Psalm 77:14 You are the God of miracles and wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. You might think, because this verse is out of context that this Psalm is a song of praise. Part of it is, but just prior to this verse Asaph, the writer, is crying out to God because his prayers are unanswered and he is in distress. Interesting, isn’t it? He cries out to God and asks Him if His promises will fail forever, but within a few verses he switches focus from his frustration and questioning to remembering God’s might and power and all the things He’s done in the past. I say it all the time – Worship is the way out. It’s from one of my favorite books (In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day). But here’s another example of worship in the middle of trouble. I don’t know what Asaph’s issue was or how it was resolved. I do know that even in His frustration and trouble He looked to God’s might and remembered the amazing things God had done in the past. So, maybe, in application, I need to focus on God’s might and faithfulness, remembering all the awesome things He’s done in the past. Even if my situation doesn’t resolve itself immediately (and we don’t know what happened in Asaph’s case – at least I don’t know – do you?), my eyes are on God and I can have hope for the future, whatever that may be.
Matthew 2:2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him.” There are several things that I find amazing about the three wise men. 1. They were persistent! They followed a star for two years! They must have come from very far away because they tell Herod that they first saw the star 2 years ago (that’s why Herod has all the boys two and under killed – this makes me want to cry because both my boys are around that age and I can only imagine the pain that order caused). I wonder how often we never find the prize at the end because we fail to follow the star for the time needed to get all the way there? 2. They weren’t as wise as I’d have thought. They asked the current king where the new king was. Did it ever occur to them that maybe he wouldn’t be happy about the thought that he was going to be dethroned? Of course, if they thought a new king had been born, it would be rather logical to look in a palace first rather than in a barn. So, maybe the two cancel each other out and make it a neutral point. 3. They kept their eyes on the bigger picture of who Jesus was. They were giving gifts to a two-year-old… I’d have given him a ball. But they remembered that he was a king, and they gave Him gifts that were worthy of a king. They didn’t lose sight of what and who Jesus was just because of a set of temporary circumstances – that he happened to be a two-year-old. That’s a good lesson for me. I need to remember who Jesus is and not get so stuck on the circumstances surrounding me that will change over time. Ultimately, Jesus is in control and is God and is faithful and is my Rock. The changing circumstances, whatever they may be, don’t change the fact that He is King over everything, even my craziness! Cool stuff from 3 kings!
Do you ever wonder if God’s trying to tell you something? Like, no matter whose church you’re at, you always hear about the same subject? Maybe that’s just me, and tithing. We tithe. We believe it’s really important to tithe. And, oddly enough, the sermon at my in-laws’ church that we went to on Saturday was about tithing… but not about the amount. It was about attitude. Maybe that’s the point God’s trying to get home. Yeah, tithing is important, and I feel that 10% is equally important, but I know there are times when it’s more of an obligation, instead of a joy. And I don’t really believe God for His promises… so maybe my attitude needs adjusting. In the Old Testament, when people tithed, they had to recite a short rendition of what God had done for them by bring thing out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Perhaps when I tithe I should focus on and remember the things God’s done in my life. I whine sometimes that God does stuff for other people and not for me… but then I realize how richly blessed I am. Oh, I may not be blessed in the way I’m wanting (like financially so we can get out of debt), but I am very blessed in other ways (like having an incredible husband, and wonderful little boys who are relatively healthy, John and I both have jobs and working vehicles, etc.). So, my whining is invalidated. Oh, and one more thing that struck me, this time from our worship leader on Sunday (Carolyn Pancala who is INCREDIBLE!!!) – she said, don’t focus on the problem, focus on the problem-solver. In other words, GLORIFY the problem-solver, not the problem. Too often I focus so much on the problem, basically glorifying it and making it important. Really, I should be focusing on the One who can solve that problem and bringing Him glory instead! Perspective, I guess.
Isaiah 5:12“You furnish lovely music and wines at your grand parties; the harps, lyres, tambourines, and flutes are super! But you never think about the Lord or notice what He is doing.” Here we see the crux of the problem… We’re having a grand old time doin gout thing, going along our merry path, but we forget to think about God or ask what He’s doing around us. There are consequences to ignoring God… in the next verse God says the He will send Israel into exile and desolate them, letting them starve and die because they don’t know Him anymore, nor do they care to. If you look at our country, its philosophy of relativism and “do what you want” attitude, how close are we to Israel? Do I notice what God is doing? Do I think about Him throughout my day? Or do I get distracted by the noise and the business of life?