You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. – Psalm 85:2

Today's Scripture Reading (September 19, 2025): Psalm 85

On July 18, 2025, the progressive rock band "Styx" released their eighteenth studio album, "Circling from Above." "Circling from Above" was the first time that Will Evankovich and Terry Gowan, the brother of "Styx" keyboardist Lawrence Gowan, were featured as full-time members of the band. The reaction of the critics seems to be generally positive about the new Album. They praise the Album's "rich musicality" as well as its "thematic depth." "Circling from Above" seems to both take another step on the journey the band has been on for decades, while remaining true to the band's roots.

I've been a big Styx fan since the early 1970s, and I had July 18, 2025, circled on my calendar. However, I was on vacation in July and the days often seemed to blend in with each other; as a result, I didn't listen to the Album until July 19. (I had heard the lead single from the Album, "Build and Destroy," when it was released in June.) I hope the band will forgive me for my tardiness.

I love the Album, but the one track that caught me a little off guard was "Forgive." Let me explain. There has been a lot of conversation in the Styxverse about the possibility of the band going back to its original lineup. Now, a complete return to the original lineup would be impossible. Styx's original drummer, John Panozo, passed away from gastrointestinal hemorrhaging and cirrhosis in 1996. Chuck Panozo, the original bass player, continues to play with the band from time to time, but health issues curtail his full involvement. But the real intent of going back to the original band points to the acceptance of keyboard player and vocalist Dennis DeYoung back into the fold. For his part, DeYoung says that he is ready to return, but the band isn't quite as sure. James (JY) Young has argued in the past, when asked about DeYoung's return to Styx, that "the band is crazy, but it's not stupid. Neither JY nor Tommy Shaw seems ready to invite their former bandmate back.

Maybe I need to make my bias clear here. I loved Dennis DeYoung when he was in the band. However, I am also a massive fan of his replacement, Lawrence Gowan, and was a fan of Gowan, as he is affectionately known in Canada, even before he became part of Styx. I have also said publicly that even though I like DeYoung, I think Gowan was an upgrade. As a result, I'm unsure whether I am cheering a reunion with DeYoung, especially if it means Gowan is out.

Enter the song "Forgive." The song's subject is described in the Title. I like the way that the lyrics treat Forgiveness as a very complex subject. The lyrics to the chorus say;

Did the sun ever shine so bright as you and I?
Oh, why did we toss the fight?
I'll keep saying I forgive you,
Please forgive me too, 'til the day that it's true.

I have no idea what Gowan and Will Evankovich were thinking when they penned the tune, but I can't help but wonder if maybe there was a subconscious desire for their bandmates to forgive DeYoung, if they feel they haven't. I love the concept of forgiving someone until "the day that it's true." Of course, Styx can forgive DeYoung and still not want to reunite.

I keep hearing people say, "I can't forgive this person." And I get it, but maybe we need to take this page from Styx and say, "I am going to actively forgive you until the day that it is true."

We don't forgive just because it is the kind thing to do. We forgive because that is what God modeled for us. He forgave everything we had done to break our relationship with him, which, for most of us, is a lot. And as a result, we forgive the wrongs that are done against us. Is it a challenging task? Yes, which is why it is so vital to keep forgiving them until the day that it's true.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 87 & 88

They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. – Psalm 84:7

Today's Scripture Reading (September 18, 2025): Psalm 84

British inspirational speaker and writer, Marcus Buckingham, makes the argument that "you will excel only by maximizing your strengths, never by fixing your weaknesses" (Marcus Buckingham). I have listened to Buckingham speak and read some of his books, and I have made the journey to agreeing with him. The problem is that that is not how we live. It seems counterintuitive to invest effort in areas where we are already strong, while essentially ignoring the places where we are weak. Personal improvement always seems to mean strengthening our weaknesses.

