Psalm 22

A Psalm a week: Psalm 22

This is a long one, full of great verses and ideas; here are only a couple of the big ideas. Read it for yourself here!

This Psalm of David is really cool because, as I learned it at school, it contains prophecy that Jesus fulfills. After reading the first part of verse 1 (“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”) you may recognize this statement. Many years after this verse was written, Jesus was hanging on a cross and said the same thing (check out Matt 27:46 or Mark 15:34).
Why did Jesus say that? One reason is as follows. The Pharisees, with all their biblical knowledge, would recite passages from the Bible in a funny way. One of them would start by saying the first verse and then the rest of them would finish it. Jesus knew this, and so He appropriately started speaking the words of a Psalm that contained prophecies He fulfilled, so that the Pharisees that surrounded and watched his crucifixion would think to themselves the verses that follow. As we will see, the Psalm continues (verses 16-18) with random statements that happened to Jesus in the moments following his crucifixion. In John 19:24,36,37 we see these verses of Psalms repeated… “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots”, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken”, and “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” It is really amazing that years before Jesus was even born, God was putting prophecies in the Bible that His Son would fulfill. It is just further proof that God had to inspire the words of the Bible, for 40 different men could not have written such perfectly prophesied words and verses. Awesome.

So besides this Psalm being an amazing testament to the perfectly, inspired word of God, it also has great comfort for Christians today. The title of this Psalm in my Bible says “A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise”. Repeated throughout this Psalm, we see cries of pain or loneliness, a cry for deliverance, then we see a song of praise remarking on how holy and awesome our God really is. The first two verses are a cry of anguish, a cry for deliverance from words, but David remarks in verse three “Yet You are holy.” Again we see the reoccurring theme that in pain and times of trouble, God is there for us. Holy is such a weird word, what does it even mean? Upon researching this word, it means “pure, loving nature and separate from evil”. God’s holiness demands a response of worship, which is where David’s songs of praise come in. “22 I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. 23You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you [e] will I fulfill my vows. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him may your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. 29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him those who cannot keep themselves alive.”
So, to sum it all up, God is all knowing (fulfilling prophecies in Jesus and composing the Bible in perfection) and God is comforting to those who diligently seek His face, worship Him, for He alone is worthy of praise, and live to give God the glory in their lives.

God bless!

p.s. sorry for the delay this week :/

A Good King

Psalm 21


Every king is marked by his kingdom. This is how I know that the Burger King is the most disappointing king of them all. Burger King's food doesn't even taste good ... that should tell you something. Anyway, let's think about real kings. As we all know, any successful king that has ever walked this planet has taken two things very seriously - his nation, and his people. Every king's pride is found in his people, and every king's status is marked by the prestige of his nation ... If that doesn't make sense, it will in a little bit. Today, we're going to see a king that didn't place his trust in the wealth of the world or the stone that help up the walls surrounding his city. Rather, the king we study today is the one that found his wealth and his protection in the father - one that truly showed our God is worthy to be called the King of Kings.

Verses 1-6 So this guy ... this David character - a remarkable man and notable king - He didn't even think he was worthy to stand before God. On the flip side, he entrusted everything to God. Think about your most prized possession - maybe a cellphone, Xbox, car ... you name it. David gave his entire kingdom over to God. Why? Maybe because he understood that stone walls around his city were only so strong , that his money was only worth a particular amount, and that his people would only put up with him for so long. ON THE OTHER HAND, he knew that the protection God could provide would be impenetrable, and because of it, David basically makes God the general of the kingdom. Continuing on, David knew that the riches he possessed would only last so long, but the gifts that the Father could provide would be eternal - gifts including [but not limited to] eternal life! For this, David made God his treasurer. Lastly, David knew that people would love who God was and what he would do for them - and for that, David made God his King. It's amazing to put it this way, but David gave his entire kingdom to the Father - for all the reasons we've seen in the past 20 Psalms and more. The question you need to ask yourself is ... HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO PUT INTO THE FATHER'S HANDS? Is your life so important that you need to be in control? ... Uhm sorry to say, but you will fail miserably. David teaches us that even the mightiest, richest, and most powerful of men still have to give God the reigns in their lives. Boom!

