Celebration! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 149:1-3,

"Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
    let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
Let them praise his name with dancing
    and make music to him with timbrel and harp."

The expression of passion is what strikes me about this psalm this morning. Praising, singing, gladness, dancing, making music, rejoicing, joy! The psalmist encourages God's people to express this passion because of who the Lord is and what he has done.There is emotion and celebration here!

The Lord himself expresses passion, "For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory." Verse 4. God's people are told to rejoice in their Maker, verse 2. One aspect of the creation the Lord has made of us is emotion, the ability to celebrate, to express joy!

As we come to know the Lord, as we learn more of him through the pages of Scripture, as we behold his magnificence, his grandeur, his perfections, as we learn of the wonderful things he has done, how can we do anything else but express, through our celebration of him, the love, the ardency, the passion for him that knowing him engenders within our hearts?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Worship the Lord With Grateful Praise - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 147:7,

"Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp."

The psalmist brings an invitation to worship the Lord. That worship, he points to in this verse, is to be an expression of grateful praise. "Grateful" is the state of appreciation for things received.

The psalmist himself provides examples of just such:

The Lord built up Jerusalem and gathered the exiles of Israel - they have plenty to be grateful for.
The Lord heals the brokenhearted and "binds up their wounds."
The Lord sustains the humble (the poor).
The Lord makes the earth fruitful, providing for both people and animals.
The Lord provided security for Jerusalem.
Etc. See if you can count the ways the psalmist recognizes the many things that one can feel grateful for.

Which, of course, causes me to think of the many things I can be grateful of the Lord for. Here are just a few things that came to my mind this morning:

He paid for my sins and made eternal life possible for me.
The Lord has provided a breastplate of righteousness for me.
The Lord has given his Holy Spirit to dwell within me.
The Lord has provided me an opportunity to help in the building of his kingdom which offers meaning, purpose, fulfillment and satisfaction in my life.
The Lord has provided me teaching, rebuking, correcting, training, encouragement and endurance through the Scriptures.
The Lord has allowed me to learn of him.
The Lord allows me to approach him, to request things of him in prayer.
The Lord is developing within me the mind of Christ - renewing my mind by his power.
The Lord has provided me with wonderful riches of the lavish inheritance he has bestowed on me through Jesus Christ as a co-heir with him.

And - this list could go on and on. I deserved not one of these things, and yet he has blessed me so much. You have likewise received these things, and so much more from the Lord. To me, this forms the basis for worship based on grateful praise.

What would you add to this list? How will you worship the Lord with grateful praise today?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Who Are You Going to Trust? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 146:3-5,

"Do not put your trust in princes,
    in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God."

As we all know, life has its ups and downs. Sometimes those can become extreme and the psalmist here provides counsel on who best to look to as we face the challenges this life has to offer. We can look either to "princes, in human beings" or we can turn to God. Who are we going to trust?

I can't help but think of the title song to the movie "Ghostbusters": "If there's somethin' strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call?"

The "princes" suggests to me those who have position, strength or expertise that might be leveraged to face those difficulties in life. However, the psalmist points out these "cannot save". They themselves die and whatever advantage they may have brought to the table evaporates.

Not so with God. When we place our trust in God, we find the Creator of the heavens and earth to be faithful forever. We learn from this psalm that God "upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry." The Lord brings aid and comfort to the needy.

Because "The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations" he is able to see us through anything we face in this life and even beyond!

As the psalmist says, "Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God."

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Compassion of the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 145:9,

"The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made."

As this verse communicates, compassion is a disposition that is frequently attributed to the Lord throughout the Scriptures. In just the prior verse we read, "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love." In Psalm 116:5 we read, "The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion."

Merriam-Webster defines compassion as, "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it". As Psalm 116 tells us, the Lord is filled with this disposition toward us!

I can think of no more wonderful expression of this than in Hebrews 4:14-16, "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

I find it unfathomable that the Lord is able to "empathize with our weaknesses". And, beyond his empathy in understanding our weaknesses and pain, he holds a desire to mitigate that weakness and pain - and has acted on it!

In the cross of Jesus Christ we see the ultimate expression of compassion as he hung on that cross to pay the penalty for our sins that we might have eternal life in him! All he asks is that we embrace him in faith.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Message of Praise - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 145:10-12,

"All your works praise you, Lord;
    your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
    and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom."

