The Gospel of John: Chapter 1

Baccoli, Italy, July 2011: photograph by Tammy C. Smith

"The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." I find such peace in these words that begin John's gospel 1:5. The darkness does "not" overcome the Light! It always, always, always overcomes the darkness! No matter what the situation, no matter how dark, bleak, dismal, or devastating it may seem, the Light will overcome it!

It is a challenge for me and so many of us to wait for the darkness to clear.  We are impatient, we want peace  and comfort immediately, not understanding that the Light is fighting a battle with darkness that needs to be fought. During these times we just have to put on our seat belts and ride it out, often re-tightening them to the point of  restraint. There comes a point when we realize there is nothing we can do; all faith must be placed in the Light.

John the Baptist is revealed as the first messenger of the "True Light" in the first chapter of The Gospel of John. Little Information is given in this passage about John before his mission began, but we know that he was sent by God to bear witness to the Light. People didn't seem to understand what John was all about. The Jews sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was and John simply said, "I am the voice of the one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord" (John 1:23).

When John first saw Jesus coming toward him near a town called Bethany beyond the Jordan River where he was baptizing, he knew right away who Jesus was, the Messiah (Christ). John saw what he was foretold, a spirit in the form of a dove descended from Heaven and remained with Jesus. John began spreading the message right away that the "Lamb of God" was indeed Jesus. John lead many followers to Jesus in those first few days: Andrew, Peter, Phillip, and Nathanial are but a few. Nathanial, however, questioned Phillip about Jesus. He snidely remarked, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46).

Jesus, who was not innocent to sarcasm, baffled Nathanial upon their meeting with his greeting, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" (John 1:47). Nathanial was astonished that Jesus knew his name and immediately conceded that Jesus must indeed be the Son of God, the King of Israel. However, as Jesus revealed himself to the group of followers, he promised them greater things to be seen. John's gospel ends with a prophetic verse that may even have frightened Nathanial and the others, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (John 1:51). Jesus foreshadowed his own resurrection and ascension into Heaven.

The darkness is a part of our world, it is always present. It is outside of us, around us, in our physical world, but it also lies within us, lurking. Jesus does not want us to fear this darkness. He wants us to have complete faith that He, the Light, will always overcome it. What we must do is make the right choices in our lives, choices that keep us on the path of Light, living each day in the Light, following the Light. Think of the Light as a beacon in the journey of life. He ever shines leading us out of the darkness to the safety of our heavenly home.

Christmas Eve 2013

"Our Silent Night"

Christmas quiet
Dark and dreamy
Flickering memories
Of past family and friends
Come and gone
Names on a tablecloth
Written in joy and love
On the eve of His birth
The Savior of hope
The reason we gather
Year after year
To light sacred candles
In penance and prayer
Our family, one voice
Singing "Silent Night"
One simple, solemn voice
Dispelling the darkness
Shining, lowly as we are
On the holiest of nights
Emmanuel, God is with us!

by Tammy Smith
12/25/13

Day 30 Psalms 146 to 150

The flurry of the Thanksgiving holiday is over. My son Tim and his dog Cashew have returned to Detroit, Tim's girlfriend Rachel went home to Latrobe, my fun-loving nieces Leslie and Kristen and Leslie's character of a husband Chris are traveling back to Charleston, S.C., and my husband drove off early this morning to Rimersburg for the first day of deer season. Although the busy scuttle of one holiday season has ended, another has formally begun. Today is the second day of Advent and there seems to be little time for rest as Christmas is imminent. As much as our culture would like us to think that Advent is a season of preparing in ways that trap us into the material aspects of the coming of Christmas, our God implores us to step back away from the ado and place our emphasis on "waiting" during the holy days ahead.

If we truly focus on waiting, we will find we are confronted with our thoughts, often thoughts that have been dismissed and ignored, and ones that may be too stressful to face. So what do many of us choose to do? We busy our lives to the brink of exhaustion just so we may never need to stand up to our failings, our broken relationships, our weaknesses and inner flaws. In Psalms' 146 to 147, we see David praising God, knowing full well the brevity of his shortcomings but also praising God despite them. As God knows us better than we know ourselves, He wants us to acknowledge we may fall short of the ideal He has for us, but He also wants us to know that within each of us the ideal version of us always exists. That is who He sees, our ideal version! What an awesome God! We crucify ourselves; He does not.

In Psalm 146:3, David points out that we place too much trust in man when we are in need and forget to look to the source of everlasting strength. Advent clearly calls us to bring our petitions to Him, to let God help us to gain the perspective in our lives that we may have lost, by slowing down and focusing on what is important, family, parents, grandparents, children, aunts, uncles, cousins, but, indeed, and most importantly God himself. The hopeful message of Psalm 147:3-4 is one to remember, "He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds." God knows our needs more than we know them for, "He determines the number of the stars, He gives to all of them their names."

How much God loves us is clearly beyond reason, and the Advent season calls us to focus on that love in a deeper way. In Psalm 147:11, David reminds us, "The Lord takes pleasure in us, in those who hope in His steadfast love." To allow our hearts to be lifted and open to God's love, David's praises in Psalm 148 to 150,  29 jubilant verses, are perfect for starting each day, especially during Advent. The continual shouting of praise from Psalm 148,  "Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His host! Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars! Praise Him, you highest heavens!" to Psalm 150 "Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! are "heart openers." Opening our heart makes us vulnerable to experiences we have shut ourselves and protected ourselves from for years maybe a lifetime, but it is an act of healing.  Filling our hearts with praise, praise for the creator who loves us more than our humanness can comprehend is an infallible practice for opening our souls to receive the abundant miracles the Lord has stored within us!

