For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. – Psalm 100:5

Today's Scripture Reading (August 23, 2022): Psalm 100

I used to play golf if what I used to do could be termed playing golf. Now I lack the time and the money to pursue the sport. And to a certain extent, I also lack the motivation to play. The problem with golf is that it is a sport you must be regularly involved in to get better at it. That principle applies to almost every aspect of our lives, but the results are possibly a little more apparent in the game of golf. There was a time when I tried to get out on the golf course a few times a week. When I could play that regularly, I felt that I was improving. But as soon as I could not maintain that level of commitment to the game, my golf proficiency almost immediately began to slide backward.

The secret to the game of golf is actually consistency. And that little secret is also why the game can be so frustrating. When I was playing well, I can remember stretches when I would be able to play a few holes of golf under par. But then, seemingly without reason, my game would deteriorate. Suddenly, my drives were no longer hitting the fairway, my chips were missing the green, and my putts never went toward that hole at which I was aiming. Far from the pars and birdies that I had started the game with, it was now a good thing if I could even bogey a hole, and often even that task was simply out of reach. But the nagging feeling remained, I could really be good at this game if I could only find a way to be more consistent.

The Psalmist clearly places a note of thanksgiving in this psalm because "God is good." What that little word "good" really means is that God is "consistent." He works out of a character that never changes. As much as we might want to argue otherwise, what God views as right, he has always declared right. And what he despises, he has always despised. The Psalmist follows up the idea of the consistency of God with an example – "his love endures forever." Because God is consistent, and one of the key areas of this consistency is found in his love, his love can be applied to us in every circumstance and every time. It does not matter in the eyes of God what has transpired before. Israel may have wandered away from God, but God had never walked away from Israel, and God had never stopped loving the nation he had chosen to use as his messengers to the human race. The promise that God made to Abraham was still in force.

It is a promise that we need to recognize today. If we serve a good or a consistent God, he still loves the people of his promise. Israel still stands in his favor, as do the descendants of Ishmael and, by faith and adoption, the Christian Church. All of us stand in dependence on the goodness and consistency of God. As a result of this consistency, we stand in the knowledge that his love truly does endure forever. And God will be faithful and consistent throughout the generations.

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalm 102

See also Psalm 118:1

The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. – Psalm 98:2

Today's Scripture Reading (August 22, 2022): Psalms 98 & 99

After a membership service, a new church member came up to me and asked if his membership would get him into the secret areas of the church. I smiled and asked where exactly he would like me to take him. I thought maybe the furnace room was probably about the only space in the church that he hadn't already visited.

I have always been intrigued by the idea of secrets within the Christian Church. Maybe it is secret rooms where the uninitiated are not allowed to go. Or secret messages that are hidden within the Christian art that has been produced over the centuries. Others preach a message that there are secrets hidden within the text of the Bible itself. Some have advocated that if we take only certain letters while skipping others, we can find secret messages that will tell us the real purpose of the biblical record and maybe discover riches that only the possessor of these secrets can find. And with computers, it has become easier and easier to search for those secrets.

And the idea of secrets extends beyond our churches. Secret societies exist, complete with secret handshakes by which members can identify each other. And the higher you climb in these organizations, the more of the society's secrets you are allowed to know.

Some religious organizations believe that you need to know certain secret code words if you want to get through seven gates on your way to heaven. By attending the church and gaining ground in the hierarchy, you can find out what those words are so that you will be ready for the challenges you will face after you die. A friend of mine was a gatekeeper at the Mormon Temple. Her job was to ensure that only certain people could access the secret places within the building.

Maybe it is exotic to believe that secrets can be obtained through gaining knowledge or attaining a position where the secrets of an organization could be revealed to us. And, for some reason, knowing a secret gives up power over those who don't know.

