Beating pride

 Psalm 30:1–12 (ESV):  

1  I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up 

and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 

2  O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, 

and you have healed me. 

3  O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; 

you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. 

4  Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, 

and give thanks to his holy name. 

5  For his anger is but for a moment, 

and his favour is for a lifetime. 

Weeping may tarry for the night, 

but joy comes with the morning. 

6  As for me, I said in my prosperity, 

“I shall never be moved.” 

7  By your favour, O Lord, 

you made my mountain stand strong; 

you hid your face; 

I was dismayed. 

8  To you, O Lord, I cry, 

and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 

9  “What profit is there in my death, 

if I go down to the pit? 

Will the dust praise you? 

Will it tell of your faithfulness? 

10  Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! 

O Lord, be my helper!” 

11  You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; 

you have loosed my sackcloth 

and clothed me with gladness, 

12  that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. 

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! 

This psalm of David’s tells of a time of great restoration. He was very unwell at one point of his life, so much so that people were preparing for his death. He himself thought he was going to die and his enemies were enjoying watching his demise. Yet, God brought David back from the brink of life to be restored, healed and forgiven. 

David acknowledges that the reason God brought him so low was because he had become too self and worldly-reliant. He had thought, “I shall never be moved” - nothing can touch me, I am doing well, life is good and nothing can change that. He had begun to feel proud of his achievements and wealth and felt secure in those things. Each of us can be guilty of the same thing, can't we? Being satisfied in oneself and your accomplishments without recognising that it is all due to God’s favour, is pride. Pride is dangerous as you can become self-reliant, over-confident and selfish. A proud person is not good in community and takes glory and honour away from God. All of us have to overcome pride, no-one is immune to it. Maybe it’s pride in; achievements, monetary gain, wisdom, family, heritage or renown. Whatever you have the propensity to be proud in - WATCH OUT! Proverbs rightly says that pride comes before a fall. David’s story in this psalm is proof of that, and I am sure you can recount stories of others who took their eyes off of God, became confident in other things and have paid a hefty price for it. 

Honour and blessings are great and can come from other places than God. When this happens this can cause a mindset of self-sufficiency and self-worth to build that takes the focus off of God and what He has done. When this happens people fall disgracefully. David found that as he prospered his mindset shifted from one of total dependence and reliance on God to feeling like he could rely upon the power, responsibility, influence and wealth that he had built. He came to trust in himself, his role, and his stuff. So a time of terrible, degrading illness came to remind him who really was in charge. 

 By your favour, O Lord, 

you made my mountain stand strong; 

you hid your face; 

I was dismayed. 

In order for David to realise that God was the source of all he had, and who really is worthy of glory, honour and trust, God, 'hid' His face. God turned away. Why? Because how can you teach, influence or even bless someone that has become proud? It can feel like hitting your head against a brick wall. Sometimes the best help you can give is give them space so that they realise absence feels like. That's what God did with David, and what He may do to you if you get caught in the same spiral. God wants to give you favour, but if you deny Him and start to believe in your own power, authority and gifting how can He? You need to remember who is the one who has built these things into your life and who should be honoured and thanked for them. 

Thankfully, you can always repent and turn back to God when you realise that you've become trapped in self-sufficiency and self-worth, where pride has taken control. David repented and was miraculously restored both physically and spiritually as, ‘his anger is but for a moment, and his favour is for a lifetime.’ When you acknowledge that you have fallen into the sin of pride, and want to be free of it, you can be forgiven and restored. God only remains angry for a little while, but His favour and blessing can last the rest of your life! You just need to turn back to Him, acknowledge where you've gone wrong and accept His forgiveness. It doesn't even matter if you keep getting the same thing wrong, and it seems to take you a while to learn often making the same mistakes. God does not remain angry with a repentant heart. His desire is to have a relationship with you, to be your father and pour out his lavish love and gifts upon you so that you can enjoy them and use them to glorify Him. So at your next success, honour, encouragement, promotion and blessing remember to be grateful to God. Remember who has helped you get there and give honour to God for it. This will save you from pride and ensure that you're living in His favour for the rest of your lifetime!

What are you ascribing to God?

 Psalm 29:1–11 (ESV):  

1  Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, 

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 

2  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; 

worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness. 

3  The voice of the Lord is over the waters; 

the God of glory thunders, 

the Lord, over many waters. 

