Psalms - Dene's Blog

The Moving Van

7/1/2015 0 Comments

We just finished helping my mother move up here near us, probably the last move she will ever make. She has accumulated a lot in 87 years. Even though she gave away at least half of her kitchen equipment and several pieces of furniture, as the movers traipsed in and out and the little house begin to fill, we no longer said, “In the living room,” or “In the back bedroom.” By the end we were telling them, “Just find an empty corner and put it there.” True, the house is 100 square feet less than the one she left, but that’s only a 10 x 10 room, perhaps one very small bedroom, and there seems to be many more times that much furniture we have yet to find a place for. It appears that she will need to give away even more.

   I found myself thinking what I might give up when we need to leave this place we have lived for 33 years now. Relatively small as family homes go, just 1350 square feet, we still managed to raise two boys to manhood and have accumulated far more than will fit in a house the size of my mother’s new one. So what can I do without?

   The answer is really simple. You can do without practically every possession you have. Just look at what we take camping. It’s a lot to take for a vacation, but for living, it’s practically nothing and we manage just fine for well over a week.

   But maybe the answer is even easier than that. What will you take in the moving van when you die? Absolutely nothing. It will be empty from front to rear, top to bottom. Absolute essentials for this physical life may be the smallest and plainest amounts of food, clothing, and shelter, but for your spiritual life, all those things that you spend so much time picking out, caring for, and working to pay for are completely nonessential

   So why do we spend so much time and energy on them? Why do we care so much where we live and how it is decorated, what we wear and who designed it, what we eat and how good it tastes? Could it be because we have forgotten this fundamental truth: things of this life—possessions, status, wealth, connections—none of it matters to the wise child of God.

Do they matter to you? If you could not give them up, they matter more than you probably want to admit. And if losing them would turn you into an emotional wreck, your priorities need a serious overhaul.

Today, think about that moving van on the day of your death. It doesn’t really matter what you might like to put in it. Your soul is going somewhere, but it won’t move an inch.

Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him, Ps 49:16-17.

Dene Ward

Fret Not

6/5/2015 2 Comments

Fret not yourself because of evildoers…Psa 37:1.

   Psalm 37 is one of several psalms that takes up this perennial problem among God’s people. We become outraged when we see the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer, when we see a government ordained by God try to push Him out of our lives, when we see it run over the faithful in favor of any and all who claim He doesn’t exist. Especially in today’s political environment, how many times do you find yourself caught up in arguments that leave you steamed and incensed, a fire burning in you to undo the wrong and fix the problem at any cost? You see, that’s what “fret” means.

   At first glance I pictured someone pacing the floor and wringing their hands. “Fret” sounds so trivial. The Hebrew word is anything but.

   …And Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell, Gen 4:5.
   …And let not your anger burn…Gen 44:18.
   And my wrath shall wax hot…Ex 22:24.
   …And his anger was kindled...Num 11:1.
   …And all that are incensed against him…Isa 45:24.

   All these words are the same word translated “fret” in Psalm 37. It is not a mild word, but it accurately describes the way so many of my brothers and sisters work themselves up into something they want to call righteous indignation over the way the world works. Stop, the psalmist says by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In fact, he says it three times in the first 8 verses of this psalm.

   And why? Because it robs God of the things we should be doing and the kind of people we ought to be. It turns us into the very people we are complaining about. The psalmist goes on to tell us exactly how to stop all this fretting.

   First of all, consider where the wicked will wind up in the near future. They shall soon fade like the grass, v 2, and In just a little while the wicked shall be no more, v 10. It may not seem “soon” to us. It may seem more like “a long while,” but don’t we trust our Father to do what He says He will? Fretting over these things is nothing more than a lack of faith in God to handle things, and denial of His control over this world.

   In fact, the psalmist tells us to concentrate on God. Trust in the Lord (v 3), delight yourself in the Lord (v4), commit your way to the Lord (v5), be still and wait for the Lord (v7). I defy anyone to do those things and still be able to “fret” about the wickedness in the world.

   Then he tells us to use all that energy we’ve been expending to “do good” (v 3). As long as we are busy with negative thoughts and actions, we will never do anything positive.

   Then he gives us this little bit of wisdom: Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil (v8). Anger and wrath are sure paths to sin if you are not very, very careful. It has been so since Cain and Abel. As we saw in Gen 4:5 above, Cain “fretted,” that is, he became “wroth,” and God told him that as long as he was in that mood “sin couches at the door.” Satan has you right where he wants you when you let things of this world upset you so much that you become “hot” over them.

