Ephraim on Trial (A Poem on the Justice & Mercy of God)

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Wayne Davies

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Lately I’ve been overwhelmed by the mercy and justice of God.

Sometimes, usually in the morning, while reading the Bible and praying, I sit in my chair in the presence of Jesus and all I can do is cry.

About eight years ago I wrote this poem about why I am moved to joyful tears by the goodness of God.

Ephraim on Trial

I sat in the courtroom
Waiting for the Judge.
The air, thick with tension.
The mood, somber.

He walked in
And everyone stood.
The atmosphere changed.

The Judge was present, yet unseen.
His presence, overwhelming.
Invisible, yet manifest.

As he sat on the throne
A banner was unfurled above him.

It read:
“I, the LORD, love justice.”
Isaiah 61:8

We could not see his face
But his voice we could hear.

He declared:

“Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s accusation;
Listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the LORD has a case against his people;
he is lodging a charge against Israel.”
Micah 6:2

“Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites,
because the LORD has a charge against you.”
Hosea 4:1

An angel appeared and said to the Judge:
“What are the charges?”

The Judge spoke again:

“Israel’s arrogance testifies against them;
the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin;
Judah also stumbles with them.”
Hosea 5:5

“Israel’s arrogance testifies again him,
but despite all this he does not return to the LORD his God or search for him.”
Hosea 7:10

The angel spoke:
“And what is the evidence?”

The Judge opened a book
And gave it to the angel
Who then handed it to me.

The book contained everything
I had ever said, done or thought.
It was the story of my life.
Filled with pride on every page.

The Judge spoke again.

“The defendant is charged with arrogance
And innumerable other offenses.
The list is long.
Theft, lying, lust,
Greed, selfishness, idolatry,
Murder of the heart.
A complete record of all wrongdoing done by this man.
May the court take note that all these transgressions
Are the outgrowth of but one sin.
Pride.”

I then realized the truth.
I am Ephraim.
I was on trial.

I was suddenly filled with panic.
Fear dominated my heart.
Despair consumed me
As my life flashed before me.

The angel asked, “And what is the verdict?”

“Guilty as charged”, said the Judge.

“And what is the penalty?”

“Eternal death in the fire of hell
Where there is weeping
And gnashing of teeth
For all who do not believe.

Things were happening quickly now.
The trial was coming to its end.
And I stood naked before the One
Who knows all.

The angel spoke:
“Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
Genesis 18:25

The Judge gave instructions
Regarding the fate of the defendant.
My fate.

“Take him away, far away.
I do not want to see this man
Ever again.”

Unexpectedly
Another Man entered the courtroom.
Like the Judge,
His presence was staggering.
He took our breath away.
Look at his face!
He is the perfect Man.
The God/Man.
Everything that man could be,
Ought to be,
But unable to be,
He is.

The God/Man spoke:

“I have come to defend this man.
And to pay the penalty for his sin.
I will speak to the Judge on his behalf
For I am his defense attorney.
And his sentence-bearer.

“I am here to save him
From the lake of fire.
Where the worm does not die.
And the fire is not quenched.”

This was unbelievable.
Dumbfounded,
I did not understand why
This God/Man would do such a thing.

I cried out.
“But what did I do to deserve this?”

“Nothing,” said the God/Man.

“You deserve to be punished.
Your sins are many.
And they are vile.
If you spend eternity in hell,
Justice will be served.
For you have sinned against Almighty God,
Creator of heaven and earth
And all that is in them.

“The Holy One cannot look at sin.
And your life is filled with filth.
You cannot stand in His presence.
You must be banished forever.

“For it is written:
‘If you kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?’
Psalm 130:3

“But Almighty God,
The Holy One of Israel,
Is also the merciful One.
He is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger,
Abounding in love.
He will not always accuse
Nor will he harbor his anger forever.
Psalm 103:8-9

“The Judge has made a way
For your sins to be pardoned,
Your slate to be clean.

“He decreed that
When I died on the cross
My death became your death.
When I died,
I received your punishment.

“I took your place.

