A Friend Indeed.
(Based on Psalm 55)

Hear me when I pray, O God.
Don’t disappear when I cry to You for help!
Listen closely and answer quickly.
I wander around in a state of anxiety, disturbed and distracted,
All because of what my enemies say about me,
And the pressure put on me by the ungodly.
They rock my world with misfortune,
And attack me out of anger.
My heart aches within me and I fear for my life.
I’m so scared I shake,
In fact, my whole body shudders.
So I end up screaming, “If only I had wings like a dove,
Then I could fly away and find a place to rest.”
I would hurry up and get away from all the storms of life.
Confuse their words and make what they say impossible to understand,
For I see that it all produces violence and contention.
They act like guard patrolling the walls of a city,
While nothing but trouble takes place inside.
The whole place is filled with evil desire,
Oppression and deceit are found on every street.
But in my case, it wasn’t an enemy who ended up scorning me.
I could have handled that.
It wasn’t someone who hated me and tried to oppress me.
If that was the case, I could have just hidden from him.
But no, it was you, a close friend and acquaintance,
Someone just like me.
We shared a close, intimate relationship,
And even enjoyed a mutual love for God.
As for the others, may their lives end in death,
May their actions end them up in hell,
Because their entire lives are filled with evil.

But as for me, I will call on God,
And He will save me.
I will pray from morning to evening,
And He will hear my voice.
It doesn’t matter how many are against me,
Because God will deliver my life from the battle.
The very God who has reigned for eternity will hear me and put them to shame.
Their lives never change because they have no fear of God.
Even my former friend breaks his promises and turns on me.
He said all the right things, but all the while he was out to harm me.
His words were slick, covering up his real intention – my destruction.

But you can roll all your burdens onto the Lord,
And He will sustain you.
He will never let down those who are godly.
But God will bring about the destruction of the ungodly.
Their lives will come to a quick end,
They will end up with half the normal life expectancy.
But I will trust in You, God.

Misplaced Trust.
(Based on Psalm 52)

Why do you boast about all the wrong you’ve done, oh mighty man?
God’s mercy and love will outlast you.
Your tongue is like a sharp razor, planning evil and working deception.
You love evil more than good and prefer telling lies instead of the truth.

You love to destroy others with your words and deceitful lies.
But God has everlasting destruction planned for you,
He is going to grab you and rip you right out of your comfortable home,
He will pull you up by the roots – removing your life altogether.

Those who are righteous in conduct and character will watch it happen,
They will be in awe of God and laugh at you.
“Look how this mighty man refused to find his strength in God,
Instead he sought safety in the abundance of his wealth,
And grew confident and strong through his pursuit of evil.”

But as for me, I am like a flourishing olive tree in God’s house,
I have permanently put my trust in His love and mercy.
I will continually give thanks to Him for He has made it possible.
I will expectantly wait on Him, based on His reputation,
For His people have found Him to be good all the time.

Good By God’s Standard.

“Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.” – Psalm 52:7 NLT

Doeg the Edomite had done a good thing. At least he thought so. He had done exactly what the king of Israel had commanded him to do and he knew it was going to win him favor in the king’s eyes. The fact that he had personally killed 85 priests of God along with all their family members didn’t seem to bother him. The fact that the members of King Saul’s personal bodyguard had each refused to kill the Lord’s priests didn’t seem to concern him either. When King Saul turned to Doeg and presented him with the opportunity to prove his loyalty, he stepped up to the challenge. It all began when David was forced to run away from Saul in order to preserve his life. King Saul was out to kill him, because he was jealous of David’s fame and feared that he was going to take his place as king of Israel. He had already tried to kill David with his own hands, so David was forced to flee for his life. One of the first places David went was to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech gave David food and the sword of Goliath, which had been kept there ever since David had killed the Philistine champion in battle. Little did David know that Doeg the Edomite, one of King Saul’s chief herdsmen, was there in Nob and saw the whole exchange between David and Ahimelech. He went back to Saul and reported that the priest had aided and abetted David, a fugitive from justice.

