He Is Holy.

“Exalt the LORD our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!” ­– Psalm 99:5 NLT

Let’s be honest. Most of us seem to need a good reason to worship God. And it usually has more to do with us than with Him. We’ll worship Him if He has been good to us. We’ll worship Him if He has met our expectations and fulfilled all our desires. We’ll worship Him if our life is going the way we expected it to go. But let one thing go wrong and all bets are off. We find it hard to worship God in the midst of difficulties. It’s difficult to sing His praises when we’re busy singing the blues. But the Psalmist reminds us that our praise of God has little or nothing to do with what He has done for us lately. It has everything to do with who He is. He is God and He is holy. So we should exalt or lift up and extol His name, simply because of who He is. Our praise should be motivated by His character and essence, not His ability to meet our laundry list of needs or wants. The Psalmist reminds us, “The LORD is king! Let the nations tremble! He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the whole earth quake!” (Psalms 99:1 NLT). Listen to how The Message paraphrases that verse: “God rules. On your toes, everybody! He rules from his angel throne – take notice!” He is KING! He is mighty, majestic, powerful, and deserving of our honor, respect, fear, awe, obedience, gratefulness, and worship. Worship is really just a recognition of who God is. It is an awareness that He is God and I am not. When I come to God for only what I can get from God, that is the farthest thing from worship. In doing so I turn Him into a glorified slot machine. I pull the handle hoping to hit the jackpot. I want Him to deliver on my desires for happiness, success, popularity, peace, comfort, and contentment.

But again, the Psalmist remind you and me, “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem, for the LORD our God is holy!” (Psalm 99:9 NLT). We are to worship Him simply because He is holy. He is set apart, distinct, different, sacred, one-of-a-kind, unique, and without equal in all the world. And if that doesn’t get us to worship Him, then the Psalmist reminds us that one day God is going to judge the earth. He is going to send His Son back to set things right and restore the earth to its original splendor. He will judge the nations. He will judge all mankind. He will put an end to sin and establish His kingdom on earth. That’s the God who deserves our worship, praise, honor, glory, and full attention.

“Shout your praises to God, everybody! Let loose and sing! Strike up the band! Round up an orchestra to play for God, Add on a hundred-voice choir. Feature trumpets and big trombones, Fill the air with praises to King God. Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, With everything living on earth joining in. Let ocean breakers call out, “Encore!” And mountains harmonize the finale – A tribute to God when he comes, When he comes to set the earth right. He’ll straighten out the whole world, He’ll put the world right, and everyone in it.” (Psalm 98:4-9 MSG).

Father, You deserve my praise and worship, not because You do things for me, but simply because of who You are. Forgive me for the many times I hold back on my praise because I am waiting for You to meet my needs on my terms. I fail to recognize Your holiness and so I fail to give You the honor You so rightfully deserve. Open my eyes to the reality of Your uniqueness. Let me see You in all Your splendor and holiness, and shout Your praises simply because of who You are. Anything You do for me is like icing on the cake – an extra bonus from the hand of the Almighty God. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org



The Worthiness of Worship.

“Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the sheep under his care. Oh, that you would listen to his voice today!” ­– Psalm 95:6-7 NLT

So how’s your worship today? What’s your view of God like even as you read this? For many of us, worship has become a ritual we practice on Sundays. It is an activity we participate in one day a week, but even then it may not be what the Bible refers to as worship. We may sing songs, pray together, listen to a a message from God’s Word, and even tithe, but all the while never really worship God. Because worship is more about an attitude than an action. Singing, praising, giving, and listening to God’s Word being taught are anything but worshipful, if we do them with a wrong attitude or a heart that is far from God. If we fail to give Him the attention and reverence He deserves, He will fail to see our efforts as worshipful.

