The Lifter of Your Head (Psalm 3:3)

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.
Psalm 3:3

There are three descriptions of who the Lord is for you in this verse.

First, He is a shield about you. David, the psalmist-King, knew the dangers and anxieties of war. Constantly escaping from evil, vulnerable to violence, he knew his only security came from the Lord’s sovereign protection. David knew the function of a shield—to be a wall of protection between him and an oncoming threat. This word-picture does not change for us: God is our shield, our fortress, our protection. As it is written elsewhere, we can hide “in the shadow of his wings” (Ps 17:8). Though God’s shielding of us is not physical, that is, seen with our eyes, it is nonetheless powerful. God, in infinite power and wisdom, is able to protect us through the working of His sovereign providence. If you are a child of God through Jesus Christ, “who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?” (Rm 8:33). Though our enemies may look more like lies against our salvation, guilt from the devil, and persecution for living for Christ—God is our shield ever more.

Second, God is your glory. What reputations do we seek apart from the Lord? What securities do we build our lives upon that are not God? David knew that if everything was stripped away—his kingdom, how others perceived him, his family—he still had God as his glory. To have God as our glory is to know the infinite worth we have in Him despite what is happening around or within us. David knew God would vindicate him, for he did not place his worth in his own strength or abilities, but in the Creator Himself. Is all of your life set, fixated—obsessed—with being about God? Do you know who you are in Christ, all the promises laid out for you in Scripture? For God to be your glory, He must be your everything—or else He is secondary to another competing glory in your life.

Finally, God is the lifter of your head. What a tender promise we have here. There will surely be times we cannot lift our own heads from sorrow, despondency, fear, shame, anxiety, or grief. There will be times we tremble under panic, not knowing how to go one more day. But God—our great, merciful, slow-to-anger, and rich-in-love God—is the lifter of our heads. This is not something He only does once in a while; no, it is who He is. He is the lifter. It is what He does. Are you downcast today? It is ok; in due time the Lord will lift your eyes for you. Are you scared for your future? Do not fear; God has your days within His hands. His tender hand reaches down, softly pulls your chin up, so that you look at Him. God is in the business of reorienting our often-limited sight, lifting our heads to see Him, who He is for us in Christ, His everlasting love, protection, care, and security. Turn your eyes to Jesus today!

So whatever comes, God is your shield, your glory, and the lifter of your head. What encouragement we find in our great God!

Enter His House (Psalm 5:7a)

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house…
Psalm 5:7a

Everyone has a manner in which they approach God. Some offer quick requests in the face of dire circumstances. Some bring their list of long deeds and their perceived worthiness. Still others come stuck in a state of shame or condemnation, never believing the gospel.

But David teaches us the right way: we come through the abundance of His steadfast love. The Hebrew word behind “steadfast love” is qesed, the covenantal favor and kindness of God towards His people. This is the same word found in the other psalm which refrains, “His steadfast love endures forever” (Ps 136). It is a strong love, based upon God’s character—not on our present feelings or actions.

So the manner we are to “enter” God’s house is through His abundant, never-ending, secure qesed love. Later in the New Testament we find proof of His love towards us: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4-5). This is our standing as children of God: we are secure. We have forgiveness of every sin. We are lavished with grace. We are given the Holy Spirit. This is all because of God’s great, unshakable, glorious love for us in Christ Jesus.

But we cannot stop here! We can recognize this love, we can view it from afar, peering into the house from the outside—but all of this does us no good if we do not enter his house for ourselves. David knows his soul would be bereft if he could not go into the temple of God for himself. He needs to be with God. So too for us, the love of God in Jesus invites us to come, abide, dwell, and glory in God’s house. Because we know that He is “able to save to the uttermost those who draw near” (Heb 7:25), we trust that we—by the gracious, firm, declarative favor of God poured out on us in Jesus—can draw near. And when we do, we go boldly to the throne room of grace, “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). I leave you with two applications:

First, there is never a reason why you cannot go to God in prayer today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life. Condemnation is removed through Jesus. He took your shame upon His shoulders. Bring to God your empty works, and trust in the finished work of Christ. Go through the abundance of His love.

Second, there is never a time when you cannot enter his house. You do not have to schedule an appointment with God; His door is always open. If the gospel is true on your worst day, then every day is an opportune time to draw near. Whether in a time of need, praise, confession, or intercession, the abundance of His steadfast love assures you that He always has an ear for you. We can never deplete His grace, so we return to receive it as He has given it: freely, in abundance.

