Tag: Psalms

Links for today’s readings:

Feb 11 Read:  Proverbs 2 Listen: (1:53) Read: Psalm 32 Listen: (1:34)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 32:3, 9

3 When I kept silent,
    my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
    or they will not come to you.

Reflection: Mule Behavior

By Erin Newton

Mules are notoriously stubborn. They are hybrid creatures; the result of breeding a female horse and male donkey. They are sterile, albeit hardy, creatures. Farmers and ranchers utilize the hardiness of the mule, yet a quick search for mules reveals a plethora of pictures depicting a bridled mule, firmly planted, resolutely fixed in place despite the pull and command of its handler. Despite all efforts, they often refuse to move.

We have our own idiom to describe people who refuse to do what is asked: Stubborn as a mule. It is typically not used as a compliment, for the intended recipient is someone who has been told to change and will not comply. The psalmist is warning people to avoid such mulish behavior when it comes to sin.

Psalm 32 begins with a thanksgiving for forgiveness. “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven” (v. 1). It sounds like the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:1).

This psalm reflects on how sin weighs a person down. It is like one’s bones wasting away. Unrepentant sin, as the Spirit convicts our soul, gnaws and festers. When we repair our relationship with God, seeking forgiveness, we are restored. Blessed.

Forgiveness doesn’t come easy—asking for it, that is. We are naturally stubborn. Our pride wants to hold our ground and defend our ways. But the pulling from God and the weight of sin can be a painful experience. The psalmist tells us to give in.

There is, however, the need to ensure that the commands given to us are reflective of what Christianity demands. Is it God asking us to change? Who is pulling on our reins?

Our society is wrestling with issues of cultural religiosity, where “doing the Christian thing” is more akin to following club rules. Those who seek to retain power in the “club of cultural Christianity” see all resistance as mulish (and sinful) unrepentance. They hold the reins of some people asking them to follow without question. This is not what this psalm is saying.

Being obedient to God is not the same as following anyone who dons the title “Christian.” Mules are stubborn but they are not necessarily dumb. They often refuse when they perceive the situation is dangerous.

Who is holding your reins? Who is pulling you along, shouting commands to follow? May it be God, and God alone.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. — Psalm 31.1

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Temptation Has No Gender

Power, wealth, indulgence, sexuality…nothing escapes the corruption of sin and no gender is exempt from responsibility.

Temptation Has No Gender—Readers’ Choice

Read The Bible With Us

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Links for today’s readings:

Feb 9 Read: Job 42 Listen: (2:41) Read: Psalm 30 Listen: (1:32)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 22.1-2, 23-24, 30-31

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 
Why are you so far from saving me, 
so far from my cries of anguish? 
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, 
by night, but I find no rest.

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! 
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! 
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 
24 For he has not despised or scorned 
the suffering of the afflicted one; 
he has not hidden his face from him 
but has listened to his cry for help.

30 Posterity will serve him; 
future generations will be told about the Lord. 
31 They will proclaim his righteousness, 
declaring to a people yet unborn: 
He has done it!

Reflection: A Poem Before Dying

By John Tillman

What poem would you quote before dying?

Before dying, Jesus pointed us to Psalm 22. What is in this poem that Jesus and the gospel writers wanted to be on our minds?

“To be or not to be” is a popular quote. It is referenced thousands of times in many shows, plays, and films, including the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, The Last Action Hero. Even those who slept through English classes would at least remember it was from Shakespeare.

Others would recognize it from the play, Hamlet, even if they didn’t “remember Hamlet accurately.” Many would know Hamlet said it. Many more would know it begins an important speech. Many others might remember the speech as one of the most profound meditations in the English language on whether to resist the oppressions, struggles, and injustices of life or surrender to hopelessness, inaction, and death. Many might have memorized it.

Whenever someone alludes to “to be or not to be,” everything you know about it is activated. Your level of understanding an allusion, depends on your level of familiarity.

Jesus alluded to Psalm 22 from the cross by quoting its first line. (Matthew 27.46-49; Mark 15.34-37) Some of those around the cross would not even recognize the quote. Some would recognize it was scripture, but not where it was from. Some would recognize it but misunderstand its meaning. But some, including the gospel authors, had a deep understanding of the entire psalm and why Jesus would reference it.

From the last line to the first, there are many similarities in Jesus’ crucifixion and Psalm 22. The psalmist begins by asking why God has abandoned him but overall, the psalm affirms that God hears his cry and did not turn his face away (Psalm 22.24). It describes many physical details of crucifixion and proclaims in its final line that “He (God) has done it,” (Psalm 22.31) or, in other words, “It is finished.” (John 19.30)

Biblical authors are masters of allusion, referring constantly to other texts. The power of an allusion depends on how deeply you know the source material. Refamiliarize yourself with Psalm 22 keeping your mind open to what Jesus speaking from the cross would direct your attention to. Imagine standing there hearing him quote it and having its lines run through your mind as you watched.

