From Psalm 149: Two-Way Street

“Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and lyre. For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.” (v. 3-4)

As you approach the end if the Book of Psalms—specifically Psalms 144 through 150–you find a consistent theme:

Praise God.

Those who know of His help and His goodness and His salvation and His sovereignty ought to praise Him. They ought to do it in the house of worship. They ought to do it in their own hearts. They ought to do it with prayers and with songs and with every kind of instrument they’ve got.

God is worthy, so we praise Him.

But…would like to know one of the best and most baffling truths of all of Scripture?

The God you know? The One you love? The One for whom your strong feelings overflow and turn to praise?

He loves you, too.

He takes pleasure in you. He delights in you. While you lift your eyes to praise Him, He sets His eyes on you, for you are an object of His passion.

The love that compels our praise is really a two-way street, and that by grace.

So, even as the Psalms end, keep the praises coming.

— Tyler

From 1 Samuel 11: The Time for Trouble

“In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.” (v. 1)

Do you know when you are most likely to stray into error?

It’s when you are off purpose.

The time for trouble always seems to be when you ought to be doing with diligence, but instead you choose diversions and dalliances. For David, warrior and king, his starkest sins occur when he’s supposed to be leading the army. The stage was set for failure when he chose to stay home, leave the responsibilities to someone else, and indulge himself.

Where and when do you find yourself wasting time and skirting responsibility? Because that’s when you’re vulnerable! How much pain and shame could we avoid if we simply remained on purpose, for God’s glory?

— Tyler

From Psalm 145: The Right Order

“He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry for help and saves them.” (v. 19)

Have you ever heard someone say something like this?

I won’t worship a God who won’t or doesn’t or hasn’t answered my prayers.

A lot of folks stay on the outside of faith because, on the way there, they haven’t experienced the blessing they’ve hoped for. They feel that God has withheld what they want, so they withhold their worship.

And that is fundamentally out of order.

Psalm 145 reminds us that every blessing—desires fulfilled, hope given, salvation assured—follows worship, and not the other way around. The rightly ordered life puts things in the right order: We worship God for who God is, and, in worshiping, we come to know His blessings.

The next time someone balks at the God who hasn’t blessed them yet, don’t invite them to pray harder. Invite them to worship.

— Tyler

From Psalm 140: Their Trap

“The proud hide a trap with ropes for me; they spread a net along the path and set snares for me.” (v. 5)

In Psalm 140, David prays a prayer for rescue—from violent adversaries, by God’s gracious strength. He knows that he, a king and a believer, is surrounded by those who would love to see him stumble. So he prays against their schemes, their plots, and their traps.

Do you ever feel like there is an antagonistic force set against you? Do you feel like you, in your believing life, are in the culture’s crosshairs? Do you feel the ready opposition of the wicked—as if their trap might snare you at any moment?

Here’s the bad news:

You’re probably right.

The good news, of course, is that God sees and hears and knows, and He is for you. We can pray this prayer, too, even in our cancel culture.

But, as we pray, we should also be thoughtful.

The trap they keep setting for you is pretty simple: They want you to answer only less-relevant questions. They want you to endlessly debate cultural litmus tests. They want you to wade into the comments section and fight on their terms and their turf.

Want to avoid the snare?

Go around it, deliberately. When they lure you in, invite them out instead. Don’t give them some part of you that they can clamp down; show them the whole picture, as the church, proclaiming light and hope while worshiping and loving and giving and serving.

If they refuse that, then God’s right judgment will come. But, if they leave the traps behind, they might just find themselves captivated.

— Tyler

From Psalm 139: Ways

“See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” (v. 24)

I have no problem being perfectly honest here:

The idea that God knows me—knows my thoughts and my words and my heart—terrifies me. Think about it: Holy God, who is the righteous Judge, clearly observes all the things you thought were obscured by your interior life. He sees and He knows in, and He sees and He knows every wrong way you have turned.

How in the world could that be good news?

Psalm 139 gives us an answer:

Since we cannot hide from Him…

Since He is everywhere wherever we might go…

Since He knows us inside and out and on into the future…

…we can trust Him to lead us, by His grace, with His Spirit.

He reveals to us all our waywardness, and He points to His way. We experience conviction, but conviction is really direction! We don’t have to stay in the place of fear—even regarding our interior lives—because He shows us what is right.

