trust in God

God Never Disappoints

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1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. – Romans 5:1-5 ESV

Having settled the case of whether justification is by works or by faith, Paul now moves on in his discussion about the gospel of God. Paul emphatically and confidently states, “since we have been justified by faith” (Romans 5:1 ESV). The tense of the Greek word he uses is extremely important because it speaks of an event that has already happened. In essence, Paul is saying, “having been declared righteous, we have peace with God.” It is in the past tense and describes an event that has already taken place.

Once someone places their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, they are immediately declared righteous or are justified by God. Their debt to God is paid in full, their sins are removed, and they receive the righteousness of Christ. It is a done deal, accomplished entirely by God and as a result of faith. We no longer have to justify ourselves to God because we have been freed from trying to earn His favor. We have been released from the impossible burden of living up to His righteous standards in the hopes that He will accept us. Our salvation is accompanied by our justification.

One of the greatest benefits of our justification is the peace we enjoy with God. In verse 10 of this same chapter, Paul makes it clear that, before salvation, we were all enemies of God and subject to His wrath. We stood condemned and deserving of His righteous, just judgment. Paul emphasized this vital truth in his letter to the church in Colossae

…you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. – Colossians 1:21-22 NLT

God’s gospel, His plan for man’s salvation, has provided a means by which sinful, guilty, and rebellious men and women can be made right with Him, enjoying a state of permanent peace and the uninterrupted joy of His presence. The Greek word Paul used for peace carries the idea of harmony, security and safety. It is “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is” (Outline of Biblical Usage).

We enjoy this peace with God because of God’s grace; it is His unmerited favor that has made it all possible. We did nothing to deserve or earn it, and Paul reminds us that we obtained access to this grace-given position through faith. In other words, we have access into the very presence of God as a result of God’s mercy. And it is our faith in the graciousness, goodness, mercy, and kindness of God made evident in the death of His Son that makes our reconciliation with Him possible.

And the best part of this God-ordained transformation is that our newfound peace with Him is permanent and includes the future hope of our eternal relationship with Him. This is why Paul states, “we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2 ESV). There is a day coming when His Son will return, and those who have been made right with God through faith in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross will enjoy an eternity of permanent peace with God.

But in the meantime, Paul encourages us to rejoice in our present sufferings. While we wait for the hope of the glory of God, we find ourselves living on this earth and facing trials and troubles of all kinds. Our newfound peace with God has put us at odds with the world we live in. Jesus warned His disciples that their relationship with Him would draw the ire of the enemy and the world over which he rules.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” –John 15:18-19 NLT

The apostle John painted a bleak but accurate picture when he wrote, “the world around us is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19 NLT). In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul warned them that Satan was a very real enemy who, as the god of this world, had the power to deceive and dissuade humanity.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT

As a result of our newfound righteousness with God, we stand in stark contrast with the world around us. As we live by faith and in submission to His indwelling Holy Spirit, our suffering will intensify. Paul reminds us, “Continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. (Colossians 1:23 NLT).

When facing suffering, we will be tempted to bail out or give up. But we must constantly remind ourselves that the trials and difficulties we face have a divine purpose. That is why Paul encourages us to rejoice in them rather than run from them. 

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. – Romans 5:3-5 NLT

Our reconciled state with God will produce irreconcilable differences with this world. But any suffering we encounter will produce patient endurance in us. As we suffer, we learn to persevere, and that perseverance increases our Christlikeness. The author of Hebrews states that Jesus had to suffer as well; it was all part of His Father’s redemptive plan.

Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. – Hebrews 5:8-9 NLT

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. – Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT

As we patiently endure the sufferings of life, our character is tested and proven true. Our faithful endurance reveals the character of Christ in our lives, as evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

As those divine characteristics show up in our lives despite our suffering, our hope increases, our faith is strengthened, and our confidence in God grows stronger. We become increasingly more certain that we belong to Him and that we truly are new creations. Our hope in God will not leave us empty-handed or disappointed. We will never find ourselves ashamed or embarrassed because of the faith we placed in God’s promises. Our trust in Christ’s redemptive work on the cross will not fail to deliver what God has promised.  We can suffer, endure, grow, and hope “because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5 ESV).

The very presence of the Spirit within us is a reminder of God’s love for us, but He is also the source of our enduring love for God. We love because God first loved us. We endure because we rest in God’s love for us. We rejoice in trials because we know that God is using them for our good and His glory.

But as Paul has made clear, it all begins with faith, a confident hope in our faithful covenant-keeping God. Our justification is by faith, our sanctification is by faith, and our capacity to endure is the result of faith. And, as Paul reminds us, our faith in God will never disappoint.

Father, this is one of those difficult passages that seems so illogical. Rejoicing in trials is counterintuitive and seems impossible to pull off. The concept of suffering well sounds more like an oxymoron than a way life. I have no trouble believing in the reality of trial because I face them on a regular basis; it is the rejoicing part I struggle with. Yet, the older I get and the longer I live, the more I realize that Paul was right; You do use difficulties to transform us. You never said trials would be fun, but You did say they would be beneficial. When going through them, I find myself becoming far more dependent on You. Of course, I will always try to come up with my own solution. But, inevitably, my efforts fall short and I find myself turning to You for help, hope, and deliverance. And You have never disappointed me. You are always faithful and, while Your timing is not always to my liking, Your solution is always perfect. But like so many others, I am prone to forget and find myself facing the next difficulty with the same sense of hopelessness and confusion. I fail to remember all that You have done in the past. Please help me recall Your goodness and greatness when the next trial shows up so that I can rejoice in Your faithfulness long before Your deliverance appears. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

Our Promise-Maker and Promise-Keeper

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18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. – Romans 4:18-25 ESV

Belief does not come without its obstacles; it does not go unopposed or unchallenged. The author of Hebrews provides a helpful working definition:

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. – Hebrews 11:1 NLT

Faith is not a timid thing. It is not a half-hearted kind of commitment, but instead, it requires confidence and assurance, both of which must be firmly placed in God, not the thing for which we are hoping. Earlier in Chapter Four, Paul wrote, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3 ESV). Paul was quoting from the Old Testament account found in Genesis 15, where God promised Abraham, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5 ESV). After hearing this promise from God, Abraham believed; he took God at His word.

But Abraham had plenty of reasons to doubt God. He had just offered an alternative plan, suggesting that God consider using one of Abraham’s male servants as his heir. The problem, as Abraham saw it, was that he was old and his wife was barren. He believed that God would do what He promised, but he just wasn’t sure how. That is why Paul says, “in hope he believed against hope” (Romans 4:18 ESV). The New Living Translation puts it this way: “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations.”

Abraham had every reason to question God’s promise. His situation and circumstances shouted out to him daily, “This is hopeless!” All he had to do was look around, and the evidence suggested that God’s promise was nothing more than a dream. Yet Paul says, “Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb” – Romans 4:19 NLT).

