King David

Got Grit? Psalm 30

/ Anthea Kotlan / 1 Comment

Grit is living life like it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

Angela Duckworth

Marathoner or Sprinter

One thing to be sure of is that I know very little about running. I am neither a marathoner nor a sprinter. While many members of my family enjoy running, I do not. Running is something that I have consistently avoided since I was a child. However, because I have shared life with more than one runner, I know about the consistency and determination it takes to succeed at running a marathon. Daily running schedules despite lousy weather, special shoes, and even diets designed to maximize stamina. Ultimately, preparing to run a marathon requires a runner not to quit.

Popular church culture teaches believers all about joy and abundance. Life as a believer can be portrayed as an endless array of positive affirmations and exercises in counting blessings. An expectation is set for a blessed and abundant life of ease for all who claim Christ.

But what happens when it doesn’t go that way? Please note that I used the word when not if.

Grit Required

Sooner or later, everyone who follows Jesus will experience disappointment. Eventually, many slam into the concrete wall of devastating loss and betrayal. What about the faithful wife whom her spouse betrays? The congregation who learns about their pastor’s secret life with waves of damaging revelation? The adult child who grows up with abuse inside his or her Christian family? What about the stage 4 cancer diagnosis that is not healed this side of Heaven?

In the Psalms, believers navigate times of disappointment, depression, and fear. Grit is required and starts with praise.

Choosing grit requires that I start with praising God.

In Psalm 30, King David begins with a huge praise report about how the Lord saved his life.

1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
(Psalm 30:1-5 ESV)

Setbacks and Sadness

David begins with praise but rapidly moves to the reality of setbacks and sadness. David failed God many times, and his failures hurt his family members.

Choosing grit gives me room to acknowledge sadness and setbacks.

From time to time, my heart will be broken by the brokenness of this world. I will also see my flaws and how I fail those I love. Yet, each time I experience sadness, anger, or bitterness, I can cling to the idea that this shall pass. God promises us new mercies each day. Weeping may stick around for a season, but joy will come again and again.  

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.
(Psalm 30:6-7 ESV)

Dismayed

In January, I often find myself making new year’s resolutions to commit to new patterns of behavior or to give up something that needs to go. Like David, I might claim, “I shall never be moved.” Unfortunately, in times of abundance, it is all too easy to over-promise what I believe I can do in my strength.

Also, like David, I become discouraged and dismayed within a very short time. I lose sight of the Lord when I become distracted by my agenda without His input. It can seem that the Lord hid from me, but it is much more likely that I stopped looking for Him or listening for His voice to guide me.

Choosing grit requires me to refocus on the Lord.

8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you?  Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”
(Psalm 30:8-10 ESV)

Sometimes when life feels unbearable, I can move to “worst-case scenario thinking.” David may have found himself there. When I become this discouraged, I might even try bargaining with the Lord.

Please rescue me so I can praise You. 

Please do this so that I can do that for You.

While I can cry out to God to help me, trying to persuade Him to act by suggesting He needs me is laughable.

Surrender

The Lord Almighty does not need me to do anything for Him. He does not respond to me trying to negotiate a deal. Instead, he calls me to surrender my agenda and commit to His. This will be ongoing work for me on this side of eternity. I must ask the Lord to help me to develop true grit to persist in seeking Him daily and, possibly, hourly. I need to surrender to His will.

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
(Psalm 30:11-12 ESV)

True grit is true surrender.

A deep and abiding joy comes out of complete surrender. God will provide joy for those who persist in surrendering daily, hourly, or even from one minute to the next. The Christian life requires grit and determination to keep on and finish well.

Prayer for Times of Sadness

Thank You, Lord, for turning my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness. May I sing Your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!  In Jesus’ name. Amen

(Psalm 30:11-12 ESV)

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

Five Lessons Learned about God’s Love from a Sinner’s Situation – Psalm 51

/ Anthea Kotlan / 1 Comment
(Man praying on a hill.)

When I was in fifth grade, I peered in the mirror smiling and discovered that my teeth were coated with red dye in various shades. Plaque disclosing dye tablets had done their job. My reflection revealed a real lack of dental hygiene in my 10-year-old self. The plaque had been invisible but now the dye made it glaringly obvious.

In 2nd Samuel chapter 12, God sends Nathan to confront King David about his sin. Nathan uses a simple story about a rich man taking advantage of a poor man to help King David to see his own sins. The narrative nail is pounded into David’s heart when Nathan enquires about what consequences a rich man should receive for slaughtering the poor man’s only lamb. David begins to list various severe punishments for the rich perpetrator and then Nathan adds, “You are that rich man.”

A sin-disclosing tablet is dropped into David’s life, and he is utterly overcome with the length and breadth of his sins. The consequences of his moral failings unleash some far-reaching results. Regret and humility spur David to pen Psalm 51 as a piece of lament.

What can I learn about love from a sinner’s lament about love?

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:1 NIV



1 God’s love comes first and foremost, even before I am forgiven. God’s love doesn’t give up but continues relentlessly to bring restoration and transformation.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Psalm 51:2-3 NIV

When David pursued a relationship with a married woman named Bathsheba, his sin was somehow not “before him”.

When David had Bathsheba’s husband murdered on the battlefront, so he could marry her, David refused to see his sin.

While David continued to choose sin over loving and obeying God, his desire to please himself, no matter the cost, grew.

Did the growing pile of sins obscure David’s view of his own guilt?

A lack of ability to see sin does not make it any less damaging. The consequences of David’s sin were significant and even deadly. And yet, God had mercy.

2. God’s mercy is borne out of His love for us.

It was out of mercy that the Lord sent Nathan to rebuke David. God sometimes places prophets in our lives or calls our friends to serve in a prophetic way. Has God ever sent a prophet to speak truth into your life?

David couldn’t see his sin, and then he did see all of it. He was devastated.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Psalm 51:4-6 NIV
  • 3. As my heart is filled with God’s love, my sensitivity to sin is restored. Conviction cuts deep, but God’s grace flows more. 

Reading through Psalm 51 reveals a rinse and repeat theme. Sin is ever-present and must be continually dealt with. In order to remain sensitive to sin, I must commit to regular confession. 

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:7-10 NIV

Repentant sinners are in desperate need of renewal. God is gracious enough to provide a deep soul reset whenever we ask Him.

11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior,
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Psalm 51:11-14 NIV
  • 4. God’s love and mercy blot out my transgressions and empower me to obey Him and teach others about His love.  
15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 51:15-19 NIV
  • 5 God’s love can be reciprocated with praise from a contrite heart and broken spirit.

David penned some of the greatest pieces of praise and lament in the Psalms. Surely his creativity and passion were fueled by his humility and repentance. For me, those plaque disclosing tablets taught me a valuable lesson. I saw my failure in dental hygiene and was able to take corrective action before I lost some of my teeth due to my own negligence. Sometimes I wish there were sin-revealing tablets to reveal my hidden sins. It is far too easy to become blind to my own moral failings. It is far too easy to become hard-hearted towards sin.

The good news is God loves me too much to allow me to remain in ignorance. He has provided the Holy Spirit to help me shine a light into every part of my heart and soul. On a regular basis, God calls me to do an inventory of my soul and root out sin.

Reading back through a repentance psalm like 51 gives me an opportunity to prayerfully consider what I might need to confess. Other penitential psalms to consider reading and praying through are Psalms 6, 31, 37, and 101.

Ultimately God’s love provides a pathway to reveal our sin. God’s generous provision through Jesus makes a way for reconciliation and renewal.