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)

Eccl. 12 - Short-Term Memory

A good quarterback has short-term memory. After throwing an interception, they need to forget that they did it and move on. If they can’t get it out of their mind, they’ll be too cautious or even hesitate. Since throwing a football is so much about timing, even the slightest hesitation can cause more mistakes.

We naturally have short-term memory in faith. That may be good for when we fall short, confess, and need to receive forgiveness avoiding a life of condemnation. But at times, our short-term memory hurts us; when we forget about God’s faithfulness and his goodness.

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them" – Ecclesiastes 12:1

I read a book a few years ago called, “Dangerous Wonder”. It was about the time as a kid that our imagination ran wild. A time when we daydreamed more than we worried. A day when we really thought superman could fly.

Then we grew up. And learned that he couldn’t.

I think Solomon is calling us to remember the early days of our faith, a day when we did not doubt our Creator like sifting sand. A day when all we felt was hope in what could be, instead of doubt that it might not. A day when superman could still fly, and we just happened to know superman.

As we wrap up Ecclesiastes, I’m thinking about this pleasure and joy that Solomon speaks of, the fact that most (if not all) of us are chasing after it, yet many have not found it. I’m also thinking about the “knowledge” he refers to throughout the book. And that we typically have much less of it than we think as well.

What captures my mind is this relationship between knowledge and joy. It seems that knowledge almost tortures joy. It seems they have a love/hate relationship and simply coexist in a world separate one from another. Some of the smartest people I know are also the most tortured people I know. In the same way, some of the most joyful people I know... well.. aren't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. I’ve heard it said, and at times agreed, that “ignorance is bliss”. Yet I think we’d all agree that it’s a different kind of bliss… the kind that most grownups would not be content with.

So where does wisdom come into the picture? It may indeed be the missing link between knowledge and joy. I think Charles Spurgeon said it right:

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” CS

Father, teach us to apply what we know. Don’t allow us to find contentment in just knowing. In the same way, don’t let us find contentment in bliss alone. It seems you’re already busy at doing both. So I guess I’m asking for this continued journey that each of us are on. Help us to see the intentional refining, the shaping, and the “becoming” in our adventure as Christ followers. Help us to find true joy and pleasure knowing that we’re on this path as a part of You making us who we need to be. Amen.

Eccl. 2 - The Man in Black

I love Johnny Cash. From the time I first heard “A Boy Named Sue” when I was in fourth grade I was hooked. Although I’ve had seasons following other artists, bands, and genres, there’s always been a place for Johnny Cash.

My favorite album was his final album: “American IV: The Man Comes Around”. It has a simple black cover with a silhouette of Johnny on it and “CASH” in big white letters at the top. It was released less than a year prior to his passing in September of 2003.

The song list is an obvious reflection on life and a pondering of eternity. From the title track “The Man Comes Around” to the final song “We’ll Meet Again”, the CD is packed with a journey of reflection on faith, family, and friendship. The things that when it’s all said and done, he has found to be the most meaningful.

Solomon has found this eternal perspective (in an obviously much deeper, direct, and God inspired way). He lived life to the “full”. He literally dipped his toe into everything that might bring pleasure. He found delight in his work. And yet when comparing the temporal to the eternal, there’s no comparison:

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

Solomon went on to reveal that no matter what we believe about these things… it doesn’t change what is true… in the end

“The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.” – Ecclesiastes 2:14

I can’t help but think about the revelation that in due time “every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord”. This is a reality. As Johnny said, “when the man comes around”… no matter what we believe about this truth… we’ll not only see it, but we’ll understand it, and we’ll all agree on it.

This brings me both peace and a sense of urgency. It’s an urgency to not only share the Good News of Christ, but also to enjoy the life God has offered. In a world full of legalism and pain, somehow, I think the two work wonderfully together.

“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” – Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

Eccl. 1 – Shockingly Refreshing

I grew up in western Colorado. While it certainly gets cold in the winter (and I’ve shoveled my fair share of snow), what might surprise you, is how hot it can get in the summer. It’s a different kind of hot than we get in Texas. It’s a dry hot. It’s a hot that will scorch you in minutes. During the summer, we always seemed to end up swimming, tubing, wading, jumping from bridges and/or fishing in the Colorado River. Since it’s primarily melted snow runoff, it’s shockingly cold. But to a kid on a hot summer day, shockingly refreshing as well.

