Why live your life for less?

 

Psalm 97:1–12 (ESV): 

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; 

let the many coastlands be glad! 

 2  Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; 

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 

 3  Fire goes before him 

and burns up his adversaries all around. 

 4  His lightnings light up the world; 

the earth sees and trembles. 

 5  The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, 

before the Lord of all the earth. 

 6  The heavens proclaim his righteousness, 

and all the peoples see his glory. 

 7  All worshipers of images are put to shame, 

who make their boast in worthless idols; 

worship him, all you gods! 

 8  Zion hears and is glad, 

and the daughters of Judah rejoice, 

because of your judgments, O Lord. 

 9  For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; 

you are exalted far above all gods. 

 10  O you who love the Lord, hate evil! 

He preserves the lives of his saints; 

he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 

 11  Light is sown for the righteous, 

and joy for the upright in heart. 

 12  Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, 

and give thanks to his holy name!

it is so easy to live your life for other things. To have idols and gods that you worship rather than The Lord of all the Earth. This psalm speaks into this by referring to God and gods. The One God who is the maker and sustainer of all things, and the gods which we put in positions of power in our lives - the things that consume your thoughts, time and budget. The things or people that you are proud to know about or be involved with and aspire to have more of can become idols, it is easy to worship those things that are not God. Yet they really have no power or influence at all, just the power and influence that you give them. They don’t even have a capital letter, for they are but gods! However you can place them as major influences in your life. It could be anything for example; relationships, wealth, health, food, hobbies, work, TV, people. Anything that you choose to structure your life around and live for. None of these things are bad, unless you turn them into gods. So be careful about what you allow to direct your actions, finances and time. The things that you are passionate about can easily become idols in your life as you give yourself to love, revere and admire them in preference to God. It is then that they have undue prominence in your life, and you will end up structuring your life around these idols rather than God. For He is the only One that your life should revolve around. He should be your major influence, have your love and time and direct your relationships and money, not the other wat around. Other things should be competing for the time and influence that God has in your life, not ‘God-time’ being something that is squeezed, sometimes into your schedule. The reality is that these minor gods that will never give you long term satisfaction, peace or love, God can and does, so why live your life for less?

When you become interested in something that is not God, whether it be a music artist, an activity, or a person, watch out. Ensure that these things are put in their rightful place -  under God, and so have an appropriate amount of your attention. Do not let them become something you worship or live your life for. Enjoy them in good measure and keep God at the centre of your life. For things other than God are ‘worthless idols’, and one day, they will put you to shame (v7). So put your life in right order now and consider where your time, money, hopes and thoughts go. Is there something other than God that has become an idol in your life? 

There will be a day when everyone will see that, ’the heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory’. One day, God will reveal Himself in a way that is undeniable to all. When that day comes there will be two responses; Some will rejoice because they have lived their life with Him as their God and they know He has come to judge the earth (v12). The rest who have honoured other things and disregarded God will ‘be put to shame’ as what they have lived for will be shown up as ‘worthless idols’. No matter how important, valuable or powerful other things or people may seem, they are worthless when you compare them to The Lord God. He alone is enwrapped in light and clouds with the authority to cause mountains to melt. It doesn’t matter how good or great other things appear, nothing else has established it’s power and kingdom through righteousness and justice as He has. 

Those who worship only God are patiently waiting, knowing that this awesome day of The Lord is coming - The day when God will reveal Himself to everyone and everything will declare God’s glory. They anticipate the joy, righteousness and fulfilment that He will bring, awaiting to join heaven in proclaiming His holiness. Those who love Him look forward to His glory being revealed and look out for it now. For they know God has created and still rules the seas, earth and heavens. So they wait. They set themselves apart to honour and love Him now, not allowing anything else to take their focus, and they wait excitedly to see His glory. They are eager to hear of His arrival and await for Him to exert His righteousness and justice across all of creation. If you are one of His, if He is your God, keep waiting. Don’t be distracted by other gods, for the day of the Lord is approaching! Think about how that will be, imagine God’s appearance; wrapped in cloud, firing out lightning, consuming wickedness with fire. Remember what God has promised, and keep living with hope for it is God’s assurance that justice and righteousness will prevail. There are no gods that can give you anything like what God does, so why live your life for less? 

