Friday, April 28, 2017

Practice, Practice, Practice...

Psalm 33: Practice, Practice, Practice


There is a really old joke about a young musician that was asked to play in New York City. He had never been there before, so when he got to the city, he stopped an old man on the street and asked him, "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?".  The wise old man, just shook his head and quietly answered, "Practice, practice, practice."

One of the tasks I have set for my retirement days is to improve on my musical skills. When you play for worship, there is a certain anointing that comes. When all goes well, the anointing takes the various skills of the worship worship team and produces an atmosphere of praise and worship for the congregation. However, each musician must bring a certain amount of skill to the band to be able to blend into the whole worship experience. Now my problem is; musical skill requires practice, and there doesn't seem to be any anointing for practice!

I searched the scriptures, but the word "practice" is not used in the sense of repeating and exercising to improve a skill.  The closest I could find is in Hebrews 5 where it talks about the spiritually mature person practicing to be able to discern good and evil: 

Hb 5:12,14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. ... 
14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Other scriptures encourage us to practice discipline, like an athlete preparing for a match:

1 Cor 9 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave,
(See Lk 18:5)

The scriptures do talk about skillful musicians. For example, David was called to King Saul's palace because he was a skilled musician and his harp playing was able to sooth the king's bad moods.  

1 Sam 16:16b Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp;...

1 Sam 16:23 So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.

What it doesn't say is how David became a skilled player.  There are stories about how David watched the sheep and killed the lion and bear, but nowhere does it say that he practices playing the harp.  Certainly, he must have spent hours playing for the sheep. Now when you think about it, sheep would make a pretty good practice audience. They can't boo or hiss, they can only “baaa, baaa” their approval!  

This is not unprecedented in our times. One of my Bible teachers, Ern Baxter, was called to ministry as a young man in the wilds of western Canada. There were not many people there, so he practiced by preaching to the cows. He says he is not sure if any of them got saved, but they did listen intently! I'm sure David's sheep listened as well. I mean, what else did they have to do?

So, where does that leave us? I think we just have to assume that practice is required; it’s just one of those things you have to do. Some things require discipline and don’t seem to have any particular anointing until the end result is realized. My hope is that I will be able to keep at it and practice every day so that I will be able to play skillfully, and thus participate with the Psalmist in Psalms 33 as we participate in the eternal praise that flows up to the throne of God.

Ps 33:2-3 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. 
3 Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

Amen


Friday, April 14, 2017

Waiting

Waiting and Psalms



Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord;And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 37:34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

Waiting rooms... Beep, beep, beep of medical instruments... Hospital smells... Doctors and nurses are reassuring, but still you wait...

Why is waiting so hard? Even when you have faith in God and confidence in the doctors, still waiting is hard. What if something goes wrong? What if it really hurts?  What if... what ifs are never good for your confidence, but hard to avoid none the less.

We used to sing Psalm 27 in the early days in the church. Of course then, we didn't really know much about waiting and patience. Forty years later we've had a lot more experience at waiting, but it is still not easy. And patience... that is the virtue that you don't want to ask for, because the Lord might answer your prayer!  Psalm 40 promises that the Lord will hear our prayer if we wait patiently, but what if we wait impatiently? (That is actually my wife's contribution as she was waiting for the anesthesiologist to put her under for surgery) That's actually a good question though. I think it is possible to waste our suffering by being impatient, by grumbling and complaining, and worst of all, by becoming bitter. Hebrews 12:15 tells us be be careful that no root of bitterness take hold because that can cause all sorts of problems.

To me, the sign of a true believer, when they get older, is how they respond to the inevitable difficulties of life. We all know those older saints who react to every problem with a smile and a prayer and always seek to encourage those around them, even when they are in pain. On the other hand, we also know too many older people who have grown bitter and resentful. They are a sad case and you can never do enough for them; they are never happy. Lord help me to age with grace and humility and protect me from that root of bitterness. I have heard it said that bitterness can not only ruin your attitude, but can actually cause diseases such as arthritis.


