Down an Unfamiliar Road

HOW GREAT THOU ART –

The compilers of the Psalter want to make sure that no pilgrim walked into God’s holy sanctuary; lifted up their hands and began praising the LORD, thinking He’d be surprised to see they had found Him. They wanted each pilgrim to realize that from the day of their conception until the very moment they opened their mouths to worship Him, He knew all there was to know about them. It was important that they understood that God would be fully aware if they were sincere or not in their adoration of Him; that would He discerned whether or not they really meant what they said. They must not be fooled into thinking that they could sing a song with their lips while their minds wandered elsewhere. No matter how far back we look or how far into the future we gaze, God is always in the moment. So in order to really respect and pay honor to Him, we must always worship Him in the moment. That’s why they chose a psalm written by a returned exile from captivity to emphasize these truths, because it expressed the feelings of someone who knew what they were talking about.

“O LORD Eternal, no one knows me as thoroughly as You do. You know when I plan to sit down or stand up; You know what I’m thinking ahead of time; You know what road I’m going to take and where I’ll stop to rest; You know everything there is to know about me. Before I say a word You already know what I’m going to say. You know all about what I’ve been and what I’m going to be. You are in total control of my life. Such a revelation just makes me shake my head in awe, it’s too deep for me; as a matter of fact, it’s more than I can grasp. It means there is no place I can hide from Your Spirit; no place I can run and not find myself in Your presence. No matter how high I try to climb, You are there; or if I attempt to descend into the lowest cavern, You are there; if I take flight early in the morning and fly far beyond the horizon, You go along with me, holding tightly to my hand. If I were to suppose that I could hide in the dark with all the lights out and be invisible to You, even darkness cannot hide anything from You; as a matter of fact, You see as well at night as You do during the daytime. In other words, there’s no difference between night and day with You. After all, You’re the One who created me as I am; yes, You assembled me in my mother’s womb. Therefore, I worship You because I have been marvelously and wonderfully created; Your handiwork is spectacular; and believe me, I’m more conscious of this now than ever. You knew all along what I was going to be, even as I was being conceived in intimacy and skillfully fashioned in seclusion. Your eyes were on me even as an undeveloped embryo because You laid down the formula for everyone to be formed this way. Oh how precious for me to know, O One True God, that you even think to bless me. As a matter of fact if I were to try and count Your blessings, they would outnumber the grains of sand around me, and were I able to do so, as soon as I got finished there would be even more blessings for me to count.” Psalm 139:1-18

Reflection: Howard Thurman, an African-American, born in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1900, during the days when segregation and racial bias ran rampant, refused to let this stop him from the goals his grandmother, a former slave, instilled in him while growing up. During one of his most stressful moments, after suffering hurtful discrimination at the hands of heartless segregationists, he ran to his room and threw himself on his cot and sobbed for hours. After a while, he opened his eyes and spotted his Bible laying on the night stand; he reached out and grabbed it. It fell open to this Psalm 139; he read these comforting words of God’s abiding presence. So Howard was encouraged and eventually went off to the nearest Negro high school in Jacksonville, Florida; then later enrolled in Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Although he was rejected by Andover Theological Seminary for graduate studies, he didn’t quit. He pursued his doctoral studies at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School in Rochester, New York, earning a Ph.D. This led him to become a professor of theology at Boston University. He went on to write twenty-two books, and became a leader in the religious community across America. Like the Psalmist, Dr. Thurman found out that God never abandons His children. He stays with them in both their brightest and darkest hours. Only fools contemplate trying to run from God or deny His existence. Wise people know the best thing to do is run toward God. So let the examples of the Psalmist’s faith and Dr. Thurman’s experience become a guiding light for every moment of your life. God was before our own existence; before we came into being, and is beyond our present time and will be there to welcome us when we exit this life. Why not let Him become a constant daily companion in everything you do and everywhere you go along the way. Believe me; the trip will be a lot more exciting and beneficial to both.