Now as the silence fills my house for a brief time before the next rush of another holiday's preparations begin, I wait in quiet time with the Lord. I remember David's Psalms and unite myself with him as he waited, with all those departed who also waited, and those living who continue to wait. As we wait, we learn about ourselves and the beautiful vision of ourselves that God sees,  the reflection of himself in each of us.

Day 29 Psalms 141 to 145

Today is Thanksgiving Day and I truly count my blessings. My life is full of them. Our God is an awesome God and there is no doubt that he has blessed me bountifully. As the onset of the Advent season approaches,  I reflect on this past year and know that His Holy Spirit continually held me close within His arms that I should now radiate in reverence of His steadfast love today. "I remember the days of old, I meditate," now, "on all that He hast done," Psalm 143:5. David understood the value of reflection after reaching the end of a difficult period of his life. To reflect, repent, and allow God to lift up our souls after a rough journey prepares us to go forward, armed and ready to meet and accept the inevitable challenges of our lives ahead. Through the season of Advent, we find that this unique tradition of our faith is perfectly designed for filling us with hope again. It is a season of hope and in our hope we can renew the fullness of joy in our hearts.

In Psalms 141 to 145, David finds many occasions to be thankful, and his songs of gratitude serve to give us inspiration. In Psalm 141:2, he opens with a beautiful petition, "Let my prayer be counted as incense before thee, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice." The stretching out of hands to the heavens is an iconic symbol in religion, the opening of the human heart, mind, and soul to its creator, and David reaches out again in Psalm 143:6. In yoga we stretch and lift our hands in sun salutations. It's an invigorating practice which opens the heart for the energy to flow through our bodies. Through it we can accept the love and joy around us. David understood the power of stretching forth hands long ago.

So this Thanksgiving, I lift up my hands in praise. In Psalm 144:9, David shouts, "I will sing a new song to thee, O God!" May David's words in his praises resonate in my own soul as I repeat them on this day of bountiful blessings and in preparation for the solemn and soulful season of Advent:

Psalm 145: A Praise of David.

I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
² Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
³ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.

⁴ One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
⁵ I^[a] will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.^[b]
6 Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
⁷ They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.

⁸ The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
⁹ The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.

¹⁰ All Your works shall praise You, O Lord,
And Your saints shall bless You.
¹¹ They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
¹² To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.^[c]

¹⁴ The Lord upholds all who fall,
And raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.
¹⁶ You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷ The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
¹⁹ He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
²⁰ The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
²¹ My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. Amen

Day 28, Summer Psalms 136 to 140

"For His steadfast love endures forever." In Psalm 136 this verse is repeated 25 times! David is full of joy as he chants of God's great love. The arc of the covenant has just been returned to its rightful place in the Holy of Holies and David feels whole again. God is good!

Let's look at Psalm 136 from God's point of view. How God must have felt when He was finally physically in David's life again.  His dwelling place, the arc, returned safely home; Father and son together again! No loving parent hopes for anything more than to be with their children, to be present in their daily lives. In addition to the physical union, God's joy was certainly multiplied with David's repeated affirmations of His steadfast love. The Father sees that His son "gets" the depth of His sacrificial love, a parent's love, an eternal, everlasting love. It was surely an occasion to make all the heavens and angels rejoice.

Leaving the celebratory circumstance of Psalm 136, we find Psalm 137 to be contrastingly woeful. Most likely written by Ezra in his old age, he conveys an experience when he was uncomfortable and even tormented for singing the praises of God. In misery, he cries out to the heavens, "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?"  Ezra and his fellow travelers were mocked by their captors for their songs. It hurt Ezra to his very core that he could not speak of God's name with an open heart. This passage is relative to today as societal and government statutes prevent us from freely speaking the word of God. Our public schools are no longer places where the word of God is mentioned, our government buildings are no longer places where Christian values can be displayed, and our military is no longer a Christian army led by the cross.  Who are we as a nation if we are no longer free to speak our hearts openly about the creator, the redeemer, the almighty savior of us all? It should bother us, as did Ezra, to the core of our souls. He wails in Psalm 137:6, "Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set You above my highest joy!" Does America set God above its highest joy?

Is it any wonder that our children are choosing to follow the paths of idols, to turn on the faith of their youth? They scoff at us, too, telling us that our beliefs are outdated and narrow minded. It is truly miraculous when in such a society as we live today that God is able to fulfill His purpose in any of us. With the church no more the center of community life and character formation, the lines between right and wrong are becoming increasingly distorted to the point that our children believe that right is wrong and wrong is right. What David states in Psalm 138:7 lies our comfort,"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou dost preserve my life; thou dost stretch out thy hand against the wrath of my enemies, and thy right hand delivers me." In these troubled times, we have to believe like David as evil lurks on every corner in places that used to be considered safe havens - our homes, our schools, our courts, and even our churches. 

We have to find strength in the Psalms, God is steadfast! "He knows when I sit down and when I rise up," declares David in Psalm 139. God is with us in our every waking breath he continues in verses 8 through 10, "If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! If I take wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."  
  
