Friday, August 11, 2017

"God's... paternal indulgence" - Calvin

June 8, 2017

Worship: I can Just Be Me by Laura Storey

I've been doing all that I can
To hold it all together
Piece by piece.
I've been feeling like a failure,
Trying to be braver
Than I could ever be.
It's just not me.

So be my healer, be my comfort, be my peace.
Cause I can be broken, I can be needy,
Lord I need You now to be,
Be my God, so I can just be me.

I've been living like an orphan,
Trying to belong here,
But it's just not my home.
I've been holding on so tightly,
To all the things that I think
Could satisfy my soul.
But I'm letting go

So be my father, my mighty warrior, be my king.
Cause I can be scattered, frail and shattered,
Lord I need You now to be,
Be my God, so I can just be me.

Cause I was lost in this dark world
Until I was finally found in You
So now I'm needing, desperately pleading
Oh Lord, be all to me

And be my savior, be my lifeline, won't You be my everything.
Cause I'm so tired of trying to be someone
I was never meant to be
Be my God
Please be my God
Be my God
So I can just be me
So I can just be me
I can just be me.

Songwriters
INGRAM, JASON / STORY, LAURA
Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC


Witness:

Isa 6:1-5 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;the whole earth is full of his glory."
 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."
NIV (84)

It’s 8:23 pm and I’m just getting started. I have been in prayer and asked the Lord to open up His word to me. Yet, I have struggled to get here. Too many distractions. My phone notifications, clearing emails, the news. It all goes part and parcel with what struck me earlier as I was examining my feelings and attitude. I was feeling a distance was opening between God and me and my desire to study His Word. I felt like I was in a rut. Then it came to me as I was talking to God. What an awesome privilege it was to be able to come into His presence at all. That the Lord, who is high and lifted up, would deign to even allow me to talk to Him. What marvelous grace and condensation. What love and mercy.

I’m sorry. I had to stop what I was writing. My tears are flowing right now because God has revisited me through a song playing right now.

You Gave Your Life by Laura Story

I was found
As a beggar, as an orphan with no home
No family
I was found
With a stain as deep as darkness fills the night
But the wonder does not lie in the depression of my state
But that You found me at all is simply grace upon grace

You gave Your life for me
This wandering soul to see
How far, how wide
How deep, how high
Is the relentless love of God

And now I find
That the comforts of this heart are not in things
Or in the joys that this life brings
But just to be
The reworkmanship of God to know He's with me
To know He's for me
And I can't begin to comprehend just why He's chosen me
But I'd spend a thousand lifetimes giving thanks
Giving You thanks

You gave Your life for me
This wandering soul to see
How far, how wide
How deep, how high
Is the relentless love of God

I'm undeserving
Of grace so amazing
Though free to me
It cost You everything

You gave Your life for me
For this wandering soul to see
How far, how wide
How deep, how high
Is the relentless love of God



And still again He shows Himself.

Forgiven

Do you remember
The last hand that was held out to you,
The last time you heard the words inviting you to come,
The last time there were arms open wide for you
Do you remember
Ever knowing anyone
Who saw you as someone
Who called you by name and said

Forgiven
Every word and deed you are forgiven
He says to you, my child,
You are chosen, you are loved
You are forgiven

Do you remember
Last time you truly felt safe
The last time you were honest about you feeling pain
Knowing there was someone who could take that guilt away
Do you remember
When you heard the words of love
Living in your heart
That you are worth the cost

You are forgiven
Every word and deed you are forgiven
He says to you, my child,
You are chosen, you are loved
You are forgiven

I am set free
All my stains are washed clean
Jesus, my God and King
Thank You for saving me

I am forgiven
I am forgiven
I am chosen, I am loved
I am forgiven

I have been set free, I've been forgiven
You say to me, my child,
You are chosen, you are loved
And that will always be enough
I am forgiven




WORD:

Ps 26:8-27:1
8 I love the house where you live, O Lord,
               the place where your glory dwells.
                      
9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners,             
               my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,
                whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But I lead a blameless life;
                redeem me and be merciful to me.

12 My feet stand on level ground; in the great           
                assembly I will praise the Lord.                                                   
NIV (’84)
Ps 26:8-27:1
8 I love your sanctuary, Lord,
                the place where your glorious presence dwells.

9 Don't let me suffer the fate of sinners.
                Don't condemn me along with murderers.
10 Their hands are dirty with evil schemes,
                and they constantly take bribes.
11 But I am not like that; I live with integrity.
               So redeem me and show me mercy.
12 Now I stand on solid ground,
               and I will publicly praise the Lord.
                                                                                                     Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
Ps 26:8-27:1

8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:

10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.
KJV
Ps 26:8-12

8 O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
                and the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
                nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are evil devices,
                and whose right hands are full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
                redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
                in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.
ESV

While verses 9-10 are primarily a petition and verses 11-12 are essentially a profession, in reality, they are part and parcel of the same prayer, and verse 11 contains both profession and petition.  

I stated in my last entry on verse 9, this seems to be a strange request David is making here. I commented on the necessity of self-examination. Calvin has another angle on this verse that I think is also valid. I will share his thoughts on this verse. I am glad he felt the same tension concerning this verse.

Psalms 26:9Gather not my soul with wicked men. Having now affirmed his innocence, he has recourse again to prayer, and calls upon God to defend him. At first sight, indeed, it appears strange to pray that God would not involve a righteous man in the same destruction with the wicked; but God, with paternal indulgence, allows this freedom in prayer, that his people may themselves in this way correct their anxieties, and overcome the fears with which they are tempted. David, when he conceived this supplication, in order to free himself from anxiety and fear, placed before his eyes the righteous judgment of God, to whom nothing is more abhorrent than to mingle good and bad together without distinction. The Hebrew word psa, asaph, sometimes signifies to gather together, and sometimes to destroy. In this place, I am of opinion it signifies to gather into a heap, as was wont to be the case in a confused slaughter. This was the objection stated by Abraham, "That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee." (Gen 18:25,) Let us remember, therefore, that these forms of prayer are dictated by the Holy Spirit, in order that the faithful may unhesitatingly assure themselves that God still sits in inquisition upon every man's case, in order to give righteous judgment at last.(from Calvin's Commentaries, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005-2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

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