Week Forty-One - The Night Shift

Have you ever been given a thankless and unnoticed task? Maybe it was caring for a needy person or putting away the laundry. Maybe you had to clean your Dad's boots or do chores that seemed pointless. No doubt you felt less than appreciated, but had you not been faithful to those responsibilities, trouble would have come your way, or others would have been let down.

As I continued, as I have all year, reading one chapter of the Bible each day, I came to the tiny chapter of Psalm 134. I looked at my Bible that morning and prayed, "Lord, what can I get out of only three little verses?"

Here's how it reads, 

"Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion."

Psalm 134 is the last of the songs of degrees. Some think this set of psalms was sung as the people went up from the outer temple court to the inner. Others believe they point to Israel's journey. Being the final one, the focus appears to be on those who watch over the Temple at night, keeping the sacred altar fire burning. Theirs was not only to do their fire-watching job but also to keep God's praise alive through the night. They had the night shift.

This unseen service began back in Leviticus 6:13, where God says, "The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out." This was the task given to the sons of Aaron. The fire reminded the people of God's ever-abiding presence.

Imagine being the person whose job it was to tend the fire while everyone else was asleep. Imagine being there alone, watching until morning. There are no people coming in and out, no songs of praise, no sacrifices, and no other priests around. Just you and this fire. And when you go home, you have no story to tell of your night shift. It was just another thankless task.

But God is watching. God sees the service of the unseen. Colossians 3:23-24 has to be the mantra for the unseen servant. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."

Whatsoever ye do - even the things no one else sees are to be done as unto the Lord. The Psalm instructs this fire-watcher to lift up holy hands in service to God, who blesses openly, and to praise and sing through the night shift.

There are many unseen servants in the Lord's work. Are you one of them? Does your calling involve secret service? Mothers, fathers, faithful teachers, even the church janitor experience standing by night in the service of the Lord. Remember, God sees your service done in His name, and He will reward. He will "bless thee out of Zion." So keep your fire burning and your praise continuing throughout all your service.

Week Forty - Staring at the Ceiling

I hadn't thought much about it, but when the hairdresser said my scalp was red and asked if I was under extra stress, I began to think about all that has been on my plate for the past several weeks and the anticipation I felt with several more weeks ahead of me. I guess I am stressed. And then my body began to confirm it. Headaches, frozen shoulder, muscle aches, and exhaustion began taking over until my only recourse was to put a total stop on everything and just go to bed.

Staring at the ceiling, I tried not to think of the things not getting done. I tried to occupy my mind with nothing - and that's very hard for me. I prayed, rested, and wondered when and how I would get back on my feet. With the essential oils floating around the room and my heat pad's comfort, I knew I was exactly where the Lord wanted me - resting and waiting on Him.

In Psalm 130, David cries from out of the depths. He recognizes his own iniquities, the greatness of God's forgiveness, the hope of His Word, and God's great mercy. So, he settles in to wait. "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning" (Vs 5-6).

Waiting has a divine purpose. It shifts our faith onto more solid ground and deepens our relationship with the Lord. It reminds us of our puniness and His power, our sinfulness and His perfection, our inability and His ability. It may feel uncomfortable; we may kick against it, but eventually we will come to the same place as the psalmist - watching with hope in His Word and complete faith in God's ability to redeem.

Exhaustion can place you in the depths. So can finances, family breakups, depression, and a host of life's events that take their toll. But God's mercy remains. His ability to redeem - to get you out of there - remains.

If you are in a holding pattern today, if life has you in its grip, or stress and exhaustion are taking over, stop straining and rest in God. Look for the beauty and security of God's truth. Place your hope solidly in the promises of His Word while you stare at the ceiling and wait with hopeful anticipation.

Week Thirty-Nine - Make Us Glad

Psalm 90 is one of the oldest psalms. Penned by Moses as a prayer, it focuses on longevity and wisdom. Man's life is short compared to eternity, so Moses desires wisdom to live well and be productive.

His desire is found in verse 14-15, "O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil."

Moses' life, from start to finish, is hardly one in which we read of gladness, so we might wonder why his prayer contains that word. He is abandoned to the river, grew up in a foreign household, fled into the wilderness, stood before Pharaoh, carried the burden of the people of Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness, and finally died without making it to the promised land. That's hardly a happy song.

But here is His secret. His prayer begins with God, "Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God" (vs. 1, 2), and it ends with God, "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it."