Except, that is not the biblical message. The Psalmist says God has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. What God needs us to know is not hidden in the pages of the Bible, attainable by only reading certain letters on the page. His desire for his creation has not been placed into the hands of secret societies to be revealed only to those who attain a high enough leadership level. No code words are needed to get us into heaven that will only be disclosed to the righteous. Everything that we need to know has been made known to those willing to listen.  

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalm 100

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. – Psalm 97:5

Today's Scripture Reading (August 21, 2022): Psalm 97

K2 is a mountain that exists in the Karakoram range. K2 is found on the border of Pakistan and China, with the mountain located partially in both countries. It gets its name from a notation on the Great Trigonometrical Survey of British India; a project started in 1802 to survey the Indian subcontinent with scientific precision. Thomas Montgomery had explored the Karakorum mountain range from Mount Haramukh about 200 km to the South of K2. He had labeled the two most prominent peaks as K1 and K2 (for Karakoram 1 and Karakoram 2). K1 was later renamed or became associated with the name Masherbrum because that was the local name of the mountain. But K2 continued to be identified by the name K2. The problem was that we normally call the mountains whatever the locals call the mountain, which was why K1 had been renamed Masherbrum. We don't rename mountains that already have a local name. But K2 seemed to be an unknown mountain. The mountain was not visible from either the closest town or the closest spot visited by humans. Because it didn't have a local name, Mount Godwin-Austen was suggested for the mountain, naming it after an early explorer in the region, Henry Godwin-Austen. But the name didn't take, and so it has remained K2.

K2 is not the highest mountain in the world; although it is the second highest after Mount Everest, it is considered the toughest mountain to climb. Only a few people have made it to the summit, and the first climbers to make it to the summit of the mountain were Italians Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagni in 1954. K2 was the last 8,000+ meter peak to be summitted in the winter in 2021, and it is the only 8,000+ meter mountain to have never been summitted from the east side of the mountain. Even today, K2 is simply a tough mountain to climb   

Mountains have long been an irresistible challenge to human adventurers. Throughout history, many lives have been lost trying to defeat the mountains of the earth. And yet we still try. But that is not a problem for God. We might not be able to conquer the mountains easily, but they melt in the presence of our God. Charles Spurgeon sums up this thought with these words.

"Men cannot move the hills, with difficulty do they climb them, with incredible toil do they pierce their way through their fastnesses, but it is not so with the Lord, his presence makes a clear pathway, obstacles disappear, a highway is made, and that not by his hand as though it cost him pains, but by his mere presence, for power goes forth from him with a word or a glance" (Charles Spurgeon).

That last phrase is the important one. The mountains melt before the presence of God because power goes forth from him with a word or glance. And sometimes, even that is not needed. The power exudes from God because that is part of who he is. The Psalmist knew that nothing could defeat him as long as God's presence was with him. It is only when we have driven the presence of God away from us that we can be defeated by the enemy

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalms 98 & 99

They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless. – Psalm 94:6

Today's Scripture Reading (August 20, 2022): Psalms 94

A friend of mine sent me a Facebook quote; "If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." The quote was placed on a background that included a great picture of Morgan Freeman, suggesting that this might have been a Freeman quote. Ah, but this is Facebook. The quote was actually written by the famed "Harry Potter" author, J. K. Rowling.

I have to admit that I do have some issues with the quote. My biggest problem is that the quote assumes a hierarchy of importance that I am not sure exists. The concept that Rowling is more important than the person who cleans her house doesn't sit well with me. In the wake of the attack on author Salmon Rushdie, the follow-up threat that J. K. Rowling is next also bothered me. I'm afraid I have to disagree with many writers, but I do not want to kill them. I am in the process of clearing out some of my books, and I admit that there are authors in my library with whom I have serious disagreements, but I also don't want to get rid of their books just because I might oppose their ideas. Conflicting ideas should empower conversation, not a judgment on who is worthy of living and who is not.

