give thanks

His Love Endures Forever! ~ Psalm 107

8:23 AM

 Today’s Scripture: Psalm 107 &  Isaiah 43:5-6, Col 1:13-14

I got so excited when I learned that it was my job to write on Psalm 107, for this psalm holds two important messages, and I'll admit I struggled with which one to write on. The first is found in verses 6, 13, 19 and 28, "Then they cried out to the Lord in their troubles.", for this is where we will find our help and be delivered from our "troubles" as the subsequent verses testify to. 

But, I believe the most important message the psalmist wanted to get across to us is found in his first verses: "O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His compassion and loving-kindness endure forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary" - Psalm 107:1-2 (emphasis mine)

Found in verse 1 is a common refrain that the psalmist wants us, not only to remember, but to carry with us for the rest of our days! It is: "His compassion and loving-kindness endures forever." Another version states, "The steadfast love of God endures forever.”

Think of that one thought for a moment, especially those of us who have been hurt by someone who loved us for a little while, but then left us. Today, I want to especially talk to the one who has had a close friend, or loved one; someone who they thought loved them well. One they leaned on and trusted in, only to be betrayed by them in some way.  

It happens, and sometimes those times make it difficult to open up and trust - wholeheartedly trust once more. But God's Word assures us that we have a "Friend who sticks closer than a brother."
(Proverbs 18:24)

Beloved, in a world where "it's all about me" and heartbreaks, we can be assured that God's love for us is steadfast and enduring. No matter what we do or say. (Romans 8:38-39) We did nothing to earn His love and we can't do anything to lose His love. How amazingly wonderful is that?! 

Since God is love and He is the creator of love, His love will endure forever because it is His character (1 John 4:7) He cannot change. His love will remain forever.

We know that when a person places their faith in Jesus, they receive eternal life in addition to forgiveness for their sins and are sealed with God's Spirit.  His love for us will never weaken overtime, for enduring love does not have any time restraints.

And God promises us over one hundred times in His Word that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. 

So let me ask you:

_ Has someone hurt you and let you down in the past?  How did you react?
_ Have you been able to forgive them?
_ Has it made it difficult to trust and continue to love them and others?
_ Would you allow God to love them through you?
_ Remember the first important element in this psalm was to cry out to God and watch Him come running to the rescue. Will you surrender to allow God to reach this world with His unconditional love? 



Let's pray: 

All glory be to Your name, O God, for Your love - for Your steadfast love that will never diminish. Father, thank You that no matter what happens tomorrow I am loved with a love that will endure through all eternity. Father, help me not only to remember this always, but help me to love others in the same way You love. Or better yet, Lord Jesus, love others unconditionally through me. May we team up to reach a hurting world out there with the steadfast love of God. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.

Blessings,

Sue


Idols

Love The Lord Above All ~ Psalm 97

9:00 AM



Today’s Scripture: Psalms 97 & Exodus 17:1-7 and Hebrews 3:7-11

Good morning, Beloved,

Before we begin our study on Psalm 97, I wanted to share a little treasure I found,


Psalms 96-98 are similar in that each celebrate God’s coming as the world’s King, but Psalm 96 and Psalm 98 focus on what is in store for this world when God returns, while Psalm 97 emphasizes The Lord's attributes.



I loved how these 3 psalms we'll be studying together this week are actually connected. This psalm easily boasts of Jehovah's greatness, but it was verse 7 in this Psalm that grabbed my attention, but let us first start at the beginning for I’d like you to notice how the writer has ‘sandwiched’ verse 7 into this psalm. 

"The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!

Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around.

His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.








Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O Lord.

For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

O you who love the Lord, hate evil.He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,and give thanks to his holy name!" (Ps. 97:1-12)




I found it odd that being sandwiched in this amazing psalm was verse 7, "All who worship idols are put to shame, those who boast in idols - worship Him..."

Psalm 97 sets up a great argument as to why we should be put to shame for trusting in any idols, but do we? I clearly believe the writer was attempting to address those who worshiped carved wooden images, but I believe there are unseen idols that vie for our attention everyday!

Idol is defined as a person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, or revered.

Tim Keller states in his book Counterfeit Gods, an idol is “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything that you seek to give you what only God can give.”

Bottom line, an idol can be anything that takes the place of God as the most important focus and priority in our life.

