Day 179: Psalm 97, 98, 99 and 100

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise (Psalm 100:4).

Did you know that worship is God’s address? But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel (KJV, Psalm 22:3). The New American Standard Bible reads: Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. Either way, this passage confirms that God lives in the praises of his people. If God seems distant, praise him and he is there.

If God’s address isn’t good enough, today’s reading contains a map to his house – like an early Iron Age GPS: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. No need to recalculate route here.

In Moses’ time, worshipers entered the tabernacle with a blood sacrifice. The bronze altar was directly in line between the entrance of the courtyard and the door to the Most Holy Place – God’s presence. There was no bypass, no detour.

Jesus became our once-and-for-all blood sacrifice – our access to God. Again, no bypass, no detour. It is through Christ that we offer our gifts of thanksgiving and praise. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess his name (Hebrews 13:15).

TODAY’S MEDITATION

When was the last time you experienced God’s presence? When you can’t find God, worship, because worship is where God is.

Day 178: Psalm 93, 94, 95 and 96

The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved (NIV 1984, Psalm 93:1).

Geocentrists interpret this verse and others to suggest that the earth is at the center of the universe and does not move – neither does it rotate on its axis, nor does it revolve around the sun.

Though I crinkle my forehead at their scientific conclusions, I applaud their high view of humanity as God’s creation. If mankind truly is God’s crowning creation, why wouldn’t the earth be at the universe’s center with the sun revolving around it? …at least figuratively.

In Carl Sagan’s 1997 film Contact, astronomer Dr. Eleanor Arroway (played by Jodie Foster) recalls a conversation with her father. “Do you think there’s alien life in the universe?” His reply: “If there’s not, that’s an awful waste of space.” He might think a diamond engagement ring is an awful waste of money too. Whether there’s other life in the universe or not, I don’t know; although I’ll go on record as saying I really don’t think so. I think the stars in the heavens are a beautiful bauble created by a loving bridegroom as a gift to his bride (that’s us).

While I don’t think the earth is at the center of the universe or that it remains solidly planted in space, never moving or spinning, I rejoice that we are the center of God’s universe. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (John 3:16).

TODAY’S MEDITATION

How does it feel to be the center of God’s universe? How has God shown his love for you?

Day 177: Psalm 89, 90, 91 and 92

Lord, you have been our home (NCV, Psalm 90:1).

Sometimes when my wife Janelle and I think about the challenges of ministry, the most difficult thing is that we don’t have any place to call home. Ministry has taken us to Kansas, Tennessee, Maryland, Georgia, Pennsylvania and most recently Oregon where we look forward to being for a long time.

And I understand; it’s not just pastors. Everyone knows we live in an increasingly mobile society. Lots of people feel the lack of roots that comes from living here today and somewhere else tomorrow.

My wife’s family still lives in the Kansas City area. She has her mom, a brother and two sisters, their spouses, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and cousins all within the metro area. If I were pushed, I guess I’d say that Kansas City feels more like home to us than anywhere else. But we left Kansas City almost thirty years ago.

That’s why we take comfort in this passage: Lord, you have been our home since the beginning. Before the mountains were born and before you created the earth and the world, you are God. You have always been, and you will always be (NCV, Psalm 90:1,2).

In an increasingly rootless society, no matter where we live, we can sink our roots down deep into Christ. How much stability can we have if our foundation is location, career or people? Everything changes… everything that is, except for God. That’s why God is our home.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Where’s your home? What does it mean to say God is your home?

Day 176: Psalm 85, 86, 87 and 88

Great is your love toward me (Psalm 86:13).

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me (NIV 1984, vv. 11-13).

The Apostle Paul reminds us that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). John writes: We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Nothing but love will produce lasting change in the heart. Cash payments won’t do it. Keeping a list of rules and regulations won’t do it. Threats of eternal damnation won’t do it.

The psalmist asks God to teach him his way that he might walk in obedience – not out of obligation, not from hope of reward, and not out of fear – but out of the dawning realization of God’s love for him. Give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name. Translation: Give me perfect love for you that I may give you the respect and obedience your name deserves. Why? Because great is your love for me.

Only love begets love. And we don’t initiate it; God does. God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

What wondrous love is this!

TODAY’S MEDITATION

How have you experienced God’s wondrous love this week?

Day 175: Psalm 81, 82, 83 and 84

I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket . . . But my people would not listen to me (Psalm 81:6,11).

This is a sad psalm where the writer voices the sentiments of Yahweh. These few verses thumbnail the entire Israeli experience: slavery, exodus, wilderness, choice, failure, consequence. In the days before their river crossing into Canaan, Moses gave his farewell address, admonishing the people to choose wisely. Their choice could be summarized as: Choose Yahweh or choose the gods of Canaan.

On the game show Let’s Make a Deal (NBC/ABC 1963-1976 – not to mention its current incarnation on CBS with Wayne Brady), host Monty Hall tempted contestants to trade the prize in their hands for an unknown prize behind Door #3. Once they made their deal, the door was opened and the result of their choice was displayed for all to see.

Likewise, time after time the Israelites rejected the prize they had (Yahweh), trying to trade up by choosing Door #3 (foreign gods).

Although they made a big show of affirming their fidelity to Yahweh, in reality, at almost every turn they went the wrong way and followed false gods. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts (v. 12). In other words: You get to choose, but you have to live with the consequences.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Have you ever been warned about the consequences of making a wrong choice, and made the wrong choice anyway? What did you learn?

Day 174: Psalm 77, 78, 79 and 80

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago (Psalm 77:11).

Here we have the prayer of a man struggling with faith. He wants to hold on in trust, but pain and doubt chip away at his confidence, and he wonders if God will ever deliver him. When the heavens appear silent and no relief is in sight, he launches a faith resuscitation effort. I will remember the deeds of the Lord . . . I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds (vv.11,12).

Nothing bolsters faith like rehearsing all the times God came through for us in the past. And the writer doesn’t limit his recall to events in his own lifetime; he engages his generational memory and takes it back all the way to Israel in Egypt: Your path led through the sea… (v. 19).

When you’re struggling with doubt, take a walk down memory lane. Relive the times you saw no way out, yet hung on to find God faithful. Recall stories from your childhood, told by parents and grandparents, and other older saints who could also testify to God’s mercy and grace. Read the Bible: When I am afraid, I will trust in you (NIV 1984, Psalm 56:3).

The same God who has answered prayer since the beginning of time is answering prayer still. He hasn’t run out of mercy. There’s a new supply of compassion and faithfulness to meet every sunrise (Lamentations 3:22,23).

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Recall a time God came through for you. What do you need today?

Day 173: Psalm 73, 74, 75 and 76

Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them! (Psalm 74:11).

This psalm was likely written in the confused time after the destruction of Jerusalem by the armies of Babylon. They smashed all the carved paneling . . . they burned your sanctuary to the ground (vv.6,7). The psalmist asks the question of God: What’s it going to take to get your attention? If the destruction of your temple doesn’t wake you from your slumber, what will?

There are times we get to the end of our rope, thinking, God has got to do something now, only to be met with silence. It feels like we are completely alone. Sometimes the rope breaks and we still don’t hear from God. What’s with that?

We just plod along, forcing ourselves to place one foot in front of the other, until finally we’ve reached a safe place. And then somehow we recognize that God has been with us all along. Even when it seemed we had been abandoned, God was doing his very best work on our behalf.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

One of the hardest things in the world is trusting God when we don’t understand what he’s up to.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Have you ever given up on God, only to find he was there all the time? Are you waiting for him now? Ask for patience and for trust. Chin up.