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.

Israelites, sheep and faith

 Psalm 95:1–11 (ESV): 

95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; 

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 

 2  Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; 

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 

 3  For the Lord is a great God, 

and a great King above all gods. 

 4  In his hand are the depths of the earth; 

the heights of the mountains are his also. 

 5  The sea is his, for he made it, 

and his hands formed the dry land. 

 6  Oh come, let us worship and bow down; 

let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 

 7  For he is our God, 

and we are the people of his pasture, 

and the sheep of his hand. 

  Today, if you hear his voice, 

 8  do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, 

as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 

 9  when your fathers put me to the test 

and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 

 10  For forty years I loathed that generation 

and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, 

and they have not known my ways.” 

 11  Therefore I swore in my wrath, 

“They shall not enter my rest.” 

At the beginning of the psalm you may notice the repetition of the phrase ‘let us’. Yet this is not used to ask for permission to do something, but rather the Israelites are encouraging one another TO do something. They are calling each other to worship God. Reminding one another that God is Lord, He is Saviour and He is worthy to be thanked and praised because, ‘the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods’. There is no-one and nothing like Him. He is supreme. He alone created the deepest and highest parts of the world, no-one else has. He also made the seas and the land, all the expanse that we see, and that we do not - God crafted it all. Therefore how can any other power or person ever have authority over Him?! He is ‘a great King above all gods’. Other things may claim power, seem great, make great boasts or be assertive and convincing, but none can even stand before the great King of all. It is good for us to remind ourselves of this. and to encourage one another to worship the One who deserves it. It is easy to lose focus, get distracted or feel down about circumstances and so not feel like worshipping. At times you need other godly men and women to call you to worship to say to you, ‘let us sing’, ‘let us make a joyful noise’, ‘let us come into his presence’, and you need to do this for others too.. There is no reason great enough for you to withhold worship to ‘the Lord, our Maker!’. Who keeps you to account and keeps calling you to worship God? ’the Lord is a great God’ all of the time therefore you can sing, dance, pray, praise and be joyful always because that truth always remains. The fact the God is great is so powerful and strong a truth, that when you really think about it you cannot help but ‘make a joyful noise’!

God is the Maker, He not only made all of the Earth, but he also made you. Therefore He is THE God and He is YOUR God - the only One in supreme authority, plus He makes it personal, He is your God, for you and with you plus you can have relationship with Him. Yet the relationship is not equal - He is your shepherd for you are like a sheep before Him - helpless, fluffy and vulnerable. You need looking after, guiding, carrying, and even telling off sometimes. Do not be like the Israelites by becoming stubborn and hardening your heart (v8). You are vulnerable and weak before God, you do need Him. Do you allow God to guide, correct and carry you? Or are you too intent on doing things your own way? You were never meant to sort all your problems out or make all the decisions independently. A sheep that does that wanders off, gets lost and injured - they don't even know where the best grass is or where the dangers are, that's why they need the shepherd. The Israelites kept forgetting that they were sheep. God provided and guided them, and He urged them to be obedient, but they did not adhere to His words in the big or small things. Instead God says they hardened their hearts and went, ‘astray in their heart’. They didn’t do what they were told, they didn't follow their shepherd. Can the same be said of you? When you hear God’s voice, do you listen and obey, even when it is something you don’t want to hear? Or do you allow your heart to go astray as the Israelites did when they encountered testing times? 