I love the image of God holding me. I visualize it often. His loving arms around me are, as David speaks in Psalm 40, my deliverance, my preservation from evil, evil which often manifests itself in the form of fear, despair, or loneliness. He enfolds me in His arms and protects me from those I allow to hurt me. My Lord is steadfast, there is nothing I must endure without Him. "His steadfast love endures forever, His steadfast love endures forever, His steadfast love endures forever"...x 25 infinitely.  

 

Day 27, Summer Psalms 131-135

Today is Labor Day, the last holiday of the summer.  Labor day was created over 100 years ago in 1882 to honor and appreciate the efforts of all workers, especially those people who fought for labor rights and laws. The first Psalm of today's blog, Psalm 131:2 gives perfect advice for all of us so we may truly embrace this holiday's original intention, "I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother's breast." Today is a day to set aside work, if we have that opportunity, and find peace in knowing that God will take care of our needs. By committing our  labor to Him, in Him, and through Him, all is good, all is well.

Sometimes we may feel that our daily labors are unimportant, not recognized, or fruitless, but Solomon reminds us in Psalm 132 that this world, the here and now, is fleeting. Our time of resting will come soon enough and it will last for an eternity. In verse 3, it is vital to remember our source of life. Solomon recalls David's vow, "I will not enter my house or get into my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids until I find a place for the Lord." We can take this to mean that after a day's labor, as tired as we may be, always take time to give thanks and to praise the Lord for the opportunities we were given to work, to create, to care, to assist, simply to make use of the talents He gave us.

Labor day is also a day to be grateful for the people who work with us, either by our sides, in the next room, at another building, or at a distant location. It's important to recognize those people in the chain who make our jobs possible, customers, suppliers, transportation, maintenance, housekeeping, etc. Psalm 133 states, "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!"  All of us working together in harmony is what makes Labor Day worth celebrating. Celebrate as Psalm 134 tells us, "Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the Lord."

Our labors our recognized by God, yes, so always be mindful of the ultimate goal of all we do. Psalm 135:15-18 warns, "The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they do not see, they have ears, but they do not hear, nor is their breath in their mouths. Like them be those who make them." Keep labor day for God and not the glory of a nation. It is not, don't be mistaken, the nation for which we toil, but for the glory of God alone.

Day 26 Summer Psalms 126-130

I was raised in a large Catholic family of six children. In the small rural town where I grew up, my paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all lived within blocks or only a few short miles away. In fact, almost every person in the town could be identified somewhere on our family tree. As my father never dedicated himself to anything more than the bottle and women, my mother and oldest sibling shouldered our upbringing; but living in a town where any one of our relatives minded our business was a help, too. Thanks to a whole village looking out for us, my brother, four sisters, and I are now responsible and hardworking adults with families of our own. I never realized then how lucky we were in having so many surrugate parents and family members. As a child I thought of them as spies and snoops. It wasn't until I grew much older that I began to understand the blessings that I had been given, a well-spring of family and friends.

In Psalm 126, a continuation of the "Psalms of ascension", the Jews are praising the Lord for restoring their fortunes.  Have you ever had a prized possession given or returned to you? Think about how it feels! When the Lord returned to the Jews their wealth, they were filled with laughter and shouted for joy. This reminds me of when my children come home for visits, how elated I am. My treasure is my family and when they return, I revel in my blessings. In Psalm 127:3 it says, "Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."

Unlike my mother and father and their parents, I did not continue the tradition of a large Catholic family, but so often when I see a brood of kids trailing behind a mother and father at church, a shopping center, or a park for instance; I smile and have to stop them and remark on how lucky they are. In Psalm 127:4 it states, "Like arrows in the hand of a a warrior are the sons of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them!" Large families are a wonderful thing. I didn't think so at the time I was growing up in one, but now I appreciate my fortune; I wish I would have built a larger family of my own. In Psalm 128, children are equivalent to prosperity. Verse 3 reads, "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table." On those rare occasions when I have my family all around me, I praise God for the blessing. Only a few years ago when we were all together celebrating around our dining room table, I remember thinking, "My cup runneth over; I'll never be as rich as I am today."  The warmth, love, and laughter in our home at that moment was so powerful, it could have burst through the roof.

The last verse of Psalm 128 identifies another valuable fortune, "May you see your children's children." Recently, I was thinking about how young my grandmother was when I was born. She was 43 and at 43, I was already her fourth grandchild. At 53, I'm now ten years older than my grandmother's age at my birth, and there are no signs of grandchildren anytime in my near future. The wealth I was given in family as a child is not building interest. While I am so touched by the families that I see together around our community and places I visit; I am at the same time filled with regret that they can not look upon me in the same way.  I imagine their whispers as in Psalm 129: 7-8, "Those who pass by do not say, 'The blessing of the Lord be upon you!'" It is ridiculous, I know, my interpretation of this psalm is blatantly out of context; it is intended for those who have denied God. The unbelievers are the ones who have no true blessings.

So there is hope, and as proclaimed in Psalm 130:5 "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope." My riches are here and now, abundant and plentiful, as I stated my numerous blessings in earlier blogs. God wants us to be always joyful  and trusting in his steadfast love. For in Him is our fortune, our everlasting treasure.

