Psalm 119:132 He Sees Me

Turn to me and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name.
Psalm 119:132

Over and over in the Psalms, as well as the rest of scriptures, the "name of God" or the "name of Christ", is used to describe much more than just a name.

To the writers of scripture, someone's name represented their reputation and character. To pray in then same of Jesus is to pray in such a way that acknowledges and honors the sort of things Christ values and loves. To take God's name in vain is to claim to be one of his people while living and speaking in a way contrary to God's character.

When David writes of loving God's name, he's talking about people who have a deep felt passion for who God is, for everything he represents. I love God's name because I know He can be counted on to always turn toward me and have mercy

My greatest joy in reading the Word is not when a discover a new idea or prove a theological point. It's when I discover something new about the character of God or Christ.

That moment when I discover something fantastic about how God loves or why Jesus makes a certain choice - it's wonderful. It's as though I'm seeing the Lord's face as clearly as if I were in his presence.

And when that moment happens, I can almost see him turning his face toward me and looks straight at me, a twinkle in his eye. It's as if he's giving me a hug and whispering in my ear, "This is me.  This is the real me. I see you and and I love you."

Psalm 119:131 Thirsty

I open my mouth and pant,
longing for your commands.

Psalm 119:131

There are many different kinds of people at the gym.

Some are totally ripped, their muscles bulging and their shirts straining as they pump iron. Others, like me, have better muscle tone than we would have if we didn't work out, but we'll never have muscles like that.  And then there's the folks who have little discernible muscle tone, who break into a sweat lifting 5-pound weights.

There are some who climb onto the treadmill and spend over an hour walking, jogging and running.  I consider it a good day when I can last 30 minutes, just walking.

One thing we all have in common, though. When we take breaks, we grab the water bottle or head to the drinking fountain.

Most people who are at all active, whether they do strenuous work or work-outs, discover the importance of hydration. Without it, you won't last long.

The more you work your body, the more you use up the fluids and electrolytes in your system.

What your body needs most is water.  But if you're working exceptionally hard for a very long period of time, sports drinks can be a good idea.  Sports drinks mix water with salt and sugars, which not only speed the body's absorption of fluids but also replenish the electrolytes lost during exercise.

Taking in too much water, though, can result in over-hydration, which can also be bad, because you are, in effect, diluting the amount of salt and other electrolytes in your system.

I've discovered it's best if I drink fluids steadily throughout the day, rather than waiting until I'm actually working hard. Like a camel, I'm able to maintain a steady pace for a longer time.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Psalm 42:1-2

I've discovered that I also need a steady infusion of living water in order to make it through an active life of walking by faith. Waiting to get into the Word only when I'm at church, or only when trials come and I suddenly am in need of spiritual refreshment, just doesn't work well.

Just as there are different types of people at the gym, there are many different kinds of Christians at church. Some are quite strong spiritually, actively doing the work God has set for them to do.  Others are comfortable in their usual seats on Sunday morning and occasionally step out in faith, although they wish they knew how to be a little more steady in their faith and in their fruit-bearing. Still others go through the motions of being "churched" and eventually find it easier to join the "unchurched".

People who practice good habits of regular meditation on the Word find their spiritual hydration level stays steady.  They're not only equipped to deal with any situation they encounter, they are filled with energy and eagerness to see what God has in store for them next.

They also learn the value of supplementing the living water with salt:  being salt.  It's important to get out and interact with people and "be the salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of the world" (Matthew 5:13, The Message) . That experience helps them to understand and process what they read in the scriptures more thoroughly and effectively, because they're actively involved in doing the work for which God is is preparing them, bearing fruit.

Blessed is the one
  who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
  or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
  and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
  which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
  whatever they do prospers.
     Psalm 1:1-3

Drink often and drink deep.

Psalm 119:130 Sunshine

The unfolding of your words gives light; 
it gives understanding to the simple. 

Psalm 119:130

When the weather is good I eat my lunch out on the deck at my office building. After a morning spent in a windowless office, staring at a computer screen, the feel of the sun's rays on my skin is fantastic.

Before I even begin eating my lunch I sit and spread my arms out and soak up the sunshine.

Sometimes I imagine myself as Superman, floating in space, absorbing the energy of the yellow sun.  According to the comic-book legend, his powers come from Earth's yellow sun.

As I absorb the sun's warmth, I picture myself becoming more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound.

Yes, I grew up on comic books and still have super hero thoughts flash like a speeding bullet through my mind occasionally.

It's truly wonderful, though, that for something you can't actually grab and hold in your hand, the effect of sunshine can be felt in an instant.

Equally so, the effect of a gloomy and sunless day can have a quick effect on a person's mood. Seasonal disaffective syndrome (SAD) is a medically proven physiological and psychological problem resulting in part from too little sunlight.

Exposure to the sun causes specific reactions in the human body. It encourages the production of beneficial vitamin D.  It also causes increased production and color-changes in melanin, resulting in sunburn or suntan.

Over-exposure to the sun's rays can lead to skin cancer, can accelerate aging and wrinkling of the skin, and can impair the immune system.

I really dislike using sunscreen. Some people like the smell of it, but me?  Not so much.  I know, though, that by using sunscreen the negative effects of sunlight can be prevented or slowed down. It contains chemicals and particles that absorb or scatter ultraviolet light. This allows the body to receive the benefits of sunshine while reducing the risk of harmful over-exposure.

