The Other Side : My Belief -Psalms 33

Today’s Reading Psalms 33

One of the most common practices among gardeners is the pruning and cultivation process. This pruning process is one that takes off small pieces of the plant that allows the plant to grow and flourish and to become more fruitful. Sometimes pruning process is difficult and sometimes it changes the complete structure and the base of the plant. But in the correct hands the pruning process is something that makes a tree into a more sustainable and profitable plant.

If the pruning process is not done correctly the tree or the plant can overgrow and this can cause devastation in the future. Several weeks ago when the ice storms came there were several trees in our backyard that had massive branches that fell on the ground and caused several light outs and electrical issues. These trees had not been pruned properly. This maintenance that was deferred and created several nights that were cold and dark for the family.

Many times in our life God being the master gardener chooses at the right time to prune things from our lives so that we can better focus on Him or turn attention to Him in order for us to grow. Sometimes these are easy and sometimes these are hard. Sometimes pruning happens in our health; sometimes it happens in our wealth; sometimes it happens in our families; so sometimes it happens in our bodies. This process happens when we allow God to be sovereign in our lives.

The best part of the pruning process is the Other Side.

Psalms 33 : 1-3

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
²Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
³Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

In Psalm 33, the writer is telling the joy and praise that they have for God and the goodness of his works. This author cannot explains these things without going through some traumatic events. This person cannot exhibit the joy and sun without the nights in anguish and heartache. This person has truly seen the harshness of life and is able to see the Other side of the the pruning show a beautiful as stronger side.

Psalms 33: 16-19

The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
¹⁷The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.

¹⁸Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
¹⁹that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.

I believe the sun is always shining and the the rain will come and dampen the day. But I also believe and have witnessed the goodness and mercy that God has given me as related in this beautiful Psalm.

My prayer is that if any of you are going through a period of pruning, that you are able to see the promise of the other side. If you see someone else in the mist of a journey, give them hope of the Other side. Be blessed

Lynden McGriff

ReplyForward

Why I believe – Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

Where have you heard that before? I have to admit as I was reading Psalm 22 and praying for God to help with making some connections to this chapter, I was at a loss. David had said the same thing Jesus said on the cross in Matthew 27:46 hundreds of years earlier. Why? As I walked into church Sunday a few minutes early, I sat in the back with my niece and told her what chapter I was writing about this week. I shared with her the last time I wrote; I had shared some of my testimony through Psalm 10. I told her how at a young age, I was a master at hiding from God. Now in Psalm 22, David was once again searching for God and felt abandoned and distant. My next comment to my niece as the music began was God would open some doors to help with Psalm 22. In walks Ben Miller, guest Pastor at Eastview Christian Church and director of Encounter at ISU. The series we are on is called Worship Reframed, with our focus on Worship: The Presence. What do you think one of the chapters referenced. Psalm 22. Thank you, God.

David was crying out to God. He felt like God’s presence was nowhere to be found. The truth is. The reminder and reason why I believe is I’m always reminded that God is always with us. God’s presence is with us in every journey. My connection to Why I believe was this, and often I can let the volume of the world allow me to tune God out. To not have ears that are open to His presence. What volume is too loud in your ear right now, making it feel like God has abandoned you? Is it work-related? Schedule at home still keeping you too busy? Is it social media that portrays false images? The volume of the world is so loud. The fast-paced motion we live in our lives cloud the presence of Him right next to you. He hasn’t forsaken us. We just are living in a culture that focuses our attention on us and our daily desires being filled. Why do I believe? Because when you turn your attention to God and realize His presence is always by your side, your perception of life changes. You start the journey of being transformed. God transforms us when we turn down the volume of the world and turn our focus on Him.

I love when Paul is talking with Timothy about false gods and the love of money. In his final charge in 1 Timothy 6:11, Paul says, But you, man of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

What do you need to flee from that is allowing you to believe that God has abandoned you? Just like David, I lived many years of my life where the noise of the world helped decide every decision I was going to make. It wasn’t until I turned down the volume.

Lean into God’s presence that is right where you are today. Right now. In Acts 17 24-28, Paul says that the God who made the world and heavens gives us all life and breath. God perfectly marked out our appointed times throughout this journey we call life to reach out to Him and find Him, though He is not far from any of us(28). Do you seek Him daily and find Him, or does the world drown out His presence?

I still stumble and feel like I can do this world on my own. That’s when I remember I really can’t. It’s all God, and I need to lean into God and seek out the unique presence of God in my life. This is why I believe.

Psalm 22:28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and he rules over the nations.