Verses 7-13 Some of you might have read the last section and thought, "Well Chris is stupid and he doesn't know a thing about my life." Although that is probably true, let me tell you a fact. No matter how difficult life may be for you ... no matter what trial is being thrown your way at this time in your life, Verse 7 (along with countless scripture) tells us that the love we have from the Father is unconquerable - that nothing can separate you from Him. If you give him your world ... he'll give you a new one ten times better. Time and time again I find myself questioning the power and love of our God ... only to slap myself in the face and either realize 1. That i'm pulling myself away from that love and need to get back 2. Or I was just stupid and forgot it was there for a few days,weeks, or months. There's really no need to talk about the last verses if you truly understand the consequences of verse 7. As a true king to a spiritual king (that's you if you haven't surrendered your life to the Father, David has made you a promise that God will never fail you. How awesome.


That is all.
Chris

Some may trust in horses ... Psalm 20

When I was a baby, my parents gave me a checkered blanket with patches of all different colors on it. For some reason, I thought that this blanket would protect me from all sorts of danger - whether I was pretending to be a superhero jumping from couch to couch, or simply hiding under the covers from the monsters in the closet. Looking back, I'm sure you'll all agree that the blanket did nothing for me. If anything, it was the reason I tripped down the stairs all of the time - it did nothing to protect me. Today, we look at the question - where do you place your trust? Is it in a checkered blanket or in the arms of the Almighty God?

Verses 1-6 So, first off ... why would I place my trust in God anyway? The fact of the matter is that God will always protect you. We have been talking in Luke about a lot of nerve-wrecking stuff. For instance, it's not always the easiest thing to proclaim Christ in the midst of your piers, especially when they are living in sin, but (and this is a big but) when we come to realize that God is our defense - we become spiritually unstoppable. Romans 8:31 says "For if God is for us, who can be against us?" If you're truly living a life according to God's will, there is never such a thing as defeat. God is victory. God never loses. As David says, God is our sanctuary, God is our rock, our defense, and our purpose for celebration. David says, let's rejoice and raise the banners. God has saved us, he has heard our cries, and he has been with us through the highs and through the lows of our lives. Think of how many times even your best friend has let you down. Now think about a time when God let you down (truly, never ...) God truly is the best friend you will ever have, and He is worth of honor, glory, and most of all - your trust.

Verses 7-9 This section is pretty simple. Basically David says, if you don't place your trust in God, good luck finding somewhere else to put your trust it. Just think about verse 7. Back in the day, so many men placed their trust on horses and chariots - as symbols of their power and status in society. Do we still us chariots? Do we see horses riding up and down the freeway? I think not! Time has passed and horses and chariots have lost their importance, but God has remained the same. Psalm 18:2 says that God is our rock, our foundation, in whom we should place our trust. Time and time again, for all eternity God has proven himself to be of a solid reputation.

Some may trust in horses ... So what do we get out of today's Psalm? What does that mean for me? You may not have to worry about what brand of chariot you're going to stroll into school with, but I'm positive that each and every one of you worries about how you talk around friends, what you wear, what type of cellphone you have, and all that nonsense. When I was in school, I struggled with the same things - I worried about what was popular and what wasn't. The minute I graduated high-school (some wonderful 2 years ago), all of that just went away. I don't even see anyone I went to school with, nor do I care what they think about the fantastic blue shirt I'm wearing right now. I don't care what they think that I don't drink, swear, or do drugs - why? Cause it doesn't matter. Because man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Man looks at what is temporary, but God is concerned with that which is eternal. Let me tell you this - If you place your trust in popularity, it will fail you. If you place all of your trust on your cellphone plan, you will get a dropped call now and again. If you place all of your trust in friends, they will skip out on you from time to time. If you place your trust in the Father, He will always be there for you, he will not drop your call in the middle of a prayer, He will not look at you funny because of the clothes you wear, and He most definitely will not turn you away ... That's the God that has earned my trust.