As long as Abraham focused on his circumstances, he would be tempted to doubt God’s faithfulness. But his faith was in something else. Even when Abraham took into account his wife’s barrenness, he refused to conclude that God’s promise was null and void. Paul says, “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God” (Romans 4:20 NLT). Abraham “was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises” (Romans 4:21 NLT) because his faith was in God. His confidence was in the source of the promise. This led Paul to conclude, “because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous” (Romans 4:22 NLT).

Martin Luther wrote, “Faith is something that is arduous and difficult. First, it is directed to what a person does not see; indeed, to the very opposite of what one perceives. It seems utterly impossible” (Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans).

Abraham grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God. There is a reciprocal nature to our faith. When we believe and trust in God, He is glorified. And as we believe in Him, our faith is strengthened as we see Him work in ways we could have never imagined. Placing our faith in God gives us front-row seats to watch Him work. When we trust God, we glorify Him, and our faith in Him increases. When we trust Him in spite of the circumstances swirling around us and the doubts welling up within us, we get to see God work. As a result, our faith in Him grows stronger.

Abraham’s faith was in God. Yes, he believed the promise of God, but his faith in the promise was based on the faithfulness of the one who had made the promise. Abraham knew that God was good for it and believed that He would come through. He was fully convinced that God could do what he had promised. That is why Paul uses Abraham’s faith as a model for the kind of faith we are to have. We are to place our faith in God and His gospel message, “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16 ESV). And when we “believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification,” our faith is counted to us as righteousness.

It is our faith in God and His ability to save us through His Son’s death, burial, and resurrection that results in His declaration of righteousness. We are saved by faith. While the world will constantly strive to cause us to doubt the veracity of God’s words and to question the reality of the gospel message, we must remain fully convinced and unwaveringly confident in the one who stands behind the promise. Our circumstances will paint a different picture. As we look around us, the evidence will not be favorable to remaining faithful. Our hopes will begin to waver. But like Abraham, in hope we must believe against hope (Romans 4:18).

Abraham hoped for an heir, but the evidence made that outcome appear hopeless. So, he placed his faith in God, the One who stood behind the promise. When he was tempted to focus on his barren wife, Abraham set his eyes on God. As the years passed and he remained fatherless, Abraham placed his hope in the promise-maker, believing God was also the promise-keeper. And we must do the same.

Father, it is an undeniable fact that circumstances lie. They deceive and distract us from believing Your promises. You promised to never leave us or forsake us, yet it so often feels as if You are nowhere to be found. Your Son promised us an abundant life, but sometimes reality makes it appear as if that promise went unfulfilled. Yet, You always keep Your word. You never lie or fail to fulfill what You have promised. Give me the ability to look past my circumstances and see You. I know You are there and I am fully convinced that You care deeply for me. But I am so easily swayed by the circumstances of life and the false expectations of the world. I want to have the kind of faith Abraham displayed. He was far from perfect and there were days his doubts and fears got the best of him. But he kept believing in You. He never stopped trusting Your promises because His hope was in You. May that be the story of my life when all is said and done. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

Drinking the Kool-Aid of Self-Confidence

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17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” – Romans 2:17-24 ESV

As a Jew, Paul had no qualms addressing the faults and failures of his Jewish brothers and sisters. As a former Pharisee, he a passionate student of the Hebrew Scriptures. On one occasion, having been arrested in Jerusalem and accused of speaking out against the Jewish people and the Temple, Paul addressed the crowd and said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today” (Acts 22:3 NLT).

In his letter to the believers in Philippi, Paul gave his bona fides as a card-carrying Hebrew by stating, “I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin — a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault” (Philippians 3:5-6 NLT).

So Paul knew what he was talking about when he addressed the attitudes and spiritual status of the Jewish people. Which is why he was able to say, “[you] rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law” (Romans 2:17-18 ESV).

The Jews had a certain degree of pride in their hearts when it came to their special designation as God’s chosen people. But this pride led to an arrogance and boastful certainty that they were above the fray, free from judgment, and immune to God’s wrath. But Paul has already warned them that, “according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16 ESV)

Yes, they were God’s chosen people. They enjoyed a unique relationship with Him, had been given His law, and had been provided with the sacrificial system. They could even brag about having the Temple, where God’s presence dwelt. But Paul makes it clear that all of that was not enough.

They relied on God, boasted about their relationship with Him, knew His will as revealed in the law, and even taught others to obey it. They saw themselves as guides to the blind, lights to those in darkness, instructors of the foolish, and teachers of children. But the problem was that they were hypocrites who failed to live up to their own standards. They demanded strict adherence to the law they themselves were incapable of keeping.

In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, Isaiah 52:5 reads, “On account of you my name is continually blasphemed among the Gentiles.” Over the centuries, the actions of the Jews revealed their blatant disregard for God and His law. They were guilty of rebellion and unfaithfulness to His will and ways. They boasted in the law, but dishonored God by regularly violating it. So, as Paul said, they were without excuse. Their extensive knowledge of God failed to produce obedience. Centuries earlier, God had accused the people of Israel of their blatant hypocrisy.

“These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” – Isaiah 29:13 NLT

Even Jesus quoted this same passage when addressing the Pharisees of His day.

“So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” – Matthew 15:6-9 ESV

Knowledge can be a wonderful thing, and the knowledge of God can be life-transformative. Knowing God’s Word can be beneficial to life, but there is a huge difference between knowing and doing. It was James who wrote, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves” (James 1:25 NLT).

Knowing the law of God is useless if you fail to keep it. Having an encyclopedic understanding of God is worthless if you choose to ignore His will. The Jews were putting their hope and trust in their pedigree and counting on their ethnic identity as Jews. But Paul wanted them to know that their knowledge of God and their awareness of His law only made them more responsible and culpable. Despite their pedigree as God’s chosen people, they stood before Him guilty of disobedience and spiritual infidelity. They were going to have to relinquish their reliance on their lineage and place their trust in Christ.

During his ministry, John the Baptist confronted the Jewish religious leaders who showed up at the Jordan River requesting that he baptize them, and His response was anything but tactful.

…when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” – Matthew 3:7-9 ESV

Their confidence in their heritage had produced in them a false sense of superiority and a misguided confidence in their relationship with God. But just a few verses later, Paul dismantles their over-inflated sense of self-worth and spiritual superiority.

For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. – Romans 2:28-29 NLT

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul followed up his impressive curriculum vitae with a stark assessment of his former confidence in his Hebrew heritage.

“I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.” – Philippians 3:7-8 NLT

There is only one thing worth knowing, and that is Jesus Christ as your Savior. It is an awareness of our own sin and our desperate need for a Savior that really counts. Every other form of knowledge is useless and worthless.

