Month: September 2018

Proverbs 4 is an integrated whole, in which King Solomon tells his “son” that wisdom is supreme and he must gain it at any cost. Remember, King Solomon was the richest man who had ever lived to that point in history, or at least the richest man in the history of Israel. Yet he said the most valuable “commodity,” the one to be “bought” at any “price” is wisdom. He offers a key truth about wisdom once we have gained it in verse 23: ²³Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) “Above all else.” Nothing is more important that guarding our hearts. As we know from so many passages in Scripture our hearts are the source of our lives, or the “wellspring.” If our hearts are filled with God’s wisdom, we will live that out in our lives. If we allow them to become “polluted,” the result will be lives that fail to honor God, and fail to be lived to God’s best for us.

Proverbs 5 is devoted to another warning against adultery. We are told it leads to death. It destroys our lives. At the end of the chapter Solomon reminds his son, that every person’s ways are in full view of the LORD. This is such a vital reminder for us. I always recommend people have an accountability partner, because they can help us to develop and grow in our walk with the LORD. Yet, at the deepest level the LORD is each of our accountability partner. We are ultimately accountable to Him, and He sees everything we do. I might be able to hide something from my accountability partner, but the LORD knows my thoughts before I think them. That’s a helpful reminder to me, and to all of us, when we consider stepping outside of God’s plan for our lives, whether toward sexual immorality or any other sin.

The first fifteen verses of Proverbs 6 warn us against sloth or laziness. The end of such behavior is poverty and death. In verses 16-19, Solomon warns us of six matters the LORD despises. Obviously, we want to stay away from them! Then Solomon offers another warning against adultery. (Are you seeing a pattern?) While every sin breaks our relationship with the LORD, the Apostle Paul would one day remind us that sexual sin is a sin against “the temple” of the LORD, because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Solomon understood this a thousand years before Paul came on the scene, and reminded his son of the importance of maintaining purity before the LORD.

As we return to Luke 13, Jesus is moving toward Jerusalem where He will be crucified. We aren’t told that directly, but His interactions with the religious leaders show us that. They warn Him that Herod is after Him. Jesus’ response is to note that a prophet can’t die outside of Jerusalem. That would seem an odd response, if we didn’t live on the resurrection side of Easter. Why would Jesus, who was so popular, who was amazing everyone with His teaching, His miracles and His power to cast out demons, say anything about dying? It seemed that Jesus was “on the rise.” Jesus knew otherwise. He had come to die, and the ministry He carried out was leading Him in that direction. Thank God for that reality! If Jesus had followed the easy path of riding His popularity to fame and fortune, we would never have had the opportunity to know God personally, to receive salvation from sin and death, nor to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. All Jesus did points to His Lordship in our lives, but nothing more than His intentionality about moving toward His death on our behalf instead of away from it.

Today, we turn to the Book of Proverbs. Most of these “pithy” sayings are attributed to King Solomon. We can’t summarize chapters in Proverbs as we have done to this point, because for the most part the proverbs are written in narrative form, nor are they poems intended to be set to music. At times one verse has no apparent connection to the next, while at other times a portion of the chapter does relate to the rest of it. The approach we will take is to see the overarching theme of the chapter if there is one, and when there isn’t, we will focus on one, two, or a few of the verses and their points of wisdom. I often recommend new believers read a chapter of Proverbs each day, along with a chapter of the Gospel of Mark, because as we do so, we read through Proverbs once each month (it contains 31 chapters), and Mark twice each month (with a bit of extra reading on the last day of each month). This approach gives us the opportunity to anchor ourselves in Jesus’ life and teaching, as well as to learn the wisdom of one of the wisest men who ever lived in Solomon.

The first seven verses of Proverbs 1, tell us it was written to give us wisdom and understanding. It also tells us the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. What a vital truth! We live in a culture that often diminishes the power and majesty of God, if it acknowledges His existence at all. He is the almighty creator of all that exists. A healthy fear, awe, and reverence are the appropriate attitudes and approaches to Him. Verses 8-19 warn the reader to listen to the wisdom of parents, and not to get entangled with evil friends. I hear my mother’s voice in these verses telling me I would turn out like the friends I kept. The remainder of the chapter offers a simple truth: wisdom is rewarded with good, and foolishness leads us to destruction. We might respond, “Duh!” But the simple truth is we don’t always listen to simple truth. God’s word always leads us to wholeness, healing, and victory over sin, but the sinful natures with which we were born are bent toward sin. Heeding wisdom is simple, but not easy. In truth, without the leading of the Holy Spirit we won’t succeed for long at walking the straight and narrow path that leads to life.