4  The voice of the Lord is powerful; 

the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 

5  The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; 

the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 

6  He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, 

and Sirion like a young wild ox. 

7  The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. 

8  The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; 

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 

9  The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth 

and strips the forests bare, 

and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” 

10  The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; 

the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. 

11  May the Lord give strength to his people! 

May the Lord bless his people with peace! 

This psalm is full of repetition, so there are several things that are emphasised. Firstly, of utmost importance is the fact that this poem is about ‘the Lord’. David repeats this 18 times throughout this psalm, so there is no excuse to not know whom it is about! David is calling all heaven and Earth to acknowledge the goodness, beauty, Lordship and strength of God and praise Him because of who He is. He calls us to ‘Ascribe to the Lord’ glory and strength. Ascribe is not a word we commonly use, but it means to assign or credit. So David is urging that God should be acknowledged with honour and given credit for His power. David calls upon not only humans to recognise this, but also the heavenly beings. So great is God’s majesty and strength, that all of creation should be called to marvel at it. From the Heavens to the Earth and everything in-between, God deserves credit and respect. 

God displays this glory and strength that he should be ascribed  simply through His voice! ‘The voice of the Lord’ is enough for God to show His might and majesty - isn’t that incredible?! This psalm shows that through His voice God commands; water, thunder, flames, shaking, cities, the environment and birth. God’s voice can break, strip and build things. Just by His word, God can do all this - is that not terrifying and awesome at the same time? What God speaks happens. He has authority, power and control over every situation and He can and does speak through them. What do you hear Him saying in the stillness, and in the storm? Are you listening out for ‘The voice of the Lord’ in your circumstances and through the nature and environment around you? The voice of the Lord can be heard in heaven and on Earth in the day to day - are you listening out for it? 

Not only should God be worshipped for His glory, strength and the beauty and power of His voice, but also because, ‘The Lord sits enthroned’. God remains seated in authority and power and never takes His eye off the ball. He is the one who speaks things into being and reigns over all heaven and all Earth, no matter the circumstances. If you are experiencing a storm or the still, God is still in authority and is speaking. He is still in command, He is still King. 

So today;

What are attributes can you ascribe to God?

How can you credit God with the glory and honour He deserves today?

Listen out for God’s voice - what is He saying to you?

Recognise God is still king - how does that give you peace and strength?

Persist in Prayer

 Psalm 28:1–9 (ESV):  

1  To you, O Lord, I call; 

my rock, be not deaf to me, 

lest, if you be silent to me, 

I become like those who go down to the pit. 

2  Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, 

when I cry to you for help, 

when I lift up my hands 

toward your most holy sanctuary. 

3  Do not drag me off with the wicked, 

with the workers of evil, 

who speak peace with their neighbours 

while evil is in their hearts. 

4  Give to them according to their work 

and according to the evil of their deeds; 

give to them according to the work of their hands; 

render them their due reward. 

5  Because they do not regard the works of the Lord 

or the work of his hands, 

he will tear them down and build them up no more. 

6  Blessed be the Lord! 

For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. 

7  The Lord is my strength and my shield; 

in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; 

my heart exults, 

and with my song I give thanks to him. 

8  The Lord is the strength of his people; 

he is the saving refuge of his anointed. 

9  Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! 

Be their shepherd and carry them forever. 

In this psalm David starts off quite frustrated as he is praying and has been praying repeatedly for some time, but it seems like God is deaf and silent. Have you ever felt like that? Unheard, or even ignored by God|? It is not uncommon to feel this way, and it is such a relief to read these words in David’s psalm - to know that others have a similar experience and have got through it. This psalm reminds me of the story of the persistent widow in the New Testament (Luke 18). She kept asking for the same thing until she got a different response. Jesus commended us through that parable to be incessant in prayer. David was, even when he was bored of asking the same thing, frustrated and felt unheard. Are you persistent in prayer? Continually praying and seeking God is hard work especially when God seems silent. David had to learn the hard lesson that God does certainly hear and is active, just not in his way or time frame. The same is true for you. Do you have the steadfastness to keep going?

