Category Archives: Psalms

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Who’s Really In Charge?

PREVIEW: News flash, the president is not really in charge — no president really is. And as the people of God, we must not forget that! God is in charge. Economies, presidents, and even nations come and go, but, as David says, “the plans of the Lord stand firm forever!” Sure, poor economies affect our day-to-day lives; so do bad presidents and evil empires. But just remember, they will come and go. It is the purposes of God’s heart that transcend the current state of affairs in our world.

Who Is Really In Charge - Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 33:10-11

The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

Every four or eight years, new presidents stand before the American press for their first prime-time press conference. Almost without fail, the main subject of their public address is the worsening national economy — an alarming upswing in unemployment, inflation, home foreclosures, rising interest rates, bank failures, and a host of other bleak economic indicators. It is almost like new presidents are reading the from “The New Presidents’ Playbook.”

These presidents understand that much is riding on their ability to communicate with the American people and convince them that their plan to bail out our economy must be supported, and if it isn’t, the damage done will be irreparable. Agree or disagree with these presidents’ plan for prosperity du jour, one thing you’ve got to give them, they are (usually) extraordinary communicators with astonishing brainpower and off-the-charts winsomeness that make half the country want to put their hope in his or her plan.

But, news flash, the president is not really in charge — no president really is. And as the people of God, we must not forget that! God is in charge. Economies, presidents, and even nations come and go, but, as David says, “the plans of the Lord stand firm forever!”

Sure, poor economies affect our day-to-day lives; so do bad presidents and evil empires. But just remember, they will come and go. It is the “purposes of God’s heart” that transcend the current state of affairs in our world.

So today, as you consider the current president’s roadmap to peace and prosperity, and as you listen to the endless debate heating up the halls of Congress in Washington, DC as to how our problems can be solved, you really should pray for these leaders—they really need your help and mine. Actually, they seriously need God’s help.

But at the end of the day, I would suggest that you hitch your wagonload of hope to God’s star — because he’s really the One in charge.

And he always will be!

My Offering of Worship: Pray for your leaders today—like them or not. They really do need your help, and most importantly, they need God’s help.

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Before and After

Oh What Joy For Those Whose Sins Are Forgiven

PREVIEW: “What joy there is for those whose sins are forgiven!” So wrote King David. When God forgives you, your sins are not only covered, they are also neutralized, vaporized, and remembered no more. David had committed several egregious sins against Almighty God (2 Samuel 11) and against the very people he was called to shepherd as king over Israel. He had royally (no pun intended) messed up, so in this psalm he was talking from first-hand experience about the before and after picture of the forgiven life. He, more than most people, knew the indescribable joy in having his sin-slate wiped clean. I know that joy, too, and I suspect you’ve experienced it as well. How privileged we are to belong to a God who forgives all our sins — and does so with great joy. I can’t think of a greater benefit and blessing in this life than that.

Before and After - Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 32:1-2

Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

What would life be like for you without God’s forgiveness? I don’t know about you, but I’d be depressed, fearful, under so much guilt I doubt if I could function, and worst of all, hopeless. There would be no joy — I would be stuck in the quicksand of regret for things I had done in my past, I would have no sustained energy to face what I need to do throughout this day, and I would have no courage to face the unknowns of tomorrow. I would be a royal mess!

Oh, I could postpone all those sad realities of an unforgiven life by some sort of other coping mechanism. I could numb all my pains by drinking or doing drugs. I could temporarily avoid that reality by overworking or overspending or overachieving or overeating or oversleeping. I could get a momentary feel-good fix through Internet porn or an extra-marital affair or some other sort of sexually addictive behavior to forget about the fact that I am hopelessly lost. I could surround myself with all kinds of friends through non-stop partying, being funny, playing sports incessantly, or overloading my calendar with other social activities. There are all kinds of ways I could avoid the pain of the unforgiven life. Lots of people do that every day — that’s how much of the world copes.

But that doesn’t negate the awful truth that they are living an unforgiven life. They can only postpone their hopeless reality for so long, but at some point, living a life apart from a forgiving God will come home to roost.

I realize have painted a pretty bleak and depressing picture — not a great way to start a devotional—but it’s true.

On the other hand, what joy there is for those whose sins are forgiven! Not just forgiven but covered…neutralized…vaporized and remembered no more. David, who wrote that psalm, had committed several egregious sins against Almighty God (2 Samuel 11) and the very people he was called to shepherd as king over Israel. He had royally (no pun intended) messed up, so in this psalm, he was talking from first-hand experience about the before and after picture of the forgiven life. He, more than most people, knew the unbearable pain of having messed up (“When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat” Psalm 32:3-4) and the indescribable joy in having his sin-slate wiped clean (“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” Psalm 32:1).