“I myself bore your sins in my body on the tree.
1 Peter 2:24

“On the cross,
You and I trade places.
I die your death.
And the wrath of God against your sin
Is poured out on me.
Because I suffered for you,
God’s holy indignation is satisfied.
His anger is spent
And justice is served.

“For I am the One, the only One,
Who can turn aside
God’s tsunami-like anger
By absorbing it.

“I died for sins, once for all,
The righteous for the unrighteous
To bring you to God.
1 Peter 3:18

The gospel was the best news
I had ever heard.
With the gift of repentance in my heart
I cried out,
“Lord, I believe!”

The God/Man took my hand.

“Come, my son.
You can now stand in his presence.
Justified, sanctified, glorified.
Because you are clothed
In my righteousness.

“For it is by grace
You have been saved
Through faith
In me alone.
Ephesians 2:8

“The Father no longer sees your sins,
Nor holds them against you.
For they have been cast
Into the deepest sea.

“When he looks at you
He sees my righteousness
Credited to your account.

“You are,
Now and forever,
Treated as one who is blameless,
Because my holiness has been given to you.

“Come into the presence of the Holy One of Israel
And drink from the river of the water of life
For I have drunk the cup of the wrath of the Judge.”

 

NOTE: This is one of a serious of posts on the book Knowing God by J.I. Packer. To read the other posts in this series, click here.

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How to Pray for the Persecuted Church (Thoughts on Psalm 10)

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Wayne Davies

prayer-man-armsChristians around the world face persecution every day. What should we do when non-Christians attack us either verbally or physically? Psalm 10 provides a model prayer for us. Whether you are facing opposition yourself or know of those who are, this psalm provides at least four specific ways to pray the prayer of the persecuted.

Express your frustration to God.
When confronted with unfair treatment, it can seem as if God has abandoned us. This is how the psalmist felt when he prayed, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1).

Have you ever experienced this type of despair? It is to be expected; we need not be surprised if such feelings surface. Even the most mature believer can struggle with moments of doubt. If this is what you are dealing with today, tell God about it. Be honest with Him. Let Him know that He seems distant and that you are eager for the joy of His presence to become a reality again.

Tell God what is happening.
The wicked often have the upper hand. In Psalm 10:2-11 the psalmist goes into great detail regarding the evil ways of the proud unbeliever. “In his arrogance the wicked hunts down the weak . . . His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats . . . From ambush he murders the innocent . . . His victims are crushed . . . He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees’” (Psalm 10:2, 7, 8, 11).

This person not only pounces on God’s people, he then claims that God is clueless as to what he’s been doing. He views himself as invincible and above the law.

If you are experiencing such atrocious acts, it is perfectly understandable to cry out to God about it.

Ask God to intervene.
Next, the psalmist urges God to take action and bring the guilty to justice. “Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless . . . Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out” (Psalm 10:12, 15).

When we long for sinners to be tried in the courtroom of heaven, we cannot hold such desires inside. We should go to the throne of grace and plead for our deliverance and our enemies’ punishment.

At the same time, in light of Jesus’ command to love our enemies, we should also be praying for God to redeem those who are persecuting us. Yes, I know it seems contradictory, but it is one of those paradoxes of biblical truth. It is appropriate to both pray for justice to prevail and for sinners to be saved.

Find solace in the compassion and sovereignty of God.
The psalmist has poured out his soul from the pit of despair. Things seem hopeless. Yet he has not given up. His faith is intact as he reminds himself of the tenderness of our Savior. “But you, O God, do see trouble and grief” (Psalm 10:14).

Furthermore, the justice of God will ultimately prevail, for “You are the helper of the fatherless . . . You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more” (Psalm 10:14, 17, 18).

We may not know how long the suffering will last, but we do know that one day it will end. When the Messiah returns for His people, the righteousness of God will triumph and the pride of the wicked will be no more, for “The LORD is king for ever and ever” (Psalm 10:16).

In this psalm the writer has traveled from the valley of gloom to the mountaintop of faith. This is the journey of the persecuted saint. It is the hard road of discipleship that Jesus predicted would be our portion. May we persevere in the loving arms of our heavenly father, knowing that “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

Psalm 10 is a gripping reminder that the journey of faith cannot be completed without spending much time on our knees.