Proverbs 2 summarizes the moral benefits of living lives of wisdom. King Solomon raises a theme at the end of the chapter he returns to repeatedly: He calls men to avoid adulterous women. Why would that be a repeated focus? We could turn to Solomon’s own life. He was a man who had 700 wives and 300 concubines! He ended his life worshiping the false gods of the women he married rather than the true God. Personal experience might well have been Solomon’s guide. He was also being guided by the Holy Spirit as he wrote, so he was guided to this theme. In every era, sexual immorality has been a stumbling block to living holy lives, so Solomon warns against it repeatedly.

Proverbs 3 offers additional benefits of wisdom. Proverbs 3:5-6 and two of the most quoted verses in the Bible, and we will examine them here: ⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Notice, King Solomon tells us to trust in the LORD will all our hearts. He also tells us not to lean on our own understanding. This can mean many things, but let’s consider this one meaning: At times, it won’t make sense to trust the LORD. What He calls us to say or do won’t go along with conventional wisdom, or with the will of the majority. In those times, it will be easy to go along with the crowd, but especially in such times, we must trust in the LORD, in His wisdom, in His ways. You have probably heard the saying, “What is popular is not always right, and what is right is not always popular.” Proverbs 3:5-6 will lead us to some of those right, but not popular, moments as we trust the LORD and let Him make our paths straight. The longer I live, the more clear I become on how important it is to look to the LORD for wisdom rather than to the internet or the latest opinion poll.

As we return to Luke 12, we find Jesus offer much guidance that goes against the world’s understanding. For example, when a man came and asked Jesus to  help him divide the inheritance between him and his brother, Jesus instead offered a parable about a rich man, whose crops were so bountiful he had to tear down his barns and build new ones. Everyone listening to the parable would have been thinking, “What a blessed man! This is the kind of life I want to live.” But Jesus’ punchline was, “But that night (the night the new barns were completed), the LORD told the man, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you.'” Then Jesus said the same will happen to anyone who is rich in the world’s ways, but not rich toward God. Jesus turned the conventional wisdom on its head. God doesn’t bless us in material ways so we can hoard our wealth. He blesses us so we can steward those blessings well, and use them to “store up treasure in heaven.” When we trust in the LORD, we will use our resources so differently than when we trust in ourselves, or in the world’s ways. As we go about the day, let’s remember to focus on trusting the LORD and His way of living, rather than gaining deeper understanding from our own stores of “wisdom”!

 

We could call Psalm 148 “Praise the LORD!” Over and over the psalmist proclaims, “Praise the LORD!” and then gives us one reason after another for why we ought to praise Him. He also tells us the creatures of the earth praise the LORD, the creation praises the LORD, every animate and inanimate object praises the LORD! This truth must not get by us in those times when we don’t feel like praising the LORD. In our darkest moments, in our deepest pain, the LORD is worthy of our praise. Thanks to this unnamed psalmist for reminding us of this timeless truth!

Psalm 149 starts out quite similar to Psalm 148 with a proclamation to praise the LORD! It continues in that vein, but adds a twist: Let those who worship and praise the LORD slay those who don’t. Okay. That’s not something we’d expect to hear in a contemporary praise song, but it is something we’d expect to hear in King David’s time, and in the immediate future after his time. The people of Israel were surrounded by idol worshiping nations. Those nations still claimed the land the Israelites had taken from them. The worship of the one, true, and living God was not done without struggle. In our day, we also live in a society rampant with idolatry. Our “sword” is not a literal one, but as the Apostle Paul reminded the Ephesian believers, it is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” As we live into God’s word, and live it out in our daily lives, we are still “slaying” the spiritual forces of evil that would do us harm.

The Book of Psalms closes out in Psalm 150 with a call to praise the LORD with our voices and with our instruments. The LORD is worthy of our worship and praise every moment. We praise Him in the morning when we wake up. We praise Him throughout the day, because He is always with us and deserves our worship and praise. We praise Him together with music, dancing and singing, because–He is worthy of our worship and praise!

