markdroberts: guest bloggers

Inspiration from the Daily Psalm

Excerpt

Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.

Psalm 105:2

Prayer

O Lord, how could I tell of all your wonderful works? There are far too many. If I were to spend the rest of my life doing this, I'd only begin to mention the great things You have done. Your greatness is unsearchable, Lord. You know that! So I'm tempted to dismiss this verse as a bit of impossible hyperbole, as something I shouldn't even attempt.

But then I would miss a wonderful gift, something that would bless both You and me. It's the gift of specific gratitude. It's the gift of joy that comes when I even begin to remember some of Your wonderful works. I can go through this life so focused, so insensitive to Your blessings. But when I stop and think, when I remember what You have done both in history and in my own life, then my heart is warmed. My delight in life and, indeed, my delight in You, are magnified many times over.

So, Gracious God, though there's no way I could ever tell of all Your wonderful works, today I'm going to devote a few extra minutes to remembering what You have done for me and to giving You thanks for these gifts. You deserve far more than this, of course, but at least this is a start.

[Take some time right now to remember God's wonderful works in Your life and to thank Him for them.]

Postscript

In a few weeks we'll celebrate Thanksgiving Day. This is a fine national tradition. But I encourage folks in my church to let Thanksgiving be more of a season than just a day. Why not devote the two weeks prior to Thanksgiving Day to intentional gratitude? Set aside a few minutes each day to remembrance and thanks. And, if you can do it, get away from the daily grind for an hour or two of extended thanks. Not only will your gratitude give delight to the Lord, but it will also enrich Your enjoyment of life.

Personal Gratitude

One of God's most wonderful gifts to me is my wife, Linda, who celebrates her birthday today. (In fact, it's the big five, zero!) She is a continual reminder of God's grace in my life, especially when I take time to remember how much she means to me.

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The Daily Psalm

The Daily Psalm is my devotional website. Each day I put up a psalm, a prayer based on that psalm, and some additional input, like a brief commentary or a quotation. I use material from The Daily Psalm on markdroberts.com for Sunday inspiration.

Inspiration from the Daily Psalm

from Psalm 42

Excerpt

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.

Psalm 42:1

Daily Prayer

Thank You, Gracious God, for times when life is hard, when I can't handle life's challenges on my own, when I realize that my wisdom and my resources are inadequate. In these times, as much as a part of me hates them, I have no choice but to remember how much I need You. And in these times I can feel the longing of my soul for You.

Without You, dear Lord, my life would have no purpose. Without You, I'd faint from exhaustion and fade away. Without You, my discouragement would mount up higher and higher, with no hope of relief. Without You, my soul would be parched without satisfaction. So I yearn for You, Lord, yes, like a deer. You alone can satisfy my soul. You alone can refresh me. You alone can renew me. You are my life!

Postscript

The first lines of Psalm 42 have astounding power to touch our hearts. In 1984 Martin Nystrom took the words of this psalm and put them to music:

   As the deer panteth for the water
   So my soul longeth after Thee
   You alone are my heart's desire
   And I long to worship Thee

For more than two decades, this simple song has been one of the most popular in the praise and worship genre. Even now it's the 28th most popular song, according to the CCLI listing.

The Daily Psalm

The Daily Psalm is my devotional website. Each day I put up a psalm, a prayer based on that psalm, and some additional input, like a brief commentary or a quotation. I use material from The Daily Psalm on markdroberts.com for Sunday inspiration.

Inspiration from the Daily Psalm

from Psalm 35

Excerpt

Wake up! Bestir yourself for my defense,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!

Daily Prayer

Lord, I always marvel at this verse. It's not that I can't understand the feeling behind it. I can, indeed. Sometimes it does seem as if You're asleep. In my head I know You hear my prayers. But in my heart I feel as if You dozed off along the way. No, what shocks me about this part of Psalm 35 is its boldness. Who are we to tell You to wake up?!? Yet You have given us this verse to teach us, to invite us to be fully honest with You, even at the risk of calling on you to wake up. What a wonder! What proof that You want, not some neat, tidy, safe relationship with us, but a genuine, messy, honest, risky one. Thank You, gracious God!

Postscript

This verse was one that jarred me when I first prayed through the Psalms. It continues to shake me up every time I read it. It was also a key verse that ultimately led me to write my book on praying the Psalms, No Holds Barred.

The Daily Psalm

The Daily Psalm is my devotional website. Each day I put up a psalm, a prayer based on that psalm, and some additional input, like a brief commentary or a quotation. I use material from The Daily Psalm on markdroberts.com for Sunday inspiration.

