My Morning Meal

From the opening words of the song you can’t help but be drawn in. It says it’s a psalm of David. But after reading just the first verse you know it’s the Savior’s song . . . that it’s autobiographical . . . and, that it’s unbelievable!

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

Those are the opening words of Psalm 22. They are also Jesus’ words . . .those He cried out with a loud voice as He hung on Calvary’s cruel cross (Matt. 27:46) . . . forever identifying Psalm 22 as His psalm . . . a prophetic, Messianic psalm . . . forever linking His experiences with the lyrics written by the shepherd / sovereign / songwriter, David.

What insight it provides to the Savior’s suffering. Made a to feel like a worm (v.6) . . . aware of the mocking and derision that was cast upon Him (vv. 7-8). His life being absolutely drained from His body . . . His bones stretched out of their joints by His own weight on the cross . . . His heart like wax as it suffers congestive failure drowning in His own fluids. His strength gone . . . His mouth dry as desert ground . . . knowing He is about to die (vv.14-18). His hands and feet pierced, He looks down and can count all His bones as they seek to break out of His flesh . . . and, as He looks up, He sees His Gentile executioners, the dogs, as they stare at Him . . . and gloat over Him . . . and gamble for His clothes (vv.16-18).

Oh, what did my Savior endure that my sin might, once for all, be atoned for? What did my Savior go through that I might know His righteousness? How poor was the Son of Man made that, through His poverty, I might be made rich? Hallelujah! What a Savior!

But here’s what really grabbed me this morning . . .

Yet You are He who took me from the womb; You made me trust You at my mother’s breasts. On You was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb You have been my God.   (Psalm 22:9-10 ESV)

What mind-bending insight into the workings of the Triune God. Though Father, Son, and Spirit are perfectly one, the humiliation of Christ put Him in a position of absolute dependence upon the Father. If the first part of Psalm 22 give us insight into the mind of Christ as He hung on the cross, then did Jesus reflect upon His lowly birth as He waited for that moment when He would enter death? How aware was He of His self-imposed frailty . . . as One taken from the womb . . . as One dependent upon His mother’s breast for life sustaining nourishment . . . as One, though He was God, taught to trust in God? Behold the Man! . . fully, perfectly, man!

The depths of the descent made by the King of Creation in order to enter into His creation is beyond understanding. The absolute human dependence which God the Son had upon God the Father through God the Spirit is a mystery.

And . . . it is a beckoning to wonder and worship. It is an invitation to awe.

You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify Him,
and stand in awe of Him, all you offspring of Israel!   (Psalm 22:23 ESV)

What a song! What a Savior! Amen?

The youth group in our church, referred to as “24/7”, have undertaken a challenge. Together, they have committed themselves to working their way through a reading plan that will take them through the Bible in a year. Between their youth meetings, social media, and discipleship groups, they are going to try and hold themselves accountable for keepin’ on through the reading plan. If . . . when . . . they miss readings, they’re just going to pick up where the plan is and keep going. Love it!

There’s something to be said for developing the discipline of reading the Scriptures in a thoughtful, planned, and regular basis. Though some might argue that the outcome would be nothing more than reading the Bible out of habit, as the wise old mom of a friend once told him, “At least you’ll be establishing a GOOD habit!”

But there’s something that happens when you mix a “good habit” with a great God and an active Holy Spirit. The discipline becomes a dynamic.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
    the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
   the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;    (Psalm 19:7-8 ESV)

Check it out! Reviving the soul . . . making wise the simple . . . rejoicing the heart . . . enlightening the eyes. All from reading the Bible.

Talk about the “living and active” word of God (Heb. 4:12)! Talk about inspired words of God which are “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow!” Talk about the mind of Christ illuminated through the Spirit of God “discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart!” Talk about the discipline of reading the Bible becoming a life changing dynamic!

Paul says we are transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12:2). Eyes are enlightened and simple are made wise by engaging with the living word of God. There comes a point when “forcing yourself” to gut it out through the reading plan, instead becomes a hunger and thirst . . . when you want and need to enter into the fellowship with God that only comes from interacting with His word. There’s a longing to know the soul being revived . . . and the heart lifted up in rejoicing.

What a great discipline . . . to engage with the Word over the year. What an unbelievable dynamic . . . to have the Word engage you over the year.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.    (Psalm 19:10 ESV)

Keep on 24/7! Form the good habit . . . gut out the discipline of reading the Word. And then, encounter the dynamic . . . the reviving, rejoicing, enlightening dynamic.

By God’s grace . . . for God’s glory . . .

Really, there’s a sense in which you could argue that life for David was harder than it should have been. As a young man, he had been chosen of God to rule over Israel . . . he knew that. And beyond that, above and beyond his own anointing to be king, was God’s eternal determination that his would be an kingly line forever . . . that from him would eventually rise the King of Kings and the reign to end all other reigns. But ascending to the throne, and keeping the throne, was no “gimme” for David. Though he possessed the promise, the path was anything but easy. Though he had found favor with God, his enemies, before and after ascending to the throne, were many. More than once he found himself in desperate straits crying out to God for deliverance and refuge. As favored as David was, you could make the argument it was harder than we think it should have been.

