Psalm 2

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Reflect

Turmoil, violence, and unrest mark our news cycle daily, leaving an unsettling in our souls.  Why are people in other places protesting?  Why Why are nations against one another?

Psalm 2 reminds that the real reigning King is over and above all earthly kings.  While the "nations rage" and the "people's plot in vain," (v.1) the psalmist gives perspective and puts all earthly kings in proper place - v.4 "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision."

Political jockeying, economic oppression, sexual violence and racial injustice will, sadly, continue...but not forever.  The Anointed one (v.2) sits on the throne now, and will undo all unrest, all violence, all turmoil.  In our current and broken world, we look toward this eternal rest in our Redeemer King.

Prayer

Our Dear Father,

You are Creator over all,

You've set your Son, the Anointed One, as King over all,

We rest in the assurance of your rule, now and forever.

May your kingdom come now,

Oh God, here on earth now, as it is in heaven.

In Christ,

Amen.

Psalm 73:21-26

²¹ When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

Reflect

Although grieved and embittered (v.21), and admitting to being senseless and ignorant (v.22), the psalmist holds onto these the promise that God is with him.  The psalmist expresses God's nearness in time and touch. 

The psalmist recognizes he is "always" near God (v.23), and in the end of it all, "afterward you will take me into glory" (v.24).  This is a wonderful assurance.  There is a certain peace that comes from this assurance - God is with us now and forever.  So much so, this assurance gives space for failure because God is now, for the psalmist, "the strength of my heart." 

Prayer

Dear God,

Give us tools to strengthen our devotion to you,

But most of all, give us yourself,

You are the strength of our hearts.

In Christ,

Amen.

Psalm 6

¹ Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.
² Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
    heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
³ My soul is in deep anguish.
    How long, Lord, how long?

⁴ Turn, Lord, and deliver me;
    save me because of your unfailing love.
⁵ Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
    Who praises you from the grave?

⁶ I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping
    and drench my couch with tears.
⁷ My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
    they fail because of all my foes.

⁸ Away from me, all you who do evil,
    for the Lord has heard my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
¹⁰ All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
    they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Reflect

For I am faint.  My soul is in deep anguish.  I am worn out from my groaning.

Throughout this lament the psalmist lists the toll of his hardships on his body.  This question at v.3 is a deep prayer we can all learn:  How long, Lord, how long?

The timing of things--even the worst things--is not made known to us.  But we can ask, and we ask the Lord directly.  The repeated asks will likely turn to groans, for however long it takes the trial to end will be uncertain.  It is right here in this uncertainty, we wait.

But v.4 stands out (to me) because the psalmist here (amidst all the fainting, anguish and groaning) holds onto the security of the Lord's "unfailing love." 

How long Lord, how long (v.3)?  I won't know anything until you arrive.  But...(v.4):  Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.

Prayer

Dear Father,

Teach me to weep with all my heaping sorrows,

And to turn my asking and searching for hope, solely on you alone.

In Christ precious name,

Amen.

Psalm 10:1

Why, Lord, do you stand far off?   

      Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Reflect

Here and in many, many other psalms we see the psalmist complain.

I hate complaints - especially from other people.  I try my best not to complain to others, so I try to keep things in, find ways around my frustration. Of course, stuffing stuff in isn't healthy.

Which is why, with God, seeing these honest complaints before him is...refreshing.  It is possible to complain.  Not only that, it is okay to complain.

Todd Billings writes how complaints to God is central to lament:  "Writers of laments and complaints in the psalms often seek to make their 'case' against God, frequently citing God's promises in order to complain that God seems to be forgetting his promises.  They throw the promises of God back at him."  (quoted in M. Vroegop, Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy)

Picture that: godly complaint involves throwing "the promises of God back at him."  So wild.  But, a key way to deepen our prayers.

Complain before Him.

Prayer

Dear Father,

Thank you for inviting me to exchange my frustrations & complaints,

With your promises. 

Though I do not fully understand, I wrestle with you still,

Thank you for hearing my complaints, in your wisdom and grace.

Teach me to speak to you without reserve, 

in humble, honest reverence.

In Christ's precious name,

Amen.

