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What can I do when I face injustice?

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

In the summer of 1994, my family was locked in a legal battle in a Houston courtroom with a powerful car manufacturer. Images of David and Goliath sprung to my mind, but our lawyer had no smooth stones or slingshot. His arguments were not enough to cause a jury to vote in our favor. Four long years after my sister was killed, no justice was served.

Once the shock wore off, sadness settled in, and we all went back to the business of grieving her death all over again and caring for her young children.

When faced with injustice, what does God call me to do?

We are called to praise God 

1 We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.
(Psalm 75:1 NIV)

Psalm 75 begins with thanksgiving and praise for God’s sovereign rule.

This is counterintuitive to society’s expectations. Many of us have been influenced to believe that we don’t praise until we gain a victory.

Sharing testimonies of God’s wonderful deeds encourages other believers, and in a sense, sharing stories of God’s faithfulness reveals his work. God is always right there beside me, but I often need reminders of his presence. I become distracted by my daily stresses and lose sight of his work in my life. We need to remind one another of God’s continuous gracious interventions, especially when facing injustice.

Praising God does not deny the current circumstance, but it does remind my heart of God’s faithfulness to me and those I love.

We are called to be watching for God’s justice

2 You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity.
3 When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.
4 To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak so defiantly.’”
(Psalm 75:2-5 NIV)

Every single day, I confront the brokenness of this world. I see those who believe they don’t have to follow the laws of the land. Some of society’s most vulnerable members become victims and cry out for justice.

Are you seeking justice for yourself or a loved one?

We are made in the image of a just God, so we each long for justice to be done here on earth. It is imprinted on our very souls.

In verses 4 and 5, God reassures his people that he not only chooses the perfect time to judge but will do so with balance, insight, and fairness.

Earthly judges may be corrupted or prevented from bringing justice to this world, but God will prevail. That may be now or years from now.

God reminds his people that he holds the foundations of the earth firm even when all is quaking. Notice that the scripture does not say if the earth and people shake. It says when. Sooner or later, we will all experience seasons of uncertainty and lack. But God will hold us close in the middle of the darkest seasons of our lives if we will only look to him.

God identifies the arrogant people, those who defy him, and he commands their obedience sooner or later. There is no escape for them.

We are called to wait on God’s placement


6 No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves.
7 It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.
(Psalm 75:6-8 NIV)

How far is the East from the West? This area covers the entire Earth; therefore, no one can exalt him or herself —only God can do that for a person.

While our society celebrates those who “take what they want” and make “power grabs” for fame and fortune, this is not God’s way. If the manner in which I succeed is questionable, God will not bless my efforts.

Therefore, I shouldn’t try to gain an elevated position because if I do, I won’t be able to stay there. But no force on Earth can remove me if God puts me there.

God knows our hearts, minds, and motivations. He will force the wicked to drink down the full measure of his judgment, and they will have no escape. Can I wait on God’s plan for judgment and justice? Not without his help, every single day.

We are called to persist in praise

9 As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”
(Psalm 75:9-10 NIV)


When I come face to face with the goodness of God, I can’t help but praise Him.

Our praise will go on forever because God will go on forever. This is a glimpse of the now and not yet.

Someday, we will have endless days and nights to praise God in Heaven. We will never get weary but be filled with awe and wonder in his presence.

Psalm 75 begins and ends with praise because God wants to remind us of how he works. Jesus’ death and resurrection brought the ultimate reconciliation between God and man. This will someday pass away, all will be put to right, and real and restorative justice will prevail in all situations. We will live in the new heaven and earth, praise the Lord all day and night, and never grow weary.

All those years ago, my family did not receive a favorable verdict. It seemed that all was lost. Sadly, I don’t have a report of how eventually we prevailed or received what was owed. I have had to choose to release this situation to the Lord. Despite it all, I can praise God, watch for his justice, and await God’s placement.