But such are God’s sovereign purposes. Such is the way to growing in dependent humility on the only One who is sufficient to meet all our needs. Such is the reality of those called of God. True of David then . . . true of believers today . . . true, even of the Savior. Before Christ’s glory, there was the groaning . . . before resurrection, there was death . . . before the crown, there was the cross. Sometimes, it’s just hard.

I’m reminded of this as I read Psalm 17 this morning. A prayer of David. The cry of one needing rescue from his enemies. The plea of one seeking protection in the shadow of the Almighty’s wings. And what particularly stirs me this morning is David’s conclusion to his prayer of need.

As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;
              when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness.
.                                                                       (Psalm 17:15 ESV)

Though it was hard . . . though his enemies seemed to prosper . . . David looked beyond the “here and now” and anticipated the “there and then.”

To meditate on that day when He would behold the face of God. To think on that future reality of awaking to His likeness. It placed David’s harder-than-it-should-be circumstance within the greater context of that which lay before him.

One day, faith will give way to sight. One day, those called of God will behold the God who called them. One day, His face will satisfy every need ever felt . . . His presence will heal every wound ever incurred . . . His glory fill to overflowing every emptiness every known. To quote a favorite song of mine, “It’s gonna be worth it!”

Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame, for the joy set before Him (Heb. 12:2). Paul pressed on, and kept running the race, for the prize set before him (Php. 3:14). David would keep on keepin’ on . . . he would continue to seek refuge in the One who regarded David as the apple of His eye . . . he would stand firmly on the foundation of the One he trusted to be his Rock . . . continually walking in the promise . . . all for the Face that, one day, he would behold.

Might be harder than we think it should be. But one day we will behold His Face. And it’s gonna be worth it all!

Amen?

Maybe not the best word to use to describe the dynamic, but I do feel a little schizophrenic reading Psalm 16 this morning. I read it as a song of David and I enter into the songwriter’s world. But then, because I recognize parts of this psalm as being quoted in Acts (2:25-33) referring to Jesus, I know that this is a Messianic psalm . . . a prophetic song concerning the Lord. And that causes me to read the psalm a little differently . . . the application taking on different meaning and nuance . . . providing insight into thoughts and experiences of the Savior. And so, as I read and re-read the song, I’m flopping back and forth. What’s the primary meaning of this verse? . . . what’s the secondary meaning? . . . can that apply to me? . . . does that only apply to Christ? Hence, the “schizophrenia” I’m referring to. But what a blessed schizophrenia!

You read Psalm 16 and you get twice the bang for your buck. On the one hand, it is my story as one who has known the God who preserves me, the One in whom I take refuge (v.1). I too bless the Lord who gives me counsel through His inspired word (v.7) . . . I also, by His grace, know what it is to purpose to set Him before me and know the stability of God being so close that it’s like He’s at my right hand (v.8). And, therefore, I know too the gladness of heart from being in Him who alone is my security (v.9). I can also anticipate the final destination of the path of life He has set before me . . . the fullness of joy that will be known in His presence . . . the pleasures evermore that are my inheritance at His right hand (v.11).

On the other hand, I imagine Jesus singing this song . . . that He is the One doing the application . . . and I’m moved with awe, wonder, and gratitude for the depths to which the Creator entered His creation’s world. That He is the One looking to the Father in absolute trust . . . the Son finding in the Father the refuge that would be necessary to whether the storm of Gethsemane. That He would bless the Father for the counsel provided through the Spirit that He might fulfill His desire to come and do the Father’s will. I hear the thoughts of Jesus He hangs on the cross . . . feeling the ebb of life flowing out of Him . . . knowing that He will shortly give up His life . . . assured that His Father would not abandon His soul to Sheol or let His Holy One see corruption (v.10). Imagining that, even as He cries, “It is finished” from the cross, that He knows deep within, “I’ll be back!”

And so it goes . . . back and forth . . . forth and back . . . I see me then I see Him . . . I see Him then I see me. But perhaps the most blessed of meditations comes as I hover over verse 6 . . .

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.   (Psalm 16:6 ESV)

A beautiful inheritance. True for me . . . true for the Savior.

The place where I am, whatever that place, can be a pleasant place because of that which is to come. Whatever my situation I can be content because He is sufficient and because that which lies before, my inheritance, is beautiful. O, to pause and consider the glory that is promised the child of God. Heaven awaits. I have a beautiful inheritance!

But Jesus also has a beautiful inheritance. And because of it, He could endure the shame of the cross for the joy that lay before Him (Heb. 12:2). Though His “lines” would pass through the barrenness of being forsaken of God, He would see it as a “pleasant place” because of the inheritance awaiting Him . . . His beautiful, blood bought bride . . . the church. He would foresees the day when He presents her to Himself “in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). And, through saving grace, I’m part of that blessed bride of Christ.

A beautiful inheritance. Is it that which awaits me? Or, is it that which awaits Christ . . . of which I am part? It’s both! . . . I’m kind of liking this kind of schizophrenia.

To Him be all glory and praise . . .