As we return to Luke 11, we find it full of teaching as well as Jesus’ interaction with the religious leaders. That interaction was mainly negative, because Jesus chastised them for teaching the truth, but living in contradiction to it. That style of living: teaching one thing and living another is hypocrisy. Let’s focus on that for a moment. In our day, the church is often accused of hypocrisy. When I was fifteen years old, I stopped attending church, because of all the hypocrites there. I continued to read my Bible, to pray, and to tell my friends at school about Jesus. My life wasn’t always what I read and “taught” to my friends. My anger often spilled over into daily life. My language wasn’t pure. I was being a hypocrite myself, but it’s always easier to see the shortcomings in others than in ourselves. We tend to judge others on their actions and ourselves on our intentions. A couple of years into my boycott on attending any church activity with the “hypocrites” there, a new pastor came to our church. Pastor Andy Weigand started coming to dinner at our home. He was a single, young man who had recently graduated from Harvard. I was  intrigued. Why would a Harvard graduate “waste” his time serving as a pastor in a tiny church in Gipsy, Pennsylvania? After a while, I started meeting with Andy to study the Bible together. Then about six months after he came, Andy asked me why I didn’t go to church? I told him it was because of the hypocrites. Andy proceeded to ask me a series of questions about whether there were hypocrites on the football team at school, in the cafeteria, and then he asked, “Do you ever do anything hypocritical yourself?”

I had to say, “Yes,” but then I added, “What’s your point?”

Andy answered, “I always figured I’d rather go to church with a hypocrite than to hell with him.”  I was in church the next week.  Jesus called the religious leaders hypocrites, and they were. They weren’t seeking to change, though. We all have some hypocrisy that’s obvious to others, or maybe hidden under the surface. I’m grateful to Andy for challenging me in love about mine. It has given me the opportunity for more than four decades to mingle with other hypocrites in the church, who are seeking to let Jesus transform us from the inside out, so when we see Him face-to-face one day, He will affirm our faithfulness and not our hypocrisy!

In Psalm 144, King David opens with a truth about God that we might question: He tells us the LORD trains his hands for war. Really? Our God, the God who sent His only Son, Jesus, to die in our place? Yes, the very same God. He used David to protect His people. He has used many people through the ages to do the same. Jesus’ purpose was to die for our sins and rise again to demonstrate His victory over sin and death. He tells us He will return to conquer His enemies, and to establish His reign on the earth forever.  God’s goodness requires punishment for evil. He made it possible for us to be forgiven, but if we reject that offer, our punishment will come, too.

In Psalm 145, King David offers an extended psalm of praise to the LORD. He lists dozens of the LORD’s attributes, each of which is a reason for our praise and thanksgiving toward Him. In verse 20, David briefly addresses the harsh reality that God destroys the wicked. It seems out of place in a psalm so dedicated to telling us of God’s goodness, love and mercy. Yet at the same time, His goodness requires judgment of evil.

Psalm 146 is anonymous, but it sounds a great deal like many of King David’s psalms of praise. The psalmist tells us of the LORD’s many actions on our behalf, and briefly about the LORD’s judgment on evil.

In Psalm 147 we read again of the LORD’s love for Israel, and for His creation. The LORD cares about humanity more than anything else He created, but He also loves the other creatures of the earth. He feeds and cares for them. As we consider how we are to steward or manage the LORD’s “property,” starting with the earth and moving all the way to our own families, let’s remember the  example He has given us by His great love and concern for us.

As we return to Luke 10, a chapter filled with interesting accounts from Jesus’ life, let’s turn to His words to the lawyer who wanted to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked the lawyer what he thought, how he read the Scriptures. What a great tactic! The lawyer wanted to trap Jesus, but he fell into Jesus’ trap, when he answered Jesus’ question. The lawyer summed up the entire Law and the Prophets the way Jesus had done in Matthew’s gospel: Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus affirmed the response. In fact, Jesus told the lawyer if he did this he would live. But the lawyer wanted to “justify” himself. He asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” The religious leaders had answered the question. My neighbor is my fellow Jew, who is following the Law of Moses. Jesus had a different answer. He told the lawyer his neighbor was a hated Samaritan, who Jesus turned into the hero of a parable that has forever left us with the paradigm for helping others who are in need: The Good Samaritan. We even have “Good Samaritan” laws, which prevent someone who stops to help someone in a dire situation from being prosecuted for attempting to help. Jesus wanted us to understand being a neighbor is not about ethnic similarity, or family connection. It is about being ready to serve the LORD by helping those in need. Some days we might not “feel” neighborly. Feelings don’t have anything to do with it. Jesus didn’t offer someone with warm feelings as the example of a neighbor. He offered the example of someone who no one would have expected to offer help, but did. As we seek to be neighbors in this sense of the word, let’s remember our goal is not to be liked,  or to help those who are like us, but to be faithful to offer help when the opportunity arises.