Day 25 Summer Psalms 121-125

The days before school begins are physically exhausting for a teacher. It is much like opening a new business.  New inventory needs unpacked, packing slips checked, business files copied, and management materials need to be in place and ready for operation. The operating space needs to be functional, flowing, and attractive. Technology must be set up and in working order. Interoffice business needs addressed, last minute maintenance issues need repaired, and certainly activities (lessons) need to be planned. Then the meetings with the managers (administrators) and colleagues (teachers) must convene before a customer (child) ever steps through the door. It really is an oxymoron, both energizing and exhausting at the same time.

Yesterday, I worked all day in my classroom and arrived home with a severe headache (most likely due to the glue in the carpeting recently laid in my room) and literally wiped out. I had to drag my aching body out for the evening walk with my pup, Ira. He didn't understand my lack of energy as he pulled me along our familiar trail. Bedtime could not arrive soon enough for me, my aching head hit the pillow and drifted into and out of a fretful sleep. The days before school starts are indeed sleep deprived. A teachers mind spins and spins, rechecking preparations, creating plans, and of course, anticipating new students. These are my current nights and my mornings. My mind will not stop. It is energized, yet exhausted from the whirling of thoughts.

Despite my busy days, however, I'm determined to continue the 30 days of Psalms. I opened my Bible up this morning to Psalm 121-125 not realizing I would find the support I need for my present condition of fatigue. It is just another one of those daily miracles that so often reveals itself when one is living in the Word. Psalm 121, a song traditionally sung for long journeys, explains how the Lord is our keeper in verse 2, "From whence does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." The verse continues with beautiful images of the Lord keeping us as we endure any journey of life, verses 5-8, "The Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night...The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever more." 

In Psalm 122, the imagery of standing in the house of the Lord is restful and in Psalm 123 the reminder of lifting up our eyes to the heavens and looking upon the Lord our God is calming. Nothing in our lives needs to be shouldered without His support. Psalm 124:8 tells us that, "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." The miracles found in God's word never cease to amaze me. As I read the first verses of Psalm 125, I am completely certain that God has spoken directly to my heart this morning. "Those who trust in the Lord cannot be moved, but abide forever, as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from this time forth and for evermore!" These words convey to me that I am not alone in these weeks of physical and mental challenges! My Lord is my help!

Today's miracle did not end with the powerful words of the Psalms, it continued. As I have explained in previous blogs, my daily devotional God Calling is also an inspired text. When I opened up to August 24, my eyes widened as I read the title on the page, "Exhaustion"! Yes, believe it! Here are the words Jesus himself revealed to two unknown listeners:

Exhaustion

We seek Thee as Thou hast told us.

And seeking you shall find. None ever sought My Presence in vain. None ever sought My Help in vain.

A breath of desire and My Spirit is there -- to replenish and renew. Sometimes weariness and exhaustion are not signs of lack of spirit but of the guiding of the Spirit.

Many wonderful things would not have happened but for the physical weariness, the mind-weariness of My servants, which made the resting apart, the giving up of work, a necessity...

Though My Way may seem a narrow way it yet leads to Life, abundant Life. Follow it. It is not so narrow but that I can tread it beside you.

Never too lonely with such companionship. A comrade infinitely tender, infinitely strong, will tread the way with you.

Wow! Today's little miracle reminds me once again of the rich, saving power of God's word. I now feel refreshed, light, and nourished from today's holy Psalms and the precious words of Jesus in God Calling. I'm refortified and prepared to not only face the exhaustion but the excitement of the first week of school! 

Day 24 Summer Psalms 116-120

As I prepare again for the distinctive task of teaching for the 2013/ 2014 school year, planning lessons  and organizing my classroom, I find in Psalms 116-119 what is most important than all of my micro-management of materials and man-made curriculum and that is my ability to maintain my focus on the ever-present guidance of the Lord.

Psalm 116:1-2, "I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live."

This is my re-commitment, as my life becomes busy again with the all-consuming work of my vocation, to Him whose steadfast love did not forsake me in this past year of personal trials: Psalm 118:17 and 24, "I shall live and recount the deeds of the Lord... This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." In these two verses is all and everything our loving wondrous Father wants from us, to spread His love to others and rejoice in each and every day that we may live to do so.

The importance of  keeping the "teachings" of God's word are found in all 176 verses of Psalm 119. In verse 9, it says, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to thy word." In verses 15 and 16 we are reminded to meditate on God's precepts, to fix our eyes on God's ways, and to not forget his word. Many synonyms are used for the "word" of God and are repeated over and over in this Psalm:  His ways, precepts, commandments, ordinances, statutes, teachings, and His testimonies. The value of living by God's word, the significant consequences of keeping His word are confirmed in Psalm 119: they bless, they counsel, they give light, they give comfort, they give peace, they give delight, they give strength, they give joy, they give understanding, they give wisdom, they give love, and  most of all, they give life!

I pray, Dear God, let my re-commitment to You be supported by Your word in my daily life. What better preparation than Your teachings is there for those of us who stand before the young people in our classrooms each and every day? Your word is so rich in the qualities we need to nourish them: blessing, counseling, light, comfort, peace, strength, delight, joy, understanding, wisdom, love, and life!

I end with this verse in praise of the steadfast love of You, my holy Father in Heaven, Psalm 119: 71 and 105, "It is good that I was afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes...; your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Day 22 and 23 Summer Psalms 106-115

Gems 

As we grow older and wiser
We finally see the precious gems in our lives.
Gems which for decades were staring us in the face,
Always there, but never appreciated.