It can feel frustrating and you can become desperate, despairing and despondent when prayers seem to go unanswered. Don’t forget to let God know that too - David does - he implores God not to be deaf or silent! That sounds a brazen way to speak to the Lord Almighty! Yet God doesn't tell him off for it, in fact David is known by God as, "a man after my own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14)! Clearly, God loves the honesty. It is a symbol of a great relationship when you can be truly open and honest with each other, keeping nothing hidden. That is how David is with God, and you can be too. 

Even when David is confused and annoyed, David still seeks relationship with God. Even when God is the one David is confused by and frustrated by! This is faith! David knew that God was worth talking to and pouring out his problems to even when God was not appearing to do anything or speak. David still knew God was the One who could change things and help. He did not give up, he persevered in prayer as he was more concerned about living a life without God which would enter into evil than God's apparent silence. I find it interesting that David is appealing to God to listen to and answer him as he is concerned that God’s continued silence will cause him to lose focus and go the way of the wicked. That is his concern, that God's lack of interaction with him will cause him to lose focus and sin. Have you ever thought of that for yourself? That when you pull away from God, put less time and effort into the relationship that you are more at risk of doing evil? David knows his weaknesses and is concerned that if God remains silent, it will become increasingly difficult to resist temptation. The further away God seems, the easier it is to do what you know is wrong. This is what David is concerned about. He knows himself pretty well and is aware of the triggers that could lead him into wickedness and the ‘pit’. Do you know your pitfalls? Are you aware of the things that tempt you to go wayward? Do you seek relationship with God even in the hard times because your desire is to maintain righteous and not stumble into sin?

Maybe the distance David feels is because of sin. He refers in verse 2 to lifting up his hands to God's sanctuary pleading for mercy and help. Maybe David had gone wrong and he realised that this distance between him and God was because of his own wrongdoing. How can a pure, holy God get near those who are sinful and guilty? David knew this was the case and so pleads for mercy, forgiveness and help. David wanted to be made right before God and knew he could not do it by himself, the same is true for you. Thankfully God knew this was a problem and so has sent Jesus as a sacrifice for all sin, so you can be made right before God, you still need to ask for forgiveness though. When you go wrong, do you? Or do you just assume you're forgiven? It is right to repent and to mourn your wayward tendencies. It is right for you to plead for forgiveness and mercy as David did. You will receive it because Jesus has already paid the price for it, all you need to do is admit it and ask. 

Next David reminds himself that the wicked don’t actually prosper, not long-term anyway. He knows that God will, ‘tear them down and build them up no more’. It is obvious that God’s way is the better way. Yet it is hard to live knowing that sometimes as other options seem inviting. The attraction of not going God's way can blind you sometimes to the truth that the way of the wicked always ends in a pit. This is true whether you're feeling close to God or not. You need to remind yourself, as David did, of the reality that living life like the wicked will lead you away from God, His blessings, salvation, sanctuary, safety and reward. However you choose to live, God will, ‘render them their due reward’. What reward are you living to receive? Are you looking forward to receiving your reward as someone who lives for God or will you be receiving the 'reward'  of the wicked? Evil ways, deception, wayward living, physical gratification all may seem pleasant and desirable in the immediate, but the long-term effects are the pit and a tearing down. What can you expect to receive? 

David concludes at the end of this psalm that the way of the Lord is the way to go. Although it is tough, lonely, sacrificial and painful at times, at least your reward is with God. He can give you salvation, strength and rescue, blessing, hope and refuge. Whereas the promise for those going in a different direction is that God, ‘will tear them down and build them up no more’. This means that perseverance is required. Relationship with God needs to be sought and worked at, prayer needs to be persistent and the direction of your life needs to be set. God will not always seem close and you may not always hear or see Him acting, what are you going to do then? Are you going to still be seeking, praying and walking in the way He has set for you? 

Keep choosing the way of the Lord, and the long-term benefits will follow. Praise God for the promises he has over your life, for your eternity and your salvation, and keep honouring and living for Him, persist in prayer and you will know His blessings!

Fear and Faith

Psalm 27:1–14 (ESV):  

1  The Lord is my light and my salvation; 

whom shall I fear? 

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; 

of whom shall I be afraid? 

2  When evildoers assail me 

to eat up my flesh, 

my adversaries and foes, 

it is they who stumble and fall. 

3  Though an army encamp against me, 

my heart shall not fear; 

though war arise against me, 

yet I will be confident. 