However, Buckingham strongly maintains that by working on our weaknesses, the best we can hope for is that we can be average. But if we take the effort that we might spend on our weaknesses to make them average, and place that same effort into areas where we are already strong, then we might be able to excel at something. I believe that if we want to make a difference in our world, we need to try to spend our time in areas where we are strong. And when we understand where we are strong, then hopefully we can gather people around us who can help us where we are weak.

David might also agree with Buckingham. In Psalm 84, he says that "Blessed are those whose strength is in you" (Psalm 84:5). And one of the pieces of evidence of this blessedness is that this person goes "from strength to strength." They excel at what they do, trying to keep in the sweet spot of their personality, with the help of God, who has given us those strengths. When our strength is in God, he helps us function in the areas where we are personally strong.

It goes against the way most of our lives work. We often begin the process with our strengths, but as the journey continues, we transition to our weaknesses, trying to become better in the areas where we are weak. However, spending time in areas where we are weaker often leads to premature fatigue. But if we are following the plan that God has for our journey, we will move from strength to strength, delaying the onset of fatigue.

For the church, this is an essential concept. God has brought us together in community. We all have different strengths, but together, working in our strengths, God can change our communities, making the church an unstoppable force of God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 85

We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. – Psalm 44:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 17, 2025): Psalm 44

I am lucky. In my library, which is getting smaller as I cull books that don't bring me joy, I have sermons that were written by my Great-Grandfather, Hallett Mullen, a man who died a couple of years before I was born. I also have writings from my Grandmother, and a family history that was written by someone on my maternal Grandmother's side of the family tree. I also possess recordings of my paternal Grandfather singing, along with recordings from a Great Uncle and my Great Grandparents. One of my regrets is that I never had the chance to sing and play with my Grandfather. Maybe I can make up for it by playing in a worship band with two of my grandsons. William (drums) and Henry (guitar) are young, but they are also becoming good, solid musicians, and I am excited to see where their talent will take them in the future.

Among the treasures is also a recorded testimony of my Grandfather and what God had done in his life. Along with memories of things that he has said over the years in various situations, I have some solid memories from the generations that have gone before. I remember my Grandfather, a professional singer, telling me that he didn't see what he did as a concert. He was uncomfortable standing on a stage, surrounded by his fans (I am sure that is not what grandpa would call them), singing like Bing Crosby or Dean Martin. (My Grandfather did pattern his voice after Bing, and I still hear grandpa singing whenever I hear Bing, something that often happens around Christmas time.) He regarded himself as more of an Ed McMahon setting up for his version of Johnny Carson. I know that he had a few favorite speakers with whom he loved to work.

David says that he has heard of the legacy of God with his own ears; that the legacy has been passed down through the generations to him. I think David is speaking of an oral tradition that we miss in our culture. I am thankful for what I have, but I wish it were more of a normal situation. David heard the stories of God from his Father, Jesse. Perhaps David, like me, had heard God stories from his Grandfather, Obed. Obed, in turn, would have heard the tales of God from his Father, Boaz, a significant figure in the story of Ruth.

Today, I think we often believe that we know more than the generations that went before us. And in some areas we do, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't open our ears and listen to their stories. We need these stories. We need to hear the stories about how God moved in the lives of those who lived in the days before we existed. These stories need to be passed down to future generations, so that we can echo the words of David and say that we, too, have heard the stories of what God did in the days of our ancestors.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 84

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. – Psalm 43:4

Today's Scripture Reading (September 16, 2025): Psalm 43

Martin Luther King reminded us that "human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable … Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." The status quo too easily influences us. We want things to remain the same. Even inside the church, we seem only to want to grab onto what is familiar. I have been reminded in the past, and in many ways, of the dangers of bringing uncomfortable ideas inside the church, even when I am sure that the ideas are straight from the throne of God. There seems to be a list of things that we don't really want to hear. We don't want to hear that God wants us to love our Muslim brothers and sisters, even if Jesus did tell us to love our enemies and pray for those who might wish to persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Our stance seems to be, "Come Holy Spirit, just don't challenge me by your presence." Or as one parishioner put it, "Jesus is welcome in my church as long as he doesn't do anything weird." Come, Lord, but don't ask me to sacrifice the things that I think are important.