 

Psalm 140 is a psalm of King David. It’s content is familiar to us: David calls out to the LORD to protect him from his enemies. In this psalm David calls more directly for the LORD to eliminate his enemies and to “pour coals on their heads.” While such language can be offensive to modern ears, as the King of Israel, David had many enemies. He relied on the LORD for protection, as he had all his life.

Psalm 141, another psalm of King David, starts with David calling on the LORD to protect Him, and to keep him from sin. David wants the LORD’s strength and power to keep him faithful. Then as the psalm progresses, it moves again toward calling on the LORD to protect him from his enemies. If we did not know David’s history from having read 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings, we might think he was being paranoid, but we know David both needed and relied on the LORD’s protection in his life. We also need his protection in ours, even though our lives might be quite peaceful by comparison.

Psalm 142 is another psalm of King David. We’re told he was in a cave when he wrote this psalm. He cries out to the LORD for protection and deliverance. This grouping of psalms follow this general theme, and this one helps us to understand why the concern for his safety. After all, when you are hiding in a cave from your enemies, it makes sense to call on the LORD for help!

In Psalm 143, King David calls out once again to the LORD for protection and deliverance from enemies. If we look at all the psalms of David we know he praised the LORD with an eloquence unsurpassed by others. He also cried out to the LORD for protection and deliverance with a passion and energy unsurpassed as well. We are told David was a “man after God’s own heart.” That doesn’t mean David never sinned–far from it. We know he committed adultery and had a man murdered to cover it up. Yet, out of that experience David repented from the depth of his being. His psalms show us whatever condition of life we experience, we can turn to the LORD in praise or petition. The LORD is faithful in every situation to hear us, and to guide us.

As we return to Luke 9, let’s consider Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand, the only miracle recorded in all four gospels. As we read the account, one thing that stands out is Jesus knew the crowd was massive. It included five thousand men, so it must have been at least fifteen thousand including women and children. He had only five loaves of bread and two fish. Yet, when he received that small gift, He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. Let’s stop right there. The need was massive, the supply was limited, a fraction of what was needed. Yet, Jesus didn’t look to heaven and beg His Father to supply more. He gave thanks. Gratitude is such a powerful force. Gratitude issues forth in generosity in our lives. Here the gratitude preceded the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. We would do well in our lives, to start with thanksgiving when we face a need. Giving thanks opens us to the realization that we serve a God who is more than enough for us, and for all our needs.

If we learn one truth from Psalm 136, this is it: God’s steadfast love endures forever. This is the refrain after every line of the psalm. The psalmist rehearses God’s creation of the universe, His forming of the people of Israel and delivering them from slavery in Egypt, His protection of them in the wilderness and as they move into the Promised Land, and His overall goodness. After each line we read: His steadfast love endures forever. The New Testament tells us: God is love. The psalmist tells us the same thing. God doesn’t have love, or exhibit love. He is love. What an amazing promise for us all–the God of the universe who has the power of life and death over every being loves us!

Psalm 137 is one of the saddest psalms of all. The writer is in exile in Babylon with the people of Israel. He tells us their captors tell them to sing one of the songs of Zion, a song of joy and praise to the LORD. It is torment to be given such a command.  How can one sing when in captivity in a foreign land? Yet, it is a call to remember Jerusalem, and in the midst of torment the psalmist lashes out for the LORD to repay their captors even to the point of dashing their babies’ heads against a rock. The violence of such a prayer is complete. Yet it shows us the LORD receives even our prayers for vengeance without being offended. He wants us to come to Him whatever our condition, whatever the state of our minds or hearts, and to rely on Him, to remember He is our God period. He isn’t our God when all is well, or when we are polite. He is our God in the good, the bad, and the seemingly insufferable.