All was not actually lost that day because despite massive damage to my sister’s car, her two children, aged just four months and not quite two, survived with barely a scratch. I learned during the trial that emergency responders had to use the “jaws of life” to cut my sister’s infant daughter out of her car seat, sitting inches from the full impact of a ¾ ton pickup truck. God miraculously shielded two tiny children that day, and I will be forever grateful to know and love them.

Prayer

We praise you, God, for your Name is near; let us be known as a people who tell of your wonderful deeds and encourage one another. Help us to be those who bear the light of your presence in a dark world where justice can be hard to find and painful to wait for. Help us to wait on you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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HOW DO WE LIVE AS AN EASTER PEOPLE? Psalm 71

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

Early Saturday morning, before the sun came up on the day before Easter, I read Psalm 71. It had been selected for the devotional our church was reading.

Psalm 71 begins with a desperate cry for help and hiding. The psalmist longs to be hidden with the Lord and away from evil enemies who seek to harm him. No doubt, the disciples huddled in the upper room gripped by grief and despair, might have cried out to the Lord in similar ways.

Where do we go when everything has gone wrong and we’ve ended up on the losing side of things? Or so it seems on Saturday.  

This will not be an isolated scenario in a broken world where people fail us. On this side of heaven, we will periodically sit in a dark room, waiting for God to show us the way over and over. It might also be a prolonged season of uncertainty, false starts, and further failures.  

A prescription for holding onto hope

Halfway through Psalm 71, the tone changes, and hope filters in through a crack in the curtains. What follows is a prescription for holding onto hope in dark situations.

14 As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.
(Psalm 71:14-18 NIV)

Praising

Verse 14 stands as a necessary declaration over my soul. Even when I can’t see the outcome or the upturn, I can praise the Lord more and more. How often does listening to the praise music and singing along transform my outlook?

Remembering & Reminding

Verses 15 & 16 remind me to remember because we are a forgetful people. A sort of amnesia comes over me during trials, and I fail to consider God’s track record in my life. I must choose to remind myself of God’s righteous deeds and saving acts. God is working things together in mysterious ways. God’s work is not limited by my ability to understand like the psalmist says, “though I know not how to relate them all.” (Psalm 71:15b)

I will also need to do this in the community. Sometimes, a friend or family member needs me to hold space for his or her hope by sharing our memories. The idea of proclamation creates the picture of me using every place I have influence in to testify about the Lord.

  • Do my social media posts reflect my hope in Christ?
  • Do the birthday cards I send shine the light of the Gospel?
  • Do my conversations foster a sense of God’s faithful care of me and those around me?
  • Do my text messages edify others?
  • Do my prayers (in public and private) feature thankfulness for all God has done and is doing?
  • Do I remind others of God’s faithfulness?

Persisting

Verse 17 points to the benefits of having a long-standing and persistent relationship with the Lord. I have been walking with him since I was a teenager. Not everyone has that privilege. Some people arrived much later in their lives to faith. A long-standing relationship with the Lord is a gift, but it also requires ongoing nurturing in a faith community, in the word of God, and in prayer.

Passing On

Verse 18 charges me to share my faith with the next generation. I don’t believe the Lord allows us to retire from this work. Anyone at any age can still influence the next generation with encouragement, prayer, and service. Playing an active and unique role in the discipleship of grandchildren and little ones in our faith communities is an ultimate privilege. We are called to actively pass on our faith.

How will you hold onto hope?

During this Easter season, how will you hold onto hope and be a beacon light for a watching world? How will you live faithfully as an Easter people?

Shout, Sing, and Say – Psalm 66

/ Anthea Kotlan / 2 Comments

On any given Sunday, we witness miracles.

When God called my husband and me to church planting, we had to leave a thriving mid-sized church where we had served for decades. We left behind some of our closest friends and family members to launch into the unknown. Initially, we were sent to serve at a church plant well over an hour from our home. We battled traffic and tolls to invest in that community for a year, knowing that it would not be a long-term place for us to grow. During that year, we witnessed God moving redemptively, and we learned a great deal.

In 2022, we finally found our way back to a place we had only dreamed of: church planting in Conroe, Texas. The first time we attended a service in our newly borrowed space, we were stunned to discover that it would take us only fifteen minutes to drive home after we helped clean up and put everything away. This would be a first for us after serving for over twenty years in places and spaces far from where we lived.

This season of church planting allows us to depend very much on God’s provision. I hope I never grow weary of shouting, singing, and saying how good God has been to our little flock. We couldn’t do any of this without His generous hand!

SHOUT, SING, SAY


1Shout for joy to God, all the earth 2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!

3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah

(Psalm 66:1-4 ESV)

Shared praise and thanksgiving will multiply when I shout, sing, and speak about God’s marvelous deeds with others. The practice spurs our hearts to dig deep and remember the goodness of the Lord.

God commands us to shout and share because it does our hearts good in our community. We are designed to join our voices and share.

Who will you share with today?

MAKING A LIST

5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.

6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him, 7 who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations—let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

(Psalm 66:5-7 ESV)

Do you ever try to go to the grocery store without a list? It seldom goes well. There is something about making a list that builds on itself. I write down butter and then remember we need milk. I write down apples and recall our low supply of peanut butter.

When I thank God for what He has done for me in specific ways, I recall more and more. I thank Him for my daughter’s new house and remember how God arranged a rental house for her and her family to live in while they searched for this new house in their new town.

I begin the list of thanks for 2023 and remember all God has done for our fledging church plant. The miracles of providing a soundboard, new folding chairs, a 22-foot storage trailer, a wonderful place to meet, talented people who lead worship, run sound, and create curriculum for children. I am so thankful for the teenagers who tirelessly volunteered and the many ministry partners along our journey.

What can you add to your list?

PRAISE HIM FOR THE GOOD AND THE DIFFICULT

8 Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,

9 who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.

10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.

11 You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; 12 you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

(Psalm 66:8-11 ESV)

God calls us to give Him thanks and praise for the good and the difficult. Sometimes, it’s hard to understand why the soundboard died so abruptly. However, it did allow us to see His provision and the generosity of various people who all stepped in to replace it. Just when we began to struggle to store all our stuff each Sunday as we set up, a 22-foot trailer was given to us. Now, there was a small problem. Legal paperwork had to be filed and processed, which took some persistence from a tenacious church member. However, at the end of it all, we thanked God for this mind-blowing provision.

What do you praise God for?

MAKE OFFERINGS

13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you,

14 that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.

15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah

(Psalm 66:13-15 ESV)

Burnt offerings are costly. Fulfilling vows made and promised when I was in trouble can be challenging. I would prefer to give out of what is left over. God calls for sacrifice, and burning the offerings helped His people see how He wished to consume what they had given Him. That likely helped them not drag it back the way I am sadly tempted to. God calls for me to give back to Him, something I will miss and want to keep. These kinds of offerings please Him most.

What can I offer?

SHARE TESTIMONIES AND CONFESSIONS


16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.

17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. 

18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

(Psalm 66:16-20 ESV)

Corporate testimonies and confession fuel the Holy Spirit to burn brightly in your fellowship. Confession of my sins is essential. Confession of my community’s sins is also required. As we join voices in sharing praise reports, we must also ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what we can confess as a community. Sharing testimonies of what God has done encourages everyone who participates. Sometimes, others see God working in our situation when we cannot. They spy a treasure of His goodness and report it to us. We all need reminders of His steadfast love.

What testimonies can I encourage others with?

PRAYER

Help me to shout, sing, and say your praises regularly. Remind me to list all You have done for me and my people. I will praise you for the good and difficult because it is all for your glory. Keep me in the habit of making costly offerings to you of my first fruits, not my leftovers. Help me to confess alone and together. Embolden me to be in the habit of sharing stories of your faithfulness in my life and the lives of others. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Elusive Satisfaction – Psalm 65

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

Curbside Convenience

Sitting “curbside” at a grocery store, my wait time dragged as I closely monitored the doorway where the delivery personnel came and went.  My online grocery order was now ten minutes past the time I expected. Aggravation bloomed, and a decided irritation sat down beside me. As the worker finally started putting groceries into my trunk/ car boot. A notification on my phone asked me to take a short customer satisfaction survey, and I was more than ready to weigh in. I efficiently responded with all my irritation before the worker finished and closed the trunk.

Additional Information

Upon arriving home, I noticed the employee had carefully placed all my frozen items in a cooler bag she noticed in my trunk. Other non-perishables had been carefully separated into yet another bag. Larger objects carefully nestled on the outer edge. This made unloading the groceries at my house easy.

Would I have given the same rating after I noticed all the care and consideration this worker had put into her work?

Could I see now why she had been running behind?

My Urge to Evaluate

My inbox overflows with customer satisfaction surveys, hoping to quantify my experience in a store, at a local restaurant, or even with a medical professional. These queries feed my urge to evaluate. The questions seek to weigh and measure my perception. How well my needs were met, and how much value I believe I received. Unfortunately, I tend to fill those out when I am not happy.

Sadly, it is far too easy to conclude that I am dissatisfied in a world that tries to convince me that there is much more for me to have. Our culture celebrates my right to receive everything I am owed on time and in the ways I expect.

Sometimes, my default setting is to complain.

How Can I Shift My Perspective?

Psalm 65 celebrates the deep soul-tending satisfaction that can only be found in the presence of the Lord.

1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.

2 O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.

3 When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.

4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

(Psalm 65:1-4 ESV)

The psalmist reminds me that I owe God a debt of praise and fulfillment of my promises because He alone is worthy of my worship and promises. (vs. 1)

  • He faithfully hears my prayers when spoken aloud in the sanctuary and when I whisper in the dark of the night. Everyone can come to Him in prayer. (vs. 2)
  • He creates order in my heart with atonement for my sins. He provides a way for me to be reconciled to Him through Jesus. (vs.3)
  • My heart and mind are soothed by spending time in His presence. To a world that says I might never have enough, I can declare the satisfaction refilling me daily when I take time to be with God. (V.4)

How Can I Adjust My Posture?

5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas;

6 the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might;

7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples,

8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

(Psalm 65:5-8 ESV)
  • I can live in a posture of hope despite the daily news updates. God will answer every question of this world with righteousness. (Vs. 5)
  • The one who established the highest and most extensive mountain ranges uses His might to control the roaring seas, the crashing waves, and especially turmoil amongst his people on Earth. There will be wars, but He can redeem damage created by forces and violence surrounding us. (vs. 6 &7)
  • Across the entire expanse of the world, God displays signs and wonders that testify about His power and might, and we cheer him on. (vs.8)

How Can I Choose Gratitude and Praise?

9 You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.

10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.

11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.

12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,

13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

(Psalm 65:9-13 ESV)

  • God brings the water, the grain, the blessings, and the growth to this Earth. (Vs. 9-10)
  • Bounty, overflow, abundance, and joy break out when God passes by. I can respond with joyful singing and praise whenever I see God’s abundance displayed in His creation. (vs 11-13)

Ironically, I can remember sitting curbside at the same store I mentioned above a few years ago.  As the worker delivered my groceries while I sat comfortably in my car, I vividly recall my gratefulness. This store provided the service for free, which I needed in that season.

Perhaps focusing on all God has done for me could refill my soul with an abiding satisfaction. Then, there would be scarcely room for complaining about what I didn’t have or didn’t get when I wanted it.

Prayer

Lord, teach me how to grow and nurture greater satisfaction in my heart and mind. Thank you for all you have done to reveal that to me. Thank you for all you have freely given to me. Help me to walk in that truth today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

Activated Faith or Slothful Solutions – Psalm 34:11-22

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

Popular Sloths

A quick search of sloths online will point you to an avalanche of all things associated with the world’s slowest-moving mammal. T-shirts, movies, books, and photos document our love affair with these furry creatures. There must be something that draws us to them. Is it the slow pace of their lifestyle? Is it their relaxed attitude? Is it their apparent chill vibe?

