Is It Still Easter? Psalm 110

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment
(Women throwing glitter confetti in the air.)

The uphill journey to Easter Sunday from the low country of Lent takes effort and persistence. The steep pathway circles around the mountain week after week. Just as my calves feel shaky and I don’t think I can keep going, the view of Easter Sunday fills the frame. The top of this mountain, vast and spacious, provides room to sit and bask in Easter joy.  

In early March, I began my journey through the forty days of Lent and contemplated Jesus’ sufferings. Lent helped me refocus my attention on God by inviting me to give up something. Spending time in Jesus’ suffering as He walked to the cross makes the joy of Easter Sunday sweeter. The Holy Week services from Palm Sunday to the Saturday Easter Vigil prepare me much more deeply to celebrate the Resurrection on Sunday. 

Easter, in the Anglican tradition, is certainly not a single-day event. Long after we have found all those brightly colored plastic eggs, there is a great deal left to discover in the fifty days of Easter. Could it be another invitation to shift focus? How could I usher in feasting and celebration to take center stage?  

Soul tending in Psalm 110 gives believers an invitation to the ultimate resurrection party.   

Psalm 110 for Easter  

1 The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."  
Psalm 110: 1 ESV

Jesus completed His holy assignment here on Earth, reconciling believers with the Lord. He then sat down at the Lord’s right hand by invitation. God was satisfied. Jesus sits in the front row, watching how the Lord continues to demonstrate His power over anyone or anything coming against Christianity. While various battles continue, the Lord has won the war once and for all.  

In these fifty days of Easter, how will I sit down and take time to consider what Jesus has done for me? I tend to run hard and rarely take breaks until I fall and collapse. I say this not out of pride but out of humility. I don’t believe God is pleased by my endless going and doing. So how can I take time in this season to sit with my savior?  

2 The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Psalm 110:2 ESV

What does it look like to rule in the midst of your enemies? Because the Lord seeks reconciliation, not annihilation, Jesus will rule on His throne even now. He will lead amid wars, oppression, and natural disasters. 

3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. Psalm 110:3 ESV

We celebrate and give thanks for all Jesus has done during the Easter season. His mercies are new every morning, and great is His faithfulness to us.  

This verse also points to a verse from Revelation about holy garments. 

Let us rejoice and exult, and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure" 
(Revelation 19:7-8 ESV) 




4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."  Psalm 110: 4 ESV

Abraham met this priest and was blessed by him after a battle (Genesis 14:18-20). The psalms remind everyone of God’s promises fulfilled in Jesus. So much of the Old Testament all pointed to the coming Messiah.  

5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. Psalm 110: 5 ESV

No world leader or military power will be strong enough to oppose the Lord. Therefore, the day of His Wrath will be the ultimate judgment day.  
 

6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide Earth. Psalm 110:6 ESV

All at once across the entire Earth, and without exception, the Lord will cast His judgment. Some will oppose Him, and they will pay with their lives. Others will fall on their knees and worship Him. No chiefs or worldly authorities will prevail on this final day of judgment.

7 He will drink from the brook; therefore he will lift up his head. Psalm 110:7 ESV

Verse 7 points back to the cross. One way Jesus speaks about preparing to die on the cross is to compare it to drinking from a cup of suffering. At one point, even the disciples become sure they are capable of this sacrifice.  

Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?"  
They said to him, "We are able." 
(Matthew 20:22 ESV)

This verse reminds us of the cost of Jesus’ victory. He drank from a brook of suffering, a continuous flow of beatings and abuse. However, he did this willingly. The apostle John describes the final moments of Jesus’ life on Earth.

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30 ESV

Jesus gave His life for us. No one took it away. 

Psalm 110 reminds me to celebrate the Easter season for fifty days? What can I do at the ultimate resurrection party?  

I thought of three suggestions that all start with the letter F.  

Flowers – celebrate this season of new life in Christ by bringing some flowers inside your house. A modest bouquet or potted lily or tulip for less than ten dollars. The blooms could serve you and others who gather in your home with a gorgeous reminder of God’s love.  

Feasts – what exceptional food could you serve during the Easter season to remind you of the goodness of the Lord? Or maybe you could try a new food or drink?  

Festivals- celebrations – in the last two years, more than one special celebration had to be scaled back or canceled entirely. Are we experiencing a festival deficit? Perhaps we need to gather our people and set aside some space on our calendars to celebrate during this particular season. Depending on where you live, maybe even an outdoor garden party might be in order.  

How about you? How could you mark this celebratory season?  

Prayer 

Lord, we invite you to the party we want to throw during the Easter Season. You are our honored guest. We can’t wait to gather our people and talk about you while we break bread and drink wine. Help us to fill every seat at our table with friends and family. Thank you, Lord, for providing a gorgeous flower centerpiece featuring a bit of the glory of your creation. Please fill our mouths with your songs of remembrance and laughter. Amen 

A View from the Table at the Last Supper- Psalm 41:7-13

/ Anthea Kotlan / 3 Comments
(An image of a communion cup, broken bread, and a palm leaf cross.)

Imagine for a moment sitting at the table at the last supper.  

Jesus is surrounded by friends, eating fantastic food while celebrating Passover. Multiple conversations buzz around, and laughter bubbles up. The aroma of the food fills the upper room. Tension quietly builds in the corner. The wine flows into each person’s cup. Then Jesus speaks. 

15 And he said to them, 

 “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”  

17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, 

 “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  

19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” 
(Luke 22:15-20 ESV)

How would I respond to His words? Could I possibly grasp all He was saying? “Before He suffers”? Why must my Rabbi suffer? “This cup of wine is a new covenant”? How can this be? 

Moments away from betrayal and suffering, Jesus chose to focus His attention on giving the gift of communion to His followers. He wanted them to have something to cling to in the future. He gave them a way to remember this moment and invite every future believer into this remembrance rite.  

Jesus, not bound by time, could see believers remembering Him thousands of years in the future. He could see them coming together for this sacred practice in large and small groups. So he provided a way to sustain His followers until we join Him for the Supper of the Lamb in Heaven.  

The simple liturgy He shared, complete with visual aids, tethers my heart to His every time I take communion. If I choose to be fully present and not half distracted by my thoughts, my soul tended by His presence.  

Imagine the second half of Psalm 41 (verses 7-12) could have been a thought bubble rising just above Jesus’ head during this extraordinary meal.  

7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.
(Psalm 41:7 ESV)

Even as Jesus reclined with his closest friends, He knew what people just outside the upper room were saying. Influential people are plotting against Him. He chose to continue to teach and generously share with His disciples.  

Would a guest at the table like me have had any idea about the plots swirling around just outside this room? Would I have felt the tension inside and outside the room as the weight of glory pressed down on my Rabbi?  

8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” 
(Psalm 41:8 ESV)

Before He leaves this last supper table, Jesus can see ahead to his walk to the cross. He knows the extent of the beating He will receive. He can see how He will stumble and not get back up. His human body was too broken to keep carrying the cross.   

9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 
(Psalm 41:9 ESV)


 

Jesus knows about the betrayal unfolding before his eyes. He has served this friend. He has loved this friend, and He chose this friend.  

21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this. 
(Luke 22:21-23 ESV)

As he breaks bread with his closest friends, He sees the betrayal before him. Judas has chosen to turn Him in for some pieces of silver. How would I have responded? What does the face of treachery look like when it sits beside you? Would I also have been more interested in the who than the how?  

10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them! 
(Psalm 41:10 ESV)

Jesus knows God will raise Him from the dead. He clings to this knowledge as He continues to gently and firmly lead his disciples. He wants them to understand and draws near them at this final meal.  

11 By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 
(Psalm 41:11 ESV)

Jesus can see the Romans and the Jewish leaders will celebrate squashing their perceived rebellion. They will believe they have killed him in a public display of power. However, their temporary advantage will not bring the triumph they expected.  

Just when they believe they have won, news of His resurrection will sweep through the land.  

12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. 

13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! 
Amen. Amen
(Psalm 41:12-13 ESV)

Jesus demonstrated integrity in His final days in Earthly ministry. He knew where He was going, being seated at His Father’s right hand forever. He knew nothing could thwart the plan God unfurled before a watching world.  

What would I have taken away from this sacred dinner? Would I have slowly realized more as the week wore on? Would I have longed to return there and remember Jesus? I am grateful this Holy Week to receive the invitation to come to God’s table, take communion and remember my Savior.  

Prayer 

Lord, help me take a fresh look at Your table this week. When accepting the invitation to communion, allow me to remember all Jesus did on the cross. Please renew my focus. Thank you for my seat at Your table now and forever. Help me to share this invitation with others. Amen.  

Can I Stand in Palm Sunday Promises? Psalm 116

/ Anthea Kotlan / 1 Comment
(A hand holding up a palm frond.)

Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy Week for believers worldwide. Jesus began his journey to the cross with a triumphal parade through Jerusalem. As crowds joyfully mobbed Him, Jesus never lost focus on his priorities. Instead, he made provision for his disciples and invited them to participate with him in his final days on Earth by delegating jobs to them.  

Earlier that day, He asked two disciples to secure transportation for Him.  

"Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'"  (Mark 11:2-3 NIV)

He asked disciples to make dinner reservations for their group.  

"Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." (Mark 14:13-15 NIV).

He wanted to have everyone together one last time before He would have to depart. So, even in His final days of ministry on Earth, Jesus sought to gather and include. He did not want anyone to miss His final teachings.   

Those who laid down palm fronds and his dinner guests must have believed this was the beginning of the new Messiah’s rule. Finally, the Jewish people were ready to throw off the oppression of Roman rule. How quickly the tone would change from celebration to despair! The cheering crowd would become an angry mob. 

Moments later, hard truths were spoken while breaking bread, and the subsequent few days’ events took a decidedly downhill turn. First, Jesus prayed blood-perspiring prayers alone in the garden. Next, his disciples failed to stay watchful and pray with Him. Then a close friend betrayed Him, and Jesus’ arrest caused even the most loyal followers to lose heart.  

