A Life Worthy

My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.  I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. (Psalm 71:15-16).

Do you talk about him?

I know that you love him, you trust him, you worship him.

But do you talk about him?

Considering all that he has done for me—you know, forming me in the womb, providing my every breath, saving my soul—it would make sense that I talk about him every day, all the time, to everyone I meet.

But I don’t.

Oh, I talk about him to other Christians, telling them, “How God is working in my life,” because that is safe and expected and makes me look good.  But with the nonbeliever, the one who desperately needs to know that there is a God who is real and true and faithful and at work in everyday schmoes like me?

I am often remarkably silent.

Why?  No good reason.

Plenty of reasons…just no good one.

Partly I don’t want to make them uncomfortable, which is silly. After all, if they don’t know Christ, they need to be uncomfortable.

Partly I don’t want them to think I’m a fool, which is just too pathetic to talk about on a Monday morning.

Partly—and this scares me the most—sometimes God simply does not come to mind.  I am so wrapped up in my own stuff that…

Yeah.

I really hope I’m alone in this.  I hope you have no idea what I’m talking about, because you’re out there proclaiming Christ every day, all the time.  I hope you never let your foolish flesh get in the way of God’s work through you.

That is my hope for you today, Beloved.

And my prayer.

Happy Monday

For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.” Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered in scorn and disgrace  (Psalm 71:10-13).

I love this passage because it is so very real.

The Psalmist is surrounded by those who want to destroy him. They see his weakness, and think he is helpless. 

But he is far from helpless.

He has the help of the Most High God.

I love the Psalmist’s confidence in God. Also, if I’m honest, I love the part where he wants his enemies crushed. I can identify with that. It doesn’t quite fit with “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” but it’s real and it’s raw and I get it.

I’m pretty sure God gets it, too–even when his mercy precludes his acting upon it.

You can trust God, Beloved. With yourself, and with your enemies.

Happy Thursday

My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long (Psalm 71:8).

I want this.

I really, really want this.

We just read about how the Psalmist took refuge in God in the middle of all his garbage and grief.

Now we see how he did it.

Praise, Beloved. He declared the praises of his God all day long.

I wonder if Paul and Silas were thinking of this passage when they were in jail, praising God, watching as their chains fell to the ground and the prison doors opened.

I wouldn’t be a bit surprised.

Praise him today, Beloved.

Declare his splendor.

Happy Tuesday

From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you (Psalm 71:6).

Before you knew him, he knew you. 

Before you were capable of loving, he loved you.

Before you had any idea that you needed rescuing, he had rescued you.

Every blink

Every breath

Every heartbeat

From forever ago til eternity hence

Are in his highly capable hands.

He’s got you, Beloved.

Happy Friday.

Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men (Psalm 71:4).

Who do you think of when you read this verse?

The robber at the ATM?

The abductor of children?

The serial killer sneaking in through your unlocked bathroom window?

The unjust politician?

The backstabbing coworker?

The arrogant boss?

The driver who totally saw you there but still cut you off like he owned the whole road…

Sorry.

The point is, evil is out there. A lot of it is beyond our ability to defeat. But it is never, no never, beyond God’s.

But Michael, sometimes God lets people get away with stuff; sometimes he lets evil win.

I hear you, Beloved of Christ. And it does look that way. But it’s only for the moment. We’re in this for the long haul, ya? And in the long haul, God is very clear: we win.

Do you believe him, Beloved?

Then call on him.

Happy Wednesday.