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What I Learned from Psalm 18

Aug25

At least three book titles of books that I have read and enjoyed come from this psalm: Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle, The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare, and Hind’s Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard.

Many Waters is a retelling of the story of Noah from the Bible. Ms. L’Engle takes quite a few liberties with the Biblical text, weaving it into her own story of time travel and a young girl’s coming of age in a time of cataclysmic change. Although the book quotes Song of Solomon several times in reference to the theme of the story, I think Psalm 18:16 is applicable, too.

“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. If a man were to give all his wealth for love, it would be utterly scorned.” Song of Solomon 8:7.

“He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.” Psalm 18:16.

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare won the Newbery Award in 1962. The story takes place in first century Palestine in the time of Christ. Her title comes from verse 34 of Psalm 18, and the young people in the novel use the Bronze Bow as a symbol and sign for their friendship and their united hatred for the Romans who occupy the land.

God is my strong refuge, and has made my way safe.
He made my feet like hinds’ feet, and set me secure on the heights.
He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. Psalm 18:32-34.

“It couldn’t really be bronze,” said Daniel, puzzled. “THe Strongest man could not bend a bow of bronze.”
“Perhaps just the tips were metal,” Joel suggested.
“No,” Thacia spoke. “I think it was really bronze. I think David meant a bow that a man couldn’t bend–that when God strengthns us we can do something that seems impossible.”

Later, in the book Daniel is called upon to give up his soul-killing bitterness against the Romans and accept the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Daniel finds this task just about as impossible as bending a bronze bow. He wonders, “Was it possible that only love could bend the bow of bronze?”

Hind’s Feet on High Places is a more allegorical story, in the style of Pilgrim’s Progress, of a girl, Much-Afraid, who goes on a journey to reach the high places of the Shepherd. Sorrow and Suffering are her guides, and at the end of the book Much-Afraid receives a new name, Grace-and-Glory.

“The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.” Habakkuk 3:19

He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places. Psalm 18:33.

Psalm 18 has also been the inspiration for several songs and choruses. My pastor posted one on youtube and on his blog, Wide Open Spaces by a group called Clear. The song uses mostly these verses from the psalm:

He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
Psalm 18:9-19

Then, there’s this song which uses two verses from Psalm 18:

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. Psalm 18:3.

The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. Psalm 18:46.

What I learned: God is my strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my shield, my salvation, my stronghold. He pulls me out of the deep waters, delivers me from my enemies, enlightens me in my darkness, rewards me, strengthens me, arms me, makes my way perfect, lifts me up, shows mercy to me. Blessed be the name of the LORD.

What I Learned from Psalm 16

Aug23

1 Keep me safe, O God,
for in you I take refuge.
2 I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”

3 As for the saints who are in the land,
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

4 The sorrows of those will increase
who run after other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names on my lips.

5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.

6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.

8 I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,

10 because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

11 You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Verse 2 in particular, but also the entire psalm, remind me of my life verses: Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69

I’ve thought some times of chucking the whole Christianity thing, usually when I was hormonal or disillusioned with someone who claims the name of Christ. (“Now that I am a Christian I do have moods in which the whole thing looks improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable.” – C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity) But I never thought about it for long. Who else has the “words of life”? Where else can anyone take refuge? Where else in this world apart from in Christ is there any lasting good thing? What other philosophy or religious dogma is so gloriously improbable (impossible) and at the same so sensible and satisfying?

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup. You have made my lot secure. I like the boundary lines in my life in Christ, and I’m set to inherit eternal life filled with joy in His presence. Where else can I find anything or anyone that promises life in the presence of my Creator and mercy in the presence of my Judge?

Puddleglum in The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis: “Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things–trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.”

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” –C.S. Lewis, Is Theology Poetry?

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Aug17

Pearl and May Chin are sisters, growing up in Shanghai, 1937. The two young ladies are also Beautiful Girls, a phrase that carries a specific denotation in the modern, cosmopolitan culture of Westernized Shanghai. Pearl and May are models whose portraits sell everything from cigarettes to soap. The girls are living a fast, sophisticated, and carefree life, when suddenly everything changes. The girls’ father owes money to the mob, and in order to pay them he arranges a complicated deal that involves arranged marriages for his daughters to two Chinese boys from San Francisco that they’ve never met. And at the same time the Japanese army is sweeping over northern China, headed for Shanghai. Chiang Kai Shek and his Chinese nationalists are opposing the Japanese, and the two forces meet on the streets of Shanghai.

This first part of the book was illustrative of fact that at the same time that huge historical events are taking place, individuals are playing out their own dramas. May and Pearl hardly notice the advance of the Japanese army at first; they are too caught up in their own battle with their father. Then, they realize that their American husbands may be their only ticket to escape the horrors of war and the Japanese occupation of Shanghai and surrounding areas.