All this is yours in Christ Jesus. Do you believe that this morning?

Podcast #17 – The Veil is Removed (2 Cor. 3:12-16)

Text: “12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.” -2 Cor 3:12-15

Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/17-the-veil-is-removed-2-cor-3-12-16/id1628176611?i=1000581373940

Podcast on Spotify:

Podcast #16 – The Ministry of the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:7-11)

Text: “7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.” -2 Cor 3:7-11

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/16-the-ministry-of-the-spirit-2-cor-3-7-11/id1628176611?i=1000580639582

Spotify:

#8 – No Such Thing as a “Jesus and Me” Faith (2 Cor. 2:5-8)

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/8-no-such-thing-as-a-jesus-and-me-faith-2-cor-2-5-8/id1628176611?i=1000574622211

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/the-surpassing-worth/embed/episodes/8—No-Such-Thing-as-a-Jesus-and-Me-Faith-2-Cor–25-8-e1lltt6

Episode Description

Resources for Accountability Groups:

-Men’s discipleship group: https://k21.men/wp-content/uploads/Accountability-Questions.pdf

-Women’s discipleship group: https://characterthatcounts.org/accountability-questions-for-women.php

-What I take students through for discipleship: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WD7coIxC1Rg0WMUGTq9k-ZxpfuA75Oaw/view?usp=sharing

“5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.” -2 Cor 2:5-8

#7 – When Others Bring You Pain (2 Cor. 2:1-4)

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/7-when-others-bring-you-pain-2-cor-2-1-4/id1628176611?i=1000571073182

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/the-surpassing-worth/episodes/7—When-Others-Bring-You-Pain-2-Cor–21-4-e1lckh2

Episode Description

“1 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.” -2 Cor 2:1-4

Transcription Coming Soon

“In Your Light We See Light” (Psalm 36:9b)

“…in your light do we see light.”
Psalm 36:9b

The grace of God functions much like the sun: apart from it, you live in darkness. This verse from the psalter reminds us of the startling truth that, apart from the light of God in our lives, we are “dead in our sins” and blind to God’s truth (Eph 2:1). It is only when the light of God shines upon us in breathtaking mercy that we can see life for what it was always meant to be: a sacrificial offering lived for the worship and obedience of our great God.

Christian, how easy it is to fall into the trap of believing the light you now see is somehow a product of your own power or progress. No! The life you live has only ever been lit by grace alone. Your initial salvation was an awakening by the glorious grace of God to the truths of the gospel. Remember how your eyes lightened when you first heard about the blood our Savior poured out to forgive you? Remember the tenderness your soul felt when you believed Jesus drew near to you, despite your sins? Remember the freedom when the blindness of your heart was overcome by the light of His Spirit within you? Truly, on that day, in his light you saw light.

Furthermore, the growth you have seen up until now on this well-lit path of sanctification is not by your strength. Find comfort in this, O Christian: the same grace which initially sparked the embers of faith in your heart is the same grace which ultimately will carry the growing flame of love for Christ until the end. The dual lights of His Spirit and Word are the beams piercing daily into your soul to remind you of your security in Christ. You are united to Him. And now, you await an eternal kingdom where you will be with Him forever. In that eternal light—Oh happy day!—we shall finally “see him as he is” in his resplendent glory and majestic worth (1 Jn 3:2).

As you wait for His return in a dark world, remember this: now that you have seen the light, there is no returning to the darkness. Why tarry in the night any longer? Why return to the groping and grasping? Why make void the light-giving grace of God by intentionally running back to the darkness of your past? Dear Christian, you are now a child of the light. So walk in the light. Make your life about bringing others into this light. Speak of this light. Tell others how happy your soul is to bask in the rays of God’s grace. And pray to the Father above to shine the light of His Spirit upon blinded eyes. Ultimately, this verse finds its culmination in the beautifully-bright Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the “light of the world” (Jn 8:12). This light came into the world, and the “darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:5). Many men physically saw this light, but they could not comprehend it. It is only through the gracious choosing of our Savior that eyes are opened. If you have seen this great Light, be grateful: it was only by grace this truth was revealed to you. The King of Light has opened your eyes to behold His salvation. Now, child of the light, walk daily with Him. “His word is a lamp unto thy feet, a light unto thy path” (Ps 119:105). We shall never walk alone.

Magnify (Psalm 34:3)

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
Psalm 34:3

Let us consider the word magnify. When one magnifies something, he makes it larger than it actually is in his sight. A magnifying glass bends the bug to appear larger than it is. A telescope magnifies a distant object to be visible to the naked eye.

