SOAP 06/27/2015; Psalm 41:4

Today's reading: Psalm 41

S ) "⁴ As for me, I said, 'O Lord, be gracious to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.'"

Psalm 41:4 (NASB)

O) David understood something fundamental to our existence. Sin causes sickness to our souls. Too often, people assume that the sickness that God wants to heal is our physical body. I think that He does want to heal us physically sometimes, but I often wonder what the point is for that, if we're all going to die anyway. More often than not, I think God is concerned for our spiritual sicknesses, the ones that afflict our souls. When James wrote that we should confess our sins and pray that we may be healed, I do not think he necessarily meant our physical healing (see James 5:16). When Peter gave his second sermon recorded in Acts, he said that we should repent and return, that times of refreshing would come from the presence of the Lord (see Acts 3:19). I don't think he meant a physical refreshing. Physical healing, no matter how powerful and complete, will only ever be a temporary fix to our terminal illness: our sinful flesh will perish. However, the healing of our soul is a permanent fix to a much more serious problem: in the war between our flesh and spirit, our soul hangs in the balance.

A) I  should not fear damage to my body only, but I should fear damage to body and soul (see Matthew 10:28). The consequences of my sins may very well carry physical ramifications, but they should always be seen as secondary concerns at most. My primary concern must always be the eternal consequences of sin. When I sin against the LORD, there is a sickness in my soul that must be healed. Indeed, my heart is sick with sin. If I have physical ailments, of course it would be nice to be healed. It is an opportunity to glorify God while His power is revealed in an outward observable way. However, much more concerning to me, is that I am healed within. The greater miracle will never be that God changes my body from sickness to health, but that He takes my heart of stone and gives me a heart of flesh.

P) Father, be gracious to me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. In Your perfect plan of grace and mercy, in the gospel of Jesus Christ, You have already begun this good work in me. You are the author, and the perfecter, of my faith. That same faith in Jesus Christ is the basis of my salvation. That same faith is what brings me into relationship with You, and it is the avenue through which I know I am healed in my heart. I know that this process is not yet perfected, not yet complete. So, I still ask for Your grace and healing. I pray that this miracle is visible to people in my life. I pray that they are able to perceive the powerful and wonderful work You have done, and are still doing, in my heart and in my life. Be glorified. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/26/2015; Psalm 40:5

Today's reading: Psalm 40

S ) "⁵ Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count."

Psalm 40:5 (NASB)

O) This verse has a little bit of ambiguity in it. When David said, "they would be..." it is not exactly clear what "they" he meant. It could be that the wonders which God has done are too numerous to count. But, it could also be that God's thoughts toward His people are too numerous to count. We know that David often proclaimed the mighty and numerous wonders of the LORD in his psalms, so that it easy to read in this verse. It is less common, but there is a cross-reference to David more clearly mentioning God thinking of His people (e.g., Psalm 139:17-18). What is really coming through this single verse, then, is a comparison or an equality, of both God's wonders and His thoughts toward us. Both of those things together, make God even more wonderful. Considering both makes God even further beyond compare! Not only is He personal enough to think of us more often than can be counted, he is also mighty enough that we could never know the extant of the wonders He has done. He is beyond us in power, yet within us in relationship. His duality this way, the marriage of His omnipotence with His unending mercy, His irresistible power with His invulnerable compassion, together make Him completely holy, different, and unique, with none to compare with Him.

A) Complete humility is my inward response to this. Praise and worship should be my outward response. When I have failed, fallen, or sinned, I must remember that the LORD is a personal God. He had complete foreknowledge when He commissioned Jesus to die on the cross for me, personally. He knows my sins, even before I commit them, just as He knew everything about me before I was born. In that way, I must remember that when He forgives my guilt He also takes my shame. On the other hand, when I am tempted toward pride, I must remember that His standard is hopelessly beyond my own self. there is simply no way I could ever hope to reach His standards alone. With that understanding, I must remember how fierce my God is. I must remember the awesome nature of the works of His hands. He has destroyed cities for their sins, taken the sanity of a king in order to humble him, and blinded men in order to accomplish His will. In all of God's mercy and compassion, I can never forget that He is still righteous and mighty. However, in all of His mighty wonders, I cannot forget that He is still compassionate and merciful. He is beyond me in power, yet within me in relationship.