I would rather have Him search me and know me and show me—I would rather know how to run from the offensive way—if it means I can be led in the everlasting way.

— Tyler

From Psalm 137: “Remember when?”

“By the rivers of Babylon — there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion.” (v. 1)

Wherever you grew up—whenever you grew up—it’s likely that you look back with some fondness. “It was a simpler time! A safer time! And people went to church!” No matter when your “when” was, we think on it and say, “Remember when?!”

But now…

…we are strangers in a strange land.

It can be pretty tempting to retreat, to abandon this culture and its times, and live in the past. That’s the common ache of every cultural exile.

But is that our calling?

Psalm 137 reminds us of the reality of that feeling…while also pointing us toward our purpose. We ought not forget the good things of God—even past things—but we don’t have the privilege of running there to hide. In His timing, He will restore every exile to the forever home of worship, and it will be the perfect expression of all of those longings. Yet in these days, we live, and we worship even while we wait.

Look back with fondness, and look ahead with faith—but don’t let “Remember when” be your idol.

— Tyler

From Psalm 136: On Repeat

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever.” (v. 1)

This Psalm repeats this phrase twenty-six times:

“His faithful love endures forever.”

If the Spirit inspired it so—if the Psalmist was led to a phrase worth repeating—we, too, ought to repeat it.

When you’re worshiping.

When you’re working.

When you’re waiting and you’re wondering.

Even when you find yourself wandering.

Put this phrase on repeat:

“His faithful love endures forever.”

— Tyler

From 1 Samuel 22: Ragtag

“In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.” (v. 2)

Think about the makeup of your church.

I’ll make a few guesses here:

With limited exception, your church is made up of people who look similar, who fall within pretty comparable income brackets, driving relatively equivalent vehicles, with the same generally cleaned-up moral-cultural reputation. That might not describe the whole gathering—but it’s probably largely accurate.

But…is that how church ought to look?

I think we could learn a lot from David’s circle here: Here’s a guy who is purposed by God for God’s things—but he’s not running with the mainstream. He’s got a ragtag, outcast, out-of luck and out-of-hope community group. He could have done a detailed demography and recruited Israel’s best and brightest to his side. Instead, he went on the adventure, and he gathered up the people who were otherwise left out.

Maybe the church ought to look a little more like that.

— Tyler

From 1 Samuel 21: Not OK

“David answered the priest Ahimelech, “The king gave me a mission, but he told me, ‘Don’t let anyone know anything about the mission I’m sending you on or what I have ordered you to do.’” (v. 2)

So…

…David lies.

Admittedly, he is on the run, and his life is in danger. There are political implications for his every action. In a lot of ways, the future of the kingdom hangs on his escape (or his failure to do so).

But, in the midst of that, he lies.

No matter how many times I read it—no matter how many patriarchs or ancestors or Bible “heroes” are involved—I am never comfortable with willful sin in the record.

Here’s the thing: The Bible doesn’t condone it, either. It’s always not OK, even if it seems to be affording the forward momentum of the history. God’s holiness isn’t dimmed by some hero’s momentary need—and sin will be judged. (Which is why David and you and I have nothing to lean on but God’s grace.)

I think our discomfort with readings like this are an ongoing gift from God’s Holy Spirit. We see David and think, Should he be doing that?—and it reminds us that, whatever he has done, we ought not.

It’s OK to not be OK with the sins of those who have gone before.

— Tyler

From Psalm 132: Two Things

“May your priests be clothed with righteousness, and may your faithful people shout for joy.” (v. 9)

In the church—in the House of the Lord—there ought to be two things.

There ought to be upright ministers. Those who serve Him, by grace, ought to cherish righteousness. They ought to model a morality that has been utterly reoriented to the Savior. Perfection is an impossible standard, but those who have been sanctified by the Spirit ought to pursue an ongoing sanctification, even as they lead and teach and invite with grace.

And, in the church…

…there ought to be outright worship. No one should be confused about the heartbeat of the gathering. The joy-filled praise, the willing attention, and the gracious community of the church ought to testify to the goodness of the God they worship.

Upright ministers. Outright worship.

Does your church measure up?

