May 5, 2020 -- Psalm 119:162 -- Called from Cowardice to Bold Rejoicing

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I rejoice at your word

like one who finds great spoil.

Psalm 119:162 English Standard Version

the text I’d written I have removed in view of the fact this is causing offense to dear brothers and sisters in Christ and the way it was written was inflammatory, rather than serving as fodder to aid good and robust discussion.

May 2, 2020 -- Psalm 119:161 -- Persecuted?

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Princes persecute me without cause,

but my heart stands in awe of your words.

Psalm 119:161 English Standard Version

David was a mighty king of Israel. You would think that David, as one at the pinnacle of his power, would have no problem with persecution. And you’d be wrong. The fact of the matter is this: when we name God as the strength of our life, we will be out of step with the rest of the world. Jesus reminded His disciples: “You will be hated by everyone because of Me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22).

What kinds of persecution will we face?

It can be outright hostility because we call Jesus our LORD and know Him at the Way, the Truth and the Life. So we deny ourselves the pleasures the world pursues and peers will object to us.

It can be something like a financial penalty because we refuse to lie in order to gain an advantage on our taxes or mortgage.

It can be mocking and ridicule by fellow Christians because we stand up for Jesus and the truth of creation as it is presented in scripture.

Let us be honest, as Christians in the West, what we face is mild in comparison to the persecution which opposes our brothers and sisters around the world. However, I wonder, is one of the reasons we face less persecution anchored to the fact that we do not stand out for Jesus but try so hard to stay in step with our culture?

David withstood persecution because his heart was in awe of God’s words. The power of the words of God was greater than all the suffering—potential and real suffering—he faced. The New Testament disciples and followers of Jesus showed the same endurance and courage. The word of God promises us: “Greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world” (I John 4:4). The Spirit of God, the same Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. What glory and blessing, what hope and power reside in us. With David we can declare: “my heart stands in awe of Your words”.

Triune God, LORD of Terrible splendour and beauty, power and holiness, blessed are You. Great and true are all Your words. Spirit of the Living God, help us to believe and obey the word of Scripture. Spirit of the Living God, as we meditate on and memorize the Word may we in faith see Jesus our conquering King and Savior and serve Him alone in thankfulness and praise. Forgive us for the poverty of our faith and our shaky witness. Increase our confident courage as soldiers of the cross of Jesus Christ. Amen.

April 30, 2020 -- Psalm 119:160 -- Spotting the Truth

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The sum of your word is truth,

and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

Psalm 119:160 English Standard Version

Since I have a lot of extra time on my hands I have been watching things on the internet on which I normally wouldn’t spend my time. For example, I watched a couple of instructional videos on how to spot a liar—the first taught by a former FBI trainer and the second taught by a former CIA trainer who specialized in this and was teaching retail employees to spot a liar. The retail employees would use these skills as they conducted job interviews or when dealing with a suspected thief. Fascinating stuff. It makes me realize how our lives are filled with half-truths and lies.

Little wonder then that non-Christians are suspicious of Christianity—where we as Christians claim we are following Jesus Who declared: “I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:7. Many will wonder “Can I trust Jesus?” Such thinking is heavily influenced by the culture we live in which itself is saturated in lies and constantly speaks against Christianity as the sole source of Truth.

One way in which Christianity is so different from all other religions and world philosophies is our acknowledgement that Jesus is perfect. Followers of Jesus measure their lives by His standard and His rules spelled out in the Bible. We fail. We neglect to do the good He calls us to do. We purposefully do things contrary to His holiness. The righteous rules of God provide for this—we are called to turn from our wicked ways, confess them, and receive forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

The power of the cross is in the fact that all men and women and children are sinners. We are all on an even playing field—one filled with liars, and wicked people of all stripes and kinds. Christians are those who by the Word of God see themselves as sinners in need of a Savior. Christians are those who know just how wrong they are and how immeasurably great is the mercy and love of God Who has provided for us the way of salvation—rescue from our ourselves, our sin-filled world and the lies of the devil and his demonic army.

With tremendous joy and hope Christians know that one day all sin, all lies, all-wrong doing will be fully exposed. Those who turned to Jesus in this life will see how fully horrendous their sins were and will more fully bless and honour and praise Jesus for standing in our place as the sinner-bearer, the One Who took our place at the cross. Those who refused Jesus in this life will on the Day of Judgment face the full wrath of God—His just and perfect anger against sin. The truth of God the Judge of all the earth will be fully revealed and it will be terrible.

Now is the day of salvation. Now is the opportunity to hear and respond to the prompting of the Spirit moving you to listen and obey the voice of Jesus. Pick up your bible. Find a Christian whose walk you admire and ask your questions. Be prepared to grow and learn There is no adventure like it. The sum of God’s Word is Truth and it is glorious and it is freedom and it is joy.

Jesus, Lamb of God Who has taken away the sin of the world, blessed be Your Name. Great and perfect is Your love. This day we pray for our dear friends and family members who do not acknowledge You, change their hearts by Your word of Truth. Let us experience the great joy of seeing such come to know You and delight in You by our testimony and our life’s walk with You. Jesus, send Your Spirit so that missionaries and evangelists will see many come to confess their sins and acknowledge You as their King. Lion of Judah, Jesus Conqueror of sin and death and the grave may our dedication to You bring honour and praise to our Father in heaven. Triune and blessed God, we know there is such glory in store for all who believe, increase our faith and passion, our zeal and dedication, so that the temptations of this world fade and the blessedness of following You prompts us to ever greater devotion and acts of love. Amen.

April 28, 2020 -- Psalm 119:159 -- Be revived

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Consider how I love your precepts!

Give me life according to your steadfast love.

Psalm 119:159 English Standard Version

The Psalmist is calling out to the Living God, “See this, perceive it and know this I love Your statutes and precepts”. What we adore we stare at. What we long for we gaze at longingly. The point is this, the more we think about the laws of God, the more we realize how right they are, how good they are, how perfect they are. (Remember verse 96—”To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless”—its perfections, its wisdom, its instruction is without limits.) Knowing the precepts and commands of God inevitably draws us to see Jesus and His perfections.

The world has such a different perspective about law and freedom. Here is a stark example. While reading on the incredible pull of pornography and the work it takes to break men and women free from this, I came across something that stopped me cold. There is pornography called “adoration”. The whole point is that people watching it are in fact adoring or worshiping those whom they look at. The perpetrators of this great sin call such pornography what it is: “worship” or “adoration” of the human body. People who view such pornography are in fact engaging in worship of what is sinful. Note carefully what I am saying—human sexuality is not sinful. When sex has no boundaries, such as is defined by the law of God, it becomes great slavery. God gives the gift of sex for the context of marriage. When a man and a woman are married, excluding all others, and delight in the gift of sex it is a great blessing.