Psalm 43 is a short prayer for vindication. The psalmist has faced the struggle and needs to be rescued from his enemies. And when he is rescued, he promises that he will go to the altar of God with a song of joy in his heart and on his lips. But what is sometimes so easy to miss is that the altar is actually a place of sacrifice. It always has been. In the tradition I grew up in, we would make that long walk from where we sat to the altar railing at the front of the church whenever we felt God calling us to change. There we knelt and prayed, or we lifted up a song of thanksgiving, but the idea was always that we had come to a place of sacrifice. I do not agree with everything that the Hindu teacher Sathya Sai Baba wrote. Still, he did remind us that "Life is a sacrifice … offer it." (The full quote of Sathya Sai Baba, who believed that he was the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, is "Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it." I am not sure that I would want to correct him on any of these assertions.)  But life really is a sacrifice, and I believe that the psalmist understood that. If he came through this trial, he would sing his praise at the altar because his life remained forfeit to his God. His life was on the altar, and God could do whatever he desired with it.

The apostle Paul wrote what I think is a New Testament equivalent to this Psalm. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatian 2:20). I have laid down my life in sacrifice at the altar; I have offered my life to my God. He is the One who has chosen to pick it up once again, not me. And to him, my life, every portion of it, is dedicated. And that dedication is with joy, delight, and praise.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 44

Originally Published on May 18, 2016

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? – Psalm 42:2

Today's Scripture Reading (September 15, 2025): Psalm 42

I met my wife at college. Both of us were from places that were almost half a continent away from the college, so we both lived in the dorm. However, when summer came, it meant we were going home to places thousands of kilometers away from each other. Actually, at the beginning of the summer, Nelda was on tour with a musical group before she made her way home; I, on the other hand, just went home. Later in the summer, I made plans to go and visit her at her home. We hadn't seen each other for a couple of months, which made our reunion all the more exciting.

I was making the trip to her home by car, which meant taking a ferry from the mainland to the island where her family lived. However, the night before I was scheduled to make the trip, I couldn't sleep. I just wanted to see Nelda. So, in the middle of the night, I got up and dressed, packed my car, and left for the West Coast.

Most of us know what that kind of anticipation is like. We are so excited for something that it consumes us, and we just can't wait. Sometimes, a painful wait is all that we can do. In those moments, a poet might look at us and say that we are hungry or thirsty for something. There is a very real difference between those two states, and hungering for something might be the better description. Hunger is painful, but the reality is that you can survive for a significant period of time without eating. Several years ago, a friend recommended a movie to me about the life of adventurer Chris McCandless. It was my friend's favorite movie, but I have to admit that I found the life of McCandless depressing. If you aren't acquainted with the end of the McCandless story, he dies of starvation, although it seems McCandless believed that he had accidentally poisoned himself. Experts believe that McCandless died of hunger sometime in August 1992 at the age of 24, even though he was eating; the problem was that he wasn't eating enough.

Dying of thirst is also painful, but it happens more quickly. The body can go without food, or in the McCandless example, without enough food, for weeks. But thirst will kill us in a matter of a few days. Charles Spurgeon (1834 – 1892) adds this thought: the use of the word thirst reveals an even more urgent need, "Which is more than hungering; hunger you can palliate [alleviate], but thirst is awful, insatiable, clamorous, [and] deadly" (Charles Spurgeon).

David says that his desire for God is like a thirst. His passion is insatiable, and all he wants is to find a place where he can commune with God. It is a longing that we all should share, never getting enough of God and always wanting more. Like a thirst, we should always seek God, knowing that we need his presence on a daily basis. Time spent without God can only weaken us and leaves us closer to death.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 43

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. – Psalm 145:8

Today's Scripture Reading (September 14, 2025): Psalm 145

The American philosopher and writer Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) argued, "A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you." We are lucky if we can share our lives with someone like that. I know that I have been one of those fortunate individuals. I have several people who know me well, beginning with my wife and family; I have given them many reasons not to love me, yet they still do. And I hope I return that kind of love to them because there is excellent security in knowing that someone loves you despite all you have done. These are people who understand that love was never designed to be conditional on behavior; rather, it is meant to be shared in all circumstances. I want to be that kind of person. Maybe that is the definition of true love. Love is never something we earn, but something that is freely given to us, despite what we might have done.

