Sinners and Mockers

Posted on by korgrocker

“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.”
Psalm 1:1-2 NLT

The Holy Spirit has led me back to the Psalms, the Bible’s prayer and hymn book. A rich source of living with God, communicating with Him, learning from Him and providing a framework for our whole lives, not just the spiritual.

Psalm 1 starts with a contrast between the people who are worldly, and those who follow God and all His ways. Worldly people do not believe in God, in the life-changing redemptive work of Jesus at Calvary. Hedonism, seeking pleasure, is their goal, accomplished by whatever means are possible. Worldliness also includes the thoughts and actions of those who think that they are “good” people, but who fall far short of God’s standard. And that is really the problem – worldly people do not have a compass to guide them in God’s ways because His ways of righteousness do not fit in with their chosen lifestyle. 

The psalmist starts with a selection of the way worldly people behave, starting with those who are wicked. We do not have to go far before we find a wicked person. Open a media report and one will soon be found. But there are those in this category living far closer to home. Wickedness and sinning, the second category, go hand in hand and both have the same root – evil. Simplistically, God is good, and the devil is evil, and this dichotomy is exposed as the psalmist warns God’s people to avoid the wicked and any advice they might offer, to avoid hanging about in sinful company, and to avoid being a mocker or scoffer. Anyone who has spent time in the workplace will know what these things are.

Instead of getting involved with worldly people, the psalmist advised a God-follower to “delight in the law of the Lord”. That is not just the reading of a list of rules and regulations, but acting out what they read in their daily lives. God’s people must not, however, cut themselves off from all contact with the world. We pilgrims have to work in the office, visit the marketplace, be in contact with the people around us, whether they are good or bad. But through our conduct we exemplify a different way of life – God’s way. A way of righteousness and holiness, an alternative lifestyle sourced in God Himself. 

Where better a place to start than with the Psalms, as we delight ourselves in God. He is the Source of our joy. Only He has message, through Jesus, of eternal life with Him. 

Dear Father God. Good advice from the Holy-Spirit-inspired psalmist today. We pray the prayer Jesus taught His disciples, asking for deliverance from the evil round us. Thank You. Amen.

Frightened Pilate

Posted on by korgrocker

“The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?””
John 19:7-10 NLT

In those days superstition abounded. Every time something bad happened to someone they looked at things they had done in case one of their many deities had become involved. Perhaps, they thought, they had even offended one of their gods and were suffering the consequences. Adding to his woes, Pilate heard from his wife. “Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night”” (Matthew 27:19). Pilate was between a rock and a hard place. He knew that Jesus was not guilty of any crime, let alone one that would lead to death by crucifixion. Four times he said Jesus was innocent. Herod said He was innocent. And now Pilate’s wife had said the same. When Pilate heard the Jewish leaders say that Jesus “called himself the Son of God”, he was more frightened than ever, because to offend another God by putting His Son to death was just inviting a disaster to fall upon him. 

Even today, superstition abounds. I am writing this a few days after Halloween, a time when evil is celebrated. People dress up as ghosts, witches and in other scary ways, all in the name of “fun”. But there is nothing funny, nothing to celebrate, about the dark forces that have such a huge influence on the world around us. And then there are horoscopes. Someone has estimated that 23% of Americans regularly read their horoscopes, that they find in various media outlets. And then there is astrology and sorcery and so on. Yet, if a person is asked whether or not they are superstitious, they will probably deny it. “Just a bit of fun” they will say. 

Do we pilgrims become frightened of anything? There are natural dangers of course, and a human being is wired to take into account things that will cause them to avoid, or run away from, danger. But there are frightening circumstances that we cannot avoid, things that cause us stress or fear, and God has an answer to that. I love the first two verses of Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea”. In addition to such natural events, there are also consequences for our bad choices that can cause us to be frightened. The list of potential misdemeanours that mankind should be guilty of is lengthy but facing judgement either in this life or the next will surely happen. Thankfully God will be with us wherever we are and in whatever circumstances. Psalm 56:3, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you“. 