The Bible suggests a radical equality. It emphasizes the idea that we are all equal of being worthy of life and the chance to live out our dreams. Concepts can't take that away from us. And neither can any of the circumstances that might take place in our lives. The only thing that should diminish our worth is when we do something that doesn't recognize the value of other people. Regardless of whether I agree with the ideas that Salmon Rushdie has put forth, the one who repeatedly stabbed the author is the one who has diminished his own value in the view of society. Rushdie, as a victim, has not been reduced in any way by the attack.

And that is precisely the point that Psalmist tries to make in this passage. The foreigners, widows, and fatherless were vulnerable to those who believed they possessed power. They were often misused, persecuted, cheated, and in some cases, as this Psalm argues, they were put to death. All because someone deemed them to be inferior. But in the eyes of God, they were just as valuable as the ones who had attacked them. And maybe more importantly, because the attackers had maligned and misused those valued by God, it is the attacker whose value has been diminished, regardless of whatever power and authority the attacker might believe that they possess

It is a warning that we all need to hear. We must value those the world believes to be inferior because their Creator values them more than we understand. It was something that Jesus taught to anyone who would listen to his words. "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). And Rowling is right as well, "If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." They know deep down that even these people, the least of these, are our equals and not our inferiors.

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalms 97

You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; fine oils have been poured on me. – Psalm 92:10

Today's Scripture Reading (August 19, 2022): Psalms 92 & 93

I love to watch hockey. I enjoyed playing the game when I was younger, although I was never much of a skater. And every year, as General Managers in various leagues try to put their teams together, there is an ongoing argument about the value of speed and agility versus the value of size and strength. Most understand that you cannot win without speed, but they are sure that no team can win without strength, at least not in the full-contact version of the game. Fast, smaller players have a place in the game, but size and strength also need to be present. In fact, the last few National Hockey League teams who have won the Stanley Cup, hockey's highest trophy, have been among the biggest teams in the league.

The same is true with American Football, the other sport I like to watch. Over the past few decades, even the Quarterbacks in the league have gotten steadily stronger and bigger. Some of the great quarterbacks of the past might not even be able to make the rosters of today's teams because they were simply too small. A small, quick running back might be an advantage for an American football club, but only if they have a group of friendly giants holding the line in front of them. Strength is necessary for the ultimate victory of the team.

In ancient times, the horn symbolized strength, but it also performed a second duty. The same horn that symbolized strength also dispensed the oils necessary in the process of anointing. The Psalmist takes advantage of both of these ideas in this passage. He speaks from the reality of God's presence in his life and understands that God has given him the strength of a wild ox, an animal known for its strength and ferocity. But this strength has been poured out on him as God has anointed him. In contemporary times, we might believe that strength and maybe stubbornness are connected to the ox, but in ancient times, the ox had the ferociousness that we might attribute to a lion.

In some Christian circles, we talk about the "anointing of the Holy Spirit which is poured out on us." The language is connected with the prophecy in Joel, which is the language of anointing. Anointing was necessary because it was thought to bring with it God's presence, power, and authority.

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days (Joel 2:29)

Again, Joel is employing the language of anointing, which is available to all people. Charles Spurgeon, in his Commentary on Psalms, makes this remark.

Sometimes, when we meet with believers who are full of grace, full of patience, full of courage, full of zeal, full of love, we say, 'I can never get where they are.' Yes, we can, for we shall be anointed with fresh oil, and if we obtain fresh grace there is no place of eminence we cannot reach" (Charles Spurgeon).

I agree that with God's strength and anointing, we can be the Christians we never thought we could be. His true anointing changes who we are, and that anointing is the source of the strength of an ox in our lives. And we need to cling securely to that knowledge.

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalms 94

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 71:18

Today's Scripture Reading (August 18, 2022): Psalm 71

In May 1990, my first grandparent died. My dad's father fell off a ladder and bled into the base of his brain. At the time of his death, he was a healthy man in his early seventies. His death was sudden and completely unexpected. And it was the first time that I had experienced the passing of a close family member.