The attendant prayer is so important. King David, the writer of this Psalm, cries out “Revive me” according to your steadfast love. There are so many things which are pulling me towards sin so that my taste for all that is holy and good is dying within me. Unless the LORD of Glory should revive us, literally breathe life into us, we will die to all that is holy. The Spirit of God is called the Breath of God. The Spirit of God gives life to our lungs so that we breath life in Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God gives us oxygen so that our eyes are revived and we see and delight in Jesus and His perfect ways.

Father in heaven, with the psalm-writer we are crying out: revive us! We long for the breath of Your Spirit to bring life to our lungs so that filled with the freshness of Your steadfast love we will see Jesus for Whom He truly is and worship Him alone. We confess how our eyes have looked longingly at things, or people, or money and wanted to have all things serve us. We confess our misplaced worship and adoration. Stop us. Change us from the inside out so that Jesus and His Word and His ways will be precious to us. Revive us, giving us life according to Your immeasurably great love. Amen.

April 27, 2020 -- Psalm 119:158 -- From faithless to faithful

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I look at the faithless with disgust,

because they do not keep your commandments.

Psalm 119:158 English Standard Version

Matthew Henry’s fine commentary on this brief passage offers great insight—more concisely than I could hope to do.

He beheld the transgressors, those whose sins were open before all men, and it grieved him

to see them dishonour God, serve Satan, debauch the world, and ruin their own souls, to see the

transgressors so numerous, so daring, so very impudent, and so industrious to draw unstable

souls into their snares. All this cannot but be a grief to those who have any regard to the glory

of God and the welfare of mankind.

Matthew Henry, resource: BibleWorks10

As our country prolongs its lockdown and social distancing, so many of us have more time on our hands than we’ve ever had before. The question is this: have we accomplished the things we’d always said we’d do if we have more time? Have we studied the Bible? Have we written notes of encouragement (or emails, or messages)? Have we spent time in prayer? It is just a short step for us as Christians to cross from faithfulness to faithlessness.

The mercy of God is such that Scripture is filled with warnings so that believers will turn again to the LORD of all the earth and find forgiveness in Jesus Christ and strength from the Spirit of God to repent of sin and become industrious for the glory of God and the welfare of others. Today if you hear the LORD’s invitation and your conscience is pricked, return to Him, the guardian of your soul.

LORD of all Faithfulness, thank You for prophets and teachers, for ministers and evangelists, Christian family members and friends who have made the Good News of Jesus Christ clear to us. Thank You for the glorious work of Jesus Christ through Whom we are called sons and daughters of the Most High God. Spirit of all Comfort direct our hearts and our thoughts to Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of all true believing. Triune God, blessed and holy, let Your words be sweet to our thoughts and Your commands the pathway of peace. In these times of Covid Crisis, draw many people to Yourself and restore to prodigal sons and daughters the joy of Your salvation. Amen.

April 25, 2020 -- Psalm 119:157 -- Why Do I Experience Suffering in Relationships?

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Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,

but I do not swerve from your testimonies.

Psalm 119:157 English Standard Version

A difficult, but masterful, work by Thomas Boston is called The Crook in the Lot. Such a crook basically means something in our life that is crooked where we’d expected it to be straight, easy-going. Puritans called these losses and crosses and when I was younger the expression was having stones in one’s shoes. Yet the fact is, such crooks are part of the lot, or the circumstances, God has providentially set each of his servants to endure.

With regards to relationships and interactions with others, Boston wrote:

So men do oftentimes find their greatest cross, where they expected their greatest comfort.

Sin hath unhinged the whole creation, and made every relationship susceptible of the crook.

In the family are found masters hard and unjust, servants froward and unfaithful;

in a neighbourhood, men selfish and uneasy;

in the church unedifying ministers offensive in their walk,

and people contemptuous and disorderly, a burden to the spirits of ministers.

In the state, oppressive magistrates, opposers of that which is good,

and subjects turbulent and seditious.

Boston, The Crook in the Lot, page 32

Why should God Who is Good and Faithful allow such things in our life?

1. So that we would be driven from pride and self-sufficiency and turn to the Holy and Blessed Triune God for all our help (II Corinthians 12:7).

2. So that as we endure in submission to Him others see our suffering and patient endurance and praise God (James 5:10-11).

3. So that by such we made perfect in service to the Living God (James 1:2-4).

4. So that it is not our will, but God’s will that is accomplished in our lives. We are inclined to evil and want so much to just ‘fit in’ with the world. It is not what we are called to in Christ, we are taught to prayer Father in heaven hallowed be Thy Name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10).

5. So that the testimonies, rules and laws of God shine as the guiding lantern on the path of our lives, showing us the excellent way, contrary to the ways and thoughts of the world (our text Psalm 119:157).

God of Mercy, we cry out to You, recognizing that in our lives there are many relationships that are twisted up and so difficult for us. Some among us have parents who have neglected their duties and exposed us to cruelty. Some among us have been betrayed by dear friends or colleagues and struggle to comprehend how to go forward. Others among us see heinous actions by the courts or government, such as state-sponsored abortion or euthanasia, and cry out in bewilderment. Others carry shattered expectations of happy work-places now filled with venom and back-biting. Accomplish Your holy purposes in us. As Christ our Master suffered, help us Father of All-Compassion, to endure in our obedience to Him. As Christ our Master was filled with Your Spirit, Father in heaven pour out the of Spirit of Power on us so that we will abide in the grace of Jesus Christ and displaying the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control—live such powerful witness to Jesus in our lives that many will be drawn to Him. Amen.

April 23, 2020 -- Psalm 119:156 -- Do you know boundless mercy?

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Great is your mercy, O LORD,

give me life according to your rules.

Psalm 119:156 English Standard Version

Can you agree with the Psalmist that the LORD is great in mercy? What evidence is there of His great mercy?

He Who knows all our sins, even our sinful thoughts, (Psalm 139:1-4) forgives us in Christ.

He Who knows the full measure of all our wrong-doing and while we are still sinners has provided salvation for us in Christ (Romans 5:8).

He Who knows the repetitive nature of our sins, what we begged forgiveness for in the morning we are prepared to sin again in the evening. Yet Jesus taught His disciples to forgive seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:22). If our Master taught us to forgive in this way, we know this is possible only because He is the source of all forgiveness and is Himself great in mercy!

