Psalms of Praise!

As we continue our look at Psalms, let's focus on prayer. Many of the Psalms can be described as song-prayers with the most striking feature being their unedited honesty. God wants our openness, honesty and sincerity when we pray to Him. He's not afraid of our emotions and wants us to share our fears and frustrations, doubts and delights and our needs and not-so-pretty feelings with Him! By making the psalms our prayers we can learn a great deal about how God wants us to communicate with Him.

Do you know the shortest chapter of the Bible is Psalm 117 with only two verses. It is also the exact middle of the Bible with 594 chapters before it and 594 chapters after it...just a bit of trivia for you! Even though it only has two verses, it says a great deal about praising God: Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Have you ever said, "I can't think of anything God has done for me. How can I praise Him?" This psalm gives two reasons for praising God:

1) His great love toward us - the world; the ungrateful, the unworthy, and undeserving us. How great was His love - so great that He chose to send His only Son to die on the cruel cross for our sins (John 3:16). Romans 5:8 reminds us that.."God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This fact alone should be enough for us to praise Him! I challenge you to read Psalm 136 if you need reminding that not only is God's love for us great, it also endures forever.

2) His faithfulness also endures forever. Can we say that about ourselves? When we get hurt or offended, ignored or rejected, someone sits in our seat or takes our parking spot at church, do we remain faithful? How silly that sounds, but how many people have moved on to another place of worship because of weak-faith (fulness)? Just think if God gave up on us as easily as we give up on others? We'd clearly all be left in the dust!

Take time this week to read some of the psalms of praise - here's a few to get you started: 8, 97, 100, 103, 107, 113, 145 and 150.

One of my favorite old hymns is Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas O. Chisholm (1923). If you know it, sing it as a prayer back to God today. If you're not familar with it, here it is:

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest. Sun, moon and stars in their courses above. Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth. Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!Great is Thy faithfulness!Morning by morning new mercies I see.All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

BLOG COMMENT: Share with us your favorite psalm of praise and how you are able to turn it into a prayer of praise back to God.

Songs of Joy

This week we start the book of Psalms. The 150 individual psalms cover the poetic expressions of human and religious feeling and are divided into five books. They consist of a wide variety of styles, purposes and emotions, such as lament, thanksgiving, praise, worship, pilgrimage, petition and penitence.

The theme of Psalms is praise and worship. David, the author of 73 of the 150 psalms, shares with us his love and ever deepening relationship with God through his writings. He is a song-writer and provides for us a model of praise and worship.

Today let's look at one of David's songs - Psalm 65. It's theme is because God provides abundantly, we can be thankful to Him for His many blessings. Here's Psalm 65:5-8:

You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.

God blesses us so we may:

1) Bless others - Proverbs 3:27 tells us - "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act."

2) Tell others - People are more open to listening to the Gospel if you can share a real-life experience of how God has blessed you. Not necessarily in terms of money and material things, but in the everyday things that matter most.

3) Bless Him - Our songs of joy are a sweet sound to God's ears - day and night (v. 8).

Here's a great devotional from the book Heaven Calling: "The work of an artist always points back to its creator. Do you remember the last breathtaking sunset you watched? I (God) shared it with you because I love you. The beauty you see in the sky, or the sea, or the forest, or across the plain - all of it points to me. Every good thing in this world is designed to praise me. Even the rocks testify of my works.

Child, the witness of the world around you affirms that I love your worship in any form - your songs, your gratitude, your talents and treasures, even your stumbling words of praise and your sighs of amazement when words fail. In heaven's language, a sigh can be high praise when my Spirit inspires you.

Take time to look around, beloved. Let the beauty of my creation bring forth songs of joy from your heart and life!"

When's the last time you truly worshiped God with songs of joy? You put aside your "to-do" list for God and just praised Him for who is He, what He's done and what He continues to do for and in you.

BLOG COMMENT: The most well-known psalm of praise is Psalm 100. Take time this week to read, reflect and then respond. Share with us a praise or two back to God for His goodness, His faithfulness and His abundant blessings.

Why Me Lord?

Have you asked this question lately? Has something happened in your life that is causing you to second guess God's goodness, fairness and love? Do you believe you are somehow being punished by God through a time of unexplainable suffering?

Job is said to be the oldest book in the Bible. It's theme is blessings through suffering and gives us insight into the work of Satan. Job is living his life as a godly and upright man when disaster strikes. Unbeknown to Job, God has allowed Satan to take away Job's wealth, family and health. Satan believes that if the things Job values most are taken away, he will surely curse God. He even goes to the extent to infer that God would not have any followers if He did not reward them!

