Week Twenty-One - Wrong Way

Tom and I have been traveling a lot lately and have been reminded to use caution when we drive because we are no longer on the English proper side of the road; we are on the American right side!

That makes turning corners challenging, and I have noticed the Wrong Way sign on the interstate many times. Thankfully, we haven't turned down that way!

Psalm 36 was my reading today, and it came with a huge Wrong Way sign. Verse four reads, "He setteth himself in a way that is not good."

David has been describing the man who chooses to go his own way. This man (or woman) ignores God. They flatter themselves, thinking they know best, and hate begins filling their hearts. Then, what is in the heart comes out of the mouth, and all wisdom fails. They find themselves thinking about how they can get even, how they can give someone a piece of their mind, or make a point, not for good or to resolve a problem, but to hurt the other person as they have been hurt. They grow full of pride and attack anyone who tries to point them back to the way of God. They have set themselves on a way that is not good. 

And there they sit, stewing in their hate and regret, but too proud to kneel and ask forgiveness of God, seek resolution, or admit their own sin and wrongdoing.

Until they turn around, they are driving their lives the wrong way, and a collision is bound to happen.

The right way is also described in the psalm. It is full of God's great mercy, abundant provision, light, and lovingkindness.

Here is the interesting thing. We all travel the path of life together, and we see how each of us manages our lives. The choices we make determine the outcome. God says there are two paths to follow: the broad way or the narrow way. The paths are also described as light and darkness, as evil or good, and as truth or deceit. One leads to joy and life, the other to hatred and death. We know which path we are on by the fruit of our lives.

Sadly, those going the wrong way hate those going the right way. Maybe they are envious or confused about how to direct their lives. Maybe their hurts and life choices keep them prideful and unable to change their path. Or maybe no one has shared the light of the gospel with them.

Oh, let that not ever be said. When you meet someone whose life is set in a way that is not good, take time to lovingly speak truth to them. Don't let them ever say no one cared enough to speak up. 

David's closing prayer was, "Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me” (vs 11). Stay on the right path! Yet, reach out in love and concern for those going the wrong way.

Week Twenty - Chariot Prayers

Psalm 20 is a song that takes the form of a prayer for God to answer and deliver in times of trouble. Filled with hope and assurance, in full reliance on God, the psalmist uses positive words like send, remember, accept, grant, and fulfill as he prays to God. Notice that the prayer has not yet been answered. There appears to still be a problem, but the emphasis of the prayer is on anticipating the answer.

Verse 2, send help and give strength.
Verse 3, remember and accept my worship.
Verse 4, grant and fulfill my requests.

These three verses give us a basic outline. Tell God what you need, keep praising and worshiping, and leave the answer to Him.

Words like rejoice, save, rise, and stand reveal the psalmist's heart. Though his prayer remains unanswered, his chosen outlook is one of rejoicing, faith, and anticipated victory.

Verse 5, we will rejoice, fly our banner, and watch God fulfill our petitions.
Verse 6, the Lord saves by His saving strength alone.
Verse 8, we are risen, and stand upright.

All these words show his expectation because he has remembered the name of the Lord and placed his petitions before Him.

These are prayers of faith.

Chariot prayers are different. 

Chariot prayers seek solutions rather than looking to God and give God instructions instead of seeking His hand. They are not requests but demands coming from a heart desiring control or perceived power. Sometimes we are guilty of praying as if everything is hopeless, like God doesn't hear or see, much less remember, grant, or fulfill. We get bogged down in the problem and forget the strength of God's hand.

When we pray like that, we are placing our trust in chariots of our own figuring or in the expectation that our problems will be solved by ourselves or by man, that if we pray hard enough or long enough, we will find a way through.

Chariot prayers are bound to fail, but when we remember God, He will fulfill all our petitions (verse 5), and we will rise and stand (verse 8), for only God can save. These are prayers of faith.

So, consider, are your prayers hitched to a chariot or to the name of the Lord our God? (verse 7)

Week Nineteen - Hold Your Tongue

Psalm 17:3 holds this phrase, "I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." This is a goal David set for himself. Recognizing that God is busy proving him, visiting him in the night, and trying him, he knows what is in his heart will pour out of his mouth, so he sets a guard, a purpose that no sinful word will escape.

To not allow sinful things to rise in our language, we must be purposeful in keeping our hearts clean by allowing the Lord to do with us just as He did with David, to prove, visit, and try us. This is not a process we relish.

To prove us, God places us in situations where our integrity is challenged and our weaknesses exposed. Oh, how uncomfortable this feels. We are faced with a choice: tell the truth or lie, cheat or be honest, give or withhold. All of these little challenges add up and affect our hearts. When we fail, we feel the Holy Spirit's conviction. Often, we choke back His conviction and move on, but what we fail to recognize is that this indiscretion has planted a seed in our hearts. It has proven our lack of integrity.

For God to visit us in the night is to hear His still, small voice calling us to prayer, speaking words of wisdom to our confused hearts, pointing us in His direction in decisions, and calling us to trust Him more fully. When God visits us in the night, there are few distractions. We hear His voice more clearly, and sometimes we may even argue with Him. The better question is, are we listening? Do we notice Him visiting us in the night? Are we practicing what He is teaching?

And when God tries us, He places difficulties before us that challenge and increase our faith. Each trial contains a lesson that reveals more of His character and deepens our relationship if we pay attention and yield by faith.

With all this activity, God is working on our hearts, cleansing, strengthening, and preparing them for our future.

David's words teach us one more truth: we must live with purpose. Our hearts are fickle and tainted, often damaged by what we experience, the thoughts we entertain, and what we hear and see, so we must purposefully choose to control what goes in and what comes out.

"I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress."

How could my mouth transgress?

I can speak too quickly about things that ignite an emotional response.
I can speak too much about things I don't know enough about.
I can speak with pride about what I do understand.
I can speak harshly when my patience runs thin.
I can speak from a heart of jealousy and envy.
I can speak from anger.
I can judge and slay others with hurtful words.

Our mouth is a powerful weapon, injurious, and deceitful, and it reveals what is in our hearts.
How much better for us to purposely hold our tongue than to loose it like an unruly sword.