Let Us Pray: Help in Prayer from D.A. Carson’s “Praying with Paul”

Praying can often be challenging in many ways. Simply finding time to pray once throughout the day can be elusive, let alone trying to find and establish a rhythm of prayer. We find our time in prayer comes in fits and starts and often looks random as opposed to regular and rhythmic. Then once we do start praying, we find that our mind tends to wonder to-and-fro to the point that we often can’t even remember what it is we’ve already prayed for or haven’t prayed for yet. What is the remedy? One very helpful and encouraging resource for building a regular rhythm of prayer in one’s life is D.A. Carson’s Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation.

The Introduction and first two chapters alone are a treasure trove of practical and biblical wisdom. First, Carson identifies the immense value of prayer. Then he offers some practical steps to help us start praying and to help us drown out the noise of everyday. And then he offers insight into building a biblical framework that helps guide our prayers. This practical wisdom helps eliminate distractions and the biblical wisdom informs and streamlines our prayers so that we pray in the Spirit, in accord with the heart of God as revealed by Scripture.

 

The Need for Prayer

We will not ever prioritize prayer or ever establish a rhythm of prayer in our lives if we do not recognize the immeasurable value of prayer. Carson notes, “The most urgent need of the church in the Western world is the need to pray.”[1] Carson acknowledges the swath of other areas the church needs to address and be prepared to respond to (Issues like overwhelming biblical illiteracy, cultural moral decay, the sexual revolution, the rise of cultural intolerance for those disagreeing with majority cultural virtues, unreached and unchurched people groups, etc.). However, he maintains “the one thing we most urgently need is a deeper knowledge of God. We need to know God better.”[2] And what is one of the primary ways in which we grow in our intimate knowledge of God? How do we know God better? We pray.

“One of the foundational steps in knowing God, and one of the basic demonstrations that we do know God is prayer—spiritual, persistent, biblically minded prayer.”[3]

So once we recognize its value, then the next natural step is to engage in the practice of prayer itself.

 

Practical Steps for Prayer

I once had a track coach who offered powerful wisdom for improving one’s running ability and speed. He could often be heard saying to us unfit, ailing, frustrated wannabe track stars, “Do you want to know how you become a better, faster runner? You run.” In chapter one, Carson makes much the same point with prayer. If we want to see improvement in our prayer lives, the first step is to pray. Or, to say it another way, we often struggle in prayer because we don’t pray regularly. Carson addresses this point specifically in this way, “Much praying is not done because we do not plan to pray.”[4] He then offers perhaps one of the simplest yet most profound pieces of wisdom with regard to prayer: “It is better to pray often with brevity than rarely but at length.”[5] The first step to improving our prayer life is to pray.

Carson then offers some simply practical steps to help eliminate distractions. Among these are: vocalizing prayers, praying through Scripture, making prayer lists to follow, journaling prayers, having a prayer partner, etc.[6] The takeaway from these suggestions is that there are practical steps we can plan to take along with good and wise practices that help focus our prayer efforts. Some will find different practices to be more beneficial than others. The key is finding what works for you.

 

Developing a Framework for Prayer

In chapter two, Carson urges us to develop a robust framework for our prayers. And as the title of his book suggests, he models this framework off of Paul’s prayers. Specifically, he models it off of Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 1:3–12. There, Carson points out that two elements make up Paul’s framework for his prayer:

  1. Thankfulness for signs of grace in the Thessalonians
  2. Confidence and hope in God’s coming reign at Christ’s return, and the justice it will bring

So, when we pray, we too should recognize the varying signs of grace that God has granted in us and our church family. And we make it a point to thank God for such gifts of grace. Such gifts could be increased faith, increased love, increased knowledge of God, growing maturity, perseverance in trials and suffering, people using their gifts to build up the body, confession and repentance, etc. When we recognize such graces, our instinct should be to thank God for them. As we develop this framework, we will likely find that we become more proficient at recognizing them. We will begin to identify God’s gifts of grace where before we might of looked right past them. So when we pray, we infuse our prayers with thankfulness for signs of divine grace.

And, when we pray, we pray with a view to and longing for the fullness of God’s kingdom that comes with the return of Jesus. We anticipate not just the joy that comes with his presence but also the justice that comes with the consummation of his kingdom. All wrongs will be made right. God will vindicate all his people, and God will exact retribution on all the enemies of him and his people. Saints have always fit their prayers into the reality that God will deliver vindication and justice for his people, whom he knows intimately. Think of David’s prayers to God in the Psalms (cf. Psalm 139, which we have recently memorized as a congregation). Therefore, when we pray, our prayers take on a tincture of hopefulness because Jesus will return. And so in our prayers we raise up this plea to heaven, “Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

 

Let Us Pray

We must recognize the value and need for prayer. With Carson’s help, we can find ways to plan for prayer and develop practices to eliminate distraction. And with Carson and Paul’s helps, we too can begin to develop and build a framework for our prayers that infuses them with thanksgiving and hope. When we pray, we commune with God, grow in our knowledge of him, thank him for his varied gifts of grace in our lives, and joyfully anticipate Christ’s return when he will right all wrongs. So the only thing left for us to do is to pray. So let us pray.

[1] D. A. Carson, Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation, Second. (Baker Academic, 2015), xi.

[2] Carson, Praying with Paul, xiii.

[3] Carson, Praying with Paul, xiii.

[4] Carson, Praying with Paul, 1.

[5] Carson, Praying with Paul, 2.

[6] Carson, Praying with Paul, 2–20.

The End of Roe v Wade

Praise God that the legal, political, and moral horror of Roe v Wade is no more.

  • Roe v Wade was a legal horror, for it made up a fictional right found nowhere in the constitution, presented as facts falsehoods about the history of abortion jurisprudence, and thereby distorted subsequent legal decisions for the past several decades.
  • Roe v Wade was a political horror for it was a raw assertion of judicial legislative power (as noted in today’s opinion; see, for example, p. 10), rescinding laws then in existence passed by dozens of state legislatures, removing most questions concerning abortion from state legislatures and assigning them to the courts. By so doing, Roe v Wade played a central role in the politicization of the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court.
  • Roe v Wade was a moral horror, treating unborn children early in pregnancy as no more important than an appendix, and propagating the view that we as individuals are autonomous, having the right to do what we wish with our bodies.

Millions have prayed, marched, and organized over these last decades to bring about today’s decision. It has been my privilege to participate in some events – particularly given that, at age 20, I advocated for a theoretical abortion and thus incurred guilt (as discussed in this sermon: text, audio).

We rightly stand amazed at the array of people God used to overturn this monstrosity:

  • On the legal side: The Federalist Society has been instrumental in supporting and raising up justices who try to interpret the constitution as written.
  • Political leaders: George W Bush, Mitch McConnell, and Donald Trump all played vital roles in bringing about today’s ruling. As imperfect as all three are, and with as many disagreements as they have among themselves, God used all three to answer our prayers.
  • Teachers and preachers: God used Roman Catholics, evangelicals, and secular scholars to make the case against Roe v Wade. In our circles, John Piper’s twenty-five sermons on abortion were particularly powerful, as were Scott Klusendorf’s books and seminars.
  • Workers of compassion: The movement to create Pregnancy Resource Centers around the country began more than forty years ago. Now there are thousands of centers where women can receive tests, ultrasounds, and counseling at no cost to them – and often can hear of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior. We have had the privilege over the years to support such centers in Charlotte – today, the Queen City Pregnancy Resource Center.

While we praise God for the end of Roe, much work remains.

