Forwarding Address

Faithful followers, the church has a new website which includes a new home for the Growing in Faith at FUMC blog. Here is the address for the new blog:

http://www.jacksonvillemethodist.org/blog/

You may also sign up to receive the blog posts via email. Go to the new blog site with the link above. To the right of the post title you will see "Subscribe to Blog via Email".

Enter your email address. Check your email in order to confirm your subscription. Then you should begin receiving emails again.

But for today, click the link above to read today's post on Psalm 108.

Thanks for following.

Grow Team

PS Be sure to explore the new website while you are there: http://www.jacksonvillemethodist.org/

Songs of Praise: Psalm 107:23-43

Read the second half of yesterday's song of praise: Psalm 107:23-43
[Open up your Bible or click the reference above to read online.]

...they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.

For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,

which lifted up the waves of the sea.

Psalm 107:24-25

He stirs up storms and calms them. Turns rivers to deserts and deserts to pools of water. All for the purpose of drawing us to Himself. 

Sometimes He saves through storms and trials. For many, it's the only place we'll see our true need for Him. When we've come to the end of our own resources. When life is totally out of hand.

From these stormy trials, wilderness places, and hungry times. The wise cry out to Him for help. Surrender to Him. Love Him and serve Him.

Otherwise we would never see, and be saved.

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things,

let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Psalm 107:43

Lord, thank You for storms which turn me to You.

Note: Tomorrow the Growing in Faith at FUMC blog is moving to our newly renovated church website: www.jacksonvillemethodist.org. We encourage you to explore the site and don't miss the Blog link at the top of the page in the red bar.

Email subscribers, for now, will have to visit the new Blog page to read the posts. We're hoping to make a way to receive posts via email shortly. We'll let you know.

Songs of Praise: Psalm 107:1-22

As one of the redeemed, praise the Lord today, with Psalm 107:1-22.
[Click the link above or open up your Bible.]

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

whom he has redeemed from trouble...

Psalm 107:1-2

Because He is good and His steadfast love endures forever, He redeems the lives of those who call out to Him. Even when the trouble we've gotten into is of our own making.

Some of us wander away from His Word. Seeking satisfaction in the world, but only find souls empty. Hungry. Thirsty. When we find the world has failed there is no one to cry out to but Him.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and delivered them from their distress.

...

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man!

For he satisfies the longing soul,

and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Psalm 107:6, 8-9

Some of us choose to rebel against His Word. Exchanging light for darkness. We spurn the counsel of His Holy Spirit and find ourselves sitting imprisoned by the lies of the world, in the shadow of death. Heavily burdened. Entrapped by our own choices. No one to help... except Him.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.

...

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man!

For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two

the bars of iron.

Psalm 107:13, 15-16

Some of us choose the way of the fool. Thinking we alone are the ones who won't get caught. Found out. Tangled in a web of sin. Drawn to the gates of death by addiction or deception or denial. There is no one to cry out to from this place, but Him. No one to hear. But Him.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.

He sent out his word and healed them,

and delivered them from their destruction.

Psalm 107:19-20

Jesus. His Son. The Word made flesh. The Father sent Him to heal us and deliver us from the messes we've made. Bad things happen in the world because we chose our own way rather than His. We alone are responsible for the sin and brokenness. And He alone redeems all we have broken.

There is no pit so deep that He cannot save. But we must cry out to Him!

Finding yourself in a pit these days? Cry out to the Lord. Wait. And be prepared to give Him thanks. His steadfast love is unfailing.

Let us thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man!

And let us offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,

and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!

Thank You, Lord! For redeeming the messes I make.

For loving me and working wonders for me,

none of which I deserve.

Amen.

Songs of Praise: Psalm 106:21-48

To see a greater picture of God's faithfulness, complete the reading of  Psalm 106.
Read: Psalm 106:21-48
[Click the reference to read online or open up your Bible today.]

Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.

Psalm 106:24

Complaints against God.

Fear of the unknown.

Turning to the ways of the world for solutions.

This is what happens when we have no faith in His promises.

Unbelief. That's what we'll call it today. That's what it is. Do you have some in your life?

I lived with large areas of unbelief for a very long time. My unbelief led me to fear, anxiety, and truly, a despising of the "pleasant land" He had placed me.

