Nothing ruins a good story like…

Nothing ruins a good story like…

Last weekend it was my great privilege to attend the retirement ceremony and celebration of a friend who served in uniform for 30 years. It is always wonderful to stand in the company of the great ones. One of the speakers offered a funny quip that was little more than a throwaway joke. It was an excellent speech, but this one line stood out to me more than anything else.

The retiree had served in most of the hotspots involving the US Army for the last 30 years; he had seen and done some pretty amazing things. Being a humble man, he would not have wanted the speaker to regale the audience with stories of his exploits, of which there were plenty. But the one line that got the most laughs and sticks with me was this one: “Nothing ruins a good war story quicker than an eyewitness.” Thank you General Cole.

We can apply that to our athletic exploits that won the game, the witty comeback that silenced a critic, the brilliant decision that saved the business, or the thoughtful behavior that mended a broken heart. Those stories can be wrecked by an eyewitness. This seems to be especially true at family gatherings. While out of courtesy we may not say anything, privately we are apt to reflect, “I was there; it didn’t happen that way."

Nothing ruins a good story quicker than an eyewitness, which makes Paul’s assertions so dynamic. In I Corinthians 15:6 Paul tells us there were over 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ. The reports of “His body was stolen or misplaced," “He didn’t actually die but only fainted," and “People had a hallucination thinking they saw Jesus alive" are all good stories to deny the resurrection but are completely ruined by the eyewitnesses. One eyewitness is usually enough to get a conviction in court. Two eyewitnesses provide a slam-dunk kind of case. When we talk about 500 eyewitnesses who were together to see the same event, we are left with no room for doubt.

The appeal to eyewitness testimony was unique, even bizarre, in first-century religious circles. Mystic experiences, philosophical arguments, rituals, or deep-seated feelings were the norm. But eyewitness testimony was unheard of. As we enter into the season of preparation for Easter, we need to reflect on the fact that we are not following carefully constructed fables or myths. We are building our hopes and eternity on the rock-solid fact that Jesus was dead and now is alive with a life He shares with us.

He is Risen, He is Risen indeed.

Psalm 42

 Psalm 42

The beauty and depth of this psalm demands more than a casual reading.  Its wonder is enriched by contemplation.  This psalm is a conflict-laden song and is a story from the hard edge of life.  As humans we try to avoid suffering and hardship; we try to make everything safe, pastel, and soft.  But that is not living, and no lessons are learned in that kind of life.  Those things that teach us best are often the ones we try hardest to avoid.

Suffering is seen in our understanding of verse 1.  We often picture a deer coming to a stream for a quiet sip.  That is not, emphatically not, the case.  A panting deer is a deer that has been running for its life for a long time.  This is no casual sip but desperation because a predator is right behind it.  Exhaustion and thirst drive the deer to the river.  Here he will drink and try to lose his pursuers.  Some deer have been known to swim deep rivers to get away.  It is reported they will go so deep that only their nose will be out of the water.

Life can be like that.  While the deer runs to water to refresh and survive, we run to God.  This whole psalm is a study in a desperate struggle for survival.

“”Lord, help me to run to You for protection and refreshment as I am being chased by the enemy. AMEN” 

Psalm 41

 Psalm 41

In this psalm there is a progression of helping, hurting, and hoping. David tells us that God has special care for those who help the needy, especially those who are in need in times of illness. We might consider this the nurses’ psalm.

These thoughts may have been prompted by David’s own illness. He is so sick that some, especially his enemies, believe he will die, or at least they hope so. David wonders if he has brought this on himself by his sin. (v. 4) Many of us, at times of grave illness, have wondered if our sickness was actually Divine justice. David is especially hurt by the treason of his friend. Some who are close to David are hoping for the worst.  

But even here there is a moment of hope. Verses 8-12 are thought by some scholars to refer to Jesus, David’s distant descendant. Jesus quotes verse 9 in reference to Judas.  Verse 10 may be more than a request for restored health; it may refer to the resurrection of Jesus, in which He will be the ultimate judge of the living and the dead. After the resurrection of Jesus, His enemies could say or do nothing but were effectively silenced, as in verse 11. Verse 12 looks like the ascension of Jesus to the right hand of the Father. What a wonderful way to end the first book of the Psalms.