Regardless of what is happening, though, are we frightened today? As we reach out to our Heavenly Father we will find peace for our souls. In the context of eternity, we really have nothing to be afraid of, as we stay close to Jesus and His cross. 

Dear Father God. You sent Your Son to lead us out of the frightening world in which we live into one that has no danger in Your presence. Wow worship You today. Amen.

Snake Venom

Posted on by korgrocker

““Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.””
Romans 3:13 NLT

Paul continues his Old Testament quotes with verses from Psalms 5 and 140. The first is “My enemies cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with flattery” (Psalm 5:9). This Psalm was written by David, who was mourning the behaviour of those he regarded as his enemies. He wrote it during his morning prayer time – “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly” (Psalm 5:3). So, we have the contrast between David, close to God in prayer and presence, and his enemies who are closer to the devil, the father of lies. 

The reference to “snake venom” comes from Psalm 140:3, where David wrote, “Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips”. We of course will immediately remember the snake in the Garden, with his lies that drew the first man and woman into sin. And David viewed the same behaviour in his society, where people continued to speak the lies of the snake. Sinful and lying talk that hurt and poisoned those around him. 

But in both Psalms, David found solace in the presence of God. Referring to his enemies, the followers of the father of lies, he finished Psalm 140 with, “But I know the Lord will help those they persecute; He will give justice to the poor. Surely righteous people are praising Your name; the godly will live in Your presence”. 

Paul in his letter to the Romans was comparing the behaviour of sinful people in his Roman audience to the same behaviour noted in the Psalms. And he seemed to be saying that some things never change. We pilgrims today can draw the same conclusion, as we look on at the behaviour of our politicians and other leaders. There are even some in our church denominations who would be included within Paul’s accusations. 

So we pilgrims read the Book of Romans, sobered by Paul’s warnings, by his accusations, knowing in our hearts of our propensities to sin, included with those he was railing against in Rome. We are grateful for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, in allowing these words to be recorded. God, through His Spirit, influenced David to write these verses in the Old Testament, and Paul, to repeat them in the New. A significance that we should not miss. In repentance we bring our own behaviour under God’s spotlight and receive the cleansing through Jesus’ blood, bringing us back on track in our hours of need.

Dear Father. Once again we embrace the entirety of Your Word, omitting nothing, because all Scriptures emanate from You. We are so grateful. Amen.

Singing Spiritual Songs

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:18-20‬ ‭NLT

Paul continues with the thought that being “filled with the Holy Spirit” leads on, in a natural way, to singing. But not any old song. There is no value in worldly songs with their inane lyrics. Paul’s world of song included Psalms and Hymns. Songs of the Spirit. God-songs. There is something about singing spiritual songs that leads to a connection to God. Almost as though spiritual songs are keys that unlock the door into God’s presence, into His zone. 

One of the keys to a successful spiritual song, in my opinion, is spontaneity. Singing a well worn hymn can of course be a blessing. There is something special about being in the presence of strong singers belting out “Thine Be the Glory” or “Praise My Soul the King of Heaven”. Or joining with the choirs of the terraces in the hymn “Abide with Me”. But a soulish response is only part of the way into the God-zone. It is far better to allow the infilling of the Holy Spirit to lead to a spiritual response. It might be in our native tongues. But it might too be in the Heavenly language that is ours for the asking (1 Corinthians 14, particularly 14:15). And in the process of aligning our spirits with God something significant happens. I have been in worship services that have continued for an hour or two, lead by the Holy Spirit into Heavenly places, all sense of time abandoned. 

How creative are we with “making music to the Lord in [our] hearts”? We probably say we don’t have a clue where to start. But it’s uncanny that repeating a phrase from a Psalm, or some prayer we have made up, can lead on to the development of a melody. Just a simple tune. It may not even be anything original. But before we know it the music welling up in our hearts connects with the Lord. Amazing. And the Author-Composer turns out to be the Holy Spirit, who we have just been filled by. 

