THE LIFTER OF MY HEAD

Lately, I've been reading through the Psalms for my Quiet Time with Jesus. They are my favorite place to turn whenever my temptations seem overwhelming or I've been stressed out with life's problems. This morning, though, the stress has rolled away and I find myself singing. 

It's so cool when I'm reading the Bible and find a Scripture song I've known for a long time. This was one of those times. In Psalm 3, David is praying, "Many are they who say to me, 'There is no help for him in God.' But You, Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head" (Psalm 3:2-3). 

When I went to Christian college, I first learned about Scripture songs and this was one of my favorites--

"My glory and the lifter of my head, my glory and the lifter of my head.
For You, Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the lifter of my head. 
I cried unto the Lord with my voice, I cried unto the Lord with my voice.
I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill."

King David sang this song when he was fleeing from his son Absalom (who was coming with an army to take over the kingdom). I can hardly imagine how low David must have felt--to have his son turn on him like that! II Samuel 15 says that as he left Jerusalem, David climbed up the Mount of Olives, and he covered his head, and wept. He bowed his head in weeping and crying and grief. That's usually what we do when we're going through tough times--our heads are brought low and bowed down.

But when God is the Lifter of your head, He delivers you from your time of trouble. Your focus is no longer on the trial or temptation you've been going through but upon God's healing love. And He helps you to look up again--to see beyond your tears or the darkness. You're no longer in misery or pain because God has lifted up your head.

Years ago, Charles Spurgeon said to his congregation:

“Some of you have tried to find refuge out[side] of God. You have sought to find it in your wealth, but you have pricked your head when you have laid it on that pillow. You have sought it with a friend, but that friend’s arm has been a broken reed, where you hoped it would be a wall of strength. You will never find rest except in God; there is no refuge but in Him.” (“The Glorious Habitation”, Vol. II, p.8)

God may use people to help us out of our problems. But ultimately, they are not the answer. God is. And Spurgeon was saying the same thing that David did in Psalm 3--make GOD your refuge; turn to Him for help and salvation. HE will be the One who will deliver you from your situation, whatever it is. HE must be “the lifter of (your) head.

This morning, Jesus made it so clear to me--When I cry unto the Lord with my voice, as David did, even if tears are rolling down my cheeks, Jesus will hear me. And He will come to lift me up so I can rejoice and sing this song. I'm gonna be singing all day long!

DELIVERED THROUGH JESUS

“Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men” (Psalm 66:5).

For over 400 years, Israel had been sojourners in the land of Egypt. Beaten down by hard task masters and surrounded by her seductive worship, almost everyone forgot about God. But the time had come for Israel’s deliverance. And God called Moses to lead His children into the promised land. But when Moses asked Pharoah to let Israel go so they could worship in the wilderness, Pharoah answered haughtily, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord…” (Exodus 5:2).

When Pharoah asked, “Who is the Lord?” it really wasn’t an honest question. And Pharoah didn’t expect an answer. But the Lord answered him anyway. Not merely for his sake, but for the sake of all His people. Through a series of ten plagues, God revealed who He was and why Pharoah should obey His voice. It was because He was the Lord, the one and only true God. 

Each of the ten plagues found in the book of Exodus was a direct attack against an Egyptian god or goddess. When the Lord turned the Nile into blood, He showed His power over Hapi, the god of the Nile. When He sent a plague of frogs, He attacked Heket, the goddess of fertility (her head was that of a frog). God warred with all these manmade powers, including Geb, the god of the earth (plague of lice); with Khepri, the god of creation (plague of lice); with Hathor, the goddess of protection (death of all livestock); with Isis, the goddess of medicine (plague of boils); with Nut, the goddess of the sky (plague of hail); with Seth, the god of storms (plague of locusts); with Ra, the god of the sun (plague of darkness); and finally with Pharoah himself, who was also revered as a god (death of the firstborn). 

Through each of these ten plagues, God showed repeatedly that He was Lord over all. He alone was God! Man’s power and counterfeit religion were helpless in His sight. They could do nothing to stop the plagues.

After the 10th plague, Pharoah bowed before God’s awesome power and let Israel go. But he never acknowledged that God was Lord. He could see the destruction all around him from the effect of every plague. His own son had been slain during the final one. But he still refused to admit defeat. He continued to hold onto unbelief and chased after Israel as they journeyed to the Promised Land. But God was still with His people. And for their sake, He revealed who He was. He struck one final blow against the Egyptians.

 “The Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharoah’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians” (Exodus 14:23,24). 

“The mysterious cloud changed to a pillar of fire before their astonished eyes. The thunders pealed and the lightning flashed…The Egyptians were seized with confusion and dismay. Amid the wrath of the elements, in which they heard the voice of an angry God, they endeavored to retrace their steps and flee to the shore they had quitted. But Moses stretched out his rod, and the piled-up waters, hissing, roaring, and eager for their prey, rushed together and swallowed the Egyptian army in their black depths” (Patriarchs and Prophets, pg. 287).