I have been criticized for reading the Bible through the lens of love. I admit that I possess that bias. I do believe that love is an essential factor in understanding God. Sometimes we have the mistaken opinion that love is only promoted through the pages of the Christian or New Testament. However, even a superficial reading of the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, repeatedly reveals a God of love. Yes, the God of the Tanakh is a God of righteousness and justice. But, according to the Bible, before he is either one of those things, he is a God of love. Sometimes there is anger in God, but the anger comes slowly, long after multiple attempts of grace and mercy have been extended to us.

David had experienced the love of God. He understood God's anger, but despite his shortcomings, he knew that God still loved him. His sins, even though they were great, had never grown to the point where God had removed his love. There was a difference between the love David had experienced from God and the ways humans treated him. People often excel at wrath, keeping the argument going, and parceling out their love to those whom they think deserve it. But nothing about this human response reveals God's unconditional love.

I aspire to God's kind of unconditional love, giving up my grievances, and loving those around me. I want the feuds to stop at my door. Like David, I pray that I will somehow be able to love those who don't like me, loving even those who criticize the doctrine of love through which I read my Bible. I want God to reshape me, help me love those who disagree with me, and pray for them without reservation, knowing that God loves them as much as he loves me. The world would be a much better place if we could learn to live that kind of love.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 42

See also Psalm 103:8

LORD, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? – Psalm 144:3

Today's Scripture Reading (September 13, 2025): Psalm 144

I live on an anthill. Okay, maybe that is an overstatement, but sometimes it feels like the whole city is built on an anthill; I mean, ants seem to be everywhere. I remember camping as a teenager and stumbling upon what was probably the most enormous anthill I had ever seen. The hill had to be at least four or five feet high, and of course, that was just the portion of the ant complex that was above ground. Someone decided the hill was a problem and tackled it with a shovel. It was the wrong thing to do. The ants were everywhere, attacking and biting everything in the area, including their human victims. I've never seen so many ants in one location.

As I said, I think I live on an anthill. However, I take very little notice of the small insects. The only time I really see them is when they're somewhere I don't want them to be, they are present in huge numbers, or during that time of year when flying ants break out of the ground and seem to take hold and cover the trees in my yard. Ants are simply ever-present, but as long as they are not inside the house and are in small numbers outside in my yard, they are tolerated. I probably don't even know they are present in my lawn unless I begin to see the gentle rise of an anthill. Ants just aren't all that important to me.

A while back, my grandson built a science experiment that we've probably all tried at one time or another. The idea is to put some ants and dirt under glass and watch these industrious bugs build a home in the modified ant hill. As he showed it to me, my biggest concern was that he was careful enough to prevent the ants from getting loose inside the house.

David asks a question that a lot of us ask. God, who are we that you would take notice of us? Who are we, this fragile species we call humanity, that you would take care of us? It is an ancient question, and it is more common than we might think. Many of the people that we might call the founding fathers of the continent we call North America, at least in the United States and Canada, were Deists. What that meant was that they believed in a God who created the world, but not in a personal God who continues to lead his people. These men, and yes, they were all men, believed that God created the world and then walked away from his creation. Everything that has happened since has happened by chance because God is too big and complex to care what we, who are like ants to him, are doing.

That wasn't the God that David knew. David knew a God who had created the world and then stuck around to help his creation. David had experienced that help, even if he didn't understand why God would take notice of him. As far as David was concerned, God was as far above him as the King of Israel was above an ant. The king didn't notice the ants of his kingdom, so why did God notice him?

