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Singing with the King (58) – Number Your Days

So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Wisdom. It’s not something that is typically sought out; for rare indeed are those who think it useful. But Scripture tells us otherwise:

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. (Proverbs 3:14-15)

Respect and obey the Lord! This is the beginning of wisdom. To have understanding, you must know the Holy God. (Proverbs 9:10)

For those who find wisdom, it will be more profitable and more precious than anything you desire. And through our respect and obedience for the Lord, it leads to a closer relationship and greater understanding.

But how does numbering our days help us? It was a lesson I learned years ago.

It was summer before my senior year in college, and I was in the Northwest finding concert venues for our choir tour during spring break. It turns out that the music director of a large downtown Church had been my sister’s high school choir director, and his wife had been my first grade Sunday School teacher. And their daughter, who was in the same grade, was my best bud.

Her Mom and Dad promised that she would get to our concert in the Spring, and I even sent a couple of notes telling her I looked forward to seeing her again, even after 15 years. So September comes, and I’m thoroughly immersed in classes, ensembles, and recitals; and I get a letter from Portland.

I opened the envelope and inside was a newspaper clipping from the Oregonian, reporting an accident where a young woman was hit by a car and killed, while riding her bicycle. I was stunned. And even though I hadn’t seen her in years, I still felt a great sense of loss. Loss of re-connecting with an old friend. Loss over hoped-for conversations about Jesus and music. And great pain for her folks.

Catching up, picking up; plans and conversations… gone. And it wasn’t just an reunion that was gone, a friend was gone. A daughter was gone. I don’t know how God gave me this verse, but it arrived in the midst of my grief. And I learned an indelible lesson on numbering my days. I learned to count each day, every day, every conversation, every person as precious, and that tomorrow (or several months hence) wasn’t promised.

So is the passing of the day just a blur? Does it drag by, filled with excruciating pain with each and every breath? Or is it a gift from God? I pray that it would be the latter. One more day to experience His mercy, grace, and love. One more day to celebrate His creation. And one more day to walk with and embrace His people.

Or maybe it’s one more day to discover Who He is, and how much He loves you. Remember: In the Scriptures God says, “When the time came, I listened to you, and when you needed help, I came to save you.” That time has come. This is the day for you to be saved. (1 Corinthians 6:12)

So, how are you numbering your days?

Singing with the King (57) – Have You Lost Your Voice?

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Their hands have no feeling, their legs don’t move, and they can’t make a sound. Everyone who made the idols and all who trust them are just as helpless as those useless gods. (Psalm 115:7-8)

False3 Idols. Useless gods. Do you serve any useless gods? When God with His own finger wrote out the 10 Commandments for Moses, the first of them was: Do not worship any god except me.Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth. Don’t bow down and worship idols. I am the Lord your God, and I demand all your love. (Exodus 20:3-5)

Now the thing about idols is that they are no longer relegated to the wood, stone, precious metal composition. They can be intangible; such as philosophies, ideologies, pursuits, careers, seemingly harmless (yet all-consuming) goals. Even religion can be an idol. I think the Pharisees of Jesus time would be the consummate example for that. Another idol is evolution. Another pervasive one is SELF. And what about the government? Well, whatever the flavor-of-the-month your idol is, you are going to become like it. For the past couple of weeks we’ve focused on verse 8. But this time I want to focus on a specific characteristic the idol has passed down: no voice. Now you may not be completely mute, but whatever you say, won’t matter.

I had old man in a bed a mentor named Rick when I was at the Conservatory. He was a retired Baptist missionary, and was now on the payroll of a large hospital in the Central Valley as their chaplain. Whenever there was a difficult situation, Rick was called in to minister to the family, and help the patient to step into eternity to meet Jesus. There was this one old man who had just hours to live, and the hospital asked Rick to visit him. He had no family, he was alone, and Rick chose to sit and wait with him.

After a rather pain-filled conversation with this patient, Rick discovered that the man was Jewish. So Rick asked if he could read the Old Testament to him. The man nodded, so Rick read Isaiah 53:

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:1-5)

Rick heard something, looked up and saw the man weeping. The words of the prophet had obviously touched this man, so Rick leaned forward and said, “You know, Isaiah was talking about Jesus.” But the man, shaking his head, said with his last few breaths, “I don’t understand, I don’t understand.” Rick tried to explain using other verses from the Old Testament, but the man still weeping said one last time, “I don’t understand.” And he passed into eternity without knowing his Messiah.

