Posted on

For Cave-Dwellers

It’s Where God Does His Finest Work

PREVIEW: David ran into a cave to escape King Saul but ran straight into God instead. That’s what happens in caves. And though the cave was the most frustrating experience of David’s life, in hindsight, it turned out to be the most fruitful. You see, the cave became the place of testing and separation, and forging for David until, as an unknown poet has said, he was “pressed into knowing no helper but God.” Pressed into knowing no helper but God—that’s what happened in the cave, and that’s the one thing David was going to need if he were to be a great king. And that’s what you will need if you are going to live an extraordinary life.

If you are in the deep darkness of a cave-like experience, be of good cheer. God does his best works in caves! It is where he resurrects the dead."—Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 57:1

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

This psalm is a song for cave-dwellers, as you’ll notice in the title: “A psalm of David A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.”

At this point in his life, David had expected to be king with a kingdom, but instead, he ended up in a cave hiding from another king, Saul. And this wasn’t just an overnight stay; the cave became his home for a spell—months if not years—and with no prospect that it would ever be different.

David had run into the cave to escape Saul, but the thing is, he ran right into God. That’s what happens in caves. And though the cave was the most frustrating experience of David’s life, in hindsight, it turned out to be the most fruitful. You see, the cave became the place of testing and separation and forging for David until, as an unknown poet has said, he was “pressed into knowing no helper but God.”

Pressed into knowing no helper but God—that’s what happened in the cave, and that’s the one thing David was going to need if he were to be a great king.

By the way, it was there in the cave that David wrote three of his most moving psalms—Psalms 34, 142, and our psalm for today, Psalm 57. So, I would like to make an observation from each of these three psalms that are especially relevant if you are in a “cave” of your own right now:

To begin with, if you’re in the cave, look up—God is there! David penned Psalm 34:18 in his cave: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” In the cave, a brokenhearted David came into a profound experience of the God of the brokenhearted. And so will you if you will look for God there.

Next, if you are in the cave, speak up—God is listening! Talk to God; he can handle it! That is what David did, and it was great therapy. In his cave, David wrote these words in Psalm 142:1-2, “I cry aloud to the Lord…I pour out my complaint before him; before him, I tell my trouble.” If you are complaining about your cave to everyone else but God, you’re missing a great opportunity to talk to the only one who can do something about it. So try talking to him!

Finally, if you’re in a cave, toughen up—God is at work! Embrace your cave; God’s purpose is being served there. He’s teaching you, like David, how to “king it!” David wrote Psalm 57:2 in the cave: “I cry out to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.” Don’t short-circuit the cave—you’ll miss God’s purpose!

If you are in a cave right now, I want to encourage you not to worry. God’s got a lot of experience with caves. You see, he’s been there! The Son of David, Jesus, was put in a cave. When he died, they buried his lifeless body in a cave, which looked like it would be his permanent resting place! But his enemies didn’t know that God does his best work in caves because the cave is where God resurrects dead stuff! A cave was where a dead Messiah became a Risen Savior—and the cave is where your dead dreams or dead ministry or dead career or dead marriage will take on resurrection life.

I don’t know about your cave—how deep, dark, and devastating it is—but I do know that God works in caves! David ran into his cave looking for refuge, and he found resurrection.

And you will, too. So hang in there—look up, speak up, and toughen up—resurrection is coming!

My Offering of Worship: What makes you cry today? Whatever it is, remember that your tears are a reminder that God knows, God sees, God cares, and God will never forget what it is that causes you such deep pain. Take comfort in that, child of God!

Posted on

Tears In A Bottle

God Collects Them In His Bottle

PREVIEW: It is likely that no one truly knows the depth of what you are feeling right now. Maybe no one will ever see those tears that have rolled down your cheek—and the intense hurt that caused them. Even if they see your tears, how sad it is that long before your pain is healed, people will forget and move on. But there is One who sees…and One who cares…and One who never forgets. And he wants you to know that, my friend. And that One, your Heavenly Father, simply asks you to take comfort in his compassion and to place your trust in him.

“The next tear that spills down your cheek is a reminder that your tears never just dry up and fade into a painful memory, they go right into the bottle of the One who truly cares.”—Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

Aren’t tears a mysterious part of what it means to be human? It is strange that we have the capacity to cry—to expel water from our eyes when we are sad. It seems to serve no real purpose—although science can explain the physiological “why,” and mental health experts can explain the psychological “why.”

That still leaves the question of “why tears”—why were we created with that capacity?