Father, in a way, I can sometimes place far too much emphasis on who I am and what I have accomplished. I can look back on my life and see all that I have done for You and begin to think that I have somehow earned my right to be called Your Son. But when pride and self-confidence cloud my thinking, I lose sight of the fact that You adopted me into Your family. I was chosen by You, but not because I deserved it. You made me Your child, despite my sin and rebellion. You graciously gave me a seat at Your table and adorned me with righteousness, purely out of love, and not because of merit. Paul was trying to get his fellow Jews to see that their lineage and heritage meant nothing is they failed to obey God. Their on-again-off-again adherence to Your law was never going to earn Your favor or guarantee their future relationship with You. They were sinners in need of a Savior, but were having a difficult time acknowledging that fact. Enamored with their status as Your chosen people, they failed to understand that, having been set apart by You, their behavior was to set them apart from all the other nations. They were to live distinctively different lives. But confident in their status as Your treasured possession, they compromised their convictions and fell from grace. How easy it is to lose sight of our dependence upon You. Never let me drink the Kool-Aid of self-confidence and forget that “everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

No Other Gods

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7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. – 1 Corinthians 10:7-14 ESV

As far as Paul was concerned, the Corinthians had a far too casual approach to sin. He has already chastised them for their laissez-faire approach to the sexual sin that was taking place in their midst.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans. – 1 Corinthians 5:1 ESV

It appears that they were overly tolerant and dangerously permissive when it came to sin, even among members of their own fellowship. Not only that, but they had developed an unhealthy arrogance regarding their own spirituality and standing before God. Which is what led Paul to warn them, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT). In an attempt to get their attention, Paul resorted to using the Israelites as an object lesson. Their status as God’s chosen people had not prevented them from sinning or protected them from God’s punishment. They had enjoyed all the privileges and blessings of God’s favor, but had proven to be unfaithful in the end. So, Paul warns the Corinthians, “Do not be idolaters as some of them were” (1 Corinthians 10:7a ESV).

Like the Corinthians, the Israelites had been redeemed from a culture in which idol worship was commonplace. In Egypt, the Israelites had been surrounded by a plethora of false gods, and the ten plagues were directed against many of them. In His outpouring of the plagues, God had proven Himself superior to the false gods of Egypt, providing convincing evidence to the Israelites that He was the one true God. But in the end, even after their miraculous deliverance from captivity in Egypt, they resorted to idol worship. They went back to what they found familiar and comfortable. 

The Corinthians found themselves in similar circumstances. Most, if not all of them, had pagan backgrounds. They had been idol worshipers when Paul and others had brought the good news of Jesus Christ to their city. As a result of God’s grace, they had been redeemed from slavery to sin and delivered from their hopeless worship of false gods. However, some in the congregation continued to dabble in idolatry. They were eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols, and some were attending the feasts where this high-quality fare was served. This is what led Paul to say, “flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14b ESV). When it came to idolatry, they were not to dabble with it, cozy up to it, or have anything to do with it. That included attending any feasts associated with the worship of false gods.

Paul knew the Corinthians had a problem with compromise. They had already compromised their moral convictions, and it was not impossible to think that they might compromise their worship of Yahweh through their continued association with idols and justifying their actions as harmless.

Again, Paul uses the Israelites as an example.

The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry. – 1 Corinthians 10:7 NLT).

This refers to the time when Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments from God and, in his absence, the Israelites forced Aaron to make a golden calf for them to worship. Moses recorded the events surrounding that infamous day.

So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. – Exodus 32:3-6 ESV

God was angered by their actions and told Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you” (Exodus 32:9-10 ESV).

They were arrogant, prideful, and lacked any fear of God. They failed to honor and revere Him despite all He had done for them. They demanded that Aaron fashion a new version of Yahweh in a form that was more approachable and controllable. In doing so, they turned their backs on the one and only God of the universe. At the end of the day, that is what idolatry really is; it is turning to something other than God as our source of provision, power, significance, and security. It doesn’t have to be a golden calf.; we can end up worshiping our career, family, finances, talents, or even our status as God’s chosen people. In other words, we can easily resort to worshiping our salvation instead of our Savior. We can put our hope in our eternal security rather than in the one who made eternal life possible. 

Paul warns us against developing a casual attitude toward idolatry because idol worship is nothing less than unfaithfulness to God. It is a form of spiritual adultery, making more of something or someone else other than God. Tim Kellerprovide a succinct definition of idolatry in his book, Counterfeit Gods.

“What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give…

“An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, “If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.” There are many ways to describe that kind of relationship to something, but perhaps the best one is worship.” – Tim Keller, Countefeit Gods

The Israelites were disciplined by God for their unfaithfulness. They put God to the test, “and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day” (1 Corinthians 10:8 ESV). And Paul warns us, “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer” (1 Corinthians 10:9-10 ESV).

Just because we are in Christ, doesn’t mean we have the right to insult Christ by giving our affections and attentions to something or someone other than Him. We are to flee from idolatry in all its forms. The Corinthians were worshiping their right to eat meat sacrificed to idols. It wasn’t that they were worshiping the idols to whom the meat was sacrificed. They were elevating their freedom to enjoy the pleasures of this life over their submission to the will of God for their life. We cannot afford to get cocky or comfortable. Which is why Paul warns us, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12 ESV).

We each face the constant temptation to worship something other than God. But, “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV). Fleeing idolatry is a form of faithfulness. It shows God that we refuse to worship anything or anyone other than him. We would rather run from idolatry, in all its forms, than run the risk of offending a holy and righteous God.

Father, sometimes we think idolatry is not a problem for us because we don’t have figurines of false deities sitting on our fireplace mantle. But as Tim Keller pointed out, idolatry is “anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.” According to that definition, we all have god replacements or stand-ins that we turn to for hope, help, happiness, contentment, or significance. Our careers, families, finances, and health can all becomes gods we turn to other than You. We worship them by giving them far more attention and time than we dedicate to You. They are where we turn in times of trouble. They are the source of our assurance when times are tough and our faith is wavering. But Paul tells us to run, not walk, from these subtle forms of idolatry because they are deceptive and deadly. You made it clear when You said, ““You must not have any other god but me” (Exodus 20:3 NLT). But we still have the tendency to replace the one true God with false gods that will never deliver what they promise. Help us keep our eyes and our hopes set on You alone. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Faith in the Face of Fear

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1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the LORD your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.” 5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”

8 The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that the king had left Lachish. 9 Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has set out to fight against you.” So he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’”

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 19 So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.” – 2 Kings 19:1-19 ESV

When King Hezekiah’s three emissaries returned with the report of all that the Rabshakeh had said, he was overwhelmed with grief. The self-absorbed and overly confident commander of Sennacherib’s army had ridiculed Hezekiah for placing any hope of rescue in Egypt. He warned that Pharaoh would prove to be an unreliable source of help against the much larger and better-equipped Assyrian army. And Sennacherib’s cocky commander scoffed at any notion that the God of Judah would come to their aid. Speaking on behalf of his equally arrogant king, the Rabshakeh had boldly declared, “What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?” (2 Kings 18:35 NLT).

