March 9 THE LORD’S MY SHEPHERD Scottish Psalter, 1650 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27) I will commit my way, O Lord, to Thee, nor doubt Thy love, though dark the way may be; Nor murmur, for the sorrow is from God, and there is comfort even in Thy rod. —Unknown One of the characteristics of the relationship that exists between a shepherd and his flock is that sheep can always distinguish the voice of their particular shepherd. The sheep’s responsibility is simply to listen and follow. As Christians, we worship and acknowledge God as our Creator and Redeemer. But how comforting it is to realize that this same great God is also “my Shepherd.” In time of stress, I can rest securely in His strong arms. With the Good Shepherd leading, even death’s dark vale need not be feared since death to the believer is simply a release to God’s eternal home. As members of Christ’s flock, we too must recognize our heavenly Shepherd’s voice. To do so, we must always remain close enough to hear it. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21) This lovely setting of the 23rd Psalm was originally put in stanza form for the Scottish Psalter of 1650, a collection that contained only the 150 psalms arranged in metrical form for congregational singing. The charming and child-like tune has only recently begun to appear in American hymnals. “The Lord’s My Shepherd” … for many children the first Bible verse learned and often the last repeated before entering “death’s dark vale.” A psalm of priceless heritage! The Lord’s my Shepherd—I’ll not want; He makes me down to lie in pastures green. He leadeth me the quiet waters by. My soul He doth restore again, and me to walk doth make within the paths of righteousness, e’en for His own name’s sake. Yea, tho I walk thru death’s dark vale, yet will I fear no ill, for Thou art with me, and Thy rod and staff me comfort still. My table Thou hast furnished in presence of my foes; my head Thou dost with oil anoint, and my cup overflows. Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me, and in God’s house forevermore my dwelling place shall be.
For Today: Psalm 23; 78:52; Jeremiah 29:11; John 10:1–6; Hebrews 13:20, 21; 1 Peter 5:7
Be sensitive to God’s inner voice with directions for your life. Determine to follow wherever He indicates. Abandon yourself to His divine guidance. Sing as you go—
TAKING REFUGE Psalms 6–12“O Lord my God, I take refuge in You; save and deliver me from all who pursue me” (Ps. 7:1).When we sense our weakness, we hurry to take refuge in a majestic God who acts on behalf of those who love Him.
Overview
David, deeply aware of his weaknesses, took refuge in God (Pss. 6–7). God’s creative work (Ps. 8) and His present rule (Ps. 9) gave the psalmist confidence. Victims can find refuge with God the King (Ps. 10), who dispenses justice from His heavenly throne (Ps. 11).
Understanding the Text
Psalm 6: The Cry of the Faint.
In deep distress David experienced his own weakness, and cried to God for mercy. “I am faint” Ps. 6. Many expressions in the Psalms remind us of our frailties. This psalm of David expresses our weakness graphically. David, aware that he had no strength left to face life’s challenges, described his feelings of weakness. His bones were in agony, his soul in anguish. He was worn out from groaning; he flooded his bed with weeping and drenched his couch with tears. His eyes grew weak with sorrow. These expressions may seem strange coming from a man who boldly faced the giant Goliath and fought fearlessly against Israel’s enemies. But they remind us that there is nothing unmanly about tears, and nothing shameful in feeling helpless. They also remind us that we have complete freedom in our relationship with God to express our feelings to Him honestly. David’s words also help us understand why he is commended as a man after God’s own heart. David was totally honest with himself and with the Lord. He was realistic about his weaknesses, and honest about his fears. Dishonesty—an attempt to maintain a “macho” image—keeps us from acknowledging our weaknesses. And keeps us from full dependence on the Lord. Psalm 7: A Call for Judgment. God’s sovereign rule is partly expressed in His judgments on mankind. David called on God to judge (punish) the wicked and to make the righteous secure. “If there is guilt” Ps. 7:3–5. David did not fear to call on God to judge, for he himself had been careful to do what was right. It’s dangerous to ask God to judge others if we are guilty of their