4  One thing have I asked of the Lord, 

that will I seek after: 

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord 

all the days of my life, 

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord 

and to inquire in his temple. 

5  For he will hide me in his shelter 

in the day of trouble; 

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; 

he will lift me high upon a rock. 

6  And now my head shall be lifted up 

above my enemies all around me, 

and I will offer in his tent 

sacrifices with shouts of joy; 

I will sing and make melody to the Lord. 

7  Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; 

be gracious to me and answer me! 

8  You have said, “Seek my face.” 

My heart says to you, 

“Your face, Lord, do I seek.” 

9  Hide not your face from me. 

Turn not your servant away in anger, 

O you who have been my help. 

Cast me not off; forsake me not, 

O God of my salvation! 

10  For my father and my mother have forsaken me, 

but the Lord will take me in. 

11  Teach me your way, O Lord, 

and lead me on a level path 

because of my enemies. 

12  Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; 

for false witnesses have risen against me, 

and they breathe out violence. 

13  I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord 

in the land of the living! 

14  Wait for the Lord; 

be strong, and let your heart take courage; 

wait for the Lord! 

What scares you? 

Being persecuted, involved in war, loneliness, rejection, death, other people, God? It is natural to be afraid sometimes, there are some scary things you can come across in life. Did you know though, that you can be afraid and confident at the same time? David was. 

In this psalm David shows his confidence that God looks after those who ’seek’ Him. He is certain that in the big battles of life God is working things out. Yet David is also scared. He is afraid that God may ‘forsake’ him. Maybe he had recently messed up when he wrote this psalm and realised he’d done things his own way instead of God’s, so felt that he no longer deserves God’s divine protection. Or maybe he had become absorbed by the everyday difficulties that seem to take over and became so overwhelmed that God seemed distant. I don’t know, but we can all get like that can't we? Sure of God but less sure of ourselves or the circumstances we find ourselves in. It is natural to feel like that, David did too. He had confidence in God’s long-term plan, but felt fear in his present predicament. One of the wonderful things this shows us is that you can still trust in God and be afraid. These things are not opposites and it doesn’t mean you have lost faith or become disobedient if you get scared. You may have become; disorientated, overwhelmed, shocked, disappointed, or become stretched as you enter into a new unknown circumstance. None of these things make you a bad christian or should lead you to question if you really have faith. You have faith but are also afraid. Moses, David, Ananias, and most of humanity since the beginning of time, have suffered the same type of conundrum. Faith and fear can co-exist, and dare I say it, maybe they should co-exist. If you are not scared, are you really walking a life of faith? God often challenges and stretches His people, and they can be persecuted and suffer, it is ok to be scared about these things. Yet do not lose your confidence in God. 

This psalm reminds me of the New Testament story of the man asking Jesus for healing for his child. He tells Jesus, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).  Don’t you feel like that sometimes? Both David and this man recognise the truth of who God is, yet they in their humility recognise that fear and doubt creep in. I am sure that is true for you too. It is nothing to be ashamed of, you can admit it and, as both these men did, ask God for help!

The beginning of this psalm is a reminder of what you should be focussing on. Not on problems, worries or fears, but on who God is. You can have confidence in Him because he provides you with; guidance, salvation, strength, protection, support, deliverance, presence, shelter and promises (v1-6). Whatever it is you need, God can give it to you - are you looking to Him for it? 

When you pray about the things that scare you do you first remind yourself of the truth of who God is? David starts there. He remembers that God is his stronghold and salvation before he begins to 'cry' to Him. Even his 'cry' seems like worship, as David is imploring God for help, he is recalling God's salvation and goodness. Is this how you pray? Just because you may be in need in an area of your life it does not been that God has overlooked, forgotten or ignored it. You need to be pressing in as David did. Keep seeking God's face, keep praying, keep trusting, keep reminding yourself of the character of God and be open to change. Do you ask God as David did, to teach you and lead you through?

Once you have acknowledged the truth of who God is and admitted your fears, ask God to teach you and help you, then ‘wait for the Lord’. You can keep asking and keep trusting, but you also have to wait! With time, experience and understanding you will find out that when you walk your life with God there are less things to be scared of. 

‘Be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord’

Which assembly do you wish to be part of?

Psalm 26:1–12 (ESV): 

1  Vindicate me, O Lord, 

for I have walked in my integrity, 

and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 

2  Prove me, O Lord, and try me; 

test my heart and my mind. 