P) Father, You are holy. Your character is unlike any other. You are great in lovingkindness, full of compassion, slow to anger. You are fierce, mighty to save, strong to accomplish Your sovereign will. Help me to remember the duality of Your nature, this way. When I think of Your mercy, let me not forget Your power. When I think of Your righteousness, let me not forget Your compassion. In the same way, help me to exhibit these same characteristics in my own life, just as Jesus did Himself. Help me to be decisive and certain for my wife, yet gentle and compassionate with her needs. With my children, help me to be strong in both my discipline and also my protection. Let them see that there are rules that they must strive toward, but that there is mercy in their failures. You are a wonderful God, and my prayer is that my family knows Your character and, if possible, they see my life as a reflection of You, by Your Son. All glory and honor be to You. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/25/2015; Psalm 39:4

Today's reading: Psalm 39

S ) "⁴ Lord, make me to know my end
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how transient I am."

Psalm 39:4 (NASB)

O) David was showing some signs of existentialism that his son Solomon would share. In this psalm, he acknowledged the brevity and futility of life. In particular, a few verses later David pointed out how man is a mere breath, or vanity - even at his best and standing firm as he can. David said man makes an uproar for nothing. It paints the picture of ignorance. It carries the impression that man doesn't even realize how short his own life is. At it's longest, it's still nothing in the sight of God, who is eternal. David did not want to fall into the same trap, the same futile thinking of other men. He asked God to show him how short his life will be. It's worth noting, that David live into his seventies. That was a short life, by his reckoning. By a better understanding of how long (or short) life truly is, David was able to use better time management. After all, we do not control the flow of time. It will pass as God wills. God gives us time as stewards of it. David wanted to be a good steward, he wanted to manage his time well. That started with a better understanding of what God had given him.

A) This is kind of a scary verse to me. This verse confronts one of the very deep issues at work in my heart. My time does not belong to me. There is no "my time" in my life. Not really. All of my time belongs to God, really. The truth is, I waste a lot of time. Videogames, TV shows, even books... there are a lot of ways I entertain myself, that may well and truly be wasting what little time God has given me. So, to ask God to open my eyes and show me the extent of my days... to let me know how transient I am... this is very sobering. What if God did answer? What if He told me I only had ten years? Five years? One month? This is like the hypothetical questions like, "If you only had ___ time to live, what would you do?" Except, this is a very real concept. Even if God answered and told me I had forty years left, this would still draw a lot of focus on how I use my time. However, I almost never think of my time this way. I don't think entertainment is altogether bad. I don't think playing games or watching movies is a complete waste. I think what may give it value, is what it could be doing for me or others. One thing that stands out to me, is the idea of recreation. What exactly is being recreated? Is my goal, while playing a videogame, to simply "veg-out" for some time? How selfish is that, really? If my goal in watching TV is to "decompress" or otherwise relieve stress, then isn't that truly idolatry? After all, Jesus asked me to come to Him when I am anxious or weary. More valuable, more important I think, are the people who should be involved. I think recreational activities are good, when they are recreating relationships with others. If I want to play a game, I should invite someone to play with me. If I want to read a book, I should read with someone and talk about it (book-club-style). In everything I do, I need to start being critical of the time it takes. I need to be harsh with the truth, and determine if something is a productive use of time. I need to be honest about my goals and purposes, when I intend to do something for a time.

P) Father, You are eternal. You made me to ponder eternity. I know that life on earth is temporary. I know that this is not my home. You created me to live and die on earth, so that I could be resurrected in Christ to live again. I do not only live once. I live twice. It is a little bit intimidating, and scary, if I am being honest, for me to pray like David prayed. But Lord, I want what You want. I want to be a good steward of everything You have given me. I want to be a good time manager. Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Help me to make the most of my time and opportunities. Be glorified. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/24/2015; Psalm 38:3-4

Today's reading: Psalm 38

S ) "³ There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.
⁴ For my iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me."

Psalm 38:3-4 (NASB)

O) The first part of this psalm describes the effects of sin, some of which are symbolic, some of which are just physical manifestations. In large part, this psalm is a warning that the effects of sin are often internalized, and can easily be mistaken or mislabeled as something else. For example, the verses above describe what appears to be depression. Later David described being weak, anxious, alienated, agitated, and even deaf and mute. All of this is a result of his sin (which he didn't disclose in this psalm). David understood that his own sins, particularly when not confessed and without repentance, caused a spectrum of consequences.

A) The end of this psalm holds the key, the answer to the warning. In verse 18, David said he confessed his sins. He went on from there to seek the LORD for help and salvation. I must remember that there are inherent consequences to every sin, that will ultimately harm me, even if there is no obvious, outer, or observable problem. In the New Testament, we are told that the flesh and the Spirit within me are at war. Conceding to my enemy will always cause me harm - even if my enemy is part of myself. Like David described, the burden of my own sins weigh too much for me. The solution is to lay them down at the feet of Jesus, and to take up His yoke. For His yoke is easy and His burden is light (see Matthew 11:29-30).

