tree in the house

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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tree in the house

Psalm 52:8-9 (JDV)

Psalm 52:8 But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God; I trust in God’s covenant faithfulness permanently and continually.
Psalm 52:9 I will praise you permanently for what you have done. In the presence of your faithful people, I will put my hope in your name, for it is good.

tree in the house

The psalmist had just given over his enemy to God, trusting God to take care of all the turmoil the enemy had caused. Instead of focusing on the pain and suffering caused by someone else, the psalmist decided he was going to be an olive tree in the house of God.

Olive trees live a very long time, and remain fruitful for a very long time. What is the secret of a long life in spite of troubles and adversaries? Determine to be different than your enemies. Determine to focus on pleasing God by providing fruit for his household.

Lord, we choose to leave our enemies to you to sort out. We choose to bear good fruit for your house.

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knee warfare

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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knee warfare

Psalm 52:6-7 (JDV)

Psalm 52:6 The righteous will see and fear, and they will derisively say about that “hero,”
Psalm 52:7 “Here is the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his wealth, taking refuge in his destructive behavior.”

knee warfare

David was betrayed by a man named Doeg, who saw an opportunity to get ahead in this world by throwing David under the bus. Instead of taking action against Doeg, David prayed. He let God handle his problem. He sought refuge in God. He chose to fight his battle on his knees.

When God responds to such prayer, those problems become signs. The people like Doeg who think themselves heroes become zeroes. Neither their accumulated wealth nor their violent temper will be able to preserve them from his judgment.

Lord, give us the wisdom to fight our battles on our knees so that you get the glory for our victory.

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Doeg’s demise

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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Doeg’s demise

Psalm 52:5 (JDV)

Psalm 52:5 This is why God will bring you down uninterrupted. He will take you, ripping you out of your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

Doeg’s demise

David describes the demise of his former friend, Doeg here. It sounds like he is being vindictive and vengeful. But notice that David is not attributing any of these acts of judgment and condemnation to himself. He is trusting God to make things right. If Doeg does suffer for his treachery, it will not be because David got his payback.

Many people waste their lives looking for ways to pay back their enemies for the wrong they have experienced. God does not want us to be like that. He wants us to come to him for justice, and to trust him to do what is right. If we keep focusing on those who have harmed us, we will remain caught in their trap. God wants us to be free.

Resentment over past mistreatments can enslave us, and God does not want us in Egypt. He wants to take us to the promised land. As long as Doeg remains a problem for us, we stay in bondage.

Lord, thank you for taking care of the things that were enslaving us. We resolve to let you have those problems.

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reacting to betrayal

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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reacting to betrayal

Psalm 52:1-4 (JDV)

Psalm 52:1 Why brag about evil, you hero! God’s covenant faithfulness is constant.
Psalm 52:2 Like a sharpened razor, your tongue creates destruction, producing betrayal.
Psalm 52:3 You love evil instead of good, lying instead of speaking truthfully. Selah
Psalm 52:4 You love any words that destroy, you traitorous tongue!

reacting to betrayal

What do you do when someone betray’s you? David was betrayed by Doeg the Edomite. He wrote this song to him. But it was more than just venting at his enemy. It was a declaration of trust in God, and that he would praise God for taking care of the problems that Doeg caused.

We have a choice when someone wrongs us. We can become bitter, or we can trust God to bring about justice, and prepare to praise him for his divine oversight.

Lord, teach us to react with faith when others do us wrong.

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after forgiveness 

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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after forgiveness

Psalm 51:18-19 (JDV)

Psalm 51:18 In your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build the walls of Jerusalem.
Psalm 51:19 Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

after forgiveness

These are the words of a man who has failed God, has repented, and seeks forgiveness and restoration. But these final words of this forgiveness psalm seem somewhat out of place in that context.

They do fit, because God wants to do more for David than simply forgive him. David is king, and his life is wrapped up in the welfare of his kingdom. It is fitting for him to ask God not only for his personal restoration, but also to build up the city and the kingdom that his sins had begun to tear down.

We haven’t gone the whole way if we just experience forgiveness for our sins and failures. God wants to restore the years that the locusts have eaten our crops. He wants to eliminate the shame that drags us down long after we return to him in repentance. We need to ask him to do that, and be careful to give him the praise when he does.

Lord, thank you for your gracious forgiveness. Please restore our work for your glory.

