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

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

Nehemiah 11 - Business Time

God doesn’t give such a task without reason. He doesn’t hand out jobs just to waste our time. We can be sure that He is up so something. He certainly did not put it in the hearts of his people to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem only to let it immediately fall again to foreign armies. So what was required? They must take residence there.

Their leaders were not only among the people, they made the sacrifice to be there first.

“Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 11:1-2

This truly was a sacrifice. The nation literally gave a tithe of their people, of their sons and daughters, of their brothers and sisters, of their neighbors and friends to this city of God. Yet much more was required of those in leadership. It was good that the leaders of the people set the example by living in Jerusalem. Leaders must set the pattern by their lives. They had no right to expect the people to live in Jerusalem if they themselves were not living there.

And all who lived there were blessed. Verse two tells us that the people “commended” all who volunteered to live there. The word for commended is the Hebrew word, “Barak”, which means to bless or congratulate together.

“It was in these days in the rebuilding of Jerusalem that God asked and important question through the prophet Zechariah: For who has despised the day of small things? (Zechariah 4:10). The answer is, “Many of us have!” But these who offered themselves to willingly live at Jerusalem, so as to take what is small and build it up before the Lord, have decided to not despise the day of small things. (Enduring Word Commentary)”

If such a blessing is reserved for those who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem, there was something special about the challenge of living in Jerusalem.

i. To live in Jerusalem, you had to re-order your view of material things. You had to give up land in your previous region and take up some kind of new business in Jerusalem.

ii. To live in Jerusalem, you had to re-arrange your social priorities, certainly leaving some friends and family behind in your old village.

iii. To live in Jerusalem, you had to have a mind to endure the problems in the city. It had been a ghost town for 70 years, and was now basically a slightly rebuilt, somewhat repopulated ghost town. The city didn’t look all that glorious and it needed work.

iv. To live in Jerusalem, you had to live knowing you were a target for the enemy. There were strong walls to protect you, but since Jerusalem was now a notable city with rebuilt walls, the fear was more from whole armies than bands of robbers. The old village was nice, but not in much danger from great armies.

v. The Bible tells us there is a city coming down from heaven to earth, when God is done with this earth as we know it, and it calls that city New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2). People don’t want to be citizens of the New Jerusalem for the same reasons many didn’t want to be citizens of Nehemiah’s Jerusalem.

I can’t help but think about the sacrifices I’ve made in life for my faith. They seem so small in comparison to what others have made. I’m challenged to not only identify where else these sacrifices should be made, but also how much more I should DELIGHT to dwell “where holy persons and opportunities of spiritual improvement most abound”.

Do we drudgingly move like a first grader getting ready for school on a Monday morning? Or do we pursue, remain, pray, seek or even discover with freshness out of love for the “City of our God”?

“Let us seek first the favor of God, and his glory; let us study to be patient, contented, and useful in our several stations, and wait, with cheerful hope, for admission into the holy city of God.” – Matthew Henry