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I’m Still Standing

Read Psalm 59

Featured Verse: Psalm 59:16

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love;for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. ”

David was in trouble—due to no fault of his own. He had been a model citizen. In fact, he had proven himself a true national hero during a military crisis when both Israel’s king and warriors had failed to step up and demonstrate courageous leadership. As you know from I Samuel 17, David had unintentionally made a name for himself on the battlefield by killing Goliath of Gath—the champion-giant of Israel’s archenemy, the Philistines.

As a result of this heroic act, David, still a young man, was recruited into King Saul’s army and fast-tracked right to the top as captain and confidant to the moody and maniacal king. He was even given Saul’s daughter, Michal, as his wife. But things turned bad when the unstable king began to show signs of irrational and insane jealousy toward David. It got so bad that he took out a hit on David’s life.

This psalm was written when David got wind of Saul’s plan, forcing him to leave his wife, abandon his home and flee for his life. As you can see from the very long title given in the Psalter to Psalm 59 (“For the director of music. To the tune of ‘Do Not Destroy.’ Of David. A miktam.When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him.”), Saul had arranged a stake out at David’s house in order to carry out their immoral and illegal plot (Psalm 59:3). And according to David’s song, they were doing more that just trying to murder him: They were attempting to assassinate his character in the eyes of a nation that had come to adore him as their warrior-hero (Psalm 59:10 & 12). So David writes about them and puts a tune to it—a song that immortalizes their evil and invites Divine destruction down upon their heads.

Now you might be wondering what all this has to do with you. Perhaps you’re asking if there is anything in this psalm that elevates it to the status of good devotional material meant for your edification today? That’s a good question—I’m glad you asked. You see, although I doubt that you will ever have a “hit” taken out on your life, chances are there will be people in your life from time to time who will try to assassinate your character and ruin your reputation. And when that happens, you can hearken back to David’s experience and, if nothing else, remember this one thing:

Though people can kill your body, assassinate your character, and ruin your reputation, they can never silence your song.

At the end of the day, evil people will be no more, but the fact that you have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ will keep you in favored standing with the only One who has the power of eternal life and death. Powerful people may try to bring you down, but He is true Strength. They may try to force you out, but you have One whose name is Fortress. They may make your life miserable, but you belong to One who is your Refuge.

Evil people and unfair times will pass, but God stands forever. And since you belong to Him, you will stand forever, too! So go ahead and sing. I normally don’t recommend Elton John songs for worship, but you may want to even sing one of his: I’m Still Standing.

“Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset; eternity to the wicked is a night that has no sunrise.”
—Thomas Watson

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For Cave-Dwellers

Read Psalm 57

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

Next, if you’re in the cave, speak up—God is listening! Talk to God, he can handle it! That’s 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’re 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!” In the cave, David wrote Psalm 57:2, “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, and it looked like the cave would be his permanent resting place! But what his enemies didn’t know was 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 and 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 just hang in there—look up, speak up, and toughen up—resurrection is coming!

“There is nothing – no circumstance, no trouble, no testing –  that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ right through to me.”
—Alan Redpath

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Tears In A Bottle

Read Psalm 56

Featured Verse: 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.

But there is One who sees…and One who cares…and One who never forgets…and One who will never move on! And He wants you to know that, my friend. And that One, your Heavenly Father, simply asks you to take comfort in His compassion for you (Psalm 103:13), and to place your trust in him. In fact, so strongly does he desire your trust, that he extends the invitation twice just to make sure you really know his heart for you. (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 really just dry up and fade into a painful memory, they go right into the bottle of that One who truly cares!

“A child’s tear rends the heavens.”
—Yiddish Proverb”

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When You Are On God’s Side

Read Psalm 54

Featured Verse: Psalm 54:4

“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, 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 that 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’re on God’s side, we cannot fail. If we’re on God’s side then God will be on our side, and our victory is guaranteed. David discovered that—the story can be found in I 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 in to Saul. Saul 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 some bad news that enemies on another front, the Philistines, were attacking, so he left pursing the cornered David to tend to that pressing business. And David was once again delivered when there seemed no way possible to escape. (I Samuel 23:27-29)

Was it a coincidence that Saul was distracted in 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—closer than you think; he is working out his plan; he is 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!

“Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.”
—Charles Spurgeon

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He Who Laughs Last

Read Psalm 52

Featured Verse: 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 others.”

Christians aren’t supposed to laugh at the misfortunes of others, right? Isn’t that always poor form—even when the laughter is directed at 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 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. It may be swift and sure, 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. (I Samuel 21-22) But 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 Lord’s 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—don’t 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!