He needed to cry our like Peter. “Lord save me!” (Matthew 14:30) But he did not. He had no understanding, and he had no words. Now I don’t know what his particular idol was, but it left him without the right words to say.

Consider this warning from Christ: “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’ (Luke 13:24-37)

May the Lord give you the right words to say, before it is too late.

Singing with the King (56) – Like Them #2

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Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them. (Psalm 115:8)

Last week we talked about the nature of their makers.

valley of bones The next phrase in the verse is one of scope: Everyone who trusts in them. I have said and written on numerous occasions, when there is a sweeping generalization, if it is God doing the sweeping, then it must be taken literally, for He alone can address or accomplish those generalizations. So when the Father says everyone, He means everyone. No wiggle room.

And this verse is a clincher. This death is not just reserved for those who make the idols, it’s for those who trust the idols.

When you examine the Hebrew word for trust, there are some disturbing translations, especially when you’re trusting in the wrong god. It is such a trust to cause you to be careless and complacent. When that becomes the way you move, there will be little or no opportunity to change. You will be stuck. You will be dead in your sins and trespasses, and you will die in an eternity without God. Be sure you trust in the right God, the One True God.

Now there’s some good news, and bad news regarding who you trust.

Carelessness and complacency will never be an option for those who trust the living God. That is not in His nature, nor is it His desire for those of us who are His followers, His worshipers, His servants. We are in a never ending spiral upward to become more like Christ, pressing on, pursuing, and as the author says, “Following hard after God, and playing for keeps.”

Carelessness and complacency, is very much part and parcel to the nature of idols. Consider this: you can’t get much more careless nor complacent if you’re dead. Life, options, opportunities, decisions, all move by you minute by minute, day by day, but you don’t even see them, because you have eyes cannot see.

To illustrate how badly you are without Christ consider this description the Paul leaves us in the book of Romans: There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; they’re swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:10-18)

That’s a pretty bleak description, that is the nature of those who are without Christ. So whom will you serve? Whom will you worship?

Singing with the King (55) – Like Them #1

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Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them. (Psalm 115:8)

golden image Last week we talked about the nature of idols. This week we look at the nature of their makers. And this is a very scary verse: Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them. In other words— dead. If you want to live, then you must believe in the living God. But if you don’t care about eternal life, then any idol serve its purpose, to lead you to death.

We must ask the question, who is doing the making? Is it the one true living God, or is man getting it wrong again? The One Who lives, creates life. The one who is dead, can only manifest death. Actually, cannot manifest anything. The manifestations are left up to those who make them and worship them.

When being compared to idols we are way too similar. How do you feel about that? Go through that list of characteristics that describe them, and now apply them to you.

They cannot speak
They cannot see
They cannot hear
They cannot smell
They cannot feel
They cannot walk
They cannot make a sound with their throat

But you say, “That doesn’t apply to me! Why by my very objection, you can see that I can talk, and if I am of a more expressive variety, here I am waving my hands.” And physically, that is all very true. But spiritually, you are more like the idol then you understand.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. (Ephesians 2:1)

It is a sad thing that we have become both the deceived and the deceivers; that we would choose death over life, and encourage others to join us.

But that is our nature. Consider what it is that God gives to us, and that which an idol never can. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) That’s what Jesus said, life abundant.

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length, and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, then you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20)

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things… (1 Tim 6:13)

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of the regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7)

This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. (1 John 2:25)

It is obvious to see by all of the preceding verses, that life is a result of loving, serving, and being in the presence of the Lord of life. But making, worshiping, and serving idols will only result in one thing— death. Because Those who make them will become like them. Next week we’ll discuss the scope of these actions.

Singing with the King (54) – The Work of Man’s Hands

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Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak… They cannot make a sound with their throat. (Psalm 115:4,5)

In the context of this Psalm, we have a radical turn, which changes the focus from the eternal, unchanging, transcendent, and living LORD God, to that of idols. This perhaps is the greatest of contrasts one can make. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man’s hands.

goldencalf When the Psalmist speaks of “Their”, he is speaking about the nations. And these nations had tangible, visible idols. These so-called gods were obviously important to them, because they were made of gold and silver; precious metals for precious gods. But as is often the case with mankind who has not been exposed to the principles and teachings of the Most High God, we get it wrong. Or in this case we get a completely backwards. Note that it says, The work of man’s hands. God is not the work of our hands; we are the work of His hands.

