Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10, Amplified)
In the past few weeks I have been privileged to meet a few writers and designers. These men and women have been gifted by God to create. Whether the final product is a poem or a pantsuit, each person has been given the ability to do something new by working with pre-existing materials. The poet puts old words together in a new way, and people extol her ability to turn phrases. The designer adds his personal style to a long-standing trend, and as a result people clamor to purchase his designs.
During this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam pointed to our God as the ultimate Creative. While some of us on earth have been blessed with the ability to make things out of other things, our God has distinguished Himself by the ability to make things out of nothing. Our pastor noted the term ex-nihilo ("out of nothing"): our God does not need to gather raw materials. He simply speaks, and what was previously non-existent comes into existence.
The account of creation in Genesis 1 encourages me today, and I hope it will encourage you as well. The God who created everything out of nothing is our God. The God who created everything by His word is our Creator. What need can we face that He cannot address?
God, great Creator, take me in my nothingness and speak Your creative word into my life and circumstances. Cause me to walk in the power of new life in You: risen life, holy life, joyful life, through the work of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Showing posts with label Psalm 51. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 51. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Saturday, October 5, 2013
I'm Still. Waiting.
In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha shared some insights concerning King David that I'd like us to reflect on today.
David's life can be viewed as a series of preparatory cycles. As a teenager, David was anointed king in obscurity. Although David was still too young to serve in the army of Israel, he learned to fight effectively in the secret place of the wilderness, defending his father's sheep from lions and bears. David was then "promoted" to the task of carrying provisions from his father's household to his brothers on the battlefield. Eventually, the day came when his years of training in the wilderness resulted in Israel's victory over the Philistine army... but his victory did not win him the kingdom. Over the next decade, David's tenure as King Saul's armorbearer served as additional, patient preparation for David's adult life as a reigning king.
David understood that he could not save himself. In Psalm 51 we see King David, the successful warrior, confessing his failure to save himself. He notes that 1) he was born in sin; 2) his actions against Bathsheba and Uriah were ultimately sins against God; and 3) outside of God's intervention, there was no way that David could be restored into fellowship.
David recognized and craved the presence of the Holy Spirit. The central plea of Psalm 51, "Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me," shows us that David was aware of the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. As our pastor shared, David knew that everything he had accomplished was not because of his own strength or skill, but because the Spirit of God was working in and through him.
Perhaps we can walk with these three points today: not just as a reminder of where David was, but also as a litmus test for where we are. Are we joyfully obedient to God as we endure decades of training for the works God has in store for us? Are we free to admit that, without God, we have nothing and are nothing? Are we fully submitted to the Holy Spirit, taking on His desires as our own?
Lord God, thank You for reminding us of the life of King David. In him we see our own pressures, struggles, failures, and victories. You say David was a man after Your own heart: God, how we pray You can say the same for us. Make us a people who love You, long for You, and live in obedience to You.
David's life can be viewed as a series of preparatory cycles. As a teenager, David was anointed king in obscurity. Although David was still too young to serve in the army of Israel, he learned to fight effectively in the secret place of the wilderness, defending his father's sheep from lions and bears. David was then "promoted" to the task of carrying provisions from his father's household to his brothers on the battlefield. Eventually, the day came when his years of training in the wilderness resulted in Israel's victory over the Philistine army... but his victory did not win him the kingdom. Over the next decade, David's tenure as King Saul's armorbearer served as additional, patient preparation for David's adult life as a reigning king.
David understood that he could not save himself. In Psalm 51 we see King David, the successful warrior, confessing his failure to save himself. He notes that 1) he was born in sin; 2) his actions against Bathsheba and Uriah were ultimately sins against God; and 3) outside of God's intervention, there was no way that David could be restored into fellowship.
David recognized and craved the presence of the Holy Spirit. The central plea of Psalm 51, "Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me," shows us that David was aware of the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. As our pastor shared, David knew that everything he had accomplished was not because of his own strength or skill, but because the Spirit of God was working in and through him.
Perhaps we can walk with these three points today: not just as a reminder of where David was, but also as a litmus test for where we are. Are we joyfully obedient to God as we endure decades of training for the works God has in store for us? Are we free to admit that, without God, we have nothing and are nothing? Are we fully submitted to the Holy Spirit, taking on His desires as our own?
