Who does God take pleasure in?

 Psalm 147:1–20 (ESV): 

Praise the Lord! 

  For it is good to sing praises to our God; 

for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. 

 2  The Lord builds up Jerusalem; 

he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 

 3  He heals the brokenhearted 

and binds up their wounds. 

 4  He determines the number of the stars; 

he gives to all of them their names. 

 5  Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; 

his understanding is beyond measure. 

 6  The Lord lifts up the humble; 

he casts the wicked to the ground. 

 7  Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; 

make melody to our God on the lyre! 

 8  He covers the heavens with clouds; 

he prepares rain for the earth; 

he makes grass grow on the hills. 

 9  He gives to the beasts their food, 

and to the young ravens that cry. 

 10  His delight is not in the strength of the horse, 

nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, 

 11  but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, 

in those who hope in his steadfast love. 

 12  Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! 

Praise your God, O Zion! 

 13  For he strengthens the bars of your gates; 

he blesses your children within you. 

 14  He makes peace in your borders; 

he fills you with the finest of the wheat. 

 15  He sends out his command to the earth; 

his word runs swiftly. 

 16  He gives snow like wool; 

he scatters frost like ashes. 

 17  He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; 

who can stand before his cold? 

 18  He sends out his word, and melts them; 

he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. 

 19  He declares his word to Jacob, 

his statutes and rules to Israel. 

 20  He has not dealt thus with any other nation; 

they do not know his rules. 

  Praise the Lord! 

God is in control. He knows what He is doing. You cannot see the fullness of His plans, but you can know the truth that God sees, hears and knows what is going on, for He is ‘abundant in power’ and ‘his understanding is beyond measure’. So if you ever feel confused or overwhelmed by what is happening, that is to be expected! You do not have the mind of God and so cannot begin to comprehend the complexities of what He is doing, but, you can learn to trust Him because God is good, powerful, and He cares of His people. 

However God does not admire or appreciate the same things as you do, ‘his delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man’. He is not looking at the same things for beauty and strength. Instead, ‘the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love’. God does not take joy in things that look good to the eye, or even that are useful, but he enjoys people whose hearts are for Him. Those who trust Him even when life is confusing and overwhelming, and when they cannot anticipate the outcome. Those who hope in God, honour and follow Him when a simpler, nicer solution seems to present itself. People like this are who God ‘takes pleasure in’. Is that you?

Are you trusting God and looking for the things that God admires? Or are you busy looking with human eyes for beauty and strength? It is important to think about the things that you get excited about and admire. Do those things turn you towards God the creator, or towards those things? God made them all. If you want God to look at you with pleasure, think about what is capturing your heart and attention. Is it God, or are there other things that captivate you? For me, I love being in nature, being outside, seeing the trees, watching the rabbits and hearing the birds. I love it because it is exciting, I am often surprised by what I experience, and I see so clearly God’s hand in nature and creation. Nature is beautiful and strong, and points to our fascinating, imaginative and powerful Creator. From the magnificence of an ancient tree to the new shoots of spring, gigantic mountains and clear streams. When i see the outside world, i find it easy to see God. For nature, as wonderful and complex as it is, is not something to be worshipped in itself, even the strength of a horse (v10), but it demonstrates the incredible beauty of the One who made it, Almighty God. In the things of this world that you admire, do you look for the hand of the Creator behind them? This is how you can admire and appreciate things of this world, and honour God in doing so, by looking at the One who made them.

God can build and create things, and destroy them in an instant. So in the enjoyment of life, do not cast all of your hope in created things or people as they are temporary, but seek God and ‘hope in his steadfast love’. His love and presence will not fade or change, so put your trust in Him as He is eternal and secure. Do not simply seek the temporal pleasure of earthly things or people, but allow God’s steadfast love, power and delight to be your source of joy and strength. Trust in Him and obey Him for as you do, you can even give joy back to God by becoming one who ‘the Lord takes pleasure in’.

Science and God?

 Psalm 104:1–35 (ESV): 

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul! 

O Lord my God, you are very great! 

 You are clothed with splendour and majesty, 

 2  covering yourself with light as with a garment, 

stretching out the heavens like a tent. 

 3  He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; 

  he makes the clouds his chariot; 

he rides on the wings of the wind; 

 4  he makes his messengers winds, 

his ministers a flaming fire. 

 5  He set the earth on its foundations, 

so that it should never be moved. 

 6  You covered it with the deep as with a garment; 

the waters stood above the mountains. 

 7  At your rebuke they fled; 

at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. 

 8  The mountains rose, the valleys sank down 

to the place that you appointed for them. 

 9  You set a boundary that they may not pass, 

so that they might not again cover the earth. 

 10  You make springs gush forth in the valleys; 

they flow between the hills; 

 11  they give drink to every beast of the field; 

the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 

 12  Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; 

they sing among the branches. 

 13  From your lofty abode you water the mountains; 

the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. 