As a result of Doeg’s news, King Saul commanded the slaughter of all 85 of the priests of God living in Nob, along with their families. When Saul’s bodyguard refused to do Saul’s bidding, Doeg, the herdsmen, was given a chance to improve his station in life by proving his loyalty and displaying his bravery to the king. And evidently, according to David, Doeg the Edomite even bragged about his brave “exploits” against the unarmed priests of God, trying to present himself as a mighty warrior. He had a knack for blowing the whole affair out of proportion, expanding the story with fanciful lies designed to justify his actions and boost his fame. David accused him of being “an expert at telling lies” (Psalm 52:3). David saw Doeg for what he really was: a man who loved evil more than good. He was a man who tried to distort reality by making evil appear as if it was good. At the end of the day, Doeg the Edomite cared more about himself than he did about God. He didn’t fear God or desire to do good. He was obsessed with his own well-being and self-gratification. No doubt Saul rewarded him well for his “brave” handling of the whole affair.

While David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), Doeg was a man after Saul’s own heart. Like Saul, he wasn’t interested in doing what God wanted done. He was a selfish, self-centered man who longed to make a name for himself. His destruction of God’s priests was probably well rewarded by Saul. More than likely, he was raised from chief herdsman to warrior status. He got a promotion out of the whole thing, a raise, and the praise of the king. But David warned Doeg about the reality of his situation. God was going to repay Doeg in full for what he had done. David says, “Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness” (Psalm 52:7 NLT). David sarcastically refers to Doeg as a “mighty warrior” and accuses him of trusting his new-found wealth instead of God. He had become addicted to his fame and fortune and become increasingly more wicked, looking for additional opportunities to pad his resume and expand his wealth.

But those who do “good” that is not based on God’s standards will never win in the end. They may receive rewards and recognition in this life, but they will always get what they really deserve when all is said and done. David preferred to trust in God. Rather than take matters into his own hands and do what appeared to be good by the world’s standards, he would do only what God would have him do. On two different occasions, David had the opportunity to murder King Saul, and had he done so, he could have put an end to his fugitive lifestyle. Even David’s companions encouraged him to kill Saul, seeing it as an opportunity provided by God Himself. But David refused, knowing that God had not given him permission to kill the king. He knew that God would take care of King Saul in His own time and according to His own terms. David would simply trust God. And God came through. Eventually, God eliminated Saul and elevated David to the throne. David trusted and God provided. Which is why David could say, “I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love. I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people” (Psalm 52:8-9 NLT).

Doeg trusted in himself. David trusted in God. Doeg was out for himself. David was out for God. Doeg looked successful, but would eventually fail. At one time David appeared abandoned by God and was an apparent failure in the world’s eyes. But He trusted God and was rewarded by Him for his faithfulness. David did good according to God’s standards and enjoyed true success. Doeg did good according to the world’s standards and failed in the end. We aren’t told what happened to Doeg the Edomite, but we can rest assured that God repaid him in full for what he had done – either in this life or in the next. David knew that God would deal with Doeg justly. “But God will strike you down once and for all. He will pull you from your home and uproot you from the land of the living” (Psalm 52:5 NLT). David trusted God.

Father, this world is constantly tempting us to live according to its standards. It wants us to do good on its terms, but You call us to trust You and to live according to Your standards. Keep reminding us Lord that Your way is the not only the best way, it is the only way. Your will trumps our will every time. Doing what is right in our own eyes or according to the world’s standards is never a profitable path to take. Amen

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

What I Do and What God Does.
(Based on Psalm 51)

As a result of what I know about your inexhaustible love,
I ask you to be gracious to me and show me favor, Lord.
Because of what I know about your abundant mercy,
I ask you to wipe out all traces of my sin against You.
I need You to wash away my depravity repeatedly and thoroughly,
And cleanse me completely from my sinfulness.
I can’t escape the disturbing realization that I am in rebellion against You.
Yes, it’s You and You alone against whom I have sinned,
And my evil actions have been done right in front of Your face.
You’ve seen it all, so You have every right to speak up,
And any judgment you pronounce against me will be just.
I’ve been a sinner since the day I was born,
In fact, my sinful condition started at the point of conception.
Everyone needs to recognize that it’s truth and faithfulness You desire,
And it’s in the inner recesses of a man’s life that you look for them.
It’s in that place where no one else can see that You make Your wisdom known.