Demoralized by this devastating news, King Hezekiah immediately entered into a state of mourning and sought refuge and solace in the house of God. From there, he sent a message to the prophet Isaiah.

“Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby. But perhaps the LORD your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!” – 2 Kings 19:3-4 NLT

These were dark days for the nation of Judah, but Hezekiah held out hope that Yahweh would still come to their aid. From his vantage point within the walls of God’s house, Hezekiah must have recalled the prayer that Solomon had offered up to God when he had dedicated the newly constructed temple.

“If your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn to you and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them to this land you gave their ancestors.” – 1 Kings 8:33-34 NLT

While Judah had not yet been defeated by the Assyrians, things were not looking good. Their massive army was camped outside the eastern walls, and Hezekiah knew it was just a matter of time before the siege brought Jerusalem to its knees. But he still held out hope and turned to the prophet of God, begging him to seek Yahweh’s divine assistance. The message he received from Isaiah must have sounded far-fetched and too good to be true.

“This is what the LORD says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.’” – 2 Kings 19:6-7 NLT

Yahweh wanted Hezekiah to know that He had heard every boastful and blasphemous word the Rabshakeh had said. Isaiah assured Hezekiah that he had nothing to fear because God had something in store for Sennacherib that would throw a major wrench into his global conquest plans. The great king of Assyria would suddenly find himself facing unexpected attacks on several fronts that would eventually force him to abandon his siege of Jerusalem. And the author reveals that Yahweh’s promise was fulfilled.

Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem… – 2 Kings 19:9 NLT

IT didn’t take Yahweh long to set in motion His plans to distract Sennacherib from his assault on Judah. But while Sennacherib was forced to reallocate his forces to other battlefronts, he was not going to give up on his plan to conquer Jerusalem. So, he sent another message to King Hezekiah, demanding that he give up his Don Quixote-like quest for divine rescue. Sennacherib treated the God of Judah with contempt, declaring that He would prove just as powerless as all the other gods of all the other nations that had fallen to the Assyrians.

In a sense, Sennacherib was establishing himself as more powerful than all the gods. His success had gone to his head, further inflating his already swollen ego and causing him to have dangerous delusions of grandeur. Sennacherib warned Hezekiah that trusting in his God would prove futile; a painful lesson learned by every other king of every other nation that had tried to stand up to the Assyrian juggernaut.

“You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different? Have the gods of other nations rescued them…” – 2 Kings 19:11-12 NLT

Sennacherib was the latest in a long line of Assyrian kings who had defeated the gods and the armies of their enemies. This included Shalmaneser IV, who had initiated the three-year siege of Samaria, and Sargon II, who finally conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. From Sennacherib’s perspective, his predecessors had easily vanquished the false gods of the Israelites, and he would do the same to Yahweh, the God of Judah.

But Hezekiah refused to give up hope. After receiving Sennacherib’s latest letter containing his final ultimatum, Hezekiah entered the Temple of Yahweh and placed it before the LORD. He began his prayer, “O LORD, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O LORD, and listen! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God” (2 Kings 19:15-16 NLT). 

Like most prayers prayed by God’s anxious children, this one was informative in nature. Hezekiah presented Sennacherib’s letter to Yahweh like evidence before a judge in a trial. But Yahweh wasn’t uninformed or unaware of what was going on. The sovereign God of the universe didn’t need Hezekiah to bring Him up to speed on the latest news in Judah. He was well aware and already had a plan in place that would put Sennacherib in his place and save Judah from destruction. 

Yahweh didn’t need Hezekiah’s help to stay abreast of the situation in Jerusalem. What He needed was Hezekiah’s faith, and the beleaguered king didn’t disappoint. As Hezekiah continued to pray, he reminded Yahweh that all the other gods had failed because they were nothing more than the figments of man’s fertile imagination.

“…they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.” – 2 Kings 19:18 NLT

Hezekiah knew that Yahweh was the living and all-powerful creator God who had made the heavens and the earth. He was seated on His throne in heaven and fully capable of dealing with King Sennacherib and his seemingly unstoppable army. Despite the armies camped outside the walls of Jerusalem and the famine taking place inside, Hezekiah placed His trust in Yahweh and called on Him to intervene and demonstrate His sovereign power by rescuing His chosen people. He believed the one true God could do what the false gods had failed to do: deliver Judah from the hands of Sennacherib. His faith in Yahweh led Hezekiah to confidently pray, “all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O LORD, are God.” (2 Kings 19:19 NLT). 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Run to the Lord

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To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
2 Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
3 because of the noise of the enemy,
    because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

4 My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and horror overwhelms me.
6 And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
7 yes, I would wander far away;
    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
8 I would hurry to find a shelter
    from the raging wind and tempest.”

9 Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
    for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it
    on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are within it;
11     ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its marketplace.

12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
13 But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
14 We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God’s house we walked in the throng.
15 Let death steal over them;
    let them go down to Sheol alive;
    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

16 But I call to God,
    and the LORD will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon
    I utter my complaint and moan,
    and he hears my voice.
18 He redeems my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage,
    for many are arrayed against me.
19 God will give ear and humble them,
    he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change
    and do not fear God.

20 My companion stretched out his hand against his friends;
    he violated his covenant.
21 His speech was smooth as butter,
    yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast your burden on the LORD,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

23 But you, O God, will cast them down
    into the pit of destruction;
men of blood and treachery
    shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you. – Psalm 55:1-23 ESV

David had been betrayed by a close friend, and this psalm reflects his struggle with anger, frustration, and the desire for revenge. David does not disclose the identity of this individual but simply refers to him as “my equal, my companion and close friend” (Psalm 55:13 NLT). David had his fair share of enemies, like King Saul, Doeg the Edomite, and the entire Tishite clan, but this failed relationship with a former friend was different altogether. 

This friend turned foe had shaken David to the core. It was one thing to suffer the scorn of a sworn enemy, but to have a close associate become the source of such pain and suffering was difficult to bear. David provides an almost clinical description of the physical symptoms he suffered as a result of this unexpected conflict.

My heart pounds in my chest.
    The terror of death assaults me.
Fear and trembling overwhelm me,
    and I can’t stop shaking. – Psalm 55:4-5 NLT

David was in a state of desperation and despair, and longed to escape the relentless pressure he felt.