Below is a list of a few "idols" that instantly came to mind, (probably because I find myself having to deal with them at times), but this is definitely not an exhausted list. Feel free to share other idols that come to your mind with us.

1.) Self - Those struggling with this idol filter everything through the lens of how it affects them rather than if it's God will or not. We can become embarrassed, angry when our so called rights are impacted, etc. We can look at our schedule first rather than seek God’s will when asked to do something. 

2.) Others Approval - God created as social beings, to live in an interdependent community with one another. Therefore, it’s normal to want to belong. The problem arises, however, when we place our desire to be liked above our relationship with God, and we are held back from doing or saying something we clearly know God has called us to because we fear how others will react.

3.) Relationships - Spouses, Parents, Children, Friends, etc. Trouble arises when we look to others to meet the void in our heart that is only meant to be filled by God, Himself. God is infinite and we are finite. God cannot fail, but people often will. God's love is unconditional, where we often place conditions on our love for others. I could go on, but the bottom line is, when we look to others to fill our needs, we are setting ourselves up for disappointments, but The Lord has promised us that He will never fail us. If we look to Him to fill us up then we can go meet the needs of others together.

4.) Success - We often, when meeting someone for the first time, seek to find out what they do, but truly our worth should be in Christ alone. Our worth is not found in what we do, but in who we are - a daughter of the King.

5.) Wealth - What we own; money, home(s), possessions. Yet, all could be wiped out tomorrow. I'm not saying we should not save for the future, but that it should not be where we place our trust.

6.) Health - down through the centuries it has been believed that we are blessed if we have great health, and it's good to do what we can to improve our health. Increased strength and energy often leads to enhanced productivity. The problem arises when wellness shifts from a tool to an object of our worship.

7.) Comfort - This one can take on a large realm of possibilities, from talking to friends rather than crossing the isle to welcome a stranger, to vacationing at the beach rather than going to help with disaster relief efforts... you get the picture. We like comfort, but it can become a problem when it prevents us from stepping out to do what God has called us to do.

I've given you seven, but there are many more idols that don't take on any tangible form, but are just as dangerous. I believe Jesus is the anecdote for every idol that seeks to control our heart and affections. The more we lean into Him, prioritize our time with Him, and surrender to Him, the more He fills our hearts with good things so that there is no room for anything else.

So, let me ask you...

_ From the list above which one or ones do you most struggle with?

_ What consumes your time each day?

_ What can you begin to do to tear down the idols in your life?

Let's Pray:

O Father, first of all forgive me for the idols that have taken up space in my heart where only You should be! Forgive me for the times, I've failed to do the things You clearly called me to do because of the idols I've given precedence to. O Father, You are mighty, God Most High and above all the earth. May you reign in my heart as You reign over all creation. May You fill my heart with all of Your being so that there cannot be any room for anything else and together, may we go bless this world. Amen.

Blessings,

Sue










favoritism

Defend-Uphold-Rescue and Deliver ~ Psalm 82

9:00 AM

 Today’s Scripture is Psalm 82 & 1 Peter2:13-17


Good morning, Beloved!

In this psalm, “God takes his place in the divine council” (82:1). I had to wonder just who He is addressing here. Jesus, in John 10:34, refers to this psalm to explain how strange it is for the Jews of His day to find it incredible that he could claim not to be one of the “gods” but to be the Lord God himself. Here, in John chapter 10, Jesus says that He "called them gods to whom the word of God came.” Therefore, it is believed that these “gods” are religious leaders, rulers, and divinely appointed officials.

God is calling them to justice: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?” (82:2) I immediately thought of this passage in James as I read verse 2, 

"For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?" (James 2:2-6)

If we're honest, most, if not all of us, have shown some sort of favoritism over time. I think of our country's passion with actors and musical artists who entertain us, yet our military, police and firefighters, who work to protect us never have to worry about the paparazzi, though we know God word tells us, He never shows favoritism and is now calling us out. 

