St. John Lutheran Church, Ocala, Florida

Psalms of David – Psalm 20 – Quit Counting Chariots
June 17th – Anette

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7

Today I am just focusing on one verse. In David’s time, many leaders placed all their trust in their military resources. I read somewhere that Solomon had 1400 chariots and 12,000 horses. David is turning all that around by saying that is not what we put our trust in, we (I) put my trust in God and not in my military might.

We probably don’t put our trust in chariots and horses (or even your Fords, Chevy’s, Toyotas or Mercedes), but what do we put your trust in? Is it that you are self-reliant, resourceful and relentless in your pursuit for success? Or do you put your trust in wealth and the supposed security it provides? Maybe it’s the relationships you have or the connections you’ve made? Plain and simple, if we look to anyone or anything else instead of the Lord, there are our horses and chariots.

I know when I get super busy (as in a week of Culinary Camp and the week before VBS), I have a tendency to rely on myself and forget how I really need to look to God to get me through things. Yesterday, I was looking for a book I couldn’t find and I decided that I just needed to take a step back and just ask God to help me to slow down and not to get so overwhelmed. I went into another room and there was the book I needed.

After that incident I decided I need to do this breath prayer. Maybe you can try it right now as well.

Breathe in and say “I trust You, Lord”
and breathe out as you say, “You are with me.”
Amen.

Psalms of David – Psalm 18 – The Rescue
June 15th – Pastor Jeff

As I read this Psalm two sections jumped out at me. I believe they are worth highlighting to point out the contrast. The first is verses 4-5 where in desperation David cries out:

The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

The second comes eleven verses later in 16-17 where he announces:

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.

In the first section, David is about to – as the old saying goes - go under for the third time. He uses the imagery of being wrapped up in cords and plunged into the deep waters where he might never return. In the second, he has been snatched from the deep and saved from certain death.

So what happened between the two pairs of verses?

The simple answer is this. The Lord heard his cries from His holy Temple, and he didn’t let those cries go unanswered. Instead in very poetic language Yahweh moves heaven and earth to come and rescue him. Just take in some the picturesque language depicting the Rescuer. He mounts the cherubim and flew. He soars on the wings of the wind. His voice thunders from heaven and he scatters the enemies.

All this reminds me of a time when heaven and earth was bridged by the coming of the Word made flesh. I can’t help but think of a time when a bold disciple stepped on the water only to give way to fear and being swallowed up before a hand plunged into the waters and rescued Peter. These verses remind us Jesus is our rescuer.

Psalms of David – Psalm 17 – The Mixed Metaphor that Isn’t
June 14th – Pastor Jeff

If we’re going to talk about a mixed metaphor that really isn’t, we need to begin with the definition. A mixed metaphor is “a figure of speech which combines two or more incompatible metaphors into a single, often humorous or even absurd comparison where literal images clash.” With that said, can you find the “mixed metaphor” in Psalm 17? I’ll help you even more. Can you find it if I narrow it down to verses 7-8?

Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.

You did it. The apple of your eye and shadow of your wings. While technically, they appear to clash, I would argue they don’t. We typically think of the “apple of the eye” metaphor as meaning we cherish someone or something. But in the Hebrew world the pupil is described as the “apple of the eye” so it would evoke the imagery of protecting. I don’t know about you, but I am super sensitive about anything coming close to my eye. In fact, my optometrist has her work cut out for her every time she does my examination.

Both the “apple of your eye” and “under the shadow of your wings” metaphors emphasize the protective nature of God. Because of his great love (hesed) he demonstrates that love by keeping us safe from “the wicked who are out to destroy us” (17:9). Both metaphors speak deep into our lives as we live in these times where the dangers to both body and soul abound all around us. So let’s close these thoughts by praying them:

Lord, Show me the wonders of your great love,
for you who save by your right hand
as those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings. Amen.

Psalms of David – Psalm 16 – Keep My Eyes on the Lord
June 13th – Anette Shanks

I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

As I was reading this Psalm, this is the verse that resonated with me. As I pondered what I would write about it, this story came to mind. I hadn’t thought about this for a long time.

We have been at many churches throughout our ministry. In one of my classes with the students, I was doing a devotion on the love of God and illustrating by using the experiment of “Elephant toothpaste”. You use yeast, water, hydrogen peroxide, dish soap and food coloring. When you mix it all together, it foams up and bubbles over. The point being when you experience the love of God, the love we have overflows into other people’s lives.

So later on that same day, we were giving out random materials for the students to use their imagination to “create” something and then tell a story about it. One of the fourth-grade girls named Laura and her friend came up with an idea. They made a volcano with a plate and pipe cleaners sticking out. I had no idea what they were doing. They also used balloons as people.

When it was their turn to share their story, it went something like this. The two-balloon people were friends and they were sharing God’s love with each other. But they wanted to share their love with more than each other so this volcano (yes, that’s what the pipe cleaner creation was), when it erupted did something special. In their minds, the volcano and the lava represented God’s love being poured on all people. It took two people to begin the chain of loving God and loving people, but then that love would spread to everyone.
But what made this experience so unique and special was that Laura had just lost her mom recently because she had an illness. But through her sadness and pain, Laura could still see God’s love for her, and she wanted to share it.