Of course, it wouldn't be the last. Just over a decade later, my maternal grandfather died. Then came the death of my wife's parents. Then the first of my grandmother's passed away at age 104. And then we mourned the loss of my brother-in-law, Ken. I still have one grandmother, my mom's mom, left, and she is 107. With the death of those close to me, I mourn almost more than anything else the loss of their stories. Every one of my lost loved ones has been a storyteller on some level, with my grandfathers possibly being the best. And yes, I heard some of the same stories over and over again, but that was okay. Because when the day came, those stories would be lost unless I knew them well, good enough to be able to tell the stories to my children and grandchildren. And I have to admit that on days like today, I wish that I could sit with my grandfathers and hear them tell those same old stories one more time.

I find that we sometimes have a short attention span when it comes to what the seniors around us have to say. It is almost as if we believe something that happened a few decades ago couldn't possibly impact our lives today. If we believe that, then we are mistaken. We need to be willing to sit with our elders and just listen to their stories; we need to hear everything they want to tell us.

The Psalmist has a simple request of his God. As he grows older, he wants God to protect his life or not let him die until his task is complete. That means he wants to live until all the God stories he has accumulated in his life have been told. The Psalmist doesn't want the mighty acts of God to be lost in the pages of history. He knows that he has God stories that need to be told.

But it is more than that; telling the story is only half the equation. The other part of the equation is that you have an audience willing to listen. And that includes me. Actually, it is only when we are very young that we are strictly the listeners in this equation. For the rest of our lives, we exist in a balance where we are both the storyteller and the listener. We tell God's stories and listen to the tales God has placed in others. But this whole process depends on having someone willing to listen and on those with a God story to tell. I am lucky because I have both of these people in my life. And yes, sometimes I hear or even tell the same stories repeatedly. But that is okay because all of our stories are important and need to be told, even if it is told repeatedly.   

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalms 92 & 93

May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. – Psalm 67:4

Today's Scripture Reading (August 17, 2022): Psalms 66 & 67

Renowned American feminist journalist and social political activist Gloria Steinem argued, "A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men." By that definition, I am a feminist, but don't expect me to use "people-kind" or "she-cession" following in the footsteps of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. And sometimes, I slip up and use mankind or some other male-dominated word. However, I would argue that we are the ones who have distorted the meaning of man. Genesis 1 clearly states that God created man (literally Adam) male and female (Genesis 1:27). Women have as much right to the words "man" and "Adam" as the male examples of the species. The words originally seem to have meant human rather than male.

Paul seems to have also been a feminist, although he gave space for his male-dominated society. I believe what we see in Paul's writings as support for the idea that women are to follow their male counterparts is actually a concession to cultural understanding. Any other statement would have been ridiculed in first-century society. But it was not what Paul believed in his inner being. Paul states what he clearly believes in his letter to the Galatians. "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). His words seem to support the poetic ideal of Genesis 1 when God declares that he has made man (Adam) male and female.

The Psalmist asserts that kind of radical equality of people in his Psalm. No, he was probably not talking about equality of the sexes, but rather an equality between all people, which might have been an even more radical thought; that the Jew and Gentile were equal. The Jews refused to even eat with people not of their religion, yet the Psalmist insists that there is equity in how God views us. No one has an advantage over the other. And that is an extreme thought.

If you read this verse in the Jing James Version, you might notice that the word translated equity here is translated righteously there, but the underlying thought is that God judges us on a level plain. No one, regardless of their nationality or gender or any other way that we like to separate people, has an advantage. No one has the higher ground in any way. Everyone you meet today, in the eyes of God, is your equal.

Unfortunately, that is not a truth that we readily believe. Too often, we think that God follows some kind of hierarchy. But if that hierarchy exists, it is based on the concept that God expects more from his children than those estranged from him, not less.

In God and Jesus, people have radical equality: we all live on the same level plain, and everyone benefits from God's mercy and judgments. 

 Today's Scripture Reading: Psalm 71