I Will - Thy Will
Happy Friday! We’re looking at Psalm 132 one more time today. We see the author recount a huge declaration that he wouldn’t even sleep until he built the temple. Obviously, David wasn’t able to carry through with his promises. Not only did he break his word the next time he slept, he never was able to finish the temple at all! His son Solomon was the one to finish it.
Personally, I can think of a handful of times when I made big proclamations to God shortly before I broke them … in hindsight, it’s kinda funny... but also kinda sad. I’m sure you’ve done the same at some point in your life. It’s interesting to me that God calls David a man after his own heart despite this though. I find that pretty encouraging.
God the Father has a spotless record. He does exactly what he says he’ll do. Possibly the most comforting aspect of this is that we don’t have to have a perfect track record to be counted among the saved. Sure we’re called to strive and become more Christlike, but we are saved on Jesus’ perfect stripes, not our own merits. So every time we see God’s word coming to pass, we can be glad, and every time we see our word falter, we can thank God that he is not like us.
Jonathan Duncan
Pushing Through the Messiness
As a teacher, I love for everything in my class to be in its place: my materials, my lesson plans, my schedule, my reading list--you name it! I want it to be perfect. I strive so hard to have everything as perfect as it can be, but as you can imagine, COVID-19 threw a complete wrench in my perfectly organized teaching world, and made me try new things all over again every day.
At times, last year reminded me of my first year of teaching, where I was figuratively smacked in the face with my inexperience and inadequacy. So often that first year at the end of the day I’d feel like there was no way I could get up the next morning and face the inadequacy I knew I’d be displaying, but I still got up every morning; I had to consistently push through the messiness that was my inadequate self, and it was because I realized that the good things that come from teaching just couldn’t be had otherwise.
This kind of “pushing through the messiness” that I experienced reminded me of a kind of messiness seen in David in Psalm 132. If you’ve spent any time studying the life of David, you know that his life was messy. His faith was messy, his relationships were messy -- in short, he just frequently didn’t have it together. And yet, he’s called a man after God’s own heart. In fact, it’s in Psalm 132 that I think we see the interplay of these two disparate Davids. On the one hand, David passionately asserts that he won’t even sleep until he builds a temple for God to dwell in; on the other, he brazenly declares to God what he’s going to do for him: “Alright, God, this is how things are going to go down…”
It’s clear David desperately wants to do something to honor God, but the way in which he goes about it in this psalm doesn’t necessarily scream “reverent.” What’s interesting is that God doesn’t seem to have any problem with David’s approach or attitude. Sure, he doesn’t give David the opportunity to do what he wants, but he actually gives him something better: a legacy that will live on way beyond the lifespan of any temple.
So, let’s take a moment to learn from David. He came to God and maybe asserted himself in a way that was “not quite right,” but ultimately God doesn’t care about “how” we come to him, just that we do. If we wait to go to him till we have everything in its place (our life, our sin, our heart), then we’re gonna miss out on the best things God wants to give. And that’s what I love about David. I love how he shows us that even the most broken and messy amongst us can come before the throne of God.
Ashley Carr
Whiplash!
According to the Mayo Clinic, whiplash “is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip.” Anyone who has been rear-ended probably knows what this feels like. I think David knew what it felt like, but in the spiritual realm.
On Monday we wrote about the backstory of this psalm. We learn in 2 Samuel 7 that David shares with the prophet Nathan his dream and plan to build the LORD a house. In verse 3 Nathan says, “Go for it!” David goes to bed a happy man.
But then the unexpected happens. The word of the LORD comes to Nathan and says, “Not so fast. I’ve never asked for a house, and I’m not asking for one now. But here’s what I’m going to do for you, David. I’m going to make you a house and I’m going to make your name great and I am going to establish your throne forever.” Whiplash!
Obviously this news thrills David’s heart, and he spends time worshiping and praising the LORD for His unexpected and undeserved generosity. This is the David about whom Psalm 132 is written.
