It’s no secret that we live in a time of rapid change. Things that once seemed clear-cut and settled are now up for debate. Moral issues that for most of history were never questioned are being challenged. While truth is still a part of the cultural vocabulary, truth is being discussed in a new way. The belief in absolute truth has been replaced by the need for personal truth. But while we may be tempted to think that these kinds of challenges are new and that the Christian faith is facing uncharted waters, that’s not the case. In fact, not long after Jesus returned to heaven, during the first generation of the church, a man name Jude wrote a letter urging Christians to contend for the faith and to defend it against those who would seek to alter its’ message. The primary theme of Jude is that Christians have been given a body of faith. We have been given a message that is completely true and sufficient and we are to guard it. It’s also an encouragement to faithfulness and endurance.

Because we live in world that is cursed by sin, suffering and pain are realities that we all face. While some endure greater depths of suffering than others, none of us are exempt. One of the great gifts of God to His people is that the Scriptures don’t ignore the reality of suffering. In fact, the pain and difficulties of life are a central theme throughout the Bible. And thankfully the Bible doesn’t only acknowledge the presence of suffering, but it provides hope for those who suffer. The heading of Psalm 102 identifies it as a prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord. While this heading provides some helpful context, it falls short in describing the psalm as a whole. While the psalmist is indeed afflicted and faint, and while he does pour out his heart to God, we also see that he is full of confidence in God and in His promises to His people.

The story of the nation of Israel is a story that is often marked by unfaithfulness. While God had chosen Israel to be His people, saved them from slavery in Egypt and promised to make them a great nation, from very early on they struggled to remain faithful. One of their earliest and most significant rebellions came very shortly after they had received the Law of God and affirmed their covenant with Him. As they waited for Moses to return from Mount Sinai with the Law written on stone tablets they became impatient. Soon they had built a golden calf to serve as their god (Exodus 24, 32-34). After their rebellion God’s anger was kindled against Israel. Moses was also angry, but he pleaded with God on behalf of the people. In time God chose to not respond in judgment and instead extended mercy. It is during this time that God identifies Himself and His character in a way that becomes a common confession for the people (Exodus 34:6-7). The confession describes God’s merciful and gracious nature toward His people and it’s this confession and these characteristics of God that serve as the foundation for Psalm 103.

As those who have been saved by grace through the work of Jesus, we have a call from God: we are called to the pursuit of holiness. We don’t strive for holiness in order to earn God’s favor, we are saved by grace through faith alone, but as those who have been saved we are called to live for His glory

There is a reason why many of us struggle with worry and fear. There is a reason why we often fall in our battle against sin. There is a reason we frequently lack peace and fail to find comfort. Often, our struggles are directly connected to our view of God. The truth is most of us are not at risk of having a view of God that is too big; conversely many of us, maybe most of us, are at risk of having a view of God that is too small. And when our view of God is too small it’s very easy for us to underestimate His power or to misunderstand the nature of our relationship to Him. Thankfully we have passages of Scripture like Psalm 99. In this psalm we are encouraged to see God rightly, to stand in awe of His holiness and majesty. We are told of His position as the Holy King and the Holy Judge. We start with a view of the King on His throne and then the psalm takes a stunning turn and ends with this glorious truth: The Holy King has entered into fellowship with people.

We probably all know what it’s like to come to a Sunday gathering, not with a heart overflowing with praise, but out of routine. For many of us Sunday worship is a part of our lives and whether or not we attend isn’t a question

In the Gospel of Mark we have an account of Jesus and disciples sailing across the Sea of Galilee. During the trip a large storm blows in and threatens to sink the ship. While the disciples fear for their lives Jesus is fast asleep in the back of the boat. In desperation they wake Him, but He doesn’t rise in fear. He simply tells the storm to cease and then rebukes His friends: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:35-40). While we may be tempted to shake our heads at the disciple’s lack of faith, most often we respond in very similar ways. We see a situation that seems too big or too dangerous and we begin to wonder if God has forgotten us. Psalm 91 is a psalm of confidence that reminds us that God protects and preserves those who are His. Life will bring trouble and we will face danger, but as the people of God we can live above fear and trust that He will never let us fall (Romans 8:31-39).

Psalm 87 is among the psalms often called Psalms of Zion: Psalms that describe the importance and the glory of Jerusalem, the city of God. And while the psalms of Zion encourage us to look back and remember the historic city of Jerusalem

When People are Big and God is Small. It’s the title of a book that I read many years ago but that I still think of often. The premise of the book is that we are prone to giving more weight to what other people say rather than to what God says. In our thoughts we make people big and God small. In a similar way many of us are guilty of seeing our situations and thinking they are too big or too complicated while at the same time minimizing the power and care of God. We are guilty of believing that our situations are big and God is small. In Psalm 86 we see a prayer of a man who has a proper perspective. While he finds himself in a difficult situation he remains confident that God hears and is able to save him. He’s sure that even though his situation is dire, his God is bigger and desires to show mercy to those whom He loves.

The Westminster Catechism begins with the question: What is the chief end of man? The answer provides a succinct way of thinking about our primary purpose in life: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. As we consider this ‘purpose statement’ we tend to pay a lot of attention to the first part, and rightly so! We should give our lives to pursuing the glory of God. But there’s a reason for the second part: The Bible has a lot to say about our enjoyment of God and the joy we have in Him (Psalm 16:11; Philippians 4:4). But that leads to an important question: Is God our true and ultimate source of joy? Or we could ask the question this way: Do we long to draw near to God? Do we yearn for Him and desire Him? As we come to Psalm 84 we read the testimony of a man who longing for God. He longs to be near to the presence of God. He also expresses that there is joy, or blessedness, to be had by those who long for God.