“Lord, whatever the circumstances of my life, please help me be loyal to You and trust in Your care for me. AMEN.”

Psalm 40

 Psalm 40

This incredible and complex psalm has so much more than we would get in a casual reading. This is especially true concerning the prophecy about Christ in the middle of the Psalm (vs. 6-8), which is quoted in Hebrews 10:5-7, especially verse 8. The Psalmist speaks the words of the Messiah. These words ought to be our words as well: “I delight to do Your will.” That word, "delight," describes something that brings pleasure. As Christians we sometimes have a negative response to the word ‘pleasure,’ as if pleasure itself has a bad reputation.  But pleasure need not be found in selfish and sinful behaviors. It is possible that doing the will of God is our greatest pleasure. The book of Hebrews tells us, “For the joy set before Him (Jesus) endured the cross.”  How is that kind of dedication to God possible?  The answer is in the last phrase of this Psalm.  When the Law or will of God is at the core of our heart, behaviors that mark obedience are our pleasure.  Our chief purpose is to know God and to enjoy Him both now and forever.

“Lord, help me to know and love you so deeply that I find my greatest pleasure in that which pleases you. AMEN.”

Psalm 39

 Psalm 39

David was a hot mess. We don't know for certain what the issue was. Perhaps this psalm is a reflection of his sin with Bathsheba or some other iniquity. Perhaps it was prompted by hardship and persecution. Maybe it was a physical illness or in some way related to all of the above. Whatever the cause is, David can't even talk about it, but denial is never an effective strategy. Inside, David was a hot mess and was getting hotter. He asked a question that's extremely common in suffering; from a toothache to a terminal illness to a broken heart, we often ask, “How long?” In the final stages of my dad's terminal illness, one question he asked the hospice nurse was, “How long will this take?” Since life is short, we want to know, “Is this condition going to be my lot for all of my days?”

In verse 7 a corner is turned. The question changes from ‘how long?’ to ‘who?’. In either living or dying, David's hope must be in the Lord. God can end his hardship either by solving the problem, granting forgiveness, or by ending his days. Certainly all humans are as enduring as an exhaled breath. David comes to the conclusion that his only hope is in God: peace in the days on Earth and life after life on Earth.

“Lord, help me use every hardship as a tool to turn my heart toward You. AMEN.”

Psalm 38

 Psalm 38

In our secular world there is a rush to feel better physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. There was a bumper sticker making the rounds that simply said, “Guilt Sucks.”While no one wants to suffer, the rush to feel better may lead to bad choices. This is especially true spiritually. In this psalm David explores the depths of the effect of his sin. He is not rushing to find a quick salve of grace and get on with his life. The description of the first half of the Psalm may be literal or figurative, but in either case, he is looking into the deep consequences of his sins. He does not try to offer some self-justification. (v 13-14) 

Enemies oppose him, friends reject him, and he doesn’t even make an excuse. At the end of it all, he is left only with his guilt and his only hope. While we ought not wallow in false guilt, we need to be careful about heaping on ourselves cheap grace. If our sin cost Jesus His life, we ought not easily and frivolously pretend it is a little thing.

“Lord, make me deeply aware of the great evil of my sin, and help me to have a truly repentant and contrite heart. AMEN.”

Psalm 37

 Psalm 37

We know that God works out His justice in due time. We know that we should not stress and worry about the wicked nor desire their lifestyle. We know that we are to wait on the Lord, and that is hard. Perhaps waiting is hard because we rationally think waiting is to passively sit by and do nothing. In the midst of this psalm's direction to wait, we see that waiting is not passive. There are four actions described or prescribed for us in verse 3 while we wait. 

First, trust in the Lord rather than allowing our minds to be disturbed by circumstance; calmly, with confidence in the Lord, tell Him you trust Him. 

Second, doing good. Nothing makes time and waiting pass faster than being active in good works. To occupy the mind in meaningful good works keeps our minds off of stressful things. 

Third, dwell in the Lord, or, put another way, bloom where you are planted. Always wanting the next thing is counterproductive.

Fourth, cultivate faithfulness. Literally feed on truth. Like grass to sheep, so is truth for the soul. That is what waiting looks like.

“Help me, Lord, to be actively waiting. AMEN.”