April 14th, 2009 by Kristi Stephens

Well, I have arrived at the end of the Psalms in my personal study. I’d like to spend a few days looking at some overall takeaway lessons from the Psalms. Last week we looked at the theme of those who are truly blessed. Today, let’s take some time to start looking at true praise.

In his message “The Evangelical Crisis,” Alistair Begg discussed the difference between entertainment and worship.

“…the underlying issue is the failure to begin with God and His glory, and instead we begin with man and his need. So our considerations become aesthetic. We start by asking what people would find nice, what they would find enjoyable, what they would find soothing. And as we endeavor to do this, we lose sight of certain basic foundational issues. Namely, that Christ Himself is the sanctuary of his New Covenant people… that the true aesthetic beauty is the holiness of the Lord, and that Christ alone is the only ordained worship leader of His people… so that many of our preoccupations, which have to do with the packaging, are nothing more than a capitulation to the spirit of the age…”

Begg goes on to look at Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well in John 4; our worship must be full of truth and full of enthusiasm! One without the other is no good, and in my opinion, the majority of churches I have been in fall on one end of the spectrum or the other. We either sing hymns that are brimming with truth in such a way that makes you want to lay down and sleep on the pew, or we sing songs full of meaningless words with a fervor that makes tears come to people’s eyes or perhaps makes them jump up and down as though they are at a rock concert! Both are appalling!

I like the way Begg (who never minces words!) describes both ends of the spectrum – on the one hand, “We dare not baptize our cliche-ridden phraseology and our hackneyed hymnody into orthodoxy.” Just because it’s one of the “old hymns” doesn’t make it orthodox. Have you ever heard one of those Christian radio stations that will only play recordings so old that you can hear the record crackling on the turntable? Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s more true!

To the other end of the spectrum, Begg says, “A praise song… is one word, two notes, and three hours.” This is hilarious to me because it is so true! On the other end of the “praise spectrum,” some more modern songs seem content to pick a nice, appealing phrase and sing it over and over and over again. Tearing up as you repeat a stirring phrase like a mantra does not equal worship, either! It’s often simply an artificially induced emotional response. And you know what? I personally don’t like to jump up and down and “clap to God.” I find it irreverent, it’s not how I respond to God, and to create and environment that presses people to do so against their natural bent creates an artificial and fake “worship experience.” I don’t have a single thing against others raising their hands, but don’t make it a requirement, either.

If you’d like to hear a little more of my soapbox opinions about praise, I have big issues with how we teach children to sing to the Lord. Pick up most children’s “praise” cd’s, and you’ll find a whole bunch of nonsense songs. Ie: “father Abraham,” “arky arky,” “deep and wide,” “kum-ba-ya,” etc. Someone please tell me what theological value these songs have? I have absolutely no problem with singing silly songs (I sing “big booty/ tiny heiny” and the SNL “sloppy joes” song to my children quite often) – but please do not somehow make these ridiculous songs “spiritual.” We’re ingraining in our kids that a fun, exciting song sung in church = praise, even if it has absolutely no truth in it whatsoever. I’ve also heard far too many church kids’ songs that teach them to yell out the names of our God in such an irreverent way that it makes me cringe – basically, we’re just all swearing in unison! Do we understand that? We’re taking God’s name in vain when we use His holy name in such a flippant manner!

If this resonates with you, you will love this article about redefining worship for kids – excellent.

I will step off of the soapbox now.

Considering that the entire book of Psalms is a book of praise songs, what do the Psalms teach us about true praise?

Well, I’m going to keep you hanging because this post would be too long. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow. :) In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you… what’s on your mind?

p.s. After a comment I received on facebook about this post (“…who are we to dictate what is pleasing to God?”), I thought I would add this additional note.

WE do not dictate what is pleasing to God, but His Word has a lot to say about what correct worship is. Evaluating worship according to the Word is not judgemental, it is necessary. John 4:24 tells us to worship in Spirit and in Truth! The Psalms are an entire book of inspired praise songs. We’re not just taking a stab in the dark about what is pleasing to the Lord – we need to know Him and His Word well enough to know that we are not only worshipping the correct God, but that we are worshipping the correct God correctly!