As pilgrims we must never gloss over this verse written by Paul. He knew all about what he was writing. He too was a pilgrim and I can just imaging him singing his heart out in that prison cell, driving his guards nuts. But he wouldn’t have been bothered by that – he was in the God-zone. And we can join him there, from wherever we are. Or in whatever we are doing.

More Action Praise

Posted on by korgrocker

“Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heaven!
Praise Him for His mighty works; praise His unequalled greatness!
Praise Him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise Him with the lyre and harp!
Praise Him with the tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flutes!
Praise Him with a clash of cymbals; praise Him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!”
Psalm 150:1-6 NLT

Well, here we are, looking at the last Psalm in the Book of Psalms. Another Psalm following on from the action praise-theme in Psalm 149. But the Psalmist is getting carried away with the thoughts of adding more and more noise to his praise. You see, we cannot be quiet when it comes to praising God. We can’t whisper our praises. And the Psalmist knew that. And so he started to add some more instruments to his praise-band. So in addition to the tambourine and harp, we now have a lyre, stringed instruments, a ram’s horn, flutes and not just any old cymbals – these are clashing cymbals with loud clanging gizmos attached to them. Within me is the thought that I want to get to play the loud clanging cymbals in the praise band – but don’t tell anyone! But in case there is anyone who feels they will miss out, those who don’t get to play an instrument – they can sing their praises (assuming they are still breathing of course). 

Just this morning, as the new day was breaking over the woods in my corner of Scotland, I paused. I listened to the noises around me. The distant traffic a constant reminder of our 21st Century world, but closer by was the bird song. And the wind gently murmuring through the tree tops. And within me was the deep impression that there was a lot of praising going on – I just wasn’t hearing it with my earth-bound senses. And the creation around me was shouting it out.

But why should I, a 21st Century pilgrim, praise God? My musings took me to Romans 8:29-30, “For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory.” And I looked at verse 30, and personalised it, like this, “And having chosen [me], He called [me] to come to Him. And having called [me], He gave [me] right standing with Himself. And having given [me] right standing, He gave [me] His glory.” Why should I praise God? Why should I not praise God? Not only has God chosen me, He has made me righteous before Him. Jesus is now my older brother. And God has given me His glory. Truly, I will praise God as long as I have breath.

Action Praise

Posted on by korgrocker

“Praise the Lord! 
Sing to the Lord a new song. 
Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. 
Praise his name with dancing, 
accompanied by tambourine and harp. 
Let the praises of God be in their mouths,”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭149:1, 3, 6a‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In yesterday’s Psalm, Psalm 148, the Psalmist wrote about all the wonderful God-things he could think about, and he experienced a “wow” moment that translated him into a different dimension. A praise-zone so wonderful that he had to share it with his readers, encouraging them to “Praise the Lord” too.

The theme continues in today’s Psalm but with the exhortation to be more physically expressive. So the Psalmist encourages the writing of a “new song”. He suggests that praises to God should be sung amongst “the assembly of the faithful”, a congregation of God’s people. But before we develop a picture in our minds of rows and rows of elderly and pew-bound men and women holding hymn books and singing with bored expressions on their faces, the Psalmist advises how praises should be – with dancing, tambourines and harps. Now what a picture that would be! Hymn books thrown aside. New songs abounding. The congregation bouncing up and down the aisles, the percussive sounds of tambourines and harps all but drowning out the dirge-like sounds exuding from an organ, tucked away in the background somewhere. Praises expressed in the way they should be – in total abandonment to our wonderful Heavenly Father. He deserves our praises, offered from every ounce, every fibre, of our beings, for what He has done for us. One day I suspect that we will find Heaven to be a bit like that. No pew-bound-ness there. Read Revelation 5.