   Zorn says, “Do not let what happens [with the wicked] interfere with your own faithfulness to God nor to your commitment to what is right.” Christians do not mind the things of this world. They set their hopes on the next world, on the eternal existence they have waiting for them. What difference will all this injustice we keep fretting over make then? You might as well believe you can take your wealth with you; you might as well believe in a physical thousand year kingdom on this earth; you might as well believe that your fretting will matter when you first feel the fires of Hell.

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting…” John 18:36
…for the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God. James 1:20

Dene Ward

Psalm 23--Missing the Obvious Part 2

5/15/2015 0 Comments

Yes, there are more obvious things we simply read over in Psalm 23.

When do you usually hear a reading of the twenty-third psalm? Funerals and deathbeds, right? We have consigned this little gem to those two occasions, probably because of the translation, “the valley of the shadow of death.” Yet, if we had simply done a little study—very little, in fact—instead of just accepting what we always hear and assuming it the beginning and end of the matter, we would have found many other uses for this psalm.

   “The valley of the shadow of death” is actually one Hebrew word—tsalmaveth—and it can mean “deep darkness.” It is, in fact, translated that way in the modern versions. Yes, in Job 38:17 it seems to refer to physical death, but in Jer 2:6 it refers to the wilderness wandering, certainly a dark era for the people of God. In Jer 13:16 it refers to the coming destruction and captivity, perhaps their darkest period. In Job 34:22 I am not certain what it refers to, but it certainly isn’t death. This is important because all of us experience times of deep darkness in our lives. To know that God is with us during those times too, not just at death, is a comfort beyond any other.

   And do notice this, God is the one leading us to and through this dark place. In fact, coming immediately after “he leads me in paths of righteousness” (literally, “right paths”), this dark place is the right place for me to be. It may be a severe trial, but for some reason I need to be there. It is right for me to be there, and God will lead me “through” it. He will not put me there and leave me there. Even something as severe as a losing a child, becoming disabled, or becoming terminally ill, is one He has led me to and through, accompanying me all the way.

   But there may well be other kinds of dark places I must go through, and will realize He has been with me when I get out on the other side. That is, if I have remained His faithful servant, trusting in His wisdom and care. As long as He is with me, “I will fear no evil.” It may be that His presence involves correction or discipline (His “rod and staff”), but I know that He loves me and this is the right place for me to be, and that even in this dark place, “goodness and mercy follows me,” that is, “pursues” me. His goodness and mercy are on the hunt for me, even in the dark places—especially in the dark places.

   Don’t miss out on the gold in this little treasure chest just because you have heard it all your life. Use it to help you navigate those dark places, with Him as your guiding star. Trust Him, as this particular genre of psalms is called, the Psalms of Trust, or Psalms of Confidence—in God.

   You can make it through the dark to a light beyond, which is also implied, for you can’t have a shadow without a light shining somewhere.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple, Psalm 27:1-4.

Dene Ward

Psalm 23--Missing the Obvious Part 1

5/14/2015 0 Comments

Back in my younger years I was a jogger. If you missed the story, slip over to the right sidebar under “categories,” and click on “Country Life.” Scroll down to “One Fencepost at a Time”—even farther back than “Backwards One Fencepost at a Time”—and you can read about it with its own lesson of encouragement.

   When I finally progressed to jogging on the highway instead of the cow pasture (explained in that previous post), the first time I took nearly twice as long as I should have to jog the same distance. Ordinarily, jogging on a firm surface is easier because your feet push off and the momentum is with you instead of all sinking down into the dirt, sand, mud, or grass of the softer surfaces. That was not what slowed me down. What kept distracting me were the things I had passed every day for three years and never seen before.

   In a car, you usually see the road, the signs, and possible problems—other cars, animals both domesticated and wild, pedestrians, potholes, discarded bottles, trash bags that fell off other vehicles, boards that might have nails in them, pieces of blown tires. You must look for those things if you want to avoid an accident.

   But that morning as I jogged slowly by I found out for the first time that a tiny creek ran through a four foot diameter culvert under the road just past the neighbor by the woods. I discovered a path through those same woods that led to a ramshackle cabin a hundred feet off the road, nearly hidden by the ramrod straight pines. I discovered that another neighbor had a second driveway, much smaller, that led to a shed behind the house. Then as I approached the bridge over the New River, I found a path snaking off to its side, probably used by fishermen looking for bait, or kids swimming in the shallows. All those things had been there the whole time I had, but it was as if I had discovered a brand new place.