P) Father, thank You for the natural consequences of sin, which bring me back to You. Just as I am reminded in 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, when I have sorrows that come from You, because of the Holy Spirit being within me and being at war with my flesh, then that conflict will lead me to repentance. Whatever it takes, Lord, whether sorrow or loss, pain or suffering, save me from myself. Thank You for saving me. Let Your will be done in my life, and on earth, as it is in heaven. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/23/2015; Psalm 36:5-6

Today's reading: Psalm 36

S ) "⁵ Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Your judgments are like a great deep.
O Lord, You preserve man and beast"

Psalm 36:5-6 (NASB)

O) This psalm begins with a description of ungodly men. David described how they give way to their temptations, and begin planning evil. They do not fear God, and consequently do not hate evil. Many of David's psalms describe wicked people, and it seems that most of the time David is asking for them to be judged and cut off. This psalm is different, though. After describing these ungodly people, but not asking for their end, the psalm takes a turn with these two verses. David began telling of the goodness of God, His provision, and the way God keeps His own. When read all together, there is a sense that David might have been including himself in vv.1-4; he certainly knew of his own transgressions. But, just as he noted that the LORD preserves man and beast (generally), he also knew that God preserved him (specifically). Later in the Psalm, David asked God to continue in His lovingkindness to those that know God. He didn't ask for the preservation of those that fear God or despise evil. He didn't ask for the continued lovingkindness toward the upright. He said, "to those who know You." David understood what it meant to wrestle with sin. He knew the consequences of sin. He also knew mercy. Through all of that, he knew the LORD. That knowledge of God's character is what kept bringing him in repentance (see Romans 2:4).


A) When I first started reading this psalm, I was identifying very much with the first few verses. It is heavy to recognize where I have continued to fall short of God's perfect standard, even after years of serving Him. However, I will not be perfect until perfection comes. In the meantime, I must continually put my mind of God, on His character, on who He is. My knowledge of Him, and especially my acknowledgment of Him, will keep me walking in the holiness to which I have been called. This passage was adapted into a worship song called, "Your Love Oh Lord" by Third Day. There was a time in my life when I was clearly not following Jesus. When that song was out for just a little while, my brother bought me that album. I didn't listen to it much, but I did listen to that song a lot, as a matter of fact. The period of time when I was ignoring God was one of the hardest seasons in my life. I thank God quite often, now, that He chose to preserve me through that time. In reflection, I can only marvel and humbly thank Him, that I knew who He was throughout that time. He continued to show me lovingkindness, and eventually His character is what brought me back to repentance. When I have sinned, acting like the ungodly man in the first four verses of this psalm, it is easy to be discouraged and scared. It is easy to want to run away and hide from God. The enemy will try to plant seeds of doubt within my mind, trying to get me to look only at God's judgment and righteousness, to get me to think that God is preserving me only to have me face wrath. But, if I read the above verses in order, I see who God really is. David put these characteristics of God in order, using illustrations to place them highest to lowest. God's lovingkindness is the highest, then a little lower is His faithfulness, then His righteousness, then His judgment. This is not to say that God's judgment is less than His lovingkindness, but it is telling me about priorities and perspective. If I am viewing things from my own position (as the lowest being), trying to reach up to God, I will have to deal with His judgment, trying to reach His righteousness. This is terribly discouraging, and I imagine a lot of people would give up. However, if I am viewing things from God's perspective (as the highest Being), of Him reaching down to me, I see a different picture. Then I see that God is full of lovingkindness first, then faithfulness, before His righteousness, and all of that before His judgment comes. When this imagery is joined with the gospel, it paints a beautiful picture.

P) Father, thank You so much for preserving me. Your grace is humbling, and I can barely comprehend Your goodness sometimes. Thank You for Your lovingkindness, then Your faithfulness, then Your righteousness, then Your judgment. Thank You for preserving me. Please let me know You all the days of my life, and never forget Your true character. When I have played the part of the ungodly, remind me of Your order for things. Help me remember Your perspective of the gospel, and not my perspective of man's religion. Please forgive me for my sins, and let me walk in the Holy Spirit, that I will not gratify the desires of my flesh. Be glorified in my life. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/22/2015; Psalm 35:13-14

Today's reading: Psalm 35

S ) "¹³ But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting,
And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.
¹⁴ I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother."

