More than four years ago I embarked on a meditational journey through the Psalms. My practice has been to move verse by verse through the book asking meditational questions of my readers. You have come up with some great answers over the years, but I have provided few.

I have now finished the journey of asking and I am now beginning the journey of thinking on and answering my own questions through the Psalms. Let’s continue:

On the evening of May 20, 2016 I asked:

Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

2but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night. Psalm 1:1,2

WHAT DOES DAY AND NIGHT MEAN TO YOU IN THIS CONTEXT? ARE YOU THERE YET? WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP IF NOT?

I think Day and night here speak to a constancy of rhythm a regular routine of being in the Word of God and not just reading it but of drawing it into our lives and asking, “What does this mean for me?”.

I am not so sure it is about a set time when everyone should pray and read their Bible as in….YOU SHOULD READ YOUR BIBLE RIGHT WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING….or…. YOU MUST READ YOUR BIBLE EVERY NIGHT RIGHT BEFORE BED. I think everyone is built differently and we each need to find our own rhythm where this thing called meditation fits. That said it should be a large part of our routine.

I am much farther along the journey than I used to be. The next step for me is to begin really focusing on the activities that call me away from the Vicarage. I am about to enter a season in my mother’s care where going out will become harder and harder and require much more planning. I think learning how to move much of my work into the Vicarage and to let go of some of those things I do away from the Vicarage is my next step.

More than four years ago I embarked on a meditational journey through the Psalms. My practice has been to move verse by verse through the book asking meditational questions of my readers. You have come up with some great answers over the years, but I have provided few.

I have now finished the journey of asking and I am now beginning the journey of thinking on and answering my own questions through the Psalms. Let’s begin:

On May 20th 2016 I asked…

Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers, Psalm 1:1

ARE YOU EVER TEMPTED TO JOIN THE COMPANY OF MOCKERS? WHAT SITUATIONS CAUSE YOU TO LEAN THAT WAY? WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM THEM?

I am constantly tempted to join the company of mockers. I don’t know as it is certain situations which cause me to lean into mocking as much as it is that I am hardwired with an extremely sarcastic nature. My sin nature has strong ties to the haughty eye (or the rolling eye as the actual translation from Proverbs seven deadly sins declares) and my go to response to most situations in the world is…”Why does everyone have to be so stupid?”

Now with that confession I have unmasked what I consider one of the great flaws in my character. James teaches, that confession is good for the soul and that in confessing sin a person can be healed by the prayers of others. You must know that this is something I battle continually and fail at frequently so, please pray with me in this regard.

DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH AN EYE ROLLING NATURE? IF SO I WILL LIKEWISE PRAY FOR YOU.

1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2for gaining wisdom and instruction;

for understanding words of insight;

3for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,

doing what is right and just and fair;

4for giving prudence to those who are simple,

knowledge and discretion to the young—

5let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance—

6for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Knowing what you know about Solomon was he all wise?

While I am going back to answer the questions I asked in my meditations on the Book Of the Psalms I am also moving forward with new meditational questions concerning the Book of Proverbs.

1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2for gaining wisdom and instruction;

for understanding words of insight;

3for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,

doing what is right and just and fair;

4for giving prudence to those who are simple,

knowledge and discretion to the young—

5let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance—

6for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Tell me what you know about Solomon son of David.

More than four years ago I embarked on a meditational journey through the Psalms. My practice has been to move verse by verse through the book asking meditational questions of my readers. You have come up with some great answers over the years, but I have provided few.

I have now finished the journey of asking and I am now beginning the journey of thinking on and answering my own questions through the Psalms. Let’s begin:

On May 19th 2016 in my evening meditation I asked…

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers, Psalm 1:1,12

HOW DO I GET OUT OF THE WAY OF SINNERS AND STILL LIVE IN THE WORLD?

Paul the apostle told us we were to be “in the world but not of the world.” It is not our relationships that matter but our influences. I am called to love people…all people like God loves them. I cannot love someone and not be in relationship with them. I know….I know….there are two problems with this. First I cannot be in relationship with everyone. It is physically impossible. So can I love everyone? Not by that definition, but I can love the people I am with. I can love the people God gives me exposure to. Secondly there are people whom it is not safe for me to be in relationship with because they are abusive, or because I am so weak, they corrupt me.

So we are back to our original question,

HOW DO I GET OUT OF THE WAY OF SINNERS AND STILL LIVE IN THE WORLD?

I have to admit that there are some people who are negative influences not healthy relationships. Further, because they are negative influences, my being around them causes me to stumble. When I am around them I find myself walking in step with the wicked.

The only answer is to admit my weakness as my own, and to bring it to God. He is the deliverer. I must trust Him to deliver me from my own weakness of following the crowd. Then, I must leave the crowd behind, at least until such time as I am strong enough to handle it.

Well that is enough for now.

More than four years ago I embarked on a meditational journey through the Psalms. My practice has been to move verse by verse through the book asking meditational questions of my readers. You have come up with some great answers over the years, but I have provided few.

I have now finished the journey of asking and I am now beginning the journey of thinking on and answering my own questions through the Psalms. Let’s begin:

On May 19th 2016 I opened with this….

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked Psm. 1:1

WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR YOU TO WALK AWAY FROM THE INFLUENCE OF WICKEDNESS AROUND YOU?

Over the years since I asked this question, God has had me on a journey of self discovery. In the process of walking this road I have learned that for me to guard my heart from the influence of the increasing wickedness of the world around me I have to live a life of prayer and biblical study that is: slower than the race pace of the world, constant in that the rhythm is both consistent and flexible and intentional in that it follows a plan laid out through prayer by God.

The three words slow, constant and intentional have become my mantra and my method of living a holy life. I know for a fact that this will not work for everyone…but it is my method.

Psalm 150

¹ Praise the Lord.^[a]

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
² Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
⁴ praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Why does praise with instruments close off the Psalms?

Psalm 150

¹ Praise the Lord.^[a]

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
² Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
⁴ praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Talk to me about God’s surpassing greatness.

Psalm 150

¹ Praise the Lord.^[a]

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
² Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
⁴ praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

What motivates or activates God’s power?

Psalm 150

¹ Praise the Lord.^[a]

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
² Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
⁴ praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Talk to me about the Lord’s mighty heavens and what they tell us about God.