Because I didn't believe He truly was sovereign, didn't believe He loved me and all those I love, didn't believe He was always working for my good, my family's good, and His glory, I was a wreck. I made everyone around me miserable with "what if"s, nagging, and rules which made life narrower and narrower, because I didn't believe. Fear of foods, fear of driving, fear of filling up the car with gas! All because I didn't believe His promises.

Unbelief moves us to despise the blessings He's given us.

Unbelief moves us to sin, idolatry, seeking alternative means of comfort, security, and escape.

Unbelief moves us to fear, which drives wedges in relationships.

Take it from me. One who lived a life of unbelief for a really long time. Receive His promises. He cannot lie. He is always faithful to everything He says. And begin with this promise.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins

and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1John 1:9 ESV

In my journey toward belief, believing His promises, I found past sin was keeping me bound up in fear and anxiety. And it wasn't that He hadn't forgiven me. He had. But He led me through a process of confessions to loved ones from whom I'd hidden my sin. 

You see, I didn't believe they would love me if they knew. I didn't believe God could bring healing to these relationships or work grace through others. This was an unbelief I didn't even recognize I had until I walked through what He called me to do.

I found freedom and full acceptance of the truth that He makes the way before us for all He calls us to do. We can obey without fear. 

In the freedom of believing His promises I've found new joys in the land where He has planted me. And it is a pleasant place.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

Psalm 16:6 ESV

Father God, reveal unbelief in my heart. Show me how lack of faith in Your promises has led me astray. Bless me with the faith and obedience to believe Your every Word.

Songs of Praise: Psalm 106:1-20

Psalm 106:1-20
[Click on the link above to read on BibleGateway.com or read it in your Bible.]

But they soon forgot his works...

they had a wanton craving...

Psalm 106:13-14

Yesterday, in Psalm 105, we read of His glorious works and faithfulness in the lives of the Israelites. Today we see the flip side of His faithfulness. The discipline of those who forget.

But they soon forgot His works...

These are some sad words after the miraculous rescue from Egypt. They forgot. So they rebelled. And in His faithfulness, He punishes those who disobey. Who treat Him as less than God of gods and Lord of lords.

They forgot who He was and what He had done. They exchanged the glory of their God, their Savior, their Creator for the image of a grass-eating bovine. They worshiped what was created as the one who created.

That's what happens when we forget God. Our thinking gets cloudy and we begin to use our own broken sense to come up with some nonsensical ways.

His Word says we have absolutely no excuse for forgetting who He is. He made it evident through all He created.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Romans 1:19-21 ESV

Though they knew Him, they did not honor Him with thanks. To forget who He is and to neglect to give thanks, darkens our hearts and we do foolish things. Like worship livestock.

Have you exchanged the glory of God for something created? Is your thinking getting a little foolish? Do you give God the glory for your life? work? gifts? Are you thankful? Do you see His eternal power and divine nature in the world around you?

Don't be foolish. Don't wait for the discipline to come. Recognize His faithfulness. His steadfast love. Make sure you're glorifying Him with your life and not something far less.

To the faithful you show yourself faithful;

to those with integrity you show integrity.

To the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud.

Psalm 18:25-27 NLT

Lord, You are faithful and good, Your love endures forever.

Let me never forget who You are and who I am before You.

Open my eyes to Your eternal, divine nature in the world around me.

Fill me with thanks and praise. Reveal whatever I have set up in Your place.

Tear it down. Reveal it for what it is... nothing.

Songs of Praise: Psalm 105

Read today's Song of Praise: Psalm 105
[Click the reference above to read online or open up your Bible today.]

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Psalm 105:3-4

Seek the Lord...

Three times at the beginning of the psalm, the psalmist uses the word seek in reference to the Lord. What are you seeking? Peace? Comfort? Freedom? Wealth? Status? Happiness? Security? Love?

The writer tells us, those who seek the Lord, who praise and glorify His name, His character, are filled with joy.

Are you on a hunt for Him? His strength? His presence?

In the moment He captured my heart, the focus of my life changed and I began seeking Him. In His Word. In prayer. I wanted to know who He was. I wanted to be available to Him. I wanted to know He was near.

That was over twenty years ago. I seek after Him even harder today than I did then. I long for His strength. Require it really. I long for His presence. The knowledge of His work and sovereignty in my life and the world.

Our psalm today gives a synopsis of the Israelites' history with God from Abraham to Joseph to Moses to the Promised Land. In ups and downs. In battle and victory. In injustice and salvation. They sought the Lord. And He is found to be faithful.