There is a theme here that provides us an understanding of the importance of praising the Lord. David points out in this psalm that when we extol the Lord in praise, there is an audience that hopefully will be reached: "all people".

When the mighty acts and glorious splendor of the Lord and his kingdom is communicated in praise it impacts others. Here are a few things "all people" will learn from David's praise:

The Lord's greatness is unfathomable, verse 3.
The Lord exists in a glorious splendor of majesty, verse 5.
The Lord's "awesome works" speak of his power, verse 6.
The Lord's "abundant goodness" is celebrated, verse 7.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love, verse 8.
The Lord is good to all and compassionate on all he has made, verse 9.

Here is just a sampling of the many things David forms his praise from within this psalm. He goes on to list many other reasons why the Lord is due his praise. He says, "Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever."

As we share our faith with others, and attempt to impress upon others the dire need we all have for redemption, our enthusiasm for the Lord just may win the day when we express it. Sometimes the defensive posture of proving the grounds for our faith can be tremendously enhanced by going on "offense" through our enthusiastic extolling of the Lord's "mighty acts" and his "glorious splendor".

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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A New Song to the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 144:9-10,

"I will sing a new song to you, my God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you, to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David."

As David contemplates the Lord's help in the past and calls for his help as he faces his enemies in the present, he commits himself to worshipping the Lord anew: with a new song.

A "new song" is a bit of a theme in psalms, with a half dozen occurrences appearing:

"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy." Psalm 33:1-3.

"He [the Lord] put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him." Psalm 40:3.

"Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples." Psalm 96:1-3.

"Sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him." Psalm 98:1.

"Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
    let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
Let them praise his name with dancing
    and make music to him with timbrel and harp." Psalm 149:1-3.

The concept of a "new song" to the Lord speaks to me of the unending awe, reverence and passion the Lord inspires within us each and every new day. While I am not a musician, singer or songwriter, my heart, as with many, sings the praises of the Lord he inspires within me as I visit with him in the Scriptures and prayer.

The notion of a "new song" also communicates to me that yesterday's worship of the Lord simply will not do for today. Every new day brings us new opportunity to enjoy and celebrate our wonderful Lord in a way that finds its appropriate fulfillment in new worship expressed.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God Engaging In War? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 144:1-2,

"Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me."

David extols the Lord in this psalm for training him for battle, verse 1, for providing him protection from those he fights against, verses 2 and 10, and through whom he ultimately wins the military victory, verse 2. This is a military psalm, a psalm of combat and war with the focus on how wonderful the Lord's help has been for David in a military sense, together with his plea for the Lord's continued help. It is David's acknowledgment of the military capability, protection, strength, training and victory the Lord provided David and Israel at that time.

It is often thought God abhors all war and would never condone it under any circumstance. However, as we read in Ecclesiastes 3:8b, there is "a time for war and a time for peace." There are those times, given the sinful state of mankind and the depravity within which mankind sinks, God ordains war to accomplish his purposes. An example previous to David's day was the responsibility Joshua had to conquer the peoples that inhabited the land promised to Abraham.

On the other end of the age, we read of war in the book of Revelation, where we are told that Jesus Christ leads his own in war against the nations, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God." Revelation 19:11-13.

While we "spiritualize" our understanding of passages where the Scriptures speak of God's involvement in war among the various factions of mankind (and at times appropriately so), there certainly are those times when it is clear that God uses real, physical military might to accomplish his purposes. This psalm is one that acknowledges such.

The Lord uses war at times to accomplish his purposes.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Led and Taught By the Spirit of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 143:10,

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground."

In this psalm, as we see in others, David cries out to the Lord to save him from his enemy. He speaks of his own weakness and dismay at the attack of others and spreads out his hands to the Lord. He says, "I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land." Verse 6.

As David cries out to the Lord, in addition to asking for help against his enemy, he asks the Lord to teach him "to do your will." He also asks the Lord, "Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." Verse 8b. David recognizes the Spirit of the Lord as being the key factor here, "may your good Spirit lead me…"

As we look across our congregations, I suspect we all see varying degrees of desire to be taught by the Lord to do those things the Lord wants of us. How wonderful are those who have a passion to serve the Lord, who have that desire to be about what the Lord desires from us, as David did.

