David Bahn – Reflections – Page 92 – Light from the Word and through the lens

Psalm 46: Blessings of God’s Presence

March 23, 2023
David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

⁸Come, behold the works of the LORD,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

China Pink Dianthus-2 | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

It may be your favorite grandchild, best friend, closest neighbor, or your spouse. But for most people there is someone whose presence you truly desire. He lifts your spirits. She grounds your dreams. She offers grace. He understands. Warm fuzzies abound. Great comfort wraps you like a warm blanket on a chilly Saturday morning.

We might not think of God in quite that way – and rightly so. God’s presence is more far-reaching than a warm blanket or your favorite softie. The picture here is of God’s protective presence against the onslaughts of life, death, threat, or danger. I see children running into their parents’ room in the middle of the night after a loud crash of thunder. They want the comfort of their parents’ protective presence. So should we want the comfort of God’s protective presence.

More often we ask for the dangers to be removed and the threats to abate. More often we seek to find places of peaceful living in the face of the world’s crazy and fearsome threats. Sometimes we become so used to the threats and dangers of the world, we don’t notice the fierce dangers surrounding us.

I’m not a Chicken Little. I seldom run around saying the sky is falling. In fact, I’m everyone else in that story after hearing of the dangers for the 10th time, I’m numbed. The constant threat warnings become so much white noise. I chalk it up to fear mongering. They’re overreacting I think. It’s not that bad. We’ll be fine.

But then the threats become real.
- The diagnosis is grave and the prognosis is fraught with challenges. The treatments have horrific potential side effects.
- The slip is pink and you don’t know where you can possibly land.
- The bed is empty where the spouse should be and you don’t know if you’ve lost your mate to another.
- There is no word from a teenage daughter who has threatened to run away for the past 4 months.
- You discover drug paraphernalia in your son’s room.
- You see your life savings evaporate in a maelstrom of economic chaos and you don’t know if you’ll be able to stay in your home for more than a month.
God’s protective presence and his help are so very precious in those moments. And as the time unfolds and the diagnosis proves true and the prognosis worsens, and the bed stays empty, and the phone does not ring, and the sullenness of drugs’ stupor does not abate, two things become ever more clear.
1. We live in a fallen world where, as Jesus says, we will have trouble.
2. God’s presence is precious.
We’re all looking for paradise. We want to live in a garden of God’s favor and delight. We yearn for his true grace and goodness. We yearn for God himself to be present. This psalm points us to God. And 1500 years later God would speak through the Apostle John with this promise:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:3-4

This is our truest need and God’s gracious blessing.
Psalm 46: Rivers of Gladness

March 22, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

⁸Come, behold the works of the LORD,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

China Pink Dianthus | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

The Mississippi River was my definition of a river. It flowed past my home town with a constancy interrupted only by occasional and sometimes devastating flooding. For many years it was severely polluted by raw sewage from towns all along its banks. That practice has abated, but it does not run clear like the Current River (in southern Missouri). But it’s not as silt-laden as the Red River. One thing it is: mighty. That’s it’s nickname: The Mighty Mississippi. It was a lifeblood for many along its banks – polluted and dirty as it may have been. When I see other smaller streams that are called rivers, I have to recalibrate my understanding of the term.

The psalmist says,

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.

But there is no river in Jerusalem; either by name or by significance. There are a few small streams, but no river in the city. This psalm speaks of the river which is prophesied of in Ezekiel 47. The riven there flows from the temple of God outward. As it flows it gets deeper and more life-giving. It has a profoundly positive impact on all it touches.

I notice that this river makes glad the city of God. It is a joy to have a positive impact in others’ lives. The river in Jerusalem is not merely for the refreshment of its inhabitants. It refreshes all it touches – as far as it flows.

This is the secret of true gladness. It’s not about getting, it’s about giving. True happiness, gladness comes from blessing others; not just being blessed.

Jesus has the same to say about his followers.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38). It’s the same thought as when Jesus told his disciples, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) He provides the perfect example of this reminding his followers that he came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)

God’s desire is for his people to be fully blessed, completely glad. Experiencing his grace and love is the essential beginning of that gladness. The completion of it comes when we pass along those blessings to others. Such is the river of gladness: It flows to us with great and gracious blessing, and from us to others as we give that which we have received from God.
Psalm 46: Fear Not

March 21, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

⁸Come, behold the works of the LORD,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Yellow Spring Flowers | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

Don’t be afraid. This word of encouragement (see how “courage” is central to that word!), is an invitation to God’s people to keep things in perspective – no matter what may be happening around them.