Sinful Sloth

Ironically, sloth, the word so closely associated with these beloved creatures, is listed as the last of the seven capital sins. Tsh Oxenreider explains, “It might seem like a strange bedfellow with the likes of pride, wrath, or greed; could it be that God considers laziness to be as bad as those vices?” (p. 115 Bitter and Sweet: A Journey into Easter)

Tsh explains that sloth, according to Thomas Aquinas, means “sorrow for spiritual good.” Growth and vigor in our spiritual life require regular exercise and effort. Autopilot in the area of discipleship doesn’t work. Spiritual apathy can overtake us far too quickly. We must actively and regularly seek the Lord to avoid slothful outcomes.

An Active Role

The psalmist in the second half of Psalm 34 reminds us of the action needed.

11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
(Psalm 34:11-14 ESV)

Seek Teaching

Fear and respect for the Lord do not come to us naturally. Active and regular time scheduled daily provides learning time. Years ago, the pastor I served with said the decision about whether to attend church each week doesn’t occur on Sunday. Church attendance results from a series of choices that must be made days earlier and planned accordingly. Choosing to rest on Friday and Saturday sets you up to be ready and energized for church on Sunday. A decision to go to bed early on Saturday night provides enough sleep to get up and go the following day.

Weekly time spent in a faith community with God builds up believers and provides companionship on the faith journey. Jesus modeled this by traveling with his disciples. Lone ranger Christians struggle in isolation.

Seek and See Good

Humans love to see good (vs.12). We are drawn to the beauty in a baby’s smile or a piece of art.  The Lord knows that we need to see what is good and beautiful.

Human flourishing is energized by active and regular exposure to beauty.

Meanwhile, evil in this world has the opposite effect. Being in the presence of evil leads to spiritual corrosion. Hence the commands in verses 13 & 14, “keep your tongue from evil” and “turn away from evil.”

An area of real challenge for every follower of Jesus is to turn away from the evil the entertainment industry serves up.  There is some excellent content right next to some dismal choices. An active and regular effort is required to curate what is taken in for entertainment. It is far too easy to allow fatigue to lower resistance and reduce discernment. Auto-play features on streaming services take me to places I don’t need to go. I can’t afford to be slothful with my media habits.

Turning from Evil

Simply turning away from evil is not enough. One has to take an active and regular pursuit of peace. Strife multiplies in our modern world, and offense is taken like a daily vitamin. Peace eludes those unwilling to seek the Lord.

Ultimately the Lord calls me to turn away from evil because He refuses to be in evil’s presence. If I am keeping close company with Him, I will lack any desire to seek out evil.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
(Psalm 34:15-22 ESV)

Hearing Him

Verses 15, 16, and 17 remind me that as I am tuned into the frequency of the Lord’s wavelength, He is also tuned into my wavelength. I actively and regularly listen to hear His voice, and He hears mine.

Finally, the last section of this psalm, verses 18-22, speaks to the Lord’s promises to practice the ministry of presence in my life.

The Lord can look into each of us and see our hearts. He is not confused or distracted by our outside appearances. While other human beings can never really understand our sufferings, the Lord can.

The Lord is willing to be near the brokenhearted and keep company with us in times of suffering. Our friends and family can become overwhelmed by our brokenness, but He never does.

Affliction Unavoidable

If I am right with God, can I avoid all afflictions? No

Verse 19 says righteous people may experience many afflictions, yet the Lord delivers His people. The outcome is always in the Lord’s hands.

The Lord “keeps all his bones,” and not one is broken, refers to how His Father held Jesus together. No bones were broken is a prophecy fulfilled. While we don’t have the guarantee of no broken bones, we do know that our Heavenly Father pays close attention to every aspect of our suffering. Nothing escapes His notice. He is actively and regularly checking in on me.

