 44, I think David could relate.

“We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.

With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.

It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.” – Psalm 44:1-3

Why is it that we always seem to covet an encounter with God that is different than the one He’s offering? David craved an encounter with God like he had heard about. He wanted a different kind experience than he found himself in. He wanted to see the God who drove out nations with his hand, not their sword. Why?

David acknowledged that it was God who gave his armies victory over their enemy. It was always with sword. Yet now God was not going before them in granting military victory. Since that had been the sign of God’s presence, it would make any reasonable leader doubt God’s favor. Yet David responded, “I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not give me victory”.

It’s a true reminder. I wonder today if this was an “ah ha” moment for David. The moment where he realized, “Maybe I do trust in my leadership and brut force a little bit too much.” Either way, he made the right call as he closed out the Psalm, “Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.” – Psalm 44:26

Here’s a pattern I’ve seen in my life. God uses things for His glory. He gives us abilities, He gives us relationships, He even gives us successes to show His greatness. Our temptation is to slowly lean too much on the tools of that experience instead of the God of that experience. When we do, God can quickly take them away and make sure our affections remain on Him.

So where does our help come from? Does it come from horses and chariots? Does it come from bows and swords? Where do we gain victory?

“I lift up my eyes to the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
The Maker of heaven and earth.” - Psalm 121

Esther 7 – Small Problems

Yesterday a homeless man cut in front of me in line at a restaurant. I was in a hurry, so initially I was “disturbed”. That emotion was quickly released as I heard him ordering a water and a small item from the junior menu. The total was a $1.07. As he exchanged his three wadded up dollar bills for the .93 cents in change, I saw him reading the box on the counter asking for donations to help local foster children. And without hesitation, he stuffed all .93 cents in the box, and walked away.

Our problems are so small.

“Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I, and my people, have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” – Esther 7:3-4

I guess what hits me today is how big I make my problems when they’re really not big at all. Esther went so far as to say, “Hey, if I were just being sold into slavery I wouldn’t bug you with such a small issue.”

Are you kidding me? “Merely” slavery?

Man, I’ve got a long way to go. Esther speaks of “such” a distress. Reality: Any distress to me is major distress. Any discomfort to me is major discomfort. Yet literally the worse thing that happened to me yesterday was getting cut in front of in line. Seriously.

As Rob Bell puts it, “We are so rich.”

I would add, and spoiled, and entitled, and we’ve lost perspective, and it’s saturated our faith. And this is our starting point. It’s our reality. It’s our place we must acknowledge before we’re going to change.

I think a lot of us avoid those who are without. We avoid considering what we have and what others don’t have. We avoid it to avoid the guilt. It makes us very uncomfortable. But, what I’m amazed by is how when we start at this place, the emotion is not condemnation, more guilt, feeling sorry for myself, etc… it truly sparks hope. I’m literally encouraged, excited, and want to make a difference. It slowly changes the way we feel about our “stuff”, and slowly changes our priorities. I believe with all my heart, that this is at least one of the reasons that Jesus told us to consider the least of these.