Grains of Sand

When God created the earth and men to live upon it and enjoy it, He gave them two commands: They were not to eat the fruit of one single tree (Genesis 2:16) and they were to care for the environment into which they had been placed (Genesis 2:15). Psalm 65 begins with the invitation to praise God as the psalmist writes: “ Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled ” (65:1). How does praise await God? When Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit of that single tree, they brought down on themselves, and every generation since theirs, the judgment of God. God had options at this point. The one He chose would astound the world: He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the debt that mankind owed because of sin. Though David did not know it at the time, he spoke prophetically of the Messiah when he wrote: “ O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you atoned for our transgression. Blessed is the man you choose and bring near to live ...

Google Images I’m deviating from my journey through the Gospel of John to linger a bit in the Psalms. Oftentimes, waiting on the Lord is the most difficult request He makes of us. We wonder what He is doing and even, to our shame, wonder if He is doing anything at all! Things happen that don’t seem right but He makes no correction. We pray and those prayers remain unanswered as far as we can tell. Then we come to Psalm 84:11. The psalmist is basking in the wonder of being in the presence of God. He has come to understand that even in the driest seasons of life God can produce springs of life-giving water (Psalm 84:11). This dovetails nicely with John 7:37 which I also read this morning: “ On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ ” The psalmist had discovered that fountain of living...

The Lord is my glass window of protection… “ The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? ” —Psalm 27:1, NIV. Who hasn’t been afraid of something? And though we might wish that fear were just an occasional phenomenon, we most often exchange one fear for another, or simply accumulate them until they cripple us. For the psalmist, the fear was a “whom” not a “what” and David certainly had lots of people in his life who were a threat to him. The verses immediately following describe evil men and armies coming up against him to destroy him. Then David makes an unusual request of God. He asks the Lord for the privilege of sheltering in His house. Traditionally, the church was often regarded as a place where people could seek sanctuary and be protected against anyone looking to harm them. But long before church buildings came into being and were used for those purposes, David knew the meaning of sanctuary...

Psalms 115-118 " How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people " —Psalm 116:12-14 NIV. Spring has come. As I listen to the birds singing outside the window, I wonder what they are saying? Are they calling out to any available mates in the neighbourhood? It is, after all, spring when instinct kicks in and the birds and beasts think of propagating the species. The Scriptures tell us that all nature praises its Creator and I'm thinking that those joyful notes are a part of that chorus rising to heaven. How can I express my thanks for all that God has done for me? I can praise him for the new life that he has given and then live out that praise in ministry to others. A simple truth of profound significance.

Psalm 13-15 I have to admire the man. His brothers held him in contempt as an upstart and thrill-seeker. His father-in-law tried his best to kill him. He was pursued by enemies inside his own household and outside as well. He slept in caves, accompanied by everyone no one else had any use for. Even when he rose to the highest post in the land his family was in shambles and his wife and kids turned against him, adding a few more to the number of his enemies. He mourned the loss of several children and had to watch his back in his dealings with his most trusted advisers. So when we read the following words we aren't surprised: " How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, 'I have overcome him,...