PSALM 8

Psalm 8 is a masterpiece of poetry and song . As Derek Kidner said this hymn celebrates the "glory and grace of God, rehearsing who He is and what He has done, and relating us and our world to Him; all with a masterly economy of words, in a spirit of mingled joy and awe. It brings to light the unexpectedness of God's ways in the roles He has assigned to the strong and the weak, the spectacular and the obscure, the multitudinous and the few but is begins and ends with God Himself, and its overriding them is 'How excellent is thy name'!" "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have have set your glory above the heavens."

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have have set your glory above the heavens."

{Taken in Durango, Colorado}

                                                    {Taken by Sugar Lake in Minnesota}

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, ..."

                                                   

 

"You made man ruler over the works of your hands; you put everyhing under his feet; all the flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth."

Indeed what is man, compared not only to creation, but especially to the God who created it all! This Creator God loves us, and that is the reason for our importance. 



 

 



PSALM 7

The themes in this Psalm are penetrating ... the need for honest self examination before God... the prevailing justice of God and an autopsy of evil! The later is graphically depicted ..."He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. He digs a hole and scoops it out and falls into the pit he has made. The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head."

No need for us to stew in our juices when evil is abound. Instead follow David's lyrics, "...give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness." Yield to the the justice of God ...in the end, God, will "bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure." God calls us to work alongside Him to bring justice...but remember, the battle is already won.

A forest fire destroyed this wooded area in Yellowstone Park. but within a few years it will be lush again with new growth.

Goodness does overcome evil!

PSALM 6

Yesterday I had my yearly flu shot and for the first time an additional pneumonia shot. No big deal...except for today... very sore arm, hot and chilled, achy all over and the "runs" ...so it was interesting to read today's Psalm..."Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint;...heal me for my bones are in agony.".. David goes on, "I am worn out from groaning..." and crying!  I am quite sure David's affliction was huge compared to my touch of the flu! But it is startling to see David's prayer request... he doesn't say,"save me because I am miserable!".
He cries out "save me because of Your unfailing love."  His appeal is to the character of God...the unchanging and immovable, character of God Almighty. We can be assured that the effectiveness of prayer does not depend on the fluence of our prayers, but the character of
God, when we come in humility.

PSALM 5

Are you ever hassled by arrogant, deceitful, rebellious people? They may even live in  your home :-) King David understood what it was to be hassled ... from his enemies outside his kingdom and those as close as his own family. This Psalm addresses God's reaction to arrogant liars, but more than that, it lays out the prayer life of a man of God.

"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;... I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." Waiting?... What's that about?... He knew God would be up to something that day and he would be watching for it! How many of us could say we spent even a few minutes each day watching for God's next move?

The song goes on in verse 7, "But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple." David came to seek God's direction and wisdom for the day. As we awaken to a new day, may we lay out our requests to our merciful God, and then keep your eyes open for a God sighting!

This is the church building where I first grew in faith... was baptized at 16, ordained at 25 and married the same year. That red carpet collected many of my tears as a teenager and gave me many opportunities to stretch my wings as a potential pastor/preacher. Indeed may we each come into God's house this week for encouragement and wisdom for life.

 Dilworthtown
Presbyterian Church
West Chester, PA

PSALM 4

Here is David's honest cry to God, "Answer me when I call to you, ...give me relief from my distress... David goes on and tells us to;

1)search our hearts and be silent before God ... engage is a self examination under God's guidance ...what part of your distress do you play and therefore can change?

2) Offer right sacrifices to the Lord. In other words, when you give to the Lord do so with a sincere and joyful heart and may your gift actually cost you something!

3) Trust in the Lord. Your trust in God's mercy and power should outweigh your anxiety.

The prayer continues- Let the light of Your face shine upon us so that we will be filled with joy and peace.

Even in the parched distressed land of South Dakota's Badlands, there is life!



Psalm 3

Psalm 3 is quite the gem. It depicts King David at his most vulnerable ... his son has profoundly betrayed him, the people were turning away from him, rumors swirled that even God had turned his back on the King. {See 2 Samuel 15-18 for a full description.} His Kingship was slipping away..."O Lord how many are my foes!"

Has life ever hit you in the gut? ...relationships gone sour?... a job ripped out from beneath you? Look how the anguished David handled it. "To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill." God comforted David ... so that even in the midst of his many enemies he could still lay down and sleep, knowing that God would deliver him.

"God's Holy Hill" at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico...

PSALM 2

Psalm 2 is quoted often in the New Testament as it points to the high claims for God's Anointed...Jesus Christ... and his universal kingdom. It is a coronation song, declaring the power and position of the King, immediately referring to David but foreshadowing Christ. In the early verses, it points to the quiet sovereignty of God and the obtuseness of humankind. Christ's post resurrection declarations emphasize "the nations" and "the ends of the earth" thus calling the church to launch missionary ventures throughout the world in the name of the Anointed One, Christ. The power of the King is fierce and he rules with an iron scepter. As Derek Kidner said, "there is no refuge from Him: only in Him."

 

My photo of the "Resurrected Christ" taken in Santa Fe, New Mexico