I need You to purify me from my sin so that I can be truly clean,
I need You to wash me so that the darkness of my sin becomes whiter than white.
Let me experience the joy and gladness that come with forgiveness,
Make me like a man whose bones were all broken, but is now able to dance!
Turn away from looking at my sins,
Wipe out the very memory of them.
Shape within me a new heart,
And give me a new spirit that is ready to serve You.
Don’t let my sin expel me from Your presence,
And don’t remove the presence of Your Spirit from my life.

Let me experience the joy again that comes with Your salvation,
And give me the capacity to willingly and gladly obey You.
Then my life will be an open lesson for other sinners to learn the life You recommend.
As a result, they will return to You as well.
Strip off the blood that stains me, O God of my salvation,
And I will sing the praises of Your righteousness.
Give me a reason to open my mouth and shout Your praises!

It’s not the sacrifices I make for You that bring You pleasure, Lord.
Those are not the things that please You, or else that’s what I would give You.
The kind of sacrifice You want begins with a broken spirit.
You won’t look down on a heart that’s truly broken and crushed.
Make Your people Your delight and do good to them,
Restore them.
Then the sacrifices they make will please You because they will be righteous,
Everything they do will bring you pleasure and joy.

Grace That Is Greater.

“Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me – now let me rejoice.”– Psalm 51:7-8 NLT

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Grace that is greater than all our sin. What a marvelous, almost impossible truth for us to comprehend. That God could love us so much that He would be willing to extend us grace in spite our consistent struggle with sin. David knew this truth first-hand. Here in Psalm 51 we have the aftermath of his sin with Bathsheba. Here is the man known as the man after God’s own heart and the anointed king of Israel, wrestling with the guilt and conviction of his affair with this woman and his premeditated murder of her husband in order that he might have her as his own. This is a sin of the first degree. It is something that shocks even the most hard-core agnostic or atheist. These kinds of things are just not done in civilized society. But here is the leader of God’s chosen people confessing his guilt and willingly accepting God just judgment. “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just” (Psalm 51:4 NLT).

David knew he was guilty, but he also knew that God was ready and willing to forgive his sin and restore him to a right relationship with Himself. David also knew that God was the only one who could restore him. So he cries out to God for mercy. He appeals to God’s unfailing love. He asks God to show him compassion. He begs God to blot our the stain of his sin, wash him clean from his guilt, and purify him from his sin. He knows only God can make him clean. Only God can restore his joy. Only God can give him a new heart. Only God can give him back the joy associated with salvation. Only God can give him the ability to obey. The key to David’s appeal to God was his understanding that God was looking for true repentance that comes from a heart that is grieved over its treatment of God and His Word. David knew that his sin was ultimately against God, not Bathsheba or Uriah, her husband. And David knew that God was looking for godly sorrow in David’s heart. Paul refers to this kind of sorrow in his letter to the Corinthian church. “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death” (1 Corinthians 7:9-10 NLT).

The sacrifice God wanted from David had little to do with lambs and goats, blood and offerings. But it had everything to do with a broken and contrite heart. A heart that is broken and crushed because it understands that it has offended a holy, yet loving and merciful God. God wanted sacrifices offered in the right spirit, with the right kind of heart behind them. David’s sin was against God and that sin needed to bother him as much as it did God. And it did. So David came to God in sorrow, repentance, openness, honesty, and complete reliance on God to restore him. And he had every confidence that God would. Because David’s God is a gracious, kind, loving, and merciful God. David’s God was a forgiving God. His grace was greater than all of David’s sins – from the smallest to the biggest. David’s sins of adultery and murder rank high on our ranking of transgressions against God, and yet God was willing to extend mercy, grace and forgiveness even for these two hideous sins against His holiness. God’s grace really is greater than all our sins. Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within; grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin.