Two verses ago the writer pleaded with God: “give me life according to your promise!” Today we read a parallel prayer: “give me life according to your rules (or more accurately translated from the Hebrew ‘your judgments’).

First off, you need to know that the Name of God used in our passage LORD means life. He alone is Self-Existent Life and has life in Him to create life or raise someone to life.

Second, note that based on the fact He is Life, the Psalmist pleads for life.

Third, the Psalmist asks for life based on God’s judgments. In the past verse the Psalmist held onto the promises of God that He would remember our sins no more. Now the Psalmist is praying based on the fact that the LORD has smashed down His gavel of judgment and declared our sins forgiven and new life to be ours because of Jesus Christ.

Imagine a scene where grandma has her grandson Tommy visiting. Grandma has a makeshift planter box green-house. As is her annual custom, she is growing seedlings to be ready for the first frost-free days. Tommy, angry at a friend who didn’t want to play with him, smashes the glass of grandma’s little greenhouse. Grandma was at the sink doing breakfast dishes and saw the whole thing. Though sad at the broken glass and crushed seedlings, she said nothing.

At supper Tommy, feeling queasy and unable to eat, blurts out, “Grandma, I broke your greenhouse!”. He runs off to his room. A little while later, after the storm of tears, grandma goes up to see Tommy in his room. “Tommy, I know you broke the greenhouse. I saw it while I was doing dishes.”

With dripping eyes and nose and tousled hair Tommy turns to his grandma. Surprised. Thoughts flood through his mind: Why didn’t she run out and stop me? Why didn’t she scold me immediately?

Great questions. When Tommy knew he had sinned, violated his grandma’s trust and love, he needed to realize the weight of what he’d done and confess it. Grandma was prepared to wait so that his confession would not be premature. When he confessed, she forgave. The plants were still destroyed. So she required Tommy to help her clean up. He paid for some of the new seeds. He helped replant these seeds. And they went together to get new glass (which she paid for because it was too expensive for him). He realized the cost of what he’d done in time, money and investment of his own energy.

This is but a slight illustration of God’s infinitely greater mercy. He forgives us in Christ. He waits for us to acknowledge our sins and confess them. Then He calls us to rebuild relationships. He calls us to make restitution. Over and above this all, in His great mercy, He walks with us in love. He reminds us by His Spirit that no matter our sins, He is our Father. He Who began a great work of salvation in us will see it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

Father of all mercies we confess before You this morning how many precious truths we have smashed, how many beautiful paths of righteousness we have torn up by our ravenous sinfulness. Help us, by Your Spirit, to perceive our sins and be moved to confess them. Thank You for Jesus, Your Son, our Savior, Who has taken away our sin. Thank You for life and hope and strength. Thank You for the glorious Spirit Who works in us Your reviving love, Your strength to to work for good so that relationships can be restored and rebuilt for Your glory. Whatever is yet unconfessed and weighing down our souls we pray embolden us to recognize these sins, to confess them and to take hold of the ever fuller, new life that is held out to us in Christ Jesus our King. Amen.

April 21, 2020 -- Psalm 119:155 -- Untitled

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Salvation is far from the wicked,

for they do not seek your statutes.

Psalm 119:155 English Standard Version

That particular word salvation has only been used once before in this Psalm (verse 123). Now the word salvation is used here and in the next two stanzas, which are the last two stanzas of this epic poem. There is an intensification of the psalmist’s language of dedication to the LORD His God that is moving towards a crescendo and then in the final verse of this Psalm a rather surprising conclusion.

How are the wicked different than those who are deemed righteous? It is one of the critical questions of Psalm 119. Both the righteous and the wicked sin. Both the righteous and the wicked experience times of blessing in God’s good creation. Yet is the righteous who seek God. It is the righteous who in times of trouble and times of triumph seek to remain faithful to the Living God. They know themselves to be saved—that is rescued from themselves, rescued from this world and rescued from the clutches of the devil.

Salvation does not come from ourselves. Salvation is the gift of the God of all Mercy. In fact He rebukes Israel, those supposed to be His Own people when He declared:

I spread out my hands all the day
    to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good,
    following their own devices;
 a people who provoke me
    to my face continually,

Isaiah 65:2-3 English Standard Version

It is almost as if the LORD of Heaven and Earth was holding out His arms for a hug that His people refused to receive. His arms were left hanging there suspended in invitation and spurned. Though He had provided salvation for them, His people did not embrace Him or His ways. Though He had rescued them, they stubbornly returned back to their former slave masters.

The people embraced by the Living God our Father are those who recognize they are sinful. They understand their need for rescue. When confronted by their sin they see that Jesus Christ has spread out His hands at the cross and embraced our punishment for sin so that we could be counted as holy and receive the embrace of our Father in heaven. The Spirit of God, Who has shown us Christ’s forgiving work and our Father’s open embrace, strengthens the people who have received God’s salvation to walk in His statutes. There is a sense in which the statutes of God can be called His wisdom. Those who know their former sinful way of life (and the incessant throbbing impulses to sin again) are wonderstruck that the God of all Love and Mercy should receive them in His embrace. Therefore they long to walk in the wisdom, the laws, and commands, He has set out for them. Such regulations are for the believer the pathway of peace.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Your is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

April 20, 2020 -- Psalm 119:154 -- Who pleads your cause?

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Plead my cause and redeem me,

give me life according to your promise!

Psalm 119:154 English Standard Version

Those of you who have a good study bible will know that the first word of our verse today comes from a courtroom setting. The Psalmist, using the expression plead my cause is crying out for someone to act as his attorney or mediator. When the LORD chooses to put a crook into our lot (see April 19th to understand that phrase) who can undo what He has done? In His great mercy and love the Father has given us such afflictions to drive us to Himself. Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand, praying for us. He is our mediator. He is ready to hear us when we in our desperation and longing finally turn to God. It is at that moment we realize our need for a mediator strong enough to engage the Living God.

Revive me, or as it is written, give me life—that is the very work of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God animates us and gives us what we need so that we will not be crushed under our loads and burdens. Rather than sink down into despair and listlessness the Spirit of God reinvigorates us as our troubles and afflictions drive us to Jesus Christ, in Whom we have the exact mediator we need.

Jesus is fully human. He understands the weakness of the flesh. He knows how sin and temptation are constantly banging at the door of our hearts and randomly shooting wayward arrows of fiery thoughts designed to lead the vulnerable astray. In His humanity Jesus was fully equipped and revived by the Spirit of God to withstand every single temptation. At the Garden of Gethsemane, the night He was betrayed, just before Judas the betrayer arrived, Jesus’ prayers were so intense His sweat became drops of blood. One aspect of the victory of Jesus is seen in the fact He was tempted in every way we are and He never yielded, not even for an instant.