 14  You cause the grass to grow for the livestock 

and plants for man to cultivate, 

  that he may bring forth food from the earth 

 15  and wine to gladden the heart of man, 

  oil to make his face shine 

and bread to strengthen man’s heart. 

 16  The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, 

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 

 17  In them the birds build their nests; 

the stork has her home in the fir trees. 

 18  The high mountains are for the wild goats; 

the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers. 

 19  He made the moon to mark the seasons; 

the sun knows its time for setting. 

 20  You make darkness, and it is night, 

when all the beasts of the forest creep about. 

 21  The young lions roar for their prey, 

seeking their food from God. 

 22  When the sun rises, they steal away 

and lie down in their dens. 

 23  Man goes out to his work 

and to his labour until the evening. 

 24  O Lord, how manifold are your works! 

In wisdom have you made them all; 

the earth is full of your creatures. 

 25  Here is the sea, great and wide, 

which teems with creatures innumerable, 

living things both small and great. 

 26  There go the ships, 

and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. 

 27  These all look to you, 

to give them their food in due season. 

 28  When you give it to them, they gather it up; 

when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 

 29  When you hide your face, they are dismayed; 

when you take away their breath, they die 

and return to their dust. 

 30  When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, 

and you renew the face of the ground. 

 31  May the glory of the Lord endure forever; 

may the Lord rejoice in his works, 

 32  who looks on the earth and it trembles, 

who touches the mountains and they smoke! 

 33  I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; 

I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 

 34  May my meditation be pleasing to him, 

for I rejoice in the Lord. 

 35  Let sinners be consumed from the earth, 

and let the wicked be no more! 

  Bless the Lord, O my soul! 

  Praise the Lord! 

Some people say that you either believe in Science or God. This psalm actually proves that studying the behaviour and structure of the natural world (Science) demonstrates that there is indeed a God! 

The make up of the Earth, the placement of waters, mountains, deserts and valleys, has all been designed. The waters have boundaries, the mountains have been placed, and there are springs of water in places that would otherwise be barren. All has been designed so that life can exist. Plants grow, all types of flora and fauna, sea creatures and animals can respire and have sustenance. Every living thing is provided for and has a place it can call home. Surely this is mind-blowingly incredible?! Every living thing has all it needs, from water to food, shelter to freedom, rest to breath. So consider;

How many living things are there on the Earth that have this marvellous provision that ensures their survival?! 

How has the Earth and all that is in it managed to exist and continue to exist? 

How do all of the life cycles work, interlink and continue, without provision running out, for thousands of years? 

Then there is also the water cycle to consider plus the cycle of seasons and the different climates and habitats around the World. Not forgetting the structure of mountains, valleys, springs and volcanoes. As well as the fact that there is night and day, rain and sun. There is design, order and creativity in the make up of the World, so how did it come to be so well put together as well as being able to continue to function? How can you even begin to understand this scientific and engineering marvel without considering that there must be One who has designed, created and provides for it all?!

‘O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all’! It makes sense that this World and all that is in it has a maker. One who is capable of such intelligence to interweave the fabric of all sorts of life together. What other explanation could there be? Everything has been so well organised to the most basic of details, life would cease to exist if it was not. Surely there must be an intelligent, meticulous maker behind it all, orchestrating the seasons and climates, bringing the breath of life to all creatures. 

When you consider the Earth and all that is in it, what is your conclusion? Does the study of Science prove or disprove the existence of God?

Sing, Ascribe and let

 Psalm 96:1–13 (ESV): 

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; 

sing to the Lord, all the earth! 

 2  Sing to the Lord, bless his name; 

tell of his salvation from day to day. 

 3  Declare his glory among the nations, 

his marvellous works among all the peoples! 

 4  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; 

he is to be feared above all gods. 

 5  For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, 

but the Lord made the heavens. 

 6  Splendour and majesty are before him; 

strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 

 7  Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, 

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! 

 8  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; 

bring an offering, and come into his courts! 

 9  Worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness; 

tremble before him, all the earth! 

 10  Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! 

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; 

he will judge the peoples with equity.” 

 11  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; 

let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 

 12  let the field exult, and everything in it! 

  Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 

 13  before the Lord, for he comes, 

for he comes to judge the earth. 

  He will judge the world in righteousness, 

and the peoples in his faithfulness. 

There seems to be some repetition in this psalm, with the instructions to ‘sing to the Lord’, then ‘ascribe to the Lord ‘and ‘let’. So we will focus on those three elements today as we study this scripture.

- ‘sing to the Lord’; a new song, all the earth, and bless His name. These are the aspects attached to the action of singing. It is a powerful thing to sing about something. Someone has thought about a tune, instruments and the lyrics and put them together to build something memorable and repeatable. Songs can help us recall things and change our mood, therefore is important to consider what you are singing about. The instruction here is to ‘sing to the Lord’, and you can sing to Him about multiple things; the earth, His qualities and salvation. You will never run out of things to sing about if God is your topic. Singing to God is far more powerful than singing about your favourite team or alongside secular music. The instruction in this psalm is to sing something new to God and to bless Him through song, and the whole earth somehow joins in this celebration of who He is. So, whenever you sing, consider who you are singing for and about, does it do good to God’s ears? Songs are an opportunity to declare God's glory, remind people of His marvellous works and to tell of His salvation. Is that what you do when you sing?