Most Christians have heard Jesus said about us being the light of the world. Put another way, it means that believers are like a light in this dark world. As children we often sang the chorus, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” To many Christians, the term “light” means that we are to be examples of good Christian living to a world of wrongdoers. In John’s Revelation 21:23, we get a clearer glimpse of what role our light plays. Speaking of the New Jerusalem it says, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” Put more specifically, God provides the energy and Jesus is the light bulb. The same goes for us. The light people see in us is not ours, we are simple chosen to be the instrument through which God’s illumination of truth beams. So the next time you talk about being a light, don’t forget, you have to be plugged into the source in order to really shine for Him. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

Some years ago I had the privilege of serving as a Chaplain Resident on the Clinical Pastoral Education staff at the Miami-Dade Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. As part of our outreach, I was assigned, along with an associate chaplain, to conduct spiritual therapy sessions in the inpatient ward of the Psychology Clinic. Each week we met with the chief psychologist to see how we could coordinate psychological and spiritual therapy for the patients. During one session the chief psychologist asked me what happened to one of the patients, because his sudden turnaround from a person with a severe psychological disorder, to a person who seemed normal and interacted well with others, had astounded everyone. I told the doctor, that rather than meet with the young man on an individual basis, I invited him to a group session. In that group session I asked all the patients if any of them ever went to church. Then I asked those who responded if they had a favorite hymn. This young man raised his hand and said he loved the song, “Rock of Ages”. Therefore, with my associate chaplain helping me we began to sing: “Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee…” I watched the young man close his eyes while singing softly. A week later, they allowed this young man to go home, to the surprise and joy of his family. The head psychologist told me, this episode convinced him that getting in touch with God, even through song, can do wonders. Therefore, the next time you may be feeling down, sing or hum your favorite hymn to God, you may be amazed at what can happen.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY –

The pilgrims did not arrive in the Holy City and stand in the holy sanctuary without having struggled to get there. Each one could tell a story about lengthy hot days and long cold nights; about hunger and thirst; about aches and pains; and about obstacles they met and had to cope with along the way. So now it was time to lift up their hands before the LORD and exalt Him for bringing them through; giving them the privilege of standing on holy ground to worship the King of Heaven. So the compilers of the Psalter chose a psalm written by David after all his struggles and trials to be finally crowned King of all Israel. David’s prayer was not some hollow “Thank you” to God just to be courteous and impress others, but a heartfelt and deeply moving expression of gratitude for God’s amazing grace in helping him to remain strong and resolute to be what God wanted him to be.

“My heart bursts with joy when I worship You; yes, in the presence of angels I sing songs of praise to You as I lift my head in Your holy sanctuary; I worship You because of Your unfailing love and faithfulness. For You made Yourself famous for being One who carries out His promises, more than anything else. You’ve never failed to respond when I’ve call out to You; this gave me the inner strength to carry on. Someday the kings of the earth will worship You, O LORD Eternal, once they listen to what You have to say; yes, they will sing songs about how the LORD Eternal works His miracles, for when You do them they are spectacular. Not only that, but even though the LORD Eternal is so highly honored, He still pays attention to the down and out, and remains constantly in touch with them. Even though I’ve encountered stressful situations, You have always kept me strong when facing difficulties by reaching out Your arm and letting Your right hand pull me through. Now I believe the LORD Eternal will finish what He’s has started in my life. O LORD Eternal, Your unfailing love is never ending, that’s why I trust You to never abandon me, because I am Your prized possession.” Psalm 138:1-8

