Psalm 22 (KJV) - Pt III (30-31): We shall declare his righteousness

From Psalms

Psalm 22 Pt III Verses 30, 31

³⁰A seed shall serve him;
      it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
³¹They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness
      unto a people that shall be born,
      that he hath done this.

Wow, I can't believe I've been away from my psalms postings for almost two weeks.  There has been a lot going on.  Thankfully nothing of it is related to my addictions.  I have been very busy with my family...being present with my kids...being loving...and sharing the love of Jesus.  I shall praise God for this - and declare his righteousness for these blessings in my life

I realized that I was using this to help procrastinate on other things in my life that are probably more important.  So, I believe this little break has been healthy...but I will try to keep it a little more healthy going forward.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 22 (KJV) - Part II (Verses 16-29): They pierced my hands and feet

From Psalms

Psalm 22 Part II (Verses 16-29)

¹⁶For dogs have compassed me:
      the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me:
      they pierced my hands and my feet.
¹⁷I may tell all my bones:
      they look and stare upon me.
¹⁸They part my garments among them,
      and cast lots upon my vesture.

¹⁹But be not thou far from me, O LORD:
      O my strength, haste thee to help me.
²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword;
      my darling from the power of the dog.
²¹Save me from the lion's mouth:
      for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

²²I will declare thy name unto my brethren:
      in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
²³Ye that fear the LORD, praise him;
      all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him;
      and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
²⁴For he hath not despised nor abhorred
      the affliction of the afflicted;
neither hath he hid his face from him;
      but when he cried unto him, he heard.

²⁵My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation:
      I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
²⁶The meek shall eat and be satisfied:
      they shall praise the LORD that seek him:
      your heart shall live for ever.
²⁷All the ends of the world
      shall remember and turn unto the LORD:
and all the kindreds of the nations
      shall worship before thee.
²⁸For the kingdom is the LORD's:
      and he is the governor among the nations.

²⁹All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship:
      all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him:
      and none can keep alive his own soul.

This is a big psalm - not just in the fact it needs to be broken into three parts, and more than I led on yesterday.  This psalm, through the grace of God, is the spirit of Christ speaking through the psalmist, well in advance of his presence on earth. Obviously, they pierced his hands and feet in the crucifixion - just as part II starts here today in verse 16. In the part I, a couple of days ago, I failed to mention how Matthew (27:46) describes Jesus "cried out in a loud voice...'My God, my God, why have you foresaken me?'" Earlier in Matthew (27:36) They divided up his clothes by casting lots - just as the psalmist writes here in verse 18.

So, now that I have mentioned these things...why is this important to an addict?  This confirms our faith in him as the Messiah.  With that the tone changes around verse 22.  From one of suffering, and portraying the story of the crucifixion to something much greater.  To a tone of praise and redemption.  It makes sense to me, that at this turning point, that the spirit has risen from the cross.  For all this suffering was not in vain (verse 24) and God did not abhor this nor did he hide his face from Christ.  In fact, when Christ cried out God heard, and all debts for sins have been repaid.

Thankfully these sins include all those evils we did while our minds were addicted.  The lies and the stealing.  The envy and the selfishness.  In the extreme cases, like those poor drunks who have killed while driving intoxicated, the murder.  If we seek forgiveness we will be forgiven.  If we seek recovery we will be saved from our addiction.  This forgiveness does not come easily though.   The path to salvation comes through a fairly demanding path for an addict.  It includes admitting the true nature of our wrongs, asking for help with those wrongs and making amends wherever possible.  All this requires turning our lives over to our Higher Power and requires perseverance every day.

I know this to be true because I am starting to see it in my life.  Just as I have seen it in other addicts and alcoholics lives around me.  I am rebuilding my marriage.  I have stopped lying and covering up where I've been and where I've been spending money.  Slowly but surely I am making amends where I need to and filling in the holes that my addiction left behind.  With the will of God my life is slowly becoming whole again - a hope that I have for all addicts out there.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 22 (KJV) - Part I: My God, why hast thou forsaken me?

From Psalms

Psalm 22
(For the director of music.  To the tune of "The Doe of the Morning."  A psalm of David.)

¹My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
      why art thou so far from helping me,
      and from the words of my roaring?
²O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not;
      and in the night season, and am not silent.

³But thou art holy,
      O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
⁴Our fathers trusted in thee:
      they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
⁵They cried unto thee, and were delivered:
      they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

⁶But I am a worm, and no man;
      a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
⁷All they that see me laugh me to scorn:
      they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
⁸He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him:
      let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

⁹But thou art he that took me out of the womb:
      thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
¹⁰I was cast upon thee from the womb:
      thou art my God from my mother's belly.
¹¹Be not far from me;
      for trouble is near;
      for there is none to help.

