Today’s Lectio Divina: Excerpts from Psalm 19. (MsgB)
The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree.
I’ve watched a lot of TV over my 60-plus years of life. Much more than I care to admit. And just in case you were unsure of such things, TV teaches us life-truths, whether it is true or not. One such life-truth that has come through loud and clear on TV from the days of my youth until today is this…
You can tell if a man is a real man if he has his six-pack of beer.
Now don’t get me wrong. I enjoy a good brew from time to time. A cold one is a true treat on a hot summer day. A beer with friends is a nice way to relax and enjoy life. But in America, if you’re gonna be a real man, you need that Bud-light six-pack by your side 24-7. I mean, who knows when you’re gonna be invited to someone’s man-cave to watch some football, and heaven-forbid, a real man just can’t go to a party without bringing along a six-pack or two. Right? As I was reflecting on Psalm 19 today, I was intrigued by the six-pack King David talks about in verses 7-9. Apparently from David’s point of view, a real six-pack that makes a man a man will include these six necessities:
The revelation of God. The signposts of God. The life-maps of God.
The directions of God. The reputation of God. The decisions of God.
Six survival tools that any real man (or woman) just won’t want to be without in life. Let me briefly unpack this God six-pack…
God’s Revelation. When a man walks through life leaning only on the wisdom of his own flesh, goofy things can really begin happen. Throw in a few six-packs of Budweiser and a bunch of normally sane men can have the corporate reasoning and intelligence of a gang of banana-eating monkeys at the zoo! Yet men (and women) who drink regularly from the revelation of God will be people full of wisdom beyond our human understanding. I’m not sure which type of man you’d rather be around, but as for me and my household, I’d pick the second over the first.
God’s Signposts. When a man (or woman) relies upon the revelation of God, I truly believe he or she will be much more aware of the signposts of God that our Creator places in our world. I often refer to the Sons of Issachar (1st Chronicles 12: 32). Men who could read the God-signposts of their day, recognizing the times they lived in and knowing what they needed to be doing during those unique days.
God’s Life-maps. I firmly believe that God has a life-map published for each of our lives. The tragedy is that so many of us decide early on to go our own way, charting out a course for our lives outside of the plans of God. A real man (or woman) is one who knows, as David says here, that God’s life-map is right and by following it, there will be joy in the midst of life’s struggles.
God’s Directions. Just as God offers us His big-picture life-maps for our lives, I truly believe that He is readily there in life to give us the day-to-day directions we need as well. The Christian life is not rocket-science. Real men (and women) must have a willingness to apply carefully God’s directions to our lives on a daily basis. As I see it, simple obedience to God’s directions makes a recipe for one fine meal.
God’s Reputation. Drinking from God’s six-pack is no fly-by-night affair. Both God’s Word and world history show us that this God of the Bible has a great track record of doing good stuff in a world gone sour. No fast-food and cheap beer here. Trusting our lives to this ancient, time-less and dependable God is like sipping a delightful well-aged wine.
God’s Decisions. Finally, for those who hang around God long enough, we begin to see how the decisions of God are always fair, always right, and always true. The on-going theme of God’s people in the Old Testament is that God is good and that His mercy and love endure forever.
As I see it, when a man (or woman) drinks of God’s Spirit rather than the six-pack of our earthly existence, our thoughts become more like God’s thoughts. His ways become our ways. His interests, our interests. His desire, our desires. I don’t know about you, but this six-pack of God looks pretty refreshing to me. Stay thirsty, my friends! And drink hardy from His table!
My prayer: Father, King David has spelled out six truths here in Psalm 19 that become life-changers for my life. Holy Spirit, indwell me and empower me to walk in these six truths, drinking deeply from Your cup poured out for me. For Your name’s sake. Amen.
My questions to ponder: So what six-pack alternatives have I allowed into my life? Am I firmly attached, like David, to these six principles of truth? As a real man or woman of God, how can I take this God six-pack with me everywhere I go today?
So what is God speaking to you today as you ponder the Psalms?
Over a 50-week period, you and I will take a deeper look at The Psalms: God’s Songbook of Prayers. In order to keep all the blog sessions organized, we suggest you bookmark our Contemplating the Psalms home page for ease of use. Keep in mind that one of the best ways to explore the on-going applications of this blog series is to walk alongside a biblically-based, Christ-centered spiritual director who is familiar with how to make material like this part of your overall spiritual formation in God. Many of our directors in our Sustainable Faith-Heartland network are available to companion you in your journey with Jesus. Click here for more info.
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