Problems are for Solving

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (Psalms 42:1-11)

Years ago a friend wrote a song based on this Psalm:

Where is my joy, when all around is sorrow?

Where is my light when night is all I see?

Why is my soul in agony despairing, where is my hope, my song of victory?

I shall again praise my God. There may be those who wonder where He is when sorry strikes like it has to my family this week. I know where He is. He is holding me together. He is keeping me from falling. And He keeps despair and death at the door. I mourn in hope because of His grace, and today I will get out of bed because I know He lives, He loves, and He sustains my soul. Lucy Anne followed those words with:

My joy is in the God of my salvation

His Word will light the shadows of my heart.

So I will hope in God who is my comfort,

Who gives a song of joy when sorrows start.

May God give all who grieve that song of joy today–and may every one of us pant for His love and grace as the dear for water.

My friend Anthony wrote, recorded, and produced and album that I can’t currently get enough of. I really like it, and though my descriptive skills still reside in my 4th grade vocabulary, it is a great album.

Gabrielle wrote a review about it here. I agree with pretty much everything she said, and would add that the heart and soul of a man who loves Jesus is evident in every song. Having known Anthony for a long time, I can speak of his love for Christ and know that he longs to honor Jesus in his music. He has done just that.

You can get a copy shipped to you from cdbaby now.

If you’re familiar with “Christian art” you’re aware that often it’s not as good as what it really ought to be, like somebody will buy it just because we’re Christians. In the circle I travel in, that’s annoying. We’ll say “it’s pretty good for a Christian movie” or some such thing.

Anthony is among those artists who have produced music that is good in its own right, bringing his first-fruits as a public offering to Jesus. So if you want to hear some great music, click on the links and listen for yourself. Then buy 1 or 12 copies for yourself and your best friend. And imagine … 12 Anthony Hopps drumming for your true love on the 12th day of Christmas that’s right around the corner!

Ok, so I sound a little over the top. But take a listen on line and you’ll agree this is a fantastic CD.

I’m homesick. No, not home, sick: homesick.

And I’m not on the road this week.

Yesterday morning I got awoke to my wife bringing me a cup of coffee. Not just any coffee, but a “triple-shot-redeye” she made with the espresso maker she got me for my birthday. Quite the beverage—I don’t need any more coffee for the whole day after that start.

And so I sat up on the bed, my wife next to me, enjoying being home. Since it was Sunday, I turned on my iPod rather than the radio station and queued up The Far Country by Andrew Peterson. (Another birthday present—this one from Raquel) Midway through the first (the title) track, I felt tears welling up in my eyes and by the second line of the chorus of track two I was bawling like a baby.

I couldn’t help it. Continue Reading »

Paul Tripp Ministries: Psalm 51: Forgiveness

It’s only when you’re ready to admit the worst that you then open yourself up to what’s best…. There’s no sin too great, there’s no act too heinous, and there’s no person beyond hope.

As we approach worship today, let us remember that we worship a God who forgives. I hope you’ll read this post by Paul Tripp and be encouraged in your worship today!

From Paul Tripp’s blog:

So much of our prayer has nothing to do with the glory of God. Regrettably, in much of our prayer we’re actually asking God to endorse our pursuit of a whole catalog of self-focused false glories. For God to be willing to do that would not only mean a denial of who he is, but it will also mean our destruction.

I’d encourage you to read this post as you prepare to worship our Lord today!

This morning in my time with God I read Psalm 43. This is a Psalm where David is down cast because of the persecution of the ungodly against him I thought it appropriate to some of what I’m facing right now. Below are my notes from my study this morning—I pray that you find this edifying today as you look to God.

Psalm 43:

1Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!

An amazing start to the day. Lord—DEFEND MY CAUSE! David’s words (if these are indeed David’s) are appropriate to what I am going through right now. Vindicate us, Lord, against the ungodly people who seek to harm us. Deliver us from the unjust! The judges who will make ungodly, unwise, illogical decisions—deliver us from them. The legislators who will sacrifice liberty to be reelected because they “made a difference”—deliver us from them.

2For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?

Who is this God who we ask to help? The One True God! We take refuge in Him. Has He rejected us?

I think that David answers his own question here—God has not rejected him. David looks deeper into his own soul and sees that his feeling of rejections is his alone and so he asks “why?”

Why do we mourn the oppression of the enemy? Because it is hard. But does it mean that our God has rejected us? That we can no longer take refuge in Him? NO!

3Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
4Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.

This is beautiful poetry. David knows He needs his God—as do we. Please, Father, send out your light and your truth. Let the light and truth of God lead us to His dwelling.

In the Old Covenant God dwelled in the temple in Jerusalem—the place where worship took place day and night. In the New Covenant His dwelling place is with His people, among them, within their hearts.

God’s truth and light will lead us to WORSHIP.

God’s truth and light will lead us to SACRIFICE.

God’s truth and light will bring us into EXCEEDING JOY.

And we will praise Him with guitar and piano and voice and harp and song—we will praise Him for His truth and light as we worship from our souls.

Father, may I worship you this way today and every day—let not the oppression of the wicked drive me away from worship—but let Your truth and light drive me into it!

5Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?

Again, “why?” “Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you in turmoil within me?” David stands outside of himself and looks at his soul—looks at himself. Why? Why am I down cast? Because I do not follow God’s truth and light. Because I do not hope in Him alone—but in my own strength. Because I fear the enemy rather than fearing my Father who promises to take care of me.