Psalm 73  (The Message)

73 ^1-5 No doubt about it! God is good—
    good to good people, good to the good-hearted.
But I nearly missed it,
    missed seeing his goodness.
I was looking the other way,
    looking up to the people
At the top,
    envying the wicked who have it made,
Who have nothing to worry about,
    not a care in the whole wide world.

Reflect

The Lord is good whether we see it or not.  It's best to keep our eyes fixed on him, of course, but the draw of seeing others are doing so well even without God, is tempting.  They "have nothing to worry about," it seems.  "Not a care in the whole world." 

This glancing around - this envying - is tantalizing because God's goodness isn't always apparent to us.  We look for alternatives when the road God has given is to perilous, strewn with struggles. But we look around also because what "the wicked" seem to be enjoy simply looks good in and of itself.

The Psalmist catches himself: "I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness." So he has caught himself.  He caught his own eyes glancing "the other way, looking up to the people."  When others around us succeed and enjoy the good life, without God, our glances turn into long gazes.

But, no person can satisfy our longings, no one can rescue us from our sins, no man or woman can give us dignity, worth and purpose as the Lord gives. 

No doubt - God is good.  Now, let's stare upon his goodness too. 

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Teach us to turn our eyes away from what seems good, but is not.

And to lift our sight to you, to the heavens, to you the Maker of heavens,

And see that your goodness lights our lives, all our days.

Even when our eyes turn from you.

Thank you, Father.

In Christ we pray,

Amen.

Job 7:17-20

17 What is man, that you make so much of him,

    and that you set your heart on him,

18 visit him every morning

    and test him every moment?

19 How long will you not look away from me,

    nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?

20 If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind?

    Why have you made me your mark?

    Why have I become a burden to you?

21 Why do you not pardon my transgression

    and take away my iniquity?

For now I shall lie in the earth;

    you will seek me, but I shall not be.”

Listen

Reflect

Job wonders why God would make so much of "man" that he has so "set [his] heart on him."  This echoes Psalm 8:4.  But while the psalmist rejoices at the thought that God would be mindful of him, here Job, while in deep suffering,  wonders why God would even still be watching him.  Job is wrestling with God.  For Job, the visits every morning, feel as though they are tests every moment (v.18). 

This is what it looks and feels like to be in deep suffering: an honest acknowledgement of sin (v.21), but also a sense of being crushed by God's never ending watch.  Job asks why God has put a target on him, why he has become a burden to God (v.20). 

This snapshot of Job suffering aloud, invites us to wrestle honestly with God also.  No need to hold back. 

We must take our sin seriously, yes.  Job demonstrates this in how he honestly feels before God.

We rejoice still that honesty about sin does not save, but the in Jesus Christ, and his blood, all our sins are forgiven.

For this we rejoice.

Prayer

Our Dear Heavenly Father,

What is the connection between our suffering and our sin?

Help uncover the ways I have offended you,

rebelled against you,

disobeyed you.

Gently show me, but definitely show me,

my wayward ways,

and the grace of your forgiveness and salvation.

Through Jesus Christ, your Son,

I pray,

Amen.

Matthew 23:37

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

Reflect

This picture Jesus makes of himself as a hen gathering her chicks under her wings, is a nice, gentle image of an important truth:  Jesus loves God's children tenderly. 

While undoubtedly true, he gives this picture at the tail end methodically listing seven scathing woes against pharisees and teachers of the law (see Matthew 23:13-39).  Now, Jesus who 'gathers her chicks like a hen' is certainly true - but read in context of his teaching, we learn this also: Jesus' tender love gathers even the most hypocritical. 

Let us be willing to be gathered.

Prayer

Our Dear Heavenly Father,

Your mercies are new every morning!

You love us in a myriad of ways, and your Word lets us know each way.

Help us be willing to be gathered under your wing.

And help us to know our own sin,

And how even so, you reach out to gather us in.

In Jesus we pray,

Amen.

John 14:1-7

14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Reflect

From troubled hearts to seeing the Father.  This is how the story begins, and how it ends.

In between, Jesus says three astonishing things. 