Oh, that I had wings like a dove;
    then I would fly away and rest!
I would fly far away
    to the quiet of the wilderness. Interlude
How quickly I would escape—
    far from this wild storm of hatred. – Psalm 55:6-8 NLT

My wife has a phrase she tends to use when things are not going well. When faced with an unpleasant situation or circumstance, she says, “I wish we could go to an island.” When those words come out of her mouth, she is expressing the same thing David did when he said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!” (Psalm 55:6 NLT). Like David,  my wife occasionally finds herself in situations that cause her to want to run away and hide. She pictures a secluded island, far from the cares and troubles that confront her. For David, it was the wilderness of Judea, outside the walls of Jerusalem. I find his choice interesting because the wilderness was where David spent so many years hiding from the paid assassins of King Saul. You would think that the wilderness would be the last place David would want to go, but those barren, rocky hills had become a place of refuge, peace, and protection for him. It was in the wilderness that he found rest, safety, and a sense of well-being.

Life as the king living within the crowded walls of Jerusalem was anything but easy. There was intrigue, infighting, money issues, family quarrels, government concerns, and the constant threat of war because of all of Israel’s enemies. In the opening verses of this psalm, David cries out to God and paints a rather bleak picture of his current state of affairs.

    I am overwhelmed by my troubles.
My enemies shout at me,
    making loud and wicked threats.
They bring trouble on me
    and angrily hunt me down. – Psalm 55:2-3 NLT

Serving as the king and shepherding the people of God was a high-pressure job. It was virtually impossible to keep everybody happy. As king, David had plenty of enemies whose sole goal in life was to bring his reign to an abrupt end. These adversaries came from within and without, posing a constant threat to his reign and placing David was under a tremendous amount of pressure. In this instance, things had taken a more difficult twist because one of his closest friends had turned on him. David states, “It is not an enemy who taunts me – I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me – I could have hidden from them. Instead, it is you – my equal, my companion and close friend” (Psalm 55:12-13 NLT).

David doesn’t disclose the details of his friend’s transgression, but it was bad enough to make David want to run away and hide. This was not a one-time reaction for David. He had a habit of running away from difficult relationships. The Book of 2 Samuel records when David’s son Absalom staged a coup to take over the kingdom. When David received word of his son’s actions, he chose to abdicate the throne and abandon the royal city.

A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”

“Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster.” – 2 Samuel 15:13-14 NLT

Rather than face his son and protect his throne, David ran away. In Psalm 55, David is faced with another situation where he must choose either to flee or fight. Running is always an attractive option. Some of us literally run away from problems, while others of us do it figuratively. We may escape through busyness, drowning our problems in preoccupation with something else. We may turn to drugs or alcohol, attempting to cloud our perception that the problem even exists. We may run to some form of entertainment, hoping to distract our minds from the issue at hand. Or we may run from our problems by attempting to ignore them altogether. Whatever tactic we take, running from our problems rarely works, and it never makes them go away. David knew that.

So, instead of running away, David turned to God. He called on God and asked Him to do what only God can—provide rescue and relief.

But I will call on God,
    and the Lord will rescue me.
Morning, noon, and night
    I cry out in my distress,
    and the Lord hears my voice.
He ransoms me and keeps me safe
    from the battle waged against me,
    though many still oppose me.
God, who has ruled forever,
    will hear me and humble them. – Psalm 55:16-19 NLT

David knew from experience that his best option was to trust God. Running never solved anything.  As bad as things might have been, David knew that God could handle his problems, his enemies, his clash with his former friend, and anything else that came up in his life. His advice? “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall” (Psalm 55:22 NLT).

David’s enemies were real. His situation was difficult and further complicated by his friend’s disingenuous words and deceitful actions. But David knew that running away might provide temporary relief from his problems, but it would never bring resolution. Only God could do that.

We can confidently face whatever comes our way by taking it to the Lord and trusting Him with the outcome. Don’t run away. Run to Him. He is where we will find peace, safety, rescue, and resolution to our problems.

The group Selah recorded the following song, and its lyrics provide a fitting summation of David’s words.

You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With the songs of deliverance
When ever i’m afraid
I will trust in you
I will trust in you
Let the weak say
I am strong,
With the strength of the lord
You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With the songs of deliverance
When ever i’m afraid
I will trust in you
I will trust in you
Let the weak say
I am strong,
With the strength of the lord

Father, I am not sure why I don’t run to You more often and more readily. You have never failed me or let me down in the past, but I still find myself running away rather than turning to You. When faced with problems, I long for escape, when what I should long for is You. You alone can help me. You alone can rescue me. You alone are the answer to every problem that confronts me. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Trusting God When It Doesn’t Make Sense

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To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Hear this, all peoples!
    Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high,
    rich and poor together!
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
    I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
    when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth
    and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly no man can ransom another,
    or give to God the price of his life,
8 for the ransom of their life is costly
    and can never suffice,
9 that he should live on forever
    and never see the pit.

10 For he sees that even the wise die;
    the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever,
    their dwelling places to all generations,
    though they called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp will not remain;
    he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
    yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
    Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
    for he will receive me. Selah

16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
    when the glory of his house increases.
17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
    his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
    —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
    who will never again see light.
20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish. – Psalm 49:1-20 ESV

This psalm is an honest response to one of the most common concerns expressed by the godly in every generation. Why do the wicked prosper while the righteous seem to suffer? This seeming incongruity on God’s part has always puzzled His people, often causing them to question His justice. The author of Psalm 73 voiced the frustration of the faithful as he conveyed inequitable success of the godless.

I envied the proud
    when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
They seem to live such painless lives;
    their bodies are so healthy and strong.
They don’t have troubles like other people;
    they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else. – Psalm 73:3-5 NLT

He goes on to express the impact this inequity has on God’s people.

And so the people are dismayed and confused,
    drinking in all their words.
“What does God know?” they ask.
    “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
Look at these wicked people—
    enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply. – Psalm 73:10-12 NLT

This is exactly the problem the author of Psalm 49 is addressing, but he comes at it from an eternal perspective. Rather than focusing on the temporal success of the wicked, he points out the promise of future reward for the righteous. He approaches the whole matter from God’s all-knowing, all-seeing vantage point. Yahweh is not blind to the actions of the unrighteous, and He is not guilty of injustice or inequity. Things are not always as they seem. So, inspired by the wisdom of the proverbs, the psalmist calls on all people to listen to his counsel.

Listen to this, all you people!
    Pay attention, everyone in the world!
High and low,
    rich and poor—listen!
For my words are wise,
    and my thoughts are filled with insight. – Psalm 49:1-3 NLT

Rather than rail against God for His apparent mishandling of earthly affairs, the psalmist sought to take a more long-term perspective. While it may appear that the wicked grow wealthy as they purposefully disregard God’s law and abuse His people, their affluence will have no influence on their eternal state. They will never make enough money to pay for their sins or ransom their way out of judgment.