Gems, like the simpler things,
the things close to home:
the morning chatter of birds,
the quietness of dawn,
the shadows of evening.

Gems which need silence
for their value to be realized:
the crackling of a fire,
the trickling of a stream,
the lazy afternoon nap.

Gems taken for granted
by the young and thoughtless:
the time spent with family,
the commitment of a spouse,
the love of a parent.

Aging offers a chance to slow down
To take a careful look at what we truly have
To appreciate the gems we miss in the rush to live.
And to praise God for each and every one.                


Today we meet an aging David in Psalm 106. This David seems more reflective, ruminating on the past and understanding the importance of praising God for the blessings of the present. In this psalm, he remembers and admits with clarity his own faults and those of his people, and he recalls the many punishments they received from God for them. It is not with resentment that David remembers the mistakes and reprimands; instead, he recollects with praise to the Lord for His discipline. It takes maturity, whether through age or experience, to understand that the penalties we pay for our sins are necessary for our spiritual growth. Long or short growth spurts all lead to the present, a present full of blessings.

David also recognizes the importance of praising God for all that has lead him to reach his golden years. Psalm 106 begins with praise, "Praise the Lord. O give thanks to the Lord for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!" and ends with praise, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, Amen! Praise the Lord!" This is the David who can look back on a lifetime of God's love. David repeats the verse, "His steadfast love endures forever," in Psalms' 106 through 108. He is secure in God's love for him, and not only that, he is secure in his own love for God. He prays in Psalm 108:1, "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast!" David is not on the fence in his trust in God; he has experienced God's grace many, many times during his life and is confident in it.

In Psalm 109, however, David has realized that complete trust in anyone other than God is futile. His best life long friend Ahithophel has deceived him. This is the psalm that the apostle Peter referred to when Judas deceived Jesus. Unlike Jesus, though, David does not react with the same composure. David is stricken with grief by the deception and expresses a whole litany of ways for God to punish Ahithophel, "May his days be few; may another seize his goods! May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow! May his children wander about and beg; may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit! May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!...," and on and on David's curses continue. David is MAD and he is counting on Jesus to take down Ahitophel, appointing God as his hit man again.

Because of David's years of devotion to the Lord and, most importantly, because of the grace of God, we see in Psalm 110 that he has evolved into a prophet. In Psalm 110, he literally foretells the events of the ascension of Jesus. David sings in verse 1, "The Lord says to my lord; 'Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool." In verse 5, he continues, "The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgement among the nations." David's age and piousness have heightened his ability to see beyond the here and now, much like the apostle John in his book of Revelations.

In David's golden years, he has learned much. In Psalm 111:10 he states, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," then relates in Psalm 112 how a man who fears the Lord should conduct his life, "It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs in justice...He is not afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady, he will not be afraid...He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor." Simply stated, David reminds us to be faithful to the Lord and just to others or else. As he states in verse Psalm 112:10, "The desire of the wicked man comes to nought." Only godliness is rewarded. In Psalm 113, David explains, "He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of the people." Again, only those who fear the Lord will experience the glory of God. In the beautiful lyrics of Psalm 114, David again restates the importance of that fear, "Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob."

As we mature our senses should become keener as a result of a close relationship with God, and the aging David has discovered this. In the songs of Psalm 115:6-7, David explains the reality of living a life without the presence of God, "They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat." These verses reveal how vital it is to continue our growth in faith. We do not truly understand anything unless all of our senses are committed to the Lord. The good news is that maturing in our faith can begin today; we do not need to wait until we are sixty, seventy, or eighty to see, hear, smell, feel, and taste that God has been present in all things, all along.

Days 20 and 21 Summer Psalms 96-105

Why am I writing this blog again? It started as a way of "overcoming", but now I know that I am writing it for other reasons and one of them is to "prepare." Am I prepared for anything, really? Rejection, confrontations, physical pain, grief, death, etc.? These psalms are giving me more insight into preparing for life's unexpected tribulations even in how to prepare for the final tribulation.

The Psalms of David 96 through 100 speak of the second coming of Christ and in them David gives some key instructions for "preparing":

Psalm 96: 2-3, "Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations."
Psalm 97: 12, "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to His holy name."
Psalm 98: 4-6, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praise to the Lord with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King!"
Psalm 99: 5, "Extol the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is He!"
Psalm 100:4,  "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him, bless His name!

In summary, David's instructions to "prepare" for the second coming are full of fun stuff! All we have to do is sing to God in praise, bless Him, worship Him, extol Him, and thank Him. We are asked to be joyful and rejoice in our reverence of Him. David does not mention a bit of hard work in our "preparation". Nothing about singing and rejoicing to the Lord sounds difficult. So why is "preparing" a problem for so many? The answer lies in the next psalm. In psalm 101, we learn what not to do if we wish to enter the kingdom of God and in what "not to do" is where being prepared may become a bit demanding for many:

Psalm 101: 4-5, "Perverseness of heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. Him who slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. The man of haughty looks and arrogant heart, I will not endure. 
Psalm 101: 7, "No man who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no man who utters lies shall continue in my presence."