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How to Find Infinite Joy (Thoughts on Psalm 9)

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Wayne Davies

man-joy-arms-sunsetIn Psalm 9 David cries out to God for justice to prevail – for the guilty to be punished and the righteous to be vindicated. And for good reason: we know what a difficult life he lived, especially in his younger years when he was on the run for his life, the innocent victim of King Saul’s violent outbursts.

 

We know that one day the justice of God will triumph. That will happen when King Jesus, the greater David, returns to establish His kingdom.

But in the meantime, while we wait, we can do what David did. Regardless of his circumstances, he was able to make these four declarations: “I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High” (Psalm 9:1-2).

I’d like to focus on the third statement, “I will be glad and rejoice in you,” because when the Bible talks about joy, the most common type of joy is simply “joy in God.” Over and over the psalmists write of their desire to “rejoice in the LORD” (Psalm 32:11; see also Psalm 5:11, 33:21, 35:9, 40:16, 63:11, 64:10, 66:6, 70:4, 85:6).

What does it mean to “rejoice in the LORD”? Joy in God is the intense, celebratory feelings of gladness, delight, pleasure and satisfaction that come from God Himself as we focus on His glorious character and His mighty deeds of salvation performed on our behalf. Furthermore, biblical joy is the blissful wonder and awe we experience when we are consciously aware of His presence. For the Christian, joy in God is available at all times, in any situation. By definition, joy in Him can be found regardless of our circumstances. As Paul wrote, we can be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). This is the joy that David experienced while living as a fugitive, the victim of unjust persecution.

Now let’s turn our attention to the question: “What can I do to increase my biblical joy in God?” Our emotions can be all over the map on any given day, right? And when we talk about biblical joy, we’re not saying that God expects us to be in a state of giddiness 24/7. Life is filled with heartache and disappointment, and Christians have just as much sadness as non-Christians. “Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). Jesus did not promise us a problem-free life. Rather, He promised us a life of difficulty. “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). Again, David is Exhibit A in this regard.

But as 2 Corinthians 6:10 teaches, we can have biblical joy (that deep sense of satisfaction and contentment in God no matter what happens) in the midst of trials and sorrow because our joy is found in Him. How do we experience that kind of joy?

Here’s how David answers this question:

“The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes” (Psalm 19:8).“Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart” (Psalm 119:111).

As already indicated, the psalms contain many verses describing God as the source of our joy. Then we read Psalm 19:8 and hear the psalmist saying that the Word is the source of my joy. Psalm 119:111 goes even further and teaches that the Word is my joy. Which is it? Is God my joy, or is the Word my joy?

The answer, of course, is both. God and His word are my source of joy. God and His Word are the joy of my heart. This is a teaching found throughout Scripture: God and His Word are described interchangeably.

My Christian friend, do you see how the psalms provide a clear answer to the question, “How do I increase my joy in God?” To increase our joy in the Lord, we simply need to spend more quality time in the Word.

So I challenge you today to take a close look at your life and how you spend your time. Do you regularly, yes daily, drink deeply from the fountains of delight found in the pages of holy Scripture? If not, could that be the main reason you lack the kind of joy in God that David had?

Why not examine yourself to see if this be true?

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How Big Is Your Ego and How Great Is Your God? (Thoughts on Psalm 8)

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Wayne Davies

majesty-mt-bakerThe psalms are filled with wonderful descriptions of the greatness of God. Psalm 8 is no exception. Or is it? Let’s take a look at this ancient hymn so we can increase our praise vocabulary and encourage one another by focusing on God instead of ourselves.

This psalm begins and ends with the same exclamation of adoration: “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1 and Psalm 8:9). David wants to direct our attention to the one who is called both “LORD,” (or Yahweh, the special name for God that means “I Am”, a reference to God’s eternal self-existence) and “Lord” (or Adonai, the title that refers to God’s sovereignty over all creation.)

How long have humans been in existence? Whether you’re an evolutionist or a creationist, either way we’ve only been here a fraction of the time that God has been around, because He has existed from all eternity and is the only one who can say, “I am that I am.” And even though humans have accomplished much over the centuries, when was the last time we created something out of nothing?

