The Boogeyman

A Series from the Psalms
God is my… Protector
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 91

 [God is many things to many people. In this series, we will be looking at various Psalms that complete the statement “God is my…” Maybe ultimately this answers the question that we all ask at some point in our life, “Who is God to me?”.]

  

Movies love to make us afraid. Jaws made us afraid to swim in the ocean. Halloween made us afraid to “Trick or treat”. Airport made us afraid to fly. Stephen King made us afraid of clowns, and just about everything else.

 

Even without movies, everybody is afraid of something. When I was little, I was afraid of the dark. I was positive that somebody was hiding under my bed. At night, I would turn the light out and take a running jump into my bed so that he couldn’t get me. The Boogeyman!

 

Psalm 91 is filled with examples of things we are afraid of.

 

⁵ Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
⁶ Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.         NLT

 

In the movie Blind Side, Michael Orr was the left offensive tackle whose job was to protect the quarterback from being hit from his “blind side”. We all need someone like that in our life. Someone who has our back, is always with us and will protect us no matter what.

 

This psalm is also filled with promises of protection. Just! Like! That!

 

⁹ If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home. NLT

 

To be honest, it almost sounds too good to be true. After all, we know that even Christians have bad things happen to them. But that doesn’t mean that the Lord isn’t with us; isn’t our Protector.

 

¹⁴ The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.               NLT

 These verses give us hope! They tell us that God is always with us even in trouble and that He is faithful to respond to us. I don’t know about you, but there’s no One better than that to protect me from the Boogeyman.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

Murphy’s Law

A Series from the Psalms
God is my… Rest
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 62

 [God is many things to many people. In this series, we will be looking at various Psalms that completes the statement “God is my…” Maybe ultimately this answers the question that we all ask at some point in our life, “Who is God to me?”.]

  

Murphy’s Law: Everything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Have you ever started a project where everything seemed to go wrong? I did just recently. It was a very simple job, or so I thought. I had a picture frame that I wanted to hang some sports memorabilia. It was just a matter of taking the plastic off, cleaning the glass, attaching the hanger, putting the items in it and hanging it.

 

Oh my gosh! You’d think I was trying brain surgery or something! It took me over an hour, and honestly, it’s still not right. It’s just hanging there, waiting for me. No doubt to mock me again. Murphy’s Law hard at work.

 

Life can be like that; one problem solving event after another. Each one adding more stress to your life leaving you feeling frustrated, angry and overwhelmed until finally you explode. Sometimes, we need a break. We need rest. Even God did. He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh.

 

David most certainly needed rest. He always seemed to be running for his life from those who wanted to kill him. Such is the case in Psalm 62. David found rest in his relationship with God.

 

¹ Truly my soul finds rest in God;
    my salvation comes from him.
² Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.      NIV

 

Through his relationship with God, David knew something that I need to learn. He knew who was ultimately in control and who faithfully loved him. He knew these things not just in his head, but in his heart!

 

¹¹ God has spoken plainly,
    and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;
¹²     unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.      NLT

 

Murphy’s Law can take many shapes. From the mundane tasks of daily living to life changing events beyond our control. All of them can result in anxiety, stress, fear, frustration, anger, feeling overwhelmed and profound sadness.

 

It just takes that one small step of faith to reach out to Him; to pour out your heart. It only takes the faith of a mustard seed to find peace through God as your rest.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

“Out Damned Spot”

A Series from the Psalms
God is my… Savior
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 51

[God is many things to many people. In this series, we will be looking at various Psalms that completes the statement “God is my…” Maybe ultimately this answers the question that we all ask at some point in our life, “Who is God to me?”.]

 

In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth urged her husband to kill the king of Scotland. After the murder, her guilt gradually drove her insane. 

In Act V Scene 1, she is sleep walking and imagines that a spot of the king’s blood has permanently stained her hands. Here are the highlights of her monologue.

 

“Out damned spot! Out I say! …Hell is murky. …Will these hands ne’er be clean? …Here’s the smell of blood still. …What’s done cannot be undone!”

 

In these heart-wrenching words, you can feel the anguish, pain and guilt that is heavy on her heart. You can feel the resignation of a hopeless life; a life that is defined by her worst moment.

 

I’ve never been a big Shakespeare fan, but when I watched the clip below, it almost brought me to tears.

Act V Scene 1

No doubt, David must have felt some of the same guilt and despair as Lady Macbeth. The feeling of not being able to change what he had done; his adultery with Bathsheba and then having her husband killed.

 

³ For I recognize my rebellion;
    it haunts me day and night.    

⁵ For I was born a sinner—
    yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.     NLT

 

Unlike Lady Macbeth, David had hope. Hope that he would be forgiven; hope that he would be defined by more than his sinful acts; hope that the Lord would not close him out but keep him close.

 

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins.
⁷ Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    Renew a loyal spirit within me.           NLT

 

Lady Macbeth couldn’t remove the stain of blood, the stain of her sin. She was broken. She had no redemption; no forgiveness; no hope; no savior. But David did. His savior is the same one that is waiting for you and me, resulting in a clean heart, forgiven through the undying love of Jesus.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

One of Those Days

A Series from the Psalms
God is my… Fortress
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 46

 [God is many things to many people. In this series, we will be looking at various Psalms that completes the statement “God is my…” Maybe ultimately this answers the question that we all ask at some point in our life, “Who is God to me?”.]

  

I had one of those days this past week at work. Monday in fact. It was one of those days when whatever could go wrong, did go wrong. There were interruptions on top of interruptions. The computer didn’t cooperate. Nothing worked, and I couldn’t get anything done. By the end of the day, I wasn’t just frustrated… I was mad!

My grandson likes to build forts. Mostly he builds them out of pillows and blankets; whatever is handy in the room at the time.

 Then he likes to get underneath and look at his iPad or read a book or sort his football cards. I guess that’s why he builds the forts; for privacy and protection against the world.

 

I would’ve liked to build a fort this week at work.

 

We all have those days where it feels like the world is out of control. Maybe it’s because of the pandemic, conflict at home, financial stress, health issues or maybe even… problems at work. Whatever it is, it just feels like one of those days.

 

Psalm 46 speaks into our hearts about life out of control, when everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. But no matter what turmoil is going on around us, or inside of us, God is our fortress.

 

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
² So we will not fear when earthquakes come
    and the mountains crumble into the sea.      NLT

 

Martin Luther was inspired by this Psalm to write, “A Mighty Fortress is our God”. No doubt, he experienced “one of those days” himself.

 

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing:
Our helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.

 

We all try to protect ourselves from our out-of-control world; from crazy days at work or at home. And, like my Grandson who builds his forts, we build our own forts. If only, we/I could remember the words of Martin Luther. Or even better, remember the words of this Psalm. Then we would be reminded of the true Fortress.

 

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

¹¹ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
    the God of Israel is our fortress.           NLT

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams