Psalms of Delight.......

Most of the Bible's Psalms give thanks to God on one or more levels. Commanded to do so, Christians aught to make the time to praise God for His glorious nature, creative genius and many gifts to mankind. Psalms of Delight are written in concert with Psalms in the Night. Both series contain Modern Psalms meant to comfort and inspire those seeking the Omni-God revealed in scripture.

Wisdom from Above vs. Below Summary

Among the many compelling evidences for the Divine inspiration of scripture are its amazing insights into human nature. Thousands of passages combine to paint a beautiful yet troubling mosaic encompassing our every thought and emotion, word and deed. To fully explain the rationale behind mankind's behavior, the Bible reveals our attitudes and actions arise from one of two sources. Scripture identifies the wisdom from above as "pure, peaceful and gentle" while the wisdom from below is "earthly, sensual and demonic."

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Wisdom from Above vs. Below Psalm 23

As Omnity, You clearly understand all the ins and outs of human behavior. Every idea and feeling, word and act of each being under all Three Heavens are "laid completely bare before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Comprehending the end from before there was a beginning, nothing surprises or alarms You. From Your throne, every possible outcome in time and eternity's displayed in exquisite detail for Your consideration.

Such omniscience is in sharp contrast to our understanding. Compared to Your everlasting existence, and even that of ancient and glorious angels, the whole human race was born yesterday only to die tomorrow. Unlike immortals, we begin as innocent and ignorant babies. Totally dependent, we rely on family, friends and circumstance to make our way through a fallen world. With sinful natures ourselves, we set out on our brief journey, often failing to appreciate the eternal consequences. Without much of a plan we pursue happiness and meaning armed with little more than mud minds and mud bodies.

Thankfully, You've not left us alone. Directing the course of history in various ways, in the fullness of time You appeared as Emmanuel. At great price, Christ's atonement provided unprecedented access to Heavenly wisdom and resource. At Pentecost You went a step further. Not satisfied with "God with us" Your Spirit fell filling believers with the promise of "God in us." Celebrating by giving "gifts to men" Heaven's resource reached down to meet human need through the supernatural fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Sensitive to mankind's thirst for understanding and need for constant direction, You moved upon men of God to pen the words of Scripture. As Creator and Savior, You provided the Bible as the ultimate handbook, one addressing every aspect of the human life. Within it's pages are thousands of promises and corresponding conditions offering mankind "life and more abundantly." Whole sections, like the Book of Revelation, are dedicated to detailing a fantastic cosmic drama, many of the events of which are playing out before our very eyes. Other times, just a sentence or two of Scripture can pull back the curtain and reveal the glory and danger all around us.

You filled the Book of James with such verses. Like his half brother Jesus, James minces few words, carefully cutting to the chase and providing practical yet deeply spiritual insight. Case in point:
  • "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:13-18 NIV
The Apostle Paul also has much to say regarding these two wisdoms:
  • "The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written, 'I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots'. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation." 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 The Message
Paul continues:
  • "Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't begin to compete with God's "weakness." Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"?" 1 Corinthians 1:25-31 The Message
While it's hard for us to believe, from Your vantage point it's clear that the wisdom from above and below encapsulates all of human behavior, accounting for every attitude and action of every man and woman ever to walk the Earth. Furthermore You repeatedly warn us to choose carefully and wisely, seeing the source of our every choice will be revealed throughout eternity! There we shall be blissfully or painfully aware that our habits and lifestyles were inspired by either the wisdom from above or by that from below. As C.S. Lewis notes in his “The Weight of Glory”:
  • “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit -- immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously -- no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner -- no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment.”
Through James' pen You reveal what's really motivating all of us, whether we know it or not. Such diametrically opposing wisdoms explains why a world view that seems perfectly sane and rational to Christians seems crazy and outlandish to the world and vice versa. With worldly wisdom being "earthly, sensual and demonic" it's clear to see why society's in the painful and deadly mess it's in. And the amazing part is it's actually a kind of wisdom to those enslaved by it. It makes sense to the addict to use and the thief to steal. It's normal for the fornicator to lust and rapist to rape. It's completely understandable to leave billions impoverished and let millions die in squaller while spending a trillion dollars a year on drugs and alcohol. It's merely business as usual to have aborted a billion babies in a single generation and have killed nearly as many through violence and war. After all, if this is all there is, if there’s no resurrection from the dead, no no heaven or hell then even Scripture suggest we “eat, drink and be merry:
  • “And why do you think I keep risking my neck in this dangerous work? I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I’d do this if I wasn’t convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus? Do you think I was just trying to act heroic when I fought the wild beasts at Ephesus, hoping it wouldn’t be the end of me? Not on your life! It’s resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live. If there’s no resurrection, “We eat, we drink, the next day we die,” and that’s all there is to it. But don’t fool yourselves. Don’t let yourselves be poisoned by this anti-resurrection loose talk. “Bad company ruins good manners.” 1 Corinthians 15:30-33 MSG
  • “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?  Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Mark 8:34-37 NIV
While deeply grieved by today's unprecedented levels of temptation and sin, Your wisdom from above still calls to us:
  • “Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts. At the town center she makes her speech. In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand. At the busiest corner she calls out: “Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance? Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism? Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn? About face! I can revise your life. Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you; I’m ready to tell you all I know. As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear; I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.” Proverbs 1:22-24 MSG
Not willing that any should perish, time and again Your Spirit strives with men to come to their senses. Sadly, as double-minded and dualistic beings, sometimes we heed Your voice and other times that of our Enemy. Every selfless act of purity and kindness, every encouraging word of gentleness and mercy James tells us is inspired by "the Father of lights" the source of "every good and perfect gift."