But after our quick glimpse into Heaven, here we are, back on planet Earth, trudging along on our life-pilgrimage. Lifting our tired limbs step by step, tramping along through the highways and byways of 21st century society. And we wonder about this environment of praise. It’s unusual to find praise expressed in such total abandonment in any of our Western denominational churches, though we might find it on the terraces at a football match. It is beyond me to understand how people can express exuberant praise honouring their football team, who are kicking around a bag filled with wind, when they can’t offer up the same praise to their Creator, who created the bag materials and provided the wind. But, apart from that digression, there is something within me that is bursting to join a praising throng of God’s people, as the Psalmist described. Abandoning the pre-conditioned reticence that seems to blight most people in my generation, and being able to enter into the “wow”-zone of God’s presence. Why? Because our Heavenly Father is worthy of all the praises we can muster, and then some. We cannot praise Him enough for all that He has done for us. But one day we will get that opportunity, those of us who have embraced God and His Son, Jesus, committing our lives to them in an eternal act of repentance and commitment. 

I’ve just had a mischievous thought – why don’t I go out and buy a tambourine. And then take it to church on Sunday. Hmmm…

Praise the Lord!

Posted on by korgrocker

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
for he issued his command, and they came into being.
He set them in place forever and ever.
His decree will never be revoked.
Psalm 148:1, 5-6 NLT

In this Psalm, the word “Praise” appears 13 times. The Psalmist runs through many of God’s attributes, encouraging us to respond as he did, with a heart full of praise. He starts by looking up into the skies. There he “sees” angels and God’s “armies of heaven”. He continues with his observations of the celestial bodies, our sun, moon, and the stars we can see. His gaze starts to fall, with a view of the clouds then replaced by his thoughts about created beings, formed at God’s command. By His spoken and irrevocable word. The Psalmist continues with what he sees around him. The inhabitants of the seas, the weather systems, the habitat and occupants of the lands, the society and the people who live within it. All in all, the Psalmist did a pretty good job in describing his world in just a few short verses. But above all, he exhorted his fellow countrymen to “Praise the Lord”.

Do we look around us at our world, with wonder and praise for its Creator? Or do we just take for granted what we see? Do we spend our time trying to explain it all away, as a chance happening on a random planet in a vast universe? Or do we see God’s plan in it all; the Creator who wanted to make mankind in His image? Or do we, like the Psalmist, become overwhelmed by our loving Heavenly Father, responding over and over again in expressing our praises to Him? The Psalmist’s view of God was so overwhelming that all he could do was offer up a “wow” from deep within him. We too must find that “wow” moment in our own lives. It is there for the finding, and as we utter praises from our lips, we will find ourselves in a different place. In His presence. In God’s “wow”-zone. 

Like a Butterfly

Posted on by korgrocker

“Praise the Lord! 
How good to sing praises to our God! 
How delightful and how fitting! 
He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds. 
He counts the stars and calls them all by name. 
How great is our Lord! 
His power is absolute! 
His understanding is beyond comprehension!”
Psalms‬ ‭147:1, 3-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This Psalm is a wonderful jumble of thoughts. The Psalmist’s musings flit like a butterfly between exhortations to praise God, to how marvellously wonderful His creation is and then to how He cares for His creation. And in the process, he delivers the message that our Heavenly Father, so powerful that He can create, count and name the stars, also cares for human beings like you and I. Doesn’t that give us the picture of a God so complete that He is fully omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent? The Psalmist was right when he said that God’s “understanding is beyond comprehension”. 

No matter how hard we try, how many university degrees we get, how many years we spend in research, we will never even scratch the surface of what God is all about. Suffice to say that we must instead align our lives to follow Jesus. He taught us how to live. And He ultimately provided the remedy for our transgressions at Calvary. One day I firmly believe that we too will be able to see a bit more of God’s understanding; it will be mind-blowing and there will be only one possible response. “Praise the Lord!”