Two notable times that we can see that happening are in Meribah and Massah. These were areas that the Israelites came to during their 40 years in the wilderness where they felt they were not adequately provided for by God as they had no water. This is a big problem. Humans cannot survive more than a couple of days without water. Plus they had cattle to care for, so they were rightly concerned about this. Their response was that they moaned at each other and complained that they had been better off in Egypt. They feared for their lives because they did not have the basics for survival. When that happens it is natural to be concerned and to try to find a solution as something essential is missing from your life. However, the Israelites did not seek their shepherd. They did not trust Him or turn to Him. Instead they complained to one another, then blamed Moses as their earthly leader. The Israelites did not pray. They did not seek God. They did not worship. Instead they moaned to one another about their situation, becoming increasingly fearful that they would all die. When Moses heard about it, he and Aaron approached God. This was their first response, unlike the people, Moses and Aaron demonstrated great leadership and loyalty to their shepherd and ‘great King’. They trusted that even when death stared at them, God could do something. So they prayed, and at both Massah and Meribah, they witnessed God’s miraculous solution as water gushed forth from a rock! These separate situations occurred almost 40 years apart. So we can see that God was giving the Israelites the chance to learn from their previous mistake and lack of faith. He was inviting them to have a different response, but they didn’t. Despite the amount of times that God had healed them, won their battles, guided them with fire and smoke, stopped their shoes from wearing out and provided manna for them each and every day. Despite these miracles, these proofs of God’s power and presence, the people failed to appreciate that God could fulfil every need. They still did not trust Him or surrender to Him. They failed to comprehend that God can do anything, you just need to ask! The Israelites happily accepted God’s daily blessings but seem to see them as something they had a right to, rather than seeing them as a beautiful expression of His love and care for them. Even though they had a lot to be thankful for, and a history of God’s provision and power, their response to this lack of water the second time demonstrated their lack of faith and trust in God. They had not learnt, they had not allowed the mighty miracles and the everyday blessings from God to influence their hearts or faith. The Israelites made the same mistakes and made the same complaints previous generations had. Yet God still provided. Two men had enough faith to approach God, Moses and Aaron. They talked with Him, and God provided, again, miraculously. God acted for the whole nation on the faith of two. Do not underestimate the power of prayer because it does not depend on who is praying, but on the One who hears!

God says of the nation of Israel, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways’. It was easy for them to enjoy the benefits of the safety and care that God gave on a physical level, but they did not have the internal security, confidence and joy of knowing God as their King and Saviour. On the surface they accepted that they were God’s people as part of Israel, but internally their thoughts, desires and mindset were not aligned with God and did not demonstrate any allegiance to Him. When times got tough they did not talk to Him about it. They did not trust that as He is Maker, King and Lord that He could and would do something about their troubles. They just complained. Are you the same? Do you follow God out of habit, duty, or because others do? The fruit of faith is seen when you encounter difficulty. What do you do when life gets hard? When people let you down, disaster occurs, or something life threatening happens, what is your first response? For that shows if you are a sheep faithfully trusting in your shepherd or not. Do you call out to God, let Him know what has occurred and invite Him to show up and change things, or do you go around moaning to whoever will listen? You could approach God, recalling that God has been great before, and trusting that He still is and will be again. This is what Moses and Aaron did unlike the rest of the nation. The people had not really given their lives to God, they only wanted Him to give them what they wanted. Yet they were not obedient, trusting or loving towards Him. Only Moses and Aaron trusted God. When there was a problem, they knew who to go to. They knew there was only One who could solve any issue and bring transformation, the ‘great King above all gods’. So they went straight to Him, and they were involved in some great signs, wonders and miracles because they were all in, are you?

What do you do when wickedness seems to be winning?

Psalm 94:1–23 (ESV): 

O Lord, God of vengeance, 

O God of vengeance, shine forth! 

 2  Rise up, O judge of the earth; 

repay to the proud what they deserve! 

 3  O Lord, how long shall the wicked, 

how long shall the wicked exult? 

 4  They pour out their arrogant words; 

all the evildoers boast. 

 5  They crush your people, O Lord, 

and afflict your heritage. 

 6  They kill the widow and the sojourner, 

and murder the fatherless; 

 7  and they say, “The Lord does not see; 

the God of Jacob does not perceive.” 

 8  Understand, O dullest of the people! 

Fools, when will you be wise? 

 9  He who planted the ear, does he not hear? 

  He who formed the eye, does he not see? 

 10  He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? 

  He who teaches man knowledge— 

 11  the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, 

that they are but a breath. 

 12  Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, 

and whom you teach out of your law, 

 13  to give him rest from days of trouble, 

until a pit is dug for the wicked. 

 14  For the Lord will not forsake his people; 

he will not abandon his heritage; 

 15  for justice will return to the righteous, 

and all the upright in heart will follow it. 

 16  Who rises up for me against the wicked? 

Who stands up for me against evildoers? 

 17  If the Lord had not been my help, 

my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 

 18  When I thought, “My foot slips,” 

your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. 

 19  When the cares of my heart are many, 

your consolations cheer my soul. 

 20  Can wicked rulers be allied with you, 

those who frame injustice by statute? 

 21  They band together against the life of the righteous 

and condemn the innocent to death. 

 22  But the Lord has become my stronghold, 

and my God the rock of my refuge. 

 23  He will bring back on them their iniquity 

and wipe them out for their wickedness; 

the Lord our God will wipe them out. 

Do you ever ask God to destroy the wicked? You can, it is allowed. Many of the psalms ask for God to destroy the proud, the wicked, end evildoers. Not for no reason though, nor just for their own relief, but so that God’s people and His kingdom benefit. The psalmists are concerned not only with their own situation, but also for God’s reputation and the welfare of His people. So when you pray for evil to end - what is your reason? Is it just so that things are better for you? If you pray for evil to end because you wish to stop suffering that is too narrow-minded. God’s vision is beyond your own life and circumstances, His vision is wider and further, and so should yours be.

Instead of just asking God for vengeance or judgement on a person or situation because they bother you, let God hear your concern for the widespread problems of wickedness. The oppression of those God cares about like the widows, strangers, fatherless, His people. Tell God what you see and why it is not ok. Sure, tell Him your experience too and how tough it has been on you, but don’t limit your vision of what God can do. He can work on a much bigger scale than you expect, He has the future of a whole kingdom that He is concerned about.

If you are oppressed by wickedness in the workplace, then consider who else is affected. Petition God for them too, ask Him to see and hear and make Himself known in the whole of the workplace, for His kingdom to come there - imagine how many people would be impacted by the love, mercy and justice of God then! The same is true for any area of life you are seeing evil influence. Whether it be in your family, community, country, friendship group or neighbourhood. Pray and rely on God for the solution. 

In times when wickedness seems to reign there is often little that you can do to change the circumstances. You do not have to fix it. Often you cannot as it is a spiritual battle. So the most powerful weapons are prayer, dependence on God and love. You do not need to be the one that is trying to resolve things in your own strength, plotting and scheming the downfall of the wicked or digging the pit for the evildoers to fall into. Let God lead. ‘For justice will return to the righteous and all the upright in heart will follow it’. God is responsible for justice, you are responsible for remaining 'upright'. So make sure you are doing your part. Pray and pursue righteousness in the way you are living your life, even when you are encountering trouble and wickedness. Otherwise when God comes to judge wickedness, will He need to pour out His judgement on you too? 

When you feel overwhelmed, upset or angry, allow the thoughts of who God is for eternity comfort your soul, ‘When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.’ Consider God when you are afraid, worried, concerned, when you are facing a battle or seeing persecution. Approach God, and allow the truth of who He is and what He is capable of bring you comfort. Remember what God has said, and allow His words cheer you up. For His Word is everlasting and always true. Allow Him to take care of your heart, and trust Him with the hearts of those around you. Difficulties are an opportunity for your faith to be displayed. This involves being less dependent on yourself, less swayed by emotions and more invested in your relationship with God. He can become your stronghold and rock of refuge (v22), whilst also cheering your soul and taking care of your heart (v19). God sees and hears it all and, ‘the Lord will not forsake his people’. Trust Him. Not just for your protection, salvation and comfort, but trust that, ‘the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.’

Keep praying, Keep believing. Keep being upright.

The Lord on high is mighty

 Psalm 93:1–5 (ESV):

93 The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; 

the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. 

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

 2  Your throne is established from of old; 

you are from everlasting. 

 3  The floods have lifted up, O Lord, 

the floods have lifted up their voice; 

the floods lift up their roaring. 

