Week Forty-Three - Blessed is the Man

Psalm 112 begins with the words, "Praise ye the Lord, Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments."

This blessing isn't reserved only for the man. The psalm continues by promising to bless his future generations. His house finds blessedness. There is light, graciousness, compassion, and righteousness in the man who shows kindness and generosity to others and guides his affairs with discretion. He lives confidently and securely because his heart is fixed and he trusts in the Lord. He isn't afraid of enemies, he gives to the poor, and he is recognized as a good person.

What beautiful descriptions and promises for the man who faithfully follows the Lord and for his children.

Proverbs 20:7 says, "The just man walketh in his integrity; his children are blessed after him."

Psalm 115:14 gives another promise. "The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children."

This life of blessedness is truly the gift of God. I have seen this in my own life. My children's father - my husband - is a man who fears the Lord, and the blessing of his faithfulness and integrity has been poured onto the lives of our children. God's hand is written all over our family. Are we perfect? No. But we are blessed, and we recognize that blessing as God's gift.

Then we come to the final verse of the psalm, which reads, "the wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish."

The enemy hates seeing the blessing of the righteous, for though they may be as rich, or even richer, they do not have the greater blessing from God or the promises of the Word to claim. 

Those whose lives are built upon a rock shine for all to see. They have a secure place to stand.

But those building on sand rarely find contentment. They are usually envious, looking to discredit the righteous, or even grieved at the blessings of God upon others.

Are you building your life on the Rock? Will your family be blessed by your integrity? Or are you building on sand and watching your life melt away as you grimace at the joy of the righteous?

It doesn't have to be that way. God's blessing is there for all who come to Him in faith and walk in obedience to His commands. Blessed is the man - and the woman - who chooses to do so.

Week Forty-Two - Looking Up

Psalm 123 holds our thought for today. It is only four verses long and reads:

"Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud."

Using the illustration of a servant awaiting instruction from his master or a maidservant watching for her mistress' every need, the psalmist encourages us to keep our eyes on the Lord, to be aware of how God is working, and to watch for the merciful fulfillment of His plan and promises.

The psalmist isn't necessarily waiting for instruction on what would please the Lord; his waiting is focused on need - the need for God's mercy because of the ugliness of the proudful scorners who live around him. 

Oh, how the words and actions of the unbelieving world tend to dampen our hope and zeal. Our only recourse is to cast our eyes toward heaven and lift our hands in prayer as we wait for God to make all things right.

Dear friend, all creation groans for this to happen. This old earth is ready for its heavenly makeover, and the souls of God's children long for their eternal home. The burden of living among scorners and the contempt of the proud takes its toll, but we have a help - a precious help in the heavens upon which we can rely. 

Are we looking up to Him? Are we calling upon His name and believing in His Word? Not one word will fail. All will be accomplished. Like the servant expecting to hear from the master or the anticipating maid, let's keep our eyes focused in the right place - waiting upon the Lord our God and looking to Him until He has mercy upon us.

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.