¹²Many bulls have compassed me:
      strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
¹³They gaped upon me with their mouths,
      as a ravening and a roaring lion.
¹⁴I am poured out like water,
      and all my bones are out of joint:
my heart is like wax;
      it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
¹⁵My strength is dried up like a potsherd;
      and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws;
      and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

How many addicts have uttered, "My God, why hast thou forsaken me?  Why do you stay far away?  I cry out but you don't hear my prayers."

How do we get into these situations that we feel God is far away?  I believe the answer has two parts.  The first is that God does not stay away from us - but rather we grow away and stray away from God.  As a result he puts us in situations, often fairly dire, so that we can understand that truth.  God intends that good things can come out of all situations.  Listen to the story of most recovering addicts and alcoholics.  In their addiction they had grown farther from God.  Fallen into a hole of the addiction and replaced their need of God with something else.

In recovery though they slowly returned to God.  Placed their faith in Him and slowly found strength to overcome their addiction, as well as the other problems in their lives.  In that journey their lives were transformed.  The 12 steps is not just about learning how to stop drinking, using drugs, or acting out in some other compulsive behavior.  The 12 steps is about finding a new life in your higher power.  Recovery is about transformation.

So, why in the world should we be ashamed of worshiping a powerful God that can transform the life of a "worm?"  (Verse 6-8)  This seems kind of silly but is still a real emotion that many addicts face.  That we still fear being mocked for our belief, often a strong belief, in a higher power.  Especially given what we've seen Him do in our lives.  To which I simply say, "If god is for us who can be against us." (Romans 8:31)  Why should we worry about what men say when we know that God is on our side?  How do we know he's on our side?  Because we've seen him pull us out of our hole of addiction and restore us to a healthy and meaningful life.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 21 (KJV) - His glory is great in my salvation

From Psalms

Psalm 21
(For the director of music.  A psalm of David.)

¹The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD;
      and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
²Thou hast given him his heart's desire,
      and hast not withholden the request of his lips.        Selah.
³For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness:
      thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.
⁴He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him,
      even length of days for ever and ever.
⁵His glory is great in thy salvation:
      honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.
⁶For thou hast made him most blessed for ever:
      thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
⁷For the king trusteth in the LORD,
      and through the mercy of the most High
      he shall not be moved.

⁸Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies:
      thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.
⁹Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger:
the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath,
      and the fire shall devour them.
¹⁰Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth,
      and their seed from among the children of men.
¹¹For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device,
      which they are not able to perform.
¹²Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back,
      when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.

¹³Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength:
      so will we sing and praise thy power.

Verses 1-7 echo my current state so well.  I am so grateful for the blessings of God, the 12 steps and the people around me.  I asked for a new life - and He granted me my wish.  I have more joy, more happiness, more strength, and more courage.  His glory is great in my salvation.  In his mercy I shall not be moved.

Then psalm 21 concludes (lucky verse 13) this sentiment so well.  I am glad that I have this blog to tell my story and to share is his glory, where I can exalt His strength and praise his power.

As I make my list of people to whom I need to make amends to, I am grateful for the opportunity.  I know it will be a growing experience.  I know that it will be an opportunity to reflect the love God.  As I've been learning, being Christian means being conspicuous about my love of my brothers and sisters.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 20 (KJV) - The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble

From Psalms

Psalm 20
(For the director of music. A psalm of David.)

¹The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble;
      the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
²Send thee help from the sanctuary,
      and strengthen thee out of Zion;
³Remember all thy offerings,
      and accept thy burnt sacrifice;                         Selah.
⁴Grant thee according to thine own heart,
      and fulfil all thy counsel.
⁵We will rejoice in thy salvation,
      and in the name of our God we will set up our banners:
the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.

⁶Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed;
      he will hear him from his holy heaven
      with the saving strength of his right hand.
⁷Some trust in chariots, and some in horses:
      but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
⁸They are brought down and fallen:
       but we are risen, and stand upright.

⁹Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.

Now I know I was having a great day when I did Psalm 19...something that not everybody else was experiencing with me.  For those people who were not having a good day, I dedicate Psalm 20.  Whether that's your addiction creeping back up, family issues, or things not going smoothly with your career, Psalm 20 is for you.  May the Lord answer you in your day of need, and may the Lord be with you.

There is a catch to this though - your faith and trust must be in the Lord.  Some trust in chariots, some in horses.  Some trust in money, and other trust in worldly assets.  When things are bleak you cannot trust that a drink will take off the edge.  When we are had an argument with someone close to us we cannot believe that going to the store and buying a new gadget or new clothes will bring happiness.  When we are feeling lonely we cannot believe that love will be in a strip club or in an online chat room.

So we will remember to have our trust in the Lord.  That trust and faith will allow us to rise up from our distress and stand firm (in our recovery).

Thanks for letting me share.