First, it's that the Father has many rooms, one of which--Jesus is promising to prepare for his disciples.  His comfort for them is that because he's preparing a place, he most definitely will "come again" and will "take you to myself" (v.3).  This is a promise that he will never leave us; Jesus will return.

Second, Jesus says "you know the way to where I am going" (v.4).  Thomas is all of us, asking what we might not dare to: We don't even know where you're going (your Father's house? with many rooms...? huh?), how will we know the way?  Jesus is adamant they know, because "the way" is himself.  And they are looking right at him!  "I am the way, the truth and the live" (v.6), Jesus says, "No one comes to the Father except through me."  Jesus is not Siri, not Google Maps, not some navigator to guide us to the Father.  Instead, Jesus himself is the way.  Jesus is the gate (John 10:9). 

Third, Jesus declares "you have seen him (the Father)."  I can picture Thomas' face here, all warped and wondering, "Huh?  Where is he?" But this Jesus proclaiming again this amazing relationship that he shares with the Heavenly Father.  If you see him, you see the Father.  If you want to go to the Father, simply go to him.  Why?  "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).

Prayer

Our Dear Heavenly Father,

Give us today a wider glimpse of the love you share with your Son,

Help us see, by your Spirit, your one-ness and your three-ness,

That we might wait in our troubles,

Settled in your promise that you will take us home.

Amen.

John 10:11-16

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Reflect

Jesus is good, and he calls himself here "the good shepherd," to impress on people's hearts his very heart for them.  There is nothing more anyone can give than his own life (v.11).  But Jesus also makes the point: he knows his sheep, and his sheep know him (v.12).  This shepherd knows the people he will die for.

But give attention also to how Jesus' ties the vocation of a shepherd to his own as the Saviour.  First, what distinguishes him from a "hired hand" is that he cares for his sheep. When the wolf arrives, Jesus will stand to protect his sheep, even if it means giving up his life.  Second, Jesus the shepherd searches for other sheep - who also belong to him!  His desire here is the missional vision for his church:  "I must bring them also." 

Pray

Oh precious Lord, my Gentle Shepherd,

Search my heart and bring me to your side.

You know me, and help me to know you.

Walk with me in this valley,

Protect me from the wolves,

Remind me again and again, how Gentle,

and good you are, my Good Good Shepherd.

In Your Name,

Amen.

Psalm 30:4-12  (NIV)

⁴ Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

⁶ When I felt secure, I said,
    “I will never be shaken.”
⁷ Lord, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
    I was dismayed.

⁸ To you, Lord, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
⁹ “What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
¹⁰ Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
    Lord, be my help.”

¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Reflect

From praise to praise, this section of Psalm 30 includes four couplets worth pondering.   Each couplet resounds two truths of God and life that may seem to be contradictory, but together, within the praise of God's holy name, they make more sense together than apart. 

Couplet One:  v.5a  "For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime."

The anger of God is not hidden; his anger is real.  For the psalmist, though, while this is true of God, "a lifetime" of favor is they very aspect of God's character we can rest in.  The difference between a moment and a lifetime comforts, but this is also true: God's favor for his people is never cancelled by his anger.

Couplet Two:  v.5b  "weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."

The previous couplet gives insight to God's character; this one to ours.  And, as in the first couplet, the elapse of time provides the context for comfort.  And, once again, there is no tension - both weeping and rejoicing are true experiences of all, but the promise here is that with God rejoicing will always follow weeping.  

Couplets Three & Four:  v.11  "You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy."

Having personally attempted dancing, wailing with sackcloth (an ancient practice of mourning) is an appropriate descriptor of my moves.  Which makes the movement of this transformation all the more appealing for me.  I picture a funeral becoming a wedding feast; desperate grief turned into exuberant celebration.  It is good that it is the Lord who causes this change, for by our own strength we would always languish.  God here is both master dance teacher and a premiere tailor; he picks us up and makes us dance like Fred Astaire. 

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,

Your favor to me is all I need.

When I weep, help me see through tears to a morning of rejoicing.

And, help me so I might not hide, but openly cry and wail

Into your guiding grace, and wait and wait until joy arrives.

In Christ I belong, and in his name,

Amen.