Redemption

God specializes in reclaiming what others might have written off. He redeems the lives of those who actively and regularly seek the refuge of salvation made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In spiritual warfare, believers are encouraged to don our spiritual armor. One key piece is the “helmet of salvation.” This piece plays an essential role in reminding us whose we are. The helmet of salvation covers our minds with the knowledge of our salvation and our new identity. Take time to regularly and actively thank the Lord for our new identity. This truth should never become worn out, and we should walk as a child of the light. (Ephesians 6:10-20 ESV)

Prayer

Lord, help me not to become weary of seeking You and doing what is right. Please help me to actively and regularly seek you first and avoid slothful solutions. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

What’s Good? Psalm 21

/ Anthea Kotlan / 2 Comments

As I write this in October of 2022, Union Jack flags flutter in the breeze all over Britain. Many were first displayed in June to honor Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and continue to testify of the queen’s longstanding popularity. After 75 years of faithful service, Queen Elizabeth died in September. I arrived in Manchester just a few days after the official mourning activities had been completed. As the plane touched down, I realized I had never been in the United Kingdom without having her on the throne.

Queen Elizabeth spoke fluently of her faith and often thanked those who prayed for her.  In fact, during her first Christmas address in 1952, a speech she carefully wrote herself each year, she boldly made this request,

“Pray for me … that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.”

A Faithful Legacy

Queen Elizabeth dedicated her entire life to serving God and her country. She did so with grace and determination until her death. King David, the author of Psalm 21, served God and his country for much of his life. Both of these leaders continually recognized God as the one who set a crown upon their heads, and they both made a regular habit of honoring Him.

David wrote Psalm 21 as a celebration psalm following a time of war.

The King Rejoices in the Lord’s Strength

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

2 You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
(Psalm 21: 1-2 ESV)

What’s good?

Following the example in verse 1, how can I exult the Lord? Do I regularly celebrate what God is doing in my life? Do I share it with others?

Recently I heard a worship leader named Caleb Miller suggest that asking a new question of friends and family might cultivate a new attitude in our hearts. What if we asked everyone we saw what’s good?

Rather than the usual question, how are you? Asking about what good things you have witnessed lately could create a contagious attitude of gratitude.

David directs all the credit and honor to the Lord as the one who gives him strength and gives him his heart’s desires. If we could ask King David about what is good in his life, he would be ready to remember as he did in many of the Psalms.

Rich Blessings

3 For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.

4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.

5 His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
(Psalm 21:3-5 ESV)

David explains that God continues to meet him with rich blessings. The phrase, “you meet him with rich blessings,” brings a special occasion meal to mind. The table is set with fine china, crystal water goblets, and ornate silverware. A fantastic dinner featuring favorite foods is served. Music plays, and candlelight fills the table with a warm and welcoming glow.

God’s richest blessings for me are handcrafted and uniquely designed to nourish my unique needs. They are perfectly timed, even though I am unaware of the schedule. They are perfectly abundant, and they never stop coming my way. God’s richest blessings spring out of His abundance, not because I deserve them.

Prayer

Lord, help me to look for and thank you for every rich blessing you send. These daily gifts provide for me in ways I may not even realize. Open my spiritual eyes to see them all so I can cultivate a grateful heart. Help me point out abundance, not lack.

God sets the crown upon each head.

Despite how things may appear, no one sits on a throne in this world who was not invited by God. The good, the bad, and the “not so wonderful” included. God places the crown upon the head of every leader. He uses them all for His purposes in ways we may never know or understand. No one is beyond the reach of God.

In a world where politicians and leaders act like toddlers, God’s ability to intercede brings peace and comfort. God operates in the eternal. His timing is not ours. So, we may witness terrible leaders in our lifetime. However, God will bring about redemption in ways we can’t imagine.

My Heart’s Anchor

6 For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad about the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High, he shall not be moved.
(Psalm 21:6-7 ESV)

What activity causes people to experience gladness? Parties, fame, luxury, power?

Spending time in God’s presence provides resilient joy not based on current circumstances. Carving out time each day requires planning.

What activity causes people to experience stability and not be moved? Money, power, or success?

Trusting in the Lord. My “trusting-God-muscles” must be exercised regularly, or I default quickly to self-reliance. Trust anchors my heart and keeps me from being carried off by the blustering winds of the world. I shall not be moved because God holds me tight.

Prayer

Thank you that you invite me into your presence. Your presence is never too crowded or closed for repairs. I can always come to you and rest at your feet. Soul tending restoration occurs every time I go and stay.