I've found Him faithful too. In ups and downs. Heartache and joy. He is my strength. He is the One I praise. For in Him I have found: Peace. Joy. Security. Comfort. Purpose. Love. He is the One thing we are to find while we are here on earth. He is the only One who can fill and satisfy all we think we need. 

Seek the Lord...

Seek Him as treasure. Seek hard. Seek Him in His Word. In prayer. In the everyday moments of your life. He alone makes it all worthwhile.

Lord, today I pray for those who read these words.

Move them to seek You. Capture their hearts in a new way.

May they know the joy, peace, comfort, and love

of Your continual presence in their lives.

Fill their hearts with praise.

Songs of Praise: Psalm 104

Today we see creation through the eyes of the psalmist. Read Psalm 104.
(Click on the link to read the verses.)

Let's try something new. A way to read Scripture called Lectio Divina. This is a way to meditate on His Word and listen to what the Spirit is saying to you.

The process involves re-reading the Scripture. Maybe once. Maybe twice. Listening for a word, phrase, or verse which seems to catch your attention.

As you re-read Psalm 104 consider the works of God and the following questions:

• What grabs your attention about how the writer views creation?
• Did you notice anything new? Did a phrase or word rise to the surface and speak to you in some way?
• What is God revealing to you through His word?
• Is there something God is calling you to do?

As I practiced this exercise, this phrase kept jumping out at me.

All creatures look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.

Psalm 104:27

I guess I've never considered the hunting lion or the seed gathering squirrel looking to God for food at the proper time, but it makes sense. The lion's hunting instinct tells it when to hunt. The squirrel stores all summer for the winter. If animals can trust God to provide all they need at the proper time, then the question becomes... Do I?

It seems like an easy question, and I would like to answer a definitive yes. But, the question goes deeper than talking about trust. The question leaves me asking, Do I act like I trust Him. Because faith without works is not much faith at all, and the proof of belief is in the action. 

This Scripture exercise has encouraged me to look at my actions this week and see. See if what I do matches what I say.

Go ahead. Now try it yourself. See what He wants to reveal to you.

Father God, open my eyes, ears, and heart to what You want to tell to me today.

Songs of Praise: Psalm 103

We continue our reading with Psalm 103 today. 
(Click on the link to read the verses.)

Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 

Praise the Lord, my soul,

    and forget not all his benefits—

3 

who forgives all your sins

    and heals all your diseases,

4 

who redeems your life from the pit

    and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 

who satisfies your desires with good things

    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5

Consider the verbs used in this scripture that describe God.

Forgives...  to give up resentment of or claim to requital; to grant relief from payment of 

Heals... to make free from injury or disease :  to make sound or whole; to make well again

Redeems... to buy back, to win back

Crowns... a reward of victory or mark of honor

Satisfies... to gratify to the full

I see a pattern in these verbs. A word picture of what God does in our lives, in the lives of others. Do you believe in the God described here? Do you REALLY believe?

Brothers and Sisters, let me tell you... The God you serve forgives. He is always working to grant you relief from the debt you owe. His presence breaks you free from injury, disease, dis-ease. He alone makes you whole. He paid the price to buy you back and marked you, yes you, with honor. This God is the only One who can satisfy what you are longing for.

Praise the Lord, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Amen and Amen!

Songs of Praise: Psalm 102

Let's read Psalm 102 this Monday!
(Click on the link to read the Scripture.)

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
 They will perish, but you will remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
     but you are the same, and your years have no end.
Psalm 102:25-27

Yesterday was Sunday... the end of the weekend. Today, Monday... the beginning of a new week. We tend to mark our days with beginnings and endings. There are times we never want to come to an end, and times when we can't wait to get things over with. We begin. We end. This is the way of life.

No so for the Lord Most High. Our psalm today reminds me, God laid the foundation of the earth and it will pass away. But God remains. He will never wear out, never pass away. God is the exact same today as He was when He breathed life into Adam's still lungs. Year after year, day after day, He never changes. He. Has. No. End.

It's a comforting thought as I watch the flooding leave victim after victim in its wake. Tears well hearing the stories of rising waters and rescues off rooftops. How powerful a storm must be to wipe out a community. And yet this too will come to an end. In a few years we'll remember the devastation and marvel at the rebuilding.

This, my friends, is what gives us hope in the midst of trouble. We serve a God who never ends, never wavers... never changes. It will be a long, wet week. Let's begin with hope. Let's wear it like a garment and share it with those around us. 