Calling God “LORD” and “Lord” in the same breath gives us plenty for which to praise him! But David doesn’t stop there. He then proclaims, “You have set your glory above the heavens” (Psalm 8:1b) and a few verses later he writes, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:3-5).

At first glance it may appear that David’s focus has shifted from God to man and that we should start thinking about our greatness rather than God’s. Certainly God has endowed mankind with much dignity, giving us the tremendous responsibility of ruling over his world as God’s vice-regent.

If we didn’t have the New Testament, this might be the logical place to conclude our thoughts on Psalm 8. Yet Jesus and the apostles did not see this psalm as primarily a description of the greatness of man. Rather, they viewed Psalm 8 as mainly a description of the one and only God-Man, Jesus the divine “Son of Man.”

In fact, there are four New Testament passages that see Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of Psalm 8. Jesus himself quoted Psalm 8:2 on Palm Sunday when the chief priests were indignant at the praise he was receiving from children shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matthew 21:16). Furthermore, the psalmist’s statement that God “has put everything under his feet” (Psalm 8:6) is quoted by Paul twice (1 Corinthians 15:27 and Ephesians 1:22) as a reference to Jesus.

But the longest and arguably most compelling New Testament reference to Psalm 8 is found in Hebrews 2:5-9, where verses 4-6 are quoted as a testimony to the magnificence of Jesus.  He is the one who “was made a little lower than the angels” through the incarnation. Furthermore, “because he suffered death,” Jesus is now “crowned with glory and honor” and is the only one capable of “bringing many sons to glory” through the salvation he accomplished on the cross.

When reading Psalm 8, how tempting it is to think too highly of ourselves. Jesus, Paul and the writer of Hebrews want us to realize that only Jesus is worthy of glory spoken of in this psalm. May we never forget that it is only by the grace of God that we are privileged to share in that glory. Unlike the divine Son of God, we receive such honor as a gift from above. In stark contrast, Jesus possessed this glory from eternity past and temporarily set it aside to become “the author of [our] salvation.”

For this act of mercy we will forever sing with David, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9).

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What Do You Thank God For Most? (Thoughts on Psalm 7)

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Wayne Davies

praise-choir-hands-lifted-upIf you could only thank God for one thing, what would it be? Complete the end of this sentence with the first word that comes to mind: “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his (fill in the blank).”

I’m sure you’ll have a long list of words. God is so amazing, we never run out of things for which to praise him. I know what I usually think of first: his love, mercy, grace, compassion and kindness.

 

But how can I narrow the goodness of God down to just one word? I’m glad our praise vocabulary is filled with a multitude of words to describe the greatness of our God.

In Psalm 7:17, this is what was on David’s mind: “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.”

According to the heading, Psalm 7 is a hymn that David “sang to the Lord concerning Cush.” We have no record in the Bible about the specifics of this situation. But the psalm tells us that David was praying for God to “save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces” (Psalm 7:1-2).

David wants God to intervene, and he needs his help immediately. Perhaps Cush had made false accusations about David to King Saul, which led to one of Saul’s many attempts to kill David. Or he may have been one of Saul’s officers and was a leader of those who hunted David for long periods of time.

Regardless, David is confident that he is innocent of any wrongdoing that would have justified such relentless and unfair treatment. He makes his case before the Judge of all the earth to act in accordance with his righteousness and stop this travesty of justice from continuing any longer: “O righteous God . . . bring to an end the violence of the wicked. God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day” (Psalm 7:9, 11).

Perhaps you, like David, have been the victim of persecution at the hands of unbelievers. Such treatment varies greatly from country to country around the world. In my homeland (USA), persecution is virtually non-existent in many areas and more severe in others. Certainly, though, our brothers and sisters in nations where Christianity is outlawed and ownership of a Bible is a crime have a far more difficult road to travel.

As I read this psalm I can’t help but think of the persecuted church. Would you please join me in prayer for these saints, that God would do for them what David asked God to do for him: “Arise, O Lord, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice” (Psalm 7:6).