  • Pregnancy Resource Centers may well see a substantial increase in clients. They will need more finances, more personnel, more spiritual support – and protection. A number of such centers have been vandalized by abortion advocates in the last few months, including one in Asheville.
  • Today’s opinion returns decisions about abortion to state legislatures. There will be heated debates in many states, including North Carolina. There may also be attempts to have state Supreme Courts find a right to abortion in state constitutions. Thus we must vote wisely – for state legislators and for judges.
  • Many of our most populous states will see no decline in abortions because their state legislatures have already passed laws that ensure abortion access. Indeed, it is likely that some will travel to such states to have abortions. So the need to teach and to advocate for the unborn continues.
  • Most of all, the worldviews and consequent attitudes that lead to abortion continue to exert strong influence in our society. Challenge those worldviews; question those attitudes. Know and communicate the storyline of the Bible – highlighting our rebellion, our inability to think straight, and God’s compassion and grace through Jesus. Remember that we are not autonomous – we are created for a purpose, to glorify God. We thus do not have a right to do what we want with our bodies. But we find freedom, joy, and fulfillment not in looking inside ourselves and “discovering” who we are, but in following Jesus. Abundant, true life is found only in Him (John 10:10, Mark 8:34-36).

But the most important task remaining is to continue in prayer – prayer for the unborn, prayer for confused, scared, pregnant women, prayer for legislators and leaders, prayer for compassion and witness, prayer for those who may seem like enemies, prayer for our light to so shine among people that they see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Roe v Wade is no more. Praise God for answering so many prayers and using so many people. Today may be an important inflection point in the history of our country. But work remains. May we continue in the work of prayer, the work of love, the work of witness – and so hasten Jesus’ return (2 Peter 3:11-12), playing our role in completing the task of filling the earth with the knowledge of God’s glory as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).

DGCC Pastoral Search

Desiring God Community Church in Charlotte NC is beginning a search for a pastor. 

The new pastor will begin as a full-time associate pastor, with the intention of his becoming senior pastor when Coty Pinckney, the planting pastor in 2003, transitions to part-time associate pastor. We expect this transition to happen by the end of 2022. 

Applicants will agree enthusiastically with the DGCC core values and Statement of Faith Governing Teaching. The resources linked in the topical index on the website give a yet broader view of the teaching of the church on a variety of issues.

DGCC is a church with Cross Cultural Missions at its core, not simply as a program. We value being “a church of the nations, with ministries to the nations in Charlotte and around the world.” We presently have a Swahili service each Sunday afternoon following the English service. DGCC has about 60 adult members; around 50 non-members attend the Swahili service. 

In addition to the usual pastoral responsibilities of the ministry of the Word, prayer, pastoral care, counseling, and vision-casting, DGCC would especially benefit from a pastor with skills in helping translate vision into practice. Candidates will be elder-qualified according to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, and well-trained in theology, biblical exposition, and language. They will be eager to serve on an elder team that works harmoniously for the glory of God and the good of the church. We value experience serving as an elder, but may choose to consider especially strong candidates without such experience. 

Desiring God Church is part of the Treasuring Christ Together Network, and the new pastor will have significant involvement in the network. After the congregation votes to call the pastor, he will be assessed by the network, and network resources will be available to assist him in becoming more and more what God intends him to be.

Interested persons seeking more information prior to applying are welcome to email searchteam@desiringGodchurch.org. 

In addition to a cover letter and resume, please send us a completed application by March 31. 

 

The Advent of the Kingdom

How should you prepare for the coming of the King?

We are entering the season of Advent – the weeks leading up to Christmas when we celebrate the incarnation and birth of King Jesus. Prior to that first coming of David’s promised descendant, many devout Jews, like Simeon, were “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25). They lived “righteous and devout” lives, feeding on God’s Word, serving His people, proclaiming His promises, eagerly anticipating the fulfillment of every promise by the “God of Amen,” the “God of Truth” (Isaiah 65:16).

Today we can profitably use this season prior to Christmas to prompt ourselves to live similarly as we wait for the final consolation, eagerly anticipating the fulfillment of all the remaining promises by the same God of Amen.

But note: God grants a partial fulfillment of those promises today! As we long for the final consummation, “all the promises of God find their Yes” in Christ Jesus. And that “Yes” means that today He establishes us, He anoints us, He seals us, He puts His Spirit in us (2 Corinthians 1:20-22) so that “as He is, so also are we in this world;” indeed, “love [is] perfected with us” (1 John 4:17).