Psalm 138 is another psalm of King David. It is a brief and powerful psalm of praise. It seems all the more powerful given that it follows Psalm 137. After reading about the depths of the people of Israel, we turn to the greatest king in their history praising God for His constant presence and work in His life. Sometimes our lives feel like that, too.  One moment, we are singing and praising God for who He is, thanking Him for all He has done. The next moment, we are crying out for deliverance, or even calling on the LORD to destroy our enemies. In it all, the LORD is with us, and His steadfast love does endure forever.

Psalm 139, a psalm of King David, is one of the most beautiful and powerful of all the psalms. David reminds us of the omnipotence of God, and of His all-knowing nature. We cannot hide from Him, nor ought we desire to do so, because He is for us and with us every moment. Even when we were in our mother’s womb God knew us, in fact, He created us there and made us “fearfully and wonderfully.” As we read this record of the LORD’s presence and power in our lives, and ultimately of David’s calling out for deliverance from His enemies, we realize our God is, indeed, for us. As the Apostle Paul would remind us a thousand years later, “If the our God is for us, then who can be against us!”

As we return to Luke 8, let’s focus for a moment on the woman who touched Jesus’ robe and was healed of a bleeding disorder that had ruined her life. In the culture of Jesus’ day, anyone with a bleeding disorder was “unclean.” That meant she could not be near other people or touch them. Otherwise, they would become unclean as well. She had spent all her money on doctors, but she didn’t receive the healing that would have restored her life. Some would say she touched Jesus’ robe in desperation. After all, it was perhaps her last chance to be restored to health. In addition, she was making Jesus unclean by her touch. While she was desperate, it wasn’t desperation that caused her to touch Jesus. It was faith. She believed Jesus would heal her. She believed more than that. She believed all she had to do was touch Jesus’ robe and she would be healed. What faith! Jesus soon affirmed her faith. He felt the power leave Him, that the woman knew was there. She felt it, too. She knew she was healed. When the woman confessed what she had done, she knew Jesus could reprimand her for her action. Instead, He called her “Daughter.” Scour the gospels and you will find this is the only woman Jesus called daughter. The name is significant. It is a term of close, personal endearment. Jesus didn’t know the woman, but He did. She was a child of Abraham, the father of the Hebrew people, and a man of great faith. All who live in faith are children of Abraham. Ask Jesus or the Apostle Paul. They both say as much in their messages. Let us live as sons and daughters of Abraham, and thus of Jesus as we live in faith regardless of the dis-ease we face in our lives today. A touch from Jesus is all it takes to be restored!

 

Psalm 130 is a cry for the LORD’s forgiveness. Remember, these songs of ascent were offered to the LORD as the Israelites walked to the Temple to worship. Each of us needs the LORD’s forgiveness to be restored to relationship with Him. His forgiveness is the center of our lives. As we receive it we receive the new life He gives. As we give it to others, we show the world what redemption does and how it feels.

Psalm 131 is quite brief, and yet powerful. It reminds us of the humility required to be in relationship with the LORD. As we rely completely on Him, we have peace and contentment, and our lives bring Him honor.

Psalm 132 offers a cry for the LORD to remain King David’s commitment to Him, and then to honor His commitment to place one of David’s descendants on the throne of Judah forever. This is another psalm where the details are precise, and the psalmist seems to be “reminding” the LORD of His promises, but as we have seen in past psalms, it is rather a reminder to the psalmist and his readers of the LORD’s faithfulness.

The theme of Psalm 133 is unity. The psalmist reminds us how good and pleasant it is when the LORD’s people dwell together in unity. As we live in an increasingly fragmented society and world, it is more vital than ever to live in the unity of the Holy Spirit with all who call on the LORD.

The final song of ascents, Psalm 134 is a brief song of praise to the Lord, and a call for Him to bless those who praise Him.

Psalm 135 could be a song of ascents except for its length. It starts with a powerful offering of praise to the LORD. It recalls the LORD’s faithfulness in the past, and it also reminds us of the futility of serving idols. They have all the parts of a human body, but they do not function. Only the LORD is worthy of praise.