Thank you, God, for holding onto me amid change and chaos. If I let go of You, You never let go of me. Strengthen my trusting muscles, so I may more and more deeply rely on You.

God’s enemies

8 Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you.

9 You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them.

10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man.

11 Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.

12 For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows.
(Psalm 21:8-12 ESV)

Ultimately, God will bring complete justice to all of His enemies. He will destroy them and their descendants with fire. He will once and for all balance the scales of justice in His favor. Once and for all, evil will be vanquished, and suffering will be over for God’s people. Our limited minds and hearts can hardly begin to conceive this kind of final justice and peace.

Spontaneous Rejoicing

13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.
(Psalm 21:13 ESV)

After the Lord has completed the restoration work, singing and praising will break out amongst His people. Spontaneous rejoicing will roll out over the new Heaven and new Earth. The praising God party will never end.

In the meantime, I believe God gives us glimpses of making things all new when we gather together and worship Him. The Holy Spirit reveals glimmers of the now and not yet kingdom to sustain us on our journey.  

Prayer
Lord, open my eyes and heart to see glimpses of restoration around me. Thank you for being the one worthy of our praise.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

To read more about Queen Elizabeth’s faith – see the article:

https://christianity.org.uk/article/queen-elizabeths-faith

Befriending Fear or Faith? Psalm 37:1-5

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment
A circa 1970 pic of my sister and I with atrocious bangs. (I’m the one on the left.)

Was she asleep?

My four-year-old brain struggled to process what had occurred. We were sitting outside the Tutbury* Police station when my mother slumped backward at an awkward angle while her sunflower yellow dress threatened to capsize over her head. I tried smoothing it down and calling to her as people rushed past us.

Earlier that day, she had lost her gold watch. A potent blend of fear of my father’s rage and regret over the loss overwhelmed her, causing the fainting spell. Eventually, a policeman came to our aid with smelling salts.
Fear and fretfulness were part of my daily life growing up.

What do I do when I feel fearful? 

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
Psalm 37:1-5 ESV

As an adult, I have a tendency to fret. If there was a fretters’ anonymous group, I might be a member. But, instead, fretting is anxiously anticipating my own inabilities.

  • What if I make a mistake?
  • What if I don’t have enough time?
  • What if I forget?
  • What if I fail in some way that cannot be redeemed?

Fretting is to worry, and it can also mean to wear away at something by rubbing or gnawing. Obsessively fretting can certainly wear a groove in my mind that is all too easy to find and get back to over and over.

Reviewing a past event on repeat leads to a cycle of unending questions.

  • Did I say the right thing? What if I offended her?
  • Did he misunderstand me?
  • Do I need to go back and explain?
  • Often fretting is self-focused, but sometimes it lends itself to comparison.

Fretting about other people’s actions that I simply can’t control is a sign of a lack of boundaries on my part. How often have I worried about other people’s feelings that I could do nothing to fix? (Can you tell I’m reading the bestseller Boundaries?)

In Psalm 37, the psalmist offers an antidote for fretting.

Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Psalm 37:3 ESV

Dwell

This word means to remain, stay, linger, and be still. When fear takes the upper hand in my life and triggers a cycle of fretfulness, dwelling in God’s presence brings a needed pause.

Befriending faithfulness

How do I make friends with faithfulness? Spending time focused on my faith and, in so doing, building it up like a muscle. For me, that might mean making a list of blessings. It is all too easy for me to see the glass of my life as half full when it is, in fact, overflowing in ways that I might overlook right away. Reading and reviewing God’s word and seeking his promises can also change my perspective. The next few verses of Psalm 37 are rich with promises of how God will champion me as I choose to focus on faith and let go of fretfulness. 

4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
Psalm 37: 4-5 ESV

Prayer

Lord, will you help me to delight in you and commit to your ways of doing life? Give me the ability to trust more and be fretless. Rewire my default setting. May I be found to be befriending faithfulness at every opportunity you kindly lay before me? Amen.

How about you, how do you friend faithfulness in the face of fear?