Morning Musing: Psalm 4:2

Leave a comment

“How long, exalted ones, will my honor be insulted? How long will you love what is worthless and pursue a lie? Selah”  (CSB – Read the chapter)

If David’s first cry was up, his second cry is out. When someone else has hurt us or made us angry or dealt us some injustice, it’s okay for us to go ahead and acknowledge that. Refusing to do so both in our hearts and even out loud isn’t somehow holy or righteous. It’s deceitful and dishonest. If you’ve been hurt, claim it. It won’t get any better until you do. Read the rest…

Keeping the Beat

Leave a comment

This Labor Day weekend, we took some time to talk about taking a day off…just like many of you are doing today.  Life was meant to run at a certain pace, to play to a certain beat.  If we don’t get the rhythm of life right, thing are much more difficult than they might otherwise be.  Keep reading to learn a powerful tool that will help us keep on beat with the rhythm of life.  Happy Labor Day.

Keeping the Beat

When playing the drum set, one of the first things you learn is how to play “time.”  Indeed, much drum set music as a part in an ensemble will have several measures that are blank with the exception of a line with two little dots right in the middle which indicates you’re supposed to play “time.”  Now, if you don’t know music lingo, you may be wondering why the drummer is supposed to beat on a clock.  Let me explain. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Psalm 4:1 Part 2

Leave a comment

“Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.”  (CSB – Read the chapter) ‬‬

So then, where do we turn when we lie down to sleep with a heart that is full of turmoil? Over the course of the eight verses of this Psalm, David turns three places: Up, out, and in. The out and the in are important because, 1. we need to speak (at least metaphorically) to our sources of anxiety from a place of righteousness; and 2. our self-talk in times of emotional distress is really important. But, he begins and ends with up, because with God is where we will ultimately find the resources we need to resolve our tension and when He has provided them we do need to express our gratitude for it. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: 1 Samuel 9:2

Leave a comment

“And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man.  There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he.  From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Saul looked the part of a king. Think about that in light of the initial reception on the part of both Samuel and God to their request to have one. Samuel was hurt and God was disappointed. But then God goes out and finds a king who looks the part in every way. He gives them exactly what they wanted. What gives? Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Psalm 4:1

Leave a comment

“Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.”  (CSB – Read the chapter)

Have you ever laid down for bed at night with a heart that was full, but what it was full of was not love and good feelings? How often has that anger and frustration over some unfairness or injustice or even simply inconvenience you’ve been dealt been directed at least partially at God? I suspect if you’ve lived very long this has happened a time or twenty. As the culture around us continues to shift away from anything recognizably Christian or even remotely God-honoring, if you’re someone who seeks to make following Jesus something that is a consistent feature of your life, I’m certain you have. What do we do in a time like this? Read the rest…