It takes a lot of time and hard work to build a life, but how do you build a life that you’re proud of? A life that is successful and satisfying? According to the Bible and the 127th Psalm, you can can’t build a good life without God’s help. He provides two blessings that are essential for longterm flourishing.
First, God provides the blessing of rest. This may seem confusing at first, so let me explain. Verses 1 and 2 describe all kinds of strenuous activities like build a house, guarding a city, and poetically “eating the bread of painful labors.” While the Bible affirms the value of work, it doesn’t view work as an end in itself. The reason that people endure long hours is so they can eventually rest and verse 2 says that God is the one who provides it. It may be rest for the night, a weekly sabbath rest, or resting for eternity, but true rest can only come from trusting in God.
Second, God provides the blessing of children. In verses 3 to 5, children are described as an unqualified good and a blessings from God. They are called “a gift,” “a reward,” and “arrows in the hard of a warrior.” But, the last line of verse 5 makes the strongest connection for me between the blessing of children and a good life. In the ancient world, the “gate” was a place of public debate and legal action. Grown children could provide support and even a defense for their parents as they age. Without an up-and-coming generation, people are left to themselves.
The lesson from this practical psalm is clear: You can’t build a good life without His help. So, the question becomes, “How do you get God’s help in building a good life?” In addition to believing in the value of children, it’s also important to trust God to meet your needs. This doesn’t erase the need to work hard, but it does tie our labor to God’s care and provision. If He can give his children what they need while they sleep, than we can rest easy and live the good life.
The ninth and tenth Psalms are linked together by a nearly perfect acrostic alphabet structure. In addition, the ninth Psalm ends with a Selah (which is unusual), and the tenth Psalm has no superscription (which is unusual in this part of the Psalter). Since they also share some common language, it makes sense to read them together as a matched set composed by David.
In Psalm 9, the aspiring king praises God for His righteous judgment on behalf of those persecuted. In Psalm 10, he turns his attention to a particular kind of persecutor – the practical atheist. It would have been difficult to be a theoretical atheist in ancient Israel. The Tabernacle, the feasts and the sacrifices, the Torah, and the Mosaic Covenant all pointed toward the existence and intervention of Yahweh. The ancient Israelites could not reject these marks of Judaism openly, but they could reject them in their daily life and practice.
The Psalmist refers to this mindset three times in chapter 10 (verses 4, 11, and 13). In each case, the persecutor denies God’s existence and intervention in human affairs, saying to himself, “There is no God.” Verses 5 to 11 describe the inner workings of one who has rejected the existence of God, as well as their motivations. Without the threat of accountability from a higher power, the atheist feels free to take advantage of the weak and powerless.
David never accuses Saul directly in these Psalms, but one is left to wonder if the elder king gave himself over to this kind of practical atheism. Officially, he was God’s representative to the Israelite people. But practically, privately, he found it hard to follow God’s commands. When he was corrected by Samuel the prophet, he was dismissive and defensive, and when given the chance, he killed the whole priesthood at Nob (1 Samuel 15, 22). Everyone else viewed David as a “man after God’s own heart,” but Saul viewed David with murderous rage.
I usually see atheism as a mild form of unbelief, but these two Psalms put it in a much more dangerous category. Atheism tends to drive people toward aggression since it has no respect for a higher power. Practical atheism is especially dangerous because it changes one’s mindset in secret. The church, like ancient Israel, must stand with the Psalmist and call for God to take action on behalf of the afflicted. This may be one of the most powerful apologetics of them all.
How does it feel to be falsely accused of something? Certainly, it seems unfair. It also carries a certain amount of desperation. It can be painful and embarrassing knowing that people think you are guilty of a crime that you didn’t commit. In Psalm 7, David compares the pain of a false accusation to a lion attack (v. 2-5). His soul is torn apart, and his life is trampled to the ground.
The book of 1 Samuel contains numerous events that could serve as the background for this Psalm. Even though Saul isn’t named, his tribe – the Benjamites, is mentioned in the heading. The most obvious are the events that happen in 1 Samuel 24 – 26. David has two opportunities to take Saul’s life but refuses to do so. In between, David is about to take the life of the “harsh” and “evil” Nabal (the Bible’s words, not mine), but is stopped by his gracious wife, Abigail. In all three situations, similar Hebrew words are used to describe God’s actions as He “repaid” men for their righteousness or “returned” a man’s wickedness back upon his own head (24:19, 25:39, 26:23). This same terminology shows up in the last section of Psalm 7, in verses 15 and 16.