It is possible (if not probable) that God will not make all things right until Judgment Day. Jesus told the apostles, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also . . . In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God” (John 15:20; John 16:2). Little has changed in the past 2,000 years.

And may the first verse of this psalm be the source of much comfort to God’s people who suffer from acts of injustice: “O Lord my God, I take refuge in you” (Psalm 7:1).

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How to Climb Out of the Pit of Despair (Thoughts on Psalm 6)

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Wayne Davies

prayer-man-kneelingHave you ever felt so discouraged that no matter which way you turned, things looked hopeless? David experienced times like that, and Psalm 6 is one of the most gripping expressions of despair in the Bible, if not all literature. Yet by the end of this sacred hymn, David is filled with confidence that God will provide a way out.

What did David do to overcome his despair? And what can we learn from this psalm to help us when we feel helpless?

1. He looked outside himself with realistic awareness.
What would cause a man to be so worn out from his despair that “all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears”? (Psalm 6:6). He tells us plainly: “my eyes grow weak with sorrow . . . because of my foes” (Psalm 6:7).

David’s battles with people are well documented in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. We don’t know which particular situation has put him such a funk. We simply know that he is depressed because of “all you who do evil” (Psalm 6:8).

2. He looked inside himself with humble self-examination.
What intrigues me most about this psalm is verse 1, in which David cries out to God, “Do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.” Even though these human enemies are the external cause of his trouble, David looks within himself because he is convinced that his own sin brought about this situation.

David is acknowledging to God that he is responsible for his plight. He believes that his unfair treatment is the result of his own doing, and God is chastising him through these men. He deserves to be rebuked and disciplined for his wrongdoing. This leads David to ask God, “Please go easy on me, lest your chastening hand result in the full force of your anger being unleashed on me, and I am destroyed.”

In other words, David is looking deep within his soul. He is ever mindful of his own sin and is taking responsibility for the mess he’s in.

3. He looked up to a gracious God with faithful expectation.
The sequence of prayers in verses 2 and 4 are a breathtaking display of faith in the saving power of God. “Be merciful to me . . . Heal me . . . Turn and deliver me . . . Save me.” This is the cry of a man desperate for his God to come to the rescue. This is the prayer of a repentant believer who knows that the same God who wields the rod of justice can also send a boatload of grace to the port of his heart.

This psalm presents a biblical model for us to follow when the stress of life has hemmed us in. First, we need to identify any external cause of the problem. Often the source of our despair is found in people we know well. Perhaps a relationship has gone sour. A friend has betrayed us; a spouse has let us down; a child has rebelled.

Second, we must share the blame for our difficulty. Be careful not to merely shake your fist at others. It’s also critical to spend time in prayerful self-examination and determine the part we played in the creation of our dilemma. Once we have discovered the sin we’ve committed, godly sorrow, confession and repentance are in order.

Finally, we must pray the prayer of David in Psalm 6:2 and 6:4. Cry out for mercy, healing, deliverance and salvation. The God of heaven sent his only Son to earth to die for these very sins. Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can receive forgiveness of sins and the assurance of salvation, no matter how bleak thing look. We can proclaim with David, “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer” (Psalm 6:9).

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How to Pray Like David (Thoughts on Psalm 5)

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Wayne Davies

sunset-585334_1280The psalms are cherished by God’s people for both their heartfelt expressions of praise to God as well as their raw outpouring of emotion in the face of stressful and even life-threatening situations. Psalm 5 provides a gripping example of the latter. Would you like to pray with the intensity of David when your back is up against the wall? This article will show you how to do that.

What impresses me in just the first two verses of this psalm are the various types of prayer that David offered to God when surrounded by his enemies. May we be encouraged to follow his lead and come to God in the manner described here.

Would you like to pray like David? Note the following five characteristics of godly prayer found in Psalm 5:1-2.

Give ear to my words.
Prayer is simply talking to God about anything and everything. “Give ear to my words.” Charles Spurgeon wrote that “Words are not the essence but the garments of prayer.” Truer words were never spoken. At the same time, the words we choose, when prompted by a Word-saturated mind and a God-focused heart, capture the essence of our spirit and find a home in the heart of our compassionate Creator who loves to hear the voices of his children.

