Sing to him a new song. -Ps. 33:3
King David wrote most of the Psalms. He loved to sing and dance. He played a bunch of instruments, too. But, where did he get his inspiration? Where did all these songs come from? He didn't just sit down and write the whole book of Psalms in a day. The Psalms were gradually compiled over Israel's history to commemorate great things God had done. In other words, David took the things God had done in his life and wrote poems about them. He sang about them. He praised God in them.
Noticeably, David was not content with writing one or two songs. He wrote seventy five! Throughout the book of Psalms, he speaks of singing new songs to God (Ps. 33, 40, 96, 98, 144, 149). Sometimes, God Himself is the one who puts a new song in our heart (Ps. 40:3). This idea of newness was a captivating one to David. What exactly was it about new songs that was so important? Well, for one, they indicate a relationship with God. But even more, they gave David an opportunity to get specific and personal in his worship.
New songs help keep your heart fresh and sensitive to God. They give you ways to make your worship specific and personal. Sometimes, God Himself puts a new song in your heart. Other times, you just feel like singing...
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
God of My Feebleness
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. -Ps. 73:26
Webster's defines feebleness as the state of lacking strength or vigor. Sometimes we are physically feeble. We are exhausted. We have done so much that we lack strength in our physical bodies. This is what it means for our flesh to fail. Other times, our hearts our feeble. We are emotionally drained. Our thoughts are scattered. Our desire is lacking. This is what it means for our heart to fail.
In both cases, whether my heart or my flesh may fail, only God can replenish me. I must orient my heart and body to Him to regain strength. Isaiah compares this regaining of strength to an eagle, "Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary" (40:31). When I am exhausted or drained, God is an endless source of new strength and vigor. God is the God of my feebleness.
Webster's defines feebleness as the state of lacking strength or vigor. Sometimes we are physically feeble. We are exhausted. We have done so much that we lack strength in our physical bodies. This is what it means for our flesh to fail. Other times, our hearts our feeble. We are emotionally drained. Our thoughts are scattered. Our desire is lacking. This is what it means for our heart to fail.
In both cases, whether my heart or my flesh may fail, only God can replenish me. I must orient my heart and body to Him to regain strength. Isaiah compares this regaining of strength to an eagle, "Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary" (40:31). When I am exhausted or drained, God is an endless source of new strength and vigor. God is the God of my feebleness.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Bless the LORD
Bless the LORD, O my soul... -Ps. 103:1a
To bless the LORD means to give God thanks and praise. David uses the clause, "Bless the LORD, O my soul..." to prop up the first and last verse of this psalm like bookends. Everything between these two verses, then, is meant to explain why someone would deliberately go out of his way to bless the LORD. Here's a few reasons David gives: God forgives our sin (v. 3); He gives us good gifts to enjoy (v. 5a); He renews our vitality in life (v. 5b); He brings justice to the oppressed (v. 6); and He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love (v. 8)!
Seven times in this psalm, David exhorts himself, Israel, and all the created order to bless the LORD. Why seven? Well, first of all, we are so forgetful. We forget all that God has done for us. That's why David says "forget none of His benefits" (v. 2b). Secondly, in biblical theology, the number seven connotes the idea of completion. Think about the seven days of creation: "By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done" (Gen. 2.2). In other words, David is implying part of what it means for him to be complete is to bless the LORD. Just as God completed His work on the seventh day by resting, so David completes his life and work by blessing God.
I want to bless God for everything He has done for me. He forgives my sin. He gives me amazing gifts. He renews my vitality in life.
I want to bless God for who He is. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love.
Bless the LORD, O my soul...
Bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul...
Bless the LORD, you His angels...
Bless the LORD, all you His hosts...
Bless the LORD, all you works of His...
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
-Psalm 103
To bless the LORD means to give God thanks and praise. David uses the clause, "Bless the LORD, O my soul..." to prop up the first and last verse of this psalm like bookends. Everything between these two verses, then, is meant to explain why someone would deliberately go out of his way to bless the LORD. Here's a few reasons David gives: God forgives our sin (v. 3); He gives us good gifts to enjoy (v. 5a); He renews our vitality in life (v. 5b); He brings justice to the oppressed (v. 6); and He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love (v. 8)!
Seven times in this psalm, David exhorts himself, Israel, and all the created order to bless the LORD. Why seven? Well, first of all, we are so forgetful. We forget all that God has done for us. That's why David says "forget none of His benefits" (v. 2b). Secondly, in biblical theology, the number seven connotes the idea of completion. Think about the seven days of creation: "By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done" (Gen. 2.2). In other words, David is implying part of what it means for him to be complete is to bless the LORD. Just as God completed His work on the seventh day by resting, so David completes his life and work by blessing God.
I want to bless God for everything He has done for me. He forgives my sin. He gives me amazing gifts. He renews my vitality in life.
I want to bless God for who He is. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love.
Bless the LORD, O my soul...
Bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul...
Bless the LORD, you His angels...
Bless the LORD, all you His hosts...
Bless the LORD, all you works of His...
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
-Psalm 103
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The Hardship of Following Christ
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. -Lk. 14:27
Martin Luther believed if you do not have any hardship or suffering in your life, you should take it upon yourself to go out and get some. In his view, that was the only way to follow Christ. The problem with his view is it portrays suffering as the end goal of life. That's not the point of Jesus' words at all.
The point is that sometimes disciples make conscious decisions they know will cause more adverse circumstances in their lives. It may mean more work. It may mean more headaches. It may mean suffering and hardship. Disciples know the mere fact something is hard or stressful does not excuse them from doing it.
Even though Jesus made a tough decision when He went to the cross, He didn't go just for the pain of it. Likewise, disciples make these tough decisions not because of the pain it causes but because of the good it brings about for others. We are not sadists. We are servants. Serving others may mean more work. It may mean more headaches. It may even mean suffering and hardship. Regardless, the disciple is willing to go through hardship to follow Christ.
Martin Luther believed if you do not have any hardship or suffering in your life, you should take it upon yourself to go out and get some. In his view, that was the only way to follow Christ. The problem with his view is it portrays suffering as the end goal of life. That's not the point of Jesus' words at all.
The point is that sometimes disciples make conscious decisions they know will cause more adverse circumstances in their lives. It may mean more work. It may mean more headaches. It may mean suffering and hardship. Disciples know the mere fact something is hard or stressful does not excuse them from doing it.
Even though Jesus made a tough decision when He went to the cross, He didn't go just for the pain of it. Likewise, disciples make these tough decisions not because of the pain it causes but because of the good it brings about for others. We are not sadists. We are servants. Serving others may mean more work. It may mean more headaches. It may even mean suffering and hardship. Regardless, the disciple is willing to go through hardship to follow Christ.
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