- ‘Ascribe to the Lord’ - ascribe means to regard something as being. When the psalmist says to ascribe to God glory and strength, it is not to say that we need to treat God as if He is glorious and strong, for He is. It is us who struggle to comprehend the reality and extent of His glory and strength. Therefore the encouragement is, even if you don’t feel it or fully believe it, practice thinking of God as glorious and strong. Keep telling yourself the truth that He is even when your circumstances, emotions or thoughts tell you something different. Keep applying the truth about God to your heart, mind and spirit, and inspire others to see it too. None of us will ever know on this Earth the extent of God’s glory and strength, so we need to keep reminding ourselves to 'ascribe' these qualities to God. As you choose to see God as glorious and strong, as verses 8 and 9 suggest, it will lead you to worship through generous giving and joy. Plus your eyes will be opened to see something more of how awesome God is.

‘let’ = allow, permit, give freedom to. The verses that repeat the word ‘let’, v 12-13, talk about allowing the different facets of creation express joy. You may wonder how we can do that, for we ourselves are created and have no control over the seas roaring, trees singing or the fields exulting. So, i think there are two messages in this. One is that when we look at the heavens, seas, fields and the trees, do you look at them and feel happy? Do they remind you of the One who made them? When the natural world looks beautiful or sounds terrifying, do you consider how awesome the One who made them is? That is how we can allow nature to declare it’s joy. By choosing to see God in and through it all and declaring His goodness in it. Take time to allow nature to declare God’s vastness, beauty, creativity and power to you. Do you ever do that? Do you just allow the complexity of a tree show you something of God’s ingenuity? Does the power of the waters signify God’s power to you, or what the roar of His voice must be like? I encourage you, take time to consider what God has made. Even just one flower, rock, or blade of grass. These things declare His joy, glory and strength, so take time to listen to what they can reveal of Our God. The other aspect of allowing nature to bring joy is, do you respect and protect the natural world? Doing your bit to tidy up creation, stop pollution, and not cause damage to what God has made allows these things to continue to bring revelation and joy for generations to come. This is how you can permit the skies, earth and seas continue to display God’s beautiful splendour, by ensuring that you do your part to appreciate and protect them. Allow them continue to show others the joy and beauty of God, for they too were created to worship. So let the trees continue singing, fields exulting and seas roaring, and join in with their praise to the Lord.

why are you worried?

As we sit in our own houses pondering life and isolation, what are your innermost thoughts?

Do you come up with a seemingly endless stream of ‘to do’ jobs around the home? Are you concerned with getting enough food to eat? Do you worry if your job is one that is going to be lost or furloughed? Are you slipping into cabin fever, feeling the most lonely you’ve ever felt? Or are you worried about your own health and that of those you love?
All of these are legitimate concerns. Most of us have had similar thoughts cross our minds.
Across the world we are all facing the same crisis, but how are you managing?
Do these concerns consume your mind or are you making peace with your situation?

I love walking, and last week as I wandered along I was considering the reality of the impact the corona virus is and will have on life as we know it. It’s a series of unknowns and a sequence of worries that run through my mind. How will we manage as a family being at home with only one outing a day? How will my kids futures be effected with reduced social interaction and educational access?
As I walked along pondering these things, I  took in the environment around me; the warm morning sunshine, bright blue sky, chasing chaffinches and lovely little lambs, the beauty of the red breasted robin and bouncing bunnies, spring-time blossom swaying in the breeze -  what a beautiful world we live in! Being around nature brought a smile to my face and I felt peaceful and grateful - what a wonderful world this is!

As I pondered these beautiful things, I realised that my worries vanished, as I began to consider the natural world I realised that none of the birds or bunnies are fussed about this virus, none of them even know what is occurring across the world. They are not consumed with the corona crisis that we are facing, in fact they are quite oblivious to it. These creatures are just living their simple life; playing, eating, resting, totally unaware of the concerns of our human minds.

So, it made me question myself - why am I concerned? Why am I distracted and allowing worry to enter my mind?
Throughout all the wars, plagues and disasters that have occurred, the birds still sing, the bunnies still bounce and the lambs still bleat. They live and appreciate their existence each day at a time. Maybe this is a time for us as humans to take lesson from the world around us.
Consider the birds, look at the lambs, and like them appreciate each day, whatever it may bring. Allow yourself to consider nature and the simple pleasures and necessities of life. Rediscover the daily joys, take your time, be present for others, take a glance at nature and see things from a new perspective.
Why not take this time as an opportunity to reflect on your life. What are the daily delights you have? Are you able to eat, rest, sleep? If so, then why worry about anything else?

‘Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?’ Matthew 6:26