The authors of today’s two Psalms understood the concept of worship. It is all about recognizing God’s worth – His worthiness to receive our praise, attention, dependence, and expressions of love and thanksgiving. For the writer of Psalm 95, worship is a reaction to the greatness of God. He says, “Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us give a joyous shout to the rock of our salvation! Let us come before him with thanksgiving. Let us sing him psalms of praise. For the LORD is a great God, the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:1-3 NLT). He is a great God. He is a great King. He is unique and the only true God. This is a recognition of what is often called God’s transcendence – His otherness. He is nothing like us. He is so far beyond us, it is even hard for us to comprehend. That is why the Psalmist tended to see God in nature, in the thunder and lightning, the mountains, storms, and majestic splendor of the earth. They were reminders of the majesty and power of God. The greatness of nature reminded him of the greatness of God – the one who created it all.

The Psalmist invites us to bow down, kneel down, and worship before God. He reminds us that we have been created by the same God who created all we see. But not only is He our maker, He has chosen to be our shepherd. He has made us His people. We belong to Him. Like the Israelites of the Old Testament, we as believers have been chosen by God and made His special people. We have His favor. We have His protection. We have His promise of eternal life. So why wouldn’t we come before Him with thanksgiving, joy, praise, and a certain degree of respect and awe – each and every day of our lives?

Worship is a full-time job. It is something we need to practice every day. In fact, it has been said, that anything we do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. When we live our daily lives in submission to His will, we are worshiping Him. When we stop and thank Him for a meal, we are worshiping Him. When we recognize His creative handiwork in a sunrise or sunset, we are worshiping Him. When we gladly serve those He has placed in our lives, we are worshiping Him. Again, worship is more about attitude than anything else. “May all who are godly be happy in the LORD and praise his holy name!” (Psalms 97:12 NLT). Do we find joy in the Lord? Does He satisfy us? Even when we have little, are we able to recognize that we have a lot in the Lord? That is worship. But probably the greatest form of worship is obedience – doing what God has told us to do in His Word. Do we obey Him? Do we listen to what He has told us to do and do it? To come and sing praises on Sunday, then go our merry way and do our own will the rest of the week is not worship. True worship is about submission and obedience. It is acknowledging God’s greatness and willingly listening to His what He as our creator asks us to do. We show His worthiness by obeying Him. “Oh, that you would listen to His voice today?” (Psalm 95:7 NLT).

Father, may I learn to worship You more. May I learn to recognize Your greatness in the world around me. Open my eyes so that I might see You more clearly and more often. And give me the strength and determination to obey You. An obedient heart is a worshipful heart. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org



Faith In God’s Faithfulness.

“I will thank you, Lord, in front of all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.” ­– Psalm 57:9 NLT

This Psalm tells us exactly where David was when he wrote it: In a cave in the middle of the wilderness hiding from King Saul, who is out to kill him. David is living the life of a fugitive, running and hiding from Saul and his force of 3,000 armed assassins whose soul reason for being is to bring back the head of David. Yet here is David hiding in a remote cave writing a song about the faithfulness of God! And that’s really what makes this Psalm so significant. David didn’t write it AFTER he got rescued from God and was sitting in the luxury of his palace in Jerusalem. He wrote it in the midst of the trials of his life, long before God had delivered him from the attacks of Saul.

What jumps out at me in this Psalm is David’s faith in God’s faithfulness. Throughout the Psalm he speaks in future terms. He says, “I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples” (Psalm 57:9 NIV). What he seems to be saying is that his confidence in God’s faithfulness is so great that he knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the day is coming when he will be able to praise God surrounded by people in the city of Jerusalem. David’s current circumstances were less than ideal, but his future was bright – because he trusted in God. “He will send help from heaven to save me” (Psalm 57:3 NLT). “My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness” (Psalm 57:3 NLT). David had so much faith in God’s faithfulness, that he was able to say, from the hidden recesses of his cave, “My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises!” (Psalm 57:7 NLT). “For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds” (Psalm 57:10 NLT).