They have mouths, but they cannot speak. The Hebrew word for mouth not only refers to the physical mouth, but also the things that come out of the mouth including commands. The Hebrew word for speak is most translated as speak. But it also can be translated as promise or command; and yet this mouth can do none of those things—it cannot speak. No promises, no commands—nothing.

… they cannot make a sound with their throat. The Hebrew word for make a sound primarily means to meditate, ponder, and devise. It also means to make an utterance or a moan or growl.

So, these idols have mouths, but they cannot speak, command or promise. They have a throat, but they cannot make a sound, or meditate, ponder or devise. Why is that? Well, the answer is obvious. Idols do not have life. In fact we see the truth in that statement from the very first verse that enumerates the idols characteristics: The work of man’s hands.

Now the work of man’s hands can do many things: it can inspire, enrage, cause joy and sorrow, lift up and tear down, instruct and belittle. The work of man’s hands can do many things to enhance or detract from life, but it cannot give life. Nor is it something to worship.

Do the Nations miss the irony here? They devote all this time, taking up much of their lives and creativity for building something that is dead. Then don’t forget all the acts of worship; the pedagogy of that particular god; the accompanying temples, rules and observances; the personnel, such as priests and priestesses, prostitutes and whatnot; the maintenance team and the artists. And let’s not forget the spiritual enforcement team—a.k.a. the military. They have to encourage veneration, worship, giving, and sacrifice. The care and feeding of a false god, takes a lot of time, not to mention the construction, coercion, and deception. And it takes a lot of energy to maintain the lie.

Bull Idols are pretty much no longer silver and gold, but they still are that which are either made by man’s hands or by his imagination. Idols are things which you pursue, instead of One True God. But, we are told: Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men. (Colossians 3:23) To do otherwise is a dangerous pursuit. More about that next week.

Singing with the King (53) – I Sought the LORD

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I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)

Once again, praise precedes petition:

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD; the humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. (vss. 1-3)

In fact, David encourages those with him to bless the Lord first.

Grief1 Now comes the personal request: I sought the LORD and he answered me, He delivered me from all my fears.

The Hebrew word for sought is defined as to seek with care, inquire, consult; and there is an aspect of worship within this word. When we bring our petitions to Him, is it part of worship, or is it playing back a list?

Some of the definitions for answered in Hebrew are to answer, respond, testify, speak and shout. How much does God want to answer your prayers? Is He joyous, would He shout the answer? Should we not shout when He answers our prayers?

There is urgency in He delivered me—to snatch away, to tear away, to plunder, to pluck; also to rescue and save. He knows our need, and that it is desperate.

He delivered me from all my fear, terror, and dread (translations of the Hebrew word for fear). What is it that causes you fear or terror? Can you take it to the LORD? We have seen that He will hear—and answer. Don’t let your fear keep you silent.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. (Psalm 32:3-4)

But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased. My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. (Psalm 39:2-5)

But if I say, “I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,” then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it. (Jeremiah 20:9)

Don’t let your sins get in the way seeking the LORD. Or in the way of your deliverance:

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Interlude

Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. (Psalm 32:5-6)

Singing With the King (52) All Times

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I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. (Psalm 34:1)

Hebrew Psalms Years ago I remember Billy Graham talking about one of the ways he did devotions—5 psalms a day and one chapter of Proverbs. So at the end of each month, he would have read through both books. Whenever I am not in front of one of my computers doing my study/devotion/prayer (I am currently working on the Fruit of the Spirit) I use this 5 x 1 study to come into His Presence.

As a result, I have read through the Psalms countless times (at least for me), have been blessed by the LORD in those readings, and I can say that David and I have become best friends. And out of all of the books of the Bible, the Psalms are unique for me. Why?

Although these are songs/prayers that King David wrote, and historically speaking when we read the “I” in the psalm, it is David speaking, have you not put yourself in the first person as the “I” in that verse? David is not just writing about his experiences, he is writing about my experiences, which is why this book is so intensely personal for me.

So what is it that we are doing here? I will extol the LORD. The Hebrew word for extol is most often translated as bless. I will bless the LORD; and it is also defined as kneel.