I'm thankful God doesn't show favoritism and is always looking out for the "little guy", aren't you? In fact, I tried researching all the verses in the Bible that refer to taking care of the poor, widows, orphans and refugees and I easily found over one hundred. Here's just a few examples,

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27)

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:14-17)

But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? (1 John 3:17)

It is imperative that we as well as our religious leaders use the "talents" we've been given to care for our brothers and not show special favors for ourselves or others. We should defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy and deliver them from the hand of the wicked. (82:3-4)

It is easy for those in leadership situations to think of the interests of the powerful, for if they were to become upset, they could damage the organization as a whole. But the role of a servant leader should be to look after the interests of all and speak up for those who have no voice.

Jesus modeled this so perfectly for us throughout the gospels. It's clear this is huge in our Father's heart and I know He will help us to love all and help those in need. 

Pause & Reflect:

Can you think of a time when someone favored another over you, or a loved one for the wrong reasons?

Would you ask God to show you today what He wants you to do to help?

Ask Him to show you any area where you have shown, or are showing favoritism?

Let's Pray:

O Father, I am so thankful You clearly don't show favoritism, for You love all and look on the hearts of men and not their outward appearances. We long to be more like You in this area. Please give us a heart that loves deeply and compassionately. Please reveal to us any areas where we have failed in this area. Help us to forgive and build up our brothers, for this is Your will for Your people. Amen


Blessings, 

Sue

consoled

Recipe for Relief When Overwhelmed ~ Psalm 77

9:00 AM

Today's Scriptures: Psalm 77 & John 16:33




Have you ever felt so overwhelmed in your circumstances that you've been tempted to give up hope? The distress seemed so intense that you find you cannot sleep. Rather than sleep, you spend your time praying, yet even in your time of prayer, you cannot rest, or be comforted. This is where we find the psalmist just now. 

This psalm is a lament; it’s a cry of desperation to God. There is probably no stronger expression of fear and anxiety anywhere than in these opening lines of Psalm 77,
 "I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and He will hear me. In my day of trouble I sought the Lord. My hands were lifted up all night long; I refused to be comforted. I think of God; I groan; I meditate; my spirit becomes weak." (v.1-2)

Have you ever found yourself wondering,
“Will the Lord reject forever?
    Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
    Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” (v.7-9)

I have a time or two, and I'm thankful to know that these very thoughts are also found in God's word, but also in this psalm we find the beginning of a "recipe for relief" from your distress as well. It begins in verse 10 with the word, "then".

Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. (v.10-11)

It all begins by recalling Who you are looking to! 

I know, for me, when I'm distressed what helps most, outside of being delivered from the circumstances, is to discover God's perspective in all of it! I know when I do, even though the circumstances don't change at that moment, my whole perspective does! And I'm able to sit tight and wait on God to act. I thought I'd share the recipe I've discovered to hear from God. 

1.) Fasting always adds an exclamation point to let God know how serious you are, but is optional. 
2.) Humble ourselves  in a posture of humility by recalling Who God is and all He has done in the past. 
Your ways, God, are holy.
    What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
    you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, (v.13-15)
3.) Begin with confession. Confessing everything that comes to mind. Pray and ask God
  •  If there is anything you’ve failed to do and should have done, 
  • Or if there is anything you did and shouldn’t have. 
  • Confess any thoughts, attitudes, etc. that are not pleasing to Him.
  • Confess anything you’ve been feeling guilty about lately.
4.) Surrender your desires, your wishes, or whatever you're seeking His help with. Become wholly surrendered to Him.
5.) Then begin to pray; seeking answers, His perspective by asking questions (James 1:5-6)
6.) Sit in silence before Him listening to any promptings.
7.) Read His word if the Holy Spirit prompts you, but give Him time.
8.) Finally, if you've done all the above, and still haven't received any answers, seek godly council from others. 

I can honestly say that God has never failed to answer when I've come to Him in this way. Never failed to answer!  However, the answers have come at different times and in different ways, but I have always known without a doubt it was the answer I was seeking. 

And most importantly, even though the circumstances haven't changed, only my perspective, I gain the peace I need at that moment to wait on Him to deliver me from the circumstances however He chooses. 

I pray you will cut, copy and save this formula in your journal or Bible to use the next time you are seeking wisdom in the midst of your difficulties. 

Let's pray:
Heavenly Father, You are just in Your dealings with us. Holy and righteous in all You do. Father, we are so thankful we can trust You at all times, even when we don't fully understand the reasons and circumstances around us. I pray we will always remember that when those times come where we are feeling overwhelmed as though the waves will take us down, we can run to You. Cry out to You, knowing You will not only hear our cries, but answer us when we call upon You. May You be the first one we turn to always for answers and relief in the midst of our trials. Amen. 