This is how we rightly celebrate Advent today: Not as a preparation for gift-giving or carol-singing, but in living our lives today in light of God’s promises and their present and future fulfillment.

Consider Psalm 81 in this regard. Like us, the Israelites of the psalmist’s day had been redeemed by God (out of Egypt) and had received God’s promise that through their offspring all the nations of the world would be blessed. But, like us, they suffered over the years from both external enemies and their own internal tendency to stray. In words that echo the opening lines of the Ten Commandments, God says:

“Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!  There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.  I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.  Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever. But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Psalm 81:8-16)

There are at least five explicit or implied commands here – five imperatives that tell us how to live in anticipation of God’s fulfilling His every promise:

  • “Listen to me and to no other!” God says, “Hear! Consider what happens when you listen to my words of life! Don’t listen to other claims of authority, to other claims of what leads to joy!”
  • “Worship me and no other! Others will seem to display power, will seem to exhibit wisdom, will seem to offer salvation – don’t bow down to them!”
  • “Remember my redemption! You once were slaves, and groaned in your slavery. I redeemed you, and no other. So don’t put yourselves back under the yoke of a master who only desires to use you!”
  • “Do not harden your heart! You naturally have a stubborn heart; left to your own desires and preferences, you will not listen to me, you will not submit to me; your own counsels will lead you far from me. Since you naturally will fall away from me, you must fight to open yourself up to me.”
  • “So open your mouth wide, and I will fill it! I will fill it with the finest of wheat, with honey from the rock, with what is better than you could ever imagine! Yield to me – and I will give you the deepest joy man can experience.”

How do we open our mouths wide? What does that mean?

Surely it means in part obeying the first four commands: Feed on His Word, worship Him with joy, preach the Gospel to yourself daily, and guard your heart. The fight for joy in God consists in part in this internal fight to believe God’s promises and to trust Him with our thoughts, affections, and emotions.

But “open your mouth wide” also implies our stepping out in action. Step out to serve – and God promises to fill you and use you in ways beyond your imagining. Open your mouth wide to speak the Gospel – and God promises to give His power to that proclamation, to work miracles of salvation and encouragement. Show love to the hurting – and God promises to infuse that love with His own, so that the comfort received is the comfort of God Himself.

Do you see? When we rightly prepare for the (second) coming of the King, we not only prepare ourselves; we not only prepare those around us; we actually display the coming Kingdom now! God so works through His forward-looking people that His Kingdom is manifest today in acts of mercy and words of grace.

So how will you celebrate Advent? Who can you encourage? What mercy can you show? With whom can you share the Good News of God’s grace? How will God’s Kingdom come – today! – through you?

How Do I Know if I Am Saved?

Many people ask questions about assurance of salvation: “How do I know if I am saved?”

Some would answer, “The Bible says, ‘Once saved, always saved.’ So if you truly believed in Jesus in the past, you have a ticket straight to heaven; you need never question your salvation.”

So is the statement “Once saved, always saved” biblical? The answer is, “Yes, but not in the way many people understand it.” Let me explain. (more…)

The Mortal Danger in Social Action

“I now think that making God secondary (which in the end is to make Him nothing) is … the mortal danger in social action, especially in view of the marked intimations of virtue – even arrogant virtue – that often perilously accompany it. Some may avoid this danger, perhaps. But I was not obeying the first and greatest commandment – to love God first – nor is it clear that I was obeying the second – to love my neighbor. Hating the oppressors of my neighbor isn’t perhaps what Christ had in mind.”
Sheldon Vanauken (1914-1996), from the afterword to A Severe Mercy (1977), reflecting on his involvement in the antiwar movement in the 1960s. Emphasis in the original.

Do Justice!

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, “Do justice!”

This summer in the US, most of us think immediately of racial issues: the deaths of George Floyd and others, protests, and the subsequent articles and arguments about white privilege, systemic racism, and related matters.

“Do justice” is a biblical command:

What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8b)

What does this command mean? How is it related to the national issues that come to mind these days when we hear the phrase?