An angel appears to Zechariah in the temple, and offers the assurance, “Do not be afraid.” (Luke 1:13)

An angel appears to Mary and greets her, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled by this greeting. She didn’t know what it actually meant. The angel then encourages her, “Do not be afraid…” (Luke 1:28-30)

The angels appear to the shepherds on that first Christmas night. Their greeting: “Fear not…” (Luke 2:10)

The women discover an angel at the empty tomb on the first Easter. His greeting, “Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 28:5)

Three times in Matthew’s gospel, three times in Luke, and 30 times in the Old Testament the phrase, “Do not be afraid,” is found. Whether to Abraham, Joshua, Elijah, David, or Mary, Joseph, or the women at the tomb God’s command is also an invitation: Do not be afraid.

Jesus himself says, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) We should fear and love God… says Martin Luther as he explains the Commandments.

Somehow we are to fear God, yet be encouraged by his protective power in the face of trouble. We are to see him as a raging fire, the supreme King of kings, and Lord of lords, and yet want to be with him, in his presence to experience his help and protection in the face of earthquake, fire, and storm.

I’m wondering whether I need to lean more on the fear of God, or the protective blessing of his presence. There are days when I don’t do something evil out of fear of God. And there are days, sadly, when fear of the world’s powers influences me more that it should.

Seems I need both a reminder of God’s fear-worthiness as well as the encouragement to draw near to him when the world’s dangers threaten. Whether it’s direct threats of violence and natural disaster, or the subtle influences of peer pressure or temptation, I need God’s help and a reminder that he is worthy of healthy and godly fear. That may be a secondary motivation to faithfulness, but it is still a good one. The greatest motivation is love and faith itself that recognizes and believes in the ultimate goodness of God.

Because of that goodness, we need never fear when we are in his protective and powerful care.
Psalm 46: True Security

March 20, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

⁸Come, behold the works of the LORD,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Bee on a Yellow Flower-2 | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

There are beautiful stained glass windows that honor Cpl George N. Holmes Jr., a young United States Marine who was killed in the failed rescue attempt of the Iran hostages in 1980. You can see those windows only when you are leaving the sanctuary. There are also windows high above the altar of the church. These windows allow light to come into the space. But they are not visible except from right under the large cross hanging above the altar. Some have called the sanctuary a tomb. Others have called it a fortress. When viewed from the outside it appears to be a large and formidable entity – almost as though it could bowl over anyone in its way. In so many ways that building was a mighty fortress.

I served Trinity Lutheran Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas from 1983-1993. It was my desire that the church would be a refuge for hurting people and a place of celebration of God’s faithfulness, goodness, grace, and love. That’s my wish for any church. My idea of the church is less that of a fortress, and more of a place of light, joy, celebration, and grace.

Sometimes, though, we need a place of refuge. Wars rage. Kingdoms are shaken. Troubles loom. Enemies threaten. This psalm is for those times. And God is our place of refuge, safety, comfort, and help.

Too often we look to other helpers. FDIC bails out banks. Fire insurance covers catastrophic losses. Well-diversified stock portfolios keep our retirement accounts safe. Masks keep out pollen. Airbags keep us from crashing through the windshield. We alarm our homes. Many have firearms at the ready for personal security. We have so many safety valves, contingency plans, fall-back positions, and security blankets. I have them all. But I wonder whether we’ve so complicated our lives that we lose God in all the clutter and protections we have gathered around us.

I’m not saying we should throw away all these things, but I wonder whether we should lean on God more fully, and not just as a last resort. Shouldn’t God be our first line of defence? He is our true refuge and strength. He is ever present. We can depend on his help in tough situations.

I’m trying to understand what that means for me today. When I hear of a friend’s severe and life-threatening illness, I turn to God in prayer in his behalf. When I struggle with guilt and shame over past sins and current temptations, I turn to God, rather than running away from him. When I see that I have no power to overcome obstacles to good things God wants me to do, I seek his help. When I sputter in my prayers, I take refuge in his promise that he will not snuff out a smoldering wick (cf. Isaiah 42:3).

The world sees God as an interloper, an intrusion, and a killjoy. All they see is the outward formidable expression of God’s refuge and strength. Those of us who are inside that refuge, know it to be a place of beauty, joy, life, comfort, and true security.

Trinity Lutheran Church | Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Today’s Psalms for March 19, 2023

March 19, 2023

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day.