David was confident even in the midst of conflict. He trusted God completely. He knew that God’s love and faithfulness were immeasurable and unstoppable. Present circumstances were no match against future deliverance at the hand of God. So David was able to sing the praises of God even in the darkest moments of his life. “Wake up, my soul! Wake up, O harp and lyre! I will waken the dawn with my song” (Psalm 57:8 NLT). He would start each day with songs of praise, based solely on his faith in God’s faithfulness and his firm belief in God’s future deliverance.

Father, I want to have the kind of faith David had. I want to sing in the middle of the trials of life, rather than stand around waiting to see something happen first. I want to have so much confidence in Your love and faithfulness that I sing Your praises before I have even seen You do anything worthy of praise. Your character speaks for itself. You don’t have to prove Yourself to me. Your faithfulness has stood the test of time and Your love for me has never failed. Your promises for me are sure. You are faithful, so my faith should be firm – no matter what happens around me or to me. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org



God: The Thirst-Quencher.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and stand before him?” ­– Psalms 42:1-2 NLT

We are spiritual beings, and as such, each of us has a soul that sometimes suffers from spiritual thirst. The heat of life can leave our souls dry and parched – in need of spiritual refreshment. Even those who have no relationship with Christ and don’t believe in God suffer from spiritual thirst. And when it happens they, like those of us who are Christ-followers, seek out a way to satisfy their thirst. But there do they turn? If the thirst is minimal they will probably turn to the things that tend to satisfy their tastes, not their thirst. It’s a lot like when you or I find ourselves a bit thirsty in the middle of the day. I’m talking about average thirst here, not your heat-of-the-summer-working-in-the-yard kind of thirst. When we are slightly thirsty, we probably think of grabbing a cold glass of our favorite soda or iced tea. In other words, we attempt to settle our thirst by satisfying our desires. But most of our choices don’t end up taking care of our real problem. They taste good for the moment, but they make lousy thirst-quenchers. But if we find ourselves really thirsty, like we can get after a hard workout or a day of yard work in ninety degree weather, we usually crave one thing and one thing only – a glass of cold water. Our bodies are wired that way. We seem to know that nothing else will satisfy. No other drink or beverage appeals to us like water does in those moments. We crave it. We have to have it. Like a man in the desert dying of thirst, we dream of satisfying our need with cold, refreshing, life-giving water.

There is a similar reaction wired into every human being when they face real spiritual thirst. We are all programmed to seek the one thing that will satisfy that need – God. But because of sin, we are prone to seek replacements. Our sin nature tempts us to find something else to meet our need. So we turn to sex, success, alcohol, popularity, or a thousand other God-replacements. Our desires tell us that these things will satisfy our thirst. But like an iced-cold Coke on a hot summer day, they only mask our real need. They temporarily seem to satisfy our thirst, but leave us craving more. And despite what Coke may tell us – when it comes to spiritual thirst – it is NOT the real thing. David seemed to know that there was one place and one place only for satisfying real spiritual thirst, and that was God. He described his soul as longing for God, like a deer that pants for a cool, clear stream of water. During the difficult days of life, when things seem to be going against him, David longed for God. He knew nothing else would satisfy what was really going on in his life. More power, more money, more sexual satisfaction, more of anything would prove to be a faulty substitute for God. Which is why he said, “Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again — my Savior and my God!” (Psalms 42:11 NLT). When his soul became thirsty, he was going to seek out God as his thirst-quencher. But where do we turn when spiritual thirst hits us? What do we long for? Like David, we need to learn that nothing satisfies like God.

Father, spiritual thirst hits me on a regular basis. But at times I still tend to seek out things that satisfy my sinful desires rather than You. I allow the enemy to tempt me into believing that other things can satisfy the thirst of my soul, when only You can. Thank You for using the difficulties of life to remind me that there is only place to satisfy the thirst in my soul, and that is in You. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org



Confession Isn’t Just Good For The Soul.