The harsh reality of Psalm 101 may frighten many, and I believe it is meant to do so. We should fear the consequences of slander, haughtiness, arrogance, deceit, and lies; but not only that, we should also fear losing the prize rewarded for being prepared. In Psalm 103, however, as sinners all, we learn something about our great Redeemer and His love for us that should give us hope:

Psalm 103: 10-13, "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear Him;as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father pities those who fear him."

These verses are the Bible's greatest relief, they are like Ibuprofen for the soul. Simply said, despite the reality that we are all sinners, feeling unprepared, we still have a chance to enter the kingdom of God and it's nothing we have to do; it's purely because He loves us! Alleluia, God truly is awesome!

Psalm 104 is a great example of praising the Lord. If "preparing" because praise, worship, blessing, and thanking are too challenging, just read this psalm. It is a litany of praising God for all the wonderful things He has made for us: the clouds, wind, earth, water, sea, mountains, valleys, hills, rocks, animals, birds, fruit, grass, cattle, plants, wine, oil, bread, cedar and fir trees, goats, sun, moon, seasons, night, day, sea, lions, etc.

Psalm 105 continues the worship by remembering all of the miracles God performed for Moses to lead His people out of Egypt: He sent darkness to the land of Egypt, turned their waters into blood which caused their fish to die, He sent swarms of frogs, flies, and gnats, He pounded the land with hail and lightening, He shattered the vines and fig trees, He infested the land with locusts which devoured the vegetation, and He wiped out all of the first born of the unbelievers. Psalm 105 also praises God for sending bread from heaven for His people to eat as they wandered the desert and opening rocks with gushing water for them to drink. Hence, when at a loss for words of praise, open up to psalms' 104 and 105, read the verses aloud, and let them resonate within your heart.

The psalms truly do help us "overcome", but more importantly they give us the formula to "prepare", and the time to start is now. If we put down whatever it is we are doing and begin our own litany of praise, sing it or shout it, but do so joyfully, exulting His Holy Name, that's all there is to it! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, our God is an awesome God!

Days 18 and 19 Summer Psalms 86-95

I have a book I read every day, year after year. It is a book of divinely inspired messages from God. The first copy I had, I picked up at a garage sale probably over 20 years ago. The messages God gives through its pages, one for each day of the year, I find uncannily appropriate for every day of my life. It often feels like the words are directly intended for me, that God is speaking to me personally. The book is called God Calling and it is edited by A.J. Russell. He doesn't claim to have written any of its contents, he only takes credit for getting it into publication. He notes that the book was actually written by two anonymous women from England who claim to have had apparitions of the Living Christ. Narrated in first person, God speaks with such a gentleness, firmness, strength, and unconditional love that the power of His words sink deeply into your heart. I reread my garage sale copy for so many years, the pages became yellow, brittle and eventually broke lose from the spine. God must have known I needed a new copy, because one day when my husband and I were on one of our crazy excursions, the Punxsutawney library to see the groundhog Phil, while browsing through a bargain bin of used books, I ran across another copy of God Calling! My hands could almost feel the power of its words as I realized that me finding it amongst all of the discarded books thrown randomly into boxes was no coincidence. This copy, the one I still use today, was intended especially for me, it is one from the book's 49th publication!

Today's message from God Calling was powerful. It's about mistakes. God tells us that often our mistakes are vital. We need them to learn a lesson; we need to learn how to "overcome" our weaknesses.and wrongs in our own nature in order to grow closer to Him. He says that the overcoming is not overcoming the person who may have bothered us, but the weakness in ourselves that that person may have aroused. That's pretty powerful. If we look at our mistakes as opportunities to "overcome" our weaknesses, we can find a certain joy in them and we can also gain wisdom from them. In today's psalms, I  focus on the ability to "overcome". It is a lifetime process. We are always overcoming, even up to our last breath here on Earth when we overcome our biggest obstacle, life into death. So it is important to learn from the authors of today's psalms. How did they "overcome"?

In Psalm 86, David is praying to God for a miracle or a sign to show his enemies that God favors him. In short, David feels he needs to show proof of God's love for him to the world.  Maybe he's hoping for a parting of the Red Sea type of miracle, but in the Psalm's last line, David looks to God to help him overcome, "Give me a sign of your favor: make my enemies see, to their confusion, that You, Lord, help and comfort me." Maybe asking for a miracle worked for David, but for most of us, overcoming is a struggle, a day to day cross to bear. Consequently, however, when we are in our darkest hour, praying for a little miracle doesn't hurt.

Do you remember our boy band who wrote some of the Psalms I discussed in my last posting , our joyful Sons of Korah singers, David's awesome personal choir? Well, they are back in Psalm 87, still shouting out hymns of praise to the Lord. Telling Him how wonderful and great He is through song. God must have loved these guys, as they sang all day, maybe into the night, worshiping Him 24/7. The Korah boys had it going on. They overcame through adulation, always keeping God on their good side. For example, in verse 3 they sing, "Glorious things are said of you, O City of God!" A little sugar goes a long way; and as my niece Kristen would say, the Sons of Korah knew how to "work it!"

