Psalms 13-15

Psalms 13-15  -  Click on passage to read it.

There is no one in the Bible who has exposed more of the expanse of his frustrations and joys in life than David.  In the book of Psalms, David writes down all of his emotions, frustrations, anger, deep disappointments, and even his greatest joys.  Though he is a Godly man and will soon take the throne as Israel's anointed king, David doesn't ever hold back in sharing what he feels deep down inside.  At a low moment in his life while running from King Saul and his elite team of special forces, David cries out to God and asks the same questions that pass through our minds today. In Psalm 13, he throws out some very stinging questions before God...

-  Lord, have you forgotten me?
-  Lord, are you purposely just not listening and turning your head away from me?
-  Lord, how long are you going to let this intense pain last?
-  Lord, do you not see that my pain is deep and that I hurt every day?  Don't you care?
-  Please answer me God...I can't take it anymore!

This is what David was basically asking God about in verses 1-3.  Can you relate to his line of questioning?  I sure can! 

There have been times in my life where I not only feel that God has forgotten me, but that He is purposely inflicting the pain.  Even after praying for several years with seemingly no response, I've wondered if God would even answer me at all.  My story has deep pain - pain to the soul - pain that has gone on day after day after day - for years!  Even though I know that God is acutely aware of my pain and that He understands it more than I do, I also know that He loves me deeply - far deeply than I could ever understand!  The problem between what we see and what God sees is vastly different!  We are only capable of seeing the present, while God has already seen the outcome!  I know that is mind blowing...but it's true!

And, like David, I have brought these very same questions up before God!  Have you?

After spending a few moments in agonizing prayer, I usually end up coming to my spiritual senses and realize that though my pain doesn't seem fair, is life changing, is heart-wrenching, seems endless, and hurts down to my very soul, I know in the end that my God has a loving plan in it and that through it all - if I just trust Him - there will be a happy ending!  It may not be the ending I want, but an ending that leaves me knowing that what Satan meant for bad, God meant it for good.  God ALWAYS is looking out for our best, shaping us and molding us to be more like His dear Son, Jesus Christ.  Think of the crucible of affliction He had to endure!!!

In Psalms 15, David lists the kind of people we should be BEFORE we enter into worshiping Him.  What good is it to worship God when your life does not reflect the kind of life He expects out of us?  God doesn't want our worship as much as He just OUR OBEDIENCE!  Look at the kind of people God wants to worship Him...

Those who -  live clean before God and others, speak the truth always, be kind to others, avoid immersing our life with sinful people, respect those who love God, keep your promise - even when it's not convenient or hurts, and maintaining integrity in all thing pertaining to business and life!

Psalms 10 - 12

Psalms 10-12Click the passage above to read it!

In Psalms 10-12, David takes a look at a couple of things that both you and I see as prevalent things today...

1)  We see that sometimes during difficult times in life we (or even others) will feel like God is a million miles away, or that He is not hearing our urgent prayers.  It seems like we pray and pray and pray, and still He doesn't answer!   Well, David felt that way.  In Psalm 10:1, David asks God a very powerful and disconcerted question, "Why do you hide when I need you the most?"

Have you ever asked God that question?  I have!  And, on top of that, I've heard a number of my friends ask the very same question, "God, where are you?  Are you hiding from me?"

It's easy to feel this way when you're going through tough or confusing times.  You say to yourself, "Here I am. I'm living for God.  And, now that I'm going through a very tough time in my life and it seems like this problem is never going to go away...why do other people who don't live for God seem to escape these things?"   That's basically what David was asking God. 

In fact, in 10:13, David asks, "Why do the wicked get away with cursing God?"  David was confused, just like we are at times.  He's a man who really loves God, has God's Spirit working powerfully in and through his life, but is running like a mad man through the desert from King Saul, and David just doesn't understand God's thinking about the whole ordeal.

Well, the fact is (which David later confesses in Psalm 11 & 12, that God is watching both the righteous and the wicked, and that He is taking not of EVERYTHING.  And, that one day God will bring justice to everything and everyone!

You and I don't have the "birds-eye" view of what tomorrow, next month, or even the rest of the year holds.  We are guilty of only looking at the moment and are often missing out on the reality that God knows and understands our situation and has already seen the end!  That's right!  He knows how He's going to work things out!  You and I have to TRUST HIM...which is the hardest thing to do!

Reread Psalms 12:5-8, and remember while God is much more patient than we are, He will eventually act in His Perfect time!  Only then will you be able to look back and say, "Thank you, Lord, for the tough time, for what you taught me during those times, and also for getting me through to the other side!"

Psalms 7 - 9

PSALMS 7 - 9   -  Click on passage to read it.

King David writes these three chapters covering a great deal of emotion!

In Psalms 7, he cries out to God in prayer because he's running from the elite special forces of the Israelite army.  What is his crime?  Nothing!  King Saul has gathered his troops against "soon-to-be" King David, and David (with his group of misfits numbering about 400) is fleeing from one side of the desert to the other just to stay alive.  King Saul is furious that God's Spirit has left him and has filled David.  Saul is oppressed by the very fact that it looks like God is tearing away the nation of Israel from his control and will one day give it to David.  Pure jealousy!  It can rage like no other!

But, there are some rather wonderful things that David does:

1)  He's ok with telling God exactly how he feels!  In fact, he's wondering if God is hearing his prayer.  In verse 6, he says, "Arise O God" and "Wake up my God" as though he's saying, "Hey, God!  Where are you?  Right now is a perfect time to show up and protect me!  Hello...are you listening?"  Have you ever felt that way?  I know I have!  But, God's timing is always perfect and it isn't always in sync with our timing.   In chapter 7, however, David does confess 2 very powerful facts:   A)  God is a shield to those whose hearts are true to Him, and B) God is a judge to those who act unfairly against us!

2)  In chapter 8, David looks up at the stars one night and then glances over at the moon and the vastness of space and begins to imagine just how small he really is compared to a God who made all of that!   The next time you think something is impossible, drive out into the country away from the city lights where you can see more of God's created stars.  Look up into the heavens and think about how big God really is!  Remember, He said that He stretched out the universe with His right palm AFTER He spoke all heavenly bodies into existence.  WOW!  Nothing is impossible with God!

3) In chapter 9, David begins praising the Lord and throws out a few bits of theology that every Christian needs to be reminded of:  A) Vs. 7 - That God is eternal and looks upon all things here on earth and weighs them out in judgement. Simply put, our life is nothing more than but a test and an opportunity to show God if we'll bend our knee to His leadership or our own!  B)  Vs. 9 - That God is a refuge or shelter when times of trouble show up in our lives.  Rather than running to pills, alcohol, food, our doctor, a friend, a counselor....try to make God your first choice of refuge.  God is waiting on us when problems arise to run to Him.  Why don't we do that?  Only He has the power to REALLY FIX any and every problem.