Reflection: To her dismay, CT scans and tests proved that Sister Aileen Murray’s illness was in fact cancer. To some degree, Aileen was relieved to know that the specialists at the oncology unit in Brighton, England had finally identified what made her feel so bad. Notwithstanding the disappointment, she decided to carry on her life and leave whatever happened in God’s hands. In other words, she chose not to ask the Lord for any particular outcome, but trusted Him to do what was best for Him and for her, and to do it His way. So she decided to go on a retreat at St. Mary’s Convent in the small town of Wantage, near Oxford, England, and serve as a lay minister while there. During that time one of the nuns asked her if she planned to carry on in the ministry given to her, or was she ready for the Lord to do something really special through her life. Aileen told the nun that she needed to pray about that. Later, while having her devotions she turned to Psalm 138, and after reading the last two verses she decided to trust God not to give up on her until He was finished with what He had started. So she agreed to launch out into new waters, and after leaving the convent went on to become even busier than before by going around and sharing the power of prayer and the strength that comes from holding on to God’s unchanging hand. What testimonies we have here from both the psalmist and Sister Aileen to the truth that God always carries through on His plans for our lives. Sometimes plans seem to go awry because we decide to take over, or we refuse to do our part in making sure God’s will prevails in our lives. Often that’s because we don’t see things turning out the way we want them to, or we believe we know better than God what’s best for us. The psalmist did not operate under any such illusions. He wanted to be what God designed him to be, no matter what. We all can be sure of one thing: God will never leave His work unfinished, and He certainly won’t turn it over to us to finish because He can’t get it done. Although we may not be what we want to be, let’s thank God we’re not what we once were. Furthermore, to keep on believing that He desires to continue His work in us, transforming us into what He intends us to become. The only question that remains is this: are we, like Sister Aileen and the psalmist, willing to let Him have His way with us until He’s finished.

LOVE THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDS –

After the pilgrims gathered in the House of the LORD along with the priests and musicians, the congregation was now ready to worship Him for His love that brought them through many trials and tribulations. The reciting of this psalm in the Temple was done by the Cantor chanting the first line and then everyone in attendance responding with the phrase: “His grace is never ending.” The compilers of the Psalter chose to include this psalm written by David for the dedication of the tent he erected to hold the Ark of the Covenant upon its being brought to Jerusalem. It was repeated at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. The main theme was to remember all that God had done to bring them this far, and to instill in their hearts the hope and faith that He would continue to love them, come what may.

“O Worship the LORD Eternal, for He is a good God – His grace is never ending.

O Worship the God above all gods – His grace is never ending.

O Worship the LORD above all lords – His grace is never ending.

He single handedly performed all His wonders – His grace is never ending.

He created the universe with great skill – His grace is never ending.

He spread out the earth’s surface above the waters – His grace is never ending.

He put heaven’s lights in place – His grace is never ending.

He positioned the sun to light up the day – His grace is never ending.

He hung the moon and stars to illuminate the night – His grace is never ending.

He remembered us when we were down and out – His grace is never ending.

He ransomed us from those who enslaved us – His grace is never ending.

He provides the very essence of life – His grace is never ending.

O Worship the Head of Heaven – His grace is never ending.”

Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26

Reflection: Some years ago a minister sat in his church office looking at his daughter sitting across from him, and a high school counselor seated on his left. The teenager ran away from home the week before, and the State Police returned her to the town’s police station that morning. Before she left, the girl penned a note saying that she couldn’t live up to being a preacher’s daughter; the rules proved too hard to follow. At the police station the captain informed the girl of her options: go home with her dad and obey the rules, or, go to the home for runaway girls and live by even tighter restrictions. She reluctantly chose to go home with her father, as long as he first agreed to have a meeting with the school counselor to go over the rules, to make sure they were fair. Earlier that morning, the pastor’s devotions included Romans 5:8, and the scripture that gripped his heart. So while looking at his beloved daughter he quoted what he had read, “God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” With tears in his eyes he said to his daughter, “If God was willing to do that for me, I can do no less for you. So everything you’ve done up until now is forgiven. We can start with a new slate, a new beginning.” Tears also filled his daughter’s eyes as well as those of the counselor. They hugged and went home with a new relationship. The next day the father found a note on his pillow that read, “You are the best daddy in the world.” It just so happens that I was that minister and the girl involved was one of my precious daughters whom I love dearly. When the psalmist looked back over the history of Israel, he too saw times when the Israelites proved to be less than cooperative; not living in harmony with their Heavenly Father’s wishes. Yet, His unshakable love always led Him to be a forgiving and caring God. He chose not to force His people to serve Him out of fear, or terrorize them into obedience with threats of retribution; nor did He try and win their allegiance with promises or benevolent acts. In other words, He didn’t try to buy their love or make them earn His love. So the next time someone crosses you or does not do what you want them to do in order to please you, consider this thought before you mete out retribution, “How did I feel when I came to God lost and undone asking for forgiveness, and He said, “I’ve always loved you and I always will?”

