The opening of Psalm 22 should sound familiar to you as Jesus uttered these words from the cross. Yet, David wrote these words 1000 years before the Word became flesh and could bear our sins on the tree. Not only are the details in this psalm so vivid that they place us there at Calvary, but Jesus quoting its opening question and God telling us directly in John 19:24 shows us that David indeed wrote about his descendant dying on the cross for us. Continue reading “Why Have You Forsaken Me?”
The Living Lord
2 Samuel 22; Psalm 18
You, the living Lord, are God of victory;
My enemy shall not prevail against me.
To save my life your hand extends from heaven,
With shouts and fire and smoke and flying angels.
Long have I sought my Rock and strong protection,
Take notice, Lord, of my unflagging devotion.
Put armies to flight, tear down the walls of hatred;
Before me clear the paths so I may pursue.
My Savior reigns, he lives to rescue his people,
His ways are true, his word is always faithful.
You are my shield, my strong, unbending defender,
Before the war is won, we sing the outcome.
None is like the Lord, no other deity
Can turn the battle — both sky and earth are shaken
When God, our God, descends to scatter
The nations — Praise him! Praise him in the highest!
Loudly I Cried to God
Based loosely on Psalm 77
Loudly I cried to God — loudly —
So he would open his ears to me.
I went to the Lord for help on the day
Of troubles, upset, unable to speak.
What happened in the days of old?
The long-ago years when God was merciful?
Has God forgotten his tender mercies?
Is the Lord no longer the same as before?
O God, your ways are holy! Who
Is great as our true, faithful God?
The water saw you, O God, and shook,
Your arrows flashed in every direction.
Your road passed through the sea, your people
Walked to safety, you led your children
Away from Egypt — As you saved them,
O Lord, come take me by the hand.
The pain of persecution
From a series on the pains of the Christian. One of those pains is persecution.
Text: 2 Tim 3.6-17
- Persecution arises because of opposition to the truth, 6-9.
- Persecution is part of the “package” of living for Christ and proclaiming his word, 10-11.
- The Lord rescues us from it all, 11.
- Persecution is the reality of godly living, 12.
- The Christian’s reaction: faithfulness to the Scriptures, 14-17.