Days 118&119: 1 Chronicles 23-26, Psalms 131, 138-139, 143-145

The main thing that happens in 1 Chronicles 23-26 is that David is getting old and decides that it's time to retire and make his son Solomon the new king.

There are several lines in today's psalms that sort of jumped out at me. They aren't really connected topically so here are a variety of verses that said a variety of things to me this morning:

I do not concern myself with great matters
   or things too wonderful for me. (Psalm 131:1)

It occurs to me that this may be one of the keys to living at peace with yourself. It's not that you never think about grand things or wonder about questions that seemingly have no answers but you become comfortable with the fact that they often have no answers. We need to learn to give up the arrogance that assumes we can figure everything out so that it all makes sense.

Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
   though lofty, he sees them from afar. (Psalm 138:6)

This is one of the things that drives me to worship. It's not simply that God is awesome and majestic and holy and powerful and eternal and omniscient and deserving of all worship and praise regardless of how He feels about me... it's that He is all that PLUS He cares about me. "He looks kindly on the lowly."

LORD, what are human beings that you care for them,
   mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;
   their days are like a fleeting shadow. (Psalm 144:3-4)

Psalm 139 is one of my favorites. A few verses of it have become sort of theme verses for the Pro-Life movement (with good reason) but sometimes I feel like, because of that, people tend to overlook the rest of the Psalm. I don't really think it was written with abortion in mind. Here are a few samples:

Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely. (Psalm 139:4)

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16)

Search me, God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Then there's this from Psalm 143:

I remember the days of long ago;
   I meditate on all your works
   and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to you;
   I thirst for you like a parched land. (Psalm 143:5-6)

I sometimes feel like that. I read about all the mighty deeds God has done in the past and spread out my hands and thirst for Him to show up like that today. Maybe He does and I'm just looking in the wrong places. Maybe instead of opening paths through the seas He's more concerned about opening paths into the hearts of people. I'm afraid we often lose sight of the fact that...

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   and your dominion endures through all generations. (Psalm 145:13)

It's not just about here...or now...or America...or me...

Show me the way I should go,
   for to you I entrust my life. (Psalm 143:8)