Why should I fear when trouble comes,
    when enemies surround me?
They trust in their wealth
    and boast of great riches.
Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death
    by paying a ransom to God.
Redemption does not come so easily,
    for no one can ever pay enough
to live forever
    and never see the grave. – Psalm 49:5-9 NLT

The psalmist repeatedly brings up the topic of Sheol, or the grave, because he is attempting to shift the focus to the fate of the wicked. Death is inevitable and unavoidable. This life can be fleeting and fickle, with some enjoying experiencing joy and material success while others suffer great sorrow and the pains of poverty. But in the end, they all suffer the same fate: Death.

King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and he enjoyed all the perks that came with his role as king. He was wealthy, powerful, well-educated, and surrounded by all the pleasures money could buy, but he had learned that money was an unreliable source of satisfaction and provided no protection from the grave.

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! – Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 NLT

There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. – Ecclesiastes 5:13-15 NLT

A rich man may use his money to build a beautiful mausoleum to contain his remains, but his wealth can’t stave off death. That is precisely the point the psalmist is trying to make.

Those who are wise must finally die,
    just like the foolish and senseless,
    leaving all their wealth behind.
The grave is their eternal home,
    where they will stay forever.
They may name their estates after themselves,
   but their fame will not last.
    They will die, just like animals.
This is the fate of fools,
    though they are remembered as being wise. – Psalm 49:10-13 NLT

It doesn’t matter if you’re wise, foolish, wealthy, impoverished, famous, or faceless — everyone faces the same fate. With this rather somber and depressing thought in mind, the psalmist drives home his primary point. He will rest in God’s sovereign protection and provision.

Like sheep, they are led to the grave,
    where death will be their shepherd.
In the morning the godly will rule over them.
    Their bodies will rot in the grave,
    far from their grand estates.
But as for me, God will redeem my life.
    He will snatch me from the power of the grave. – Psalm 49:14-15 NLT

The wicked, like all mankind, will eventually face death. Their bodies will rot in the grave while others spend their hard-earned wealth and enjoy the fruits of their earthly labor. And when they are gone, there will still be righteous, God-fearing people who remain behind. Verses 14 and 15 are sometimes construed as the psalmist’s belief in some form of afterlife. But at this point in their history, the Israelites did not have a fully formed theology of heaven, hell, and the eternal state. Their concept of life beyond the grave was a work in process that had yet fully developed.

“It is possible that the psalmist is looking at ultimate eschatological realities, anticipating his own resurrection and a time when the righteous, not the rich, will rule on earth. However, it is more likely that the ascendancy of the righteous refers to their vindication in this life, a well-attested theme in the Psalter, especially in the wisdom psalms (see, e.g., Pss. 1, 34, 37, and 112, as well as the discussion above). In this case verse 15 refers to God’s preserving the psalmist through ‘evil days’ (cf. v. 5) by keeping him from premature, violent death at the hands of the oppressive rich and from the calamity that overtakes them. ‘Morning’ (v. 14), which brings to mind the dawning of a new day after a night of darkness, aptly symbolizes the cessation of these ‘evil days.’“ – Robert B. Chisholm, Jr. – “A Theology of the Psalms.” In A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament

It’s unlikely that the psalmist is expressing his belief in a place called heaven or declaring his hope in an eternal abode beyond the grave. He is simply stating His trust in God’s sovereign will over the affairs of life. He knows that he, too, will one day face death, but he trusts that his days are numbered by God and that nothing will happen to him until his God-ordained hour comes.

The emphasis of his song is not on the hope of heaven but on the inevitability of death. Everyone dies — from the wealthiest and wisest to the impoverished and ignorant. Death is the great leveler. But the righteous have God on their side. He watches over them and protects them. He preserves their lives even when they are confronted by the unfair and unjust actions of the wicked. So, he concludes:

So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich
    and their homes become ever more splendid.
For when they die, they take nothing with them.
    Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
In this life they consider themselves fortunate
    and are applauded for their success. – Psalm 49:16-18 NLT

Don’t waste your time envying them or longing to be like them. Don’t get fooled by their apparent success and seeming avoidance of God’s judgment. Death will come for them just as it does for everyone else. The Jews did believe that death was not the end, but it was not a well-formed or fully developed doctrine at this time. The psalmist is not trying to encourage hope in the afterlife; he is trying to remind his fellow Hebrews to trust God in this life. In a sense, he is saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The wealthy wicked may seem blessed and free from pain and suffering, but death is the inevitable judgment for all mankind. Death, as the apostle Paul put it, is “the wages of sin” (Romans 6:23 NLT). Death entered the world because of sin, and only God can preserve and protect His people from the penalty of death. In the psalmist’s day, they believed God could delay death for His righteous ones.

But it wasn’t until the coming of Christ that the concept of a permanent escape from sin’s penalty became a reality. With His death and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for mankind’s sin debt. Death still occurs. The righteous must still face the inescapable reality of the finality of life. But the apostle Paul reminds us that there is hope beyond the grave because of the atoning work of Jesus.

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 NLT

The psalmist had no concept of this great truth, but he encouraged his audience to sing God’s praises nonetheless. He believed in the goodness and greatness of God in this life, even though he had no fully developed doctrine of the next life. He was willing to trust God in the here and now, even when it didn’t make sense. Death is the great equalizer, but God determines each man’s fate. As David confessed in Psalm 139, God knew his birth date and death date before he was even born.

You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed. – Psalm 139:16 NLT

So, don’t worry. Don’t be jealous. Don’t allow the apparent success of the unrighteous weigh you down or cause you to doubt God’s goodness. He is in control, and your life is in His all-powerful hands.

Father, I needed to hear this today. We live in a world where nothing seems to make sense. It seems like the wicked get rewarded while the righteous are forced to suffer in obscurity and face ridicule for our faith in You. It’s so easy to allow jealousy, envy, fear, and doubt to creep in and destroy my confidence. But this psalm reminds me that You are in control — at all times. I know things the psalmist didn’t know. I have been exposed to the truth of the gospel and the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. I know where I’m going when I die, yet I still struggle with fears, doubts, and questions about the seeming lack of justice in this life. Help me stay focused on Your faithfulness and sovereignty. You are not done yet. Your plan has not yet been completed, but it will be. Thank you for this timely reminder.. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Deeply Dependent

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.

1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
    “I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
    you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
    I was dismayed.

8 To you, O Lord, I cry,
    and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
    O Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! – Psalm 30:1-12 ESV

David wrote this Psalm as a song to be sung at the dedication of the Temple – an event he would never live long enough to personally witness. But the words of this Psalm reflect David’s heart toward his God. He loved God and had a desire to worship and honor Him with his life. He recognized God’s hand in his life over the years and had a unique vantage point to look back and put his life in perspective. He could see the countless times God had rescued him from his enemies. He could recall the many times he had called out to God in sickness or weakness, and God had answered with healing and strength. There had even been occasions when David’s life hung in the balance, and God restored him.