The basic question is not, "Why do godly people suffer?" but, "Is our God worthy of our worship and service or must He "buy" us with His blessings?" Life is good when God is "blessing" us with good health, wealth and comfort, but throw in an inconvenience and misfortune and we start to question, "Why me?" "What have I done to deserve this treatment?" "If you are a loving God, why do you let your people suffer?"

Trouble isn't always a sign of sin in a person's life. It may well be something that God allows to draw us closer to Him. As we see calamity and suffering in the life of Job, others and ourselves, we must remember we live in a fallen world where good behavior is not always rewarded and bad behavior is not always punished. There is some suffering that will never be understood or explained. Only God can see the big picture and the future and knows what needs to be done in order for His will to be accomplished.

Let's look at some ways suffering can actually be helpful and beneficial:

• When we turn to God for understanding, endurance and deliverance.
• When we ask important questions we might not take time to think about in our normal routine.
• When we are prepared by it to identify with and comfort others who suffer.
• When we are open to being helped by others who are obeying God.
• When we are ready to learn from a trustworthy God.
• When we realize we can identify with what Christ suffered on the cross for us.
• When we are sensitized to the amount of suffering in the world.

Job was rewarded for his integrity and came out of his suffering experience grasping a greater understanding of God's majesty, sovereignty and independence and was able to see himself as God saw him. God restored his health, gave him another family and made him wealthier than before.

Here's a great reminder of who God is from the devotional, Heaven Calling.....

" My child, here is a truth to bring you some measure of relief from the pressure of your day: you are not God! I say that because I want to take the burden off your shoulders. You don't have to make everything in your world work according to your plans. If you simply let go and rest in me, I'll take care to make everything work according to my plans.

My love for you is greater and deeper than you will ever understand. So are my wisdom and power. As with my servant, Job, I welcome your questions, your sorrows, your requests, and above all, your burdens. I will walk with you each day of your life, and through the difficult times in particular, because I love you. And because I am God. Your God."

BLOG QUESTION: What are your thoughts on the statement - "God would not have any followers if He did not reward them?"

The Festival of Purim

The Festival of Purim will be celebrated this year on March 19-20. I thought it would be good to learn more about this important Jewish holiday as we study the book of Esther this week.

When Haman threw the lot of the pur (3:7) to discover what day would be the best day to annihilate the Jews in Xerxes' kingdom, he unwittingly established a festival called Purim, when, instead of annihilation, the Jews celebrated their deliverance. Esther and her cousin Mordecai jointly worked to overturn Haman's plot and when they were successful, they sent out a proclamation to all the Jews living in Xerxes' kingdom to "celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy, and their mourning into a day of celebration" (9:21-22).

Worship and fasting typically make up the first day of the festival. The entire book of Esther is read aloud, and the congregation responds with, "Let his name be blotted out" each time Haman's name is read. The children in the group respond to Haman's name with noisemakers and rattles. On the second day of the feast, rejoicing and celebration break out. Food, music, dramas and plays, special songs, and recitals all add to the festive mood. People give gifts to each other and also make sure they don't forget to give gifts to the poor, as that was a special wish of Mordecai (9:22).

Like the Passover, the Feast of Purim celebrates divine deliverance. Saved from Pharaoh's rule and slavery in Egypt and delivered from the destruction planned by Haman, the Jews celebrated a deliverance that only God could have orchestrated. Previously doomed, they were now delivered.

As believers, we too have something to celebrate. Instead of a Moses or an Esther, God sent his own Son to deliver us, saving us from the terrible destruction of sin and death. Surely, that's reason enough to celebrate!

* Taken from Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler

BLOG QUESTION: What are you celebrating deliverance from?
Guilt, shame, perfectionism, anger, bitterness, depression, pride, laziness, unforgiveness, addiction, grief, abuse, selfishness, greed, etc.

Work Zone Begins...

Has God given you a major project He wants you to complete? Does it appear to be an impossible task? Are you feeling inadequate? Do you wonder where to begin? Do you fear failing God?

Nehemiah was devastated when he heard the troubling news that the walls of the city of Jerusalem were still in ruins. It had been almost 100 years since the first group of exiles had returned and nothing had been done to re-construct the walls. Without walls, a city was subject to raids and attacks from their enemies - and Jerusalem had plenty of those. It also represented an unstable establishment. Back in the day, Jerusalem was a bustling city - with its own king, army, commerce, etc. - now it was just a desolate and destroyed pile of rubble.

After much prayer, mourning and fasting, God reveals to Nehemiah that he, Nehemiah, was the one God wanted to take on the project of rebuilding the wall. God had gifted Nehemiah with leadership skills and it was time to put these into action. Nehemiah asks and receives the king's permission to return to Jerusalem, where he leads a team of builders - against much opposition- in reconstructing the wall in only 52 days! A miracle that shocks the Jew's enemies who finally realize "that this work had been done with the help of (our) God" (Nehemiah 6:16).