Blessings,

Sue

leaders

David's Doxology ~ Psalm 72

9:00 AM

 Today's Scriptures: Psalm 72 & Romans 1:1-6



Welcome sweet friends! 

I hope you had an awesome holiday season and are ready to dig back into the Psalms for 2023! And what a perfect place to begin! 

Psalm 72 is the end of Book 2 in the Psalms and closes with the words, "The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended." (v.20). Some believe this psalm was written by Solomon and some believe that David wrote this for his son, Solomon. I tend to think the latter is the case. In fact, I believe David has written a doxology- his final prayer to God. And I have grown to love David's doxology.

 David begins by praying for himself and his son, and then looks beyond their reign to the Messiah to come proclaiming,  

In His [Christ’s] days shall the [uncompromisingly] righteous flourish and peace abound till there is a moon no longer.

He [Christ] shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth.

Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him and His enemies shall lick the dust.

The kings of Tarshish and of the coasts shall bring offerings; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him.

For He delivers the needy when he calls out, the poor also and him who has no helper.

He will have pity on the poor and weak and needy and will save the lives of the needy.

He will redeem their lives from oppression and fraud and violence, and precious and costly shall their blood be in His sight.

And He shall live; and to Him shall be given gold of Sheba; prayer also shall be made for Him and through Him continually, and they shall bless and praise Him all the day long.

 There shall be abundance of grain in the soil upon the top of the mountains [the least fruitful places in the land]; the fruit of it shall wave like [the forests of] Lebanon, and [the inhabitants of] the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

 His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun [indeed, His name continues before the sun]. And men shall be blessed and bless themselves by Him; all nations shall call Him blessed!- Psalm 72:10-17 (emphasis mine)

Oh, how I look forward to this day when our King reigns!

 You may remember the LORD’s claim in Psalm 2:6, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” Psalm 72 now goes on to further describe what His king is like—how He rules and what He values. 

David then closes his final psalm with a blessing- his doxology, "Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things! "And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory, Amen and Amen." - Psalm 72:18-19 

Is it any wonder why God called David a man after his own heart?

 You might also recall that Psalm 2 ends with “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him [the royal son]” (2:12b).  I thought it was interesting to see how the psalm at the beginning of his life and at the end are so similar.

David spoke this doxology at the very end of his life, but I thought it would be neat to write our own for 2023! I'd like to encourage you to pen one that will depict this year for you here, at the beginning of the year.

You won't need to share it with us, but I hope you'll tuck it into your journal or Bible so that you'll be able to refer to it often as you journey through 2023, and then at the end of this year you can check it to see how adequately  it describes your year and your journey with Him. 

So let me ask you as you prayerfully consider this assignment…

What are your expectations for this year? Your hopes? Fears?

What are you most trusting God for? Who is God to you? And what do you need Him to do for you this year?

Hopefully these questions will get you started on your doxology for 2023! 

Let's Pray:

Heavenly Father, You are always with us in every transition and change. As we enter into this new year with excitement and even some anxiety, let us recall Your deep love and compassion, Your presence, and Your faithfulness.
We thank you for the gifts, talents and skills with which you have blessed us with. We thank you for the experiences that have brought us to this moment. We thank you for the work of others that gives breadth and depth to our own work.
O Father, be with us as we move forward, rejoicing with you and supporting one another in 2023. In your Holy Name we pray. Amen.

Blessings, 

Sue

blessings

Blessed to Be a Blessing ~ Psalm 67

8:30 AM


 Today's Scriptures : Psalm 67  & Numbers 6:24-26



This Psalm of praise to the Lord speaks about the blessings of the Lord. It is amended from The High Priest’s prayer of blessing given to Aaron by the Lord to bless Israel. (Numbers 6:22-27). It is both a prayer and a song of praise which was given by the Lord in order to bless His people and I think it couldn't be more perfect for the last week of this semester's study!!

Psalm 67 recalls Aaron's blessing to Israel with its opening words: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us” (v. 1). But here in Psalm 67 is where we learn the reason that God is gracious to us, blesses us, and turns His face toward us. 