I'm thankful You reveal what's going on behind the scenes and in the human heart. Yet how few really believe it's true? Immersed in heretofore unknown blessings and temptations of modern life, daily we cull tens of thousands of thoughts into hundreds of choices, the vast majority of which seem neither heavenly or sinister. We just make our way alone in rapidly changing world, living out our lives with little or no formal agenda. Yet Scripture tells another story, starting with the fact that mankind is far from alone. As fantastic as it seems, You warn that humanity's choices are being choreographed by supernatural beings who've deceived mankind for millennia:
  • "And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” Ephesians 6:10-18 MSG
Making matters worse, You warn that at the core of our fallen nature lurks another deadly enemy, sin. A triple threat, each of us must constantly contend with the lust of the flesh, eyes and ego or pay the price:
  • "God spoke to Cain: 'Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it.'" Genesis 4:6-7 The Message
And if all this weren't enough, we daily face the onslaught of the wisdom from below's influence on and through modern society. So powerful is its effect that in when it comes to issues of morality, in a single generation Hollywood, Motown and Madison Avenue have uprooted and overthrown over five thousands of years of social customs and religious teaching. What was taboo even a generation ago is now the norm and the unthinkable an inalienable right. Here again, You warning rings true:
  • "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 Timothy 3:1-5 The Message
Tragically, it's not just the world that's vulnerable to the wisdom from below. In many ways, much of modern Christianity has already fallen for its enticements. Step by step, Churchianity in First World Nations has been lured away from many of the tenants vital to Biblical Christianity. Sadly, we've reached the point when the lifestyles and practical belief systems of the average professing Christian more closely resemble that of their worldly counterparts than those of Christ. This trend directly contradicts and violates God's commands. Such diabolical cunning strongly attests to the influence of the Evil One and his wisdom from below:
  • "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:1-2 NIV
  • "The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they've lost their capacity for truth." 1 Timothy 4:1-2 The Message
  • "When I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.'" 1 Corinthians 2:6-9 NIV
  • "God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord." Ephesians 3:10-11 NIV
Lord, more than any You understand the cost of succumbing to the subtle temptation of sin. Like darkness, it quickly and quietly fills every void left by light. Forgive us for so often choosing the wisdom from below over the wisdom from above. Reveal to us the hidden and sinister Puppet Master pulling the strings of foolish human behavior. Transform our minds by the brilliance of Your glory that we may escape slavery to sin and be set free by Christ. Thanks for being patient with my generation. You've given us so much. Forgive us for constantly taking Your blessings for granted. Help us understand what we must really do to be saved. Deliver us from the folly the Rich Young Ruler and terrible fate of the Rich Man in the Story of Lazarus. Help every one of us to quickly learn what it means to please You, before it's eternally too late. Show us that only by living in the center of Your will can we finally find true and lasting happiness in both time and eternity.




Wanted: Guest Psalmists What do you think? Do we need Modern Psalms to address the ultimate questions and greatest issues of modern life? If you'd like to submit a psalm for consideration please contact Rob Pennington at Rob@GodBlog.net.



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