Tag: Trust

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The Patient Beggar

“Fret not yourself because of the wicked, be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.  Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security… I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread.”

Psalm 37:1-3, 25

Unfortunately, I’ve never been accused of being a patient man. When I want something, I want it now. I’m not proud of that, but at least I recognize it. And, since I’ve learned to recognize that about myself, I have learned to ask God for patience. The things I’m most impatient about seem to be the things I ask God for the most. I want to be patient, I really do, but I often resemble more of a beggar in the way I treat God in my prayers. I guess you could call me a ‘patient beggar’. After all, patience is a virtue, or so the old saying goes. If that’s true, and I believe it is, then I think there may be a lot of people in my ‘Patient Beggars Club’ – maybe you?

If you’re in my club, then Psalm 37 is for you today. It’s a beautifully worded treatise on patience. King David is writing from the vantage point of his older years. He understands that sooner or later, sin will catch up with the wicked. He learned from experience, it certainly caught up with him. The psalm is written to give hope to the downtrodden. David tells the righteous who trust in God to be patient while they see the wicked prosper all around them.

Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over him who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! (Psalm 37:7)

It’s hard to be patient when you see people prospering whom you know don’t deserve it, isn’t it? It’s hard because all we see is the here and now. Our sense of fairness and justice is bound up by the time of this world. What need to remember is God doesn’t measure time. Time exists for this world. In God’s economy there is no time, only eternity. A thousand years in our world are like one day to God (Psalm 90:4). Of course, that’s a metaphor, but it’s given to help us understand that we can’t bind God with our time table.

When God says the wicked will get what’s coming to them, He means it. So, when we see the wicked inherit what seems like wealth and fame, let’s remember that in the scope of eternity, it will all vanish like the wind. The important thing for the child of God to remember is that he or she is not forgotten. God knows your every need and will bless you accordingly. As David said in verse 25, have you ever seen the righteous go begging for bread? I haven’t.

It may seem like the righteous are begging, but are we begging for what we truly need? The bread represents what we truly need. Jesus taught us to pray for our true needs: “Give us this day our daily bread”. Instead, we often beg for what we want, because we haven’t really settled the difference between our wants and our needs. So often we think we’re being patient because we’ve waited on God to “bless” us with something we’ve always thought we needed. But, what we really are is a ‘patient beggar’. We keep asking God for the same thing, but in reality the reason we don’t get it is because God knows we don’t need it, or we’re not ready for it.

Rather than be ‘patient beggars’, we need to become ‘patient trusters’ (I know that’s not a real word, but it’s fun to say). If we can’t trust God to know the difference between our wants and our needs, then who can we trust? We can trust God for everything. St. Paul reminds us that if God is for us, nothing can come against us (Romans 8:31). The question isn’t, “Is God for us?”. The question is, “Are we for God?”. If we are, we will show it by trusting Him for everything.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

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Do Your Best and Let God Do the Rest

3 Sing to him a new song, play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright; and all his work is done in faithfulness.…

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,

on those who hope in his steadfast love,

Psalm 33:3-4,18

It was the night before Christmas Eve 1977. I was all set to sing in the Choir for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. And then it happened. The director, Mr. Kiger, took ill. There was no way he would be able to lead the choir for the biggest, most important service of the year. Mr. Kiger was my dear friend. He knew how much I loved to sing. He had given me the solo at the beginning of the Magnificat (Mary’s Song). That was a great honor. But what he gave me next, scared me to death. Death was a theme I was suddenly all to familiar with.

The death of God’s servant is the theme of Psalm 32, as well as the theme of penitence for sin. However, having worked through the death pangs the Psalmist had felt, he ended in thoughts of praise and rejoicing; themes which flow over into Psalm 33.

The heart of Psalm 33 is the idea that when our hope is in God and his promises, we have a song in our hearts. Music has been a part of Christian worship throughout the ages, from a capella Byzantine chant to the melodious harmonies of Cathedral Choir Anthems. Even in the Old Testament the people of God sang their praises. The Book of Psalms is the historic song book of God’s people.

Psalm 33 is prophetic when it speaks of a “new song”. God’s people had many songs. Since the days of the Exodus they had sung songs of deliverance. Many songs were written to accompany the worship of the Temple. But, as the Psalms reveal the Spirit of Messiah there comes a new song. It’s the song of the redeemed. No longer will God’s people sing in dirges of despair hoping for deliverance from the bondage of sin. All who put there hope in Jesus Christ as Savior, are redeemed.

