My Morning Meal

Reading Psalm 22 invariably takes you to the cross. It is the experience of Jesus’ last hours foretold centuries earlier by David. Most often, I read the psalm and find myself entering into the suffering of Messiah as I read David’s dirge concerning One forsaken of God (22:1) . . . despised by men (22:6) . . . poured out like water (22:!4) . . . encircled by a company of evildoers (22:16) . . . pierced for our transgressions (22:16, Isa. 53:5).

But this morning, beyond again imagining all that the Savior endured on my behalf, I was struck also by the second half of the psalm. And while there is greater application to the suffering Savior, I was struck that it is an encouragement to all who find themselves in that place where they are going through the ringer . . . where they feel they are forsaken. And encouragement that God is a rescuer . . . that He who might be “far off” for a season will draw near . . . and that, when He does, pain gives way to praise.

A brother shared his testimony at our last men’s monthly breakfast. While many of us knew this guy . . . had sat around the Word with this guy . . . and been blessed by this guy’s love for the Lord and warmth toward the brethren . . . none of us were prepared for what he was to share. The early chapters of his life were heart-breaking . . . the chapters that followed were marked with significant tragedy . . . but the story he was living now was proclamation and praise. Proclamation of God’s faithfulness . . . praise for God’s sustaining grace.

I will tell of Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You: 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! For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and He has not hidden His face from him, but has heard, when he cried to Him.   (Psalm 22:22-24 ESV)

There is a depth of worship that results only from the reality of rescue. When, in Him, we find the balm for our pain . . . when, by Him, we are sustained in the storm . . . when, because of Him, we believe that all things work together for good according to His purpose. It is the worship of those who have been through the trial . . . who have endured the fire . . . and have, by God’s grace, emerged a little more refined. It is the worship of those who have experienced the promise . . .

The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever!   (Psalm 22:26 ESV)

And, as I read these words in Psalm 22 this morning, it’s as if Jesus stands in the midst of this congregation of one and reminds me, whom He would call brother, of the wondrous Name of our saving and sustaining God. And so, God the Son . . . declares the praise of God the Father . . . through God the Spirit . . . and urges me to do likewise.

Praise Him! . . . you who fear the LORD. Glorify Him! . . . you who are born of the promise to the patriarchs. Stand in awe of Him . . . you who are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1Peter 2:9).

The degrees vary . . . that stories differ . . . but, that pain is part of the process, is evident. That the pain might result in praise . . . that deliverance might produce declaration of the God who will never leave us nor forsake us . . . that the struggle might bear the fruit of exalting worship of our God.

For His glory . . .

Sometimes, instead of just one of my readings grabbing my attention, it is the combination of readings that causes me sit back and reflect . . . and wonder . . . and worship. That’s how it was this morning . . . that’s why I’m thinking about chariots and horses.

During the first part of the year, when Psalms are a part of the reading plan, I order the readings such that my last reading is in Psalms . . . saving the songs for last. Psalm 20 is a prayer for the king . . . a prayer that God will be his support in times of trouble . . . that God will honor the king’s faithfulness by giving the king his heart’s desire . . . that God will hear the king’s prayers and answer from “His holy heaven” and, with His mighty right hand, save the king from those who rise up against him. And then David pens what could be, for me, the chorus of the song . . . or an oft repeated bridge that builds into a crescendo of worship. It’s a line that became the summary of all I read this morning . . .

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7 ESV)

It could have been the chorus song by Joseph, second in command over all of Egypt, as he revealed himself to his brother (Gen. 44-45). There they stood, unable to speak as they grappled with the reality that the one they had sold into Egyptian slavery . . . the one they had, for all intents and purposes, killed off and removed from their father’s line of heirs . . . that this one not only stood before them very much alive . . but was also very much in control of Egypt. And Joseph seeks to quell their fears, “Do not be dismayed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here” (45:5). Though you sold me into slavery, I became the head of Potiphar’s house . . . though his wife entrapped me and I was thrown into prison, I became head of the prison . . . though my buddies forgot me when I revealed their dreams, I was eventually summoned before Pharaoh . . . and revealed his dream . . . and was given charge over Egypt. How?

