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!