So, how do we respond to a false accusation, once we’ve gotten over our feelings of desperation and pain? Following David’s example in this Psalm, we are to call out to God asking that our accuser fall into his own trap. If our conscience is clear, then we are to cry out for retribution for the Righteous Judge, who tries the heart and minds of all people. We are encouraged to fight lions with our own lion, the Lion of Judah, who stands up for His people.
David literally ran for his life on more than one occasion. In 1 Samuel 19, he ran from Saul after the unhinged king tried to kill him four times. David stayed in hiding from Saul for the next 10 chapters. Later on, in 2 Samuel 15, David ran away from Jerusalem to as his son, Absalom, made a claim to the throne.
The inscription given to Psalm 3 explains that it was written around the time David fled from his son, Absalom. Even though the inscription is not inspired by the Holy Spirit, it gives modern readers a starting place to evaluate the king’s comments. David had the right to speak about these issues because he has seen the worst kinds of battles.
This Psalm is sometimes described as a morning prayer of trust in God. In four short stanzas, David ran from his enemies and ran to God for help. Instead of focusing on threat that rose up all around him, David focused on the protection that God would provide. His faith in God drove Him to trust in the One who is a “shield” around His people.
Jesus was rejected by many of His peers. Does that weaken or strengthen His claims?
One of the best ways to persuade others with an argument is to answer their strongest objections. If you can provide a reasonable explanation for someone’s biggest challenge, you can “take the wind out of their sails” and maybe win the day. This approach follows the logic of the familar parable: “The best offense is a good defense.”
John seems to take the same approach at times in His Gospel, which is aimed at converting unbelievers into believers (John 20:30-31). In John 12:37-50, He tackles the potentially embarrassing issue of Christ’s rejection. Why believe in Jesus Christ as the Jewish Messiah and Savior of the World if so many of His own people rejected Him during His earthly ministry? Doesn’t that prove or at least weaken His claim of being sent by God?
Instead of shying away from this objection, John leans into it in the closing verses of John chapter 12. He uses Isaiah 5:31 and 6:10 to point out that God’s messengers haven’t always been well received. Moses, Elijah, Ezekial, and Isaiah all faced signifcant opposition in their day and Jesus experienced the same.
In addition, John reveals the motivation behind much of Israel’s rejection of Jesus. The “rulers” would have been members of the Sanherin, the Jewish “Supreme Court” of its time. Many of these rulers had a private respect and admiration for Jesus, but they refused that share it publically for fear that they would loose the respect of their peers. The problem wasn’t with Jesus and His teaching or miracles, it was with the hard-heartedness of His audience.
John helps us to see that Christ’s rejection was a sign of His failure, but instead, it was a sign of His success. Jesus was faithful to His mission, even if He wasn’t hailed as hero by all of His peers. Popularity can be a poor measure of success and it’s an even worse measure of the truth.
This past Sunday at Northside Baptist, we studied the cleansing of the temple story in John 2:13-25. We took note of several ways that Jesus challenges believers today, including challenging our self-centered forms of worship. The Jews in Jesus’ day allowed merchants and money changers to distract from true God-centered worship. Even though elements and styles of worship change through the years, there are some priorities of gathered worship that stay the same. These priorities help us differentiate between God-centered worship and self-centered worship.
Preaching God’s Word. The Bible is God’s holy, inspired, inerrant, and authoritative message to humanity. It tells us what we need to know about the world, ourselves, and most importantly God. The Scriptures inform and empower our worship; without them we have no basis for truth.
The Bible may be used in a variety of ways in worship, but the primary way it guides our worship is through expository preaching. Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix define expository preaching as “the process of laying open the biblical text in such a way that the Holy Spirit’s intended meaning and accompanying power are brought to bear on the lives of contemporary listeners.” This kind of proclaimation and explanation are essential for God-centered worship.
Praising Christ and Exalting His Name. In Hebrews 1:1-2, we find that Jesus Christ is God’s full and final revelation to the world. He is the “heir of all things” and should be the focus of our adoration and praise. The expressions of worship that we include in our times of gathered worship should all be intended for one purpose – to praise God’s one and only Son.
