verseoftheday

Be gracious to me, God, for a man is trampling me; he fights and oppresses me all day long. My adversaries trample me all day,  for many arrogantly fight against me. When I am afraid,  I will trust in you. Psalms 56:1-3 CSB David was on the run, he believed for his life. But this fighting and oppressing all day long, this "trample me all day" that seems to be more about how it felt, more about what was going on in his mind. It escalated from one man, to my adversaries, to "many".  It felt like he was alone. And the whole world had turned against him. Ever been there? In that though David starts by seeking God's grace.  He knows what he needs and asks. And he just pours out what's going on to God. And he chooses to trust God, no matter what. (the picture I often go back to is in Daniel Ch3 where 3 young people are threatened with death if they don't change their allegiance, and they are crystal clear; our God can save us, but even if he doesn't, we...

I am obligated by vows to you, God;  I will make my thanksgiving sacrifices to you.   For you rescued me from death,  even my feet from stumbling,  to walk before God  in the light of life. Psalms 56:12-13 CSB Being thankful is free, but has the ability to change my mood, my outlook, my day, my trajectory. David is thankful for the big things - being saved from death - and from the seemingly small - from tripping up. He's not only thankful for what he's been saved from, but what he's been saved for: "to walk before God in the light of life" Quite a thing to think about that we walk before God, kind of makes me think of my life a little differently. It's only in the light of Jesus life that I get to do anything in the sight of God. It's his life that sets me free. It's his life that deals with my stuff in a way I never can. It's Jesus life that I can be thankful for, the life that made a way for me, is making a way, and we are all one day closer to ...

They twist my words all day long;  all their thoughts against me are evil. They stir up strife,  they lurk,  they watch my steps while they wait to take my life.  Will they escape in spite of such sin?  God, bring down the nations in wrath.  This I know:  God is for me. Psalms 56:5-7, 9 CSB Have you ever wanted justice and it's not happening? "Will they escape in spite of such sin?" Justice is not happening, and David even asks God to destroy nations for him.  This is the cry of a heart that is hurt.  Hurting. And wants things put right. This psalm, this song, is about choosing to trust God even when there appears to be no justice, even when we're afraid.  Even though our circumstances are saying something else, we can cry out. It's OK to cry to God. This is a song that was sung in community so it's OK to cry out to one another about injustice, about what's going on for us...healing comes in community. David reminds himself, as we can do...

Friday! Proverbs :) The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor,  the pursuit of death. Proverbs 21:6 NASB This word "treasures" can also mean to store, storehouses. What is it that we're collecting that we're putting our hope in? And it's not about the wealth or the business or the property or the fabric collection...God is not againdt any of those things...but it's about the heart. Gain by deceiving ourselves, then deceiving others, does not bring us the life that we want from those things. Our God is interested in our hearts more than anything. Sometimes lying seems so easy. It's not hurting anyone, and there's a gain to me. Win win. But this proverb reminds me that in that moment my heart is facing away from God, I'm placing my hope in, worshipping really, something other than God. Today may we seek treasures that are not vapour, and whatever we do, do it with a radical honesty.  #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #Gods...

When I am afraid,  I will trust in you. Psalms 56:3 CSB  David was on the run literally running for his life. And he was afraid. Afraid of Saul. Then he wandered into Philistine territory and that was no better. He was afraid  "When I am afraid I will trust in you" Who is it that David trusts? In God, whose word I praise,  in God I trust;  I will not be afraid. Psalms 56:4 CSB I put my trust in me.  But I do have someone bigger to put my trust in, someone without my weaknesses. David was afraid of those in pursuit of him, afraid of dying. Sometimes we can get afraid of living. It's too much. The future seems too uncertain. Hope seems hard to grasp  "When I am afraid I will trust in you" I tend to look inward. To my own resources. But David calls us to look outside of ourselves, to look up. What are you afraid of? When I am afraid I will trust in You. Yahweh. I will trust in our God who in Jesus, became small, as a servant, to seek and to save us, us wh...

You yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle.  Are they not in your book? Psalms 56:8 CSB David's story behind this Psalm is found in 1 Samuel 20-21. He's been rejected. Outcast. And is alone. In that, or in response to that, he writes this verse of his song...he knows that he isn't truly alone. God has seen his wandering.  He is seen. His life does matter. Somehow God is recording his tears.  He knows. Knows of the loss and the hurt that he is going through, never outcast from God, while he was rejected by Saul, never by God. When we're feeling rejected, outcast, at some point we too will know that we are seen. Not lost to God. Not outcast by Him. That somehow he shares in our tears. How do we know this? Because Jesus. He was outcast from God on the cross so we don't have to be. He was rejected by people, so he knows. He shares in our tears because he cried them too.  He took all those tears and absorbed them into himself. Recorded them in ...

"Truly I tell you,  anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life." John 5:24 CSB Jesus launches into a massive speech to the Jews about who he is.  That he is the son of God. He gave them no room to move about his identity, and then he gives them, and us, the path to Life. This is why Jesus tracked down our guy who hadn't been able to walk, who Jesus healed in an instant. His life was changed in that moment, but not his Life. Believe in Jesus, in the Father who sent him, and step from death to Life. Does that mean we'll never waver, never have a doubt or struggle or question what God is up to? No. But stepping into Life is a one time thing and a life time thing, and that's why we need to journey together with others, who we can lean into, and they can lean into us,    as we step away from darkness, death, destruction, towards light, life, & hope. We're all just wal...