Anti-psalm 27
When life has felt chaotic or overwhelming, I’ve found stability for my heart in Psalm 27. But what if the words written there were not my foundation - where would that leave me? Instead of supported, I’d be abandoned; instead of embraced, I’d be alone. Everything opposite of the Psalmist’s experience would be my reality:
The LORD is not my light or my salvation;
I have everyone to fear.
The LORD is not the stronghold of my life;
I have every reason to be afraid.
When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes,
It is I who stumble and fall.
When an army encamp against me, my heart fears;
When war rises up against me, I have no confidence.
I have not asked anything of the LORD,
or tried to get close to Him for even one day of my life,
Because I don’t see beauty in Him or a reason to focus on Him.
He doesn’t shelter me in the day of trouble;
He doesn’t let me into his tent, but rather
He leaves me vulnerable.
My enemies exalt over me, and I have no reason for joy;
I have no song to sing.
He doesn’t hear a word from me, because I’m not crying out to Him.
He hasn’t asked me to seek Him, so I don’t.
He hides his face from me and turns me away in anger.
He hasn’t helped. He’s cast me off and forsaken me.
When my family rejects me, so does God.
I have nothing to learn from Him,
Alone on my crooked path, surrounded by enemies,
Given over to the will of liars and violent people.
I don’t believe in the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Don’t wait for Him;
Be weak, and let your heart wilt.
Don’t wait for the LORD.
I hope you’ll check out Psalm 27 and let the light be even more precious to you because of its contrast to the darkness.
Parenting: a halftime report
Our church has been going through a series this summer in the book of Proverbs, and last Sunday morning, Nate & I had the privilege of sharing what God has taught us up to this point in our parenting journey.
Although we still have a long way to go in wisdom as parents, this is what we’ve gained so far :) We looked back in time to our earliest days and dug down to the foundations of parenting, so if you’re a young mom or dad, maybe the formative lessons we’ve learned along the way can be a resource for you.
You can watch here. Click sermon archives, The Narrow Path, July 28.
Some of our favorite books to read as a family with toddler to elementary-age boys:
Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing
With love, Cherith
Seeing God’s Glory, part 2
God is continually pulling back the curtain on His glory, but it’s difficult to notice it in our everyday life, unless we know what we’re looking for. We saw a few examples of God’s glory gradually being revealed in the Old Testament last week, but now we step behind the veil through the person of Jesus Christ.
God’s glory in person:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14.
Jesus’ identity and character flesh out God’s glory.
After Jesus turned water to wine, John wrote, “This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him.”
John 2:11
In speaking of Lazarus’s sickness, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
John 11:4
Jesus’ miracles show God’s glory and point to Christ as Savior.
“And as [Jesus] was praying, the appearance of his face was altered and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold two men were talking with him, Moses, and Elijah, who appeared in glory…Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.”
Luke 9:29-32
Jesus’ transfiguration displays God’s glory.
God’s glory internalized:
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
Romans 6:4
The glory of the Father raised Jesus and gives us new life in Him.
“And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
The Holy Spirit reveals greater degrees of God’s glory in us as we become like Christ.
God’s glory in the future:
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18
God’s glory outweighs suffering.
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” Revelation 21:23,24
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14
God’s glory enlightens and consumes all other glories.
May we live today, not looking for our own glory, but rather with eyes of faith set on this guaranteed glorious future.
Seeing God’s Glory
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
Habakkuk 2:14
This is the promised future, but it’s hard to see hope through all the darkness. Like a dimmer switch gradually flooding a room with light, so God’s glory - the weight of His presence - is on a trajectory of becoming increasingly visible over time. Our eyes haven’t adjusted fully, but He’s given us glimpses of glory from the very beginning, proof that there’s still more to come.
God’s glory in creation
“The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
Psalm 19:1
Study and enjoy nature as a way to see His glory.
God’s glory in action
“Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory’...
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed,
‘the LORD, the LORD,
a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
keeping steadfast love for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,
but who will by no means clear the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children
and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation’.”
Exodus 33:18; 34;6,7
Look at God’s actions toward humanity to see His glory.
God’s glory in visions
Centuries after Moses lived, the prophet Ezekiel sees “the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.”
Ezekiel 1:28.
He attempts to express this vision of glory, like…well,…kind of…
“A great cloud with brightness all around it…” 1:4
“The likeness of four living creatures…they had human likeness, but each had four faces,
and each of them had four wings…And the living creatures darted to and fro,
like the appearance of a flash of lightning.” 1:5-14
“I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them…
their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl…as it were, a wheel within a wheel…
and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around…
Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them,
for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.” 1:15-21
“Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse,
shining like awe-inspiring crystal…
above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne,
in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne
was a likeness with a human appearance…” 1:22-28
Let the inexplicable aspects of God’s glory move you to worship.
But it doesn’t end here. Thankfully, God kept pulling back the curtain on His glory, and we’ll step behind that veil next week.
Conspiracy Theories
How many of them have surfaced on the heels of this weekend?
Conspiracy theories are tempting to speculate about and hide behind when the unexpected strikes. We run to them in desperation for their secret knowledge and inside information like bunkers for our fears, shelters for our vulnerabilities, and safe-houses for our futures. It’s an attempt to make brokenness manageable and explainable.
We think that constructing some sort of explanation for what’s “really” going on, prevents our falling prey to what we dread, and we pride ourselves on making discoveries that keep us from being gullible and victimized like everyone else.
Certainly, there’s a place for detectives and investigators doing admirable work in the world to get to the bottom of crimes, but even they have limitations and fallacies. So where do we turn for refuge when even the professionals might not have the whole picture? I love God’s instruction to Isaiah thousands of years ago, because it sounds like He could have said it yesterday:
“For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. And He will become a sanctuary…”
Isaiah 8:12-14a.
Here are my takeaways:
Finding conspiracy in everything is not the way for God’s people to live.
Living according to a conspiracy theory is honoring it as holy.
The LORD is the safe source for my fear and dread.
The LORD of hosts is the self-existent, covenant-keeping Commander of heaven’s armies, more powerful and true than breaking news.
Stand firm,
Cherith