You know, I’m not sure what stands out as you read 2 Samuel 6-7 and Psalm 132, but let me share two things that strike me. The first is David’s flexibility. David goes to bed one night fully planning to build an amazing residence for the LORD, and by the time he goes to bed the next night he is no longer going to do that, but instead has received the promise of a lifetime, really. He wanted to make a big deal out of the LORD, but the LORD wants to make a big deal out of him. And while you may be thinking, “Where’s the flexibility in that?” I want to point out that he could have remained resolute in his commitment, despite learning all God is going to do for him. Sometimes we get it in our heads just how we are going to serve Him, and if His plans for us result in a redirection, not all of us are able to make that pivot. To some people it’s more important that they serve Him in their way than that they follow His way. This absence of flexibility can cause spiritual whiplash. One thing David teaches us is to remain open to the plan changing at any minute.
The second thing that strikes me is David’s perspective and understanding that there are great things behind God’s, “No.” Sometimes, when we hear a, “No,” we get so wrapped up in it that we don’t hear the, “But here’s what I’m going to do for you” part. Now to be fair, we don’t always get the, “Here’s what I’m going to do for you” part. It’s in those times when we don’t that this account becomes so powerful. What we learn from God’s interaction with David is that something good, something better than we could have dreamed of, is around the corner. God isn’t saying, “No,” to hurt us, He’s saying no because He has something better in mind. This account reminds us of that, and I believe God intends for us to use it to encourage ourselves when we need it.
Scott Smith
Connections and Growth Pastor
Plans
Psalm 132:2-5
A couple of years ago a few friends and I tried to make a plan for a simple backpacking trip for the purpose of fellowship, fun, and to celebrate a few life milestones. We knew what we wanted to do, but we planned a little late. That meant most of our hopes and options were a little limited. So we decided to continue with plan A, which was a horrible hike, to an unknown peak. We agreed and we all moved forward to make it happen, knowing it was probably not going to be the best option, but it is what we had.
God had something better. A few days before the trip God opened up the permits we wanted! We had a new plan to backpack somewhere beautiful and climb a 14,000 foot mountain. God knew something we didn’t and worked in ways we couldn’t. Here is what I learned; We/I still had to plan, We/I still had to take steps towards the plan, We/I had to trust that God was before us.
David was a man after God’s own heart who made vows to the Lord and tried to fulfill them. As shepherd, leader, and king he had to make plans trusting the Lord went before him. In Psalm 132 we hear of a strong vow to do something great for the Lord. David’s job was to trust the Lord, make the plan, and pursue the plan. It is a good example for us to follow.
If God is going before us (which he is - see Deuteronomy 31:8 or Isaiah 45:2), then we have to trust in him to lead us and guide us. If we plan based on our GOD, then he will work through things in ways we might not see, but his plans will always be better than we see. Naturally we will run into bumps along the way, but we need to stick to the commitment we made and pursue the plan that God has for us.
If you are in a spot in life where you're not sure of the plan, a little stuck, or a little lost; WE ARE HERE for you. God is for you and has gone before you. Ask Jesus to help you and give us a call so we can too.
Jeremy Johnson
The Backstory
When a musician writes a song, there's often a backstory that helps the listener more fully understand what the song is about. The backstory helps fill in subtleties and tease out nuances. It gives layer and texture to lyrics that help them become three-dimensional ideas rather than two-dimensional black words on a white page.
I remember when I first heard the backstory of It Is Well, one of the great hymns of the faith. It Is Well was written by Hortio Spafford after experiencing two tragedies. The first was the death of his youngest daughter and the loss of his wealth in 1871. The second tragedy was the loss of his other four daughters when the ship they were on sank out at sea. It was out of that heartbreak that Spafford penned these words:
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
The words carry so much more meaning when one realizes the depths from which they sprang.
The same is true of Psalm 132. It's a Psalm that has a backstory – and one the reader must understand if they're going to grasp the nuances. The first 10 verses are based on 2 Samuel 6-7 when King David brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem after it had been gone for over 20 years. After retrieving the Ark, David vowed to build a house for God. Listen to the way the Psalm alludes to this promise: "I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." (Psalm 132:4-5) David was passionate and devoted, and he had a plan to accomplish his mission. If one simply reads through the Psalm, you could conclude that David did in fact build the temple for God. But he didn't, his son Solomon did!
The backstory helps us understand that this is actually a song about when God says "no" to our well-intentional, passionately driven plans. It's not a song about how a great king did something great for God – even though it seems that way on the surface. It's a song about how a great God did something eternal through a frail man. It's a song about the way God often says "no" to our plans so that we will cling more fully to his promises. In fact, the Psalm ends by triumphing in what God will do, not what David did.