Again, the Spirit of the Lord is key in being instructed by the Lord. Peter tells us the Spirit has provided us tools for the very purpose, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21. The Holy Spirit was responsible for providing us the Scriptures for his work in our lives.

Paul explains to us how to use what the Holy Spirit has provided us so that we might be taught to do God's will and be led by the Spirit, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15. In the next chapter he explains further, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Anyone who claims to be led by the Spirit of God will demonstrate that by their pursuit of the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit has provided, that we might be led by him and taught to do the will of God.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Lord As Our Portion - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 142:5,

"I cry to you, Lord; I say, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.'"

David cries out to the Lord in this psalm for help with his trouble, "In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me." Verse 3b. He says that no one is concerned for him, that he has no refuge and that no one cares for his life. Verse 4. He finds himself in desperate need, verse 6, and so he looks to the Lord for rescue, to be freed from his "prison".

As he cries out to the Lord he proclaims that the Lord is his "refuge, my portion in the land of the living." I am reminded of the myriad of counterfeits this life has to offer. The many things we can choose for ourselves that displace the Lord as our "portion in the land of the living."

David determined for himself that the Lord would be his share in life, the only legitimate and effective refuge and strength this life offers. We come into this life helpless and needy and we leave the same way. Somewhere along the line many get distracted with an illusion that there are other, better things than the Lord for them. Something maybe big and bold, but bogus nonetheless.

David chose for himself the Lord as his portion in life. Certainly a wise man to emulate!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Approaching God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 142:1-2,

"I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble."

I am just amazed that the Creator of all things is accessible to us! As David did, we have freedom to approach God and lay our troubles before him! It's just incredible!

This brings to mind a few passages:

"In him [Jesus Christ] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." Ephesians 3:12.

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16.

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." 1 John 5:14-15.

As I say, just incredible!!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Danger Within and Danger Without - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 141:4,9,

"Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies… Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me."

David implores the Lord to save him from the potential of his own sinfulness as well as threats perpetrated by others. If nothing else, David is mindful that this life is laiden with dangers, both within and without. Here he feels danger and seeks the Lord's help.

As far as looking to the Lord for help in dealing with the danger of his own internal potential for sin, I am reminded of his words in Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

We all have an abiding sinful nature that lurks within each one of us. That sinful nature has the potential to take us in directions we really do not want to go in. As a man who held the Lord in a magnificent reverence, and who also felt that potential for sin, he got "real" before the Lord, confessed his shortcomings, and sought the Lord's help to withstand the promptings of that sinful nature.

In addition to recognizing his own sinful nature as he looked to the Lord for help, David sought protection from enemies that confronted him, "Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety." We find much the same concern in Psalm 139:19-22, "If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies."

Anyone who embraces the Lord in faith will have enemies. John warns believers, "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13.

This life is full of danger but we are not alone. David shows us the way. Those of us who have availed ourselves of the offer of eternal life from the Lord also have him as a sure and steady protection from dangers that lurk both within and without.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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"Just" and "Justice" Today - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 140:12,

"I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy."

In this psalm David acknowledges the Lord will insure justice is secured for the poor as he "upholds the cause of the needy."

The term "justice" gets bandied about quite a bit these days. "Social justice", "environmental justice", "racial justice"… I'm sure you have heard it all as well. What exactly does "justice" mean? Merriam-Webster defines it as "the maintenance or administration of what is just". So… what does "just" mean? The first meaning Merriam-Webster provides is fairly useless, "conforming to a standard of correctness". What is the standard for correctness? I think you see what I mean. My "correctness" may not be your "correctness" and that fairly renders the term meaningless.

The second meaning provides a better definition in my estimation, "acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good". On the one hand, it at least provides for an appeal to a standard, "what is morally upright or good." However, it still carries with it the weakness of the first definition. My "morally upright or good" my not be your "morally upright or good."

In the final analysis, the concepts of "just" and "justice" become very weak within a culture that is shifting. I recall our previous president saying he had "evolved" on the subject of same-sex marriage - revealing the changing nature of what might be considered "morally upright or good". The terms "just" and "justice" have no meaning in such a context and in our culture today. The use of the term in our culture today is simply to provide weight to an argument or a movement were there is nothing weighty.

However, were David to define what he meant by "justice", he would point to the Creator of mankind and proclaim that that which is consistent with our Creator forms the basis for our understanding of what is "morally upright or good" and, so, makes the concepts of "just" and "justice" comprehensible and meaningful.