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

It would have also been a fitting praise song for the church to have sung after their prayer meeting that night when they had gathered to cry out to God on Peter’s behalf (Acts 12). Crazy Herod had received such a boost in the polls after running the apostle James through with a sword, that he grabbed Peter and threw him in prison, intending to stage a second episode of his budding reality TV show, “Herod Makes Martyrs.” And so the church met to pray on the eve of Peter’s execution . . . and heaven was moved . . . and an angel came down . . . and Peter was unchained . . .and the prison was unlocked . . . and Rhoda looked through the peep-hole of the door to the prayer meeting and, seeing Peter standing there, cried, “Unreal!” “You’re crazy, girl,” might have been the response from those inside praying for Peter’s release, “Peter’s in prison, we’re praying for His rescue, he can’t be at the door.” But he was . . . and they were amazed . . . and the band starts to play . . . and the bridge starts to build . . .

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

And who was singing it that night when Jesus, with but the sound of His voice . . . and the authority of His name . . . commanded the storm to cease (Matt. 8:23-27)? The winds and the sea were raging . . . the disciples in the boat thought they were perishing . . . the Savior in the boat, self constrained by the human body He had taken, was resting. “Save us LORD” was the cry in the boat . . . “Peace, be still” was the Master’s response (both to the seas and to the seamen). The seas go calm . . . the disciples go awestruck . . . and I wonder if an angelic host in the heaven couldn’t have gone nuts . . . “Yes!” . . .

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

I’m no king . . . ain’t an apostle . . . don’t care much for fishin’. But have I faced opposition? . . . have I found myself in a tough spot with no idea as to how I’m going to get out? . . . have I encountered storms along the ways? Yeah, kinda’. O, that this would be my song . . . that this would be the tune running through my head . . .

By His grace . . . for His glory. Amen?

It’s the stuff that comedy routines are made of . . . talking wife, tuned-out husband . . . she’s sitting at the breakfast table conversing, his nose is in the paper (or his ipad) concentrating on the previous days’ sports scores . . . she’s sitting on the couch relating how her day went, he’s comatose in the lazy-boy watching the tube . . . she’s saying, “Honey, I need to talk to you”, he’s hearing, “Blah, blah, blah!” You know the routines I’m talking about . . . they can be kind of funny because they can be so reflective of a reality we’ve at least seen . . . if not reflective of a reality we’ve personally been part of.

But this morning, as I’m reading Psalm 19, it kind of hits home. Not that this song of David is an ode to talking wives and inattentive husbands . . . but that it is a reminder of how often God’s “laying it down” and I’m just not “picking it up” . . .

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their measuring line goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4a ESV)

Day in, day out the heavens declare the glory of God. Night by night by night, knowledge of the Creator is dished up on a platter for those with eyes to see and ears to hear through His abiding handiwork. It’s not conveyed with words, but a voice that goes all through the earth. It’s not an audible voice but the words are served up to the end of the world. But how often does the Father want to “talk to me” of His glory, and I’m tuned to another station? Probably more often than I care to admit.

But the heavens and the skies are just the “trailer.” His glory and His handiwork revealed in the sun coming up every morning and the stars displayed every night, are an invitation to put down the paper (or the ipad) . . . to turn off the tube . . . to tune into His voice . . . and to “listen” further through His Word. Beyond the “general revelation” of God’s magnificent character and awesome power through creation, there is the “specific revelation” of His written Word. The Word of God which revives the soul . . . makes the simple wise . . . causes the heart to rejoice . . . and brings light to the eyes. It is a forever Word . . it is a true and righteous Word . . . it is a Word which speaks to those who desire to listen (19:7-9).

The heavens declare His glory and power . . . the Word reveals His grace and purposes . . . the sky proclaims His handiwork . . . the Scriptures shows us God’s heart. O’ that I would be more like the psalmist and less like the deaf guy at the breakfast table . . . that my heart would receive the unspoken words of creation . . . that my soul would thirst and hunger to know His voice through His Word . . . that it would be my delight . . .