Lord God, thank You for reminding us of the life of King David. In him we see our own pressures, struggles, failures, and victories. You say David was a man after Your own heart: God, how we pray You can say the same for us. Make us a people who love You, long for You, and live in obedience to You.
Friday, October 4, 2013
At The Core.
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| (At The Salvation Army Manhattan Citadel Corps, New York) |
I was grateful that, during this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha made the connection between Psalm 23 and Psalm 51. In seeing the David of Psalm 23, we are better able to understand and connect with the David of Psalm 51.
There are verses in Psalm 51 that once made me cringe. One of them is "Then I will teach transgressors of Your merciful ways, and they will turn to You." (Psalm 51:13) I used to wonder, How can a rebel teach anything to a transgressor? In referencing Psalm 23, Pastor Martha revealed the answer to my question. Though rebellion was found in David's heart, rebellion was not the foundation of David's life. His contrite confession in Psalm 51 erased the scaffolding of transgression, leaving behind the solid core of integrity and faithfulness expressed in Psalm 23.
Psalm 23, the Shepherd's psalm, reminds us that as a young man David logged many a day in the wilderness. His task was to tend the sheep of his father. Our pastor shared that David would spend his days equipped with "a slingshot and a harp, to protect and to praise." He had an understanding of what it meant to be immersed in authentic worship. He knew what it was to fight against wild animals and prevail. He took these transferable skills onto the battlefield and into the palace, and for many years he held his post faithfully. A series of poor decisions changed his life forever. But, because he knew he had a solid foundation, he was able to petition God with the hope of regaining his core values.
Recently I returned to where my Christian walk began, and to where God built my foundation. Last weekend was the 125th anniversary of The Salvation Army Manhattan Citadel Corps (photo above). One of the hallmarks of the church, then and now, can be found in the lives of men and women who were taught there. The corps has a core: solid faith in Jesus Christ, deep love for the community, passion for holiness, intentionality concerning the preached word of God, and demonstrated forgiveness and reconciliation. Is it perfect? No. But its community of believers does bear a striking resemblance to King David. They are trained in worship and the word. They are on the front lines of the battle for justice and protection of the weak. They are quick to confess and repent. They are teachable, and they are teachers.
I've made mistakes. Have you? Take heart. We can be encouraged today: the God who trained us in righteousness is the God who can restore us to Himself.
O God, creative, restorative, loving King, search us today. Strip away the mess we've made. Restore us, so that our exterior matches our core.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Recall. Restore. Rescue.
Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again. Don't chase me away from You or take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Make me as happy as You did when You saved me; make me want to obey! I will teach sinners Your law, and they will return to You. Keep me from any deadly sin. Only You can save me! Then I will shout and sing about Your power to save. (Psalm 51:10-14)
In one part of Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha noted that David's most familiar psalms are Psalms 23 and 51. She shared with us that David was able to write about the steadfast love of God in Psalm 51 because 1) he knew God's character and 2) he was aware of the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep.
How does a God-loving, God-fearing man recover from acts of lust, adultery, contract murder, and a hardened heart? By recalling the character of God and by restoring his relationship with God.
Psalm 51:16-17 says, "Burnt offerings and sacrifices are not what You want. The way to please You is to feel sorrow deep in our hearts. The sacrifice of contrition is the kind of sacrifice You won't refuse."
Where are you today? Have you hardened your heart and refused to confess your sins? Have you turned your heart to someone or something that the Lord's Word has instructed you to avoid? Have you plotted the murder of a man's life, or character, by enlisting others to "draw away from him so that he will be struck down"? (See Second Samuel 11:14-15)
No matter where you are, there is hope. The God of King David is our God, and He has not changed. He still hears the petition of the penitent. He still forgives. He still rescues.
Unchangeable God, change my heart today.
In one part of Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha noted that David's most familiar psalms are Psalms 23 and 51. She shared with us that David was able to write about the steadfast love of God in Psalm 51 because 1) he knew God's character and 2) he was aware of the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep.
How does a God-loving, God-fearing man recover from acts of lust, adultery, contract murder, and a hardened heart? By recalling the character of God and by restoring his relationship with God.
Psalm 51:16-17 says, "Burnt offerings and sacrifices are not what You want. The way to please You is to feel sorrow deep in our hearts. The sacrifice of contrition is the kind of sacrifice You won't refuse."