Psalm 19:1-11

The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
²Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
⁴Their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
⁵    which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
⁶Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
⁸the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
⁹the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 49:5-9

Why should I fear in times of trouble,
    when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
⁶those who trust in their wealth
    and boast of the abundance of their riches?
⁷Truly no man can ransom another,
    or give to God the price of his life,
⁸for the ransom of their life is costly
    and can never suffice,
⁹that he should live on forever
    and never see the pit.

Psalm 79:8-9

Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
    let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
    for we are brought very low.
⁹Help us, O God of our salvation,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
    for your name’s sake!

Psalm 109:26-31

Help me, O Lord my God!
    Save me according to your steadfast love!
²⁷Let them know that this is your hand;
    you, O Lord, have done it!
²⁸Let them curse, but you will bless!
    They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!
²⁹May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;
    may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!

³⁰With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
    I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
³¹For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
    to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.

Psalm 139

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
²You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
³You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
⁵You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

⁷Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
¹²even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

¹³For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

¹⁹Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
    O men of blood, depart from me!
²⁰They speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies take your name in vain.
²¹Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
²²I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
²⁴And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Psalm 90: Legacy

March 17, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
²Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
⁴For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.

⁵You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
⁶in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.

⁷For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

⁹For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
¹⁰The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?

¹²So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!

Bee on a Yellow Flower | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

The Apostle John writes, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4). This is the last time that word comes up in his three letters. But he has used the word 16 times previously in these letters. The term is obviously important to him. He considers fellow Christians his children because he was their spiritual father and took responsibility for the safety of their faith. That meant he would challenge and correct as needed, but never do so without great love and encouragement. John is the kind of spiritual father many of us would wish to have. Both his gospel account and these letters are favorites of mine. He touches my heart with God’s love, and instills in me a desire that others would be touched by that same love. Such is John’s legacy: an enviable one at that.

Moses prays that God would

Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!

Moses is praying for a legacy of faithfulness to be his. He wants to see the truth and grace of God take root in the lives of his children – all of them and us. Note how he prays that God’s work would be shown to his servants and their children. He is not concerned only for his own children, but for all people to know of God’s great love.

Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes wrote the song, The Blessing. It comes straight from Scripture, Numbers 6:23-26. It is beautiful and richly refreshing to me. They then add several “amens” to the song, and ultimately a wish for this blessing to be upon “your children…” Beautiful words adorn the ancient blessing:

May His favor be upon you

And a thousand generations

And your family and your children

And their children, and their children

May His presence go before you

And behind you, and beside you

All around you, and within you

He is with you, He is with you

In the morning, in the evening

In your coming, and your going

In your weeping, and rejoicing

He is for you, He is for you…

Oh how I long for this to be true: May His favor be upon you | And a thousand generations | And your family and your children | And their children, and their children.

This would be my legacy’s hope, more than money, fame, power, or even health. For God’s favor makes all the difference in all of life. Without it we are lost. With it we can weather all storms and most fully enjoy the blessings when the boundary lines of life fall for us in pleasant places (cf. Psalm 16:6-8).

Even if you don’t have children of your own, I pray that you are able to leave such a legacy to those who have known you and loved you.
Psalm 90: God’s Timing and our Time

March 16, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
²Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³You return man to dust
    and say, “Return, O children of man!”
⁴For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.

⁵You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
⁶in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

⁷For we are brought to an end by your anger;
    by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.

⁹For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
¹⁰The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?

¹²So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

Bluebonnet | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

Do you remember waiting for your 13th birthday to come around? You’d be a teenager! How about your 16th or your 21st? Compare that with waiting for your 40th, 50th, or 70th? When you’re a kid you’re sure there are 1000 days between birthdays. As an older adult, you’re not sure there are even 100. Time is relative. How long does it take to get a dentist appointment for a tooth ache? Much longer than it does to receive the bill afterwards!

Moses, the author of this psalm, speaks of time in this manner:

For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.

He is convinced that God’s timing is so very well beyond ours that watching man live and die is like watching grass spring up in the morning only to see it wither away in the afternoon sun. He sounds almost rueful. It’s as though he thinks God has little care for us mere mortals whose lives span 70 or 80 years. He is certainly aware of our need to view life from mortality’s perspective. We need to number our days. We need to consider our urgent need for God’s mercy and grace. We need to reckon with our mortality and God’s ultimate judgment.