We transition from the jubilant psalm of the Sons of Korah to Psalm 88 which is said to be one of the saddest Psalms. I'll relate the story of its writing in the best way I can. You see, King Solomon had a son named Rehoboam. Poor Rehoboam was lacking in character; even as he grew into adulthood, he was what one would call a "jerk." It was considered important for men without character at that time to seek counsel when needed from those who did have it. So when as a leader Rehoboam was asked to lighten the heavy tax burden that his father had set upon the people, Rehoboam, having no character, put the matter in front of his advisers. The younger men wanted to burden the people with more taxes, while the older men vehemently advised him to lower taxes. Well, Rehoboam was not only without character, but he was unwise as well. Now, wouldn't you think it would be wiser for him to listen to the advice of the experienced older men over the inexperienced younger men? No, not Rehoboam.The wisest of all the advisers was an elderly man named Heman, but his opinion to lower taxes was totally ignored by Rehoboam.  Heman writes about his rejection in Psalm 88. Poor Heman, I feel so bad for him as he fights to overcome being shunned. He considers himself an outcast in his old age. In verse 5 he says, "I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave." My heart goes out to Heman; he had to have been in the clutches of loneliness when he cried out to God in the last verse, "You have taken from me friend and neighbor - darkness is my closest friend."

Overcoming must seem insurmountable for many of the elderly. We see in our society how they are cast aside, expected to retire from their life's work then vanish into obscurity.  As a people, we are like Rehoboam, lacking in our own character. We fail to seek the advice and wisdom of the old. I greatly fear a day when I and millions of my fellow baby boomers may be discarded by our families into nursing homes or shut-in and forgotten in a confined apartment. I fear the loneliness of it, of endless days and nights of crying out to the Lord to help me "overcome" the abandonment of old age, where the only deliverance from such isolation is impending death.

Wise Heman had a brother named Ethan. He was also one of the elderly advisers shunned by Rehoboam, and in Psalm 89, Ethan writes a song in response to his rejection. The mood and tone of Psalm 89 is different than the deep anguish of Heman's previous psalm. Ethan begins by praising the Lord then proceeds to remind the Lord of the promises He had made to His people. It isn't until the final verses of this psalm that we learn of Ethan's grievance. He doesn't take his rejection by Rehoboam as personally as his brother Heman. Instead he puts a little spin on things. Ethan cries out to God, not for rejecting him individually, but for rejecting His people, basically for allowing such an imbecile as Rehohoam to lead the nation that was supposed to be protected and loved by God in the first place. Ethan is overcoming by not taking the weight of the world on his shoulders. He sees Rehoboam for the jerk that he is and refuses to have a pity party for himself over Rehoboam's shunning.

As a senior citizen, which brother would I rather be, Heman or Ethan? Certainly, Ethan. Instead of giving up and committing myself to loneliness like Heman; my hope is to overcome the depression of old age by picking myself up by the boot straps, as they say, and enjoying every ounce of life that I still have left in me. I hope to find a place where I will be needed, useful, accepted, and looked after with love and mutual respect. If one place doesn't need me, I hope to continue my search until I find a place that does.

More on "overcoming" the despair of old age can be interpreted in Psalm 90. The author here is Moses. In speaking to God from the holy of holies, inside the tabernacle, the secret place of the most High, Moses relates the hardships of God's people, endured through the many years spent roaming the desert. It is easy to imagine an elderly person writing the same words, especially verses 9-15 :

 "All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan. 
¹⁰ Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
¹¹ If only we knew the power of your anger!
    Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.
¹² Teach us to number our days,
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
¹³ Relent, Lord! How long will it be?
    Have compassion on your servants.
¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
    that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen trouble.

Verse12 is so important to remember in praying to overcome the looming or present condition of aging, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." I take this to mean that we should learn something from each and every day that we have the opportunity to live. And in verses 14 and 15, we can overcome any afflictions in this life simply by finding joy in God's love and gladness in our hearts. God's answer for everything that ails us is "joy" and the joy He has reserved for us, ultimately, Moses states in the last line of Psalm 91, "I will satisfy you, and show you my salvation." 

Psalm 92 was written by David possibly as a daily tribute to God, a good prayer for beginning the day. With the mindfulness of giving our day to Him, we can "overcome" any obstacles that the day may bring. In verses 1 and 2, David reminds us, "It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night." 

Today's last three psalms address the second coming of Jesus Christ. David gives his people hope in these psalms, reminding them that all darkness, evil, sadness, and pain will be "overcome" when the Lord rises up. In Psalm 94, David makes several references to judgement day and the payback that will come to the wicked and unbelievers. 

In my book God Calling, from the July 28th message, the Lord says, "I am your Shield. No buffets of the world can harm you. Feel that between you and all scorn and indignity is a strong shield. Practice feeling this until nothing has the power to spoil the inward peace. Then indeed a marvelous victory shall be won." God doesn't expect us to wait for judgement day to "overcome". We can "overcome" every day's trials today. I remember a cute little verse from a song my children sang in their vacation Bible school days, "Early in the morning when the sun begins to shine, I will open up my eyes and I'll praise you." That's all we have to do to overcome, just open up our eyes and praise Him. How easy and simple God makes it! Keep his joy in our hearts and praise him, voila!

Days 16 and 17 Summer Psalms 76-85

"Make your vows to the Lord and perform them," Psalm 76:11. How many times have I been down that road before, making promises to the Lord, during confession, the season of Lent, or at the start of the New Year? More often than not, I struggle with keeping my promises past a few weeks or even a few days for that matter. Over the years, I have learned that God does not expect miracles from me. Only he can perform miracles. Consequently, I'm not so hard on myself; God knows my weaknesses more than I know them. He has to be rolling His eyes at me when He hears some of my grand promises. The people of Bible days were not any different. They also made vows to the Lord and as human nature would have it, broke them. In today's readings I want to focus on accepting our weaknesses. It is said that God can find a way to work through our weaknesses, that often our weaknesses are our strength. Through today's 10 psalms, I examine our human failings in the words of Asaph, the author of psalms' 76-83.