Psalm 116 was written by a psalmist, perhaps King David, recalling God’s mercy and grace. What if this psalm could be re-read from the perspective of Jesus on His way to his Good Friday Execution? On Palm Sunday, Jesus could see what lay before Him and exactly how costly it would be. And yet he made the journey anyway, and every stop along the way was intentional.  

Psalm 116  

1 I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.  

2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. 
Psalm 116:1-2 NIV

Jesus began his march to the cross motivated by love. Like the psalmist, he was in constant communication with God. Praying at every point along his journey, He was in an ongoing conversation with His Heavenly Father. One of the last things He did before he died was to cry out to God from the cross and beg for mercy for those who persecuted him.  

At every step of Jesus’ journey to the cross, He cries out to God. If only I could pray every time, I find myself hurt, frustrated, or fearful?  

3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow.  (Psalm 116:3 NIV)

Sitting upon the donkey on Palm Sunday, Jesus could see the long road of anguish and suffering rolling out before him. He knew it all. From the street lined with adoring fans and palm branches to the lonely and humiliating walk to the cross, Jesus never gave up. He chose not to be overcome. Instead, when his physical suffering was extreme, he turned his attention to the needs of others.  

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Luke 13:34 NIV) 


4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: "Lord, save me!"  (Psalm 116: 4 NIV)

From the garden of Gethsemane, “He (Jesus) withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed…” (Luke 22:41 NIV) 

5 The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. (Psalm 116:5 NIV)

Out of compassion, the Lord chose to allow His son to die so that I could live eternally. Jesus knew that God will always be both gracious and righteous. God’s grace made a way to meet the standard of righteousness through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus’ death on the cross.

6 The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me. (Psalm 116:6 NIV)

Who are the unwary?  

The people throwing down palm branches on Palm Sunday would be the same people crying out for Jesus’ crucifixion. Suspended in agony on the cross, Jesus again cried out on their behalf. 

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (Luke 23:33-34 NIV) 

Even in torture and humiliation, Jesus continued to intervene for the people who stood around, unaware of the impact of what they were doing. Some of them were even taunting Him.  

How often am I deeply hurt or frustrated by unwary people? Can I choose today to follow Jesus’ example and cry out to God and not complain? 

7 Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. 

8 For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 
9 that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. 
(Psalm 116: 7-19 NIV)

Jesus had no rest, plenty of reasons to cry, and would even stumble as he carried his cross to his crucifixion. And yet, He never lost sight of the goodness of God. As a result, Jesus was delivered from death when He rose again on Easter Sunday.  

His death allows believers to walk in the land of the living before the Lord. Jesus gave us access to a relationship with our heavenly Father.  

10 I trusted in the Lord when I said, "I am greatly afflicted"; (Psalm 116:10 NIV)

Jesus began a journey on Palm Sunday that would end in tremendous affliction, and He knew what He would face. He did so with grace and dignity as He trusted in the Lord.  

How often do my doubts torture me on top of any afflictions I might suffer? Lord, help me to pour out those doubts to you. Help me trust you to give me strength for any temporary affliction I might suffer this side of Heaven.  

11 in my alarm I said, "Everyone is a liar." (Psalm 116:11 NIV)

During Holy Week, Jesus dealt with false accusations and those who testified against Him during his two trials with religious leaders and the Roman authorities. However, even these lies could not prevent God’s will from being done.   

12 What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? 

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.  (Psalm 116:12-13 NIV)

When I spend time during Holy Week considering all that God has done for me as a lowly sinner, I realize I can never repay the debt I owe. Jesus drank from the cup of death for me so that I could drink from the cup of salvation forever. Help me cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving for all the Lord has done for me.  

14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. 

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. (Psalm 116:14-15 NIV)

Jesus’ slow and methodical march to the cross had to be a public display. So, what began as a procession before all Jews and the Roman oppressors ended in a public crucifixion.  All those witnesses allowed more people to see and know.  
Jesus, the ultimate faithful servant, was precious in the sight of God and set the ultimate example of surrendered obedience.   

16 Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains. 

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:16-17 NIV)

Jesus knew the pain his mother would suffer because of how He would die. So, he provided for her by giving her care over to his disciple John at the foot of the cross. He remembered how His mother had served God as a young pregnant woman when an angel first told her about Jesus. She trusted God completely when nothing seemed to be working out. She would continue to trust God even in the face of almost unbearable grief as she watched her son die.  

Jesus became the ultimate thank offering. His death paid for all of our sins once and for all.  

18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, 
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord—in your midst, Jerusalem. 

Praise the Lord. (Psalm 116:18-19 NIV)

The path Jesus traveled on Palm Sunday and all the way to the cross was done in the presence of all of God’s people and in the middle of Jerusalem. Therefore, his death and resurrection needed to be witnessed by enough people to be provable in a court of law.  

All Jesus did during Holy Week was to glorify God and bring about reconciliation for every believer. These final days of Jesus’ ministry here on Earth were marked with sorrow and suffering. These were the days in between the celebration of Palm Sunday and the joy of the Resurrection commemorated on Easter. 