The title of this psalm is A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. That is not the commentary or attribution of modern translators, but the inscription of the psalm in the text itself. Some consider these to be inspired along with the text of the psalm. It makes sense that Moses wrote this prayer/psalm. Events in his life such as the death of his sister Miriam, and his brother Aaron, along with his being barred from entering the Promised Land would certainly form a strong background for such sentiment as is expressed in this psalm. These events are written in the book of Numbers, chapter 20. And the reference to God bringing forth the mountains and forming the earth and the world certainly echo Moses’ account of creation in Genesis.

In any case, however, these words apply to us all. For we all suffer disappointment. We all lose loved ones. We all fail to make it to the Promised Land this side of eternity. And we all wait. And God works on his own time schedule and perspective.

A roadmap to the future would be a hindrance, not a help to faith. And God desires that we wait in faith. In fact the idea behind waiting in the biblical sense is tied up in two other facets of the word. We hope while we wait. And we trust while we hope. Hoping, trusting, and waiting go hand in hand. So when it’s not clear how soon or not God is going to act, we must simply wait. And hope. And trust.

However long the days may seem to us now, we look forward to the eternal day of God’s presence and salvation fully experienced. And looking for God’s steadfast love to shine forth, we can pray,

Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Psalm 90: Considering, Numbering, and Gaining

March 15, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
²Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³You return man to dust
    and say, “Return, O children of man!”
⁴For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.

⁵You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
⁶in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

⁷For we are brought to an end by your anger;
    by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.

⁹For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
¹⁰The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?

¹²So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

Flame of the Woods | Phoenix, AZ | February 2023

Diane and I recently went on an impromptu photo outing. I had my camera ready. Batteries were charged. Lenses and tripod at the ready. So we went. She mostly walked around Mercer Botanical Gardens, taking a few photos with her iPhone. I took a bunch of photos. Then late last night I got around to going through them for the first batch of culling the less-than-excellent photos. This morning I finished that up, including some editing and a whole lot of post processing. I discovered I had neglected to reset my camera and everything was overexposed by 2 stops. That’s not good in bright sunlight. Thank God for Lightroom®! You’ll see some of those photos over the next weeks in this blog.

I should have considered a few things before I began to click the shutter. I should have looked more closely at the numbers. I would have gained some time and some better photos had I done so.

Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?

¹²So teach us to number our days
  that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Too often we live as though God is a doting grandfather. Benignly he watches with chuckling amusement at the silly antics of his grandchildren. That’s not a biblical picture whatsoever. Who considers, indeed, the power of his anger? I don’t often. But when I do, it hauls me back from the edge of faith’s shipwreck. The Law of God properly serves to curb gross outbreaks of sin in our lives. A healthy fear of God is at its root. It’s not the highest motivation. But it is a valid one. And for what it’s worth, I consider the fear of God something quite more than healthy respect. It’s quake in your boots, fall down in despair, woe is me fear. Look at Isaiah’s vision (Isaiah 6:1-5) for a reminder of that.

If we are in autopilot our whole lives we will certainly also discover some overexposure to the glitz and distractions of this world. That will require some redevelopment of our hearts – a renewing of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise we will forfeit wisdom and lose much.

Moses prays that God would teach us to number our days. He is aware that it’s all too easy to slog through our days unaware of God’s proper place, oblivious to his higher calling, and sidetracked from his ways. By numbering our days means we are intentionally aware of the human limits of our lives. We will not live on this side of eternity forever. Heaven is our true home. Numbering our days is, therefore, more than a humble reckoning of the limits of our life, it is also meant to point us to our true heavenly hope and home.

By considering and numbering we may gain a heart of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom’s fulfillment is Jesus himself. Perfect love. Perfect faith. Perfect obedience. Hope realized. A wise heart has considered the proper fear of God, counted its days, and looks for the steadfast love of God to fill its cracks and crevasses. Those with wise hearts will see the work of God and look with anticipation for the blessing of God on their children.
Psalm 90: The Big Ugh!

March 14, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
²Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³You return man to dust
    and say, “Return, O children of man!”
⁴For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.

⁵You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
⁶in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

⁷For we are brought to an end by your anger;
    by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.

⁹For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
¹⁰The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?