Where are you today? Have you hardened your heart and refused to confess your sins? Have you turned your heart to someone or something that the Lord's Word has instructed you to avoid? Have you plotted the murder of a man's life, or character, by enlisting others to "draw away from him so that he will be struck down"? (See Second Samuel 11:14-15)
No matter where you are, there is hope. The God of King David is our God, and He has not changed. He still hears the petition of the penitent. He still forgives. He still rescues.
Unchangeable God, change my heart today.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Demoted By Man. Promoted By God.
"The School of Brokenness: Few people enter it. Even fewer finish." (Pastor Martha)
Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." Then he said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" Jesse said, "There is yet the youngest; he is tending the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here." (First Samuel 16:10-11)
During this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha made an observation concerning King David: Like Joseph, David wasn't well-liked by his brothers.
We see a pattern in the book of First Samuel. In chapter 16, we read that David's father did not even bother to call him from tending the sheep ; the prophet Samuel had to insist that David be called. In the seventeenth chapter, we have record of the salutation of Eliab, David's brother: "Why did you come here? With whom did you leave the sheep? I know you are here to do evil..." (see First Samuel 17:17-28)
Psalm 51 is not just the recorded plea of a man who God reprimanded for doing wrong. It is the plea of a man who knows, intimately, what it means to be left out of the equation. It is the plea of a man who remembers what it was like to be tagged as a person with impure motives. It is the heartfelt cry of a man who understands that he deserves to be left out, but whose heart longs to be kept in the company of God's people. It is the prayer of a man who has logged time in the school of brokenness.
Are you there? Be encouraged today. God has not changed. He still hears the petition of the broken.
Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." Then he said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" Jesse said, "There is yet the youngest; he is tending the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here." (First Samuel 16:10-11)
During this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha made an observation concerning King David: Like Joseph, David wasn't well-liked by his brothers.
We see a pattern in the book of First Samuel. In chapter 16, we read that David's father did not even bother to call him from tending the sheep ; the prophet Samuel had to insist that David be called. In the seventeenth chapter, we have record of the salutation of Eliab, David's brother: "Why did you come here? With whom did you leave the sheep? I know you are here to do evil..." (see First Samuel 17:17-28)
Psalm 51 is not just the recorded plea of a man who God reprimanded for doing wrong. It is the plea of a man who knows, intimately, what it means to be left out of the equation. It is the plea of a man who remembers what it was like to be tagged as a person with impure motives. It is the heartfelt cry of a man who understands that he deserves to be left out, but whose heart longs to be kept in the company of God's people. It is the prayer of a man who has logged time in the school of brokenness.
Are you there? Be encouraged today. God has not changed. He still hears the petition of the broken.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
..."To Rid My Soul Of One Dark Blot..."*
"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions." (Psalm 51:1)
"Marriage is honorable, and the bed undefiled, but adulterers and fornicators will be judged by God." (Hebrews 13:3-4)
There is an old, sarcastic saying: "Oh, now you want to pray." The thought behind the saying is that when you lived life as you pleased, with impunity, you had no desire to seek God's presence. But when crisis confronted you, then you began to storm the throne of heaven with petitions for rescue.
I have found, though, that for many people this saying is not true. The man who is in love with Jesus will typically be found in constant communion with his Lord. The man who is disinterested and impenitent will typically not seek the Lord's company. And further, the man who seeks God's presence and the man who is impenitent both have the capacity to engage in severe transgressions against God.
King David was a man who, though deeply in love with God, struggled with sin. After marrying multiple wives (among them Michal, Ahinoam, Abigail, Maachah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah), he then turned his attention to a married woman named Bathsheba. After committing adultery with her, King David arranged for her husband Uriah to be isolated in battle so that he would be killed. David continued his life as if everything were normal, but his fellowship with God was adversely affected. David did not repent until he was directly confronted by the prophet Nathan, months after the incident had occurred.
The Scripture does not tell us why David waited so long to repent of his known sin. But Scripture does tell us of the goodness of God. David was forgiven. David received compassion, mercy, cleansing, and the record of his sin was erased from God's book. It would not be brought against him anymore.
In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha shared with us four characteristics of God noted by David in Psalm 51:
But there is something else to consider. Although David's sin was forgiven, there was an awful consequence to his sin: "The sword shall never leave your house." (see Second Samuel 12:9-10) For the rest of his life David was in a battle not with nations, but with his own sons. His record of sin evaporated: the consequence of his sin remained.