Deeper familiarity with scripture will lead to deeper understanding.

Resource:“Seeing What’s Really There: A Guide to Biblical Allusions” — The Biblical Mind Podcast

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence

I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. — Psalm 119.174

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: The Prayer From the Cross

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?

The Prayer From the Cross

Read more: Job’s Christlikeness

Job is Christlike in his eucatastrophic return…everything in Job’s life died or was lost. Then, unexpectedly, everything was restored.

Job’s Christlikeness

Links for today’s readings:

Feb 6 Read: Job 39 Listen: (2:47) Read: Psalm 25 Listen: (2:18)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Feb 7 Read: Job 40 Listen: (2:09) Read: Psalms 26-27 Listen: (3:13)
Feb 8 Read: Job 41 Listen: (3:03) Read: Psalms 28-29 Listen: (2:41)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 25.4-5, 8-9

Reflection: Where Admission is Free

By John Tillman

Some teachers and schools are selective about admissions.

To enroll in a renowned school or study under a renowned teacher, you typically must prove you are already an excellent student in that topic. So-called “great” teachers have the distinct advantage of only teaching students who are already great before they ever show up in class. There are good and reasonable explanations for this. Students must be prepared for rigorous study under a master teacher.

Many private schools deny admission to students requiring greater educational resources. Students with disabilities, poor grades, poor behavior, or other deficiencies are turned away. Explanations for this are significantly less good and reasonable. These institutions shirk responsibility to conserve resources and (in some cases) maximize profit.

Seven times in Psalm 25, the psalmist describes learning from, or being taught by, God. The psalmist connects God’s goodness to his willingness to teach anyone. God is the ultimate master teacher. No teacher is wiser. Yet, God is a teacher from whom we all may learn. God teaches the humble, the weak, the foolish, the failures, and especially, the sinners.

God shows, teaches, guides, and instructs us in God’s ways. God’s ways require humility, but deliver from shame. God’s ways require confession, but forgive wrongdoing. God’s ways require submission, yet lead to freedom. God’s ways pass through suffering, yet emerge in victory.

The psalmist learns despite being in crisis. His feet are ensnared. Treachery surrounds him. He is lonely, troubled, afflicted, anguished, and distressed. Enemies who fiercely hate him seek his shame and destruction.

Doesn’t it seem like we face crisis after crisis? Do you feel trapped? Betrayed? Do you mourn the hatred you see and feel?

If so, you are perfectly positioned, as the psalmist was, to learn from God. God is good and upright. Loving and faithful. He is demanding, yet forgiving. He is fearful to behold, yet gracious and beautiful in his mercy displayed toward us and revealed in Jesus.

Take Jesus’ yoke upon you. Learn from him. (Matthew 11.29-30) He’s the world’s greatest teacher, and admission is free. Go beyond informational education to experiential learning. Go beyond lectures to the laboratory of living.

Don’t just study the map of Jesus’ life from a comfortable chair. Put your feet on the road and travel his path. He is gentle and humble. May we become so. He is loving and courageous. May we become so.

Divine Hours Prayer:

Jesus taught his disciples, saying: “And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, everyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying, ‘Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish.” — Luke 14.28-30

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Following Through Jerusalem

The path leading to glory with Christ is the path leading through suffering to death.

Following Through Jerusalem

Read more: A God Who Celebrates

Though we are unwieldy and unwise as the ostrich, give us grace to run in the path of your commands.

A God Who Celebrates

Links for today’s readings:

Feb 3  Read: Job 36 Listen: (3:04) Read: Psalms 20-21 Listen: (2:37)

Reflection: Boldly Asked and Answered Prayers

By John Tillman

Psalm 20 and 21 mirror each other. The poetic pairing includes the people’s intercessory prayer for the king going out to battle and the king’s prayer of praise to God when returning from battle. 

The requests in Psalm 20 are answered and celebrated in Psalm 21. We hear proclamations of faith in Psalm 20 and hear testimonies of God’s faithful provision in Psalm 21.

The people ask the Lord to answer, giving the king what he desires. (Ps 20.1, 4) The king praises God for granting his desire and hearing the prayer of his lips. (Ps 21.2)

The people proclaim that the Lord will give his anointed victory. (Ps 20.6, 9) The king joyfully praises the victory given by God. (Ps 21.1, 5)

The people proclaim that they trust in the Lord for victory, not in the king’s chariots or horses. (Ps 20.7) The king rejoices that victory came, not through his strength or armaments, but through the Lord’s strength. (Ps 21.1, 8-9)

These boldly asked and answered requests can inspire our prayers, but there is a difference between boldness and brashness. There are several keys to these bold prayers.