Jesus is fully divine. In His divinity He took the punishment meted out by the Father, Who is holy. This is what is so difficult for us as mere mortals to grasp. How utterly perfect and holy God is. How vile is any act of sin on our part. We are ready to justify away what we do. We are ready to obfuscate and try to distract God the glorious and holy from what we are doing. None of it works. The holiness of God cannot endure any slight movement towards sin. Therefore, Jesus in His divinity was able to bear the full weight of God’s anger against sin.

Recently I was chatting with a group of guys and one of them had a crusty hanging from his nose. It was obvious. It was gross. It was observed by all except the bearer of that particular grossness. There are only three possible ways for this to be addressed. The friends would point it out. The man would see himself in a mirror. The man would happen to wipe his nose and realize this awkwardness. We humans are not aware of the filth of sin that clings to us like an unwanted crusty billowing from the nose. Amazing how such a small thing evokes a strong reaction from us. How much more is our sin an affront and grossness before the the utter perfect holiness of God.

He has provided the way for us to be cleansed. He has provided the Word, the promises of God which are like a mirror for our souls. And He has given us the Spirit of God so that we will have the strength and courage to go to the throne of grace where we find Jesus Christ—seated at the Father’s right hand—the Friend of Sinners Who is our mediator and salvation. How gloriously has the psalmist’s urgent prayer been answered. Run to Jesus this day and find in Him all hope, cleansing, and help.

Reviving Spirit help us. We often don’t even know what to pray because of the turmoil churning within us. Bring us to Jesus our intercessor and king. Cleanse and heal us we pray. Amen.

April 19, 2020 -- Psalm 119:153 -- Fighting our Reflection

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Look on my affliction and deliver me,

for I do not forget your law.

Psalm 119:153 English Standard Version

This morning as I was making my coffee I happened to look out the window and saw a robin attacking my neighbor’s basement window. The robin would strut by in the garden and a little further out on the lawn, see his own reflection in the window and attack it. He’d fly against the window. He would ruffle his feathers, pace back and forth and fly against his own reflection yet again. It was funny at first. A few minutes later it was more sad than funny. That robin was looking disheveled. Feathers seemed to be askew. Something pretty drastic would have to intervene to break the robin’s misguided determination to hurt to his own reflection.

Sin makes us humans follow a destructive pattern. We are prepared to go down the same foolish path repeatedly. Unless something drastic breaks our concentration and directs us away from our sinful behaviour we might sin ourselves to death.

Thomas Boston, a Puritan preacher and writer, describes such drastic actions on God’s part as putting a crook in our lot. A crook is an affliction, a malady, something painful that will tear us away from our self-destructiveness. Our lot is our life, our circumstances, or the things and events and people which together constitute our life’s course. Consider the various people the LORD afflicted, and how He afflicted them so that they would turn from destructive self-focus, or sin, and rely on God:

Zechariah, the aged priest, had an angel visitor tell him he would become the father of John the Baptist. Zechariah protested, asking how this could be since he and his wife were old, past child-bearing years. He was afflicted, struck so that he became mute, unable to speak until his son was born (Luke 1:18-23).

Paul, the incredibly gifted evangelist and writer of half of the New Testament books, had a thorn in his side (II Corinthians 12:7-9). He cried out to God . Yet the King of Mercy did not remove it, instead telling Paul His grace is sufficient to meet Paul’s needs…and govern him from uselessly shadow-boxing his own sinful flesh.

Hebrews 5:8 teaches us that although Jesus was the Son of God, He learned obedience through what He suffered. Just let that sink in for a minute! His obedience was tested and perfected by His sufferings and afflictions. He grew into manhood understanding this constant suffering refined Him, proved His moment by moment need to cry out to the Living God in order to find help and relief. No other helper, no other rescue would ever be able to deliver. God alone is His joy His salvation His rescue and His rock..

What is the crook in your lot this day? Perhaps it is the Covid-19 isolation? You are climbing the walls in frustration—have you cried out to God? Have you learned what He longs to teach you? Perhaps you are facing financial ruin because the markets have plummeted and your retirement savings are evaporating? The LORD is your strength and song. He is more precious than gold or silver. I write this as one who has seen a huge drop in his own LIRA (locked in retirement account).

Ah sinner, hurtling yourself like a robin against a window, be aware of God’s intervention in your life. Remember the instructive words of C.S. Lewis: "God whispers to us in our pleasures, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." In our suffering God our Father is seeking to awaken us from our stupefaction and bring us fluttering to the safety of His nest. The Spirit of Power is near, ready to hear and bring your urgent requests to Jesus, the LORD of Glory, Who is strong to deliver you and loving enough to bring the exact circumstances into your life which will prepare you for eternity in His glorious presence.

Teach us, O LORD, Your way of truth and from it we will not depart. Perfect us through suffering and by Your Spirit show us that we are never alone, never abandoned or struck down instead You in love and faithfulness have put the various crooks in our lot which will inevitably lead us to You. Spirit of God, guard our hearts and minds in Christ. Jesus, You, Who for the joy set before You in expectation of the glory You would enjoy with Your Father in heaven and the Plenteous Wonders of the Holy Spirit, endured the cross, scorning its shame. Triune God of Majesty, Worthy of all we have to give in blessed service to You, sustain us through every trial, direct us in every heart-ache so that we will be suited for eternity with You. Amen.

April 17, 2020 -- Psalm 119:152 -- What history proves

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Long have I known from your testimonies

that you have founded them forever.

Psalm 119:152 English Standard Version

As was mentioned yesterday this eight verse stanza of Psalm 119 ends with a two-verse resolution and the verse we have before us today is the second of those verses. The writer of this Psalm has experienced various hardships yet he remained steady in his faith in the LORD God. Why?

The writer of this Psalm has known about the testimonies of the LORD for a long time. This is the instruction ingrained since his youth. At the very end of the little Bible-history book of Ruth there is a brief genealogy of King David’s family. The mercy God as shown to David’s family is traceable through the generations. No doubt his father instructed David concerning the tremendous faithfulness of the LORD proved by their own family tree.