Whatever happens in between doesn't matter as long as God is there, as long as God is woven through all the ups and downs.

This is the tale that is told (vs 9). This is the wisdom of verse 12: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." He is our dwelling place - “from everlasting to everlasting thou art God” (vs 2). And that should make us glad!

Our lives may not be as tumultuous and shifting as Moses’, but we can still rely on the secret He reveals. Whatever has happened in our lives, God is there. That is the tale we tell. This is the story that makes us glad. God is with us - for eternity. He is our dwelling place, and He will satisfy us with His mercy so we can rejoice and be glad all our days.

If you are going through a troubled time, remember you aren’t finished yet. God was with you in the beginning, and He will be with you in the end. Not only that, but just as He was with Moses through all his ups and downs, He is with you in the middle, too.

Let your heart rejoice, and let Moses’ secret make you glad.

Week Thirty-Eight - A God Who Forgives

Forgiveness. What a precious word. 

This morning I was reading Psalm 99. This group of psalms in the middle of the book is full of praise. Almost every one opens with “make a joyful noise,” “sing unto the Lord,” “bless the Lord,” or “the Lord reigns.” These forms of praise are found throughout the Psalms, but here in the 90s, they are increased.

Psalm 99 is no different. It opens with, “The Lord reigns, let the people tremble,” and moves through to praise and joy, giving complete exultation to the God who reigns, the God who is great and terrible, the holy God who speaks from the cloudy pillar. He is faithful to His Word, and He keeps His covenants. Then in verse eight, it says, “thou wast a God that forgavest them.” He forgave them! What a promise. What an outstanding quality of an awesome, terrible God to forgive those who go against Him.

He doesn't have to; He chooses to. He sought us, redeemed us, and bought us back to Himself. We are His creation, the apple of His eye. When we consider His greatness and His loving kindness and mercy that bring Him to forgiveness toward us, surely praise is the only thing that can come from our lips: praise from a humble heart of thankfulness for a God who forgives.

It's a very short thought today - the God who forgives. I want to leave you to ponder all He has forgiven you and see if praise isn't what rings from your heart and into the world around you. A God Who Forgives! Make sure those around you know!

Week Thirty-Seven - The After Effect

This summer has been one of wildfires both in America, England, and across the globe.

It is sad knowing people have lost their homes and all their belongings to the flames. Farmers have lost crops, forests and mountains have been scorched and laid waste. These are dangerous events for sure.

My grandparents used fire to burn off their fields – a controlled burn. It destroyed the brambles and weeds, allowing the soil to breathe and replenish itself. They would trim saplings and brush from the fence rows, and then we’d have a big bonfire. It was quite an event. Many times, the evening would end with hot dogs and roasted marshmallows. I love a good fire.

Psalm 97 starts with a fire – a fire that melts the hills and burns up the enemies. Clouds, darkness, and lightning accompany it. Sounds like an epic and scary show of nature, but the Psalm renders this catastrophe to God – this is the effect of His presence.

Why does God make such a show? Verse six says, “So all the people see His glory.”

Just as my family used fire to cleanse and rejuvenate their fields, God used fiery judgment to cleanse and rejuvenate His people, so they could see His glory and return to His ways.

If the field isn’t cleared, the soil is choked and the weeds, the enemies, take over. If, in our lives, cleansing or chastisement doesn’t take place, we get choked by sin, and our faith cannot continue to grow.

It would be hard to miss if God dealt with us by fire today!

Hebrews 12:11reads, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness.”

We don’t like correction, just like we don’t like the thought of losing something we love to a fire, but until that correction takes place  - even if it hurts – we will never know what new and peaceable fruit can grow in the soil of our hearts.

It’s the after effect – that’s where the joy is found.

And 2 Corinthians 5:11 reads, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.”

This may seem an odd verse to add here. Still, if we have experienced, or truly believe, that God can break through like a cleansing fire into a life, and that men are bound for an eternal flame, then love demands we persuade; we strive to convince them of the surety of God’s judgment and of their precarious state.

God’s hand of terror does more than judge and destroy. It clears a path for light and gladness. For once the smoke is cleared away, and the enemy is gone, God’s glory shines; light is sown and that peaceable fruit of righteousness has room to grow and rejoice the heart.

2 Corinthians 4:6 tells us: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

That is the After Effect – when God intervenes, it is to bring light!