It is an unanswerable question, and yet, David understood that he served a personal God. One who heard his prayers, chastised him for his sin, and helped him when he was in trouble. He served a God who was proud of him when he did good, and cared for and thought of him often. A God who loves us, just as he loved David; as for why, maybe we can ask that question at the end of time when we get to come into his presence.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 145

LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. – Psalm 143:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 12, 2025): Psalm 143

I admit that I love adventure movies. I will watch "Indiana Jones" movies as long as Hollywood is willing to make them. I miss Bruce Willis as he suffers through the effects of dementia and aphasia, but I try to find time to watch "Die Hard" one and two every Christmas. And some years, I admit that I keep watching until all the "Die Hard" movies have been watched one more time. When I read, some of my favorite novels. Decades ago, I discovered the writing of H. Rider Haggard (1856-1925), and I especially enjoy his Allan Quartermain novels beginning with "King Solomon's Mines." Of course, there are some more contemporary authors that I love to read when I can find some downtime, such as Nelson DeMille and J. Robert Kennedy, especially the series that features fictional archeologist James Acton, who is an Indiana Jones-like character, except maybe that Acton, through his wife, who shares in his adventures, is wealthy.

However, I am not sure that anyone's life could be filled with all of the adventures that James Acton or even Indian Jones undertakes. It is exciting to watch or read about their adventures, but in real life, it would be overwhelming. Having said that, some people seem to handle more adventure in real life than I can find. Maybe that is why I enjoy action novels and movies.

David's life seemed to be filled with adventure. Sometimes it seemed that Israel's Poet King ran from the conclusion of one adventure into the beginning of the next. It also meant that David was continually in trouble. Yeah, some of it was his own fault, but the nonstop adventures of King David suggest that there were ample chances for David to cry out to God for help. So, often, we really don't know what the situation is, only that David has found himself in another situation where only the hand of God could save him. So, he prays, asking God for mercy and relief.

This verse is a good example of the Jewish poetic dualism; David rephrases the same idea with different words. It is found in the concept of God hearing David's prayer and listening to his cry. It is also found in the idea that David is asking for God's mercy and for relief. The repetition is an element of Jewish poetic writing.

However, we can't lose sight of the fact that David required help from God, and he was willing to write down his request, so that thousands of years later, we can read the King's prayer, understand that David went through times of trouble just as we do, and we know that God was willing to honor David's request.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 144

Rescue me, LORD, from evildoers; protect me from the violent. – Psalm 140:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 11, 2025): Psalm 140 & 141

When I was young, one of the passages of Scripture that I memorized was "The Lord's Prayer." The prayer, as I recited it then, was

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Of course, since then, I have been confronted with problems in the passage. The most obvious is that the last phrase of the prayer (For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.) is missing from most modern translations. It seems overwhelmingly likely that some enterprising scribe added the closing words of the prayer during the early days of the Christian Church. It is also probable that these words were used in the liturgy of the early church and then added to the text.

But another change is in the phrase "but deliver us from evil." The New International Version uses the phrase "but deliver us from the evil one." Is it protection from a more generic evil that Jesus was telling us to pray for, or was it something more personal, something Jesus calls "the evil one."

Psalm 140 presents us with a similar question, but this time in reverse. The Hebrew transliteration of the phrase is ra adam, which the New International Version translates as "evil doers." So, the Psalm begins with "Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers," a very familiar phrase to Matthew's "but deliver us from evil." However, ra adam literally translates to "bad man." Maybe it is not surprising that the King James Version of the passage translates it as "Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man."

Which is it, maybe both, or perhaps it is to be left up to us to decide. But whether it is a general evil or Satan, or even just a bad man, there is no doubt that we need both protection and deliverance from evil, the one who brings evil, and the bad man.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 142

You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. – Psalm 139:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 10, 2025): Psalm 138 & 139

Several decades ago, it became a fad for young women in their teens to begin praying for the one that God had chosen for them to marry. It started with girls, but quickly spread to the boys. Soon, young Christian men and women were praying that God would reveal to them the one that he had created just for them. They prayed prayers of protection over their future mates and imagined those same future mates kneeling beside their beds, praying for them. It was a beautiful scene; who could argue that this must be the way God worked in our world?