Hope in the Lord

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. 
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, 
and all their plans die with them. 
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their Helper, 
whose hope is in the Lord their God.”
He made heaven and earth, the sea, 
and everything in them. 
He keeps every promise forever.”
Psalms‬ ‭146:3-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A charismatic figure emerges in a nation and people are attracted to him, electing him as their leader. A familiar situation repeated many times over in ages past. And there have been many shipwrecked nations because they followed a man instead of following God. Great initial expectations are replaced by disappointment and despair. As David, the Psalmist, advises – putting our confidence in a person will not be helpful. And he points out that the grandiose plans the leaders have will die with them. A human being does not have the capability to always deliver on their promises, to provide help for everyone who needs it. When I read these verses I am reminded of the promises made by aspiring politicians when they seek election. Promises that often evaporate and disappear once their office has been realised. 

Thankfully, there is a “but” in this Psalm. When we put our hope and trust in God, we are 100% assured that He will deliver what He promises. Verse 6 finishes, “He keeps every promise forever”. But the meaning the Psalmist implies behind the word “hope” isn’t for something that might or might not happen. Like we hope it won’t rain today. Or the childish hope that Santa will bring a new train set for Christmas. The word “hope” in this Psalm implies an assurance that through our faith we will realise what we “hope” for. The first verse in Hebrews 11 says, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” 

So we align our lives to “the God of Israel”, our wonderful Creator God. He isn’t just a local “god” hovering over a nation state in the Middle East. As the verse says, “He made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them”. Because of His credentials as the Creator of everything, we can delight in our relationship with Him; in the knowledge that He helps us, replacing despair of human shortcomings with joy in His God-comings. Powerful people don’t make it onto the significance scale when God is around. 

God’s Word, the Bible, is full of His promises. Too many to list here. But just one has popped into my mind this morning. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬. Having the peace of God within us in a world lacking peace is a promise God will never fail to deliver.

God’s Open Hand

Posted on by korgrocker

“The Lord helps the fallen 
and lifts those bent beneath their loads. 
The eyes of all look to You in hope; 
You give them their food as they need it. 
When You open Your hand, 
You satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145:14-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There was a time when God literally opened His hand to feed the Israelite nation as they floundered in the wilderness between Egypt and their Promised Land. A food they called “Manna” was found on the ground every morning; it contained all they needed for life and satisfied their physical needs for an unbelievable 40 years. There were times when they grumbled about its sameness, even yearning on occasion to return to Egypt where there were leeks and garlic, but nevertheless God fed them. And before we try and take the moral high ground and say how we would have been much more grateful, imagine all we had to eat was porridge. Every day. For 40 years. Hmmm…

Today we are presented with a bewildering array of different foods. Supermarket shelves bulge with fare of all kinds. During the pandemic, there have been hints of the fragility of the food supply, with empty shelves driving headlines at times. Sadly, we too easily take for granted the availability of food, forgetting that our provision is all through God’s grace.

The verses before us today paint a picture of our total dependability on our loving, Heavenly, Creator God. Firstly, we read that He sustains us, even in times of adversity, when life is hard, when we are crushed under loads to heavy for us to bear on our own. And when we look to God, in hope that He will come through for us, we find that He satisfies us with all that we need for life. He satisfies our hunger and thirst. Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, and there, embedded in what we have come to call the Lord’s Prayer, we find, “Give us today our daily bread.” Another translation reads, “Give us today the food we need”. Jesus thought it important enough to include the petition for food in His prayer guidance. 

We must have a continual attitude of gratitude for God’s provision. Our very existence is in His hands, and when He opens them we benefit. Before His throne of grace today we’re thankful. Deeply thankful. David, the Psalmist, finishes his Psalm with these words, “I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless His holy name forever and ever.”‭‭ That is the only thing we can do; God has done so much for us.