Tag Archives: living more like Jesus

SUCH A CONTRAST Psalm 92

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This week I’m looking at Psalm 92, which exhibits a great contrast.  Of what?  Of those close to the Lord and those who ban His presence from their lives, shunning Him, wanting nothing to do with Jesus.

Life overflows with contrasts.  Extraverts and introverts.  Savers and spenders.  Takers and givers.  Artists and me.  Those handy with tools and me.  Who can build almost anything and then there’s me!

But in Psalm 92 we see the ultimate contrast, the spiritual one, which counts for eternity.  After praising the Lord for His steadfast love and faithfulness, the psalmist paints an unflattering picture of the unbeliever–‘How great are your works, O Lord!  Your thoughts are very deep!  The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever’ (Ps. 92:5-7).  Stupid…fool…wicked…evildoers…doomed.

Those words should take your breath away.  Sad and sobering thoughts about those who thumb their noses at God.  Who tell Jesus to take a hike.  That He shouldn’t bother them.  Mind His own beeswax.  Bug off.   Vamoose.  Unfortunately for them, their wish will be granted.

But what about those who cuddle up a little closer to Jesus?  Who know how much they need Him, while not deserving one crumb from His table.  Yet He gives them His all.  Every bit…eventually.  Here’s the portrait of the believer–‘The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.  They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish…They still bear fruit in old age…’ (Ps. 92: 12-14).

Such a contrast.   Okay believer, now get with the program.  Stop sitting around smelling the roses.  Admiring yourself for how much God loves you.  Idle.  On the shelf.  One of God’s unemployed.  What happened to bearing fruit and flourishing?

So, keep growing.  Spending more time in your Bible.  Praying.  Being less of a worry wart and not such a nervous Nellie.  More hopeful and optimistic.  Actually believing God.

And how do I stack up?  Knew you wondered.  Probably Sr. Perfectomente?  Right?  Wrong.  To be honest, I’m working on it.  To be like Jesus, knowing I’m nowhere near that goal.  Barely in the ballpark.  More like I’m in third grade; when, at my age, I should already have received my doctorate.

But the trend is my friend.  Two steps forward, one back.  Three forward, two back.  Overall, heading His way.  Slowly but surely inching forward.  After all, He’s not done with me.  Or with you either, for that matter.

Thank you, Jesus, for helping me to be more and more like you.  Amen.

ESCAPE ARTIST Psalm 68

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Harry Houdini!  How does the great escape artist extricate himself from the seemingly unthinkable?  Is there one greater than Houdini?  Guess who.  Looking back, I can you see how God has gotten me out of impassible and impossible messes.  Some of my own making.  Other times the finger points somewhere else. 

Yet I can’t remember when life doesn’t bring more blessings than regrets and failure.  That Romans 8:28 still runs a booming and profitable business.  That Jesus continues to float my boat, making delicious lemonade out of the spent, rotten ones I hand over to Him.

Sadly, we’ve known others who get handcuffed in their own bitterness.  Shackled into righting some wrong in their own ways.  Trying to prove a point, always grasping to come out on top.  Broadcasting how clever they are while blaming everyone else.  Driven more by revenge than forgiveness and mercy.  Cooped up, cornered by sin’s stubbornness.  Thinking of someone?  Looking in the mirror?

Is God this way?  Hardly.  Jesus lives to forgive.  We can count on Him… always.  No need to fight our own battles…in our own strength…all alone.  He’s way ahead of us.  If only I’d rely on Him, His ways in His timing.  Watch Him handle my life’s muddy jumbles.  Why not?  What’s to lose?

Unfortunately, I’m hard-headed.  Not an easy sell.  Quickly tinkering with my little grey cells instead of falling on my knees (so to speak, at my age!) before God.  Thinking twisted thoughts rather than letting the Bible clear up my muddled mind and emotions.  God’s Word does that.  Even cuts through like a skilled surgeon’s knife bringing health and healing (Heb. 4:12).  Time to face heaven’s Sawbones?  

King David knows his share of troubles.  Many of his own making.  Like me.  Anyone else you can think of?  Still gawking in that same old mirror?  Psalm 68: 19-20–‘Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up;  God is our salvation.  Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.’  The Hebrew word ‘salvation’ means ‘escape’. 

Like Houdini?  No, from One far greater.  The Lord loosens the manacles of sin, unforgiveness, pride, you name it.  In this life, escape from what ties us up is often short-lived and incomplete.  But in heaven, well, that’s a different story.  For another time.  In another place. 

‘For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face’ (1 Cor. 13:12).  

Lord Jesus, thank you for helping us to live with more victories than failures.  For your sake.  Amen.