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)

And then, might I enter into the conversation. Having heard His voice, might I respond. Having recognized afresh His glory, might I praise Him. Having been fed anew by His Word, might I worship Him. Having “picked up” something of what He’s “laying down” might I engage with the glorious God of the heavens and offer Him my own words of thanksgiving . . . might I accept the invitation to interact with Him and speak words of adoration within His holy presence. Not that my words are anything, but that He deserves everything . . .

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14 ESV)

Let the conversation begin . . .

At first, it comes across as kind of arrogant . . . kind of “holier-than-thou” like . . . kind of delusional, actually. It says that David wrote Psalm 18 as a song to the Lord “on the day when the LORD rescued him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.” And in the course of David’s declaration of his love for the Lord (v.1) . . . as part of his account of God’s mighty hand displayed on David’s behalf . . . in the midst of this declaration of God’s majesty and might . . . David seems to turn the limelight on himself and do a bit of self-promotion with a double declaration of “my righteousness” . . .

The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He rewarded me. . . . So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.   (Psalm 18:20, 24 ESV)

So I read this and realize that I know some things David may not have had clearly on his radar . . . that there has been some additional revelation since the time of Israel’s shepherd king. I’m reminded that there is “none righteous, no not one” (Rom. 3:10) . . . that, before a holy God, man’s best and most “righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isa. 64:6). So, though David might be considering the integrity of his own track record as the basis for God’s favor . . . there must be something more than simply what David has done, or not done, which compels the God of heaven to delight in him (18:19b).

No doubt David sought to be a righteous man . . . in the matter of not raising his hand against God’s anointed, Saul, his hands were clean . . . that he kept the ways of the LORD and determined not to depart from God even when the going got tough is clear (18:21). David was a lover of the Word . . . a seeker of the Way . . . fearing God and determined to keep himself blameless before Him (18:22). But if David’s righteousness before the Lord was a result of the good stuff he had done . . . what happens when he falls into the bad stuff . . . can anyone say, “Bathsheba?”

No doubt, the LORD delighted in David . . . even knowing that the king of God’s choosing would become an adulterer and a murderer. So what’s the real claim of righteousness that David had? What’s the true foundation for righteousness that any man or woman has? It’s the claim of Abraham . . .

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”   (Romans 4:3 ESV)

That’s how David, the less than perfect man, the king who would crash and burn, could appeal to his righteousness as the basis for God’s favor. Though David may or may not have fully understood it, his righteousness was an imputed righteousness . . . it was the righteousness of Another credited to his account . . . not on the basis of his lack of failure, but on the basis of his abiding faith. Though King David could not have imagined it, this imputed righteousness was the righteousness of another King . . . the Heir of David’s throne . . . He who came first as a spotless and sacrificial Lamb . . . come to take away the sin of the world . . . come to impart His righteousness and nature to those who would receive Him by faith.

That was David’s righteousness. Praise God, that’s my righteousness!

By the grace of God . . . for the glory of God.

I’m not a gambler . . . not pro-gambling . . . probably shouldn’t use a gambling as an illustration . . . but as I come to the end of Psalm 17 this morning I can’t help but conclude that at some point you need to place your bets. At some point you need to choose between the red square or the black square . . . you either take more cards or you hold with the hand you have . . . you pick a number and then let it ride. The most important matters of life are not a gamble . . . not up to luck . . . but they are a matter of choice . . . a matter of intentional determination . . . of picking a way and committing to it. And it’s not a jackpot that’s at stake . . . it’s eternity.

Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by Your sword, from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life . . . As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness.   (Psalm 17:13-15 ESV)

Psalm 17 is “A Prayer of David” . . . it is a cry and a plea of someone whose taking it in the teeth — probably unfairly and undeservedly. It is a lament from a seeker of the kingdom of heaven about the attacks he is enduring from the enemies of the world around him. David appeals to the God who tries the heart and tests the way (17:3) . . . calls out to heaven knowing that God will “incline His ear” and hear David’s words (17:6). And in this petition to a Savior there is the understanding, that when all is said and done, men and women ultimately place their bets on what they believe to be the prize . . . “this life” . . . or the life that awaits “when I awake.”