Have you ever wondered about that? ... Why has God chosen to bless you?

The reason is "so that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations” (v. 2 emphasis mine). God blesses us so that we might be a blessing to the world and the world will take notice and begin to praise Him!

May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.

May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you rule the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations of the earth.

May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you. (Psalm 67:3-5)


Have you ever thought of that? He blesses us to be a blessing to others! He also blesses us so that the world around us will see God, recognize Him, and begin to praise Him! But, here is the most amazing thing we find here in Psalm 67 that I don't want you to miss. 

 It is here in Psalm 67 that these two avenues (for lack of a better word) meet: God’s blessing to us (Numbers 6) and His promise to bless all nations through Abraham in Genesis 12. AND it is even more amazing that these two great avenues meet in an act of worship here in Psalm 67. 

Did you know it is through worship that we can fully recognize who we truly are, and what it means for us to be blessed? We are blessed to be a blessing. 

Beloved, our Father blesses us so that those who have not yet experienced the blessings of God might come to know Him and join in our growing circle of praise to Him. I've mentioned before that praise becomes contagious, like a fire that can spread! No wonder our enemy seeks to discourage us and rob us of our joy!

Which is why I think it would be awesome if we can turn verse 7 into our prayer today!

May God bless us still,
    so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. (v.7)

O sisters, would you join me in praising and thanking our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and pray He will "bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him."? 

~ On a personal note, it's been a blessing to study with you this fall and I look forward to being back with you in January! Have an amazing Christmas season and a truly blessed 2023! 

Til then,
Sue 




God's Rest

Finding Rest for Your Soul ~ Psalm 62

9:00 AM

Today's Scripture: Psalm 62 & John 10:30 


We often talk about needing to rest, recharging our battery, unwind, get some R&R, or the need for some downtime. There are many ways to describe resting, but I had to wonder if this is truly what David was describing in this psalm when he wrote,

Truly my soul finds rest in God;
    my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I shall never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)

If we read on we discover David is being tormented by others,

How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? (v.3)

And I had to wonder what does our enemy use to torment us these days in an attempt to unsettle our hearts? Perhaps,

  • The rise in crime.
  • Inflation
  • Rumors of wars 
  • Pandemics
  • Social issues
There are plenty of weapons he can use, and we only need to turn on the TV or social media to become bombarded by them all. It's wonderful to get away, to turn off social media, but that is often only a temporary solution. Therefore, I had to wonder if David has a better plan for us here in this psalm. 

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
 On God rests my salvation and my glory;
    my mighty rock, my refuge is God.


Trust in him at all times, O people;
    pour out your heart before him;
    God is a refuge for us. Selah (Psalm 62:5-8)

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. (V.5) 

I wonder, what have you placed your hope in?
  • Your savings?
  • Husband or others?
  • Job?
  • Elected Officials?
I've placed my faith, hope and found comfort in all of these at one time or another in spite of knowing that only God is proven faithful at all times. And each time I’ve been disappointed I had to wonder why my faith rested there instead of with God alone, for no matter how wonderful others are, they are bound to let us down at some point. 

Trust in him at all times, O people. (V.8)

I believe David offers us the key reason His soul could rest despite being tormented by others in verse 8. David placed his trust in God alone. I’ve discovered over the years that when I am wholly looking to and trusting in God, I am now free to minister to others rather than looking and longing for others to minister to me. He meets every need! It is though I am girded up; my armor is on and together the Lord and I can meet the needs of others. 

It’s a wonderful position to be in! I instantly morph from being needy to looking to meet the needs of others and the only thing that change was where I placed my trust! 

 I looked up cross-references to the phase, "trust in Him" and wanted to share a few in hopes these truths will build your faith as it did mine:

  • 1 Chronicles 5:20, They cried out to (God) during battle. He answered their prayers because they trusted in Him.
  • Psalm 28:7, The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me.
  • Psalm 37:5, Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this.
  • Psalm 40:3, He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in Him.
  • Isaiah 25:9, This is the Lord; we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad.
  • Naham 1:7, The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. 
  • Romans 15:13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • 1 Peter 2:6, The one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.