“But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done.” ­– Psalms 38:18 NLT

In Psalm 38 David talks openly about the effects of his own sin. He describes the suffering, the sorrow, and the pain he is undergoing. And he acknowledges that what he is experiencing is the result of his sin and the rebuke of God. “Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins. My guilt overwhelms me — it is a burden too heavy to bear” (Psalms 38:3-4 NLT). David doesn’t tell us what he has done, but he fully believes that his sin and God’s anger over it are the cause for his distress. Now while this Psalm does NOT teach that all suffering is the result of our sins, it does make clear that sin has consequences, sometimes very harsh consequences. David’s suffering is real. “I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart” (Psalms 38:8 NLT). “I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain” (Psalms 38:17 NLT). He is racked with pain and guilt. He longs for release and relief. So what does he do? He confesses his sin before God. He admits what he has done before the one against whom he has sinned. He simply agrees with God that his guilt is justified because his sin is real. David knows that confession is the key to restoration – both physically and spiritually. But his confession is more than just an admission of guilt. It is accompanied by sorrow for having sinned against God. “But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done” (Psalms 38:18 NLT). The actual word used there can be translated “concerned, worried, or anxious.” David wasn’t just sorry, he was literally bothered by what he had done. His own sin had made him uncomfortable. It had internal as well as external consequences.

So often, it seems that our sins fail to bother us. We can appear unconcerned about what we have done to offend a holy God, and suffer anxiety over the results of our sin, but not over the sin itself. But David was bothered by his sin. It disturbed him. It is only when our sin begins to worry and concern us that we truly confess it to God. Confession is not a magic elixir we drink or incantation we speak that mysteriously reverses the negative conditions we face. It is an honest acknowledgment of our own guilt and culpability. It is a point we reach when our sin bothers us as much as it does God. Our own sin concerns us and we become repulsed by it enough to confess it before God. The word “confess” simply means to make known, declare, or acknowledge. It’s to verbally declare before God what you have done to offend Him. It is to put into words what you have done and take ownership of it. David knew that confession was the key to his restoration and he was willing to wait on God to receive it. “For I am waiting for you, O LORD. You must answer for me, O Lord my God” (Psalms 38:15 NLT). But why is it so hard for us to confess? What is it about our sin that makes it difficult for us to simply admit it? Could it be that our sin doesn’t really concern or bother us? Have we learned to rationalize our behavior and minimize our own sin? Confession is good for the soul, but according to David, it was good for a lot more than that. Many of us suffer because we refuse to confess. And we refuse to confess because we aren’t really bothered by our sin.

Father, don’t let me focus on the consequences of my sin, but on the sin itself. Let it bother me. May I truly be sorry for my sin because I realize the damage that it brings into my life and the lives of others. Forgive me for the many times I want to minimize it and rationalize it away. May I learn like David to feel sorrow over it and turn that sorrow into an open confession before You. You want to restore. You desire to bring healing and forgiveness. But it has to begin with confession. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org



My Salvation Comes From Him.

“I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him.” ­– Psalms 62:1 NLT

Where does your salvation come from? Or better yet, where do you think it comes from? For the answer to those two questions, consider where you turn when things get tough. When you run into difficulty where do you tend to run for help? Your checking account? Your own intelligence? Your problem-solving skills? Is the remedy you seek earthly or heavenly? If we’re honest, most of us would have to admit that we have a lot of sources of salvation in our lives. Or at least we think we do. Even though most of them fail to deliver what they promise or what we expect, we keep going back to them – hoping that they can protect us and provide for us what we need.