Dear present Heavenly Father,

Thank you for never abandoning us. Lord, you are always close, and in any of our moments of pain or fear, we can call on You. Thank you for your closeness that has transformed my life that was abandoned by a world that could never provide the peace and love you have given freely. Meet us in unique moments of Your presence as we enter into this day to remind us that you are always near. We love you. Amen

http://https://youtu.be/LuvfMDhTyMA

The King Who Wins

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 8 and Psalm 40

Hello Monday! Are you looking for signs of spring? Each morning I look for fresh green buds in our front yard or any other sign of new life. This time of year leading up to Easter is always sort of dreary. Christ’s death is eminent and there is a heaviness that comes with recounting the days before his burial and resurrection. Of course our reading today pre-dates the birth and death of Christ by about one thousand years. David’s rise to power began around the year 1003 BC. Today we hear about the fulfillment of God’s promise to defeat all of the enemies of the Israelites. David defeats the Philistines, the Moabites, the Edomites and entire armies of 22,000 men. He takes their chariot horses, weapons and money and then makes them his servants. So basically everything is going right for ol’ David. All the Israelites loved him:

“All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them.” 2 Samuel 3:36

Kind of a hard thing to hear on a Monday morning right? I have to be honest, when I first read this chapter I thought, “must be nice to conquer and plunder every enemy you face!” We all have that person (or two) in our life that seem to win every battle no matter how big or small. They effortlessly rise to power in their workplace and are successful in their personal life. All the people take note and are pleased! And you are left feeling a little jelly and maybe even a smidge resentful. Now, if I’m just talking about myself here, I hope you’ll take my confession and pray for me to mature in my faith! If on the other hand, you’ve ever struggled with the patience required to God to fulfill a promise then stay with me! Verse 15 says this:

“David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.” 2 Samuel 8:15

This is an important clue about the character of King David. Yes, he pleased his people but not because he tried to satisfy them. Instead, he showed them in all of his actions that he was trying to please God. Often, those that try their hardest to become popular never make it. Spending our time and money on devising ways to gain acceptance with our peers is fruitless. God wants us to spend our time striving to do what is right and just. King David’s reign was characterized by doing what was just for his people. Justice means interpreting the law and administering consequences with mercy and respect. David became a trusted leader among his followers because they respected his convictions. After some dedicated study of today’s word I came around to truly appreciating King David for his integrity and commitment to fulfilling his covenant promise with God. Through more reflection and prayer I understood that justice is not always the same as fairness. God doesn’t deal in fairness. Some will have riches, some will be poor. Some will have love and companionship, others will be alone. God fulfills His promises and reveals them in His time. We are not kings and queens and we won’t win every battle. We can trust God to give us the authority we need, in his time, to do the work that he wants us to do.

I encourage you to read Psalm 40 today in its entirety. It’s a perfect companion to His message in 2 Samuel 8. It begins like this:

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand…” Psalm 40

Standing on the Promises

2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 39

With a gapped tooth grin from ear to ear, I handed my mom an egg carton jewelry box on Mother’s Day, over thirty years ago. It was a soft yellow styrofoam carton, that was covered with paint, paper shapes and flower pipe cleaners. It was BEAUTIFUL! I had worked so diligently on her special gift, and she proudly displayed it on her dresser and put all of her treasures in it… I was so proud to give her something so beautiful that she could see and use every day.

David, he sure loved His God. In a similar way, we read in 2 Samuel 7, how he wanted to build something special for the Lord to dwell. It sure made sense to me – David’s living in a beautiful cedar home, and he wanted something even better for God. We know God cares about details, order, reverence, and respect, and this seemed right in line. But God’s ways are always above our ways, and while I believe David’s heart was in the right place, the Lord used it as an opportunity to reveal his future plans and make a covenant with him. Instead of David building a house for the Lord, the Lord outlines the eternal house (kingdom) that He will build through David and his heirs.

God later refers to this in Psalms 89:3 as:

“I have made a covenant

with my chosen one.”

God promises to raise up David’s offspring, establish their kingdom forever, and they will build a house for the Lord’s name. This promise, the foretelling of Jesus, is an early picture of God’s future plans for the Messiah.

God makes this covenant, with full knowledge of the future. He knows what David’s choices will be in the years to come. From times of obedience, to times of sin, God’s perfect ability to bring discipline and steadfast love is unmatched on this earth.

The second half of this chapter is David’s bewildered response to God’s promise to Him. He has been forgiven, protected, guided, changed, and God just told him He will do even MORE than that for David and his offspring! The soft heart of David, full of humility and love for the Lord, is one I want to emulate more consistently.

Thinking back to times when my heart was softest and focused on closeness with God, several instances come to mind:

the ‘first love” feelings of Jesus overwhelmed me when I first became a Christian
seasons of deep repentance, forgiveness, and gratitude
God answered prayers with my newborn daughter’s spina bifida and surgeries
discovering a new truth or lesson in the Word

I can go back to those moments and feelings that nothing else in the world mattered – God was with me and would be with me in the future, and I was firmly standing on that promise.

When I stumble across an old journal entry or something written down during those time, it is so faith affirming to see God’s work in my life. The book of Psalms often reads like David’s own journal entries of God’s promises, God’s deliverances, God’s protection. David loved proclaiming what God has done and will do in his life. He believed it, and he stood firm on those truths.

Are you standing firm in the promise God has given you? A promise of a life with him forever, filled with love and joy, where there will be no more tears and death. He is the perfect promise keeper. When the world around you fails, His promises never fail.