I know that joy, too, and I suspect you’ve experienced it as well. How privileged we are to belong to a God who forgives all our sins — and does so with great joy. I can’t think of a greater benefit and blessing in this life than that.

Perhaps you are wondering if God can really forgive you for all the bad things you have repeatedly done. The answer to your wonder is, yes, he can. Forgiveness is who he is (“Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.” Ex 34:6-7). Forgiveness is what he does (“He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.” Psalm 103:3-4) And forgiveness is what brings him joy (“You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” (Micah 7:18)

I don’t know what you are facing this day, but I hope the simple fact that God has completely forgiven you will brighten your day and give you a profound joy that will sustain you for the rest of your life.

My Offering of Worship: Take a moment before you leave this devotional and thank the Lord that he is a forgiving, merciful, redeeming God.

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Not To Worry

Things Really Are In Better Hands

PREVIEW: When you truly understand that you are always within the sovereign and loving Father’s competent care, like Jesus and David, you can lay your worries down and rest in peace and declare, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Just knowing that nothing will touch you that doesn’t first pass through his hands provides a sense of peace and security that most people never dream possible. Knowing that all the days of your life, from beginning to end, have already been laid out in God’s mind births a rare and priceless confidence that overcomes all of life’s fears — even the fear of death, which is at the bottom of most of the neurosis that plagues the godless — because you know that he is with you, even in the valley of the shadow of death.

Not To Worry - Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 31:5,15 (NLT)

Into your hands I commit my spirit…My times are in your hands.

In God’s hands — that’s a great place to be. David’s belief that God would care for him through the thick and thin of life gave him the necessary fortitude to make the journey with the kind of sweet spirit and deep faith that earned him the appellation “a man after God’s own heart.”

Of course, Jesus knew what David knew: That even in the midst of the most horrible, torturous suffering possible, the cross, he was squarely in the competent and caring hand of his Heavenly Father. And at the end of his suffering, when he had completed the task of redemption and satisfied God’s righteous wrath by bearing the full punishment for the sins of humanity, he, too, committed his spirit into God’s hands.

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)

When you truly understand that you are always within the sovereign and loving Father’s competent care, like Jesus and David, you can lay your worries down and rest in peace. Just knowing that nothing will touch you that doesn’t first pass through his hands provides a sense of peace and security that most people never dream possible. Knowing that all the days of your life, from beginning to end, have already been laid out in God’s mind births a rare and priceless confidence that overcomes all of life’s fears — even the fear of death, which is at the bottom of most of the neurosis that plagues the godless.

In another psalm, Psalm 139:16, David wrote,

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Knowing that God has completely planned out your life from beginning to end, that he is watching over each detail, every circumstance, every spit second, and every square inch of your existence with great love and care, that you will not die a day sooner nor live a day longer than what he has foreordained, and that he will fulfill every good purpose in you, ought to give you the kind of confidence and courage to live your one and only life to the fullest and to the glory of God.

Yes, you can commit your spirit into his hands. In his hands — that is the best place to be!

My Offering of Worship: If you are going through a “dark night of the soul,” pray this prayer — the prayer of King David and King Jesus: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Pray it over and again until the peace of God that passes all understanding comes in to guard your heart and protect your mind.

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You Exist to Be An Instrument of Praise

Shout Out God’s Goodness — If They'll Listen, and Even If They Won’t

PREVIEW: Why has God blessed you? Of course, he loves you as his dear child, and wants to give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:3-4) But he gives you life and breath, health and happiness, peace and prosperity that you might be an instrument of his praise to those who will listen, and even to those who won’t. He answers your prayers and pulls you out of the pit so that your voice would rise in public gratitude to him. Even in the midst of hardship, he gives you inner joy that others might know of your hope in the goodness of God.

Instrument of Praise - Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT)

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Apparently, David was physically sick. So sick that he believed he was going to die. And his detractors were openly hoping for it, gloating over his misfortune. (Psalm 30:1) But David appealed to the Lord who raised his from his deathbed and restored his health. (Psalm 30:2-3)

I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

What did David do in response to God’s gracious intervention? He used it as a platform to talk about the goodness of God. He understood that the reason God spared his life, at least in part, was to now be an instrument of praise, as we see in Psalm 30:9,

What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

Fast forward from King David (at times, a no good, dirty rotten sinner) to you (at times, a no good, dirty rotten sinner, too). Have you given any thought to why God has been so gracious and merciful to you? Do you know the reason why he has answered so many of your prayers? Do you think it is simply to give you a more comfortable life or to satisfy your every whim?