As a follower of Jesus, I live life every day on Earth between the promise of Palm Sunday and the hope of the Resurrection Sunday. I see sin and suffering all around me, and yet I can follow Jesus’ example of faithfulness in the midst of pain. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, I have a reconciled relationship with the Lord. I can pray and He hears me. The hope of the Resurrection points to the ultimate restoration. Someday, but not just yet, every eye will see and every knee will bow.  

On Palm Sunday, we catch a glimpse of the coming King Jesus who will rule forever. Watch for Him with me this Holy Week.

How Am I Hard-Wired To Worship? Psalm 95

/ Anthea Kotlan / 2 Comments

Our arms were raised. Our voices united in song. Suddenly I felt a shift in the room as the Holy Spirit flooded the sanctuary with His presence. While I detected fresh power moving about, I found myself utterly focused and engaged in worshipping God. Nothing else mattered. No longer multi-tasking.  I no longer considered the schedule of the event I led. I became keenly aware of the closeness I felt to God. When I picked up the microphone, I couldn’t help but testify to what I just experienced. 

Worship can become contagious in all the best possible ways. Others attending the service that evening also felt the change. Some were ushered into God’s presence. 

Donald S. Whitney in his book, “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life” says, 

To worship God is to ascribe proper worth to God, to magnify His worthiness or praise, or better to approach or address God as He is worthy. As the sovereign judge, to whom we must give an account, He is worthy of all the honor we can give Him and then infinitely more. 

Worship is a spiritual discipline hard-wired into the core of our being. It is what God’s creation is designed to do. However, God wants us to choose and offer it freely. Worship requires intentionality and focus. Each participant can choose to actively take part or be distracted by other activities. 

Psalm 95 calls God’s people to worship. 

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 
Psalm 95:1 NIV

Sing and Shout  

God gifted me with a voice that I can use to sing or speak or even shout. Singing and shouting to the Rock of our salvation, singing along with hymns or contemporary Christian music can provide an easy way for me to worship God. The lyrics help me recall God’s character and ways of doing things. Musical worship can be done in a church service in a building with great acoustics. It can be done in my living room with my small group. It can also be done with me alone in my car singing as loud as I would like. 

2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. 
Psalm 95:2 NIV

Give Thanks 

Another way to worship God is to spend time giving thanks for all He has done for me and my people. I tend to easily make a list of all I don’t have. However, what a wonderful way to focus on God by giving thanks to God for all He has done today, this week, or recently.   

One practical way to create a thanksgiving list is to go through the alphabet and try to think of a thing to give thanks for featuring each letter of the alphabet.  

1.     Avocados 

2.     Beautiful weather 

3.     Cameras to capture photos of those I love… 

3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. 
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 
5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 
Psalm 95:3-6 NIV

Bow Down in Worship 

Physical activities help remind me of certain truths. When I bow or kneel before God, I remember that He is God, and I am not. Bowing or kneeling can be physical acts of surrender. While I certainly am not required to kneel or bow, sometimes it is a wonderful way to focus my attention. It is much harder to try to check my phone or take notice of those around me when I am kneeling or bowing with my head down. The Lord my maker knows the struggles I have with distraction and anxiety. He offers this posture to help me with my heart’s desire to wander off. 

7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, 
8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, 
9 where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. 
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” 

  Psalm 95:7-11 NIV

Listen with My Ears and a Tender Heart 

After they left Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert at Meribah where they ran out of water. Fear and anxiety fed a wave of grumbling and complaining that cascaded through the camp. Grumbling hardens hearts and stops up ears. God’s people couldn’t hear the clear directive God gave in His provision of water to come from a rock. Moses was asked to bring water out of a rock for the people and the livestock. (Numbers 20)  

Moses chose not to listen to God and allowed his heart to be hardened by the people’s complaining. In anger, Moses tried getting water out of the rock in his own way. His disobedience and failure to worship God for what he was going to provide had long-lasting consequences.  

Worship matters because it shapes our souls.  

Lent can be a wonderful season to try different spiritual disciplines. Worship could be an ideal one to work on this week by reading and praying through a worship psalm like 95. Some other worship psalms to examine would be:  

24, 27, 36, 98, 102, 103, 104 & 110 

Psalms provide a beautiful blueprint for praise and worship. Try one on for size this week and watch to see how your heart and mind might be transformed.  

Far more often than I care to admit, I do not prioritize soul care. Worship can be a great way to access some soul refreshment. I would love to hear how you practice worship this week.

Prayer 

Lord, expand my capacity for greater worship. Help me to spend time alone and with your people giving honor and glory to You. Cause me to hunger and thirst for more worship in my life. 

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen. 

Can Solitude and Silence Recalibrate My Heart? Psalm 62

/ Anthea Kotlan / 2 Comments
A woman sitting alone on a bench.

On the third Sunday of Lent (3/20/22), Anglican churches all over the world prayed this prayer.  

Heavenly Father, you made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you: Look with compassion upon the heartfelt desires of your servants, and purify our disordered affections, that we may behold your eternal glory in the face of Christ Jesus; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen. 