While yet a young man David was anointed to be the next king. King Saul, the reigning king of Israel at the time of David’s secret anointing, had designs for his own son to be the next king and he grew to hate David. Yet King Saul’s own son Jonathan loved David as a dear friend and accepted God’s decree that David, rather than he, Jonathan himself, would be the next king. In this Jonathan proved to be faithful and obedient to God rather than acquiesce with the wicked intentions of his power-hungry father. All of this evidence of the LORD’s decree and testimonies which are trustworthy.

These strange days of Covid-19, where governments decree people are to socially isolate, ordered to stay at home as much as possible, are in fact perfect days to return to the Bible. We have an unprecedented opportunity to read the Bible. We have more time than ever before to listen to Christian podcasts and explore the beauty of the LORD’s testimonies and see that He has founded them forever.

Reading the Bible now, in larger chunks and chapters, you’ll see the faithfulness of the God the Father. How He preserved for Himself a people from which Jesus would trace His human descent. Jesus was fully human, of the line and Royal family of David and He was fully Divine. The Spirit of God overshadowed the virgin Mary and she conceived and bore a son.

Interestingly, no matter your philosophical system, you will believe in a “virgin birth”. If you deny the testimony of the Bible, you must believe some version of the secular story that there was nothing, no universe, and suddenly, for no reason that can be explained, there was an explosion. And from this big bang, no thing became everything and order came from the chaos of that explosion [an impossible virgin birth of everything!]. Or you believe the LORD of Heaven and Earth, Himself outside of time, eternally Self-existent, spoke creation into existence. You have the time now: contemplate this. Pray over this. Study the Bible. Listen to good bible instruction. Now is the opportunity unparalleled to learn, grow and know God.

Ruler of Heaven and Earth, glorious Creator, Father in heaven, thank You for the Bible. Thank You for the stories of Your faithfulness—told by believing parents and grand-parents, shared by Sunday School Teachers and our mentors all of whom You had appointed so that we would learn of Your terrible, majestic, splendor. King Jesus, blessed are You, described in the Gospel of John as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. Thank You Spirit of God for directing our seeking and searching so that we find ourselves directed to the Light of Jesus. We pray, Triune God of Wonder, use these days for our good and instruction in Your faithfulness.

Healer of the Nations, bless and strengthen those who are struggling against this terrible sickness. Sustainer of the weary bless the health care workers and frontline medical staff who so heroically serve. We pray for the nursing homes where it reported that the coronavirus is quickly spreading and there are critical staffing shortages. There are so many vulnerable populations which include those in prisons and hospitals, in Your great compassion and mercy provide the relief that is so urgently needed.

We pray to You because You are All-powerful. You have invited Your people to ask so that we shall receive. We have confidence in You because through-out history You have proved to be loving, able and willing to help those who cry out to You. Thank You that You hear our prayers because of the powerful Name of Jesus Christ—Your Son our Savior. Amen.

April 16, 2020 -- Psalm 119:151 -- Proving the nearness of God

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But you are near, O LORD,

and all your commandments are true.

Psalm 119:151 English Standard Version

The Psalm writer has been awake in the night and praying to God. The Psalm writer has experienced troubles and cried out to the LORD. Now there is a two-verse resolution. This day we consider the first verse of this couplet of resolution. It could almost read: despite all of these things I listed before, You are near, O LORD.

Evidences of the nearness of God include:

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). Creation itself tells us of the LORD our God’s glory and nearness.

And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” Genesis 8:20-22. After the world-wide flood that wiped out all of humanity except believing Noah and his family, God promised humanity His covenant faithfulness and nearness verified in the day and night, and in the way one season follows another. These declare He is near and faithful. I believe this is one of the reasons Spring makes us leap like calves loosed from their winter stalls.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:14-16). The Spirit of God Who lives in us reminds us that we are sons and daughters of God because of Jesus’ accomplished work.

Even the commandments of God remind us of the nearness of the LORD. As we live for Jesus, obeying Him and denying ourselves our old sinful ways we see the fruit of new life taking hold of us. This too convinces us of the nearness of God and His goodness! Matthew 7:15-19 notes that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, nor can a good tree produce bad fruit. Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us of the fruit of the Spirit’s work in us, producing Christ-like character in us.

Some of you may object: but I don’t feel His nearness. Understood. Let me ask you a few questions:

Are your feelings always accurate? No, they can deceive you. Our churning emotions can be too hard to interpret or understand. These feelings can change in an instant, inexplicably rising or falling

Are you cultivating the awareness of His nearness? Are you speaking with Him, accepting the promise that He is near and His Spirit lives in you?

Are you reading the Bible which proves the rock-solid promises of God while revealing how unreliable feelings by themselves are?

Test God by His promises. He has promised He is near. Take up the gifts which evidence His nearness: read the Word. Pray. Obey. You will see He is near to You in each step and such knowledge will be like the parting of storm clouds pierced by the rays of His radiant light of love and faithfulness.

Blessed God, You promised us in Your Word that You are near. Help us this day to know the Spirit’s witness to our hearts, speaking to us in the very depths of our need and loneliness: “Abba, Father”. Spirit of God, as we recommit to reading the Word and prayer, let us know the glorious work of Jesus Christ which caused us to be sons and daughters, not by our human efforts, but Your divine decree. Renew in us the joy of Your salvation. Amen.

April 14, 2020 -- Psalm 119:150 -- Influence Leaders

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They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;

they are far from your law.

Psalm 119:150 English Standard Version

There are a wide variety of translations of this particular verse; and these variants helps to uncover what this text is telling us. Consider these two alternate translations of our passage:

Those who follow after wickedness draw near; they are far from Thy law. (Ps. 119:150 NAS)

They draw nigh that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law. (Ps. 119:150 KJV)

The difference in these translations is uncovered in those first two phrases. The English Standard Version (at the top of the page) seems to make the identity of the evil intending people more obvious. The English Standard Version makes the evil intent most blatant. If we weren’t in the current coronavirus I’d suggest it almost seems as if the ones drawing near were masked as prepared to rob a bank or rob your soul. [Of course, everywhere we go now, everyone is masked!) As a matter of fact, the NAS and KJV translations show us the approach of evil is much more subtle.

All three translations agree there is a degree of friendship or familiarity between the writer of the Psalm and the evil-doer. The one bent on evil draws near—as if by right of friendship or as a servant or as a coworker or as one in some other such relationship with the writer. What is less clear is the approach. Someone whose eyes are alight with mischief is one who seems the least threatening. To our modern senses there is almost a playful sense in the KJV translation. Mischief is not so ominous sounding to our ears. Yet the final phrase of this verse clearly identified the problem: “they are far from your law”.