sins! “Arise, O Lord, in Your anger” Ps. 7:6. The Scriptures do teach the anger of God. But God’s anger is unlike ours. (1) It is provoked by sin and injustice. (2) It is righteous, in that it never overreacts nor is vindictive. (3) It may be expressed in present judgments on sinners, but most often is reserved for the final judgment to take place at history’s end. David’s call for God to arise in anger and judge is rightly motivated. David did not rejoice at the prospect of the wicked suffering. His concern was to “bring an end to the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.” We too can call on God to express His anger at the sins in our society. And we can work to implement just laws, intended not to punish so much as to end violence and make the righteous secure. Psalm 8: God’s Majestic Glory. God’s glory is glimpsed in creation, but is most clearly revealed in the Lord’s amazing decision to love and care for humankind. “What is man?” Ps. 8:3–5 David was impressed at the glory revealed in creation (vv. 1–3). Yet what stunned him was the realization that God has chosen to be “mindful” of mankind. The word means to pay compassionate attention to. Secular man scoffs at the notion that earth is any more than a tiny speck in a minor arm of 1 galaxy of 100 million stars in a universe estimated to hold 100 million galaxies! Yet David identified the greatest wonder: God bends down and pays close attention to this particular speck, for it is the home of humanity, and God has chosen to make human beings the focus of His loving care. “You made him ruler” Ps. 8:6–8. It is to man’s honor and glory that God has made us “ruler over the works of Your hands.” This position implies creation in God’s image, for God is ultimate Ruler of all things. It’s important to note the distinction between “rule” and “exploit.” Too often people have taken authority as a right to use things or others for one’s benefit. Here “rule” is actually “responsibility to care for” what God has created. Because God exercises loving care over us, permitting mankind to exercise loving care of the creation is a magnificent gift. It is what David here calls crowning “with glory and honor.” Psalm 9: In Praise of God’s Reign. God is known by His justice. His rule was revealed in the fate of the wicked and David’s enemies. “You have upheld my right and my cause” Ps. 9:1–6. David praised God, for he saw the defeat suffered by his enemies as evidence that God is sitting on His throne, “judging righteously.” Here David may be remembering the military victories won over surrounding nations, which enabled him to extend Israel’s territory and influence. “He will judge . . . in righteousness” Ps. 9:7–10. David celebrated the Lord, for he knew God not only reigns forever, but “will judge the world in righteousness; He will govern the peoples with justice.” Christianity is not, as has been suggested, a faith of “pie in the sky by and by.” It is a faith rooted in the conviction that God rules, and will surely judge. The conviction that God rules enables a person who is oppressed or in trouble to find refuge and hope now. Trust in God may not change our circumstances, but it changes us! The mere fact that we can experience peace despite persecution is the most convincing evidence that God is real. “The Lord is known by His justice” Ps. 9:16. Those who do not know God by faith will learn of Him later, for God is and will be known by His justice. The moral order of the universe means that the wicked will fall into the pits they dig for others, and their own feet will be snared in the traps they have hidden. Hitler’s Germany illustrates this. By treating others brutally, the Nazis became the cause of their own downfall and a vivid illustration of retributive justice. Psalm 10: The Psalm of the Victim. Because God takes a hand in human affairs, the victim can commit himself to the Lord as King. See DEVOTIONAL. Psalm 11: Righteousness Affirmed. The believer can take refuge in God, because God is righteous and will surely punish the wicked. “The Lord is in His holy temple” Ps. 11:4. This phrase is no call to worship, but pictures God standing in the place of judgment. The psalmist identified the “holy temple” with God’s “heavenly throne,” and said that from it God examines the sons of men. Because God hates the violence which the wicked perpetrate on the innocent, we can take refuge in Him. Even though the foundations of our society seem to crumble, we can be sure “upright men will see His face.”
