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1In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

4And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (ESV)

Our minds inevitably go to the prologue of Luke’s gospel when we read the opening of ‘Acts.’ We cannot help but see/hear a similarity:

1Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (ESV)

Dr. Luke wrote a two volume history of the beginnings of Christianity: his gospel dealing with the life and ministry of Jesus, and the ‘Acts’ outlining the life and ministry of the earliest church. What is striking is that, it would appear, that all his painstaking work was done for just one man ‘Theophilus.’ Although ‘Theophilus’ could be a code word for the church, it seems likeliest that he was one precious human being – perhaps a ‘seeker’ after truth, or a new disciple. But he was well worth Luke’s efforts. More than worth them.

In Luke 15, the good doctor records three parables of Jesus: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. In fact these stories are about one lost sheep, one lost coin, and one lost son. And oh the joy when what is lost is found. It seems that this truth was deeply impressed upon Luke that one matters. Theophilus mattered, and he went to great lengths to help him.

Years ago I heard a preacher say, ‘You will never lock eyes with anyone who doesn’t matter to the Father.’

‘It is the individual touch that tells. He (Jesus) doesn’t love in the mass, but in one’s.’ Amy Carmichael

4“O LORD,” I prayed, “have mercy on me.

Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

5But my enemies say nothing but evil about me.

“How soon will he die and be forgotten?” they ask.

6They visit me as if they were my friends,

but all the while they gather gossip,

and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.

7All who hate me whisper about me,

imagining the worst.

8“He has some fatal disease,” they say.

“He will never get out of that bed!”

9Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely,

the one who shared my food, has turned against me.

10LORD, have mercy on me.

Make me well again, so I can pay them back!

11I know you are pleased with me,

for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.

12You have preserved my life because I am innocent;

you have brought me into your presence forever.

13Praise the LORD, the God of Israel,

who lives from everlasting to everlasting.

Amen and amen! (NLT)

Yesterday we established the principle that God heals (v3). More, He is a loving, caring healer, ‘nursing’ His patients to health.

Following on from the principle David prays for healing. Note that it is not wrong to pray for our own health concerns. However, you will no doubt notice that David prays for restoration to health so that he can pay back his enemies. This inevitably raises questions in our minds, but commentators tend to point out that David is not talking about personal revenge, something forbidden in Scripture (Deut.32:35; Rom.12:19). But as king, he had the responsibility to punish wrongdoers, and to purge evil from the land. Because David was God’s anointed king, those speaking against him were actually speaking against God. David was supremely jealous for the Lord’s honour.

Perhaps even greater than the pain of sickness is the pain of treachery (v.9). Ultimately, this verse was fulfilled in Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ.

The Psalms divide into five distinct sections, or ‘books’. With Psalm 41:13, book 1 comes to a glorious end. For all that our ever-living God is (and has taught us) to Him be eternal praise! ”Amen and amen!”

(From next Monday, God-willing, we will embark on a fresh journey through the book of Acts. You might want to look out for all the healing miracles as the ministry of Jesus continues in and through His church, by the power of the Holy Spirit).

4Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD,

who have no confidence in the proud

or in those who worship idols.

5O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us.

Your plans for us are too numerous to list.

You have no equal.

If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,

I would never come to the end of them.

6You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.

Now that you have made me listen, I finally understanda—

you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.

7Then I said, “Look, I have come.

As is written about me in the Scriptures:

8I take joy in doing your will, my God,

for your instructions are written on my heart.”

9I have told all your people about your justice.

I have not been afraid to speak out,

as you, O LORD, well know.

10I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;

I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.

I have told everyone in the great assembly

of your unfailing love and faithfulness. (NLT)

If in the first three verses we see David waiting, here we find him witnessing. Note that witness is not only a matter of life (3 – people seeing our good deeds and glorifying the Father in heaven: Mt.5:16); it also involves our lips. Fear can hold a person back, but David was not to be silenced, although he had many enemies. Christian witness is both visual and vocal.

‘When we are delivered, let us set our gladness to music and embody it in renewed consecration, vv.4-10. Let us not hide God’s love in our hearts, but tell it out.’ F.B. Meyer

It is significant that Hebrews 10:5-7 places verses 6-8 on the lips of Christ. Under the Old Covenant, God very much did desire…Sacrifice and offering (see the book of Leviticus). But David’s words are prophetic of Jesus, who in offering Himself as the final, perfect Sacrifice, did away with any further need for Sacrifice and offering. At the heart of Christian witness there lies a simple pointing to Christ and His Cross as the only effective cure for human sin.