 4  Mightier than the thunders of many waters, 

mightier than the waves of the sea, 

the Lord on high is mighty! 

 5  Your decrees are very trustworthy; 

holiness befits your house, 

O Lord, forevermore. 

The writer of this psalm has had a revelation of the greatness and mightiness of God. They repeat the sense of His greatness as they explore the fresh revelation of the kingship of God. How powerful are the simple, oft repeated truths when they are deeply revealed.

1) The Lord God is King. He is adorned with majesty - no other monarch carries or is cloaked with such beauty, magnificence or authoritative presence. God’s throne, authority and kingdom are everlasting. His leadership will not cease, His power not wane. He reigns, will reign and has reigned from the beginning of time throughout all eternity! God is the true and ‘great King above all gods’.

2) God’s magnificence and might is so great that His strength is merely a belt! When you and i strengthen ourselves it is not a piece of clothing we put on, but it involves our whole body and mind which carries the power, the confidence and stress of displaying that strength. Yet God is so powerful that it does not require His whole being to be strong, it is merely something He demonstrates almost as an accessory! As a result of the truth of God being the universal and eternal great King, He displays strength. Yet this is not His main characteristic. God is magnificent, majestic and strong because He is King. We can admire and be fascinated and enthralled by these aspects of God, but they are not His total being. God is strong, but He is not only supremely strong. 

3) No matter how mighty, powerful and life-changing a flood can be, or a storm with raging waters where the power drowns out all other sound, God is mightier! He can drown out the flood, ‘mightier that the thunders if many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty’! A storm may be powerful and change lives, but the Lord God is mightier! No force of nature or storm of life can outrule, outwit or overpower Our God.

4) Not only is the Lord mighty and strong, but He can also be trusted, ‘your decrees are very trustworthy’. When you think of leaders, other kings or politicians, no matter how good they may seem, are they trustworthy? Are they both powerful and honest? It is important to recognise thst although the leaders on Earth may be weak or untrustworthy, you cannot apply the same expectations to God. He is almighty, powerful, majestic, strong, mighty and trustworthy. God is honest. He will do what He says, always. This is why ‘holiness befits your house’. He is pure and completely holy. There is no fault or impurity in Him. He is totally trustworthy and good. 

When you accept God as King over your life and the universe, you are acknowledging that God is sovereign, He is mighty, majestic, strong and trustworthy. What a privilege to live life knowing that this is the tyoe of King you are living for. You are in His kingdom as one of His citizens. So, whatever you are fearing, worrying about, confused by or in awe of, compare it to this King, The Lord our God is a magnificent, eternal, majestic, honest and powerful monarch unlike any other. How is this truth impacting your life?

Stupid Thoughts

 Psalm 92:1–15 (ESV):  

1  It is good to give thanks to the Lord, 

to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 

 2  to declare your steadfast love in the morning, 

and your faithfulness by night, 

 3  to the music of the lute and the harp, 

to the melody of the lyre. 

 4  For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; 

at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 

 5  How great are your works, O Lord! 

Your thoughts are very deep! 

 6  The stupid man cannot know; 

the fool cannot understand this: 

 7  that though the wicked sprout like grass 

and all evildoers flourish, 

  they are doomed to destruction forever; 

 8  but you, O Lord, are on high forever. 

 9  For behold, your enemies, O Lord, 

for behold, your enemies shall perish; 

all evildoers shall be scattered. 

 10  But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; 

you have poured over me fresh oil. 

 11  My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; 

my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. 

 12  The righteous flourish like the palm tree 

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 

 13  They are planted in the house of the Lord; 

they flourish in the courts of our God. 

 14  They still bear fruit in old age; 

they are ever full of sap and green, 

 15  to declare that the Lord is upright; 

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

Do you have stupid thoughts? Do you ever believe that the wickedness in the world is going to prevail? If so, this is a stupid thought (v6-7). ‘Though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish; they are doomed to destruction forever’! ‘But you, O Lord, are on high forever’. Notice how both of these verses talk about ‘forever’. There is an assurance for the wicked and for God for eternity. Both will last forever, but there is a difference in their eternal destiny.