Asaph was indeed a weak man. We know that because he was always questioning God. In Psalm 77:7-9, Asaph is at his worst when he cries out, "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has His steadfast love for ever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up his compassion?" Oh yeah, Asaph is down in the dumps in a big way.

After reading Psalm 78, I was confused, however. Here is a guy who in psalm 77 is doubting God and in the next psalm he becomes God's number one spokesperson. Listen to how Psalm 78 begins, "Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us... the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders which he has wrought." Asaph proceeds with his indoctrinating by telling the story of Moses and his people, a story of people who, despite the many miracles God worked through Moses, like Asaph, they questioned God.

In Psalm 79:5, Asaph continues to lament. In this chapter he is concerned for his people who have been taken as prisoners. He cries out, "How long, O Lord? Wilt thou be angry for ever?... Pour out thy anger on the nations that do not know thee, and on the kingdoms that do not call on thy name!" From this he makes a promise to the Lord. He basically proposes a deal in verses 11-12, "...according to thy great power preserve those doomed to die! Then we thy people, the flock of thy pasture, will give thanks to thee for ever; from generation to generation we will recount praise." Now that's some promise! Not only is Asaph including himself in this promise, but he includes his people and all the generations to come! Talk about making promises you can't keep! If God rolls his eyes at me, Asaph probably had God's eyes spinning out of control with that one.

Poor Asaph, what a chronic promise maker. Things aren't going any better for him in Psalm 80. Asaph is still questioning God as his enemies are on the warpath. This time they have burned the land of Asaph's people, so Asaph must feel his only option is to continue wheeling and dealing with God. He is helpless and beaten. Who hasn't tried bargaining with God? We have all been in that place before. Asaph begs the Lord in verse 16 to bring His hand down upon his wicked enemies, "... may they parish at the rebuke of thy countenance," then in verse 18 he vows, "...we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name!" In other words, let's make a deal!


Psalm 81 opens with 3 very joyful verses, "Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! the sweet lyre with the harp." Asaph is calling the others together to hear more of the story of their people; again he is acting as God's spokesperson. Through his story, he narrates as God in first person. Probably to summon the fear of the Lord in his listeners.

It may be that God truly is speaking divinely through Asaph, a weak man, a man who questions God and makes promises he obviously can't keep, and even one who accuses God of siding with the wicked. In Psalm 82:2, Asaph becomes confrontational with God, "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?" he demands. Progressing through the stages of grief, we hear Asaph's emotions turn from questioning, pleading, and promising, to full blown anger with God. In Psalm 83, Asaph is so angry that he throws all caution to the wind and right out commands God to get the job done, destroy his enemies. In verses 6 through 8, he identifies his enemies by name then in verses 9-15, he instructs God on what to do with them, and it isn't pretty. He tells God, "... make them like whirling dust, like chaff in the wind. As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, so do thou pursue them with thy tempest and terrify them with thy hurricane!" These are the words of a man at his lowest. When we are so weighted down with grief, the last drop to the bottom of the pit is often anger.

The Osmond and Jones’ brothers, the Jackson Five, and all other famous musical families, move over for the Sons of Korah! This musical group of brothers were direct descendents of the three families in the tribe of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The Sons of Korah were Kohath's grandchildren, and David formed a magnificent choir from them. These boys sang with the joy of the Lord in their hearts. Some great quotes come from their work like Psalm 84:15, "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." There is some major sweet talking in this psalm. We do not hear Asaph's questioning, pleading, promising, and anger here. We hear a different human behavior, flattery. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar as the saying goes. The Sons of Korah used their music for rejoicing and, yes, flattery. In Psalm 84: 1-3, the sons sing out a list of God's wonderful deeds, building Him up, flattery, flattery, "Lord, thou wast favorable to thy land; thou didst restore the fortunes of Jacob. Thou didst forgive the iniquity of thy people; thou didst pardon all their sin. Thou didst withdraw all thy wrath; thou didst turn from thy hot anger." They really lay it on thick!

From today's readings, it is clear that human nature doesn't change. We are the same people today as they were in Bible times. We have the same feelings, emotions, tendencies, reactions, etc. We still question God, we still plead with Him, we still make promises, we still become angry with Him, and we will even resort to flattery. However innocent any of it may seem; God knows us and loves us and in His way is guiding us. Yesterday, I spotted a blue herring watching us from a shady cover under the trees along the shoreline at Moraine State Park. I tried to kayak close to it to get a photo. He flew out and away as I rowed too near. The bird only went a few feet away, however, to watch us from another hidden cove, and we floated close to him again. From there he retreated into the thicket most likely to watch us from another advantage point. I think God does the same thing with us. He is always there watching us, but he moves out of the way for us, letting us make mistakes, watching us learn, knowing that each time we fail, we will grow closer to him. This cycle just repeats itself over and over. If we continue learning as Asaph did, we will find ourselves so desiring of God, we can almost feel the warmth of His breath on our shoulders.