Consider my sighing.
There are times when we don’t know what to say. We come into God’s presence and words escape us. Our hearts and minds are filled with 1,001 things we want to communicate, yet we just don’t know how to express ourselves.

This is most common when we are under duress. The stress of life can overwhelm us. David was the victim of much unjust persecution at the hands of evil men, and this psalm is one of many such “laments.”

What do you say to God when you don’t know what so say? “Consider my sighing” (NIV) is a good place to start. I like the ESV rendering even better, “Consider my groaning.” Have you ever groaned before God? David did.

Listen to my cry for help.
There is no better place to cry than in the presence of God. This verse should be a source of much comfort to us when we come to the end of ourselves and realize our desperate need of God. When all you can do is cry, then cry! I believe that God is more willing to listen to our crying than we are to release these emotions before the throne of grace.

Morning by morning I lay my requests before you.
When we think of praying, this is usually what comes to mind first — asking God for what we need. “I lay my requests before you.” David did this regularly, even daily. He was especially fond of praying in the morning. Note the repetition of the phrase, “morning by morning.”

sunrise-dark-mark-1-35Jesus, too, was in the habit of spending time alone with his Father at the break of day, for “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).

 

How do you start your day? Like David and Jesus, may it be on our knees.

I wait in expectation.
God is delighted when we cry out to him for help. But David did not stop there. He not only brought his requests to God, he then waited in expectation for the answer. God wants us to pray in faith, believing that he will do what we’ve asked him to do. This can be the most difficult aspect of prayer, yet arguably the most important.

David’s confidence in his prayer-answering God presents us with a model to follow. Some 1,000 years later, Jesus himself would echo these words: “I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). As it was for David, may it be so for us today.

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How to Have Enough When You’ve Had Enough (Thoughts on Psalm 4)

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Wayne Davies

clampDo you struggle to experience true joy, especially when faced with a difficult situation? Are you happy only when things are going well? Through the life and words of David, Psalm 4 provides a wonderful example of how to have peace of mind no matter what.

We don’t know for sure what particular trial David was facing when he wrote this psalm. We do know that David was no stranger to stress. He spent years literally on the run for his life. King Saul spent much time and energy determined to kill David, the innocent victim of a madman’s jealous rage.

Psalm 4 may have been written during Saul’s reign of terror over David. Or perhaps it was the uprising led by his own son Absalom, as mentioned in the heading of Psalm 3.

Regardless, “men of rank” are causing his honor to turn into shame (Psalm 4:2). And as he does so often in his psalms of lament, David takes his complaint to God. “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!” (Psalm 4:1).

David has had enough of these men, who “love vain words and seek after lies” (Psalm 4:2). After chastising them for their evil ways, he offers the only advice that can save them from their deluded life: “Be agitated and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord” (Psalm 4:4-5). In other words, believe in the God of Israel, the One who offers forgiveness to the repentant sinner.

Obviously, David is consumed with those who have made his life miserable. And rightly so. But by the end of the psalm, this man is able to say, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

This is amazing. At the beginning of the hymn we see a man drowning in a sea of unjust persecution. Yet he is able to sleep in peace. What is David’s secret? How does he pull this off?

The key to David’s peace is found in Psalm 4:6-7. “Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord! You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” David has peace of mind because he is able to experience the presence of God in a most difficult situation. And for David, being with God is enough.

For the true believer, the benefits of spiritual prosperity are infinitely more valuable than those of material prosperity. Yes, God provides all our physical needs. And for some, he provides or allows an abundance of earthly wealth. But the joy we find in material possessions cannot compare to the joy of knowing God. An intimate relationship with the Creator has infinite value because our God is infinitely valuable.

Oh that we would find our ultimate satisfaction in him and him alone! Let us follow in the footsteps of David and love the Giver rather than his gifts.

Charles Spurgeon says it so well: “The true believer . . . drinks not from the muddy pools of Mammon, but from the fountain of life above. The light of God’s countenance is enough for him. This is his riches. Give him this, and he will ask no more. Christ in the heart is better than corn in the barn or wine in the vat.”