But David said he was going to wait quietly before God, because he knew that his salvation was going to come from Him and nothing else. Look at how many times he made this point in Psalms 62 alone:

“I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.” – Psalms 62:1-2 NLT

“I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.” – Psalms 62:5-7 NLT

David’s hope was in God. Not in money, success, popularity, prosperity, fame, or fortune. David was a man of action. He was a military leader and a warrior. He was not afraid to go into battle or make a decision, but he was learning to wait on God. Impulsiveness can be a costly temptation for the believer. In our desire to get out from under pressure or escape trials, we can be tempted to take matters into our own hands. The enemy doesn’t want us to wait, he wants us to act – impulsively and independently. He wants us to be our own gods, our own saviors. But a big part of worship is submission and dependence. God gets glory when we rely on Him. He is honored when we look to Him for shelter and protection. Trials and troubles are often nothing more than opportunities to trust in God and honor Him with our admissions of need for protection and salvation.

But as David was learning, a big part of trusting God is sometimes learning to WAIT on God. No demands. No dictating what you want done and when. A big part of trusting God is relying on Him to make the best decision and provide the best timing. He will do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. The more we lean to trust Him, the more we will find ourselves rejoicing in Him, because God is always faithful. “The godly will rejoice in the LORD and find shelter in him. And those who do what is right will praise him” (Psalms 64:10 NLT).

Father, I am not the most patient person in the world. I am impulsive, reactionary, and prone to take matters into my own hands. Difficulty tends to make me respond impulsively. I want the problem to go away. I want to get out from under whatever is hanging over my head. But You want me to learn to trust You, to turn to You, and to wait on You. May I learn to see trials as opportunities to see You work. May I see difficulties as reminders of my need for and dependence upon You. I am weak, but You are strong. I am needy and You are abundant. May I learn to wait on You, because You alone are my true salvation. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org



He’s Thinking About Me!

“As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord is thinking about me right now. You are my helper and my savior. Do not delay, O my God.” ­– Psalms 40:17 NLT

The Lord is thinking about me right now. What a thought. What an encouragement. But do I really believe it? Do I live as though it is really true? I am convinced that David believed it to be true in his life. That is why he kept turning to God in the midst of all his problems. He knew that God was watching over him, even thinking about him. David’s God was sovereign, in complete control and fully aware of all that was going on his life, every second of every day. God was thinking about him constantly. And David talked about God constantly. “I have not kept this good news hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness” (Psalms 40:10 NLT). David talked about God to others. He bragged about God. He boasted in God. He wanted everyone to know about God’s unfailing love and faithfulness.

But sometimes I can spend more time complaining about God than bragging about Him. Sure, I do it subtly. I don’t complain DIRECTLY about God. That’s too dangerous. I just complain about my circumstances. I complain about the situations I find myself in. But if God is in complete control, then I am really complaining about Him. I am saying that He doesn’t know what He is doing, that He is not faithful and loving. That somehow He has made a mistake and allowed things into my life that I do not deserve and that will not end up doing me any good. But David said, “I have told all your people about your justice” (Psalms 40:9 NLT). David had learned to accept the good with the bad. He knew that he could trust God and therefore every circumstance in life was there for a reason. God was going to use it to bless David and bring glory to Himself. Even in the midst of negative circumstances David was bragging about God’s faithfulness and love. These three Psalms reveal that things were not necessarily going well for David when he wrote them. He still had problems. He still had enemies. Life was not easy. But he still managed to brag on God as he cried out to God. He still kept telling others of God’s trustworthiness even when things weren’t going quite the way he wanted them to go. Do I do that? Do I brag on my God even when things aren’t quite to my liking? The honest answer is NO. But I want to learn to do just that. He is thinking about me. He loves and cares about me. I must convince myself of that truth. He has done so much to prove it to be true. But I must learn to dwell on the reality of His unconditional love and acceptance of me. Then make it a habit to brag about Him. To tell others about Him, even in the midst of the tough times. Because He really is there, just as much as when things are going well. He is thinking about me!

Father, what an amazing truth. You are thinking about me – every single day of my life. You are never NOT thinking about me. You are never NOT aware of what is going on in my life. And You always love me. You have my best in mind all the time. Thank You for that reminder. Help me to live as if I believe it. Help me learn to brag on You every moment of every day. Because You deserve it. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org