So waiting patiently seems to be a really good thing, and is something that is worthwhile mastering. We don't like the process, but the end results are worth the wait. So Lord, help me to wait patiently, and to be an encourager to those in pain, and a support to those in need. Help me to appreciate, on this Good Friday, the suffering and pain that you endured on the cross for us, and help us to be a comfort to those suffering around us

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Inheriting the Land and Psalm 37

Psalm 37 - Inherit the Land


Psalm 37:9b... those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.Psalm 37:11But the humble will inherit the landAnd will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.Psalm 37:22For those blessed by Him will inherit the land,But those cursed by Him will be cut off.Psalm 37:29The righteous will inherit the landAnd dwell in it forever.

As I was saying in my last blog, we've had a little setback in the Brillhart household this week. We had planned to be in Texas preparing to occupy family land. But instead, we have been spending the week in hospitals and doctors offices. Is there a message in this for us? I was praying about it today and Psalms 37 came to mind. Now that is not at all unusual, as that is one of my favorite psalms, but I noticed something different in it today about inheriting the land.

First of all, in verses 9, there is that dreaded phrase "wait for the Lord". When was the last time you were glad to hear someone tell you that you needed to wait for the Lord? If you are like me, waiting is not your favorite activity. "But wait! There's more..." to quote a famous commercial line... verse 9 continues by saying that those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land. Now it is my father-in-law's intention that we inherit his land, and it is our intention that we should be close to family to take care of our aging parents, but what about the timing?

In verse 11, the Psalmist continues saying that the humble will inherit the land and will have abundant prosperity. There is something about waiting that encourages humility. Taking over our family land is a great blessing but also a great responsibility. There is a price to pay, not only in dollars and cents, but also in time and effort. We will have to humble ourselves in order to serve and care for our parents in their latter years, and even preparing the house for the move will cost a great deal. Maybe falling from a ladder is a sign that we need to proceed cautiously, though not fearfully. Passover is a good time to remember that the Israeli people were delivered from Egypt and inherited a good land, but it cost them a great deal to occupy the promised land. Those who grumbled and complained instead of being humble and grateful perished in the desert and never made it in.

Verse 22 tells us that inheriting the land is a great blessing from the Lord, but to be careful, since there is also a curse for those who don't measure up. We need to be careful to put the Lord first and acknowledge that the inheritance is His land and to treat it appropriately. Joshua led the people into the promised land, but they needed to inquire of the Lord before every battle to learn the Lord's strategy and plan for each encounter. Likewise, we need to proceed humbly, letting the Lord lead us a we proceed to occupy our destiny.


Finally, in verse 29, the Psalmist tells us that the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. Think about it a minute. I want to occupy the family land in Texas, but I don't want to live there forever. My forever home is elsewhere, and the Psalmist is reminding us of that fact here.  We are just sojourners in this land, as beautiful and blessed as it is, it is still temporary. The land we want to dwell in forever is a heavenly land where we can worship the Lord continually without end. Therefore, we need to keep our eyes focused on the ultimate goal and live our lives here accordingly. We need to possess the land of our inheritance with patience, humility and wisdom, but with an attitude of worship to prepare us for our eternal inheritance with our Father who is in heaven.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Psalm 6, My Bones are Vexed

Psalm 6, My Bones are Vexed


Psalm 6:2-3 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak:O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed.3 My soul is also sore vexed:but thou, O Lord, how long?  KJV


We had a little setback in the Brillhart household this week. We've been sorting and cleaning out things in preparation for our move. My wife was putting a bin up onto a high shelf when she fell from the step stool and broke her arm. We are both grateful that she wasn't hurt worse, but this is definitely a vexing situation.

King David describes some dire situation that he went through in Psalm 6. How often do life's circumstances make us feel week? Do we question the Lord like David did: "O Lord, how long?" Is our soul troubled along with our physical troubles? If so, we are in good company, as good King David expressed the same thoughts and emotions.

Is there a reason that we get injured and our plans are disrupted for eight weeks or do these things just happen? Is there a purpose for our pain and suffering or is that just part of life? And most importantly, how do we react when bad things happen?

The psalmist continues to moan and complain some more, but in the end he concludes:

9 The Lord hath heard my supplication;the Lord will receive my prayer.10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed:let them return and be ashamed suddenly. Psalm 6:9-10 KJV

I am no expert on pain and suffering, but I think we will do well if we finally come to the same place and thank the Lord for hearing our prayers. We don't always know the details of the process, but in the end we know that our enemies, death and disease, will be defeated and it will be this enemy that will be vexed. But in the meantime, even though we have pain and are vexed, we can hope in the Lord and pray for comfort and healing. So we say "Thank you Lord", even when our bones are vexed and things just aren't going our way. Maybe that's all we were meant to do anyway.