It is still happening. Young Christian men and women pray for the one that God has prepared for them. And then, sometimes, old, unromantic codgers like me stand up and argue that that isn't the way God works. Actually, the problem is that a number of these men and women have actually found the one that God had prepared for them, and for a while, everything went well. But then, life entered the relationship. The job demanded long hours. Children entered the relationship and made demands on time and money. And speaking of money, there never seemed to be enough to go around. The romance that had once existed between these two Christian young people now had to fight with other problems to survive.

Then someone else entered the situation. She was pretty and carefree. He seemed to pay attention to her the way her husband used to. Soon, a relationship begins. In the beginning, it is innocent and fun. But it raises questions. If I am married to the one God prepared for me, then why do I feel this way about another person, and why do they seem to share those same feelings about me? It doesn't take long for the answer to arise. I rushed into my marriage. My husband/wife is not the one God prepared for me. This new person is. How could I have been so stupid? How could things be fixed? Surely, God wouldn't want me to stay in my marriage with the wrong person. God would approve of a divorce if it brought me into a relationship with that special one that He has prepared for me. So, that is what they decide to do—a divorce, a new relationship, and a marriage to the one. And the cycle starts over again.

The problem is our belief in the one. I think it's more realistic to say that God has created a thousand people I could be happy with, but I have chosen my wife. I also believe that is a much more romantic idea. And later, when that other one comes up, we can smile and say, "Yes, I could be happy with you, but I know that I have already made my choice before God." I have chosen my "one."

Are you ready for a surprise? I am uncomfortable with the "omni" picture of God that we often think of as one of the main characteristics of God. I am not sure that God knows everything. I believe our ability to choose means that there are some things that God does not know, and there are ways that we can still surprise him, both good and bad, by the things that we do.

Notice what David doesn't say as he opens Psalm 139. He doesn't say, Lord, You know everything. He says, "You have searched me and know me." You know me as I was, and you know me as I am. And as I grow older, you will know who I am becoming. And that is enough. And as for our mates, well, I know that you know them too. And that you have honored our choices as we continue in our relationships, as long as those relationships continue to honor you.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 140 & 141

My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. – Psalm 131:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 9, 2025): Psalm 131, 133, & 134

Several years ago, I signed off on a communication to a denominational official, stating that the argument within the writing was "beyond my pay grade." I was presenting an argument against the eviction of specific churches within the Church Association, recognizing that the broader argument was beyond my responsibility to the denomination. My point was that I was willing to admit that I didn't hold the solution to the problem at hand. However, I didn't believe that those who were bringing the accusations had the answer either, nor that the best course of action was to remove the offending churches. It was "beyond all of our pay grades." The denominational official wrote back, echoing my last thought; he said the problem was beyond his pay grade as well.

I believe that the prime purpose of the church was given to us by Jesus at the Last Supper. No, it wasn't the celebration of communion or mass, but it was shown later in the discussion that Jesus had with the Apostles. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." It doesn't matter what you do; Jesus says that we are to love one another. For me, that means we don't try to evict others from our fellowships; that eviction doesn't seem like an action of love. I believe in a Big Tent; there is room for a lot of the differences between those of us who believe that Jesus is Lord.

But let me go a step further. There are other things that we need to do. We need to understand what God means when he speaks of righteousness. We need to know how God expects us to live. Issues like homosexuality and abortion are not going away in the near future. We have to deal with the inequities of life in this world in which we love. All of which means that we have a lot of work to do.

However, first we have to learn to love. When we have perfected what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves, when we have begun to love with a Good Samaritan kind of love, when we have started to really show what it is like to love our enemies; when all of these love problems have been dealt with, then and only then, can we graduate to all of the other issues that spiritually mar our society. However, I have to admit that I think we will find, once we have mastered love, that these other things won't seem as important as we once thought.