Sorry for the jumbled mess that I call a Psalm a week - my brother is on his Xbox killing zombies at full volume - rather distracting.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Have a nice week!
- Chris

Creation Cries Out His Majesty

Psalm 19



Reading this chapter I couldn't help think about art. I remember being a young boy in elementary school. Every once in a while we would have an art project that I would bring home to my parents. Always - somewhere on the picture I would sign my name, put my initials, or leave some sort of unique mark that would tell my parents - "hey, your son is the wonderful artist behind this creative wonder of art." Needless to say, my creative skills were limited. Even to this day, I still have trouble drawing proportionate stick figures. The point I'm trying to make is that art always has a tie to the maker - that every stroke and every detail is thought out intentionally to send some sort of message. Some of the more famous painters that you might know spent years on end to create their masterpiece - a work of art that would stand the test of time and show their handiwork to future generations. OUR GOD IS AN ARTIST. Today, we see that His creation was intentionally thought out - it was pieced together with foresight and purpose. God, just like any artist, left his masterpiece for us to better understand who He is. Bottom line, creation cries out His majesty.

Verses 1-6 In the gospel message, there came a time where the disciples were bold and outspoken for Jesus. In response, the Pharisees silenced the disciples in the name of the law. Jesus, being awesome as usual replied, "Fine, but even if you silence the disciples, the rocks will cry out" (Luke 19:40). Here it is again in Psalm 19 - creation, as David explains it, is simply God's handiwork. Man can create cars, planes, bridges, and houses - but God created the entire universe by the work of his hand. The attention to detail is fascinating. We live in a society that claims that the world and all that is in it is accidental - that one day, there was some massive explosion and after billions of years - life. Well, that's not how the Bible tells it. David says that creation reveals His knowledge and his foresight. That God created the universe with intention - that you are not merely a statistic of chance. Aside from the facts, just think about the Earth. It has water, an atmosphere, oxygen, sunlight (but not too close or too far to be ineffective), it has plants that convert nitrogen into breathable air, it houses species upon species of animals, a moon so that we can see at night, and of course it has us. There is zero chance that this was an accident - just look around and you will see the elegance and precision of creation. Like Jesus said - even the rocks will cry out who God is.

Verses 7-14 The phrase comes to my mind - "if you can't beat em, join em." Creation will never stop being amazing, and it most certainly will never stop being a testament of how awesome our God is. So, David adopts a pretty good attitude - if we're part of creation, why aren't we living in a way that glorifies Him? God intended for all things to work a specific way - that's simply his nature. He didn't just give us a body and say "go" - he gave us lungs, a heart, a brain, and so much more. Even so, God calls us his own. Yes God loves his creation, but He is so much more concerned about you. Jesus once said that if the Father is faithful to clothe the fields in grass, and feed the sparrows, how much more He will care for us? Well, a lot more. David flips a switch here and turns the page in the middle of the Psalm - why are there rules to Christianity? Why do we have to live a certain way? Well, simply, that's how God wants us to live. Just as God created gravity to work a certain way, he created us to have a relationship with Him. You have to remember, Adam and Eve were created without sin - but sin brought death to man (separation from the Father in a spiritual sense). Sometimes, we look at the law and we see a ball and chain. We feel like we're restricted and held down, but David says that the law is sweet, that it brings freedom, and for obeying it, we receive great rewards. David encourages to not sin - to live like the rest of creation and serve the Father. Read it ... it's pretty self-explanatory.

Creation Cries Majesty Think about creation this week. Think about how many hours you have spent on school projects that looked absolutely ridiculous, and then think about what God made in 7 days (knowing that he could have made it instantaneously). Every artist has a story to tell - God's story is a story of love. He made this - all of this so that you could know Him that much better.


[Explosion]
-Chris

World's Strongest Man - What a Joke

So this week is our longest Psalm yet - Psalm 18

As you all know, one of my favorite sports series ever to be invented is the World's strongest Man Competition. This might be because I could probably be labeled as one of the weakest men ever to walk the earth, or maybe it's just that I am fascinated with the fact that there is a man on this planet with a bicep larger than my head. With that said, it is miraculous how impressed people get when they see a man pull a train, tow a aircraft, flip a car, or throw massive objects a few feet in the air. No offense if your dream is to become one of these people, but seriously - it's not as impressive as I always thought it was. I mean, have any of these men calmed a raging sea? Have they pulled a man out of a wheelchair and told him to walk? Have they ever harnessed the power of an electrical storm or a tornado (which would just be awesome)? Or ... wait ... maybe they were the ones to create the entire universe and hold it in the palm of their hand. Oh yeah, that wasn't them - that was God.