Apart from the Lord, the concepts of "just" and "justice" really lack any coherent meaning no matter what era or culture you live in.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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A Tale of Two Natures - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 140:1-5,

"Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,
who devise evil plans in their hearts
    and stir up war every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's;
    the poison of vipers is on their lips.
Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
    they have spread out the cords of their net
    and have set traps for me along my path."

David seeks relief from the wicked as he calls out to the Lord. He tells the Lord that he is under assault from them. They "devise evil plans" against him, and stir up war. "They are violent" and set up traps to ensnare him.

The Scriptures describe "the wicked" as being violent and abusive toward others. Verse three in the above passage is quoted by Paul in Romans 3 as he describes those who are under the power of sin. Here is his more full description:

"There is no one righteous, not even one;
    there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.
Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.
The poison of vipers is on their lips.
    Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
    ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.
   There is no fear of God before their eyes." Romans 3:10b-18.
In his description here Paul draws from various psalms as well as Isaiah 59.

Why is it that the wicked are so threatening to others around them? Why are they hurtful and at times violent toward others?

It is my thought that the violence of the wicked is not what makes them wicked. It is the other way around. Their wicked nature, that sinful nature, is what makes them threatening to others.

It may seem like I am splitting hairs here over a trivial matter. However, I believe understanding this goes a long way in understanding how that sinful nature reflects the spiritual dark side and prompts those who are given to it to treat others in such a way. It also helps us understand how a new nature, a loving nature, is developed within us and is reflected in our treatment of others.

Those who express love toward others demonstrate a change in nature they have experienced. When we give ourselves to love others, we reflect that "new man" the Lord builds within us. We don't "construct" it ourselves by being a do-gooder to manipulate our dealings with those around us.

The reality is that we reveal our spiritual condition by the way we interact with others. "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness…  anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness." 1 John 2:9, 11a.

On the other hand, John tells us, "Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:7b. We love others because we have a change of nature due to spiritual rebirth.

We don't bring about change in our lives, such as how we treat others, by manipulating our own behavior. We bring about change in our lives by the change in nature we receive when we embrace the Lord in faith.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.  

Are God's Thoughts Precious to Me? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 139:17,

"How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!"

In this psalm David expresses how highly he esteemed God's thoughts. Clearly David placed a great value on them and from this we can surmise just how much he cherished what he knew to be the thoughts of God. Imagine… knowing the thoughts of the transcendent God who created the cosmos! Certainly those would be precious to know!

As one of the forty or so authors of Scripture, David was certainly acquainted with thoughts God has. Not being one of the authors of Scripture myself, and not being a prophet, how can I know the thoughts of God?

Peter makes a comment that is relevant here. He points out that those who spoke for God were carried along by the Holy Spirit and wrote the Scriptures. "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21. Thus, Peter claims, we have the prophetic message as something "completely reliable", verse 19. Here is where I can know and cherish the thoughts of God - they are contained in my Bible!

We esteem how precious something is by the efforts we make to avail ourselves of it. When it comes to the thoughts of God, I can measure how precious they were to me last week by the investment of time and effort I spent last week in exploring and enjoying them.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Any Offensive Way In Me? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 139:23-24,

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Throughout this psalm David acknowledges the many differing ways the Lord knows him. Then he invites the Lord to examine him. He asks the Lord if there is "any offensive way" in him, any spot, stain or wrinkle.

God knows each and every one of us well - intimately. He knows all of our thoughts, all of our feelings, what we say and do. What a sobering thought! We read in Hebrews 4:13, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

It appears in this psalm that David was preemptively asking God to size him up and let him know what he sees. David was well aware that we will all someday stand before God's judgment seat that we read of in Revelation 20: 11-15, "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."

This is a frightful realization we all should come to grips with. I don't know about you, but I do know about me… the anticipation of having to stand before the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and give an account of myself is nothing short of horrific! I won't measure up!

However, I have the Son of God on my side! He has already paid the penalty for all of my sins, as well as yours! All he asks of us is to embrace him in faith. Listen to what Jesus taught, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man." John 5:24-27.

The wonderful thing about this is that when I stand before the Lord on judgment day, he will view me, not based on "any offensive way in me" (and I have had, unfortunately, many of those!) that David prayed about, but consistent with what Paul observed, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us." Ephesians 1:3-8a.