3  For your steadfast love is before my eyes, 

and I walk in your faithfulness. 

4  I do not sit with men of falsehood, 

nor do I consort with hypocrites. 

5  I hate the assembly of evildoers, 

and I will not sit with the wicked. 

6  I wash my hands in innocence 

and go around your altar, O Lord, 

7  proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, 

and telling all your wondrous deeds. 

8  O Lord, I love the habitation of your house 

and the place where your glory dwells. 

9  Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, 

nor my life with bloodthirsty men, 

10  in whose hands are evil devices, 

and whose right hands are full of bribes. 

11  But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; 

redeem me, and be gracious to me. 

12  My foot stands on level ground; 

in the great assembly I will bless the Lord. 

I find it interesting that David says, ‘I love the habitation of your house’ as at the time David wrote this there was no temple of God. David desired to build one, but God told him that his son would do it, not him. So the altar and the ark of the covenant still had no permanent home. It was placed in a large tent (like in the time of Moses). This was the ‘house’ of God, the place of worship in David’s time. It was not permanent or solid, yet it was a secure environment that was pleasant to be in because God’s ‘glory dwells’ there. Wherever God’s glory dwells it is a place of safety, acceptance, fun, deliverance, mercy and love, so why wouldn’t David love to be there?! 

In contrast, David also talks about the ‘assembly of evildoers’, where sin, lying, hypocrisy, wickedness and general godlessness abound. One assembly is full of thanksgiving and praise of God and the other is full of bribes and 'bloodthirsty men'. Which assembly would you like to be a part of? In life, you get to choose the kinds of people you spend time with and the places you go. David was aware of this, and he was also conscious of the fact that the places you go and the people you surround yourself with impact you. So, who do you choose to be with? Who are you allowing to influence your life? 

Even if you would choose to only spend time with those who are part of the house of God, the reality is that sometimes you will be around people that you would rather not be. Whether that is at work, in your community or when travelling, you will be in the presence of people that are not following God. David is prepared for these interactions and situations as he learnt a good technique for when he needs to be around these people. He determines not to ‘sit’ with them. That may sound simple or even a bit rude, but David ensures that he does not get comfortable being around the wicked. He does not allow their schemes or  advice hold sway in his life. He has worked out that when he is around those that lie and do evil he limits the time he is with them. He does not hang out with them, take a comfortable position or seek to stay around the wicked for long. David knows you can end up being influenced by their ideas and ideals and it can affect your integrity, mind, decisions and faith. Therefore he does not give these people permission to 'sit' in his presence, and he chooses not to 'sit' with them either. Are you mindful of the people you choose spend time with? When you are around them, do their behaviours and attitudes sway you? Do they have a good, godly influence on you, or do they lead you to damage your character and integrity? Ensure that when you leave the company of others you can say as David did that you, ‘wash my hands in innocence’.

David knows what it is like to be amongst the godly and the ungodly, and has realised what is better for him. His desire is to continue to live his life surrounded by those that honour God. He wants to keep living in integrity. Therefore he ensures that he, even though he is a; mighty, powerful, famous, busy king, gets to the place of worship regularly. David knows that the only way that he can keep living well and keep his integrity, is if he puts worshipping and honouring God at the forefront of his life. David realises that he needs to put himself in the presence of God and surround himself with the right ‘assembly’ of people so that he can ‘bless the Lord’ and keep his life righteous. 

Being with God’s people in God's house should be far more attractive than ‘the assembly of evildoers’. When you meet in the dwelling place of God, His presence is tangible. It is a place worship, sacrifice, cleansing, praise, strengthening and thanksgiving. Whereas where the wicked meet is full of lies, hypocrisy, harm, greed and violence. Where would you rather be?

Do you love going to a place of worship? Do you look forward to meeting with other believers? If not, why not? Meeting as an assembly of believers should be something you yearn to do, where you experience the love, presence and forgiveness of God - what could be better than that?! Meeting as church should be fun and bring revelation and freedom, helping people clean up their lives and giving thanks for God’s many, ‘wondrous deeds’. An opportunity for you to share what God has been doing in your life, to give and receive prayer and teaching, to challenge and change you more into the image of Christ. Can you say along with David, 'I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells'?