Verses 1-15 It is remarkable how fragile the human body is. We, on a basic level, rely on air, water, and food - without which we cannot exist. There are several organs in your body that would cause you to die if they were absent - not to mention the thousands of diseases and illnesses that account for a majority of the deaths on this planet. Sometimes I consider it a miracle that I'm still alive today. The list goes on and on - just like you and me, each of the "strongest men in the world" are subject to the same sensitivity of life. Moving on, King David points out the fact that GOD IS STRONG. There is no word in the English dictionary to explain the power, might, and majesty that is the Father. This strength is your fortress, this might is your foundation, this power is your refuge. When I read verses like Romans 8:31 (For if God is for us, who can be against us ...), I consider the facts of who God is and what he is capable of. David says that God has thwarted the enemies, that they are no match for who He is ... but why? Well, let me tell you ... His breath is as fire, the Earth quakes at his presence, the mountains tremble at his glimpse, He is as swift as the wind - and apparently he can ride it too, He has authority over thunder and all of the Earth, hailstones and coal pour out from the power of his voice, the sea and the world give ear to his commands, and he loves us so very much. That's a God of power and of safety.

Verses 15-29 How true is this - that God has come to your rescue. No matter the predicament or situation, God has made it a point to pursue and protect those who eagerly follow him. When I graduated High School, our principal knew the severity of the sin that most of the guy students were struggling with. In all of our diploma's he placed his phone number and told us boys - "you get one call. No question's asked. Anytime. Anywhere. I will come to get you." As much as I appreciate it, I love how with God, the calls are endless - he doesn't just give us one chance, but he promises to come to the rescue as many times as we need it. Even the World's Strongest Man needs a rescue from time to time - it might as well be the mighty God we just talked about above.

Verse 30 I absolutely love this - and it's a verse I've been looking forward to sharing with you guys. God's way is perfect. There's nothing more to be said about it. In life, you will find things that bring you 80% happiness or maybe 60% joy ... But God's way has a guarantee of 100% satisfaction. I like this as well. A lot of people consider the word to be binding - like hand cuffs for the soul maybe. But I will tell you this, that the word will always prove true. If you give God's way a shot - truly pour all that you can into it - it will repay you with an overflow of joy, happiness, and contentment. Booyah.

Verses 31-50 I don't want to go too much longer, but this section reminds me of a verse from a song - "God is my victory, and He is here." All the triumph and glory that David received, he accredited to God. All the victories he had, he shared with God (after all, God was the reason for those victories). The fact of the matter is that God truly is all that this passage claims Him to be - are you relying on this or on something else. Is your fortress in God or in something else? Well you all know what the answer should be ... Nuff Said.

World's Strongest Man? We skipped over a lot in this passage. I encourage you to read it more than once - it's a very powerful chapter in Psalms. Over all, there are so many people in the world who put their trust in things like the World's Strongest Man. People are impressed that a man can tow an airplane, when the world he tows it on was made by a much much mightier God. Are you impressed by who God is and what He is capable of?


Boom! Explosion!
-Chris

Psalm 17

Psalm 17
Prayer with Confidence in Final Salvation, a Prayer of David

Summary: this psalm is a prayer of David, a righteousness man making a just plea to God. He prays that God will uphold him, and keep him safe. He also remembers that ultimately, he will be in heaven with God in the end. This is a pray for safety and success, while knowing that ultimately in the end David will be in heaven, safe and in a new body with Christ.

Its like watching a movie; I always get caught up in the movie and find myself hoping and wishing that everything will turn out all right, but then I remember, it’s a movie. The main character is in a mess of trouble, but you know that somehow everything is going to work out and somehow by the end of the 90 minute movie, everything will be in its place and everyone will live happily ever after.


I think it is almost the same case in this psalm. Let me explain. Verse one: 'Hear a just cause o Lord, attend to my cry.' David is praying that the Lord will hear his cry and protect him. Verse five: 'Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps my not slip.' He prays that God will guide his choices and paths to safe places. He goes on the pray that God will show his lovingkindness (m-w: tender and benevolent affection) and save those who trust in the Lord. Verse seven: 'O You save those who trust in You, from those who rise up against them.' He prays that God will keep him from those who oppress him and from his enemies. But then he remembers that his enemies store up treasures on earth, but when they die, they have to give all their possessions away. And David remembers God’s promise to His believers, that he will be rewarded in heaven. Verse fifteen: 'As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.' As Christians, our happily ever after is waking up, seeing our Creator, our loving Father for the first time, living in an eternal kingdom with the Creator of the universe, which is far better than 'happily ever after' on TV.