Lebanon in Psalm 29

Today The Daily Psalm focuses on Psalm 29. Included in this psalm are the following verses:

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.

Psalm 29:5-6

It's a bit of a shock to find "Lebanon" in my morning devotional reading. Honestly, I had forgotten that it was mentioned in this psalm. Given this "coincidence," it seemed good to me to put up selections from The Daily Psalm, plus some fascinating pictures.

Prayer

How strange it is, Lord, to find the word "Lebanon" in today's psalm. I've heard this word probably five hundred times in the last week as the war between Israel and Hezbollah rages. Yet here it is, right in the middle of today's psalm.

My first thought is to pray for peace in Lebanon and the entire Middle East. I ask, not for a short term peace, but a lasting peace with justice for all residents of this part of the world. It seems almost silly to ask for such a thing, given the realities of that region. But I ask, nonetheless.

Yet, I wonder, why is Lebanon mentioned in Psalm 29? This psalm celebrates the power of Your Word, Lord. Your voice "breaks the cedars," even the famously large cedars of Lebanon. When You speak, Lebanon skips like a calf. The very ground shudders and shakes because of the power of Your Word.
Again, how strange it is to read these things, when on the news I hear of the forests of Lebanon and northern Israel being devastated by fire, and when I watch on television as the land shakes as it is pelted by bombs.

Yet Your Word is stronger than any bomb, hotter than any fire, more powerful than any human device, even than any natural power. Your Word brought all things into existence. Your Word determined the very courses of the stars. Your Word dwarfs all human knowledge, all earthly powers.

O Lord, as this world flails about, as nations war against nations, as people of violence seek to impose their will, as leaders appear lost and confused, let Your Word come forth. Speak Your truth to our world! Give us ears to hear You! Reveal Your power, Your glory, Your compassion, Your mercy. Make Yourself known, Lord, that all the world might bow before You. Break the cedars, Lord, with the saving power of Your Word.

Amen!

Postscript

Ancient Lebanon was a region more or less equal to today's Lebanon. The mountains of northern Lebanon were covered with forests, and were famous for their huge cedars. These were used, for example, by Solomon when he built the temple in Jerusalem.

The cedars of Lebanon can also represent the loftiness of human pride, a pride that opposed the Lord. In Isaiah 2 we read:

12   For the LORD of hosts has a day
    against all that is proud and lofty,
    against all that is lifted up and high;
13   against all the cedars of Lebanon,
    lofty and lifted up;
    and against all the oaks of Bashan;
14   against all the high mountains,
    and against all the lofty hills;
15   against every high tower,
    and against every fortified wall.
In Psalm 29, when God breaks the cedars of Lebanon, the emphasis is upon God's strength.

The same is true with making Lebanon "skip." In ancient stories from Israel's neighbors, the gods spoke with thunder, making the earth quake. The verb "skip" probably has this connotation. When God speaks, the earth shakes. God's Word is that powerful.

The following picture shows the mountains of northern Lebanon today.

The next picture shows some of the remaining cedars from Lebanon. In biblical times, the mountains of Lebanon were covered with dense forests, and the cedar trees were both far more plentiful and much larger. For a fascinating analysis of the deforestation of Lebanon, check out this link.
 

Inspiration from the Daily Psalm

from Psalm 28

Excerpt

. . .for if you are silent to me,
I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.

Psalm 28:1

Prayer

O Lord, there are times when You are silent, when my prayers seem to bounce of the ceiling, when it feels as if You have gone on vacation . . . or worse. In those times I can feel like those who go down to the Pit: lost, hopeless, defeated.

So help me, dear Lord, in those times when, for Your reasons, You are silent. Help me to trust You, to wait, to be patient. Give me hope when I feel hopeless, strength when I am weak. Remind me that You went down to the Pit on my behalf, so that I might enjoy life with You, now and forever.

Postscript

[Notice] the sad despair [the psalmist] should be in if God slighted him: "If thou be silent to me, and I have not the tokens of thy favour, I am like those that go down into the pit (that is, I am a dead man, lost and undone); if God be not my friend, appear not to me and appear not for me, my hope and my help will have perished.’’ Nothing can be so cutting, so killing, to a gracious soul, as the want of God’s favour and the sense of his displeasure.

       Matthew Henry, Commentary on Psalm 28:1

The Daily Psalm

The Daily Psalm is my devotional website. Each day I put up a psalm, a prayer based on that psalm, and some additional input, like a brief commentary or a quotation. I use material from The Daily Psalm on markdroberts.com for Sunday inspiration.