I think this is a song we can sing along with Israel. It's easy to get tied up in what we want to do for God, but real joy comes from realizing all that God has done for us in Jesus. Take some time today and think through the story arc that Psalm 132 covers. Go back and read 2 Samuel 6-7 in light of this Psalm. Then, ask Jesus what he wants you to hear and what he wants you to do in response. Then, do it!
Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
Well Done, Faithful Servant
This week we have been discussing humility. When you think of the word humility, who in your life comes to mind? As people who long to follow the way of Jesus, humility should be one of our deepest longings. Those who exhibit humility are individuals who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior and know themselves both as God’s precious children and humble servants.
Two days ago, one such servant, John Waring, passed into the presence of his Lord and Savior, forever to live in wholeness and glorious worship of his King. John spent his life faithfully serving the Lord here at Emmanuel Faith and around the world. He dedicated his time and resources to loving prisoners, bringing the gospel abroad, serving the Navajo people, and loving and shepherding the Emmanuel Faith Church family as an elder. These things are just a small glimpse of John’s dedication to serving God; all the while, with a humble heart.
Good deeds are valued, but good deeds done in humble love with no desire to receive glory are honored. John would not have wanted this devotional to be written about him; because he was humble. What he would have wanted though is for people to know that his hope was in Jesus. He would long for people to know that his deepest desire was for Jesus to be lifted high, magnified and worshiped. He would long for people to understand and believe in the saving and freeing power and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to save the world from sin and captivity. He would want people to know that his hope was in the knowledge that someday he would meet his Lord and get to spend eternity worshiping Him.
John lived the life of a humble servant here on earth. Today he is standing face to face with his Lord, hearing the words of Matthew 25:23, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”
John was a broken human being who modeled the humble life of a man saved by grace. What are you doing today to show others, in humility, of your deep love for Jesus?
(John Waring was a current EFCC elder, and passed away from complications due to COVID-19 on August 18. He was vaccinated and took the virus seriously, but ultimately the Lord holds all of our days and has them numbered. John will be dearly missed.)
Written on behalf of the EFCC Staff & Board of Elders
Under His Wings
"But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content."
Psalm 131:2
As a mother of three sons, two of whom I had the blessing of nursing as infants, those words spoke to me in this Psalm. Weaning a child is letting go of that extended time of closeness, that feeling of being needed for sustenance from the standpoint of mom and child. In the end, the child still finds the comfort he or she needs in mom's (or dad's) arms snuggled close, though now he or she isn't completely dependent. My grown sons still call me sometimes when they need encouragement or comfort when dealing with the uncertainty and harshness of life. That connection is still there though much less needed as when they were little.
The NRSV's translation of verse 2b—"my soul is like the weaned child that is with me" makes me believe that each of us has a soul that still longs for that comfort and feeling of security when the cold, cruel world becomes too real. When our drive for success in work and relationships leaves us feeling empty, where do we turn? When we become too self-reliant and our focus becomes temporal or concerned with the temporary things of this life rather than eternal, we look for the calm and quiet security that is missing.
What was David being weaned from? Self-sufficiency, self-will, self-seeking? Charles Spurgeon said, "Blessed are those afflictions which subdue our affections, which wean us from self-sufficiency, which educate us into Christian manliness, which teach us to love God not merely when he comforts us, but even when he tries us."
Can you think of things you've gone through or times when in trying to do life in your own strength, God allowed you to fall flat on your face? I sure can, more than I want to remember. But I also remember the many times that He has been my source of comfort and security in the storms, especially the ones I created myself. I learned from those times to rely more on Him than I did myself and that He allowed those times because He loved me and wanted me to learn that He was my source of everything. I love what the Psalmist says in Psalm 17:8, "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." He loves it when I run and hide under His wings just as I love it when my children need my comfort and assurance. We can easily feel overwhelmed with things happening all around us, but pray with me Psalm 36:7 that says, "How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings." I love the visual of doing just that; how about you?
Deb Hill
Embracing Our Limits
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
Psalm 131:1
One of the questions that this psalm made me consider initially was whether it suggests an anti-intellectual, anti-knowledge mindset? Perhaps taken out of context this verse might suggest that there are things we just shouldn’t try to understand or know, but after reading the entire psalm, we might be offered a more appropriate theme to focus on: humility. I believe that one aspect of humility that this psalm is encouraging us in is that of embracing one’s limits. But what does it mean to “embrace one’s limits”?