   That is exactly how I felt after our ladies’ class studied Psalm 23. I almost skipped that one—everyone knows it. We all memorized it as children. If there is a Bible passage in a movie, it is apt to be that one. Why should we include that in what I hoped to be a study of brand new material for most of us? Because it was brand new material, too. I had gotten out of the speeding vehicle passing through it, and had jogged at a slower pace, seeing the details for the first time. We are going to talk about what I found this time and next.

   Psalm 23 is classified as a Psalm of Trust. I doubt that David, Ethan, Asaph, Solomon, Heman, the sons of Korah, Moses, or any other of the writers of the psalms actually made a decision to write a particular type of psalm and then followed some carefully laid out pattern. No, the elements and patterns have been analyzed by scholars thousands of years removed from them, but it is interesting that they do follow something of a pattern. For instance, Psalms of Trust (some call them Psalms of Confidence [in God]) tend to view God in metaphorical terms. He is variously called a shield, a fortress, a rock, a shelter, a master [of slaves], and in this familiar psalm a shepherd.

   But here is the part I always missed—the metaphor in these psalms is apt to change abruptly, as it does here in verse 5. Suddenly God is depicted as a host. Some of the older commentators do not want to see this change, but please tell me, when was the last time you saw a sheep eating at a table or drinking out of a cup? No, the shepherd feeds the sheep in verse 2: he makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters. Sheep eat grass and drink water, and the shepherd has fed them exactly what they want and need. Now it is the host’s turn to feed his friend in a brand new metaphor.

   And notice this, the host in verses 5 and 6 is not just an acquaintance fulfilling the obligations of hospitality in the Eastern tradition. He is a close friend. He takes you into his house not just for a meal but to “dwell forever.” Indeed the Hebrew word for “house” often implies “household.” That last verse could easily and correctly be translated “and I will remain in the family of the Lord forever.” We’re not talking about being a pet sheep in the family, but a human member of the family, someone who eats at the table with the rest of the family, the truest sign of acceptance in that culture.

   See what you miss when you just breeze through an old familiar passage without a second thought? You need to get out of the car and walk through it, paying attention to every detail and thinking about every nuance. That’s how you learn new things. And this new thing is nothing compared to the one I will show you tomorrow.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, Eph 2:19.

Dene Ward

Fire Extinguishers

4/27/2015 1 Comments

We have two fire extinguishers in the house, one behind the woodstove at the edge of the kitchen and one in a back bedroom. They have been there so long that I don’t even notice them any more. In fact, when I think to look at them at all, it’s to dust them because “suddenly” they look like they have grown white fur.
   Fire extinguishers are great to have around, but let’s face it, they aren’t part of a beautiful decor. They aren’t a handy item we use everyday like a coffee pot or a can opener. They aren’t even a once a year need like my pressure canner—at least we hope not. The only reason we have them is “just in case,” and we want that “just in case” to never happen. We treat fire extinguishers more like necessary evils than anything else.
   I noticed something when we studied Psalm 99 in Bible class the other day. [Speaking of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel] In the pillar of the cloud [God] spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings, vv 7-8.
   Those two verses contain everything we need to know about who can pray to God and expect an answer. First God spoke to them. They listened by keeping His testimonies and statutes. Then God answered them.
   Those three righteous men did not treat God like a fire extinguisher. He wasn’t there just for emergencies. He was part of their lives on a daily basis as they followed His laws and prayed for help and forgiveness.
   The psalmist is careful to point out that these men were among those “who call upon His name” (v 6).   They were not the only ones chosen to receive this blessing. Many others “called upon His name.” That goes for us as well. We possess His testimonies and statutes in the written form. All we have to do is keep them, making God a daily part of our lives, and He will hear us just like He heard them.
   The problem comes when we try to make a relationship out of one phone call, so to speak. If we never talk to God otherwise, or more to the point, listen, He won’t listen either. If we ignore His law with impunity, going our own headstrong way, He won’t answer—not according to Psalm 99, and several other passages (Prov 15:29; 28:9; Isa 59:2 John 9:31, etc). We’ve seen too many heart-tugging made-for-TV movies where the old reprobate turns around at a crisis and promises God he will be good if God will just hear him this once. God does not bargain, unless you think you are a man of the stature of Abraham, who talked with God regularly instead of treating Him like a fire extinguisher. More often than not, old reprobates stay that way.
   Now is the time to begin that relationship, or deepen it if you already have. If we keep God behind the woodstove until He grows some dusty fur, we needn’t think He will pay a bit of attention when we holler.