But verses 6-8 were spoken by David, and said something about him in the first place. David knew that ritual was not sufficient for God, who wanted ‘living sacrifices’ (see Rom.12:1,2). This is what enabled David to be a courageous witness. He desired to do God’s will. He sought to be surrendered to God.

PRAYER: ”O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” (Ps.51:15 ESV)

1I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,

and he turned to me and heard my cry.

2He lifted me out of the pit of despair,

out of the mud and the mire.

He set my feet on solid ground

and steadied me as I walked along.

3He has given me a new song to sing,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what he has done and be amazed.

They will put their trust in the LORD. (NLT)

Out on a pastoral visit one day, I saw a plaque over someone’s fireplace. It read, ‘Lord, grant me patience, but hurry!’ Tongue in cheek perhaps, but it expressed a certain truth about human nature. We are averse to waiting.

However, it came as a helpful insight to me when I discovered that the Bible speaks both of waiting on the Lord in prayer, and waiting for the Lord to act. We see this kind of waiting in David’s experience. This is how it is expressed in ‘The Message’:

I waited and waited and waited for God.

At last he looked; finally he listened.

He lifted me out of the ditch,

pulled me from deep mud.

He stood me up on a solid rock

to make sure I wouldn’t slip.

He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,

a praise-song to our God.

More and more people are seeing this:

they enter the mystery,

abandoning themselves to God.

When we ‘wait’ for God to act, rather than trying to make something happen ourselves, a watching world sees what God can do, and He gets the glory.

”When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do. And so on. But when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do.” A.C. Dixon

PRAYER: Lord God, as the world looks at the church, and at our individual lives, may people see your work and be drawn to you. In my life, Lord, be glorified. In our lives, Lord, be glorified…today

1I said to myself, “I will watch what I do

and not sin in what I say.

I will hold my tongue

when the ungodly are around me.”

2But as I stood there in silence—

not even speaking of good things—

the turmoil within me grew worse.

3The more I thought about it,

the hotter I got,

igniting a fire of words:

4“LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.

Remind me that my days are numbered—

how fleeting my life is.

5You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.

My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;

at best, each of us is but a breath.”

Interlude

6We are merely moving shadows,

and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.

We heap up wealth,

not knowing who will spend it.

7And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?

My only hope is in you.

8Rescue me from my rebellion.

Do not let fools mock me.

9I am silent before you; I won’t say a word,

for my punishment is from you.

10But please stop striking me!

I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.

11When you discipline us for our sins,

you consume like a moth what is precious to us.

Each of us is but a breath.

Interlude

12Hear my prayer, O LORD!

Listen to my cries for help!

Don’t ignore my tears.

For I am your guest—

a traveler passing through,

as my ancestors were before me.

13Leave me alone so I can smile again

before I am gone and exist no more. (NLT)

Around 9 years ago, Jilly and I discovered ‘Tennants’, a major auction house in nearby Leyburn. It is always interesting to see the various items that are going to be sold off. On occasions these will be the full contents of some great country house. Early on we commented to each other as to how salutary this is. Here on display is, in effect, someone’s life. They have valued these treasures but now have no further use for them. They have had to leave them behind.

There is a story told about two ladies who were talking about a rich man who had died. ‘How much did he leave?’ asked one. ‘Everything!’ replied the other.

Oh! we’re all puffs of air.

Oh! we’re all shadows in a campfire.

Oh! we’re just spit in the wind.

We make our pile, and then we leave it. (The Message)

Life is very short, even when it is long. As my dad was getting older he said, ‘You look back and wonder, ”Where did it all go?” ‘ The older I get, the more I identify with his words. We are wise to look our mortality in the face, and live seriously and soberly in the light of it. As someone said, ‘Death is the ultimate statistic; one out of one dies!’

”Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Ps.90:12 (”Teach us how short our life is, so that we may become wise.” Good News Translation)

Warren Wiersbe’s simple summary of this Psalm is helpful:

‘When wicked men came to visit him in his sickness, David tried to be silent before them (Matt.7:6). But he finally had to speak and remind himself and them that man was frail and life was short. Life is only a hand-breadth long, a vapor that comes and goes (James 4:14) and a mere shadow. We are strangers and sojourners (v.12) and the journey is not a long one. Why gather riches when you cannot take them with you when you go?’

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.

2Your arrows have pierced me,

and your hand has come down on me.

3Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;

there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.

4My guilt has overwhelmed me

like a burden too heavy to bear.

5My wounds fester and are loathsome

because of my sinful folly.

6I am bowed down and brought very low;

all day long I go about mourning.