Father, thank You that Your grace truly is greater than my sin. And because of Your grace I can receive forgiveness, cleansing complete restoration, joy and the constant awareness of Your love. Amen

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

Have Mercy!
(Based on Psalm 41)

Happy is the man who carefully considers the weak and powerless.
God delivers them in the midst of their bad times.
He continually watches over them and sustains their lives.
He leads them in the right way to go as they walk this earth,
And refuses to deliver them over to their enemies.
He comforts them when they are sick in bed,
And returns them to health.

That’s why I prayed, “Have mercy on me.
Heal my soul, cleanse me from sin.”
I am surrounded by those who say malicious things about me.
They ask, “When will God destroy him and destroy his reputation?”
If they come to see me, anything they say to me is worthless,
Their hearts are full of worthless thoughts about me,
And when they leave my presence, they share them with others.
They secretly judge me and assume the worst about me.
“His situation is due to wickedness,” they say.
“He’ll never recover from this one.”
Even the man I considered my friend, the one I trusted,
And shared life with, has turned on me.

So Lord, I ask You to show me mercy,
Lift me up, restore me, and that will put an end to them.
This will let me know that You take delight in me,
Because You won’t allow them to shout in victory over me.
You keep me whole and complete, allowing me to stand in Your presence,
I bless and adore You Lord, the God of Israel, forever and ever. Amen and Amen.

Lifting Up Those Who Are Down.

“Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.”– Psalm 41:1 NLT

At first glance, this Psalm seems a bit disjointed. He starts out talking about the poor and how God blesses those who show them kindness. The next thing David is confessing his sin and crying out for mercy because of the apparent consequences of that sin. His problem seems to have nothing to do with poverty or need, but is due to his own willful sin. But if you look closer at the word translated “poor” in verse one, you find out that it can also be translated “one who is low or weak.” It is from a root word that means “something hanging low.” It refers to something or someone languishing, being weak or powerless. So David is not necessarily talking about poverty as it relates to finances, but he is talking about spiritual and emotional poverty, and he is speaking from experience.

David is suffering because of sin. He has confessed that sin to God, but he is still experiencing the consequences of whatever it is he has done. He has close acquaintances who come to visit him in his pain and suffering, but who gossip about him when they leave and wish him nothing but ill-will. They look at his condition and, rather than encourage him, they try to figure out what it is is wrong with him, why he has done to deserve something so bad, and debate when he is going to die. David knows he has done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment from his friends. If you recall, back in Psalm 35, David said that when his enemies were sick, he grieved for them. He even prayed and fasted for them, feeling sadness for their condition, “as though they were my friends or family” (Psalm 35:14 NLT). But now that David is down and out, his “friends” have become his enemies. So David is left to seek mercy from God.

But what a reminder to those of us who claim to be Christ-followers that we are to have the same heart He had. We are to love like He loved. Jesus said of Himself, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come” (Luke 4:18-19 NLT). We are to carry on that ministry to the down and out today. The Proverbs of Solomon remind us that our words carry weight. They are powerful and can accomplish good or bring about evil in the lives of others. “The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain” (Proverbs 10:11). “The words of the godly encourage many” (Proverbs 10:21). Solomon also warns that “with their words, the godless destroy their friends” (Proverbs 11:9). “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing” (Proverbs 12:18).

We are the hands, the feet, and the mouthpieces for Christ here on this earth. We are to have a heart for the lowly and all those who are languishing, whether it is because of their own sin or the sinful condition of the world in which we live. There are those who are languishing in financial poverty, but there are also those who are suffering in emotional and spiritual poverty. We are to bring them words of encouragement and healing. We are to show them mercy and grace. We are to love them with both words and actions. David knew that to do so was a rewarding experience. To do so was to live a life that was pleasing to God. God rewards those who care for and encourage the down and out. He repays them in kind. He “rescues them when they are in trouble” (Psalm 41:1 NLT).

Father, give me a heart for the down and out. Help me to see them all around me. It is easy to see the financially poor, but the spiritually and emotionally impoverished are all around me and they tend to hide their condition well. Don’t let me be like David’s friends, who because of their treatment of him in his time of need, were no better than enemies to him. May I be a true friend to those in need, providing words of encouragement and actions that back up what I say. Amen

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