Web Theologian

>140:1 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from violent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart
and stir up wars continually.
3 They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s,
and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah

4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread a net;
beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah

6 I say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7 O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah

9 As for the head of those who surround me,
let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10 Let burning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and will execute justice for the needy.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall dwell in your presence.

Calling out to God because you need help is natural, it is probably part of the reason you came to believe in the first place. Thankfully it might begin there but it doesn’t end there. Yet just because it doesn’t end there doesn’t mean it still not true. God loves us and wants us to look out for our good.

Which leads us to profess our belief. You are my God! You are my strength! God cares for those who are down and out, the afflicted. He watches out that then needy are not taken advantage of. One of the most basic questions related to believing is, “Do you think you can do it on your own, or do you need/want help?” Once you taste the help God offers surrender is easy. It’s like being married to an amazing person, you trust them and it is easy to do what they want.

>139:1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

When Karin and I went for marriage counseling, I was suspicious. Probably not for the reasons you think, I had studied counseling already. I understood the value, I just know that there are lots of clowns out there telling people what to do with their life and I didn’t want to deal with one of them. So as we sat in the waiting room and were handed the packet of forms to fill out, there was a recommendation on the first page of the paperwork from Larry Crabb, who I greatly respect, for the counselor we were going to meet with. It was a great experience, one even today, five years later Karin and I still reference things we learned. One of the things that stands out the most, and our counselor would always say to us is, “It sounds like your missing each other’s hearts.” That blew our mind. Our attention was on the words we were saying to each other and the details of the situation, we were unable to see past that to the great reality.

This is one of the things that makes God so great. He does care for the details, no a hair falls from our heads without his knowing, yet that is not all with him. He understands us, sees us for who he created us to be…his children. The great thing about children is their honesty, even when they screw up. I am amazed that when confronted with her actions, sometimes Aidyn will just begin to cry. When I ask her why she’s crying she express something like this is not how I want to act…but I feel like I can’t help it. As her parent I see that she longs to be good, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!” Sometimes when I am faced with my actions I just cry, because down deep, really deep my desire is to please my heavenly Father.

He knows that because he has given me that. It is a gift. At a very young age I made statements like, “Where I come from…” Still not sure what that meant but I had a clear awareness of something more. Then as I got older I would go for long walks and talk with God. I didn’t know that this was the God of the Bible, it was just my friend. The one who heard me, knew me, and probably kept me from great harm. Only later did God reveal himself to me through Jesus in worship. He placed a desire in my heart from my beginning. He knows me and leads me in his righteousness.

>138:1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.

4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Giving of yourself, generosity is one of the new themes that I am finding capturing my heart, and thought. It is exactly what the Psalmist speaks of here. In his book “Never Eat Alone”, Keith Ferazzi tells a story of his dad stopping at a house and asking for big wheel out of the person’s trash. Keith’s comments are about what humilty and boldness it took for his hard working father to go up to a total stranger and say I am so poor can I have your trash, and he also said how good it made the person feel when they gave not only the trashed big wheel away but also a bike that they were saving. In that story it is easy to imagine being each person and how it would feel. It also makes me think about how Jesus has rescued us from the garbage heap, he became poor to save us from the dump. What generosity has been shown to us, and the natural response is for me to offer my life. When you stand you don’t stand alone, the kings will join in, and the Lord will uphold you.

>137:1 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows there
we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy!

7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare,
down to its foundations!”
8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!
9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock!

Not all the songs are positive, there are tough times and situations. When you are not free and those who have done it to you rub your nose in it. It is hard to not be at home, even worse when it is not by choice. The exile is a great picture for us and the lives we have, we get into trouble when we start to believe that this is it. God does not forget, he shows u for his people. He uses those who do this to us to teach us but then he saves us when we get the point.

>136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew [1] Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;

17 to him who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

One of the best movie lines and deliveries comes in Moulin Rouge when it is screamed at the climax of the movie, “The greatest thing in life is to love and to be loved in return!” God made us this way, and provides for this deep need inherit in the human condition as we are reminded in this Psalm!

This love is the reason we give thanks, it is directed to Him who has done wonderous works of love on our behalf, who has been there throughout history, and who remembers us in our suffering. This is clearly a beautiful liturgy that would have been sung, read, and echoed back and forth by the people of God, and still should be!

>134:1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord!

3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!

Short and sweet. That is how I would describe this Psalm. It is a simple call to worship which encourages those who serve God to worship Him. The picture I have of those who stand by night in the house of the Lord, are of the Raiders fans in Oakland camping out before a football game. They would arrive at the stadium days before the game they would be so excited.

>133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.

Very beautiful! This is what we are to be known for, our love for each other. I have to laugh a little though because I think of the Saturday Night Live skit, I want to suck the goose juice out of you beard…sorry if you don’t remember it. Just think about the last time you had where you really were able to enjoy a friend or family memember. Hope you get to have one of these moments over these holidays.

>131:1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.

There is alot to think about when it comes to God. Hard to get your mind around, try and you will probably feel humbled. As I write this my six week year old daughter lies on a blanke and squirms and coos. She is amazed by everything around her, life is so big she hardly even knows what direction to look in. Amazing. With all the things that distract the thing that gives me the most peace and true sense of myself is God.

>130:1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

What does is sound like when you have been under it a long time? This is it, you cry, cry because it hurts and hopefully cry out to the Lord who can rescue you. A nice point here is how the Psalmist does not pretend to be better than he is. If you were to judge me God I won’t make it, but you offer forgiveness which is even greater! So then let us wait upon the Lord’s salvation. There are many things that plague me, I must wait upon the Lord for deliverance. Remembering his love is steadfast (it is always there) and his goal is to redeem me!