So often when we are faced with the decision whether we should or should not do something; or, we consider canceling or postponing a decision; or, when we are pressured to respond to an opportunity or pass it by, most often our constant thought is on how is it going to affect us or those closest to us. While that is certainly a big factor, what about our relationship with God? We must realize that God is not a puppeteer, standing above us pulling our strings, and we are not robots merely wound up to perform what we are programmed to do. God has given us room to select options and exercise our will; not forcing us to choose one over the other. Therefore, we must also take into account how our actions, decisions, and affirmations will affect our service to Him as much as it affects us with its outcome. This is called responsibility for the privilege of having a free will. Therefore, we should always take into account our dedication to God in every one of these instances. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

I grew up in a preacher’s home and my father always treated people of other races and colors with great dignity and respect. We didn’t hear racial slurs or derogatory terms used for people’s race or culture other than our own. My dad’s openness and courteousness to people of different racial and ethnic groups rubbed off on me, something for which I am so grateful. Recently I read an article that gave me information about my father I didn’t know before. In 1927 he was appointed pastor to a congregation in Pennsylvania with both white and black members. There existed great love and harmony between the two. They worshiped together, fellowshiped together, ate together, and spent hours after church talking to each other. One member of the church at that time described their worship services as “dynamic, exciting, and Spirit-filled.” That’s where he grew to love and appreciate black and white believers in one accord and gained great respect for those who didn’t look on the color of someone’s skin, but color of one’s heart to foster brotherhood and sisterhood. In 1943 someone decided that the congregation could grow faster and serve people better if they split in two, since it was well-known that black and white congregations worshiped differently. I’m not here to judge if that decision was right or wrong. But I do feel that given today’s racial climate, had they stayed together their congregation might have served as a beacon for other churches to follow as a true model of genuine Christian fellowship. To this day I thank God I was raised in a home where racial discrimination did not exist.

IT’S GREAT BEING GRATEFUL –

The pilgrims have arrived in the Holy City; they are standing on holy ground in the Temple court; the priests are ready to minister; let the praise and worship begin! So the compilers of the Psalter chose a psalm written by an exile who had returned to Jerusalem after being in bondage, and was overwhelmed by the thrill of standing in the rebuilt Temple to honor the God who delivered him. Can you imagine on any given Sunday, billions of people around the world are in communion with God at the same time; in thousands of languages and dialects; using songs with many tempos and rhythms; offering many types of pray and praise to one God. The fact that He understands every one of them simultaneously; knowing they all expect a refreshing of the Spirit from Him, makes worshiping Him that much more awesome.

“O Hallelujah! Praise the LORD Eternal for who He is; yes, let the servants of the LORD Eternal praise Him as they stand in the House of the LORD Eternal, in the sanctuary of our One True God. Praise our Heavenly Master, our LORD Eternal, as you sing hymns about who He is, for He is wonderful and good. For our Heavenly Master chose us for Himself, yes, we all became His personal treasure. Therefore we know the LORD Eternal is great; that our Divine Master is greater than all powers. The LORD Eternal only does what pleases Him, whether up in heaven or down on earth, or in the middle of the ocean, to its deepest depths. So let every believer bestow praise on the LORD Eternal; let every minister bestow praise on the LORD Eternal; let every associate minister bestow praise on the LORD Eternal; let the laity bestow praise on the LORD Eternal; everyone join in and bestow praise on the LORD Eternal. We praise You, O LORD Eternal, for Your presence is in Your holy sanctuary. O Hallelujah! ” Psalm 135:1-6, 19-21

