But as for me...

This has been running round and round my brain since Monday. Each time doubt or darkness threatens this is an awesome verse to proclaim loudly to God and to yourself...

But as for me, I will sing about your power.
Each morning I will sing with joy about your UNFAILING LOVE.
For you have been my refuge,
a place of safety when I am in distress.
(Psalm 59:16)

God has proved himself in the past! He has been my refuge, he has been my healer, he has been my restorer, he has been my provider, he has been my protector, he has been my Father... And I can stand firm on the fact that his love is unfailing; it took him to the cross for me! And His power is endless - just take a look at the stars and the ocean and the mountains and the trees. All in the palm of his hand! Praise God!

No good news without the bad

Sometimes we find ourselves doubting that hell is truly relevent when we're chatting to our friends about Jesus. Surely we can avoid that one, and still proclaim good news. But John the Baptist seems to have had other ideas -

John answered their questions by saying, "I baptise you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire." John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.
(Luke 3:16-18 NLT)

A Psalm for the Cross

Psalm 89 is an amazing Psalm, which seems to be written for when Jesus hung dying on the cross.

The psalmist begins by declaring powerfully God's faithfulness, his righteousness, his ultimate power, and his covenant to David to establish his throne forever.

But then he describes what has happened to David's descendant; God's anointed one. What God has done to him. -

"...you have rejected, you have spurned,
you have been very angry with your anointed one." (v38)

"You have put an end to his splendour
and cast his throne to the ground.
You have cut short the days of his youth;
you have covered him with a mantle of shame." (v44-45)

All looks lost. God's wrath is poured out on his anointed one like a burning fire (v47). And the psalmist cries out in despair -

"What man can live and not see death,
or save himself from the power of the grave?" (v48)

And yet we know! We know the answer! Our Saviour, the anointed one. He can save himself from the power of the grave!

And the psalmist himself seems to come to peace with it all. He ends with "Praise be to the LORD for ever! Amen and Amen." He knows that he can trust in all the things he so confidently proclaimed. His God is the LORD, he does not change. He can be trusted. He saves his people and keeps his covenant!