Psalms in the Night.......
With so many wonderful Biblical promises and powerful examples of God's interaction with mankind, see Psalms of Delight, Psalms in the Night are a way of exploring and sharing some of the thoughts, feelings and experiences God's people encounter while endeavoring to fully enjoy His presence, power and protection in greater ways for themselves, their families and others.
Off Line? Summary
“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.” We all know somethings wrong. One the one hand the apparent silence and distance of God so permeates earthly existence that nearly half the planet has completely written off dealing with God while the modern Christian “believer” prays and studies Scripture so little as to practically be an agnostic. On the other hand hundreds of millions of serious Christians can attest to feeling and living out some level of connection to the God of the Bible. Might there be an obvious yet overlooked answer to this greatest of all riddles?
Good morning again Lord God Almighty, Creator of 50 billion trillion suns each born, existing and expiring as a consuming fire many reaching a million degrees and earth masses. Most orbiting super massive galactic black holes reaching billions of years of age, degrees and solar masses spread across a canopy with a growing observable radius of 100 billion light years or more of space time in this the first and perhaps least of three heavens…
I ask You to forgive my sins, the sin of my wife Cathy, my son Derek Judah, Melissa and Maddie “Charis” Pennington, my daughter Bethany Telah and any descendants I might have physically and spiritually, my mother, my brother and his wife, Shelby Jake and Daley.
I ask You to forgive our sins of omission and commission, often willful and repeated. A myriad of them unknown to us. Vices extolled as virtues. Virtues suppressed by vices. Condemning to idol words. Debts owed to You and others. Please continue to deliver and protect us from every evil thing and danger, from sin, self, Satan and the spirit of Antichrist to accidents, incidents, illnesses and injuries by the blood of Jesus Christ may there be no ill effect.
As You not only know, but knew before there was time, I’m writing this modern Psalm in the Night about an hour before sunrise New Years day 2015. I awoke again this morning as I do all mornings, critically concerned over unanswered prayer and it’s deep and dreadful impact on all I know and love, don’t know and fear. Freely admitting what so few will, it’s clear we’re on a spiritual downward cycle in a decaying orbit, certain to skip off or burn up in eternity’s atmosphere unless our trajectory is radically changed. Lucifer’s angelic rebellion, having forever impacted the history of eternity, has imperceptibly seized control of earth’s through the original sin of entitlement. As You warned, Satan the “god of this age” and “prince and power of the air” has blinded the eyes of men, “taking them captive to do his will.” Accusing us “day and night” the same Evil One who tempted ancient, holy and glorious angels has little or no trouble do the same, often even to those You’ve anointed. And if this was true before and during the 1st century, how much more the 21st, when unprecedented and skyrocketing levels of temptation and sin are all but ubiquitous, seemingly setting the stage for Revelation’s cataclysmic judgments and events.
With so much going on below the surface of our reality, it’s as if our societal magnetic poles are imperceptibly yet dramatically shifting. Scientific and technological breakthroughs have granted us more than all prayers and dreams of past generations could have asked, yet rather than give thanks such blessings are continually taken for granted. Morality’s been inverted in a single generation entrenching immorality as an inalienable right. Abortion’ turned the womb into the world’s most dangerous place. Me-ism is becoming the default religion across the board. And in response modern Christianity is apathetic and worse, seriously praying and studying much less understanding and obeying the Bible less and less in the failing light.
Oh Creator and Savior, You’re not willing that any should perish. Yet so much seems to conspire against us. Are we not fearfully and wonderfully made, living fearful and wonderful lives in a fearful and wonderful creation facing either a fearful or wonderful eternity? Who can fully fathom Your love and costly atonement, mercy and promised gifts of Your Spirit, yet we seem unable or unwilling to rightly and rigorously come “before Your throne of grace to obtain mercy, help and resource at this time of need.”
It’s true we stand utterly condemned for our sin, particularly my generation and the next, in First World Nations and beyond, and are without excuse. Yet equally true is that fact that even our behavior is not without explanation! For it is written that our common Adversary who stands accusing and condemning us first tempted and deceived us after having led a myriad of ancient, holy and glorious angels from Heaven astray. What chance do we stand given that by comparison the entire human race was born yesterday and dies tomorrow, balanced if and when at all on toes of flesh? Praying if and when at all as lungs expel air strumming vocal cords to the tune of two to three pounds of brain matter?
Are we not in over our head to the point that demonic strategies may well have knocked Churchianity “offline?” Thankful for the Bible, might we have misunderstood it’s most important purpose, to vitally connect us with Emmanuel, God with us, and the Holy Spirit, God in us? Clearly those who study and obey it’s directives, sadly a dwindling minority, have been promised hope in “this life and the life to come.” And not just hope, but according to the Paul’s glorious prayer in Ephesians, “experience that surpassed knowledge” to the point of being “filled with all the fullness of God!”
Tragically, such is far from the case. While there’s certainly a “gospel lift” transformative to the degree we embrace the tenants of Scripture, over time Your clear and demonstrative presence and interaction in our lives seems at best a three steps forward two steps back shuffle, if not the reverse. While just a layman’s understanding and compliance with Biblical wisdom can save a soul or an entire society from innumerable harms, such partial effort and obedience hardly equates to Your approval much less the power of Your presence. A series of DVD’s can hold and allow access to an amazing library of knowledge, perhaps worthy of a lifetime of study, yet even this pales in comparison to being online.