 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23

I praise You, Lord, as unchanging. The stable foundation of every one of my beginnings and ends.

Songs of Praise: Psalms 99-101

Psalms 99-101
Read online at BibleGateway.com by clicking the link above.

Know that the Lord, he is God!

Psalm 100:3

Do you know that the Lord is God? 

Is it revealed in the way you live?

Those who know He is God have an awe and respect for who He is. They have a proper fear of the Lord in their hearts. They praise Him as awesome, they call on His name, they trust Him to avenge all wrong done to them.

Those who know He is God praise Him and serve Him with joy! They know their life is not their own. With great thanks, they are happy to belong to Him. To serve Him.

Those who know He is God pursue holiness, obedience to His Word. They know He is God and He defines what is right and wrong. They reject the culture's definition of good. They walk with integrity whether in public or private. They hate evil.

Do you know the Lord is God?

Does your life reveal what you know?

Lord, reveal the places in my life where I fail to live in a way that shows I know You are God. Make my heart tender to Your conviction. Bless me with a teachable repentant heart.

Songs of Praise: Psalm 97-98

Today we read Psalm 97-98.
(Click on the link to read the songs of praise today.)

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,

burst into jubilant song with music;

make music to the Lord with the harp,

with the harp and the sound of singing,

with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn --

shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

Let the sea resound and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands,

let them sing before the Lord,

for he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples with equity.

Psalm 98:4-9

Can you imagine it? Listen... the sea is still resounding... the mountains singing... the river claps its hands.

God created the entire world to praise Him. Jesus understood this.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Some of the Pharisees, in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

Luke 19:37-40

Nothing will stand in the way of God getting praise. When we refuse, creation steps in and praises Him.

When was the last time you praised Him?

Lord, fill me with a heart of praise for You.

[Click here to sing along in praise on YouTube or click to post title to sing along on Growing in Faith at FUMC.]

Songs of Praise: Psalms 95-96

Psalms 95-96
Read the songs of praise today, not once, but twice.
Click the reference to read online or open up your Bible. You just might want to highlight something today.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Psalm 95:1-2

Praise. What a wonderful way to pray.

These psalms today remind me of when I learned to pray praise. Asking, giving thanks, confessing my sin, these were the only ways I thought to come to Him in prayer. Until I learned the incredible gift of praying praise to Him.

The ministry of Moms In Prayer International taught me the art of praise. The joy and strength found in praising His name through His Word. Moms In Prayer is a ministry encouraging moms (grandmoms, aunts, any close female relation) to pray for children and their schools. They teach a four-step Scripture-based prayer.

Praise
Confession
Thanksgiving
Intercession

But praise was new to me and it absolutely refreshed my spiritual life.

Praise is simply telling God how great He is. Telling Him He's good, almighty, life, love, patient, kind, compassionate, merciful, forgiving, etc., etc. It may seem counterintuitive. He knows all these things about Himself. Do we really need to tell Him we know?

The answer is a resounding Yes!

Praising God in prayer was awkward at first. I would choose an attribute from Scripture and look it up in a dictionary to find out more about what the word meant. My prayer began: God, I praise You as ____________. Then I would use what I learned in the dictionary to expand on what that meant.

What happened surprised me. Each time I praised His name, it was as if He spoke directly back to my spirit telling me: Yes. That's exactly who I am. The more I praised Him the more my faith increased in who He said He was. The more my faith increased the more my anxieties, worries, and fears subsided. The more confidence I had in His promises.

Are you finding yourself short of confidence in our God these days? I challenge you to write your own prayer of praise and speak it to Him today. The psalms we read today are full of great starting points. Find the aspect of His character you most need to face today. Let Him respond by building your faith in who He is.

Oh sing to the Lord a new song;

sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

tell of his salvation from day to day.

Psalm 96:1-2

Songs of Praise: Psalm 93-94

Let's continue praising God as we read Psalm 93-94.
(Click on the link to read the verses.)

Your statues Lord, stand firm...
Psalm 93:5

The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.
Isaiah 40:8

Your word, Lord, is eternal;
    it stands firm in the heavens.
Psalm 119:89

Do you notice a theme? What do these Scriptures say about God's Word, His law, His statutes? 

God's Word is His Word. It doesn't change direction like the wind or become outdated. His law endures forever because it is not based on rules or right living. It is based on love.

Jesus was asked once what the most important of the commandments was. He answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. 