God is inviting you to have a longer viewpoint. Instead of worrying about the evil that is around and what is going on in the here and now, consider what will be forever. The present is only relevant for this moment, tomorrow it is history. In the here and now evil exists and there are people that perform wicked deeds. Yet the promise for eternity is that God’s ‘enemies shall perish, all evildoers shall be scattered’ and ‘the righteous flourish like the palm tree’. This is the long view, this is what you should focus on. The things that are evil are, ‘doomed to destruction forever’. They have eternal death as their promise. So, ultimately they will not prevail, therefore do not waste time concerning yourself about such things. Instead consider God who is on high and will be forever. 

When you fix your eyes on God, give your life to Him and follow Him you will, ‘flourish like the palm tree’. That sentence at first confused me for i did not understand the sentiment. Then i considered and researched and discovered that palm trees can grow in difficult conditions. Surviving droughts, storms and floods because of their root system. In fact, in a storm even if they are bent over horizontally by high winds, looking deformed and destroyed, they straighten up afterwards and can grow stronger roots as a result. This makes the palm tree more stable after a storm than it was before it! So, think of yourself as that flourishing palm tree, ‘planted in the house of the Lord’. Storms may feel like they are destoying you, but you'll straighten up again, you will be upright and have deeper roots if you weather the storm ‘planted in the house of the Lord'. So rather than concerning yourself with the wickedness of the world, focus on living with God; being righteous, stable, growing strong and fruitful. Knowing that even in the troubles of life that knock you sideways, when you stick to God, you will become stronger and straighter in the long run. For God says you will ‘flourish’. You will not be destroyed when you depend on Him, instead you have the promise of fruitfulness and favour for eternity. 

Consider then what you allow your mind to dwell upon. Are your thoughts sometimes stupid? Do you allow worry to consume you or concern yourself with the news and wickedness? For, 'The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand'. If you insist on focussing on what is temporal rather than what is eternal, you will be stuck. Your progression will be limited as your view is too short, it is in the here and now and God is wanting you to play the long game. Think about someone who knows they have exams in a few months time. They could think that it's too far away to concern themselves with it today. Instead they eat, drink, have fun, go out, giving no thought to what is coming up as it is in the future. How are they going to fare in exam season? What about if they chose to revise now, to practice, look at exam papers, research and prepare for the day they know is coming. Although it may seem far off and other people are not doing the same kind of preparation, how would you expect their exams to go? How about you? Are you thinking about the long game of faith? Are your thoughts overrun by the knowledge that God exists and is righteous, good and on High, or do thoughts about the reign of evil darken your mind? Set your mind to consider the long game. You get to decide what you think about, so don't entertain stupid thoughts. Remind yourself that no matter what is going on now,  evil won’t last for it is ‘doomed to destruction forever', ' but you, O Lord, are on high forever'.

So set your mind to have the long view - evil loses and righteousness wins, forever. You will never understand God or His ways. He has greater insight and foresight than anyone because He sees the eternal perspective not only the present. He was there at the beginning, has been all the way through and will continue to be and He has known what He is doing all that time. He planned for there to be an Adam and Eve, Noah, Josiah, Hosea, Ruth, Isaiah and Jesus. He saw all they would face and the eternal impact of their obedience. He has the same knowledge and understanding for your life. Your life has impact beyond your years, so learn to trust in Him and follow Him even when life gets tough and confusing. God sees the storms as opportunities for you to be strengthened, your relationship with Him deepened and your life to display fruit. Keep your focus on Him, not on the storm. For God is good, He is intelligent, He has a plan and a purpose and sees the end goal. You do not. Therefore give up the stupid thoughts and lean into God and His understanding. The storms of life will then make you taller, straighter and stronger, forever.

In God's shadow

Psalm 91:1–16 (ESV): 

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High 

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 

 2  I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, 

my God, in whom I trust.” 

 3  For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler 

and from the deadly pestilence. 