What are you "building" for God? Is there a "work zone" He has you in today? Maybe you're not reconstructing an entire city wall, but if it's an assignment from God, it is just as important! Let's look at four things we must consider, as Nehemiah did, when undertaking a God-sized project:

1) Prayer - Never underestimate the importance of prayer in all areas of life. Prayer is the first and most important step in any project. Nehemiah was faithful in prayer and took it seriously. He prayed about the situation with the wall (1:4-10). He prayed before he answered the king (2:4b). He prayed instead of returning insults and taunts from the enemies (4:4-6). He prayed after receiving threats of attack (4:7-9) and he prayed for strength in Nehemiah 6:9. Nehemiah went to God first - included God in his plans, put the results in God's hands and relied on God for emotional and physical stability. Do you consult with God before starting an assignment or do you tend to just dive in? Do you take matters into your own hands when you face opposition? Where do you turn when you're under pressure - physically and emotionally?

2) Preparation - Nehemiah had to prepare for his three-month trip back to Jerusalem by getting permission to leave his position as the king's personal advisor and get proper paperwork in order to pass through enemy territory. Once he arrived, he prepared himself mentally by spending three days surveying the damage and seeking God's guidance and direction. Although God had gifted him with leadership qualities, Nehemiah still acknowledged his dependence on God. As opposition rose and threats of attack ensued, Nehemiah had to prepare for both physical and spiritual warfare. How are you preparing? Are you consulting with God in prayer before you begin anything? Are you taking steps toward the goal or waiting for someone else to step up and solve the problem? Are you prepared for the attacks you will encounter whenever you commit to God's assignment? Many things we do for God's purposes will require acts of faith.

3) Priorities - Nehemiah knew what God had assigned him to do and dispite opposition, distractions and attempted derailment - Nehemiah refused to compromise God's plan. He knew what his task was and he set out to complete it- and with God's help - in record time! The Enemy will try all kinds of ploys to get our priorities out of balance and our focus off the task at hand. We may eventually find ourselves far away from the "work zone" and on a detour away from the job all together. It's amazing what can be accomplished when our work and priorities are devoted to the Lord.

4) Perseverance - Nehemiah is one of the best examples of a man committed to a vision and to encouraging others to join him in fulfilling that vision. The laborers were working around the clock, with a sword in one hand and a shovel in the other. They were getting tired of the taunts and ridicule from their enemies. They were reminded daily of how impossible this task was. Their perseverance was beginning to waver. As the great leader he was, Nehemiah reminds them - "...Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight..." (4:14). Just when we are tempted to give up, God provides a "Nehemiah" in our life to give us the push we need to make it to the end. Are you that person?

Maybe God has given you the gift of leadership. Are you using it to do a task He's assigned to you? Nehemiah is a great role model for godly leadership qualities: He demonstated total confidence in God. He was faithful in prayer. He refused to compromise and he had a willingness to share in the work.

Just remember - seemingly impossible tasks can be accomplished when God is helping those who honor Him and when their efforts are united!

BLOG QUESTION: Of the four things to consider when taking on a project from God - Prayer, Preparation, Priorities and Perserverence 1) what things come natural to you? and 2) what things are a struggle?

Obstacles to Obedience

Can you relate to the Israelites as they allow their enemies to pressure them into not completing God's work? Are you able to identify the obstacles that stand in the way of your own obedience? With excitement and a restored commitment to God, the once exiled Jews have returned to their homeland of Jerusalem and are eager to begin rebuilding and restoring God's temple.

As we study the book of Ezra this week, we realize that there has always been and always will be people who oppose God's work. The Jews have just celebrated the completion of the foundation (Ezra 3) and look forward to rebuilding the entire temple; God's dwelling place. But their neighbors have different plans. Through a series of letters to and degrees from the reigning authorities, the construction of the temple comes to a halt. For the next 14 years, nothing is done to restore the once magnificent house of the Lord.

The Enemy, as well as the Israelites enemies, used three obstacles that caused them to quit; to not finish what they had started and what they had been told to do - restore the temple.

1) Discouragement - "Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah .... " (Ezra 4:4a). Discouragement eats away at our motivation. Discouragement leads to disappointment, depression and despair...just what the Enemy wants - whatever it takes to keep us from completing God's work.

2) Fear - "...and make them afraid to go on building" (Ezra 4:4b). Fear leads to paralysis; the grip of fear takes over and leaves us motionless. The Israelites feared their neighboring enemies more than they trusted their God. Has fear kept you from stepping out and obeying God?