7My back is filled with searing pain;

there is no health in my body.

8I am feeble and utterly crushed;

I groan in anguish of heart.

9All my longings lie open before you, Lord;

my sighing is not hidden from you.

10My heart pounds, my strength fails me;

even the light has gone from my eyes.

11My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;

my neighbors stay far away.

12Those who want to kill me set their traps,

those who would harm me talk of my ruin;

all day long they scheme and lie.

13I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,

like the mute, who cannot speak;

14I have become like one who does not hear,

whose mouth can offer no reply.

15Lord, I wait for you;

you will answer, Lord my God.

16For I said, “Do not let them gloat

or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”

17For I am about to fall,

and my pain is ever with me.

18I confess my iniquity;

I am troubled by my sin.

19Many have become my enemies without cause;

those who hate me without reason are numerous.

20Those who repay my good with evil

lodge accusations against me,

though I seek only to do what is good.

21Lord, do not forsake me;

do not be far from me, my God.

22Come quickly to help me,

my Lord and my Saviour. (NIV)

In this Psalm we find David sick and lonely. The first thing he does is to acknowledge that he is suffering because of his own personal sin. Indeed, he feels the crushing weight of his guilt (4). It is a burden too heavy to bear. ‘Sin comes as a friend to entice you and then becomes a master to enslave you.’ Warren Wiersbe

But as David continues, we are able to see that some of his suffering is undeserved and without cause (19,20). Once again, his stance is one of prayerful waiting for the Lord (13-16; 21,22).

Ultimately, this psalm points us beyond David to ‘Great David’s greater Son’, Jesus, whose suffering was totally innocent. He was hated ”without a cause” (John 15:5). That quote in John 15 is not taken from Psalm 38, but Psalm 69:4. Nevertheless, we can affirm that Jesus’ innocent suffering upon the Cross provides the only answer to the overwhelming weight of sin and guilt we all carry.

At least, it does for those who, like David, repentantly confess their sin and throw themselves on the mercy of God.

”If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn.1:8,9)

30The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks justice.

31The law of his God is in his heart;

his steps do not falter.

32Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous,

and seek to slay them,

33the LORD will not leave them in their power

or let them be condemned under judgment.

34Wait for the LORD and keep His way,

and He will raise you up to inherit the land.

When the wicked are cut off,

you will see it.

35I have seen a wicked, ruthless man

flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,

36yet he passed away and was no more;

though I searched, he could not be found.

37Consider the blameless and observe the upright,

for posterity awaits the man of peace.

38But the transgressors will all be destroyed;

the future of the wicked will be cut off.

39The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

He is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40The LORD helps and delivers them;

He rescues and saves them from the wicked,

because they take refuge in Him.

Alec Motyer, writing on this Psalm, has pointed out some of the weaknesses in the ‘Let go and let God’ approach to Christianity. He makes a strong Biblical case for there being many things we are called to do. However, he adds:

”…there is…a time for non-retaliation, for leaving it to God (Romans 12:19), for waiting silently for God, holding our tongues and turning the other cheek (Lamentations 3:25-30; Matthew 5:39). In such a time, says Psalm 37, our active response is to trust and delight in Yahweh (3-4), and to be still and wait (7), to live in the visible world of trial seeing clearly the invisible world of divine sovereignty and justice (13,18), to look to the end, secure in Yahweh’s care, even sharing in his laughter (verse 13; Psalm 2:4). Alongside Psalm 37, Isaiah 53:79 and 1 Peter 2:20-25 make good reading: we are called to be like the Son of God in all things; he is our inspiration and model as well as our Redeemer.”

But as Eugene Peterson expresses it in his paraphrase, this waiting for God is a passionate thing (34)

”Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone,

rolls virtue around on his tongue.

His heart pumps God’s Word like blood through his veins;

his feet are as sure as a cat’s.

32-33Wicked sets a watch for Righteous,

he’s out for the kill.

God, alert, is also on watch—

Wicked won’t hurt a hair of his head.

34Wait passionately for God,

don’t leave the path.

He’ll give you your place in the sun

while you watch the wicked lose it.

35-36I saw Wicked bloated like a toad,

croaking pretentious nonsense.

The next time I looked there was nothing—

a punctured bladder, vapid and limp.

37-38Keep your eye on the healthy soul,

scrutinize the straight life;

There’s a future

in strenuous wholeness.

But the willful will soon be discarded;

insolent souls are on a dead-end street.

39-40The spacious, free life is from God,

it’s also protected and safe.

God-strengthened, we’re delivered from evil—

when we run to him, he saves us.” The Message