Jesus goes on to say, There is no law greater than these. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40)

The law of love stands firms in the heavens and endures forever. It existed before we did and will continue until we get there. 

How have you been loving God lately? What about others? 

I'm convinced love is the only thing we can take with us when we go. So let's get to loving. Let's go beyond nice and kind. Let's lavishly love with all we have, beyond what we can imagine, over the top and beyond. 

It is how God loves us. Enough to limit Himself in skin and bones and dive into our muck and mire. His love nailed Him to a cross and looked death square in the face. Love drove Him into the grave and brought Him back to life. 

And the only response we can have in return is to love with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Lord, teach me to love like You and not like the world.

Songs of Praise: Psalms 91-92

Click the reference to read today's Psalms online: Psalms 91-92
Or open up your Bible.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

Both psalms today offer verses of hope and encouragement. Blessings available to those who trust in Him and abide in His shelter by obedience to His Word.

"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name.

When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation."

Psalm 91:14-16

For those who love Him, hold fast to Him, He offers salvation. Eternal life. Those who know His salvation know the goodness of praising His name.

Are you in need of some hope and encouragement today? Does the enemy seem to have the upper hand?

Draw near to Him. Give Him thanks and praise. Find shelter in His shadow. Remember His timeline is eternal. And guess what?

HE WINS!

My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;

my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

The righteous flourish like the palm tree

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

They are planted in the house of the Lord;

they flourish in the courts of our God.

They still bear fruit in old age;

they are ever full of sap and green,

to declare that the Lord is upright;

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Psalm 92:11-15

Thank You, Lord, for all Your works, both seen and unseen.

Continually remind me of Your victory over the enemy.

Bless me with the faith to abide in Your Word

and to never roam from Your shadow.

Songs of Praise: Psalm 90

We continue our reading through the Psalms with Psalm 90.

(Click on the link to read the Psalm.)

Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

My youngest begins high school this year. He is the tallest one in our family and it seems like he went from little boy to young man in the blink of an eye. There are surprising moments when my emotions well up. Where did the time go? 

I asked my friend as we sat watching waves roll in, Do you ever wish you could go back?

Nope, not me. Because being young may have meant more days to count but I was unwise, practically dumb at times. We are wise to realize our days are numbered here.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
James 3:13

Do your humble deeds reveal wisdom? Is your life a picture of understanding? 

We only have a few in the big scheme of things, so let's determine to live them wisely.

Lord, teach me to number my days.

Songs of Praise: Psalm 89:19-52

Psalm 89:19-52
Open up the Word with the link above or in your Bible.

Psalms are not just prayers of inspired kings and priests. They are prophetic.

Then [Jesus] said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures...

Luke 24:44-45 ESV (emphasis added)

Do you see what's written about Jesus in the section of Psalm 89 we read today?

My faithful love will be with him,

and through my name his horn will be exalted.

I will set his hand over the sea,

his right hand over the rivers.

He will call out to me, "You are my Father,

my God, the Rock my Savior."

And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,

the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

I will maintain my love to him forever,

and my covenant with him will never fail.

I will establish his line forever,

his throne as long as the heavens endure.

Psalm 89:24-29

Here we see the foretelling of Christ's coming eternal Kingship as established through the line of David, and we see His purpose in coming to earth.

"If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes,

if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands,

I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging;

but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.

Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness -- and I will not lie to David --

that his line will continue for ever and his throne endure before me

like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, 

the faithful witness in the sky."

Psalm 89:30-37

Jesus came to to bear the punishment for the sins of the sons. The punishment we could not bear. He took the rod, the flogging, bearing His love for us. Making the way for justice to be fulfilled, while making the way of atonement.

We see in this passage a picture of Jesus suffering God's wrath on our behalf. What it looked like through the eyes of the prophetic psalmist.

But you have rejected, you have spurned,

you have been very angry with your anointed one.

...

You have broken through all his walls

and reduced his strongholds to ruins.

All who pass by have plundered him;

he has become the scorn of his neighbors.

...

You have cut short the days of his youth;

you have covered him with a mantle of shame.

Psalm 89: 38, 40-41, 45

On the cross, He took the blame. He allowed Himself to be broken for our sake. The shame He wore was ours.

Being aware of the prophetic nature of Psalms opens our eyes to Jesus in the Old Testament, but we also need to remember it was Jesus's prayer book.