These prayers focus on God’s nature. God is our savior, provider, and the one who fights all the battles that matter. We can boldly appeal to God’s nature.

These prayers recall God’s promises. God’s promises to his children are sure, and we can boldly pursue them in prayer.

These prayers request God’s power for God’s purposes. These are not self-focused trivialities but God-focused priorities. We can boldly ask God to grant his power to accomplish the purposes he calls us to.

These prayers embrace confession and humility. The king does not ride out to war in pride or self-righteousness. He rides out smelling of sacrifices and burnt offerings after confessing his and the nation’s sins and throwing his hopes on God’s mercy. We do not pray boldly based on our merit, but on the merit of Jesus.

Kings and priests were anointed with oil, symbolically pointing forward to Jesus, the ultimate anointed one. The gospel is the announcement of Jesus’ victory, which is for us and all who respond to the gospel. We are Jesus’ “anointed ones,” and he anoints us with the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray boldly, confessing our sins and our nation’s sins, sacrificing self-sufficiency, calling on God’s promises, and raising up a banner to call all people to join us in repentance and victory.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

I put my trust in your mercy; my heart is joyful because of your saving help. — Psalm 13.5

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Horses of Flesh or Spirit

What crises send you looking for an Egypt to save you? What principles have you sacrificed to practicality?

Horses of Flesh or Spirit

Read more: Praying for Rain

Elijah and James encourage us to keep planting seeds of truth in a drought and pray for rain.  Watch for clouds…that show that God’s Spirit is moving

Praying for Rain

Links for today’s readings:

Jan 30  Read: Job 32 Listen: (2:12) Read: Psalms 15-16 Listen: (2:03)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Jan 31  Read: Job 33 Listen (3:00) Read: Psalm 17 Listen: (1:58)
Feb 1  Read: Job 34 Listen: (3:26) Read: Psalm 18 Listen: (5:47)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 16.9-11

Reflection: Mortality and the Path of Life

By John Tillman

The “Colbert Questionert” is a recurring segment on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Some questions are light and some weighty. One weightier question is “What do you think happens when we die?”

Guest’s answers are a mismatched pastiche of mostly vague scientific, philosophical, or theological takes. Ryan Gosling answered, “We wake up.” Keanu Reeves said, “The ones who love us will miss us.”

Modern westerners might be the most death-avoidant culture in the world. If we aren’t fully in denial about dying, we employ endless tactics to delay discussing, thinking about, or preparing for it. But death is an undeniable reality of our existence. We need more than a quick questionnaire. We need meditation and lament.

If you pull verse six out of psalm 16, it sounds like a simple praise for happy, peaceful blessings. “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” (v. 6) But the opening line and the closing section of the psalm make clear that the psalmist has suffering, danger, and death on the brain. It’s a lament disguised in the clothes of praise.

Praise in the midst of suffering, persecution, or death is often found in lament. Federico Villanueva, in the Asia Bible Commentary Series says, “Confidence or trust in God arises out of lament,” and “It is in the context of lament that the opportunity to trust in God best presents itself.”

Meditating on mortality is not morbid. It brings wisdom, inspiration, and energy for today. Remember, we will die. Remember also, that in Christ, we will live again and evermore.

While considering death, the psalmist’s lament provides an opportunity to trust God and praise him. Taking the “Colbert Questionert,” the psalmist might say, “God will keep me safe. He will not abandon me to death’s decay. A path of life is open for me and on that path I will find joy and pleasures for eternity in God’s presence.” (v. 9-11)

There is only one path to life and Jesus is its pioneer. (Hebrews 2.9-11; 12.1-3) He makes it known to us and asks us to make it known to others. Many paths may lead to Jesus, but no path leads to life unless it first comes through him. (John 14.6-12) Ask others to join you on this path. Share with them the delightful inheritance we have by adoption into the family of Jesus. Their path of life could start today.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

Jesus taught them saying: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me! Let anyone who believes in me, come and drink! As scripture says, ‘From his heart shall flow streams of living water.’” He was speaking of the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified. — John 7.38-39

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Our Delightful Inheritance

With headlines that remind us of all that we lack, do we see God as our all?

Our Delightful Inheritance

Read The Bible With Us

What does the Bible mean? Find out. Join our Bible reading plan and find meaning at a sustainable, two-year pace.

https://mailchi.mp/theparkforum/m-f-daily-email-devotional