David admits that his heart is not proud and his eyes are not haughty. It is a statement that I cannot make, although I wish I could. I believe that what David states is what God wants me to be, but I still have work to do. David confirms that he desires to leave those things that are beyond his pay grade up to God.

Like David, we need to leave the significant matters alone until we learn to truly love ourselves, those who share our beliefs, and those who disagree with us. Don't worry. When we get finished, David's "great matters" and "things too wonderful" will still be there. But we will be in a better place, having learned to love so we can deal with the "great matters" of life.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 138 & 139

LORD, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. – Psalm 125:4-5

Today's Scripture Reading (September 8, 2025): Psalm 124 & 125

Social media has become a breeding ground for division. We seem to find ourselves increasingly isolated from people who disagree with us. And we seem to see evil more and more in the face of those who disagree with us. The middle position appears to have disappeared, even, or perhaps especially, within the walls of the Christian Church.

A friend recently posted about what he saw as right and wrong in our society, as well as the differences between them. The post included a list of beliefs and actions in one- or two-word blasts that sum up the difference between what he saw as the correct outlook on life and those who are dominated by outright evil. The list included that his opponents "killed babies" while his side "respected life." It is an old argument. But the argument is much more nuanced than the words on this list actually propose. Let me be clear, no one on either side of the argument is advocating for the death of infants because they are inconvenient, which is what the more politically conservative abortion abolitionists often suggest. Yes, some provisions might indicate that in the case of severe developmental problems and children born in extreme pain and with no expectation that they will live more than a few days, these children might be allowed to die. It is the same argument that many older people include in their living wills: "no heroic actions" would be used to save their lives. If death is coming, let it come. However, no sane person wants to kill healthy babies.

In a similar vein, there are a few who want to ban abortion even when the lives of mother and child are both in danger. There are not many, maybe a few, who want to endanger the life of the mother by not clearing away a child that has already died in the womb. However, the reality is that both sides view each other as the ultimate evil, and they insist on describing each other in this manner. We maintain that we are the side that stands for the good, and our opposition is evil. In the case of abortion, the real discussion is on how many weeks, usually between six and twenty-four, or before the beginning of the last trimester of the pregnancy, and what exceptions might be allowed under the law.

What we want more than anything is what David asks for in this Psalm; that those who are good, by which we mean those who agree with us, would receive good, while those who do evil, which means those who disagree with our positions, would be banished or sent to hell with all of the other evil doers. And, according to someone out there, we all belong in hell.

This concept of blessings being bestowed on the good while the evil are banished is part of what we call the Sinai Covenant; it was an agreement that God reached with Moses at Mount Sinai at the beginning of Israel's wilderness wanderings. But we don't live under the Sinai Covenant. Paul outlined the place where we live now very well.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8).

If the other side is as evil as we seem to think, then the task that has been laid before us is clear, and it isn't to banish those who oppose us, but to love them the way that Christ loved us. Hopefully, in the light of our love, these people will see the error of their ways, or maybe we will see the error of ours. However, we make it harder when we begin to believe that others are genuinely evil, rather than simply people who hold different beliefs than we do.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 131, 133, & 134

Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt. – Psalm 123:3

Today's Scripture Reading (September 7, 2025): Psalm 122 & 123

We live in an individual society. The questions we often ask are very personal ones; usually, those questions are variations on the concept of "how does this affect me?" A more important question might be, "What can I do to change the outcome?" Most of the time, it seems to be a good strategy, but sometimes the problem is just too big for us to solve.

However, the biblical idea of society and sin is quite different. The Bible describes and celebrates a highly communal society. Maybe a good example of this is the story of Peter and Cornelius. The story is told in Acts 10. Peter is a good Jew, but he has a vision of being offered unclean food. Peter, as a Jew, professes that he can't eat these foods because they are unclean and forbidden for a Jew to consume. God's message is to emphasize that if God declares something to be clean, then it is indeed clean. The message is not about food; it is about people. God is about to send Peter to a Gentile named Cornelius. Typically, by law, the contact between a good Jew and a Gentile is severely limited. But God had a different plan.