That’s how I feel about Ecclesiastes. It’s shockingly refreshing. Different. Surprising… Refreshing.

Each of us feel the pull to succeed, to climb the ladder, to follow the rules, to chase after… whatever we chase after… the list goes on. We put the pressure on ourselves to stay in the chase. And we feel the pressure from our culture to do the same. In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon, a man filled with God’s wisdom puts it all in perspective.

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?”

(Ecclesiastes 1:2-3)

Keep in mind here that Solomon is not having a pity party. He’s teaching something very important. And while he does not yet say what IS meaningful, we know what’s coming. I’m looking forward to the next few weeks of study in this book. I know it’s always challenging to me… especially in causing me to rethink my priorities.

Father, I pray that our labor is for you. I pray our toil is about you. Therefore our joy will be for and about you and your mission. Help me to see where I make it about me. Help me to see when I make it temporary and meaningless. I pray that you bring eternal things to the minds of your people. Amen.

Psalm 43 – Talking to Yourself

Psalm 43 seems to end a bit strangely. It starts as a prayer of David for the return of God’s hand. Then at the end, he turns the conversation to himself, and reminds his very own soul where to place it’s hope.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” – Psalm 43:5

Matthew Henry said, “Let us pray earnestly, that the Lord would send forth the truth of his word, and the light of his Spirit, to guide us into the way of holiness, peace, and salvation. The desire of the Christian, like that of the prophet in distress, is to be saved from sin as well as sorrow; to be taught in the way of righteousness by the light of heavenly wisdom, shining in Jesus Christ, and to be led by this light and truth to the New Jerusalem.”

That’s a fancy way to say, “It should bother us when our spirit is down, and we should pray to end it”. As believers our hunger should not only be for salvation, but also for the peace and joy that should accompany it. When we’re missing one or the other, something’s off. And we should give all we have to find out what’s wrong.

Sometimes we need to remind even ourselves.

Psalm 22 - Abandoned

We hate being abandoned. We hate even the thought of it. In John 14 the greatest fear that came upon the Disciples was from the thought of Jesus leaving. They were afraid they couldn’t do it alone. They were afraid they would fail, disappoint, stumble, and misrepresent their leader.

I can relate.

That’s why it’s so tough to be in those seasons in which we hear or feel nothing. Does that mean God is not at work? Certainly not. Does it mean that we are standing at a crossroads with an opportunity to find deeper faithfulness in ourselves, most certainly so.

And what about the fact that it bothers us so much when we don’t hear God? Is that a good or bad thing? Should we stop whining and complaining? Should we stop being so hungry? I don’t necessarily think so. I think it’s good when it bothers us deeply when we sense an absence of God’s movement. I would be more concerned if it didn’t bother us.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry out by day,
but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.” – Psalm 22:1-3

God’s apparent absence disturbed David greatly. His strategy? Take a posture of humility and remind God of His faithfulness. In fact, he did this about four different times in four different ways in chapter 22.

I think somehow in those two steps, we will find hope and encouragement. The more we take a posture of humility before our God and remind Him of His faithfulness, the more we believe them ourselves. The more we believe them, the more we’ll experience them. Sounds like a journey.

God knows what He’s doing.

“The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be applied to any child of God, pressed down, overwhelmed with grief and terror. Spiritual desertions are the saints' sorest afflictions; but even their complaint of these burdens is a sign of spiritual life, and spiritual senses exercised.” – M.Henry

Nehemiah 8 - Joy

We don’t celebrate enough. We don’t. We’re so critical of ourselves and suspicious of how short term victories are that we fail to celebrate. Maybe this is in line with how we respond to most things, we make them about us. If we thought about victories as being God’s more than ours, we might release ourselves to celebrate them more. We might recognize God’s hand more, see His work as more obvious, and find more joy in the fact that God is good - and He is at work - in and around us.

“Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." – Nehemiah8:10

I love that Nehemiah not only gives permission to celebrate with food and drink, but to also bring others into the celebration. A sacred day to the Lord… is a day in which celebration is appropriate. And we honor God when we live in that freedom.

And here’s the kicker: The JOY of the LORD becomes our strength, not just our luxury, but our strength. The phrase, “is your strength”, comes from the Hebrew word ma`owz which literally means a “fortified place” and figuratively, “a defense”. It’s used interchangeably throughout scripture with the word “rock”.

Awesome.