DEVOTIONAL
Psalm of the Victim(Ps. 10)
The Greek philosopher Plato argued that it was better to have wrong done to us than to do wrong. Few today would agree with him. Being a victim seems somehow shameful, weak. But in Psalm 10, the poet explained far better than Plato ever could why victims are more blessed than persecutors. If at any time you feel like a victim-misused by your boss, by a friend, family, or even by “the system,” this is a psalm you might turn to. If you do you’ll find no prescription for changing circumstances. What you’ll find is a description of what happens inside the perpetrator, and inside the victim. The perpetrator (vv. 1–11) is described by words like pride, arrogance, and boastfulness. His apparent success feeds these attitudes, and prosperity leads the victimizer to assume he is safe. Others are dismissed as weak, and God either fails to know or doesn’t care. On the other hand, the victim (vv. 12–15) experiences his helplessness. This leads him to commit himself to the Lord. In his suffering the victim has nowhere to turn but to God. God, “King forever and ever” (vv. 16–18), hears the afflicted. The Hebrew concept of “listen” implies not only hearing but responding. God as Ruler of the universe will act to judge the wicked and to defend the oppressed. This psalm of the victim recognizes the fact that injustices may exist for a time. But it reminds us that the people who persecute us do so out of a deadly pride and arrogance, and will surely be punished. On the other hand, being victimized brings us closer to the Lord. How much better to be a victim who knows God, than a victimizer who scoffs at Him!
Personal Application
The next time you suffer as a victim, thank God that you are not the victimizer.
Quotable
Thrice blest is he to whom is given The instinct that can tell That God is on the field when He Is most invisible. Then learn to scorn the praise of men And learn to lose with God, For Jesus won the world through shame And beckons thee His road.-F.W. Faber
GOD’S GREAT MERCY Psalms 1–5“But I, by Your great mercy, will come into Your house; in reverence will I bow down toward Your holy temple” (Ps. 5:7).God’s great mercy is reserved for those who delight in the Law of the Lord and refuse to walk in the way of the wicked.
Overview
There are two moral paths, each with its own destination (Ps. 1). Resistance to the Messiah, God’s Son, is futile, for He is destined to rule earth (Ps. 2). David found peace when fleeing from his rebel son Absalom by remembering God (Pss. 3–4). David was confident that his merciful God would bless him even though he had to wait for his prayers to be answered (Ps. 5).
Understanding the Text
Psalm 1: “Two Moral Paths.”
There are only two moral paths a human being can take. This psalm graphically describes each. “Walk . . . stand . . . sit” Ps. 1:1. Conformity to worldly morality has three stages. Walking “in the counsel of the wicked” is listening to their views. Standing “in the way of sinners” is acting as the wicked do. Sitting “in the seat of mockers” is adopting their hardened, immoral attitudes. My wife and I have been shocked just this week to review some of the TV “comedy” shows that our nine-year-old Sarah wants to watch between 7 and 8 P.M. Their innuendos and often explicit statements clearly deny biblical morality, and we’ve had to declare such programs off-limits. The progression from walking, to standing, to sitting, reminds us that it’s dangerous to take even that first step away from godly moral thought. “He meditates” Ps. 1:2. Note again the importance of our thought life. If we fill our minds with and delight in God’s Law, we prosper morally and spiritually. Today we say of computers, “garbage in, garbage out.” Long ago God said this of the human mind. If you and I want to prosper spiritually we must guard our thoughts and our minds, and reject the “counsel of the wicked.” “The way of the wicked will perish” Ps. 1:6. In this life the ways of the wicked and godly exist side by side, competing for our allegiance. In the end, the two ways part-forever. We must choose one of the two, and help our children choose, for there is no third way. Psalm 2: “Messiah’s Rule.” The psalmist ridiculed those who resist the Lord and His Anointed One (2:1–6). The Anointed One speaks, announcing His commission from and relationship with God (vv. 7–9). The psalm concludes with a word of grace, calling for a submission which will bring blessing (vv. 10–12). Psalm 2 is frequently quoted in the New Testament (cf. Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Acts 4:25–28; 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 2 Peter 1:17; Rev. 19:15). “An iron scepter” Ps. 2:9. The rod of iron symbolizes complete authority. God’s Messiah, Jesus, will enforce God’s will despite human resistance. “Be wise; be warned” Ps. 2:10–12. Each human has the opportunity offered rulers in this psalm. We can freely choose to serve the Lord, and find blessing. Or we can resist to the end, and be destroyed when His wrath flares up. Jesus is Lord. Every human being must make a choice for Him—or against Him. Psalms 3–4: “Psalms in Flight.” Each of these psalms reflects the thoughts and feelings of David as he fled Jerusalem during Absalom’s rebellion (see 2 Sam. 15–18). The imagery is powerful as David reflected on his relationship with God, and found a peace which enabled him to sleep despite imminent danger. “God will not deliver him” Psalm 3:1–2. Many who rebelled against David seemed to feel that God had abandoned him. Second Samuel tells us that Shimei accused the fleeing king of being a “man of blood” (16:7). Very likely David himself, remembering his sin with Bathsheba and other earlier failings, wondered if God was with him when the rebellion broke out. Accusations are always hard to bear. When they are made by those who have been our friends, or by our own consciences, they are particularly painful. Add misfortune, when everything seems to be going wrong, and anyone might wonder if God were still with him or not. Such experiences cause stress, rob us of sleep, and frequently make us so anxious that we become ineffective. We each need what David found in his situation—a way to relieve the stress and restore inner peace. “You are” Ps. 3:3–4. What David did was to focus his thoughts on God, and to remember who God is. David had known God as a shield (“protector”), as his glory (“greatest value”), as one who lifted up his head (“source of strength”). Remembering who God had proven Himself to be in his life, David prayed to God with confidence. When we consider who God is, and all He has done for us, we too find the freedom to come to God in prayer. When we cry out to God, we lift the burden from our back and place it on His. Ancient warriors protected their bodies with shields made of layers of hardened skins, often studded with metal. David remembered how often God had shielded him from danger. Though David was fleeing for his life, the image of God as a shield (Ps. 3:3) brought inner peace and enabled the threatened king to rest. “I lie down and sleep” Ps. 3:5–8. David found peace through prayer. He shifted his burden to God and, sure that the Lord would sustain him, was able to rest. Prayer, addressed in confidence to a God whom we know loves us, is the secret of peace for you and me. This kind of prayer drains the tension from us. It frees us from fear even when thousands of enemies seem to surround us. “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly” Ps. 4:1–3. The selah at the end of Psalm 3 means “pause, before going on.” Here it seems to unite Psalms 3 and 4, leading most commentators to believe both psalms reflect on David’s flight from Absalom. David’s enemies misjudged both David and God. Despite his flaws, David was honest in his devotion to God. And God was devoted to David. When we have this kind of relationship with God we can share David’s confidence that “the Lord will hear when I call to Him.” “Who can show us any good?” Ps. 4:4–8. The defeatist looks at surrounding troubles, and despairs. David, however, looked up and found a source of joy in the knowledge that God’s face was turned toward him. The image of God’s face “shining on” a person means to look with favor; to look with the intent to do good. So David found his good and his joy in God, not in an earthly abundance of “grain and new wine.” How much wiser David’s course of seeking peace and joy in the Lord. Our fortunes on earth can change radically, as David’s flight from Jerusalem shows. But God is unchanging. If we find our joy in the Lord, that joy will be with us always.