Time How often are we blessing and extolling the LORD? At all times. In Hebrew all times means at all events, all occasions, and at all times. This word is more than a generalization, it can be absolute; and in its definition are “all for every”, and “all the everywhere”. When God says all, He means all.

How does this work out practically in our lives? We can’t just be falling on our knees and blessing Him every moment of every day can we? No, but for each event, every situation that arises, and each place that we are, we can take that as an opportunity to bless Him; and when we bless Him, anyone who is watching may see that we have a relationship with the Most High.

Along the same lines, His praise will always be on my lips.

The word for praise is always translated as praise, but it can be a song of praise, which is what David has given us here.

The Hebrew word for always seems to be even more demanding on our time. It means continuously, continually, in perpetuity. The imagery behind the word means to stretch. When you stretch something, there is no break, no interruption.

Perhaps a way of looking at this is, His praise should be the single strand which stretches throughout my entire life, upon which we hang all other events, happenings and circumstances. This is a radical change in perspective, but isn’t it worth pondering?

Singing with the King (51) – Foundations

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“The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3 NLT)

Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court pose for formal group photo in the East Conference Room in Washington This is a great question, because it describes with uncanny accuracy what has been going on in our nation: the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same sex marriage; the rush to approve and even applaud transgender procedures; and the tolerance-screamers, who show no resemblance to what the purportedly proclaim. I could go on describing our upside-down culture, but I’ve made my point. The foundations have collapsed.

Now you may ask: “What foundations?” Those which have been laid since the beginning of our country which were based upon biblical principles and God’s law.

And you also may ask: “Who are the righteous?” Am I placing myself above those with whom I do not agree? Do I consider myself better than they?

No. In fact we are told to: Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

“Righteous” here means those who love and obey God’s laws, and are vexed by all the unrighteous laws and decisions which seem to piling higher every day.

Still, the question stands, and needs to be answered. “What can the Righteous do?” The good news is this is not a rhetorical question. The answer actually appears in the very next verse: But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven.

So what should we do? Well, the first thing is to worship, and come before His presence. The second thing is to wait, because the LORD still rules from heaven. The third is to live life in context—in HIS context. Love God, and love your neighbor. Show those who are watching what it means to be a worshiper of God, a follower of Christ, and a keeper of God’s laws. And four, because of all those things, be an influence for righteousness and right-thinking.

Regardless where our country goes or doesn’t go, remember the LORD is in His holy Temple.

Singing with the King (50) – No Secret

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Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy. (Ps 65:8)

MLK1 I love this verse because it brings hope to an entire world.

But we have assigned His wonders to random acts of nature or unintentional human nature. And once His wonders have been explained away or “de-miracle-ized”, why would we be inspired to offer shouts of joy?

I think part of the problem is that we have so “personalized” our faith, that those around us rarely get to see what God has done within us. But salvation is neither secret nor hidden. Note these following verses:

The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God. ( Isa 52:10)

I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right. (Isaiah 45:19)

For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me. Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. (Isaiah 45:21-22)

So now the question arises: Is salvation still noticeable? Is it still obvious and in plain sight, or have we become too cold or uncaring, or afraid? Has tolerance transformed the Gospel of offense to a mere suggestion of possible change (well, maybe, sort of, but only if you need to change)? That is not the way the LORD designed and ordained salvation. And that is not the way we are to live:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:14-16)

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

Singing with the King (49) – 24/7 Integrity

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You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. (Psalm 17:3)

staring at the computer Do you wish you could say that? That the LORD God has come to you in the night and found in you nothing wrong? What is it about the night?

They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil. (Psalm 36:4)

For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. (Psalm 11:2)

Violent enemies are hiding in every dark corner of the earth. (Psalm 74:20)

There’s just a few of the things we do in the dark, and because it is dark, we begin to think that: “The Lord isn’t looking,” they say, “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.” (Psalm 94:7)

Sometimes we get stuck in the darkness: Some of you were prisoners suffering in deepest darkness and bound by chains. (Psalm 107:10)

Admit it or not, we intuitively know: If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. (Psalm 139:11,12)

But then something wondrous happens: “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14)

broken chains For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. (Ephesians 5:8-11)

What do your thoughts turn to at night? What do your actions betray? Whether gossip or greed, pride or porn, deception or destruction, don’t be what you were, be who you are in Christ—day and night.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)