Collect for the 3rd Sunday of Lent – ACNA BCP 2019 

  • our hearts are restless until they rest in you 
  • look with compassion upon the heartfelt desires of your servants 
  • purify our disordered affections  

These phrases jumped off the page. The third week of lent, the halfway point, is a time when the enthusiasm of giving up something for this 40-day season may have waned. I feel a bit done with being done with something I enjoy. I am seeking valid reasons to press the pause button and question the validity of my pitiful sacrifice. After all, what difference does it make? My restless heart is running wild. 

There it is listed in the prayer: restless hearts and disordered affections.  

What does my restless heart need during this Lenten midpoint? What does it look like to rest in God? Do I finally have spiritual justification for a nap? It certainly does wonders for my grandchildren. What about my disordered affections. Do I too often love what is not suitable for my soul? Do I prioritize things or people over God? 

The spiritual discipline of silence and solitude might be something to test drive. It could be a way to:

  • find true rest 
  • spend time under God’s compassionate gaze 
  • have my disordered affections sorted out 

Donald S. Whitney in his book, ”Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life,” says, 

“The simple act of silence before the Lord, as opposed to coming to Him in a wordy fret, can be a demonstration of faith in Him.”  

In Psalm 62, David seeks God from a posture of silence and solitude. 

1 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. 
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. 
3 How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down—this leaning wall, this tottering fence? 
4 Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. 
Psalm 62:1-4 NIV

While I am not under attack from an earthly enemy, the way David often was, who or what keeps me from resting in God and spending time in solitude and silence? 

Technology intrudes on almost every moment of my waking hours. 

It is hard to disconnect and take time alone with God. I am constantly monitoring my cell phone because someone might need me. Because it is all at the touch of a button, I find myself continually checking weather updates, news headlines, and updates on friends and family. The situation cuts the other way too. Have you ever received an irritated message because you failed to respond to a voicemail, text message, or status update immediately? In recent years reasonable response times have shrunk to minutes, not even hours.  

I set a timer for 10 minutes this morning and sat in a chair on my back porch. I refused to pick up my phone until the timer went off. I intentionally chose to sit because it meant I was doing nothing. It would be too easy to get some steps in or begin weeding my patio plants. Those ten minutes ticked by slowly, and the chattering monkeys came to visit. Landscaping ideas ping-ponged into my brain, and I counted puddles of water around my yard left from the storm that swept through last night. I pushed those thoughts gently away and tried to clear my mind of nothing but God. I had to do this more than once. 

“What do you want me to know, Lord?” I sat and pondered. 

Ten minutes of silence is much longer than I expected. But, I did begin to hear the Lord’s still, small voice telling me He loves me, and I don’t have to do things for him to earn His love.  

Do I find silence and solitude hard? Yes 

Is it hard to put down my phone because there might be an emergency? Yes 

Do I feel the need to be available to my people 24/7? Yes, so much.  

God knows this. He has David remind me of the only place I can rest from the futile attempt to be all things to all people. 

5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. 
6 Truly, he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. 
8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. 
Psalm 62:5-8 NIV

Verse 5 sounds like a conversation I might need to have. I must remind my soul to find rest in God again and again and again.  Hope will naturally follow this practice because I will regain God’s perspective. I will no longer believe the lie that it is all up to me. This soul recalibration helps me gain God’s wisdom and insight.  

If God is my rock, salvation, and fortress, I will not be shaken by external storms like bad news updates or internal fears and anxieties. I can pour out all my worries and then sit in silence, knowing He will care for every single concern I have. He will do it with abundance because He is the God of the universe, and I am not.  

9 Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. 
10 Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, 
    do not set your heart on them. 
Psalm 62:9-10 NIV

These two verses also remind me that God is fair. Even when I don’t see justice, He works in unseen ways. While an evil earthly tyrant might try to take possession of an entire country on the other side of the world, God is still working behind the scenes for His purposes. God can and will bring provision. That is not up to me.  

11 One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, 
12     and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”
Psalm 62:11-12 NIV

Finally, these two verses speak to how well God knows His children. First, these things are so vital for us to hear God will send the message more than once. Second, God has all the power, and I do not. I can relax in knowing it is not up to me to fix everything, care for everyone, and do and do until I collapse in exhaustion.  

God’s love for me does not fail, and it fills me with His love for others. Solitude and silence with God will re-order my affections. I no longer strain to love those I find hard to enjoy. God can fill me with His love for others if I draw near. I don’t have to try harder or do more.  

God is ultimately the only fair judge in this world. He will reward everyone according to their deeds. In verse 12, God’s mercy and justice sit together. God does not give us what we deserve, but instead, He empowers us to do what He calls us to do. Will I obediently do what He has called me to and promised to help me do? Or will I continue to strive based on my strength?  

Verse 12 could appear to contradict what God spoke to me today. However, God does not need me to do anything for him. Doing is not how I find my value. He has it all done and covered. However, he chooses to partner with each of us in his projects and works. When I come right beside Him, the yoke is easy and the burden light (Matthew 11:28-30). He rewards me with that joyful participation as He recalibrates my weary heart.  

Spending time in solitude and silence might help me hear from God more clearly. Of course, for me, it might only come in small increments of 10-minute sessions, but perhaps I can build on that?  

How about you? How do you find solitude and silence? 