There is a comedian, Drew Barth, who is on the You Tube channel: Dry Bar Comedy. He has a disheveled handsome air about him, slightly affected drawl and a very dry wit. As part of his routine he looks right at the camera and says:

Just surround yourself with smart people, if you can. I know dumb people are fun.

I am not going to deny that. And if you are dumb, thank you. You are really entertaining.

So, thank you. [At this point the audience is laughing, obviously many can relate to this].

If you swap out your dumb friends for smart ones you are gonna cut way down

on the texts you receive at 3 A.M. that read “I need $200 right now and I can’t explain why”.

[Again the audience is laughing, as if self-consciously relating to a common problem.]

Isn’t that how mischief or evil begins? It is a text message, an invitation, a casual call from a friend, leading to something that seems edgy and funny and in hindsight you know it is not really well-thought-out.

The evil purposes of others, their mischief isn’t fully apparent from the start. In joining with them you are setting your foot on a pathway that leads further and further from safety until you sort of shake your head exasperatedly and ask: “How did I get here?”

The law of God reveals the difference between good and evil.

The law of God plots of the course of our pathway: away from evil to Jesus our Savior-King.

The law of God quickly separates those who are bent on evil from those who are seeking good. The law of God is distasteful to those who are, according to scripture “dumb” or “fools” (Psalm 14:1).

Those who are dearest in your life, who are your closest advisors, let them be ones who love the law of God and therefore, more importantly, love the Father Who gives the law. Those whom you are trying to reach in the Name of Jesus are ones who are bent on mischief or evil—you may love them, but do not let them be your advisors and coaches in your life. They cannot steer the ship of your life anywhere else but to the rocks and shoals.

The Spirit of God takes the Law of God and makes it precious to the believer and the same Spirit empowers holy living so that it becomes our desire to honour God by our obedience. Even the comedians of our world observe: Just surround yourself with smart people.

Mighty God of All Wisdom, You declare: “As the heavens are higher than the earth so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts^”. Lift us, God of Wisdom, from the empty and foolish ways of our life. Set our thoughts and pathway on the way of Jesus Christ and by Your Spirit’s mighty presence in our hearts guard us—hearts, thoughts, minds and actions—for all good. Let us be influence-leaders for good and godliness—in Jesus’ Name we pray this: Amen.

(^Isaiah 55:8)

April 13, 2020 -- Psalm 119:149 -- Inspired Prayer

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Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;

O LORD, according to your justice give me life.

Psalm 119:149 English Standard Version

Why does the Mighty One of heaven and earth hear us? It is not based on whether or not we are sincere. It is not based on our holiness or lack thereof. The LORD of All Glory listens to His people because of His steadfast love. His love for us never ends. He acts first. He approaches us even though He knows the full weight of our sinfulness and our waywardness—in fact, He knows unless His steadfast love restrained our wandering feet we would never return to Him.

God the Father hears us because of His justice. He does not ignore sin. We have just celebrated Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead and His rising to newness of life. Good Friday celebrations acknowledge that Jesus’ body and soul bore the full weight of God’s rightful anger against sin. Our was punished. Jesus took on all our sin, He became sin for us, so that sin would be punished.

Therefore God is just in loving those who love Jesus and who demonstrate such love by obeying Jesus. All who believe in Jesus rise with Him from death to life. Our old sinful lusts and passions become distasteful to us. All who believe in Jesus find in Him a joy that theretofore had been absent in their lives. All who believe in Jesus have their sins utterly and completely forgiven. This is the justice of God that gives us life.

It is the Spirit of God Who makes such things known to us. We read the Bible and it seems like just so many words until the Spirit of God makes its truth white-hot and precious in its relevance to us. The Spirit of God restrains us from wandering away from God. The Spirit of God lifts our voice so that our cry goes out to the throne of the Living God Who can help and is willing to help and is able to help.

Holy God thank You for Your persistent love that would not let us go! Thank You Triune God, Blessed and Glorious beyond all imagination, for the new life You have poured out on us in Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord. Let the wondrous truth of the Bible soak into the deepest parts of our mind and heart and will. In these days of being quarantined Faithful Father whet our appetite for greater knowledge of Jesus and our devotion to Him. Spirit Who lives in us, awaken our conscience and fire our imagination with devotion for Jesus as we read the Word. Inspire us to raise our voices in prayer to You, the God Who hears. Amen.

April 11, 2020 Psalm 119:148 So shall no part of day or night from sacredness be free

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My eyes wake before the watches of the night,

that I may meditate on your promises.

Psalm 119:148 English Standard Version

You’ll notice that verses 147 and 148 are quite similar. This is a stylistic devise called parallel intensification. As modern readers we do much of our reading alone. Also, rather than reading audibly, we read silently. Jewish culture of the time had very few copies of the Old Testament scriptures available. So, the people would listen to the reading. Some of the things that make the reading particularly powerful for the listener, then and now, includes the fact that each of the eight-verse stanzas of this Psalm begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet. So we have in the QOPH stanza and eight verses of this stanza all begin with the Hebrew letter QOPH. This makes the verses immediately identifiable as to which stanza it belongs and aids memorization.

As mentioned earlier the ideas of 147 and 148 are parallel, they are quite similar and the repetition of them makes an even stronger impact on the listener. Remember that the Bible is meant to be heard. It is meant to be read out loud for the benefit of the reader and the listener. Consider reading the bible aloud in your personal devotional times and see the difference it makes for understanding and the greater impact it has touching your head and heart.

When you read the Gospel of John you’ll see many times there is a sharp contrast between darkness or night and day or light. The darkness is the time when sin reigns. The darkness is when dormant evil rises (consider the fact that Judas, when we was identified as the betrayer, he went out and it was night (John 13:30). He departed from Jesus, the Light of the World (John 8:12).

The psalmist is meditating on the promises of God before the watches of the night, such thoughts and meditations keep him from straying towards sin when the night is long and sleepless frustration grows. The promises of the LORD become richer and sweeter than the siren call of sin. Rehearsing the promises of God helps us to understand more fully Who He Is. The promises of God show sin to be the path of defeat, hell, and death and the light of Christ to be victory, heaven and life.

I wonder if the hymn writer had this portion of Scripture in mind when he penned Fill Thou My Life, O Lord, My God, especially the last verse:

3 So shall each fear, each fret, each care
be turned into a song,
and ev'ry winding of the way
the echo shall prolong.
So shall no part of day or night
from sacredness be free,
but all my life, in ev'ry step,
be fellowship with thee. 