Let’s look at the verse and its context in order to answer these questions. We shall see: While Micah 6:8 speaks only tangentially to society-level justice, it is especially relevant to the situation facing our country today.

The Context

“The LORD has an indictment against his people” (Micah 6:2). God continues: “O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me!” (Micah 6:3). So the people are weary of God. They are tired of Him.

God then emphasizes His past goodness toward them – indeed, His purchasing of them as His own: “I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (Micah 6:4). They are in relationship with God – and have been for hundreds of years. He is their redeemer, their Savior – as well as the provider of their great human leaders.

The people respond in verses 6-7, expressing their weariness of Him, their frustration with Him. In effect, they say:

“What do you want from us, God? Thousands of burnt offerings? Huge contributions of oil? Or perhaps our firstborn sons! You’re so unreasonable! You’re so hard to satisfy! You’re impossible!”

God then, in His grace, speaks the words they need to hear:

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).

God says: “I’ve told you what is right and good; remember what I have spoken in word and communicated in deed. I am the source of your freedom from slavery; I am the source of your existence as a people; you are recipients of great grace! And my ‘requirements’ are not actions you take to appease me nor pro forma religious rituals.”

God then gives them three “requirements.” Let’s consider them in reverse order.

Walk humbly with your God

That is: He is your God. He is your Redeemer. You belong to Him! You are His people! So don’t think in a demeaning way about Him – as if He is unreasonable and so you are justified in being weary of Him. And don’t think highly of yourself. Don’t think highly of what you can offer to God or do for Him. Instead (using the words of Deuteronomy 6:5 which Jesus highlights as “the great commandment,” on which all the prophets depend, including Micah) love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

So God’s third “requirement” points toward the great commandment; the first two “requirements” point toward the second greatest commandment, love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).

Love kindness

We could translate this phrase from the Hebrew as “love love” since Micah uses two words that both refer to love, often in the context of a covenant. But scholars tell us the emphasis here is not on emotions but rather on love in action: We are to show respect, benevolence, mercy, grace, kindness, concern, generosity and faithfulness to others, not conditioning our care for them on their response. Instead, since we have received mercy and grace and kindness from God, we are to show others the same (Matthew 18:21-35).

We clearly live out this “requirement” in our families, churches, workplaces, and neighborhoods, as well as with those individuals we encounter along the way (as in Luke 10:25-37). This “requirement” concerns our personal interactions with others – not our attempts to change the wider society.

Do justice

The NIV and Holman-Christian render this “act justly;” a commentator suggests, “Practice justice.” That is: Treat others as if they are made in the image of God – for they are! In particular, treat as God’s image-bearers those you might be tempted to look down upon – those weaker than you, or less influential, or less well-informed, or less educated, or less cool, or younger, or older, or of a different ethnicity, or of a different religion, or holding different political opinions, or having different interests. Remember, you are no closer to God than anyone else because of who you are or what you have done. If you are closer to God than others, it is only because of His grace toward you. So give all others the justice they deserve as God’s image bearers.

As with “love kindness,” we live out this “requirement” primarily in our personal interactions with those in our circles of relationships. So this, again, is a way of actualizing “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Societal Issues

So if we fulfill Micah 6:8’s third “requirement” by loving God, and the first two “requirements” by loving those in our circles of relationships, does this verse have anything to say about societal issues?

Yes. We care about societal issues because we love our neighbors. We care about how society treats or mistreats individuals that we love. So if we are to do justice and love kindness, we will do what we can to influence our public institutions so our neighbors experience justice and kindness. Indeed, parts of the Old Testament – which was written not only to common people but also to kings, rulers, and high priests – explicitly command these influential people to effect justice and kindness in the nation (see, for example, Deuteronomy 17:18-20, Ezekiel 34, Micah 3, and Isaiah 58). Living in a democracy, we all have at least a modicum of influence over the direction of our society – and we should exercise that influence to achieve the same outcomes God instructs Old Testament kings to pursue.

However, we must always remember: We do justice and love kindness first and foremost in the way we act toward individuals around us. Unless I become president, this is where I have the greatest influence.