John 21:15-19  (ESV)

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Listen to a reading, reflection & prayer by Jason

Psalm 116

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Reflect

Prayer

I love the Lord, I say to all,

I love you Lord, I say to You.

Remind me when I forget, Lord, all the times you have shown me your grace,

How you have protected me, when the entanglements of life choked me with distress.

I return to you, my Rest and my Redeemer.  So good, you have been to me, to us; so good.

What can I offer you?  I vow to serve. I say to You, and I say to all.

In the name of Jesus,
Amen.

Psalm 16

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Reflect

David is confident in this psalm, glad and secure in God as refuge, in whose presence there is joy. 

In the 1 Peter text we prayed through last week (April 17), Peter pointed to the inheritance "kept for us in heaven."  Here in Psalm 16, David is assured in his life, how the parameters of his being have fallen in "pleasant places," and that his future includes "a delightful inheritance" (v.6).  A welcome reminder that all our present day worries are buffeted by future hope.

There are two uses of the term "at my/your right hand" - one at v.8, the other at v.11.  Both are expressions of the personal assurance David feels while being in the presence of God.  With eyes fixed on his Lord, David expresses "I will not be shaken" (v.8).  And with his future path secure and made known to him, God's presence fills him with joy.  These are the comforts, the kind of rest, our God gives to us even now. 

May the Lord's presence give to you now a sure and pleasant sense of safety.

Prayer

Our dear God, our Refuge and Strength,

Help us to see and cease running after futile gods,

Help us to see you, beside us, before us,

Help us to be glad and rejoice in you.

Help us stand on your unshakeable places,

The path you've set,

At your right hand.

Fill me with joy in your presence. 

Amen.

Psalm 69:1-18

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Reflect

"I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God."  (v.3)

Lamenting to God - as David is doing here, with heart-wrenching honesty - is physically exhausting.  This teaches us two things.  First, even when we are exhausted, we can and should persist in our cries for help.  Second, praying to God in such a way involves our whole being.  Pour our emotions out, yes.  Let the Spirit groan within and for us - yes, we must learn.  But also, praying hard after God may cause us to be worn out, leaving our throats parched and eyes tired in our searching.  This too is prayer. 

The expectation to "feel good" after Amen is lifted.  The invitation is to throw our whole lives unto God and say, "Save me, O God" (v.1) with honest abandon.

Prayer

Save me, O God,

For the same blurry days are hardening my heart, breaking my resolve,

The unhelpful talk of this virus is rising higher, causing us to sink in the mire.

I am tired, but still ask you to rescue.

Deliver me.  Come near and rescue me.

In Christ alone,

Amen.

1 Peter 1:3-9

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Reflect

Peter is writing to Christians enduring persecution for their faith.   His encouragement here is solely based in the resurrection of Jesus, and all that entails in this "new birth" and "living hope" (v.3).

Included is an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade.  In the midst of suffering - having this reassured in us, centers our hopes in the midst of any tornadoes.  This inheritance is also "kept in heaven" for us - which comforts us even more with this thought that I am known here and now, and something is being reserved for me. 

Here's one more reality of living in the resurrection of Christ: we cannot see him, but we can love him.  This is an extraordinary vision of our risen life with Christ.  Understanding that every suffering can at once be physical, emotional, psychological or relational...suffering many times is also hidden, to others, even to ourselves.  But here is a gracious counterpoint:  though we cannot see him, we can love him; though we do not see him now, we can believe in him.  What a deep and glorious joy.

Pray

Dear God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

We long for the inheritance you have promised,

We savour now the presence of the Spirit,

Who helps us to see, in faith, the joy and covenant love of Jesus,

Who died for the sins of the world, and is now risen and glorious.

Oh Father, help me to persevere.  Help me to continue on.

And keep my eyes fixed on you, and my home with you.

Amen.

Psalm 41

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Reflect

In Luke 22 we see Jesus dining for the last time with his disciples.  This is the meal where Jesus teaches us how to remember him, with the bread and the cup.

But, around this meal there are acts of betrayal against Jesus.  First it is Judas who for a bag of money turns Jesus over to the chief priests and officers.  Second, there is Peter - who denies Jesus three times, as his Master is taken away, and on his way to the cross.

