Thoughts for you on a Friday night

My dear one, 

Did I really expect to find you sometime during that long Psalm series I just finished? Something in me says yes, that's why I stretched it out for so long. But then another part of me chides such foolishness, realizing that there are fewer and fewer good men in my generation. It makes me sick to think that many of the supposedly respectable leaders and "family men" out there are deceptive hypocrites, as the news media seems delighted to report on a regular basis. All I can do is pray the harder for you, darling. May you seek the mind of Christ in all aspects of your life -- your relationships, your responsibilities, your recreation.

On a lighter note, I'm excited that the weekend is here. This was my first week "back at the salt mines," but it was a productive one. My alarm was set for 4:30am every day -- giving me time to get to the gym and have a time of Bible reading and prayer before work. The only thing that has been missing in my morning routine is my coffee, for I quit recently. Alas, it leaves such a hole in my life...! But I don't miss the dependence, nor the headache if I skipped a day, nor the pressure on my budget caused by my preference for "organic/free-trade."

My alarm is set even earlier for tomorrow morning, because I have hiking/biking plans in my favorite local national park!! I call it my "backyard." Someday I'd love to have you along to explore with me -- oh how I long to hike with you, to know that your strong hand is there to help me up those steep cliffs, to enjoy the beautiful mountain vistas with you...

So with those most pleasant thoughts to take the place of bitter recent ruminations, I bid you good-night, my dear one.

Praying for you, 
Your Evenstar

The gospel according to the Psalms

The Psalms are full of gospel truth! In these songs written by Old Testament believers, we see--

• Confession of sin: "There is none righteous, no, not one" (14:1).
• Conviction of guilt and demerit: "If Thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquity, O Lord, who shall stand?" (130:4,7).
• Fear of God's righteous judgment: "Rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure" (6:1).
• A sense of inevitable condemnation on the ground of God's Law: "Enter not into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified" (143:2).
• The earnest cry for undeserved mercy: "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving-kindness; according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions" (51:1).
• Faith in His revealed character as the just God and the Saviour: "Good and upright is the LORD; therefore will He teach sinners in the way" (25:8).
• Hope of pardon, resting on a propitiation; for "with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption" (130:7).
• The pleading of God's name, or the glory of all His perfections: "For Thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great" (25:11).
• Joy and peace in believing; for "blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Thy countenance; in Thy name shall they rejoice all the day" (89:15-16).
• A trust in God and the faithfulness of His promises: "I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever; with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations; for mercy shall be built up for ever, Thy faithfulness shalt Thou establish in the very heavens" (89:1-2).
• A trust in the Saviour of sinners: "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way: blessed are all they that put their trust in Him" (2:12).
• A confidence in another righteousness than their own: "Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of Thine Anointed" (84:9).
• Patient, persevering, hopeful waiting upon God: "My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from Him; He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us" (62:5-8).

(These points are taken from James Buchanan, The Doctrine of Justification.)

Psalm 1

Verses 1-3...

Blessed is the man 

   who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, 

nor stands in the way of sinners,
   nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 

but his delight is in the law of the LORD, 

   and on His law he meditates day and night. 

He is like a tree 

   planted by streams of water 

that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither. 

In all that he does, he prospers.

And thus I reach the end of what ended up being more of a drawn-out series than I anticipated. Countdown of the 150 psalms over the course of 2.5 years... 

On 3/11/13, I wrote to "my dear one":

I know of several couples who have read through the 150 psalms backwards as a countdown as they anticipate their wedding. But what if I used the psalms as a countdown right now, starting with Psalm 150 and believing that the Lord would bring you into my life before I reach Psalm 1?

Well, here I am, having finally reached Psalm 1 -- wondering when I'll meet you, my dear one. In my prayers I continue to hope, but still find no answers from the Lord.

The Lord bless you and keep you! 

Ever hoping, 

Your Evenstar

Psalm 2

Verses 2, 4, 12b...

The kings of the earth set themselves,
   and the rulers take counsel together,
   against the Lord, and against His Anointed...
[but] He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh:
   the Lord shall have them in derision...
Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.

Thankful that we have a King whose victory over sin, death, and evil is certain and unassailable. "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness!"

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing;

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God's own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth, His name,

From age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

(Martin Luther)

Psalm 3

Verses 1-3... 