Reflection: At age 21, John Wesley entered Oxford University. He came from a good Christian home, and received compliments for his keen mind and good looks. Yet he proved to be somewhat snobbish and sarcastic. One night while speaking to a porter he learned that the poor fellow possessed only one coat; lived in such impoverished conditions that he did not have a bed to sleep on. Yet, he seemed unusually happy and filled with gratitude to God. Wesley thoughtlessly joked about the man’s misfortunes by saying rather sarcastically: “And pray tell, what else might you thank God for?”

The porter smiled and in the spirit of meekness replied with joy, “I thank Him that He has given me life and being, a heart to love Him, and above all a constant desire to serve Him.” Wesley was deeply moved; he recognized that this man knew the meaning of how to give God praise. It had a deep effect on Wesley’s life. Many years later John Wesley lay on his deathbed at the age of 88. Those gathered around him were familiar with how he praised God in every circumstance. Despite Wesley’s extreme weakness, he began singing a hymn written by Isaac Watts based on this Psalm entitled, “I’ll Praise My Maker While I Have Breath.” Little did the poor porter know how much his spontaneous praise to God served to change the world through the ministry of John Wesley. Like the psalmist, Wesley knew that no other god in the universe or in man’s imagination could compare to his Divine Master. What wonderful examples these servants of the LORD give us to follow as we pass through life. Ask yourself this question: “When was the last time someone inquired about how you were getting along, after they found out about some misfortune or setback you suffered?” Did you give an answer similar to that the porter gave John Wesley? Keep in mind the dramatic change such a response might bring to future leaders in God’s kingdom that you might meet along the way.

STANDING ON HOLY GROUND –

Upon concluding the collection for the Song of Ascents, the compilers envisioned pilgrims finally reaching the Holy City where they were about to enjoy celebrating the feasts; also, the Levite choir that sang these songs in sequence on each of the fifteen steps leading up to the inner court of the Temple, had reached the final step. Now it was time to bless the LORD in adoration; to throw off their weariness and any downheartedness they brought with them; and with all their strength and soul lift up the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in praise and worship.

“Listen everyone; give the LORD Eternal all the praise and honor due to Him; all of you ministers who serve in the house of the LORD Eternal; raise your hands toward the Holy of Holies and begin praising the LORD Eternal! May the LORD Eternal, creator of heaven and earth, rain down His blessing on you from His throne on high!” Psalm 134:1-3

Reflection: While visiting a small town in north Thailand, near the border with Burma, to conduct a ministers meeting and Bible Study, I had to travel on a hot, crowded bus for hours over bumpy roads. After finally arriving we checked into a less than five star hotel for the night. The next day we met in a small tabernacle built out of bamboo poles and a tin roof. As we worshipped, there was one brother who seemed to be especially happy to be there; his face was lit up with a smile as he raised his hands to worship the Lord with all his heart and soul. Between one of the services the overseer brought the man to meet me, and he seemed overjoyed and gave the tradition oriental bow, and then hug me with great enthusiasm. The overseer told me that the man had traveled all the way from Burma to be there; but it was how he traveled that melted my heart and filled my eyes with tears of respect and admiration. He left his home in central Burma on a train, and traveled as far as it would go toward our location where the services were being held. Then he caught a bus and rode as far as his money would take him. After that he hitchhiked; then got a ride on a moped; then on a bicycle; and finally walked several miles to the border. I quickly asked the Lord to forgive me for feeling sorry for myself because of the long bus ride and the less than luxury hotel accommodations. The psalmist no doubt knew what it took to take the long arduous journey to Jerusalem for the feasts, and shows unquestionable reverence, respect, wonder, and outright awe for the House of God and all it represented. He knew that words alone did not suffice in expressing true veneration for the God above all gods. How much more meaningful does praise become when done in true reverence for our Lord and Savior. How much more sincerity and humility are added to prayer when done with an open heart to the One who loves us so much. How much more do acts of dedication and submission to God’s will take on meaning when done while fulfilling His will not ours. How much more does it intensify our words of thanks and confessions of love for the Mighty Redeemer when done with a willingness to surrender ourselves to Him. But none of this means anything unless we mean everything we sing and say to Him, rather than merely following the rhythm of the music or repeating words we don’t really mean. Let us imagine what would be going through the heart and mind of a pilgrim standing in the Temple, looking at the most sacred spot on earth to every Jewish believer. Given the words and music of the song by Geron Davis, we might begin singing along with the pilgrims – as did a Jewish girl named Barbra Streisand: “We are standing on holy ground and I know there are angels all around, let us praise Jesus now, we are standing in His presence on holy ground.” So let the psalmist’s words and the lyrics of Geron’s song cause us all to take these to heart and cherish them as we approach our Heavenly Father on His throne of room of grace and mercy.