Most of the rest of the story deals with May and Pearl and their relationship as sisters and their adjustment to living in a new place and a new culture. The Chinese are not particularly welcome in pre-WW2 San Francisco. There is much bigotry to endure or overcome, and many decisions must be made about how to handle encounters with the U.S. government and with non-Chinese neighbors and citizens. But the center of the story always comes back to the relationship between May and Pearl. Are they rivals or best friends? Or both? How can the two sisters see each other’s faults and shortcomings so clearly and still remain the central source of love and support for one another?

The book made me think not so much of my own sister, although we are good friends, as it did of my children and their relationships. Sometimes they exhibit the same jealousies and misunderstandings that May and Pearl have, but at the same time I see them being fiercely protective and defensive of one another. I do believe that some of my children are each other’s best friends, and that makes me happy, even when it involves a closeness that can see and exploit the other’s weaknesses. The sister/sister relationship in particular is fraught with peril, but also can be rewarding and full of joy. On whom can you depend if not your sister?

Shanghai Girls was a moving look at a pair of Chinese sisters and their perilous journey to America and also to true sisterhood. I enjoyed the trip.

What some other bloggers thought about Shanghai Girls:

Dawn at She Is Too Fond of Books: “The fictional Pearl and May, like many actual Chinese in America during this period, endured. Shanghai Girls is a work of historical fiction that both entertains and teaches.”

A Book a Week: “The sisters in Shanghai Girls have a relationship that is clichéd and predictable. The dialogue is almost painfully banal. Yet the settings (1930’s Shanghai, 1940’s and ‘50’s Los Angeles) are great, very evocative and filled with detail.”

Darlene at Peeking Between the Pages: “I have to say that Shanghai Girls really ends in the middle of nowhere. I was shocked when I got to the last page as I still expected more story but that leads me to believe there will be a sequel and that I’m looking forward to.”

Kailana/Kelly at The Written Wordhas a joint review with Marg of The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. Good discussion there, and their review confirms that there is supposed to be a sequel.

What I Learned From Psalm 10

Aug17

Psalm 10 is really the other half of Psalm 9. The two psalms together form an acrostic poem in Hebrew. In English, the two psalms just share the same thoughts about the faithfulness and justice of God Most High.

1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.

3 He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5 His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.

6 He says to himself, “Nothing will shake me;
I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.”

7 His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.

8 He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims.

9 He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
he lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.

11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
he covers his face and never sees.”

12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.

13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
“He won’t call me to account”?

14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.

16 The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.

17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Ain’t gonna study war no more. No more violence. No more curses, lies and threats. Greed and pride and murder and theft, banished. ‘Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.

However, in order for God to remove all evil from the world immediately, He’d have to remove me. As Chesterton once famously answered to the question, “What’s wrong with the world?”,

Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G. K. Chesterton

So, let’s go slowly, and God, first of all, have mercy on me, a sinner. Then, create in me a clean heart and start scrubbing the rest of the world clean, too. One soul at a time. Yes, I want God to defend the fatherless and listen to the cry of the afflicted. We just all need to remember that sometimes we ARE the perpetrators rather than the victims.

May all of us terrify and be terrified no more.

What I learned: God’s got a big job. I thank Him for the times he’s rescued me, and others, from myself. And I pray that He will break my arm, or anything else that needs to be broken, before He allows me to become like the man described in verses 2-15 of Psalm 10.

What I Learned from Psalm 9

Aug16

1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.

4 For you have upheld my right and my cause;
you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.

5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6 Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.

7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.

8 He will judge the world in righteousness;
he will govern the peoples with justice.

9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.

10 Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.

12 For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

13 O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,

14 that I may declare your praises
in the gates of the Daughter of Zion
and there rejoice in your salvation.

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

16 The LORD is known by his justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
Higgaion. Selah

17 The wicked return to the grave,
all the nations that forget God.

18 But the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

19 Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.

20 Strike them with terror, O LORD;
let the nations know they are but men.
Selah.

Psalms 9 and 10 form a single acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they constitute one psalm.

This psalm contradicts believers in a Clockmaker God who wound up the universe and now sits back to watch it spin. Either they are right, or David was right. God not only creates and sustains; He acts. We may not understand His timing or His allowing evil to flourish for a time, but He “is known by His justice.” He does not ignore the cry of suffering humanity. He avenges blood. He remembers. He is a refuge and stronghold. He will rebuke the nations, destroy the wicked, judge the world, and govern the peoples. He is our Hope and our Salvation.

What I learned: God acts, and He is in control.

What I Learned from Psalm 6

Aug13

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.
A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

3 My soul is in anguish.
How long, O LORD, how long?

4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love.