Our God is bigger than our enemies. How often we forget that! And so we are cast down in turmoil on the inside. David knew that he needed God—and so he asks God, “why”

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

And then he finishes with orders to himself. “Hope in God!” He has not yet followed truth and light into worship—but by faith he knows he will. “for I shall again praise Him.”

What doesn’t David say here?

He doesn’t say whether God did what he asked of Him. See how David’s fear of His enemies turns him to long for worship. To long for hope in God.

Is David’s praise dependent upon God’s fixing of the problem that has him so down in the dumps? NO! No way! David’s praise is because of who God is. David’s praise is because he can take refuge in God. David’s praise is because this is his God. Note that twice David refers to the Lord has “my God.”

He is our God too. He is our refuge and our strength (Ps. 46) and we can hope in Him as our salvation from eternal and temporal ills.

Let us today stop mourning because of the oppression of our enemies—and may God’s truth and light lead us into exceedingly joyful worship of our God.

How great is our God . . . sing with me . . . .

I asked Seth yesterday about the anatomy of a collect, and he responded, so I thought I’d try my hand at writing some.

One of the things I’ve been struggling with in my life is consistent, enjoyable time with God in His Word. For the past couple of months I’ve been studying Hebrews, and it’s only in the past few days that I’m really starting to dig into the text in an enjoyable and productive (translation: bearing some fruit in my own worship of and living for God, but then I repeat myself) way. I moved my location for my quiet time from my bed (you know, where I sleep) to the dining room (where we have family worship) and that has helped greatly.

So as I’ve struggled, I’ve not always known what to pray, and I thought it would be nice to have a collect (see all of Seth’s collects by clicking here) that I could pray when I’m struggling with desire to study and am lost for how to pray.

Inspired by Hebrews 1:1-4:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Jehovah Jireh
Who has spoken to us by Your Son
Provide me and fill me with a love for Your Word and a desire to hear Your voice
That I might not stray from You or forget Your blessings to me
In the Name of Jesus Who is the radiance of Your glory
Amen.

Be gentle with any criticism or correction on this but feel free to offer it)–it’s my first and I’m not the most creative brush that hits the pallatte.

(This post may get me in more trouble with some friends than my recent post on adult beverages.)

Yesterday, in answer to many years of prayers by their grandfather Mutton, four of my five children were allowed to sit and partake at the Lord’s Table.

That’s right. I’m out of the closet. Many of my closest friends have yet to know this but about two years ago I became convinced of covenant communion. I believe that all baptized persons, as a part of the Church of Jesus Christ, should be admitted to the Lord’s Table and partake of that holy meal. I believe the Bible teaches this.

It is a disputed matter, though, and for the past two years I have kept silent on my change of beliefs out of respect for the elders of my church. I have seen this doctrine handled in an ungodly way in other communities in the past. Since the part of the point of covenant communion is that Christ’s entire Body is united in communion at His Table to be divisive in my pursuit of it seemed inappropriate. And so outside of a select group of friends I only spoke with my elders about this change of beliefs and honestly asked them to convince me that the teaching of the church was correct and I was wrong.

Last Sunday evening the elders at Redeemer Presbyterian Church approved the transfer of my family to Providence Church, a local church that shares this belief and as of today I am no longer a non-practicing adherent to covenant communion. The Church catholic, of which both of these local communions are a part, remains undivided and my family has moved from submitting to elders who are being faithful to their vows in the PCA to submitting to elders who are being faithful to their vows in the Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Both churches remain as local links in my sidebar because of this catholic (or universal) nature of the Church. And while there are distinct beliefs and practices that separate us here on earth, we are joined in our Communion in Christ and will be united in an even more special way on the Last Day.

I was pointed to this quote that will make many a neo-Puritan shudder, from Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, Book IV, chapter 10, section 30 (emphasis mine):

But as there is here a danger, on the one hand, lest false bishops should thence derive a pretext for their impious and tyrannical laws, and, on the other, lest some, too apt to take alarm, should, from fear of the above evils, leave no place for laws, however holy, it may here be proper to declare, that I approve of those human constitutions only which are founded on the authority of God, and derived from Scripture, and are therefore altogether divine. Let us take, for example, the bending of the knee which is made in public prayer. It is asked, whether this is a human tradition, which any one is at liberty to repudiate or neglect? I say, that it is human, and that at the same time it is divine. It is of God, inasmuch as it is a part of that decency, the care and observance of which is recommended by the apostle; and it is of men, inasmuch as it specially determines what was indicated in general, rather than expounded. From this one example, we may judge what is to be thought of the whole class—viz. that the whole sum of righteousness, and all the parts of divine worship, and everything necessary to salvation, the Lord has faithfully comprehended, and clearly unfolded, in his sacred oracles, so that in them he alone is the only Master to be heard. But as in external discipline and ceremonies, he has not been pleased to prescribe every particular that we ought to observe (he foresaw that this depended on the nature of the times, and that one form would not suit all ages), in them we must have recourse to the general rules which he has given, employing them to test whatever the necessity of the Church may require to be enjoined for order and decency. Lastly, as he has not delivered any express command, because things of this nature are not necessary to salvation, and, for the edification of the Church, should be accommodated to the varying circumstances of each age and nation, it will be proper, as the interest of the Church may require, to change and abrogate the old, as well as to introduce new forms. I confess, indeed, that we are not to innovate rashly or incessantly, or for trivial causes. Charity is the best judge of what tends to hurt or to edify: if we allow her to be guide, all things will be safe.