DEVOTIONAL
Waiting(Ps. 5)
I remember one summer when I was a child, how hard it was to wait for our summer vacation. The next day we were going up to Cedar Lake, to stay at Uncle Duane’s cabin. As I sat on the front porch, waiting, I was sure that tomorrow would never come, that we’d never get in the car, never pull into the driveway set back from the lake, and never run down to the shore. When we get older, waiting can be even more difficult. Usually the things we wait for are much more important. Waiting for a job. Waiting for a sickness to pass. Waiting for an answer to a life-changing question. This psalm of David reminds us that he was familiar with waiting too. He waited for Saul to die so he could become king. Even after that, he waited years to be acknowledged by all Israel. How did David handle waiting, and still remain confident and hopeful? This psalm tells—and shows—you and me how to wait with confidence and expectant hope. First, David expressed his emotions as well as his requests to God (vv. 1–3). He was persistent in “morning by morning” sharing his sighing and his needs. Second, David remembered the character of God (vv. 4–8). God does not take pleasure in evil, and destroys the wicked. But David, by God’s grace, was not numbered with the wicked. By God’s grace David was one who worshiped the Lord, and who followed God’s leading. Third, David expected God to act in accord with His character (vv. 9–12). The wicked will be declared guilty. But God will act to protect those who love Him. “Surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous” is an affirmation of faith. Even though he had to wait, David knew—because of who God is—that blessing would surely come. What a ground of expectation for us as we wait. We expect the best, because of who God is. God Himself and His character are the foundation of our hopes.
Personal Application
When waiting is most difficult, meditate on God’s character, and be reassured.
Quotable
My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me, I cannot choose the colors He worketh steadily. Oft times He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper and I the underside. The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned. Not till the loom is silent and the shuttle cease to fly Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why. -Author unknown
Psalms is a collection of 150 religious poems which enrich the spiritual life of God’s people. The Psalms touch on every human experience and on every aspect of the believer’s personal relationship with God. In powerful images they guide us today to worship, to praise, to trust, and to hope in the Lord. Hebrew poetry does not rely on rhyme or even rhythm for its power, but rather on parallelism, the matching or echoing of thoughts. Thus one line will reflect, contrast with, or reinforce the idea introduced in another, so that the original thought is enriched. This kind of poetry alone can be translated in all languages without loss of power or beauty. Many technical terms are found in introductions to individual psalms. These reflect use of the psalms in Israel’s public worship, and apparently indicate musical accompaniment, the type of psalm or occasion when used, etc. The Psalms are organized in five “books.” Each book was added to the official collection at a different date. Various types of psalms—of praise, worship, confession, imprecation, messianic hope, etc.—are found within each book in apparently random order. Superscriptions identify a number of authors of the psalms, including David (73), the sons of Korah (12), Asaph (12), and others. As no other book of Scripture, Psalms guides us to focus our thoughts on the Lord, and enrich our private as well as public worship.
“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first” (Job 42:12).The New Testament invites us to consider Job’s experience, and realize that “the Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:11).
Overview
God challenged Job to consider His wisdom (38:1–39:30) and His power (40:1–41:34). Job repented (42:1–6). God restored and multiplied Job’s blessings (vv. 7–16).
Understanding the Text
“On what were its footings set?” Job 38:1–39:30 God challenged Job to consider His wisdom, and realize how limited man’s understanding is. On the surface God’s theme seems to be His lordship over nature. He is Creator (38:4–15). He rules the inanimate universe (vv. 16–38). He rules the animate as well (38:39–39:30). In the passage God raised questions about the universe that puzzle even modern science! What is the foundation of matter, space, and time? (38:6) What patterns earth’s climate? (vv. 22–30) How are instincts built into living creatures? (39:1–18) These and a myriad of other questions cannot be answered by human beings. We need to realize the limits of our understanding and appreciate God’s wisdom. It is futile to raise questions of “why?” when suffering comes. We must remember that God knows what He is doing, and put our trust in Him. “Would you discredit My justice?” Job 40:6–41:34 God’s next monologue is more than an affirmation of His raw power. In the ancient world both “Behemoth” and “Leviathan” represented forces of evil in the world. Job was challenged to “look at every proud man and bring him low” (40:5–14). Job could not deal