As we turn again to Luke 7, let’s focus again on John the Baptist. He had been imprisoned by Herod for renouncing Herod for taking his brother’s wife as his husband. As he served his time, he wondered where Jesus was, what was He doing? After all, John expected Jesus to be a conquering Messiah, who would conquer Rome and right the wrongs in Israel. Certainly, one of those wrongs would be eliminating Herod as king. He sent some disciples to ask Jesus the pointed question, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus’ answer was straight from the prophet Isaiah. He quoted to John a passage that listed the deeds the Messiah would perform, and then entreated John not to fall away, because He wasn’t everything John expected. We need to hear that entreaty. After all, Jesus doesn’t always seem to be or do everything we expect. As we wait for Jesus’ return, all is not well in the world nor in our lives. The key is to wait, to let Jesus be who He is, and to remember when He comes again, He will be a conquering king. He will right all wrongs, and establish that just reign forever.

In Psalm 125, the psalmist compares those who trust in the LORD to Mt. Zion, which cannot be moved. He then speaks of the evil as those who will be cast aside. It really is that simple–not easy, but simple. The LORD upholds those who trust and honor Him.

Psalm 126 acknowledges the pain of life. It starts with those who return to Zion. The reason they had to return was they were exiled. It speaks of sowing tears and reaping joy. We don’t often think of life that way, do we? In the midst of sorrow, we don’t think about the potential joy we will gain through it, but that is how God works in our lives. He desires to transform anything in our lives to joy, when we trust Him and put Him first.  That does not mean that our sorrowful circumstances will immediately, or ever end in this life. It does mean during those times His joy can remain in us.

Psalm 127 reminds us how important it is to have the LORD at the center of all we are and do. We can seek security in our lives, but if the LORD isn’t our true security, we won’t be secure. We can seek to build homes and places others will envy, but unless the LORD is the architect, it is vain. The psalmist ends by reminding us that our children are a great blessing in our lives. While it doesn’t seem to fit with the theme of the psalm, it does: the world looks at building and security one way, and the LORD another. Children can be seen in many ways from a worldly viewpoint, but the LORD sees them as blessing.

Psalm 128 shows us what is truly valuable: a relationship with the LORD; a relationship with our wife (or husband if you’re a woman), a relationship with our children; and to live a long, full life to His glory. The key aspect of a life well lived is healthy relationships with God and others. Jesus would tell us the same thing when He walked the other by offering the Great Commandment in response to the question, “What is the greatest commandment in the Law?” That commandment is to love the Lord with everything we have, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Psalm 129 is a call for those who work against those who follow the LORD to be eliminated. We might not see that as worthy of a psalm, but it is a psalm, which means the LORD agrees with the assessment. The focus is more for the protection of the one who trusts the LORD, but by association those who turn against the LORD’s children are going to receive His response.

As we turn to Luke 6, we find some parallels to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7, one of the interesting differences in this section is Matthew 5:48 reads, “Be perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect,” While Luke 6:36 reads, “Be merciful even as your Father in heaven is merciful.” The change of the word perfect to merciful seems to make a great difference, but let’s think about that for a moment. What does God’s perfection do in our lives? It causes Him to show mercy to all who are imperfect, which is all of us. If we were perfect, we would not need His mercy. At the same time, those who are perfect–if they have a perfection similar to God’s–will be merciful to others. At the end of the day, the two statements, which seem so different on the surface, lead to the same result: showing mercy to others, because of the Lord’s perfection in our lives!

Psalms 120-134 are “Songs of Ascents.” They were used as “Calls to Worship” as the worshipers walked up Mount Zion to the Temple for worship. We’re told several were of King David and one of King Solomon. Most have no stated author. While the psalms are quite different, each one focuses on some aspect of the LORD and His presence and work in our lives. The purpose was to prepare the worshipers to come into His presence.

In Psalm 120, the psalmist focuses on preparing his “lips” or words to worship the LORD. He asks the LORD to keep him from lying lips or deceitful words. He also focuses on peace, and asking the LORD to make that his focus, because he lives among those who focus on war. We see how this would prepare a people for worship, because until we are focused on the LORD, His peace and truth, we will be distracted from worshiping Him fully.