Of course, God loves you as his dear child and wants to give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:3-4) But he gives you life and breath, health and happiness, peace and prosperity that you might be an instrument of his praise to those who will listen, and even to those who won’t. He answers your prayers and pulls you out of the pit so that your voice would rise in public gratitude to him. Even in the midst of hardship, he gives you inner joy so that others might know of your hope in the goodness of God.

David got it. He understood that his life had been spared and his prayers answered so that he could worship among the wicked (Psalm 30:1) and sing among the saints (Psalm 30:4) as living proof of a loving God.

God wants you to “get it” too. So, starting today, look for opportunities to speak a good word for God among those who will listen, and even to those who won’t. Remember, your job is to share the Good News with everyone. It’s up to God to convict them of truth. You don’t have to get weird about it, but in the course of your conversations, talk about the goodness of God in your life and let God take it from there.

Remember, that’s the reason you even have life: To be an instrument of praise!

My Offering of Worship: Tell someone this week how good God has been to you. It doesn’t matter if they want to hear it (that’s always easier), but tell them even if they are open (that won’t be easy, but that is what a witness does: they tell of what they know to be true). And don’t worry, receptive audience or not, God will orchestrate your opportunity.

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They’re Out To Get You

So, Take It To God

PREVIEW: The truth is, people are out to get you. That’s not paranoia, it’s just a fact of life. If you are breathing, you probably have a few enemies. I came to grips with that reality many years ago. There are some people who just don’t like me — I know, it’s hard to believe — for no particular reason. And somewhere along the way, you, too, would do well to accept that. So, what should you do about these mean people? Pray! In truth, prayer, however, works wonders. It puts your enemy squarely in the hands of the only one who can do anything about them — God. Prayer enables you to drain the poison that is building up in your own life so if doesn’t debilitate you. Prayer allows you to pour out your complaint to God — and a funny thing usually happens when you’re doing that: As you are asking God to change the people who are causing you grief, God usually changes you. And best of all, prayer unleashes God’s power to bring about his plan for your situation — and that always has a far better outcome than your plan would have. Yes, people are after you. That’s life! Take it to God. That’s wisdom!

They're Out To Get You - Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 35:1-5 (MSG)

Harass these hecklers, God, punch these bullies in the nose. Grab a weapon, anything at hand; stand up for me! Get ready to throw the spear, aim the javelin, at the people who are out to get me. Reassure me; let me hear you say, “I’ll save you.”

I used to say, half-jokingly, to a ministry partner, “Man, you’re paranoid.” And his typical reply was, “That’s only because people are out to get me.”

The truth is, people are out to get you. That’s not paranoia, it’s just a fact of life. If you are breathing, you probably have a few enemies. I came to grips with that reality many years ago. There are some people who just don’t like me — I know, it’s hard to believe — for no particular reason. And somewhere along the way, you, too, would do well to accept that.

But it still stinks when you experience their dislike. And sometimes their dislike of you rises to proportions that create very real difficulty and serious disruption in your life. David was experiencing that, and he wrote about it in this psalm. We don’t know exactly from whom it was coming or why they had unleashed their nastiness on him in the form of anger, gossip, conniving, and backstabbing. And even though he had tried to be cordial and helpful to them, they were bent on ruining his life.

So David unleashed on them — in the form of a prayer. And that is really the secret to dealing with the nasty people in your life. You will rarely win by going after them in kind. Anger, manipulation, gossip, face-to-face verbal showdowns, or force of will never have the effect of persuading them to lay down their weapons or suddenly see the error of their way and acknowledge that, after all, you truly are God’s gift to humanity.

But prayer, however, works wonders. It puts your enemy squarely in the hands of the only one who can do anything about them — God. Prayer enables you to drain the poison that is building up in your own life so it doesn’t debilitate you. Prayer allows you to pour out your complaint to God — and a funny thing usually happens when you’re doing that: As you are asking God to change the people who are causing you grief, God usually changes you. And best of all, prayer unleashes God’s power to bring about his plan for your situation — and that always has a far better outcome than your plan would have.

Yes, people are after you. That’s life! Take it to God. That’s wisdom!

My Offering of Worship: If you are dealing with someone who doesn’t like you, who is gossiping about you, spreading rumors and lies, or trying to sabotage your work or destroy your reputation, then pray this prayer of David from Psalm 35: “Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, ‘I am your salvation.’ If that doesn’t seem to do any good, then go back to the psalm and pray the who thing.

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Two-Faced People

Watch Out For Hypocrites—And Don’t Become One

PREVIEW: Be wary of two-faced people. The Bible calls them hypocrites. And though we pretty much excuse their behavior and accept their ways in our culture, there is One who doesn’t! God’s righteous gaze cuts right through the syrupy surface of their lives with utter moral clarity and labels the wickedness of their hypocritical hearts, calling them what they truly are: Workers of iniquity. So be careful of them, and most of all, don’t be one of them!