When Mount Saint Helens erupted and scorched the earth with molten lava, the scientists said it would take generations for the earth to recover, but by the next spring, things were growing, and the seared scar was covered by new forestation. Light had reached the forest floor, reviving nature.

So don’t fear the dark times and fiery moments of life. God may be at work clearing land where you can grow and prosper. And so you can see His glory.

Let's also consider one more thought. God sows light, and we should be sowing light to help others see His glory.

This too is the After Effect. When we reach and pull men out, as Jude 23 says, "out of the fire," God's glory is seen. God commands the light to shine, and we are His witnesses. What an amazing change happens when a soul is redeemed from eternal damnation - what a wonderful after effect!

Week Thirty-Six - The Dark Night of the Soul

Psalm 88 is a desperate psalm. In the throes of the psalmist's soul, anguish and despair ring through every verse. With hands stretched out unto God, his soul cries for answers and release. Such is the sound of lamentation - with no sight of comfort. The psalm contains no resolve, no hopeful phrase - only waiting and anguish.

The dark night of the soul is defined as a deep psychological and spiritual crisis incorporating a loss or redirection of life's meaning, intense inner longing and emptiness, along with stark loneliness. It is usually accompanied by a major shift in thought or a new stage of personal or spiritual growth, as it acts as a spiritual cleansing to remove pride and press the individual toward mature faith.

While it is a painful and dark experience, the child of God need not fear, for such is the fellowship of His suffering, the purging that removes pride, and the place where crucifixion is better understood.

In Galatians 2:20, Paul gives this summation, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

The idea that one would come to this level of spiritual dedication and understanding by walking a flower-strewn path is never taught in Scripture. Instead, God speaks of pruning, refining by fire, and the putting away of self and the flesh. It is a cutting process that produces deeper love and experiences deeper understanding of God’s love.

Oh, friend, if this is your season, don't waste it. Cry out to God. Ask your questions. Bear your heart to Him and count your suffering as your closest walk with your Saviour - your Gethsemane.

What came out of Jesus' garden prayer? Renewed and energized faith. Determination to obey His Father at all costs. The laying aside of self to humble service for others. A deeper understanding of His holy purpose.

And in you, this season will produce fruit; never doubt it. God will not leave you there forever. It is only a season getting you ready for the praise found in Psalm 89.

P.S. If you are in a dark place and your soul is singing Psalm 88, I invite you to my book, Build That Wall, describing my personal journey and what the dark night of my soul taught me. It is available in eBook and paperback.

https://a.co/d/0hcEfZdA

Week Thirty-Five - It's Shocking

I sat stunned as I read the first verse of Psalm 79. Shocked because it was so upfront and in-your-face, so current to today. It reads, "O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance."

Israel opened the doors, and reaped the consequences. Their temple was defiled, the city laid waste, saints were martyred, and the glory of God's name was torn down. Truth lay trampled in the streets. Such is the way of the heathen. There is no respect for others or God Almighty. They devour and cast away. They do not build up.

This shocking truth is right before our eyes today. The Western world opened the doors and allowed the heathen in, and now we reap the consequences. Our churches are being burned, our cities are full of rubbish and filth, the streets are unsafe, and saints are martyred around the world. God's name and His truth are mocked and ignored. The influence of the heathen is written too boldly across our nations, in our homes, and in our schools. We are being torn down.

As Asaph prays in Psalm 79, he recognizes Israel's sin and pleads for God to deliver and purge for His name's sake (Vs 8-9). Only God can remove the heathen now. Israel is a sighing prisoner appointed to die. They have no strength except the Lord; by His power, deliver them.

This shocking truth is repeated in our lives. When we open the door, the heathen come in, and with them comes darkness, not light. 

Boundaries are not unbiblical. God warned Israel, just as He warned us, to keep our homes and lives pure and separate, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. But we dance on like it doesn't matter, as if tolerance were a virtue, while we blindly overlook the evil growing around us. It is shocking how blind we have grown. There is always a price to pay for living opposite to God's commands. This is true for individual lives and for nations. 

Equally, there is always grace and mercy for those who think on their "ways, and turn. . unto thy testimonies" (Psalm 119:59). Only God can cleanse our lives, and only God can cleanse a nation. Our part is to pray for our nation and for our lives to return to God's praise.

It is a shocking place to which we have arrived, but the God of all grace remains at our side. He can and will deliver His people when they confess and call upon Him.

Asaph finishes by praying, "So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations" (Psalm 79:13).

So my friend,  join me in prayer today. "If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).