Are Your Prayers Plugged into the Power Source? Psalm 19

/ Anthea Kotlan / 3 Comments

(A plug is being plugged into a wall power outlet.)

Sometimes when the power goes out at my house, I have a terrible habit of continuously trying to turn the lights on. Then, as I move about the house and get busy working on other things, I forget about the lack of electricity. I keep doing this repeated action and almost seemed surprised by the outcome every single time.  

If I decided to stand in my kitchen and keep flipping the light switch on in a “try harder attempt” to overcome that lack of electrical current flowing into my home, most observers would be concerned for my sanity. No amount of turning on the light will cause the bulb to be illuminated without access to electricity.  

Sometimes my approach to prayer can look a great deal like this exercise in futility. I pray, but I get distracted, confused, concerned, and defeated. How often am I simply approaching prayer with little preparation?  

Are my prayers plugged into the power source God has provided? In my case, not always. If I am being honest, not very often at all. I want to complete my prayer tasks rapidly in the name of efficiency. I want to move through a list of requests and check them off. And yet I struggle… 

So, what is the power source?  

Before I can plug into God’s powerful provision, I need to review some basic communication principles. Prayer is, after all, my communication with God. So how does God speak to His people? How do I hear from Him? 

Psalm 19 points to one way God speaks: through his glorious creation.  

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 
3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 
5     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. 
Psalm 19:1-6 NIV

In His kindness, God also speaks through the Bible.   

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, 
    making wise the simple. 
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 
9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 
Psalm 19:7-10 NIV

Every sunset, sunrise, mountain vista, or starry sky speaks volumes for God and His character. God reveals Himself in the world He placed His people in. If I choose to notice, I can take in God’s stunning creation every single day. 

In His kindness, God also speaks through the Bible.  

God’s word provides warnings, guidance, and soul nourishment. It refreshes the soul. Since He created me, He knows exactly what my limitations are. God knows what I need and what would be best for me to avoid. The Bible overflows with gifts for me, but I must open them. Also, and perhaps the part I have so often missed, I must take time to meditate on God’s word.  

Sadly, the secular world has hijacked the notion of meditation and perverted it into something to avoid at all costs. While Eastern meditation practices are not tools for me to use, the practice of meditation itself is neutral. It all depends on the focus of my meditating mind. Spending time focusing on God and His word is a way for me to tend my soul and plug into the power source God has provided. Taking time out of my busy schedule to sit and dwell in God’s presence as I read or listen to His word provides a needed reset.  

11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 
12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 
Psalm 19:11-13 NIV

Focused time in God’s word can keep me on track with His will and serve as a warning when I go off course. God’s word brings ongoing transformation.  

14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. 
Psalm 19:14 NIV

This final verse from Psalm 19 is a pattern for powerful prayer. Donald S. Whitney, in his book on spiritual disciplines, explains, “…meditation was a catalyst that catapulted David (the author this Psalm 19) from the truth of God into talking with God.” Taking time to process the input of God’s word steeps my heart and mind with His presence. Continually repeating this process with a daily intake of scripture begins to change me from the inside out. My prayers will transform because I will want what God wants. My mind will shift because I will think about what God thinks about. My heart will change, and I will enjoy what God wants.  

The psalms can provide an ideal starting point for meditation that leads into prayer. Each psalm provides both a focus for meditation and a written prayer. For example, read Psalm 19 to begin and ask the Holy Spirit to highlight one verse or phrase.

Ways to Meditate on Scripture

  • Read the psalm a second or third or fourth time 
  • Read the psalm in different versions of the Bible 
  • Listen to someone else read it to you 
  • Look for a song that features the passage of scripture you chose 
  • Try drawing a picture or painting something from the psalm 
  • Read each line, pausing and listening for God to speak between each one 
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to show you something fresh and new hidden in the text  

 

Prayers prayed after a meditation time will be more focused and have greater clarity. This exercise will increase confidence in prayer. My heart is instructed by the truths found in scripture.  

How about you? Do you meditate on scripture before you pray? What passages of scripture do you use? I would love to hear about your experiences.  

During Lent 2022, I’m writing about one spiritual discipline each week. What kinds of spiritual disciplines are you taking on this season?

Should I Fear Fasting? Psalm 35

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment
empty plate with fork and spoon crossed

During the season of Lent, there can be many calls to use fasting as a spiritual discipline.

  • no red meat on fridays
  • stay off social media
  • pick one thing you really love and give it up for the season

In most Christian circles you will rarely hear fasting mentioned, and few will have read anything about it. And yet it’s mentioned in Scripture more times than even something as important as baptism (about seventy-seven times for fasting to seventy-five for baptism).

Donald S. Whitney
“Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life”


 

I was afraid to fast.

I grew up in a home where disordered eating played as a background playlist on loop. To this day, my mother will evaluate my food intake. Anxiety, an honored guest, typically joins my mother and me for every meal we share. Am I eating enough? Have I ordered something that meets her approval? If we go out to a restaurant, I can expect her to suggest I help her eat the food on her plate because surely it is too much for her. I must help finish what she can’t see wasting.