Laura may not have known David’s words in Psalm 16:8, but she was living them: “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” And the love of God poured all over us through her.

Psalm 15 Reflections
Pastor Tim

In this short psalm, there is something striking in the pursuit of the question "Who can live in God's presence?" It does not focus on religious activities. It does not mention sacrifices, festivals, or ceremonies which the Pharisees would have focused on. Instead, it talks about telling the truth, keeping promises, refusing gossip, and treating others honorably.

David reminds us that faith is not confined to worship services. It is revealed in ordinary conversations, business dealings, family relationships, and daily decisions.

Of course the description is a really high bar and is something we cannot do perfectly. Naturally we are pointed here to Jesus. He alone fulfilled every description perfectly. Through faith Jesus gives us this righteousness. Having received that gift, we then seek to live the kind of life Psalm 15 describes - not to earn God's favor, but because we already have it.

Which characteristic in Psalm 15 do you most desire God to strengthen in your life today?

Pastor Tim

Psalms of David – Psalm 14 – The Atheist’s Psalm?
June 11th – Pastor Jeff

At one time I dubbed this Psalm “The Atheist’s Psalm.” It was back in the days of my youth when I was reading Walter Martin’s “Kingdom of the Cults” and trying to be a junior Christian apologist (defender of the faith). At the time I didn’t know a single person who would call themselves an atheist but if I were to encounter one in the wild, I would quickly reach for Psalm 14:1 which says:

The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”

If such atheist were to stand before me, I somehow reasoned, they would immediately be humbled and desiring not to be a fool, would immediately confess their newfound faith in God. Problem solved.

By now you are questioning the intelligence of me in my smug youthfulness, because you know it is not that simple. (I’ve learned that too.) And even more if you actually dig into this Psalm, the main aim of this opening verse isn’t limited to nonbelievers. In fact, verses 2 and 3 make this clear:

The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good, not even one.

Instead of the blatant atheists, David aims these words toward those who profess with their mouths “I believe in God” but deny with their lives. In other words, every one of us. Paul would later remind us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Did you catch that? David says, “All have turned away.” Paul says, “For all have sinned.”

Instead of “The Atheist’s Psalm” this is might better be called “The Everyone Psalm” as David moves us toward the Good News of “salvation coming out of Zion. When the Lord restores His people.” (14:7) We have a God who meets our foolish hearts with a love He carries for the whole world by giving us His one and only Son.

Psalms of David – Psalm 13
June 10th – Anette Shanks

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.

I ended up putting the whole Psalm on this page because I loved watching the progression of the Psalmist’s words. In the first part we watch as David is lamenting. I never really knew thought about the word lament until later in my life. Lament means expressing deep sorrow, grief, regret or disappointment. That is how David is feeling at the beginning. There has been a lot that is going on in his life with Saul and Absalom.

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I feel the same way. Things are not going my way or there are situations that happen that are not in my control, and I can’t seem to get out of that dark hole. I feel like God is far away from me so I can resonate with the feelings of David.

I love the last part of the Psalm where David is saying, “But I trust in your unfailing love.” I need to remember that God has seen me through the hard times and is always with me, but sometimes it is hard to pull myself out of the pit of despair. As you read this Psalm, you see the transformation happening in David’s life. I will admit, sometimes it takes me much longer than six verses to sing the Lord’s praise, but I do get there.

Psalms of David – Psalm 11 – The Faith Response
June 8th
Pastor Jeff

When we face a threat, fear, they tell us, produces one of two responses … do you know them? Great! You do? Tell me. Fight or flight. You are correct. You either muster up whatever courage you need to stand up to the aggressor, or you decide you would rather “live to see another day,” so you channel your inner Usain Bolt and make tracks. Fight or flight? We know it well.

But as we reach Psalm 11, David gives us another option. There is fight. There is flight. But there is also faith. You see this contrast already in verse one:

In the LORD I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.

Let’s look at that verse again with some explanation. David opens this prayer with the bold statement prompted by faith: “In the Lord I take refuge.” You can search but there’s no hint of the condition “as long as” being tacked on to that declaration, as in “as long as things are going well” or “as long as no big threat comes my way.”

Instead, he utters a challenge with an incredulous tone: “How then can you (the people around him – not You as in God) – “How then can you say to me: ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain.’” In other words David is telling his tempters, “I’m sticking with faith rather than your suggestion for flight.”

The rest of the Psalm is a debate between the “flight-commanders” telling David how big the threat is, and David replying by telling them how big God is.

When we pray Psalm 11, we cry out to the Lord to be our refuge and give us a faith which will stand, even when threats and their subsequent calls for flight come out way. Now would be a good time for us to read Psalm 11 out loud with this faith vs flight motif in mind.