Furthermore, history shows us that those who dedicate themselves to righting what they perceive as injustices in society very often violate Micah 6:8. They often fail to walk humbly before God, thinking of themselves as saviors to society; and in their attempts to bring about a future utopia, they trample over thousands – and sometimes millions – of individuals. They also often stir up a hatred for their political opponents. And hating those who hate your neighbor is not the same as loving your neighbor.

So do justice. Love kindness. Walk humbly before your God. By all means, after praying for wisdom, vote in the way you think will improve our country, state, and city. Consider being involved in other ways that influence our wider society.

But Micah 6:8 instructs us: whatever your involvement on societal issues, always, on every occasion, walk humbly before the God who redeemed you, who had mercy on you. And so act justly to the individuals around you and to those you encounter. Love kindness. Love your neighbor as yourself – for Jesus’ sake.

[This is an edited version of the devotion Coty gave at the August 23 DGCC members meeting.]

Guidelines for in-person worship services

The Apostle Paul tells us, “In humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). In order to live out this truth as we regather, let’s follow these guidelines that have been worked out in conjunction with Bethel Korean Church. You can read the rationale for these guidelines at the end of this post.

  • Please do not attend if you have any symptoms of illness, or if you suspect you have been exposed to someone with the virus in the last few days.
  • Please avoid shaking hands at this time.
  • Please wear a mask covering your nose and mouth whenever you are within ten feet of others indoors. Yes, this will make singing more difficult. No, the mask won’t do much to protect you personally. But if you should happen to have the virus without symptoms, the mask will lower considerably the probability that you could infect others. We will have masks available Sunday morning for those who don’t own one. Please use them, take them home, wash them, and then bring them with you in subsequent weeks.
  • Don’t be concerned with trying to keep masks on young children.
  • If you feel a cough or sneeze coming on, please leave the sanctuary if possible. Please cough or sneeze into your elbow.
  • We will sit in alternate rows in the sanctuary, leaving an empty row between each row in which we sit.
  • Please leave two empty seats between your family and others sitting in your row.
  • Although the latest CDC guidance says the chance of contracting the virus from contaminated surfaces is low, we will nevertheless clean surfaces before the service, and prop doors open so we don’t have to touch door handles.
  • We will have hand sanitizer available at the entrance to the sanctuary.
  • After the service, please exit through the Fellowship Hall. Weather permitting, please interact with each other outside.
  • Please wash your hands regularly, for at least 20 seconds.
  • For the time being, we will not have Sunday School, a nursery, or adult Core Seminar. All children will stay with their parents during the service. (Some Sunday School classes may begin meeting via Zoom.)
  • For the time being, we will not have coffee available.
  • Make the best decision for your family and loved ones. Some will attend. Others will participate via the stream. We honor all those decisions.

Rationale for these guidelines:

We continue to learn more about this virus every week. As of May 23, here are some of the important facts that have led us to issue the above guidelines. We will modify this post as more information becomes available:

  • The elderly and those with certain pre-existing conditions are most vulnerable to this virus. Note that Bethel Korean Church has a considerably higher proportion of elderly than Desiring God Community Church, so we need to be especially careful with these brothers and sisters.
  • For children, this virus is less serious than the seasonal flu. Furthermore, there are almost no known cases to date of the virus spreading from a child to a family member, much less from a child to someone outside the family.
  • The virus spreads primarily by droplets breathed out. The number of such droplets expressed increases dramatically when sneezing or coughing. The number also increases substantially when singing.
  • The virus spreads primarily indoors, when people have shared a space for a lengthy period of time. There are few known cases in which the virus has spread outdoors.
  • It is possible to have the virus, have no symptoms, and still infect others.
  • Rarely, someone will have the virus with no symptoms and be particularly contagious. These “super-spreaders” can end up infecting dozens of others. There have been cases in which super-spreaders have infected many others during religious services, or associated meetings (like choir practice). The possibility of such an event increases as the space is more confined and people are closer together. We will guard against such rare events by wearing masks and, when indoors, spreading out in the sanctuary which has very high ceilings and a large volume of air.