¹²So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

Peruvian Lily | January 2022 | Scottsdale, AZ

I haven’t always used it, but Eugene Lowry wrote a book for preachers titled, The Homiletical Plot. Homiletics is a fancy word for the study and theories of preaching. Lowry’s idea tapped into the way typical television episodes unfold. There is an Oops! Ugh! Aha! Wee! and finally a Yay! The problem is revealed (think a body is found in an NCIS episode), but as the case unfolds the mystery gets more complex and perplexing. Finally there is a clue, then quickly comes the resolution. At the end, everyone is back at headquarters. Abby is happy. Gibbs is … well, Gibbs is Gibbs. DiNozzo is silly. And the rest of the crew is relieved.

Lowry’s idea is that a good sermon brings people through that progression. His suggestion is to “get Jesus into as much trouble as possible” before revealing how he outwits them all and is the answer we really needed all along. And if you don’t really get to a legitimate and genuine UGH!, you’ll never really fill the hearts of the hearers with Jesus. And that is the task of the preacher.

This psalm celebrates the reality of everyone’s true, genuine, legitimate, and inescapable UGH: Death. We may live to 70 or 80 years of age. These days 100 is not totally unheard of. But our days are numbered. None of us can escape that. And we have reminders of that reality constantly before us. A child dies of a rare and incurable disease. A friend is killed in a car accident. A coworker falls to his death. A young husband enters the hospital through the ER, and never comes home – though he does go to his True Home with Jesus.

It wasn’t always so. In the beginning life reigned. There was no death. No sickness. No thorny weeds invading our landscapes. No pain in childbirth. No strife between husband and wife. No floods. No storms. No sickness. No suffering. Pure joy. Perfect communion with God.

But when Adam and Eve chose to eat of the forbidden fruit all that changed. All of it. Sin brought sickness, shame, separation, suffering, sadness, and death. We live in a fallen world.

For we are brought to an end by your anger;
    by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.

We’re part of that fallen world as shown not only by the troubles we bear, but also by the ways we add to our own suffering through sins and iniquity of our own – some hidden, some all too well on display.

This psalm requires us to look that square in the face. We have sinned. We are fallen. We will die. Not a happy note. But certainly a true one. Neither, however, is it the only note. For in the end of this psalm a note of hope and anticipation rings out.

Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

There is a grand WEE! God’s goodness prevails, together with his grace and his steadfast love. We must face death. But we do not face it without hope. Through Jesus we have redemption, salvation, life and eternal joy. Yay God!
Psalm 90: The Everlasting God

March 13, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
²Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³You return man to dust
    and say, “Return, O children of man!”
⁴For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.

⁵You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
⁶in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

⁷For we are brought to an end by your anger;
    by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.

⁹For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
¹⁰The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?

¹²So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

Orange Cana Lily | May 2022 | Location Unknown

I tend to think of the everlasting nature of God in terms of time. He was before the beginning of time. He will be after the end of time. He is outside of time. He is eternal. That is important. Those are important realities. The material universe is not eternal. It had a beginning. God who was before all time and creation created the universe. God was before the universe was. One day this world will pass away. But God will go on. He is everlasting.

That is not true of us. We have not always been. Our days on earth are numbered (v. 12!). Our lives in this world will come to an end. That means we are limited in lifespan. But we’re also limited in other ways.

We were driving west along Interstate-80 in the middle of Iowa. Our 1972 Chevelle was pulling a U-Haul trailer with all our worldly possessions in the back. Diane was 7 months pregnant. I was going to begin my vicarage year in Cheyenne, Wyoming. As I drove I could feel something different about our car’s transmission. It was not a good difference. Finally I pulled to the shoulder knowing that the car would make it no further. Our transmission gave out. So did my peaceful heart. My joy left me. My anxiety took its place. I knew of no way to fix this. It was clear: I was at the end of my resources.

But God’s everlasting nature extends beyond time. He’s not just better than the Energizer Bunny. Or Duralast Batteries. Or a Timex watch: Takes a likin’ and keeps on tickin, (you may remember). God’s love is everlasting. It never runs out. God’s grace and mercy never run out. His power is boundless in breadth and duration. His resources are boundless. From everlasting to everlasting God is God. And God is just, holy, true, faithful, trustworthy, patient, kind, merciful, gracious, and good. God is love.

God’s nature never changes. Our ability to experience him is certainly limited. Our comprehension of God is finite. Our faith in him and his promises wavers. But God is constant. He is the rock. He is the One who will be there whenever we turn to him. From everlasting to everlasting he is. Known by faith. Redeemed by Jesus. Sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Attested to in Scripture. Proven by an empty and open tomb. For him we wait until the number of our days is completed and our faith becomes sight.

Until then we pray:

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!