Psalm_40

 Scripture:Psalm 40:1-3I waited patiently for the Lord;    he turned to me and heard my cry.² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,    out of the mud and mire;he set my feet on a rock    and gave me a firm place to stand.³ He 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. Observation:Doubts and fears about the eternal state, are a horrible pit and miry clay, and have been so to many a dear child of God. There is power enough in God to help the weakest, and grace enough to help the unworthiest of all that trust in him. The psalmist waited patiently; he continued believing, hoping, and praying. This is applicable to Christ. His agony, in the garden and on the cross, was a horrible pit and miry clay. But those that wait patiently for God do not wait in vain. Those that have been under religious melancholy, and by the grace of God have been relieved, may apply verse 2 very feelingly to themselves; they are brought up out of a horrible pit. Christ is the Rock on which a poor soul can alone stand fast. Where God has given steadfast hope, he expects there should be a steady, regular walk and conduct. God filled the psalmist with joy, as well as peace in believing. Multitudes, by faith beholding the sufferings and glory of Christ, have learned to fear the justice and trust in the mercy of God through Him. Many are the benefits with which we are daily loaded, both by the providence and by the grace of God.https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=19&c=40

 

Understanding:I love the picture of God putting our feet on a rock – solid ground.  When things seem uncertain, crazy, scary…God is (has always been, continues to be and will always be) able to place us on solid ground. He puts a new song, new words, new heart inside of us…and, because of that, those that haven’t experienced this but see it, are drawn to it and potentially transformed by it.  Life Application: Keep that “new song” ever present on our lips by actively choosing gratitude.  You can do something simple like taking a few minutes each day – at the beginning or end – to think of 3 things your grateful for…recognizing God as the source of all good things.Other ideas for incorporating gratitude can be found here…https://daringtolivefully.com/gratitude-exercisesRei

Psalm 39

Scripture:  Psalm 39:5  You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.

    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Observation-What does it say?  This psalm, written by David, is a reflection on the frailty of life.  In the first half of the psalm, he is reflecting on the futility of words and the importance of holding back the tongue.  The Matthew Henry commentary states, “When not able to separate from wicked men, we should remember they will watch our words, and turn them, if they can, to our disadvantage. Sometimes it may be necessary to keep silence, even from good words; but in general we are wrong when backward to engage in edifying discourse.”  Or in the words of Thumper, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.  Life is too short for our words to turn someone away from God’s love.   Understanding-What does it mean?  Not too long ago, my older brother and his sons came to visit for about a week.  During his visit, we were having a conversation about how life has funny outcomes that we often don’t expect.  During the conversation, I made a comment about being more responsible than my brother.  As comments from brother to brother often do, there was some intention of bothering him.  But, what I thought was playful banter really hit him in a sensitive spot.   Several days later, we were in Disneyland waiting in line for a ride and waiting far too long.  Tensions were beginning to rise and I decided I had waited long enough.  The whole thing fell apart.  At the next line, we got into a shoving match, which ended with him saying, “You’re not the boss of this family,” and me walking away.  Looking back at it, I could have bridled my tongue a little sooner.  I could have sought to lift him up instead of tearing him down.  And I wish I did.   Sometimes, the greatest act of love to others and the best testimony we have for Jesus is to keep our mouths shut.  We are reminded by Paul in Romans 12, that love is an action, which includes our words.  “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves...Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.” (Romans 12:9-10 & 14-16)
Life Application:  Jesus, in this tumultuous time, help me to be mindful of my tongue, which, like the rutter of a ship, has the ability to get me shipwrecked or take me to great places.  Help me to lift up, not tear down.  May the first words out of my mouth be ones that glorify you, not myself.  Most of all, help me learn when is a good time to be quiet.  For, “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” (Proverbs 17:28).

 

-Tyler Galloway

 

Jeremiah_19

Scripture - What stood out?

Jeremiah 19:4 For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned incense in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.Observation - What does it say?Jeremiah, a messenger of God, delivers faithfully a message intended for the kings of Judah and the people of Jerusalem. The message was one of bad tidings. The nation of Judah had fallen away from God and so God responded by letting the people know what was about to happen to them.Understanding - What does it mean?I have really thought a lot about “idol worship” and foreign gods for several weeks now. Most christians can’t really relate to either of the two because most of us aren’t fashioning statues and worshiping false gods outright. But when I think about how Jesus focused so heavily on the conditions of our hearts I think I begin to understand how I might apply some of what Jeremiah preached to my life today.For if God cares so much about my heart than really a foreign god, a false god, and idol could potentially be anything that replaces God as my priority. That kinda opens the door wide open doesn't it? I have placed so many things above God in my life. Beauty, fame, fortune, power, physical strength, intelligence, lusts...All are things I used to obsess over at one point or another. In the days of the old testament people worshiped these “other gods” openly. Today we worship these non-gods in our heart. We just don’t call them foreign gods. (Although I am sure there exists open forms of religions that worship fake gods for sure.)Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?If Jeremiah were alive today I wonder if he would look at our society and out of his mouth would come these words…”For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned incense in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.”

Lord forgive us our transgressions. I pray forgiveness for all the innocent blood we have spilled, for worshiping things in our hearts that our ancestors never knew. I pray against all the forms of pride, envy, bitterness, hatred, and lusts that we have prioritized in our hearts above you. Forgive us Lord and help us to refocus ourselves and hopefully our society’s heart back on You, Jesus. In the name of Jesus do I pray. Amen.

 

-kenneth lee