Perhaps this psalm provides a clue. Maybe they are to remind us that God cares about the things that make us sad enough to shed tears. So much does he bear our sorrow that he collects our tears in a bottle, as the New Living Translation says, or as other versions put it, “he records them in his ledger.” In other words, God takes note—implying that he is not only aware of our sadness, but he will not forget it.

What is it that is making you cry today? A heart broken by a fractured relationship? A dashed hope or the death of a dream? A failed family? A personal sin? The consequences of a past mistake that continues to haunt you? What is it that you feel such deep sadness over?

It is likely that no one truly knows the depth of what you are feeling right now. Maybe no one will ever see those tears that have rolled down your cheek—and the intense hurt that caused them. Even if they do see your tears, how sad it is that long before your pain is healed, people will forget and move on.

There is One who sees…and One who cares…and One who never forgets. And he wants you to know that, my friend. And that One, your Heavenly Father, simply asks you to take comfort in his compassion (Psalm 103:13), and to place your trust in him. In fact, so strongly does he desire your trust, that he repeats the invitation twice for emphasis.

I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? … I praise God for what he has promised; yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:4,10-11)

I hope you will do that. Entrust those tears to God. And let the very next tear that fills your eyes and spills down your cheek be a reminder that your tears never just dry up and fade into a painful memory, they go right into the bottle of that One who truly cares!

My Offering of Worship: What makes you cry today? Whatever it is, remember that your tears are a reminder that God knows, God sees, God cares, and God will never forget what it is that causes you such deep pain. Take comfort in that, child of God!

Posted on

Betrayed

Life’s Most Devastating Pain

PREVIEW: Betrayal is a painful part of the human experience. No one gets a pass in life on being stabbed in the back by someone thought to be a friend, not even the greats: Not Julius Caesar, not William Wallace, not the brightest theological mind who ever lived, the Apostle Paul, not even the most perfect human being who walked the earth, Jesus Christ. And if Jesus had his Judas, guess what? You’ll have one, too, at some point in your life. But since it will happen, we must remember that it doesn’t help much to continually dwell in a state of “why me?” or “how could she?” or “why did he.” Healing begins when we bring our truest, rawest feelings into God’s presence, as often as necessary, until we begin to regain our spiritual vitality and emotional stability—and then understand that God will use our friend’s betrayal to equip us to transform our world.

“Consider that God may want to use your pain to transform your world.” —Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 55:22

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

What’s the worst thing that could happen to you? I suspect that right up there, close to the top, would be the utter horror of being betrayed by someone who has been very close to you. What makes betrayal’s shock, humiliation, and devastation so unbearable is that it comes from the hand of one with whom you have entrusted your inner thoughts, secret aspirations, and even life itself. The pain of betrayal is perhaps the worst of all.

David was enduring that pain—that’s the reason for this psalm: “It is not an enemy who taunts me—I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me—I could have hidden from them. Instead, it is you—my equal, companion, and close friend. What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.” (Psalm 55:12-13)

As you read through this sad song, you will experience some raw emotions leaking out of David, emotions that range from feeling as if he could just curl up and die (Psalm 55:4) to being overwhelmed with dread and fear (Psalm 55:5) to escapist thinking (Psalm 55:6-8) to outright anger and revenge (Psalm 55:15). It’s just natural to feel all those things when someone who shouldn’t have has stabbed you in the back.

Betrayal is a painful part of the human experience. No one gets a pass in life on being stabbed in the back, not even the greats: Not Julius Caesar, not William Wallace, not the brightest theological mind who ever lived, the Apostle Paul, not even the most perfect human being who walked the earth, Jesus Christ. And if Jesus had his Judas, guess what? You’ll have one, too, at some point in your life.

David had a man named Ahithophel—a once trusted confidant who turned on him. (2 Samuel 15:12) This may be the unnamed man of which David is venting in Psalm 55. Ultimately, David turned away from the wide range of negative and corrosive emotions described above by taking his pain to the Lord. And that’s the best therapy for betrayal. It doesn’t help much to continually dwell in a state of “why me?” or “how could she?” or “why did he.” Healing begins when we bring our truest, rawest feelings into God’s presence, as often as necessary, until we begin to regain our spiritual vitality and emotional stability.

It may take a while to get past the devastating pain, the seething anger, and the insatiable hunger for revenge, but we must not give up until victory comes. David didn’t. He just kept bringing his pain back to God: “But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.” (Psalm 55:16-17) That’s how you get the upper hand in a betrayal.