Let's pray:

Holy Father, our hearts are often heavy with the darkness we see in this world. There is many things our enemy can torment and disquiet our heart with. And we confess that it is not always our first instinct to turn towards you during such times Father. When our hearts are heavy remind us that you are there, always there, to gently nudge us back to your path. O God, may we too say as David did long ago, "my heart rests in God alone." Thank you for the many ways that you provide us. Please continue to comfort and strengthen us and help us to continue to glorify You! May we team up to win this world back to you! In your Holy name we pray, Amen.

Blessings , 

Sue




Cave Dweller

Reflections From a Cave Dweller ~ Psalm 57

9:00 AM

 Today's Scriptures: Psalm 57 & Luke 24:45-47



This psalm was written especially for cave-dwellers, as you can see by the title: “A psalm of David. A miktam*. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.”

David and his men fled to the cave looking for refuge from King Saul. (1 Samuel 22) By now, I'm sure David thought he'd be living in a palace as King over Israel, but instead David spent months, perhaps years, living in a cave for Saul wanted David dead. It was there in this cave, however, that David wrote three of his most amazing psalms—Psalms 34, 142, and our psalm for today, Psalm 57.

Your cave might not be an actual physical cave, you may find yourself living in more of an emotional one, where it is dark, dismal and disillusioning. And perhaps the hardest part of all is that you cannot share this truth with anyone else because you feel so desperate . . . so alone. Surely others wouldn't understand, right?

The Christian life is suppose to be all these silver-lined clouds with one mountain-top experience after another. David is here to tell you that, that isn't always the case; sometimes the Christian life includes a deep, dark cave, but amazing things can come out of the cave!

I'd like to share a bit from all three psalms today since they were all written during David's cave-dwelling experience. 

To begin with, if you find yourself in the cave, look up—God is there! In his cave, David tells us in Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” This is one of my favorite promises from Scripture, for the cave is where David came to experience the God of the brokenhearted. And so will you if you’ll look for God there. 

Next, if you’re in the cave, David recommends you cry out—God is listening! Talk to God, tell Him all you're experiencing - he can handle it! If I've learned one thing reading the psalms I've learned David was masterful at sharing his heart, and it was great therapy for him. In his cave, David wrote Psalm 142:1-2, “I cry aloud to the Lord…I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.” Also in Psalm 57:2 David wrote, “I cry out to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.”

Then, trust Him! "He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!" - Psalm 57:3

Notice what David says to his men out of Psalm 34:

  • To the distressed, "O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"
  • To those in debt, "O fear the LORD, you His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no want."
  • To the discontented, "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing."

If you're in a cave prepare to glorify Him! I know this sounds pretty crazy and probably the LAST thing you feel tempted to do in a cave, but David proves it can be done! Notice, My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! (trusting) I will sing and make melody! Awake, my glory!" (57:7-8a) To his men he sang this while Saul was still seeking to kill him, "Magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together." He's putting their eyes on the Lord. "I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears."

And finally thank Him! Yes, thank the Lord for your cave-dwelling experience. 

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
 For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth! - Psalm 57:9-11

A lot of great things can happen in a cave- dwelling experience! 

  • David's men's skills were sharpened there. 
  • David faith deepened. 
  • Paul wrote much of the New Testament in prison. 
  • And Jesus was resurrected for us all!

Proving God can do His best work in caves! David ran to his cave for refuge and found resurrections! God can resurrect marriages, jobs, relationship.. nothing is impossible for God!

So let me ask you:

Have you, or are you experiencing a time of "cave-dwelling"? If so how's it going? 

Have you cried out?

Are you trusting while you wait?

Are you thanking God and trusting Him to turn this all for His glory? 

Let's Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You that nothing can separate me from Your love. Even in the valleys and caves You are always there beside me. The cares of this world may  cause sadness and despair at times, but help me to trust You in each season.  May I find refuge in your love, and safety in your shadow. Increase my faith that I might experience happiness and joy in your eternal kingdom. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Blessings, 




*This psalm as well as Psalms 16, 56–60 are called Miktam or Michtam. The Hebrew word for “writing” here is miktab, which many scholars believe is related to michtam. It is not known why David uses this term in the titles, but one thought is that a related word to michtam is the Hebrew katham, which means “an engraving.” If the underlying meaning of michtam is “engraving,” then the songs labeled as “michtams” could have been considered of enough value to be stamped or engraved upon tablets for long-term preservation. - Got Questions