(Horatius Bonar, 1863; public domain)

You can see the lyrics of stanzas 1 and 2 below. If you have time, find a rendition of this hymn on-line and praise God as you listen to it.

Mighty God, thank You for the wonderful truth that You rule day and night. Thank You for the fact that even dark is as light to You. Spirit of the Living God guard our hearts and minds in Christ, anchoring us on the promises of God so that the wiles of the devil are disarmed and the temptations hurled at us or arising from within us are exposed as tawdry and shame-filled. Blessed Triune God, fill our lives so that every part is filled with praise.

1 Fill thou my life, O Lord my God,
in ev'ry part with praise,
that my whole being may proclaim
thy being and thy ways.
Not for the lip of praise alone,
nor e'en the praising heart,
I ask, but for a life made up
of praise in ev'ry part:

2 Praise in the common words I speak,
life's common looks and tones,
in fellowship enjoyed at home
with my beloved ones,
enduring wrong, reproach, or loss
with sweet and steadfast will,
forgiving freely those who hate,
returning good for ill.

April 9, 2020 -- Psalm 119:147 -- Awakened watchfulness

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I rise before dawn and cry for help;

I hope in your words.

Psalm 119:147 English Standard Version

Recently in casual conversation a friend asked me: “How’d you sleep?” Before I tell you my reply, you need to know that the filters between my brain and mouth are not always fully up. Sometimes I blurt things out before I’ve had a good chance to consider the words and their potential impact. So, in reply to my friend’s question I answered: “Like a baby” and my friend smiled and was about to say something like “that’s good” or “I’m glad” and into that brief space before he spoke I added: “Like a baby: I woke up every hour and felt the need to fill a diaper”.

There was a bit of an edge to the answer. It was humor with a bite to it. Honestly, I can get quite irritated with interrupted sleep. And then the Spirit shows me the Bible. A verse like the one we have before us today is a great call to faithfulness in our waking hours in the watches of the night. King David, the writer of this psalm, had many trials and troubles—little wonder then that he rose in the night to cry out to God his Father for help. And the very act of crying out to God the Rock of our Salvation reminded King David to renew his hope in the word of the LORD. The word of the LORD teaches us Who God is—here is a start, some verses to reflect on when you can’t sleep:

He is powerful. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure (Psalm 147:5).

He is in charge of all circumstances: For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations (Psalm 22:28).

He is able to direct us no matter the storms (Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus is sleeping in a boat during a terrible storm, when He is awakened by the disciples He calms the storm with the command: “Quiet! Be still!”)

Jesus, our Savior, often rose up in the night to speak with His Father—He prayed! (Look up two examples: Mark 1:35 and Luke 6:12). In fact, on the night when Jesus was betrayed, He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying. It was such a common event that Judas the Betrayer, knew of it and knew to lead soldiers to Jesus’ night-time praying place (read the full account John 18:1-2 and Matthew 26:36-46).

Next time you wake up in the night, pull out your bible and pray. Find a Psalm, maybe a familiar one like Psalm 23 and use it to guide your speaking to God. If you find yourself awake unexpectedly, ask God why you are awake at that moment. Perhaps the Spirit of God will put a name, or names, on your mind people you can be praying for and bringing to the throne of grace so that they will find grace and mercy for their times of need. If you already know the reason you are awake—a situation that is like a needle in your brain, or bitterness against a person too nonchalant to even notice or whatever else might disturb your slumber—bring it to God. Ask for His divine help.

When you wake up in the night I encourage you to praise the LORD. Recognize that Jesus’ day and night-time watchful prayers and urgent pleadings before His Father’s throne strengthened Him in His flesh so that He withstood the onslaught of the anger of God against our sin. Jesus our Savior is the prayer warrior Who leads us to victory. We are His soldiers. We are an army in prayer—so that every victory is not our own, but ever and always credited to Jesus the Captain of our Salvation.

God I confess how I have taken my sleep for granted. I confess before You how I’ve wasted the waking times of the night and become frustrated or angry or watched something inappropriate, rather than drilled down to find out why I’m awake. God of Mercy, forgive me. Spirit of God, direct me to the example of Jesus and the powerful promises of hope which are found in the bible so that day or night, my wakeful times are filled with the blessings You are prepared to pour into my life. Faithful Savior, my Prayer Warrior King, blessed are You. Help me to follow You now and always, Jesus, until I see You face to face in glory. Amen.

April 8, 2020 -- Psalm 119:146 -- Increasing Assurance

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I call to you; save me,

that I may observe your testimonies.

Psalm 119:146 English Standard Version

Notice the purpose for which the psalmist calls out to God that I may observe your testimonies. The fact of the matter is that there are many things which are thrown at us so that we are knocked off course from such dedicated service.

We need to be saved:

~from our sins, this is the most obvious reason for such crying out to the LORD our God

~from the temptations of the world, distractions which pull us from sacred service to God

~from the circumstances of our lives, such as social distancing and being confined to our homes

~from our insecurities which undercut our confidence in God

~from bitterness which easily rise up at the least promptings

~from our false pictures and understandings of Who God Is and what He approves or disapproves

~from our inclinations to amuse ourselves to death rather than serving our Heavenly Master

When the LORD saves us, we are prepared for holy service. Such service, offered in view of Jesus’ resurrection and powered by the Spirit means that:

~our life’s purpose is beautifully fulfilled

~the LORD our God is honored and praised

~bitterness and anger are conquered, drowned in the love of God poured out on us because of this we

rise up and respond living out the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)

~our neighbours and family and co-workers see in us a consistent witness to His glory

~Jesus Christ and His sacrifice is applied for the healing of every part of our lives

~we show ourselves to be sons and daughters of the Father in heaven

~we are humbled to see the wretchedness of our sins and hate them all the more as we rise to bless

God our Father and renew our dedication to living for Him

~such service confirms we are sons and daughters of the Most High God and fruit of such service is

precious assurance of our faith.

With the psalmist we cry out to You God the Rescuer of sinners and healer of wounded souls. Save us from our sins. Save us from ourselves. Save us from the hazards we don’t even realize are rising up all around us. King Jesus, Savior and Healer, with the psalmist and the redeemed through-out the ages, we rededicate ourselves to You. Send Your Spirit so that we will not feel we have stumbled beyond the grip of Your grace. Cause us, O LORD, to be a blessing to one another and encouragers who seeing those around us in sore need of Your love will prayerfully lead them to Your glorious presence. Amen.

April 7, 2020 -- Psalm 119:145 -- Grab this time for Glory!

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With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD!

I will keep your statutes.