How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Preparing Israel, Preparing Me - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 137:4,

"How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?"

From eternity, before the Lord even created Adam and Eve, he determined he would redeem mankind. God knows all things, even future things as he exists outside of the dimension of time (this makes my head hurt!). Thus he knew mankind would turn against him and when mankind did so, God began his activity to redeem us.

We know this from passages such as Ephesians 1:4-8a, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us." In this example Paul speaks of God predestining his adoption of those who embrace him in faith through his Son "before the creation of the world".

The Old Testament Scriptures provide us the record of God dealing with his covenanted people to prepare them for "the main attraction" of his program of redemption: the coming Messiah, born as a Jew, who would take the punishment for the sins of mankind on himself.

Here is the purpose of God having his people defeated by the Babylonians and their deportation. They needed to be molded into what God desired his people to be when the Son of God arrived to the nation. The differences between the nation of Israel prior to their destruction and deportation compared to what the nation looked like when Jesus did arrive is simply amazing! Among a number of things, idolatry was gone. The Scriptures, which had been lost during the succession of the kings prior to their deportation are now the focus of the culture and fabric of the nation. Israel, while certainly not a perfect nation at the time with her many faults, was now a nation God used for his purposes of redemption when Jesus appeared.

I see this simple verse here in Psalm 137 as the stirrings of what the Lord was accomplishing in developing the nation - to set the stage for the arrival of the Messiah. It expresses their longing for the land the Lord had given them (and now taken them from), and importantly, the anticipated joy they sought in singing "songs of the Lord", not in a foreign land, but in that land he had given them.

And, as I see how God brought needed changes to Israel, I am reminded of the needed changes the Lord brings to my own life - changes desperately needed.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Passion for Home - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 137:4-6,

"How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy."

The psalmist recalls his homeland and pleads within himself to not forget Jerusalem while captive in a foreign land. His longing and desire for his home is clearly on display as a passion that possesses him. It is difficult to not feel a compassion for his feelings of isolation from the home he misses so much. "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion." Verse 1.

What the psalmist expresses in this psalm reminds me of another passage where the desire to be home dominated the feelings of hearts that truly looked and hoped for fulfillment with a passion that is clearly expressed. "Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." These are the heroes of faith that longed for home, not here, but a better home that God prepares for those who embrace him in faith.

The apostle Paul tells us, "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling..." 2 Corinthians 5:1-2. Here Paul speaks of how much better it is to be away from these bodies we currently inhabit to be home with the Lord, "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8.

I am certain I love my home and family as much as anyone does theirs. I am also certain that I would miss it and them as much as the psalmist did his were I separated from them. And, as I think about that, I can't help but think how wonderful the home is that those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith are all destined for!

I cannot think of a more appropriate passion!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Seeing the Son of God in the OT Scriptures - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 136:1-9,

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
    His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
    His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
    His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
    His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
    His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
    His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
    His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
    His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
    His love endures forever."

This responsive psalm identifies as its focus the "God of gods", verse 2, and the Lord of lords, verse 3. God's people are called upon to give thanks because of his unending love. The leading phrase of each verse, beginning with verse 4 and continuing up to verse 25 provides examples of his enduring love for his people through his acts.

The God of gods and Lord of lords is recognized for his "great wonders" and then the psalm acknowledges his creative acts. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, including the celestial lights: the sun to govern the day and the moon to govern the night.

While we celebrate God in his triune existence, it is the Son of God specifically that is identified as the creative agent within the godhead in Hebrews 1, and, so, the member of the Trinity pointed to here in Psalm 136 (although I do not intend to imply exclusively). "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe." Hebrews 1:1-2.

The apostle John brings the same message, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:1-3.

Thus, particularly, in psalm 136, it is the Son of God whose love endures forever (and certainly not exclusively among the members of the Trinity) and has expressed that by his "great wonders".

I make the point to stress my understanding of the Scriptures as a whole. I see little division between the testaments in our Bibles. The Son of God is present throughout the Old Testament Scriptures and is on full display as we discover God's revelation to us.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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What is a Servant of the Lord Like? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 134:1,

"Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord."

The priests and Levites performed their duties both day and night in different shifts. We read in 1 Chronicles 9:33, "Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night." This psalm calls upon those who worked at the temple as "servants" to praise the Lord.