In verse 14, David is led by the Spirit of God to describe his enemies as “men of the world whose portion is in this life.” They are those who look to this life for their reward . . . those who count success in terms of the bank account or the number of toys the bank account can finance . . . “making it” is measured in the span of a mortal’s lifetime. David says that they take the abundance God’s provide and they live for what they can produce with it . . . but eventually, they “leave their abundance” to others. Their success, ultimately, is dictated by the amount of inheritance they leave behind. That’s where they place their bets for a fulfilling life.

However, if David is a good role model (he is), then the people of God are focused less on the inheritance they leave behind and are consumed more by the inheritance that awaits them. They are unlike those who Peterson characterizes as “flat-earth people who can’t think beyond today” (17:14 MSG) . . . instead, they are those who have set their minds on things of the future and things beyond the earth . . . those who “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1-2) . . . those who have placed their bets on laying up treasures in heaven . . . anticipating the glory that awaits them.

And it’s not the glory of their legacy . . . not the glory of their pious acts . . . but the glory of beholding the face of the Redeemer. It is the glory of standing, or falling to our faces as the case may be, before the One who has robed us in His righteousness. It is the joyous anticipation of taking whatever rewards He has determined for us by His grace, and casting them before the feet of Him who alone is worthy of glory and honor . . . our satisfaction not found in heavenly rewards but solely in being found in His heavenly presence . . .

Beholding His face . . . clothed in His righteousness . . . satisfied with nothing more than His likeness.

That’s where I’m placing my bets. Not gambling on the future. Instead, seeking first the kingdom of God . . . rather than striving for a “portion in this life.”

By His grace . . . for His glory . . .

I’m hovering over Psalm 16 this morning . . . and the words of this song come across as penned by someone experiencing a rush of contentment. Whatever might be going on in the songwriter’s life . . . whatever it is that causes him to lead off with, “Preserve me, O God” . . . it seems to fade, or at least be put into context, as the psalmist also declares, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from You”.

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot” . . . “I bless the Lord, Who gives me counsel” . . . “I have set the Lord always before me.” Therefore . . . “the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance” . . . “because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” . . . “therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.”

Content . . . glad . . . the songwriter’s inner being secure . . . his soul welling up with joy and praise.

Though there seems to be something unpleasant going on in the psalmist’s life based on how he opens his song . . . after “the intro” the melody is uplifting . . . the lyrics are life . . . the tone is hopeful . . . and I think it’s because the songwriter places his “here and now” within the bigger picture of the promised “there and then” . . .

“For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let Your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”    (Psalm 16:10-11 ESV)

Despite the circumstances upon him, the psalmist knows that God has made known to him the path of life . . . regardless of the struggles of today, there is a fullness of joy waiting him on that tomorrow when he is in God’s presence . . . while not denying the trials of the moment, he encourages himself with a reminder of the eternal pleasures which are for those who will abide at God’s right hand forever. He may be tried . . . but not abandoned. And in that knowledge . . . with that abiding inner assurance . . . there is contentment.

I don’t know that life is ever conflict free. Even if the battle dies down outwardly, it seems there always something to struggle with inwardly. For every mountain top experience, it seems I can so easily find myself slipping into the valley on either side of it. I was also reading in Matthew 6 this morning and was reminded there that “sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (6:34b).

But there’s a lesson I can learn from the songwriter. Take time to remember the God of my future and be reminded that He is the God who directs my present. Know afresh that I have an unimaginable inheritance waiting for me . . . an inheritance found in Christ . . . an inheritance to be enjoyed as a co-heir with Christ . . . an inheritance guaranteed by the Spirit within me . . . and, knowing that, be assured that the Holder of my inheritance is sufficient to meet the need for today.

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”   – Jesus (Matthew 6:31-33 ESV)

A precious promise . . . a rush of contentment . . . sufficient for the day . . . all of the glory of God. Amen?