A Life Worthy

Who, then, is the man who fears the Lord? God will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land (Psalm 25:13).

Verses like this one bug me.

Yep, I just said that there are portions of Scripture that bug me. Feel free to grab your pitchfork, light your torch, and head over to my house–you won’t be the first.

(Actually, you would be the first. Please do not do that. If you’re offended, you probably should just stop reading…but I hope you won’t do that either.)

You see, I’m a hard core believer in the inerrancy of Scripture, so it bothers me when I read something that I can’t reconcile with the world I see out there. So many believers trust God, fear God, serve God, and yet are destitute. Why?

But Michael, you point out, this Psalm is from the Old Testament. The promises were for Israel; they don’t always apply today. Maybe so, but this really seems to be a general principle of trust and provision, not a specific time-and-place promise. If it is a general principle, the implication is that those who are poor just don’t fear God enough–and that doesn’t fit with what I know about our Lord.

But Michael, you next propose, this is a general rule. It isn’t meant to apply to every single person at every single  moment. Perhaps, but what a bummer for you if you’re the exception to the rule.

But Michael, and here you bring out the big guns, you have to look at it spiritually. We are prosperous in the Spirit, and our inheritance is in Heaven. I hear you, and you’re probably right. We are, of course, children of the King of the Universe, and nothing can compare to that. It’s just that I always feel as if I’m copping out a bit if I classify text as spiritual simply because it doesn’t fit what I see. It’s the kind of thing non-believers point to and say “Ah-HA!”

And I hate it when they say “Ah-HA!”

Fret not, Beloved. My faith remains solid, my stand for inerrancy unchanged. I just like to be honest with you, and this is frustrating. If you have insight on this verse, please share it. In the meantime, I will place it on the shelf with other verses that my mind can’t fully grasp…yet. I will hold on to the fact that I am his, and he is mine, and that is eversomuchmore than enough.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great (Psalm 25:11).

For the sake of your name.

Not mine.

Because my name, frankly, is not worth saving.

But my name is so loud in my own ears that

it drowns out your voice

your wisdom

your word.

Perhaps the only way I can serve you is to stand as the object of your mercy.

That will be enough

and more.

Happy Friday, Beloved

Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.  Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord (Psalm 25:6-7).

Selective memory is a beautiful thing.  

David knows who he is.

More than that, he knows that God knows.

David’s asking God to conveniently forget the less savory aspects of his life, and to remember only that he loves David.  My grandma had that ability to pick and choose what she remembered. We called it dementia–perhaps it was a spiritual gift.

Anyway, here’s the amazing thing:  God does it. When God looks at David, he chooses not to remember the sin and rebellion and foolishness.  He sees only his Beloved.

He does the same when he looks at you and me.  

How do I know this?

Well, we’re here, aren’t we?

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.  No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame…(Psalm 25:1-3a).

Shame

Not embarrassment…not awkward self-consciousness, but full-blown shame.

Look, I’ve been embarrassed a time or two

or twelve.  

I’ve blown my lines in front of a large audience, I’ve driven my car over a curb amid a symphony of honks and jeers.  I’ve dropped the fly ball that should have been an easy out.

Hey, I once walked into a tether-ball pole in full view of the entire playground.  

I know embarrassment.

But shame, the way David is talking about it here–shame is different.  Shame strikes to the very core of your being. Shame isn’t about what you did.

It’s about who you are.

So…who are you?

If you are a child of God, you cannot be put to shame, because the very core of your being is Christ.

Because you are his Beloved.

So whether your enemy is some guy named Ted, or some disease named Cancer, or some life-wrecker named Self, you will not be put to shame, because your hope is in Him.

But, I gotta tell you, if you walk into a tetherball pole you’ll still feel like an idiot.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living(Psalm 27:13).

Someday, it will all be perfect.

Someday, our Lord will return for us, and creation will be made right.

But

He is at work today, too.

Here

Now

Keep your eyes open, Beloved. See him at work in your Today.

You don’t want to miss out.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.