And by the way, if you are going through the painful wound of betrayal right now, remember you are walking where great people have walked before. Their greatness came because they didn’t allow betrayal to ruin them; they learned how to turn their pain into greater submission to the Lord. David did (read 2 Samuel 15:25-26). So did Jesus. He responded to Judas’ treachery with obedient submission to the will and purposes of God. And look what happened: he transformed the world.

Perhaps God wants to use your pain to transform your world, too!

My Offering of Worship: Are you experiencing the lingering pain of feeling betrayed by one you considered a close friend? Consider that God will use your experience to position you for greater usefulness in his plan to redeem the part of the world in which he has placed you. There is biblical precedence, after all!

Posted on

When You Are On God’s Side

The Surefire Path to Victory

PREVIEW: President Abraham Lincoln was once asked during the Civil War if he believed God was on his side. His response was one that we would all do well to think about since it represents the only true guarantee of Divine help and victory. Lincoln said, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side, my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Here’s the deal: If we are on God’s side, we cannot fail. If we are on God’s side, then God will be on our side, and our victory is guaranteed.

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 54:4

Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. … But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them. I will sacrifice voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good. For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.

Hallelujah! Surely, God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

You will often hear people talk about God being on their side. Politicians, religious leaders, and even ordinary people like you and me toss that belief around like a pro athlete guaranteeing a victory in the big game. But just saying it doesn’t make it so!

President Abraham Lincoln was once asked during the Civil War if he believed God was on his side. His response was one that we would all do well to think about since it represents the only true guarantee of Divine help and victory. Lincoln said, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side, my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

Here’s the deal: If we are on God’s side, we cannot fail. If we are on God’s side, God will be on our side, and our victory is guaranteed. David discovered that—the story can be found in 1 Samuel 23:7-29—which is the basis for this psalm. He was on the run from King Saul because the king was bent on having David killed. The young shepherd had just landed in the next of what had been too many hideouts, Ziph, when the people of that village turned him into Saul. The king seemed to finally have David cornered—it looked like it was game, set, and match this time.

But David was on God’s side—and God was on David’s side. Suddenly, just as Saul was ready to pounce, the king got the bad news that enemies on another front, the Philistines, were attacking, so he left pursuing the cornered David to tend to that concerning business. And David was once again delivered when there seemed no possibility of escape. (1 Samuel 23:27-29)

Was it a coincidence that Saul was distracted at that moment when he had David dead to rights? Not at all! You see, God was at work here, bringing about his purposes in David’s life. David was destined to be king, and God was teaching him how to be a good king. And good kings need to know that God can be counted on for help and sustenance when the king is on God’s side.

God wants you to know that, too. Even when there seems to be no way out for you, God is close by; he is working out his plan, teaching you how to be a king; he is showing you that he can be counted on to help and sustain you. And there is only one way to really learn that, which, like David, means that you will have to have your back against the wall so that the only way out is through a mighty and miraculous deliverance through the strong hand of God.

And when you are on God’s side, sooner or later, like David, that will be your story, too!

My Offering of Worship: In this psalm, David prayed, “I will sacrifice voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good. For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.” Think back to all the times God has helped, then once again, offer your thanks for those divine interventions.

Posted on

There Is A God!

Blessed Is the One Who Says, “There Is a God.”

PREVIEW: The more people are choosing to live their lives as if there were no God means they have no true and unchanging source of Authority to live by, no Creator who exercises loving control over their existence, no daily Source of guidance beyond the prevailing but fickle winds of current culture, no Redeemer to rescue them from their sin nature, and no Provider to meet their needs for daily sustenance, comfort for sorrow, protection from the devourer, or significance for an otherwise brief and meaningless existence. Perhaps most dreadful, they have no sense of security for what happens after this life is through. On the other hand, how amazing it is to live as if there is a God. How great it is to know Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior. How satisfying it is to have the security of a Creator who watches over every second and every detail of this life and the joy of knowing that he has made provision for all eternity.

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 53:1,5

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God” … There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread.

With regularity these days, “new” studies come out that proclaim, “America Is Becoming Less Christian.” Apparently, the number of people of the multiple thousands that are surveyed shows the percentage that claims Christianity as their faith continues to drop while the percentage of those who claim no religion continues to rise. In 2022, the Pew Research Center reported that those claiming no faith grew from 9% in 1993 to 29% by 2022. I am not sure how much stock to put in surveys these days, and all kinds of issues about this particular one could be debated, but that’s not my main concern here.