The new song of the redeemed is “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, He Reigns!” We can know, as the Psalmist says that, “…the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in His steadfast love” (Psalm 33:18). When Christ reigns in our hearts, we can have no fear. His love is a strong foundation that no one and nothing can ever shatter.

The choir at St. Matthew’s wasn’t a big choir, but the acoustics of the church were such that with the choir positioned in the back balcony the sounds wafted over the congregation as if from heavenly realms. Well, they usually wafted over the congregation in elegant splendor…but not Christmas Eve of ’77. That night the Choir had no director – but me. Mr. Kiger asked me to step in for him. I was terrified. I loved to sing but I couldn’t even read music. How was I going to direct? And I only had one night to practice. How was I going to be able to make sure the cut offs and entrances were right in rhythm?

Well, the music wasn’t beautiful that Christmas Eve. In fact, it wasn’t even close. But, it was a joyful noise unto the Lord. We all gathered to worship, and worship we did. The Psalms admonish God’s people to make a joyful noise (Psalm 100:1), so we did. I learned a great deal that night. I learned that rhythm is essential to the making of good music. But, I also learned that if we put our trust in God, He will see us through.

We got through the service that night. It wasn’t great. In fact, it probably still stands as the worst music ever in the history of St. Matthew’s. But somehow, I know that God smiled down on us. He taught us that He could make our hearts glad even when we didn’t see how He could. Have you ever had to lean on God to do something totally outside of your skill set? If not, just wait. You will. And when you do, remember, God’s eye is upon you. Put your hope in Him. Do your best and let God do the rest.

 Shalom,

Pastor Brad

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In God We Trust – or Do We?

Click Here to Read Philippians 3:20-21; 4:1-3

 

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Power is fleeting, yet we strive for it in this world. Too often we strive at much to high a cost. Lord Acton, 19th Century British Statesman, is famously quoted as saying, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” Those who seek to be President of the United States are certainly seeking power. There is perhaps no more powerful office in the world. And, there seems to be no limit to what some will do or say to achieve such heights of power.

Everyday there’s a new round of accusations among the many candidates of both parties, as they jockey for position as the front-runner in the race. I know, I know it’s just politics, right? Maybe so, but much of the rhetoric can lead one to think the end of the world is at hand depending on the outcome. But, before we assign the end of the world to the outcome of who wins the respective nominations for the Democrats and the Republicans, we need to remember the words of St. Paul, “But, our commonwealth is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20)

I love my country, the US of A, but I must admit the older I get the more I realize my real country is Heaven. As Christ followers, we need to be careful not to get our allegiances switched around. Regardless who wins the next election, God is still God and our citizenship won’t be in question.

We can and should be thankful for the gift we have in being Americans. We are born in the most free nation ever to exist in the history of the world, and with that freedom comes much responsibility. At the end of the day, only one candidate will stand as the so called next ‘leader of the free world’. But, we must remember above that leader stands the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

The power struggles we see being waged before us in the campaigns are not really that different than the ones we are all tempted to wage in our daily lives. The desire for power, whether at work, family, or in relationships is counter to the Spirit of Christ we are called to live and exemplify. Jesus calls those who would be His to be poor in spirit – meek and humble. True power is found when we serve our brother not lord it over him. Could there be better example among us mortals of such power, than when Pope Francis knelt to wash the feet of prisoners? Perhaps but that picture sure sticks in my mind of true power in leadership.

This Weekend:

Today is Friday, a day Christians revere as holy because on it we remember Jesus died for the sins of the world. He died for all will believe. He died not just to save us from our sins, He died to redeem all things. St. Paul tells us when we are “in Christ”, we are a new creation. Genuine faith produces a change in us; the old is gone, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17).

As you look toward Sunday, hopefully to gather with other faithful souls who are seeking to worship the true leader of the free world, would you take a few moments to consider how you’re using the power given to you, as a husband, wife, parent, or boss? How are you doing at trusting God to lead you in ALL things? Our nation’s motto is “In God We Trust”. Is it yours? I hope so. If so, then you will realize with me God is still leading those who will follow Him no matter who wins the next election.

The old gospel song is still true:

“This world is not my home, I’m just passing through. My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me to Heaven’s open shore, and I can’t be at home in this world anymore.”

P.S.

St. Paul also urged the people of Philppi to get along (Vs. 4:1-3). And, he asked those in the church to be the ones to help them get along. Another question I’m considering this election season, as the arguments increase, is what am I doing to help others to get along? Let us not be divisive, but loving, for it’s in God we trust, not this world.

Grace & Peace

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6