— Tyler

From Psalm 130: Imagine If

“Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that you may be revered.” (vv. 3-4)

Imagine the “if” of Psalm 130.

Imagine that the God who knows all of our transgressions counts them and only them.

Imagine that heaven’s ledger shows a detailed record of all our sin-debts—with no balance in sight.

Imagine if He kept an account of our iniquities.

Because…He does.

But that’s not all He counts. His own grace, which is shown to us in Christ, changes the math. If our accounts were all debits and zero credits—which is all we could ever transact on our own—then we’d be doomed. But God has given us His Son, and His Son has overwhelmed the debt of sin by His own finished work, and He has given us an inexhaustible deposit of righteousness through His mercy.

Imagine if the accounting was human and hopeless.

Then be grateful that it isn’t, by grace.

— Tyler

From Psalm 129: To Nothing

“Let them be like grass on the rooftops, which withers before it grows up and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.” (vv. 6-7)

Sometimes it helps to be honest.

Because, honestly, we are rooting against some things.

We are rightly reluctant to pray condemnation or calamity on the godless. We’re much more pleased to pray for their rescue, for God’s compassion, and for the Gospel to turn them around. Our highest hope ought to be for their highest good, which only comes in Christ.

But here’s what we can pray, how we can root against those who are against the LORD:

We can pray that what they’ve worked for will come to nothing. We can pray that what they’ve sowed will wither before it prospers. We can pray that, for all the ways they hoped to fill their hands through unrighteous means, their hands will be empty.

I deeply desire their conversion, not their condemnation. But I also hope that their worthless worldliness—and their willful opposition—will indeed prove worthless.

— Tyler

From 1 Samuel 13: Whatever Weapon

“No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.’ So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles.” (vv. 19-20)

It’s no use denying that believers, in this world, are caught in conflict. We who stand on and hold forth the truth find ourselves at odds with the culture.

And here’s the thing: They’re stockpiling all the usual weapons for argument. Whether it’s the news media or the creative arts—whether it’s the social platforms or the marketing machine—they’ve got it, and they haven’t left much for you to work with. Intentionally.

So…what do we do?

Sharpen whatever weapon you’ve got. Hone your home toward truth and generosity and hospitality. Wield your words for encouragement and hope and help. Point every relationship and every interaction and every engagement to the light and hope of the Gospel.

Your enemy can’t take the stuff of life out of your hands. Israel literally went to war with farm tools. If we have to fight, steward whatever weapon you’ve got, and watch what God does with it.

— Tyler

From 1 Samuel 12: Equation

“If you fear the Lord, worship and obey him, and if you don’t rebel against the Lord’s command, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God.” (v. 14)

Are you tired of all the self-serving, egotistical, godless politicians in our culture? I mean, where do these people keep coming from? You would think that, in a country of three-hundred-something million citizens, we could do better.

But that’s just it.

That’s the equation.

We, in our own idolatrous godlessness, are bound to be led by those who resemble us. And if we—you and me and our neighbors—keep choosing middle ways and lesser political evils over convictional obedience, we’re going to keep getting wishy-washy duplicitous self-serving leaders.

God, through the prophet Samuel, gave us the better equation:

Keep God’s command in all you do—be a godly people, on election days and everydays—and see how your leaders change. If the people are faithful, then they will see faithful leadership, too.

Of course, there’s a huge Gospel task between now and then.

Press on.

— Tyler

From 1 Samuel 10: Can’t Hide

“The Lord replied, ‘There he is, hidden among the supplies.’” (v. 22)

I don’t know for sure what God has called you to.

I don’t know which door He has opened, which task He has entrusted, which calling His church has counted as yours, in the Spirit.

But I do know this:

It’s time to stop hiding from it.

When God permitted the calling of Saul as king, it was a radical responsibility, especially for a young man. So it’s not terribly surprising that, when the big and public moment comes, he hides. But here’s the thing: Hiding didn’t accomplish much. The LORD was always aware of the man’s hiding place—and the man’s heart. Hiding—hunkering down in safe-seeming spaces you’ve made for yourself—might reveal something about your faith, but it doesn’t affect the reality of what’s entrusted to you.

So, since we can’t really hide, what ought we do?

Stand up. Walk by faith. Don’t act like you’re not still afraid or confused or weak, but instead carry those things into your calling, and let God work through them.