Psalm 35:13-14 (NASB)

O) In the context of the rest of this psalm, the people for whom David was fasting and praying, were actually people who had turned against him. David brought up his treatment of these unnamed people in contrast to their treatment of him, and he did it in the past tense (when they were sick...). That is, he may not have continued those prayers and fasting, once these people betrayed him. Also, this is another example of a biblical reason to fast (while praying for the sick to recover). The most curious part of this verse, is the last line. There are footnotes, relating this to Matthew 10:13 and Luke 10:6, but I'm not sure those exactly align. In the following verse, David mentions that he bowed himself in morning, as if these people were his own brothers or sisters. This doesn't seem to suggest that he stopped praying and fasting for them (with his prayers returning to him). Without the footnotes, the words seem to suggest that his prayers simply were not effective. There were many times that David would inquire of the LORD and God would answer him. In this verse, I think he simply means that his requests of God were not being granted (maybe because God knew these people to be enemies of David), but that didn't seem to stop David from continuing to pray (which is what vv.13 and 14 seem to convey together).

A) Like David, when I am praying for people who are sick, I should consider fasting for them as well. When I'm praying for people, I should consider them like family. These people turned out to be against David, and it's entirely possible he continued to pray for their healing, but it seems unlikely when we read the entire psalm. However, the New Testament instructs many times, that I am to pray for my enemies. Praying for their healing seems to take that mercy to a new level. It is even stronger mercy, greater grace, to consider my enemies like family while I pray for them. This is a level of compassion only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit within me. When someone is sick, whether enemy or friend, it could be that God wants to heal them. This is why it is crucial for me to continually seek, and pray for, God's will to be done.

P) Father, Your plans are often hidden from me, if they are not altogether too lofty for me to perceive. Give me the wisdom, to continue seeking and praying for Your will to be done. Open my eyes and ears, to know when You want me to pray for the sick, and fast for them as well. Continue to work change in me, to be compassionate to everyone, even my enemies. Help me to consider the power of the gospel in my own life, so that I can see more clearly how others need the gospel to save them, even if they were my enemy. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/21/2015; 2 Samuel 21:4

Today's reading: 2 Samuel 21

S ) "⁴ Then the Gibeonites said to him, 'We have no concern of silver or gold with Saul or his house, nor is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.' And he said, 'I will do for you whatever you say.'"

2 Samuel 21:4 (NASB)

O) These Gibeonites had a covenant with Israel, that Saul had violated. The LORD was judging Israel because of that, with a famine. So, David sought the Gibeonite leaders, to see what retribution could be made. They wouldn't be consoled with anything material. Instead, they wanted seven lives from Saul's remaining family, to be hung. They didn't want money, or land, or revenge against the nation of Israel. They wanted justice.

A) There is a deep desire within us all, to desire justice. When we are directly involved, our pride can fool us into thinking we can create justice ourselves. This is vengeance. The Lord is specific, that vengeance is His to execute. In all other circumstances, a sincere and humble pursuit of justice will result in one path: seeking the LORD. In Him alone, can true justice be wrought. There are thousands of injustices every minute of every day, and none of them escape His notice. I can rest in His perfect judicial system, where there is no bribery, tampering, loopholes, failures, or mishandlings.

P) Father, You are perfectly trustworthy in every regard, including Your authorship and oversight of all justice. In the end, You will correctly, perfectly judge all. Help me to trust, wait, and rest in Your judgment. Help me to relinquish my desires to execute justice myself. Thank You for the mercies I receive, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Remind me that in Him, Your righteous wrath is still executed, but also satisfied. Thank You for abounding mercy, and perfect justice. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/20/2015; 2 Samuel 16:11

Today's reading: 2 Samuel 16

S ) "¹¹ Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, 'Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him.'"

2 Samuel 16:11 (NASB)

O) This man, Shimei, came out to David and his men while they fled Jerusalem because of Absalom. When he came out with curses for David, the men with him assumed he was only bitter, and speaking his own anger, and falsely ascribing his words to the LORD  David, however, was not so quick to write him off. David recognized there was some truth to what the man had said. He allowed the man to live, bearing the curses along the way. It was exhausting, but they endured, and the man Shimei was allowed to live.

A) It's all to easy to believe that the bad things that happen to me are because of the devil. After all, he is my enemy, where God is my friend. However, I must always remember that the LORD is also my Father in heaven. Because of this, as the Bible makes very clear, He disciplines me if He loves me. Curses are the opposite of blessings, but describing circumstances as either one always depends on perspective. So many things that look like a blessing, end up rotten. So many "unanswered prayers" are exactly what we needed to hear (or not hear, or not get). And I think, some curses are actually discipline, that God will use to bless me as a son.

P) Father, You're love and wisdom are beyond my perception. I trust Your words, though. So Father, I seek Your discipline. I know that there is comfort in the hardships You allow, or even orchestrate for me to face. In them there is testing for me to seek You, and discipline for me to become the son You want me to be. In those hardships, there is love. Help me to correctly discern blessings from curses, and always consider how You might be using circumstances to my favor and benefit, and Your glory. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.