Two-Faced People - Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 28:3

Do not drag me away with the wicked—with those who do evil—those who speak friendly words to their neighbors while planning evil in their hearts.

There is a whole category of people whose behavior, by and large we excuse. However, God doesn’t. He doesn’t find them acceptable; they and the unseen attitude of their hearts he finds deplorable. They are the kind of people who will say one thing to your face, then say another thing behind your back. And even worse to God than what they say about you is what they think about you in their hearts.

The psalmist says these kinds of people speak peace when they are in front of you, but even before you turn away from them, their minds are flooded with ill will toward you. The Message renders this verse in an unforgettable way:

Don’t shove me into the same jail cell with those crooks, with those who are full-time employees of evil. They talk a good line of “peace,” then moonlight for the Devil.

We might say they are two-faced. The Bible calls them hypocrites. And though we pretty much excuse their behavior and accept their ways in our culture, there is One who doesn’t! God’s righteous gaze cuts right through the syrupy surface of their lives with utter moral clarity and labels the wickedness of their hypocritical hearts, calling them what they truly are: Workers of iniquity.

Now I realize that at this point in your reading, you might be thinking this is anything but an encouraging little devotional thought for the day. And truthfully, it is not. Rather, this is an exhortation. And the exhortation I have for you is twofold:

One, it is most likely that you will rub shoulders today with the kind of people David describes in this psalm. Be careful of them. Discern their hypocritical hearts, and don’t be tainted by their iniquitous ways. If you allow them into your inner circle, they will ensnare you. So be careful.

And two, don’t be one of them. It is so easy to fall into this kind of two-faced living. Ask God to keep you from hypocrisy. Don’t fall into the trap of saying one thing but thinking another in your heart. Ask God for integrity of word and thought.

That’s what David prayed: Keep me from them, and keep me from being one of them. I hope you will join me and pray that, too!

My Offering of Worship: Did this devotional prick your conscience at all? If it did, if you have spoken one way to another then said something quite the opposite behind their back, or thought the opposite in your heart, then admit your sin to God, ask for his forgiveness, then seek his daily empowerment to live in complete integrity.

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We All Need A Safe House

It’s Where God’s Presence Is Magnified

PREVIEW: What is it about the house of the Lord that is so healing? Obviously, God’s presence is magnified in the place of worship and in the collective praise of his people. Likewise, the house of God is full of faithful friends — people who will encourage you, pray for you, help you in tangible ways, and if nothing else, put an arm around you and walk empathetically through your “valley of the shadow of death.” That’s why the Scripture tells us that especially when the going gets tough, we should get going to church. Hebrews 10:25 exhorts us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” For sure, you were fashioned for fellowship — so don’t miss out on it, not this week or any other week going forward.

“Why should you go to worship gatherings at your church? Because God’s presence is magnified in the place of worship and in the collective praise of his people.” —Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 27:4

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

I have often heard preachers say that they would rather be in church than in the best hospital in the world. Not much of a choice, I suppose, but there is truth in that statement. The house of the Lord is truly the best place in the world to be — in good times and bad. It is truly our safe house.

It is there in the house of God that we find shelter in the time of storm. David understood that. That is why when calamity was all around him, he asked God for just one thing: To dwell in the Lord’s house, for there, “in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5)

What is it about the house of the Lord that is so healing? Obviously, God’s presence is magnified in the place of worship and in the collective praise of his people. Likewise, the house of God is full of faithful friends — people who will encourage you, pray for you, help you in tangible ways, and if nothing else, put an arm around you and walk empathetically through your “valley of the shadow of death.”

That’s why the Scripture tells us that especially when the going gets tough, we should get going to church. Hebrews 10:25 exhorts us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I’ve noticed that some people don’t do that. When things go bad, they go south. They pull away from the one place they ought to lean into — the church. Let me encourage you: Don’t be one of those types. Whether in good times or in bad — especially in bad times — lean into God and get vitally connected to God’s people.

Build your life around the church. Make his house your house. I’m telling you, from my experience in life, that is the safest place on earth. Oh, and if you don’t believe me, just ask David! He would remind you that his personal experience will be yours, too:

It made me glad when they said, ‘Let’s go to the house of the Lord!’

My Offering of Worship: It is true, going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a car. Yet gathering with the body of Christ to worship God, affirm the truth of his word, fellowship with his people, and encourage others and be encouraged by others is what Christians were designed to do. For sure, you were fashioned for fellowship — not this week, or every week going forward.