A psalm we cannot utter as a prayer, that makes us falter and horrifies us, is a hint to us that here Someone else is praying, not we; that the One who is here protesting his innocence, who is invoking God's judgment, who has come to such infinite depths of suffering, is none other than Jesus Christ himself. He it is who is praying here, and not only here but in the whole Psalter.

--Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

Do you see Him praying in our passage today? Are they words only He could pray?

How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?

How long will your wrath burn like fire?

...

Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked,

how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,

the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,

with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

Psalm 89:46, 50-51

Jesus grew up learning and praying these psalms, how do you think they helped Him face what was to come? How did they help Him prepare for His mission on earth?

How can seeing the Psalms as His prayers, help you identify with Him? understand Him better?

As we continue our journey through Psalms be mindful of the Messianic prophecies they contain and listen for Jesus praying. Open your heart to revelations of Him.

Lord, thank You for Your Word and the glimpses it gives me into Your truth.

Open my eyes, ears, mind, and heart to receive.

Praise be to the Lord forever!

Amen and Amen.

Psalm 89:52

Songs of Praise: Psalm 89:1-18

Let's read Psalm 89:1-18 today.
(Click on the link if your Bible is not close at hand.)

Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?

Psalm 89:8

There are many gods to choose from. In Acts, Paul describes an altar to an unknown god.

For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
Acts 17:23

For as long as man existed, he's been looking for God. Settling for any god, even an unknown god. The question the psalmist writes, Who is like You? stirs my heart. I find myself wanting to shout, None! There is none like You, God!

Only the God we serve created the world in seven days, and walked with His first creation in the garden. Only our God led His children out of slavery through a path in the sea. It was our God who clothed Himself in skin and came to be one of us. Only our God willingly limited His power and might just to save us.

No there is no one like Him. Not. One.

Father God, fill me with the wonder of Your Oneness!

Fill me with the blessing of Your unique love for me.

Songs of Praise: Psalm 87-88

Two psalms for Tuesday: Psalm 87-88
[Click the link above to read online or you might open your Bible today.]

Whether you are hopeful or full of despair there is a psalm for you today.

Today's first psalm reflects the thoughts of those focused on the eternal -- the glorious city of God to come. Where people from all nations are born into citizenship, find their names in the book of life, by faith in Jesus. Their's is a future full of abundance.

All my springs are in you.

Psalm 87:7

Springs for the desert dweller signify life, and that is what awaits those who have chosen His Way. A hope-full eternal future.

The second psalm gives us a taste of those focused on their earthly predicaments. They cry out to God -- they know Him as their only source of salvation -- but their hearts are filled with trouble.

Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?

Psalm 88:14

The psalmist wonders at the absence of God's help in his circumstances. This is where we can get stuck when we forget our troubles are light and momentary compared to the glory to come.

The glorious eternal city of God is a far cry from the temporal trials and troubles of the day. Hear the heart of Psalm 88 as an encouragement to boldly go to God with all your doubts, fears, despair -- He can take it. But allow Him to remind you of what's to come and refocus on the hope of His promise.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV

Lord Jesus, no matter what I face in this world today

never let me forget the wonder of Your promises

and the glory to come. Amen!

Songs of Praise: Psalm 85-86

Let's start the week with songs of praise: Psalm 85-86.
(Click on the link to read the scripture.)

It's Monday again. The words of these psalms are filled with great things to pray to begin the week. 

Let's pray...

I will listen to what you say, Lord. You promise peace to those who believe, to those who serve you. Don't let us turn away.

You are a good, good, Father. You make all things grow.

Hear me, Lord, and answer me for I am poor and needy.
 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
    save your servant who trusts in you.

You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord,
    for I call to you all day long.

 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
    for I put my trust in you.

You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
    abounding in love to all who call to you.

Hear my prayer, Lord;
    listen to my cry for mercy.

Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.
 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
    I will glorify your name forever. Amen

   

Songs of Praise: Psalm 83-84

Close the work week out, praising God with the reading of Psalm 83-84.
(Click on the link to read.)

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Better is one day in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere...

I wonder what the songs in the Old Testament, the ones we've been reading for a while now, actually sounded like. What was the melody? What instruments did they play?

When the congregation gathered to sing did they raise their hands...? bow their heads? The moment I read the words above, I began to sing. Click on the link below and join me. 

[Email subscribers, click here to view the video on YouTube or the post title to view on Growing in Faith at FUMC.]

Father God, fill me with the truth of how wonderful it is to live with You, in Your presence, everyday.