In his psalm, David speaks of this very experience, the stinging pain of betrayal at the hands of a trusted friend:

   "Even my close friend,

       someone I trusted,

   one who shared my bread,

       has turned against me."  (Psalm 41:9)

In this Holy Week, let us trace Jesus' steps to the cross, and also his pain and sorrow. 

He truly understands our every weakness.

Prayer

Our dear Heavenly Father,

Why do you love us even when we have betrayed you?

But all the more glory and praise to you, as you do not treat us as our sins deserve.

You are compassionate and your grace and mercy overflows into my heart.

Thank you for Jesus, who endured scorn and shame for our sake.

Praise be to the Lord, from everlasting to everlasting,

Amen and Amen.

Psalm 24

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Reflect

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything it it..." (v.1) 

I remember when I was 6 yrs old and I learned this song at church - and it has stuck with me to this day: "He's got the whoooooolle world in his hands!" x4 

I've known this truth for many years, and I don't question it.  But these days, this same truth comforts me in a new way.  In one way, I appreciate the comprehensiveness of God's ownership - it includes everything.  It includes mountains and oceans, spiders and galaxies, and all who live in it.  Which means he knows who we are, what we are going through.  It means this owner of all creation personally knows us.  In times as we are in, this is comforting.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Everything is yours!  We are yours.

Help us know each day that we belong to you, and not only that,

But that we are loved by you.

Thank you for Jesus your Son, our Lord, who has come as King of glory, strong and mighty.

In his name we pray,

Amen.

Psalm 13

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Reflect

With much of our days spent inside, our look out into the world is either through our screens, or our windows.  Recently, I've been drawing our house blinds wider, letting the light in especially during midday.  Now as I spend more days at home, I'm able to trace the path the sun more and the variations of light that fill rooms. 

One ask of David in Psalm 13 is this prayer:  "Give light to my eyes..." (v.3) 

It's a simple request.  But, the pre-requisite is the humble acknowledgement that what my eyes see now is dim, even dark. 

Turn to God and ask him to give light to your eyes.  And may our gracious God grant you enough so we see him with our hearts.

Prayer

How long, Lord?  This societal, personal isolation is grinding me slowly.

How long, Lord?  Until the unknown becomes known to us.

Help us through this time.  Give strength and peace for all who are weak.

Give light to our eyes, that we may see your unfailiing love.

In the grace of Christ we pray,

Amen

Psalm 107: 23-32

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Reflect

A scene of God's people in distress, sailors out on sea.  This is us now, his church, amidst a storm of uncertainty and distress. 

• "They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep" (v.24).  The places where God reveals his deeds is "in the deep."  Be encouraged however deep your distress.  Not only is God here with us, he is working.
• "...in their peril their courage melted away" (v.26).  Whatever was the source of the sailors' courage is no longer solid; they are "at their wits' end" (v.27).  These are the conditions of our life when we are most able to see God's almighty hand.  Every peril is an opportunity to trust God.
• "He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed" (v.29).  The Creator exhibits his power.  The raging storm obeys him.  This powerful God holds and guides us still.
  

Question

• What was the response of the sailors after the storm was stilled?  See v.30.
• The people are called to give thanks to God for his unfailing love (v.31).  How does cultivating thanksgiving toward God help for future storms?
  

Prayer

Dear God,

Help us as we feel the turbulent waters under us, amidst this pandemic.

Give us peace and patience, wisdom and courage from you that will never melt.

We set our eyes on you.  Give us faith to see the shore where it is safe. 

There - and even now - we yearn to praise you for your unfailing love and might. 

In Christ we pray,

Amen.

Psalm 88

• Focus on verses 6-9.  In light of our time of country-wide isolation, how do these words resonate with you?
• See v.18.  "You have taken from me friend and neighbor - darkness is my closest friend."  Loneliness and depression had always been a wide-spread societal issue before the COVID-19 pandemic.  Now while we are in these strange times, it is very likely all this physical isolation while we getting waves of bad news and updates can send more and more into places of emotional darkness and despair. 
  

• Do you resonate with the psalmist's feelings of isolation and rejection?
• How can we help our friends and family who are feeling isolated and desperate like this psalmist?