O Lord, how many are my foes!
   Many are rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
   there is no salvation for him in God. Selah.
But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
   my glory, and the lifter of my head. 

Good words for my fainting heart... The Lifter of my head gives needed strength today.

Psalm 4

Verse 8...

In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
   for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Spurgeon: "He that hath the wings of God above him needs no other curtain. Better than bolts or bars is the protection of the Lord."

Thus with my thoughts composed to peace,

I'll give mine eyes to sleep;

Thy hand in safety keeps my days,

And will my slumbers keep.

(Isaac Watts)

Psalm 5

Verses 11-12... 

But let all who take refuge in You rejoice;
   let them ever sing for joy,
and spread Your protection over them,
   that those who love Your name may exult in You.
For You bless the righteous, O LORD;
   You cover him with favor as with a shield.

C. H. Spurgeon:

The eternal God is the well-spring of our bliss. We love God, and therefore we delight in him. Our heart is at ease in our God. We fare sumptuously every day because we feed on him. We have music in the house, music in the heart, and music in heaven, for the Lord Jehovah is our strength and our song; he also is become our salvation.

Jehovah has ordained his people the heirs of blessedness, and nothing shall rob them of their inheritance. With all the fulness of his power he will bless them, and all his attributes shall unite to satiate them with divine contentment. Nor is this merely for the present, but the blessing reaches into the long and unknown future. "Thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous." This is a promise of infinite length, of unbounded breadth, and of unutterable preciousness.

Psalm 6

Verse 9...

The LORD hath heard my supplication;
   the LORD will accept my prayer.

C. H. Spurgeon:

Here is past experience used for future encouragement: He hath, He will.Assured confidence is no idle dream, for when the Holy Ghost bestows it upon us, we know its reality, and could not doubt it, even though all men should deride our boldness.

Psalm 7

Verse 17...

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, 

   and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

C. H. Spurgeon:

Praise is the occupation of the godly, their eternal work, and their present pleasure. Singing is the fitting embodiment for praise, and therefore do the saints make melody before the Lord Most High.

William Dyer:

To bless God for mercies is the way to increase them; to bless him for miseries is the way to remove them: no good lives so long as that which is thankfully improved; no evil dies so soon as that which is patiently endured.

Psalm 8

O LORD, our Lord, 

   how majestic is Your name in all the earth! 

You have set Your glory above the heavens. 

   Out of the mouth of babies and infants, 

You have established strength because of Your foes, 

   to still the enemy and the avenger. 

When I look at 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, 

   and the son of man that You care for him? 

Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings 

   and crowned him with glory and honor. 

You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; 

   You have put all things under his feet, 

all sheep and oxen, 

   and also the beasts of the field, 

the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, 

   whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 

O LORD, our Lord, 

   how majestic is Your name in all the earth! 

Matthew Poole:

It is a great question among interpreters, whether this Psalm speaks of man in general, and of the honour which God puts upon him in his creation; or only of the man Christ Jesus. Possibly both may be reconciled and put together, and the controversy if rightly stated, may be ended, for the scope and business of this Psalm seems plainly to be this: to display and celebrate the great love and kindness of God to mankind, not only in His creation, but especially in His redemption by Jesus Christ, whom, as He was man, He advanced to the honour and dominion here mentioned, that He might carry on His great and glorious work. So Christ is the principal subject of this Psalm, and it is interpreted of Him, both by our Lord Himself (Matthew 21:16), and by His holy apostle (1 Corinthians 15:27; Hebrews 2:6,7).

Psalm 9

Verses 7-10... 

But the LORD sits enthroned forever; 

   He has established His throne for justice, 

and He judges the world with righteousness; 

   He judges the peoples with uprightness. 

The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

   a stronghold in times of trouble. 

And those who know Your name put their trust in You, 

   for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

If we know this to be true, how can we not live like it is true?!

On my favorite porch

My dear one,

The picture above is my view from the porch swing as I sit drinking my pomegranate green tea and listening to the birds on this lazy afternoon. I'm visiting friends, and I love the spirit of calm that permeates this place, even amidst the daily struggles and problems that arise (flight delays, under-the-sink leaks, and daughter-in-law's pregnancy complications, to name the few I've witnessed while visiting). This morning I was reminded how refreshing it is to simply sit in silence with my Bible in the early hours -- no music (save that of the birds), no bright screens, no hurrying... 

