Loneliness is hard to endure, and impossible to enjoy unless God accompanied. Prophets are lone men; they walk alone, pray alone and God makes them alone.
- Leonard Ravenhill
Psalms of Delight...
Most of the Bible's Psalms give thanks to God on one or more levels. Commanded to do so, Christians aught to make the time to praise God for His glorious nature, creative genius and many gifts to mankind.
Psalms of Delight are written in concert with Psalms in the Night. Both series contain Modern Psalms meant to comfort and inspire those seeking the Omni-God revealed in Scripture.
Audience Of One Summary
If "all the world's a stage" then sharing it with over seven billion others can be a bit cramped. Still other times we find ourselves completely alone. Ironically, either experiences can produce feelings of isolation. Most try to make the best of things. Life being short, many revel in their "fifteen minutes of fame" by "eating and drinking for tomorrow we die." Others look to God for meaning. Some, finding insight, have appeared center stage. The Bible's "Faith Hall of Fame" gives the highlights of patriarchs, prophets and apostles who shared the lime light. The contributions of a few were heralded in their own time. Many would only be appreciated by future generations. More still were marginalized and criticized by those they served.
For millennia multitudes of "those of whom the world was not worthy" found themselves destitute, tortured and even killed for their trouble. Unknown to us even today, One knows them well. Though their performances went unpublicized or received violent reviews, God is well pleased to called them friends. And when the Tri-Omni God of the multiverse is a fan, perhaps all that is needed is an Audience of One.
Audience Of One
Modern Psalm of Delight 16
Suns up and shinning on an early Autumn morn. Bird's are chirping, airs fresh and a cool breeze's kissing my neck of the woods. Like to be out and about but I've been sidelined nursing a cold or flu. No big deal, should pass in a couple of days. Thank you I've had a pretty healthy life. Thanks also for immediate access to healthcare my families enjoyed.
Still, for numerous reasons we often discuss, I wish Christian's possessed enough faith to heal the sick. I know it's still possible. I'm glad Your offer to grant believers the fruit and gifts of the Spirit never expired. I'm totally bummed we see so little miraculous power in our lives today. It leaves a dent in Christianity that's hard not to notice. Like You, I long to see all come to the knowledge of repentance, truth and salvation, yet fewer will without clear evidence of Your presence, provision and protection. How I wish You'd hear and answer my daily prayers today! That by Your Spirit we might see the fulfillment of Paul's great request and find ourselves "filled with all the fullness of God."
I trust You don't mind my feeble attempts at love wrestling You for more blessings, particularly in light of all we take for granted. It's as if You've already blessed modern society with the answers to the prayers of all previous generations! In return, we've used our wealth and riches to become a thousand times more culpable than any generation in the history of mankind.
Having waited on You for decades, I'm not sure what else to do. Tens of thousands of hours of exercising faith through prayer, Bible study and activism have been rewarding, yet also disappointing in many ways. I'm thankful for sensing the light of Your presence on many of my endeavors, yet their having fallen so far short of what I had envisioned casts a long shadow of sorrow.
I appreciate the Bible's examples of those who resisted the temptation to quit, paying the cost they decided to press on. Accepting the challenge of faith, a few become famous heroes while others were persecution and even martyred:
- "I could go on and on, but I've run out of time. There are so many more— Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets....Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn't deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world." Hebrews 11:32-38 MSG
- "Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" Hebrews 12:1-3 MSG
Never Really Alone
It all sounds good in theory. Unfortunately, like so many aspects of life and even Christianity, it's a lot easier said than done. The Enemy of our souls makes sure it's unpopular to seek You. Time and again, even among the people of God, serving You's been costly. It should be no surprise that in Post Christian First Word Nations, stand up for scripture would prove difficult.
So often people who do have to go it alone. It's tough to find those willing to go against the flow. Trying not to alienate anyone we try being "wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove." It's like walking a tightrope when our audience and colleagues, friends and family disagree. But unlike high wire performers there's no appreciative crowds to cheer us on. The masses, even among Your own people, swarm the Big Tops where the Ring Master's provide the greatest show on Earth. Many flock to the mega Three Ring Circuses for the free admission to the promises of scripture while ignoring Your conditions. With the fear of God passé, they draw crowds by the millions while those faithful to the truth of scripture are going out of business.
While frustrated and troubled by this growing global trend I'm thankful those who please You are never really alone. Omniscience, nothing catches You off guard. Omnipresence, where ever we go there You are. Omnipotent, You're able to meet every need. Immutable, the fact that You're as good as Your word will never change.
Show Yourself to those in whom You delight. Let the joy of the Lord be our strength. Help Your messengers who are ignored or worse know they're playing to a packed hose when the Tri-Omni God of the multiverse is in the audience! Let the Heavenly light of our Your word dispel the darkness of an evil age:
- "So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong." Hebrews 12:12-13
- "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. 'For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.' But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved." Hebrews 10:35-39
- "For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed... That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:6-9,16-18
The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them:
- “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." Psalm 19:7-14
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