Music is a big part of modern worship and for good reason. Corporate singing allows congregants to participate in the service in an active way. But care should be taken to choose songs that highlight the objective nature of God and His redemptive plan for humanity in Jesus Christ. Some songs only talk about our subjective feelings as objects of God’s love. This second category falls short of the true nature of worship.
Engaging with the Holy Spirit. The Third-person of the Trinity is active in the worship of the church. In addition to salvation, the Holy Spirit is involved in empowering, illuminating, sanctifying, and bestowing gifts on all believers (Acts 1:8, John 14:16-17, Romans 8:2-17,1 Corinthians 12:4-11). The Holy Spirit makes His presence known as believers gather for worship.
There are other priorities that could be added to this. Specific expressions of worship like fellowship with other believers, observing the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and sacrificial giving are all valuable and worth noting. My goal has been to highlight the participation of all three members of the Trinity in God-centered worship. It is only when we pursue these priorities together that we avoid the self-centered alternative.
What priority would you add to the list? Feel free to add it below!
Jesus was so passionate about prayer that He taught his disciples to pray as part of his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:9-13 (see also Luke 11:2-4). Some people quote the Savior’s model prayer word for word, while others prefer a more relaxed approach. Both of these groups would benefit from a reminder of the spirit that stands behind this particular prayer. I believe the Lord’s Prayer teaches how to develop a posture of dependence on God. If we aren’t dependent on God, then why pray?
The six petitions contained in the prayer can be divided up into two categories focusing first on who God is and then on what God does for us. Here is a two-part plan to guide your personal prayer time based on the Lord’s Prayer. You can use this plan to help with your daily devotional time or as part of a special emphasis.
Part 1: Praise God for Who He Is
He is Sanctified (v 9).
– Acknowledge God’s holiness and perfection.
– Name some of the character qualities that God perfectly fulfills.
– Express your reverence and respect for God.
He is Sovereign (v.10).
– Reaffirm Christ as your Savior and Lord.
– Ask God to show you how His kingdom is growing and expanding on earth.
– Express your gratitude for all the ways that God preserves you and your loved ones.
He is Steadfast (v.10).
– Reflect on God’s steadiness and consistency.
– Thank God for His determination to bring His will to pass.
– Invite God to move in your life so that His will would be done, starting with you.
Part 2: Praise God for What He Does
He Gives Us Our Sustenance (v. 11)
– Give thanks to God for three specific ways that He has met your needs recently.
– Share a new need with God, trusting that He wants to respond.
– Look for ways to share your appreciation of God’s provision with others.
He Gives Us Our Salvation (v. 12).
– Praise God for the forgiveness that you have by faith in Jesus Christ.
– Give God permission to reveal any areas in your life where you have an unforgiving spirit.
– Life up someone in your life who may be lost and separated from God.
He Gives Us Our Spiritual Victory (v. 13).
– Ask God to give you victory over sin and temptation.
– Call on God to give you the strength you need to stand and grow.
– Identify one area that you can grow in as a disciple of Christ, and do it.
The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to praise God for who He is as well as what He does for us. This guide is just one way for you to connect this model prayer with your personal prayer. In doing so, I hope you are able to develop a posture of dependence on God as you engage with Him in prayer.
Here are two books on prayer that I’ve found particularly helpful:
They used to say that all publicity is good publicity, but is that still true?
Phineas T. Barnum is famous for the phrase, “All publicity is good publicity.” In this line of thinking, the only thing worse than being talked about badly is not being talked about at all. But is this true?
The 11th chapter of Hebrews is jam packed with believers who are “famous” for their faith. They are held up as examples of faith, but also as reminders of the faithfulness of God throughout the generations. But not all the examples that are listed are positive.
In a closely related passage in Hebrews 12:14-17, we read about the negative example of Esau. This is the guy who sold his birthright for bowl of stew (Genesis 25:27-34). He was more interested in his next meal than honoring his family as the firstborn son. Rather than being famous, He is infamous in the book of Hebrews for all the wrong reasons.
How can we avoid Esau’s negative example? The verses that introduce him contain two clues.
We must pursue peace. Instead of peace, Esau and Jacob were bitter rivals. They let their personal conflict interrupt God’s overarching plan for their family and His people. Verse 15 intensifies this instruction from a negative angle – by avoid a growing spirit of bitterness.
We must pursue holiness. The record of Esau in Genesis doesn’t mention immorality, but Hebrews sure does. His moral impurity led him toward godlessness and away from holiness.