with wicked human beings! But God controls the very forces of evil represented by the two beasts (40:15–24; 41:1–34). In powerful symbolism God affirmed that He is moral Ruler of the universe. He can and does punish the wicked. “I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” Job 42:1–6. Before this revelation of God’s wisdom and His rule of the moral order, Job could do nothing but repent. True, he had lived a blameless life. But he had been wrong to even think of God as unjust. Repentance is not a negative in the Bible, even though people tend to think of it as somewhat shameful. To repent is to change one’s mind or direction. Job now admitted that he had been wrong about God. God is not upset when we are wrong about Him. This is why He is so careful to instruct us, so that we might know Him better. Through suffering Job had gained, not an answer to “why?” but a better understanding of God. Who can say that knowing God better isn’t worth all the suffering Job—or you and I—may have to bear? “As My servant Job has” Job 42:7–9. Job was commended by God for speaking “what is right.” How could this be, when Job had been shown to be wrong, and repented? The answer is found in Job’s determination to face reality. Job’s friends sounded pious, but they did not trust God enough to honestly examine evidence that He does not punish every wicked person here and now. They had not spoken of God “what is right,” and were forgiven only through the agency of Job’s prayers. Job did trust God enough to be honest with the facts as he knew them, even though these facts seemed to cast doubt on God’s justice. We needn’t be afraid to struggle with hard questions in life, or in the Bible. God does have answers, whether or not we know what these answers are. “Seven sons and three daughters” Job 42:10–17. God blessed Job throughout many added years of life. Every symbol of that blessing mentioned here is doubled—except the number of his children. Ten had died, and he was given 10 more. Why? Because Job’s first 10 children had not been lost, but would be with him in eternity. Along with such verses as 19:26, “After my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God,” this clearly implies an early belief in resurrection. It reminds us too that the blessings Job received are symbolic of the blessing we will surely know, if not here, when we are with Christ.
DEVOTIONAL
Not an Answer, a Friend (Job 42)
When God finally spoke to Job, He did not explain why He permitted Job to suffer. This has left many puzzled, for the book seems to hold no answer to the questions it raises. Why do the innocent suffer? Why does tragedy strike the good man? There is no answer here. But perhaps this is the point. The Book of Job portrays a God who is wise beyond our comprehension; a God who can and does judge wickedness. It also portrays a God who permitted Satan to torment Job, and who, after Satan’s defeat, caused Job’s suffering to continue. And it emphasizes the fact that Job was a righteous and blameless man. How does all this fit together? As we read Job’s words, we realize that he was a tormented man. Job was not only tormented by his losses and his pain, but an inner, gnawing uncertainty. We see it even in his very first speech, where Job said, “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me” (3:25). Despite his personal commitment to the Lord, Job was uncertain about God’s attitude toward him. When Job thought of God, it was with deep appreciation and respect, but also with an element of fear. By the end of the book Job had suffered far more than he could have feared or even imagined. Yet Job had also met God. He had been rebuked, but he had also been commended. Job had even been told that his prayers for his three friends would be accepted. Suddenly Job realized something he had never quite accepted before. God was for him. God had observed his actions, and approved. Even when his pain was the greatest, his doubts almost overwhelming, and his words the most foolish, God cared. Through the experience of suffering Job had at last come to know that God was his Friend. This, the certainty that despite our suffering God is our Friend, is perhaps the true message of Job. Christianity can offer no satisfactory intellectual answer to the mystery of innocent suffering. But, through Christ, God offers us the assurance that He is our Friend. With that assurance, we can face and be victorious in our pain.
Personal Application
When suffering comes, hold tight to the truth that God is your Friend.
Quotable
“In story times, when the foundation of existence is shaken, when the moment trembles in fearful expectation of what may happen, when every explanation is silent at the sight of the wild uproar, when a man’s heart groans in despair, and ‘in bitterness of soul’ he cries to heaven, then Job still walks at the side of the race and guarantees that there is a victory, guarantees that even if the individual loses in the strife, there is still God, who will still make its outcome such that we may be able to bear it; yea, more glorious than any human expectation.”—Soren Kierkegaard
This is my personal collection of thoughts and writings, mainly from much smarter people than I, which challenge me in my discipleship walk. Don't rush by these thoughts, but ponder them.
Milo 