IN TUNE WITH GOD –

As the pilgrims drew nearer and nearer to their destination—the beautiful temple sitting high on Mt. Zion, the compilers of the Songs of Ascents wanted them to start feeling the excitement of soon being in the presence of the One True God. They wanted the pilgrim’s long journey to climax with the thrill of stepping into the holy place where the God they served dwelled in all His glory. They came from all corners of the land; from many cities, towns and villages; over straight, crooked, narrow and hilly roads to be together and stand on holy ground to worship the King of glory.

“What a beautiful sight when believers fellowship and worship together in unity. It’s like being under an anointing that flows down over the head and into the body, like it did on Aaron, flowing down into his beard and onto the collar of his robe. It’s also like being covered with a mist that settles down the same way dew settles down on the mountains of Zion. For it was there that the LORD Eternal initiated His plan to bring the blessing of eternal life.” Psalm 133:1-3

Reflection: Piano tuners tell us that the key of A Major on the keyboard represents the perfect pitch. Composers such as Bach and Mozart; singer Nat King Cole; conductor André Prévin and others possessed this ability to hit that perfect pitch. They also tell us that singer Phil Collins likes to tune the drums, because with his perfect pitch ability he picks up vibrations most people never hear. Such individuals instantaneously identify any key when played on an instrument. It is said of Elvis Presley, that his voice covered two octaves and a third, from the baritone low-G to the tenor high B, with an upward extension in falsetto to at least a D flat. Presley’s best octave is in the middle, D-flat to D-flat, granting an extra full step up or down. He had the ability to make everyone in the audience think that he was singing directly to them. The latest research informs us that that only 1 out of 10,000 people possess this unique ability. Also, that 80% of it comes from heredity. Once given a key to sing or hum, they complete the song without ever losing pitch or going off key. Further, it has been reported that some composers actually chose certain keys to represent the mood of their music, or that represented the feeling in their words. Researchers also say that by giving a bell that rings in the key of A to a baby, will lead to their developing this talent. Church musicians also inform us that with a piano on the platform and a trumpet player in the balcony, when the trumpet player blows in the key of A, that on a perfectly tuned piano the A string will resound in response. The psalmist saw a similar correlation between how men’s hearts tuned to the perfect pitch of honesty, integrity, non-prejudice and non-hypocrisy, will cause their hearts to vibrate to God’s voice of truth. Although we don’t find it written anywhere in Scripture, I’m ready to accept that the voices of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are in the perfect pitch. So when anyone of them speaks, someone with a perfectly tuned heart will automatically respond. No wonder the apostle Paul tells us that on the day of resurrection, the dead in Christ will respond first to the sound of the trumpet (1Co. 15:52), a truth he learned from the Master words (Mt. 24:31). But like a piano, or other instrument, we must go to the Master Tuner to be adjusted to the proper key. So ask yourself, when was the last time you went to Him for a tune up?