In Psalm 121, the psalmist looks to the hills, and asks, “Where does my help come from?” The short answer: The LORD. He goes on to say the LORD will protect us and watch over us in every circumstance. What assurance for those who come together to worship the LORD–He is worthy of our worship and praise!

In Psalm 122, King David affirms Jerusalem as the place of worship for all the tribes of Israel. He calls for us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, which is the “home” of the LORD. This city was central to worshiping the LORD, and its welfare is the focus of this psalm of ascents.

In Psalm 123, the psalmist compares the LORD to the master of a slave, the mistress of a servant, and cries out to the LORD for mercy and protection, because the people have been oppressed. This brief psalm reminds us of our position as we come before the LORD–He is the King, the LORD, the master, and we are His subjects, His servants. While Jesus has redeemed us from sin, and told us we are His friends, we are still servants of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. As we remember that, we will be better prepared to serve Him.

In Psalm 124, King David, focuses on the LORD as our protector and deliverer. If He had not been with us, we would have been trapped. But the fantastic news is: He is with us, and so we are free in Him!

As we turn to Luke 5, let’s focus on the first event recorded by Luke: Jesus using the fishing boats of Peter and Andrew, James and John as a “pulpit” from which to teach the crowds. After the teaching ended, Jesus called on Peter to go out into the lake and let down his nets for a catch. Peter was the fisherman and Jesus the rabbi. Peter “knew” fishing was best done at night. He told Jesus as much. This was the middle of the day. “But,” he obeyed Jesus. Let’s focus on that single word: “But.” How often in our lives we have done things our way and the result has not been what we expected, or “knew” would happen.  We didn’t get the results we expected in our work, or in a relationship, or even inside ourselves. We have been in control and worked diligently. Then Jesus speaks in our hearts and offers a command that makes no sense. It is the opposite of what we would have done. The key in that moment is will we say, “I have done it my way, the ‘right’ way, and obtained no results, but I will do what you say.”? That is the moment when our faith grows. That is the moment when blessing begins. After all, until we trust Jesus with our lives, to know what’s best for them, we don’t follow Him. Peter agreed to Jesus’ command, and the ultimate result was he and his three partners became Jesus’ first four disciples!

Psalm 119 is by far the longest chapter in the Bible. It is a poem about the Law and word of the LORD. It is divided into sections based on the Hebrew alphabet, and each section starts with a Hebrew word that corresponds to the letter of the Hebrew alphabet that is the title for that section. The purpose of the psalm is to show us how vital God’s word is, and how important it is for us to read, meditate, and live it in our lives.

In “Aleph” the psalmist sets forth how vital it is to obey the LORD’s commands. To obey His commands we must know them. To know them we must read and study them. Investing the time to read through the Bible regularly is one aspect of fulfilling this aspect of the psalm.

In “Beth” we are told how a young man (or woman) can live purely: by following the commands of the LORD. We are called to hide the LORD’s word in our hearts so we won’t sin against Him. We are reminded that to obey His decrees is to ensure life.

In “Gimel” the psalmist reminds the LORD to protect him, because he has followed the LORD’s decrees.

In “Daleth” the psalmist calls on the LORD to preserve and protect him once again, because he has kept His ways. This is not only a recurring them in Psalm 119, but throughout the psalms as we know by this time.

In “He” the psalmist asks the LORD to keep him focused on His law so he will follow His path and not be led astray. The Law is a guide and establishes boundaries for a life well-lived.

In “Waw” he asks for the LORD’s love. He also states he loves the Law of the LORD. He meditates on it, and it keeps his life focused on the LORD.

In “Zayin” the psalmist tells the LORD His law is his hope in suffering. It gives him guidance against his enemies.

In “Heth” the psalmist promises to follow the LORD’s laws even if the wicked binds him, and he will also partner with those who follow the law. He reminds us the LORD’s love fills the earth. What does that have to do with the law? The law flows out of the LORD’s love for us. He guides us with it, because He loves us.

In “Teth” the psalmist points out that at one time he did evil and paid the consequences. Now, he follows the law of the LORD and the result is blessing. Though his enemies attack him, he will continue to follow the way of the LORD.

In “Yodh” he acknowledges the LORD formed him, and corrected him out of His love. He tells us again that he meditates on the law of the LORD.  Meditation as presented in the Bible, is not a mindless activity as it is in many eastern religions or modern forms of exercise. It is a focused reflection of the law with the purpose of understanding and living it to honor the LORD.