“Children are innocent and love justice, while most adults are wicked and prefer mercy.”
—G.K. Chesterton

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No Bull

Read Psalm 50

Featured Verse: Psalm 50:9

“I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens.”

To paraphrase King David, God will take no bull from you, but he does want your gratitude!

When it comes to your worship, what you give to God is fine, but he really doesn’t need it. Why? He already has it all. He created it. As the psalmist said, God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), so sacrificing a bull or a sheep wasn’t necessary to pleasing him.

But there is something that God didn’t create that he wants very much—your gratitude and your integrity. Psalm 50:14 says, “Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God and keep the vows you made to the Most High.”

Gratitude is something that you form in your heart as a response to God. It is perhaps the most genuine acknowledgement or recognition of God’s goodness and sovereign Lordship over your life that you can give to God. It is an act of appreciation for what God has done. It is an act of loving obedience that makes your worship genuine. It is an act of faith that recognizes God’s constant and continuing care for you. Thanksgiving shows a heart that truly belongs to God. It is an act of trust so powerful that it accesses God’s desire to be intimately involved in the day-to-day affairs of your life, according to Psalm 50:23.

And here is something else to think about: Thanksgiving catalyzes your integrity. G.K. Chesterton said, “Gratitude is the mother of all the virtues.”

Like gratitude, your integrity is something that God didn’t create. He created you with the capacity for integrity. He gives you the courage and the strength to live out your integrity. But at the end of the day, you alone have to live a life of integrity. You have to make the difficult choices that are congruent with your most deeply held values. You have to resist the temptation to compromise and to gratify your flesh. God can’t do it for you—you have to do it. And when you choose integrity, you have recognized God’s sovereign Lordship over your life. Your integrity is an offering of obedience—something that is always the far better sacrifice (see Psalm 51:16-17, and also I Samuel 15:22). And by your integrity, you have proven the authenticity and depth of your love for God. As Jesus said, “if you love me, you will do what I say.” (John 14:16)

God doesn’t want any bull from you. He wants your heart! The psalm ends with David repeating this again for emphasis, “Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you my salvation.” (Psalm 50:23, NLT)

Watch your step today. Your integrity is a pleasing offering to God. And take time to be thankful. It reminds you of how good God has been. And it makes him pretty happy, too!

“A state of mind that sees God in everything is evidence of growth in grace and a thankful heart.”
—Charles Finney

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You Can’t Take It With You

Read Psalm 49

Featured Verse: Psalm 49:16-17

“Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,  when the splendor of his house increases;  for he will take nothing with him when he dies,  his splendor will not descend with him.”

“You can’t take it with you!” We ought to somehow tattoo that bit of wisdom into our minds and think about it every morning as we head off into the day, and then reflect on it every night as we lay our head down on the pillow. In our culture, as I suspect has been the case in every culture, it is so easy to get caught up in the race to get rich, to have things, to look good, to gain power, to become admired, and to keep up with the proverbial Joneses.

But at the end of the day, this truth remains intact: You can’t take it with you.

There was once a very rich man who knew he was going to die, so he had all his assets converted into gold bars, put the gold in a big bag on his bed, draped his body over the bag, and then he died! When he woke up, he was in heaven at the pearly gates. Saint Peter met him, and with a concerned look on his face said, “Well, I see you actually managed to get here with something from earth! That doesn’t happen too often. But unfortunately, you can’t bring that in.”

The man pleaded, “Oh please, I must have it. It means everything to me. It’s my life!”

Saint Peter wasn’t impressed: “Sorry, my friend, if you want to keep that bag, then I’m afraid you’ll have to go to ‘the other place.’ You don’t want to go there, believe me.”

But the man was unchanged, and he said, “Well, I won’t part with this bag.”

Peter said, “Have it your way. But before you go, would you mind if I looked in the bag to see what it is that you’re willing to trade eternal life for?”

The man said, “Sure, go ahead. Then you’ll see why I could never part with this.”

Saint Peter looked in the bag, saw the gold bars, and with a puzzled look on his face, said to the man, “You mean you’re willing to go to hell for what we pave our streets with?”

The writers of this psalm said, “This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings… Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them… But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.” (Psalm 49:13-15)

Make sure to keep that perspective; it will save your life. And do your investing in the only One who will make your efforts count beyond this life for all eternity.  He has promised you something that will never spoil, fade or perish!

“There is nothing like a calm look into the eternal world to teach us the emptiness of human praise.”
—Robert Murray McCheyne