Truly, when we have God, we have enough. When our contentment is found in Jesus, we can sleep in tranquility no matter what trial engulfs us. “They slumber sweetly whom faith rocks to sleep” (Spurgeon).

Do you struggle to sleep well because the worries of the day keep you awake at night? If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have a treasure chest of divine promises to calm your troubled mind. Open the Word of God and dig deep. By absorbing the truth of God you can experience the presence of God. He longs to speak to you, to teach you and to satisfy you as only He can.

When you’ve had enough, God is enough. He is all you need to sleep well tonight.

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What’s Your Favorite Book in the Bible?

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Wayne Davies

What is your favorite book of the Bible?

Leave your answer below. And if you like, tell me why.

I’ve had several favorite books over the years. I first started reading the Bible in high school and fell in love with the book of John.

the-way-living-bibleI can remember coming home from school and heading right for my desk, where I’d sit and read and underline and make notes in the margins.

(I used “The Way” paraphrase by Kenneth Taylor back then, aka The Living Bible. Does anyone remember that cover?).

Reading any of the Gospels can do that to you. Amen? Jesus is so captivating. “No one ever spoke the way this man does” (John 7:46).

 

More recently, I’ve been drawn to the Gospel of Mark and have been reading it often. I can’t get enough of King Jesus!

My other favorite book is Psalms. I usually start my day by reading a psalm and having a time a praise and prayer in response to that. I’m so thankful that God preserved these ancient hymns of David and other godly Jews.

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How to Overcome Anxiety and Get a Good Night’s Sleep (Thoughts on Psalm 3)

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Wayne Davies

sleep-manDo you ever struggle to get a good night’s sleep because the troubles of the day consume you? How do we turn off our anxious mind and let the body get the rest it needs? Psalm 3 provides an answer to this age-old problem. This article will explain how David slept well when surrounded by turmoil.

 

Many psalms provide valuable information in the heading that precedes the first verse. Psalm 3 tells us that this song was written by David “when he fled from his son Absalom.” So we would do well to read the account found in 2 Samuel 15, in which David’s own son rebels against him and causes David to run for his life.

With this the backstory in mind, let us see how David dealt with a most stressful situation.

He cried out to God.
God knows everything, yet David presents his plight in prayer. “O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him’” (Psalm 3:1-2).

Even though God knows more about our situation than we do, he wants us to take our worries to him in prayer. David held nothing back. He poured out his heart to his God. And so should we. No matter how hopeless things look, no matter how desperate we become, God wants us to come to him with all our anxieties lay them at his feet.

David’s song should be our testimony: “To the Lord I cry aloud; and he answers me from his holy hill” (Psalm 3:4).

He filled his worried mind with great thoughts about God.
But David did not remain in this state of frustration. Notice how conscious he is of the greatness of God. “But you are a shield around me, O Lord, my Glorious One, who lifts up my head” (Psalm 3:3).

The antidote to anxiety is to think about God. When we turn out thoughts to the Creator of heaven and earth, worry turns into confidence – not proud self-confidence, but humble God-confidence.

Yes, David expresses his despair in verses 1 and 2. But then his faith enables him to climb out of this pit of sorrow and experience the sweet solitude of God’s protective hand of mercy. God is his shield; God is his glory; God is the lifter of his head.

He got a good night’s sleep.
David’s faith in God opened the door to restful slumber in the most difficult of circumstances. “I lie down and sleep” (Psalm 3:5). He says this so calmly, it is easy to miss the significance. He is about to lose the kingdom of Israel to his own flesh and blood, yet he is able to go to bed, lie down and fall asleep. How can this be? Shouldn’t he be up all night, tossing and turning?

That is how many of us react to stress. Oh, that we would have the faith of David! He provides a wonderful example of what to do when anxiety overwhelms us: pour out your heart to God in prayer; then focus on Him. Spend time meditating on God’s character. Read the Word and fill your mind with big thoughts about your big God.

Late at night, it is possible for us to say, “I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side” (Psalm 3:6). And in the morning, the believer can proclaim, “I wake again, because the Lord sustains me” (Psalm 3:5).

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