5 No one remembers you when he is dead.
Who praises you from the grave?

6 I am worn out from groaning;
all night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.

7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.

8 Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the LORD has heard my weeping.

9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
the LORD accepts my prayer.

10 All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed;
they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

Need a little help with Psalm 6?

I’ve named this psalm “The Weeping Psalm.” I read it when I’m depressed beyond reason, and I can’t say that I’m immediately filled with joy; however, I am encouraged to know that my tears are absorbed in the ocean of His unfailing love.

If you listen to some people, depression is epidemic in our society. I honestly don’t know what to tell you to do if you’re depressed. I’ve been dealing with what I think is hormone-induced periodic depression for several years now. It’s not fun. However, taking a little blue pill to artificially improve my mood doesn’t feel right to me either. So, I continue to cry and to cry out to the Lord, knowing that He hears every cry and will defeat every enemy, even the ones that steal my joy from within myself.

What I learned: I’m not the only one who cries a lot. “The Lord has heard my weeping.”

What I Learned from Psalm 5

Aug12

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.
2 Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.

3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;
with you the wicked cannot dwell.

5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence;
you hate all who do wrong.

6 You destroy those who tell lies;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
the LORD abhors.

7 But I, by your great mercy,
will come into your house;
in reverence will I bow down
toward your holy temple.

8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies—
make straight your way before me.

9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with destruction.
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongue they speak deceit.

10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.

11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

What I learned: Bad people=BAD. Forgiven people=GOOD. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy and grace, renewed every morning.

What I Learned from Psalm 4

Aug11

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

1 Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Selah

3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD will hear when I call to him.

4 In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Selah

5 Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.

6 Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

7 You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.

8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.

It sounds like a prayer in the night. I often pray at night: when I’m settling down to sleep, when I can’t sleep, when I awaken in the night. If I fall asleep in the middle of my prayer time, that’s OK. God is still there, watching, working, keeping the world turning.

I wonder how it sounded when David or his musicians played and sang this psalm 3000 years ago?

What I Learned: I could afford to search my heart and be silent, instead of nursing my anger and hurt feelings and rehearsing the real and imagined offenses I’ve experienced and what I wish I’d said or done in response. “Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.”

What I Learned from Psalm 3

Aug10

I got this message from a friend on Facebook this morning:

If you’re reading Psalm 3 today, you might want to read II Sam. 15-19 to get the rest of the story.

So, of course, I looked up “the rest of the story,” the very sad story of David and his beloved, rebellious son, Absalom.

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

1 O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.”
Selah

3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

4 To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah

5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

6 I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.

7 Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.

8 From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
Selah.

Selah is a mystery word. It may be a musical notation, or an instruction to “stop and listen,” or something else entirely. I like mysteries.

What happened with Absalom and David is no mystery. Absalom, David’s oldest son and heir, decided that old dad wasn’t running things the way Absalom thought he should. So Absalom became a politician, handing out favors and talking about what he would do if he were king. And the BIble says, “Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.”

Then, when Absalom’s popularity was at its height, he gathered his friends and sycophants together and took over the kingdom, driving David out of his palace and making him a fugitive for the second time in his life. When David was young he ran away from Saul and waited for God to fulfill His promise to make David king. Now, in his old age, David runs away from Absalom and waits for God to vindicate and defend him.

And sometime during this time of dishonor and uncertainty and danger, David wrote Psalm 3, a psalm of faith and courage and assurance.

Share Psalm 3 by Salvador

What I learned: When everything looks dark and hopeless, God is still in control. I can lie down and sleep and leave the world and all its nonsense and evil intentions and complications to Him. He sustains; He answers in His time; He delivers.

What I Learned from Psalm 2

Aug9

Well, I learned from my pastor that the late Rich Mullins wrote a song based on this psalm:

1Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
2The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.
3“Let us break their chains,” they say,
“and throw off their fetters.”
4The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
5Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
6“I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
He said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.
8Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
9You will rule them with an iron scepterf;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
10Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice with trembling.
12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

The New Testament frequently quotes and alludes to Psalm 2:

Matthew 3:17, at Jesus’ baptism: And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 17:5, on the Mount of Transfiguration: While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Acts 4:25-27, in Peter’s sermon: You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.” Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.

Acts 13:32-33, in Paul’s sermon: We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.”

Hebrews 1:5, as further proof of Jesus’ uniqueness: For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?

Hebrews 5:5, as God the Father’s Chosen One: So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.”

What I learned: Jesus is Lord. He always has been. He is the unique Son of the Living God of the Universe. Whatever the powerful people of this earth may say or do, all the books we write, all the speeches we make, all the influence we think we have, God is above and beyond, transcending all our petty power games and manipulations. Jesus is Lord.