 4  He will cover you with his pinions, 

and under his wings you will find refuge; 

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 

 5  You will not fear the terror of the night, 

nor the arrow that flies by day, 

 6  nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, 

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 

 7  A thousand may fall at your side, 

ten thousand at your right hand, 

but it will not come near you. 

 8  You will only look with your eyes 

and see the recompense of the wicked. 

 9  Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— 

the Most High, who is my refuge— 

 10  no evil shall be allowed to befall you, 

no plague come near your tent. 

 11  For he will command his angels concerning you 

to guard you in all your ways. 

 12  On their hands they will bear you up, 

lest you strike your foot against a stone. 

 13  You will tread on the lion and the adder; 

the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 

 14  “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; 

I will protect him, because he knows my name. 

 15  When he calls to me, I will answer him; 

I will be with him in trouble; 

I will rescue him and honour him. 

 16  With long life I will satisfy him 

and show him my salvation.” 

Can you imagine living in the shadow of God?!

If you live as a follower of God, then you, ‘abide in the shadow if the Almighty’ because He has invited you into His presence, and you have opted to walk with Him. God overshadows you. This means you are safe and protected and you know His presence wherever you tread. You are privileged to be so close. Due to your proximity to God, He can save you from the enemy’s traps and heal you from sickness and fear.  

However, you still see and experience life in this world. Even from this space of comfort and shade, of closeness and protection, you see fighting, disease, deeds of darkness and destruction. You are not oblivious or immune to the suffering and pain of this world even when you know whose presence you are in. You will see the pain others go through as they decide to live outside the shadow of God. The psalm tells us that though thousands around us may be afflicted and harmed, we will know God's protection and provision. Those that follow God have a different experience of life due to their proximity to the Almighty, but it doesn't mean that life doesn't hurt or isn't difficult at times. For those outside of the shadow of God are neighbours, friends and loved ones and seeing them suffer causes grief. You will see the results of unholy, unfaithful living outside the protection of the Father and you will feel sadness and pain. 

Even though you can be confident that you are protected and covered by God, you will witness those not in God’s kingdom suffering in a way you will not. For you can always know God's promise to you is this, 'Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15  When he calls to me, I will answer him'. You have the beautiful assurance that you will be delivered, protected and cared for because you are known to God and you know God. You are within His shadow, so you are within earshot and can reach out and hold His hand. Ultimately, your future is secure for wherever you are, God is present whether in this life or the next. You have eternal security, it is well for your soul, but you know many for who this is not true. 

As you live in the shadow of God, you can know and appreciate the security of your position and at the same time mourn the lack of faith of those around you, as you see them suffer there may be little you can do but prat. Yet remember the power and goodness of the One you are walking and talking with. It is not your responsibility to go and rescue those outside of the kingdom. You should not leave God’s shadow even for a moment to go and try to help or persuade them. The best help you can give is by taking advantage of your proximity to God. Keep walking in God's shadow so you can talk to Him on their behalf, and demonstrate the joy and peace of a life lived in the comfort and shelter of God’s love. You, as one close to God, are saved from experiencing the lonely isolation, fear, hopelessness and torment of living life outside of His protection and love. Even when disaster strikes and plagues come along, you can know that God will deliver you as you ‘hold fast to me in love’. So, the best aid you can give to others is maintaining your posture of proximity with Almighty, powerful, loving God. From His side you can see and hear what God is doing. By being close to God and knowing the joy and power of His shadow over you, you can show others the beauty of living in step with Him. When they see that disaster and disease do not affect you in the same way, that you have peace, assurance and contentment due to your relationship with God, i wonder how others will respond. When they are having a rough time and you let them know you are praying, i wonder what they will think when their situation changes. When you speak kindness and truth when others do not, when you come at challenges with a different motivation and mindset, i wonder what others will see. 

Your responsibility and duty for others is best served by investing in your relationship with God. Getting close to Him makes a positive impact on those around you. You have the invitation to dwell ‘in the shelter of the Most High’ and ‘abide in the shadow of the Almighty’. Is that where you are living? Being close to Him is good not only for you, but also for those around you. Who knows, by demonstrating your relationship with God, maybe others will also come to benefit from being in His shadow too.