Tag: Morning Musings

Morning Musing: Psalm 4:1 Part 2

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“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…

Morning Musing: Psalm 4:1

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“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…

Morning Musing: 1 Samuel 18:8-9

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“And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)‬‬

Saul was not simply angry here. If he were just angry he could have gotten over it and moved on. The fuller truth is that there was something deeper that was motivating his anger. Saul was envious of David. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: 1 Samuel 17:26

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“And David said to the men who stood by him, ‘What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?'” (ESV – Read the chapter)‬‬

David understood something that the rest of the Israelite army, including Saul, failed to see. The conflict with the Philistines and specifically Goliath here was not simply a battle between two opposing armies. It was a spiritual battle between two opposing Gods. Goliath wasn’t just challenging Israel’s ability to field a suitable champion to face him in battle, he was challenging the efficacy of the God of Israel to oppose him in battle. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: 1 Samuel 16:2

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“And Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter) ‬‬

Following Jesus can be an adventurous affair. Things had disintegrated under Saul to the extent that he was actively eliminating potential threats to his rule. This is a mark of a truly insecure ruler. Samuel wasn’t someone who could travel freely in Israel. His profile was high enough that when he went somewhere, everyone—including Saul—figured it meant something. If he did anything significant—like, say, anointing someone else to be king—word was likely to get back to Saul who would likely deal with both the threat and its source with ruthless efficiency. Read the rest…