Today, I am grateful for the compassion, mercy, cleansing, and erasing of God. And I am praying that, in light of sin's consequences, I will never intentionally abuse nor take lightly His love for me. I hope you can pray the same.
[*Today's title is a line from the hymn "Just As I Am", written by Charlotte Elliott, circa 1835]
"Marriage is honorable, and the bed undefiled, but adulterers and fornicators will be judged by God." (Hebrews 13:3-4)
There is an old, sarcastic saying: "Oh, now you want to pray." The thought behind the saying is that when you lived life as you pleased, with impunity, you had no desire to seek God's presence. But when crisis confronted you, then you began to storm the throne of heaven with petitions for rescue.
I have found, though, that for many people this saying is not true. The man who is in love with Jesus will typically be found in constant communion with his Lord. The man who is disinterested and impenitent will typically not seek the Lord's company. And further, the man who seeks God's presence and the man who is impenitent both have the capacity to engage in severe transgressions against God.
King David was a man who, though deeply in love with God, struggled with sin. After marrying multiple wives (among them Michal, Ahinoam, Abigail, Maachah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah), he then turned his attention to a married woman named Bathsheba. After committing adultery with her, King David arranged for her husband Uriah to be isolated in battle so that he would be killed. David continued his life as if everything were normal, but his fellowship with God was adversely affected. David did not repent until he was directly confronted by the prophet Nathan, months after the incident had occurred.
The Scripture does not tell us why David waited so long to repent of his known sin. But Scripture does tell us of the goodness of God. David was forgiven. David received compassion, mercy, cleansing, and the record of his sin was erased from God's book. It would not be brought against him anymore.
In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha shared with us four characteristics of God noted by David in Psalm 51:
- Compassion. God loves, and acts in accordance with His love.
- Mercy. God assesses situations fairly and administers righteous judgement from a heart of love.
- Cleansing. God lovingly does for us what we cannot do for ourselves; He purifies us from sin.
- Erasing. God, in love, opts to erase our confessed sins from our life record.
But there is something else to consider. Although David's sin was forgiven, there was an awful consequence to his sin: "The sword shall never leave your house." (see Second Samuel 12:9-10) For the rest of his life David was in a battle not with nations, but with his own sons. His record of sin evaporated: the consequence of his sin remained.
Today, I am grateful for the compassion, mercy, cleansing, and erasing of God. And I am praying that, in light of sin's consequences, I will never intentionally abuse nor take lightly His love for me. I hope you can pray the same.
[*Today's title is a line from the hymn "Just As I Am", written by Charlotte Elliott, circa 1835]
Monday, September 30, 2013
Comparing Tones.
When I read from the Book of Psalms, I tend to treat each psalm as an independent lyric work. However, there are a few exceptions. For example, I usually combine my reading of Psalms 42 and 43 (which in Hebrew tradition are treated as a single work), and Psalms 95 and 96.
During my quiet time on Sunday afternoon, I was thinking of Psalm 51. Then, all of a sudden, I had an epiphany: Psalm 50 and Psalm 51 are next to each other. I don't mean just in terms of sequence, but also in terms of topic. They do not have to be treated as independent works, even though they are attributed to two different people (50 as a psalm of Asaph, and 51 as a psalm of David). These two psalms allow us to see what I call the divergent paths of the calloused versus the contrite.
King David was a man who knew both paths. He experienced the hard, unyielding, self-satisfied mindset of a man refusing to fully submit to God. And he experienced the broken, penitent mindset of a man who realized that the Lord of all creation can remove just as easily as He grants (see Psalm 75:7).
Today, let's take the time to read Psalms 50 and 51. And let's place ourselves in the center of each one. There are questions to ask:
*Am I withholding anything from God?
*Am I engaging in self-justification?
*In what areas of my life am I thinking, 'God doesn't mind'?
*Does God have my heart's complete devotion?
*Does my life show that I want to please Him more than myself?
Lord God, You who know all things, speak to our hearts. Show us the path we tread. Plant in us the spirit of contrition and repentance. May we never approach Your presence and work with a calloused heart. Teach us anew today through Your word, which is forever settled in Heaven, and give us the wisdom to obey You. Amen.