Evaluating worship in the light of the Word does not in any way limit God – He always acts in accordance with His nature, and His nature is most accurately expressed to us through His Word.

I addresed this topic more in light of the story of Jephthah in the book of Judges.

*Image from wikipedia.org

April 9th, 2009 by Kristi Stephens

In order to provide a “book end” to what we began looking at in Psalm one (which gives a preview for the rest of the book), I thought it might be interesting to look at the characteristics of those who are “blessed.” This Hebrew word for “blessed” in Psalm 1:1 appears throughout the Psalms – the vast majority of its usages in the Old Testament are found in Psalms.

So, here we go! Want to be blessed? Check out other usages of this word in Psalms:

• How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! (Psalm 2:12)
• How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!
• How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! (Psalm 32:1-2)
• How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psalm 34:8)
• How blessed is he who considers the helpless (Psalm 41:1)
• How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You
to dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple. (Psalm 65:4)
• How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. (Psalm 84:4)
• How blessed is the man whose strength is in You (Psalm 84:5)
• How blessed is the man who trusts in You! (Psalm 84:12)
• How blessed… O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance. (Psalm 89:15)
• Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD, And whom You teach out of Your law (Psalm 94:12)
• How blessed are those who keep justice
• Who practice righteousness at all times! (Psalm 106:3)
• How blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
• Who greatly delights in His commandments. (Psalm 112:1)
• How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
• Who walk in the law of the LORD. (Psalm 119:1)
• How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,
• Who seek Him with all their heart. (Psalm 119:2)
• How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
• Who walks in His ways. (Psalm 128:1)
• How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
• Whose hope is in the LORD his God (Psalm 146:5)

Sound familiar? The entire book of Psalms echoes with these truths, and their echo is heard once again in Matthew 5 in the great teachings of the Master -

• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
• Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
• Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
(Matthew 5:3-9)

True blessing begins in a right relationship with God as our only Savior and Lord, continues as we deal rightly with our sin and thirst for His righteousness, deepens as the Word sinks into our hearts and lives, and pours out of us in genuine love for those around us.

Are you truly blessed?

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3

April 6th, 2009 by Kristi Stephens

This afternoon I read Psalm 131 – a beautiful little psalm that speaks to my mother’s heart:

O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me.
Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
O Israel, hope in the LORD
From this time forth and forever.

Verse 1 is interesting to me. The word “difficult” is the same Hebrew word that is translated “wonderful” in Job 42:3 -

“Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

How often in our pride do we declare things that are too wonderful, too difficult for us to understand? Job, although righteous of the great sin his friends assumed was behind his suffering, did start to question God’s goodness and challenge His judgement. (We’ll talk about that more when we get to Job.) There are many things about God and His ways that we will never fully grasp – it takes genuine humility before Him to be at rest with that, even when we don’t understand the difficulties and suffering in our lives.

How picturesque that the psalmist ties this rest in trusting God with what we cannot understand to the picture of a weaned child, content in his mother’s arms.

I was one of those “rare cases” of women who just could not nurse my children, so I can’t fully identify with the picture of a weaned child. It does remind me of LB, though! My little LB is a bruiser – he was a small-ish baby, but caught up fast and has been a BIG fan of eating ever since!

Many days I think that LB views me as some sort of human snack-dispenser. The moment his feet hit the ground in the morning, he starts signing “more” with great vigor and will follow me around whining and signing until he gets something to eat. This scene is repeated mid-morning, before lunch, after naptime, and the entire time while I make dinner. It’s rather maddening!

LB is also a great cuddler. AG was never terribly content to just rest in our arms – she liked to be near us, but snuggling was something she learned to appreciate with age.   I’m always amazed at LB because of that – as manic and crazy as he can be, he loves to give hugs and kisses and just be held (most of the time). If you have a book in your hands, even better – you become the most attractive seat in the house.

Those rare moments when he stops demanding food and just rests against me, totally relaxed, are such precious times. He doesn’t want a graham cracker, he just wants me. Mommy’s presence satisfies him and gives him comfort.