Second, only to my mother’s food anxiety, comes my mother’s health anxiety. Let’s just say, I may have been raised with the idea that my body lacked certain abilities to deal with everyday stresses. My blood sugar was far too unstable. My coordination and physical strength were things I simply couldn’t expect to have. I could easily get hurt doing normal things. So, skipping a meal or two was far too risky. Ironically, it was during a time when I was preparing for surgery that I discovered I could miss a meal or two or three without passing out or experiencing some other dire consequences.

To be clear fasting is not only about giving up food. God may call His followers to give up any number of things. In this piece, I will be focusing on fasting from food, but there are many other ways to fast.

For years, fasting food, as a spiritual discipline, was not available to me.  Recently, God made it clear that He wanted me to learn to trust Him in this area. He gently called me out of a toxic dependence on avoiding fasting out of fear.

Unhooking toxic disordered eating patterns from the invitation to fast from food challenged me to even greater dependence upon God. Asking the Holy Spirit to examine my heart and check my motivations became essential.  I am continuing to disconnect fasting from becoming a weight-loss tool for me. The struggle is indeed real for many believers caught up in diet culture as I was for decades.

“Fasting from any nourishment, activity, involvement or pursuit—for any season—sets the stage for God to appear. Fasting is not a tool to pry wisdom out of God’s hands or to force needed insight about a decision. Fasting is not a tool for gaining discipline or developing piety (whatever that might be). Instead, fasting is the bulimic act of ridding ourselves of our fullness to attune our senses to the mysteries that swirl in and around us.”

Dan B. Allender, PHD

As Dr. Dan Allender explains, what I gained from fasting was an opportunity to attune my heart to God’s heart.  

Saul, David’s mortal enemy, pursued him for decades. In Psalm 35, David cries out to God for help and support.

1 Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid.
3 Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, “I am your salvation.”

4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back in dismay.
5 May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

7 Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,
8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.
10 My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
Psalm 35:1-10 NIV

David found himself fully relying on God’s ability to rescue him. His desperation draws him closer and closer to God.

11 Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14 I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; assailants gathered against me without my knowledge. They slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.

Psalm 35:11-16 NIV

In verse 13, David talks about how fasting brings about humility and causes a heart shift. Fasting attunes hearts to what God cares about. The enemies remain, and David continues his lament and mourning. However, David feels his heart shift from anger to empathy. He begins to mourn and weep for his enemies. Only God could bring such a change.

While David’s attitude toward his enemies shifts in profound way, his enemies continue along the same path of vengeance. They mock and slander him when he stumbles.

17 How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.
19 Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.
20 They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
Psalm 35:17-21 NIV

David’s enemies are relentless in their bad behavior. Somewhere between these verses, David chooses a different response from what surrounds him. He promises to praise God. Even after he declares this he continues to be surrounded by false accusations and sneering. His promise to praise reveals a spark of hope being fanned into a flame of passion.  

22 LORD, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord.
23 Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” or say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.

Psalm 35:22-28 NIV

David praises God amid pain and offers these praises all day long. In Psalm 35 David moves from lamenting his hopeless situation to proclaiming God’s righteousness and praising Him all day.

Choosing to fast can powerfully propel me into a closeness with God’s heart and His desires for me. In this position of dependence, I become more attuned to what God delights in despite my circumstances. The Lord begins to allow me to catch a glimpse of some of the mysteries that swirl inside. My empathy grows for others and bonds me even more closely with God and His heart for all He created. Fasting is both a tool and a gift from my heavenly father. He knows exactly what I need.

What experience do you have with fasting food as a spiritual tool? What questions do you have about fasting? Have you chosen to fast from something this Lent?

A Mark To Remember -Psalm 103

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment
(A cross shape on top of ashes)

Photos, awards, a folded American flag, certificates, and various hats revealed a life well-lived in the service of others and God. This table of remembrance, set up near the chapel entrance, displayed things representing my friend’s father’s life. Attending a memorial service brings a stark reminder of what is left behind after someone dies.

What are the only two things that last into eternity?

People and the Word of God

Ash Wednesday (March 2nd) will mark the first day of the 40-day season of Lent and serves as a perfect reminder of this truth. Everything is actively passing away. My physical life on earth, my money, my house, and all my possessions will fade away sooner or later.

The Ash Wednesday service offers, “a chance to kneel and receive the mark of mortal nature,” says Fr. Thomas McKenzie in his book, The Anglican Way.

An Anglican Ash Wednesday service often inserts Psalm 103 into the liturgy. The first seven verses of Psalm 103 begin with praising God and offering perspective.

1 Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works righteousness, and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

Psalm 103:1-7 NIV

We can praise God as we begin Lent on this Ash Wednesday because of all the benefits He provides.

  • Forgiveness
  • Healing
  • Redemption
  • Love and compassion
  • Satisfaction
  • Righteousness and Justice
  • Knowledge of His ways and deeds

God warns us not to forget them (vs. 2). Perhaps we need to create a table of remembrance in our own lives on a regular basis to keep these benefits in our minds and our hearts?

How have you seen God provide each one of these gifts recently?

The next seven verses of Psalm 103 may be shared early in the Ash Wednesday service liturgy.