Sunday, April 2, 2017

Retirement and Parents

Retirement and Parents


1 Timothy 5:3-4 (NKJV) 3 Honor widows who are really widows.4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.

Leviticus 19:32 (NKJV) 32 'You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.

Baby boomers are a sandwich generation. Our children are somewhere in the generation X to millennial generation groups, and may or may not be entirely self sufficient. On the other hand, our parents, those who are still living, are in the Greatest Generation. They are very proud and self sufficient; but now are getting to the age where they can no longer be self sufficient. What to do?

On the first item, hundreds of books have been written, and I don't have anything to add. You just have to "train up a child in the way he should go" and be ready to let go and trust God when it's time for them to grow up. That sounds simple, but it's a lot harder that it sounds. Too many of us have been "helicopter parents" and it comes as quite a shock to us when it comes time to let go. That's why it takes faith to be a parent. Only God can keep an eye on those precious ones as they fly off on their own.

Now aging parents are a different case. You look up to them and rely on them for decades, then one day you turn around and everything is different. The can-do dad suddenly becomes the one needing help to get anything done. The forever comforting mom is the one that needs care and comfort. That in itself is hard enough to adjust to, but is made harder when the parents don't realize, or perhaps just don't accept, that they are the ones that need help now. How do you help the one who has always helped you and doesn't realize that they are now the ones needing help?

Paul instructs Timothy to teach the church to take care of parents: "... show piety at home and to repay their parent; for this is good and acceptable before God." This is in accord with the tradition of Moses who taught that "you shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man...". Thus we have it on good authority that taking care of our aging parents is the right thing do do, but this doesn't necessarily give us any guidance on how to do that. 

Maybe there is a key in the way that Moses uses the word "honor". A child in diapers and an incontinent old person need some of the same kind of care, but the elderly one is due a measure of honor and respect that you wouldn't necessary accord to the child. That's where it gets hard, continuing to give honor when it gets difficult to help, and especially when that help doesn't seem to be appreciated. The parents probably will even resent the fact that they need help from the very ones that they have loved and cared for for decades. Growing old can get messy!


As I said earlier, I don't have any answers, I just pray that God gives me the wisdom and patience to be able to render tender care and honor at the same time. It's hard but I think the Lord will reward any efforts we make to take care of our parents... with honor.

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Proverbs and Retirement Planning

Retirement Planning- Proverbs




Pr 23:4 Do not wear yourself out to become rich;
be wise enough to restrain yourself.
5 When you gaze upon riches, they are gone,
for they surely make wings for themselves,
and fly off into the sky like an eagle!

Pr 25:33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to relax,
34 and your poverty will come like a bandit,
and your need like an armed robber.”
One of the most stressful things about retirement is financial planning. You want to be able to enjoy your retirement and do the things you’ve been wanting to do, but you don’t want to outlive your money and end up penniless either.  I suppose it’s all a matter of balance… and faith, of course.

The writer of Proverbs tells us that this is not a new problem. In Pr 23:4-5, the wise man tells us not to work yourself to death since riches are just going to sprout wings and fly away anyway. This pretty much sums up the worries we have about wanting to rest from our labors but still have enough money to live off of. It sure does seem like money can take wing and fly away like the eagle, or in our times, like the Wall Street bear and bull.  You just never know when they are going to take it all away!

On the other hand, the wise man says in Pr 25:33 that you shouldn’t be lazy. “A little sleep, a little slumber.. and your poverty will come like a bandit.” So work is a good thing, just not too much of it. But wise King Solomon does enjoin us to rest in Ecclesiastes:

Ec 4:6 Better is one handful with some restthan two hands full of toil and chasing the wind.


So let us work to get one handful, trusting in the Lord that it will be provision enough, and then rest.  We don’t want to be like the foolish man who chases after the wind to get two hands full, but ends up exhausted and, in the end, just sees all of his riches sprout wings and fly off anyway! As in most things in life, it all boils down to faith and trust.  Do  you really have faith in the Lord and trust Him to provide your daily bread, even when you don’t go out and labor for a paycheck any more? I hope that I have that kind of faith, but if you hear me worrying or complaining, just slap me up side the head and tell me to go read Proverbs. 😉