DAY 19

“Like a parent who collects their children’s elementary artwork and displays it prominently on a refrigerator door, the heavenly Father loves our prayers. Each one is a keepsake. Each one functions like a memorial that jogs the memory of the Almighty.”

- Mark Batterson

TODAYS READING: Psalm 141

PRAYER: "God, as I open myself up to you in these moments to read this passage fresh and anew, I ask that you reveal to me that which you would have me learn today. Help me see. More than that, I pray for transformation as I take what you show me and apply it to my life. Amen."

The first section of Psalm 141 reads as follows: “Lord, I cry out to you; Make haste to me! Give year unto my voice when I cry out to you. Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.” This verse offers some very specific and relevant requests. For one, David wished his communications to be pleasing and worthwhile to God, as offerings (as anyone who is engaged in public communications ought to wish), and he also wanted God to guard his lips from saying anything rash or foolish (a very excellent request for bloggers) as well as to keep him from practicing evil with evildoers, so that he would not run with the wrong crowd and be led into evil. We could all stand to make that prayer.

The second, and shortest, section of Psalm 141 is a pointed one: “Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it.” This section is short, but gets to the point–the rebuke of the righteous is a good thing. When someone cares about us enough to point the right way, they are taking the chance that we will show them hatred or hostility. But for the righteous, being pointed in the right direction is (literally) a Godsend. Instead of showing anger towards rebuke, David consider it as heavenly oil, like the oil priests were anointed with (Psalm 133:2)[2]. Likewise, the rebuke of the godly is a good thing, as it means someone cares enough about you to warn you rather than hate you in their hearts and yet say nothing (Leviticus 19:17).

The third section of Psalm 141 is a very long condemnation of the wicked: “For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, and they hear my words, for they are sweet. Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave, as when one plows and breaks up the earth. But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord; in You I take refuge; do not leave my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I escape safely.” This particular section reminds us (if reminder was necessary) that God delivers us from evil, and is our comfort and refuge in wearisome flame wars with the wicked. Likewise, we all ought to pray for God to deliver us from the traps set out for us by evildoers with their smooth words and devious plans. We cannot rely on our own wisdom alone.

This Psalm to me is a reminder of how dependent we are on God. In verses 3 and 4 we see that we even need Him for the things that He asks us to do. Have you ever tried to change your heart or break a 20 year long habit? I have. It doesn’t work. The only times I see change in my life, are when I ask God to do it, acknowledge that I can’t do it without Him, and THEN do the things He asks. This approach to heart change leads us to a place of humility – acknowledging our desperate need for God to show up in our lives.

If we were able to become like God on our own, then we wouldn’t need Him. I believe that the reason He made it work this way is because He is relational and desires relationship with us above anything we can offer Him. He’s God. He has everything - He doesn’t need us! – But He WANTS relationship with us. Each time we remember our need for Him, we have to ask, and that leads us back to relationship with Him.

Have you ever noticed that you become like the people you spend a lot of time with? You begin to talk like them, use words that they use, have your own language of humor. You begin to care about things that they care about and do the things that they do. That’s what relationship does. And that’s why relationship is the goal with God. We are His image to the people around us, and we become more and more like Him as we continue to give ourselves to relationship with Him.

PRAYER: God, I want to know You. I'm not in a hurry, I just want to know You. Come and show me who You are, give me Your heart for Your people, and let me be more like You in every moment.

MEET US TONIGHT @ KRC or on Livestream, 7pm.

krctoday.org