The real concern is that more and more people are choosing to live their lives as if there were no God. How sad! What that means is they have no true and unchanging source of Authority to live by. There is no Creator who exercises loving control over their existence. They have no daily Source of guidance beyond the prevailing but fickle winds of current culture. They have no Redeemer to rescue them from their sin nature. They cannot turn to a Provider to meet their needs for daily sustenance, comfort for sorrow, protection from the devourer, and significance for an otherwise brief and meaningless existence.

And maybe most dreadful of all, they have no sense of security for what happens after this life is through.

No wonder David puts them in the category of “fool.

My point is not to rail against those who have rejected God. The insecurity of their lives is condemnation enough. The real take-away from this psalm for me is simply to acknowledge how amazing it is to live as if there is a God; to know Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior; to have the security and joy of a Creator who watches over every second and every detail of my life.

You see, I have a moment-by-moment Source of guidance for my life. I have a Redeemer who rescues me from my sin nature and even trumps my every sin with the grace of forgiveness. I have a Provider who meets my every need according to his unlimited riches. I have a Comforter in times of sorrow, a Protector in times of danger, and a Creator who has created me as his workmanship to do good works which he prepared for me to do long before I was even born.

And best of all, I have the assurance of life after this one is over—and I don’t live with insecurity, fear, or dread about what will happen tomorrow. I am truly blessed!

Yes, the truly blessed have said in their hearts, “There is a God!”

My Offering of Worship: Take a moment to lift up a prayer of praise and gratitude to the God who is and always will be!

Posted on

He Who Laughs Last

Judgment Is Coming—and Rightly So!

PREVIEW: The Founder and Finisher of our faith has commanded us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use us—even those who persecute us. (Mat 5:44) But there is also a deep, God-implanted sense in the core of our being which sees injustice inflicted in the world—both the world at large as well as the smaller world of our private lives—and cries out for the day when an all-knowing and all-powerful God will set aright every wrong. Of course, we rejoice when evildoers see the error of their ways, bow their knees in repentance, and make right the wrongs they have committed, but when they don’t, our innate sense of fairness yearns for the innate righteousness at the core of God’s character to hold the wicked accountable for their wickedness. And that day will come. Sooner or later, it will come.!

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 52:6-7

The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying, “Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying other.”

Christians aren’t supposed to laugh at others, right? Isn’t it always poor form to snicker at their misfortunes—even those who invite calamity upon themselves by their own foolish actions and mean deeds? Isn’t it true that we’re not even supposed to wish “bad things” upon our worst enemies—those who torment us for our faith, belittle our Christianity, and despise our God? After all, the Founder and Finisher of our faith has commanded us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use us—even those who persecute us. (Matthew 5:44)

True, for the most part! But there is also a deep, God-implanted sense in the core of our being that sees injustice inflicted in the world—both the world at large as well as the smaller world of our private lives—and cries out for the day when an all-knowing and all-powerful God will set aright every wrong. Of course, we rejoice when evildoers see the error of their ways, bow their knees in repentance, and make right the wrongs they have committed, but when they don’t, our innate sense of fairness yearns for the innate righteousness at the core of God’s character to hold the wicked accountable for their wickedness.

And that day will come. Sooner or later, it will come. It may be swift and sure, or it may take a lifetime, or it may have to wait until justice is meted out at the Great White Throne judgment, but that day will surely come. And rightly so!

When David wrote this psalm, he had just come through betrayal at the hands of Doeg the Edomite. David was on the run from King Saul, literally just a step ahead of certain death, and he sought respite and refreshment with the priests of the Lord in the city of Nob. (1 Samuel 21-22) But the dirty dog Doeg spied David there and ratted him out to Saul. Saul promptly marched on Nob, and using Doeg as his executioner, killed all eighty-five of the priests along with the entire village when he couldn’t find David. It was that tragic story that provided the context for this hard-edged psalm of David as he fantasizes about Doeg getting his Divine comeuppance.

Dirty rotten Doeg owned that moment, but it was David who got the last laugh. It didn’t come immediately—how we wish for that—but at the end of the day, it is David who belongs to the ages as the man after God’s heart, while Doeg lives in infamy, his name enshrined in ignominy as Saul’s horrible henchman, ratfink, snitch, and murderer of the Lord’s priests!

And so it mostly goes in God’s economy for believers in every age. We may face trials of many kinds, persecution for our faith, humiliation, injustice, and even death, but we get the last laugh, for that day will come as sure as the dawn when God’s justice will be satisfied. While you may grieve at the slowness of that day, don’t fret, for one day, you will stand in awestruck reverence as Divine justice and righteousness are vindicated—and on that day, in a way that is wholly appropriate, you will laugh!