Now, we must be careful: when David says to “magnify the Lord,” he does not mean to make Him appear or become larger than what He already is. No, the great God of the cosmos cannot become any greater, any wiser, any more powerful, or sovereign. Rather, this language is used to describe the largeness of God in David’s soul. David wants to make more of God in his life. He desires God to become more and more to him—to overtake him, to be exalted in him, to be flooded with His presence. This is what is meant by the word magnify. David desired that his people would make much of God in their hearts. Or, another way this can be said: David pleads with his people to worship God as He is: the infinite, mighty, awesome, glorious God of the universe. So he sings: “magnify the Lord with me!”

Oh, how I fear that we make too little of who God is. We consider him like a little bug in the grass, thinking we have to search with a magnifying glass just to find him. We think that we are the ones who make him bigger by our worship or false piety. May it not be so! Rather, our situation is more akin to viewing the sun through a telescope. With our naked eye, we are blinded by its glory. We cannot see it. Likewise, in our sinful flesh, we are blinded to God’s presence and weight in our lives. Only through the telescope of God’s grace can we behold a fraction of who He is. We need Him to be magnified in our souls in the sense that, apart from His mediating grace, we could never behold Him.

Oh Christian, praise the Lord that this mediating grace is found in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus is the telescope of God’s glory, the pure magnification of who He is to us. Jesus said “if you have seen me, you have seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). He is the eternal “Word made flesh,” the “radiance of God’s glory”, and the “exact imprint of his nature.” Magnify the Lord today by beholding Jesus Christ. Look upon Him: see His scars and ponder the great love which led Him to give up His very life to cleanse us. The blindness of our eyes due to the dimming power of sin has been healed: we can now behold the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by sheer grace. Now, everything in this world we are so prone to magnify in His place will become strangely dim as we behold the light of His presence!Yet, we know we still do not see Him perfectly. We await a final day of magnification: the great coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. On that day, when we are changed in the twinkling of an eye, we will be with Him forever—unhindered, free, without any sin, magnifying the Lord in His eternal fullness. Oh, what a day! But as we wait right now, magnify the Lord by looking upon Christ today!

The False Hope of a War Horse (Psalm 33:17)

“The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.”
Psalm 33:17

In ancient times the war horse was a sign of military power and therefore security from one’s enemies. If you had many chariots, you could be cheerful: you were safe and protected. Here, the psalmist shows us what a war horse really is: “a false hope for salvation.” He is saying, “it is just a horse. That is all.” Yes, in reality, a war horse is nothing more than a galloping animal that cannot speak nor command. The human controls where it goes. It cannot direct. It cannot save in and of itself. It is just a horse. A neighing horse.

The psalmist asks, “Why trust in such a helpless, galloping animal that merely has the appearance of strength?” To relate, the question we must ask ourselves today is this: what are the “war horses” I look to for security, comfort, peace, happiness—and yes—even salvation? What in my life has the appearance of strength, yet, when all the armor is removed, is nothing more than a temporal flash of comfort and security? Is it your job? Your success? The number in your bank account? The stock market? Your hope for a future political situation? The list goes on.

The false hope of war horses can be even more subtle than these, like a Trojan horse sneaking into the fortress of our souls. If not checked, it becomes a parasite. Do you trust in your good deeds, the rush of charity you feel after you do something nice for someone else? This will fail, because your good deeds are “dirty rags” before the Lord (Isa 64:6). Do you trust in your self-righteousness, the checklist of spiritual obligations you complete every week? These too will fail, because “no one is righteous, no not one” (Rm 3:10). Do you trust in the affirmation and praise of others, looking everyday for cheap “likes” and compliments? These too are a false hope, for you have now become a slave of “pleasing people” (Gal 1:10).

Indeed, if you but search, there are many “war horses” in your life prancing around, promising to provide for you only what the Lord can. Stop these in their tracks for what they are: false hopes of salvation. Instead, turn to the Lord Jesus today, who himself rides on top of the war horse with the name of “Faithful and True,” with flashing eyes and a burning tongue of justice and deliverance (Rev 19:11). Trust in this Savior, the one who can provide living water to your soul that never runs dry (Jn 4:14) and bread of life which daily nourishes your hungry soul (Jn 6:35). He alone can be the rightful King of your life. His arm alone can rescue you from these false hopes of salvation. Why trust in a horse when you have the Almighty? Why trust lesser, temporal things when you have the eternal, life-giving Creator with you always, to the end of the age?