I would point to this home as an excellent example of the currently-trending "Slow" lifestyle. It motivates me to continue that pursuit myself, to say "No" to the junk in our culture (possessions, food, media/entertainment, etc.). Truly this family has been one of God's rich blessings to me as I've gotten to know them over the last eleven years. It is my prayer that when I meet you, I will feel the same way about your family. The husband and wife are the picture of a godly, grace-filled marriage. They have raised three of the finest boys I've ever known (sadly, they're all taken, so none of them is you). You would hit it off with them smashingly well, I'm sure!

Praying for you always, 
Your Evenstar

Psalm 10

Verses 16-18...

The LORD is king forever and ever; 

   the nations perish from His land. 

O LORD, You hear the desire of the afflicted; 

   You will strengthen their heart; 

You will incline your ear 

   to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, 

   so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Spurgeon:

Notice how the Psalmist puts this fact—“Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble.” David does not say, “You have heard the prayer of the humble.” He means that, but he also means a great deal more. Sometimes we have desires that we cannot express—they are too big, too deep—we cannot clothe them in language. At other times we have desires which we dare not express—we feel too bowed down, we see too much of our own unworthiness to be able to venture near the Throne of God to utter our desires—but the Lord hears the desire when we cannot or dare not turn it into the actual form of a prayer. I know you have sometimes said, “I wish I could pray like So-and-So.” Often you have thought, “If I could only put a great many beautiful sentences together into goodly shape, then I might be heard.” Do not talk so foolishly! If you cannot put two words together correctly, if your desire is right, God will hear the desire—
“Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Uttered or unexpressed.”
Prayer is not in the expression or the non-expression—prayer is the soul’s sincere desire. The very heart of prayer is in the desire—the essence of the whole matter, the kernel of the nut—is the desire of the heart, not the utterance of the lips. Words without the desire are mere empty husks, but the desire, even without words, is sweet to God, and He accepts it. Can you catch the blessedness of this thought? I say again, before your desire takes a shape in which language could cover it, God will hear it!

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, 

Unuttered or expressed; 

The motion of a hidden fire 

That trembles in the breast. 

Prayer is the burden of a sigh, 

The falling of a tear; 

The upward glancing of an eye, 

When none but God is near. 

It is the simplest form of speech 

That infant lips can try; 

Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach 

The Majesty on high. 

Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice, 

Returning from his ways, 

While angels in their songs rejoice 

And cry, “Behold, he prays!”

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, 

The Christian’s native air, 

His watchword at the gates of death; 

He enters Heav’n with prayer. 

The saints in prayer appear as one

In word, in deed, and mind,

While with the Father and the Son

Sweet fellowship they find.

No prayer is made by man alone, 

The Holy Spirit pleads, 

And Jesus, on th’eternal throne, 

For sinners intercedes. 

O Thou by Whom we come to God, 

The Life, the Truth, the Way, 

The path of prayer Thyself hast trod: 

Lord, teach us how to pray. 

(James Montgomery)

How I pray for you today

My dear one, 

I wish you could know that I'm praying for you. And not just a generic prayer. I have a list, you should know!

--Your spiritual development: wisdom, courage, humility, purity, endurance, contentment. 
--Your intellectual pursuits: personal development, education. 
--Your financial concerns: staying out of debt, career, housing. 
--Your musical endeavors: competitions, auditions, performances, new experiences, opportunities to broaden your horizons. (Over the years I have made several guesses as to who you might be. But I have always been wrong. One feeling I can't seem to shake is that you are a musician ... hence my prayers for your musical endeavors.)

And of course I pray that the Lord will lead you in my direction. :) 

Until then, 
Your Evenstar

Psalm 11

Verses 3-5...
If the foundations are destroyed, 

   what can the righteous do? 

The LORD is in His holy temple; 

   the LORD's throne is in heaven; 

   His eyes see, His eyelids test the children of man. 

The LORD tests the righteous, 

   but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

Everywhere I turn my head, I hear or see of more perversion, injustice, or tragedy. This generation seems to have taken wickedness to a new level. Or perhaps it's just that the media has such an unprecedented presence in our lives. At any rate, it certainly feels like "the foundations are destroyed."

"BUT GOD..."

God is on the throne! He will not let one sin go unpunished. Which makes me so thankful that I wear the robes of Christ's righteousness!