If the church and its people hide, we’ll miss a host of Kingdom opportunities. Since hiding is ultimately fruitless, let’s aim to bear fruit instead, even if we’re afraid. That’s where faith takes over.

— Tyler

From Psalm 124: They Got Nothing

“We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s net; the net is torn, and we have escaped.” (v. 7)

We can all readily account for the antagonism of our world. The culture can’t abide the crystal-clarity of the truth—and it can’t abide the people who stand on it, who hold it forth, and who proclaim it faithfully.

You, the Gospel people, are in their sights.

Yet what is the promise of the Scriptures? What is the assurance given to those who cling to Christ and go with His Gospel, even in an antagonistic culture? What is our confidence?

It’s this:

Their net is torn.

They cannot hold you for long. They’ll swipe and they’ll swing and they’ll swat—and they’ll get nothing. By grace, every of their snares proves futile. Because of the sovereign God, who loves us and holds us and shields us, they will always fail to have you.

You may have to pass through their nets, but…in the light of eternity? They’ll check their unrighteous haul and realize…

…they got nothing.

— Tyler

From Psalm 122: Part On, Party People

“I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let’s go to the house of the Lord.” (v. 1)

You get to choose what you celebrate, and you get to choose who you celebrate with.

So why not celebrate with those who are walking with you, with those who share your passion, with those who are orienting their lives rightly?

Why not celebrate with the worshiping people?

It’s easy for friends—even church friends—to prioritize other Sunday things. It’s easy to share excitement for outside opportunities—and count church as the chore in the way. It’s easy to let your joy drift toward other things.

But the biblical pattern—indeed, the faithful and rightly religious pattern, in Christ—is to rejoice with the worshiping people. We are called out and called together for this, that we might worship the Lord as His church. The joy the is in the House of the Lord will increase when His people gather rejoicing.

So let’s get this right. Rejoice all the way into and through church.

Party on, party people.

— Tyler

From 1 Samuel 2: Negative & Positive

“For those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disgraced.” (v. 30)

When this verse is given, the context is decidedly negative:

Eli, the priest, has a problem with his sons. They have been appointed as priests, also—but they are wicked, selfish, and indulgent. Hence, the judgment: It is only those who honor God that will be honored by Him.

When those words illuminate the judgment you deserve, they’re pretty negative.

But…can we read them positively? Is it biblically in-bounds to see these words as the foundation of a remarkable grace? Are we permitted to apply them diligently, trusting that God will indeed honor those who honor Him, thereby giving us a good goal and a high hope for our own moral activity?

I think so.

The God who knows how to give good gifts also trusts those who prove trustworthy. Eli’s sons give us a negative illustration. May we seek to apply it positively.

— Tyler

From Psalm 120: The Two Tongues

“Lord, rescue me from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.” (v. 2)

You can read this prayer two ways:

Do you need to be rescued from the lying and deceitful tongues around you?

Or do you need to be rescued from the one within you?

Both are valid readings.

We are all too aware of the bitterness in the world: slander and cancel culture and unguarded social streams. And so we are subjected to all their deceits. The prayer for God’s protection against the destructive force of their tongues is a good prayer.

Yet we are also aware that that same potential—for the murderous and slanderous misuse of the tongue—exists inside us, too. So, then, ought we pray: “God, by grace, rescue me from my lips and my tongue!”

One prayer shields you. The other shapes you. All for God’s glory.

— Tyler

From Ruth 4: Willing

‘Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you will acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.” The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.”’ (vv. 5-6)

However it is that you talk about the Gospel…

…don’t forget to talk about it this way.

When the apostle Paul—by the Spirit—unfolds the truth of Christ’s substitutionary atonement, he includes this detail: “For rarely will someone die for a just person — though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8). We all come to the Redeemer with a problem, namely that we are ultimate outsiders. Only the One who would risk His own reputation to rescue ours could save us.

We get a glimpse of that in Ruth’s Boaz. Others wouldn’t lower themselves to lift her up. The cost was too great—not just monetarily, but reputationally. Only the one who would risk his own reputation to rescue hers could do it.

So, when we talk about the Gospel, keep this kind of grace in view. And see it as the thread that runs all the way through Scripture. It will inspire the gratitude of outsiders every time you do.

— Tyler