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what the forgiver expects

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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what the forgiver expects

Psalm 51:14-17 (JDV)

Psalm 51:14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God – God of my salvation – and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Psalm 51:15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psalm 51:16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; you are not pleased with an ascending offering.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken breath. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.

what the forgiver expects

The God who instructed us to forgive seventy times seven times is ready to forgive us again— even if it is the seven hundred and seventieth time. But what does he expect in return for his faithful compassion?

He expects an attitude of humility. Broken breath and humble heart are two figures of speech that describes a lowly dependence on God.

He also expects open lips. He wants the world to know about his kindness and compassion toward repentant sinners. He wants our tongues to sing of his righteousness and our mouths to declare his praise.

Lord, thank you for your forgiveness. We praise you for your compassion and faithfulness.

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results of forgiveness

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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results of forgiveness

Psalm 51:12-13 (JDV)

Psalm 51:12 Restore the joy of your deliverance to me, and sustain me by giving me a generous breath.
Psalm 51:13 Then I will teach the rebellious your ways, and those who fail will return to you.

results of forgiveness

Here we see the results of forgiveness in the life of the believer. First, forgiveness from God restores the joy that was stolen when rebellion occurred.

Second, God’s gracious act of deliverance changes the heart of the forgiven one. Instead of the selfish breath that prompted the sin, she is given a generous, caring breath that keeps the giving going.

Third, the forgiven one becomes a teacher of the ways of God. What she had once despised and rebelled against, she now loves and promotes.

Finally, that change in the life of the forgiven sinner prompts more sinners to come to the fountain for cleansing. One reversed failure leads to many seeking the same miracle.

We should not hide our failures. We should seek the miracle of God’s restoration through forgiveness, and allow his grace to change us, so that many more can experience that freedom.

Lord, thank you for the forgiveness that changes us into teachers of your ways.

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creation and renewal

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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creation and renewal

Psalm 51:10-11 (JDV)

Psalm 51:10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast breath within me.
Psalm 51:11 Do not banish me from your presence or take your Sacred Breath from me.

creation and renewal

God’s act of forgiveness is both the creation of something new and the renewal of something damaged. We ask him to create a new heart for us because our old heart has proven to be a traitor to Christ. Surgery or repair is not an option. He has to make us new. The prayer itself is a confession. It says “God, if you just fix this, I’ll do the same thing again. I need a new me, and you’re the only one who can do that.

But there is something being renewed when God forgives. That something is the ruach — the breath. The psalmist uses resurrection terminology here. In the original creation, God breathed the ruach into the lifeless body he had molded from the clay. Then that body came to life and became a living being.

So, David asks for a renewal of that steadfast breath. He wanted to breath faithfulness to God. He wanted to be restored not just to life, but to a life that counts.

Lord, recreate us today. Cast out our sin, and enter in.

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cleansing and joy

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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cleansing and joy

Psalm 51:7-9 (JDV)

Psalm 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Psalm 51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Psalm 51:9 Turn your face away from my sins and wipe out all my guilt.

cleansing and joy

No cleansing, no joy. No forgiveness, no rejoicing.

The heart of a believer lives for a right relationship with God. We cannot rest in a universe where sin separates us from our Savior. So, we lose our joy when we sin, and we cannot get it back until our Lord comes to us and reverses its curse.

Lord, come to us today, and right the wrongs that we have done. Restore to us the joy you gave us when we first found you.

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war inside

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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war inside

Psalm 51:5-6 (JDV)

Psalm 51:5 Notice, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
Psalm 51:6 Notice, you desire integrity in the inner self, and you teach me wisdom deep within.

war inside

Here David lays out the problem of original sin and its consequential depravity. Sinners sin, and we are born with a sinful disposition like a genetic defect.

Every time someone I respect does something that shows lack of integrity, I remind myself of this fact, and it helps me to deal with the disappointment. The fact of innate depravity does not excuse our sinful choices, but it does help explain them.

There’s also a conscience at work here. David feels the compulsion to do the right thing. He inwardly knows what God wants. He literally feels it in his kidneys (tuchot).

So David admits he lost this round in the tug-of-war with himself. He has failed his God and proved himself a sinner. This is the first step to being reconciled and cleansed.

Lord, we need you because we know that within us there is a war being fought, and only you have the key to victory in that war.

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