As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear, says the LORD of hosts, Zech 7:13.

Dene Ward

A Bucket of Cold Water

4/17/2015 2 Comments

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! Psalm 95:1,2.

    Psalm 95 is generally thought to have been one sung during the Feast of Tabernacles. Meribah and Massah are used in its body, a time in the wilderness when God taught His people a hard lesson. But this psalm starts just as you would expect a festival psalm to. Come let us sing, let us make a joyful noise.
    Just as an interesting point, the Hebrew word translated “sing” in this passage is not a musical word. Ranan means to emit a stridulous sound (not exactly how I would want my singing described) or to shout, and is indeed translated shout, cry out, rejoice, joy, or triumph half the time in the KJV. And that makes that opening couplet much more parallel to the second one, “make a joyful noise to him.”
    About that “joyful noise:” that particular Hebrew word means to mar, especially by breaking, to shout, or to split the ears. In our words we might say, “He burst my eardrums he was so loud.” Think about standing at a football stadium in the middle of the game, or beneath a jet engine as it revs for take-off. That’s the noise we are talking about. In fact, this word is translated “blow an alarm [with a trumpet]” a couple of times. As the second verse continues, we are to do this in psalms of praise so singing is involved, but the point of these two words is not the melody but the volume, caused by unabashed joy and celebration.
    You find this often in the psalms. Noise and clamor seemed to be a part of the Jewish worship. Perhaps the psalmist, and God as his inspiration, had noticed. Right in the middle of the psalm, he throws what amounts to a cold bucket of water on all the festivities.
    Their celebration of the feast had made them forget what the wandering was all about—and it wasn’t fun and games. An entire generation died because of their faithlessness. Toward the end of verse 7 he interrupts their self-congratulation that God loves them and cares for them with, Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof.
    Yes, God made a covenant that He would be with them and protect them, but only if they performed their half of the contract. Their ancestors did not. God goes on to say that He loathed that generation. That English word, I am told, is far too mild for the Hebrew idea. It means they disgusted Him, they nauseated Him, as in “I will spew you out of my mouth” nausea. Because of that, they did not receive the promised rest, a rest like God’s, a Sabbath rest not because you are tired, but because have finished the task (Heb 4:1-11).
    Those people seemed to think, as the prophets testified, that all it took was loud worship to please God. The tendency is to judge our own worship as lacking because of this, too. We ask, “Why don’t we ever do that?” as if anything solemn and quiet is not sincere worship and certainly not acceptable to God. It is easy to think, as they did, that volume is all that matters.
    “If you hear his voice” the psalmist says and then makes it clear that hearing involves reverence and obedience. In order to underscore this emphasis, the psalmist does not go back and say, “Okay, get on with the celebration now. I just wanted to interject a warning.” No, this is where he ends it. He wants this to be the last thing on their minds as they finish singing this psalm: “Therefore I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.”
    What started out as a jubilant service ends up with the wrath of God. I am sure their songs were not quite so ecstatic, their noise not quite so loud, for who can be carefree when he contemplates the wrath of the Almighty, the one the psalmist has already reminded us created everything and holds it in His hand?

Take away from me the noise of your songs; for I will not hear the melody of your viols. But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream, Amos 5:23,24.

Dene Ward.

Returning the Favor

4/16/2015 0 Comments

In the past few years people have done things for me that I could not even have imagined. They have cleaned my house, they have put up my garden produce, they have brought meals, they have taken me to the doctor over and over and over, putting about 120 miles on their cars each time. They have shopped for me and then conveniently forgotten how much I owe them. They have walked up to me and in the midst of a hug slipped a hundred dollar bill in my pocket to help pay for surgeries, medicines and medically necessary trips that were not covered at any percentage by insurance because they were too “experimental.” Many, many more have told me that they get down on their knees and pray for me every day, and many of those knees are frail and aching.

What do you say to people like that? What can you do for people like that? “Thank you,” seems so lame.

And what can we do for God and Christ? Most of us understand that nothing will repay the debt we owe them. That is what grace means—you receive mercy you don’t deserve and cannot repay. Then why do we still act like our “service” is indeed plentiful payment for our salvation? Why do we question our trials as if God is letting us down “after all we’ve done?”

Just think for a moment about the absurdity of this: God had the power to create the complexities of this vast universe; Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist, Col 1:15-17; and so, dear Father and Jesus, because of all that, I will try not to sin today. That is my idea of service?

God deserves all of me, not just a few little commandments I try to keep. He deserves my service everyday, not just on Sundays. He deserves my heart, not just my outward posture. When I give myself to God there should be nothing leftover for me or anyone else.

And He deserves this even when things in my life are not particularly good. God is the Creator, He is the Almighty, He is the Ruler of the Universe. That is why He deserves my service, not because He has been good to me. We truly do not stand in awe of God if we think otherwise.

Today, think about the power of God and what it should mean in your service to Him.

Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders… over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness. The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, "Glory!" The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. Selected verses from Psalm 29.

Dene Ward

The Danger of Prosperity

3/23/2015 0 Comments

As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” Psalm 30:6.

   Several scholars believe Psalm 30 concerns the time David numbered the people of Israel and God punished them with a pestilence. Before we get any further, let me caution you to read this in the 1 Chronicles 21 account and not just 2 Samuel 24. You will get a much better portrait of David in Chronicles, one much more fitting a “man after God’s own heart.”
   But no matter when in David’s life this psalm was written, he tells us in verse 6 exactly what caused his problem. In his prosperity he relied too much on himself. Oh, he recognizes that his wealth and security came from God, v 7a, but he was so smug about it that God “hid His face.” It was “my mountain,” not God’s, and if this is the time of the numbering, he was so full of himself that he sent Joab around not to take a full census, but to count “those who can wield a sword.” He wanted to know how strong he was now that his foes were destroyed and his land was at peace, even though God told the people not to worry about such things, but to trust Him. Even a man such as Joab knew that this numbering was not a good idea.
   Here is what we as Americans steadfastly refuse to see, even Christians: there is no temptation so great as prosperity. Not just wealth, but security and peace along with it. The scriptures are full of the warnings, but we heed them not. What do we all want? To get ahead. What do we spend our lives doing? Making money. What do we dream about? Being rich.
   But hear this: the New Testament does not speak of wealth in any way but as dangerous to our spiritual health.
      Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:19,21.
   As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful, Matt 13:22.
   Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God, Matt 19:24.
   And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions, Luke 12:15.
   But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs, 1 Tim 6:9,10.
   Why do we insist on standing in the rattlesnake’s nest? I understand wanting your children to have more and better than you did, but I do not want their souls at risk, and from everything I see and read in the Book that really matters, that is what wealth will do to them. If David can fall because of it, so can you and so can I and so can they. Any time you feel secure in your wealth, in your preparations for the future or for “unforeseen circumstances,” be careful. God may very well send you a reminder that you cannot count on anyone but Him, just as He did to David. It may be the most painful reminder you ever get.

Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven, Prov 23:4,5.

Dene Ward

The Quiet Ones

3/2/2015 2 Comments

Years ago I sang in the evening chorus at the university. Chorus was required for my degree, and this was the only chorus that fit my schedule, a schedule that included teaching private piano lessons, running a home, and interning as a music teacher in a local elementary school. Add to that, I was a preacher’s wife—just learning, as he was, but still dealing with extra obligations.
   We had a program scheduled and the director called an extra rehearsal. That rehearsal did not fit my schedule. I would have had to cancel a few lessons and more important, miss a Wednesday evening Bible study. He made it clear that no misses would be excused short of death beds. So I took a deep breath when I broached the lion in his den the next afternoon.
   My heart sank when I saw three others waiting outside his office. Instead of calling us in one by one, he came out and stood in the hall and listened as the first one asked to be excused. “Absolutely not!” he said sternly. “You already miss too many rehearsals. If you don’t show up, you will be dismissed from the chorus.” The next one received a similar reply and the next. They all left, crestfallen.
   Then he saw me at the back of the line. “If you have to dismiss me, I understand,” I began, “but my husband is a preacher and we have a Bible study that night. I just cannot miss it.”
   I was shocked when a small smile twitched at his lips. “You I don’t worry about,” he said quietly. “You are always there. You listen when I give directions. You know your part. You haven’t missed a single performance. Go to your Bible study. You still have a place in my chorus.” Talk about relief. I drove home praising God in my heart.
   Have you read Psalm 123? That psalm is classified as a psalm of trust, written on behalf of the entire nation of Israel. Many psalms are full of hallelujahs, with shouts of Hosanna, with dancing and leaping and loud expressions of joy. Not this one. Psalm 123 is a quiet psalm. It is presented as servants watching quietly from the corner of the room for the smallest sign from the master that he wants something.
   Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us, v 2.
   Leupold says, “There is nothing powerful, moving or sublime that finds expression here. A quiet, submissive tone prevails throughout. It is subdued in character.” This is simply a servant doing his master’s will in an unobtrusive manner, calmly asking for relief but going about his duty even in the midst of trial, trusting that his prayer will be answered without his further interference.
   I like this psalm. I have never been one who needs to demonstrate my love for God loudly, yet everyone knows it is there simply from the way I live my life. If my chorus director could know I was a “faithful student” despite the fact that I was quiet instead of boisterous, certainly God can know the same about my spiritual life.
   God, the Father of spirits, made all kinds of personalities. And because He made them, he accepts them—just look at the apostles and all their differences. If He will accept that varied crew, He will accept my worship, even if it is quiet and restrained, as long as my emotion and intent are sincere and obedient.
   Nowadays it seems people are quick to judge others as less thankful, less sincere, and less loving if they sit quietly and say little aloud about their feelings. This psalm says it isn’t so. If I sit quietly in the corner waiting for my master’s smallest cue, I may, in fact, be a whole lot more likely to see it than someone who can’t sit still long enough to notice, or be quiet long enough to hear someone besides himself.
   We are all different, yet God accepts all worship that is “in spirit and in truth,” the brash, the boisterous, even the analytical and the subdued. Perhaps our judgments of one another should be more subdued as well.