Peter goes to the house of Cornelius and shares the Gospel message with all those who have gathered there. "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message" (Acts 10:44). It wasn't just Cornelius who believed, but the community that had gathered around Cornelius who also believed. And after this, Peter baptized not just Cornelius, but that same community. It is a familiar story in the Bible. Sometimes, as in the case of Paul's salvation, it is the person who is saved by the community. However, it is often the community that is saved at the same moment by the person who has come to share Christ's message with them.

As David begins this Psalm, he starts to speak from his point of view. "I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven" (Psalm 123:1). But the point of view quickly changes from I or me to us and we. David recognizes that it is not just he who requires mercy, but the whole community. It is not just him that has had contempt poured out over him until he is full to overflowing or saturated; this has also happened to the whole community.

It is a perspective that we need to regain. What happens to one of us colors all of us. And what is done by one inside the community colors the community as a whole. We have been filled with contempt, but some of it has been deserved. And so, we too plead for God to pour out his mercy on the community; mercy that will be given to us until we are exceedingly full. We need to be saturated with the mercy of God, just as we are saturated with the contempt that comes from those who stand against us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 124 & 125

Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning's womb. – Psalm 110:3

Today's Scripture Reading (September 6, 2025): Psalm 110

As I write this, war is still raging in Eastern Europe between Russia and Ukraine. President Trump is still telling the press about his great relationship with President Putin, but then says that, as Russia drops bombs on Ukraine, he is angry with the Russian Ruler. People continue to be amazed that Ukraine has been able to stand up against the former superpower. While the war is far from over, the idea that Ukraine has been able to withstand Russia's advances this long is a testament to the perseverance of an underdog.

I remember the early days of the war. I watched coverage of seniors making homemade explosives and Molotov cocktails that could be used against the enemy if they dared to get close enough. In those days, all Ukrainian men were part of the army, while the women either fought or ran to safety with their children. But everyone seemed to be involved in fighting for Ukraine.

On the other hand, there have long been reports of reticence on the part of Russian soldiers to be involved in the fight. There have been stories of mass defections from the front lines of the Russian forces, and the difference in the opposing armies' willingness to fight probably explains one of the reasons why Ukraine has performed as well as it has. Russia has had to rely increasingly on mercenaries, whom it is paying to fight its battles.

David writes a two-pronged prophecy about the forces of God. On the human side, God promises that on the day of battle, the army of Israel will be ready to fight. The image that David paints here is of an army that will rise and volunteer to fight. They will do whatever it takes to win the fight. No mercenaries will be needed; this army will be ready and willing to fight.

But the second prong of this prophecy speaks directly of the Christian Church. The Church has long been seen as a sacred army, going into the world to fight against the forces of Satan. It is an image that S. Baring-Gould used when writing "Onward Christian Soldiers."

            Onward Christian Soldiers,

            Marching as to war,

            With the cross of Jesus

            Going on before!

            Christ, the royal Master,

            Leads against the foe;

            Forward into battle,

            See his banner go!

The image is of the Church going to war. However, the key difference is that our primary weapon should be love. We should be fighting against all that is evil in the world. If we were doing our job, even our enemies should be able to say, "I don't believe in their God, but I sure like the things that they do." The fact that our enemies have substantial criticisms of the Christian Church is evidence that we are not marching "with the cross of Jesus, going on before."

We have become more of a corrupt police force, charging people with their sins instead of a loving army that just wants to show people the way of love and forgiveness.

We are a volunteer army, but our purpose should be distinct from that of any other army in the world. Rather than shooting and killing an enemy, we are charged with loving people and making a positive difference in the world in which we live. Mercenaries are not required, just a group of volunteers who want to march behind the cross of Christ. Go and be that today!

Scripture Reading: Psalm 122 & 123