The Lord Knows

BD18287I

 

Psalm 1:6 says "… the Lord knows the way of the righteous …"  
 
"The righteous" include all who are His. Even when we don't feel it. Even when we don't act like it.
 
The Lord knows… 
the "way" we should be going and the detours we take.  
the "way" we hurt and worry.
the "way" we hope and dream.
the "way" we want to serve, and the "way" we sometimes fall short.
the "way" we yearn for Him, and the "way" we sometimes hide from His presence.
 
The Lord knows…
This is not just intellectual knowledge, or a cold accounting of facts.
It is deep empathetic, experiential knowledge.  
It comes with love and understanding.
 
The Lord knows.

In Case of Turbulence

iStock_000007790031XSmall

 

smokeA few weeks ago, my husband and I flew to Florida by way of Chicago. The weather in Chicago was less than perfect and those atmospheric disturbances translated into a bumpy flight. And I mean bumpy. I've flown a fair amount, and even skirted a thunderstorm once, but this flight was unnervingly turbulent. It was enough that the little guy in front of me – and his mother –  made use of the sick sacks. 
 
Jon has his private pilot's license and I think he was enjoying the ride. However, when I saw the view from my window swing wildly from sky to grass… and back… more than once…  I decided it was probably best to try to memorize the stitching pattern on my sneakers. 
 
There are many times though, when I look around, when I feel the effects of the turbulence in the world around me, it's no less unsettling than that airplane ride. In Psalm 18, one of my favorites, David declares, "The Lord is my Rock, and my Fortress and my Deliverer." (v.2) and later he asks, "who is a rock except our God?" (v.32)
 
My Rock. My Fortress. My Deliverer.
 
No matter what rages around me, I have a sure foundation. I have a place of safety and I have a Savior.
 

STT: Psalms

iStock_000003042955XSmall

 

Psalms. It's like half the Bible. Writing a quick study tip for Psalms is almost a lost cause. At least seven contributors added to this praisebook across 900 years. It is arranged in 5 "books," but that seems to follow the tradition of Moses' five books more than any thematic grouping. In the broadest sense, the topics deal with God's working in creation, God's working in the nation of Israel, and God's working in the life of an individual
 
Here are some ideas on how to study the book of Psalms.
 
Read it. Read a psalm a day. That will cover almost six months with a few days left over, plus you can take extra days for Psalm 119 and some of the other longer ones. When you finish, repeat.
 
Read a psalm a day in each of the 30-day months. A little adjustment is necessary to avoid having to read all of 119 in one day, but it's easily done. (Here's a more detailed schedule.)
 
Speaking of the 119th Psalm, one of my favorite studies ever was reading a verse a day from that psalm. I cross-checked different translations and kept my Hebrew and English dictionaries close and journaled my thoughts and insights.
 
Keep track of the emotions or mood of each individual psalm. 
 
There are several keywords and themes that run through the book, like worship, refuge, prayer, deliverance, enemies. Watch how each is used and what they reveal us and about God.
 
Psalms has a ton a tremendous material for memorization. Keep a list of your favorite psalms or verses and try your hand at memorizing those verses that strike you.
 
 
Some of my favorite psalms are 1, 8, 18, 19, 27, 37, 46, 91, 94, 103, 116, 118, 119, 139, 142
 
What are your favorite psalms?
 
 
 

Monday

iStock_000018462773XSmall

 

Monday.
 
The schedule, the to-do list, the to-do items carried over from last week…
 
The appointments, the expectations, the pressure…
 
Stop and take a breath.
 
The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. Psalm 29:11
 
That's a promise. The Lord will.
 
You are His people. Take hold of that strength. Be blessed with peace.

Ordained

iStock_000004994931XSmall

 

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:16 (NLT)
 
You and I were meant to be.
 
We aren't random arrangements of protoplasm.
 
We aren't cosmic accidents.
 
We are chosen. 
 
We are sovereignly ordained to fulfill a specific role in God's ultimate plan.
 
We matter.
 
God says so.