As a rational and reasonable charismatic leader I’ve spent decades daily praying to more fully understand Your will and know a far greater realization of the power of God. Years of repentance and brokenness, fasting and intercession, waiting and wrestling with You have produced some results but far less than I had hoped. A thousand corporate prayer meetings, hundreds of articles and a dozen books later I have to admit that like Bono and billions of others “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” Nevertheless (one of the word’s I’d like engraved on my tombstone) I continue to not only “pray for” but “press in” in hopes of one day “praying through” and seeing the damn separating our real time experience from Your gracious offers in Scripture broken and forever swept away.
Part of this effort is caring enough to learn how to “judge with righteous judgment.” Christ cautioned “be careful how you hear” yet isn’t this nearly impossible, particularly in this day and age? Each of us, for better or worse, are telling ourselves a story that nearly always governs how we interpret reality. And doing so while being inundated with a thousand voices from a vast variety of sources. Amidst an endless media assault of words and images, music and video, billion dollar influences vying for our attention if not allegiance. Against such a cacophony how many heed Your advice to “go into your closet, lock the door and pray” practicing the art of quieting ourselves to the point of learning to rightly discern Your “still small voice?”
I’ve shared my concerns a hundred times with only a handful of fellow Christians showing even passing interest. Ironically, one of the greatest obstacles to believers hearing such a message is Your presence in our lives. All of us can point to some event or this or that experience bolstering our confidence that You are not only for but with us. That brings us to the next unlikely problem, namely Your word. While Biblical illiteracy is pandemic, everyone has a few favorite verses or passages, they hope releases them from the necessity of in-depth and accurate Bible study, ignoring Paul’s command to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” It’s easy to do. Scripture’s packed with over a thousand promises, so many that most fail to correctly integrate them with their mitigating conditions, much less sync them to obedience to at least Your more weightier commands.
This is not to suggest that billions of Christians are unaware that something’s wrong. Our lack of personal and corporate prayer, Bible study and sanctification, discipleship and evangelism alone tell a tale of unresolved issues with You. Consciously or not haunting specters of sorrow and anger, distress and disease, pain and death all conspire to make us question Your fairness and goodness in light of human suffering.
These, along with the distractions of modern life, are causing the love of many to grow cold just Scripture predicts:
- “Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.” 2 Tim 3:1-5
Even prophetic Christians, the remnant of the remnant, seem battered and beaten by the challenges we face. Prosperity and technology may give the appearance of blessings, but a closer look shows many of even our blessings are cursed. Individuals and families are falling like flies, and this in a time of relative peace, the calm before before the storm of Your coming judgments. The fruit and gifts of the Spirit are in increasingly short supply. Genuine miraculous healing, what You call “the children’s bread” is so sporadic that it would appear we either have no elders or they are unable to pray the “prayer of faith.”
As I prayerfully write these words two of my closest friends and allies in this struggle are laid out on beds of affliction. One, after more than 40 years of full time Christian ministry, suffered a broken neck form a freak car accident and has spent half a year in a neck brace, literally praying day and night with little or no effect. The other, an unusually physically and spiritually fit brother in 50’s is laid out for the second time in a year all but unable to move from back pain without any apparent cause. Bankrupt of resource, spiritual and otherwise, my friends and I are being sifted like wheat by a barrage of fiery trials while hundreds of millions of the apathetic and worse go on there merry way.
None of this bodes well. Including the fact that so few are troubled enough to recognize the situation and commit to learning how to effectively pray. Like it or not. Admit it or not. We appear to be offline or have spotty reception at best…
I know You’ve heard this all before. From prophetic laments and complaints to psalms and epistles of hope in the face of despair. In fact I’ve come to so love and respect the Sons of Korah rendition of Psalm 51, I’ve adopted it as my theme song. Put to the right music, the word’s of David’s response to his murder of Uriah and heinous betrayal of the family of Ahithophel his greatest spiritual advisor by committing adultery with his granddaughter Bathsheba, are perfect for out situation. That and Psalm 121 and 13 by Brian Doerksen.
Psalm 51
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from all my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth; Surely I was sinful at birth.
Surely you desire truth in the inward parts;
And you teach me wisdom, wisdom in the innermost place.
With hyssop make me clean, wash me whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, O LORD and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors you ways and sinners will turn back to you.
Save me from the guilt upon me, LORD who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness O LORD the God who saves me.
Open up my lips and I will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifices, or surely I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in offerings, O LORD
but the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart.
The LORD will never despise a broken spirit and a contrite heart.
In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 121
I lift my eyes up to the mountains,
where does my help come from?
My help comes from You, Maker of Heaven,
Creator of the earth.
O how I need You Lord, You are my only hope;
You're my only prayer.
So I will wait for You to come and rescue me,
Come and give me life
Psalm 13
How long O Lord will You forget me
How long O Lord will You look the other way
How long O Lord must I wrestle with my thoughts
And every day have such sorrow in my heart
Look on me and answer, O God my Father
Bring light to my darkness before they see me fall
But I trust in Your unfailing love
Yes my heart will rejoice
Still I sing of Your unfailing love
You have been good, You will be good to me