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Tag Archives: David

Psalm 68:4-5

17 Jun

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
Psalm 68:4-5

Dear God, yesterday I was so mindful of the pain that some people experience on Father’s Day (or Mother’s Day, for that matter). When I did the greeting at church, I wanted to acknowledge it. Then I remembered something important. The experience of parenting gives us a small insight into your heart as you parent us. It’s something that I never considered until I became a parent, and as my children grow and are now young adults I get to see even more of your character, how much you love us, and what kinds of experiences you have as our father.

David reminds us in this psalm that you are a father to the fatherless. I will confess that I don’t know what it’s like to experience this because I still have my earthly father, and he is a good man. I have never experienced the pain of being fatherless. But I know there are those that have, obviously. I could probably spend a whole prayer journal to you exploring that issue, but I don’t think I would really get it because I haven’t been there.

So, Father in Heaven, I will sing praise to you and extol your name. I will do my best to get to know you better and then represent you in the world. I will give what I am able to others and try to find opportunities when I can be your hands and feet in practical ways for those who need you. What do I need from you? I need your forgiveness for my selfishness and sin, wisdom for how I respond to the people and situations around me, and strength to carry on your work. Please lead me into those things.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 17, 2019 in Psalms

 

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Emails to God – Even Jesus Needed Affirmation (Matthew 22:41-46)

11 Apr

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,” they replied.

43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.”’

45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Dear God, I wonder how long Jesus had been waiting to ask them this question. I’m sure it was one that he wrestled with privately as he came to terms with His identity and whose son He was. After all, His blood lineage to David was through His step-father, Joseph, meaning His real blood lineage to David was through you.

It is hard to imagine what it would have been like for Jesus as He grew up and came into His own. I wonder how much of Him needed to hear your audible words at His baptism. I wonder how much He needed to visit with you, Moses, and Elijah at the Transfiguration. Were there things that confused Him? Were there times when He needed a little direction?

Father, I know there are times when I face a fork in the road and need some direction from you. Sometimes I feel your direction through intuition. Sometimes I hear your still, small voice. And sometimes I can’t hear or feel you at all and I go the wrong way. I simply pray that you will understand that my heart is to serve you and keep me from doing anything that will stray beyond your plan for me.

 
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Posted by on April 11, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Jesus’ Lineage (Matthew 1:1-17

31 Oct

1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

4 Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

6 and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asa,

8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

Abihud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

14 Azor the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

Akim the father of Elihud,

15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

Dear God, I find it fascinating that Jesus is considered to be from the line of David even though Joseph wasn’t his biological father. It almost makes me want to call foul on this because, technically, there was none of David’s blood in Jesus (although we don’t know Mary’s lineage). I suppose that for some this would have been an important distinction so that they can feel better about the blood lines of the Messiah, but this has always been one of those little details that has bothered me.

I guess the other thing I notice here is that forty-two men’s lives preceded Jesus’ birth. Most of them lived in obscurity. They lived and they died without knowing that they would eventually be listed for all time as part of Jesus’ lineage. I am sure that some of them lived frustrating lives of pain and suffering. I am sure that some of them wondered what their purpose in life was. You knew that, if nothing else, their purpose in life was to provide for the birth of Joseph so that he could be there to answer your call to raise and care for Jesus.

Father, help me to turn loose of any great expectations of my life and to simply live each day as part of your overarching plan, whether I can see what that is or not. Help me to decrease as you increase. Help me to be united to my wife. Help me to parent my children. Help me to serve you in every act I perform today. Help me to be completely submitted to you.

 
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Posted by on October 31, 2011 in Matthew

 

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