When thinking of how to apply what it means to embrace our limits to seeking knowledge, I was brought back to my intellectual and spiritual journey that largely began to take shape in high school. I had the incredible privilege of working my way through some pretty hefty texts that forced me to grapple with ideas I had never considered before: what is a human and are we fundamentally good or evil? What is evil? What is goodness? Who is God? What is wisdom? What is truth? Is it subjective or objective?
I think after reading so many authors that deal with many of the same questions and ideas but in radically different ways, I sometimes felt like I was getting intellectual whiplash. One day I’d read Augustine and think, “Wow, he really explains this beautifully and well!” And then I might read Nietzsche, who completely disagrees with Augustine but is just as convincing and powerful in his argumentation. One after another I’d wrestle and grapple with all the ideas I was encountering so that at times I just felt lost and inadequate; how on earth could I sift through all this and still come to know the truth? Should I just throw it all out and only trust the Bible for truth and knowledge?
And this is what I slowly began to realize:
I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face all questions die away. What other answers would suffice? (Lewis, Till We Have Faces).
Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and being in his presence is what allows us to let go of needing to have all the answers. Because when we know him, he is enough. More than enough! Does that mean that we should not seek knowledge and be curious? Of course not! But once we know him, not having all the answers won’t bother us anymore. This is why the psalmist says, “O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore” (Psalm 131:3), because this is embracing our limits: to be in relationship with the God of the universe and to rest and hope solely in him rather than in the efforts of our own intellect.
Humility in Action
Hello, family! I love this chapter, you can read it in a few seconds but think about it all day.
Psalms 131
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.
But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.
This little chapter paints a beautiful picture of quiet contemplative humility, one where the author wholeheartedly enjoys the peace and lovingkindness of the Lord. God has dealt with his sin and it is not worth dwelling on anymore. Imagine the serenity that comes with such a prayer. Still and quiet, no striving, no worrying, just contentment.
Whenever we encounter other people’s sin we should not be overly surprised or judgemental, rather consider our own personal experience with sin, but more importantly, God’s subsequent grace. With the humble spirit described in this Psalm, we can most effectively offer hope and encouragement to others. We must never allow ourselves to be condescending because we will most likely be in a similar place before too long. I think this is what compassion looks like. It’s a beautiful thing to receive such compassion.
Humility and Holiness
Ever since college, I’ve enjoyed mountain climbing. While I’ve never gotten into technical climbs, when I lived in Colorado, every summer I’d climb a few 14,000-foot peaks. One of the things that I noticed is that as you stand on the top of a 14er, you have a natural tendency to start to get lower to the ground. The closer one gets to the edge of the peak, the closer to the ground we want to be. There’s a level of security we find in hugging the earth while we journey closer to the cliff’s edge.
The same dynamic is true of relationship with God. The closer we get to God, the lower we get. Nobody beats their chest in the presence of God. Nobody thinks they’re awesome in the company of the creator and sustainer of all things. Isaiah’s experience of being called up into the throne room of God illustrates this beautifully. Listen to his words: 3 “And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’” (Isaiah 6:3-5) When Isaiah saw God’s holiness, he immediately took a posture of humility.
Humility requires two things: it demands that we attempt to see God as he really is, and it requires that we see ourselves as we really are. Isaiah’s response of humility was a result of seeing his sin in light of God’s purity. We often feel better about ourselves by comparing ourselves to others. You’ll hear people say things like, “well, I’m not nearly as bad as that person.” But that misses the point. We aren’t designed to compare ourselves to others, rather, we’re designed to carry the image of God. But the truth is, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Isaiah illustrated the natural response to that realization when he exclaimed, “Woe is me!” Woe is one of the things that brings us low. However, it’s in that posture of humility that we find a grace that never fails us. It’s what Isaiah found when he hit the ground. Listen to the way the passage continues, “6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’” (Isaiah 6:6-7) After admitting his woe and getting low, Isaiah experienced atonement. Forgiveness. His guilt was taken away. It’s in and through a posture of humility that we truly experience God’s presence and power. When we are humble, we are strong, because it’s only in our weakness that we experience God’s strength.
Take some time today and allow your heart to gaze on the holiness of God. Imagine yourself walking the same path Isaiah walked. Imagine the angels and saints bowing before him. And then, bow in reverence and awe along with them.