3) Frustration - " They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans/purpose...." (Ezra 4:5). Frustration causes us to just give up and quit. Give up was exactly what the Israelites did and how it pleased the Enemy as well as the adversaries around them.

Can you relate? Have you "quit" God's work because you've been discouraged, fearful and/or frustrated? Maybe someone let you down. Maybe hurtful words were exchanged? Maybe you doubt you could ever do anything good for God, so you've never tried. Whatever the case, the real question today is, How long did you stay discouraged, fearful and frustrated? Is it permanent? Are you still struggling with completing God's work? You may not be building a physical temple, but whatever God has asked you to do, He's waiting (patiently) for you to complete.

Fourteen years have passed since the Jews stopped working on the temple - enter Haggai, a prophet God uses to speak to His people (Haggai 1:1-15). During these past 14 years, the people have been busy building and beautifying their own homes and neighborhoods, while God's temple still lies in ruins. Through Haggai's message, God challenges and convicts the people to ignore their neighbor's threats and resume the restoration of God's house. The people heard and obeyed (Haggai 1:12) and in verse 13, God reminds them, "...I am with you..."

It only took 23 days from the time of Haggai's message for the Israelites to start rebuilding. What about you? When you hear a convicting and motivating message, how long does it take you to respond? Let me be your Haggai today. Don't let the obstacles to obedience -discouragement, fear and frustration - keep you from completing God's work. Be reminded of His Word:

"Let not your heart be troubled (discouraged). Trust in God...." John 14: 1.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

and finally, God never gives up on us - His workmanship (Eph. 2:10) - "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

BLOG: Will you be a Haggai to someone this week? Share with us your message of encouragement that God may use it to motivate them to stick with it and complete the work God has given them...Thanks!

Your "Life Sentence"

Attended a family reunion lately? Shared laughs and memories as you reminisced years gone by with favorite family members? Unfortunately for many of us, these times usually take place at a loved ones funeral. Nevertheless, reunions are important. They are times of touching and connecting with other branches of the family tree, tracing one's personal history back through time and culture. Knowing one's genetic and relational path gives a sense of identity, heritage and destiny.

With the same purpose, the writer of Chronicles begins his unifying work with an extensive geneaology. He traces the roots of the nation of Israel in a literary family reunion from Adam onward. We read in I Chronicles and gain a glimpse of God at work through His people for generations. If you are a believer, these people are your ancestors, too!

If you were to randomly choose an ancester and look closely at their life, what kind of legacy would they have left? What kind of example were they to the next generation? How would you describe their life and did they contribute wisely to your own spiritual heritage?

Eventually your life will be summarized in a single sentence. What will your "life sentence" be? If you live intentionally, people at your funeral won't be left to wonder. As I mentioned at the beginning, many of my reunion memories are from funerals. I have had the privilige to speak at both of my grandmother's funerals over the past few years. It was not difficult for me to come up with a sentence that summarized their lives. One was a strong woman with strong convictions and a strong character (although some would call it plain stubbornness!) The other was a quieter woman, but with the same desire and love for God. Both of these women are part of my spiritual heritage and have left a lasting impression to all who were honored to know them.

Your life is your greatest legacy and you've only got one, so make it count. Here are four things we should strive to leave:
1) A legacy of excellence. In his book, Leadership Gold, John Maxwell has a chapter entitled, "Don't send your ducks to eagle school." In it he writes, "Ducks are not supposed to be eagles - nor do they want to be. Who they are is who they should be. Ducks have their area of expertise, that's where they excel." Do what God created you to do and do it with excellence.

2) A legacy of encouragement. It's said, "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others cause happiness whenever they leave." Are you the kind of person someone will call ten or twenty years from now and say, "Thanks, I couldn't have made it without you?" Don't wait until it's too late to encourage others with your words and/or kind deeds.

3) A legacy of purpose. We're most energized when we're investing our strengths and talents into a God-given purpose. So make your life about something bigger than yourself. You won't live forever, but you can live on through the impact your make now in the lives of others. William James said it well, "The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it."

4) A legacy of love. Jon Gordon says, "My Mom..passed away a few years ago..I don't recall her faults and mistakes or the disagreements we had. After all, who's perfect? What I do remember..was her love. She gave me a legacy of love that will embrace generations to come." What better legacy can we leave than to share the love of God with everyone we meet?

What is your "life sentence"? How will people describe you one day? What is the spiritual heritage you are passing on to the next generation? It's not too late to start!

Blog Question: 1) Share with us a person from your spiritual heritage who left lasting legacy and/or 2) What are you doing to prepare your legacy for the next generation?