In “Kaph” the psalmist asks the LORD how long he must suffer at the hands of his enemies? He reminds the LORD of his faithfulness and hope in the LORD and acknowledges he will continue to trust in the LORD through his suffering.

In “Lamedh” he points out the law of the LORD is the foundation of His life. He hopes in it in suffering. He waits for the LORD’s deliverance as he lives out the law. He tells us there is a limit to all human perfection, but the perfection of the law is boundless. The absolute nature of the LORD’s law and truth is expressed here. It is the anchor in our lives, even when the storms rage all around us.

In “Mem” the psalmist tells us the law of the LORD has made him wiser than his enemies, his teachers, and the elders. This has happened, because he meditates on the law day and night. He knows he can trust in the LORD and in the wisdom he gains from the law regardless of what happens or how his enemies attack.

In “Nun” he tells us the LORD’s word is a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path. We see the law guides us in our immediate circumstances as well as into the distance or the future. It is the foundation of our loves. He tells us the law is his joy. Not many in our day would understand the law that way, but when we follow the way of the LORD it leads us to joy. The boundaries He has established for us bring the greatest peace and contentment in our lives, but only when we follow them.

In “Samekh” the psalmist contrasts double-minded and evil men with the LORD and His law. He has chosen to follow the LORD and calls on the LORD to protect and deliver Him from such people.

In “Ayin” he calls on the LORD to deliver him from his enemies, because he has followed the law. He tells the LORD he loves His law more than gold, more than pure gold. What a statement! People often focus on the material blessings of life and gaining them as a means of security. The psalmist reminds us the ultimate means to security is a relationship with the LORD that results in obedience to His law.

In “Pe” the psalmist tells the LORD His statutes are wonderful, which is why he obeys them. The guide his path, and bring deliverance from his foes. This approach to life leaves the psalmist secure, but he cries because he sees the LORD’s law being disobeyed.

In “Tsadhe” he tells the LORD He is righteous and His ways are right. That is why he follows them. What an important truth: we follow the law, because the law giver is righteous and has our best interests at heart!

In “Qoph” the psalmist calls out to the LORD and he promises if the LORD will answer he will follow His laws. This is not an “if you will do this, then I will do that” type of prayer as it seems on the surface. We know that because he tells us he meditates on the law through the night. He isn’t bargaining with the LORD. He is reminding the LORD of his faithfulness to Him, and requesting the LORD’s action on his behalf.

In “Resh”he once again calls out to the LORD for deliverance because of His faithfulness. He has many enemies, who do not follow the law, and he calls on the Lord to remember him in his times of need.

In “Sin and Shin” the psalmist tells us again his enemies are attacking him, but he follows the law. He calls out to the LORD seven times a day. Again, we see he has a lifestyle of living for the LORD, calling on the LORD, serving the LORD, and following the law of the LORD.

In “Taw” the final portion of the psalm, we see a bit of a summary of all we have seen throughout the psalm. The psalmist again calls on the LORD, and reiterates the place of the law in his life. It is central to him, and he calls on the LORD to preserve him.

As we turn to Luke 4, let’s focus on Jesus’ “mission statement.” After being tempted in the wilderness for forty days by the devil, and passing the test, Jesus’ ministry begins. He goes to the synagogue in Nazareth and is given the opportunity to read the Scripture. He opens the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and reads: ¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19 (ESV)  After reading these words, Jesus hands the scroll back to the attendant and pauses. Every eye is on Him. What will He say? He tells the listeners, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Those words were written by Isaiah to describe the Messiah. Jesus was telling the people He was the Messiah! As we would expect, the people looked at Him intently. They waited for more. The more He gave them was a reminder that a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, and among his own people. The message incensed the crowd, and they sought to kill Him. Not exactly the kind of start one would expect for the Messiah. Why would Jesus say such things after announcing His mission and identity? The short answer is: He wanted the people to know He was not the kind of Messiah they expected. They wanted a conquering king, a heroic Messiah who would establish Israel as the world power. He came to side with the weak and outcast, to heal the sick, and to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor. This agenda would eventually lead to His death. This first encounter with the crowd was merely a foreshadowing of what was ahead for Jesus. He knew that. That is why He came!