A Christmas Gift to Yourself

Advent and Christmas celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world.

But why did He come?

The Apostle Paul tells us: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

That’s the truth about Jesus. He came to glorify God through the salvation of rebels.

But that truth only helps us if we acknowledge a second truth: I am among such rebels. So the Apostle continues by stating that he is the foremost of sinners.

We must know who Jesus is.

And we must know who we are.

Only by acknowledging and responding to those truths do we reap the benefits of Jesus’ coming into the world.

Jesus’ great ancestor David elaborates on such self-knowledge in Psalm 86. Let’s learn from him four truths we need to acknowledge about ourselves.

David was among God’s people, chosen by His grace. The four truths will be true of us also if we are in Christ Jesus, having come to God by grace through faith.

First: David knows that he is God’s poor, needy servant.

We see this in Psalm 86:1, 2, 4, and 16. Indeed, in Psalm 82:16 David calls himself not only a servant but the “son of your maidservant.” He is saying, “I’m like the son of Your household slave, born into your household, and thus having no inheritance, no assets, and absolutely no social standing apart from You. I am completely dependent on You.”

Now, David was king! He ruled! He had riches! People would bow down before him!

And yet he sees himself rightly as only a servant of God, one who can accomplish nothing on his own, one whose very purpose is to do the will of God.

Do you see yourself that way?

Second: David depends on and desires God

Psalm 86:4 says David lifts up his soul to God.

Now, other than when reading Scripture, I have never used the phrase “lift up my soul.” I doubt you have either. While it’s a fairly common phrase in the Old Testament, what does it mean?

Deuteronomy 24:15 is helpful in this regard, for the phrase is translated differently in that verse. Speaking of a poor and needy hired servant, Moses commands:

You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the LORD, and you be guilty of sin. (emphasis added)

“Counts on” translates the same phrase we saw in Psalm 86:4, literally “lifts up his soul.” He desires those wages. He depends on those wages to be able to buy food that evening.

From this verse and elsewhere we can see that to “lift up your soul” to something is to desire and to depend on it.

So David in Psalm 86:4 is saying: “Bring joy to my whole being, for my whole being depends on and desires you!”

Thus both the first and second truths emphasize David’s dependence on God. This second adds the element of delight in God, of desiring Him.

Third: David knows that He does not know God’s way.

Psalm 86:11: “Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth.”

Again, David is king, he is seen as wise – but he acknowledges that he cannot walk in God’s truth apart from God teaching him. He can’t live rightly, fulfilling the purpose of His creation, apart from God. He needs God’s guidance. He depends on God’s revelation, His instruction, His torah.

Fourth: David knows He is beloved by God

David speaks of God’s steadfast, covenant, unfailing love in Psalm 86:5, 13, and 15. Psalm 86:13 is personal: “Great is Your steadfast love toward me.”

While we don’t recognize it in most English translations, Psalm 86:2 makes a similar point. In the ESV, this verse begins, “Preserve my life, for I am godly.” That almost sounds as if David is saying, “Preserve me because I’m such a good guy!”

However, the word translated “godly” has the same root as the word translated “steadfast love.” The word used in verse 2 refers to a person who both receives and loyally returns such steadfast love. So we might paraphrase the verse, “Guard me, O Lord, for You have put me in covenant relation with You; I am loved by You and You enable me to return loyal love to You.”

Do you know these truths? Do you know you are poor and needy, dependent on God? Do you see Him as your desire and delight? Do you acknowledge that should you try to forge your own path apart from Him, you will inevitably go astray, harming yourself and others? And do you know that if you are in Christ, you are loved with a love beyond imagining?

David knew those truths. He generally lived by those truths – and when he didn’t, he exemplified what happens when we fail to live by those truths.

Give yourself the greatest Christmas gift possible: Acknowledge who you truly are, and who that baby in the manger truly is. Repent before Him. See Him as your delight.

And then bask in the love made possible by Christmas.

[This devotion is taken in part from a section of the December 8 sermon. The sermon audio is available at this link.]