Even though Esau begged for forgiveness his birthright was lost and his blessing was lost. Believers today have similar opportunity to live as children of the Heavenly Father by faith. To fail is to follow the wrong example in Hebrews and to generate the wrong kind of publicity.
This is a guest post from my friend, Clay Woford. Clay is a husband, Seminary student, Director for Business Development for Coastal Wealth Management, and an Engineer for Marathon Petroleum.
You have been wronged, maybe small – maybe large – maybe for the last time? You feel you deserve justice, or revenge – that you need it. You seek counsel from friends and they support you that you deserve better, you deserve justice, that you don’t need to forgive this person who has wronged you. When you are wronged, you can lose an endless amount of time dwelling on what happened. Yet, your faith calls for different and there is freedom found in Christ from this bondage.
Your faith in Jesus Christ leads you to 1. Delayed Justice and 2. Unconditional Forgiveness.
Delayed Justice
Hebrews 10:30 – “For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
Romans 12:19 – “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Our Christian worldview guides us to not seek out our own justice through revenge or disparage someone. Our ultimate justice is coming in that God will judge all according to their deeds.
Unconditional Forgiveness
The idea that forgiveness might have limits or that at some point it isn’t deserved is not a new thought. Peter asked Jesus this question to find out when forgiveness was exhausted. Jesus responded to him with a parable comparing what we have been forgiven, and how we should respond to this grace.
Matthew 18:21-35 – “Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. For this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents (60 million days work) was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii (100 days work); and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way, that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
Matthew 6:12 – “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Unconditional Forgiveness is given by those who have been unconditionally forgiven. Our view, as Christians, on forgiveness is from a place of grace. Understanding that the forgiveness we find in Christ is of such magnitude that it should lead our hearts to forgive others. God has forgiven us of a debt we could never pay, we owed far more than 60 million days of labor, and that it should be our pursuit to forgive people who hurt us. You are “Paying It Forward” or paying your grace forward. That we are responding to our hurt or adversity, with generosity.
Forgiveness is baked into the essentials of faith with forgiveness being in the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6. Forgiveness is essential to our Christian living, but it doesn’t mean it is easy. That in life if forgiveness does not come quickly, resentment can set in and weigh heavy on your life for years, if you let it. If you find yourself struggling with forgiveness, lean on God to strengthen you for this task. I encourage you to not struggle alone if you are wrestling with forgiveness or resentment, that you share your burden with another Christian to walk together. That in Christ, you find forgiveness and the power to forgive others.
This past Sunday I celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ with my church family at Northside Baptist. As we studied the Bible together, I challenged those in attendance to find proof of Christ’s resurrection and assurance of their faith in the first four books of the New Testament known as the Gospels. In particular, we looked at the Gospel of Luke which was written to provide a consecutive and orderly account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:1-4). The final chapter of Luke contains an encounter where Jesus explains all about Himself from the Old Testament. I closed our study with a plea for listeners to read the Gospel of Luke for themselves as a way to find hope and assurance.
Below is a two-week, selected Bible reading plan in the Gospel of Luke. When read consecutively, these passages give a clear and compelling testimony of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The goal of this reading list is to help readers find hope and assurance in Jesus Christ.
Day 1: An Introduction and Jesus’ Birth (Luke 1:1-4, 2:1-20)
Day 2: Jesus Visits the Temple (Luke 2:39-52)
Day 3: The Temptation and Public Ministry (Luke 4:1-30)
Day4: Jesus Calls His First Disciples (Luke 5:1-11)
Day 5:Jesus Rescues Two from Death (Luke 7:1-17)
Day 6: Jesus Feed 5,000 (Luke 9:12-27)
Day 7: Teaching about Prayer and the Resurrection (Luke 11:1-36)
Day 8: The Parables of Loss (Luke 15:1-32)
Day 9: Jesus Heals Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-21)
Day 10: Two Final Miracles (Luke 18:35-19:10)
Day 11: The Triumphal Entry and the Lord’s Supper (Luke 19:28-40, 22: 14-23)
Day 12: The Arrest and Trial (Luke 22:54-23:25)
Day 13: The Crucifixion and Burial (Luke 23:33-56)
Day 14: A Resurrection Appearance on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)
Uncertainty is the enemy of hope. God’s Word gives us the evidence and instruction we need so that we don’t have to live without hope.
Leave a comment below if this reading plan was helpful.