And in the morning, when Israel awoke, she saw a dead army washed upon the shore. And they knew that God was Lord over all. “Jehovah alone had brought them deliverance, and to Him their hearts were turned in gratitude and faith” (ibid). And in the book of Psalms, David sings of that deliverance-- “Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men” (Psalm 66:5).

Our God is truly a God of might and power. But He is first and foremost a God of deliverance. He’s able to rescue you from the chains of sin and bring you fully into the Promised Land. Whatever difficulties surround you, Jesus will open up a path for you. He will set your feet upon a Rock so you can stand by His side –forgiven and victorious (Psalm 40:2). 

Jesus says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free!” (John 8:32) He will transform your anger into peace, your doubts into faith, your self centeredness into love. And you will experience as Israel once did the almighty power of God. For the Lord's most awesome work happens when we surrender our lives to Jesus—when our life of sin is turned completely around and we become a son or daughter of God. “Old things have passed away; behold ALL things are become new!” 

“The Christian’s life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit” (Desire of Ages, pg. 172).

“When the Spirit of God controls mind and heart, the converted soul breaks forth into a new song; for he realizes that in his experience the promise of God has been fulfilled, that his transgression has been forgiven, his sin covered. He has exercised repentance toward God for the violation of the divine law, and faith toward Christ, who died for man’s justification. “Being justified by faith,” he has “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1” (Acts of the Apostles, pg. 476).

As we experience that miracle of grace, we will become a living testimony to God’s almighty power. And we will truly say with David, “Come and see the works of God! He is awesome in all He has done for me!”

JOY TO THE WORLD!

"Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19).

As I was driving to a friend's house today, I turned on the radio and enjoyed some of the best music this holiday has to offer...Christmas carols. I started singing along, for I know so many by heart. You probably do too. But have you stopped lately to listen to what they're really saying? Of course, they all talk about the Christmas story--of Christ's birth in Bethlehem. But many carols are also packed with a personal message about an intimate walk with Jesus.

The first song our family sings to welcome the holiday season is "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." This is a beautiful prayer that invites Jesus into your heart, to bring you deliverance from sin. My husband always says this is more than a Christmas song and he's so right. This carol is a song of salvation! 

O come, O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.

God's church today is spiritual Israel, and the promises in His Word that once belonged to the ancient Hebrews now pertain to us. And just as Israel needed to be ransomed from her enemies long ago, we need the Lord to ransom us from the devil's power. Too often we give in to temptation and find ourselves enslaved by sin. "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slave... whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?" (Romans 6:16). But when we call out to Jesus, He delivers us from the power of darkness and leads us into the kingdom of His love. Colossians 1:13. He has already paid the ransom for our rescue. All I need to do is ask Him into my life and His gift of freedom will be mine.

Hark! the herald angels sing glory to the newborn King,
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!
Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them 2nd birth,
Hark! the herald angels sing glory to the newborn King.

The angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest!' but on that first Christmas morning, Christ had no glory at all. He laid it aside to be our Emmanuel, "God with us."  He came to know our struggles and show us how to "live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4. He stepped down from glory into our flesh; in our flesh He was humble and obedient--even to the point of death. The Bible says, "He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7, American Standard Version). 

I would say He constantly emptied Himself. Every day of His life was a walk of continual humility, of stepping down in order to lift someone up. He always thought of others first and lived to bless them. And He "laid His glory by" so that we could love like that! We can, you know. The Christian journey is the story of a resurrection. We were all dead in "trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1), but now Jesus is alive in us! To know Him is to walk as He walked (1 John 2:6).  Because when I walk with Jesus, I'm not the same person anymore. I'm not looking out for me, myself and I. That old way of thinking and acting is gone! Because He's given me new life!  He lives in me and I live in Him. And when I sing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" I celebrate new life. Not just the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. I also rejoice that Jesus has been born in my heart.

One of my favorite Christmas carols is "O Little Town of Bethlehem." I like to paint a picture of Bethlehem in my mind. I see a quiet night, with twinkling stars hovering over a sleeping city. Not far away are the rolling hills where a group of shepherds are sitting round a campfire, watching over their flock by night. This song flows with such gentleness and peace that I always end up praying afterwards. Because Jesus often speaks to me--more personally--when everything is still and in quietness I wait before Him. Bethlehem  has become my picture of communion with Jesus.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie,
above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark street shineth the Everlasting Light,
the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For centuries, God's people had been waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Prophets had foretold His coming with prophecy and promise. But somehow along the way, the anticipation had grown dim and God's people neglected to keep the promises fresh in their minds. At least most of the people did. All of Israel should have known that the "fullness of time" had come and expected their Messiah with welcoming hearts. But very few were ready when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. So He came silently. God's gift of salvation comes quietly even now.

How silently, how silently, this wondrous Gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive Him still the dear Christ enters in.

Jesus comes quietly to our homes each morning, calling us to sit down with Him and rest awhile. We can't hear His footsteps, but He's there--knocking gently at the door of our hearts. He asks, "May I come in?" "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). I hear that gentle knocking as I sing this Christmas carol and so many others. So, I think I'll keep on listening to these old carols. There's alot more to them since I've found new life with Jesus.

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