But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious, 1 Pet 3:4.

Dene Ward

The Cream of the Crop

2/18/2015 0 Comments

Let me tell you a sad story.
   A long time ago, Keith had one of those “try-out” visits that churches offer preachers. I’ve often wondered whether these things would go better if the church considered itself being “tried out” that weekend as well, but that’s another blog for another time.
   We had lunch and spent the afternoon with a couple who would probably have been considered “pillars” of the church, primarily because they were better educated, had more money, and could quote more scriptures.
   The church sat smack dab in the middle of farm country amid acres of melons, corn, peas, and tobacco. Most of the members lived in old frame farmhouses and had dropped out of or barely completed high school. A remark was made about the church members that gave me pause, but I was very young, wrestling with a two year old and an infant so I didn’t trust myself to have good judgment on the matter or even to have heard it well enough to comment on, so I let it pass.
   I shouldn’t have. We hadn’t been there six months before the same woman told me I needed to meet the “cream of the crop” in the county. She proceeded to take me to a gathering of what she considered such women. Having grown up with parents who told me that the best people in the world were those who sat on the pew next to you on Sunday mornings, I was shocked to see who this Christian considered “elite.”
   As we ate our finger sandwiches and mingled, I discovered that they all had money, judging from their dress and jewelry, and later the vehicles they left in. Most were professionals or married to one. Some of the others were farmers all right, but not hardscrabble farmers or sharecroppers. These farmers owned large farms or ranches, big business enterprises, or had inherited both the farms and the money from generations past. And notice this--we were the only Christians there.
   Now consider David’s statement in Psalm 16:3. As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. David took delight in the saints in Israel, their social class notwithstanding.
   Where do I find “social class” in that verse? The word translated “excellent” in the psalm is translated “nobles” in 2 Chron 23:20 (KJV), and they are grouped with high ranking military officers and governors. In Judges 5:15 it is translated “lordly.” Jer 25:34 calls them “principals of the flock” and Psalm 136:18 says they are “famous.” Just to make sure you know who we are talking about, Nehemiah complains in 3:5 that those “nobles” were too good to work like the common folk. Now do you know who we’re talking about?
   Our culture idolizes the cult of the rich and famous—how they dress, how they talk, how they live. We call them “America’s royalty.” We do the same when we show partiality in the church based upon wealth, popularity, education, and social status. It is a tacit admission that we consider ourselves better than our brothers and sisters who do not have such “assets.” It is the opposite of “each counting the other better than himself,” Phil 2:3.
   David says the true “nobles,” the “excellent ones,” are the people who fear God, who live the life they preach, with justice, fairness, kindness, goodness, and grace. These people “delight” him. Now ask yourself: who do I spend most of my time with, especially in the church? Are we as wise as David?
   One of the common questions in an interview is, “Who would you like to have dinner with?” Journalists choose that question because the answer tells a whole lot more about that person than they seem to realize. The person you want to eat with is the one you want to develop a relationship with, the one who interests you, the one you might even model your life after. The answer to that question shows who you consider the aristocracy in your world.
   Who is on your list?

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor; But the way of the wicked causes them to err, Prov 12:26.

Dene Ward

For help with this blog, click on FAQ and Tutorial on the left sidebar.
Like Flight Paths on facebook for quick links, announcements, and tips.