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,  slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,  so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:8-14 NIV

How have you seen the compassion of the Lord in your life recently?

As the Ash Wednesday service continues, a reading of the Gospel is shared, a sermon is given, and then the priest says,

“Let us now call to mind our sin and the infinite mercy of God.”

A prayer follows.

Almighty God, you have created us from the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be for us a symbol of our mortality and a sign of penitence, that we may remember that it is by your grace alone that we receive the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

ACNA BCP 2019 p. 545.

(Anglican Church in North America, The Book of Common Prayer published in 2019.)

Verse 14 is echoed in the liturgy when the priest marks a cross on each participant’s forehead, saying, “remember that you are dust, and to dust, you shall return.”

Such a profound and sobering declaration. This ashen cross marking announces to a watching world both our mortality and penitence as believers.

Psalm 103 continues with eight final verses contrasting our mortality on earth and God’s eternal nature.

15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul.
Psalm 103:15-22 NIV

When I am reminded of both my mortality and the grace of eternal life through Jesus Christ, all I can do is praise Him. Like the psalmist, I truly want to praise Him with all of my soul.

During the next forty days, whether you attend an Ash Wednesday service or not, why not accept an invitation to Lent.

Lent is not a season of limitation, but instead, it is an amazing opportunity for grace and growth. Lent can be a time of Holy preparation, and an opportunity to create margin in a busy life by giving up something or taking on a life-giving practice. Fr. Thomas McKenzie says, “The disciplines are meant to empty us so the Lord may fill us.”

How will you observe the season of Lent this year?

Do you have any questions about Lent?

Leaving and Lament: Psalm 17

/ Anthea Kotlan / 3 Comments
(A woman is seated with her head bowed down.)
1 Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
Psalm 17:1-2 NIV







3 Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed.
4 Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.
Psalm 17:3-5 NIV
6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.
Psalm 17:6-9 NIV


10 They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life. May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies; may their children gorge themselves on it, and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
Psalm 17:10-15 NIV

How Can I Respond to False Accusations? Lessons on God’s Love Learned from a Man on the Run – Psalm 18

/ Anthea Kotlan / 2 Comments
Person running away

False accusations have a way of wearing me down. Initially the truth stands guard on my heart, and I feel righteous and free and can put the lie away. However, sometimes a false accusation returns days, months or years later. Perhaps it is something with a small grain of truth that has been manipulated by the enemy? Maybe it is something to do with a fear I have?

False accusations can begin to feel like a dripping faucet, initially a small annoyance but eventually becoming something that distracts me or exhausts me. I feel I must defend myself. I need to set the record straight. I want to fight for what is right.

The culture around me reinforces messages of offense at every turn.

  • Don’t take that lying down
  • Tell everyone you know that the false accuser is wrong
  • Gather a group of people to support you and attack the accuser
  • Seek the revenge you are entitled to
  • Get the last word on the matter

While I have never been pursued by a murderous king, I can relate to David’s conflict with Saul. David faced so many false accusations from Saul. When a shepherd boy named David was anointed and chosen by God as the future King of Israel, it touched off a twenty-year conflict. The current king, Saul waged war and pursued David relentlessly. He began with false accusations and escalated the chase to a murderous rage.

What did David pursue in response to Saul?

Revenge?

Support from others?

A violent solution?

Even when David could have killed Saul, he continued to seek God, first and foremost.

On the day that David was delivered from all of His enemies (the ones Saul used against him), David wrote Psalm 18. The psalm is all about giving glory to God and never mentions Saul. In one of his first acts as the new king, David directs his new subjects to praise God. While on the run from King Saul, David had learned some hard-earned lessons about God’s character and actions.

What does David learn about God?

  1. God hears us when we call out to Him.
  2. God shows up to fight for us.
  3. God rescues us in unmistakable ways
  4. God delights in us.
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

5 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

Psalm 18:1-6 NIV
  1. God hears, listens and responds (verse 6) Nothing escapes his notice, and He is willing and able to rescue. Even when we can’t see Him, He hears us and knows all about what we are struggling with.
7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.

8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

Psalm 18:7-13 NIV

2. God fights for those He loves, so we don’t need to. (Verse 13). God can balance out an unfair advantage –when a king pursues a shepherd boy with vengeance and great resource. God’s supernatural battle strategies can’t be explained away or ignored.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.

15 The valleys of the sea were exposed, and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.

19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
Psalm 18:14-19 NIV

3. God draws me out of my depth, out of my way and into his firm grasp. When he rescues me, He does so in a way that defies the idea that I did it myself. His power is demonstrated for all to see. The day of my disaster (vs. 18) transforms into a day of giving thanks for God’s great merciful rescue.

4. God delights in me and you and asks me to focus on Him not my accusers or pursuers. He will take care of them for me and you.

This twenty-year conflict with Saul prepared David for one of the greatest challenges of his life – serving as the King of God’s people. During a very difficult season, David got closer to God by placing his focus on that relationship.

Today, I will take time to turn away from focusing on those who annoy or accuse me, and I will direct my energy towards giving God praise for all He does. I will pray through the first 19 verses of Psalm 18 and ask God to show me how He is always fighting for me and making provision.