My Offering of Worship: Are you grieving over injustice in the world? For sure, pray for your enemies, as Jesus commands. But while you are at it, you can also feel right about praying, “How long, O Lord, how long?” In a way that is wholly appropriate, Christians can plead with the Righteous Judge of all the earth to turn his (and our) enemies into friends of God, but if not, to reveal his justice in their eventual punishment.

Posted on

Come Clean

How to Restore the Joy of Salvation

PREVIEW: King David’s well-known affair with Bathsheba is far worse than what we now consider a mere sexual indiscretion as he tries to cover up his adultery with even worse crimes—conspiracy and murder. Eventually, as God confronts David with what his sin will unleash in the future— rape, incest, murder, sedition, and death—his personal remorse is devasting beyond description. But this is more than just a cautionary tale, in this story. You see, we are David! We are in no less need of the mercy and grace of Almighty God than this sinful yet heartbroken king. And not only are we, too, in need of a God who will forgive all our sins, but we are in desperate need of a merciful God who will create within us a clean heart and grant us a willingness to fully obey going forward. In David’s psalm of repentance, we find the everlasting truth of this story: True repentance is the means of God’s saving grace! For it is only by heartfelt and honest repentance that we can know the deepest and best joy of all—the joy of our salvation!

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

This well-known psalm of David is often referred to by the byline, “After David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.” But that is only the beginning of the tragic, sin-filled story of David’s affair with Bathsheba. It gets far worse as the king tries to cover up his adultery with even worse crimes. But as David comes to grips with what he has done, his own personal remorse is devasting beyond description as he realizes what his sin will unleash in his family in the years to come: rape, incest, murder, sedition, and death!

I can’t imagine the depth of this man’s anguish, whom scripture memorializes as “a man after God’s own heart,” as he came before the Lord carrying the guilt and shame of the Bathsheba affair. He had not only committed adultery, but he had also conspired to commit murder, he had murdered a gifted and loyal soldier, and he had knowingly covered the tracks of his affair for several months.

But all the while, King David—the shepherd boy who slew Goliath, the greatest king of Israel, the sweet singer of Israel—was absolutely miserable.

Then a courageous prophet named Nathan came to David and stood before the king—the most powerful world ruler of his day, a man who held the power of life and death over pesky little prophets like Nathan—and confronted the king with his evil. And David repented.

In the king’s moving prayer of contrition before the Lord, which is what Psalm 51 really is, David expressed to God the depth of guilt, shame, and humility that revealed why, despite such a horrible sin, he was still a man after God’s heart.

This psalm provides a great case study of authentic repentance. David didn’t want just to off-load his guilt by getting this sin off his chest. He wasn’t just attempting to get a pass by coming clean. He wasn’t just feeling sorry because he had finally been caught. Not at all!

David recognized the utter horror of having offended a holy God. He realized the indescribable pain of having messed up the lives of people over whom he had just played God. He fully confessed his wicked act, and the wicked heart that had led to the act.

For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. (Psalm 51:5)

And by so doing, David cast himself upon God’s infinite mercy, recognizing that only then could he be granted a heart that was truly clean, tender to the Lord, and willing to do the things that God desired.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you… The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. (Psalm 51:10-13,17)

I cannot imagine David’s pain! Or can I? Have I not offended the Lord just as coldly and willingly as David? Have I not murdered, conspired, been willfully unfaithful, and concealed sin before a holy God who demands holiness in me? Yes—I have! Not visibly, but certainly in my heart—at the very core of what makes me fully me—which Jesus pointed out is just as offensive to a holy God and corrosive to my spirit as the physical act of sin. (Matthew 5:21-28)

You see, I am David in this psalm. And so are you. And we are in no less need of the mercy and grace of Almighty God than this heartbroken king. And not only are we, too, in need of a God who will forgive all our sins, but we are in desperate need of a merciful God who will create within us a clean heart and grant us a willingness to fully obey.

True repentance—what a grace! Only then can we know the deepest and best joy of all: The joy of our salvation! (Psalm 51:12)

My Offering of Worship: If you are David in this story, in what area of your life do you need to come clean? Perhaps you have hidden your sin from everyone, but God knows. And until you truly confess, sincerely repent, and desperately ask for a clean and willing heart, you will not know the “joy of salvation” restored. So, today, right now, confess your sin to God, repent of what you have done, and cast yourself on the mercy of God. And while you are at it, ask God to give you a David-heart.