Jeff Lark

                                                                                                 Orbon Alija/E+/Getty Images How long? God, unlike irritated parents on a road trip after hours of relentless “How much longer” from the back seat, you seem to invite that question. Actually, it is so much more than a question, it’s a heart’s cry. Fifteen times in the Psalter, this question is asked of you. And four of those times are in this psalm alone. For David, it’s not just that the road trip is taking so long, but he’s literally wondering if dad even knows where he’s going. And like a four-year-old who can’t take it anymore, he’s wondering if he’ll even survive this trip. God, if I were honest, ...

God, if there is one universal thing - from politicians to toddlers - it's that we lie. We deceive to gain an advantage or to get out of trouble. We exaggerate to look better or to make someone look worse. We hide the truth to not get caught. We flatter to make someone like us, and then we stab them in the back. And, we do all of this because, in our pride, we are most concerned about the triune kingdom of me, myself, and I. God, in this psalm, you speak once.  But once is enough.  It's like a dad of a child who has been relentlessly maligned at school by bullies. Day after day, the child comes home and cries to his dad about the false accusations, how others have turned against him now, and how he now sits by himself at the lunch table as others snicker. And how, after weeks of this, this once energetic son can barely get out of bed in the morning to get ready for school. And then, one morning, the dad tells him, "Son, I have hated having to watch what the lies of...

God, the temptation is real. In fact, it doesn’t even feel like a temptation because it is so second nature. Even in Psalm 55, we see David wrestling with the same temptation. And, as in this psalm, it doesn’t make it any easier when others’ advice is to just give in to the temptation. The temptation is to flee. It’s one of the two primal responses to danger - flee or fight. So, God, since you created us with this instinct to preserve our life, how could it be wrong? God, as I think about this psalm and as I think about my own heart, I see how this natural instinct can actually lead to the very thing that I’m fleeing from - danger. God, I confess that fleeing can lead to a dangerous place in my soul: When I look to myself to provide comfort, protection, security, and safety; When I believe that you exist for my comfort; When I forget that you are both sovereign and good and orchestrate all things for my good and your glory; When I forget that you “test” (v. 5) the righteous with hard t...

God, as I read this psalm, my heart goes to two places. First, ever since I heard the reading of this psalm from the Bible Experience , I can’t help but imagine a slave woman in America 200 years ago. As she finds a moment of solace under the night sky, I hear her pleas. I hear her affliction. I hear her cry in the face of injustice. I hear the anger. I hear the pain. I hear the wickedness of oppression. I hear the evil of those that seek to steal, kill, and destroy. And God, when I read this psalm, I can’t help but think of the spiritual battle I face every day. Peter would say that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Much of this psalm is a personification of the evil one - who seeks our very life (John 10:10). God, evil lurks in the shadows looking for an opportunity to seize and overcome the helpless. The problem for me, though, is that I go through life unaware of evil’s lurking presence. Sometimes evil truly takes on a face. We se...

God, there are two words in this psalm that I love about your character. You are a STRONGHOLD (v. 9), and You DO NOT FORGET (v. 12, 18). But, God, there are three words in this psalm that I just don’t love (to put it mildly). These are words that I would rather not be true of me - OPPRESSED (v. 9), AFFLICTED (v. 12), and NEEDY (v. 18). God, I would rather live my life as a non-needy person. I would much rather not be on the underside of power and privilege. I would rather be the one making the rules, and all the rules would benefit me. I would rather not have persecution, and I would rather not have any of my privileged rights stripped from me. I would rather control my own life and create a life of ease, comfort, and security for myself. And so, God, I don’t like these words. In fact, in all honesty, I spend much of my life trying to avoid these words. But, God, I can’t have it both ways. I can’t hate these words and love the words about you. This psalm makes it clear that y...

  God, this psalm is a celebration of your majesty. The refrain of praise for your majestic name bookends this psalm. But, what is so utterly astonishing (and praiseworthy) is why you are celebrated as majestic. David certainly has in mind the glories of all creation - the work of your hands, the heavens, the stars, and the moon. But, it is in the light of this majesty that you are seen as even more majestic - it is a majesty of condescension. In your all-powerful strength, you would condescend to find strength over your enemies in the praise of babies and infants (v. 2). What? Are you serious? That the creator of billions of galaxies would find strength in the unintelligible praise of a baby? And God, you are also seen as majestic because, as the creator of all, you would actually give those very babies dominion to rule over your creation. God, who are we that you would give us that kind of authority, power, dignity, and dominion? But, really the question is, who are you - that y...

God, verses 11-13 don’t make it into my scripture memory verses.  They certainly don’t make it onto any cute pillow or inspirational picture I can decorate my home with.  And, to be honest, even if these verses showed up on a pillow at my nearest Hobby Lobby, I wouldn’t buy it.  I would rather ignore this side of you.  I would instead buy the picture of you tenderly shepherding your little lambs.   But God, like a defibrillator that jolts the heart back to health, I know there is something incredibly jolting when I am reminded that we are sinners in the hands of an angry God.  Peace, security, comfort, and a cultural mindset of love and acceptance have lulled me to sleep.  I need to be awakened to this reality.  There needs to be some substance to what it means to “fear the Lord.”  And God, to be honest, I wouldn’t want a God who is so cuddly that he didn’t have a fierce hatred toward injustices that hurt his children.  And today, on thi...