Psalm 119:145 English Standard Version

Today’s verse is the first verse of a new stanza known as the Qoph stanza because in the Hebrew language the first word of each verse begins with the letter Qoph. The whole psalm opened with the blessing pronounced on those who “seek the Him [the LORD] with their whole heart”. And that expression whole heart echoes through-out 119. We’ve read it at verses 10, 34, 58, 69 and now in our verse once again. The writer is crying out and each of those four verses gives a particular faceted reason for crying out to the LORD. That Name LORD is is the Self-revelation of God; and in the Bible God the LORD declares the significance of His Name.

  • The LORD Who was, Who is and Who is to Come (the Self-existent God as in Exodus 3:14).

  • He is the LORD Who will show grace and mercy to whom He chooses (Exodus 33:19).

  • He is the LORD Who abhors, hates, all evildoers (Psalm 5:5-6)

Here is why this is so critical for us to understand: we are sinners—our inclination is to turn away from God. Unless the LORD, Who is rich in mercy, poured out His Spirit on us, we would leave the God we claim to love. The LORD Who hates all evildoers chose to crush Jesus, and pierce Him, and wound Him so that God’s proper and holy wrath is fully poured out on Jesus rather than on us, who are sinners.

So the LORD God chooses to remember our sins no more when we trust in Jesus Christ.

So the LORD God has grace and mercy on all who believe in Jesus.

All who trust in Christ know our sins are removed. The LORD will remember our sins no more. Because of Jesus’ suffering and the fact that He bore God’s punishment in our place the LORD says, “I have absolutely no record of anything having gone wrong in your life” (quotation from David Platt).

As the pandemic continues to ravage our lands rather than watching sports reruns of faded glories past, or gorging on movie channels and bingeing to the point of numbness instead let us be gripped by the knowledge of God, the LORD. In our isolation let us cry out to God the LORD until we seek Him with our whole hearts. Instead of watching that movie or watching that series again, find sermons to listen to and ask God the LORD to awaken your soul so that you will love Him with a freshness you have never experienced before. Here are two websites, rich with free resources on all kinds of Scripture, topics that are relevant and bursting with information on knowing God:

https://www.monergism.com/

https://www.ligonier.org/

This is the opportunity like no other, this is the space of time you’d asked for so that you could catch up on your rest and reading. Let the LORD and the splendor of His salvation grip your heart as never before so that this time of confusion and terror becomes transformed as the time when you encounter God the Glorious, the LORD Who is rich in mercy and mighty in His salvation. Do not lose this moment.

Oh LORD God Almighty, I read that the psalmist is crying out with his whole heart to You, and I admit how often I keep a corner of my heart and bit of myself for myself as if You can not perceive this. And I wonder why I am discontent and struggle to keep Your statutes—little wonder when the chamber of my horded heart is the perfect entry-way for evil. Answer me, O LORD, purge the evil from me. In view of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, cleanse me from the inside out and give me a holy zeal for Who You Are. Blessed are You, Jesus, and incomprehensible is Your sacrifice. Teach me to love You as I ought to love and serve You with my whole heart. Blessed are You, Spirit of God, may this time of pandemic and confusion become a sanctuary in time where I am completely renewed in my knowledge of God the LORD and have a passion for Him that ever grows burning with ever-greater intensity. Amen.

April 6, 2020 -- Psalm 119:144 -- Living in times of contagion

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Your testimonies are righteous forever;

give me understanding that I may live.

Psalm 119:144 English Standard Version

What is striking is how relevant scripture is for every generation and all times. The psalmist is celebrating that fact as he declared ‘the testimonies of the LORD are righteous forever’. Consider the times we are living in now. Our government has implemented bans on social gatherings, work gatherings and closed schools and universities, even the sacred cow of sporting events has not been left untouched! Award ceremonies have been cancelled! These last two points should underline for us how serious this situation is. Now Resurrection Sunday (a.k.a. Easter Sunday) is about to be celebrated and for many of us it will be unprecedented: no gatherings for worship services. What does Scripture teach us?

  1. The man who had a suspected case of leprosy was required to live alone in his house for seven days. If the priest confirmed the disease, he was to live outside the camp of Israel (Leviticus 13). This was done so that the people of Israel as a nation would be spared any contagion.

  2. Numbers 5 reiterates this command, that those who have a discharge, are leprous, or are unclean are to remain outside the camp of Israel (Numbers 5:1-4).

  3. The testimonies of the LORD also remind us that we need pray for our leaders (I Timothy 2:1-2) as well as obey them (Romans 13:1-2).

  4. Such regulations for living separate were to be in place until a confirmation was made that the person outside the camp was in fact healed (even Jesus required this in Luke 17). After healing ten lepers He required them to present themselves to the priest to confirm their healing. It was the priest in those days, not a medical officer, who approved the return to society after such an illness.

What we learn is the deep compassion of God for the individual and for the whole community. A man was not cast out on the suspicion of an illness. There was an opportunity for this illness to be verified and only when the disease was confirmed did this man have to live away from the rest of society.

When there is a chance that a contagion might sweep through a whole population, it makes sense for the ruling authorities to protect the people. Whether our rulers acknowledge it or not, they are appointed by the LORD our God to govern in such times.

The beauty of Scripture is that Jesus went “outside the camp” and bore our sin, guilt, sickness and shame. Jesus was crucified on a hillside outside of the city of Jerusalem. He was treated as leprous, unclean and despised. Yet, because He bled and died in this fashion, He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.

Christians are not being singled out or persecuted by these regulations. All Canadians are bearing them together. If the government tries to ban worship services after this corona virus threat has abated, then Christians must rise up and protest. For now, Christians must be model citizens—honouring the government, praying for our leaders, helping our neighbours, using all means available to help and encourage others through these times.

God our Father, faithful to Your people through-out every generation, give us as Christians the understanding we need so that we can face these times in loving submission to You. Merciful King of Heaven thank You for Jesus Christ Who bore the shame of going outside the camp, out of the city to be punished and humiliated in order that Your holiness would be honored as holy and sin would be forever judged as sinful. Thank You Jesus for the restoration You bring so that believers can call God the Father, our Father. Spirit of God teach us new ways to be obedient in these difficult times. Show us, Spirit of God, what it is to worship God in our homes, while we are alone or are with family members. Build up in us a holy anticipation of the glorious day when we shall be able to gather as believers in our churches, but far more importantly, increase our holy anticipation of that day of matchless glories and wonders when we shall be gathered with all the saints, elders, living creatures and angels before Your blessed throne and we shall worship You perfectly. Amen.