You brought me up from the grave, O Lord.
    You kept me from falling into the pit of death. – Psalm 30:3 NLT

He remembered the many times in his life when his actions had angered God, but he also recalled how God quickly extended mercy whenever he repented.

For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
    but joy comes with the morning. – Psalm 30:5 NLT

David could vividly recall the sleepless nights when he was in tears because of hopelessness and helplessness. But morning always seemed to bring joy and a sense of peace because God was there.

Then there were those times when all was going well in David’s life. His world was trouble-free, and this idyllic state produced a false sense of security.

When I was prosperous, I said,
    “Nothing can stop me now!”
Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.
    Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. – Psalm 30:6-7 NLT

In those moments, David tended to get cocky and begin to take himself a little too seriously. He became dangerously independent from God – an ever-present danger for God’s people. David could probably recall the words Moses spoke to the people of Israel as they prepared to enter the land of promise for the very first time.

“Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God…” – Deuteronomy 8:11-14 NLT

David knew he had been guilty of not heeding this warning. In the good times, he had tended to take credit for his successes and ignored his need for God’s power and provision. Bolstered by his achievements, David proudly proclaimed, “Nothing can stop me now!” He was invincible, or so he thought. In retrospect, David realized that it was only the favor of God that allowed him to prosper and thrive. If God ever removed His unmerited favor, David’s seeming successes would quickly become glaring failures. David spoke from personal experience, having repeatedly discovered the truth behind the Proverb: “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 NLT). In those moments, David cried out to God to protect him from self-destruction.

 I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,
“What will you gain if I die,
    if I sink into the grave?
Can my dust praise you?
    Can it tell of your faithfulness?” – Psalm 30:8-9 NLT

Whenever we get brash and bold enough to believe that we don’t need God, He allows us to understand what that kind of life will look like. Prosperity without God’s presence is joyless, meaningless, and in the end, a waste of time. Success without God’s favor is like eating cotton candy; it tastes great but provides no long-term value for sustaining life.

At those moments when David realized he had begun to take himself too seriously and God too lightly, he repented and cried out for mercy. He begged God to forgive him and restore Him. “Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me. Help me, O LORD” (Psalm 30:10 NLT). Those are words that our heavenly Father loves to hear from His children. He longs to be there for us, to help us, protect us, give us direction, and lovingly provide for us.

David knew from experience that God was always there to pick him up when he was down, to meet needs he couldn’t meet, to win battles he had no strength to fight, let alone win, and to forgive him when he repented. God is faithful in replacing our sadness with joy. All He asks is that we replace our independence with dependence and our self-sufficiency with a total reliance upon Him. When we do, we will be able to say along with David, ” O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!” (Psalm 30:12b NLT).

Father, forgive me for my arrogant independence. Far too often i want to live my life my way and take credit for the successes. But then I want to turn around and blame You for the failures. May I grow increasingly more aware of just how much I need You for everything in my life. And may I never forget that I can take no credit for anything good that happens in my life. It is all a result of Your good favor. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Look to God

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A Psalm of David.

1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
    let me not be put to shame;
    let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
    they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.

6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

11 For your name’s sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is great.
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall abide in well-being,
    and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.

19 Consider how many are my foes,
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
    Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.

22 Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all his troubles. – Psalm 25:1-22 ESV

In this amazing Psalm, David repeatedly reminds us that there is only one place we are to look for help, hope, healing, deliverance, direction, instruction, inspiration, mercy, forgiveness, and love. Whether things are going great or life has taken a turn for the worse, David tells us that, from his experience, God is worth trusting. In fact, throughout this Psalm, David uses the Hebrew word qavah, which means “to wait for, hope for, and to look eagerly for.”

There is a sense of anticipation and expectation built into that word. This is not about hopeless resignation or a pessimistic determination that nothing else can be done. It is an eager expectation based on God’s reputation for righteousness, mercy, love, power, forgiveness, and salvation. David doesn’t just pray for God’s deliverance; he fully expects it.

No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced… – Psalm 25:3 NLT

…you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. – Psalm 25:5 NLT

…you are merciful, O LORD. – Psalm 25:7 NLT

The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. – Psalm 25:8 NLT

The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness… – Psalm 25:10 NLT

David had a long-term perspective. He did not let current circumstances cloud or influence his understanding of God’s faithful love and ability to deliver at just the right moment. He knew he could trust God to come through and deliver him from trouble. But he viewed God as more than just a divine deliverer. He had experienced God’s direction and guidance, providing him with a clear understanding of what path to take in life. David’s God didn’t just protect his life; He pointed out how to live a full and meaningful life.

David had grown to depend on God’s guidance, which is why he says, “show me the right path” (Psalm 25:4 NLT). He isn’t just asking God to point out the path but to make it known clearly and decisively so there’s no chance of taking a wrong turn. David asks God, “Lead me by your truth and teach me” (Psalm 25:5 NLT). The word translated as “lead” carries the idea of God showing David where to place each footstep along the way, and David knows that God’s direction comes from God’s Word.

David asks God to teach him. The Hebrew word lamad means to strike with a rod or to chastise. It was a word used when referring to the training or discipline of cattle. David invites God to train him, even if God has to use a little physical discipline. When was the last time you asked God to teach you and not spare the pain?

David could dare to make such a request because he knew that God was holy, just, righteous, and good. “The Lord is good and does what is right” (Psalm 25:8 NLT). He “leads with unfailing love and faithfulness” (Psalm 25:10 NLT). David knew that God always had his best interest in mind. Even in his darkest moments, David knew he could turn to God, and God would understand, empathize, rescue, restore, teach, guide, discipline, and love him through it all.

This Psalm reminds us that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, faithful, righteous, merciful, personal, forgiving, and worthy of our trust. David looked to God. He kept his eyes focused on God. But we live in a world filled with distractions and doubt-producing alternatives that try to substitute themselves as replacements for God. It is easy to focus our attention elsewhere. We can quickly look to someone or something else to bring us peace, escape from pain, hope, happiness, wisdom, and protection. But none of those things will deliver. None of them can provide what we’re looking for because they offer empty promises and always leave us with unfulfilled desires. Yet, God always delivers. He always comes through. He always shows up. So, David kept looking up.

My eyes are always on the Lord,
    for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies. – Psalm 25:15 NLT)

These are not the glass-half-full rants of a wide-eyed optimist. David could whine with the best of them. In fact, he declares his not-so-pleasant circumstances in no uncertain terms.

I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. – Psalm 25:16-17 NLT

He asks God to feel his pain and see his trouble. He begs God to forgive his sins, especially those to which he may be blind. He doesn’t know why he’s suffering or what he has done to make his enemies despise him, but he knows his only hope is God.

Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
    Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge. – Psalm 25:20 NLT

When all is said and done, David must trust that God sees and knows the truth behind his circumstances. His all-knowing God will avenge him because he is a man of integrity and honesty. David is not claiming to be a man of moral perfection or sinlessness. He fully knows his capacity to commit sin and his need for God’s forgiveness. But he trusts that God knows the true nature of his heart and will not only forgive but vindicate him.

When things looked down, David looked up. He put his faith in God, believing that justice would be served, protection would be forthcoming, and restoration was inevitable. Where are you looking today? Why not look up and eagerly wait for God to show up? He is “a friend to those who fear him” (Psalm 25:14 NLT).

Father, this Psalm is so rich and jam-packed with insights into Your character. Make them come alive in my life and experience. I want to look to You, rely on You, rest in You, wait on You, and eagerly hope in You. Because You are my God and my friend. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Trust in God

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
    May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your offerings
    and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

4 May he grant you your heart’s desire
    and fulfill all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your salvation,
    and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with the saving might of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
    but we rise and stand upright.

9 O Lord, save the king!
    May he answer us when we call. – Psalm 20:1-9 ESV

This is a Psalm of intercession. While it was penned by David, it is his attempt to express the prayers of his people on his behalf. As the king, David faced many challenges and difficulties that directly impacted the people he governed. When he was attacked, their safety and security were put at risk. They were dependent upon him for protection from hostile outside forces, and this Psalm reflects David’s belief that the people of Israel regularly interceded on his behalf.

In some ways, this Psalm is less a prayer than a blessing. It opens with the people’s wish for David to receive the counsel and help of God when trouble comes his way.

In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
    May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
May he send you help from his sanctuary
    and strengthen you from Jerusalem. – Psalm 20:1-2 NLT

They desire that David remain in good standing with the Almighty because their lives depend upon it. and God’s grace to When David seeks the LORD’s favor through the presentation of offerings, they want those sacrifices to be accepted and David’s request to be met.

May he remember all your gifts
    and look favorably on your burnt offerings. – Psalm 20:3 NLT

The king’s relationship with Yahweh was critical to the nation’s safety and stability. So, they prayed for him to remain in good standing with God so that they might enjoy the benefits of God’s favor.

The Proverbs reflect the importance of a king’s conduct and its impact on his subjects.

A just king gives stability to his nation,
    but one who demands bribes destroys it. – Proverbs 29:4 NLT

If a ruler pays attention to liars,
    all his advisers will be wicked. – Proverbs 4:12 NLT

If a king judges the poor fairly,
    his throne will last forever.  – Proverbs 4:14 NLT

This pattern of poor leadership producing poor outcomes is reflected in the life of a later Israelite king named Rehoboam.

…when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him in this sin. – 2 Chronicles 12:1 NLT

As the king goes, so goes the nation. That proverbial maxim was familiar to the people of Israel and motivated their prayer for David’s spiritual success. They understood that their well-being was directly tied to David’s relationship with God, and they couldn’t afford to have a king who took the path of Rehoboam. Even the apostle Paul reminded his protégé Timothy to pray for the Roman authorities who controlled the fate of Israel.

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. – 1 Timothy 2:1-2 NLT

After the nation of Israel found themselves living in exile in Babylon, God gave them the following instructions.

“…work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” – Jeremiah 29:7 NLT

God was letting them know that their exile had been His doing and any hope they had of surviving their time in Babylon would require their prayers for His provision and protection, but also their willing submission to His sovereign plan for their lives.

Psalm 20 contains David’s hopeful perception that his subjects supported him with their prayers for his success and their support of his leadership. It is impossible to lead if no one follows. So, David envisions his loyal subjects lifting him up to God.

May he grant your heart’s desires
    and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
    and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers. – Psalm 20:4-5 NLT

The last verses of the Psalm are meant to illustrate the people’s confident trust in Yahweh’s grace, love, and mercy. Their prayer reflects their unwavering assurance that God will not only hear but answer.

Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.
    He will answer him from his holy heaven
    and rescue him by his great power. – Psalm 20:6 NLT

Once again, these words were penned by David and were his attempt to project his hopeful beliefs about his own people. The role of a king came with many perks, but it was also a lonely and isolated position that came with great responsibility. The saying goes, “It can be lonely at the top.” So, David tried to bolster his courage and confidence by envisioning his subjects as his greatest fans. He wanted to think of them as being on his side and supportive of his leadership.

David knew he was nothing without the full support of the Almighty. But he also understood that no king could lead without the support of his subjects. He wrote this Psalm as a not-so-subtle reminder to his people to have his back. He wanted them to understand that they had a role to play in his oversight of the kingdom. He couldn’t do it without them.

David desired his people to be fully committed to and dependent upon Yahweh for their success. This Psalm reminds us that a king is no greater than his relationship with God, and the people are responsible for interceding on his behalf. This requires belief in God’s sovereignty and power. He is the ultimate King of kings and Lord of lords. That is why David ends his Psalm with a powerful reminder of Yahweh’s preeminence and their need for His constant presence.

Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
    but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
Those nations will fall down and collapse,
    but we will rise up and stand firm. – Psalm 20:7-9 NLT

The closing line of this Psalm reflects David’s heart, but he puts the words in the mouths of his people.

Give victory to our king, O Lord!
    Answer our cry for help. – Psalm20:9 NLT

Over his lifetime, David learned much about God’s faithfulness and his own weakness. He had repeatedly watched God provide deliverance from his enemies, and he knew he couldn’t take credit for it. He refused to boast in his own power of self-preservation.  He had learned from experience that when he encountered trouble, his first response should be to cry out to God. He knew that God was far more reliable and powerful – even though he was a king with all kinds of resources at his disposal. Whether it was a need for deliverance from an enemy or the fulfillment of a desire, David had learned to take everything to God. Nothing was too big or too small for God to handle. David knew that God answered prayer because He had done so in the past. God had delivered him before. God had saved, directed, and provided victory on more than one occasion, so David was more than willing to go back to the most reliable source he knew – God. And he wanted his people to share his confidence in God’s faithfulness.

David’s power was not determined by the size of his army, but by the object of his faith. As long as he turned to God and focused his faith on Him, David knew he had all the power he needed to face any difficulty, defeat any foe, and survive any situation. David was willing to “boast in the name of the Lord our God” and he wanted his people to do the same. That word “boast” can be better translated “call to mind or remember.” David seems to be saying that, in times of trouble, we recall the character of God and lean on Him, not ourselves. We depend on His strength, not ours. We rely on His salvation instead of our own. Human strength is no match for God’s power. Human intelligence is a poor substitute for God’s wisdom. Turning to God will always turn out better in the long run.

Father, You have a long track record of success and faithfulness. Yet we continue to turn elsewhere when times get tough. Continue to teach us to trust You alone, to turn to you first and to rely on You to the end. You will not disappoint. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.