As I think of what it might mean to be a "servant" of the Lord, apart from the temple worship and its activities (since I don't serve there), the Scriptures are not silent. In addition to servants of the Lord being called upon to praise  the Lord, Jesus taught, "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:25-26.

As Paul provides some direction for Timothy as a servant of the Lord, we read, "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:24-26.

We read that the servant of God must be well-equipped in the Scriptures, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

I find an interesting passage in Revelation 19:5-8 (like Psalm 134), where all God's servants "great and small" are called upon to praise God,

"Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
'Praise our God,
    all you his servants,
you who fear him,
    both great and small!'
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
'Hallelujah!
    For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.'
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.)"

Just a few thoughts today about the Lord's servant.

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The Maker of Heaven and Earth - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 134:3,

"May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth."

In reading Proverbs 3:19 this morning I came across a similar reference to God as the creator of the heavens and the earth, "By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place…". This sounds a whole lot like Hebrews 1:10, "In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.", which is a quote of Psalm 102:25.

We read the account of God creating all things in the beginning chapters of Genesis. The apostle John tells us that it was the Son of God that was the creative agent within the Trinity, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:1-3. A few verses later he says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14. Thus, he identifies the "Word" that created all things as the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Returning to the passage in Hebrews 1, we find the Son of God, again, identified as the creative agent within the Trinity, "But about the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.' He also says, 'In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.'"

We also read in Hebrews 1:1-2, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe." Here again we see the Son of God as the Creator of everything.

Not only do we see the Son of God creating the universe, he also maintains it, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:3.

This morning I am too busy worshipping the Son of God to worry about man-made global warming. After all, he maintains it all by "his powerful word." He is going to destroy it all by fire anyway, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare." 2 Peter 3:10.

God-made global warming!

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The Lord's Blessing - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 133:3b,

"For there [Mount Zion] the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore."

"Life forevermore" is eternal life, life without end. We can conceive it but we have never seen it in this life. We all have a shelf-life. We only live so long and then we die. The writer of Hebrews points out, "Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many… " We all die, we all will experience setting these bodies we inhabit aside.

This, of course, is not a pleasant thought. When God created mankind, death was not a feature. However, after fair warning, God condemned Adam and Eve, as well as all their progeny (us) to eventual death when they turned their backs on God. We are born into this life with the sentence of death hanging over our heads because of sin.

We attempt all kinds of things to hold off the inevitable. We all know a substantial amount of wealth is spent on efforts to forestall what is incapable of being avoided or evaded. Everything from cosmetic products that help us look not quite as old, to research into how to prolong life (at least avoid the shortening of it) through medical improvements, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle choices, etc. The pursuit of finding that "fountain of youth" is big.

Death is God's curse upon us. It is often assumed that Satan is the author and cause of death, but that betrays a lack of knowledge of the Scriptures. Death is God's judgment for mankind's sin. And, we all sin.

But, that is not the whole story! God loves us and although he decreed death as his judgment of us for sin, he has provided us a way! He "bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." He has done this, not by removing his judgment of sin in death, but by providing us a way through his Son, Jesus Christ. Following our physical deaths, we can enter into eternal life!

God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins through sacrificing his life on that cross so that when we leave this life, we can enter into eternal life, "even life forevermore"! All he asks of us is to embrace him in faith. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18.

How wonderful is that ?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Got Unity? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 133:1,

"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!"

In this "song of ascents" penned by David, I note not that God's people will live together in unity, just that it is "good and pleasant" when they do. David, in the following two verses of this three verse psalm describes the pleasantness that comes when God's people do live together in unity.

I frankly do not see God's people doing this- "living together in unity" any time soon. With the history we have of those who claim to represent Jesus Christ in the world, living together in unity does not appear likely to be something we will see in this life.

However, a new age is coming. An age when the "wheat and tares" will be separated out, when the "sheep and the goats" will be separated out. Surely that will be an age when God's people will live together in unity.

It will be in that next age that God's people will finally shed their sinful nature. It will be an age when God's people will reflect the character and nature (not the stature!) of Jesus Christ. Surely we will see God's people living in unity in that age!

It will also be in that next age where we will be living in the very presence of God himself, with the resultant impact on our lives that we can imagine. "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." Revelation 21:3. Surely this is a time when God's people will live together in unity!

I can't wait! How about you?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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