And so I use sunscreen if I'm going to be out in the sun for a long time. Because, unlike Superman, my body isn't suited to handle that much of the direct power of the sun.

He is like the light of morning at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
that brings grass from the earth.’
  (II Samuel 23:3)

Meditating on the Word is much like soaking up the sun's rays.

Like the sun, the Word gives me power - to overcome sin and live a godly life (Psalm 119:11).

The scriptures light my way and help me find my way through life (Psalm 119:105)

Just as sun-enriched vitamin D gives makes me healthier and strengthens my immune system, meditating on the Bible nurtures both my spiritual and physical health (Proverbs 4:20-22) and protects me from Satan's attacks (I John 2:14)

And, like soaking up the sun, soaking up the Word just plain makes me happy (Psalm 119:16,24, 143).

Reading the Bible also provides a similar protection as sunscreen. Very few people in history have spoken directly to God, and they were not allowed to see His face.

  Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”  

  And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”  

  Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

(Exodus 33:18-23)

Even after being protected from the full force of God's glory, Moses' face was radiant when he came down from the mountain. (Exodus 34:29-20) I've often wondered if he had a sunburn from the experience.

God hasn't asked us to shield ourselves behind a cleft in a rock. Instead, He has put us at a safe distance by revealing Himself to us second-hand, through the writings of the prophets and apostles.

Have you ever wished God had been more clear in the Bible?  Perhaps He could have given us an indexed encyclopedia instead of a book full of history and poetry.

The next time you wish for a clearer picture of God's heart, be thankful for the sunscreen of the Bible. He's given us more than enough to provide the benefits we need, without over-exposing us.

Meditating on His Word may not give us the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but...

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

With your help I can advance against a troop;

with my God I can scale a wall.

(Psalm 18:28-29)

Psalm 119:129 Wonderful Obedience

Your statutes are wonderful;
therefore I obey them.

Psalm 119:129

A good definition of the Hebrew word translated here as wonderful (or marvelous in other translations) would be "anything that makes you go WOW!"

The Hebrew term translated as statutes is eduth. It refers most often to the specific Laws of the Covenant, as found in the Ten Commandments, as well as the Code of Law overall.

The scriptures repeatedly remind us the statutes are fantastic.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

Psalm 19:8

In today's culture of tweets and Facebook memes, many Christians seem to get excited about the scriptures in a purely emotion-driven way. The goal seems to be combining "inspirational" verses with uplifting pictures.

Sometimes, there seems to be no connection between the verse and the picture, but that doesn't matter if you go away feeling "inspired".

This particular combination of scripture and picture inspires me more toward an exclamation of "Huh?" than "Wow!"

The thing is, the statutes of the Lord are not wonderful because they make us feel giddy or inspire sublime thoughts. They're wonderful because if we obey them, the resulting actual blessings will be fantastic.

As a friend of mine said recently, "I've tested enough of his promises that I don't doubt his Word."

If you want to experience a visceral rush from the Word of God, put what you read into practice.

Psalm 119:129-136 Pe

During Q&A night in the prison chapel, a frequent question would be about faith and feelings.

"When I first become a Christian, I felt God's presence constantly. I'd wake up knowing He was there with me. I'd feel his love and his presence all through the day and sleep well at night feeling him with me.

"But for the past few weeks, that feeling has gone away. I don't feel his presence or his love like I did before. Has he left me? Have I done something to make him leave me?"

Usually there would be someone else up front with me to help answer the questions, usually my wife. Sometimes, though, my friend Steve and I tag-teamed the Q&A. If we were there when this question came up, the questioner would get two different answers.

Steve, a worship leader, is very attuned to the importance of an emotional connection with God. He would sympathize with the questioner and offer advice about how to get the feeling back.

And then he'd look at me and say, "And now Tim's going to tell you something completely different." He knew it was actually completely different, but he knew they would think so. We both knew the value of offering more than one perspective on many of their questions.

My answer would begin with, "Faith is not about feelings." And when Steve would look at me like he was about to argue, I'd say, "Faith is not primarily (Steve would frown a little) or only about feelings."

My point, which I'd go on to explain, was that you know God is with you because He says He's with you. If you don't feel His presence, pick up your Bible and read some passages where God promises His presence - mostly in the Psalms. Or read Jesus' Upper Room conversation and prayer in John 13-17. Some believers go through dry seasons that last for years when they don't feel the presence of God.They stay strong and motivated during those times by wallowing in the Word, fervently praying, and actively doing the things you know God wants you to be doing, even in His absence.

Feeling the presence of God is fantastic, but the best spiritual emotions come as a result of practicing the disciplines and doing the work God has called you to do.

In this section of Psalm 119, David expresses the emotional aspects of his faith, grounded in the Word and in obedience.

129 Your statutes are wonderful;
therefore I obey them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant,
longing for your commands.
132 Turn to me and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name.
133 Direct my footsteps according to your word;
let no sin rule over me.
134 Redeem me from human oppression,
that I may obey your precepts.
135 Make your face shine on your servant
and teach me your decrees.
136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
for your law is not obeyed.

Psalm 119:129-136