How much joy and peace do we rob ourselves of when we see God only as our “divine dispenser” of desired things? We follow Him around demanding that He make us comfortable, take away our suffering and the discord around us, satisfy our carnal cravings, explain Himself to us. If we would just be still, just rest in His arms, just allow His presence to comfort and satisfy us in a way that those other things cannot… if only we would be humble and dependent like a child.

Lord, I am not proud and haughty.
I don’t think myself better than others. I don’t pretend to “know it all.” I am quiet now before the Lord, just as a child who is weaned from the breast. Yes, my begging has been stilled.
O Israel, you too should quietly trust in the Lord – now, and always.
Psalm 131 (TLB)

April 3rd, 2009 by Kristi Stephens

On Wednesday I wrote “My truth,” “Your truth,” Screaming for God’s Truth – today as I continued studying the Psalms it struck me that the Psalms are very relevant to our discussion here.

Remembering back to our initial discussion of Psalm 1, we said that the first Psalm really gives a preview of the whole book. We spent some time looking at the characteristics of this “firmly planted” and “blessed” follower of God-

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:2-3

Knowing and meditating on the word of God is central to being a person who is “firmly planted.” Today I was reading Psalm 119 – allow me to quote a section of “Dr. Seuss and Bible Trivia“-

Another form of Hebrew poetry is the acrostic form, where each line of poetry begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It carries the idea of totality, ie: “As we have exhausted the alphabet, so we have exhausted the subject.”

A great example of this form of poetry is Psalm 119. Most people familiar with Bible trivia can tell you that Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. Well, isn’t that great – a life-changing tidbit if I ever heard one. [Sarcasm! oh, I hate Bible trivia for the sake of knowing trivia! POINTLESS!] Anyway… do you know why it is the longest chapter in the Bible?

If you look at the text of Psalm 119, you will find that there are 22 sections of 8 verses each. The verses of each section begin with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which is indicated before each stanza. So what?

Psalm 119 is all about the Word of God. You might know verse 11 by heart – “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” The reason the Psalmist put this song into an acrostic form is important – remember, acrostic poetry symbolizes totality, or exhaustion of a subject. Psalm 119, both by content and by poetic form, strongly emphasizes the centrality of the Word of God. We should long for it, read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, because it is central to everything! It is the focal point of a life lived in pursuit of God!

In this Psalm, the psalmist frequently describes the wicked and arrogant as those who do not know and live according to the law of God – see 119:85, 118, 126, 136, 139, 150, 158. In contrast, check out the psalmist’s descriptions of the righteous and blessed:

• Walks in the law of the Lord (1)
• Seeks Him with all their heart (2)
• Meditates on His precepts (15, 97)
• Delights in His statutes (16)
• Asks God to make him understand His precepts (26-27, 33-24)
• Teaches them to others unashamedly (46)
• Is a companion of those who fear God (63)
• Asks for good discernment and knowledge (66)
• Treasures the law above gold and silver (72)
• Has wisdom, insight, and understanding because he has meditated on and followed God’s Word(98-100)

I could go on, but that’s enough to make the point! God’s Word is knowable – the more we study it, meditate on it, and ask God to allow us to understand it, the more it will transform our thinking. Is the Bible easy to understand at every point? No! Has the Church always interpreted the meanings and applications of Scripture correctly? No! Does that mean God’s Word is unknowable and that one interpretation might be as valid as another? No!

God has revealed Himself to us. Clearly. We don’t have to speculate or guess about who He is and what He requires – knowing His Word is the foundation of knowing Him! Obviously there will always be areas of debate within Christianity where the Bible’s meaning is not crystal clear, but that is the exception, not the rule! As we study and meditate on Scripture, and ask God to make His Word understandable to us, His Word will become our delight (119:174), what we rejoice in (162), what revives us (159), what gives us light (130).

How much confusion about Truth is proliferated because we are too ignorant of the Word of God and too lazy to truly study it, know it, meditate on it? True humility is not just saying, “Well, you might be right, I might be right – we’ll just never know.” True humility is recognizing that there is One Supreme Lord of the universe who has, in His grace and love, revealed Himself to His rebellious creatures. I am the created, not the Creator; His ways are higher than my ways, His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. What a privilege, what a treasure to know Him and make Him known!

The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
Psalm 119:160