My Father,
In a world of created changeable things,
Christ and his Word alone remain unshaken.
O to forsake all creatures,
to rest as a stone on him the foundation,
to abide in him, be borne up by him!
For all my mercies come through Christ,
who has designed, purchased, promised, effected them.
How sweet it is to be near him, the Lamb, filled with holy affections!
When I sin against you, I cross your will, love, life, and have no comforter, no creature, to go to.
My sin is not so much this or that particular evil,
but my continual separation, disunion, distance from you,
and having a loose spirit towards you.
But you have given me a present, Jesus your Son,
as Mediator between yourself and my soul,
as middle-man who in a pit holds both him below and him above,
for only he can span the chasm breached by sin, and satisfy divine justice.
May I always lay hold upon this Mediator, as a realized object of faith,
and alone worthy by his love to bridge the gulf.
Let me know that he is dear to me by his Word;
I am one with him by the Word on his part, and by faith on mine;
If I opposed the Word I oppose my Lord when he is most near;
If I receive the Word I receive my Lord wherein he is nigh.
O you who have the hearts of all men in your hand,
form my heart according to the Word,
according to the image of your Son,
So shall Christ the Word, and his Word, be my strength and comfort.
These prayers continue to tear me apart and put me back together again. They are amazing.
The most amazing guitar man ever...
8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! 9 There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. 10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11 "But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. 12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. 13 Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! 14 I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.
As musicians, we are aware that successful music relies on the active ear of the listener. I, for example, could not stand being a casual singer in a cafe or bar where people are talking while I'm singing and playing. It's not a pride thing or a self-absorbed thing. Rather, it's wanting people to listen to the music. I also don't like music that is specifically designed not to be listened to. For example, elevator music. It's merely background noise. (And c'mon...Led Zeppelin played by strings?? Egad.)
Anyway, back to the topic. In this psalm, God knows that the people are not listening to him. Their ears are not active. He has promised that all they have to do is open their mouths, and he would fill them. But they aren't listening! They would not submit. And then follow what are, in my opinion, the most terrifying words in all of Scripture (they are repeated in Romans 1, as well), "So I gave them over..." He simply allowed them to follow their own desires.
"What Israel missed by refusing to listen is parallel to my own loss if I miss God's cues for my life: freedom from enemies (v. 14), food for the table (v. 16). In fact, if I worship God in an exclusive relationship, I will be abundantly blessed with 'the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock.'"
"How sad that so often I go unrewarded because I don't listen."
How sad, indeed. And I can attest to this, from experience.
All I desire right now is to know you, Lord. That is the most important thing.
Grace and peace, friends.