This Psalm reminds me of a song that is all about how we as Christians should live, with the final goal in mind, a heavenly home, a heavenly family. The song is Heavenlies, by Evan Wickham. Check out the lyrics, it's a pretty cool song. But my favorite part is the chorus, I'm living for the heavenlies. Which is kinda what David says at the very end of his psalm, 'I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness', which means David is looking forward to that moment when we are with God and can see Him face to face. It is so awesome that in trial and pain and suffering we can remember that we are living for something more than this world, we are living for a heavenly Father whose love is perfect beyond measure and stores up heavenly treasures for us.

No matter what troubles or trails we face today, we can have the same attitude that David had, God will triumph in the end! And because we are on God’s side, so will we!

Psalm 16 - In Tune

Sometimes we forget about the importance of the being in tune with God - or why we even need to be in the first place. That's what this weeks Psalm is all about.
Psalm 16!


Verses 1-3 - David is a pretty awesome dude. I was thinking about how many distractions we can have in our lives, how many things can make it difficult to fit God into our schedule. It's remarkable how David (who probably had even more than we do) still managed to keep his focus on God. I mean, it's so easy to lose focus in our walks - so easy to get caught up with school, sports, girlfriends, boyfriends, video games, and all the Facebook/cell-phone nonsense that's out there. No, David never had a Facebook, but the first three verses just describe how David lived his life, which helps us understand why he was so in tune with, and focused on, God. In verses 1-2, He looks to God to "preserve" him and to be the "goodness" in his life. David had a wonderful concept of a few verses that was written well beyond his time (Romans 3:9-23). Apart from God, we are not safe from sin, and apart from Him, we can truly do no good. That's what David says here. He knows that he's a sinner, and he knows that he isn't worthy of God. David, a king amongst the greatest kings to ever live, made himself humble before God ... why? Moving back a bit, think of all the stories of the Old Testament - Moses and the Israelites walked through a parted Red Sea, Joshua took the promise land against all odds, Gideon killed thousands with 300 men, David killed Goliath, Samson killed thousands of Philistines (as did Shamgar) and so on. Further down the road, we read about how Jesus' death on the cross shook the earth and tore the vail in the temple - sin once and for all lost its hold on God's people. David saw this - he saw that God had both power to "preserve" and protect - both physically and spiritually.

Verses 4-10 David kind of lays out a warning here. He says that if anyone is to choose a god other than the true and living God, they drink to their own sorrow. If you put anything before God, David promises you an empty life. On that short note, David continues on to talk about the inheritance he has in God - the guidance, the love, the joy, and the relationship he has found in the Father. He says again in verse 8, he has chosen always to set the Lord before himself. Because God is on his side, he will not be moved (Romans 8:31). It's pretty much a list of more reasons to consider God a priority in our lives - which so many of us forget to do sometimes.

Verse 11 We close with a powerful statement here. Jesus came to this Earth and he proclaimed to be the way, the truth, and the LIFE. The choice we make between God and this world is not trivial in the least. To choose anything but Christ is to choose death - literally what David is saying here. David lays it our pretty simply. On the left hand side, we have a world filled with lies and sorrow - with empty promises and pain. But on the right hand side we have a God who gives endless joy and blessings forevermore.

Why Tune-In? When you read the chapter, you might think to yourself why we would even consider the idea of being in tune with God. Basically, the last few weeks have been a struggle for myself. With tests and projects coming to a close, as well as a new job starting up, I have had difficulty in keeping time open for time with God. Because of this, I have been miserable and stressed out to the max. It's important in the Christian life to rely on God not only for spiritual matters but also matters of every day life. It says in 1 peter - "cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you." If you're not in tune with God - if you're living life to the beat of your own drum, you're in for a world of hurt. The picture above makes absolutely no sense, but the idea I get out of this week is pretty sweet. If life was a radio, are you tuned into God's station ... or something else?

Have fun with finals!
-Chris